HOTELS AROUND THE WORLD

WYNDHAM GRAND REGENCY DOHA

2011-11-19T23:22:00.001-08:00

This 5 star hotel was not my selected hotel. However, due to overbooking inthe Mövenpick, I got transferred together with some of my colleagues to this otherhotel, which is from the same chain. It was not a good start, but... these thingscan happen.

First thing we noticed about the second hotel was that it was way out of everything.It’s true that in Doha, you need to get around in taxi, however, whereas the MövenpickSuites and Towers was in the Corniche, near restaurants, hotels and shoppingcentre… this one was facing… the desert.

Staff were friendly upon arrival… offering us a glass of water as compensation forthe inconvenience. It

I was in room 314… a real suite. Big living room with couch, dining table and worktable… a big bed in a nice bedroom and a relatively small bathroom with a bathtub.Very comfortable, quiet… slept really well. The hotel was classical, but fine.

Staff was different. Whereas the breakfast people were extremely nice and rememberedmy likes for the following day, the reception and concierge made my life amisery… but for little details not proper of a 5 star hotel.

1) Lack of compensation from management for inconvenience.

2) Trying to deceive with the cost of renting a hotel car for a day. Negotiatedprice: 50 Riyals. Requested by Staff: 80... And as a favour, 60. Rest of my colleagues got it for 50 and I refused to pay more. Secondday, was the same story, even having just paid for 50, for the day... I got toldthe same story for the following day. Everything was difficult in this hotel.

3) Treated me like a thief because they did not do their job and expected me topay upfront AND cash all services. They forgot to request my VISA for preauthorization.Was it my problem? I refused. Having ordered room service, I was asked to come downto reception to pay. I was really furious.

4) Paying with credit card was extremely complicated. Maybe their normal visitorshave a suitcase with money they can pay for excessively expensive services. Theyseemed obsessed with the matter. Is the Mövenpick short of cash that they have toget it before the service is offered from their guests?

Internet was free in the Lobby and 100 Riyals (around 20 Euro) for 24 hour use inthe room. I also complained about this when suggested I could have free internetin the lobby. Bearing in mind that Arabs do their gatherings in the lobby, seatswere not that easy to find, smoke and noise was all over… Do I pay a 5 starhotel to be subject to this treatment? I really feel bad about hotels that havethis "free-in-the-lobby-internet-and-really-expensive-in-room" service.It shows what they think of giving service and comfort to the customers. Radissonhas a worldwide policy that offers free internet in all hotels. A good reason tochoose that chain.

My last day in the hotel, I had to check out in the morning, do my work, and returnedto the hotel and asked for a room to get changed. They directed me to thebathroom… that was in use at the time and a queue! I returned to the concierge andgot an answer… don’t get in the cubicles... get changed in the general area of thebathroom. Well… not that I have anything to hide, but… Did they get training onhow to treat customers in the back of a Yogurt cover? Of course, I refused todo that… and eventually, was allowed to change in the luggage room. At least itwas big enough to open my luggage and get changed in privacy…

Travelling as much as I do, visiting hotels worldwide… I have to say that if Mövenpickgroup treats customers like this… there is no way I am returning to one. In fact,I got offered for my next trip, and rejected it. No way. And of course, in Doha, their partner Wyndham, makes it impossible for me to return.

I said it before. The people at the breakfast room and in the lobbybar were extremely professional, nice and helpful, but concierge, reception andmanagement... fail dramatically.

THE CHAM PALACE DAMASCUS

2011-02-05T07:49:00.001-08:00

We needed a hotel in the centre. The Cham Palace was very conveniently located. It has a huge reception, decorated in a style that goes over the limit of what you would understand as Arabic decoration... but it is nice.

Check-in was complicated… very slow and as in many Arabic countries, staff extremely rude and not helpful at all. When asked a question, they pull one of those faces as if you were disturbing their tranquility…

I got a room on the 5^th floor, 507, which was… a total let down. The room was small. The bed was against the wall. TV was flat... but it was the only thing that was new in the room. It was extremely sad looking. Even the lighting was really bad.

Internet was expensive, slow and also, complicated to get. Fortunately, it could be charged to the room.

The bathroom had a bath and toilet, as well as sink. Toiletries were available too. The hand towels were really thin, so got easily wet…

Buffet breakfast was very reduced for a 5-star hotel and really, poor quality. Even the fruit was out of a tin. Coffee… horrendous. Some Arabic food which you either liked or not… Good Yogurt.

Checking out was also a bit slow.

In this hotel, you get a big wow! at reception, but the rooms and services, are not really those of a 5 star hotel. I think it has one-too-many starts.

HOTEL NOVOTEL LUXEMBOURG CENTRE

2011-01-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

The Novotel City Centre in Luxemburg is a nice modern 4-star hotel with around 150 rooms. It is not in the centre, but it is within short distance from it, and even shorter, to the Railway station and plenty of shops and restaurants.

It offers smoking and non smoking rooms but for some reason, they are mixed on the floor, so you get the smell of cigarettes on the corridors.

The room was quite big, with a nice configuration. Modern desk, flat TV, coffee maker… Big bed with several pillows to chose from… Bed was comfortable. Spanish TVE was available too. Internet connection was free of charge.

I did have a problem with the central heating. Outside, it was -2ºC and my room was at 18ºC. I complained and the first night, I was given a portable heater to help, as my system was not working. The noise was, as you can imagine, constant. I switched it off for sleeping. The next morning, the room was cold again. On my way out to my visit, I complain again at reception and got promised it would get fixed. When I got back, went to the room, and was told that the heater had a problem and had just been fixed. I needed to give it a couple of hours until the temperature got to something acceptable. I was very comprehensive and went to my room, and waited two hours, to find out that the temperature, with the system on full, had just risen from 18ºC to 19ºC. I considered the issue unacceptable, and requested a room change, which I got. The new room was at 23ºC.

Bathroom and toilet separated. The two push doors lead into the bathroom, where the sink and bath/shower is. The complementary toiletries were a bit scarce… but soap smelt well.
Buffet breakfast was on the ground floor. You could get a selection of cold meats, cheese, yogurt, some cereal, toasts, a bit of hot stuff, for me, unappealing and a very artificial orange juice. Coffee was filter…

Checking in was easy, making sure you rolled on the A-Club membership, which I am… but with the heater problem, it makes me wonder how they treat their non members.
It is a 4 start hotel… and it looks that way, but in terms of service, I think it is one star over the reality.

HOTEL NOVOTEL LUXEMBOURG CENTRE
35 rue du Laboratoire
L-1911 LUXEMBOURG
LUXEMBOURG
Tel (+352)248781
Fax (+352)26480224
E-mail H5556@accor.com

GRAND HOTEL SOFIA

2010-12-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's one of the 5-star hotels in the Bulgarian capital city. It's located in the city centre, next to the National Theatre, and within a short distance from the beautiful cathedral, museums and ministries.

The hotel itself is recently renovated. Accessibility is a bit limited as there are no ramps and some steps that makes it s bit uncomfortable to travel with luggage.

Reception staff is nice... If you don't have a problem. If there is a problem of overbooking, which seems to happen, you are relocated in another hotel, on the other side of the city which is only a 4 star hotel. That is unacceptable. But it happens.

The rooms are very classically decorated. But, they are huge. We are talking that they could easily be around 65 m2. It is a big difference with other hotels where the rooms are minuscule. You have a living room area, a work desk, old fashioned TV set, a huge bed. And lots of space to do a party. I have been there before, and I remember being in bed and saying. "Uff! The bathroom is so far that I am not sure whether to go! Ok. It's an exaggeration, but really, the room size is huge. Too much, but at the same time, it's like being at home. You don't feel claustrophobic.

Internet is free of charge, both wireless or with cable. You need a password and you can surf the net easily at a very good speed. You are given two bottles of complementary water, which is another thing worth nothing but it's a nice thing. Sleepers are also available.

The bed is huge and comfortable. There were two pillows, and maybe, I would have liked a couple more to watch TV in bed. But, they were brilliant to sleep. The duvet was shorter than the bed, so I guess that if there are two people, there is a risk of getting some leg or arm out of the duvet. And the heater was very strange, as it was hardly noticeable. It was cold even sometimes. I had to switch it off at night due to the noise. The curtains were, again, too short to cover the huge window to the main road. But still, I could sleep well.

The bathroom, too, was big, with a bath, a shower, bidet, toilet and sink. And toiletries are available.

Breakfast was good, but very little selection of fruit. Bread could have been better. I asked for the traditional cheese and tomato omelet, and they needed to be returned to the cook to finish them off, as they were not completely cooked. I asked for a double espresso and was good.

The checking out was easy, a bit slow but easy. I god a transfer back to the airport, that was payable.

GRAND HOTEL SOFIA
1, Gurko Str.,
1000 Sofia,
Bulgaria
tel: (+359 2) 811 0811
fax: (+359 2) 811 0953
e-mail: concierge@grandhotelsofia.bg

ELYSÉE PALACE IN NICE

2010-11-20T08:51:00.000-08:00

I got a taxi to the hotel from the airport, and it set me back 38 Euros for a trip that could have lasted, maximum 8 minutes. This is not the hotel fault, but it would help if a transfer was organised. It's only a few meters away from the Legendary Negresco, on the side of the Boulevard des Anglais, within a short walk to the main centre part of the city. I guess you can use the bus from the airport too, route 98, if you know where to get off.

Checking in was ok. No problem at all. It is a Four Points by Sheraton. The hotel looks ok, and the interior seems to have been renovated lately.

Internet was free of charge but needed a password that I could barely read from the front desk guy's handwriting.

I got room 704, on the top floor. It was supposed to be a room with beach view... but it was only sideways.

The room had been renovated lately. A bit plasticky, specially for the chair, the bedside tables and lamps. It tried to be stylish... but I suppose it is not mine. The closet didn't have doors. Instead, it had curtains. There was a clear excess of curtains in the room.

Room was quiet, and the bed comfortable, which at the end of the day, it is what you need.

The bathroom had a bath, and plenty of toiletries.

Breakfast was on the ground floor, and had some fruit, cold meats, scrambled eggs, hot meats, and pastry. Coffee was "industrial" American coffee... and basically, the choice was so, so.

Checking out was also good.

The hotel is good, a bit plasticky all around, but for Nice, it is good value for money.

HÔTEL ELYSEE PALACE
59 promenade des anglais /Entrée Rue Honoré SAUVAN
06000 NICE -
Téléphone : + 33 (0)4 93 97 90 90
Fax : +33 (0)4 93 44 50 40
e-mail : reservation@elyseepalace.com

ELECTRA PALACE HOTEL, IN ATHENS

2010-11-13T23:23:00.000-08:00

Electra Palace Hotel is an unexpectedly big hotel in the heart of Plaka, the most touristic district of the Greek capital. However, that doesn't mean that is noisy at all. It is also near Syntagma, the main square in the city.

The hotel is rather classical. Its huge hall leads to the reception area. Two or three people will do the check in. Quick, although you need to fill in the form, as you normally do, even, when you have the voucher with all the information. The staff at reception is ever so nice. Really helpful at all times.

The lifts are too small, and rather unsafe. I got one where the doors would not close, so I got out, but could not call the other, because according to the system, the (defective) lift was still there. So I had to find my way downstairs.

The room was very old-fashioned, and to an extent, with lack of taste. It felt it was decorated in the 80s... and had remained like that since. The big problem for my room was that it was extremely hot. I put on the air conditioned, and I realized that hot air was coming out. I called reception and was told that it was either heating or air conditioned... and because customers had complained about the cold, they had to put the heater on. It was around 25 outside. How could people complain about cold rooms!!!

Internet is free of charge, but you need to go via cable. But again, it is positive.

Breakfast was rather weak. Good natural Orange Juice. Fruit salad is something that makes me wonder the origin of the food. And that was available every day. Bread was also nice, especially the cheese bread with sesame. Scrambled eggs or poached eggs... didn't look that attractive. I have to say... that I have had better breakfast.

Checking out was fast too... If I have the choice, I think I would try another hotel. It is clearly not a 5 star hotel, despite the traditional decor.

ELECTRA PALACE HOTEL ATHENS
18-20, N.Nikodimou Str
10557 Athens
Greece
Tel : +30 210 33 70 000
Fax: + 30 210 32 41 875

EUROSTARS DAS ARTES, IN PORTO

2010-11-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

Getting to Porto from Lisbon was easy. Getting to the Eurostar Das Artes Hotel was a bit of a nightmare. I didn’t have a GPS with me, so there I was like in the old times… with a map in hand… and following signs. I have to say that from the ring road, the signs were clear and without any mistake, so you could reach the hotel easily… but the traffic around the hospital that is near the hotel was chaotic, extremely slow and clearly, the traffic lights didn’t allow enough cars to avoid congestion. But… eventually, I got there.

The hotel is inside a historic building, near the centre but not quite in there. The metro stop is within walking distance. To start with, you need to climb a few steps to get to the reception. Staff was nice and gave me all sorts of indications. I had to pay for my car parking space in the back yard. Outside, in the neighbouring streets, carparking may be complicated... and expensive, as it is blue area of pay and display.

The room I got, was on the 2nd floor of the module that was next the the street, but it was an inside room, therefore, it was very quiet. The room was huge, with a big comfortable bed and sufficient space for a sitting watching the flat screen TV.

The bathroom was huge too. Very long, with a bath and a shower, and plenty of soaps.

In the morning, on the lower ground floor, a massive buffet is waiting for you. Wide choice that surely will meet your expectations.

EUROSTARS DAS ARTES
RUA DO ROSARIO, 160-164
Porto
Portugal
Telephone: (+34) 902 93 24 24
Fax: (+34) 93 268 19 45

NH CAMPO GRANDE, IN LISBON

2010-11-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

The NH hotels can be of two types. Old buildings refurbished and new buildings. The NH Campo Grande is a relatively new building but the hotel itself looks as if it was an old one... that had not been touch for a long time... except for the common areas.

