This post is from guest blogger Cari Miller, Alison’s daughter.

In a recent trip to San Diego, my husband and I were thrilled to stay in the lovely Ivy Hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter. A 4 1/2 star hotel isn’t the norm for us, but we splurged a bit, and also got a fantastic deal. A lovely little boutique hotel right in the heart of everything in San Diego, this hotel really lived up to it’s star rating.

The first thing we were pleased by with this overall cozy feel of he lobby. It’s not a big lobby by any means, but it was warm and inviting – not at all stuffy and snobby, like you sometimes find with ritzy hotels. There was a nice looking restaurant and bar attached, though we never made our way in.

The next good sign of a nice hotel is the service at the front desk. We were unlucky enough to have our main piece of luggage -which included all of our toiletries- get lost on our way in to San Diego. Not only were the front desk staff helpful in directing us to the nearest drug store, but they also supplied us with some necessities, including a nice toothbrush (not the tiny ones you sometimes get), toothpaste, and deodorant. Not too bad.

We made our way up to the room and were just as pleased with our room. It was a bit small, but very very comfortable and well appointed. Nice linens and a comfortable bed, a nice flatscreen TV, and a fancy minibar (though we didn’t dare taste the $8 cashews). One thing I especially liked with this minibar was the addition of a Keurig coffee maker – they brew one cup at a time from a pod. This was complementary, of course.

A few photos of our room:

A cozy bed.

Flatscreen TV and desk area.

No hotel room is complete without a minibar.

And the one slightly odd feature of the room was that one wall of the bathroom was completely transparent glass. So no modesty allowed in this room!

A nice clear view into the bathroom.

The hotel had a number of other nice features that we didn’t make much use of due to our short stay, but we did at least get a peak at the rooftop patio, which was quite nice. I can definitely see hanging out up there with friends and a glass of wine! The other thing this hotel features, which we didn’t even venture into, is the Envy. A nightclub/wine bar/lounge that apparently can get quite rowdy on the weekends.

Frankly, we were a bit nervous when we made the booking as their marks on TripAdvosor.com are not exactly glowing. The reviews all seemed to be glowing or just scathing, with very little in between. What we seem to have learned is that this may  be a hotel to avoid over peak weekend days (Thursday, Friday, Sasturday) unless you’re a young partier who wants to be clubbing until 2 or 3am. But if you’re there during the week, it’s a really lovely hotel that we’d gladly stay in again.

Read more about Cari’s trip to San Diego in her blog, here.

Travel is often necessary, and sometimes eagerly anticipated – it is not always easy.  Just a few musings from a tired travel agent who really does know the ropes of airline travel.  Delays are no fun, especially when the delay appears to be a result of a nationwide FAA computer problem.  I know how to check for delays before I leave for the airport, and I did and there was no posted delay on my flight, or even on the inbound aircraft that was to turn into my outbound fight.  Yet, somehow when I reached the check-in counter there was a delay.  A long enough delay to have lunch at the Applebee’s at Richmond airport with so many other travelers that we filled the restaurant.  The food & beverage revenues for Richmond airport, and others around the country increased significantly at lunch time today. Sometimes there are unexpected rewards from travel and my reward today, after take off delays, a bumpy flight, holding patterns over Newark and an airplane traffic jam at the arrival gate was a hotel shuttle bus actually waiting at the curb for me, a charming driver, a quick and friendly check in and a quiet room with a soft bed at the Newark Airport Marriott.  The TV works, the lamps all work (and the light is actually bright enough to see) and I have 7 soft pillows all to myself.  Sometimes it is the unexpected that can surprise and delight a tired traveler.  This is my new favorite hotel and the Steakhouse downstairs now beckons…..

What’s Happening Wednesday

Reviews by You

We’re adding a review feature to SixSuitcaseTravel.com.   Now that you can easily find accommodations for your family of 5,6,7, or8; you’ll want to know what other families like you thought of the hotel.  So help families like you, hop on over and leave reviews to any hotels you’ve been to.  So far we’ve added the review feature to hotels in :

• Anaheim
• Branson
• Orlando
• Las Vegas
• Washington, DC
• Austin
• Dallas
• Atlanta
• New York City

If you’ve been to any of the hotels listed, we’d greatly appreciate if you’d leave a review.

I received two excellent comments both seeking further information.  While I will give them answers to the best of my abilitiy here, all you other readers have also been great at offering suggestions and comments on various other topics, so I hope you’ll do so for these two as well.  Please chime in with any additional tips, hints, and thoughts. 

Moroccan Food Research, Narratives & Resources 

So I have a favor to ask of you and anyone else reading this blog. I know this is pretty bad forum ettiquite, some may say hshuma, but as I couldn’t find an email posted on the site, this turned out to be the only other option I could think of. I’m sorry. At any rate, I am an American Anthropology student studying abroad in Morocco for the semester. Currently, I’ve resided here for a bit over 2 months, and have gotten to know and begin becoming comfortable with the language, culture and food. Particularly the food. As such, the fieldwork (which is required by my program), incorporates foodways in an interesting way. I mean to collect narratives, recipes, and oral histories of the significance food plays in Moroccan life. In other words, I want particular moroccan’s food stories; and what better medium to find some than online (I know it would be more productive to broadcast this in darija but hey, I’ve only been here a couple of months, I’m not that comfortable!). Any help with this ethnographic work (resources, contacts, participation) would be beyond appreciated, and I suppose I’m trying to appeal to everybody’s sympathetic side to help out a poor liberal arts kid through the avenue of food. Thanks first for reading this, and thanks even more if you decide to participate.

