Stay Report: AC Hotel by Marriott Cordoba (Cordoba, Spain - December 2011)

Stay Report: AC Hotel by Marriott Cordoba
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photo courtesy of Marriott

I was stopping in Cordoba after Malaga and Granada.  During my tour of Southern Spain, I had been staying at AC hotels throughout and had enjoyed the hotels, so when we were booking a hotel for Cordoba I continued with the trend and selected the AC Hotel Cordoba.  Unlike the AC Hotels in Granada and Malaga, the AC Hotel Cordoba is not located within the main part of Cordoba; it is a 5-7 minute walk to the main area.  The hotel is located in between the train/bus station and the main city center, so about a 5-10 minute walk or car ride away from either point.  Additionally, there are many shops and restaurants near the hotel.

When you arrive at the hotel, the first thing you notice is the architecture.  The hotel has a very

photo courtesy of Marriott

modern architectural design, both the exterior and interior of the hotel.  From the outside, there is a wall of metal rings that surrounds the entire exterior of the building. While it looks nice, it does block out some views (more on that later).  The modern architecture continues inside the lobby, which is tall but narrow.  As you enter the main entrance, on the right hand side is the restaurant and straight ahead, again on the right-hand side, is the check-in area.   There is a large lounge or relaxing area in front of the check-in desks where guests can sit and relax.  Also across from the check-in desks are large windows, which bring in natural light and make the lobby more open.  I went to check-in, received my key, and proceeded towards the elevators located beyond the check-in desks.   

photo courtesy of Marriott

As in the other hotels, we got 2 rooms – one with 2 twin and the other with a king bed and both were decorated the same.  You entered the room on far right side next to the wall.  As you open the door, there is a little galley with a closet and mirror.  This is the odd part – the bathroom is located in between the galley and the main part of the room where the beds are so you have to cross the bathroom to get from the main door to the bedroom.  There is a door that closes to block off the bathroom from the galley as well as another door that closes the bathroom off from the bedroom.  This would be fine if you are staying by yourself, but if you are staying with someone else, and they are in the bathroom and you need to leave or someone knocks on the door, and the bathroom doors are locked, then you are stuck.  It was an odd design.  The bathroom, designed in all black and silver, was modern, spacious, and nice and had many amenities provided including combs, shoe polish, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and lotion.

As you entered into the main bedroom, against the right hand side of the wall were the chest with drawers on the bottom and TV on top and a desk next to it.  Against the other wall were 2 very comfortable twin beds (or a king bed) and 2 nightstands for each bed (2 nightstands also available for the king bed).  The beds were comfortable and provided a good night’s sleep.  Along with far wall were giant windows that would’ve looked out onto the city and the streets and would’ve provided a great view, however the views were blocked by the architectural ring façade.

Facilities at the hotel included a restaurant, where breakfast and dinner were available; complimentary wifi, at that time only available in the lobby; and a fitness center.  The hotel does not provide shuttle service from either the airport or the train station.

Overall, it was a short but pleasant stay in a sleek and modern hotel.  The beds were comfortable, the staff were friendly and efficient (we asked staff at all the hotels questions about local landmarks and each took the time to answer questions and provide extra detail – a great plus!!), free wifi in the lobby and public areas, and the hotels were conveniently located to major activities.   

Stay Report: Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa (Seychelles - January 2014)

Stay Report: Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa
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I was going to be spending some time in Seychelles, so I was looking for a nice resort that had a lot of amenities for the guests.  I’ve had previous success with the Hilton brand so when I found this property, I decided to book the Hilton Northlome Seychelles.  Overall, it was an average stay with nice rooms, good staff, but a bit disappointing with the service sometimes.

The hotel is laid out in an open setting, so everything allows for fresh air and seeing the natural beauty; it is really nice when the weather is pleasant, not so nice in the rainy season.  When you first enter the property, you go to a small office in which you are welcomed and then wait to be shuttled to the next building which houses the check-in desk.  When I arrived, the hotel attendants seemed unsure about what was going on or our arrival; it was a bit chaotic.

The check-in desks are located in the main building, which also houses the business center, the pools, the restaurant, and a gym below.  After being checked-in, which again was chaotic, I was given a tour of the hotel, and then shown to the room.  I later found out that I was not given a lot of information that should have been provided during check-in, information that would have been useful such as access to free shuttles.