The Reception area is ok. When I got there, it was rather quiet, so I checked it relatively fast. The lifts were just next to the reception, but one of them was not working well. So thank God there was not that many people.

The room was ok. I got 403 that offered a "nice" view to the main road. Fortunately, it was well isolated. Bed was comfortable, rather small for a new hotel. A little living room area, with a pair of chairs and a table, with a Nespresso Coffee Machine and some tablets to make a coffee.

The bathroom with much less toiletries than in the good times... Logical if they want to reduce costs... but... do you go to a hotel that has an attractive price but you don't find half of the things you find a similar status hotel? Very poor.

Internet has also a cost. 15 Euro for the basic connection and 18 for the business. Nowadays, there are hotels that are offering it for free, for god sake, and this hotel not only asks you to pay for it, but it has two types. I am not sure what the business rate was like, but the basic one was constantly offline, and took a couple of minutes to get you back online.

Breakfast was also... simple. A buffet was available with some cold meats, cheese, fruit (very scarce) and some bakery products. Coffee was prepared (not that bad) and so was the orange juice. The restaurant was overlooking the main road too and traffic was intense, so... definitely, was not a relaxing experience, especially for me, who had a car hired.

Checking out was fast too. I had my car in the car park... which according to them is payable, but they didn't charge me for it, even when I remarked I had my car there... So... good point there for the hotel.

I think that the 4 stars they claim to have... should be more like 3... But it's ok...

NH CAMPO GRANDE

Campo Grande, 7.

1700-087 Lisboa (Portugal)

Tel. +35.121.7917600

Fax: +35.121.7957500

E-mail: nhcampogrande@nh-hotels.com

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL CALI

2010-10-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

My visit to Cali was brief. I arrived late in the evening and I went straight into the Intercontinental, which was managed by Estelar Hoteles. Nevertheless, I could still use my Intercontinental Priority Club card.

I got there and there wasn’t anyone at reception, so staff was only for me so checking in was really fast. The girl behind the counter was really helpful and indicated everything very well.
I got a floor on the 5th floor. As soon as I got in the room, I noticed the noise of a fan… and taking into consideration I had a terrible headache, I decided to go back to reception and get a nother room. I was also given another on the 5th floor, 529, and the noise was still there, but much more attenuated. It seemed that isolation was much better in this room.

The room was fairly big, but rather old fashioned. I guess Intercontinental had opened it, and for some reason, did not get the expected results, so… it was handed over to local group Estelar, who had done little renovation.

The bed was comfortable… and pillows were also available.

The living room area, as you can see from the picture, was also old fashioned. Wireless Internet was free of charge, but believe me, it was like a torture. Extremely slow that took you away from it… The Flat screen was a much relaxed option… Mainly, Colombian TV channels.

The bathroom is wide and so is the bath. Toiletries are still Intercontinental branded, but the philosophy is Estelar, that is, to pay for toothbrush, shaving kit… which I think is a bit mean.
As for the breakfast, I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the fact, I had to ask what everything was and of course, I had to try it… and it was delicious, specially the typical arepa with melted cheese and the cheesy breads… Fruit was exceptional and so was the yogurt. There was a type of scrambled eggs with corn, with ham and some other I cannot remember, and specially, the typically dressed cook that was behind the counter who was ever so kind, informative and… got me to try everything…

It seems to be the best hotel in Cali... It may look like a modern hotel from outside... but it is clearly a very poor 5-star hotel and clearly under the Intercontinental standard.

Checking out was also easy.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL CALI
AVENIDA COLOMBIA #2-72,
P.O. BOX 7457
CALI
COLOMBIA
Front Desk: +57-2-8823225
Fax: +57-2-8939494

HOTEL ALMIRANTE CARTAGENA ESTELAR, IN CARTAGENA DE INDIAS

2010-10-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

If you are ever visiting Colombia, make sure you visit Cartagena de Indias. It is a lovely city by the sea. We chose to stay in the Almirante Cartagena Estelar Hotel, which is in a safe area, Bocagrande, where many other hotels are.

The hotel is new, modern in the outside, and it seems it used an old building that is preserved inside. So far so good...

Checking in, was very slow. We were in a group and it took ages to go through the queue and the checking procedure, that even asked me to get my computer out to write down the serial number. It seems they may have had some problems in the past... Hence, security is very tight. You need to go up the stairs to the second floor to access the main lifts that will take you to the rooms. And you need to get past the security person, that will require you to identify yourself, before allowing you in the lift. The lift, however, requires you to put the room key in, so no one without a key would be allowed in.

The room (604) was big, but clrealy, old fashioned. The good thing was the views, as it over look the beach and gifted you with nice sunsets. The bed was big and comfortable, with a choice of pillows (two hard, two soft). The fridge, however, had to be plugged off as it was extremely noisy. The room itself could do with a better isolation, as you could hear clearly what was going on out in the street. And also, the general aircon or ventilation system was present as a soft constant noise.

Toilet was spartan. A wide bath with a fix shower. As for toiletries, it was rather complete. It even had a mouthwash, which is normally not there. On the contrary, a shaver, toothbrush and deodorant were included in the offer of the minibar, therefore, at a cost.

TV as also very old, (of course, not flat screen) and had a variety of TV channels. The hotel had a Gym and a pool too. Good thing: Free Wireless Internet connection for the duration of your stay, after requesting for user name and password.

Breakfast was so, so. It had a wide variety of things to choose from, mainly local dishes. The lady who did my omelette, tried hard... but in the end, it came out to be more like scrambled eggs. Fruit was delicious (mainly pineapple) and juices were really watered, therefore, hardly tasty. As for the coffee... I don't know whether to say this. Let's say the coffee was not Colombia standard. It was more like British coffee (with due respect). It was horrendous. Thank god, round the corner you had a Juan Valdes Coffee shop where the good coffee was available.

It is a very basic 5 star hotel... More like a 3-4 star hotel.

HOTEL ALMIRANTE CARTAGENA ESTELAR

Av.San Martín, Calle 6 Esquina

Bocagrande

Cartagena

Colombia

Tel: +57 (5) 6658811

Fax: +57 (5) 6658269

Central de Reservas en Bogotá: +57 (1) 608 8080 / +57 (1) 5931900

Toll Free Colombia :018000-978000

Toll Free Canadá y USA: 18665998703

E-Mail: reservas@hotelesestelar.com

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON PANAMA

2010-10-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

The Four Points Sheraton Panama is well located in the financial centre of Panama City. Checking in was a bit slow, as we were in a group and it was clearly short staffed, even with them expecting us and having part of the check in process prepared.

The room I got was on the 8th floor (801) and was quite big. Old fashioned furniture but clean. The big flat TV screen was the only new item in the room. There was also a living room area and a work table, but as you can see, all decorated with a rather clasical style.

Wireless Internet is available, at a fee, and it doesn't stand out for being extremely fast. It was free in the reception, which really annoys me. What sort of service is that for customers, specially to members of the Starwood preferred? Not that happy about that.

Being on the 8th floor and trying to get up or down in one of the 3 lifts was also rather slow. And I know it is for security reasons, but it is rather annoying to have to use the room card to be able to use the lift. Security? Maybe not so, as you could select any floor with one same card .

The queen bed was comfortable, with several pillows. Air con was extremely noisy, so, I switched it on only when I was not in. The room itself was quiet.

The bathroom area was divided into two. The sink area, without any door, and hosted the mini bar, fridge, coffee machine and hair dryer. Strange combination, as they had saved on an additional piece of furniture. Very strange for this hotel category.

Toiletries were available but very scarce. No shaving kit nor toothbrush. Also, no gown nor slippers. There were 3 sets of towels, that after the first night, became only two.

Breakfast was also weak. Fruit was excellent but little choice of savoury. Juice was natural, but highly watered. And omelettes were available, but just by chance I knew about it, as they were not publicised.

The Breakfast room is on the same level as the swimming pool. Rather small for a full hotel, but seems that no one uses it, at least at the times when I was in the hotel.

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON PANAMA
Calle 53, Marbella y Ave 5A B Sur
Panama City, 832-0239
Panamá
Tel +507 (2) 65-3636

BARCELO SAN JOSE PALACIO

2010-10-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is a nice hotel near the centre of San José. You can chose to get a hotel transfer from the airport or just make your own way by cab.

Checking in was rather slow too for the group. It's all the filling required that seems to slow it down.

The room I got was on the 1st floor (119) and was big, with living room area and two double beds. I didn't quite like the idea of open the doors outwards.

The beds were comfortable, and there was a choice of pillows. Wireless Internet was available at a fee, and a bit slow some times.

The bathroom had a complete set of toiletry goodies and a gown and slippers. Room floor with carpet and bed spreads, rather old fashioned.

Breakfast was good. Choice of bread, jams and marmalade (and peanut butter) as well as garlic tomato. Natural juice and impressive fruit. Really sweet. Many cheeses to choose from and also cooked things, as well as a choice of omelettes and fried eggs.

Even though the restaurant was big, there was a peak time in which it was very difficult to get a table, specially, after a flight cancellation from Iberia due to weather conditions, that brought a complete plane to the hotel. The following morning, the staff seemed to be overpowered by the excessive amount of people.

The swimming pool, at the back, recreated a little paradise lake, among bushes and palm trees. At the pool side, the Rancho restaurant offered food (same range as the room service) during the day. There was also a Japanese restaurant, that I could say I will not remember it as the best Japonese restaurant. Some bits were good, others, were really poor.

Checking out was easy and fast.

HOTEL SAN JOSÉ PALACIO
Residencial El Robledal,
La Uruca, 4581150
San José de Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Teléfono: 506 2220 20 34
Fax: 506 2220 20 36
E-mail: sanjosepalacio@barcelo.com

DREAM ISLAND HOTEL IN SANTORINI

2010-09-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

Those of us, who travel a lot, know that when you enter a hotel, it is going to be the place where you are going to be for the next hours, days... but you are fully aware that it is not home. A hotel is, after all, a hotel. However, when I entered the Dream Island, I never thought I was at home either, but believe me... I wanted to stay and live there.

Santorini is a very busy island. Traffic, tourist ... everywhere. The Dream Island is, as the name says, a dream island. Quiet, rest, peace... is what you feel there.

The hotel is like a little village, surrounding a lovely swimming pool, and overlooking a non famous church with a blue dome... Yet, you are only a minute away from the main road from Oia to Fira, and within 3 minutes walk from Fira Centre. The cable care to the caldera boats is 5 minutes away on foot.

The first good experience comes when you are picked up from the airport or the ferry boat. It is actually the owner of this family hotel who comes. You don't need to look for a taxi or a bus that takes you anywhere. They come and pick you up. The hotel reception is huge and they are really nice. They give you all sorts of information and as guests normally are there for a short time, they make sure you are aware of the excursions available, especially, the one that takes you swimming to different beaches and the Volcano.

The room we got was rather small, but we were told so when we booked it, so there is no complain about it. Still, it was very tastefully decorated. Apparently, it was done by the mother of the family, who seems to be crazy about decoration. The bathroom was very modern too and full of good quality toiletries.

I was concerned that at night, with the swimmingpool being so close, it would be noisy. On the contrary, peacefull during the day, peacefull at night.

The swimming pool was, without any doubt, one of the best things. The weather was hot and... it was a nice way to cool down. We were lucky that when we used it, we were alone. There were deck chairs around it, with plenty of shade or sun, so as to decide where you want to be.

Breakfast is housed in the cellar. Also, beautifully decorated and with plenty of readymade things. Water Melon seemed to be the fruit available at the time and it was well worth having it. Yoghurt, outstanding, and some little croissants stuffed with chocolate... impressive. All in all, it was good.

The dreadful time to check out came, and as ours was in the evening, we asked about having a shower and changing clothes... As with everything in the hotel, there was no problem. Nice shower and we were taken to the airport. Clearly, the best hotel from all my stay and would definitely, love to go back... It would help if it got slightly cheaper... but then again, it seems it is fully booked during the summer...

DREAM ISLAND HOTEL
Fira (Santorini) Greece
Tel: +30 22860 24122
Fax: +30 22860 23922
E-mail: info@dreamislandhotel.gr

AQUILA PORTO RETHYMNO HOTEL, IN RETHYMNO

2010-08-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

This five star hotel is near the centre, in a place where parking was a bit complicated… although, I was lucky and parked the car just outside the hotel. It has the reputation of being one of the most luxurious and modern hotels in Rethymno. I will not enter into that, but what I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed my stay there.

Reception staff was really nice, especially Eva, who gave us all the help we needed, as well as told us all what we could get in the hotel. We were upgraded, although I would have appreciated if we would have been advised that the room was a smoking room, but I decided to keep it because it was a really nice room, with direct view to the beach, on the main road. If I complained and requested another room, I would probably get an interior room, with view to the swimming pool, which, of course, is not the same.

The room was up to what you could expect from a five star hotel: complementary house wine, water and fruit, sleepers, full set of toiletries, bath gown …

It had a private beach, with deck chairs and towels available, as well as shower. Of course, I had to use it. You only needed to cross the street, and there you were, in the sandy beach with clear water...

Back in the hotel, a gym is available for those in need to do some sport, as well as a spa, with Jacuzzi, Finnish sauna and steam room. Massage parlour is chargeable.

As I had waken up early, done some exercise and enjoyed a nice walk in the city, I was tired, so I went early to bed. The bar, belonging to the same hotel, was just under my room and it was rather loud. However, music stopped within a reasonable time before midnight.

Buffet breakfast was very good. I loved the freshly squeezed orange machine. You did it yourself... how fresher you can get it? Fruit was available as well as cereals, cold meat and cheese, jams, breads... One thing is for sure. You didn't leave the restaurant needing food.

It was a pity to leave... but we had to continue our schedule... Checking out was also fast.