As far as I’m concerned this is a perfect forum for seeking the information you are looking for.  I don’t post an email address on purpose, so thanks for being willing to post a comment here.  It sounds like a great project- who doesn’t love eating food, reading about food, exploring food?  Let me first provide you with the list of blogs that write about Moroccan food, or at least often include food as part of their blogs about Morocco.  Not only do the blog authors bring a lot to the table, but some of their stories may provide you with additional resources.  Also, you might see if you can find your way in the kitchen of a language center or school where they often offer lunch services to students cooked by Moroccan women.  Same goes for some of the smaller restaurants- keep going to a couple of the same ones to see if you can make friends with the chefs and cooks.  Of course, getting into the kitchen of Moroccan women would be the best, but may be harder at first.  You can then make the same appeal to those wonderful people as you have made here.

• Christine’s Moroccan Food Blog
• Cooking with Alia
• A Moroccan Kitchen
• MarocMama
• Mint Tea & Tagine
• The View from Fez
• The Moroccan Wife
• 64 sq. ft. kitchen
• SouSou Kitchen
• Friends of Morocco- Recipes

Also, Paula Wolfert is an excellent resource and expert on Moroccan cooking.  Food Magazine and Cuisine du Maroc are two Moroccan cooking magazines that are always on the newstands might offer additional resources as well.  The Food Magazine headquaters are in Casablanca not too far from the Casa Port train station.  Finally, there is a great Moroccan cooking program on 2M called Shumisha (not sure the exact days and times), but it often features cooks from all over the country cooking regional specialities in their homes. 

As for offering narratives, I don’t know that I could as an American living here for a year, but if you had some specific questions that could help me in terms of the type of narrative you are looking for, feel free to leave a comment here and I’d be happy to participate further.

Readers, please email or leave a comment if you are interested in participating or offering narratives or additional resources for this project. 

Moroccan Travel Advice

Salam wa alaikum. I have really enjoyed reading your blog and I have learned quite a bit about Morocco. Myself, my wife and 3 kids are thinking of visiting Morocco at the end of March for 9-10 days. We are originally Egyptian and speak Arabic fluently. Since you have been around the country I was wondering if you could provide recommendations on where to stay and what cities are worth visiting. We would likely fly into Casablanca. We are looking for hotels or riads similar to Hampton Inn standard, nothing extravagant but clean and provides the basics. Most hotels only allow 2 people per room unlike the states or do they count the kids as adults. Also, how many days in each city would be enough and is train the best way to go from city to city. If you are able to provide me with this information or direct me to a site or someone that could help me, I really would appreciate it. Jazakum allah khair. Salam.

Walaikum salam, and thanks for reading my blog!  If you haven’t already, please check out the TRAVEL & LIVE page of the blog for hotel and restaurant reviews as well as cities I’ve traveled to, and other travel advice.  I’m also asking readers to leave comments about their favorite cities, good hotels and restaurants in the comments section too.  HeyMorocco and The View From Fez also have some great travel articles and resources.

As far as some cities to include on  your itinerary, my top three would be Tangier, Marrakesh & Fez.  We didn’t care too much for Fez,  but in fairness we didn’t see much of it and didn’t spend even 24 hours there.  Everyone says not to leave Morocco without seeing Fez which is why I’m recommending it.  You should plan to spend a couple of days in both Tangier and Fez, but I honestly think you can see the best Marrakesh has to offer in 24-36 hours.  Rabat also can be done in a day (see HeyMorocco-Rabat in 24 Hours on how), as well as Casablanca- and I wouldn’t feel too bad if I missed either of these on a 10-day trip.  I haven’t gone yet, but a trip to the desert near Merzouga is also something that I wouldn’t miss in Morocco (we’re planning to go in March, insha’Allah).  Other great cities are Mohammedia, El Jadida, Agadir, Essaouira, Asila, Chefchaouen although I haven’t been to all of them, but they are on our travel list!

As far as seeing the country by train, I actually think it’s the best way because you will get to see and experience the varied landcapes and countrysides of Morocco and not have to worry about directions, driving, and getting lost.  Plus, when you are tired you can sleep on the train and be refreshed by the time you get to your destination. There are always plenty of taxis at the train stations to take you to your destination within the city your in as well.  It’s also pretty cheap and there are always trains leaving to everywhere at every station throughout the day.  There are also overnight trains which make sense for long trips from one part of the country to another and you could forego a hotel room for a night and be at a new destination by morning.

As far as hotels, we tend to stay in the same type of hotels and I’ve found that ibis Hotel Moussafir with locations in many cities across the country offer the best value for the money.  They are very basic, but very clean and comfortable.  Many of them have pools which are good for just having a rest and a place for the kids to run around when you need a break.  Golden Tulip Farah hotels also offer a little bit more luxury at very reasonable, dare I say cheap, prices.  They also have a lot of locations within the country.  Four of us stayed in a two-floor bungalow for less than $150 for the night which was cheaper than getting two rooms at some other places.  Hotel rooms here tend to be smaller so that might be the only issue with having the kids stay in the same rooms- but again I’d say the Golden Tulip Farah offers larger rooms and different room options compared to many other hotels.  Both of these hotel chains have websites and online booking, and are linked within the links I provided to previous blog post reviews here. 