While I have many complaints about the check-in and the service, I cannot complain about the room as it was beautiful and spacious.  The room I had booked was the ‘king studio apartment’ and it felt like a mini villa with a balcony and porch, which provided nice options to sit outside and enjoy the view.  As you approached the building, you entered the porch which had chairs to sit outside and enjoy the view of the property.  As you opened the door, you entered into a mini-hallway in which the only way to go is left.  As you progressed into the room, you enter into the sitting area with couches, a chair, a desk, and a TV on a stand that is connected to DVD player.  As I was traveling in a group, I had requested for a roll-away bed to be placed in the room, and this was placed between the couch and the window.  Even with the rollaway bed, this part of the room felt open and spacious. 

While the windows were against one side of the wall, against the opposite wall, beyond the couches, was the large king-size bed with a nightstand on either side.  The bed was extremely bid, very comfortable, and provided a really good night’s rest.  As I said, everything about the room was spacious, and this was also true of the bathroom, which was huge.  There were two entrances to the bathroom, the main entrance was near the TV stand while there was another entrance near the entryway.  The bathroom contained both the closet and the bathroom, but each section was very spacious.  The bathroom contained a toilet, a standup shower, a big closet, a double sink, and a Jacuzzi tub.  The best part about the tub was that it faced the window looking outside – this window/door you could open and it would lead to the balcony.  It was a really nice view and amazing to sit in the tub and look outside.  The balcony outside the bathroom connected to the balcony outside the room, and this balcony contained lounge chairs to sit, relax, and enjoy the views.

As the Seychelles is an island, most guests come here for the pool and beach.  The hotel does have two pools but their beach access is that of a rocky beach.  They do provide snorkeling and scuba equipment (for a fee) and to access a sand beach, they have free shuttles to Beau Vallon beach (we found this out on our last day).  The two pools are located in the main building where the check-in desks are located.  The main building has three floors – on the bottom floor is one pool plus the gym (and the walkway to the rocky beach); the second floor contains the second pool, the check-in desks, the business center, and access to the third floor; the third floor contains the restaurant.  The pools were decent size, not too small but they could have been bigger.  There was one major issue with the pool; lack of towels.  Usually, the hotel provides towels specifically for the pool so that you don’t have to use your own.  The hotel had the setup there but no towels; every guest kept asking for them but they never brought them.

The business center were a couple of computers connected to a printer in an open-air environment near the check-in desks/lobby.  It was a bit slow but it was provided enough access to check-in and print boarding passes.  As I was there for a couple of days, I was also able to try both the restaurant on the third floor as well as the bar/lounge near the pool.  The bar/lounge is open for lunch and drinks and is very nice, has good food, but extremely slow service.  There is a restaurant open for dinner on the top of the terrace that serves a different buffet nightly. We went for the Seychelles cuisine buffet - overpriced and definitely not worth it!

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Hilton Northlome Seychelles.  The hotel is a bit far from Beau Vallon and many other destinations, but it is located right on the bus route so you can take that anywhere. There is also a small supermarket located 7 minutes uphill from the hotel which provides easy and quick access to items that you may need.  The rooms are nice and spacious, but the customer service needs improvement.  The room service and room attendant were very good and very responsive; however the front desk service and attendants were neither good nor customer friendly.  The service was so bad that on the 3^rd day I was there, I wrote to the general manager about the lack of service. The general manager was quick to reply, asked to meet with me in person to discuss the issues and try to resolve it prior to my departure. The managers were very accommodating and nice and they made the trip worthwhile.

Tip: taxis to the airport are very expensive. If you have booked a local nature tour, the tour guides will also do airport pick-up and drop offs and usually at a better rate. This is what we did and saved a lot of money and it was more comfortable and convenient. 

Stay Report: Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula, Autograph Collection (Granada, Spain - December 2011)

Stay Report: Hotel Palacio De Santa Paula
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photo courtesy of Marriott

I was traveling in Southern Spain, from Malaga to Granada, and was looking for a place to stay in the city.  I had enjoyed the AC Hotel in Malaga so decided to stay at the same hotel in Granada; I was not disappointed.  The hotel is Granada is part of the ‘Autograph Collection’ and the architecture of this hotel was amazing.  From the outside of the building to the inner courtyards to the ways the rooms were laid out and decorated; it was very stunning, as if we were entering a Palace.