AQUILA PORTO RETHYMNO HOTEL
Sikelianou & Venizelou 52A,
74100 Rethymno, Crete,
Greece
Tel.: +30 28310 50432 / 52182 / 51980
Fax: + 30 28310 27825

ODYSSEON HOTEL IN KALAMBAKA

2010-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

This was a little bit like the hotel from hell. It says it was renovated in 2004. God! How must have it been then! You visit the web, everything seems new. When you get there, the story begins to tell the truth.

We arrived early, and as I suspected, our room was not ready, so we headed into town to have early lunch. On our return, we were given our room and I was rather disappointed.

The room was extremely hot, insects inside. Towels were hidden in the wardrobe, the bed sheets were... clean but looked worn out. It looked really old. TV set was minuscule and signal poor. Choice of channels limited. The bed was comfortable and quiet at night.

The shower was a joke that could not cope with the water that was gathered in the curtain (too short) so it flooded the bathroom that had a whole on the floor to cater for the excess of water. The toilet and sink were extremely close to the shower. The bathroom was minute and certainly, not renovated. The flush was rather unusual for today. And as in other areas in Greece, no toilet paper in the toilet...

The curtain in the main window, was not wide enough, so had light in the morning, that woke me up early. No problem... because I needed to get out early, as I was heading to Athens.

Internet was free... but in the lobby area. It was good for visiting the different Meteora monasteries, but the photocopy they gave you with timetables and routes to get there, was outdated. Parking is not a problem. Since the hotel is not in the centre of Kalabaka, there is plenty of space. Shops and restaurants are only 5 minutes walk away.

Breakfast was very weak. It is supposed to be a 3 star hotel, but I think some stars should fall. I could not see the time for getting out of there.

ODYSSEION HOTEL

Patriarchou Dimitriou 50,
Kalambaka 42200,
Greece
Tel: +30 24320 22320,
Fax: +30 24320 75307

ASTORIA CAPSIS HOTEL IN HERAKLION

2010-08-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

The hotel is centrally located, at short distance from the port which I believe it will be the main reason to stay over in the city of Heraklion, in Crete, as well as to visit the well known Cnossos Palace.

The reception staff is very pleasant and helpful. Check-in, with our voucher was fast, although I had to fill in a form with all the data. I was given a map and indications of what to see and do in the city. The porter insisted in taking my luggage to my room.

The room was fairly modern and right size, on the 4th floor, overlooking the main square, where the evening teenage rendez-vous are, but no noise came in the room.

Bed was comfortable. The air conditioned needed to stay on, because the moment you switched it off, you started to sweat. If you opened the balcony, it automatically disconnected, a measure to save electricity, so you needed to make sure you had it on when you closed it again.

The Greek TV channels signal was not that good, but funnily, the Spanish TVE 24 hours was available and with good one. Bathroom had all toiletries and towels were big. The hotel has a nice open swimming pool on the top floor, with deck chairs and towels available. Wireless internet connection is available and free of charge.

Buffet breakfast was wide, although I must say that there was little choice of fruit and lots of bread. Nevertheless, it was good.

Checking out was also fast.

CAPSIS ASTORIA HERAKLION
11 Eleftherias sq. ,
T.K. 712 01 ,
Heraklion (Crete) Greece
e-mail info@astoriacapsis.gr
Tel.: +30 2810 343080
Fax: +30 2810 229078

ACROPOLE HOTEL IN DELFOS

2010-08-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

The hotel was in one of the lower streets in the town centre of Delfos, 400 mts on foot from the main archaeological area. The problem was parking, which, according to the hotel information is available, but don’t get that fool you. There are a couple of spaces in front of the hotel, but once occupied, you need to look for a place to leave the car. The place is small, so it may not be that far, but considering the steps or the uphill of the road... it may not be that easy.

Checking in staff were helpful, but all the information they had from the town was in French, funnily enough. The room was rather small, and so was the bath/shower. And it was waiting for us at 33 degrees. Of course, the Aircon was switched on... and didn’t get off until we left.

The towels were rather small too, and only two supposed to be bath towels, spread on the bedspread, one of the dirtiest parts in a room... I was not impressed and requested at least, another towel for the hands. I got two.

The bathroom was small, and the bath was extremely small and on top of that, got a step bath... so the place to have the shower was... minimal. We did get recommended a restaurant, Epikouros, belonging to the same owner, it seems... and I have to say that the recommendation was really good; big quantities, good food and normal price. On top of that, 10% discount for staying in the hotel.

It was comfortable and quiet to sleep in, which, at the end of the day, is what you need. Nevertheless, a very spartan 3 star hotel.

Breakfast was basic. Yogurt was good but weak on the fruit and bakery side.

ACROPOLE HOTEL,
13 Filellinon Str,
Delfos 33054,
Greece

OLYMIPION ASTY HOTEL, IN OLYMPIA

2010-08-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

Certainly a nice hotel on top of the hill. Olympia is not a big town, although it has many visitors due to the old ruins, which are well worth a visit. It was a bit of a pity I didn't get there earlier, as I would have loved a swim in the lovely swimming pool.

The reception was in the main building and the rooms are in nearby pavilions. If you are with luggage, please note that depending which pavilion you are allocated in, you may have a few stairs.

The room was big and comfortable. It even had a living room area. The bathrooms also had all the toiletries available. Free wireless internet is always a positive point.

As the place didn’t seem to have much to do at night and was dark, we decided to stay over in the hotel for dinner. It was good, I will still remember those olives and melitsano salata I had. And it was not that expensive either. We had dinner in the garden, with the sky above us and the lovely swimming pool at the side. The place was quiet and the bed comfortable... What else can you ask for when you need some rest?

Breakfast was good, although it had room for improvement, especially in the juice area and bakery. But in essence, it was not a bad one.

Checking out was fast too.

OLYMIPION ASTY HOTEL

Drouvas Hill 27065
Ancient Olympia, Ilia,
Greece
Tel.: +30 26240 23665
Fax: +30 26240 23123

E-mail: olasty@otenet.gr

THE DIOSCOURI HOTEL IN SPARTA

2010-08-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

It is rare that you end up in Sparta anyway, but if you are like me, who didn’t know the area, you may fall in this hotel, especially, with the good rating it has in Tripadvisor. If you can prevent it, please look elsewhere, as you are likely going to be better off. IT is well located, near the town centre, the Museum and on the way to one of the area attractions: The old city of Mistra.

The outside was rather strange. It looked as if the hotel, when built, it was not finished. You can look at the balconies, and you will see that the cement is there. Same happens inside the rooms in the ceiling. Style or intention? I will leave that up to you. It is a poor 3 star hotel.

Reception was rather old fashioned. You are given a key by the receptionist (probably the owner, who loiters around with the rest of the family watching Greek Soap Operas in the lobby TV) with a huge key ring, as in the old times. The lift looks from other times too. Buttons that don’t operate until the door is close (no memory).

The room was … basic, to put it nice. The Air conditioned was not on, so, it was the first thing I did, and stayed on throughout our stay. In summertime, and with the sun falling in our window, the room was really hot. The Décor was simple… specially the ceilings, that also showed the cement, as I said, as if it had not been finished. Internet was wireless… and free of charge.

The nearby (opposite) church played the bells throughout the night on the hour, until it got to 7am (I think it was) that a serenade of bells started to play… God! I was on holidays… Do I need to be woken up by the Church bells?

Breakfast was … I don’t know how to describe it. It was a bit of a disgrace. Yogurt was good, but that was about everything. The rest was… disgusting. All the things were out of a packet or a tin. Nothing fresh.

As I had my travel agent voucher, I didn’t need to do much at checking out.

THE DIOSCOURI HOTEL
Lycourgou 182 & Atridon Street,
Sparta 23100
Greece

THE AETOMA TRADITIONAL IN NAFPLION

2010-08-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Aetoma Traditional is a very familiar hotel in the Middle of the old town in Nafplion, first capital of Greece. It is how old things used to be. It is meant to be a 18th Century mansion, therefore, you will see that it has a rather old fashioned structure, specially when it comes to staris. No lift, which, if you have low mobility or children in push chairs, you will have a bit of a hard time climbing the stairs. But that is as far as the negative things go with this hotel.

Parking is an issue, but it seems the hotel has a very good management of spaces in the street and you can park the car outside, in the little square. It worked for me. Staff is very nice… extremely nice, giving you all sort of indications to visit the city it the touristic way or doing it yourself. Restaurants, better views, what to do, what to visit in the surrounding areas… everything.

The room we got (only 5 in the hotel) was decorated in a classical style, but comfortable. In fact it was the KIONOKRANO ROOM. It clashes with the modern bathroom, with a nice hydromassage shower, that without wanting, keeps you longer inside.

Even though the hotel is within the pedestrian streets, it is pretty quiet. By the way, wireless Internet connection is free of charge, with a password given by the reception.

The best thing came in the morning, when breakfast was served in the balcony. It was a first for me to have breakfast in the room. The choice is there, whether to have it in the hall or in the balcony. Given the choice, the balcony was the obvious, although, it was pretty hot, even at that time of the day... but nothing to do with the hotel. Still, it was a very good choice of breakfast, which I could not finish. (The picture below only shows what I could manage to put in the little table... but inside the room, there was plenty more).

Both checking in and out was pretty easy. The hotel is one to recommend anyone visiting the area.

AETOMA TRADITIONAL HOTEL
2 Saint Spyridon Square,
Nafplion,
Peloponnese,
Greece

TELEPHONE: +30-27520-27373
FAX: +30-27520-27009

EMAIL: sales@nafplionhotel.com

AC ATOCHA IN MADRID

2010-07-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Having my usual hotel in Madrid closed for renovation, I had to look for a new one. The option was wide but I was looking for something in particular. The fact that it is close to the railway station (200 mts away). Atocha, is near the centre, well connected with the main commercial area by underground. And so is the AC Atocha Hotel. Within 5 minutes from the train platform, it is really convenient.

The hotel is surrounded by restaurants that will probably be of your liking, if you don’t want to eat in.
Reception is, as it normally is in this type of hotels, fast, friendly and efficient. You are handed the key and told how to get to your room. If you get it in the other module, it is a bit of a nuisance, having to get the lift to go one flight down, get across the corridor, go out to the back patio and get in the module, and then it is like a normal hotel. It is a bit of a walk... not that much of a problem unless you are a winger...

The hotel is nice... but not my taste. I don't quite like the "cold" feeling you get among those black walls, from the corridors and rooms. The hotel is very impersonal. Empty rooms, no background music... you... and yourself, which in some cases can be good... but, it may not be in others.

When you enter your room, everything is modern. Bed is comfortable. The wardrobe is unusual... Neither doors nor covers. It is a metal structure where the hangers are hanging.

The bathroom is no different. What strikes is the clear glass shower. You can see who is taking a shower from the bed... Normally, you are going to travel with someone you know... but... not that good for just friends... unless, of course, you want to take the chance to move further... Toilet is separate and... Closed to the rest of the room. Soaps and other toiletries are available too.

Breakfast is on the main module. It is a buffet with fruit, biscuits, cold meat and cheese, yogurt, bakery...

What really irritates me from this hotel is the fact that Wi-Fi is free of charge in the lobby but available for a fee in the room. I think it is mean.

AC ATOCHA
Calle Delicias, 42
28045 MADRID
Spain
T. 91 506 22 21
F. 91 506 22 22
acatocha@ac-hotels.com

SCANDIC GARDERMOEN OSLO AIRPORT

2010-06-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Unlike most Scandic Hotels I have visited, that were basic hotels, the Scandic Gardermoen Oslo Airport, is a completely new hotel, recently opened. It has a modern look, quite spacious reception and a lot of design.

It is on the other side of the runway from the Terminal. There is a shuttle bus that takes you to the hotel every 20 minutes, for a mere 60 kroner (7.5 Euro approximately) each way, on a trip that takes barely 5 minutes. Something to bear in mind if you compare prices with Radisson Blu, which is situated just across the street from the Terminal building.

Checking in, doesn’t take long, if you are quick to get off the bus and try to be first at the counter. After all, it has 243 rooms. Otherwise, you will need to wait until the staff finish with previous guests. I feel they were a bit “cold”. Not unpleasant, but distant. They did their job.

Reaching the room was somehow long. The corridors are long and my room was a bit far away. And rather dark. I don’t know… it must be the latest fashion, to have light that doesn’t give light.

The room was “tight”. Modern in look, but not much space. I asked for a big bed… All sold out… (As if!!!). I got two twins. Next to it, a small table with hardly space to move around.

The hotel is nice… but there isn’t anything around, so you need to make sure you reach there late, unless, of course, you want to use the gym. TV stations are very limited, and you have to depend on a TV channel that offers some film or series in English… If there isn’t and you don’t know Norwegian, you will have a rather boring evening.

Internet is free of charge, as in the rest of the Scandic, so that is a positive point.

Despite what you get from its website, Sauna is still not opened. I normally don't use them, but on this ocasion, I had been working long throught the day and needed to relax. The only option was a warm shower...

Breakfast was good and lots of choice; very well presented buffet.

It is a hotel that seems to give you a better image of what it is. It is not bad, but there are certain points that will make me reconsider whether I would like to return to it. Probably, if the price difference is not much, I would go to the Radisson Blu.

SCANDIC GARDERMOEN OSLO AIRPORT

Ravinevegen 15 2060
Gardermoen
Norway
Phone: +47 23 15 59 00
Fax: +47 23 15 59 11
E-mail: osloairport@scandichotels.com

SCANDIC HØVIK

2010-06-10T06:28:00.001-07:00

The Scandic Høvik is really a Motel. At 15 minutes bus ride from Oslo Centre, situated in a Service Station, is that… a Motel. Getting there is not complicated, if you are choosing to use public transport. Taxis are out of the question due to the distance and the high fares you will be charged. It’s Norway after all, and nothing is cheap there.

The hotel rooms are basic. Scandic hotels tend to be that… In my case, I got a ground floor room, with basic bed (actually, two twins) and basic bathroom. Do you need more? Not really. Unlike what I thought initially, the rooms were quite silent. You could not hear the cars passing by or the train, which was a positive point.

