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Hilton Garden Inn (Las Vegas)
by rosaliecullen ==Why we stayed here== We stayed in the Hilton Garden Inn, Henderson (suburbs of Las Vegas) for one night prior to our trip to Las Vegas. Before we hit the Las Vegas strip we decided we wanted to drive to Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon so wanted a hotel fairly close to the airport but not on the Las Vegas strip. We ... arrived in Las Vegas after a short flight from Vancouver at around 9pm, after a delay in customs and waiting over an hour to pick up our pre-paid rental car, we finally left McCarran airport and headed to Henderson, our quick stop-over for the night. Henderson was a good choice, I had considered driving to Boulder City or even as far as Kingman just so we had a few hours "in the bag" before the long drive the next day (7 hours from Las Vegas to Monument Valley), but I was concerned about flight delays and driving in the dark, so decided to plump for Henderson. It proved an excellent choice the next day when the rental car had problems just one mile into our seven hour journey to Monument Valley, we were able to go back and exchange it relatively quickly and be on our way, only an hour and a half after we had planned. We finally exited Henderson at 8am. We stayed in the Hilton Garden Hotel which was the cheapest of our month long trip at £46 for the night and far exceeded my expectations. ==Amenities== For a hotel which cost £46 per night I was dubious,even though it was under the Hilton brand, I have read reviews of Hilton hotels which don't match up to their 5 star standards. In that respect, this was no different, it wasn't a five star hotel but it was nicer than some of the rooms I've stayed in which cost £100 per night. As you'd expect it was a very American hotel with all the necessary (!) services that you might need if you were a business or other traveller. The hotel had fax machines, meeting rooms, a business centre etc. The hotel had a large car park which was quite busy actually when we arrived late at night but we didn't have too much trouble finding a car park. The rooms were spacious by European standards and had a king size bed in them. They also had a TV and a desk in them plus black out curtains which were very much welcome for us (even though we didn't get much opportunity to lie in due to our long drive). The room was spotless as was the bathroom. I wouldn't say the decor was modern, it looked as though it had been refurbished about 10-12 years ago but equally it didn't look tired and outdated. I wouldn't say the room was anything special but it absolutely did the job we needed it to do. It was better than basic and had everything we needed but it wasn't somewhere to stay for a special occasion if that makes sense. The lobby also has vending machines and snack meals which you can microwave for yourself. There is also an opportunity to eat in the restaurant (we didn't as we only stayed a short time) or hang out in the bar area. The hotel also has a nice pool area which looked really refreshing in the hot Nevada sunshine (43 degrees at 6am - I am not joking people!). I wouldn't say the pool was enormous but probably big enough for the size of the hotel. There are also lots of local amenities on the same road (Warm Springs) such as shops, restaurants, cinema and other hotels so you wouldn't struggle here to find things to do. ==Staff== One thing I was really impressed with was the level of service from the staff. When we checked in the young man on the desk was really helpful. We were really hungry and feeling quite sick after a bad flight and he pointed us in the direction of Denny's which was a 2 minute drive down the road and we had a midnight feast. The SevenEleven was quite close by (we'd miss that though as it was almost midnight) which was handy for the morning when we wanted to stock up on snacks and drinks for our journey ahead. Equally the young man in question was particularly eager to point us in the direction of casinos which I just thought was quite amusing. It was almost like it was a staple of life: find out where to eat, where to drink and where to gamble. I quickly realised that this is very much the mentality of life in Las Vegas. Once we had reached Monument Valley I realised I'd left a personal possession at the Hilton Garden Inn and I gave them a ring and asked them if they had found the item. The item was found in lost property and kept for me until I could return a couple of days later to pick the item up. So as I said I can't fault the staff at all. ==How to get there== Despite me saying it is really easy to find on the main road driving through Henderson we had to switch back and go back as we'd clearly missed the hotel. If you are driving from the airport, it is on the left hand side of the road and just behind it is the very large Sunset Station casino which is bright and blingy so that should be an easy marker to look out for. I believe there may have been a shuttle bus to bus people back and forth from the hotel to the Las Vegas strip, equally if that wasn't running there were local service buses to do the same thing and I imagine that would have been 15-20 minutes from the hotel to the Strip (based on traffic on the strip rather than distance in miles). If you aren't bothered about staying on the strip in Las Vegas and happy to commute up every day I would suggest that this is a very good option for you to visit a very nice hotel in Las Vegas without the hustle and bustle of the Strip but close enough to get there and back easily. It is also quite a cheap option which provides decent quality. OK some of the hotels on the strip are £25 per night but having read the reviews, I'd rather bus it in daily from this hotel in Henderson than stay at the cheaper hotels in Vegas, just my personal preference. The hotel is also about 20-25 minutes away from the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (for watersports and "the beach") so easy to do some other stuff using this as a base if you don't want to spend every day on the Strip. ==Overall== Overall for the price we paid this was a pretty top class hotel, as I said, not five star in terms of decor and all mod-cons but definitely as much as we needed and better than basic. I would definitely stay here again as the staff were great and the hotel had everything you needed. Highly recommended for a night or more as part of a trip to Nevada or Arizona - or even a cheap alternative to Las Vegas Strip. Read the complete review |