The hotel is located on the main street within Granada so it is easily accessible and walkable to everything.  As you enter the front doors, in the middle is a raised platform on which guests can lounge, to the right of the platform were the check-in counters, and to the left of the platform was a restaurant.  Check-in was efficient and smooth and we were shown to our rooms.  We were not on a high floor so we took the stairs through the raised platform, through the inner courtyard (which was really nice) to the hallway in which our rooms were located.

photo courtesy of Marriott

As I was traveling with a group, we needed two rooms – one with a king bed and the other with 2 twins.  Both rooms were similarly laid out and both were amazingly decorated.  As you opened the door, you entered a little hallway on the left that led into the main room.  In the main area, directly in front were the beds against the wall with a nightstand in between as well as an armoire against the wall on the left.  In front of the beds was a sitting area with couches and chairs to relax and look out the tall windows which were on the other side of the wall (decorated in an old-Spanish style).  Across from the sitting area was the entrance to the bathroom (as you entered the hallway, on the other side of the hallway was the bathroom) which was spacious and had all the amenities such as toilet, shower, sink, and a plethora of toiletries.  The rooms were spacious and comfortable, but it was the design and decoration of the room that made it worthwhile.  The room was designed like an old Palace room so it had very distinctive Spanish designs, with red tiles and blue designs and shutters on the windows.  It was nicely decorated and a pleasure to stay in.

photo courtesy of Marriott

Facilities at the hotel included complimentary wifi (at that time only located in the lobby), a restaurant, a fitness center, and meeting rooms.  Overall, the hotel provided a spacious and comfortable room in walking distance to the heart of Granada; however, it is the architecture and design of the hotel and the rooms that make this hotel a must visit in Granada!

Stay Report: Hilton Paris CDG Airport (Paris, January 2012)

Stay Report: Hilton Paris CDG Airport
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photo courtesy of Hilton

I was going to be transiting in Paris twice, the first for about 1.5 days and second for 14 hours; based on this I was looking for a place near the airport.  I was traveling with someone else and that individual does not like taking buses, so the hotel I choose would have to be connected to the airport and/or train station.  The Hilton Paris CDG Airport fit that criteria as it is connected to the train station by a walkway.  There are two entrances to the hotel – one is on the main street while the other is connected to the Airport Train Station.  From the Airport Train Station, there is an exit with the ‘Hilton’ sign on there and it’s a 2-3 minute walk to the hotel; the walkway is not covered so if it is cold or raining, you get cold or wet.

Booking the hotel is very easy through the Hilton website.  Hilton was having a ‘points blowout sale’ so I used my HHonors points for a free stay for one of my transits.  From the outside, the hotel looks very large and nice.  The walkway from the train station is connected to the hotels parking lot, so you have to walk through the parking lot to the main entrance to enter the building. 

The hotel has an open lobby so the inside feels large and grandiose.  As you enter, on the left side are the check-in desks as well as bellman service.  There is a small waiting area in the middle, and to the right is the restaurant/bar.  Even though there were a lot of guests, check-in was relatively quick and we proceeded towards the elevators. The elevators are located further into the lobby, and the elevators themselves have glass walls so that you can see the lobby as you go towards your room.

photo courtesy of Hilton

The rooms themselves were large Hilton rooms and this is something I was not expecting, as generally the rooms in Europe are smaller but this room was big even by American standards.  As you enter the room, on the right-hand side was the bathroom which was nice and very large.  There were double sinks, a toilet plus bidet, a standing shower (which was very roomy), and a tub.  The bathroom contained PeterThomasRoth toiletries which are very nice.  Across from the bathroom, on the left-hand side, were closets and storage space.

As you continued further into the room, on the right-hand side were the 2 double beds.  The beds

were very large and comfortable and provided a very restful night’s sleep.   There was one night stand in between the two beds.  Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top as well as a desk.  Other furniture in the room included a couch, located next to the second bed, with a foot stool that faced the window.  The window was very large and provided great views of the runway.  When the curtains were opened, that is when the spectacular-ness of this hotel really shined --- the views were of the active runway so you could see planes taking off all day and all night (you could not hear the planes so it was a comfortable night sleep).