Staff was helpful and gave me indications on how to get into Oslo Central the fastest way. That is, by bus, route 151 to be precise. Although, bus stop is 5 minutes away, and the route to it is a bit… tricky, as you have to cross the entrance to the services from the highway. There is a train station, but I got told it was a bit more complicated.

Breakfast was basic. Not bad but had had much better ones. Nothing compared with other Scandic Hotel ones. In my opinion, if you can get a closer hotel to the centre and need to head that way, it is better you use another hotel.

SCANDIC HØVIK

Drammensveien 507

1363 Oslo

Norway

Phone: +47 23 15 53 00

Fax: +47 23 15 53 11

E-mail:

hovik@scandichotels.com

Reservation & Customer service:

+46 8 517 517 20

SHERATON DUBAI CREEK HOTEL & TOWERS

2010-05-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel and Towers is a nice hotel. It is grand, but you can tell that the hotel is not a new one. There is something about it that makes you feel it needs some updating.

Checking in at reception, late at night, as flights to Dubai normally reach at night, was extreeeeeemely slow. I am not sure how many questions I got asked... which probably could have been done when reserving the room. I had my voucher... but still... questions and questions. Excuse me man! I want to go to bed... I was thinking. And I was lucky, as I was the first one to reach the desk from a large group. I wonder when the next group of Argentineans would have reached their room.

The elevators were on the opposite corner of the entrance, which was a bit of a nuisance, as my room was just on top of the main entrance... So my "promenades" in and out of the hotel were spectacularly long... I feel they need to improve this.

The room was nice and spacious. Big bed (as I normally ask) and plenty of pillows. I tend to only need one, but watching TV in bed always requires a few more. The room was clean, but my complaint would be that, facing the main road, the noise isolation was not very good. Also, the fountain in the lobby made a constant noise. I was too tired by the end of day to have these affecting my sleep, but I wonder how other people with lighter sleeping habits would manage.

The shower was good... and so was the smell of the soaps... Sometimes you go to certain hotels that have extremely scented soaps... which really, put me off. It was not the case here... I really liked it.

Breakfast was good... although not first class. Horrendous juices, of course, not fresh. Artificial egg liquid for omelettes (I am sure it has a name, but I don't recall it now). This is really important for me... so I opted to get fried eggs. Fruit, however, was impressively tasty, sweet and abundant, so... I got a lot of it.

I had my breakfast in the outside terrace, which was a bit hot and had some smoke from smokers... but was worth it to overlook the creek, watching the waterbuses pass by, and the skyscrapers in front of you... A bit of relaxation to start with before a stressing day.

Checking out was way faster than checking in...although they tried to charge extra for my breakfast, which was included in the voucher. Strange! So beware of the charges.

Another negative point was the charge for Internet in the room. A totally unacceptable high price.

It is a good hotel, but I am not sure whether I would go back again. I would definitely try to go to the nearby Radisson, which is closer to Union Metro Station, and probably, would offer free Internet, as it is customary in those hotels.

SHERATON DUBAI CREEK HOTEL & TOWERS
Baniyas Street/Creek Road
Po Box 4250
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971-4-2281111
reservationsdubaiuae@sheraton.com

HOTEL MÜNCHNER HOF FRANKFURT

2010-04-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Having had stayed in "cheap" hotels in Frankfurt for the exhibition, the Münchner

Checking in was ok. I had my booking with me, and it was only a matter of filling in a few details in the forms supplied. The staff, foreign, were nice, although I have to say, that sometimes, it was a bit complicated to communicate... but we managed.

Compared with the former hotel, we improved slightly. At least, we had a lift. The room was small, but... Do I need more? I spend the whole day in the exhibition, therefore, all I need is to get back, get changed, grab a shower and sleep well.

The days were cold, so when I returned to the hotel, the radiator was on... so I had to turn it off and open the window if I didn't want to die like a roasted chicken.

The bathroom was minuscule. I appreciated the shower, which went quite well. Soap was supplied in a dispenser and the towels were standard size... a bit small to my liking.

The bed was comfortable, and I was lucky to get a "double bed"... the bed covers... I decided not to inspect them... just in case. And I say it was a double bed, because my colleagues got two beds next to each other.

The walls were very thin, and I could hear my neighbour snore all night. Thank god he didn't have company...

After the bed, one thing I really value in a hotel is its breakfast. I have to say that the morning buffet was not that varied. Coffee was... drinkable. Food looked cheap, even bread. Cereals were from the cheapest product line available... but they had Nutella...

It was a very basic hotel... considering the ones I normally stay at... and extremely expensive for what we got in exchange. The good point is that it was within short walking distance from the Railway Station... and only 3 stops on the tram. Hof was not that different. The only difference was that it was not cheap.

HOTEL MÜNCHNER HOF
Münchener Straße 46
D-60329 Frankfurt/Main

Tel: +49 (0)69 23 00 66
Fax: +49 (0)69 23 44 28
Email: info@hotelmh.com

HOLIDAY INN RIYADH-AL QASR

2010-04-02T02:16:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Inn Al-Qasr Riyadh is a 4 star hotel by two very busy roads, King Fahad Road and Olaya Road, in the Olaya District, a few blocks away from the Al-Faisaliyah tower.

Checking is was a bit strange, as my hotel room was not properly booked, (I arrived at 2.30 am) and I was only supposed to check in the following night… No problem... they checked me in anyway. And I did get a better rate than the original booking, which… in fact was extremely expensive.

Throughout the day, there was Arabian coffee and dates free in reception. In my case, I am not that fond of dates… and frankly speaking, Arabian coffee is not for me… but you need to taste it. The room was on the second floor, overlooking King Fahad road. The heavy traffic was perfectly isolated, but not the construction noises from next door building. The room itself was comfortable room. I did ask for a king size bed and I got it. I also had a small sofa and a side chair. On the Flat HD TV, there were many channels (not the Spanish one) and several stations with movies or series in English.

The bathroom was also nice, with amenities that were renewed each day… but in my case, they were not new. Some new items were half used, which is something that is not acceptable, specially, at the rate they were charging me. Internet was not free of charge. As I stayed 3 days, I got a 3 day offer… but still… expensive.

Breakfast was good and enjoyable. Like in the rest of the restaurants, there were single areas and family areas, separated. The food was abundant, with western things as well as Arabic foods. Interesting flavors. The only problem in my case was that smoking was allowed... and it is never nice to eat with smoke...

Checking out was clear and relatively speedy. I did not use the limousine to the airport as I got a normal taxi outside the door by half the price, negotiating the price. It is always better to do it rather than using the meter. I paid 50 SAR, but I am sure I could have negotiated a bit better. But still, good price, I think.

I guess that you will probably get a better price if the booking is done in Saudi Arabia. Rates are extremely high from Europe, at least they were from Spain. Forgetting about the little problem with the bathroom amenities, the hotel is nice to stay with. In my case, I was working in the South of Riyadh, so really, location was not that interesting, as I had to cross the city everytime.

HOLIDAY INN RIYADH-AL QASR
Olaya Main Rd,
Olaya District,
Riyadh 11482,
Saudi Arabia
Tel: + 966 1 4625000
Fax: + 966 1 4624487
Email: info@alqasrhi.com

HILTON ALGER HOTEL

2010-03-18T02:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I am not sure whether it is me... but I am not having much luck lately in hotels.

The Hilton Alger is supposed to be a 5 star hotel... and probably can boast of the name and having those stars, but the true reality is different.

Reception was helpful, but that was up to where the staff were helpful. But veeeeery slow. People seem to walk in and out the back office, and you will be waiting for minutes until one comes and helps you. And doing the checking out was even slower. Extremely slow. And you wanted to pay with your remaining Dinars... and they charge you a fee for paying cash. They say it is country policy...

The Hotel was highly survailed, which was, of course, an advantage for ourself... but I very much doubt that whatever was being screened, was of any use. Going through the metal detector arch was useless. It peeped and nobody frisked you or asked you to get the metals out and go through it again.

The room is ok for North Africa, but far away from what 5 stars means. The hotel starts with a lack of maintainance in the room. Broken switches, lamps that don't work... There are very few plugs, so they use multiconnectors that are also completely used.

The bed (I always ask for king size) was comfortable and 4 pillows to use... if you needed them. One is enough for me. The Central Heating in the room did not work. You could put it on, with the terrible racket it created but no result. It was cold outside... and inside. Some colleagues of mine asked for a portable radiator. Is that typical of a 5 star hotel?

The bathroom was complete. Soaps, shampoos... which were refreshed everyday. But still, old furniture. Having a shower meant water would end up out of the bath, down on the floor.

The buffet breakfast was... ridiculous. No fresh fruit, no fresh juice, hardly any choice of breads and hot meals. Good omellet making (some times) and nice crepes. But I have to say that appart from that, everything was unappealing. And worst of all, expensive.

If you wanted to have dinner, it was somehow complicated. Restaurants were not open or were reserved (A whole restaurant!!!) and staff was not nice, helpful or professional. They were playing STRICKTLY by the book. I ended up having whatever was in the Restaurant carte in the Hall cafe, because it was there the only place I could eat, unless I wanted a buffet dinner, that, bearing in mind the breakfast experience, I decided it was not a good idea.

The hotel was far away from everywhere. They did have a club... but you can imagine its availability, can't you? Closed. So... unless you want to retreat to this extremely expensive hotel and watch TV, there is not much else to do. It is true that for the Exhibition, which is only a few steps away, it is very convenient, but of course, it could not be that easy. You needed a 10 minutes walk to get in the exhibition, as the door opposite the hotel was not open. Indeed, this is not a problem of the hotel... or is it? Apparently, it was said that the Exhibition director and the Hotel director had a quarrel and since, the main gate was closed. So still, the only benefit was not also available to the guests.

But the hotel has also some positive points. An hourly shuttle service to the airport is free of charge. Internet connection works... and it is free... and so is the minibar (pop only). Sauna is also available... free of charge... although I didn't use it.

Anyway, I feel that the Hilton Alger Hotel is extremely expensive and definitely not value for money. I was told to go to the Sheraton next time... and I think I may follow advise.

HILTON ALGER HOTEL
Pins Maritimes El Mohammadia,
16000 Alger,
Algeria
Tel: 213-21-219-696
Fax: 213-21-219-797

THE RADISSON BLU HOTEL LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT

2010-03-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Whether your flight is early in the morning, or reaches Stansted late in the evening, the Radisson Blu hotel London Stansted Airport is ideal to forget about a place to sleep. It takes you more or less the same to catch a bus, a train or to go to the hotel. It is that close to the air terminal. But don't think that being so close to the airport will mean it is noisy. All the contrary. My room overlooked the boarding area of Ryanair... and no noise.

Receptionist were really helpful, nice and polite... And fast. check in was done really fast, and that is something good after a long day travelling.
The hall is impressive, and so is the wine Tower, with the acrobatic show to get the bottle. Gobsmacking!!!

The rooms may differ from visit to visit as they have 6 different styles. So far, I have tried the Urban and Ocean style, being the latter better (picture below). The Urban style is a bit... dull.
One of the things I really liked was that the room had european plugs as well as the British ones. So I could charge my mobile and my laptop. Also, as with all Radisson Hotels, I believe, Internet is free of charge, so it is another positive point.

I asked for a big bed, if possible, and it was. It was massive! And comfortable. The bathroom was nothing special. I would have preferred a shower... but... a Bath is still ok for having a shower.

I didn't get breakfast, as I tend to go for ready made Airport stuff... Still expensive, but less than whatever the hotel offers.

THE RADISSON BLU HOTEL LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT
Waltham Close
London Stansted Airport
Essex
CM24 1PP

Tel: +44 (0) 1279 66 1012
Fax: +44 (0) 1279 66 1013
Email

THE LEELA KEMPINSKI MUMBAI

2010-02-24T13:04:00.000-08:00

It's been several times now that I have visited the Leela Kempinski in Mumbai. It is within short distance from the International Airport, which is good, as you are bound to arrive there early in the morning. This is the first drawback. You are charged the complete night, even when you arrive around 4 o'clock in the morning. If you are planning a trip to South Mumbai... distance is roughly, around 25 kms and could be over 2 hours to get there, always depending on traffic... and it is chaotic in the city.

You can arrange for a pick up from the airport, and the driver will actually collect you at the exit from the terminal, and will give you a bottle of water to drink for.

Security is an issue, as every car is checked at the entrance, even the own hotel cars, and you need to go through the metal detector arch and your belongings through the scanner.
When you arrive in the hotel, you can smell a strong scent of jasmine or incense. The lifts work well and tend to be quite fast.

The rooms are well equipped, with extra towels, (huge ones, which I really appreciate) and the shower is closed in a big chamber with a bath too. Some biscuits and fruit (normally apples) are offered, together with a pair or free drinking water bottles. Flat TV is available, with a wide range of channels. HBO, Bollywood Music Channels, as well as some international, such as TVE, are available free of charge. You have also a Spa and a nice open air swimming pool.

Internet, unfortunately, is not free. It is, actually, rather expensive, as when you switch on the wifi, you can reach nearby InterContinental’s, which is nearly 100 rupees cheaper.

The beds are big and comfortable. Linnen is changed every day.

Buffet breakfast is vast. Many things to choose from, such as omelets, fruit (Figs and strawberry were available as fruit of the month), Chinese, Indian food, cheese, cakes, juices... And crêpes...

It is a hotel that you don't mind returning time and time again... It is, however, oriented more for business people, than families.

THE LEELA KEMPINSKI MUMBAI
Sahar Mumbai - 400 059
India

Tel: +91 22 6691 1234
Fax: +91 22 6691 1212

E-mail: reservations.mumbai@theleela.com

RAMADA ENCORE DONCASTER

2010-02-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

When you find a relatively new hotel, you are likely to get a better experience than in an old one. Well, that is, of course, depending on each other’s experience.