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Hotel Europa (Brno, Czech Republic)
by fizzywizzy I was very excited for my stay at Brno's Europa Hotel. The hotel is billed as an 'art hotel' and photographs of the reception area, complete with lip shaped seating in various vibrant hues, are obviously intended to set the scene. Staying as I do usually in faceless budget chains, I was looking forward to something a little different. ... The hotel is situated just outside Brno's historic old centre, on the northern side of the inner ring road; it's on Trida Kpt Jarose, a leafy street lined with fantastic buildings and Hotel Europa is in an elegant Art Nouveau style building which has an inner courtyard. It's a good location only a couple of minutes from the Old Town but there are a handful of restaurants/bars on this street if you want to stay close to the hotel. This street provides access only and isn't linked directly to the main road for traffic which keeps noise down. Pedestrians however can access the street from the main road, where there is a tram stop if you are going further than the centre. The hotel has its own secure parking. We booked in advance through Expedia and paid about £44 for one night with breakfast in a standard double (there are also 'superior' rooms though the only difference I can see is that the superior have reproduction furniture). We tend not to book for breakfast, finding it cheaper to get breakfast outside the hotel in most place in central Europe, but this seemed like a good deal and it being chilly in the mornings in Brno, the idea of getting a good breakfast before leaving the hotel was very appealing. Although the confirmation of our reservation did state the check in time we chanced it an hour early as we've frequently found that we can check in if the room is ready and we had bags we wanted to dump as soon as possible. We waited patiently while the receptionist dealt with a customer during which time she made a point of refusing to even acknowledge us when a quick smile would have done until she could turn her attention to us. When I got to the desk the receptionist gave me a look that said 'What could you possibly want from me?' which immediately thrust me into sarcasm mode. 'You are too early' she snapped. 'In that case might there be somewhere we could leave our bags? That would be very helpful to us.', I simpered. After a sigh she got up to unlock the store room behind her though I could see she really couldn't be bothered. I asked if there were any maps of the city and she gestured vaguely towards some leaflets on a shelf across the room. There was nothing in English so we made do with a leaflet and map in German but felt personally slighted as the literature was available in Slovakian, Russian, French and Italian. As we went out again my cheery 'See you later!' went unanswered. Returning later in the afternoon the receptionist appeared to have undergone a partial personality graft and was slightly more pleasant though I wouldn't be so generous as to describe her as friendly. Still check in was super swift though no enquiry was made as to whether we had arrived by car and therefore might need a parking place (possibly she assumed that we were not with a car because otherwise we might have left our bags there until checking in). The rather disappointing about Hotel Europa is that while the arty element can be seen in the public areas, the walls of the rooms are completely bare. The reception area/bar is meant to look ultra modern but looks a bit IKEA in all honesty. There are clear perspex tables and chairs and a few of those velvet upholstered lip shaped chairs that I'd seen pictured on the website; I did sit on one of the latter and found it to be a rather uncomfortable perch and not one I'd want to occupy for more than a minute or two. In the hallway beside the lift there was a colourful installation of primary coloured sailing boats on tall sticks; Himself could not resist the urge to run over and pretend to keep them spinning. There were more pieces on the walls in the corridors on our floor but none really close to the rooms, most of them were tucked away in locations that made me think that whoever had been hanging the pictures didn't really want many people to see them. Our first floor room overlooked the main street which was not unpleasant due to the lovely autumn colours of the trees. As the street is for access only there was minimal traffic noise and as this is an area with lots of residential buildings it was really quiet by the time most people had come home from work (and it being a Friday evening nobody was getting out the next morning). Although there was no door separating the sleeping area, there was enough of a long corridor effect in the layout to mean the bed was insulated from noise of people in the corridor. The room looked to be recently refurbished and looked nothing like the one in Ciao's picture, which I presume is how the place looked in its previous incarnation. In place of the golden walls and sky blue bedding are off white walls and white bed linen. The curtains were cream and so inoffensive that they almost