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Hotel Review - Ames Hotel, Boston, USA

My second stay in Boston was promised to be short but maybe too short for a stay at Ames Hotel. I have really enjoyed this hotel from the warm welcome at the reception to the neutrality and calm atmosphere of the room.

First of all, when I arrived, I realized that I messed up with my arrival day and was expected to stay in the hotel only the day after. Because the hotel was fully booked, the 2 receptionists were kind enough to find me a room. After several phone calls, they found the last room at their neighbor 4* hotel. The next day, I couldn't wait to see what my room looked like. What I like about Morgans Hotel is how they choose carefully furniture and the colors of the room. When you enter the room, it kind of gets you relaxed and calm. Neutrality of colour have been carefully chosen. The power shower was a real treat in early mornings of my stay (meaning 4am with the jetlag). Also, I have enjoyed the big TV screen for insomniac like me. I ordered also breakfast which was delivered within 20 min even before the opening of the breakfast service. The breakfast was really good with salmon and scrambled eggs. Also appreciate the fast check out service when my taxi was waiting for me at 6am to go to Boston Airport. Thank you again Ames Hotel, You made my short stay in Boston a great trip.

Hotel Review - Omni Parker House, Boston, USA

I was in Boston for a few days on a business trip. Unfortunately, I messed up on my stay duration at the hotel I booked originally. Being fully booked for the day, the hotel found me a room 2 hours before check in at the Omni Parker House Hotel. There was literally one room left at 240$. The receptionist processed my check in very quickly and warned me that the room I was allocated was a little small.

I am glad I was warned but I didn't have much choice anyway. Because of the basketball playoffs, the hotel market place around the stadium was fully booked. This room was really tiny. You couldn't basically walk around the bed. The bed was actually a little larger than a single bed. The shower room was of decent room. Anyway this was for one night only. There wasn't any WIFI available in the room (paid or free). Because of the jet-lag, I ended up to be in the lobby at 530am to catch up on work. The free WIFI was working only close by the reception (meaning the welcome desk). Try connecting further and you would be out of luck to get a connection with the WIFI. The breakfast was a good quality at around 25$ with a great buffet.

I believe the room I was given can't make my opinion on this hotel objectively. At the same time, I can't help thinking that in a 4* hotel, you shouldn't really sell these rooms, especially at 240$ (even on a busy period). Maybe these rooms should be reserved exclusively for air crew staff. In the morning, a pilot walked in my room as he was given this room by the receptionist. So the reception messed up with my late booking the night before and the early arrival of that guest.

Hotel Review - Mercure Paris Terminus Nord

I was looking for a hotel close to Gare du Nord because of a early departure on Eurostar the next morning. Mercure Terminus Nord cannot be closer to the train station. It is in front of it. When I arrived at the reception, the staff allocated me a room on the 1st floor (room 109). I went there to find a cold room like a fridge because the Air Condition was on full power for probably a while. I decided to come down to the reception to try getting another room. The receptionist was telling me that in order to get the room warmer, I should turn off the Air Con and turn on the heat…duh…of course…why didn’t I think that in the first place. In the end, he gave me another room on the fifth floor (room 523). The room temperature was definitely better to my taste. But to my surprise, this room was so much better than the other one I went it 10 min ago. I almost felt that I was in different hotel.

Where room 109 felt tired and shabby with a big stain on the carpet and not so nice décor, room 523 felt more of a new room with nice furniture with a flat screen hanged on the ceiling with leather (pastic maybe) frame. Plenty of wardrobe and a big bathroom with a tired sink with plenty of scratches (I wonder sometimes what guests do in the bathroom). The TV has plenty of channels to offer. Shame that you cannot control the contrast from the remote control (the picture was too dark, somebody must have set the contrast setting to the max).

Because I did a late checkin, I couldn’t be bothered to have a dinner on my own and decided to order a room service. I have to say the room service menu was not really exciting but this is a 3 * hotel after all. I opted for a cheeseburger with a beer. The room service was delivered after 20 minutes. The burger and French fries were cold. This burger was terrible…like really bad. A MacDonald’s would have been a better choice by a mile. But for some reason, I felt this was a poor decision from the beginning. The next morning, I have checked out very quickly to catch my train.

My advice is to look carefully which room you have been allocated and avoid the room service. Other than that, I found the hotel good enough for a one night stay if you need to be in the unexcited place of Gare du Nord.

