LE MERIDIEN, IN NEW DELHI

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

LE MERIDIEN KING EDWARD IN TORONTO

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