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Clare House -Dover/Hans Memling-Brugge/Mercure Koeln Airport3-Koln/Hotel Rathaus-Menden Germany&more
Operator and Date: By car _Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Gill & Len Adlington-Graham (52 & 48)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We started out by car from Hertfordshire to tour Europe. We spent our first night in Dover at Clare House advertised as a hotel but more of a B&B, but still quite pleasant.
Ferry over to Calais the next morning with SeaFrance,everyone very helpful. Drove to Brugge-Belguim and spent our second night at Hans Memling Hotel, an excellent hotel,very helpful,clean and pleasant.
Day 3 we drove into Germany visiting Rheindalen,Dusseldorf,Dortmund and Koln. Sent 2 nights in Koln at the Mercure Koeln Airport 3 hotel,really nice hotel food really nice.
Day 5 moved on to Menden
where we spent the nice at Hotel Am Rathaus, nt the best of hotels, it was still being refurbished. When we arrived there was n dining room or bar, the accomadation above was in need of finishing (orange curtains and carpet in a red bedroom).
From Menden we drove to Berlin where we stayed at the East Side Hotel in East Berlin. Directly opposite was what was left of the Berlin wall separated from us by a duel carriageway. There were section of the wall missing through which you could see the river Spree.The hotel itself was basic but very pleasant.Everyone was very helphful, directing us in the best way to see Berlin and where to catch the trains and trams. We visited West Berlin seeing places like the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Holocaust memorial,
Kurfurstendamm,Potsdam Platz,Berlin Catherdral and many other places around Berlin. A very fascinating city. We spent 4 nights there then moved on to the Czech Republic.
Where we stayed in Praha,at the Hotel Seven Days. How I wish I could have stayed for 7 days. This hotel was lovely,the service was excellent and the food devine. Nothing was to much trouble and we were only 5 minutes from Wenselas Square and 20 minutes from the old town square. Having visited Praha before we only stayed the one night but I could go back to Praha again and again it is gobsmackingly beautiful.
Next day onto Austria and Vienna staiying at Pension Attache, cramped room,no bar,service not very good and food just edible. Advertised as a hotel but more of a hostel for backpackers.Not much to see in Vienna but you should visit Grinzing. It's the wine region and they have the most fantastic eating houses.
From Vienna to Munchen - Germany, in time for the Bierfest. Eat your hearts out places like Alton Towers,Chessington and Disneyland. This was the most awesome event, there were bierkellers and just every ride you could imagine. The food was fantastic,all the bier a man could drink and just everybody had loads of fun singing dancing on the tables. If you have never been you should make at least one trip there.
From Muchen we drove onto Geneva and stayed at the Golf Hotel Rene Captain over looking the lake. Spent one night there and drove onto Paris the next day.
Paris is a nightmare to get round but we did manage to see sme bits even if from a distance. We stayed outside Paris in a place called Jossiny. It has one hotel, 3 restaurants and 2 bars. The hotel accommadation is very cramped and in deperate need of decoration.The restaurant at the hotel was expensive for what you got and the bar was dingy. The other restaurants were closed by 6pm. Next morning we travelled to Calais to get the ferry back home.
On the whole a very enjoyable experience, lots to see and things to do. Very tiring but an experience worth having.
We travelled in our own car, in our own time , seeing what we wanted to see and met sme really fantastic people.
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Albania
Saranda
Operator and Date: Independant travel
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : 58,45,34.32.20,9,1
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I have to let everyone know that Saranda in Albania is worth a visit and can be accessed by a daily ferry from the port in Corfu for 15 euros. There are ferries going at 9 am each day and tickets can be bought from an agent along the port side known to taxi drivers. The taxi ferry is 10 euros to the port. Once in Albania the resort has now some hotels and resturaunts and is not so commercialised as corfu, but has a lovely bay and the people are really freindly. I do hope you decide to go im sure everyone will be suprised what the find.
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Amsterdam
Hotel Agora - Singel 462 , Amsterdam, Netherlands
Operator and Date: Nov 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : The Garratts 40
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed for a 3-night break and booked the hotel over the net.We arrived early am and were checked in efficiently and able to access our room at about 1030 am. We were situated on the 2nd floor- a bit of a climb up winding stairs (so not good if you have walking difficulties) the room itself was a double , of good size, there was a safe depoist box at no additional charge and it had a clean , modern ensuite bathroom with a huge walk in shower, hairdryer and shower point.
The buffet breakfast was availabe from 730-10 am and offered a wide selection. This was served downstairs in the conservatory, although room service is available. Internet access was available at reception and the hotel was secure by means of card keys. The Singel is a very pretty canal and the Agora is close to the Flowermarket and Spui with its Sunday Art Market (5 mins walk) The Liedesplein, Vondel park and Dam square are about 10mins away and Station and Red Light Area about 15-20 mins walk. There are plenty of trams and taxis nearby should you not care to walk. Within the vicinty of the hotel are many bars , cafes and eateries of varied types of cuisine.
Things to do : Anne Frank House is a must(7.50 euro each) ; Rijksmuseum and Van Gough Gallery are also well worth seeing as is the Amsterdam History Museum, Houseboat museum and Rembrandts House. A canal cruise by day or more romantically at night is well worth it as you get a different perspective on the city. Brown Bars and cafe visiting are also enjoyable things to do to while away the hours and let your feet recover, don't miss the Applecake or Dutch Pancakes both enjoyable rewards for pavement pounding . If you fancy venturing further afield regular trains connect Haarlem , Leiden , Delft and other towns and are inexpensive.
Above all Amsterdam is not just s*x and dr*gs .... there is a lot more to it to see an enjoy ...just beware of the cyclists!!
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Amstel Botel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: (Going Places) Going Places - April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Diane and Dave - UK (35,42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just come back from our second stay at the Botel was excellent.
We would go back to the Botel as it is a very friendly place and near to everything.
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Hotel Amsterdam - De Roode Leeuw - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Independent - July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Sarah & Steven - London (32, 28)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked this hotel via the Internet as we had already won the free flights. I had never been to Amsterdam before so wasn't really sure location wise what I was booking.
As it happened, this hotel couldn't be in a better location, right on the corner of Dam Square and Damrak, the main road to the station and for restaurants. It was fantastic. We had a room on the 4th floor with juliet balconies on the windows overlooking Dam Square, couldn't have asked for better. The staff were very, very helpful and even when we requested a late check out, they sorted it no problem with no charge, even though it stated in the hotel guide an extra charge would be made.
The rooms were quite small but more than adequate for a long weekend. The air-con was somewhat efficient, but as the weather was boiling outside, was quite welcome! The beds were very comfy and the bathroom was more than good enough. The hotel didn't have a bar, although there was a public restaurant downstairs, the food looked quite expensive. We used the minibar for any drinks/snacks we wanted, wasn't too expensive like the rest of Amsterdam, 3eur for a beer for example.
Amsterdam itself is a fantastic place, with more than enough to see and do. We took a trip round the canals and went to various odd museums you won't find anywhere else. The red light district is also a must see!!
There are 300 'coffee shops' around, so the place has a very distinct smell wherever go!!! The best place we found was The Grasshopper and 2 min walk from the hotel with a bar upstairs and a coffee shop downstairs and had a wonderful outside terrace where you could drink or smoke or do both if required!!!!
I can't wait to go back and would definately stay at the same hotel again and would recommend it to anyone.
Everyone is so friendly
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Hotel Arena - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Expedia - Apr 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by :
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel Arena looks great on the web-site and is pretty good when you come-in the reception. However, it is a converted old-peoples home and the rooms whilst intersting (split-level) are more hostel than hotel.
First room we had was scruffy and shower smelt so badly we couldnt use it - we moved to another room which smelt less (as that was all they had) but shower flooded (as it looked like a converted toilet). Third room we got was best of the bunch - but still well short of hotel standard - also very noisy as doors slam when they shut - creating a good prison-cell sound effect.
On the positive side, the staff were friendly and the bar is good. We didn't try the restaurant - when you've smelt what we did - you don't trust the kitchens.
Otherwise we had a good stay - but would advise against this hotel unless you get it really cheap and enjoy roughing it.
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Hotel Arena - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Broadway travel - 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Annette - Gloucestershire 10.07.1980/Jay Dowding 13.05.1977
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel is lovely. We stayed in a standard room. It was basic but just what we were looking for as we were not planning on spending much time in the room. It was cleaned every morning(we stayed for 3 night). The only down side is that it is a little out of town. It cost 10 euros to get a taxi into town or you can get a tram which would be much cheaper. I would stay here again. Just a shame its a little out the way.
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Hotel Atlanta - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Tates - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Keith & Linda (48)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel (?) is in the Rembrandtplein which is a leafy square with pubs all about, so it is noisy late at night. It is a few minutes away from the flower market and within a few minutes tram ride of Dam square and the center of Amsterdam.
The hotel itself is poor with the room we had smelling of sewage. On complaint, we managed to get another room on the same floor at the front of the building. Unfortunately it was a single room with a 4ft bed in - no good for a couple, indeed, I slept on the floor for two nights. The sink and toilet hab been broken and glued back together, shower didn't drain, doors had dents/holes in them and the workers had left emery paper scattered about. To open a window, you had to climb up on an old chair to the latch 8ft above the ground - what was there to stop you falling? The price included a breakfast in which nothing was hot and the coffee could have used to waterproof the roof.
I don't think I'll be back here again .
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Center Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: independently nov2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : george,ann,mary,debi,janette
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
we booked this hotel of the internet,it looked clean and central what a shock we got.the room looked nothing like the pictures we had to wipe our feet when we left not when we went in.there was a big conference on in amsterdam that weekend and every where else was booked so we had to grin and bear it.the beds we dared not look at the mattresses and its a good job it was warm cos we all slept on top of the covers.we dare not leave anything in our rooms and so walked round amsterdam with all our money on us.
on sunday i left my mobile phone in my suitcase in my jeans pocket zipped up and we went out for the day got back sunday night the rooms had been cleaned and the bedding changed.on monday we had to be up for 6.00 to catch our flight i went into my suitcase to get my mobile it was not there.i think a hostel would have been cleaner and better than this hotel.be warned
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City Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: April 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : Mr&Mrs White (Edinburgh 27, 30)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
this has got to be one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in. To be fair the hotel is in great location and the staff are friendly enough, the hotel looks quite good from outside, however the rooms are a very different story, the room we were given looked like a cave, it was so small you could not swing a cat in the place and there was a terrible smell coming from the bathroom which stayed the whole weekend, the bed sheets, curtains looked like they have never been washed, we never once had our room cleaned, beds made etc. There was no storage for clothes so had to live out our suitcase for our stay, this place is overpriced at £75 per night and is not fit for a dog to stay in. This place was so run down im surprised it has not been closed down
Not Recommended
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City Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Independent - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Cheryl, Kate, Rob, Dave - Merseyside (19,19,19,22)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The location of the hotel was great just a 5minute walk into the centre of Amsterdam. The hotel was basic and could have been safer because the window were very old and could be easy to break into, however that didnt happen so it was good. The hotel was a 5-10min walk from central station and it cost just 3euros 40cent which is really cheap and its easy to do.
The wax works museum is worth a visit and also a boat trip around the cities canals is worth the money only 6euros.
All in all it was a good trip and for just a couple of days City Hotel is worth a visit for the price you pay.
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City Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: EasyJet & Amsterdamhotel.nl
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : J&J- Edinburgh 33,34
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked cheap flights through Easy Jet to Amsterdam and found the City Hotel on the web for £60 each B&b for the weekend. I would not recommend this hotel. It is very run down, although it is clean and on the plus side the staff were nice and the breakfast were fine.
Amsterdam itself is a great place although not for the faint hearted. The transport in the dam is great too, the railway is in the airport and it only costa few euros to get to Central Station in Amsterdam..
The red light area was amazing, just to see although i still fins it hard to believe they are so blazee about it.
Ann Frank's House was okay but if you hadnt seen the film you would think you were just in any old house.
We visited the Amsterdam Arena too the home of Ajax Football Club, that is an amazing staium.
Plenty of bars and restaurants or fast food places in the city centre and some great bars too.
All in all its well worth a visit and i would go back in a minute!!
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Crowne Plaza Amercian - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: April 2004 - Expedia
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Paul 37, Jan 35
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
HOTEL:
We choose this hotel from the review on this web site, and also with a little prior knowlegde of Amsterdam.
You will not be disapointed with the service of this hotel. The room was cleaned daily: Jan liked the idea that they replaced the bathroom 'perks' as quick as she could pack them!
The beds are very welcome after a long days sight-seeing: Goose feather pillows.
The decor is also very nice with some lovely 'Art Deco' features and interesting works of art adorn the walls.
We were unfortunate that we opted for a smokers room, which was without any view or balcony, although the windows opened wide: welcomed on a warm night.
Beware the mini bar: very expensive and also is linked to reception ( you have approx 20 secs to read the product item or it is recorded to your bill ). We didn't use anything, but did remove the contents to chill my surpermarket bought beer.
We have stayed in some varying standards of hotels in Amsterdam amd would have to rate this very near to the top.
LOCATION:
Ideally located to nearly everything you will need or want.
Buy a GOOD map that shows street names, not the free one from the hotels etc..
A very good free map can been found in the Keytours Excursions 2004 pamplet available from the canel side booths.
Above all: enjoy the experience
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Hotel Crystal - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: diane gary 36 43
Opinion submitted in May 2007 by :
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Stayed for 3 nights at the Hotel Crystal, the hotel is located in an ok area, easy to get on and off the trams to visit the various attractions of Amsterdam.
When we arrived at the hotel we checked in ok, the hotel is on four floors and NO LIFT? The stairs are very steep and narrow you need rock climbing gear to get up these.
We were in a room on the top floor the bathroom was en-suite, as soon as the door was opened the stench from the drains was revolting! The room had mold on the walls and was in need of a re-vamp.
Breakfast was ok bread, jam, cold meats etc if anything had run out and you asked for more you were given a dirty look and told they would see if they had some more.
The good points were the reception had a fridge so you could at least buy cold drinks and water, the taxi number on reception is for a lovely guy who does not rip you off and well worth using, it was cheaper to go back to the airport with him than using the trams and trains etc.
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Damrak Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: JUNE 2005
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Gaz & Suzi
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Not recommended. The rooms were shabby, damp on the walls, fixtures and fittings falling off the walls and worse thing of all was the toilet exploded when we were stoned!!!! we were out all day seeing the coffee shops came back to the Damrak when we heard a god almighty rumble, we opened the toilet with anticipation to find a 3 foot high fountain of poo.i found the staff were unhelpful regarding the cleanliness and request of a move to another room. I would give this Hotel a wide berth,
these are true statements from gaz & Suzi
Good Luck as Amsterdam is a fantastic place if you are cozy in you hotel.
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Hotel D'Amsterdam - Amsterdam
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Pete Exley
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is in the Leidseplein area of Amsterdam.
I was given this hotel through one of these tourist info desks you find in shops on the Damrak, near central station. It purports to be a 3 star hotel - it isn't. I've stayed in 3 star hotels in Amsterdam before, and how this got the rating I really don't know.
They don't take credit cards - cash only.
The shower falls direcly onto the floor of the tiny bathroom (East European style) soaking the area around the sink and WC.
Whatever you do, don't make a phonecall from your room. Despite the fact that there are phones in the room and a helpfull sheet is provided telling how to call, you will be treated like a criminal if you do.
At the limited buffet breakfast (2 star standard) the landlady hovers about, Basil-Fawlty-like, watching everyone like a hawk (when not decending upon them accusing them of "making phone call" from there room).
Dismal for the price!
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Hotel De Mallemoolen - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Hostel Bookers - July 06
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Ross, (18) with friends the same age
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Would not recommend this Hotel!! -it is an absolute dive. They also tried to rip us off by trying to charge us more for our booking although we written confirmation of the price - this was as soon as we arrived. We argued and got the proper price. We had booked 4 person ensuite room which consisted of 3 beds and a mattress on the floor. There was no door on the bathroom just a manky old shower curtain. The shower was dirty and tiles broken.
One of the things they advertise is safety deposit boxes. You'd be safer leaving your wallet on the street I put my money in one when I arrived on Thursday and by Saturday it had all gone it was stolen from the locked box. I was left with 35euros to last until I got home. When I spoke to reception they said they couldn't do anything although it was them who handed out the keys. I went to the police who told me to look at CCTV tapes (another joke) they didn't even point to behind the reception where the safety deposit boxes were situated. I went back to the police a second time but nothing happened - they gave me a written report but didn't investigate anything
Not Recommended.
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Hotel De Paris - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: internet booking March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Mike Lindsey (47, 44, 48,42.
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just don,t go to this hotel unless you love dirt and dust. It looked great on the net, but as soon as we saw our rooms we knew we could not stay for one night let alone 3.The rooms were filthy. We just turned round and walked out. Luckily we found a better hotel around the corner.
Amsterdam is great though whatever you are looking for!
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Hotel Di-Ann - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Expedia - August 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by :
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just returned having spent 5 nights at this hotel. Very quaint and very small. We had a quad room with a double and 2 single beds. Tight squeeze but served a purpose. Staff very friendly, towels changed every day (a big plus) The only downside is the access. There are 3 sets of very, very steep and twisty stairs which made it hard work getting the suitcases up!! Not at all suitable for the elderly or anyone with mobility problems. Having said this the building is a typical old Amstedam residence so we felt this added to the charm.
Would reccommend this to anyone on a budget as it is so central.
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Hotel Di-Ann - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Independent - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : 3 women - (50, 45, 42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel is on a busy road above a row of shops 2 mins from Dam Square. It's a shock at first as the entrance is only a doorway and when you go in all you see are 2 very steep flights of stairs, 37 of them up to the reception area and they turn at the top(no mention of these anywhere even in the hotel leaflet). It's because you are in a typical Amsterdam building very narrow and lots of floors. Then the bedrooms are on the next 2 floors above (more stairs). It is clean and basic, but it is 2*. Although you hear the traffic you are away from the noise of the bars. Breakfast was cornflakes and toast with hard boiled eggs and marmalades. Again typical of a Dutch 2*.
Adequate hotel, with a very friendly cat, for a couple of nights in Amsterdam.
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Hotel Falcon Plaza - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Lastminute.com - Nov 2006
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Nev Ashman - 60's
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel is situated quite convenently - away from main tourist area but within 20 mins walk of Centraal Station and all the main tourist attractions. It is run by Chinese and its decor is similar to Chinese restaurants and although our room was very small it had a large double bed and kept very clean. It had a help- yourself continental breakfast to fill up on and keep you going for quite a few hours.
We recommend a nearby restaurant - turn right out of the hotel, cross over the road, left after the Kobe suchi bar to the Allure where you can have an excellent 3 course meal for about 16 euros.
We visited all the tourist spots but we would recommend Mikes Bike Tours for a guided cycle ride along the Amstel river to a windmill and cheesefarm. The guide will tell you more about Amsterdam than you can read in a guide book.
During the day try to find a large delicatesant/cafe called La Place where they cook fresh food for you on woks etc - we have never been to such a wonderful healthy eating place. It is opposite a shopping centre near the end of a street full of shops which runs from near Dam Square to Spui Plaza.
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Hotel Globe - Amsterdam
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Phil Aldridge-Liverpool (28,28.32) - Date Not Specified
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is the worst i have stayed at in Amsterdam,and have stayed in various hotels.The location is good but thats about it.the rooms are small,dirty and the so called 'bathroom' was like something out of a prison! The carpets in the hotel are thread bare and the walls are dirty and marked.
The first morning no one had bothered to turn up to cook,and the next morning the food was cold.
You have to ask for your own towells and have to be 'let in' by the reception staff every time you want to be let in.
take my advise,stear clear!
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Golden Tulip Amsterdam Art - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Independent - April 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Marilyn and Robert (50 and 57)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked hotel via the Internet and arrived with a few doubts as you do but no need to worry at all. We booked direct with the hotel and paid Euro 360 for room only which was a "special" rate at that time (April 2004). This rate did not include breakfast.
Got upgraded to 4* as 3* rooms not available (Shame!!). Brand new hotel built in February 2004. Fantastic hotel. White duvet, goose feather pillows, glass bathroom, separate fully tiled wc, red hot power shower, purple carpet and comfortable red velvet pillows (at bottom of bed). Divine.
Fully stocked Mini bar (BEWARE if you take out any of the contents (and don't intend to drink/eat it) you have approx 15 seconds to put it back in the same spot in fridge. If you don't, you will find on checking out of the hotel that the said item is on your bill)!!
Liked the idea that the kettle and tea/coffee making facilities were hidden in drawer. More room on the dressing table.
This hotel is just outside central Amsterdam in the Westerpark area. Takes approx 10 minutes on bus and there is a bus stop directly outside hotel. The hotel has a few unfinished works taking place - while we were there (April 2004) workmen were working on the swimming pool area. We understand it should be ready to use by July/August 2004.
We enjoyed taking the bus everyday as we didn't want to stay in the centre of Amsterdam. We bought a 4 day bus pass (from Tourist office) very cheap.
Travelling round the city is very easy.
Trams are the best and cheapest, but worth buying a hop-on/off ticket for the canal boats one day so you get the tour as well.
Amsterdam was great too - plenty to eat and drink but can be a bit pricey. Just shop around.
In our opinion Amsterdam has everything; if you are a shopaholic (like me) you will be in your element.
Booked one trip to Volendam and Marken which was really nice. This is a completely different Holland to the one you see in Amsterdam. The trip also included a stop-off at a cheese farm and clog maker
All in all a great City and a great Hotel. Definitely go back again soon.
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Golden Tulip Amsterdam Art - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Independently - April 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Bobby and Marilyn - 56, 50
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at the 4* Golden Tulip Amsterdam Art Hotel just outside Amsterdam. The hotel is located on the edge of Amsterdam's historical centre, in the Westerpark area and 10 minutes away from Schiphol Airport. A city bus stops right in front of the hotel and brings you to the city centre.
We stayed in late April 2004 on a 4 night break (breakfast not included) and paid approx Euro 360 for our room.
Accommodation is important to us and we were celebrating a birthday so we thought it was money well spent. When we go back to Amsterdam again we will definitely book this hotel.
We bought a travel pass (very cheap) and enjoyed taking the (frequent) bus service from our hotel into the City centre.
I booked this hotel and flight (via Easy Jet) over the Internet (just 1 week before departure). It's the first time I have booked over the Internet and felt a bit unsure about it but went for it anyway!
Everything turned out great. Can't fault the hotel - it was fabulous. It had just opened in February 2004. All rooms are luxurious in this 4* hotel, trendy furnishings, purple carpet and a fantastically comfortable Queen bed!
Also no problems with Easy Jet (unlike the TV programme) flights were on time and only takes approx 40 minutes from Stansted to Amsterdam.
Loved Amsterdam and looking forward to going again. Shopping, sightseeing, museums, not forgetting the Red Light District which has to be seen! It has the lot. We also had very good weather (definitely a bonus) and also went on a trip to the Windmills and of course the canals and had great days out.
There are some very good (+ clean) cafés in the Centre - just shop around - we found a cafe offering "Full English" breakfasts at around e4.95. All in all a great mini break and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will go back.
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Goldern Tulip Inntel - Central Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Expedia - February 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : 48, 44, 42, 41
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Very central hotel, situated just far enough away from the main street to be quiet but near enough to make no difference.
Hotel has a lovely bar with a roaring fire which was a great way to end the evenings after walking round Amsterdam. Huge comfy beds and modern bathrooms were just brilliant.
Some bits of Amsterdam made is feel a little uncomfortable. We were offered ***** in some areas at night practically every 5 minutes. (Not necessarily in the red light district either). We weren't hassled though, we just ignored them and they carried on.
Great place, good food, the Dutch are brilliant people, extremely polite, very friendly and eager for you to like the Netherlands.
We are already planning to go back.
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Great Western Hotel Eden - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: B.M.I.Baby - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Aldo the Blade(42,42,41,40,38,36)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked hotel via the Internet,arrived with a few doubts as you do but,No need to worry at all.The Reception staff were very friendly and helpful,the hotel is spotlessly clean and although the rooms aren`t the biggest they are clean and tidy,with t.v and a red hot powerful shower.Booking out was made easy too with the hotel getting us an 8 seater mini bus for our return home to the airport.
Amsterdam was great too plenty to eat and drink but can be a bit pricey.......don`t forget your Visa.All in all a Great City and a Great Hotel.*****
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Ibis Stopera - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: DFDS - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : 44,52
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My partner went to Amsterdam for a week with DFDS. I would recomend this trip to anyone. Amsterdam is a fantastic, lively, beautiful city.
An abundance of museums fot all tastes, I recoment the Rijksmuseum, Resistance museum and Ann Franks House. Loads of pavement cafes , great for people watching ! A must is Anne Franks House,it is a moving place to visit, but not suitable for those with walking difficulties because of all the stairs.
Public transport is cheap and very reliable.
The people are so friendly and nothing is too much trouble, service always comes with a smile.
The Ibis Stopera is well situated, just round the corner from Waterlooplein and a canal bus stop and a 5-10 minute walk from the red light district and central station. Rooms are lovely, I was amazed at the size of the shower in out bathroom.
We went on trips to Volendam & Marken ....great afternoon out !
WE also went to Delft & Maduorodam...a model village that will delight young and old.
I can't wait to visit Amsterdam again, I didn't want to leave.
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Impala Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Sue and Kel
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just got back from our 1st visit to amsterdam. Had a great time but I don't think we'll be staying here again. Don't get me wrong.... the staff are friendly and helpful but the place is filthy! It needs Kim and Aggy in it urgently!
When we arrived we were told our room was ready. As my friend entered the room she found someone sleeping. so we left out bags and went for a walk whilst waiting for our room to be cleaned. When we went back we lugged all our luggage upstairs to find it was a double bed. Now i love my friend to bits but there is no way we could have a double bed.... we are both biggish girls so it just wasn't right! We tried to explain to the girl working on reception that we had booked a twin room but she explained that tein means double in the netherlands.....??! So then we were put on the phone to the manager who was really nice but said we should have phoned to confirm that we wanted a twin room and if we wanted to change we would have to pay another 45 euros! So my friend calmly explained that she had done this 2 weeks before and all was in order. We got the room in the end but make sure you confirm if you want a twin room as there is only 1!!
The room itself was tiny but we had a canal view which was great. The floors were dirty though so make sure you take slippers. Also the curtains looked they were about to fall down.there isn't much room for suitcases but if you're on a budget its ok to lay your head.... don't expect tea and coffee in your rooms. There are plenty of plug sockets and there's a hairdryer in the batroom, towels are provided but they weren't the cleanest.
Breakfast consisted of cheese, ham, bread, jam, cereal, juice and hot drinks. Very basic but for the money we couldn't complain.
the hotel itself is easy to find. take the 370 bus from the airport (can't remember the stand number). the bus takes to to Liedesplein. when you get off the bus you need to cross the road to the other side and head left, just before the bridge take a right (american hotel) and the impala is about 300 yards down there. If you arrive in the middle of the night make sure you have made arrangements to be let in as it's on a card security system.
If you're there for the tourist sites your 1st stop should be the VVV. It's on Liedesplein just after the square and they'll tell you all about the tickets you'll need, you can also pick up a map here (you'll definatelt need it!!). If you're going to the Anne Franks house, make sure you get tickets before. the qeues were horrendous but if you have a ticket you get to walk right in!
So all in all we had a great time though I do't think we'll be staying at the Impala again, ok if you're on a really tight budget (travelling or a student) but if you like the finer things it's not for you. Enjoy!!
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Jolly Hotel Carlton - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Easyjet - April 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Em & Mark - Milton Keynes (38, 40)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is the second time that I have stayed at the Jolly Hotel Carlton and it has been excellent both times. It is well placed, by the floating flower market, within easy walking distance of everywhere that you would wish to be. The hotel is located on a busy street, however once inside the hotel, no noise could be heard.
The first time I went, I had a standard room, which was lovely. This time we paid extra for the deluxe room and WHAT a room!!!
We only ate in the hotel once, at the downstairs restaurant. The food was good, but very over priced. A better bet is to find a restaurant near by, of which there are plenty and eat there.
Amsterdam is a place for everyone with a great deal of variety and would be an excellent place to visit for people of all ages. Don’t be put off by Amsterdam’s red light district/drug reputation, there is much much, more to it than that.
From the airport, the trains are quick, frequent and very easy to use. We then caught a taxi from Central Station to the hotel. All very easy.
Not to be missed is an apple pancake. Heaven!
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B and B Jordaan - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Self Sourced
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : M.Wilde + A.Milne 53 & 46
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The only B and B in this area of Amsterdam. Run by Charlotte and very well run at that. Clean and comfortable with a great breakfast. The bed was excellent and - if you are booking with just 2 or 3 people, it's totally private. Very reasonable rates and, surprisingly, you are in control of the breakfast time and the heating !!.
The Jordaan is the best part of Amsterdam (in my humble opinion) and the B&B Jordaan makes a great base for exploring the city - whether on foot, by bike or on the trams and boats. You can walk almost everywhere from here.
I would definitely return.
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Hotel Lantaerne - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Hoteladvice Sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : N Hodson Cheshire ( 58,58)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Excellent resort. Used the canal bus and trams to get around , these were easy and inexpensive to use. Shops ,eating museums all were very good and not too expensive.
We paid 310 euros for 3 nights for two people. We were expecting a budget city hotel. The position near Ledesplein Square was fine. The hotel was dirty, smelly and shabby. The carpeting on the stairs was so dangerous as you climbed the flights. The height was no problem but the frayed unsecure carpet was. The eating area was covered in dust. The only redeemable feature was clean bedding. There were no other positives.
Luckily Amsterdam had so much to offer that we did not use the room except to sleep and even then the state of the room preyed on the mind.
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Le Meridien - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Expedia.co.uk - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Emily and Kristian 25, 27
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Le Meridien is a 5 star hotel which we managed to book at 1/3 of the normal price with Expedia.
A taxi from the airport cost us £24.00, so was not cheap! We took £300 cash for the weekend, but were shocked when the hotel demanded £200 deposit. I didnt have any of my credit cards with me as we intended to use the cash. We reluctantly handed over the cash amd hatched a plan where my mother faxed over her card details so they could take it out of that and give us our cash back! Had we not done this we would have been stuck in a hotel room eating sandwiches from the garage opposite!
Expedis did not make it clear that a £200 deposit would be required.
The hotel is situated about 20 mins by foot away from the town centre. The canals were beautiful at nighttime, all lit up and romantic!
The hash cafes were an eye opener- be warned do not take any back to hotel to smoke beacuse this is not allowed!!
The red light district had me in stitches and the sex museum was hilarious.
Perhaps next time we will take in more of the cultura side and see the Anne Frank museum and do a canal tour!
Overall it was an excellent holiday. Just be warned that the food in the hotel is expensive, so is the mini bar. The breakfast which was included is fantastic.
We will be back to Amsterdam, but next time to a hotel that would suit 20 somethings who are strapped for cash!!
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Hotel Linda - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Lastminute.com - Dec 2006
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Kenny Ramsay - London (25)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
it is a good, basic hotel. It is clean, the staff were great and what on Earth were the other reviewers doing getting a taxi from the Station - it's only e1.60 on the tram! Lines 4 and 25 stop nearby, by far enough away not to be noisy.
The breakfast had a wide choice of ham, cheese ,bread
The building is a traditional canal house so it has steep stairs and no lift.
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Hotel Linda - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: easybookings oct 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : lisa henderson 35 robert henderson 26
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Npot Recommended. where do we start. hotel was 30 euro's by taxi away from amsterdam center but it stated in the description that it was in the heart of amsterdam. when we finally got there we were given a room on the first floor no lift no porter and well dangerous spiral stairs so we new we couldn't have too much to drink as we'd most probably end up in hospital.
lighting in room was BAD BAD BAD the bathroom light didn't work and the only other light was burning a 20 watt bulb so expect to get dressed in the dark. booked a double but got 2 singles just pushed together. pillows stank to high heaven so woke up with a crick neck and last but not least don't touch the breakfast the only edible and safe thing to eat was toast and you had to queue for that and make it yourself in a 2 slice toaster. NEVER AGAIN. BEWARE;;;
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Hotel Manofa - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Lee Stanbridge - Cambridge
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Although this is a 1 star hotel, their website says it has been newly renovated and is working its way up to a 2 star.
But this infomation is incorrect, as you will find out if you book a room there.
We went in a party of 8, 4 in each room, our room we shared with 3 mice, lights were not working and the window had to be wedged open with a chair.
The other room our friends stayed in had holes in the wall, a leaking roof (right above a bed), plug sockets would not work unless the main light was on, the window of the room was placed in a dark allyway in reach of the public (not good in amsterdam) and finally there was only one tiny cupboard for the four of them which wouldn't have been any good to one person.
So do not be fooled by the lavish pictures on their website.
Also their restaurant is the worse place i have ever eaten, the food was way overpriced and under-cooked.
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Hotel Manofa - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Ronnie Denise and family Renfrewshire - 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 15 to 45
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is with out doubt the worst hotel i have ever been in, in our lives.
I have 3 bites on my leg my wife and son have them also, (have pics) the only place we could have got them was the beds.
this hotel looks great from the web site but the rooms had filthy carpets and walls. We have been away numerous times and have never had anything like this, they take the money upfront before you get your room keys because if you seen the rooms you would never stay there. Amsterdam is great though (my 4th time there) but never again in this hotel.
Best meal was in the sea palace fantastic 160 euros for the 4 of us and worth every cent
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Marnis hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date:2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Lyn Griffiths - Coventry (25, 30, 41, 51, 35, ??, ??)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is the first time I have been to Amsterdam. Went with some cracking friends which helped make the short break we had a great experience. more than I can say about the hotel.
This hotel was described as having friendly receptionists, a cosy lounge and the bedrooms in a dormitory style. We arrived about midday to find that the room we had was still occupied! We were told that we could book in about 1pm. Not a problem. We asked if our bags could go in the luggage closet to be told it was too small for our luggage (there were 7 of us in total)Even though there were people still in our room, we were told to leave our luggage in the room regardless. The room had bunk beds!!! Suffice to say - we weren't impressed. On doing so, we left the hotel in search of some food!
We went down to Leidseplein square - what a fantastic place. Full of shops, bars and cafes. Our evenings were spent in this square as it had everything we needed nearby (including a Burger King and McDonalds). We took a trip into Dam Square and the Red Light District (now that'a placeworth going - even if you are a lady).
After getting drunk on the first night and heading back to the hotel - the problems we'd had when we arrived seemed like a distant memory! I must say that even the biggest complainer in our group (who actually went in search of another hotel to stay at earlier in the day) enjoyed the nights sleep and the room didn;t seem to bother anyone after that (except the fit of giggles and laughter that went on into the early hours beacuse of the snorring going on between certain members of the group!!!)
Passports were lost by two members of our group. They were left at the hotel. I have to admit that they were good in arranging a taxi for the passports to get to us at the airport in time for our flights so I can't grumble at that!
All in all it was a fantastic hgoliday - a great place to go although I must say - I think I'll give the Marnis Hotel a miss next time!!!
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Hotel Martelaar - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Go Travel Internet Site - May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : John Wright (50,50,50,54)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel was booked through 'Go Travel' at 90 euro's per night for a twin room including breakfast and all taxes paid.
It's in a great location easy walking distance from the Centraal Station.
Although it has a tram stop right outside.
