On a trip with my dad to Ireland, Cork was one of our planed overnight stays. However, it was not in our original plans to stay at the Cork Airport Hotel. I’m a master of travel planning if I must pat myself on the back. But on this trip, I made a rare mistake of booking a hotel stay on the wrong date. Ooops! Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Location: 4 of 5 Stars Service: 4 of 5 Stars…
Spending a quick weekend in Paris in February, the Hotel International Paris would be home for just a night in the 11th arrondissement. On my last visit to Paris, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Paris Gare De L’Est which was an interesting hotel experience. I’d booked the room on Hotels.com for about $75 USD which is a nice cash rate for Paris. Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Location: 4 of 5 Stars Service: 3 of 5 Stars Comfort: 4 of 5…
Located in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district, the Clarion Suites Gateway is a high-rise hotel property managed by Clarion, part of the Choice Hotels family. We had the booked the room via Hotels.com for a very reasonable rate if about $120 AUD. We would earn an additional night towards Hotels.com Rewards. Arriving just before 2:00 PM at the Clarion Suites Gateway in Melbourne’s CBD, we parked in the underground’s garage. I was a but exhausted having to keep up…
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”] Spending 5 days in Victoria, we’d be just spending one night in Melbourne initially. I’d booked The Larwill Studio of a reasonable rate of $100 USD for the night on Booking.com. I rarely use Booking.com but there was a fantastic rate through a partnership with TripAdvisor. Although we’d later return to Melbourne on this trip, we wouldn’t be returning to The Larwill Studio as…
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] I’m not even going to waste my time writing a full review of the Novotel London Paddington. I’ll save you all the time and get straight to the point: this hotel is a big disappointment. My sister and I had planned to stay at the Novotel London Paddington for three nights while in London. I have a few reliable favorite London hotels that I usually stick to. But this time I decided to try something new. We got…
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Arriving from Germany late in the evening, we arrived very late in the evening at the Holiday Inn Paris Gare de l’Est. We were only staying only one night in Paris and leaving the next evening from the Gare du Nord on the Eurostar. While the location isn’t my favorite part of Paris, it is extremely convenient to both the Gare de l’Est and Gare du Nord. Overall Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars Location: 3…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Spending a quick weekend in New York City, we wanted a comfortable place to stay without busting the bank. New York City hotels are generally quite expensive and after a bit of scouring, I found the Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Midtown East on Hotels.com. After double-checking rates and the TripAdvisor reviews, it seemed to be a solid option in a great location. Overall Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars Location: 5 of 5…
Spending a long (and pleasantly warm) weekend in Berlin, we made the Citadines Kurfürstendamm Berlin our home for a couple of nights. Located in the Kurfürstendamm neighborhood of Berlin, this apartment-style hotel or “Aparthotel” offers amenities well-suited for a longer stay in Berlin. Located in a posh neighborhood along The Kurfürstendamm, there’s not shortage of high-end shopping nearby. Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Location: 5 of 5 Stars Service: 3.5 of 5 Stars Comfort: 3.5 of 5 Stars Cleanliness: 5 of…
With Brussels as our first stop on a 9-day trip to Europe the New Year, I had selected the Hotel Agora Bruxelles Grand Place for it’s incredibly central location and great cash rate. As you know, I’m a fan of the Hotels.com Rewards program with it’s simple rewards earning concept. I had booked the room on Hotels.com for a cash rate of about $85 USD quite in advance. I’m not one to typically book a hotel five months out but I went ahead and…