Again, I hope some of the blog readers will chime in with their favorite cities, hotel recommendations, and travel advice as well so keep checking the comments sections for a couple of days.  I hope this information is helpful, and I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip to Morocco, insha’Allah.

Have you ever written a review for anything—hotels, books, restaurants? Here recently, I’ve written a few book reviews on amazon.com, and an application review on iTunes, but up until a few months ago, I hadn’t written a review on anything. Ordinarily I wouldn’t have noticed or cared about writing reviews, but one day, while reading a review for a doctor I was considering going to, I realized just how helpful the reviews of other people actually are. When I stop and think about it, every time I plan a vacation I carefully read hotel reviews and ratings, and I look for trends which, admittedly, have a huge impact on the decision-making process.

For vacation planning, I prefer to check frommers.com and tripadvisor.com. Both sites provide excellent hotel and restaurant information, along with pictures and sight-seeing details, and the reviews are usually current and packed with useful insight. When trying to compare doctors, pet groomers, hair salons etc. kudzu.com is my go-to resource. If I have an important service I need performed I’ll usually make time to pour through reviews. The effort almost always pays off and helps me make the best possible decision.

So here’s the thing. If I find these reviews helpful, maybe other people might find my reviews helpful as well. The key, of course, is time. Usually, I get so busy my lofty ideas fall by the wayside. Rather than set an unrealistic goal for myself, I’ve decided to start small. My plan is to continue doing book reviews, and whenever we take a vacation that requires a stay in a hotel, I’m going to rate my experience and comment on the service I received. I figure if I start small, I won’t get overwhelmed and I’ll also be helping my fellow travelers and consumers.

Just out of curiosity, do you read book reviews before buying a book? Have you ever written a review yourself? How often do you write reviews and what websites do you prefer?

Related Posts:

From My Audio Library – Exposure by Brandilyn Collins

From My Audio Library – The Shack by WM. Paul Young

Don’t you just hate it when you surf online and can’t seem to find a photo or an article you’re looking for? 

When I was booking our rooms at Discovery, I had that problem. I wanted to see what their 2BR Loft looked like. I heard lots of stories about it but no photos online to see. It was no Shangrila but we liked it just the same. This room is perfect when you have kids with you. Enough breathing space for everyone. 

The 2BR Loft has 2 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 huge sofas, a dining table and a jacuzzi which the kids loved. 

Rate on the 2BR Loft: 4 of 5 stars

Post resurrected!

The fact the the F1 SGP 2009 fell on conjuction with my birthday and was what made up the surprise of it all made my birthday weekend one of the best birthdays of my life!

Chockies. To eat or not to eat. Not to eat.

Its not often I head across the causeway over to Singapore. Too close (and expensive) for comfort? So everytime I enter Singapore I am truly amazed at how well run the country is – in terms of efficiency, transportation and the general feel of it. Its really alittle like an Asian Australia, isnt it?

Upon arrival at the Ritz Carlton, we checked in and were greeted by the Formula Chocolates (above) which were too cute to eat.

Lovely to feel 'wanted' isnt it?

Room at the Ritz Carlton

Guess I could squeeze in a hotel review while I’m at it. The service was fair to moderate at the Ritz, but you got the usual nightly turning over of the bed, daily chockies and a very friendly Doorman (Malaysian, too!). The spa wasn’t much but the masseurs (two out of 3 tried) were wonderful Singaporean Aunties who packed a good punch (literally as strong as an ox!)

Our GP kit - they think of everything! Even those mini night vision binoculars and Evian mist spray, plus of course the ear plugs. They even had raincoats.

So spoiled! So spoiled! We were provided with everything we needed – but I was hoping we would not have to really wear those damn raincoats. My hair! My Hair!

The eager beaver on race day. Boy it was hot. Thank God it was a night race! note: no sweat patches noticeable on a white shirt! woohoo

Some of us couldnt stand the heat and was drenched before even reaching the F1 Grounds. He would have gotten delirious if he wasn't fanning himself madly with the F1 plastic fan. Fan out of frame.

The entry gate. Little did we know there was a long walk ahead of us. I'm putting in this pic taken by Ronnie because this ang-moh dude looks like a mannequin!

And we had to trailed a small throng of people walking like ants in a refuge camp during WWII up and down temporarily erected metal overhead bridges:

The ladies wearing those killer high heels amazed me!

….after what seemed like miles on end….

Arrival at the site, finally! Skies began to darken, excitement was building up (in me, anyways)

What was the first thing we did? Merchandise ourselves out, of course!!

I like to drink Red Bull only when its with Jaegermeister

We headed in and found these things. Only for the Sky Suites and VVVips I tell ya. Probably had traces of Michelle Yeoh and Nicole Scherzinger in it.

Speaking of whom….we saw Nicole jumping up and down on the TV screens during the race!

Pic from Google Images, not my camera, of course! I think Beyonce could have used a better pair of sunnies. Beyonce, Nicole and Lewis at the SGP.

This is us! Turn 2 Grandstand - with the rest of the Commoners! hahha

We had to walk under this to get to our seats

But not before joining….

A mile-long toilet queue! But hey, its Singapore. The temp toilets were SPIC and SPAN with a generous amount of toilet paper! Janitor was permanently on standby and every toilet flushed well!

Pre-race: the general feel of the grandstand...