Getting there is a Tom-Tom experience. I had my map, but the roads were closed due to works, so... in the end, I got there. It is nowhere near the city centre. It is, in fact, an airport hotel. Just over the road, you can find Robin Hood Airport.

The Ramada Encore is a new hotel. Hence, no old furniture, smelly rooms... Well, to a point. When checking in, I was helped by a young lady who started with a nice smile that kept throughout the time I was there... and I was there for some time. It smelled like a "Fish & Chips" shop. I guess some of the guests had asked for it and the smoke and smell had gone out of the kitchen to invade the Reception air. It is true that the living/eating room was there next to the Reception, so maybe the Fish & Chips were already in the restaurant.

Lighting in the reception and the restaurant was really poor. A massive use of LEDs lamps were, of course, saving lots of electricity, but the lighting was extremely poor. Nice luminaires though.

I got a room on the first floor, but asked for a big bed, so in the end, I got transferred to the second floor. As the hotel is sooooo far away from the centre, and the roads were closed, the young lady sketched a map, that was not that precise in terms of drawing evaluation, but... it was crystal clear, so, without any problem, got to my destination. When returning back to the hotel, I thanked the young lady for her help, and she still remembered me.

The hotel was... basic. Nothing exciting. Negative point. Not free Internet. The heating system got me some time trying to figure it out... but eventually, I wan. The room was big enough, bed comfortable and overall clean.

Breakfast was... basic too, with some little surprises, like a loaf of fruits of the forest bread to cut and toast. Muffins were good too, but croissants just put you back. They didn't look fresh at all. Scrambled eggs were... not that exciting either. Coffee was out of a coffee dispenser, so hardly any good... but in the end, a little bit here, a little bit there, had something to eat first thing in the morning. It could have been better.

The hotel offered free of charge car-park; you needed a token to get out of the hotel.

Staff was extremely helpful.

RAMADA ENCORE DONCASTER Opposite Robin Hood Airport
First Avenue
Auckley
Doncaster
DN9 3GP,
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 1302 718 520
Fax:+44 1302 772 045

CLARION HOTEL PLAZA IN ODENSE

2010-02-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

When visiting Odense, in Denmark, the travel agencies tend to send you to two hotels: The Windsor and this one. I am sure there are more, but for some reason, I have only tried two. And from these, I prefer, without any doubt, the Clarion Hotel.

Its location is very good. Near the Station, opposite a park, city centre within walking distance... Nothing to complain about. It can even offer you a free car space... if you are early, of course.

The hotel is rather old fashioned. Decor and even the wooden lift take you back to early 20th century.

Welcome to the hotel was really nice. A nice smile in the lady behind the counter and offered all the information requested, without any hesitation. I was even invited to a free coffee (apparently, free of charge throughout the night) and a free cake, which, of course, I didn't miss.

The room... Well, I have to say that I have been in better rooms... Spacious... but nothing special. Like in other Scandinavian experiences, lighting in the room is rather poor and sad looking. The duvets are folded on the bed... I have to say that the bed was comfortable. The radiators were behind the curtains, so... the temperature inside the room was a bit cold.

Bathroom rather basic... but fine for me. The shower "swallowed" the water properly.

Apart from the free coffee and free cake, free car park ... the hotel offered free wireless internet... These days, actions like this are really a big plus, that I appreciate.

TV channels are local, and a couple of international ones. The good thing is that Danish TV tend to offer many programs with subtitles, so series tend to be easy to understand as they usually are American or British.

Breakfast is also good. Buffet, although they had run out of orange juice. Danish bread and salami were good, also some cakes they offered and coffee was good too. I love the machine they have to slice the cheese...

It is a no frills room, but definitely, a good choice of basic hotel.

CLARION COLLECTION HOTEL PLAZA ODENSE

Østre Stationsvej 24
5000 Odense C
Denmark

Telephone: (+45) 6611 7745
fax: (+45) 6614 4145
Email: cc.plaza@choice.dk

EL ESPINAR HOTEL

2010-01-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

If there is a place lost in the middle of nowhere, that is El Espinar Hotel, in Segovia province. It is less than 1 hour's drive to Madrid, and even less to Segovia and Ávila, two very touristic towns North of Madrid.

It is definitely, a place to go to by car, unless you want a nice walk from the railway station or the bus station.

The hotel is situated by the road N-VI, from Madrid to La Coruña. It is actually located inside an Industrial Estate with a few buildings, a bit separated from everywhere.The rooms are fairly good, for a 3 star hotel. As the hotel was built in 2008, it still shows it is new. The good thing is that you don't have problems to find a parking space. Plenty of it outside the hotel.

It has two floors, and the receptionist wanted us to walk, so she gave us the top floor, furthest room she could find, at the end of the corridor. One, would have thought that it was the last room left... Far away from reality. We were actually the only ones in the hotel. Good thing... Wireless connection was available throughout the hotel and was free of charge.

The room was really cold. (It was about freezing outside) and he heater started when we put it on. One of those cases that when you leave the room, you need to take the key out, and the heater stops...

The bathroom we got had a shower, no bath. For me, that was a very positive point... but I know that there are people who love having a bath. Other rooms do have a bath... The hotel supplies soap and shampoo, and little more.

Bed is comfortable, and that extra blanket is always welcome if you don't leave the air heater on. I personally, don't like to sleep with a fan on... Noise is always a problem and the moving air makes your throat funny the next day... So, for me, the blanket was the best option. Although, I must say that getting out of bed without the heating, was... a bit of a challenge. I wan, of course...

Breakfast... was not included in our rate, but we were informed that it was just 5 Euro per person. So we tried it... just one day. It was very poor. They didn't even bother to get the cook early in the morning. It was prepared the night before, and bread was slightly stale, and hardly any choice. All prefabricated and packed... nothing fresh. Even coffee was in a thermos. I have to say that we were there just over New Years, so maybe at a different time, they may look after breakfast better... However... You cannot find that many times a breakfast just for 5 Euro. Only down the road, in nearby San Rafael, still on the road, there was a "Churrería" where you could have a nice breakfast too...

The hotel did meet our needs. It allowed us to move around the different places we wanted to visit... and it certainly was a quiet place to relax after a hard and tiring touristic day.

HOTEL EL ESPINAR

Crta. N-VI P.K 66,
40400 El Espinar, (Segovia)
España

Tel: 921 18 32 32
Fax: 921 18 25 31
email: recepcion@hotelelespinar.es

INTERCONTINENTAL MALTA

2009-12-08T00:03:00.000-08:00

From the outside, it looked like a nice hotel. Little I expected of what it was waiting for me. On arrival, we found the hotel was under refurbishment, at least, the reception. As we arrived pretty early, around 13.00 the rooms were not ready and we were kindly sent to the lounge to wait. Eventually, we were given our keys.

My room was ok, but my colleagues found theirs smelly and noisy. Apparently, there were city works going on outside, that made the stay in the room impossible. But this is not a comfortable hotel. It has the rooms and consequently, the lifts, on the other side of the huge building, so you spend your stay walking... (Ok, a little exaggeration there... but it is true I wondered why there was no entry from the other road).

The cleanliness was ok, but rather tight-fisted. Normally, when you use the soap, you get a replacement, either leaving the used one where it was or putting it back to its place. Over here, they didn't even bother. It is one of those little details without relevance, but... it does not give a nice image.

In my room, the toilet flush had a leak; fortunately, it was from the tank into the toilet... not afterwards. But it meant that my clothes got wet as I was pushing the flush... It was a matter of learning how to do it properly. Breakfast... lots of things... but little appealing. The juice out of a brick and tasteless. The pineapple was brown and the rest in syrup. Thank god I found rye bread. The omelet was nice, but not the rest of the hot meals. Cheese was nice, but the cakes were mostly hard. The chocolate for the cakes was horrendous and the crepes hard. Yogurt, so, so. Coffee... disgusting, and if you wanted espresso, you had to pay for it. I really hate this mean charge, especially in a 5-star hotel.

Internet with conditions... "Please check if your room has full signal or not"... Do you tell me they don't know? What kind of management is in the hotel that doesn't know the hotel that well? In my room, there was full signal, but the wifi didn't work. I complained and the solution was to use the broadband. Difference was that whereas the wifi 24 hour scheme was for 24 hour usage, broadband, was for 24 hour from first use. So in the end, I decided to go for broadband, but the cable didn't go either. The girl behind the phone told me to plug the grey cable... Which gray cable? I only have black cables. So she told me initially there was no cable, then the cable appeared... and the guy who came to my room to give me the cable told me that the black ones, "don't tend to work"... So why are they there? At the same time, I complained about the air-conditioned. I was scorching hot, and the guy told me that he thought the aircon didn't work, so he called his colleague... who confirmed it. So he suggested opening the window.

Noise started again at 7am. Luckily, I had to wake up at that time, so this was not a problem for me, but... had I wanted to rest, I would be extremely annoyed. At check out, they wanted to charge for me for wifi and broadband... Explanations were needed and in the end, I only had to pay for broadband. Price for it was exorbitant: 19 euro. Day light robbery. It is amazing how some hotels offer it for free, and others make so much money rather than giving a service to the customers. It tells a lot about the hotel policy.

INTERCONTINENTAL MALTA
ST GEORGES BAY
ST. JULIANS, STJ 3310
MALTA
Reservations: 900 983 177
Hotel Reception: 356-21-377600
Fax: 356-21-372222
Email: malta@intercontinental.com.mt

HOTEL AFRICA EL MOURADI

2009-12-06T03:50:00.000-08:00

I was always told that the El Mouradi Africa was the best hotel in Tunis. And it may have been... 10 years ago. The 5 star hotel lacks what a real 5-star hotel can boast of: service. Reception staff are rather basic. Not that welcoming, probably due to the area character more than lack of training. It all starts in reception. The lighting is way old fashioned. The lifts have rather small doors and seem to go the way they want. I wonder if the would be able to cater for a wheel chair. The rooms seem abandoned to time. They are clean...ish. But very basic for this rating. One of the unbearable things for me was the air conditioned, that, once you left the room, started working even if it was off, so at you return, the room was... extremely hot. If you think that I am joking, look at the thermometer in my room one night. It was thanks to the fact that the window could be opened that I managed to get the temperature down. The views from the 18th floor where I was staying were good. The room had two small beds, even though I had asked for a big bed. As you can imagine, the cover and the blanket needed to be taken off... The bathroom was old fashioned, decorated in Arabic style, and could have been cleaner. Long hairs could be found in the bath, sink... which clearly were not mine. Even a little spider...

Breakfast was generous, but most things were repeated. Fruit was not fresh apart from the odd thing that didn't look that fresh. Plenty of bread and Tunisian cakes. There was a cook waiting for your order of eggs, or crêpes. There was also some typical fried pastry, but in the end, hardly anything to eat. Cheese seemed really dry. Pain au chocolate was... ok... Coffee, horrendous. Not really my cup of tea...

Internet was ridiculous. It did not open many websites, which in the end, it was frustrating. 10 Euro for the use for 24 hours... I had to go down to reception and tell the guys there that it was not working. Initially, it was due to some problem in the building, which then turned out to be that it was a general problem with internet in the country... and of course, I said that in this condition, I could not accept the service. So I was promised I would not be charged for it and was sent to the room to give them the password back. Surprisingly enough, the following day, the bill contemplated Internet used which I refused to pay, and eventually, got deducted from my bill.

God, was I happy to leave the hotel !!!

HOTEL AFRICA EL MOURADI

50, avenue Habib Bourguiba-B.P.73 ,

1001, Tunis Ville,

Tunisia

Téléphone : + 216 71 34 74 77

Fax : + 216 71 34 74 32Site

Web : http://www.elmouradi.com/

Email : info.africa@elmouradi.com

HOTEL ZENIT SEVILLA

2009-11-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Zenit is a Spanish hotel chain that so far, is surprising me quite a lot. In Madrid, I have stayed in the Abeba, which was fairly good. In Barcelona, I stayed in Conde de Borrell; good, but not so happy with the breakfast. But I am here to talk about the Zenit Sevilla. It is located in the traditional district of Triana, well known for restaurants and fiesta. In fact, someone told me to avoid Triana if I wanted to sleep. Far from my reality. I got there, and the hotel was rather strange. You had to enter through a tunnel to an inside patio that gave you access to the main entrance. The staff at the desk were very nice. In fact, I asked for a big room, as I was staying there for a few days, and they gave me a bigger one. (My experience is that rooms in this hotels, tend to be rather small). The lift took us to the 4th (and last) floor. The corridor took me back to the medieval times. Really old fashioned furniture, lighting, decor in general. The room was at the end of the corridor. It was big all right. But again, more like a pseudo medieval castle than a 21st century hotel. The room had a little living room with a rather uncomfortable sofa.
The beds were comfortable, maybe too many layers, as Seville is never that cold. But as I always say, it is better to have too many and get them off than not to have enough. In terms of noise... I have to say it was really quiet. The first night someone rang on the telephone mistaken for another room, but appart from that, nothing else. Cleanliness is perfect.

The bathroom was fairly well equipped. The crisis has reduced considerable the little goodies the hotel used to offer.

TV Channels were not scarse. However, for foreigners, there weren't that many. TV was the old huge type, not a flat screen... And it was not that good placed to watch it from the bed. An important point for me is that WIFI is free of charge, so if you bring your laptop with you, you can surf the net as long as you want.

Breakfast was ok. Some fresh fruit, cereals, some cold meat, bread for toast... And only the last day, I was given some squashed tomato sauce and omelette. I was very disappointed about this. Also, the coffee was horrendous (not only in the hotel, but the whole city). I asked for some expresso and they told me the cafeteria was not open until 11, hence, the coffee machine was still not on. Good excuse.

The hotel was far from the buzz from the Cathedral side Sta. Cruz district, but well situated for some Triana restaurants... and just a few minutes walk from Sta. Cruz district... It all depends on what your plans are... but this hotel is, without any special expectation, a good hotel, specially for families and business people.