Our room was at the front overlooking the main road and was not noisy as it had treble glazing.It also has a lift and a small bar area.
One warning is to get aquainted with the fire exits as our stairs did not go to the ground floor and we found we had to go to another flight through a set of doors on the first floor
We found a really excellent resturant just up in the ally next to the Hotel called 'Madre Maria' an Argentinian Steak House, that had on special All you can eat BBQ ribs with chips and salad for only e11.50. just ask for more and they are more than pleased to give them to you.
We all had a great time in this city although how we avoided not being killed by those lunatic cyclist's beats me!
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Museum Sqaure Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Superbreak - 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Lou - Hannah - Annette - Lorraine
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Found this hotel on Superbreakcom, took some time and looking at reviews, was rather worried as quite a few hotels had awful reviews, this one brilliant, it is slightly out the busyness of amsterdam but worth it, in all honesty you are never far, the transport system is excellent and it is so easy to get from the airport to whatever hotel you stay in plenty of trams trains and buses.
The hotel was lovely and clean, friendy reception and the breakfast was good. We only had a day and a night there, could of done with longer but what we did see was lovely. The people over there are so friendly and helpful.
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Hotel Nadia - Amsrterdam
Operator and Date: Jey 2 - December 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Andrea, Mick Newcastle-upon-Tyne (36,35)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We travelled to Amsterdam for Christmas 2006, with Jet 2 Flights and Hotels.
Transfer from Airport
We booked the Connexions Minibus from outside the airport terminal. It was cheaper than getting a taxi and you can book your return pick up also. You can get the train into the centre of Amsterdam but check how far away your hotel is as it may you would need a taxi from there, so could just be more cost effective to get the minibus to the door.
Hotel Nadia
On arrival, could not believe how steep the staircase was! It did say so on the internet mind. On buzzing and entering, we were met by someone to take our bags up, thank god! There were at least 50 very steep stairs, so no use if you have walking difficulties. It was being painted when we were there so we had to crawl up and down, quite funny after a glass of wine or 2! Most of the hotels in that area are built inthe same style so check before you book. Staff on Reception were very pleasant and helpful and you got free guidebooks and a drink on arrival. They ahd storage for bags on the last day as we did not fly home until late in the day.
Rooms
The room was basic but clean and tidy. beds comfry and sheets clean. The bathroom was very small and there was not much room between the basin, toilet and the wall, so if you are a large person, you will not manage to squeeze through to the shower cubicle! Rooms on the front and side overlook one of the canals.
Breakfast
Continental, but plentiful and although the restaurant is very small, it was traditionally decorated with it being xmas time and the staff were there for anything you needed.
I would definitely recommend this hotel for a short break.
Amsterdam (Daytime)
If you come out of the hotel door, turn right and walk in a straight road for about 10 minutes, over a couple of bridges, you will come to a big supermarket on the corner and in front of there is Dam Square, which is a central point. This leads to all the shops, restaurants and bars, which you can explore on foor. If you wanted to venture further out of the centre, the trams are cheap and reliable.
Amsterdam (Nighttime)
We took a tram to Liebersplien (think that is spelling!?) which was much nicer at night, plenty of bars and restaurants. You get a bit sick of the Red Light District once you have seen it. Drinks and food were priced at about what you would pay here. Some a little dearer than others, so worth shopping around. The "smoking" bars were open day and night and people seemed really chilled out, we saw no trouble at all.
Xmas in Amsterdam
We arrived on 24th and everything was open. On 25th and 26th, most bars and restaurants were open but the department stores and some of the souvenier shops were not. Some of the tourist attractions were open, but to save disappointment, check before you fo if there is something specific you want to see. We went to Anne Franks House, The Zoo and the Diamond Museum, all very good. We also got an all day ticket for the canal boats which is a great way to jump on and off to see all of the city. It is compact and you can do alot on foot, but the canal boat saves you time and we only had a few days there.
All in all, we would recommend Amsterdam for a short city break. There is plenty to see and do and the people are friendly - enjoy!!
Andrea and Mick x
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Hotel Nieuwe Slotania - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: September 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : James Holland - London (22, 22)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at the Hotel Nieuw Slotania on the outskirts of Amsterdam. If you are planning to stay here you will find an exceptionally clean hotel which is also easy on the wallet.
However, it is a 20 minute tram ride (number 14 tram) from the city centre. This does get annoying after a day or two, especially as the trams stop running at about midnight.
The maids in the hotel are also annoying. While they are efficient, they are also persistent..... be prepared to have any lie in you may be planning rudely interrupted. They knock and enter with little or no wait in between and the hotel does not provide "do not disturb signs". The maids also speak little English and are not easy to get rid of!
That said the hotel is well presented. The breakfast is also of a high standard, and, although continental, offers a wide range of cold meats / bread / cereal / tea & coffee / fruit juice. Also the rooms have no tea or coffee making facilities.
Amsterdam itself is very nice. Incredibly clean and, although there was a tram strike and a demonstration in the square while we were there (which both ruined our transport arrangements), it is pretty easy to navigate.
Anne Frank's house and the Rembrandt house in particular are worth a visit. The Holland Experience is very funny - for all the wrong reasons - but overpriced.
River boat cruises are very good - we went with Canal Bus as you can hop on or off any of their three routes all day and use the boats until mid-day the next day.
The Red Light District is good and, while supposedly safe, I would recommend taking a guided tour as you are likely to learn a lot more and see much more interesting things with a guide to show the way.
Coffee Shops are excellent and should be made legal in Britain... the best one we visited was called the Goa Coffee Shop, near the red light district.
All in all a very good trip. We stayed for a week, which was perhaps a little too long. It is possible to visit all the attractions in 3 or 4 days, but the longer you stay the more time to relax you have... assuming maids don't constantly wake you up that is.
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Hotel Nieuwe Slotania - Amsterdam
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Alison and James, 22
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We arrived in Amsterdam at 8.30am - and three hours later found our hotel.
The fact that the rep in the travel advice booth only had hazy (and as it turned out, incorrect) knowledge of that part of Amsterdam should have been a warning as to how far out of the centre the hotel was.
25 minutes on the tram (number 14 for any of you who happen to stay there and need to get to the town) is a bit too far in my estimation and the reviews did not say quite how "North East" of the city it really was.
However, the staff were friendly, helpful and polite and the hotel was immaculately clean. The breakfast was of a good standard although the lack of "do not disturb" signs meant a few embarrassing incidents with the maids (who come round very early).
All in all, if the Slotania was nearer to the centre of Amsterdam I would stay there again. As it is, 25 minutes on a packed and smelly tram is just too much for me.
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Hotel Okura - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Expedia.com - April 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Matthew Godfrey
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This 5 star, business hotel to the south of amsterdam city center is only a 5 minute tram ride to Dam Square (the heart of Amsterdam).
Although expensive the service is excellent and the staff are very attentive.
The rooms are fully equipped with bathrobes, slippers, bathtowels and a vast range of bath and shower supplies.
The hotel boasted a range of resteraunts
(a bistro, Frech cuisine, Japanese Teppanyaki etc) which served food all day. Although the prices were a bit high the quality of the food is excellent.
The hotel is right on a canal and even has its own jetty. The hotel also was in a great location for the RAI centre and was also served by many tour and excursion companies
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Old Quarter Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: October 13th - 15th 2005.
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Lenny. St Helens.
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel Old Quarter is quite simply the best 2 star hotel in amsterdam. I have just returned with my son and his friend, as we celebrated his 18th birthday there, and i'm so pleased we chose to stay here. The hotel, staff, food, beer and location are all just perfect, and i cannot recommend it strongly enough, and from now on i shall never go anywhere else.
So if your with either a few friends, or just your partner then this very centraly located hotel is will be right up your street, Warmoestraat street that is, only the best one in the dam'. However, should you fancy taking the wife or girlfriend and want to impress with something a little more upmarket, then the Hotel Estherea is without doubt the best.
Just go, relax and have fun! As long as you keep your witts about you when around the red light area and especially at night, then Amsterdam will be an experience that you will never forget. N-joy!
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Old Quarter Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: September - 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : S & S Reid - 43, 39
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Old Quarter Hotel is a few minutes walk from the Central Station. found it no bother located on Warmoestraat it runs parallel to the Damrak. Great Location.
We had a "Luxury" Double Room located on the 3rd floor. luxury must mean basic in dutch as thats just what it was. the double was two single beds pushed together. The room was small but clean so can't complain about that. The shower however was a different matter altogether. it was fantastic Hot Powerful you could almost have a sauna in the room. The Breakfast was good also and the bar was always busy had a few drinks in there to.
Altogether a nice enough Hotel although I would try and get the rooms on the third floor as these tended to be a bit quieter and with a good view over the Damrak and a litle Canal.
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Ramada City Centre - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: (Going Places Direct) Going Places - 2006
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : billy,sharon(50,42)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Amsterdam is a very liberal city and i enjoyed it loads.The Ramada is well located for all sightseeing everything is only a short walk away.The reception and breakfast areas are very nice,the breakfast is second to none.The hallways and rooms could do with a paint job as they need freshened up,a good upgrading is required.It would not stop me returning there again.
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SAS Raddison - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Internet booking April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Richard Brown - Harrogate (47,45)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After searching the internet for a good 3* hotel we found the 5*SAS Raddison for vrtually the same price . The hotel is situated on the outskirts of the red light area (you would not know this)down a side road off one of themain canal roads about 5 minutes walk from Dam Square
rooms are very clean and tidy and the staff are all polite and helpful.
One thing not to miss is the buffet breakfast which has everything from fruit juice/cereals/fresh fruit/cold meats & cheese to a choice of probably 10 assorted hot items
we did not use the restaurant at night but had a bar snack in the bar which was suprisingly for a hotel good value.
Definitely a hotel to visit again
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Terminus Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomsonfly - feb 2006
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : jackie,shaun,daz,maz - doncaster 35,37,42,42
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
wot can i say "OH MY GOD ", FANTASTIC !!!
flew out from donni on sun 5thfeb06, was at the bar from 10:00am and eventually went to bed at midnight, stayed at the terminus hotel wich was great, very cantral..our plans were just to have a few beers at a few bars then go back to the hotel to get changed then go back out for a nice meal, walk around the red light district then have a few more beers, but NO, once we got in the bar called the "old sailor" we couldnt get out, atmosphere was fab,even the girls in the windows were enjoying watching us all as much as we were enjoying watching them, will definatly be going back, just for the 1night again, cant manage 2 nights, its now tuesday and im still recovering..
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Hotel Tulip Inntel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: travelcare
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 51 50
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The short break we had in Amsterdam was excellent.
Unfortunately the travel agent booked us into the wrong hotel. The hotel they booked us into was 20 mins out of amsterdam. Travelcare were totally unhelpful, insisting we were the ones at fault and it took 7 hours to sort out. We had to pay £200 extra to stay in the hotel we had already paid £360 for.
When we had finally sorted our problem another couple from England had the same problem as us.
Although we lost a days holiday we still managed 2 brilliant days in Amsterdam.
The Golden Tulip Hotel in the centre of amsterdam was first class.
Go on a canal trip,very cheap and a good way to see amsterdam.
Too many bars and restaurants to name, pleased with every one we visited.
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Victoria Hotel - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Lastminute.com - Feb 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Cat & Chris (19, 22)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Before we booked this hotel, we had read bad reviews so we were slightly apprehensive. But when we arrived, the hotel was amazing, the room was amazing, the bed was amazing and the shower was amazing. The location was also great. When we walked out of Centraal station (only took 15 minutes by train), the hotel was straight in front of us. It was close enoguh to everything, but not too close.
We had no problems at all over the three days, and I would definately recommend the hotel to anyone. Red light district wasn't as exciting as we expected, leidesplein was great and so were the waffles at the haagen dazs cafe and the crepes at australia (esp after a visit to bulldog palace). All in all, a perfect valentines weekend!!!
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Victoria Hotel (Park Plaza) - Amsterdam
Operator and Date: Independantly booked - Jan 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2004 by : Mandy - Davey (33 & 37)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion: Having been to Amsterdam 8 times now I feel im qualified to comment on it!!
Its a great place BUT... Ive just been for New Year and it wasnt so great. The place was jam packed FULL of people and the pick pockets were rife! Ive never seen anywhere so busy in all my life. Apart from that we still had a great time as usual.
We stayed at the Victoria Hotel this time and it was lovely - everything that I'd read about it was true, it really was a first class 4 star hotel, beautiful reception, lounge, bar etc etc another BUT... the rooms, well, they were nice but I felt they were a bit basic given the fact it was a 4 star hotel and the rest of the place was perfect. Nothing really wrong with them just not quite the 4 star room I was expecting.
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Andorra
Lake Placid - Pas De la Casa, Andorra
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - Mar 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Anne Pritchard - Shrewsbury
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
No matter how cheap it looks in the brochure DO NOT go to Lake Rancid sorry Placid apartments in Pas, its really worth giving it a miss for the year!!
Unless of course you enjoy standing in your own pee for a week cos the toilets leak, hearing every one else pee for a week cos the walls are sooo thin, sleeping on puke/poo stained matresses, having 2 second showers cos theres not enough hot water; on a brighter note we actually thought we had a carpet, until we swept it and realised it was the collection of pubes since the construction of the apartments!
On departure we feared we would lose our deposit because we had changed the look of our room - the floors had been cleaned and there was a scent of polish in the air.
The food in pas is ok if you like eating on a rota basis, if theres a few of you dont expect to eat at the same time, and dont be deceived by a wide range of desserts - any visit during ski season and the chef is "too busy".
The shopping was more expensive than in England so dont expect bargins, unless you smoke.
And just to top it all, the Mc Donalds there doesnt do Breakfasts!!
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Piolets Park Soldeu - Andorra
Operator and Date: Inghams - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Philip and Jane Stone - Bideford (49)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We thought Andorra was great. The weather in August was about 25c every day, although the week before we arrived they had snow! The Hotel Piolets Park was brilliant. There is a wide choice of food at breakfast and again in the evening. The indoor pool perhaps is a little on the small side and swimming hats must be worn at all times. The gym facilites are very good and there is an outside jacuzzi.
There are some really great walks around the Soldeu area and all of them are clearly marked. It would be practically impossible to get lost. Most of the walks start off with a one to two hour climb but the views from the top are fantastic. You can see for miles. Carol (from the Aspen Bar in Soldeu) runs a shuttle service to the start of many of the walks,taking you well into the valleys and thus avoiding walking along the tarmac roads. The wild flowers have mostly gone over in August but there is still a fair selection to be seen. Wild raspberries can be picked at this time of year and they can be found in abundance. Mobile phones from the UK are mostly NOT compatible with the Andorran network.
A wonderful holiday if you enjoy mountains, fresh air and hiking.
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Princesa Park Hotel - Arinsal - Andorra
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Dec 2006
Opinion submitted in December 2006 by : Tim & Clare - Derby (38,32)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The holiday started well (although we were actually put onto the wrong bus by the Thomson rep!!!) and the welcome meeting was fairly useful, information wise.
However, from thereon in, things started to deteriorate. The hotel on first glances seems very nice and worth the 4*+ rating but when we got to our room (in block A) there was a big damp patch along the ceiling (complete with cobwebs!!) but other than that the room was clean (and was kept clean for the week).
The shower cubicle in our room leaked terribly but we were able to use the shower that is over the bath.
Unfortunately, the bolier that was serving block A in the week that we were there decided to malfuction. This resulted in us not having any hot water for the first 3 and a 1/2 days of our holiday. Although the management of the hotel were aware of this, at no point did they come and offer an apology for this or suggest any alternatives until we continually complained. Eventually, on the third day, they offered us the hot showers in the spa (which is 4 flights of stairs away and a walk across the reception and a bar). Not exactly what we wanted after a long day skiing.
By the end of day 4, thankfully we had hot water restored.
Moving onto food, this basically is a buffet style which does offer quite a variety. However, this is not labelled and therefore for me, as a vegetarian, it made it difficult at times to establish what I could and couldn't eat.
My advice, if you are staying there is to always go and start queueing for your evening meal at 7.10pm. This ensures you get into the restaurant at 7.30pm and stand a chance of having a warm meal. If you don't get in at the first deluge of people hitting the restaurant - and the queue gets very long - you can wait for a long time (one day we queued for over 40 minutes) in order to get into the restaurant for lukewarm food.
It did improve as the week went on (as I'm aware of quite a few people that complained that week) but in my opinion was not of the 4*+ quality that we had paid for.
I don't usually complain about things in hotels as I know it can't be easy with so many people to cater for (500+ guests) but I was very disappointed with the general quality.
Also, I have to say I would not book with Thomson or Crystal (part of the Thomson group for that particular hotel as the reps were very difficult to pin down and there was an information board for every other tour operator bar them.
The couple that was with us managed to get hold of the Thomson rep to complain about the food and lack of hot water. His response was "I live here and I don't have a problem"......very helpful!!!
The drinks in the bars were very expensive too so make sure you take plenty of spending money to cover that.
Potentially it could be a lovely hotel but there is definitely room for improvement. The location was excellent for the Gondola and other local bars and shops. There are lots of facilites and things to do at the hotel (pool tables, bowling alleys, internet, etc for kids) and the spa was very nice but it was 16 euros for 2 hours (rather than the 10 euros advertised in the brochure).
The resort - Arinsal - was lovely though, the skiing was fantastic for beginners, and the instructors were brilliant (cheers Hector). We went from complete novices to being quite competent by the end of the week. Although there wasn't much snow, the snow machines had provided enough snow on the slopes for us to learn on and have challenging routes at our level (and beyond as they also had red runs available).
I would definitely go back to Arinsal in Andorra as the place was great and I would recommend skiing to anyone (and learning there is definitely recommended), but I wouldn't go back to that particular hotel or travel with Thomson again.
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Austria
Hotel Alpen - Saalbach
Operator and Date: Inghams -August 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Graeme Cumming - 57,58,32,29
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Alpen, run by the Family Thomas offers 4 star and doesn't disappoint. Mainly a Ski season hotel, it is quiet in Summer. It is situated in the small village close to the centre and two cable cars. Food is superb and served by professional but friendly staff. All the staff from Herr Thomas down are really warm and helpful.
Facilities include inside pool, free bike hire, personal mountain guide, big screen TV in the large bar lounge and dancing at least once a week with Joe and Ray.
Large well appointed hotel with immaculate room service but with the personal touch - even the maids smile!
Walking is excellent and village life is quiet but entertaining with local festivals etc. Golf etc available and Herr Thomas will even give you a game (He owns the Course). Local bus runs to Zell am See lake town and a few miles to twin village Hinterglemm with another two cable cars giving access to the mountains.
For an easy relaxing holiday with excellent service and dining I cannot recommend this Hotel more highly.
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Hotel Alpina - Seefeld Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Keith & Wendy - Aberdeen ( 51, 44 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Our second visit to Austria, first to Seefeld and first time with Inghams.
Firstly we were booked in to the Hotel Kreuzseehof however when we arrived we were advised that we would have been the only 2 guests so they moved us the the sister Hotel, the Alpina. Well boy did we score on that one!!
The hotel is situated about 8 minute walk from the centre of Seefeld, in a quiet residential area. We were given a very warm welcome and shown to our room which was huge, with a balcony which overlooked the stunning mountain scenery. Big double bed, 2 comfy chairs and table, plenty storage space etc. Bathroom was large as well although probably the most dated part of the room. Usual shower half way up the wall, over the bath (typical in Austria)
Now for the best part, the food. Simply wonderful. So much attention to detail and the food was always beautifully presented. 5 courses, starter, salad buffet, soup course, choice of main course then desert. Also unlimited wine, beer and soft drinks with evening meals!!
The head waiter Wolfgang was excellent and all the dining room staff were very attentive.
For our first few days we were the only British guests in the hotel as it was full of Germans. This didn't bother us but we did miss the "social" side in the evening. Even when some British guests arrived later in the week, think they all disappeared to bed after dinner!!
Seefeld is a beautiful little town. We were there at the start of the season so it was pretty quiet and unfortunately the cable cars were not open. The weather was superb too apart from one day of rain. There are some superb walks around the town, all well signposted from easy to hard treks!!
After reading on other reviews on here, we were very keen to visit Mittenwald in Germany. We were not disappointed as it was the most stunning little place ever. Noticed that it was also considerably cheaper than Seefeld for things like beer, tea and even gifts. We also took the train to Munich however a VERY good tip we got was don't buy your ticket from Seefeld as it would cost you 53.80 euro PP so 107.60 for the 2 of us. Instead buy a ticket from Seefeld to Mittenwald which is 11.80 (23.60 for 2) then stay on the train and buy a ticket from Mittenwald to Munich which was an unbelievable 12 Euros each. So we in total we saved about 60 Euros doing it that way!! Something to do with buying in Germany for Germany!! Unfortunately it poured down the day we were in Munich however we had a very nice lunch in Augustiners!! Oh and a few Weiss beer!! Talking of beer, the Weiss beer is just something else. Hubby also took a liking to the dark beer dunkles!
We found Inghams to be very professional and unobtrusive and we would definitely use them again. The only complaint was that we had to pay for food and drink on the flight over despite our invoice confirming meal, however we (and a few others) have raised this with Inghams who are looking into the matter.
To summarise a fabulous holiday, wonderful resort and hotel and would definitely recommend.
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Hotel Alte Post - St Anton - Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal - July 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : 54, 53
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We had a great time, the hotel was really good, food excellent, location right where you want it. The people there were very friendly and helpful. The owner has a passion for old cars and offers a very good value excursion on a Tuesday in one of them.
A good resort for walks and cable cars with another resort - Lech a simple bus journey away with similar things.
The Crystal rep was excellent but I think this girl has now left the company so have no idea on her replacement.
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Hotel Alte Post - St Anton - Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Ed & Susan Hollyman (51, 47)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We were a bit unsure about Austria in the summer. What would the weather be like? Would everything be closed? etc etc. All we can say is if anyone else is in 2 minds about going in the summer just do it!
Its is the most magical beautiful place you can imagine. It is Scotland, The lake District, The peak District, Wales all rolled up into one. St Anton is in the Tyrol and the area is mountainous with the village in the valley giving magnificent views. The village is at 5500ft above sea level and the highest peak is about 7500ft so you you imagine the views. The hotel itself was faultless. We stayed half board. The 5 course evening meal was fantastic every night. For luch you could have the free soup and salad or a free lunch pack to take out with you. There was cake and coffee at 4:00 if you had room.
The leasure facilities were 5 star. Small but adequete pool, 4 different steam and saunas, a great warm bed relaxing area and some really "cool" shower facilities.
If I was really pushed to pick fault it had to be the noise of traffic early in the morning. Although the hotel is on a pedestrain street, delivery vehicles are allowed in.
We would class this as one of the best value for money holidays we have ever had and I must say a "Well Done" to Inghams. They made everything go like clock work.
As for the weather. We had 6 days of 80+ temperatures and one days rain.
One final comment. The Austrian people are so friendly, helpful and welcoming you have to see it to beleive and the whole country tis so clean. You can tell they are really proud of their country and their environment. Bit like the UK!!!!Not!
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Hotel Bergkonig - Neustift, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Judith Harwood Littleborough (57, 59)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel staff are very friendly and helpful. The room we had was large with sitting area The bathroom had a walk in shower as well as a bath.
The meals were very good. Breakfast was a good varied buffet with also cooked bacon and eggs etc to order. In the afternoon you could have coffee etc and cakes and the evening meals were good and varied.
You made your own packed lunch from anything from the breakfast buffet.
The swimming pool although small was lovely and clean and ideal after a days walking.
Neustift is self is a beautiful place with plenty to do,We will definately go back
Just a word on Inghams, as usual they are a good company to travel with.
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Hotel Bergkonig - Neustift, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by :
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Flew from Edinburgh to Innsbruck - pleasant flight with Lauda Air, hot lunch served. Good departure from airport only twenty minutes after arrival although the very small baggage hall was pretty chaotic.
Neustift is only twenty minutes or so from the airport and is in the Stubai valley with excellent opportunities for walking to suit all, and I mean all, abilities and levels of fitness. Some excellent mountain huts and farms for cheap and wholesome lunches.
The village is very much a working village, although gearing itself up for the winter season, which apparently is much busier than the summer. Not alot of tourist oriented facilitiesInghams organise excursions each day, but the only one we did, to Lake Garda, was, because of the lateness of the season, an amalgamation of what would have been individual excursions from as far away as Kitsbuhel - fortunate for us, not so for many others. The excursion itself was a bit disappointing - not the best of courier services and heavily recommended places to eat which obviously paid the courier accordingly. Riva was great for leather goods.
The hotel is one of the best we have stayed at in Austria - a very big south facing room, enormous bed, easy chairs, sofa and a balcony looking south and west to the Stubai glacier beyond the village. A large bathroom with a walk in shower as well as a bath, and a separate WC. A very well appointed leisure suite provided a reasonably sized swimming pool, saunas, steam room and solarium. Massages and beauty treatments can be booked. Adequate grounds afford the opportunity to sunbathe. Food was very good - a large and varied buffet breakfast and eggs cooked to order if you wish. Afternoon tea and cake are complimentary and the evening meal stretched to six courses if you could manage it. Soft drinks are free.
Highly recommended.
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Chalet Anna - Uttendorf Austria
Operator and Date: Direct with proprietor
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Steve Laity
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We chose Chalet-Anna because of its location. I am an amatuer photographer, interested in landscape and close-up photography and Uttendorf provided everything I wanted.
For winter skiing it will be ideal too with four major ski areas within fifteen minutes.
Chalet-Anna is run by Andy and Heather Lazzeri, an expat couple from Kent.
They are full of fun and organised a special murder mystery and fondue evening on our arrival.
The standard of accomodation is very high, comparable with four star rooms that have just that little bit extra added value in the style and detail.
Breakfast, which was included in our booking had the choice of cooked English as well as full continental at no extra cost. Also very welcome was the home made cake and tea served when we got in each evening.
Above all we felt we could relax at the end of the day.
Highly Reccomended.
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Chalet Tirol - Mayrhofen-Austria
Operator and Date: Club Cantabrica-August 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Christine - Liverpool (36,52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Mayhofen is a picturesque village in the Zillertal..we have been going there for over 10 years both with children and as a couple.
There are ample things to do for all ages if you buy the local Z-Ticket it entitles you to free travel on trains and buses up and down the valley from Jenbach to the Hintertux Glacier(with the first stage of the Glacier).
The ticket also entitles you to one trip per day on 12 cable cars in the Ziller Valley it is obtainable from the Penkenbahn cable car station or the train station and is worth every Euro...(available from June to October)
you can fill every day with different trips and walks both flat and mountainous also available are day trips with the local coach company Chritophorus-Reisen who go to Italy or to BerchesGarten in Germany.
Eating out is easy as there are ample cafes and restaurants serving a wide range of local and child friendly foods (the cakes are highly reccomended), I could go on for ages but not everyone has the same tastes so you woulnt know unless you tried a few dishes..
Mayrhofen is well worth a visit as the people are so friendly and helpful and the scenery is breathtaking
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Hotel Edelweiss - Kitzbuhel, Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal Holidays - 29/6 - 7/7/2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Colin Gregory - Richmond, Yorks. (49,44)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Have just read a couple of reviews of Kitzbuhel, one for the Edelweiss too, so my week will echo other comments made.
Kizbuhel itself is a blend of old and modern. The old town is a great place to sit and while away time at one of the cafes. We chose the Cafe Langer and used it every day. The only problem with that was the Louis Vuitton shop above which in 2 moments of madness my wife accumulated over a £1,000 of purchases. That aside there's plenty to do. Must do's are the 2 gondola rides (both 13.50 euros each)The views and walking from the tops are fantastic. There are restaurants atop both which is an added bonus. We did our own thing on 2 days getting the train to Innsbruck, which is both busy and quaint at the same time (23.50 euros each), and Zell am See wich is similar type of place to Kitzbuhel with the added bonus of the lakeside walks.
We did 2 Excursions with Crystal. The Krimml waterfalls are a sight to see but requires an expert (fit) speedwalker to manage the top and back in the time we had there. Its around a 1,000ft ascent on steep zig zag paths.You can bus up but you miss the spectacular lower and middle falls. The only irksome thing about this trip was the tour guide who rambled on for the full length of the journey in both English AND German to please the few who were on the trip too.
We also went to Salzburg on coach as trains take at least 21/2 hours each way. Theres loads to see in the city from the cathedral to Mirabelle gardens, the fortess to the historic squares and generally busy old world streets and arcades.
Actually We had 3 trips out as on the Thursday crystal took us on a free 1/2 day trip to Kufstein, thowing in a visit to a schnapps factory and a first chance to part with our Euros.
Crystal reps were good Crissy has been there 10 years and knows all there is to know about the area.
THE HOTEL. Generally decent food. Our room was basic but adequate but we did have a balcony. The owners spoke brilliant English and were very friendly the 2 young waitesses were pleasant too.
Having said that,it must have Crystals minds not to mention in their brochure that the busy 24/7 railway line was only 30 yards away!!
I too was disappointed that we only reached the airport with 40 mins to spare on our return, therefore depriving us of a chance to buy "cheapies" and gifts.
Still I'd recommend the area 120% and defy any one not to fall in love with Austria. Realistically 7 days wasnt long enough Next time we'll take 10 or 11.
We booked this only 7 weeks prior to departure and paid over £450 (basic price total for 2 was £539) less than brochure price for same holiday.
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Hotel Edelweiss - Kitzbuhel, Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal - June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Keith & Wendy 50,43
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just had a wonderful holiday at the above hotel in Kitzbuhel.
The hotel owners were wonderful and their hospitality was first class. Our room (for which we had paid a supplement) was very large and was more than adequate for our needs. Food was also very good and the menu was not repeated during our 11 nights. Always a good choice for your main meal. Absolutely nothing to complain about at the hotel which represented good value for money.
Kitzbuhel, a picturesque quaint town was very expensive for souvenirs and other shops. Lots of designer shops. Lots of very expensive cars driving around the town too!!
Our only disappointment with the holiday was the rep and the transfer to and from the airport which were nightmare journeys.
We arrived at Salzburg airport at 9.50 for a 10.20 flight home!!!
The rep told us on the coach on our way to the hotel, that Kitzbuhel was very expensive. She also told us that it was also very expensive to cash Euro travellers cheques in Kitzbuhel and would cost you 7-8 Euros per cheque!!!
At the welcome meeting, it was repeated about the 7-8 euro charge for cashing TCs. So for 50 euros you would get 42-43 back!! She then went on to say that they (the reps) would cash them for 2 Euros per cheque.
After the welcome meeting we took a walk around the town and found on the main St a bank (just around the corner from the Crystal office) which advertised "Amex TCs cashed here commission free!! We obviously then cashed our TCs at this bank commssion free!!
We did not go on any of the excursions organised by the rep, instead we did our own thing. We took the train to Innsbruck and had a wonderful day there, train to Zell am See, and the train/bus to other litle villages.
The 2 cable cars in Kitzbuhel, Kitzbuheler horn and Hannenkham are definite musts. Simply breathtaking views from the top.
All in all a wonderful holiday which we would strongly recommend both resort and hotel although not Crystal and sadly we will not be giving them the satisfaction of our business for this year due to their appalling customer service in trying to book our 2005 holiday, but that is another story.
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Gasthof Mauth - St Johann, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - July 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Stewart, Vicki (45,42)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was an Inghams 'Taste of Austria' holiday so we knew the resort but not the accomodation, but we were extremely happy with the Gasthof Mauth.
Next time we do 'taste Of Austria' we'll ask for Gasthof Mauth in the comments field.
It's centrally located on the pedestianised main square, so there's no irksome walk into town because you're there! Being away from the traffic it's very quiet at night time.
The Gasthof Mauth is also a great location to enjoy the festivals in the main square, live music, freeflowing beers but everyone very well-behaved and friendly. There's no litter, cars are limited to 20mph in town and they slow down to let pedestrians cross - after the 'stress' of Britain the Austrians bowl you over with their courtesy.
The Gasthof is family run and the family are very friendly and helpful - they even lent us a plug adaptor. The maids, serving staff are all pleasant, with a cheery and very genuine 'Guten Morgan'.
Their huge St Bernhard dog is a lovely docile chap.
Rooms are very nice, with bath and cleaned daily, and very well sound-insulated from the other rooms.
We were half board and the food was fabulous. Home-cooked and delicious, with free water (orange juice at b'fast), with alcholic drinks extra but reasonable.
St Johann is charming, we bought a ski lift pass and went up the mountains where you find well-signposted walks to the alpine cafe's where you can enjoy food and drinks looking out over the value, it's paradise!
The town is not as small as the Inghams brochure makes out, there's plenty to do e.g. open air pool which is free to Inghams guests.
We took a train to nearby Kitzbuehl and enjoyed mooching round the designer shops.
Bike hire is 10 euros per bike from the Hotel Crystal in St Johann. We did a flat ride along the river to Erpfendorf, then later in the week a more undulating ride to Ehlmau.
All in all our best holiday in Austia yet, thanks to the great location, friendly service and good food of the Gasthof Mauth.
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Gluck Auf - Mayrhofen, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams Taste of Austria, September 2004 (late deal)
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Mark Gillespie - Guildford (40 and 36)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The rooms in the Gluck Auf were a bit small, but you don't stay in your room in Austria.
The breakfast was superb,seemingly unlimited rolls were on offer, and a good selection of cheese, meats and other fillings. Dinner was taken in the village centre 10 minutes walk away at the Tyrol cafe, the 3 course meals were ok.5-10 minutes slow walk down the road were the 2 cable cars, The Penkenbahn and Ahornbahn, both cost 14.40 euros, or 12.90 with a 'guestcard' which is automatically given to you when you check in to your accommodation.If you go on a clear day the views from both the cable car stations are fantastic, and there are signposted walks to follow too.
In Mayrhofen itself there is not a lot to do,especially at night, but it was the last week of summer season, apparently (18/9 - 25/9)and the village centre was very quiet at night(good)We went on 2 excursions, 1 to Lake Garda via the Brenner Pass(a 6am start)which was hot and crowded,although the boat trip across the lake itself was nice.And a trip to Krimml waterfall which was by far the better trip of the 2, coming back via Kitzbuhel.These were booked in the resort at the Ingham's welcome meeting, i was surprised that you were not discouraged to use the local transport, but even given timetables which made a refreshing change.One last point,in some cases the excursions are cheaper than using public transport,Innsbruck being just one example.
We had a great time in Austria and would recommend it to anyone who likes mountain scenery.
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Haus Patricia - Lofer, Austria
Operator and Date: Independent traveller - June 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Fiona Jones - Derby 44,42
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at Haus Patricia on a Bed & Breakfast basis in June 05 and had a fantastic time. The views from the balcony were outstanding. Swimming Pool, restaurants, cable cars, canoing, bike hire were all on the doorstep. Walking and biking trails were fantastic (best kept and signposted routes we have ever used). It was one of my best holidays ever and such fantastic value for money, I just can't wait to return.
The rooms were spotlessly clean. Food was excellent and plenty of it. Most of the bedrooms have a balcony, which have great views of the mountains (snow still on the top in June). Transfers can be arranged from the airport, which were good value for money.
Amanda and Richard are excellent hosts and will provide plenty of helpful advice as to where to go, how to get there and save you money in the process.
Staying at Haus Patricia gets you unlimited access to the lower cable car ride (closed a couple of days a week) and entry to local gorge walks and swimming pools (indoor and outdoor).