I was surprised to note that not the WHOLE grandstand was fully sold out. Oh well, the hype has possibly died down from last year, but Singapore Straits Times reported a whopping 80,000 crowd that turned out.

The jakuns. Our Team radio headsets were working fine but we could not for the life of us find that team radio frequency! Such a con!!!!

The anticipation was building up....the safety car started on its first round. I literally forgot to breathe for a couple of minutes. You can see the cars at the far end of the pic. I could imagine Nicole Scherzinger giving Lewis a little goodluck kiss of encouragement.

And the crowd goes wild! The start of the race saw literally every one snapping away above heads.

The racers following subduedly after the safety car after the minor accident.

This was a really cool projector screen on the race grounds in the shape of a ball. It was live feed.

As close to the grounds as we got. I actually squeezed my camera shutter before the car came in sight.

Wellll it was all very exciting, but we didnt stay til the end. Couldnt bear the thought of that trudge back to the hotel with the ant farm. Anyway, Lewis led the whole way. ISH!

While the whole sha-bang was very interesting and cause mild to moderate heart palpitations, I’m not sure if I would go again next year. But the experience comes highly recommended and the night race just gives a different vibe altogether.

The only pesky thing was that Singaporean roads were closed all around the hotels in the area and to go to Orchard cost us SGD35 per trip on a hotel taxi. Most cabs didnt want to come into the area, OH WELL! NO Shopping this trip!!!

Judging from the popularity of sites like TripAdvisor, it’s no secret that people like to read other travelers’ first-hand reviews of hotels.  A review is even more valuable, though, when you actually know the person who is writing it, which is why I like to share my clients’ reviews here on the blog when I can.

The note below is from a client who just returned from a quick romantic weekend at the Liberty Hotel in Boston:

It was AWESOME!! The hotel is beautiful, interesting architecturally, and the history made it even cooler. Our room was large. We were on the 15th floor (of 16), and our city view was spectacular. Every single person who works there is friendly and polite, but not over the top. The location is also perfect. You walk out the front door and right onto the MGH/Charles St stop on the Red Line.  Harvard Square is three stops away in one direction and Park St (with a change to the Green Line) is two stops in the other direction.  

Talk about hip. The place was totally packed at night. It seems like it is one of THE places to be seen in Boston. The bars and restaurants spill into the lobby. Fun.

We will go back there as soon as we possibly can. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for your help!

Makadi Palace Hotel, Makadi Bay, Egypt
Reviewed by Holiday Holiday Travel Agent – Matthew Ruth, Personal Travel Advisor/Matts Deals
Date of visit – 8th to 12th Sep 2009
Board Basis – All Inclusive

Overview
The Makadi Palace is a luxurious 5* hotel situated in the middle of Makadi Bay. It offers a huge 8000sqm swimming pool and snorkelling direct from the beach reef.

Outside view of Makadi Palace Hotel

Location
The Makadi Palace is in a beachfront location though very few rooms have Sea View as the rooms stretch away from the beach and behind its sister hotel the Grand Makadi. You can walk through the grounds to the private beach.
Makadi Bay is a quiet resort mainly comprising luxury hotels. There are few shops/bars but the hotel runs a courtesy shuttle to Hurghada.
There is a reef along the whole beach so you need reef shoes (avail at hotel for approx £4) but snorkelling equipment is free. The snorkelling is very good especially for non-confident swimmers.

Facilities – Restaurants
The Dome – Buffet – International Cuisine
Melange – Buffet – Mediterranean Cuisine
Thai Garden – Asian Cuisine (Recommended)*
Discovery – Mediterranean Cuisine*
Botanical Garden – Fine Dining*
Sunset – Charcoal Grill cuisine*
Rendez Vous – Snacks*

* – some or all choices may be at additional cost. In Thai Garden there were a good few choices at no additional cost but at e.g. Botanical Garden there were very few. Reservations are also required at these restaurants.

Top Tip – Guests can eat at ANY of the restaurants at the Grand Makadi (except breakfast and dinner at the Lagoon) on the same basis and here I would recommend Tarboush for Lebanese Cuisine.

Facilities – Bars (drinks all inc 10.00am to 24.00, individual bar times vary)
All bars are included as part of the All Inclusive except the Lobby Bar.
Lobby Bar – open 24hrs
Joker Bar – main entertainment bar with stage, outdoor terrace is popular.
Stan Getz Piano Bar – playing live and recorded jazz, nice!
Rendez-Vous

Top Tip – All bars offer table service. A wristband must be worn at all times. All inclusive includes soft drinks, canned juices, filter coffee, tea and local alcoholic drinks served by the glass. There are supplementary charges for international brands, fresh juices, special coffees, drinks after midnight, and mini bar

Facilities – Pool
The Pool is AMAZING, it measures 8000 square metres and has waterfalls and bridges..

Pool at Makadi Palace Hotel

Facilities – Beach
With a coral reef directly on the beach (see above re reef shoes) and plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas I loved the beach here. Also as it is private there seemed to be a lot less hassle from vendors (I had none). There is a beach bar and a hut for the free snorkelling gear. Oh and its wonderful soft golden sand and warm water. Bliss!

Facilities – Rooms
There are 475 Junior Suites and 36 Suites.
The Junior Suites can sleep 3 in comfort and come with seating area balcony or terrace, sea or pool views (mainly pool) and have bath, shower, wc, Sat TV, Air Con, free in room safe, minibar (extra cost if you use it), hairdryer, shampoo, shower gel etc.