Zenit Sevilla

Pagés del Corro, 90

41010 Sevilla (España)

Tlf.+34 95 434 74 34

Fax+34 95 434 27 07

E-mail:sevilla@zenithoteles.com

RAMADA HOTEL SEOUL

2009-10-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

According to its web, the Ramada Hotel Seoul was renovated in February 2004, although the bellboy who brought my suitcase to the room, told me the room had been recently refurbished, so... everything was new.

The hotel is in the heart of Kangnam business area, Samsung-dong, within a short walk of COEX. Location is good for business, but far away from the city centre. It is close, however, to a main road where there are plenty of shops...

My first experience was not positive. I arrived at 2.30 pm, and was told the room was STILL not ready. But they sent me to the Executive Room to have a complementary drink and some nibbles... which made my wait really short and bearable.

Staff was extremely helpful and all spoke good English. If you go to Seoul and you need to get a taxi, you need to have as much information in the local language as possible. So the extremely helpful lady in the Executive Room wrote for me the addresses I needed to visit for work.

I wanted to be adventurous and catch the Underground, but I though that with so little people speaking English, and the underground being a bit confusing to get to, (7 minute walk from Seolleung Station, Subway Line 2 or 10 minute walk from Gangnam-gu Office Station, Subway Line 7) I would probably have some problems... So opted for taxi.

The bellboy told me the room had been recently renovated, therefore everything was new. The bed was comfortable, flat TV, the bathroom well equipped. Big towels, soaps, tissues, complementary water... Even the reservation I had included free broadband Internet connection. The room was really quiet, despite the fact that there were construction works just opposite the hotel. It even had a PC available in the room, so you need not take your laptop... (but I used my own...), specially having no mobile phone. The band used in the country is still not compatible with our system...

Like with many hotels in Seoul, the Ramada has a Limousine KAL Bus shuttle (3B) that takes you from the Airport to the hotel in about 75 minutes, and drops you just outside the hotel. It costs 14000 one way and on the way back to the airport, you can get it in the same place, although it takes you to the Intercontinental hotels (COEX) prior to heading to the airport.

I would go back, without any doubt.

RAMADA HOTEL SEOUL
112-5 Samsung-dong,
Kangnam-ku,
135-090 Seoul,
South Korea
Tel: 82-2-6202-2000 Fax: 82-2-6202-2001

CARLTON HOTEL SINGAPORE

2009-10-23T01:26:00.000-07:00

It is clearly a no-way-they-are-going-to-see-me-again-there hotel. Was I glad to get away!!!

A stop over in Singapore, with Singapore Airlines took me to this Carlton Hotel, in the Raffles area of the city. The first thing is that is undergoing expansion works, therefore, there was no reception in the ground floor. Staff were waiting for you in the entrance to take you to the provisional Reception Desk on the 6th floor... This was the beginning of the nightmare. The concierge took control of my luggage, while I got to reception. I was promised it would be sent to my room later.

Reception staff was hardly helpful. In fact, after 3 weeks in Asia, where by politeness, everyone says yes to anything that comes out of your mouth, staff here, were the "NO" Type. They put me in a twin room. I asked to get a big bed instead. No... Hotel is full... As if... The conversations were as if I was talking to trainees. They were all extremely young, I suppose cheaper to pay and there was no one who seemed to be the senior.

I asked if they could add points to my frequent flyer card, as advertised in a panel in the reception. No, the booking has been done via a travel agent

They told me that breakfast was not included... When my reservation clearly stated the price included breakfast... "No... reservation is done without breakfast".

I was given the key and sent to the 11th floor. But my key didn't work, so back to the 6th floor to get it fixed. New key given and back to the 11th. This time, I was lucky. It worked. My room was 1116, next to the lifts, so the "Cliiiiiing" of the lift arriving was noticeable all the time. My room, was facing the works, therefore, it was noisy, as the windows, clearly were not properly isolated. In fact, you could even get the noise of the planes taking off...

As my suitcase didn't arrive, I decided to go to get something to eat. On my return, about 1 hour and a half later, my suitcase was STILL NOT THERE... I had to call the concierge to ask for it...

The room was rather basic. The carpet looked really old, slightly dirty, and there were no sleepers available, so, I was a bit concerned to walk barefooted. Asia tends to offer complementary water... Over here, not even a "mirage" of it.

I had a shower and when going to get dry, noticed that the towels were unpleasantly stinking, as if they had been washed with dirty water and got dry. That made me go and complain, yet again.

They key kept not working, which made me quite worked up about it, having to go to reception to complain and complain. In the end, they came to my room with me "to show me I didn't know how to use a magnetic key". It worked for them...

The cleaner came in the morning, asking me if she could come in and do the room. I told her I was leaving that afternoon, and she said... "It's ok; I can do it for you, if you want". I said... help yourself. Strange... Nothing to complain about... (1st thing).

If you wanted to stay in, you had an old TV with some TV stations, most of them Chinese and the odd one European and English speaking. Unlike most hotels, if you wanted to see a movie, there was no free movie channel (HBO, Star, AXN...) that normally are available. Over in the "generous" (not) Carlton, you had to pay to watch a movie. Not even MTV or similar was available.

From the window, I could see the swimming pool and its floor was way far from being clean...

The worst part of it is that it wasn't cheap and I was staying there on a Stop-over from Singapore Airlines. Clearly, this airline would really have to reconsider whether to allow this hotel to be somehow related to them. Very poor image they are giving. Maybe it is also a sign that Singapore Airlines could be changing?

CARLTON HOTEL SINGAPORE

76 Bras Basah Road

189558 - Singapore

Tel: +65 6338-8333

SHERATON TAIPEI

2009-10-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

The Sheraton Taipei is a very good 5 star hotel. Welcome is extremely friendly and efficient. Rooms spacious. There are up to 9 restaurants (Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French...) to choose from. Although breakfast buffet has wide choice, but oriented mainly to the Asian...

Location is good. Only 5 minutes walk from Central Station, where you can get the Taiwanese High Speed train. And... if you don'r feel like walking you can get the MRT to the station... o to the 101 proximity... The station is... just there.

While the corridors are rather dimmed, the rooms are very tastefully decorated. Flat TV in the room, (my reservation included free broadband), a very comfortable bed, little livingroom, comlementary water and fruit in the room... The bathroom included all sorts of bits and bobs... Funnily, the bathroom was very modern decorated, whereas the room was a bit more classic.

I requested an early call in the morning... and they were on time. I hate when the call me 10 minutes earlier than what I say. As I say... staff really efficient and helpful.

I recommend this hotel, without any doubt.

SHERATON TAIPEI HOTEL
No.12, Zhongxiao East Rd. Sec.1,
Taipei 100,
Taiwan, Republic of China
Email: sheraton@sheraton-taipei.com
Tel +886-2-23215511
Fax +886-2-23944240

LE MERIDIEN, IN NEW DELHI

2009-09-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

I have always been uneasy with Le Meridien. I have been in a few and there are always details that let you down. Fortunately, my experience in Delhi was very positive. It even had a swimming pool, that is very unusual and I didn't have the chance to try it...

First of all, as in good hotels in India, you need to get through a security control. If you arrive on a taxi, private car or even, the hotel shuttle from the airport, your vehicle is inspected at the gate. You reach the entrance and your luggage and bags are scanned. At the end of the day, security should always be an issue and you should not complain about it.

Reception staff, extremely nice. I really appreciate all the information they gave me, and of course, the fact that I was given a non-smoking room and a king-size bed. (I hate little beds against the wall).

The room was quite cosy. Enough space for the bed, the worktable and the little lounge area. Bathroom was good. At least, for me. I have to say that I love showers and I am not so keen on baths... so I suppose that those looking for a bath would not be so happy. Of course, the bathroom was full of little bits and bobs usual in this type of hotels.

Two complementary bottles of water are offered, something that you appreciate as water... would probably give you tummy problems... or not. But I am not going to take the risk. Also, a bowl with fruit, also, complementary.

The bed was comfortable, although, I was a bit hot in the room. It had air-conditioned but I don't like to sleep with it. But everything, bearable.

A flat TV with zillions of channels to choose from. Of course, I appreciated the availability of TVE. Also, a few Movie channels in English.

Breakfast was offered in the ground floor, in the ONE restaurant. It is a buffet with plenty of food to chose from, from Indian, to continental and, of course, fried eggs, omelettes... are done freshly on sight. Espresso coffee had additional charge..., which I thought it was a bit mean... but of course, that is their choice. For one person, they have a long table where they sat us. It was a good chance to talk to people from different nationalities as well as local. It also gives you the chance to see how other nationalities behave.

The building was over 25 years, but it may have been refurbished recently, as you would think it was recently opened. Very modern, and an impressive look of the panoramic lifts of the inside of the hotel.

LE MERIDIEN NEW DELHI
Windsor Place
New Delhi,
India
Phone: +91 (11) 23710101

HOLIDAY INN SANDTON RIVONIA ROAD

2009-09-20T03:56:00.000-07:00

It's a new hotel in the Sandton Area, within walking dstance from Mandela Square and just opposite a small shopping mall full with restaurants too. The hotel has pleasant staff that always asks you how you are, but they are not very good with resolving matters.Check in is at 2pm, so those arriving early in the morning (normal for European flights) have to wait until the rooms are done. In Africa, time seems to go so slow... which is no good for westerners, which it makes you crazy and impotent. Customer service seems to have disappeared. Apparently, you can ask for a reservation to have the room ready at that time, but that is something that travel agents back home may not know. In the meantime, the shopping mall opposite offers some food and drinks that make the wait more pleasant. Of course, you can also use the hotel facilities, but my principles didn't allow me.Finally, when you reach your room, I have to say the room was big, comfortable bed, big bathroom too. I missed a nice shower, though.

When you returned in the evening, the room was extremely hot. As you need to take the card off the electricity activator as you leave the room, aircon doesn’t work, so... It feels a bit uncomfortable. And I visited in September, still winter in the area, so I wonder how it will be when summertime arrives...

Breakfast is good. Cereals, fresh fruit and in syrup (that coincides with that fresh one and one cannot think other than it was the previous day's re utilised) cheese, bacon, sausages, and a cook that will make a nice omelette or fried eggs for you. Filter coffee. If you want espresso, you need to pay for it. Toast, you need to ask, because the waiters will not ask you whether you want some.

Checking out is also complicated. Slow, understaffed and the ones in charge, with little knowledge of what they need to do, as they disappear behind the door behind the counter constantly... But they are nice.

Mixed opinions about the hotel, but will give it a pass.

HOLIDAY INN SANDTON RIVONIA ROAD
123 Rivonia Road,
Sandton, 2146
SOUTHAFRICA

MERCURE MONT SAINT MICHEL

2009-08-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Mercure Mont St. Michel Hotel is, as you can tell from its name, near the Mont St Michel, in Brittany or Normandy... I believe it is just in the limit between both. Of course, if you are in the region, it is a must to visit the Abbey. Some people prefer to stay over in the mount, but hotels tend to be rather more pricy. When you see that Mercure has a hotel in the area (not in the mount, but just across the water, then you say... Fantastic!

But fantasy finishes there. The hotel is, however, rather basic for similar Mercure hotels. It's ok but lacks little details... It's clean; it's spacious... but... I don't know... It is not a Mercure. Bathroom is really small. A single bottle of soap and shampoo and little towels!!! We were given a double bedroom in the Annex building, which one thinks it will be more modern. There was no lift to it... so, luggage needed to be pulled upstairs... Thank god the room was quiet and the bed comfy.

The car park is free, strange for this type of hotels, especially in a tourist area. Prices of the minibar, I am not sure, but I guess they were expensive. Just opposite, you can find a supermarket open till 20.00 if I remember well, that has a wide offer, for a fraction of the price... Also, restaurants are available around the hotel, but I guess they will all be as good or as bad as each other.

Breakfast is about 8.50 for a buffet breakfast in the restaurant. Not bad breakfast, but... not excellent.

Overall, the stay was good. Nothing exciting but fine. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to boast about... one of those stays that leaves you... indifferent.

However, if you stay there, there is a must. Walk from the hotel to the abbey at dusk. Beautiful.

MERCURE MONT SAINT MICHEL

Route du Mont Saint Michel BP 8
50170 LE MONT SAINT MICHEL
FRANCETel : (+33) 2/33601418 -
Fax : (+33)2/33603928 -

PREMIERE CLASSE, CHEAP FRANCE, BUT... WHY MORE?

2009-08-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Premiére Classe network is very extended in France. They are extremely basic hotels for up to 3 people, (double bed + 1 bunk bed) and a basic buffet for 4.50 Euro, as an extra if you want it. More basic, it can't be. They are normally hotels out of the centre, in industrial estates or shopping areas, but always within easy reach from the motorways. And they are all the same, so, no surprises... well, sometimes there are little ones. It seems it is a structure they can take anywhere... so you are not fooled by the pictures. That's that. They are ideal if you are travelling around and you want to avoid getting in the city centre... As you can see from the picture, where can you sleep for 43 Euro? Not many places... If you book it in advance, you may even get it cheaper... Sometimes, there will be no receptionist... so... you go the the check in machine,... and you check yourself in...

Please note that rooms have their one TINY sink, toilet and shower, soap is provided, TV (mainly French channels and if you are lucky, you can get some international channels, but that must be when you have been extraordinarily good boy)... some have air-conditioning and normally, WI-FI is free of charge in the rooms. Also, free car parking. However, don't expect a lift... there isn't one, so if you are sleeping on the second floor... just think that you will have to do some exercise to go to bed...

Not many frills... but at the end of the day, it has a comfortable bed, it's clean... and you only go there... to sleep after all.

PREMIERE CLASS HOTELS.

Check the one near you...

SHERATON ZAGREB

2009-07-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

Sheraton Zagreb is a new hotel in the old part of the city. Well communicated, it lies next to a shopping mall and at short walking distance from the main square and the old town.

It is new, and if you get there with the starwood card, they put you on a special floor.

