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Villa Maly ( LuangPrabang, Laos)
by catsholiday Villa Maly, Luang Prabang We had three nights in this rather charming hotel which was a former Royal Dwelling before the time of the Communists when the Royal Family were forced to leave Laos. It had a rather French colonial air about it, small two story buildings around a central pool area. As you arrived you were ... greeted by a pool with goldfish then up a central set of glistening white steps you entered a large reception and lounge area with polished wooden floors and lovely old carpets. Around the room were old tables with large pots and dishes tastefully arranged and very understated classy decor. A small table on the side had a few brochures for local places of interest, a newspaper stand from which you could borrow papers to enjoy while sitting on the sofas and there were also magazines and a book exchange too. Just off this large room was a small spa area and then the bar was in a sort of corridor that lead out to the pool. I think most people either at in the large reception lounge area or around the pool when enjoying a drink but there were bar stools as well as a couple of tables and chairs if you wanted to sit in the bar and watch the football which seemed to be constantly on the television in there. Walking around the pool there were several really comfortable sun loungers with umbrellas set around a rectangular pool tiled in dark and light blue stripes which was a bit different. The pool was surrounded by polished wooden decking which was a bit lethal when wet. We then walked down a set of polished wooden steps through the garden then up the glistening white painted concrete steps to our room. THE ROOM This was a decent sized room with polished wooden floor and a blue thick carpet under and around the bed. The bed was a large king sized bed with polished dark wood ends and a mosquito net for use at night. The bed was made with lovely quality white cotton bedding, a large French style square pillow each and a small round cylindrical one which I used and found very comfortable. On either side of the bed was a unit with a drawer and a shelf under it with a cotton dressing gown. On top of the unit was a classy looking lamp which gave quite a good light, certainly good enough for me to read with. A large dark wood polished wardrobe held a fridge and a safe so there wasn't a lot of storage for clothes and I think there were half a dozen hangers. The fridge was a mini bar with the usual silly prices so we avoided using the water in there and used instead the complimentary bottles left on the table. We did put them in the fridge to cool though. There was a flatscreen modern TV but I have to say we didn't switch it on at any time so I have no idea what was on. Apart from this on the table/desk was a small tray with a kettle and tea/coffee stuff. We did try to make a cup of tea but couldn't get the kettle to work in any of the sockets. The sockets were a bit hit and miss as sometimes on worked and at other times there was no electricity there at all. Wifi was available at no extra charge which was good and the passcode was 'dontforgethespa' which I thought was a clever way of advertising that facility. THE BATHROOM This was quite small with a concrete painted shower cubicle and a huge shower nozzle which was great, no bath though and some days after all the walking I could have done with a good soak. There was no curtain just a narrow opening but water did get out as you showered which meant you had to put the bath mat to one side until you finished showering. The sink was a 'gold' bowl set in a large tall pot. There was a lighted mirror behind but it wasn't really light enough to put on any makeup properly and certainly not good enough for me to put in contact lenses. Apart from the sink and shower there was a toilet and a small set of shelves with a hairdryer and rolled towels and toiletries. They provided a couple of bars of very nice lemongrass scented soap, shampoo and shower gel but not conditioner or body lotion here. Although the hair dryer was in the bathroom there used to be a plug hole there but it was taped over and you were asked not to use it in the bathroom which is fair enough safety wise. However the lead to the dryer was short and the only sockets were behind the TV or under the desk/table which meant I had to sit on the floor to dry my hair and keep on getting up to go to the bathroom to check in the mirror as there wasn't one anywhere in the bedroom . When we stayed at Kamu Lodge ( also owned by the same company) we travelled up and back with the new assistant manager and I did point this problem out to him so hopefully he will do something about this. BREAKFAST This was in a sort of garden dining room and was a buffet. As we arrived we were offered tea or coffee but the rest was help yourself. A choice of four different fruit juices as well as iced water, fresh tropical fruit ready cut into pieces included dragon fruit, pawpaw, mango, water melon and some unpeeled tiny bananas were also on offer. A selection of pastries and bread for toasting with one of those strange slow moving toasters that require you to watch it go through at least three times before the bread even gets warm. They had crepes and waffles but they were served cold with a choice of honey, jam or chocolate sauce. As they were cold they were pretty horrible and after the first day I gave them a miss. My husband seemed to enjoy the local sausages which also were served almost cold, the scrambled egg was hot but once again the bacon although it looked pretty crisp was not hot either which is not quite so tasty. I think they need to look into ways of serving the food warm at least. OTHER THINGS The