Hotel Review - The Lenox, Boston, USA

I was dying to experience the 1^st hotel listed on TripAdvisor in Boston and understand the reasons for such a listing from past travelers. At checking, reception was very warm and welcoming. The lobby is also very much welcoming. My room was a standard one. Not the biggest room I have experienced in a 4 * hotel but still decent size. I had a flat TV screen with HD channels, a small bathroom with only shower. I also had a fridge in the room which I turned off during my sleep as it was making too much noise. Every day in the evening, you can find some fresh cookies and lemonade by the elevator which is a delicate attention. In the morning, in the same place, you can help yourself with coffee and tea. On my last in the hotel, I have asked if I could do a late checkin at 2pm in order to work in my room. The hotel said that was not a problem and didn’t charge for this. I ordered a burger as room service. The burger was served very quickly and was delicious with thin French fries. Last but no least, the hotel is very well located in the centre of Boston where all the night life you need and all restaurants around. Definitely a good hotel to stay in if you discover Boston for the first time.

 

Hotel Review - The Langham, Boston, USA

The Langham Boston is located not so far from the business district of the city and minutes away from a popular street (Washington street)  where you can do a lot of smart shopping. I arrived in the evening and the reception was very efficient to check me in. They upgraded me to a larger room with 2 queen beds even though the hotel was probably very busy on the same week of the marathon. My room was very impressive in terms of space and translates what a 4 star room should look like. I have paid a short visit to the pool on the evening which is very nice but couldn’t help to sleep longer in the morning rather than swim. The bed is very comfortable with a decent desk where you can work easily. The bathroom was also huge. The negative point was the TV which was this big block TV in the furniture with a not so good reception. I think at the the price the hotel sell their rooms, you would expect a flat TV with HD channels on it. The WIFI is not free, which was also a disappointment. Overall, a very good hotel in its pure English style…it’s a Langham hotel after all.

Hotel Review - The Westin Boston Waterfront, Boston, USA

It’s been a while since I have stayed in a Westin and I was quite excited to stay in a new Westin by the harbour in Boston closed to the Convention Centre. The area where the hotel is located has gone through a lot of changes and you can expect this is going to be the next area to be for residences and shops. Not so far from the hotel, you have some seafood restaurants and you’re only 10 min away from the financial district and 20 minutes from the Aquarium area.

The lobby of the hotel is huge and you can smell the White Tea fragrance that makes Westin so recognizable by the noze. The check-in was very quick besides the fact it was the weekend before the Boston Marathon. I was given a king size bedroom on the 13^th floor with the view on office buildings but as the area is going through some facelift, it didn’t really matter. My room was very nice with this Heavenly Bed that I was dreaming to try again. This bed is really why I  stick to my guns by saying Starwood makes it right with this hotel brand. Heavenly shower is bit overrated though. Ok you have 2 shower heads but it didn’t make a huge difference and isn’t really eco friendly in my mind. The widescreen TV was of good quality with a large choice of channels and PayTV. The desk area was big. You could probably sit 3 people on this desk if you had 3 chairs! The downside was the WI-FI is not free. So I was going to the Lobby to access the free WI-FI eventually.  The Westin also has a big fitness centre and a swimming pool with whirlpool. And they are open until midnight.  I have also tried the Sunday brunch (about $30) with orange juice and coffee. Very nice brunch with perfect scrambled eggs.

Sunday evening I advised the front desk that I wanted to extend my stay for few more days since I was stranded in Boston because of the volcano in Iceland. The hotel on Monday morning said that because the hotel was sold out by 2 rooms, they wouldn’t be able to accommodate me. This really made me upset.  I had to change hotel for the 3^rd time in one week. That was the only negative point I had at this hotel. If you are not fuzzed about not being in the centre of Boston, go there and walk a little…

 

Hotel Review - The Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston, USA

After a transatlantic flight, it’s always nice to be welcomed properly in a city you don’t know and this what exactly happened at The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel. The doorman welcomed me and I needed some change for the taxi so he directed me straight to the reception with my luggage.

The check-in was very quick since my booking was already pre-paid. As always, I needed to provide an ID and a credit card for incidentals. I was on the 5th floor in a Queen room with a shower/bath room. The bathroom felt tiny but good enough to have a bath or a powerful shower. I thought the washing basin was a bit small and there wasn’t enough room for leave your toiletries by the sink.

The room itself has a lot of furniture to accommodate your clothes for a week. The TV was a big flat screen which plays plenty of channels especially the HD channels like HBO or ESPN. Also a big choice on video on demand.

The Internet WIFI was of good quality and you would have the choice of paying the WI-FI for 13$ for 24 hours or pick up the signal for the free WI-FI for Fairmont Gold members. Guess what I have chosen after day 3?

This hotel overall is an old Lady that lives up to its high standard with a very good service throughout my stay. I had to extend my stay for one more day and the reception was happy to do so. But I found the room cheaper via an online travel agent, so I was told to book online and check at the reception whether they receive my reservation.

The hotel is in a prime location of Boston in Back Bay area. This is where you want to stay if you want endless choice of restaurants, shopping and nice streets to wander about.