The room was spacious, the bed comfortable, free Internet, something that I also value. Bathroom was spacious too. The shower was really good. Also the soaps smelt well. I have to say I am a bit particular with smells, and certain soaps are... ARG!!!

Breakfast was good... One day the fruit was a bit... unripe, but the rest of the days, it was good. Wide selection of fruit... CHEESE... of course, omelletes or fried eggs, cakes,... nutella (I couldn't help a serving... or two) and nice bread... :=)

The hall was also quite big, which allows enough space for meetings.

The negative part was the staff. I am sorry, but I was not treated properly. Check in desk staff were quite unpreasant, straight to the point, with little time for you. You felt like you were one tin of lentils in the supermarket cash desk, after the lettuce and before the coke... Also, room service was a bit... sloppy. Called for dinner... and had to call back after an hour, because no dinner came... and they told me that the change of shift was the problem... Unnaceptable.

I think Sheraton should really look into these type of attitudes, that really make you choose this hotel or another one.

SHERATON ZAGREB
Kneza Borne 2
Zagreb 10000
Croatia
Phone: +385 (1) 455 3535
Fax: +385 (1) 455 3035

THE WESTIN GRANDE SUKHUMVIT IN BANGKOK

2009-06-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

It may be one of the nicest hotels I hve visited recently. The Westin Grande had a very cosy room, nice bed, (maybe too many layers of sheets, but something needs to be subject of complaint...) very well furnised bathroom (loved the shower), nice choice of food for breakfast (lovely banana cake) ... What else can one ask for? And I was in a standard room. I can't imagine what an Executive Deluxe room could offer the guest. The decor was actually quite modern and made you feel at home.

Staff? Well, if you know Thai people, you will know that they are wellknown for their kindness and willing to help all the time.

Negative things? Well, from the street, you needed to get a lift to the 7th floor to get to the Hall and then, another lift to get to rooms. Also, Internet connection was not free... You would expect that for that amount of money, it could be inclusive.

The Westin Grande Sukhumvit Bangkok
259 Sukhumvit
Bangkok
Thailand
Phone: +66 2207 8000

LE MERIDIEN KING EDWARD IN TORONTO

2009-05-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Le Méridien King Edward is said to have received guests for over 100 years. Its situation in the heart of the financial district, downtown Toronto, is ideal for business meetings in the city. It is a rather large hotel with 298 guest rooms. However, from a European perspective, this hotel is far from being modern or oriented for Europeans. The staff is nice but that is as far as it goes. You are charged for everything. Internet is available, somehow free if you manage to get your wifi to read a signal... but very unstable. The room I was in certainly was spacious... but the furniture was rather old-fashioned. The bed was comfortable but the bathroom was very basic. Thank God I was having a shower at an early hour, (due to my jetlag) but had the people in the offices opposite been working, they would have had a look at my whole naked body. The net curtain that supposedly hid the inside was extremely thin... They claim to be a modern hotel but I have to say, that either they have not visited their competition in other countries or they don't know what modern tendencies are. For me, it was an experience that made me go back 20 years.

Breakfast: Well, that was another surprise. I do travel a lot and get to stay over in many hotels, where a buffet breakfast is offered. In this hotel, you had a menu and you had to choose from something you didn't even know what would look like. Eggs Benedict were good, I have to say. But breakfast was rather... weak.

The Concierge was extremely helpful and the reception people either spoke Spanish to us or just attempted to do so, which is always something to thank for. Not so pleasant staff in the breakfast room. I have to say, in the hotel's defence that they prepared a nice packed breakfast for us to take, as we were leaving rather early in the morning. I think that was even better than the one in the restaurant, I have to admit.

LE MÉRIDIEN KING EDWARD

37 King Street East

Toronto, Ontario M5C

Canada

Tel: +1 (416) 863-9700

HOTEL CORINTHIA, IN LISBON

2009-05-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

The Corinthia Lisboa Hotel is a luxurious 5-star hotel. Staff is always friendly and helpful, even more if you mutter a couple of Portuguese words. The rooms, in my experience, are spacious and had a comfortable bed. As you can see from the picture, I got lost in such a big bed. (It was actually two beds put together, so... if I ended up in the middle, which usually happened, I could feel the borders of both beds. Still, moving to one side, it was a perfect bed. Also, a selection of pillows to adapt more to your needs was appreciated.

The breakfast, for me, is essential. And The Corinthia can boast to be one that has a wide range of food to offer. Fruit, cereals, cold meat, cheese, dry fruits, pastry, juices (that could improve, certainly) kitchen to have fresh fried eggs, omelettes, crêpes... you name it, and it's bound to be on offer. It even has a corner for those who look after their shape, with "light" products.

Some people say it is far away from the centre. True. It is not central, but, in my case, I need to be close to the motorway as I am going there for business and need to get out of the city fast. The ring road is barely 5 minutes away. If you do want to go to the city centre, you can always get the underground, which is just 100mts away, and it takes you directly to the Chiado. Lisbon International Airport is just 7 Km from the Corinthia, which is also another good point if you are flying back home.

There are 518 guestrooms, including double, single, twin, executive double, Club room, Executive Superior and suite.

But I also have to say that I am not very happy with the cost of the car park. The surrounding area is rather difficult to park, as there isn't much space for parking: 18 Euro per night. Also, the cost of internet connection in your room: another 18 Euro. Apparently in the hall, it is free of charge, but if you need to do some work, get some papers and so, the place is not prepared for that, therefore, I prefer to do it in the room. It is a 5 star hotel and, as such, extra services have 5 star price too, which, in my opinion, are not acceptable.
Nevertheless, it is a highly recommended hotel.

CORINTHIA HOTEL LISBON
Av. Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro, nº 105,

Lisbon 1099-031,

PORTUGAL

T: +351 21 7236363

F: +351 21 7236364

E: lisboa@corinthia.pt

STARHOTEL BUSINESS PALACE - A DECENT HOTEL IN MILAN, AT LAST!!!

2009-04-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Sleeping in Milan was a nightmare up to now. Really old hotels, not renovated, somehow difficult to access the rooms, noisy, far too expensive for what you got, getting away from that exclusive Italian Image that the city boast of. However, this has changes after my latest trip there. I stayed over in the Starhotel Business Palace. Not the best hotel I have stayed, but much better from what I was used to in Italy. It's a 4 star hotel that gets closer to the real meaning of a 4 star rating. A bit far away, true... (only two metro stops from the end of the yellow metro line in the south) but just round the corner from the station. I visited the exhibition, and the trip took around 50 minutes, with exchange in Duomo less than halfway through.

The Starhotel Business Palace has 246 rooms. Spacious, clean rooms, good service, friendly personnel and a fairly good variety in buffet breakfast. You even have a selection of pillows to choose from.

Drawback: Apart from the distance to the centre, I would like to comment on the very expensive Internet access, (22 euros per day or 10 euros per hour!). I still don't know why the cost of it is so exorbitant... Especially when the rooms are also a bit high on price.

STARHOTEL BUSINESS PALACE
Via Gaggia, 3
20139 - Milano
ITALY

T: +39 02 53545
F: +39 02 57307550
business.mi@starhotels.it

ZENIT ABEBA - MADRID

2009-04-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

The Zenit Abeba, in the Salamanca residential district is one of those hotels where you will stay overnight and remember it quite positively. It is a no frills 4 star hotel. Rooms are clean, with wooden floor that make them quite comfortable. Somre rooms are extremely small. Other are big. Same happens with the toilet.

All rooms have free wifi (very rare among hotels of similar status to offer it for free). Toiletries are also supplied. The hotel has a carpark, where you need to pay and it is not cheap. Also, ig your luggage is heavy, bear in mind that if you park your car in the carpark, you will need to get the luggage up the stairs from the garage to reception. There is no lift to the carpark!!! But then again, you are in a quiet and high class neighbourhood. Starbucks, for those lovers of the American Franchise will have one just round the corner.

The hotel is handy if you are getting up early to go to Barajas airport, the Exhibition centre (IFEMA) or to travel towards Zaragoza or Barcelona on the A2. The city centre is a bit far away on foot, but just outside the hotel, within 20 sencond walk, you have the Underground entry, where you can choose from 4 lines to move any way in the city.

But for me, the best thing about the hotel is breakfast. A wide choice of pastries, churros, porras, fruite, yogurts, juices, even diet food, or Spanish omelet, cold meat, cheese... You will definitely forget about eating along the morning... Your stomach will be pleased after visiting the breakfast room.

Staff are always very helpful and nice to you.

ZENIT ABEBA Alcántara, 63
Madrid - 28006 Madrid (España)
Tlf.+34 91 401 16 50
Fax+34 91 402 75 91
E-mail:abeba@zenithoteles.com

HOTEL DOÑA CARLOTA - CIUDAD REAL

2009-03-28T02:38:00.000-07:00

Doña Carlota Hotel could be considered as one of the best in the Castilian city of Ciudad Real. Doña Carlota Hotel could be considered as one of the best in the Castilian city of Ciudad Real. The city is well located on the High Speed line to Seville, and its size makes the hotel quite handy. It is within the University area. The modern façade welcomes and gives you the first impression of "Uff. I didn't make a mistake when booking it". However, the first impression stops there. The reception is rather bland and old fashioned. When asked about WIFI, they tell you it's 1 Euro per hour, which, I must say, it is rather cheap considering the fees around the world in hotels. But if you don't have a computer, you need to go... not to the Business Centre, but... the Cafeteria. Strange location!

The corridors are spartan and are without lights, waiting for the hosts to get in and automatically light them on. When you get to the room the first thought is: "Oh my God!” Where am I? Is it a 21st Century Hotel or one of those Don Quixote’s Inns?

The bathroom has really old ware, and also offers some soap, which in my case, had been open and used previously.

Breakfast was... poor in choice, but rather traditional. The "pain au chocolat" where immense and very good. Coffee was, on the contrary, rather bad. A choice of cheese, and garlic sausage, as well as minced tomato sauce, which I really liked on top of a toast. Yogurts ... doubtful! Orange juice... out of a bottle.
Doña Carlota Hotel, a 4 star hotel that should be reclassified. Staff was neither nice nor nasty. They were, basically. Foreigners may have problems, as receptionists’ knowledge of English is limited. Its 161 have air conditioning, satellite T.V. I am sorry, but if I have the choice, I would try to go to my favourite NH, which in the city is only a 3 star, but, so far, NH Hotels have not let me down so far.

Hotel Doña Carlota.
Ronda de Toledo
13003 Cuidad Real (Spain)
Tel: 926 23 16 10
Fax: 926 23 16 10

A JUMBO JET TURNED INTO A HOSTEL, IN STOCKHOLM ARLANDA

2009-03-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I talk about a hotel I have never been... but I saw it and I couldn't help making a short article. The Jumbo Hostel is at Stockholm-Arlanda airport entrance and offers you an unforgetable experience. At least, it would be for me: To spend the night on board a genuine jumbo jet transformed into a hostel. Ok, you won't be flying, as the plane is retired from flying, but still, it would be worth it.

The Jumbo Hostel has a total of 72 rooms, divided into two- and three-person rooms and dormitories as well as a cockpit suite at the upper level of the plane.

In the café you can buy breakfast, take a coffee break and buy basic meals. It will also be possible to microwave food you have brought along. Which other hotel would allow you to do so?

Additionally, you can visit the Jumbo Hostel, even if you don’t spend the night. It even has a museum, so it becomes more than just a hotel...

Pricewise, it seems to be rather economical, for Sweden, I suppose... :=)

JUMBO HOSTEL

Jumbovägen 4

SE-190 47 Stockholm Arlanda

SWEDEN

Phone +46 (0)8-593 604 00

Fax +46 (0)8-593 604 11

E-mail reservation: booking@jumbohostel.com

GRAN HOTEL REY DON JAIME - CASTELLDEFELS (BARCELONA)

2009-03-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

The most fashionable word nowadays is "CRISIS". You would expect that now, requirement for hotels has reduced, but, despite what they say, you still find it difficult to get a hotel in certain places. Barcelona, when there is a convention, getting a place to sleep seems to be extremely expensive. Hotels increase prices to limits that no sane person would normally pay... but, if there is a convention or an exhibition, you will find it difficult.

That is why, sometimes it is worth it to look in the outskirts. This would mean, normally, that you need a car to get to your final destination relatively easy.

In this situation, we can find the Gran Hotel Rey Don Jaime, a 4-star hotel in Castelldefels, in the outskirts of Barcelona (on the way to Sitges, 20 minutes from Barcelona and 10 minutes from El Prat airport). It is more economical than those you find in the city, but a car is essential, due to its location. It is far from the railway, far from the town, on top of the hill... far from... everywhere. Carpark is large and free of charge. The hotel was built in 1950, last reformed in 2008 and you would never think the hotel was nearly 60 years old. It looks really modern inside.

It is, however, a rather strange hotel. You access to it from the street level and, in my case, I had to go two floors down to my room. Rather strange... Don't you think?

The rooms are correct (220 all together). A big bed (and very comfy)with zillions of pillows is waiting for you. Ok, I exaggerated. 4 pillows only. Normally is quiet (there is nothing around that could be noisy... at the end of the day, you are on top of a hill, out in the countryside). Sleeping is easy. Still, if you want to use the TV, there are a few channels, but then you notice that they are pay TV... so, in the end, the choice is really reduced.

The bathroom is well equipped with soaps and other accessories. It is always good to get these things if you are coming just to stay overnight...

Breakfast is good... Could be better, as usual, but I think it is ok. Problem!!! The coffee comes out from a dispenser machine and it is really awful. Juices... so so. But there is plenty of food in the buffet to choose from. I am sure that you will not be hungry when you get out of it.

You should not miss the swimming pool either.

Staff are nice... when you get hold of them. Reception is open 24 hours but breakfast is very poorly served by staff.

Personally, I would opt for a different hotel in Barcelona, but as an emergency, and taking into consideration all these points, it is a nice place to stay... Don't expect a lively nightlife... There isn't any.