pool was lovely and there were plenty of sunlougers with comfortable mattress around. As you went to sit on one a little man rushed over with a towel and laid it on the seat for you. We found the water a little too refreshing and so only my legs up to my knees had a dip. It was very pleasant to lie there and enjoy the ambience though. The spa was a room off the large Reception lounge area and also looked onto the pool. The treatments were reasonable but nowhere near as cheap as in the city. $25 US for a massage which is okay but not amazing so we gave it a miss here and had a foot massage in the city instead for a couple of quid each which was much better value. The bar I have already said was a sort of corridor between the Reception/lounge area and the pool and also charged pretty steep prices which was stupid as the hotel was only a ten minute walk into the city where you could get drinks at less than half the price. This meant that there was no-one in the bar normally and we only had a drink there the night we arrived after our journey from the UK. A large golf trolley car thing would take you into the city if you asked and probably bring you back if you set a time but we walked as it wasn't far. If you got too foot sore you could always get one of the local tuk tuks to bring you back but they did say it was a good idea to take a hotel card as most of the tuk tuk drivers didn't speak English. I can't advise on that as the only time we took a tuk tuk was when we went to the local market to buy food with the person from our cooking class and of course he spoke Laos. WOULD I RECOMMEND? This is a lovely peaceful elegant hotel. It is small and classy with rooms that are furnished in dark wood locally made and antique looking furniture. It had everything you needed in the room apart from a working kettle and a mirror near a socket for hair drying. I did feel that the breakfast food needed a bit of a sort out as like warm or cold food is not that appetising. It was in a very quiet location and a very short walk into the city so it suited us fine. There were hotels and guest house right in the city and along the river front which looked quite nice but very few had pools so if you want a pool then I would suggest this hotel is pretty near perfect. Hopefully the new manager will shake things up a bit as he seemed very pleasant and on the ball too. Thanks for reading. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name. ©Catsholiday Read the complete review |
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Hotel Mercure City Center (Budapest, Hungary)
by Peter_Stirner When I go on a city break I like my hotel to be slap bang in the middle of the city. I don't want to be finishing my meal in a restaurant or walking along with my wife enjoying what's left of the evening and find myself nagged by a feeling of unease. This unease is usually brought on by the thought of not being able to find my way back ... to our hotel. I want to relax and enjoy my time in the city, not thinking 'don't we have to cross the street here, walk behind the abandoned market area, go down that alley and it's on the right, or the left, by the shop with the blue shutters?' There are no such problems with the Hotel Mercure. Walk out the front door and turn right, you're five minutes walk away from the market place. Right outside the hotel are a parade of shops, ideal for gifts or to buy drinks and snacks. There are also many restaurants to choose from, (including a McDonalds if traditional goulash isn't your thing). All of the major sites are within walking distance of the hotel. The river is only a ten minute walk away. The added advantage of having your hotel in a central location is that it is easy to plan your day so that you can return in the early evening to put away any shopping and change for dinner. The hotel itself is very clean, tidy and professional. I got the impression that they get a lot of business customers staying there and the hotel gives off this vibe. The staff can be a bit abrupt but not rude. I would class them as polite and professional rather than warm and friendly. The rooms are comfortable and clean, nothing to get excited about but you're in Budapest to see the city not the inside of a hotel room. Budapest is not cheap; don't expect to save any money. Food and drink prices are on a par with London. Anything you buy in the hotel will be no exception to this rule. The price of the room was very reasonable and the location made exploring Budapest much easier. I would definitely use the Mercure again. Read the complete review |
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Holiday Inn Express Alliance (Alliance, Nebraska, USA)
by catsholiday Holiday Inn Express Alliance, Nebraska We were meant to be staying within the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in a B&B but because of the amount of rain that had fallen we couldn't get to the place. We were feeling very tied and a bit stressed at the end of a very long day. We had set off for Wakpamni where my daughter and ... partner were going to be staying in a tepee and we had hoped to go for a horse ride with Oglala Lakota guide. We got to the turning and I swung the car around onto the dirt track. After about ten yards the car was just moving sideways even in four wheel drive and I could see we were heading sideways for the ditch. I stopped and we were having a minor panic where a 4x4 with a Lakota family turned off the main road to help us. They got out and between my husband, daughter's partner and the two kind locals they just pushed the car completely around to face the other way, the road was so slippery. He just shouted keep to the centre tracks as I headed off to the tarmac leaving hubby and daughter's partner behind to