Hotel Review - Park Plaza Wallstreet, Berlin, Germany

This was my second visit at the Park Plaza Wallstreet Berlin after 5 years. Funny enough, it was for the same purpose: ITB attendance. The hotel is minutes away from AlexanderPlatz in Mitte Berlin.

I checked in late at night and got my room key card very quickly to enjoy my first night at the hotel. I couldn't believe that the hotel still had my details from my last stay 5 years ago. My room on the 2nd floor was very enjoyable with a big shower room and a powerful shower in the morning. The room itself is very simple and white with everything you need to enjoy a business week like I had. Large desk with different plugs for your laptop and cell phone. The WIFI is free and you can work your email without any problems. The WIFI is not good enough though to stream YouTube or videos. So don't expect too much from the WIFI in terms of bandwidth.

Breakfast was really a nice treat every morning. I opted for smoked salmon, toasts, cheese, scrambled eggs and fresh muffins (probably the best muffins I ever had in a hotel). For a reduced price of €13 per day, this breakfast is excellent. Maybe one negative point is the coffee machine which was a bit temperamental from time to time.

I found the staff very friendly at all times whether it is at the reception or breakfast. My last night at the hotel, I decided to look for an opera I could go on Friday night. I have asked the reception whether they could find me a seat. Unfortunately, the 2 main operas were playing opera on Saturday and not on Friday. I came back to m room, used the WIFI and"google" opera Berlin to find out that the German Opera was playing La Traviata on Friday evening. So I guess the reception didn't find that one. So in case you are an opera lover, look for this Opera theatre Komische Oper Berlin. It is only 15 mins walk from the hotel. But beware that Operas in this theatre can be sung in German...

Overall, I have very much enjoyed this hotel all week. I would definitely come back again.

Hotel Review - Norfolk Royale Hotel, Bournemouth, UK

Early December, I have picked up one of these great offers from the weekly UK Travelzoo newsletter. They were offering 2 nights with breakfast and dinner at the famous Norfolk Royale Hotel in Bournemouth for £199. On the top of that, we would be upgraded to a the newly renovated club room.

So here we are in mid January where everybody is cold and grumpy, we take a weekend off in Bournemouth. After a 2 hours train journey, we arrive at the hotel on Friday late in the evening. The reception acknowledges us with our booking and give us instructions about what to find in the hotel. Our room feels fresh and contemporary. The club room seems to be a mile better than the standard room. Decent size, comfy king size bed, large wardrobe, flat screen on the wall and a decent bathroom with Molton Brown amenities. Breakfast was ok with everything you expect for a British breakfast. It just lacks some yogurts. For the dinner, we had to choose from a set menu with 4 starters, main courses and desserts + drinks. The dinner was simple but good quality. The dinner (breakfast) room is quite a big room with enough space between dinners to feel some privacy.

Things we didn't like were the shabby fitness room with this old indoor  swimming pool looking at the outside and also the fact we couldn't get the WIFI working in the room for free.

Definitely a good hotel to recommend if you happen to visit beautiful Bournemouth.

Hotel Review - Kayana Villas, Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

Kayana Villas are only 1 year ½ old and located about 15 mins from the beach. I found this hotel while browsing different options on TripAdvisor for the last days of our stay in Bali.

I have to say this property does care about their guests.
 

We were welcome at 2pm and were given some tea and coffee while they were giving the final touch to our villa. One the reception advised us that we have a dedicated butler who will show our villa. We had a private double room villa with swimming pool. The villa was absolutely beautiful with modern design setting and the swimming pool outside was just a dream for us. The villa has a separate shower room and a separate bathroom with 2 sinks with plenty of wardrobe space. You could easily stock clothes for 2 weeks in there. The room itself is gorgeous with different light setting and the 4 poster bed with mosquito net. On the bed table you have the Bose speaker where you can plug your iPod and enjoy your music all throughout the villa (including the swimming pool if you open the doors). 

The service is 10/10. In the morning, we ordered our breakfast at our villa by the swimming pool. We really felt we were spoiled and didn’t want to leave this place.

In the evening, we were puzzled what to do. The hotel took us for 2 hours tour of the area and drove us to the beach to enjoy a nice dinner with fresh fish and prawns. A taxi was waiting to take us back to the hotel. This service was complementary. Also, the hotel took us back to the airport for free as well. The driver was very nice and took us in different places we wanted to see.

We had the chance to talk briefly to the manager: a very nice guy who knows how to look after his guests. The guest book at the reception is full of positive feedback.

This place is one of my favourite top 5 hotels I have experienced.

I will be back for sure. I am glad I made this little film. I can’t get enough of watching it.

Kayana Villas Bali Seminyak
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