GRAN HOTEL REY DON JAIME

Avenida del Hotel,

22 08860 CASTELLDEFELS Barcelona (Spain)

Tel.: 936 651 300

Fax. 936 645 151

donjaime@grup-soteras.com

It is a SERCOTEL hotel.

HOLIDAY INN RESORT NICE - PORT ST. LAURENT

2009-02-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Hotels normally have grand names. Sometimes, experience tells you the name lives to reality, some others, its wishful thinking.

The Holiday Inn Resort Nice is more... tsecond option. It is close to the airport, which is convenient if you arrive late... Well, sort of. Taxis don't want to take you there because it's literally, round the corner... But you can't go there on foot. There are "navettes" (shuttle buses) that take you there... When they work, of course. If you arrive late, you end up stuck in the airport, without a "navette", as they don't work after certain hour, and no taxis wanting to take you there. Well, that's service for you.

When you get there, the reception staff are friendly and tell you all you need. You get to the room, and then your "adventure" continues. The rooms are spacious, but furnished with old times items, in desperate need of renovation. It is just an old 3-star hotel.

Bathroom and toilet are separated, which is always good if you are sharing. Bathroom kit is a bit scarce. A little hand soap and some moisteriser. For the shower, there is a soap dispenser. It smells pleasant, by the way.

Bed is big and comfortable. It is a shame the room was freezing cold and there was a draft. The windows, even with the curtains drawn, allowed a lot of cold and air to come inside.
My remote control for the TV didn't work. I was so tired that I didn't need it. But had I needed a little bit of entertainment, I would have been a bit annoyed.

Morning breakfast was a buffet... A few cold meats and cheese, yogourt, toast (that I accompanied with Nutella, my favourite) and pain au chocolait. The hot food was not that interesting... Scrambled eggs (soup version), a bland omelette, roasted tomatoes... And not much more.

Juice and cereals too. Coffee was horrendous and staff was rather slow... And the worst of it was that they only needed to pour the coffee.

I was not impressed by the hotel. I have to say that everytime they offer me a Holiday Inn, whether it is Express or the standard one, I am not very happy. I don't like them. I guess in the past they were nice hotels but now they seem abandoned.

If you have another hotel in the area to choose from, go for it. The Holiday Inn should be the last choice.

HOLIDAY INN RESORT NICE-PORT ST. LAURENT
167 PROMENADE DES FLOTS BLEUS
SAINT LAURENT DU VAR, 06700
FRANCE
Telephone: +33-4-93148000

SOFITEL CITY CENTRE DUBAI

2009-02-14T07:53:00.000-08:00

Sofitel is a good hotel. When you stay over in one, you are staying in all, as they all have the same features. However, the Sofitel hotel in Dubai is in deep need for renovation. Its 361 rooms are old, and the typical Arab lack of maintenance shows that many years have passed since it was refurbished. It clearly gets away from the idea of a 5 star hotel, making it more like a 4 star one.

The hotel location is excellent. Only 10min from airport, and offers a free shuttle bus service. Once you finish work, the hotel offers you bars and restaurants, but the best thing is that is attached to the City Centre Shopping Mall, were you can walk, shop, eat, drink, watch a movie... You don't even need to go into the City centre in Dubai...

The rooms are reasonably big. The beds look clean and are comfortable. For some reason, I really felt good in the bed. At night, when you return to your room, your curtains are drawn for you, the bed open, and a little chocolate (extremely good, I have to say) waiting for you by the bed.

The bathroom offers a kit that is welcome, as well as two bottles of complementary water. Avoid the EVIAN, which you have to pay for...

Breakfast is good... for the first day. Then... it is very repetitive. I was expecting a little bit more. There was no fresh fruit. Only fruit out of a tin. Bakery was ok... but the best was the possibility to get a couple of fried eggs or an omelette... How many omelettes can you eat in a few days? Service was a bit slow, but pleasant.

My rate included free internet connection, which allowed me to keep up with the office.

The bellboys were rather slow, careless, distracted, and not that helpful... but their managers weren't either. It was a nightmare to get a taxi unless one came to unload... This is a general problem in Dubai, but a little bit of interest from the bellboys would have improved things.

My flight was an evening one (I think they normally are... Who flies from Dubai in the morning?) and I got an extension until 4pm to do the checkout, something I am really grateful about.

SOFITEL CITY CENTRE
Hotel contact details
Near City Centre Shopping Mall,
Deira, DUBAI,
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Tel +971 4294 1222
reservation@citycentrehotel.ae

HOTEL IBIS MONS CENTRE GARE

2009-01-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

An Ibis is an Ibis. There is not much you can say about them. You go to one and you could go to a different one to see that there is not much difference. However, Ibis Mons Centre Gare has 72 spacious rooms (a bit cold in winter, as you get there and the radiators are cold...) and big bathroom. Still, they have the same functional style that characterises the chain.

It is just opposite the railway and bus station, it is only 500m from the historic town centre of Mons, numerous activities are nearby. Getting to it is also easy. The motorway exit 24 will take you into Mons centre, and then follow the signs to "GARE".

Breakfast is more than what I had expected. Coffee was good. Juice as well. There was some cold meat, cheese, yogurt, wonderful pain au chocolate and croissants, that in this part of the world, are excellent... toast... well, a relatively good breakfast to enjoy.

Parking is easy. It has a safe car park at the back of the hotel, and if required, but don't think it comes free. You need to pay for it. But, you can always park opposite the hotel, in the street. Mons doesn't seem that dangerous city.

WiFi Internet access and you have to pay for it, using your credit card... A system, which under my point of view, is not very attractive.

Hotel Ibis Mons Centre Gare
Boulevard Charles Quint 27b -

7000 - MONS

BELGIUM

Tel : (+32)65/847440

Fax : (+32)65/847441

THE KING GEORGE PALACE IN ATHENS

2009-01-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Its full name is Classical King George Palace Deluxe. I hope I can be forgiven if I have forgotten any "surname".

This is a hotel, where you will feel like a movie star. The location is fantastic... Syntagma Square, where every hour, you have the famous change of the guards. It is also the place where everyone meets each other... and also, the place where the strikes take place... After all, Syntagma Square (Constitution Sq.) is where the Government is placed.

It is within short walking distance from the touristic and traditional Plaka district, where you will find a huge amount of restaurants and tavernas, where you will enjoy local food.

The hotel itself is rather classical in decoration. I always prefer a much modern looking one, but this is just a matter of taste. Like Louis XIV, you walk along the extremely baroque decorated corridors until you reach your equally furnished bedroom. As you can see from the picture, I am not exaggerating. Its all frills there. (I have to say I was not welcome with a bouquet of roses... I think I should have complained, hehehe).

Rooms tend to be rather small too. You would expect that a 5 star hotel at the high rates they charge would offer you a bigger room. At least, mine was very small. The bathroom is fully equipped with soaps and other accessories from a well known brand. I even like the smell of the soap... (Sometimes you find hotels with awfully smelly soaps).

But, something that you will never forget is breakfast. It is served in the terrace on top of the hotel. There are waiters coming in an out, to offer you coffee and juices. The rest is self-service. Between bite and bite you can stare at the Acropolis and the Parthenon in particular that is ... just there. In front of you... LOOKING at you. I fell in love with the place. Outstanding...

Service was always very attentive, offering you whatever you needed. Something you really appreciate.

THE CLASSICAL KING GEORGE PALACE DELUXE

3 Vasileos Georgiou (Syntagma Square)
Athens 10564, Greece

Tel: +30 2810 300330
Fax: +30 2810 220785

THE LEGEND CHIANG RAI RESORT

2009-01-23T14:08:00.000-08:00

Thai people tend to show their good manners and are always polite to you. When it comes to a nice hotel with nice staff, then, it is a plus. The Legend Chiang Rai Resort is situated somewhere in Chiang Rai, by the Mae Kok river.

The place is peaceful. Several Villas scattered in the grounds give you the privacy you need, yet, you are part of a group of houses. The Villas are beautifully decorated in a stylish rural decor. Beds have nets hanging for the nights, to avoid mosquitoes to bite you during the night...

The bathrooms have a Jacuzzi to enjoy your relaxed time. Depending on the room, you may have a terrace overlooking the river. Nearby, you have a swimming pool where you can just refresh yourself. If you feel like doing some exercise, then, you have a gym and spa too. You should not forget the Thai Massage.

Food is served in an open restaurant by the river. Breakfast and dinners tend to be buffet style, where you will find a lot of Asian food, so... be prepared. It is all excellently presented and tastes good.

The City is only a few minutes away by car. There is a minibus shuttle service (you need to pay for it) but on the way back, you should try a tuc-tuc. Not expensive. In the city, don't miss the night market. Worth a visit.

We also had booked a trip up river (3 hours) in a long tail boat, which was impressive. The Hotel has its own jetty from where you can board the boat.

THE LEGEND CHIANG RAI

124/15 Moo 21 Kohloy Road,
Amphur Muang,
Chiang Rai 57000,
Thailand

Tel: +66(0)53 910 400
Fax: +66(0)53 719 650
Email: info@TheLegend-ChiangRai.com

THE BRITANNIA ADELPHI HOTEL IN LIVERPOOL

2009-01-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

It may be one of those buildings you cannot miss in Liverpool. The Adelphi Hotel is very well situated, next to the railway station and the buzzing shopping district. Public transport (buses and underground) are also quite at hand. The reception staff were not that interested in the guests, who, of course, had to wait for them to come out, while conversations and laughs about their private lifes were taking place behind the mirror wall.

The building it self shows the splendour the city once had... It has 402 bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. According to the hotel, they are beautifully presented in Edwardian style with plenty of character. In my opinion, I got the impression of being in a huge Russian Hotel... I felt it was quite bare in decoration, poorly lit, and quite basic. I had been told that the hotel seemed as though it had been important a long time back, but since that time, little renovation had taken place... and the comments were not exaggerate. I must say that I felt a bit let down by the hotel. Rooms are big but extremely basic. The furniture and door frames had undergone several layers of paint throughout the years. The bathroom was big, and it had a Jacuzzi bath tub... but little extras there.

Like any bed and breakfast, the room had its TV on a really cheap and nasty wheeled table, Telephone, and Tea & Coffee making facilities (also hot chocolate). This hotel also features 2 great restaurants, 2 bars and a pizzeria. You can also find a gymnasium. Additionally, there is also a Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and solarium in addition to the beautiful heated marble swimming pool.

If you are travelling by car, it has a car park, but they charge you for the space... They still do it the old way. You take the car, then they park it for you until the car park is full... and I mean full. They even park cars in the corridors to maximise spaces.

Breakfast... Well, what can I say about breakfast...? Very sad. You feel like being inside a local cafe, rather than in a Hotel. The Continental breakfast offers you a rather "cheap" looking variety of products. Personally, I didn't go for English breakfast, although, other guests seemed to like it extremely. Shockingly enough, there were people who just came in the Hotel to have "breakky".

Summarising my stay, I can say that the hotel was clean, handy for visiting the city, but far away from a decently stylish hotel. Breakfast needs to improve considerable; so does the decoration. There is nothing wrong with old style decoration... But one thing is old... another, the "abandoned" state the hotel is...

I am sure that if the hotel was taken to 21st century standards, it would be a reference hotel. For now, I have to say, it is a poor choice, and will think twice before checking in again.

BRITANNIA ADELPHI HOTEL - LIVERPOOL
Ranelagh Place, Liverpool L3 5UL United Kingdom
Tel: +44 0871 222 0029
Fax: +44 0871 222 7009
Email : res700@britanniahotels.com

NH KENSINGTON - LONDON

2009-01-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

London is a huge city... Thousands of hotels to chose from... They could be good, but if you don't know the place, you are taking too many chances. If you are just one night, then you could be ok anywhere, on condition the place is clean... but there are many factors to take into consideration.

I have to say that I am in love with the NH Hotels. It is a safe choice, true... so there is very little where to explore... I have to say that the NH Kensington is a bit far off the centre... However, it is situated in the exclusive Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, and Earls Court Underground station is only 5 minutes walk away.

I arrive on New Year's Eve, and at reception, I showed my voucher, and they told me that the double room I had booked was not available, but a suite was. I would not be charged extra for it... So of course, we accepted... (see picture below... would you have refused?)

The room was a bit small, but comfy. It was a two floor room, with even two bathrooms and a living room on the top floor. Flat TVs on both floors...

There was a little detail I didn't like about it. Normally, you get soap, shampoo and other bathroom accessories as standard. The bathroom was bare... Just soap and shampoo. Of course, I had to complain. The excuse was the exchange rate and the ecological issue of trying to save chemicals thrown to the sewers... What does a comb (to say something) have to do with it? I thought, that after the cost of the room, specially, with it being a suite, I would have expected a better service.

Breakfast, buffet, of course. Cereals, yogurts, fruit, nutella (extra point for me) bread, veggies, scrambled eggs, meats, biscuits, tarts... you name it... there was. It is true that if you were expecting a Full English Breakfast, it was not the right place... but after all, I believe the hotel is focused for Spaniards (at the end of the chain is Spanish) or other European. While I was there, there were also many Italians.

Bus 94 stopped right outside the hotel, taking you straight into Harrod's, Harvey Nickols... It also has a night bus, if you want to have the night bus experience. As I said earlier, it is withn short walking distance from Earl's Court Underground station. There are other buses nearby that will take you somewhere, although, I didn't check where.

Staff was friendly and helpful...

As I always say... you are not deceived with an NH Hotel. Of course, it is not the cheapest, but... cheaper are not that far away in price, but yet again, what you get in exchange, is considerably less. NH is a bit pricy, but worth paying for.

REFERENCE:

NH Kensington
Address: Cromwell Road 202-220,

SW5 0SW LONDON,

United Kingdom

Contact details:
E-mail: nhkensington@nh-hotels.com

Tel.: +44 207 2441 441

Fax: +44 207 244 1442

Category: 4 Stars