walk. We hadn't got very far. The lovely family stopped at the end of the road and told us there was another road to Wakpamni with only about 100 yards like that. We thanked them profusely, they said 'no worries, we don't scalp strangers any more!' and headed back on their journey. They had come out of their way to help us and thank heaven they did as we might have struggled to get sorted without them. We decided that even 100 yards was too much on that sort of road so we headed into the local town to phone and say we couldn't make it. We left a message, popped into the local subway for some sustenance and headed off for Alliance another five hours away where we had seen on our Tom-tom that there was a Holiday Inn Express !! There is nothing for miles on the reservation and this was the closest apart from one we passed that looked far too like 'Bates' Motel' to be attractive. ARRIVING WE were somewhat relieved to find that there was indeed a Holiday Inn Express. WE drove and parked the car then my daughter and are were charged with the task of seeing if they had a room available. We left the men guarding the car and its contents while we went in to see about the room. They did have a room. We were happy to share as all rooms in the USA that we had stayed in had two double beds and as they charge for the room it saved quite a bit of money. This was a big help to my daughter and saved them quite a lot during the holiday. The girl behind the desk was very pleasant and gave s our room key cards and then we went out to help bring in all our stuff from the car. THE ROOM This was fairly typical of Holiday Inn hotels in the USA. There were two double beds and non smoking too so we were happy. Both the beds had extra pillows and were very comfortable with fresh white bedding so no complaints. There was a huge TV in a sort of cupboard which could be seen from both beds. There was a coded safe and wardrobe and a few drawers but we were only stopping overnight so we didn't actually unpack anything. In fact we showered and changed then went to grab a meal before hitting the bed. There was also an iron and board but again this was left untouched during our stay. There was a small fridge as well as the coffee maker in the room which was nice to enjoy cold water and keep our margarine and fruit fresh. We were also able to access the internet through the free wifi which we appreciated as we wanted to check on our next day's journey and see if the people at Wakpamni had contacted us. I sent them an email to confirm the cancellation and explained what had happened. (We never did hear from them again but we were not charged either thankfully.) The room was decorated in neutral colours with a dull pinkish sort of carpet and muted colours on the valance of the beds which matched the curtains. They wouldn't have been my choice but they were not offensive at all. THE BATHROOM I was thrilled to see that there was a bath with shower over it so I was able to relax in a bath and after the day that we had just had I needed that. Toiletries were the same as all the other Holiday Inns and included shower gel, soap and shampoo only. However the water was hot and the bath very nice and clean and all in all I was very happy to be able to lie back and enjoy the neutrally decorated bathroom. We were also pleased to find a hairdryer but this was not usually a problem in the chain hotels in the USA. BACK DOWNSTAIRS Downstairs there was a snack area where tea and coffee was always available. Having said that these were also available in your room but as always in the USA there was only a coffee maker and tea tasted foul from that. The reception area was large and neutrally coloured with several comfortable seats to sit on and relax which was nice as the wifi was better down here and the room was quite small with four of us in there. There was also a small room with a couple of computers and printers that guests could use. THE POOL AND OTHER FACILITIES This was a pretty decent size and was pleasantly warm according to my daughter and her partner who went for a swim while I enjoyed my bath. They said the whirlpool was particularly good and massaged their aching bits after the day in the car. There is no gym on site but that didn't worry us. Apparently there is one nearby should you stay here and want to use one. There was a laundry room with washers and dryers that were coin operated so if you needed to wash anything that would be useful. BREAKFAST Once again this was included in the room rate so when four of you stay in one room this makes it even better value. It is the usual buffet style breakfast with plastic plates and cutlery which I do think is a bit non-eco friendly but seems to be what they do all over the USA in these hotels. The food is pretty good though and includes fruit juice and coffee or tea. Yoghurts, fresh fruit (Whole) my favourites which are hot cinnamon buns and if you wanted there was also hot stuff including scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages which the other all enjoyed and it meant that we could set off and not need to stop before coffee time when we would be well on our way. A free newspaper can be delivered to your room or you can pick one up at breakfast if you wish. SUMMARY This is a chain hotel and of the same standard as other Holiday Inn Express hotels we stayed in while in the USA. They are clean, efficient and functional the room was comfortable and the food pretty good too. I think we paid about $80 US for the room for the four of us which we thought was pretty good. Thanks for reading. This review may be posted on other sites under my same user name ©Catsholiday Read the complete review |
4 Stars Hotel International |
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