Lofer is a lovely quiet mountain village, with friendly people and wonderful views. The location is brilliant and being on the main route from Salzburg to Zell am See, you have no problem getting to many of the tourist attractions the area has to offer, but the beauty of the valley, river, mountain streams and the picturesque mountains will keep you occupied for most of your holiday as they are all accessible using those well maintained bike and walking paths.
The area is so green and fresh that you will not want to leave. In fact if you like mountain scenery this one is a must. If you take the cable car up to the middle station, you can pay 5 euros per person to go up to the top end in a minibus and when ready to walk back, take the waterfall footpath to the cable car station (1 1/2 hours) for the most fantastic views. Beware! Your ears may pop when you get back off the cable car ride.
Give Haus Patricia a try, you will not be dissappointed.
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Jagerwirt - Kitzbuhel, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - June 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Claire O'regan
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Hotel Jaegerwirt was a lovely hotel. The staff are really friendly and all speak excellent english. The rooms although basic are spotless clean and a nice size. We stayed in a corner room which had beautiful views of both The Kitzbuhel Horn and The Hakenbahn.
The food was excellent and the restaurant staff again were very friendly. I would recommend this hotel as being a great family run place to stay.
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Hotel Klausner - Kitzbuhel, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Rosemary, Trevor - Lincolnshire (47,50)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was our first trip to Austria and we chose Kitzbuhel as we were not there just for the walking and wanted other things to do.
The flight was with Tyrolean Airways from East Midlands to Innsbruck and was excellent. A small plane with only 48 seats but excellent flight attendants and meal including free drinks. Landing at Innsbruck on a clear day was lovely coming down the valley between the mountains. We landed at 4.25 p.m. and had our baggage and were away on the coach by 4.45 p.m. I have never got out of an airport so quickly. The transfer is a bit long at 2 hours but if you fly to Salzburg I think it is a bit shorter.
We were very pleased with the hotel as it was only 3 star but was better than I had expected. We upgraded to a larger room with bath and balcony, this was really nice, traditionally furnished, very spacious and clean with a big traditional wooden balcony. This is a family run hotel, the staff speak english and are very pleasant. The food was good, again better than I expected, the dinner was a set meal although they do a vegetarian option. We enjoyed every meal. Safety deposit boxes are available at reception at a cost of 25 euros. The hotel is across the road from the bus station and main railway station. There is some noise from the trains but this did not bother us and the station makes it easy to travel to Innsbruck and other local small towns.
Kitzbuhel was fairly quiet the first week in July but it is apparently busier later in the month and August. We attended the Inghams welcome meeting which was informative not just trying to sell you the trips. We did one trip to Salzburg, very good, recommend you do Salzburg on a trip as although it is not far away it is not easy to get to by train takes a long time, only about 90 minutes by bus. There was a good selection of other trips and if we had been there longer than a week we would certainly have done some of them.
Kitzbuhel is a very attractive town with two gondolas giving you access to the mountains. Do these on a clear day, you do not need to be walkers, you can potter about, look at the views and go to the cafes at the top. Schwarsee Lake is just outside the town, this makes a pleasant walk from Kitzbuhel about 50 minutes. Takes about 30 minutes to walk round lake. You can get to the lake by bus or train. You can swim in the lake, there are boats for hire, a couple of cafes and a hotel. We had coffee and lunch at the Alpenhotel by the lake and would recommend this.
We visited Innsbruck on our own by train. The trains are very good but not cheap. Innsbruck takes about an hour and for two of us cost 47 euros. The old town in Innsbruck is very picturesque and we also visited the Bergisel ski jump on the edge of town.
We really enjoyed Kitzbuhel and would like to go back. This is a walker's paradise but there is plenty to do if you are not walking. There is also a cinema and a swimming pool in Kitzbuhel. Austria was not as expensive as we thought it might be, it is more expensive than places like Spain but no more expensive than Britain and probably cheaper in some cases. The Austrian people are lovely and the country is so clean.
We were lucky with the weather and did not have much rain but obviously where there are mountains you have got to expect rain and the weather can change very quickly.
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Hotel Lukasmayr - Bruck, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - May 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Stebbings Family 50,45,15
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Flight out from Manchester was fine all on time. Got to resort of Bruck quite late 8.40 pm but the hotel was prepared for us, got our rooms sorted out quickly and then had our evening meal waiting for us.
The hotel looks shabby when you go into the reception but that is the tiredest place. The quality of service makes up for the slightly run down feel of the place, some rooms have been upgraded and they are nice.
Very freindly staff most speak some english the owners, The Mayrs speak good english as does Sandra who is cheif of all the staff she is a lovely women who works hard to make sure you are happy.
Lovely quiet village nice walks from right outside holtel.
Inghams has chosen brilliant tours we went on them all, Krimmel, Glostglockner, Liechtenstein gorge, Berchtesgarden & Salzburg. Would not have missed any of these trips in fact we went to the Grosglockner Mountain range twice!!! The scenery is breath taking nothing can compare to the 27 hairpin bends of dramatic snow covered alpine scenery and of course the Marmots!!!
Recommend this holiday to anyone. Well down Inghams. Chris is the rep and a very good one, very helpful, always available for queries on his mobile.
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Margaretha - St.Wolfgang, Austria
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thompson - August 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Yvonne McKay - Glossop (55, 56)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Hotel Margaretha is a small family run Austrian Hotel in the lovely lakeside village of St.Wolfgang. The food, service and friendliness of the staff was excellent. The Hotel has been refurbished to a high standard, giving it a modern, elegant look. Every area was spotlessly clean. The lakeside area is separated from the lake by a minor road but this is not a problem as the road is quiet. The Hotel is a perfect base for walking, running or exploring the region as it is near two ferry stations and the bus stop. We have been to Austria 3 times and this is the best location for walking that we have found. The information given at the 'Information Centre' was excellent. We were given leaflets on local walks, a good local map of the area and we bought a booklet on running routes for 1 euro 20. We were also given bus and ferry timetables. Armed with this information we had enough choice of walks to keep us occupied for about a month - a pity we only had 7 days!
St.Wolfgang is a lovely little village with plenty of eating and drinking places near the centre. A local band plays twice a week in the centre and there is a small festival with bands and entertainment once a week. It is not a place for people who want a lively time but for people who enjoy the simple things in life - it is just perfect.
The access around the lake via the ferries and buses is excellent so it is easy to walk one direction and return via another mode of transport. The bus drivers and ferry operators all seem to speak English and are very helpful. The walking routes in Austria are second to none, virtually idiot proof - every time you reach a junction there is a proper signpost with direction, name of destination and approximate walking time - we didn't get lost once!
The cog railway is near the Hotel and the views from the top are spectacular if you get a clear day. It can be very cold at the top - it was 6 degrees even in August.
The ski lift up the Zwolferhorn from St.Gilgen (reached by ferry) is also a fantastic ride and there is a 3 mile panaramic walk around the top with wonderful views.
If you go to Austria, even in the Summer months, be prepared for variable weather. Do take waterproofs and some warm clothing as the weather can and does change quickly. We love the scenery and pace of life in Austria and can't wait to go back again.
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Mountain High - Kirchdorf, Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Sarah Lewins - Birmingham ( 30,29)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This is a relatively small hotel, built in a charming chalet style. It is one of Crystal's Club Active hotels, and certainly lives up to it's name as it is a dedicated activity centre. River rafting departs from the river that runs by the hotel, although for white water you need to travel out quite a way.
The reps were good. They run a number of guided walks and bike rides from the hotel. I went on one guided walk with my husband, which I found rather challenging as I'm not very fit, but my husband had no bother with. My advice if you're unfit is to get a couple of nordic walking poles, as they really help and you won't be alone as many walkers use them.
A limited number of bikes are available, but you have to be up early to get one. In the end we walked everywhere as we were too lazy to get up in time! Other guests went paragliding, riding cable cars and so on and told us lots of good things about their activities. In a week it's hard to fit everything in, but as it's a small hotel you make friends and hear about most things over dinner.
Be warned that Kirchdorf, whilst an absolutely gorgeous place, is very small, so if you're not prepared to be active, there won't be a lot for you to do. However, it's a walker's, biker's and adrenalin junkie's paradise.
Food is basic, but tasty and plentiful. There's a cold buffet breakfast, a packed lunch of a roll, cereal bar, fruit and a juice drink, and a three course evening meal. There is no choice, except for a veggie option, but we met a picky teenager in the family who sat with us who the hotel did their best to accomodate by removing veg, substituting bread for things and so on. My husband and I really liked the food.
i have to warn you that there is a fly problem, due to the hotel's situation in an agricultural area by the river. I noted several measures that had been put in place to kill them, but you will benefit from packing some fly spray unless you're willing to decipher cans printed in German.
Tap water is drinkable and v. nice - claimed to be the best in the world.
Nightlife in Kirchdorf is limited to the hotel bar, althogh one night there was a free classical concert in the village square, so look for signs advertising this and watch out for the local teens dressed in traditional costume and dancing on the benches! Oh, and buy some schnappes from the lady who comes round as it's nicer than that in the hotel...
If you're doing enough activities you'll be glad of the quiet nights - I certainly was!
The activities we bought through Crystal were good,but the trip to Salzburg was too short and broken up by the guided walk. If you must go, skip the guided walk and save yourself 7 euros - that way you have some time to explore. however, if I had my time again, I'd take the local bus to Kitzbuhel and ride the cable cars instead. Not that Salzberg isn't nice, but we couldn't do it justice in the time available. We also did the Tyrolean evening, which was quite a laugh and as I mentioned before, there isn't much else on to compete for your evenings.
Anyway, it's a beautiful place, and you'll love it if you're active. I'm grossly unfit and I enjoyed myself, but if you have actual mobility problems it may not be the place for you.
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Hotel Obermair - Mayrhofen, Austria
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Leeanne & Kev - Bristol (25 & 28)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was the best holiday we've both had by far. Whilst we lacked the 'lingo' to translate the onslaught of German, the accommodation was remarkable and the resort provided sighteseeing galore.
The ONLY downside we found was the lack of evening entertainment, but seeing as we went in the height of summer, what did we expect!?! Saying that though, we went on excusions EVERY day and managed to get in trips to German and Italy too in our week. We've both been on lots of holidays to the usual places, so thought this was somewhere different, and we had such a fantastic time, we'd most probably go back there. Maybe not to Mayrhofen as we've heard that Kitzbuhl would have suited us better, but Mayrhofen is very very pretty and its just like something out of the films...
The accomodation was superb. Owned by the family Obermair, they treated us very well, provided breakfast for us when we had early morning trips and the bread (brot!) is scrummy. They were very friendly and worked very hard, owning the local garage and a cafe on top of the nearby dam. The family have 5 young boys so it is very family orientated.
Our room had a lovely view, overlooking a vast field (well everywhere was lovely views!). We took some fantastic snaps and throughly enjoyed our stay.
We would definiately recommend this resort for families and for those of you that enjoy walking as there's plenty to be had of that. Whilst we are a relatively young couple, there was still plenty for us to do, which is why we felt it was the best holiday ever!
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Pension Achensee - Alpbach, Austria
Operator and Date: crystal - july 05
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : 40-ish, 50-ish, 15
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Unless you are seriously interested in walking then Alpbach in summer is not the place to go. However, Pension Achensee is a really nice place, Frieda the owner cannot do enough to help. Rooms are really spacious with a huge balcony, plenty of room for 3 beds, a small bathroom and lots of storage space. Food is really good - all home made, buffet breakfast with the usual, 3 course dinner with no choice, but varied during the week.
It's quite a walk from the village, up a very steep hill, and there's not much to see or do once you get there - the whole valley is quite remote, although there is a fairly good local bus service. Quite a few bars etc, but most not open in Summer and those that are close about 8:30pm - so not a resort for nightbirds. Mountain biking available in village as are guided walks from the tourist office - but be warned as the nature ramble takes 7 hours and climbs the highest mountain in the valley.
All in all, a different holiday for us, one which 15 year old son really enjoyed, particularly mountain biking and walking, but for us parents who wanted to laze and relax for a week, maybe not!
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Hotel Post - See, Austria
Operator and Date: BOOKED DIRECT MAR/APR 2007
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : JANICE AND JOHN GOODENOUGH 55
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We had a slightly out of season holiday in seefeld we did.nt know what to expect of the weather it could have been either winter or spring ,in fact we got summer with some days 70 degs The resort was only partly open,not fully opening again untill may,but we certainly found plenty to do and if anything enjoyed it more,with fewer people around it was more relaxing everywhere we went we never had to wait and the service was excelent.We have been to seefeld several times and it remains one of our favorite places,very pretty and still very tyrolean but with every modern facility you could want,and with the very good exchange rate the prices were excellent,We stayed at the hotel post in the centre of the village we paid a bit extra for a de-lux room and it was lovley.but not if you are bothered by the church bells waking you up early every morning.The food and service were very good and the wine,beer and soft drinks are free with your evening meal,all in all we had a very enjoyable time,and hope to return in september.also this time we flew into Innsbruck.instead of either Munich or Saltzburg and we found it much easier just 25mins by taxi to Seefeld,good cheap flights too with b/a.
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Seehotel Freiberg - Zell am See, Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal Active - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Corinne Redwood & Chris Leighton - Nottingham (28, 30)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We spent a week at the Seehotel Freiberg in Zell am See in September 2005 as part of a package booked through Crystal Active (part of the TUI group). We had never been to Austria before, or on an activity holiday, so we weren't sure what to expect. Luckily, we really enjoyed ourselves, although the weather did put a dampner on things at times.
The journey
We travelled from Manchester with Excel Airways. Having heard a number of horror stories about Excel, we were pleasantly surprised that the flight left on time and arrived early both ways. The food was fine but we didn't bother with the entertainment, as the flight was only a couple of hours. The transfer from Salzburg to Zell am See took about 2 hours and went through some lovely scenery.
The hotel
The Seehotel Freiberg is the only one available to Crystal Active guests in Zell am See and is rated as 4 diamonds in their brochure (official rating 3 ½ *; website zellamsee at/seehotel/englisch/index htm). It is situated right on the edge of the lake, with a fantastic view of the surrounding mountains on a clear day. A railway line passes directly behind the hotel, but we barely noticed it while we were there. We really couldn't give enough praise to this hotel - everything was wonderful from the rooms, to the staff, to the food. When we arrived we were given a 'guest card' and a small guidebook to the area and were told that the card would give us discounts in some of the area's attractions.
We had booked a family room as we were told that there were no normal rooms left when we booked. Crystal were a bit vague as to what a family room actually meant, so we were delighted to discover it was actually a 2 room, 2 bathroom suite. This meant that we had a bathroom and wardrobe each and loads of room to spread out. We had a TV but it didn't have any English Language channels (we have been spoilt by having BBC World on our last few holidays!). There are a couple of channels which link direct to cameras in the region - useful if you want to check weather conditions before setting out. The main bedroom had an Austrian twin bed (2 separate mattresses on a double base with 2 duvets) which was lovely and comfy. The bathrooms only had showers but the water was nice and hot every day. As indicated in the Crystal brochure, there wasn't any soap provided so I was glad I had taken my own. There were chairs and a table on the balcony, which was well screened from the adjacent rooms.
In terms of the food, breakfast was served from 7 until 10 every morning and consisted of a cold buffet of cereals, bread, fruit, meat and cheeses with coffee and tea at your table. It would have been nice to have the choice of hot food as well but we couldn't complain about the quality and quantity of what was on offer. Each morning there was a newsletter and menu left on our table - the newsletter gave info on the weather and suggestions for activities and the menu allowed you to select what you wanted for dinner that evening (served from 6 - 8). Dinner consisted of 4 set courses every night - starter, soup, main course (choice of 3 dishes) and desert. There was also a salad buffet that you could help yourself to. We thought that the food we had was wonderful - varied, tasty and filling - and we particularly enjoyed trying out the different soups as we don't often have that sort of thing for dinner at home. Drinks were by waiter service and we had to settle the bill the night before we left - expect to pay normal hotel prices. The one shortcoming that the hotel has (which possibly explains its 3 ½* rating) is that it doesn't have a separate bar. Normally we would bring our guidebooks etc down to dinner and then either stay at our table or move to the reading area with our drinks to plan our next day's activities. A couple of times we went to a bar in the centre of Zell, which was only 10 minutes walk down the promenade.
The resort
Compared to some of the 'concrete jungle' resorts in the Med that we've previously been to, Zell was a breath of fresh air. It's not a very big town but it packs a lot into a small area without looking overcrowded. The majority of the centre is pedestrianised so easy to walk round and there are lots of shops, bars and restaurants. The Tourist Office is open most days and is a good source for excursion ideas and bus and train timetables. The lake takes about 3 hrs to walk/ 1 hr to cycle around and there are boat trips available (the ferry stops running in mid September though). There are various cable cars and chair lifts that run up the Schmittenhöhe mountain, but again, these start shutting down from mid-September onwards. The majority of shops shut at midday on a Saturday and do not re-open until Monday morning - so be prepared!
The weather
Despite having consulted various guidebooks and websites in the run up to our holiday, we weren't really sure what to expect from the weather and so ended up packing for all seasons. We were lucky enough to get 3 days of quite hot weather when we arrived, although it did get chilly when the sun went in. Unfortunately, after a thunderstorm on the Friday night, the weather changed and we woke up on Saturday morning to a cloudy, rainy day. You could even see snow further up in the mountains! It was very cold and wet that day and the following day and only started to really improve on the day we went home. In hindsight, we really could have done with taking some cold weather trousers as we both only had jeans and some proper hiking boots, rather than trainers. We definitely got our money's worth out of our new fleeces and waterproof coats though! The hotel responded to the cold weather by putting the heating on, which was much appreciated, although the dining room wasn't as warm as it could have been. The change in the weather didn't ruin our holiday, but it certainly restricted what we were able to do, so if we were to go again in future I would make sure that we had lots of alternative activities planned in case of bad weather.
The activities
Crystal's brochure encourages you to pre-book your activities before departure to ensure availability, so we booked para-gliding, horse-riding and white water rafting at a cost of £38 each per activity. This ended up being a small saving on the ?59 charged if you paid in resort. It turned out that the paragliding was a low-level 'taster' session - but we did have the option of paying another £50 each to upgrade to the high altitude session instead. As we had not done it before, we decided to stick with the easier of the two options. We were picked up from our hotel at 9am and driven to the take off site, which was on the other side of the Schmittenhöhe. You are given a crash helmet and then strapped to a rucksack/seat before being attached to the paragliding pilot. You then have to run very fast down a steep hill and hope that you take off at some point. Despite a few hitches in the take off (I kept on falling over), the flight itself went very well and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience - although it would have been better if it had lasted longer.
We originally booked our horse riding for the Sunday of our holiday, only to be told on the Friday that it had been postponed to the Monday. We got up early on Monday morning to be told that the stables had decided it was 'too wet' to take the horses into the valley and therefore our horse riding was cancelled altogether. We thought this excuse was a bit dubious as, even though the weather had not been good over the weekend, it was pretty dry by the Monday morning, plus I've ridden quite a lot in Wales and never had anything cancelled due to rain. It seemed more likely that they couldn't be bothered to take us out as only 3 of us had booked to go that day. The summer season in Zell ends at the end of September so things start winding down mid month and I think we were just casualties of a lack of tourists.
Our rafting was originally booked for the Saturday but was also postponed. Luckily 5 other people also wanted to raft on the Tuesday so it was able to go ahead. The rafting normally takes place not far from Zell, but from mid September onwards (it's that date again!) apparently all rafting is banned in Austria due to protecting spawning fish, so we had to go over the border into Germany instead. The rep originally told us that the rapids would be grade 3-4, but when we arrived in Germany, the guide told us that they were actually grade 1-2. We were a bit disappointed by this, but also slightly relieved, as, again, we'd never done it before. We had to get changed into our wetsuits by the side of the river, so it was lucky that we'd already got our swimming costumes on! After a short safety briefing, we headed out on to the river, and soon realised that we were all rubbish at paddling. We still managed to get to the end of the course without too much difficulty though. The rafting itself was good fun, but the best bits were when we got out of the raft to do extra things like white water swimming and jumping off a (small) waterfall. Afterwards, we had to get changed by the side of the river again, so I just left my cossie on and put my clothes on over the top, rather than risk exposing myself to the locals.
Also included with our holiday were 3 consecutive days of bike hire through a local company. We had to pre-arrange the days we wanted the bikes through the rep and then go and collect them ourselves. Unfortunately the day we were due to collect ours was the first day of bad weather. The choice of bikes was not very good - you could either have a mountain bike without mudguards, or a normal bike (essentially a ladies bike) with mudguards. Given the weather, we decided to abandon style in favour of comfort and go for the normal bikes. Most of the bikes appeared to be in a poor state of maintenance, with bald tyres and smashed lights, so if you were a particularly keen biker then I would suggest taking your own bike with you if at all possible. In the end, we were only able to use our bikes for one trip round the lake, but the saddle on my bike was so uncomfortable that I was glad to give it back!
The excursions
We decided not to book any extra excursions via Crystal as we were confident that we would be able to do most things by ourselves. The public transport system is very good, plus most people speak some English and we had a Lonely Planet Guidebook and a German phrasebook for emergencies.
Krimml Falls
While we were there, there was a break in the train line from Zell to Krimml caused by flooding, so part of the route had to be taken by bus. You should also bear in mind that Krimml train station is a few miles away from the falls and at the bottom of a steep hill. We took the bus from Zell direct to Krimml, which took about 90 mins and dropped you off at the bottom of the falls. When you get there, the first thing you see is the 'Wasser Wunder Welt'. This is nothing to do with the falls and is a water activity park. Walk along the path past this and you will end up on the path to the falls. There are a couple of restaurants, shops and some toilets before you reach the entrance kiosk - make sure you make use of them as it's a long way to the next facilities! The first section of the falls took us about an hour to walk up. I consider myself to be reasonably fit but I was puffing and panting the whole way up - it's quite a steep climb, which doesn't let up until you get to the middle section of the falls. We stopped here for some ice cream before climbing the final section, which was steeper but only took about 30 mins. The views all the way up were wonderful and there are lots of little side paths that lead you to viewing platforms. Coming down took about an hour and we had to rush to make sure we got back to the bus stop on time. In all we spent about 4 hrs there so it was a good afternoon out - if you wanted to walk further or take things slower then I reckon you would need a whole day there.
The Schmittenhöhe
We took the bus from the centre of Zell to the bottom of the Schmittenhöhe, which took about 15 mins. We could have walked this distance but decided to save our strength for walking on the mountain itself. A return ticket for the cable cars is not much more that a single one (plus you get a discount with your guest card), whereas a single ticket up and down cost about the same. So unless you are 100% certain that you won't want to come down on any of the cable cars or lifts then it is worth buying a return ticket. We took the Schmittenhöhebahn straight to the top of the mountain - a very steep climb crammed into a cable car with lots of other people. There is a restaurant at the top and an information point but it is wise to try and get hold of a walking map from the tourist office before you go so that you can plan your route in advance. It was quite cloudy the day we went up, but there were still stunning views between the clouds. We went into the little chapel before taking the 'Sisi Rundweg' - a short 30 mins walk around the top of the mountain before heading down the Höhenpromenade path to the Hochzeller Alm restaurant. Afterwards, we continued mainly on this path down to the Sonnkogelbahn chair lift station. We took the chair lift down the mountain (scary but fun) and then had Apfelstrüdel and coffee at the Blaickners Sonnenalm restaurant at the bottom. We then took the Sonnenalmbahn cable car back to the foot of the Schmittenhöhe and got the bus back to Zell.
The Heimatmuseum, Saalfelden
We had originally planned to go white water rafting on the Saturday, but this was cancelled so we had decided to collect our bikes and go for a cycle ride instead. The weather was so horrible in the end that we abandoned this plan and headed to the Tourist Office for some inspiration, as all the shops in Zell closed at midday for the rest of the weekend. We eventually decided to get the train to Saalfelden to go and visit the museum there as it was only 2 stops away on the train. It took us quite a while to walk from the station to the town centre and we got cold and wet so we were very grateful to find a nice warm pizza restaurant to have lunch in. The museum was on the other side of Saalfelden and was well sign-posted. It is basically a folk museum with exhibits on local life including wildlife, geography, history, religion and culture. Obviously all the info was in German but we still managed to spend a couple of hours looking round. It wasn't the most exciting museum we've ever been to but it was certainly better than nothing on a wet afternoon!
Kaprun
After our horse riding was postponed, we decided to go to the reservoirs in Kaprun for the day. Unfortunately, when we got on the bus the driver told us that they were closed due to snow so we decided to go to the Sigmund-Thun Gorge instead. This is a little way out of Kaprun on the road to the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. You are only allowed to enter the gorge at the Kaprun end where the ticket booth is. Before you go into the gorge, it is worth having a look round the power station visitors centre (fee entrance) as there are exhibits and films in English and German. The gorge itself is accessed via a series of wooden steps and walkways and takes less than 30 mins to walk through. Despite the rain, we really enjoyed the walk and carried on along the path to the end of the Klamm reservoir where, despite the weather, we found a little café that was open and selling hot drinks and snacks. We could see the cable cars for the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in the distance but by then we were cold and wet and so decided to get the bus back into Kaprun instead. After lunch, we went to the Old Timers Museum which is on the outskirts of Kaprun (website is oldtimer-museum at/ but is currently only in German). The museum is actually in the underground car park of a hotel and contains old cars of various makes and models along with other memorabilia such as a cable car. It cost 5? each and we spent less than an hour there, so I wouldn't really recommend it unless, like us, you can't find anything else to do on a wet, cold Sunday afternoon.
Salzburg
We didn't originally think that we would be able to fit in a trip to Salzburg, but when our horse riding was cancelled we decided to make a day trip there by train. The journey took about 1hr 45 mins and cost just under £20 each for a return ticket. We could also have made the trip by bus but I think it would have taken longer and not dropped us much nearer to the old town. It was nice to be able to walk around on the train and of course the toilets were very useful. We arrived in Salzburg at about midday and then, using our guidebook, managed to find our way to the river. From there it was obvious which was to go as the Fortress sits in an elevated position in the old town where most of the attractions are. The guidebook also directed us to a great little place to eat - a traditional Austrian tavern serving up huge plates of sausage and sauerkraut. Can't remember the name offhand but it was on a little side street between the river and the main cobbled street. After lunch we headed to the fortress. There was a queue for the funicular up the hill but we decided that it was worth waiting as we couldn't be bothered to walk up. I don't think it cost anything extra on top of the normal entrance ticket but I could be wrong. The view from the top is fantastic, and if the weather is good then it would be lovely to sit and have a coffee on the terrace of the café there. Once you get inside the walls, there is an included audio tour, which runs at regular intervals during the day in a variety of languages. There are coin-operated lockers in the entrance to this where you can leave bags if you don't want to carry them with you. After this tour, there are other exhibitions in one of the towers - it's all clearly signposted. After spending a couple of hours looking around, we had a quick look inside the cathedral and then headed back to get our train. We spent about 5 hrs there in total and could easily have spent more. Salzburg is definitely worth a visit if you have time!
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Hotel Tirolerhorf Sport Hotel - Kitzbuhel, Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal - June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Haines + Gras (39, 28)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel Tirolerhorf Sport Hotel - kitzbuhel
The hotel has a 4 star rating and is highly recommended by Crystal. However we did not experience much of a 4 star treatment and were surprised how Crystal graded it so high.
First the transfer from the airport was supposed to be 1 hour and 45 minutes to the hotel; it ended up taking 2 hours and 30 minutes. We then checked in at the reception of the hotel, where we had first no acknowledgement followed by a cold welcoming by the receptionist (which later happened to be a waitress). She barely spoke English and looked like she could not be bothered. As we arrived a one o'clock, we asked is there was any lunch organised for us, and we were informed that the kitchen closed at one. Therefore no food was available at the hotel, even if we wanted to pay for it, which we were prepared to pay.
The room was fine and clean. The bad point is that the holiday brochure omitted to say that the hotel was next to a "DUNG FARM", and the smell was so appalling, one morning at breakfast it was so bad we had to leave the restaurant, this also caused a problem with flies, which over run the hotel.
We forget to pack-up our travel plug. We called the reception and inquired if they had any. The answer was no. We then asked if we could have an iron and ironing board. The answer was again was short and sharp NO! There was no need to argue because the answer was always negative.
Being on our holiday, we decided not to make a fuss about it and put it under "language barrier".
Food was average and not what we were led to believe by the brochure, which advise "excellent cuisine". The free wine was a good substitute for "home brew" and served in unlabelled clear bottle, and you could be sure that Franz our waiter always deflected our questions on where or what the rocket fuel was from as if it was a trade secret.
The free mineral water never bore their protective seals, even when we asked for it, which we assumed at the end that they must have kept refilling.
Every night with no exception you could be guaranteed at a very early stage of the service that there would be shortage of bread. And when asked we were politely but firmly told "no more".
The same applied for the breakfast open from 7.30 to 10.00am. At 8.30 there was no more croissants or bacon or bread. So unless you were down dead on 7.30 there were only the scraps left. Many other holidaymakers felt very strongly about that. One day we decided to bring it to the attention of the waitress. She was clearly upset and defensive, She could not make the correlation that 20 croissants were just not enough for the all breakfast catering for 60 people + and was trying to argue back at us, which was quite unnerving.
Be sure not to ask the waiting staff for any bread or croissants, as you will have a serious tongue lashing from the hotel owner (Inge) afterward, unlike Germans citizen who clearly enjoyed a much greater respect and customer care altogether.
The bar shuts at 11pm dead on time despite finishing your drink. The waiter boldly told us that he did not get paid after 11pm. In light of that argument we were frogmarched out of the lounge every night.
One night 8 holidaymakers and us asked if there was a TV in the lounge to watch the Football France vs England. The waiter told us that there was none and that we could watch it in our room or in town. We then decided to go in town (30 minutes walk).
The day after a couple told us that they watched the match in the lounge on a big screen.
When we questioned the waiter, he laughed and went. What is that about? What are you trying to tell us?
On our last day we were denied a breakfast because we were picked up at 7.00 while the breakfast was starting at 7.30am.
By the end of our stay we were clearly disillusioned and disgusted with the hotel customer care and management techniques, although the hotel in itself and Kitzbuhel were nice. A couple of honeymooners were totally dissatisfied and requested to the Rep an immediate transfer to an alternative hotel.
There is absolutely no way on the light of those events that we would recommend staying at that particular hotel.
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Hotel Traube - Zell am See - Austria
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson-Dec 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : kelly Ampatzi-Huddersfield
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Probably the worst hotel I have ever stayed at.
The rooms are so small, we had to climb over our bed to get from one side of the room to the other. The bathroom smelled of sewage and mould and most sanitary ware was either broken or so filthy we wouldn't dare touch it. We stayed there for two weeks and our towels and sheets were NEVER changed once. The first time we went into our room, the floor was so dirty I had to visit a local supermarket to buy some cleaning products to basically clean both the bathroom and the floor myself. Not how I had imagined I was going to spend my Christmas and New Year's holiday.
In brochures For example, in the Thomson brochure it states that every room has an ensuite bathroom. As a matter of fact, our friends (a couple) had to stay in a room with no bathroom and use a different room at the end of a long corridor that those guys had recently converted into a toilet/shower room.
The quality of the food was truly atrocious (everything out of a packet and microwaved) we ended up eating out almost every night. And as for the après ski lunch you are supposedly entitled to if you have booked on a half board basis (you will find it advertised in Thomson and Crystal brochures) ...well don't count on it! You only get it if the chef, who is also the hotel cleaner (NICE!) finds some time in between her duties to prepare it. When we complained to the manager he laughed and replied: Welcome to Fawlty Towers! If you don't like it you can leave! We were gob smacked, that guy was actually laughing at us for choosing to stay at his hotel.
We then decided to get in touch with the local rep, who couldn't care less. She gave us a complaint form to fill in and asked us to follow it up with a complaint letter to Thomson once we returned to England. No one ever informed us that we would have to check out at 10.00 in the morning on our last day. We just assumed that check out time would be at 12.00, which is the standard in every hotel around the world. Anyway, at exactly 10.05 on our last day the hotel manager barged into our room screaming that if we didn't evacuate the room within the next five minutes he would either call the police or throw all our personal belongings out of the door himself. We left the room 10 minutes after that incident only to be presented with a huge bar bill at the reception. We obviously paid it as we did spend two nights drinking at the hotel bar but when I asked how can they justify charging 5 Euros for a small glass of diet coke, the manager swore at me. ( I am not going to mention what he said as I am too embarrassed to even type it). He was obviously mostly dissatisfied that we had complained about the poor hygiene a few days before. We paid almost £5k for our flights and hotel accommodation...that's no way to treat a paying customer.
The resort itself is magnificent. Zell am see is one of the most beautiful, picturesque skiing resorts you will ever visit. Brilliant snow conditions and a plethora of slopes for both beginners and intermediates. One of the best selling points of Zell am See, is its après ski activities. Excellent eating out and a vibrant night life. There is a big number of lovely hotels both in the town centre and the surrounding area at very sensible prices. Just don't make the mistake we made and stay at the Traube. It almost ruined our holiday.
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Hotel Traube - Zell am See - Austria
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Andrea and Stanley Stone (mid 50s)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel Traube was a hotel offered by Thomson as a late booking to Zell am See. The hotel was supposed to be 3T or 3* and we were on a half board basis. The hotel is in the pedestrian part of Zell opposite an all night bar and restaurants.
When we arrived on Saturday night there were a group of about a dozen 20 something men who were drinking all night in the bar opposite. They were extremely noisy and one tried to get into one of the hotel rooms occupied by another guest. The guest then set off the fire alarm and we all went down to the reception. When we tried to get out of the hotel (we didn't know it was a false alarm at the time) the handle to the door broke off and when we checked the other fire door it was broken. A guest tried to phone the police but they had switched off the phones! There was no-one resident in the hotel to give instructions and no fire regulations in the rooms.
The rooms were extremely poor quality - more like a hostel with no room to move and broken sanitary ware with mouldy showers. The food was awful - the first night the meal consisted of packet soup with the main meal of one large fish finger and two potatoes! We all complained to Thomson who said that the hotel had a fire certificate but they got the manager to change the lock on one fire door and fix the other then they gave us a different room which wasn't really that much better but they refused to move us to another hotel.
it was definitely the worst hotel we have ever stayed at in the 40 or so years that we have both been travelling abroad. Zell itself is a lovely place but our holiday was ruined. Thomson should never have used such a poor standard of hotel and they should have informed us that it was in a 'very lively' part of town. We will never use Thomson again.
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Hotel Tummlerhof - Seefeld, Austria
Operator and Date: Inghams - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Helen - 32
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Travelled alone to the Hotel Tummlerhof in Seefeld for one week in August 2005.
Seefeld is conveniently located if you fly into Innsbruck from the UK - only a 40 minute transfer which is pretty good by Alpine standards. It's a nice small town with a good few shops, bars, restaurants, cafes etc. There's a railway station with easy links to Innsbruck if you fancy going there for the day. Usual range of lifts up the surrounding peaks. Nice lake on the outskirts of town if you want some more gentle exercise than trekking up mountains. Resort seemed to cater largely for middle aged visitors but was big enough to have some facilities for all. Mixed nationality visitors from all over Europe.