Spending a weekend in Singapore, I had selected the AMOY Singapore for it’s solid reviews and a reasonable cash rate. As you know, I’m a fan of the Hotels.com Rewards program with it’s simple rewards earning concept. I had booked the room on Hotels.com for a cash rate of $100 USD per night which Is fantastic for Downtown Singapore. Located in the Chinatown area of Downtown, the AMOY Singapore is just around the corner from the Telok Ayer MRT Station. Overall Rating: 4 of…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] Listed in the top 100 hotels in London out of over 3,000 hotels on TripAdvisor, you can bet that I had some pretty high exceptions for The Nadler Kensington. The west end of London is one of my favorite locations to stay in the city so it influenced my decision to book The Nadler Kensington. The rooms at the The Nadler Kensington are more like an apartment-style room than a traditional hotel room. I had…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”] After a fun day of planespotting at LAX with a friend, I need a comfortable place to rest my head close to LAX. I browsed a few hotel sites and the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel was giving me the best rate through Hotels.com. If you’ve read some of my prior hotel reviews, you’ve learned that I’m not incredibly loyal to hotel programs although I do like Starwood properties. The Hotels.com Rewards program is my go…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] With Trip Advisor stellar reviews and a reasonable nightly rate on Hotels.com, I booked two rooms at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin City Centre for our thee days of exploring Dublin. This was my second stay in Dublin and while I’ll leave it unnamed, I knew I didn’t want to return to the hotel I stayed in on my last visit. The rooms had been booked via Hotels.com for a cash…
This was my second stay at an NH Hotels property in Madrid with my last stay being at the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding whichI I really greatly enjoyed. I snagged a great rate this at the NH Zurbano Madrid on Hotels.com for about $85 USD which was a pretty good cash rate for Central Madrid. Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Location: 5 of 5 Stars Service: 4 of 5 Stars Comfort: 3.5 of 5 Stars Cleanliness: 5 of 5 Stars Location I’d arrived from…
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Located just north of Central Barcelona in the Les Corts neighborhood, the NH Collection Barcelona Constanza is a hip 4-start hotel. Part of the NH Collection portfolio, the location offers relative convenience yet the peace and quiet of a residential neighborhood. We had booked the NH Collection Barcelona Constanza through Hotels.com and secured a great rate of $117 USD per night during a very busy weekend in Barcelona. The weekend we…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Almost hidden in the quiet Bayswater neighborhood of Westminster in Greater London, the Vancouver Studios London is a cozy hotel that makes one feel at home. In contrast to a traditional full-service hotel, the Vancouver Studios is more of an apartment-style hotel. Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Service: 3.5 of 5 Stars Location: 4 of 5 Stars Comfort: 4 of 5 Stars Cleanliness: 5 of 5 Stars I…
[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] After having a surprisingly hard time selecting accomodations for our four days in Rome, I came across Casa Sotgiu. We were seeking comfort in a quiet, yet convenient neighborhood with Metro access. After reviewing the solid reviews of Casa Sotgiu, I was sold. Overall Rating: 5 of 5 Stars Service: 5 of 5 Stars Location: 5 of 5 Stars Comfort: 5 of 5 Stars Cleanliness: 5 of 5 Stars…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Hopping into Madrid for a quick 24-hour visit, I booked a night at the NH Collection Madrid Eurobuilding, located in the Financial District of Central Madrid. I snagged the room using a Hotels.com reward night. Had I paid out of picket, I would have paid ~$180 USD for the one night stay. Overall Rating: 4 of 5 Stars Service: 4 of 5 Stars Location: 4 of 5 Stars Comfort: 5 of 5…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] Inconspicuously tucked along Calle 74A, sits the Hotel Santiago Mérida near the heart of Centro Mérida. In advance of our trip to Mérida, we had browsed several boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. The reviews were solid and it was rated as the number two bed and breakfast in Mérida at the time of booking. Overall Rating: 5 of 5 Stars Service: 5 of 5 Stars Location: 5 of 5…
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” custom_width_px=”960px” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] As part of our 9-day trek through Central and Eastern Europe, we spent 3 days in Krakow, Poland, taking in the sights and scenery of the city and the surrounding towns. We booked a unique “hotel” property, the Apartamenty Parkside Kraków. Located just outside the city center, this property was unique in the sense that it was somewhere…