offended me. The wood of the furniture was almost the colour of cherry wood, the only thing to add a touch of warmth to the room. Condition wise it couldn't be faulted but it had zero personality. There was a second Brit snub as the BBC World channel was the only one which had no sound and there was no other English language channel (not even a CNN). I let my brain take the strain and watched German news instead translating for Himself who was lying in bed drinking Czech beer (I really can't take him anywhere). Wi-fi is only available in the public areas but the rooms all have internet access with a data cable and one was kindly provided. The connection wasn't the fastest in the world but it was adequate. The bathroom was neutrally decorated but this worked much better than the bedroom; it was stylish and modern but still warm with a personal touch. It was immaculate, with regard to both the condition of the fittings and in cleanliness. The shower was easy to control in terms of temperature but it was an over bath shower and there was nowhere on the wall to place the shower head so it had always to be held. The towels were a little on the skimpy side but fresh and soft. Getting a allergy friendly pillow has been entertaining of late, mainly because I usually forget to contact the hotel in advance of my stay. Fortunately the pillows were allergy free feather pillows so I didn't have to go through that particular tribulation again. It was a cold night but the temperature of the room was fine without having to fiddle with the heating. Breakfast was served between 7.00 and 10.00 am in the breakfast room in the hotel's basement. The lift goes only to the ground floor unfortunately so I don't kno how that works if you can't manage the flight of stairs down to the room. It was a buffet breakfast with everything laid out at one end of the room, including hot water for teas and coffee and a toaster. I prefer my coffee freshly made and brought to me so I took advantange of the vast selection of fruit and herbal teas instead. There were three types of fruit juice, equal in their blandness. There was a choice of cereals, muesli, fresh and dried fruit and various yoghurts, fruit and natural. As is usual on the continent there were slices of cheese and cooked meats (some of them way too garlicky for breakfat in my opinion), and hard boiled eggs, fresh tomato and cucumber (a breakfast I find oddly addictive). The highlight for me was the smoked salmon which I teamed up shamelessly with hot sausages. As much as you may not fancy some of the more strongly flavoured foods at breakfast, there was at least plenty of choice (especially if your breakfast usually consists of cake, or you would like it to). Hotel Europa is a decent enough hotel in a good location. Although it isn't in the old town, the location does have the advantage that it's accessible for drivers and may be a good choice for people coming by car who don't necessarily come to Brno as tourists and therefore don't mind being in the centre (though it is only a short walk). The art hotel tag isn't really helpful. The hotel does have some nice pieces but they are so strewn across the hotel that unless you were to go trekking around you wouldn't see most of them. Rather than go into the whole philosophy around the art aspect of Hotel Europa I've added a link at the end of this review to explain what it comprises. For the price you'll not get much better so close to the centre of Brno. It's a big city with lots of hotels so the price is competitive but the quality is good making the price even more pleasing. http://www.hotel-europa-brno.cz/philosophy.html Read the complete review |
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Emu Walk Apartments Ayers Rock (Australia)
by anwar7 As far as I'm concerned no first trip to Australia should exclude a visit to Ayres Rock; or Uluru to give it its correct Aboriginal name. We had just under 8 weeks of travel and it was a tough decision to decide what to see it the time. I have always wanted to see the famous *rock* that is so iconic of Australia. After a lot of research ... both online and from reading guide books, I decided that we would spend 2 nights at the resort. Before I review the accommodation, let me tell you a little about Uluru. There can be few who haven't seen pictures of the giant sandstone monolith that is Uluru. It looks the more impressive as the land around is flat and barren. We flew from Cairns and the rock is a truly impressive sight as you arrive. Flying also gives you a good perspective of just how vast and empty this land is! The Anangu people are the guardians of Uluru and ask you not to climb the rock as they regard it as a sacred site. We were happy to respect their wishes and think we gained far more by joining one of the excellent ranger led tours of the rock. The free tour taught us about the Anangu legends and we were able to see many cave drawings in addition to learning about the wildlife that survives in this barren landscape. As I have indicated we took a flight from Cairns arriving at the small airport. All accommodation in the Uluru resort is managed by voyages and is not cheap! Having looked at the hotel options, I decided that self catering would save us money and so booked 2 nights at the Emu apartments. I always like to price check to ensure I get the best deal, but the price to stay at the apartments was the same on all sites. When booking I was also offered the option of booking various tours such as a sunset tour complete with dinner in the desert under the stars. There are several other tours on offer, but all were way out of my budget! I decided not to pre book a hire car and really regretted the decision! Although there are courtesy shuttle buses that meet all flights and transport guests to the hotels, there are no cheap ways of getting