The Tummlerhof Hotel is fantastic. It's situated a little way out of the main town but only a ten minute walk from the centre. The staff are amazing and can't do enough for you. Quality of food and drink in the hotel is first class. I had a single room which was very spacious and luxurious. The hotel has a range of leisure facilities including pools, saunas, gym, landscaped gardens. There is also a spa and beauty salon. If this hotel were in the UK it would definitely be rated as 5 star.
Travelled with Inghams who were, as usual, efficient but unobtrusive.
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Hotel Vicky - Niederau, Austria
Operator and Date: Crystal - September 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Ted Hicks - Basildon (58,58)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just book up now and go there you won't regret it! Short transfer from Innsbruck-nice scenery on route. Friendly small hotel managed/staffed by Brits. Avoid the tail end of summer season (after our week I think things will run down). Near bus route and taxi also nearby as are mini markets. Niederau IS scenery. Make use of the free card for the gondola (cablecar) -not scary. Cafe at top is an ideal starting point for walking-looking south the building in the distance is the dairy. They do very nice fresh food/joghurts etc. Cows roam around with their bells - very friendly.
Trip to Grossglockner glacier. Tremendous views en route.Long journey/coffee stops/very little time at the glacier and not a great deal to see there (the guide recommended we just watch a film about it!!) I got the railway down (quite an experience - costs extra). The glacier used to be at the bottom but is a very strenuous journey of hundreds of winding steps to the bottom - where I found a tape across stopping me from going onto the glacier proper. Took a photo of the rock face,turned to take a picture of the glacier when I heard a rumbling - a minor rock fall - scary but not dangerous.
Trip to Innsbruck and the famous Schwarskski? Crystal centre. I would suggest just get the bus to Worgl, train to Innsbruck and go to the Crystal shop. Crystals buggy ride, Tyrolean evening, walks and quiz night are worth doing. Staff and reps at the hotel are very good. Steve the rep REALLY loves the Sound of Music (pretends to hate it) so sing it to him whenever you can!!
Good meals including packed lunch or credit towards hotel lunch we didn't eat much outside the hotel(but menu does repeat weekly). Using your free card gives you access to swimming pool and tennis courts some way away. Also free entry to the Farmers museum (go on Thursday 1.30pm for Craft exhibitions -half price entry) - Try the doughnuts with cranberry - superb. Walk back by following the route of the stream behind the market - See the sculptures etc along the way.
Suggest bus to Wogl and train 2 stops to Rattenburg - quaint old town for half day trip but get back at 4pm to sit in front of hotel Vicky for your afternoon tea/cake/fruit. If you want to go to Munich get the 9.15 express from Wogl.
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Azores
Quinta do Mar - Caloura - Azores
Operator and Date: Sunvil - May 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Liz Wakeley - Birmingham (53 & 62)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Going to The Azores was a bit of an unknown holiday but it turned out to be highly successful and exceeded our wildest dreams due to the hotel owners, Nick and Chris. Without doubt Sunvil have a winner in this micro hotel: individual pampering due to only having a maximun of 8 guests in 4 rooms. Chris, Nick, and their assistant Gilda produce the best food on the island including large varied and delightful breakfasts and occasional evening meals. They subtely find out about the guests to help advise over restaurants, activities, walks, drives etc. It is skillfully done and we felt well-cared for and happy.
The other key part to the success of this holiday are the other guests and we enjoyed and relished meeting our comrades at this extraordinary hotel - Chris & Derek, Katie & Peter, Valerie & David were special and contributed to our experience through their humour, travel stories and lives.
The island has so much to offer through walks, whale-watching (very successful), wild life and flora that it is a special place. It is still largely untouched by tourism which is its attraction. It was good to drive around and the roads are sound yet often free of other cars - a welcome relief these days.
Do try the Azores and if you like meeting people and enjoy an individual and unique service do try and get into Quinto do Mar, but please leave room for us.
My only criticism of the island is that the cuisine was not great but we found some OK places - Praia cafe in Villa Franco, White Shark,O Forno and another one in Ribeira Quente owned by Sea Watch. Others had favourites in Lagoa. Best was the wonderful hotel which I wish we could take with us on our travels to be sure of such a classy yet fun joint.
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Vila Nova - Azores
Operator and Date: Atlantic - July 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Martin and marion - Sussex (54,52)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Vila nova is a good 3 star hotel, however, it's under the flight path for the airport though with so few flights a day it was not obtrusive.
It's in an odd part of town, all rundown but very close to the main square and the port / harbour.
Typical continental breakfast but the same menu all week because it is a small hotel.
Having travelled around europe I found the hotel staff distant, they did not look or talk to you but then they did not chat much amongst themselves.
Pool had sun from 11:00 to 19:00 always enough sun beds 34 but only 20 matresses, lots of clean towels all day.
Safe deposit box is free though there was a returnable deposit for the key.
Car parking 2 euros per day, this is only used to get into the carpark so gave mine up on the penultimate day (cheapskate that I am) saving 2 euros.
Because of the poor bus service and theusual high price of the organised trips we hired a car from Ilha Verdi had a kia piquanta. The car was small and lacked power but you do not need anything more as the roads are virtually empty outside of Ponta Delgada and the surface is very variable (pot holes and rough). No problems with the hire they check every panel for dents and scratches on the hire but only glanced at it on return.
Soa Miguel island is very under developed and I'm glad I went now as there is not too much tourism, we arrived on fiesta night and was out to 2 in th emorning with the locals.
Food and drink is mostly cheap, typical local bar coffee 50cents brandy (unmeasured 1 euro). Best restauranrt was lounge 27 near the clerical school it had live music some nights and a good atmosphere, had no smoking area. A little cafe across the main square called Mimo was friendly and cheap for drinks and snacks.
The weather was good all week, only exception was a long shower one day, mostly unbroken sunshine. Low 30's in the day low 20's at night.
This is a very relaxed island we were out at all times of the night and although the locals like a beer we never felt threatened at any time.
Would we go back? Yes, but no for a few years and from the new marina being built with large hotels it might be a different island.
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Belgium, Brussels
Bedford Hotel - Brussels
Operator and Date: Web Booking March 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Graham Pollard +50
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Brussels is an interesting City but needs no more than one and half days to cover. Great place to find wonderful food I would recomend La Roue D'or, just off the grand place.
sadly we found Brussels to be a dirty City and also a large number of people begging on the streets.
The Bedford Hotel,135 Rue du Midi was well located and a good price and a good breakfast buffet,
BUT, yes a very big BUT. We had a no smoking room and it was apparent that the rules were not enforced. When I spoke with reception they said, and I quote.
"When we are full we give the no smoking rooms to smokers, we can not tell them to not smoke!!!!"
my reply was "yes you can"
So if you do not smoke do not stay at the Bedford and perhaps ask any hotel you are going to stay in if they are real no smoking rooms
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Camalou Guest House, Ypres, Belgium
Operator and Date: Independant - June 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Mr and Mrs S Price - Herefordshire 53,43
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We took the ferry from Dover, and drove through France accross to Belgium. We found our B&B following the expert instructions given by Annette and Christian the hosts, from their internet site.
We wanted to travel to Ypres, to discover more about the Great War, and to trace my husband's grandfather's resting place as he fell at the Battle of Menin Road on 20th September 1917. It was a very poignant trip for us, made so much more enjoyable by Annette's local knowledge of the whole area, as she has been a tour guide for 20 years.
The B&B is set in a small village named Dikkebus, just about 4 km from Ypres. The setting is so tranquil and peaceful, just sitting in the beautiful garden is bliss.
There are only four double rooms, however they are all extrememly comfortable, with ensuite facilities and tea&coffee, kettle and fridge on the landing for everyone's use, including a PC with internet.
The breakfast is very good, with everyone sharing the table. We made friends with people of all nationalities and shared jokes and sight-seeing tips around the table.
There is an extremely good restaurant at the end of the road, named Tommies. The food is wonderful and so are the staff. The only downside for us though, was that they were shut on the monday and tuesday of our visit!
The town of Ypres is so beautiful and the locals are so friendly. We visited "In Flanders Fields" Museum which was extremely heart rendering and thought provoking.
There are many chocolatiers in Ypres, selling a huge variety of chocolates, one of the other guests donated a spare suitcase to us, as she had had to buy a bigger one to take her souvenirs home in, so we carried our chocolate gifts home in that!!
The Menin Gate is a wonderful monument to visit especially as it lists 56,000 soldiers of various nationalities, who fell in the Great War before August 1917. Each night at 8pm, the roads are closed, and the last post is played. This can be extremely popular so it is best to get there early as many people like to lay a poppy wreath in rememberence of loved ones, during the ceremony.
We were fortunate enough to accompany Annette on a guided tour of the Battlefields, trenches and lastly Tyn Cott Cemetery where my husband's grandfather is remembered on the wall.This was a very moving moment for us all, as it was about 6.30pm and the sun was shining beautifully in the cemetery. The English flowers were in bloom, and we were the only visitors at that time of day. Seeing all of the graves, and thousands of names on the walls made us all realise what these men had to endure so as we could have our freedom. I say "men", however on close inspection of the names on the memorials, many were just boys of 17 or 18. Heartbreaking to read.
A wondeful memorable trip, which we will definitely be taking again to visit the places that we didn't have time to explore this time.
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Centre Parc Erperheide
Operator and Date: Eurotunnel and Centre Parc May/June 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Penny - Eastbourne (44, 44, 13, 9).
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Accommodation full of dead flies/insects when we arrived, even in the beds!
Warning re swimming pools (not big enough to swim in!) very high in chlorine, my 13 year old had to see a doctor as skin burnt and blistered! Also water was very cold.
No ovens in accommodation, only gas hobs and microwaves. Food, both eating out and buying in shop at Centre Parc, very, very expensive. Restaurants very poor quality food and really annoying considering cost of eating out.
No signs in English, mostly Germans staying there, so mainly German and Flemish, bit annoying. Staff quite often not very friendly or helpful.
Ok for families with younger children, but not much to do at all with older children. All activities quite pricey, bowling for 55 minutes cost around £14!
Lots of red squirrels, rabbits and chickens - which will come right up to you if you feed them what they like! Tip - red squirrels love jaffa cakes!!
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Graaf Van Vlaanderen - Bruges, Belgium
Operator and Date: Booked Independently - April 2006
Opinion submitted in May 2006 by : Peter Alexandrou - London UK
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
When we arrived our rooms were not made-up from the previous occupant and there was a bucket of filthy tea-towels soaking in the corner. They made up the room, but the blankets still stank. Later that night we couldn't sleep as the rooms have NO HEATING and the whole hotel was FREEZING cold (We each had an itchy smelly blanket, one clean white sheet and one small pillow). The carpets are filthy throughout the hotel, the staff were indignant (particularly the hotel/restaurant manager). The rooms have no toilet in them, and you have pay to have a shower.
Breakfast is a plate of processed cheese and some ham. Also a basket of two bread rolls per person and some preserve. A glass of orange juice is brought to the table for each person and you can order a tea/coffee if you need one.
I will never stay here again - if the hotel was in England it would be closed down - DISGUSTING!!!! For 20 euro's more we could have gotten a beautiful hotel in the old town with excellent facilities. It's no surpise this place make you pay before you stay!
Also don't believe them is they say this place is just newly renovated - it is not - AVOID like the plague unless you want a sleepless night in a filthy bed!!!
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Hotel Gravensteen - Ghent - Belgium
Operator and Date: Aug 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Patrick Lewis - Hereford ( 42 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel itself is ideally situated in the Patershol district of Ghent. This is a part of town with a large selection of bars and restaurants all of which are within easy walking distance. Directly opposite the hotel you will find a good choice of friendly little places with a variety of styles and prices, from the little bar where you can just sit outside and watch the Gantenaars pass by (and chat to Sarah the rugby playing waitress)to the more sophisticated establishment serving, quite pricey, steak fondues which has its own private terrace on the river behind. Fifty yards further down the road and you come to the beginning of the centre of town proper where there really is something for everybody.
Reaching the hotel itself is relatively easy. By car, although you need to work out your route first, the way is reasonably free of the worst of the one way systems which can confuse, and there is plenty of parking available at the hotel. When arriving it is best to park right around the rear of the building as the check-in desk is then more convenient. If you reach Ghent by train or bus then the No 1 tram will take you to the Castle Gravensteen ( 1 Euro) from where it is just a short walk.
The rooms here, or at least the one we had, was fairly small but they are perfectly adequately equipped. Our room in the building behind the main part of the hotel was also very quiet as there is less road noise in this part.
The Bar end Residents Lounge are also fairly small and for a hotel of this size quite disappointing, but with all the other distractions in Ghent I suppose they presume that you wonT be spending much time inside anyway.
Breakfast here is the typical Belgian buffet type, so you can start off with your bacon & eggs, work your way through the cheeses and meats, and finish off with croissants or other pastries. Coffee here is also good.
As we had no problems during our stay I could not comment on the staff but those that we did come across in the Bar and at Reception were always polite and efficient. As is usual in Belgium they all also speak perfect English.
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Holiday Inn - Garden Court, Leuven BRUSSELS
Operator and Date: June 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Jenna, Geoff (24, 55)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My father and I stayed here when we visited Brussels. Leuven (the home of Stella Artois!) is a beautiful place. The hotel was amazing. Marble floors throughout. Rooms had two double beds rather than two singles, ironing board, ice machines, electric shoe shine stations, TV..... it was amazing. And the buffet breakfast was beautiful. Everything you could think of......
Should you take a trip here you MUST go to the Thai restaurant right next to the hotel. It's a big glass circular building opposite the hotel entrance. The meal we had here is the best meal we have EVER had and we're contemplating going back to Leuven just to eat in that restaurant again!!
The Domas brewery is also worth a visit. You get to sample three half pints of beer for free and then the pints are only a pound or so each and they are lovely. You can drink hundreds of it, and you don't get a bad head in the morning as they don't add the preservatives/chemicals to give you one. The food was also beautiful and reasonably priced.
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Ibis Centrum - Bruges
Operator and Date: independent April 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : A Brown + wife 47
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Bruges hotels can be very expensive, so imagine our delight when we snapped this one up for just under £40 (it's a lot dearer in high season).
The hotel is in an old building, which has been thoroughly modernised, and is well situated in the historic old town of Bruges. In fact, it's only a few minutes stroll from the Grand Place and all its attractions. Although the hotel is central, it's in a quiet courtyard and so there wasn't much noise to bother us.
Ibis hotels tend to be pretty standard, and this one was no different. We had a twin bedded room with plenty of storage space and an en-suite toilet with bath - both were in good decorative repair and were spotless. The TV had around 30 channels, with the main British terrestrial channels being available too - no need to miss Corrie!
We didn't use the restaurant in the hotel, but it looked nice enough and the bar had a good selection of nice beers.
All in all, this hotel is a good choice for those looking for a centrally situated hotel in Bruges without breaking the bank.
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Martins Brugge Hotel - Bruges
Operator and Date: Short Breaks Ltd - October 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Sue Surridge - London (56, 44)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked this holiday online and was particularly pleased with both the standard and location of the hotel. It had quite a swish lobby and was extremely central so no need to get buses etc. One tip - if you're staying at this hotel you can get a No 2 or 12 bus from the station to the main square and save yourself a few Euros on a taxi. All the staff were really friendly and they provided an excellent breakfast.
Went on a canal trip with a very quirky guide who spoke excellent English. Glad we decided to do this on the first day as the sun was shining and it was quite warm. Next day it was a bit gloomy and drizzly so trip wouldn't have been as good. The motto - carpe diem! Also went on a bus sightseeing tour, did lots of walking and eating and a bit of shopping besides.
Package cost £295 per person for three nights with Eurostar anf was well worth it. One small problem we had - it was quite confusing finding the connecting train from Brussels to Bruges. It wasn't signposted. You have to look for the train to Zeebrugge. Other than that everything was perfect.
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Novotel Centrum - Brugge
Operator and Date: octopustravel.com
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Paul, Dionne & Declan (42,38,11)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What a wonderful city/town, the people are kind, polite and helpful, the buildings are incredible, we're not academics or architects but u won't believe the craftsmanship and detail thats gone into these buildings, with the canals as a perfect backdrop adding to the charming Bavarian like chitty bang bang atmosphere. Truly a must for creative souls with evidence of craft everywhere.
Must be 100 restaurants, mostly the same as british prices but if u walk around u will find some v.good bargains, like the coffee link cafe at the side of st. jans memlings hospital museum and down the tunnel. Our accomodation was nice too, not stayed in a chain like Novotel b4 but would recommend them, v.clean, polite staff, good variety for b'fast, family room and adequate warm bedding.
Would like to go back in the spring/summer though as Feb windchill v.cold. Hat and gloves advised. Well done Brugge...
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Ostend Hotel - Ostend, Belgium
Operator and Date: Independent - Dec 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Alan & Vivienne - London (50s)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at he Ostend Hotel at the end of December, 2004/beginning of January, 2005 for their 'Old and New' package, to celebrate the New Year. Guests at the Ostend seem to be mainly Belgian and British, with a small number from other countries.
We booked directly with the hotel - they handle telephone enquiries efficiently, and all the staff speak English, but they do not seem to reply to emails. Check-in was efficient, and the staff were generally very friendly and helpful.
The rooms are not spacious and are fairly basic in their furnishings, but the beds are comfortable and everything is clean. The shower rooms (no baths in the double rooms) are tiny but again clean, with limited toiletries provided, and towels are changed daily. The Ostend did not provide separate no-smoking rooms, but we understand that this policy is being changed in 2005.
Our price was for half board, which included an unexciting Continental breakfast, and a pleasant, if unusual, buffet evening meal. The food was probably the least attractive part of this hotel - for example, one of the evening meal offerings on New Year's Eve was kangaroo steak, and on New Year's Day, catfish. Not everybody's choice of main course, but there were alternatives.
There was entertainment provided on each evening. On the first, a duo in the bar, which was very pleasant, on New Year's Eve an excellent group who were still playing when we went to bed (at 2 am), and on New Year's Day a DJ in the bar - this was rather loud, and we went out anyway.
The hotel is situated in a fairly quiet back street, but close to the prom and about 5-10 minutes' walk from the pedestrianised shopping centre. There are a number of bars, restaurants and cafes around, so regular sustenance is not a problem. The market square has all sorts of snack foods available from little stalls, but watch the prices as these are often higher than in the surrounding cafes - and in these you can sit down in the warm! Seafood lovers should walk along the prom and admire the displays of cold seafood available from the various stalls - and at very reasonable prices.
We took a train ride to Bruges on one of the days - there are three an hour, very clean and punctual, and the cost was less than £3 each return. There was no language difficulty as the station staff all seem to speak excellent English.
We compared the price we paid for our rooms, including a car crossing through the Channel Tunnel, with the price quoted in the brochure of one of the coach operators. We found that, in return for the inconvenience of having to drive, we saved more than £200 for the four of us - and we had more time at the hotel, and we also had that little bit of extra space to take home some Belgian beer!
Overall, a reasonably-priced hotel in a good location in Ostend, with friendly, helpful staff, but the occasional odd offerings of food. We would be quite happy to go back there again at some time in the future.
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Hotel Portinari - Brugge - Belgium
Operator and Date: Jet2 - Hotel Connect. December 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Debbie & Jemma (20 & 30 Somethings!)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
From the moment we checked in, we found all of the staff to be extremely helpfull and friendly.
The hotel is on T'zand, which is a very short journey on the bus (just 1 stop) from the railway/bus station in Brugge.
We had booked a cheap deal (only £40 each return) with P&O ferries, from Hull. The hotel was booked seperately
The ferry booking included a return coach ticket into Brugge, which took about 20 mins from the port of Zebbruge.
Hotel was very easy to find but if you get lost there are so many friendly people willing to help you out with anything you want.
Our room was a twin, which was very clean with a nice little bathroom. My only gripe was the fact that it did not have any tea/coffee making facilities in, which for a 4* we were really expecting.
Breakfast was included in the price of our room (rm cost us £92 for the night)
Plenty of choice for breakfast, which was from 7am - 10am.
The bar area was very nice and the guy behind the bar in the evenings had us in stitches, really friendly.
Check out, for us was 11am, as we were not getting picked up for the ferry home until 17.30pm, the hotel let us keep our bags in the luggage room, which enabled us to go do some last minute shopping in the lovely chocolate shops.
If you love chocolate, like me (& most women!) You will love Brugge!!! Its chocolate heaven...
The christmas markets are nothing to shout about, but the atmosphere is lovely in the main square. There is an ice rink, which looks so magical when it is all lit up in the evening time. Make sure you take winter woolies with you, when we were there it was blooming freezing (well it was december!)
There are so many shops and museums, you dont know where to go first.
We wandered for miles, getting lost down little side streets, which was all part of the fun.
A must, is trying the chips & mayonnaise from the stalls in the market sqares. Delicious!!!!!!!!
The drinks and food are VERY expensive in the main square,(I have lived in Venice, so know to go away from tourist areas and find a place a few streets back from the main areas)
We found a lovely place to eat, which did the most amazing steaks (I think it was called the Chicken Inn) The steak melted in my mouth... YUM!!
All in all, a fantastic girly weekend, plenty to keep us occupied for 2 days and even came back with some money (unheard of on any of my other shopping trips)
Brugge is a lovely city and well worth the trip. I would love to go back in Summer.
Enjoy
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Hotel President Centre - Brussels
Operator and Date: Bookings.org - April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2004 by : Catherine & Will - (22,21)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked a room at the hotel through bookings.org for 85 euros. Was very pleased with the hotel (4*)and had a deluxe room where the normal cost of stay was 295 euros so we got a bargain on the net. Only 10mins walk from the Grand Place and on the same road as the Royal Palace(10 mins walk at end of the road). Brussels as a city is very small and could easily see most things in 2 days. The restaurants around Grand Place are probably the best to go to with plenty of choice and menu deals. However, beware of the waiters trying to get you in to eat. Found an irish bar down the road from Grand Place called Celtica, has two big screens for those wishing to catch an English Footie match and is open til late in the evening with a disco. Seemed a bit of a ghost town outside the area of Grand Place and we found that almost all shops are closed on a Sunday.
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Ter Bruges Hotel - Bruges
Operator and Date: Sphere Travel - March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Thomson (43, 67)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from Easter in Bruges and it was wonderful.
We stayed at the Ter Bruges Hotel which is about 10 mins walk from the main square and alongside a canal. Our accomodation was excellent. Our room was smallish but had great character, we had an original leaded window that opened out over the canal and typically flemish furniture. There was also a TV and radio. We also had a big bathroom with a large bath. All of which was spotless. Breakfast was served in the tastefully refurbished cellar (get down early for a window seat). Breakfast was buffet style with waitresses serving tea and coffee. There was a choice of several types of bread and rolls, meats, cheeses, boiled eggs, yogharts, fruit juices and cerials, and because it was Easter, chocolate eggs. The staff were all very helpful and spoke perfect English.
The only downside to this hotel was two very steep staircases which we had to climb to get to our room. This didn't bother us, but could be difficult for the less able.
We loved Bruges. A weekend wasn't enough to take in all the history, museums, art galleries, unique buildings and shops.
I am already planning my next visit back to Bruges and the Ter Bruges.
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Corsica
Alba Marina Apartments - Corsica
Operator and Date: Corsican Affair - 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : keys family
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at these apartments for 2 weeks attracted by the closeness to the beach. The main problem was the fussiness of the owners. Notices were everywhere about what you could and could not do.
This would not have been too bad had the apartments been well equipped but there was not enough kitchen equipment and what was there was mismatched,chipped or broken. Bedlinen was not changed and was threadbare. I have never been to any villa before that did not leave at least some of the previous residents cleaning materials for you. We were given 2 dishwasher tablets. We suspected that the owners kept leftovers for themselves.
Yes all small things but this was added to by the owners attitude. They sat and kept watch over the pool every afternoon. On going in the gate if you even hesitated they would leap out barking at you to take your shoes off or to shower before going into the pool sometimes before you had even put your towels down.
Instuctions also included notices that you must not go out if the washing machine or dishwasher were on! With a family of five self catering that does not leave much time for the beach!
On our last day we had a 7 o'clock flight and the kids decided that they wanted to have a last swim. It began to rain quite hard and as you have to be out of the apartments by 9am without fail we moved under a loggia area telling the kids to stay in the pool as they were already wet. My 8 year old came up to tell us something but did not come into the dry area. The owner ran out to tell him off for wetting the path even though rain was hammmering down! He then proceded to make a huge show of mopping where my son had stood even though it was raining!
We found Corsica to be packed mainly with French and Italians and the island is too small with too few facilties to support the numbers it attracts. Restaurants all serve the same often very poor food and are very expensive.
Our advice - stick to Spain !
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San Lucianu Hotel / Mark Warner - Corsica
Operator and Date: Mark Warner - June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Mike Tibbotts - Woking 41,40,4,1
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Our hotel was like a student's hall of residence, with stained carpets etc.
Food was appalling. Compound situation. We could have been in Weymouth with a few mountains in the background!! Had to hire a car to see the real Corsica.
Holiday did not correspond with what was described in the brochure, (a generous dash of luxury!)
Only good point were the staff, although it was the beginning of the season. We expect the forced Mark Warner smile will be through gritted teeth by August!!
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Hotel St Christophe - Calvi
Operator and Date: Holiday Options - June 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Frank & Irene 61&72, Ray& Marion 76&71, Lanacashire
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Early flight to Calvi leaving 6am, arrived 10am, room not available until 2pm! Room to leave luggage, but nowhere to sit other than round the pool. We were in our travelling clothes, and had no suntan cream etc a very uncomfortable wait. Rep. said it was an ongoing problem. No lift in the hotel and many stairs; no assistance with luggage. Hotel in good position, shops, restaurants and marina easily accessible.
Food in hotel good based on 3days B&B and 4 days HB. Plenty of restaurants to chose from - reasonably priced if go with menu of the day(16-20 e) A la carte more expensive.
Booked and paid for a sea view room, but allocated one with a limited seaview. Asked for a change but only available after one week,then seaview spectacular. Tried to obtain refund from Holiday Options for l week's poor view but not forthcoming. Other people who had not paid extra had better views than us!Some rooms have no balcony, but most have views of some sort.
No public transport and only few taxis. Calvi is quite hilly and could be a problem for some.
No evening entertainment in hotel, but all seem to people-watch by the marina.
Excursions available from rep. but while we were there coaches were not air conditioned,temps. were 30+, very uncomfortable & almost a riot.Local train along the coast but go before 11am as very crowded after that. Boat trips from marina, one to the National Park quite stunning, saw dolphins as a bonus!
Enjoyable holiday, hotel, resort, food etc. Feel after 2 weeks done it all and no need to return to Calvi,will try another part of Corsica. Go before it becomes too touristy!
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Hotel St Cristophe - Calvi
Operator and Date: Holiday Options - July 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Angie & Geoff (53,52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Breakfast was okay but the evening meal was a work of art on a plate and tasted wonderful too! Most staff spoke some English but outside the hotel you really need at least a basic command of French. We had half board for 4 days then breakfast in the hotel and eating out for 3 days. Though nothing special from the outside, the hotel is spotless and comfortable inside. It is on the edge of the sea and ideally situated for the shops, quay and beach-we would stay there again.
We would highly recommend the Santa Maria restaurant in the square outside the pink and cream Santa Maria church. The location is lovely and two talented local guitarists sit on the church steps providing excellent background music while you eat.
Corsica is a stunning, mountainous island. The scenery is breathtaking and varies from vineyards, beaches, wooded valleys, picturesque villages and towns. The temperature was 35-40deg during our stay, so find accommodation with air-conditioning.
The Corsican drivers are mad! They can spot a tourist a mile off and continually drive as close as possible, gesticulating out of their car windows. They overtake on blind bends and narrow mountain roads.
We travelled all over the island and would suggest a trip to Bonifacio if you can face the drive (about 4 hrs from Calvi on the coast road, 5 through the mountains). Like Calvi it has a citadel, amazing coastal rock formations and a harbour full of yachts that only the rich and famous could afford.
If you shop at the local supermarkets, it's handy to know that they don't provide carrier bags, so take something to hold your shopping.
Should you want to take any alcohol home, buy it before you get to the airport. The local airports are tiny and don't have the sort of duty-free shops that we do. Have a wonderful time! We did!
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Hotel St Cristophe - Calvi
Operator and Date: Holiday Options - June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Terry & Kath - Suffolk (64,59)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel St Cristophe
Location 500 metres to main area
1000 metres from beach
Resort Charming quayside combining shops, restaurants, cafes together. First class location, without hassle to buy.
Beach White sandy beach, extends for 6 Km, with shallow water shelves.
Transport No local public bus service.
Single line train takes you to local resorts up to an hour away.
Hotel
Reception - Pleasant area, friendly staff
Bedrooms - Smallish but clean, with A/C, balcony and views. Larger bedrooms available but depends on allocation, presumably first booked first allocated.
Food - Logis chef and silver service, provides extensive menu, cooking is superb. We also ate in town were meals were comparable. You get French cooking with a Corsican flavour.
Pool - Cleaned every day, large, free sun loungers and snack bar.
Suitable for All except partygoers, and anyone with walking difficulties. Brit tourists generally in 50 plus group, it is genuinely QUIET here. Young back-packers and camping very popular. Weather First 2 days torrential rain, (not usual) afterwards 28°C+
Summary First class resort and Hotel, would definitely go back. A number of fellow holiday makers were repeat visitors. Very friendly residents
Calvi - Corsica
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Czech Republic has its own page.
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Denmark
Strand - Copenhagen Denmark
Operator and Date: Cresta - July 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Em and Mark (38, 41)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Well this holiday was a great bargain. After saving up Tesco clubcard vouchers for two whole years, converting them into deal tokens, the break cost us absolutely nothing. We flew with SAS from Birmingham and stayed for three nights at the Copenhagen Strand. If we had done this break without Tesco, we could have saved £200 by booking direct with the airline and hotel.
Copenhagen is lovely, with plenty to see and do, however it is slightly expensive. Credit/debit cards are taken almost everywhere including the Taxis, but any currency should be booking a little in advance as most travel agents do not stock it as standard.
The Copenhagen Strand is a very nice hotel on the water front. The price included a simple but very nice continental breakfast. Breakfast did seem to get very crowded and busy, however for a small price, it can be delivered to your room. If visiting this hotel, be careful of the stairs, as there seems to be a hidden step here and there and we tripped several times. Not all rooms have a 'sea view', so if you can afford it, it is worth paying the extra for the view.
All in all, it is a place that we would definitely go back to.
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Estonia
Domina Ilmarine - Tallinn, Estonia
Operator and Date: Feb 05
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Glenn Stott - Rochester(46,42)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Recently returned from a short break in Tallinn. We used easyjet for the flight and Octopus.com for the hotel.
The new airport is small and modern and at the moment not very busy.
The taxi fare to town is about 70-75 kroon, beware who you use. It is best to let the hotel book them for you. However, Tallinn is quite compact and we walked practically everywhere.
Lots of snow on the ground and quite cold, don't forget warm clothes and decent footwear. You could buy a fur hat (Russian style) out here but not in the town. Venture out to the street markets, one called the Central and the other is behind the main train station. Both rough and ready but a third of the cost of anything you will buy in town.
A beautiful historic city with enough sites to keep you busy for a couple of days. We paid £20 for two stall tickets at the Estonia National Ballet (Swan Lake) - in total! The opera tickets are even cheaper!
Try the restaurants in the side streets off the main square, we can thoroughly recommend the Ulvi Kook. Roaring open fire, six tables and fab food.
As for the hotel, modern, neat, spotlessly clean and functional. Polite staff which was refreshing after being out all day mixing with the locals. We found the older generation can be rude, blunt and lacking any social graces at all. We spoke to other foreigners here who all agreed.
Do visit this lovely city but get there before more souvenir shops open and the stag parties realise that the beer is as good and as cheap as Prague.
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L`Ermitage -Tallinn, Estonia
Operator and Date: Booked Independently -Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Monica Say 50's Rob Say 62
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We flew out to Tallinn with Easyjet,good flight, on tme.A taxi from the airport cost 102 kroons and going back 186 kroons.The hotel was very good,rooms clean,safe in room,only had a shower and no plug for hand basin, which we found odd.The hotel is on a main rd, but we did not hear much noise.Staff very helpfull.It was only ten minuets to the old town,but up a hill.There is a bus just up the road you can take.we did not find it cheap,meals are the same as here.
We had a meal in The Olde Hansa, it was the worst i have ever had. On the other hand The Peppersack was very good,we even had a belly dancer.We found there was not a lot to buy,they have knitware and to buy a jumper for a one year old was£15 i thought that to much.The transport is cheap,50p each ticket.We went on the no1 or no3 tram to Kadriorg Palace for 50p each way,lovely place only not open on a Monday.We got the tram from behind the railway station.There is also a local market there, things are much cheaper.
Tallinn is a nice place to visit for three nights.
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L`Ermitage -Tallinn, Estonia
Operator and Date: DIY-October 1st-4th
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Mark Eddleston (45,48,46,45)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Flights-excellent with estonian air only 60 quid each return,there was more leg room on there flights than normal budget airlines,the flights were on time both ways ,going out landed half an hour early which was great,(2 n a half hrs)
Hotel-a really nice surprise,excellent value for money,rooms spotless mini bars lcd tvs safety boxes'really impressed,
only built in 2004,but looked older from the outside,
breakfast,well so much to choose from,eggs bacon sausage,porridge,all kinds of bread,even fresh cooked mixed veg all cheeses hams cereals fruit juices and the best strong coffee to cure a bad head you could wish for,
Location-about a quater of a mile from the old town walls nice walk up a slight hill,then another quater of a mile to the town hall square,the center of tallinn,
if you like prague you will like tallinn
very cheap food and drinks,try the local KISS pear cider (very good)plenty of pubs,bars,nightclubs,sports bars,even strip places(for those inclined)
we found a fav estonian bar for cheap but really good food called Karja Kelder, hard to find only a doorway leading down a flight of stairs,but worth searching for
Taxis- cheap enough but ask price at airport before gettig in,only 10 mins from airport,
all in all great place to visit friday and saturday buzzing all night if you want to,
go and check it out before its caught up with the west (pricewise)
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Finland
Holiday Club Saariselka - Saariselka, Finland
Operator and Date: Esprit Lapland - December 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : B. Bradbury - Cheshire (35, 38, 9)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked the 'Santa's Spectacular'4 day trip which was quite expensive compared to the usual 2 week summer holiday, but it was worth every penny as it was the best holiday we have ever had.
Everything went very smoothly from the transfer to the hotel to the planning of all the excursions, the reps were friendly and approachable.
Holiday Club was a good hotel, good selection of food in the morning and evening, replenished regularly, buffet style. The pool/spa area was lovely (for children and adults!!), not overcrowded at all. I had wondered whether we'd actually use the pool given all the other activities but we found time.
The location was very picturesque, not commercialised, just a couple of souvenir shops (very expensive!), a supermarket and a couple of pubs with lovely log fires, but the scenery takes your breath away.
Esprit used Lapland Safaris who provided us with all our gear for the holiday. Boots, gloves, balaclava, all-in-one suit, socks, everything was great and easily changed via hotel reception if it didn't fit, so that was good.
The days were not so busy that you were exhausted - a nice relaxed breakfast and you were out for about 10 or 10.30am. We never seemed far away from anything we did so no long time-wasting coach journeys.