The hotel is a full service hotel so there are many facilities available including a fitness center, which I did not get to try; a restaurant, which I did try and regretted it as it the service was slow, the food was not good, and it was very expensive; and complimentary wifi both in the lobby and in the room.  On the second floor of the hotel there were additional facilities including the business center and meeting rooms.  The meeting rooms can be accessed via stairs in front of the elevator or via the elevator.  The business center contained computers and printers, but hotel charged to print boarding passes.  There is also a crew lounge on the second floor, as apparently many airline staff stay at this hotel.

photo courtesy of Hilton

Even though you can walk from the train station, the hotel does provide a complimentary airport shuttle to the airport.  The shuttle is supposed to be between the hotel and Terminal 2, and pick-up is always at Terminal 2 but if the shuttle driver is nice they will drop you off to whichever terminal you want.

Overall, it was a pleasant stay at the Hilton Paris CDG Airport.  I was looking for a hotel that was close to the airport but was also connected to transportation, and this hotel fit all criteria.  The hotel is nice and comfortable, provides a good sleep, and the windows facing the runway are a great bonus.  The service at the hotel is also good – in between my stays, the hotel kept some of my luggage for me.  If you are looking for a hotel close to the Parisian action, this is not your hotel; however, if you are looking for a hotel close to the airport and with direct access to the train then this a good option.  Note: the hotel is connected to the train by a walkway but there are no restaurants or stores near the hotel.  There is a bus that stops at the train station which takes you to other hotels in the Roissy village, and in that village there are some restaurants and small convenience store/local store.  It’s about a 5-10 minute bus ride.

Stay Report: Hilton Garden Inn Panama (December 2014/January 2015)

Stay Report: Hilton Garden Inn Panama City
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I was looking for a place in Panama City that was close to many attractions and was walking distance to public transportation.  I had initially booked another Hilton property within the same neighborhood, but then I found the Hilton Garden Inn and it was significantly less expensive so I thought I would try it out – they say you get what you pay for and in this case, it is true.  The Hilton Garden Inn is a good budget option within Panama; however, if I was to do it over again I would pay the extra money to be in more comfortable setting.  Overall, the hotel provided a comfortable bed and a decent night stay but the customer service was lacking and the room needed to be updated.

The airport is located about 30-45 minutes away from the city so I had coordinated with the hotel to arrange for pick-up.  Everything was confirmed a month prior to arrival but when I arrived into Panama City, there was no pick-up.  After several calls to the hotel, and waiting for about 1 hour, I finally arranged transport with the hotel.  When I got to the hotel, I mentioned the ordeal to the night manager who said she would relay the information to the day manager the next day to respond.  The next day, I followed-up with the day manager the next who had not been told what was going on but also said she would investigate and get back to me.  I waited another 3 days but nothing so I then followed-up with an email to Hilton Corporate; it was only then that a response was received.  This was the lack of customer service that was experienced in the hotel.

The outside of the hotel and the lobby look very modern and updated.  The hotel itself is a tall but narrow building.  The hotel is located near the financial center within walking distance are a metro station, many restaurants, supermarkets, and other shops; it is a very convenient location.  When you enter the hotel, on the left hand side is a sitting area which contained couches, seats, as well as newspapers while on the right hand side is the restaurant.

Behind the sitting area is the check-in desk.  Check-in was decent, they were not overly friendly but not overly unkind, and I collected my room key.  Behind the check-in counter was the business center which contained three computers as well as a printer.  Further down the hallway were the elevators to the guest rooms.  In between the business center and the elevators was a hallway that led you to the first floor restrooms as well as an on-site washer and dryer (byob soap and powder); this amenity was a nice addition.  Security was another amenity that was nicely appreciated as you needed your key to access everything – the business center, the elevators, the gym, as well as the rooftop.

photo courtesy of Hilton Garden Inn

While the lobby and the first floor seemed updated and modern, the rooms did not feel modern.  As you entered the room, on the right was the closet which contained a safe as well as ironing board.  On the left hand side was the bathroom – the bathroom fixtures had been updated so that was a nice touch.  The bad thing about the bathroom was the inconsistent hot water – sometimes it would be extremely hot and nice while others time the water was barely lukewarm.  The bathroom contained a tub, a toilet, and a sink as well as Hilton toiletries. 