to the rock. We ended up paying almost £300 for 1 adult and 2 children for transport to Uluru! The cost did allow us to also visit Kata Tjuta about a 40 minute drive from the resort and we also used the mini bus transport to watch the sun rise and set over the rock. However it would have been a lot cheaper and more convenient to have hired a car before leaving the U.K. I did try to hire a car from the resort but there was nothing available for several weeks! The Resort ***************** Uluru is situated in the Northern Territory and really is in the middle of no where! The nearest town of any size is Alice Springs 443 km's or 6 hours drive away. The area is known as the red centre due to the red colour of the sandy desert soil. Uluru and Kata Tjuta (or the Olga's) are part of a national part and have world heritage status. After watching the sun rise we spent a day exploring the *rock*. This included spending time looking at the exhibits in the nearby visitor centre. We visited in August and although this is winter, daytime temperatures were high. Once the sun disappears the temperature drops to near freezing! Although the Rock is amazing, I preferred the quieter Olga's where we were able to take an truly awe-inspiring walk. On arrival at the resort we had to wait for around 20 minutes before being *processed*. We were given our room key and lots of information about the resort, including how to book that extortionately expensive mini bus! The resort has a shopping area that includes a small supermarket and restraurant,gift shop and cash point. The town area also has regular displays of Aboriginal crafts and culture. When we visited there was a stall selling local art and also aboriginal dancing to watch. The rooms are connected to the town area via a covered walkway. Whilst by day the area is light and feels safe, at night it is dark and poorly lit. I had to walk to the supermarket and encountered a group of drunken young men and felt unsafe. The resort has an excellent gift shop close to the reception area that includes a free walk around display showing the local culture, history and wildlife. The staff we encountered in the resort were friendly and helpful, although I was disappointed that there were not more Aboriginal people working in the resort. The accommodation. ****************** We had booked a one bedroom apartment that sleeps up to 4. We were allocated a ground floor apartment that is accessed via a few steps. Once inside I was immediately struck by how dark the apartment was. The kitchen area is reasonable and had a 4 hob burner, microwave, fridge and enough pots and pans to cook a basic meal. There was also a useful electric flying pan, kettle and toaster. It is really important that you store all food in the fridge, as food we left in a cupboard was infested with ants within an hour! There is a small dining area that includes a table and 4 chairs. There was also an ancient T.V,although we didn't have time for TV! The sofa converts to a double bed and all bedding was included. The sofa bed was well past its sell by date and my son found it very uncomfortable. The main bedroom had a queen sized double bed and was comfortable. There was ample storage space. The bathroom is accessed via the main bedroom and contained a shower, toilet and hand basin. There were lots of white fluffy towels provided and these were changed every day. There were also complimentary toiletries left in the bathroom. The shower pressure was good and there was always plenty of hot water. Outside we had a small veranda overlooking the parking area. We didn't use this as we were out all day and it was far too cold to sit outside once the sun had set! The resort was clean and well cared for and it is possible to see the rock from some areas. Overall the apartment is spacious with all you need for a short stay. However it is dark and in need of a general refurbishment. I can't remember exactly how much I paid for our 2 nights, but it was about £400. I am really pleased that I have at last seen Uluru, although I don't think I would visit again due to the cost. If you want to visit, then you will have no choice but to stay in one of the accommodation options managed by the Voyager Company. Read the complete review |
Hotel International |
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1 review Address: Ataturk Bulvari 84 / Hotel International / Kusadasi / Turkey |
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2 reviews Hotel International / Plaza Conde Valle Suchil 5 Madrid 28015 Spain. Tel: +34 91 447 7000 |
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Plaza de España S / Hotel International /N Madrid 28013 Spain. Tel: 34-91-4548504 |
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Location: Paseo de la Castellana 49 Madrid 28046 Spain / Hotel International / Tel: +34 91 700 7300. - Located in the business district of the city and close to the Prado Museum, the Hotel InterContinental Castellana Madrid is perfect for both business and leisure travellers. |
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Hotel International / Paseo de la Castellana 22 28046 Madtrid, Spain. Tel:34 91 587 1234 |
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1 review Hotel International / Carrer de la Marina, 19-21 08005 Barcelona Spain. Tel: +34 93 221 1000 |
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1 review Pau Claris, 150 Barcelona 08009 Spain. Tel: +34 93 487 6262 Fax: |
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Gran Via Corts Catalanes 605-607 Barcelona 08007 Spain. Tel: +34 93 301 9600 |
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Hotel International / Address: Jl. Raya Pengosekan |
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Hotel International / Location: Gili Air Island |
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