The skidoos were amazing. If offered the chance you should drive one!! It's an experience I'll never forget as there was a spare skidoo and I drove it the whole time. Also there was one day where we did lots of things in one area, wandered around and did what we wanted, when we wanted - that was excellent. Individual family candle-lit sleigh ride to Santa included that day - watch for the elves throwing snow-balls at you and stealing your hat as you drive around!!
I still cannot stop smiling when I think of this holiday, it was truly magical. I've been hunting for a similar trip without the Santa bit so that we can do it all again!!
Can't recommend it highly enough.
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Holiday Club Tropikki - Kussamo Finland
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - Feb 2006
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Sarah Nichols - Hampshire (35,33,56,56,3)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What a fantastic place ! We stayed in the Holiday Club Tropikki, this was a 20-25 minute bus ride to the Ski resort of Ruka.
I would recommend the Holiday Club Tropikki to anyone with Children, or if you don't want to spend all your day ski-ing. The tropical swimming area was fantasic for my little boy (3), as was the Arena Sports Bar, bowling, Play room etc.. There is also a sports centre & health suites, steam baths etc.... There is a Kindergarten in Ruka which was lovely, ideal for non-ski-ing kids.
The rooms were a bit on the small size for a family, idea for a couple, not very much cupboard space, but they were very clean and tidy.
The hotel food was lovely, a bit 'samey' by the end of the week, but you really couldn't complain about the quality, and as it was a buffet you could eat as much as you wanted.
There are so many extra excursions, we done the Husky Sledging (brill), Father Christmas (Brill), Snowmobile safari (brill) and the Reindeer Safari - again brilliant !
We got this holiday at a bargain price and I would recommend Finland to anyone. Just a little bit of advise though - pack your thermals, as it is very cold.
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Hotel Rantasipi Rukahovi - Finland
Operator and Date: Emagine Travel - December 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Andrew and Kim John 28,25
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked this holiday basically as a last resort as everything else we had tried was already fully booked up, but we were not disappointed.
Emagine travel tried their very best to find somewhere in Finnish Lapland for us that was still available (we didn't book until November 2004) and this hotel in Ruka was the only one. We arrived in Lapland in the evening and it didn't feel as cold as expected, the journey by bus from the airport took approx 40 minutes and was very scenic. The bus dropped us off right outside the hotel and check in was fairly quick.
The hotel lobby was very atmospheric (this was Christmas time) with a roaring open fire and a real Christmas tree. Our room was spacious and very clean with an extremely large shower and good views of the ski slopes. The area had numerous bars most of which were open until the early hours every night. Within walking distance there was also a pizza takeaway and an off license. Right next door to the hotel was a local safari company who offered trips to reindeer farms, husky sledging and snowmobile rides; we did all three and thoroughly enjoyed all of them. We found the Finnish people very friendly and approachable and most could speak very good English.
Overall we really enjoyed this break, Ruka is, first and foremost a skiing resort, but has lots to do even if you don't ski and although it is a busy resort we found we were not disturbed by people coming back from the bars late at night if we had a night in. We would, however recommend it more for couples or groups rather than families.
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Germany
Hotel Alt - Dusseldorf
Operator and Date: Independant - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Mick Wilson - Leeds (46,43)):
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This Hotel is bang in the centre of the old part of town the Aldstadt. It is very friendly and a great base for seeing all the sites. The continental style breakfast is the best we've ever had with plenty of choice of breads meats cheese etc. If weather permitting the boat trips on the Rhine are great. And if you like your beer try the local stuff it is by far better than lager more like a Brown ale.
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Comfort Fruhling am Zoo - Berlin
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook nov 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : m lewis 51,42
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Berlin is a fantastic place to visit,there is so much to do and places to visit,it is hard to know where to start.
A must is the free tour of berlin it is at your discretion to pay the guide,it was a walking tour we took and lasted for 3.5 hours, it took in all of the sites with plenty of info.pick up the leaflet at your hotel for the "INSIDER TOUR",YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.
The next must do is the telecom tower(fernsehturm) with revolving cafe/restaurant this was fantastic see berlin 360 degrees whilst having a drink and food no rush to move you on from the cafe,we stayed for 1.5 hours we just kept spotting great views that we would not of seen from the ground or bus.
Berlin is not cheap but there is good deals to be had from the various cafe/bars look out for the deals. go to UNTER LINDEN STRASSE, look out for the great bars and restaurants.
Getting around is easy buy a "tageskarte" cost is 5:80 eur tis will get around all areas for a whole day, very good value.
Berlin is very expensive,the souvieners are price as if they are made from gold, take your camera and come back with the best souveniers that will not cost you the earth.
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Hotel Excelsior - Dusseldorf, Germany.
Operator and Date: Independent (booked online) - November 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : The Girls: 65, 42, 42, 41, 38.
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked this hotel after securing return flights with Ryanair for £27 each. Paid £23 each bed and breakfast per night and it was nice: 15 mins walk from the old town, the Rhine, shops and the Xmas markets (which don't start till the end of November but I'm sure we would have liked them!!). 1 min from tube station and tram stop taking you to 'the action' in 2 minutes.
We had a 3 bed apartment with a nice kitchen, balcony and bathroom for the 5 of us so cannot comment on the actual 'hotel rooms' but the apartment we had was excellent - free bottles of fizzy wine and water with plenty of tea and coffee in the room too! Did have to ask for a hairdryer through and I expect to have those in a 3* hotel room.
Breakfast very good, with far too much choice to be necessary and no limit on what you could eat. Lovely clean fresh sheets with the biggest single duvet I have ever seen - we weren't cold!!!!. Reception staff very helpful with free umbrellas to use if the weather is inclement (which it was - in spades!) Beware of the 'pavement' restaurants in the old town as they will rip you off for drinks and try the bar called Brolker 9 if you can find it - interesting to say the least. Rhine Tower good to kill an hour or so and you will need to if you are there on a Sunday as everything is shut (except Burger King - Great!).
On the whole a very nice hotel indeed but we felt there are far better destinations for a weekend away than Dusseldorf (although it was more fun than Cork in ireland).
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Flandrischer Hof - Cologne, Germany
Operator and Date: Cresta February 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2004 by : Nicky and Ray (32,53)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I booked a three night for the price of two with Cresta. The operator was really helpful and we had no problems with our travel arrangements. A travel pouch arrived complete with a Dorling kindersley guide book of Germany. We flew with British Airways to Dusseldorf and then transferred by the sky train to Koln railway station. This was very efficient and easy to use. Only confusion was that in our details it said to use the shuttle which is actually called the sky train.
On arriving in Koln we took a taxi which cost us 6 Euros 30 cents. On our return we actually walked to the railway station as we knew the way. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the Flandrischer Hof Hotel. First impressions of the hotel were very good. It is a very nice hotel which is ideally placed for exploring Koln. Our room was very clean with a shower that always had hot water and very good maid service. Breakfast was typically European - bread, cheese, ham, salami, fresh fruit, yoghurt, croissant and even doughnuts !!
I would definitely stay in this hotel again.
When in Koln you must check out the Chocolate factory down by the Rhein. It costs 6 euros to get in but is well worth it. The chocolate tree was a definite must for me ! The shop sells all sorts of chocolate but is a little overpriced. We also went inside the Dom (cathedral) in the centre. It is beautiful and you must spend 5 euros (for 2) to climb the 509 steps to the top of one of the towers. Absolutely fantastic.
Another good place to go to is Peters Brauhaus in the old town down by Fischmarkt. Food is very good and a fantastic atmosphere.
We were leaving Koln just as their carnival was beginning (5 days before Ash Wednesday). EVERYONE gets dressed in fancy dress and parties for 5 days. It looked amazing.
If you love mooching about, drinking beer or coffee and shopping then Koln is the place to go. It is shoe heaven and we will be going back next year for the carnival complete with costumes.
A brilliant city with fabulous people.
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Generator Hostel - East Berlin
Operator and Date: Direct with Hostel
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Andrew Hall - 23 (at the time), 24, 24 and 26
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went to the Generator - reading that it was ranked in the top 10 in the world.
I have stopped in a few bad uns - and this was better than them.
It was a 10min ride on the tram (which stops at the end of the street) in to the Alexander Platz area - which could be discribed as the old East Berlin City Centre.
Lots to see and do in and around Alexanderplatz - Escado's Steak House was fantastic, easy access to Checkpoint Charlie etc either by foot, underground/subway/metro or tour bus, Hackesher Markt and Oranienburger Strasse for bars and cafes.
Some waiters and bar staff seemed to have a resentment to the English - despite making our best sober and drunken efforts to speak German!!
We flew easyjet and the taxi from the airport was about 20Eur. Split between four of us - meant it worked out very cheap. Less than £5 each for a 20 minute journey!!
The inspectors don't check tickets on the trams either... just like in Amsterdam.
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Intercontinental - Cologne
Operator and Date: Independently booked - Feb 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Stephen Blakey - Maidstone (47, 51)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Cologne Carnival Monday 7th February.
Arrived at the Intercontinentel Hotel at 1030 on the Saturday morning and was able to check straight into our room. The location of this Hotel is on the end of one of the main pedestrian only streets and within 7-10 minutes of the Cathederal, Neumarkt, Altmarkt and all main attractions.
The Hotel itself is very bright, airy and modern with great leisure facilities, better still, all staff that we came into contact with were genuinely warm, welcoming and friendly and could not have been more opposite to the imagined 'typical German stereotype.' In fact, the staff had such an impact on our stay that I felt compelled to compliment the General Manager personally at the end of our holiday!
We were there for the Carnival which starts gearing up with Parades and events from the Saturday culminating with the huge Rosemontag Parade on the Monday. What a Fantastic event. Four and a half hours to pass by, 6kms long! 95% of the thousands in the audience are in FULL fancy dress, (procurable from many sources locally including C&A from 20 euros for a full outfit). The Parade participants throw 40 tonnes of sweets, chocolate bars, chocolate boxes, soft toys, flowers and gifts into the audience and most people go home with a carrier bag full, (I know we did)! It's just one long weekend party throughout the entire central area of Cologne, think Rio but cold not hot. There is no bad behaviour just fun and frolics with quite a bit of drunkeness of course, but at no time was there any feeling of insecurity felt by my partner or myself.
We are definately going again in 2005 and will be wearing full fancy dress, perhaps we will see you there!
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Hotel Johnel - Hennef Germany
Operator and Date: TUI - February 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Detlef Krey - Hamburg (42)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel has approximately 60beds and is a City Hotel. Surrounding you can get everything you need. All kind of shops. The town is near Cologne and there is an excellent connection by train to the fair of Cologne and to airport. The hotel itself very cheap. Normally you get an Double room for one person for 45Euro or so including breakfast. TV (BBC...), Bath, telephone is in each room. Breakfast is served as a buffet. The restaurant offers cheap German food.
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Mercure Severinshof Severinstrasse Koln
Operator and Date: Flight Gerrmanwings October 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Allan and Sue Dowdewell 50 and younger
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Organised our week break independently to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Flew Germanwings from BHX. I had pre- arranged flowers for the hotel room at a very resonable rate. Arrived to find champagne and a bowl of fruit in addition, on the house. Rooms and maid service were faultlessThe reception staff were most helpful.The choice of food for continental breakfast is unbelievable. There is a sauna and health area in the basement. If you are not happy with nudity dont go in the evening when the sauna is running. If you are at ease with your body get down there its free.
Use a taxi to get to the hotel from the station, but after that just turn left and the centre is about 15 minutes walk, or go across the road to the left and follow the road opposite down to the river and enjoy a pleasant walk along the embankment.The bus service 132 and 133 stop outside the hotel, ticket machines are on the buses ? 2.30 single. or try it on and get a short hop ticket for e1.20. Meals are reasonable at the bottom of the old town around fischmarkt. Do the chocolate museum and walk the shopping area. The Dom is not completely open all of the time because of church services so be prepared to return later. Claudius therme natural salt water baths and sauna was discounted with presentation of German Wings ticket. Same rules apply as above to sauna area but there are still plenty of therapeutic pools to laze in. KD and Viking line do 1 hour boat trips along the Rhine. Well worth doing. We found the local people and people working most helpful and friendly.
We would recommend the hotel and the City for a short break.
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Rheingold Hotel - Dusseldorf, Germany
Operator and Date: Ryanair - November 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : Gemmell , Wilson - Johnstone 53,53,49,46
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was a 2 night, short break from Prestwick, booked through the Ryanair website. The flight arrived on time at Weese Airport which is about 1 hour 20 minutes from Dusseldorf City Centre.
The bus dropped us beside the main train station which is about 200 yards from the hotel.
Hotel [24 hour] reception is very small but the staff all speak very good English and were most helpful and pleasant.
A small [2 person] lift took us up to our room on the 5th floor. As was expected, this being Germany, the room was absolutely spotless. Two comfortable single beds. Adequate drawer and wardrobe space. T.V. with a couple of English speaking channels. Glass shower cabinet in the bathroom.
After a quick wash we went to explore the surrounding area.
The hotel, right in the City Centre, is opposite a massive Marks and Spencers-type store. The Schumaker Brewery is about 100 yards away on the same street. We visited the bar / restaurant in the brewery and it was definately an experience.....on entering, it looked to be full to bursting but a helpful waitress took us through 2 large rooms to a table in a further room [there looked to be more rooms beyond too]. Waiters continually circulate with huge trays of 'Alt' [dark, and VERY strong] beer. As soon as your glass is empty a fresh one is placed in front of you. We settled for Jaeger Snizzel [breaded pork cutlet in a dark sauce] and were not disappointed. It was wonderful.
Breakfast next morning was a cold buffet. Bread rolls, meats, cheese, boiled eggs, jams and preserves, tea and coffee. Enough to get one started in the morning. The restaurant [on the first floor] is quite small and on our second morning we saw about half a dozen guests having to wait for an empty table.
Dusseldorf itself is a nice City. Very clean and with friendly locals. A visit to the Altstadt [Old Town] is a must. Great shopping and eating to be had there.
To sum up....Dusseldorf is very good for a short break away from home. Much less threatening than, say, Amsterdam.
The Rheingold Hotel is ideally situated for shopping or exploring and defies its 2 star plus rating.
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Warsteiner Hof Hotel, Cologne
Operator and Date: Expedia - March 2007
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Ian, (27, 35)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
There is a picturesque Cathedral in the centre, but 2 days is more than enough! The hotel is located approximately 50 minute walk to the centre, (15 euros in a taxi), something that wasn't publicised on the website.
I can recommend eating at the Nirvan Persian restaurant near the Cathedral and Latino Loco Mexican was excellent
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Hotel Zleep - Hamburg, Germany
Operator and Date: Own arrangements - July 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Andy+8 (All over England, 34-44)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
9 blokes, not a stag do, just a summer social.
Flew from Stansted to Lubeck Airport. Bus to Lubeck 2.25 euros, 20 mins....train to Hamburg, 45 mins. (Up to five adults can travel anywhere north of Hamburg on the trains for a day for 30 euros).
From Hauptbanhoff(main)station we got the S-bahn underground to Reeperbahn.
Hotel Zleep almost right outside at top of steps,and was clean and modern with nice rooms (twins worked out 38 euros pp/pn room only). Good double glazing very useful as Harley Davidson convention in town that weekend, roaring round the Reeperbahn all day and night!). A few street people around, but no trouble came our way. Collecting bottles to claim back green tax is a bit of a street industry.
Hotel was right on the end of Reeperbahn with cheap supermarket right below for provisions and instore pastry/coffee bar for late breakfast. Right outside back door friendly local bar 'Tippel 1',then two mins to Reeperbahn, allsorts of bars and clubs on adjoining streets, kebabs excellent!
Scenery in the city centre is good with inland lake and canals, bars spread around, shopping (affluent city)...Another part is Altona for a different mood, quite laid back and select about a mile walk from Reeperbahn, tubes run all night at weekend.
Travel round the Hamburg area for a day, we got travelcard from the tube ticket machine for five people 8.60 euro valid 9am-6am next day. Ok for trains, tubes, buses and ferries...excellent value,got the U-bahn about 10 miles out to little town of Wedel and walked down to the river cafes where ships go past every few minutes. Back to city.. ferries, just hop on at the water front and go up and down river Elbe seeing the container ships/docks on the other side opposite, or get off for a beer. In fact, walked down to the Fishmarkt after a night out and just missed the first ferry for a sunrise trip on the river still on ticket from day before. Sunday morning the Fishmarkt bars/cafes open at 5am.
Also couple of hours train ride is the beach resorts at Westerland(North Sea) or Travemunde(Baltic).We went to the latter, and also the Baltic port of Kiel for a look round and nice fish meals on boat restaurant.
Definitely worth going once.
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Gibraltar
Caleta Hotel - Gibraltar
Operator and Date: Independent - March 2006
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : DG - Wales (50, 46)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel is situated about a 30 minute level walk from Main Street and the square, or a taxi costs around £4 from the town to the hotel and about £6 from the hotel to town. Buses stop near the hotel. There is quite a lot of building/renovation going on at this time, with the swimming pool and surrounding area being out of service whilst it is being upgraded. I'm told that the pool and area will be ready for the summer season. There are also works going on between the hotel and the beach which means the steps to the beachfront are also out of service until the summer months.
We had a standard "rock view" room which, in fact, had excellent views of both the rock and the sea with Morrocco in the distance. The room was furnished ok, complete with a flat screen TV with satellite channels including BBC and ITV. Patio doors led out onto a good size balcony with two chairs but no table. The bathroom was very clean and in good order although, as we were on the 5th floor, the hot water took some time to come through the pipes and the pressure was fairly low. The room had a hair dryer and complimentary tea and coffee with a small caffetier included. All in all, the room was a decent standard and cleaned daily.
Breakfast was excellent with a very good choice of foods including fresh fruit, cereals, sausage and bacon etc. The bar food in the evening was ok and reasonably priced averaging around £4 or £5 for lasagne and the like. Nunos Italian restaurant is of a very good quality, and I've never had Italian dishes as good or varied as those on the menu. The prices are reasonable at around £6 or £7 for pasta dishes, up to £15 for fillet steak and the like. Drinks in the bar and restaurant are the same cost at around £2 for a pint or glass of house wine. A bottle of house wine was £10.
The hotel staff were all, without exception, very efficient and very friendly - nothing too much trouble and always up for a chat. The public areas were clean and reasonably well furnished, complete with the biggest, fattest cat called Pedro that we've ever seen.
The only downside to the hotel is the lack of air conditioning, although our room had a ceiling fan which we didn't need as the weather was only around 65f. The room had no central heating but did have an efficient electric heater.
All in all, the hotel is starting to feel it's age, but still deserves it's four stars.
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Caleta Hotel - Gibraltar
Operator and Date: Travelscope March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : PHILIP HOLDSWORTH ( MID 50'S )
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Visited Gibralter mid-march and stayed at the Caleta Hotel
Excellent location if a little far from town centre, but bus stop close-by.
Bus service excellent value but a bit hit-and miss.
Hotel of a good quality, carpets in need of replacement.
Food quality very good ( breakfasts )
Hotel Italian restaurant is excellent if a bit on the pricey side, but quality service.
Bar/lounge is excellent,drink prices not bad.
Glad we went for only two days as Gib.gets a bit repetitive after then.
If we went again we would go mid-week as the shops close at 2-pm on saturday & are closed all day Sunday ( except booze & fags shops )Booze prices are unbelievably cheap.
Good selection of bars,try the Irish one at the bottom end of Main Street for good food & cheap drinks.
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Caleta Hotel - Gibraltar
Operator and Date: JULY 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Mark Walkling 37,37
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Gibraltar is an interesting place to stay for a short break. You have two marina`s lined with a few restaurants. A bustling duty free high street with pubs and restaurants. There are two sandy beaches, a museum, caves and historical sites as well as the cable car and apes at the top. Oh and a magnificent view. The place is full of history and you feel you are in an ancient citadel as you enter the town through the massive walls, with a British colonial feel. My only criticism is that it`s a little bit quiet of an evening.
Do not stay at The Caleta Hotel though, as it is quite run down and doesn`t look as nice as their website portrays. Our room was tatty, the corridor stunk of sewage and the whole place was in need of major refurbishment. The English bar was closed every night. Breakfast was either expensive or a choice of low quality cold pastries, or toast flattened on a hot press !
We went to The Rock hotel and it is far nicer, even though it has the same star rating.
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Caleta Hotel - Gibraltar
Operator and Date: Independent - Date Not Specified
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Two Adults and one child
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
On check in at hotel, shown room and rejected it as they had only provided a 'z' bed for our child. As we had paid full adult price for him they eventually found a larger suite (2 rooms +bathroom) which was excellent. Problems with the local ape population meant that the windows had to be kept closed and with no air con it was very hot !! Strange to wake up in the morning to have apes looking at you through the window.Pay the extra for a sea view as the rock view means it is very noisy !
poolside excellent with lifeguard 100% of the time.
Meals not too bad but a bit repetitive and expensive. Local restaurants very good.
Use buses, cheap and more fun if you dont mind the wait.
Would visit again no probs.
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Elliot Hotel - Gibraltar
Operator and Date: Superbreak/Monarch Jan. 2006
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Lesley Siverns (50,46,16)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Having visited Gib some 20yrs ago & reading some of the reviews, we were rather apprehesive to say the least!! Hotel was 1st class and all renovations have been completed to a very high standard, with very friendly staff. Breakfast was buffet style with excellent choice, but at £17 a time rather alot unless it is included in yr booking. Weather was superb and we took the guided tour of the Rock which cost £7.00 per person & £8.00 admission (in total) to all the sites. Only down side was the lack of nice restaurants to eat in, all more or less 'pub grub' and that not to a very good standard. If anyone was to open a good steak &/or fish restaurant near to Casemates Square they would make a bomb!! Tried the Marina, but all was closed, maybe due to the season.
All in all really enjoyed our break, but any more than 3 days we would have been bored to tears!! Be sure to shop around for those duty free's, some of the smaller shops down the side streets are worth a visit. On Main Street all a little more expensive, and remember the prices shown on some goods are as they would be in UK!! So barter and the least you should get off is the VAT!! Have a price in mind that you wud pay, within reason!! and stick with it.
Booze and fags excellent value for money, B&H £8.00 for 200 Scotch Whisky £3.00 litre!! Shop around for yr flights - we paid £40.00 return Luton with Monarch, excellent airline.
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Guernsey
La Trelade Hotel - Guernsey, . Channel Islands
Operator and Date: Travelsmith, April 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Gilly & Keith, Surrey (well over 21 plus vat))
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at La Trelade for 3 nights at the beginning of April. This was certified as a 3* hotel but, what a find. It was excellent. We were given a large, double-aspect 4poster bedded room. All rooms are en-suite. Everthing was spotlessly clean. The bedroom furnishings were beautiful & the bathroom fittings were Villeroy & Bosh. The health suite was excellent, gym, indoor pool, sauna & steamroom. Robes & towels were provided.
The meals were delicious, especially the scrambled eggs & smoked salmon for breakfsat. There was a full evening menu or 'bar food' which doesn't do justice to it. We enjoyed fresh locally caught plaice, teriyaki, tiger prawns with pasta & chilli butter.All of these items were under £9 & were beautifully presented. The barman Damien injected his warm personality over the bar & restaurant.He was a mine of useful information.
The hotel is a mile from the airport but, the planes going over presented no problems & there aren't any night flights.
The whole island is delightful & hiring a car is useful but, you could take bus trips & they are only 50pence a journey or less if you purchase a multi-trip pass.
There is tax free shopping to enjoy but, international rates apply when using a cell phone. We purchased a new cell phone which is tri-band & unlocked so we bought a local simcard which we used on the island & will use the new phone on the mainland by swapping over the simcard from the old phone.
We visited many of the beaches which vary in size & accessability, all were lovely & all clean.
We plan to return before too long.
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Holland
Duinrell Holiday Theme Park - Wassenaar
Operator and Date: Hoseasons, April 2006
Opinion submitted in April 2007 by : 41, 10, 7
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
As the other review said, the site was easy to find being under an hour from the Hook of Holland ferry.
We booked a superior van with Hoseasons which was lovely - very clean, modern and well equipped. There was a play ground just near the van where the children could play with kids of all different nationalities.
The staff in the park were very friendly and polite - all spoke perfect English. There were loads of play areas for older kids and you get free goes on the rides at the park. The swimming pool centre was brilliant as well. Well equipped super market on site. We also had the opportunity to visit Amsterdam for the day which we all enjoyed. Most people I got talking to were there for the 3rd or 4th visit and the kids are very keen to go back. Much better than any UK caravan sites I have been to and good value for money I thought.
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Duinrell Holiday Theme Park - Wassenaar
Operator and Date: KEYCAMPS
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : 62, 60, 40, 44, 20, 18, 16, 14,
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you like a lovely self catering holiday, then look no further. You can stay at DUINRELL and use all the theme park for FREE!!!
Free rides all day every day, free swimming for 2 hrs each day. Only abt 2 Euros for evenings.
Three weeks for under £400, x 3 vans for 12 of us.
Ferry from Harwich to hook of Holland inc.
We paid abt £56 per van to upgrade to the fast ferry.
Very easy to find in Holland. Straight road through. Takes us abt 3/4 hr.
£2 for 24, yes 24 Beers at the supermarket in the village.
Cheap meat for your gas barbi.From local butchers, around back of village.
Caravan was a Villa Grand. 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms. sleeps 6 in comfort. Each bedroom as own bathroom/shower.
Duinrell as it's own website, and booking.Also Eurocamp and Thomsons. But it's a lot cheaper to book with keycamps, as they book per van and not per person.
Something for everyone from the babies to the oldies.
We were very lucky last may to have glorious hot weather.
Keycamps staff were very helpfull. Took our teens off our hands at night. Made sure they got home safe.
Can't praise Duinrell enough. Been twice now, and going back 2007.
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Hungary
Hotel Alfa Art - Hungary, Budapest
Operator and Date: June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Dave, Caz, Gareth, Lynn (over 40's)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
About 30-45mins from airport, airport shuttle bus (return included) cost 3900 Hungarian forints (about £13).
Bus went straight through city so was quite impressive, lot of traffic mind.
Hotel on shores of River Danube, which is about 1/4 mile across, beautiful views, with plenty of room to sunbathe if thats what you enjoy.
Weather was sunny all week, with temps in the low to mid 30's (80-90'F).
Hotel rooms small but very nice, air con included so wasn't uncomfortable at all.
Hotel on opposite side of city and on outskirts so not too much to do at the hotel, but city easy to get to via excellent public transport system or taxi (costs between £9-15 depending on taxi-ensure taxi is regulated, some aren't and may cost much more)
Food in hotel very nice, but menus a bit limited, plenty of buffet style food for breakfast, for main meals we went out onto main road (left at main road) where there is a nice restaurant which serves excellent meals.
John Bull pub in city opposite Hotel Intercontinental) very nice, sells imported beer and is air conditioned, with sky sports etc
All in all, a nice break, wouldn't come back due to distance from centre but still a well kept place.
PS Airport check in desks didn't appear to be in air conditioned room and was hot and stuffy, check in room itself very small with 20 check in desks, not enough room for flights and so chaos reigns when it comes to queueing.
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Hotel Annabella - Balatonfured, Hungary
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Craig Waites - Hull
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Visited Balatonfured in Hungary with my family in August. We flew into Budapest with Easyjet & hired a car locally for 10 days which cost 270 euro's.
What a fantastic location. There is no coastline in Hungary which is probably why Brits don't visit the place en mass but, it has the largest natural lake in Europe which in my opinion is better/safer than the sea.
You can sunbathe in the sand & your kids can play in the water, but because its a lake you don't have to worry about them getting carried away by tides. 100m out & the water is still only waiste deep. Prepare to be overfaced in the restaurants, I ordered duck & found a whole duck on my plate, a platter for 2 is more like a family platter so you will not go hungry & you can still expect change from a fiver!
On an evening take a walk down by the lake & you'll find the wine shacks, local wine costs approx 30p a glass & is some of the nicest you will ever taste.
We'll definately go again, a 10 day break in August for a family of 3 including a hire car cost less than £1,000.
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Art'otel - Budapest
Operator and Date: Easyjet and Holiday Nights - Mar 06
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Denise Morrow - Newcastle (26,41)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Art'otel is on the river Danube on the Buda side, it is situated between the Chain and Margarit Bridge and provides a spectacular view of the parliament building. The rooms were cleaned everyday and chocs on our pillow! The staff were friendly, helpful and spoke good english. The bar and restaurant were expensive but they do have a happy hour and offer a 2 for 1 meal deal. The breakfast was superb, catering for everyone.
Our taxi transfer is highly recommended its a family run business which i booked over the internet and cost 6000 huf each way about £15, the lad who picked us up was friendly, spoke a little english and was early on both occasions
Budapest itself is a lovely city, i would recommend trying the local bars rather than searching for english bars as these are more expensive and full of locals anyway! Saying that though Becketts Irish Bar serve fab food and it has a good atmosphere in the evening, with a mixed bunch of people. Everything is shut on a Monday!! We were there Sunday to Wednesday and most things wer shut on the Weds as well due to a festival! Don't bother wasting your money going to the caves under the castle the drawings on the wall are man made and its takes 15 mins to get round in pitch black tunnels with scary music.
I would def recommend Budapest the locals are helpful and the majority can speak good english, the food is lovely, the beer is great! There is plenty to do and see.
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Art Hotel - Budapest
Operator and Date: independent - 2004 / 5
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : McGregor - Dundee (33-33)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Fabulous hotel situated in Buda, if you are lucky enough to get a room to the front of the hotel you get fantastic views of the Danube and Pest. We were lucky enough to have a balcony, although as we visited in December we did not get the chance to make full use of it.
The rooms are beautifully decorated, clean and warm, in a boutique hotel style. We were on a B&B basis, the breakfasts were continental buffet style, there was always alot of food to choose from and it was of a high standard. The hotel did have a restaurant but we did not eat there as the choice of restaurants and bars in the area are vast. We particularly loved a small Belgian bar, which did great food a couple of doors down from the hotel.
The staff were extremely helpful and a great source of information about the area and getting around.
We had a fantastic four days in Budapest, I can not recommend this hotel enough.
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Ibis Aero Hotel - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: N/A - July 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : The Vongels - Glos. 30 & 40
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Resort:
Budapest is a wonderful city, we will definitely return. Unfortunately we only had 2 days there so would recommend more time to see everything. One of the best things we did was to take a boat trip of the city and onto Margret Island, what a great place!
We had previously spent 5-days in Szekszard and as I am a vegetarian, I was more than happy to get to Budapest to finally have a decent meal! There are vegetarian restaurants in Budapest we visited the Govinda which was great value for money & delicious food but sadly no alcohol as it is a Hare Krishna eatery.
We also visited the laser theatre at the planetarium which was amazing. We found it difficult to get by in Hungary without understanding the lingo, as hardly anyone speaks much English, but the metro system was really easy and very cheap.
Budapest is slightly more expensive than the rest of Hungary whilst still being much cheaper than home. I booked our flights, insurance and hotel through easyjet & octopus travel and got great deals.
Accommodation
The Ibis Aero hotel was wonderful. When we arrived it looks quite disapointing from the outside but all the interior of the hotel has been recently updated. The rooms are spacious and absolutely spotless with a nice size en-suite. There is a bar which is quite expensive, if you cross the road there is a sunken outdoor bar in front of a shopping mall which is much better value. Everything we wanted was on our doorstep of the hotel including the metro & tram station, shopping mall, fast food eateries and a couple of bars.
The hotel is a little out of the way of the centre of Budapest but you can just hop on the metro to get to the centre. Breakfast was a cold buffet as much as you can eat which helped to set us up for the day! I cannot fault the hotel, location or the city, it's great and I am sure we will be spending much more time there in the future.
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Ibis Centrum - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: Easyje - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Lynda Turtill - 52,50, 30,29
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We travelled to Budapest in late September with Easyjet from London Luton as we always find Easyjet to be very good on price and have never suffered a delay.
We stayed at the Ibis Centrum (75 euros per room per night), which is ideally located and not too far away from the main sights etc. See below for how to get there. Raday Utca is "pedestrianised" (as it is lined with parking meters you know this is somewhat of a misnomer) has lots of nice bars and restaurants and, also, a very good sandwich shop where you can get a bacon and egg breakfast (to eat in) for £1.50, much cheaper than the 8 euros charged by the Ibis! We also got some take away baguettes for our flight home, which were half the price of the ones in the airport. There is also a supermarket and a couple of boutiques and souvenir shops.
Across the main road, there is the Irish Cat bar, which is very good too, but unlike most Irish Bars we have visited, they do not open until the afternoon, although they stay open until very late in the morning. The market hall is worth a visit, but don't buy any souvenirs on the first floor, they are much cheaper in the little streets across the road, which lead down to the river. Having said that, the things on the ground floor are quite good value, I got a great string of dried whole chilli peppers for about 75p, which should last me a couple of years. We liked Budapest, which in a lot of ways is like Prague, with the exception that their shops are closed on Sundays, apart from the Mammut shopping centres and the like. This didn't bother us too much as we took the Metro and went up to the Zoo and the English Park, taking in Grundels for Sunday Brunch (not too bad when you consider the price of everything on the normal menu!).
The public transport system is very good and very cheap, but you must remember to validate your tickets before getting on a metro train and whilst on a bus, failure to do so results in a hefty fine and they do check! When we got off at the Zoo, two burly guards ensured that not one single person got past them until their tickets had been closely inspected. A taxi to our hotel, if arranged via the Ibis, was about £17, but we used the Repterbuz and metro, which only cost £1 each in total! The instructions on the net state that there are blue bus ticket machines near the taxi rank at Ferhigey airport, but since they have now opened a lovely new terminal, this is not the case. The first thing you must do is get some coins, there is a change desk and, also, a cafeteria as you come through arrivals. You can then buy a ticket on the bus 170 HUF, which you need to validate.
The bus stop is just on the main road, to the left of the airport entrance (same side). It takes you directly to the metro station, again you need 170 HUF per person for a ticket, you will see some orange machines on the way into the underground, insert your ticket to get it validated, the IBIS Centrum stop is Kalvin Ter and when you get off the metro look for the Raday Utca exit, you will see the hotel as you come up the steps, it is about 15 metres away. All the ticket machines have instructions in English and almost everyone we spoke to put us to shame by speaking very good English. For a capital city Budapest is surprisingly reasonable, although there are the odd places which are quite expensive, but we did not spend as much as we thought we would.
The weather was lovely even though it was almost October, but we did need a jacket on the evenings. We enjoyed it so much we intend to go again.
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Hotel Ibis Vaci Ut - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: April 2004
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : Alan Haggart - Aberdeen (35, 32, 2)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel represents excellent value for money. It is in superb condition in all areas, and is spotlessly clean throughout. Our room was a good size with very nice bathroom and great views. Breakfast was plentiful and varied with all kinds of cheeses, meats, salads, breads, pastries, cereals, fruits etc. Evening meals included Hungarian specialities and were enjoyable, pity the dining room has a slightly "motorway services" ambience. The hotel has a metro station right outside, and is also served by trolleybuses, and is a fifteen minute walk from Heroes' Square and the City Park. And with a rack rate of 59 Euros it is good value, but our deal through Totalstay was only £32GBP per double room with breakfast!!
A fine base for exploring this wonderful city.