Top Tip – ALL rooms are Double bed plus sofa bed. N extra bed can be put up instead of the sofa, just ask reception. No twins are available.

Top Tip – Tip your room boy early on (£10 a week per room is recommended) and he’ll tidy your room and fold your clothes every day with a smile. He and the bell boy who brought the bags up were the only people I felt I should tip.

Facilities – Sports & kids
There are seven illuminated tennis courts, Table Tennis, Billiards, Pool Aerobics, Beach Soccer, Water sports and Snorkelling of course.
There sia kids club in the Grand Makadi for 4 to n12yr olds but the majority of children will be german. There is also a childrens cinema and mini disco. Its not however really a family hotel as its more geared to couples. When the Makadi Family Star fully opens next door this will be great for families.

Special Offers for Makadi Palace Hotel
Latest Deals for Makadi Palace Hotel from Matthew Ruth:
7 nights all inclusive in November from £447pp click here
December All Inclusive 7 nights from £457pp click here

Other dates and a variety of airports available.

For more info on the Makadi Palace Hotel and other Egypt Hotels click here.
Egypt Holidays click here.

Thursday Travel Thoughts

Recently I’ve expanded SixSuitcaseTravel to cover the biggest Canadian cities.  I am currently researching Mexico.  Once I have completed coverage of Mexico,  I have a few ideas on what to work on next.  Tell me what would be more important to you:  hotel reviews by families like you or cruise ship coverage?

Just a quick note to say that I am off to Melbourne again with my girlfriend on business. Luckily this time she has managed to put a preference in for a different hotel from the Novotel, that is on their list of approved suppliers. We will be staying at the Crown Promenade from the 9th of September until the 14th. Luckily she is working both sides of the weekend so we get a free weekend break.

The hotel is rated 4th on tripadvisor and the reviews are all pretty good. I hope that I will have some good things to stay next week.

Beijing, the Chinese capital is an elegant city with some of the richest landmarks of history, elegant in its struggle to keep with the technological advances of the world and bustles with life in all its simplicity.

Wangfujing Avenue is one of the most famous streets in the heart of Beijing, close to Dongdan business street. Crowne Plaza Beijing is located in a vibrant environment that includes shopping, international business centre and art galleries close by.

Crowne Plaza has 5 properties in Beijing. The Crowne Plaza Beijing is one of them with the best advantage of location. It is just 45 minutes drive from Beijing from the International Airport and 15 minutes from the Railway station. 15 minutes walk from the hotel are the most famous landmarks, the Magnificent Forbidden city, Imperial city – Tiananmen Square, Great hall of people, Temple of heaven.

A brief would about the Wangfujing Avenue is essential for one to understand the importance of the hotel’s location. This 700 years old commercial street houses shops & boutique stores that sell everything from small souvenir, Chinese silk to big brands. Considered as one of the busiest street of China, Dongfang Guangchang is the biggest store located here. The Old-Beijing-Street seated underground is well known for it’s longstanding stores selling shoes, caps, silk cloth, scissors, Chinese brushes and ink-sticks, jade articles, tea, desserts, pickled vegetables, roasted ducks and so on. For business travellers, International business centers like Oriental Plaza, Financial Street and CBD are also easily accessible.

Renovated in 2005, the hotel has about 380 plus rooms with 350 plus Guest & club rooms and 25 plus suites. Rooms have standard 5 star facilities like – complimentary drinks, valet service, satellite TV, Coffee & tea maker, Mini bar, high speed internet access, Wi Fi connection, and access to the meeting room, 03 phones, in room safe. ON request you will also be provided with Iron / ironing board, rollaway extra bed, connecting rooms. bathroom amenities include bathrobes, hairdryer, bathtub, weighing scale. Suites have all the facilities of a standard room plus dinner, complimentary cocktails, dressing room, morning newspaper.

The hotel offers an eclectic selection of Western/Oriental cuisine with fines wines. Essence Restaurant (Lobby level), a casual eatery serves Asian & western delights and is open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. It is good if you want to have a simple lunch or a formal dinner. Zen Chinese Restaurant (Mezzanine level), modern Cantonese restaurant serving fresh seafood and regional delicacies. The best feature of this restaurant is that is has 8 VIP rooms for private dining and entertaining, though it is open only for lunch and dinner. Purple bar, daily. Purple bar (Lobby level A) is an excellent place where guests can meet for cocktails, wines and premium vodkas. Atrium bar (Lobby level) where guests can relax an afternoon tea, evening cocktail, or choose from the malt whisky collection. Room service is also available 24 hours.

For Business travellers, the hotel is an excellent choice, with its 09 meeting/banquet rooms and 02 grand ballrooms. There are 08 sales & meeting specilaists inhouse to assist you. Be it a 10 people VIP delegation or a 300 staff training, there is a meeting room available. Meeting equipments available are as follows: DVD player, 35 mm slide projector, digital projector, flip charts with markers, VCR, LCD projector, Microphones, Modem lines, Overhead projector, White board, Group & event packages.

For visitors who are tired after a long day or for those who want to take the day off and relax in the hotel, the 9th floor is the place to go. They have a whirlpool sauna & spa. There is also a steam, solarium, massage facilities at an extra fee, a gym with cardio-vascular and weight equipment. They have an indoor heated swimming pool. This floor is available from 0600 till 2300 hrs.

