Stay Report: Chic Boutique Hotel (Tobago - December 2015)

Stay Report: Chic Boutique Hotel, Tobago
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When looking for places to stay in Crown Point, Tobago you noticed that there are not that many options.  There are some resorts available while others are boutique hotels.  We were not going to spend a lot of in Tobago, so we wanted to stay at a resort in Crown Point.  Even though we had started looking 4 months in advance, many of the resorts were completely full so we started looking at boutique hotels and that is how I found out about the Chic Boutique Tobago.   Overall, the hotel was nice and clean.  The positives were the amenities the hotel provided include free breakfast, free wifi, pool, and fitness center and good referrals to taxis.  Some of the negatives included the lack of space in the room plus the lack of customer service provided by the hotel.

When booking the hotel, I had inquired regarding airport transport and was told that would be arranged.  Outside the airport there was a taxi with my name on it, but there was a miscommunication as I was never informed that this would inquire an additional charge. I do not mind paying for the convenience, if I am told in advance so that I am prepared with the correct cash.  Eventually it was sorted but it started to show some of the lack of customer service provided at the hotel.  The hotel is located down the side street off the main road and about a 10-15 minute walk from the city center and the beach.  While its probably safe to walk around at night, the hotel’s location does not provide a lot of safety as you pass empty lots on the way to the hotel.  The lobby of the hotel is very narrow – as you enter there is a desk straight ahead where you check-in and receive the key.  Across from the desk is a mini-bar area and behind the desk are two chairs and a couch as a lounge area.  The check-in attendant was not very pleasant and did not seem willing to provide any additional information or any support.

We received the key and were told that the room was on the second floor.  As you exited the lobby, you entered a foyer which had stairs on one side which led up to the rooms.  Straight ahead was the courtyard which housed the pool and on the other side of the courtyard was the restaurant, the fitness center, and the meeting rooms.  The restaurant was small and there is where the breakfast was served.  While breakfast was available until 10am, you had to get there somewhat early to ensure you received anything because once it was gone, it was not likely to be refilled.  The pool looked nice and welcoming, while the fitness center was basic but was sufficient. 

Going upstairs the narrow staircase, we then turned around and went down a narrow hallway to our room – there were a lot of tight spaces around the hotel.  As you entered into the room, on the left were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The beds were pushed up against the nightstand so that was the width of the space between the two beds (ie not much).  In front of the door was a chair and a table and above that was the TV.  Next to the beds was a wall-in closet which had nice storage, but was very close to the bed.  Next to the closet was the entrance to the kitchen and then to the bathroom.  The kitchen was a full-size kitchen with on the right-hand side was a full sink, microwave, and shelves.  On the left side was a full-size fridge and entrance to the bathroom.  The bathroom was decent as it had a full sink and a full bathtub along with a toilet. 

Overall, the hotel provided a nice clean room and a decent night’s sleep.  The beds were medium – neither uncomfortable nor greatly comfortable.  The customer service definitely needs improvement (as we asked the front desk for other stuff later on and their response was very basic and not helpful) and there are tight spaces everywhere.  The room did provide a nice size bathroom and kitchen so that was a nice touch.   

Stay Report: Element Houston Vintage Park (Houston, Texas - December 2014)

Stay Report: Element Houston Vintage Park
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The Element Houston Vintage Park is a hotel “inspired by Westin Hotels, bringing together an eco-friendly environment with overall wellness…where guest can enjoy free breakfast, an evening reception and free internet access”

I had to go near Intercontinental Airport in Houston and was looking for places to stay when I noticed the Element Houston Vintage Park.  I heard some news items about the Element – which is the eco-friendly studio brand from Westin.  Right now they have a few properties scattered around the world, with one in Houston so I thought it would be nice to try --- after my experience, I would definitely go and seek out an Element; it was an excellent stay.   The rooms were spacious and well-laid out, the beds were also spacious and comfortable, there was enough lighting in the rooms, the free wifi was fast and really responsive, and the free breakfast was pretty good.  All this in an eco-friendly atmosphere made the stay all the more relaxing.

There are only two negatives I would say about this hotel – and both have to do with the location.  The hotel is located in a newly developed area and there are shops and restaurants near the hotel, but they are about a 2-3 minute walking distance --- this is fine during the day but at night there are very few lights.  That was my second negative, which was the road to the entrance of the hotel is not lit at all – the hotel is located on a one-way so if you are coming from the opposite way you have to pass the hotel and go down into the undeveloped section to make a u-turn to get to the right side of the street on which the hotel’s entrance is on – and that section of the road has no lights and is completely dark during the night.  As I said, those are the only two negatives as the rest of the experience inside the hotel was positive.

Once you walk inside the hotel, on the right-hand side is the check-in counter.  Beyond the check-in counters was a little pantry to buy snacks and beyond that was the elevators.  Across from the check-in was the dining area where the free breakfast is served (the breakfast was decent. There were standard items available that you normally would get as well as some unique items like egg, spinach, and mushroom on a toasted English muffin – but I did expect healthier or organic options and those were limited).   As you walk straight, there is a lounge/sitting area or relaxing area where you can also enjoy the free wifi.  To the left of this lounge is the business center which has access to two computers and a printer (during my visit, only one computer worked and the printer was not working).  Beyond the business center is the meeting room.  On the other side of the lounge/sitting area was the fitness center – which was spacious and had a nice array of machines – and a path to the outside which had an outdoor pool as well as an outdoor sitting/bbq area. 

Check-in was smooth and efficient and I was given my keys as well as a detailed explanation of the hotel and its amenities (which was good since it was my first time staying at the hotel).  I took the elevator to my room and when I opened the door, I thoroughly enjoyed the room. I had requested a room with 2 double beds so this is how my room was laid out: As you open the door, on the left were big closets (in an ikea-style design) which also contained a safe.  On the right was the bathroom which was very large and had a waterfall-style shower or hand-held shower.  The bathroom also had a low-flow toilet, low-flow sink, as well as refillable pumps for the the amenities instead of individual size toiletries (maintaining the environmental aspect throughout the room).  As you walked further into the room, on the left was the kitchen which was again ikea-designed and was quite big.  There was a very big fridge, a microwave, a sink, a stove, dishes and glasses, and pots and pans.  There was also two barstools and a little area to sit and eat at the kitchen.  Across from the kitchen was a desk/console combined into one.  This separated the bedroom from the main area.  The desk/console was a full desk that was extended to include a TV as well as a converter to plug in various devices and shelves below the TV.

The beds were quite comfortable and spacious and there were plenty of outlets near the beds and throughout the room.  In addition to the two beds, there was also a sofa that was very comfortable and could also turn into a sofa-bed.  Overall, it was a GREAT stay at the Element in a spacious room with comfortable beds.  The wifi was REALLY strong and fast both in the rooms and in the lobby.  It was a great stay in a place that is good for you and good for the environment.