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Korona Panzio - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: Own arrangements via Easyjet/Hotelopia
Opinion submitted in May 2007 by : Denise and Stuart, 42, 37
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion: This is a great little hotel/guest house which ticks all the right boxes. 1. Spotlessly clean and comfortable rooms, recently refurbished and a comfy bed. Towels changed daily PLUS we had the benefit of a balcony. 2. The location is in a very nice leafy part of Buda, as others have said, it is a bus ride into the City (the no. 53) but personally speaking this presents no challenge to us. The bus was extremely efficient and ran every ten mins. from just outside the hotel (taking about 20 mins journey) - the receptionist s are very helpful if you need any advice on getting around. 3. Friendly and smiling staff - very helpful with directions etc. and you can purchase a Budapest Card from the reception. Make sure you make the best of the discounts with this card, or it could work out more expensive than just purchasing Travel Cards.
All in all a fantastic City Break was had based in this hotel - we started our days early so had a meal before we returned on the bus so we were able to catch the bus home (note the last bus is 11pm).
One tiny problem - the bar area downstairs really needs a door to separate the bar from the stairway to the rooms, as it got a bit noisy down there a couple of nights and I had to use earplugs to get any sleep(but we were going to bed early! If you are using the bar it should pose no problems!) Minor complaint though as I would thoroughly recommend to anyone not afraid to use public transport. The garden is a lovely quiet area to relax in with loungers too!
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Hotel Kristaly - Keszthely-Balaton-Hungary
Operator and Date: self-made holiday - 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Simone -Essex (32)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Keszthely and Balaton are not well knows for UK visitors, it's mainly a Hungarian, German and Austrian holiday destination. Kezthely is a small town with a palace and very nice beaches as well as good restaurants (as always in Hungary) and reasonable shopping. The lake Balaton is very shallow and warms up quickly. In early July, the water temp is 26. The air temp is usually 26-39. The Kristaly hotel has a pool, a sun terrace, a small breakfast room, a bar and a cafe. They offer massages and there is a sauna as well. The rooms are nice, with balconies and a ceiling fan, a fridge and satellite TV. The staff are friendly, but speak mainly German and Hungarian.
This hotel is in a great location, within walking distance of the city beach (entry 700Ft, it has a pool, lots of restaurants and good facilities), the town centre and the train/bus station. To get to Keszthely from the airport takes less than half an hour and costs 1400Ft using the minibus service. This is a great place to go if you want to relax and go for walks, have nice evenings in restaurants, go swimming and maybe go on some trips on the lake (and brush up on your German). It's not a party place. It's peaceful and quiet; in fact, it's so relaxing it's bliss. It makes for a great 2-centre holiday, as the train to Budapest costs only 2600Ft (and takes about 4 hours on the slow train to Keleti station).
I liked the Kristaly, and I think I would stay there again. The only drawback with the hotel was that it did not have aircon and the room got very hot!
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Hotel Marriott - Budapest
Operator and Date: (Going Places Direct) Going Places - Feb 2006
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Simon Hutchings - Wales (44,43)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My wife and I booked a 3 night break to Budapest flying from Bristol as we fancied something different to Paris, Prague or some of the other "usual" European city break destinations.
All I can say is we were glad we did!
The hotel itself is situated right on the Danube with wonderfull views of Buda from every room. We could see the Royal Palace, The Citadel and the Chain bridge from our room along with all the large chunks of ice floating down the Danube daily ! The breakfast buffet has to be seen to be believed, it had everything.
Needless to say, beacause of the time of year, it was very cold, but that did not spoil our enjoyment of going around Budapest sampling all the wonderful food and drink in the numerous restaurants and bars.
One place you MUST visit is Gerbeaud's coffee/chocolate house. The service and ambiance is so relaxing and the chocolate/coffee and cakes are out of this world. If you like to relax and eat sweet things, then you will be in heaven!
Going Places itself has always provided my wife and I excellent service and I would certainly use their services again.
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Marriott - Budapest
Operator and Date: Costa
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Gillingwater - party of 15 ages 20 upward
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Didn't know what to expect from Budapest and what a wondeful surprise it was. Beautiful buildings loads of history it seemed like a cross between Prauge and Paris to me. Not one of our group was disappointed or bored and all said they would like to come back and see more.
The only thing which was a downside for me was being a vegetarian, as the Hungarian restuarants recommended to us by the hotel had 1 to zero veggie options. They are big meat eaters here.
The hotel was wonderful and all that you'd expect from a Marriott hotel and ideal positioned on the river.
I liked it far more than Prauge and thought it alot prettier with more to do and seemed less run down.
I would highly recommend to anyone considering a weekend city break.
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Hotel Mendoza - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: Easyjet, June 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Alan Gilcrest. 53, 53, 53
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel was adequate for our purposes, friendly staff, buffet breakfast, fine to keep you going. Handy position near The Octagon eg to get to Hero's square and a nice outdoor bar just outside the hotel. No air con so if you go in July/Aug get a hotel with air con. Budapest is a fantastic city could not recomend it more. No chavs or baseball hats no people shouting, bars very relaxed to chill in, loads of pleasant outdoor bars to sit in balmy evenings. The people are very quiet as well.
Loads to do in the city, too much for our 3 night break. Hero's square a good place to start and allow at least half a day for the big spa there, absolute bliss. The Danube is good as is the market out of town. The Turkish citidal on the Pest side good, also Margaret Island great strolling place.
Public transport is fantastic puts ours to shame presumably as they don't spend most of their GNP paying benefit. Just use the trams to sightsee, 8 pounds for a 3 day unlimited ticket to use on any transport, trams are about every 2 minutes, too many superb buildings to mention much better than Prague in this respect but not as cheap or festooned with Lager swilling stag/hen parties at weekends, depends what you want. See it before it becomes another stag party venue.
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NH Hotel, Pest XIII - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: lastminute.com - Feb 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Sarah +Steve Tout, Hants (27, 36)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
What a great surprise! We booked this hotel as the price was good and were beginning to wonder what we'd let ourselves in for when we read that Hungarian is an impossible language to learn. We went for a week long break and the NH was like having your own apartment! Very friendly staff, all spoke reasonable english and the maids only came in when asked so you could have a lay in if you wanted.
At the time we visited, the weather was warmer than England but quite dull so we would come back in the spring. NH is in Pest, the commercial disttrict, which has lots to see and do, plenty of bars, restaurants and cafe's (and a few strip clubs dotted around)to rest in between the long walks you can't help taking. Breakfast in hotel was varied - continental, salads, pasta, hot food and every kind of fruit. Okay Italia have 2 branches down the main street (Szent Istvan Korut) and this is a lifesaver if you get fed up with some of the stodgier magyar fare. Hortobagy Pancake, Gulyas and all the sticky cakes were delish. Gerbeau, Europa, Ruszworm all good coffe houses but explore away and find your own, less touristy favourites. Not mega cheap everywhere but certainly won't break the bank. The biggest shock is McD's and Burger King - sooo cheap and so much smarter than ours - very often internet access too if you need it.
There is a minbus service available from Ferihegy airport and we would reccommend this - you get dropped at the door for about £10 return and get to see a bit of the area too. Local Terror museum is very interesting, lots of beautiful churches, St Stephen's Basilica is stunning - £1 entry and we've never seen so much bling! We will go back as soon as we can - the area we were in was close to most amenities - train station, trams, buses, theatre, opera house all within 15 minutes walk. We visited most of the monuments - Fishermens Bastion, Basilica and the Palace were amazing but the city park and Heros Ter were disappointing - bad weather meant it looked grey and dull.
Please go - it has something for everyone!
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Petnehazy Club Hotel - Budapest, Hungary
Operator and Date: Self Booked Timeshare September 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Roy Lewis Wolverhampton 59,55
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We chose this sight because it was nearest to the airport, not being good drivers abroad.It was only 19klms,we chose the airport minicars, a good cheap alternative to the taxis, about 1/3 the cost. What we did not prepair for was the standard of driving,about the worst i have ever seen.If you hire a car you must have suicidal tendencies.For the rest of the time we used the local trams,buses and subways, very cheap and efficiant.The place itself was set in the hills above Buda, Canadian style log cabins. it is a bit remote,the bar and restaurant close at 9 o clock in the evening.
The nearest bar is a mile away and that shuts at 10 o clock.There is nothing else on sight,no shop,cafe or gamesroom. The staff seem eager to get home, except when there is a wedding or birthday party booked in the hotel restaurant( about 3 per week) these can go on until 3 or 4 in the morning. But to us guests the bar is still closed at 9 o clock, and the evening meal is reduced to a help yourself buffet(all the waiters are at the party) There are day trips to all the usual tourist places but we found them vary expensive and somtimes not worth it.Lake Balaton and the Herend Porcelenium cost £52 each, out of 8 hours we were driving 5 + 1 1/2 for lunch & 1 hour in the plate museum.The average wage is about £80 per week.The other trips were much the same. Moskva sq tram and bus change has a lot of down and outs who just sit and drink allday and urinate in the flower beds.
Along the river there are a number of good places to visit,Margit island is a large park once a private home but now place to get away from the relentless traffic.Also a short walk away is the parliament building. If you are an E U citizen you get in free on sight of your passport, or its 2300huf the tour is about 40 mins. All the other sights are easy to get to on the trams, Buy a travel card or a book of tickets for even better savings.
I dont think we will go to Hungay again for along time, there is still a bit too much communistic attitude as yet
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Ireland
Achill Cliff House Hotel - Achill Island Co Mayo Ireland
Operator and Date: self booking may 06
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : larry watson 59,chris nickolls 60
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This area is about as far west as you can go in southern ireland,its wild and peacefull and the achill cliff house hotel is a wonderfull base with great staff and food.
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Alexander Hotel - Dublin
Operator and Date: Expedia - November 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Helen & Den (33 & 36)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My husband and I stayed at this hotel the first weekend in November and would stay again.
I booked it through Expedia and got a double room for £165 (breakfast not included). We had a room on the second floor looking on to the main street but it was very quiet. The room was clean and had all the facilities needed, such as iron and ironing board, hairdryer, tv, safe, tea/coffee facilities, trouser press, en suite etc. The hotel parking is excellent - just on the left before the hotel - very secure with double gates and a security guard. The staff at receiption were friendly, informative and welcoming. Can't comment on the hotel food as we didn't eat there at all but the breakfast was pricey at between 16 euros for a continental and 20 euros for an irish breakfast. We went to one of the coffee shops instead for breakfast of which there are plently to choose from. Nice pub beside the hotel called the Ginger Man where we went for lunch. Large portions served and with drinks it came to about 25 euros.
Hotel is about 5 min walk to Natural History Museum, Trinity College and the National Gallery, about 10 min walk to Grafton St and about 15 min to the Temple Bar area and O'Connell Street/Henry Street. There is a stop for the Dublin Bus Tour and other bus services about 5 mins walk away and there is also a taxi rank outside the hotel. There is no real need for taxis though. Go on the City Tour - the drivers are good craic and will sing you a verse of 'Molly Malone'! Every driver has a different way of telling the stories and histories of Dublin. Would recommend visiting the National Gallery, Kilmainham Gaol (guided tour, very good), Trinity College, Guinness Storehouse and Dublin Zoo. The best bit when visiting Guinness is the free pint of the black stuff in the Gravity Bar, but it is packed. We also called into the Irish Museum of Modern Art but didn't think much of it. It depends what you like but it is in Kilmainham Hospital which is a nice building. The gallery and museum are free, the gaol is 5 euros/adult, Guinness 13.50/adult euros and the zoo 12.50. There is the usual discount - students etc. The bus tour itself is 12.50 euros/adult.
Shop around a bit for places to eat. We went to the Thai Orchard one night which came to approx 75 euros for three courses inc. wine. The second night we went to Foleys Pub on Merrion Row where a two course meal with wine and Irish coffee came to 116 euros which we thought was slightly expensive for a pub restaurant, although the food and service was of high quality. Two drinks with mixers came to nearly 14 euros in the pub downstairs! The irish music in this pub was excellent and the customers seemed to be mostly Irish/locals. We last stayed in Dublin in April and it seemed much more expensive this time to eat out.
The Alexander is a warm and friendly hotel which is fairly central with the bonus of free secure parking. We have stayed in Dublin twice before right in the city centre off Grafton Street and also on O'Connell Street but they were noisy and the staff don't compare to the quality of staff at this hotel.
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Bridge House Hotel - Dublin , Ireland
Operator and Date: Octopus-Feb 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : 4 Yorkshire Birds- 23,25,30,31
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I've been to Dublin before and stayed at The Principal which I thought was quite strict. The Bridge House iss just fab yep fair enough abit fawtly towers you half expect someone to shout Cybil haha. walls have 5 different colour wallpaper on them, no interior matches, gaps under the doors and gaps in the window but at the end of the day its a listed building from like the 1800's. But all the staff are really friendly specially Dave who works nights, it's sssooo central at the end of Temple Bar near the shops, pubs and food....must visit the Guinness StoreHouse it's bout 15 mins walk and go to Zanzibar club across the other side of the bridge wicked!! I would defo 100% go back to the hotel it's very kitsch.......Plus you can't beat Dublin ab fab, love it, going back asap.
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The Brooklodge and Wells Spa - County Wicklow, Ireland
Operator and Date: Independant, Jan 05
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Colleen, Terry, Jake (37 / 34 / 10)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you can afford to upgrade, I would recommend staying in one of the suites at this hotel. They have been decorated to a very high standard, and the bed was the most comfortable I have ever slept in. The spa is very nice and the staff very welcoming. This is the ideal hotel for a romantic weekend away from it all!
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Celtic Lodge - Dublin
Operator and Date: Independent september 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Seamus ODuighnie ( 38,71)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Had a wonderful stay in Dublin not least down to the welcome and treatment extended by the staff and owners of the Celtic Lodge.Even when arriving far earlier than we had informed them our room was ready and they insisted we have a breakfast which we had not expected.The location is marvellous as well around a minutes walk to O'Connell Street.
Attatched to the Lodge is the Celt Bar a great place for a nights entertainment live music every night and the barmen accept no nonsense so you feel comfortable went in a few times on my own but always found company.I took an open bus ride which had a hop on/off facillity worth the money went to see Kilmainham Gaol a must do tour in my opinion aneery amostsphere reflecting its violent past.
Another must do was the 1916 rebellion walking tour from the International bar on Wicklow Street only 10 euro and extremly interesting as well as highly amusing at points brought to life the history of Dublin.
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Charles Stewart B and B - Dublin Ireland
Operator and Date: Internet booking - April 2006
Opinion submitted in Apr 2006 by : Carl Squibb 40, John Hurley 45
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This was our first time to dublin and it will not be the last.
As for the hotel it is about 10 mins walk to the main entertainment area of dublin which is called temple bar. The hotel is a budget style hotel bed & breakfast. The hotel website says it provides a irish breakfast but while we were there we where givern a cooked breakfast of 1 egg 2 sausages bacon and 2 slices of toast but no white or black pudding. If you dont fancy a cooked breakfast you can have cearal or fruit.
As for the rooms it looked like they had been recentley been redecorated which was good, however the bathrooms are quite small with basin, toilet and small shower. The maid service was very good,cleaned every day and used towels were replaced every day.
The recpation staff very good and always willing to help. One word of advice there are safes in the rooms but if like us you may find that you cannot open your safe because people who had previousley stayed in the room locked the safe door when leaving the hotel without letting the hotel know what code they had been using and the hotel does not have a master code to open the safes. If this is the case the hotel will provide a safe for you at the recpation desk. Also if you have a room like us at the front of the hotel you will be aware of a lot of noise because a number buses stop outside the hotel day and night and also there is taxi rank across the road that can be a problem in the early hours of the morning when people come out pubs to go home and can be a bit loud.
As for getting to the hotel from the airport we decided to take a taxi which cost us just over 27 euros. The taxis are metered. The traffic was quite busy we arrived on a satuday so the journey was longer than normal around 45mins. When we returned home the taxi fare was only 19 euros and 20 mins long on a tueday.
hope this helps
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Charles Stewart B and B - Dublin Ireland
Operator and Date: Independant - March 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Lisa, Leah, Karen, Fiona, Marj, Angela ( 25 to 55)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Charles stewart is a budget style B&B on Parnell Square, just at the top of O' Connell St. the cheapest yet best accommodation I've ever stayed in , in the City Centre. The reception staff are amazing and they have a 24HR reception especially for Night owls !! The rooms are basic but ample with daily maid service, tea & coffee making facilities, tv etc. Full Irish breakfast is included in the price! BARGAIN. Also a choice of juices/ tea/ coffee/ cereals & more. This guesthouse is truly IDEAL. About 15 min stroll from Temple Bar and the main shopping & drinking areas. Although cheaper shops and bars are about 2 mins walk.
Airport bus drops at the door and bus drivers are really helpful. BUT have the correct change or better still grab a taxi €22 ish. Dublin itself is pretty pricey compared to the North East working mens clubs !!! LOL.
We were there 21 of us on a hen night and had a great time. We found a bar called O'Neils on Suffolk St , at the bottom of Grafton St and on the left hand side of the main Post office and tourist info centre. This pub serves the nicest sandwiches and carvery food I've ever tasted and cheap too. ALSO has the footie games ( All + those not shown in the UK). The HEN'S only request was that we all wore black! worn mad head gear and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. The meal was lovely, not too pricey and the atmosphere was great. Can't wait to go back.
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Chief O'Neills Hotel, Dublin, EIRE
Operator and Date: May 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : A Wilkinson - Co. Down, NI. (30,30)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Penthouse suite - if you get a chance this is a fabulous room. I think the hotel has a three star rating, but the Chief O'neills suite was more like a 4 star. Construction work outside not a problem, staff friendly, professional and helpful. Only at breakfast in hotel, but it was good and there was lots of it.Up and coming location. A modern hotel for the young/young at heart. Great for adults, but I wouldn't bring my children.
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Clarion Hotel IFSC - Dublin Ireland
Operator and Date: Cresta - February 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Hampshire
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
brilliant ideal, suited tot hose who dont like the cheap B&B's your are normally offered on a shrt break. this is idealic buisness hotel, away from the main bustle of the tourist trap.
it is 10 minutes walk to oconnell street and situated in the finance distric of the city.
the hotel is imaculatley presented and the staff are always willing and on hand if you need them.
food and drinks are pricey, but no more than you would expect from a luxury city centre hotel.
the free use of the gym, pool, sauna and steam room are great for relaxing at the end of the day.
ideal loctaion for those who want to see the city but want to go 'home' from the city of a an evening for some r&r
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Comfort Inn Smithfield - Dublin, Ireland
Operator and Date: Ryanair/independant - June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Sally Oakes - Norwich 25
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Dublin - what a place! I came here on a friend's hen weekend with 15 others and had the best weekend! If you're looking for relaxing days and full on nights, Dublin is for you.
The Comfort Inn Smithfield is a new hotel situated just north of the Liffey in an area that's going through massive regeneration (one thinks it must have been a bit dodgy until recently judging by the lack of bars, shops and other hotels in the area, but not a problem becuase temple bar is only 20 mins walk away). Very clean hotel, everything is bright and new. The room was large, with proper duvets on the beds, a dvd player, lots of mirrors and the best shower i've ever been in! That alone was worth the cost! A word of warning though - the hotel bar doesn't take cash after 11pm so you have to add it onto your room, which you can only do if you paid with a credit card! Confusing yes, but we managed to get drinks in the end!
I would thoroughly recommend this hotel, not least because of the fanastic organic supermarket next door called 'Fresh' - their cheescakes are to die for!
All in all Dublin is an amazing city, but is a lot more expensive than when I first visited a few years ago, so bring plenty of money for the black stuff! The famous Temple Bar pub is a must (and even though smoke doesn't bother me it is a lot nicer now that smoking is banned inside), as is the open top city bus and the Guinness Museum (you get a free pint of Guinness, which you even get to pull yourself if you so wish!).
Temple Bar is a really vibrant, exciting area at night - it was absolutely heaving so be prepared to deal with crowds, including men dressed as women/animals/little britain characters (you get the picture) but if you want to eat out MAKE RESERVATIONS! We booked at an Italian place called Botticellis on the Saturday morning and to be honest we were lucky to get in, so be on the ball with that one. Fitzers is a fab place to go at night - a bar/club with 4 floors plus a roof terrace for the smokers (great until it chucks it down, which it tends to do in Ireland!) - great music, buzzing atmosphere and open til 3am, what more could you want!
So, go to Dublin, stay at the Smithfield Inn - you won't be disappointed!
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Days Inn - Talbot St - Dublin
Operator and Date: independant - Ryanair & Hotelnet
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Pat & David Archer 43 & 46
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you are after budget accomodation, you can't really go wrong with this. The room was a little on the small side, but clean and the double bed was huge. We went B & B and the cooked breakfast was really nice. If you had to pay it would cost 9.50e.
Dead easy to find, hop on the 747 bus from the airport, it's the first stop at O'Connel st and just a 4 minute walk. The bus costs 5e pp and worth it, I was told a taxi one way would be about 27e.
The hotel is a bit noisey, but for all round value doing it on the cheap you can't go wrong.
The open top bus gives you a good tour, we got off at Guiness and was glad that we did, as to go back another day, it is quite a way out. We did go early morning and got in easy, but by lunchtime the queues had really built up. tell them you came in on a tour bus and upon producing your ticket you get a discount.
the Temple Bar area is really nice, we had a nice early bird meal at Trastevere an Italian in the square, 39e for the two of us from their special menu, a starter and main with a glass of wine or beer and the portions were very good too.
The Temple bar itself is a good night, musicians on every night and if you like whiskey you really need to go here.
I did enjoy Dublin, but found it quite expensive, with 2drinks ( pint of guiness and a glass of wine , a small one at that or a single short) averaging out at 9e.
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Dungiven Castle - Co Derry, Northern Ireland
Operator and Date: Ryanair Flight to City of Derry - June 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Anthonia McCaul - Norwich - 28
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
I have just returned from a week in Dungiven Castle. It was so lovely that it was hard to drag myself away from this authentic medieval Castle with fantastic views over the Irish countryside!
The Castle has it's own grounds with a one mile walk which takes in plenty of heritage and the Medieval tomb of an ancient Irish warrior - Cooey-na-Gal O'Cahon. The ideal location for a tranquil break.
The Castle does not serve food nor does it have a drinks licence but I think that both can be arranged if required but because of this, you then get a chance to enjoy the bars and eateries on Dungiven's Main Street and to meet a few of the towns eccentric characters ... and there are a few!! Not a destination for those seeking theme parks or night clubs but for chance to enjoy peace and tranquility and to find yourself - an escape from the pressures of constant work. The staff were wonderful - with a support Office elsewhere, so that what ever your query, it was answered! Very afforable and a great base for exploring the region - Giants Causeway, Walls of Derry, Ulster-American Folkpark, Banagher Damn and Benone Beach.
I hired a bicycle and went on a signposted cycle trail of 25 miles one afternoon - loved it and the people I met who wanted to chat along the route! Some nice Restaurants in neighbouring Draperstown and Limavady which must also be sampled. Weather was wonderful with temperatures between 26 and 30 ... not sure if this is typical June weather for Ireland or not.
I loved my stay and it fulfilled all little girls childhood dreams of staying in a real Irish Castle!!
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Earl of Kildare Hotel - Dublin
Operator and Date: direct February 2006
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : Diane 48, 60
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just arrived back from this hotel. Well worth a stay.
Its central for everything (museum in same street and over looking Trinity College)and anyone who knows Dublin will appreciate there can be a lot of walking involved. The hotel is situated over a traditional Irish bar live music is played on Friday and Saturday. They also have a northern soul/motown disco from time to time.
The accomodation is set over three floors. No lift was available. Rooms are furnished comfortably and our bathroom was clean an spacious with a shower over the bath.We chose a cold weekend but the rooms were really warm!
In our package breakfast was not included but came recommended at 6 euro each. It was great, all the usual but also
included black and white pudding and chips. Kept us going all day.
Dublin itself can be expensive - particularly in Temple Bar.
If you like a nightcap in your room take spirits from duty free shop at your UK airport as they're cheaper than even in supermarkets.
Good selection of restaurants (though not many Irish). The usual array of fast food joints. If your into real ale there are two Porterhouse, bars worth a look.
Ladies - shopping in Dublin isnt cheap but they have Penneys which is exactly the same as Primark if your on a budget.
Avoca is a eally pretty shop with a fab cafe on the top floor and a fab deli in the basement.
The luar (metro/tram) is a useful and cheap menas of transport.
From the airport catch either the bus (747 I think)for 5 euro or the aircoaches 8euro into Dublin. As the streets have bus lanes its a lot quicker.
Dont forget Dublins contribution to the milleneum - THE SPIKE!!!!!!
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Gate Lodge Guest House - Dublin
Operator and Date: Ryanair - July 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : John 48, Karen 40
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Gate Lodge is a good Bed and Breakfast opposite Phoenix Park and just around the corner from Heuston station. Our room was clean and spacious. Quiet, as it was at the back. The breakfast was a mix of cereal, fruitjuices and full cooked breakfast. Good value at 49 euros a night each.
As for Dublin, try and go off peak at it was packed, mainly with Americans and Italians. The traffic is unbelievable. They need the congestion charge! Not the cheapest city, especially around the Temple Bar area. The Brazen Head is worth a visit, very authentic and reasonably priced food.Guinness Storehouse is, like the Millenium Dome, all 'done with mirrors', ie. all effect and little substance. We enjoyed the coach trip to Malahide castle most of all.
Worth a visit, but not somewhere I would keep going back to.
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George Frederic Handel Dublin
Operator and Date: Ryan air
Opinion submitted in March 2007 by : Debra Lewis 44, Peter Bird 52
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went in a mixed group of 5 and flew from Doncaster. We stayed at the George Frederic Handel Hotel and found it very friendly, clean and they did a good full Irish Breakfast.
Dublin itself is very nice and the people are so friendly and helpful and go out of their way to help you.
We found a very good place to eat which was round the corner from the hotel called The Copper Alley Bistro and it was very reasonable compared to alot of other places. Temple Bar was very crowded and quite expensive and catered for the younger crowd. We found a couple of good pubs - The Braze Head and one called Tom Kennedy's where on a Monday night they have a sing-along - you must go to this its amazing and at the end they all stand and sing the Irish National Anthem. Another good pub was Nealons next to a gay bar but it was alot quieter.
The Irish dancing is worth a look at at The Arlington Hotel. You have to book a table but it is free to get in and gets really packed.
All in all we had a very good time
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Green Isle Hotel - Dublin, Ireland
Operator and Date: Independent. Ryanair and Octopus Travel - August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Andy Hall - Tyne & Wear (25 and 24)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked with Ryanair simply because we were given a voucher on our birthday to fly with them.
Because of their limited amount of destinations from the north east - we chose to fly to Dublin from Durham Tees Valley Airport.
Despite them being a bargain airline (the flights were £1 there and 1p back) and having a £30 voucher - due to taxes, their sackless charges for bags/handluggage - we ended up spending and additional £48. The seats were filthy and the cabin crew and pilots were foreign with a poor grasp or understanding of English. Not their fault, but if I was a first time flyer and we got into difficulties, I dread to think what would have happened. We couldn't understand them at all.
The gate Ryanair use at Dublin airport is a good 30 minutes walk from the main terminal building and if you have children or have difficulty walking, you will have big problems!!
We hired a car via e-bookers and ended up with a new clio and travelled the journey to the hotel. The traffic was terrible on the dublin by-pass motorway and it took a good hour instead of the 30 minutes we were told to arrive at the hotel.
The hotel is situated just off junction 9 of the motorway - not far from the Red Cow Roundabout Tram Interchange.
The hotel itself is clean and modern - having undergone a refurbishment of the old wing & reception area and a brand new wing (which we were in) being completed at the back end of last year.We were in the new wing and we couldn't have asked for more. It was a lovely hotel with a lovely big, spacious room.
We had a double, a single and a camp bed in our room (we only wanted a double bed) and there was still bags of room to move about in.
We decided to dine in the hotel the first night and were introduced to Ylidray - our Russian waiter for the evening.
He was smart and a very hard working member of staff, but lacked the basic skills needed. I'm sure this will come with experience
The food was very stodgy and the family on the next table ended up sending their chicken dish back because the chicken was raw!!
We didn't go back there for a meal.
The hotel provides a shuttle bus to the Tram Station (5-10 minute ride depending on traffic) at a cost of 5E return journey. It is a half hour ride into Dublin - O'Connell Street and the trams can become quite full.
We used the pool and sauna facilities, but felt daft having to wear a swimming hat due to hygene regulations. At 3E a hat, it added insult ot embarrasment.
The hotel is clean, spacious and very nice - if you are using it as a base to travel to the South coast, it is ideal. If using it as a base to come home to after a night out in Dublin, don't bother. It is too much of a faff doing this. Trust me. After several pints of Guiness, I found this out to our cost.
We paid £54 per night per room B&B and couldn't fault anything apart from its lack of a central location and the evening meal.
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Harbourcourt Apartments - Youghal, Co. Cork, Ireland
Operator and Date: Home from Home Holidays - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : AM Smith, 2 adults, 1 6yr old child - Glasgow
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Accommodation listed as 4 stars - what a joke! The place was filthy and by the manager's own admission had not been cleaned for several weeks. The kitchen was poorly equipped, the place was covered in dust. We spend 2 hours cleaning before we could unpack our things. We complained to the absent on-site manager when we managed to get him off his fishing boat! The list of faults with the accommodation is endless and I don't want to bore you so I will just add that the apts are right next to a working harbour where work commences very loudly at 7.30 each morning.
The resort of Youghal is very grubby - lots of litter, dog dirt etc. The beach is lovely but the facilties are appalling. There is one set of public toilets which are absolutely filthy. There are lots of little shops and cafes but everything closes at 6pm so there is not much to do in the evening unless you wish to sit in a pub all the time but that is not much good when you have children.
On the whole I would not recommend Youghal to anyone and I would certainly not recommend our accommodation.
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Hylands Burren Hotel - Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, Ireland
Operator and Date: LeisureBreaks NI Ltd - November 2005
Opinion submitted in Nov 2005 by : Helen (34) & Den (37) Northern Ireland
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked this accommodation through a Leisurebreaks offer. The deal was pay £20 for three nights for two people and buy breakfast and dinner each day in the hotel. Our first impression of the hotel was that it was very cozy as there was a peat fire burning in the receiption area. Part of the hotel is an old coaching house. Both check in and check out were quick and efficient. The room we were allocated was overlooking the private car park at the back so it was quiet. The room and bathroom were both of good size and kept very clean throughout our stay. There were all the usual facilities in our room - kettle, trouser press, hair dryer, TV, toiletries etc. If we had one negative comment to make it would be that the room was quite cold sometimes. The breakfast at the hotel is great - 10 euro a head (8 euro on Sat for some reason). It consisted of croissants, home made scones, selection of cereal and juice, fresh fruit salad, cheeses and sliced meats, pan au chocolate, full Irish brekkie and as much toast as you can eat. The bar menu for the evenings was extensive. Starters inc. soup, brie, salads, fish and mains inc. steaks, sandwiches, fish, pasta. For two courses with a bottle of wine it was about 65 - 70 euro. The restaurant was excellent and brill value - 35 euro a head for four courses but not as extensive a menu. Starters inc. terrine, soup, salads and mains pork, steak, lamb, fish. The mud cake, homemade blackberry & apple pie and profiteroles are gorgeous for dessert! However, if you were vegetarian, I think the choice was quite limited. Saturday night in the hotel was disco and cocktail night - beware the cocktails, very strong - 7 euro each. We were disappointed that there was no traditional Irish music in this hotel but if you check their website, there is quite a list of entertainment for the next few weeks so perhaps we were there in a lull. Ballyvaughan village is very quiet - 3 other pubs, 3 craft shops, a coffee shop and a supermarket and that's about it. The coffee shop (Soda Bar?) does excellent lattes and crepes. Ballyvaughan is hauntingly beautiful however as its bang in the middle of the Burren area which is a bit like a lunar landscape. Monks Pub at the end of the pier is nice and seemed popular for food with both locals and visitors - sit outside with your drinks weather permitting and try O'Briens also for entertainment and food, again very popular with locals and visitors alike. We were glad we stayed from Thur - Sun because there is plenty to see. We visited Clifts of Moher, Aillwee Cave, Ennis and Lisdoonvarna areas, Kinvarra and Galway city. Would we stay at this hotel again? The answer is yes but on a B & B basis only to try the other pubs in the area for food. However, with this offer we saved between 150 - 200 euro. The staff at the hotel are friendly, efficient and helpful but don't be suprised if the receiptionist is serving you drinks in the evening or your breakfast the next morning!!
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Imperial Hotel - Cork, Ireland.
Operator and Date: Independent - June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : The Girls - 15,16,17,38,40,41,42,43,43,65.
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Imperial Hotel is lovely. Even though it was half way through refurbishment when we were there (which is probably why we got it so cheap!!) the work was not intrusive and should be finished the end of July.
The staff were very very helpful, the rooms (we had a mix of 'done' and 'not yet done') were spotless, the 'done' bathrooms were truly gorgeous with stacks of towels (didn't see an 'undone one so don't know what I am comparing with). Don't take toiletries with you either as the bathrooms are well stocked with all you need. The breakfast is enormous (too much choice to list but cooked, continental or both!) and the drinks in the bar were the same price as the rest of Cork.
The 'done' rooms were worthy of a 4* rating easily and the 'not done' rooms were good 3* standard (which is the hotel's official rating). There is absolutely nothing to do in Cork except eat & drink so why it is the European City of Culture we don't know. Nothing opens until 2pm on a Sunday either except the City Gaol which a very good value for money waxwork museum/history lesson/historic building all in one - worth a visit (the only thing to visit actually) and the long hike up hill to get to it isn't too bad once you are up! We didn't mind there being nothing to as all we wanted to do was chill out and eat & drink but if its sights and art/culture you want don't go to Cork. If its nice people, shops, bars and lovely restaurants then go to Cork. Don't be put off by the non-smoking rules in Ireland either - half of us smoked and it didn't bother any of us (nice to come home from a night out without stinking).
We had a great time and would return to the Imperial if we ever go back to Cork.
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Longfields Hotel - Dublin
Operator and Date: May 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : david & irene - durham (50,53)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
stayed at longfields for 3 nights in may,booked the hotel through the internet after viewing longfields website. These images tipped the balance in longfields favour but sadly to say the reality did not live up the expectancy. Upon arrival the reception was small,in reality I think a cupboard with a door taken off.After being shown to our room no 108 disappointment soon set in,the carpets were old,the decor dated,the wardrobe door had a large crack running across it from corner to corner and the bathroom was tiny.
After complaining we were given a room with a four poster bed and a larger bathroom with the bathroom walls covered in white plastic to give the impression of tiling,a bit naff.We thought things were starting to look up but nobody had prepared us for the traffic noise which was loud and constant allday and allnight, also the bed was quite high up with a solid wooden frame running around the matress which when you are only small,my wife and I are both just over 5ft tall we found it quite difficult to get in and out of bed.After a broken nights sleep due to traffic noise we went to breakfast which was quite nice but the room had been redecorated and smelt of paint which was a bit offputting.
Overall I would say we were disappointed with longfields,instead of a relaxing break it turned out to be 3 nights of broken sleep and a desire to be home for a night of peace and quiet.