Baby sitting services can be arranged in just 03 hours of notification.

There is an ATM / Cash machine.

The hotel also has a travel desk which can help guests with their airline, car rental, and tours reservation.

For first time travelers, they can take a cab from the Beijing capital international airport. It takes 45 – 60 minutes to reach the hotel depending on the traffic. It would cost CNY 100 approximately to reach to Wangfujing when taxis are taken from the taxi lane outside. That’s what it costs me. There are also metro services available that connects to the city centre. From Nanyuan airport the hotel is just half an hour drive in a taxi. There are also bus services available from there. It would cost about CNY35 for half an hour if a taxi is hired to reach Wangfujing.

Though personally I would rate this hotel quite high for both business & leisure travellers, I would also like to let you know what most hotel raters categorize this hotel to give more credibility. Trip advisor shows that this 4* hotel is liked by 85% of the reviewers which is quite a high rating. It takes the 35^th place among more than 2900 hotels in Beijing. It was also selected as the Best Value hotel for budget travellers in 2008.  Yahoo travel has 02 reviews about this hotel & both of which gives a thumbs-up sign for this hotel. Orbitz categories this hotel as a 5* and gives it high rating for location & maintenance though a reviewer claims that he had problems with the staff & his billing.

To sum up the hotel in a few words, it is an excellent choice for leisure & business travellers, safe for people who feel unsecure in country that speaks a different language.

(Photo by TooFarNorth)

I love TripAdvisor. I think it’s an invaluable resource for travelers. Prior to booking a hotel or B&B, I always check feedback from other travelers at TripAdvisor. It’s important to me to determine what kind of experiences other people have had at a particular property, since glossy hotel websites don’t tell the whole story. I also occasionally like to read recent reviews of hotels where I have stayed in the past. I like to know if hotels have improved certain aspects of their service, renovated their rooms, changed their restaurant menus, or offered new rates and packages. It’s also interesting to see what others experienced at the same place I stayed. The degree to which reviews vary is really incredible. One person may wax poetic about a hotel, calling it the most romantic and lovely place they’ve ever stayed, while another thought it was bug-infested and noisy. If you cancel out the five star reviews and the one star reviews, the truth generally lies somewhere in the middle.

I also find great humor in some of the reviews. People are willing to forgive almost anything if you give them a good meal or a view of a body of water. For instance:

Other than just the asbestos and mustiness and [bad] mattresses, I really did love the place.

Their pancakes with honey and lemon for breakfast were to die for, so we forgave them for charging the entire bill (room + dinner) in dollars without asking.

I don’t think that being inappropriately billed or being assigned a room filled with asbestos and mold is acceptable, no matter what kind of breakfast or view I get. So, while TripAdvisor is a great resource and has always been helpful to me in determining where I stay, take some of those reviews with a grain of salt.  Booking a hotel is always something of a gamble. What’s great about TripAdvisor is that it helps increase your odds of finding a place that is truly welcoming and special. Take the time to read through the feedback carefully and you’re more likely to have a great experience on your next trip.

By Beatrice Obwocha

After about a kilometre into the junction leading to Sunbird Lodge, only two small houses are visible at first.

As you approach the slope, a magnificent makuti-thatched lodge with cottages is revealed.

A few steps ahead, one is met with the breathtaking, almost aerial sight of Lake Elementaita.

A view of the magnificent terrace where one can enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Elementaita

Sunbird Lodge, which is off the Nakuru-Nairobi highway,is built on a cliff overlooking the lake.

It is situated about 30km from Nakuru town and is next to St Mary’s Hospital, less than a kilometre from the highway.

The reception doors to the dining and cottages are made of glass, giving one an unrestricted view of the lake.

From the comfort of one’s room, one can enjoy the sight of pink flamingos and white pelicans swimming with the sunset reflection on the lake.

The reception is connected to the dining area whose furniture is an artistic display.

The seats and tables are made of curved wood.

Balloon flights

A hot air balloon basket sits at another corner and adds to the beauty of the room. It is also an indication that the lodge offers balloon flights.

One of Sunbird's Lodge hot air balloon

Gunter Schabus and Othmar Pircher, the directors of the hotel, double as the balloon pilots.

“We take off from the shores of Lake Elementaita at around 6.30am before the wind becomes strong.We then fly for about an hour or two,” says Pircher.

The ambience in the circular-walled dining room is calm and natural with not so bright lighting.

The lodge also boasts a terrace with tables, seats and umbrella where one can enjoy a natural panorama and the swimming pool, which is located about 50m below.

Presently, the lodge has 10 cottages. Schabus says there are plans to build more.

The cottages face the lake and have balconies where one can enjoy the sunset.

Above each bed is a beautifully crafted quilt embroidered with African-print fabric (some match the curtains) round the edges.

Rates

During low seasons, rates are Sh6,700 per person per night and Sh9,000 per couple. At peak season, the charges increase to Sh9,200 per person per night and Sh13,400 per couple.

Also Published Here

By Beatrice Obwocha

Located in Lake Nakuru National Park, Flamingo Hill tented camp offers one an opportunity to spend a night in the wild.

Adding to the thrill of catching a glimpse of gazelles, zebra, buffalos and lions, the place is set on a slopped ground for a panoramic view of lake below.