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Lough Derg Holiday Centre - Killaloe, Co. Clare, Ireland
Operator and Date: Independent - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Feb 2005 by : Simon Owen - Pembrokeshire (36, 32, 7 & 5)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Having had some bad experiences before in Ireland, our hopes weren't exactly high before arriving at Lough Derg holiday centre. Our hopes were raised as we drove through the beautiful village of Killaloe, which nestles along the shores of Lough Derg. Maybe the good weather enhanced the senses a little, but I honestly don't think I've ever driven through such a beautiful area.
When we got to the holiday park itself, which is just a few miles outside of Killaloe, our hopes raised even further as we took in the beautiful setting.
The park has an area for touring caravans, but we were staying in one of the recently built Marina Walk Houses. The facilities in the houses were exceptional (the best we've ever experienced anywhere) and the reception and greeting we received from the staff at the centre was just as you'd expect an Irish welcome to be.
Lough Derg holiday centre is a brilliant touring base if you're keen to see what the West of Ireland has to offer. We visted a number of local tourist spots including the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. Perhaps the beaches aren't quite up to the standard of those in Pembrokeshire but, hey, you can't have everything!
Our kids loved playing in the small on-site beach and it was clear from the large number of boats in the area that the fishing is excellent. There's also lots of opprtunities to try out some watersports as equipment and boats can be hired at the park.
It's difficult to find anything derogatory to say about the park itself or the people who run it so efficiently. If I had to say something, it would be a suggestion that some of the kids' facilities on sie could be updated or improved a little. However, our kids had a wonderful holiday, and the many other kids who were there at the time seemed as if they did too. Needless to say they want to come back next year and, for once, I will not disagree with them.
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Lynam's Hotel - Dublin City - Ireland
Operator and Date: Book Now Ltd - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Richard Middleton - Cornwall (58, 52)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: No rating
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My wife and I planned a short five day break in Ireland, taking advantage of the new Newquay to Dublin service provided by Air South West. We booked our Dublin hotel through Book Now Ltd three months in advance of our holiday as we particularly needed to stay in O'Connell Street, Dublin on our final day in Ireland.
Arriving at Dublin we collected our hire car at the airport and were very pleased with the the service provided by Irish Car Rentals.
Our destination was Kenmare, on the west coast of Ireland where we stayed at 'Silvertrees' Guest House. Our accommodation was very good and the breakfasts worthy of top hotels. An excellent choice in a beautiful location.
This being our first holiday in Ireland we were delighted by the whole experience. The Beara peninsula, Ring of Kerry and, particularly, the Dingle peninsula were spectacular. We found the Irish to be extremely friendly and helpful and this aided our enjoyment of that lovely country.
Eating out in Kenmare is to be spoilt for choice. However, avoid the Lansdowne Arms Hotel where our meal fell well below the standards we expected of such a fine looking establishment. A far better bet is the nearby Lime Tree Restaurant (limetree-restaurant com) where the meals were absolutley fantastic. Booking is, unsurprisingly, essential.
The only sour note of our Ireland experience was our last day spent in Dublin. In April we had booked a room (through Book Now Ltd) at LYNAM'S HOTEL in O'Connell Street right in the Centre of Dublin. We arrived at 12:30 and were informed that we could not book into or room until 2 p.m. which is fairly common practice and was expected. Leaving our luggage in reception we wandered the shops until the appointed time then returned to book in.
The receptionist informed me that our room had been damaged by water and was not now available but they could transfer us to another hotel some distance away and would pay the taxi fare to get us there.
Having discussed the situation my wife and I decided to enquire if another hotel in O'Connell Street had accommodation for the one night that we needed it and were pleased to find that the Gresham Hotel across the street had a room available which we then booked.
Returning to the LYNAM'S HOTEL we informed the receptionist that we could not accept their offer of alternative accommodation as we particularly wanted to stay in O'Connell Street and not a taxi ride away. We asked for the return of our 25 Euro deposit at which point the receptionist spoke to the manager.
The LYNAM'S Hotel manager then asked for the balance of our accommodation rather than return our 25 Euro deposit. Apparently he had 'suddenly' found that they now had a room available! I declined and was informed that the booking agency should be contatced for the return of our deposit. On our return to UK the following day we contacted Book Now Ltd, explained what had happened buthave yet to see the return of our deposit from either the LYNAM's HOTEL or Book Now Ltd.
Although I cannot comment on the rooms at the LYNAM'S HOTEL, I strongly recommend that you stay across the street at the excellent Gresham Hotel
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Mespil Hotel - Dublin, Ireland
Operator and Date: Booked ourselves over Internet March 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Pauline Marian Christine Laura Leanne ( 60, 55, 49 ,44 ,24 )
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at the Mespil Hotel in march 2004. Hotel was clean, rooms were clean and spacious fresh towels daily. The staff were friendly, breakfast were hot and cold buffet and very nice. just down from the hotel you can get the no 10 bus to and from town 85cents each way it takes 5 minutes, 15 minutes to walk no need for taxis they are a rip off. Dont take a taxi from airport neither get the airport buses outside just tell someone at the information desk where you are going and they will tell you which stand to wait at they are every 10 mins, it cost 6 euros single fare or 10 euros return but dont forget to keep your ticket.
Dublin City is a lovely place with plenty of shops and department stores. Temple bar has all the restaurants and bars but the bars are very expensive and crowded we tried temple bar our first night but found it to busy it took ages to get served at the bars, so the next night we went to the tradional Irish bars out of the City close to the hotel which were cheaper with friendly staff and tradional irish live music. The open top bus tour is a must only 14 euros you by a ticket on the bus and it last 24 hours you hop on and off were ever you want all day although it does get cold upstairs with the wind blowing in your face.
We will definetly go back to Dublin again and will will stay at the Mespil again .
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White Bridge Caravan Site - Killarney, Ireland
Operator and Date: INDEPENDENT OCT 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : 49, 44, 12
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion: Booked this week away within 2 hours on the Internet and got extremely good value in some respects.
FLIGHT - Ryanair Teesside to Dublin £113 for 3 people Sat to Sat return.
CAR HIRE - Hertz (Via Ryanair site) £96 for small Fiat for 1 week.
ACCOMODATION- Caravan, White Bridge Caravan Site, Killarney 400 Euro.The last night (Fri) T'lodge Dublin Airport £32 booked thru Superbreaks.
The flight was spot on, why any one complains about Ryanair service is beyond me. I got a brand new car at Dublin airport which was fine for the country roads aswell as main road travelling.
Unfortunately we were in Ireland just as the cold spell started so the caravan, which in Summer would be idyllic, was extremely cold. So cold, in fact, that we de-camped to travelodges for 2 extra nights Wed at Limerick and Thurs Dublin Airport.
Having said that the Site owner was brilliant and even refunded us 100 Euro!!
So kind a gesture which I never expected.
As for the area itself it is a must see place.
SUN- The ring of Kerry is beautiful and well worth a day trip. We went to the Skelleg Experience Visitor Centre on Valentia Island. I was suitably unimpressed Not worth the admission charge but the shepherds pie was nice. Drive back through Molls gap to capture views of Killarneys lakes.
MON-The Dingle peninsula is also wild and very beautiful. The Connor pass a great little road with great views to the Brandon Mountain. Dingle itself is not picturesque in the English way but is pleasant enough. It does have a pretty good Aquarium though.
The best part of a day round this area is found on the coast road to Dunquin. Spectacular seascapes, Islands, beaches and cliffs are all around AND it was where a lot of Ryan's Daughter was filmed.
TUES- Cork Not particularly attractive, something if found in common with many towns, but plenty of shops for the shopper.
Blarney Castle. This is a must see place. Almost totally devoted to the tourist the castle and grounds are very attractive as is the village surrounding the large green.
WED-Killarney town. It is a lively town with plenty of facilities and really is a great base for touring the area so full marks for that. This was when we gave up and headed for t'lodge Limerick.
THURS- Drove to Dublin.
FRI- Dublin. The weather was wet, the place was busy, Its a city Nuff said.
Overall if I went back in October I'd look for an apartment but if it was in summer a caravan would be fine.
It's a paradise for walkers and those who see beauty in nature as opposed to man made.
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Italy
Hotel Albergo Cesari - Rome Italy
Operator and Date: Independant (booked via a website) July 30th - Aug 7th 2004
Opinion submitted in Jan 2005 by : Helen, Pete and Charlie Green (29,40, nearly 2 years)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We decided to male the most of our 2 older sons being away for a week with their grandparents and go somewhere we had always wanted to go even though it meant taking our youngest son who was nearly 2 at the time.
As it would involve a lot of walking we thouhgt it would be ok as he would still be in a buggy.
Well Rome is totally amazing and I am so in love with the place.
The hotel could not be better situated for all the main sights,
it is literally just around the corner from the Pantheon and the very beautiful Trevi Fountain.
The hotel is small but very clean and friendly, it has what must be the worlds smallest bar, (but you do have a great mini bar in your lovely room.)
The staff were great, they were always very helpful and full of advice as well as always having a sweet for our little boy.
The breakfast room is small but there is plenty of food and it is lovely.
We went at the end of July 2004 and it was so hot, but as people have said if you get up early, go out then come back for a siesta (we always bought some lovely treats from the brilliant deli at the Trevi Fountain)
then go out again in the evening you will be ok.
The Piazza Navona is a fantastic place for eating, chilling out and of course souvenir shopping.
Needless to say the Coloseum and Vatican are a must and something I will never forget.
GO TO ROME
You won't regret it!!!
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Albergo Rossana, Tremiti Islands, Italy
Operator and Date: Self - July 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by :
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We live in Italy, and my husband has visited the Tremiti Islands, off the coast of Foggia, Italy, on several occasions, but this is the first time we have been there together for 20 years.
On the good side...the Albergo Rossana was wonderful, only 5 minutes steep walk from the port on San Domino, the family-run albergo has only a 1-star rating - but it is spotlessly clean, well-designed, effective air-conditioned rooms and friendly and helpful people. They are also a pizzeria, gelateria and bar, and the food is good, home-made and economical. Very handy for when you arrive, hungry and tired! At the moment, the owner only deals in cash in advance, so that could be a problem outside Italy for some people. Breakfast is included, and the croissants are to die for!
The restaurant Il Faro (The Lighthouse) was recommended to us by the owners of the Albergo Rossana, and was well worth a visit. The fresh sea-food menu was imaginatively and beautifully cooked, and the prices were honest. No air-conditioning, which at 42C made the meal a bit uncomfortable!
San Domino itself was a little disappointing - it was VERY expensive, and esentials like bottled water were exorbitant. The tap water here is deemed not suitable for drinking so that is a serious consideration. In fact, the whole island is expensive, and a trip 500m across the sea to San Nicola cost us 5 Euros return! To use the elevator to the abbey on San Nicola is another euro, so we opted for walking up the slippery cobbles to the top. A sad and deserted place. There is nowhere to stay on San Nicola, so you have to be on the last boat at 6pm.
Another problem is the transport to the Islands. Hydrofoils only operate when the sea conditions are favourable, helicopter is expensive and the ferry sometimes only visits once a day. IF the weather is bad, you could stranded there in this expensive place, until it improves. The scuba diving is a big industry here, and is well-organised, but shop around! Mosquitoes are huge, and the beach is tiny, but the water is crystal clear and very salty!Night life is virtually non-existent, and the atmosphere muted.
Verdict- Take loads of money, stay at the Albergo Rossana, and be aware of the weather!
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All Comfort Astoria Palace - Roma, Italy
Operator and Date: Easyjet/Octopus - Feb 2005
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : John Delap Bedlington 60, 48
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
When Easyjet started flying to Ciampino from Newcastle I decided that Rome would be a great place to spend our wedding anniversary in February 2005. Not having been to Rome before we chickened out a bit and arranged pick up from the airport and delivery to our hotel which was expensive but worthwhile. The hotel occupies the 4th floor of a palazzo in Via G M Lancisi with a quaint lift to take you to the 4th floor, nearest metro station is Policlinico on Line B two stops from Termini.
Hotel
The hotel was very good, furnished to a very high standard, the rooms are themed, we stayed in Saturno which had the best shower I have ever been in
Satellite TV and a PC with free broadband internet access, mini bar if required and air conditioning which we did not use. The only slight drawback was the breakfast all pre-packed long shelf life and not very interesting. Good coffee though. I would certainly stay there again.
Rome
What can I say. A fabulous city, everything that has been written about it is true. The most spectacular sights. Tried to see as much as we could but had to admit defeat, only 6 days. Saw most of the main sites Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Colloseum, Circus Maximus, Bocca della Veritas, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain aboard the open topped bus 15 euros well spent, the tour leaves from Termini, big red buses, hard to miss, and takes about 2 hours. We were recomended to go around once and then decide where to visit getting on and off the bus wherever we wanted so we had a full day doing just that and then went back to the real favourites. Absolutely knackered at the end of each day.
Metro
Easy to use(look out for pickpockets) 1 euro ticket is valid for 65 minutes and you can travel as far as you like during that period. The daily ticket is 4 euros for unlimited travel on Metro, buses and trams, the 3 day ticket is 11 euros. Service is quick and often but always seems to be busy.
Eating Out
Ask John in the hotel he recomends some good places. There are loads of Trattoria within a short walk, all very good. Best place to eat near the hotel is the Stella Maris on Via Regina Elena about 20 mins walk. On the same street is a steak house where they charge 26euros all in for your starter main course sweet, water and wine.
Best ice cream I have ever tasted, the gelateria beside the Trevi fountain is well worth a visit. Made only one major mistake, after visiting the Pantheon went to McDonalds worst meal I have ever had.
Would We Go Back
Already planning next years trip
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Hotel Andreotti - Rome
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson Citibreaks - October 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Robert Deans - Preston (69,65)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just back after 5 days in the Eternal City. Well worth returning after 7 years. Traffic even more horrendous, but the sights still glorious.
Hotel could hardly be faulted. Situated near Termini station it was very convenient for buses ( Express 40, normal 64 and tour bus 110) and the Metro.
The accomodation was great, rooms larger than usual for Rome and all recently renovated to a very high standard. A realy good breakfast.
A superb restaurant(Trattoria) directly opposite the Hotel could not have been better sited. Food, service, and pricing excellent.
A superb holiday break, marred only by the flights, British Airways AVRO RJ100. Last year to Zurich it was 2+3 seats across, this year 3+3. Cramped to say the least, as it is only a very small plane.
Fiumicino airport is a wonder to behold. Thomson had arranged transport to and from the Hotel. Couldn't be better.
I can thoroughly recommend this Citibreak.
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Hotel Anglo Americano - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Teletext Holidays
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Andy Bown - London (28, 25, 30, 35)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
It has taken me a week to compose my thoughts on our last City Break to Rome. What a lovely City with a great deal on offer. The food is first class but do try and eat out of the tourist areas. Take a wander down the back streets and there are lots of little restaurants waiting for you custom. The more Italians there are in the restaurant the better it is.
We were not impressed with our accomodation. The hotel (Anglo Americano) is allegedly four star. Had we given the ratings ourselves we would give it two stars maybe three at a push.
Why? The lights switches were hanging off, the tiles in the bathrooms had water seeping up through them. The rooms were tatty with the decoration looking very worn. The radio was broken and the TV was fuzzy. The room itself stank of stale cigarette smoke.
Breakfast is included?!? Was it? If you could get a seat. When you did get on it wasvery cramped and the breakfast was worse that that of a motorway service station. No hot food. It basically consisted of a bread roll, some 'value' style cornflakes and a plastic cup of juice. Worth every penny!!!!
I would visit Rome again but would stay clear of this hotel.
Hope you find this useful. Happy travels!!
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Appia Park - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Booked Direct - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Willis - Hereford (35, 47)
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We took a five day holiday in this 4* hotel ?!? Only 5 km from Ciampino airport and 7km from the city we thought that this would be a good location. Beware the taxis, e39 from airport to hotel so didn't dare take one to town. Getting around involved having to use buses and metro, which seemed to take forever but only cost e1 for 75 mins. Although they are easy to use, they are not pleasant, being very, very hot, claustophobic and you have to keep your hands on everything you don't want stolen. It was a pain and made it a real effort to go anywhere, glad the children weren't with us !
The hotel was very basis for a 4*, though it was nicely decorated, there were no drinks facilities in the room and the advertised cable TV was all Italian apart from CNN / MTV. The bar and restaurant was hugely expensive and there are only two local restaurants which you have to walk down a dangerous road to get to. Other than that you had the pain of going back into the city. The staff were pretty snooty and unfriendly too so it made it difficult to ask anything. I suspect this is a business hotel which one would stay in for a night but no longer. This is NOT a holiday hotel and is not geared up for the British.
Not recommended. Rome however is but try a hotel in the Vatican or Travestre areas.
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BB Belvedere - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: March self booked
Opinion submitted in Apr 2005 by : cheryl Tyson
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We booked the BB Belvedere through the internet,not knowing much about it at all.
The rates were very reasonable for Easter week and to be honest I thought it would be a bit of a dump judging by the photos.
I couldnt have been more wrong, the room was clean ,spacious and the beds were the most comfortable I have ever slept in.
The view was fantastic from the balcony and although breakfast wasnt included, we were given toast ,jam ,coffee, milk etc.
Everywhere in Rome is just so noisy with traffic, and this im afraid was no different.
Rome itself was beautiful especially St Peters Sq. We took 2 kids with us and they enjoyed it dont be put off taking the kids, the Italians love children and although its not a "kiddie" place, they loved the sites especially the colesseum.
The only word of warning is that they really rip you off if you dont keep you wits about you.
We were charged all sorts of prices for taxis(take the bus)! and at the colesseum, gladiators take your kids, take a photo with your own camera, then try & charge you 10 euros for the privalige.Also watch the restaurants, they add so many charges on top. One especially called the pizzaria near St Peters Sq.They added taxes on to the meal even the italians have never heard of.That apart we would go back at the same time of year (March} I got sun burnt, and would make a point of staying at this appt again.
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Buonarroti Hotel - Rome
Operator and Date: Easyjet - June 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Kevin,Lesley 45/47
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked 3 nights in Rome as a surprise anniversary present for my wife. what an excellent choice it proved to be. Hotel was a small 2 star B&B 5 minutes walk away from the Termini train station. Hotel was small (only 10 rooms) but very very clean. Room facilities included TV, Fridge,air conditioning and hair dryer in bathroom.
What can I say about rome that has not already been said. Its a vibrant city packed with History and interest. We walked the Colosseum, Forum, Victor Emmanuaelle monument, Via de corso, Trevi Fountain, via de Condotti and Spanish Steps on our first day. Needless to say we had to get a taxi back to our hotel. On our second day visited The Vatican and St Peters square. What an experience. The place had an aura and gave me goosepimples. As a massive bonus the Pope made an appearance on the balcony and blessed the tourists in 6 different languages.
I would recommend Rome as ashort trip. and also a thousand thanks to the numerous budget airlines now in operation for making this type of place so easily accessible.
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Hotel Carvel - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: travel republic july 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : vince amanda 45,40
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Went for 3 day city break. Arrived Sunday night, got in a taxi from airport and were ripped off. charged us 68 euros, but did not know any different or exactly where hotel was in relation to airport, so beware of airport taxis and extra charges for sunday nights.
Hotel not bad at all, in middle of getting updated though, although didn't really affect us. Room good, plenty of space and bigish bathroom. not much of a view - no balcony -unless you want to watch aptments across the way, but wasn't there to do that!! bit of traffic noise but too tired to keep us awake.
Small bar/eating area. Only really serve snacks and drinks -not much to get on sunday night. prices not that bad. Hotel lobby plenty of space though and internet. Staff quite friendly. Breakfast not bad, is continental, but plenty to eat.
Hotel in commercial area about 4 miles from Rome centre. Coffee shop (serves drink also but average prices not cheap) and pizza restaraunt nearby, but not much else that we found.
Need to know bus numbers - ask at reception - to get where you need to. Get to the nearest metro station (bus number 30 is all we can remember) and you can get a bus/metro to where you need to.
All day bus/metro ticket is 4 euros and ordinary single ticket is 1 euro.
All in all, great place for a few days to see the sights. need good shoes for all the walking, patience for all the queues (heavier in the morning due to trip buses), heat in the summer.
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Hotel Cestelli - Florence
Operator and Date: Expedia - June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : R Lewis 37
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel Cestelli is an excellent family run hotel in central Florence. It is elegantly decorated, reasonably priced and we enjoyed the personal touch of its owners (who welcomed us and gave us excellent advice on restaurants and local wine).
I have some brief advice to offer travellers to Florence;
1) Florence is flooded by tourists; it was very busy in early June and I would not recommend visiting the city during July and August.
2) There are 2 queues for the Duomo, the larger of the 2 leading to the front doors is to enter the Cathedral, the lesser queue on the side of the Cathedral is to ascend to the dome.
3) Beware - only change your traveller's cheques in banks. I approached a Currency Exchange Bureau in Florence. I enquired what fee they charged for exchanging American Express traveller's cheques, they stated that they charged a fixed fee of 3 euros and 90 centimes. I changed 400 euros with them, the cashier then handed me a receipt that betrayed that they had unilaterally applied a 12.5% fee taking a further 50 euros. They intentionally misrepresented their fee; robbery, albeit of a daylight variety.
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Hotel Cosmopolita - Rome
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson - July 2006
Opinion submitted in July 2006 by : Ray Tomkinson - Solihull 57,56
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Booked through Thomson - Cities, the hotel is a good, if basic, 4*. Good breakfast and decent sixed room though bathroom a bit small. Superb location for exploring Rome. We went on 3 Thomson advertised trips, bit disappointing as they were organised by an Agency and there was a lot of standing around while they organised you into Groups and seperated out hotel transfers. Still we did what was advertised, didnt have much time in each Basilica but the Vatican Museums was well worth the 2 hours wending through corridors (splendid in their variety and decoration) to get to the Sistine Chapel. Dont miss a visit to St Peters Basilica - mind blowing. Rome is early July is HOT - 38degrees each afternoon - at least 1 hour wait to get into the Coliseum (30 minutes to the Vatican Museums)- so be prepared. Victoria Emmanuel Monument is a must as is Trevi Fountains - Spanish Steps a disappointment!! Huge variety of good quality resturaunts. We were there the night they beat Germany in the World Cup - kept awake by the celebrations... There was a taxi strike as well, buses are fine - buy ticket before you get on bus - we did a tourist circular bus tour - worth it to get your bearings.
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Hotel Davanzati - Florence, Italy
Operator and Date: 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Alex Bettridge Evans-Bristol (36,34,9)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We stayed at this hotel in Florence. The welcome was very friendly and the owner wanted to know all about us and make our daughter feel very special. Each night he had free drinks in the bar with nibbles to talk about the day and recommend any new places for us to visit. They had english DVD's for us to watch in the evening and PS2 in each room with games for you to borrow. The hotel was 4 star and spotless. The rooms were decorated well and the bathrooms excellent. Breakfast was very good with great service. All the staff made our visit one to remember. They were able to book us into time slots for museums so we did not have to queue and they recommended some good restaurants to go that would welcome children. We have a great time and are still talking about it 4 weeks later. You must go!
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Domus Aurea Hotel - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Lastminute.com - February 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : Lucy Samuels - Aberdeen (30 & 32)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We managed to get very cheap tickets from Glasgow to Rome via Ryanair. We booked our travel from the Ciampino Airport to Rome through Ryanair also, via their direct bus link, Terravision. This was very good value for money and the buses were frequent and comfortable.
The Domus Aurea Hotel was situated right next to Termini station which was great as we did not get to the Termini until 10.30pm and no wasted money on taxis. The hotel is very clean and modern. Apparently it was recently refurbished and I cannot falter the rooms at all. We had a mini bar, hairdryer and a great powershower... which was very welcoming after walking for miles. The breakfast was not too great. Your usual continental breakfast; rolls, cold meats, cheeses and cereal. We would have preferred something hot as this would have set us up for the day ahead.
Rome itself is an unbelievable sight. On every street corner their is a bit of Roman history. We enjoyed visting the Pantheon and Colluseum the most. Watch out for the gladiators outside they expect to be paid if you want your photo taken with them.
I would recommend taking the bus - 1 euro will take you anywhere in the city as compared to expensive taxis. Just ask the receptionist at your hotel or the tourist info. office what number bus to get for a particular attraction.
There was a couple of things in particular that did surprise me about Rome and that was the amount of grafitti. It was everywhere. The people are not exactly the friendliest I have met and it is very difficult to get a pint of lager (even the Italian make) for under £3. However, the wine is very good - we opted for the house wine every time and it was excellent. If you are looking for a party city, Rome is not for you. It is more geared up to the coffee and cake cafe types.
I loved Rome and glad that I went but would prefer to go back when the Italian authorities has cleaned it up a bit.
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Hotel Domus Romana - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: April 2007 - booked direct through hotel
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : P & B Brake - Wiltshire (40, 37)
Resort Rating: No rating
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
This hotel is in a great location - 10-15 mins from Rome centre, all the sights, shops and museums. Frome the initial impression it is a very nice and friendly hotel. The room was great, very clean and spacious. The breakfast is very bland and basic (get down to breakfast area quick - as it there is nothing left and does not get replished). Unfortunately, the hotel had decorators in when we visited and the communual area was a bit of a mess - not what you would expect for a 4 star hotel. Overall this hotel was useful as a base to see the fantastic city of Rome, but I would just add that the hotel have no "working" system to check the identity of the pass cards used to get into your room.
We had items stolen.
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Hotel Duce De Alba - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: independant travellers
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : steve, linda &lucy fletcher 51 , 52 & 25
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
booked this hotel 3 weeks prior to going to rome. had 4 nights altogether in rome.
Flight from east mids with ryan air was excellent. took off on time and returned 10 mins early. Only £60 pound each inc taxes, brill as it was bank holiday weekend. as we got in at 11pm i booked the first night in campino near the airport. next day the hotel ran a shuttle to the metro station ( 10 euro's) and was amazed to find it was only 1 euro into central rome!! which is about 20 miles-- Are you reading this mr blair!!!?
The graffiti every where is a shock at first, otherwise it's quite clean everywhere. They really should fine the yobs.
one stop after termini brought us to our hotel.
this hotel is loveley, not cheap, paid 390 euro for a triple for 3 nights. (about 90 pound per night) but this included breakfast- hot one too.
the staff at the hotel spoke perfect english and couldn't do enough for you.
it is opposite an irish bar, but there was never any noise. Don't bother with the cafe/restaurant at the top of the steps opposite the hotel, it's overpriced and poor food.(4 euro's for a can of coke)
there are some great restaurants around the duc d'albe. try them out. posh ones can be found near the hard rock cafe,get off the metro at bardollini square.
do go in the collaseum,(only 5 mins walk away) for 10 euros your ticket allows you into the pallentine hill, which was great.
we went in with a guided tour, which for only £3 more, got us past the queue's, and a very interesting english speaking guide. try and see the sights by night also, we left the trevi fountain at midnight and got a taxi back to the hotel with no problem(only £3.50)
the green line bus company run a guided tour, the same as the red bus, but less queing. the circular takes 1.1/4 hours. stay on and decide on the second lap where you want to get off. the ticket also allows you to use the service for 24 hours, so we used it again on the 2nd day.
we would certainly use this hotel again. we had a brilliant time.
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Hotel Emona Aquaductus - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Easyjet/Expedia Websites - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Monika and Bernard - Nottingham (35,49)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
After having sampled a day in Rome (see Review of Archers Direct Coach tour in Italy Neopolitan Riviera Review) we decided to come back to Rome, a choice made easier by the fact that Easyjet announced flights from our local airport.As we booked about 2.5 months in advance, the return flights were £40.00 each, with the hotel costing £130.00 each for 4 nights.
Good websites to suss out your accomodation in Rome are, www nycerome com and www romeby com.
After reading up on the Emona Aquaductus and deciding that was the one for us, I searched round the Web for the best price which turned out to be from Expedia.
EASYJET
Flights were very good and on time! We left East Midlands about 15 mins late but made up the time in the air.Sit on the right of the plane going out, you'll be rewarded by a low level view of Rome coming in to Ciampino airport (have your camera ready!)
Coming back from Rome,we were early!
Easyjet serve food and drink on board if you don't want to bring your own, bit pricy, £3.00 for a sandwich but if you're hungry....
TRANSFER TO/FROM ROME
Very easy coach service, you can book it on line..make sure you do it in good time, it won't let you book within 24 hrs of travelling or you can go to the Terravision desk after you land and book it there.12 euros return ticket gets you into Rome and dropped off at Termini Station, the main transport hub in Rome, trains, metros and buses leave from here.
ROME IN JULY
Very hot,most days it was 40c and more.Your best bet is to get up early...sightsee, have lunch, go back to your hotel for your siesta and go out again.Drink plenty of water and take your most comfortable walking shoes, we were walking 5 miles plus a day! Probably best to go in May,September and October!
HOTEL
This was a little gem...decorated in Art Nouveau style, about 20 rooms.I asked for a quiet room with a jacuzzi and that's what we got (room 27) It says on the websites that most of the rooms do have a jacuzzi and after all that heat and walking I had to be prised out of it! Our room was decorated in neutral tones, high ceilings, air con, fridge, sat tv, nice comfy bed.The staff are friendly and you get a simple but tasty continental breakfast thrown in.The hotel is near San Giovanni in Laterano and about a 20 minute walk to the Collesseum.Manzoni Metro station is about a 5 min walk away.The only negative point was it was a little far away from the main touristy areas but of course it was cheaper and quiter to make up for it and using the Metro was quick, cheap and easy.I'd go back to this hotel if I couldn;t find accomodation in the same price range near Piazza di Spagna etc.
SIGHTSEEING
We did all the usual sights.The Collesuem ticket was 10 euros but the ticket is combined for the same day for the Palatine Hill ruins which made it much better value.The Forum is free as is the Panthenon.We visited Castel Sant Angelo which is very interesting and great views from the top, think that was about 5 euros.We loved the Piazza Navona, the Trevi fountain, the Piazza di Spagna and the Piazza di Populo all free!
The one thing we could have done differently was our trip to Tivoli..we did set out to do this independantly but got put off by the infrequent train service, we should have stuck with it, trains every hr taking 1 hr to get there (you need to go to Tiburtina train station) So because we'd had a later start,we decided to do a tour with American Express travel service, luckily they went in the afternoon, it was a very hefty price...94 euros for two and not worth it.The guide had to speak in 5 languages so you wasted a lot of time hanging round.We went first to Hadrian's Villa and spent ages there, some of it was interesting, some of it not and I was bored as wanted to get to the Gardens in Tivoli at the Villa D'este! Then disaster struck as two people got lost so we had to wait about 1/2 an hr until they were found, this meant we had about 25 minutes around the Tivoli gardens which were beautiful but it was way too short a time to see them in that time so the motto is get up early and go diy!
We used the Metro lots,it costs 1 euro per go (but you can buy a daily or a 3 day ticket, just buy them at the metro stations, the machines are automated and in English) we always kept our eyes open for pickpockets etc but we never had any bad moments.
FOOD
There's food for all different budgets and tastes in Rome,the best guide book we found was the Dk guide to Rome, they do a big and small version of the same book and give excellent advice on everything.
Restaurant AL 34 is near the Spanish Steps, had a very good meal there which cost 48 euros for two.
La Maddalena is near the Panthenon, another good meal (45 euros) and Due Collone, again near the Panthenon a very good meal.(35 euros),ost of the time, we had a starter or a dessert and a main meal with drinks.We had a morning cappuchino and the tartufo (chocolate chip ice cream) sitting down in the Piazza Navona at Tre Scallini..I think that came to 20 euros but the ice cream was worth it...think you can take it away too.Ice cream is usually very good in Rome, try and get the ones which look like they have all the ingredients piled on top of them as they tend to taste the creamiest.....the all time best Italian ice cream I've ever tasted was in Capri and although one came close,the Capri one was still the best!
SHOPPING
This can be a bizarre experience..if you see something you like and the price is good, buy it then! Shop opening and closing times were sporadic and not keeping with any times.The delis on Via Della Croce and near the Trevi fountain have lots of goodies to buy like pasta, oil, limoncello, biscuits, great to take home.The best shopping areas we could find were around the Via Del Corso,Trevi fountain and the Spanish steps....most of it was window shopping especially round the designer shops of the Via Condotti!
In summary, we had a great time...it was fantastic to see the sights in your own time and not be herded round by a guide.We have left enough to come back again to Rome in a few years time.
I would recommend Rome to anyone for an entertaining, historical and lively city break..it is very busy, you have to pray a few times crossing the roads but you'll come back with loads of photos and great memories!
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Eur Suite Hotel - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: easyjet 2006
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : sonia mullaney ashington (39,71)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
my mother and i went to rome for a few days.despite reading bad reviews about the eur suite we still booked.we were pleasantly surprised as the hotel was lovely and so were the staff.it was an amazing price and well worth every penny and more!!
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Garden Resort - Pizzo, Calabria, Italy
Operator and Date: (Thomson Direct) Thomson
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : 41,26
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We went 30th May for 1 week. Unfortunately for us it rained for half of the week. Also unfortunately the resort was not geared up for bad weather. The only TV channel was CNN - not a problem for a few minutes a day but pretty boring if that's the only entertainment available if it rains, apart from the table tennis . Although don't expect to play sports on Sunday, as you are unable to get any sports equipment as the 'animation' sports shed is closed - I thought I was the one on holiday...
The other reviews are right - only one of the nights entertainment is in English. Before we went I had heard the same and phoned Thomson customer services to find out if this had changed - she kindly informed me to read a book for entertainment instead...She also informed me that because TUI, a German company had bought out Thomson they obviously had to cater for the Germans first. Fair comment, but please either don't promote this resort to the British, or at least alert us to this fact on your website...
After having a row with a German guy over a reserved sunlounger by the pool I asked the life guard to sought out the problem - he probably would have done if he could have spoken English...
The beach was ok, but when it's windy it is too dangerous to swim. Although I had told the manager I had found many pieces of broken glass on the beach near the bar area, in the end I physically guided the non - English speaking lifeguard to it where he spent the next hour picking up everything he could...
If you want fresh fruit for breakfast, make sure you stock up from dinner the night before...
If you like fizzy red wine, go to the Garden Resort..
Unfortunately there is not a disco in the resort - there is, as we found out the last night, one on the beach..
On the bright side: The hotel is exceptionally clean, there is a gorgeous wood to walk through to get to the beach, the pools are really nice and all the Italians working there are lovely people; it would have been great to have been able to chat with them..Exceptional people to look out for: 'Lupo' a flamboyant cool Italian guy, Sebastian the Tennis coach, great guy and a German!, Patrick from the animation team, an Austrian/French generally good guy, Anna, an Italian lady, always smiling serves behind the bar.
Call me a moaner; I must admit, the weather really didn't help -
Have a nice holiday....!
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Hotel Golden Tulip Mecenate Palace - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Directly booked - January 2006
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Darren and Karen - Northern Ireland (30's)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The Mecenate Palace Hotel was a very clean attractive hotel. However, our room (303) was quite cramped, and the double bed was very small. There was no real noise to speak of inside or outside the hotel, as the Via Carlo Alberto is not one of Rome's busier thoroughfares. The hotel is very convenient for the Metro (rather than walk to the crowded Termini station, the Vittorio Emanuel Metro stop is a few minutes walk down Via Carlo Alberto.) The Colosseum and Forum are within comfortable walking distance (20-25 minutes) and the Santa Maria Maggiore Church is a must see, as it right on your doorstep. A piece of advice about breakfast-time. Breakfast is served between 7 and 10 a.m. During the winter months the rooftop 'terrazzo' is closed and so there is limited room for diners. Don't go too early as you may be waiting a while for the food to appear, and similarly if you leave it until after 9.15 you may have to queue for a table (unless you don't mind sharing one.) Drinks are quite expensive in the bar, and Internet facilities are available for 3 Euro for a half-hour session.