Inside a tented camp: Photo by the Late Lucas Thuo

Right at the reception, one is met with a gentle splash of water flowing from a nearby fountain.There is a ‘bridge’ from the reception over the fountain to a spacious lounge that also serves as a bar

A weary guest has an option of sitting at the stone seats with big and soft cushions or at the high stools at the counter. The dining area is spacious with a circular table of desserts right at the centre. The metallic seats and the tables near the buffet are purely artistic. The table mats are Africa-made. The low-piped music in the background adds to the serenity of the environmen.

Cool Atmosphere

Even in the hot sun, the atmosphere is cool in the lounge and the dining area, thanks to the makuti roof and windowless walls.

On one side of the reception is a fireplace with a well-stocked mini-library where one can relax with a favourite book or magazine. And if not in a reading mood, then a game of chess near the fireplace can do just fine

A fire place at the camp

The 25 tented cottages are separated from the reception, lounge and dining room. The blend of makuti, wood and stone is magnificent. The floor of each cottage, which is raised 40cm above the ground, is cemented.

The tents are erected past the cemented floor with an extra roofing of makuti to provide a cool atmosphere.

Each tent has a double bed and extra bedding in case it gets cold at night. There is also a toilet and a bathroom together with two camping chairs and a table.

A gift shop is located just next to the reception where one can buy different items as souvenirs.

Also Published Here

Starwood just announced it’s going to allow some of its properties to drop a star rating, along with prices and amenities, to compete with competitors such as Intercontinental and Hilton.  Traditionally, a five-star rating (the highest possible rating on the Mobil Travel Guide) allows hotel owners to charge higher rates for amenities and services.  These days though, many of these luxury property owners are willing to forego some of the requirements for five-star hotels such as flowers and 24-hour room service in order to save some money.   Having worked in a five-star hotel myself, I can only imagine how unfortunate it would be to work so hard for a perfect five star rating and lose one to boost occupancy in bad economic times.

According to Bloomberg.com . . .

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the U.S. owner of luxury brands including St. Regis and W Hotels, will let some of its properties reduce their level of service — and number of stars — until the industry begins to recover, spokeswoman K.C. Kavanagh said. Hilton Hotels Corp. and InterContinental Hotels Group Plc have already cut the ratings for some locations.

“Given the current economic climate, we may allow an individual property to adjust its services to below the agreed star rating,” said Kavanagh. She declined to name any of the hotels.

The properties would be required to return to a grading system as soon as possible, she said. Starwood, based in White Plains, New York, has seven five-star hotels in the U.S., including the St. Regis at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in New York. The company’s five-star hotels also include Le Royal Meridien in Mumbai and the St. Regis in Beijing.

Hotels that aspire to achieve a five-star ranking through Mobil must achieve “an exceptionally distinctive environment offering consistently superlative, personalized service,” according to Mobil Travel Guide.

I wanted to highlight a very average experience I had staying in the Novotel in Melbourne.
I was lucky enough to go away with my girlfriend on a business trip to Melbourne. Her company paid for the hotel, so I just bought a flight and booked another hotel (The Park Hyatt see separate review) for the weekend. We stayed at the Novotel from the 14th of July 2009 until the 17th. The hotel has a fantastic central CBD location on Collins St and very convenient for restaurant, bars and other attractions.
Her company paid around $260AUD per night for a King room excluding breakfast, and I noticed there are not many significant discounts on this price available online.
Things started well when they upgraded us to an Executive suite on arrival, but this was soon overshadowed by fact they told us the pool was out of use and the gym facilities limited due to a refurbishment. I noticed this is not mentioned anywhere online, so beware before booking.
The executive suite is disappointing, a slightly bigger than normal room with a sofa in it. The carpet is bland, the room drab with no real natural light, as the windows look out over the atrium of a shopping center. There is a decent sized desk and a flat screen TV on the wall above, however the in house movies are not far off $20 a pop.
The bathroom looks more like something out of a Formula 1 hotel than a 4 star hotel. The shower is inside the bath, which is far too narrow and shallow for a decent soak. If you are paying $260AUD a night you want a bit more than this.
The hotel decor is very business hotel, and looks tired and unexciting. The entrance off Collins St is slightly unusual with a small concierge area, and lifts that take you up to the main reception area where the bar and restaurant are located. When these lifts broke for a day it became a real ordeal to get out of the hotel.
The bar is overpriced with a pot of Heineken selling for $8. Breakfast at Michelle’s restaurant is $33 for full and $28 for continental. Whilst the selection is o.k this is once again well over priced for what it is. I think this hotel relies heavily on people on business trips with expense accounts.
The service is not much better than the hotel. On my first day I went to the concierge and asked about visiting the QVB markets that morning. He highly recommended it, so I set off for the 15 minute walk up there, only to find it was closed on Wednesdays. Surely knowing this is the ABC for a concierge. I decided not to use that service again. The reception staff were little better than this. When the lifts broke down to road level for nearly a whole day, they would let you walk right past them and up to the sign on the lift telling you it was out of order, you then had to turn around go back to reception and ask how to get out of the hotel. Why not just stop me on the way through? Equally when I checked out they didn’t even ask me how my stay was, or thank me for my business. This hotel did not exceed my expectations in any area. In fact it disappointed me in most.
In conclusion this hotel is a rip off. If it was priced around the $100 to $150 mark it might be worth it. The rooms are poor, the service is unremarkable, the services are overpriced, and the concierge will probably know less than you about Melbourne. Don’t stay here if you are paying, and ask your company to book you in somewhere else if you can.

I will begin with a great experience I had staying at the Park Hyatt Melbourne last weekend.
I booked a room on wotif.com and was able to work out that the Park Hyatt was offering a deal under the mystery deals option, for $199AUD per night nearly $100AUD less than the normal rate on the same website. You can normally, with a bit of research work out the mystery hotels on this site and lastminute.com, I have been right 3 out of 3 times so far. This hotel is currently the 2nd listing under Melbourne hotels, the 3rd is the Grand Hyatt if anyone is interested.
In terms off decor the hotel has got it just right. The lobby and public areas are a statement in deco opulence. The rooms are wood paneled and give a feeling of being on board a luxury ship. The King beds are adorned with high quality Egyptian cotton linen and too many pillows to count; so comfortable you won’t want to get up. The Italian styled bathroom included an oversized bath separate shower and a bath side television. We stayed in a junior suite (park king suite) due to an upgrade I was owed from a complaint I made while staying at another Hyatt. This room had a small separate lounge room with an extra LCD TV. I did however get to look at a standard King room and they were equally luxurious and included all of the frills including the television in the bathroom.
The location is in the leafier Eastern end of Melbourne CBD, not too far from the centre of the action and close to the ‘Paris end” of Collins St.
The maid service is done with a care and attention to detail that you don’t expect. Little things like the way they put all the shoes we had left out round the room on to the shoe rack in the closet all added to the experience. Every night the bed was turned down and water was placed by the bed side; this was greatly appreciated after returning from a night on the Melbourne bar scene.
The concierge and reception staff were impeccable remembering my name on every visit. When looking to book a restaurant they carefully found out my requirements and offered me a good range of appropriate options. They actually listened to my needs rather than assuming them.
The stand out experience was when we visited a restaurant they had booked for us for dinner, and we decided after a drink at the bar that we were not in the mood for a long fancy meal. We made our apologies and headed out to Brunswick St for a light meal and drinks. I received a call 30 minutes later from the hotel informing me that I had left my jumper and hotel key card at the restaurant. I asked if they could call the place and see if I could get it in the morning, but unfortunately it turned out they didn’t open until after we had to leave Melbourne. I told them not to worry as it wasn’t expensive I would leave it. When I returned to the hotel about an hour later and visited reception to get another room key they politely and without fuss returned me my lost jumper. Now that is great service.
Great service is about exceeding the customers expectations, and can be as simple as remembering their name to really going the extra mile.
Thanks Park Hyatt Melbourne, I will be back.

Thailand Hotel and Resort Reviews: The Lapa Resort, Hua-Hin, Thailand

This sweetly colored boutique hotel may not be facing any particular beach but it does give visitors a taste of true Hua Hin charm through its chic decor and creative architectural designs. As it is located just off the main Petchakasem Road, the hotel gives vacationers easy access to Hua Hin’s array of dining and entertainment options, and within the perimeter of the endearing Lapa, lies Sangria Bar, a spa, three different restaurants and a large pool filled with ozonated saline water.

Guests can opt for regular deluxe and superior rooms, however for the best of the Lapa experience, the Lapa Cool options are spectacular. It offers two superior rooms just a few meters away from the pool with a private mock sandy beach, while Lapa Terrace Suite pool villas offer direct access to the pool right from the cozy front patio. Families might prefer the Lapa Duplex Suite with two bedrooms, a living room and a pantry. Long stay guests are welcome.

The Lapa Resort, Hua-Hin, Thailand
4/91 Soi Mooban Nongkae
Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan

Thailand Hotel and Resort Reviews: Baan Talay Dao Resort, Hua-Hin, Thailand

“Environmentally Friendly Hotel 2007″ Thailand Tourism Awards.

Baan Talay Dao(Hua-Hin, Thailand), or Home Between the Sea and Stars, is just that. Set on the southern tip of Hua Hin Beach at the foot of Khao Takiap, this is the perfect escape for rest and relaxation. At the same time, its just minutes from the bustling beach town wit its scores of restaurants, cafes and shopping. Nestled in lush gardens fringing the powder white beach and turquoise sea, guests are afforded a choice of luxury accommodation with a classic Thai ambiance.

A beachfront Club House serves as both a comfortable lounge for sunset cocktails as well as a gourmet seafood restaurant that caters to Thai, Asian and Continental tastes.

Baan Talay Dao
2/10 Soi Takiab Village, Phetchkasem Rd.,
Nong-kae, Hua-Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110

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The US meta search engine hotelicopter.com is the first such engine to connect to Facebook for hotel reviews.

This is a big step. For the first time people will be able to see their friends’ hotel recommendations rather than rely on reviews of strangers – which, to be honest, could have been manipulated as happened in the famous Carribean Cruises scandal earlier this year.

With Facebook Connect, Facebook users can easily log into hotelicopter.com using their already existing Facebook account. This way, they instantly connect to friends that are using hotelicopter. People can then rate hotels and share their ratings with friends on Facebook.

helicopter.com is a meta travel search engine and searches over 30 leading travel sites. When people conduct a hotel search on hotelicopter.com, recommendations from their friends are brought up. Once you have decided on a hotel, hotelicopter.com displays what that hotel would cost if you booked on all those different travel sites.

The new concept of meta search and Facebook friend reviews helps people choose the best hotel for their stay and book it for the best available rate. It’s a brilliant combination, utilizing the trust already established between friends and taking hotel reviews one step further.