When looking for somewhere to dine out.a word of warning about the Bella Roma Ristorante-Pizzeria which is located close to the Termini Railway Station on Via Cavour at the corner of Via Antonio Masmini. Basically, I wouldn't eat there if I were you.
My wife and I went for a meal and were absolutely disgusted with the service and food on offer at this restaurant. We ordered a shared starter (Focaccia Condita) and our main courses. My wife's main course came before we had even been brought our starter and so had to be sent back. My pizza came whilst we were still eating our starter. I didn't send it back because I didn't know when I would see it again. My Frutti di Mare pizza was disgusting.freezing cold, and at least one of the mussels on it was clearly off (it was as green as I turned when I took a bite out of my pizza!) I 'finished' my pizza, and yet my wife's main course (which had already been sent back once) had still not emerged. We waited for about 15 minutes before it came. Not once did a member of the waiting staff approach us and ask what we were waiting for, or if everything was alright.they were much too busy taking turns to go outside and share a communal cigarette.
They also had the cheek to add on a 10% service charge to the bill. This was not an isolated incident, as my wife noticed a couple in a similar predicament. He had finished his pizza before his dining partner had even been served her meal. This is shoddy service and I urge all of you visiting Rome to give it a very wide berth. The attitude seems to be.you are tourists and you are only here for a few days.we don't need your continued custom. That attitude now only gets people like me fired up enough to go on the Net and spread the word about how much of a dive that particular restaurant is.
On the other hand I would highly recommend the Trattoria (La Vecchia Conca) which is located on the left hand side of Via Carlo Alberto (as you are travelling away from the direction of Santa Maria Maggiore church), close to entrance to the Metro station. Very friendly attentive service and a nice meal was had by my wife and I.
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Hotel Grand Palatino - Rome
Operator and Date: booked independently feb07
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : jackie devon 40,43
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
what can i say this was a surprise for my husbands 40th birthday in feb and what a surpise he got he loved it. booked flights with easyjet hotel with hotels.com cheapest site for this hotel. hotel was in a great location on via cavour the colosseum was just round the corner and everything else was within walking distance once you found your bearings.got transfers from airport like most people from Terrorvision excellent service and value,we could walk to our hotel from the termini in about 15mins.
the room in the hotel was spotless beds chznged daily, breakfast was ok usual continental meats, fruits etc a couple mornings there was smoked salmon. the highlight of our trip was the vatican what a place we saw the pope on sunday and it brought a tear to my eye even my husband felt moved.we also some the tombs of the popes also very moving especially when you get to john paul,s its the only one were you cant take any photos and the only one were the people are praying and some crying very moving went to see this twice.saw the sistine chapel and st peter's basillica will blow your mind we nearly missed it cos it was closed on the sunday but when we went back on the monday it was opened and we did'nt even know what we were going in to see am i so glad we saw it i think it should be a wonder of the world unbelievable!rome is vey expensive but i think most people expect it to be especially if you eat or drink near the main sights!we noticed alot of graffitti which really lets the place down but apart from that the place is amazing.
took a tour of the colosseum you learn so much more from the guides the price even includes getting your photo with the centurians who i believe normally charge about 5 euros around the main sights its a bit of cheesy fun!we found that 3nights was enough as we were exhausted on the fourth day when we were leaving
have a great trip
CIAO
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Impero Hotel - Rome Italy
Operator and Date: independant nov 04
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : david russell newcastle 48 46
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
1 st attempt at a cheap weekend using easy jet flights. excellent value, service good, flights on time. travelled into rome using Terravision coaches which again were easy, and good value at less than £10 each return buy tickets in the airport coaches timed to match flight arrivals and every 30 mins from termini station for return. Impero hotel less than 10 mins walk from where the coach drops off and 15 mins walk to the heart of the city local bus 5 mins from hotel subway little bit further.
Hotel clean comfortable and well located excellent value at £51 per night double room bed and continental breakfast. booked the hotel using "precision resevations" who seem to have the best prices and they dont charge your card until about 14 days before you go. The city is expensive but it is the capital. Reasonable tourist menu food to be had up near the termini station and in Travestre, not much scope for drinking plenty of Irish theme bars but these were expensive.
However the sights in the city more than compensate. the coluseam the pantheon trevi fountain the spanish steps all must be done. the vatican and St Peters are essential viewing and needs best part of a day. need to be there early and prepared to queue. the vatican museum was about £10 and the colluseam about £6 otherwise the best sights are all free. 3 days is enough to get a good look around.Only mistake we made was to attempt to see it all on foot, the local buses and subway were cheap, efficient and safe.in summary if you are considering visiting Rome don't think about, it just do it!!
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Hotel Isa - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Octopus Travel - March 2004
Opinion submitted in Mar 2004 by : Claire - Hertford (32, 32)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
The hotel:
We stayed at the 3* Hotel Isa in the Prati district. It is a family-run business and has no bar or restaurant, but there is a breakfast room and restaurants very close by. The rooms are decorated in a contemporary continental style and each floor seems to have a different theme to its décor. Our room was on the fifth floor and had a mixture of marble and parque flooring, lots of diagonal mirrors on the walls and a beautifully spotless marble bathroom complete with frosted glass door and balcony. Overall the room was extremely clean and neat, although I would recommend taking a pair of slippers if you are staying in the winter as the floor is a little bit cold then!
The breakfast was served between 7.30 and 10.00 and was a mixture of hot and cold buffet (bacon, scrambled eggs, bread, ham, cheese, yoghurt, fruit) with freshly squeezed orange juice, tea, coffee, etc. I was very impressed by the range of food available although I don't think the hot buffet was replenished unless requested.
The service was very friendly and the staff had a good understanding of English when needed. We only had one slight problem when we arrived - we had booked a double and were given a twin room. The hotel owner said that that Octopus Travel hadn't specified to him the room type - however, this was quickly sorted out and we were given the double room requested.
Location:
The Prati district of Rome is on the Vatican side of the River Tiber and is a bustling shopping district. Our hotel was on the Via Cicerone just off the Piazza Cavour and was a 10 minute walk from the metro station Lepanto. Most attractions, except the Colleseum, were within easy walking distance and we used the metro for those that weren't. We walked to and from the hotel at night and always felt pretty safe in this area.
Sightseeing:
We have decided to go back some time as we didn't get to see everything! The Colleseum and Palatine hill are the only things we had to pay to see. The Sistine chapel closed early and caught us out, but St Peters was jaw droppingly awe-inspiring - I have honestly never seen such an incredibly beautiful building and it's enough to convert the strictest atheist! The numerous piazzas are all fantastic places to chill out and have a coffee or something stronger.
Restaurants:
The concierge recommended Le Cupola around the corner from the hotel, which was nice and relaxed with fairly friendly staff. We also ate at L'Orso 80 just across the river, which I would thoroughly recommend. The house special antipasti for two could easily have fed four and the turbot and spit roast lamb were excellent - all for 60 EUROS for two including wine. I was just upset that I never got the chance to have a dessert anywhere - I was always too full!
The journey:
I took advantage of some bargain Ryanair flights (£4.99 each) from Stansted to Rome's Ciampino airport. This is not the main airport in Rome, but it means you collect your luggage and get on your way quickly. A shuttlebus service (13 EURO return) by a company called Terravision, runs to Termini railway station, which takes about 30 minutes. From there we were parted with too much of our cash by a charming taxi driver - the first and last time I will ever play the role of gullible tourist. I would recommend using the metro instead - just look out for pickpockets.
Overall:
I would recommend Rome for a short break and will be staying at the Hotel Isa again next time.
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Margherita Hotel - Milan, Italy
Operator and Date: barrhead travel, november 2004
Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : 32, 29, 27
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
prior to my trip to milan, i'd thought this would be an interesting city, cultural, clean etc. Unfortunately it was the worst break i've ever taken, and the hotel was meant to be a 2 star rating; it didn't deserve any rating whatsoever. The hotel is extremely dated, it smells stale, the rooms are extremely run down, and I even managed to get flea bites from their grubby bed! Milan itself has beautiful expensive shops, but I've never saw so much graffiti in my life, even adourning some of these lavish stores. The entire trip was a let down, better off staying in Britain, at least our standards appear to be higher, whether it'd be accomodation or the cities in general.
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Hotel Maxim - Cattolica, Italy
Operator and Date: (Airtours Direct) Airtours - May 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Gloria Bradford - Bedford (58, 55)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We have just returned from a wonderful week at the Hotel Maxim in Cattolica. We found the rooms & hotel were kept spotlessly clean. The staff are welcoming, friendly and extremely helpful. Breakfasts are continental, but plenty to choose from. We thought the evening meals were excellent and the pasta courses were delicious. If you like Italian hospitality and Italian food, then in our opinion you would enjoy the Hotel Maxim.
There is lots to do, if you like the beach then the Hotel has it's own part of the beach with umbrella's & loungers. San Marino is well worth a visit, it has cheap leather goods & alcohol. You can get to Riccione & Rimini on the bus. Also Cattolica has it's own array of various shops and a weekly market.
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Miami Hotel - Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: British Airways, August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Clive Fisher (63), Jan fisher (57)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
If you are going to Rome for a few days or a week, then you will not go far wrong if you make the Miami your base.
Centraly located on Via Nazionale, you are literally a few minutes walk away from most of the major must-see sights. As your taxi drops you outside the front of the building, you may have some misgivings about the hotel, but walk through the cool arch and turn left to the reception, and there you will meet some of the most helpful staff ever, all of whom speak english, including Mario, who has a wealth of knowledge ready to hand.
The rooms are not large, but more than adequate, with ample storage, shower, toilet, bidet etc, a safe (free) and that lovely air conditioning. If you open the windows, there is a fair amount of noise from the street traffic below (you ARE in a city!), but keep the windows closed and all is peace! Breakfast is served in 2 small rooms on the 5th floor, with a variety of pastries, rolls, cereals, tea, coffee and cold fruit juices available, and our one gripe here is that it becomes very crowded between 8am and 9am. There is no bar, but why worry, you're only a few steps away from a multitude of them!
Provided you are reasonably fit and mobile, you can walk to all the major sights, you'll be surprised as to how quickly you will figure out the "short-cuts". Contrary to what we were told about "crime", we had no problems whatsoever during our week there, but obviously, don't flash your money around, and as much as it might pluck at your conscience,disregard the multitude of beggars, especially the gypsy women with babies.
The sights and the history is what you go to Rome to see, and boy, are they worth the trip! If you DO have a problem walking, then take an open-top bus tour that will take you all around the major attractions. Stop off at the little side-walk cafe's and ristoranttes, and do some people watching, but DO NOT MISS the geletanos, the BIG ice-creams, and try the roman versions of Tisameru.....Oh I want to go back already!
We booked out holiday over the internet with British Airways, and the Miami was one of their recommended hotels, and we have to say that as this was our first ever internet booking,we wre pleasantly surprised with the way it all came together with no snags whatsoever. Another good shout when booking with B.A, is to book the private car transfers beteen the airport and the hotel, and return. It may seem a little extravagant,but it's a 1st class service!
So there it is. Book B.A, book the Miami, and enjoy your holiday, because when WE return it will be back to the Miami again to meet up with Mario and Co.
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Hotel Pichierri - Rome
Operator and Date: Ryan Air April 2005
Opinion submitted in May 2005 by : Alice, Liverpool, (25,45)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Nice basic hotel on Via Flavia.
fairly small room, but had decent bathroom, comfy bed, TV, fridge, and street facing balcony.
Hard to find, walked up and down Via Flavia several times before finding small sticker on doorbell saying for the hotel Pichierri press bell for Hemingway suites - think they were one in the same thing.
Friendly member of staff (there appeared to be only one member of staff the whole stay)
very good location, easy walking distance to all major sites. lots of nice local shops and several decent and reasonably priced restaurants nearby.
Rome as a whole - great city break, brilliant weather in April, lots of great famous sites. It was very busy, possibly partly because we arrived the day after the new pope got sworn in, although most of the crowds were coach loads of italian school kids.
recommend guided tour of colloseum, just wait around outside looking like a tourist and you will be approached, good value for money, informative, and not too lengthy, also get a free tour of the roman ruins.
Vatican very crowded and didn't get to go in the sistine chapel due to queues, also Vatican museum closes early at 3.30.
unless you very rich, not much good touristy stuff to buy, unless you like pope-related tat.
also distinct danger of being run over due to crazy italian drivers.
but all in all excellent place to visit.
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Hotel Prestige - Montesilvano, Italy
Operator and Date: Independant Flight Ryanair - July 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : Alan Carter - Kent (47,43)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Montesilvano in Italy is about a 10 minute taxi drive from Pescara now served by Ryanair, on the opposite coast to Rome.
We stayed here for 5 days before moving on. Three days at the Hotel Prestige where the staff were excellent and even if the language can be a problem elsewhere it was certainly not the case at this Hotel.
You can choose B & B, half or full board, but although we never ever book more than B and B at any location you will be missing a trick here if you do not stay for at least half board, they didn't seem to mind when we had half board one day and full board another etc, the food was excellent, the staff superb at all times and although we were the only brits staying at the hotel which was full, we always felt included and the atmosphere in the restaurant was fantastic, everybody interacting with each other.
The cost is about £40 a night full board per person, but as mentioned before you can have half board which can be either lunch or dinner, this includes wine with all meals, and seconds of most food if you are still hungry, also you get free use of the nearby beach sunbeds etc, the cost rises to about £60 per night in August.
The rooms were light and airy with air conditioning (no tea and coffee making facilities though so if necessary bring your own) the hotel has been refurbished in 2005 so everything still has a new feel to it.
The beach is about 80 metres away and is fantastic and cleaned daily there are bar/cafe facilities at each beach.
The town itself is long and sprawling and only extends about half a mile inland, the restaurants around are very good but make sure you explore and I would not recommend the tourist menus, especially the restaurant by the roundabout near the beach.
If you do not like fish like my wife you will probably have a more limited choice as these are abundant, but the Italians are very helpful if you try a little of their language and will always accommodate you if there is nothing on the menu that you fancy. We ate out at several places and found the food great everywhere, don't be afraid to venture into some of the not so auspiciuos looking restaurants as this is generally where you will get quality food at more bargain prices, most places will do house wine which was exceptional at 4 euro a litre.
If you decide to try somewhere like this have at least a very basic use of Italian as even some of the basics like ordering a beer or a bottle of water can be quite interesting, however for me this is part of the fun.
We found the resort great fun and will surely get more popular in the next few years with the Brits etc as everywhere is predominately Italian, we will go back in the future and would certainly look no further than this Hotel.
One negative was we chose a cheaper hotel at the start of the holiday I do not wish to name it but as the old adage goes you get what you pay for, so don't be tempted by the cheaper options.
PS No swimming pool at the hotel but the beach as mentioned before is only 80 metres away.
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Hotel San Biagio - Montepulciano (Tuscany), Italy
Operator and Date: Page & Moy - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Nov 2004 by : Two adults - 48 & 46, One teenager 16
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
An appalling hotel located on the very edge of the town, and a long dangerous walk in as well.
The front of the hotel looks out on to a very large and busy Fiat Service garage, whilst one of the sides faces a busy main road. As a result many of the bedrooms have a really poor restricted view.
There are steep stairs up to the foyer and the swimming pool lies inside the hotel underneath several of the bedrooms.
Smoking is permitted nearly everwhere and as all the staff smoke when on duty the place stank of stale tobacco and cigerette smoke.
Our room was next to the bar, it was dirty and unkept, the floor was covered in hair and the wardrobes/storage space minimal. Noise from the bar was very intrusive and the prices very high, we choose not to eat from the limited menu with set meal times and instead found a returant nearby that was very good, but pricey.
The hotel do not accept credit cards and want all drinks paid for in cash as they are taken. We found the owners family to be unhelpful & rude, and they certainly did little to make the guests stay a pleasurable experience.
We made several complaints to the Page & Moy representative but noting much was done other than moving our son from a room, next to the bar and that stank of smoke, to what would be classed in the UK as a broom cupboard.
After one night we'd had enough and journeyed to Rome to catch an early flight home.
Complaints to Page & Moy have produced no satisfactory response todate.
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San Giusto Hotel - Bologna, Rome, Italy
Operator and Date: Travelante - Jul 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Carly Jane - London (26, 27)
Resort Rating: Below Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My friend and I have just returned from visiting Rome for the first time and I dare say it could be the last.
Having paid £160 for 3 nights in a twin room we weren't expecting too much and boy were we right !!
We arrived at the San Giusto hotel at 1.00pm exhausted and very anxious to get checked into our room. We were greeted with a luke warm reception (not even a hello, welkommen or a Bonjour) only to discover that we had been allocated a double room, as opposed to the twin room we had booked and paid for, well in advance.
After going back to the reception and explaining this, we were begrudgingly given a twin room on the 3rd floor. We had to carry our own cases up two flights of stairs to the first floor where the lift was located (a bizarre set up if ever I saw one) and went up to the room. Inside, it did indeed have twin beds but these were seperated off by a filthy wall partition accompanied by damp peeling wallpaper and almost threadbare carpets. The room was very dark and there was also an unbearable smell lurking everywhere in the hotel. We lugged our cases back to the reception and explained that the room was totally unacceptable.
We were then allocated another room on the 2nd floor (up we went again with our cases) to find that we had been given another double room. We trudged back to the recepion for the third time and after looking at 4 different rooms in total, we decided to stick with the last one as it seemed to be the best kept out of the lot and even that wasn't great but we hoped to be spending as little time in the room/hotel as possible. The bathroom was small but clean, as was the bed linen. The air conditioning was a very dated unit on the wall which did eventually work but was programmed not to go below 20 degrees. The wallpaper was peeling and the carpet looked as though it had been fitted by a partially sighted donkey !
Deciding to leave the room within the first half an hour, we went and explored the area around the hotel. What an absolute hole, nothing but rubbish strewn streets and buildings and shops full of grafitti. There were a few small cafe's dotted about and a supermarket round the side of the hotel which actually seemed ok. Bologna metro station was about 50 metres away which was handy - but it was definitely a badly cared for area. During our 3 day stay we visited lots of the main sights (apart from St Peters and the Sistene chapel which was not open on Sundays) and endured one poor meal after the other.
We tried eating in lots of different areas but found nothing that actually tasted traditional/authentic or even nice, for that matter. I expected to be sampling delicious breads, cheeses and olives etc but found nothing of the sort. The closest thing we got to this was a basket of dry stale bread with one of the meals. I even tried the italian antipasti which was a plate containing a cheese slice, 2 dried up slices of salami and only 2 olives on that weren't even pitted ! We found the ice creams to be ok but again, nothing like I expected considering we were in Italy. Feeling very disapponted with the hotel, the food and even the italians (who appeared impatient and often rude) we prepared for our departure home.
The night before we left, we asked the attendant on reception at San Giusto if he would be kind enough to book us a taxi to Ciampino airport early the following morning. He agreed and said that as we needed to be at the airport for 8.00am (and that the journey would take no longer than 25 minutes) a pick up of 7.30am would be sufficient and that we could have breakfast in the restaurant room at 7am before the taxi arrived. We were happy enough with this and actually felt quite pleased that at least one member of the hotel had succeeded in being helpful - HOW WRONG WE WERE !!!
We were up and out of our room at 7.00am on the dot and arrived in reception to hand our keys in and attempt the breakfast that we had missed the previous 2 days. It was a different attendant on reception and when we explained that we were going for breakfast like they suggested, the attendant told us that breakfast was not available until 7.30am on Sundays (which completely contradicted the other attendant from the night before). Feeling frustrated after debating with the attendant what we had been previously told, we had no choice but to sit and wait the remaining 30 minutes until 7.30am for the taxi (without breakfast).
Of course, 30 minutes came and went and when it reached 7.40am we asked the attendant to call the taxi firm and check it's whereabouts. The attendant did this and discovered that no such taxi had even been booked by the previous attendant. Confused, we asked what was going on and the attendant assured us that he had now booked one and that it would arrive within 15 minutes. At this point we decided to quickly go up to the breakfast room just for a drink and a roll. We went in for the first time to find the set up of the room to be quite inviting and saw that a lady was filling up the juice containers, but again, no acknowledgement or greeting. We looked along the food table where there was a choice of only 2 pastries (both sweet), a plate of salami, ham and a plate of cheese slices next to a basket of unhealthy looking boiled eggs. Giving the small selection of food a miss, we picked up a glass for some juice to discover that they were absolutely filthy. We went through 6 different glasses until we found one that looked like it had actually been washed, quickly had some juice and hurried back to the reception.
With the taxi still on its way (by now it's 7.55am) and leaving our cases in reception, we decided to walk to the end of the road to the cash machines. We were back within 5 minutes and the reception attendant said he had cancelled our taxi. Absolutely furious, we asked why and he replied "how am I supposed to know where you were going, if you are not here when the taxi arrives then we have to pay 50 euros" I then said "you can see our suitcases are here, we only went to the bank for a few minutes" and he just ignorantly shrugged his shoulders. We were absolutey furious, but I decided that after staying in a complete dump, experiencing so many problems and being treated terribly, I knew standing there shouting and arguing would get us nowhere, so we had to grit our teeth and silently admit defeat. We snatched our cases and stomped out of the hotel mumbling obscenities along the way. We hurried towards the metro station in fear of missing our flight.
However, despite the problems we had and the overall disappointment with the food and hotel, we were actually still glad we visited Rome. The sights were enjoyabe and the weather was gloriously hot. But as for staying in this pathetic apology for a 3 star hotel - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!
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Hotel Tiffany's - Adriatic Coast, Cattolica - Italy
Operator and Date: None - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Kent
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Hotel Tiffany's in Cattolica is located near to "Le Navi" (aquatic park) and 150 meters from their own beach. We flew to Rimini and got a taxi to the hotel for just e30 (July 04). Fortunately, there are no tour operators to influence Tiffany's and it remains a friendly family ran hotel.
Cattolica is a small coastal town with a central square that comes alive at night with entertainment and families out for a stroll. If designer shops are your forte, then the nearby town of Riccione will not fail to disappoint. If you fancy a walk round old cobbled streets and beautiful architectural buildings then I would recommend visiting the OLD part of Rimini (behind the Railway station & not sea front).
Rooms are pleasantly furnished with new bathrooms, balcony (sea view at request) TV & satellite. Executive rooms have air-conditioning and the deluxe are sound proofed!
The hotel has a clean large swimming pool and Jacuzzi that are both level draining .so you can swim peacefully without waves coming back at you!
I was extremely impressed by the quality of the homemade, traditional Italian, food that was served at meal times. The salad buffet always contained a variety of fresh produce and the starter, main course and dessert never failed to impress. I can honestly say that I have never eaten such gorgeous food.
All in all, the hotel is extremely customer focused. Staff will give you all the information you may require on the local area, arrange car-hire (at bargain ?2 ph), give you local maps and make enquiries on your behalf. There is also free use of email services.
This hotel is worthy of a much higher star rating and I would not hesitate to return.
For more information see: www hoteltiffany com
The site contains a link to email the hotel.
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Hotel Vincci De Lys - Valencia
Operator and Date: Octopus Travel - March 2006
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Scott & Wendy - London (47, 42)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Great place for a long weekend. Got Easyjet flights 4 months previously for £30 each then booked hotel with octopus travel for £50 per night for the room so - bargain! Working city so not an awful lot of English spoken. Be careful when getting a taxi from the airport to the hotel as we got ripped off - cost was 25 Euros on way to hotel and took 45 mins but only 12 Euros on way back & took 15 mins!
Hotel was lovely - clean, nice staff, very central and gorgeous big room - Room 105. However, when the laundry gets collected from hotel at 5am on a Monday morning it is just below this room and is noisy! The matadors from the bull ring come here straight after they've been performing - bull ring is just around the corner.
Recommend you go on the Tourist Bus to get your bearings first of all. Lots of lovely buildings - go to the Mercat Central if you get up early as lots of lovely sights & smells! Small restaurant in the Plaza de la Reina (next door to La Fonda) which sells small baguettes at 1 Euro each and allows you to choose from 100 fillings - just tick the box on the form! Go before 9pm as this place gets very busy. Definitely go to the Science and Oceonographic museums - largest in Europe. 4pm dolphin show is good but not much English spoken. You can walk from the hotel - probably around 25 mins through a lovely park.
Mid March is the Las Fallas festival which is great fun. We went just before and got the lead up to the festival - fireworks display at 2pm each day in the square and watching the caricatures being unloaded in each area. Lots of bars & clubs but don't get going until after 9pm as dinner is eaten quite late - 9- 10pm.
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Please note the Italian Lakes and Mountains, Italian Neapolitan Riviera and the Italian Venetian Riviera can be found under Italy in the drop down menu.
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Jersey
Ambassadeur Hotel - Jersey
Operator and Date: Preston holidays in may 2006
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : Mr James 40 Mrs James 45
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Ambassadeur hotel in Jersey is good value for money and when we stayed in 2006 found everthing was excellent the staff the decor and cleanliness of this hotel and the variety of food and drink in restaurant/bar/cafeteria etc. We felt it was very close to beach church shops and Grouville Bay and had entertainment in hotel and large heated swimming pool ground floor and upper floor clean tidy comfy bedrooms with lifts available and had television, telephone tea coffee tray in our rooms with comfortable beds to sleep in and large carpark too.
Everyone here had a friendly pleasant attitude and we had a very pleasant stay and enjoyed visiting other parts of jersey which could be reached by nearby bus or you could walk which we often did visiting the beach/coast or countryside cliffs and often sampled delicious crab sandwiches and other seafood including lobster but found the place very popular and busy as expected during the high season and will be returning to Ambassadeur hotel in St Clement/St Helier area of Jersey channel islands
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Bromlee Guest House - Jersey
Operator and Date: Bmi Baby Aug 2007
Opinion submitted in August 2007 by : Barry & Sue Small (60)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Island;
Flew with BMI Baby from Birmingham..excellent flights and no problems.
St Helier is a busy working town and gets confused that you might think its for tourists..WRONG. You want to eat late at night ..sorry sir after 8.30 the kitchens are closed. You want to do some late night shopping ( as you can do in the rest of the world ) ...sorry all shops close at 5.30 and all day Sunday.You want reasonable value for a meal ..Ha! hows about £18.50 for 2 fish and chips in the shabby restaurant attached to the chip shop in Cheapside...I could go on , nevertheless all I can say is the despite having no VAT, low income taxes and much cheaper fuel my wallet has never took such a beating as the 9 days I was on Jersey Island
Accommodation ;
£60 per night B&B and unfortunately for the smashing couple running the place ,the 4 storey building looked as though it was beyond them to maintain it up to present day expected standards. Every room seemed to be decorated from a boot sale with very strange ornaments in the dining area ...
(perfect dust traps) and was furnished and decorated in a very 60.s style.I think they need to raise their prices and invest in a make over...£60 is average for B&B but shabby makes you think it is ovepriced.
Getting around;
Used excellent public transport to visit every part of the island...get yourself a timetable..taxis are horrendousley expensive. Hired cycles for the very good cycle paths across the island. Visited the German occupational underground hospital for a very moving experience..highly reccomended.
Tourism;
I felt that Jersey finds tourists a bit of a nuisance and I have never met so many sullen residents who have had a humour removal operation..even new residents I talked to said that these islanders have not travelled far and have therefore adopted their own style of comunication or non comunication as it was.I feel Jersey has had its day and has failed to move with the times...you cant rely on people coming back year after year just to see the Battle of Flowers.
The whole island has a very 60/70's feel about it and probably that was the age of the clientell it was catering for.There were a couple of 'street ' events designed to coincide with the Battle week, and the local radio DJ at a beach party, commented that the council raised all kinds of objections to the brilliant party event taking place. Later that week a 'world'food festival was organised...I have never seen such overpriced rubbish served up as ethnic food, from the same stalls that were at the beach party...they just changed the signs on the front of the vans.
You might say that from my comments I am a bit of a moaning tightwad...no sir. The restaurant Castle on the green at Gorey a gastro pub...beatifull location..excellent food at a very good price for the superb work done by the chef.Restaurant in the Pottery at Gorey excellent menu and value for money and strangeley enough owned by the same company...so someone undestands that the conection between high prices and very good food, will not upset the punters.
Fortunateley the weather was very good for Aug 07 and we were able to enjoy all the beaches and countryside in all its glory...but oh the nights DOH! . WAKE UP before its too late.
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La Planque Farm - Jersey
Operator and Date: indepndent - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Rob Yeldham - London (64,61,39.38,6,4)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Not a cheap place to stay but well worth the money.
Paul and Christiane, the owners for the wondreful self-catering cottages and B&B do everyting posible to make your stay great, to the extent of bringing us fresh eggs form their hend and fesh fish cuaght ofrom their boat!
The Dower Cotttage was briliant with every modern convenience and even things like dish washer tablets, loo paper etc laid on. A rela hoem form home, very comfortabel with plenty of space for the 6 of us.
There is a sand pit, football net and badminton net provided with all the balls, spades and otehr kit the kids need to keep busy. theera re also bike sot borrow and a barbecue at no ectra cost.
The farm is located in a very rural setting (so you do need a car). But it is a good base for either beaches or the many intersting and enjoyable place sof interest in the Island.
We visited Elizabeth castle (be there for noon to experience the Master Gunner drillign the men), Mount Orguiel Castel (where there is dressing up for the younger children), the super Maritime Museam - with loads of hands on activities and experiences for all ages - very well worth goign to even if you'r enot into the sea!). Hampden House was less exciting. But it woudl ahve save dus money to geta combined ticket for the main sites.
Jerseye Zoo, which is 5 minutes from the farm, is a must see. There are talks every hour and a meet the snake experience. There is more to see than you get round in one day. Nice cafeteria but watch out for the
seagulls if you eat outside - they are very quick to swoop on any unattended food or drink as one German family found out when we were there!
The Co-op on the route from the airport to to farm is good, especially for fresh fish and deli items but the Safeway on the outskirts of St helier is better for drinks and grocery items. The market and fish market in St Helier are good if you like quality fresh or specilist produce.
St Helier is full of shops but parking is limited (you need to buy parking permit tickets from newsagents before parking, and times are very limited.) We went in by bus one day but as they are not very frequent you need to plan well to use public transport.
Eating out - the best meal we had was at the Garden restaurant on the site of the Jersey pottery (Gorey). A superb fish menu at good prices and the best kids menu we've seen anywhere in the world. There is even a mini fruit-de-mer on the kids menu! Afterwards out children had fun painting pottery inside.
The Doplhin on Gorey harbour does a vast range of food from sandwiches through to Portuguese speciality dishes.
One thing to remeber however is that most places seem to shut at about 2.15 or 2.30 so get in early for lunch.
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Lyndhurst Hotel St Aubin - Jersey
Operator and Date: September 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : David Newman 58, 50
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Just spent four very enjoyable days here.
Jersey is a very pleasant island, there is a safe comfortable feel to it.
We booked a very cheap flight with Thomsonfly from Coventry which got the holiday off to a very good start, then hired a car as i am not too sure buses access many of the beaches off the beaten track.
One of my highlights was the fantastic airshow and static display at the airport.
Also a must is the Jersey Zoo.
Perhaps the best bit of all was the Lyndhurst Guest House at St Aubin.We had a grand sea view from our room which was nice and quiet.
I particularly would mention the proprietor David, from Yorkshire is a most convivial and generous host, particularly generous with his bacon and his room rates are astonishingly good value.
What more can i say?Book now.
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Metropole Hotel - Jersey
Operator and Date: direct june 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Larry watson age 59
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
this hotel was a health hazard,it is used by elder people and i had to have 3 rooms before i found one that was not dangerous.
the staff did not seem to give a damn and when i wrote to the management the same applied.
Do yourselves a favour and go elswhere!!
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Mountview Hotel - Jersey
Operator and Date: Sept 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : 47, 49
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Whilst the food was good, the accommodation could have been better.
The bathroom had mould on the ceiling and the tiles. The taps were covered in green algae/mould.
One of the beds had a dipin the middle and felt like it was going to collapse.
The windows were metal and all the paint was flaking off.
We will not be returning!!!
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Norfolk Hotel - Jersey Channel Islands United Kingdom
Operator and Date: premier holidays september 2006
Opinion submitted in February 2007 by : 40
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
My holiday hell to Norfolk hotel st helier jersey channel islands
In september i travelled here and instantly found my room provided was small cramped and inadequate and noisy and when complaint issues were directed to manager my request to change my room was just given no with no apology or anything i also disliked food choice on menu and felt disgusted no other alternative regarding room change or alternative choice of menu food was provided so eat out on many occasions. i found the bar room had little to offer in way of entertainment but had a well stocked bar with many drinks which was a surprise and there was a swimming pool and small cafeteria here and trips out to various attractions by coach from the Norfolk Hotel in Jersey to other places/islands and felt this hotel was too central for my taste and had no good views from bedroom windows, but ideal for attractions and shops and park nearby and ideal if you did not want to walk far to shops , bus station , park , churches, etc
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Norfolk Hotel - Jersey Channel Islands United Kingdom
Operator and Date: Premier holidays travel September 2006
Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Simone Wearne - Yorkshire 43
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
Norfolk Hotel in which i stayed in September was disappointing and did not live up to expectations as i was given a small tiny cramped noisy room and disliked the poor choice of food and felt that this hotel was more suited to the older clientelle than the under 50's as most guests here were senior citizens but did like the fact that the hotel had a swimming pool and a nice cafe and was close to the shopping centre and other amenities park and church etc.
St Helier in Jersey though very busy with a lot of building work going on spoiling the area i felt and felt that the shopping centre was great with various interesting shops stores market where i sampled free butterscotch liquer and in st helier close to the hotel within short walking distance there was the lovely st lukes church/chapel and memorial gardens and Howard Davis Park which had concerts bands often on at night up until 9 pm this park was delightful well kept beautiful and had plenty of places to sit and enjoy the scenery or just to sunbathe and there was a lovely tearoom here in the conservatory in the park too, with helpful friendly staff waiting to serve you many delightful snacks beverages. The zoo Gerald Durrelle Conservatory trust was excellent and the Golf Course too and The undergroung military hospital was interesting as were other attractions here in the delightful holiday destination of Jersey/Guernsey Channel Islands
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Pontac House Hotel - Jersey
Operator and Date: independent march 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2005 by : jackie jackson 40, 35, 4
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
only a short three day break hotel was recommended to us by a friend and it proved to be top notch accommadation. excellent value for money (cost of hotel included car hire) and bed breakfast and evening meal which was 5 courses! exctremely friendly staff throughout the hotel which for the time of year was quite busy some of the attractions on the island were not open until april but for a three day break there is plenty to see and do and you can drive over the island in three days quite comfortably and its all tax free!
room offered excellent sea view altho not all do the usual in room facilities bath/shower tea coffee and telly (not satellite) very relaxed atmosphere and as said previously would recommend this as a top quality hotel but in the more popular months it may be advisable to book early as i could forsee this hotel filling up rather rapid. 10 out of 10 definately
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Portelet Hotel - Nr St Brelade, Jersey
Operator and Date: Preston Holidays, August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : 47,41,9,77
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
We can thoroughly recommend the Portelet Hotel. It is like stepping back in