On the other side of the bathroom was the bedroom which contained two double beds as well as a night stand in between.  The beds had been updated with the newest Hilton beds, in which you can adjust the firmness of your bed.  The beds were comfortable and spacious.  Between the bed and the window were a couch and a lamp.  Across from the bed was a chest with 3 drawers on the bottom as well as TV on top.  Next to that was a desk.  Besides the bed, the rest of the furnishings in the room did not seem to be updated and looked a bit worn out.  Overall the room looked dated but provided enough space and comfortable beds.

Facilities at the hotel included complimentary wifi, which was free and strong, as well as fitness center and rooftop Jacuzzi on the rooftop.  The fitness center was medium size and had enough decent equipment with treadmills, weights, and other machines.  It was a pleasant to have a decent size fitness center.  Next to the fitness center was a small rooftop lounge that housed a 2-3 person whirlpool/Jacuzzi as well as some chairs to sit and lounge; the view from the rooftop was really nice.  The rooftop amenities were really nice, but it was a small rooftop and there were a lot of facilities put into a small area; in my opinion, it would have been better to focus on one or two items instead of trying to have everything on the rooftop. 

Overall, the hotel provided a decent night sleep with nice amenities at a low price.  The customer service could’ve been a lot better but I guess you get what you pay for in terms of customer service and overall feel of the hotel.

Stay Report: ibis Geneve Centre Nations (Geneva, May 2015)

Stay Report: ibis Geneve Centre Nations
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I was going to be in Geneva for one night and so I was looking for a hotel that was centrally located, within walking distance to many sights, and that was affordable.  In trying to find a hotel that met these criteria, the ibis Geneve Centre Nations was coming up.  I was traveling from Zurich where I had stayed the ibis there, so I was somewhat familiar with the brand.  For a base price, you get a room with a bathroom in it plus free wifi (strong wifi as well).  Everything else, including breakfast and other amenities, requires additional costs. 

The hotel does not provide complimentary airport or train transportation, so you have to make your own way to the hotel (note: there are two ibis’ in the city, one that is centrally located and one that is not – make sure you do not confuse them as they are very far away from each other).  For a first-timer in the city, it was somewhat difficult to find the hotel as it is located off of the main street and about a 10-15 minute walk from transportation.

From the outside, the hotel does not look that impressive but looks like a standard building.  As you enter into the lobby, there are luggage carts available to help transport your stuff.  Straight ahead is the check-in desk while the elevators are to the right.  On the left hand side is a sitting area plus the restaurant/bar.  The ‘business center’ was also located in the lobby, it was two computers connected to the check-in desks counter; you could check-in to your flight and print boarding passes for free.

I was traveling with others so I had booked a family room which comes with one double bed and one twin bed.  When I went to check-in, I was told that this type of room was not available so instead I received two rooms for the price of one.  Despite the lack of room type available, check-in was quick and the staff were very friendly.

Even though we had two rooms, they were somewhat connected.  From the main hallway, there was one main door that led into hallway.  As you entered the hallway, on the left hand side was the door to the first room while straight ahead was the entrance to the second room.  The rooms could act as two separate rooms, or you could close the main hallway door and the two rooms would be somewhat connected.

The rooms themselves were standard ibis rooms.  As you entered into the room, on the left hand side was a desk and immediately next to the desk was the bed and then a window.  In between the window and the bed was very little room, just barely room to get to the other side.  On each side of the bed were two small night stands, each of which had a light above it and plugs next to the bed (there were multiple plug outlets in the room).  The bed quality was decent and provided a decent night’s sleep.

The TV stand was located in front of the bed, and to the left of the TV stand was the open closet with a place to hang your clothes as well as shelves.  The bathroom was located to the right of the TV stand, at an adjacent angle, near the door.  As with most ibis’, the bathroom was compact but this one had more room that some of the others I have experienced.  The bathroom had a toilet, a sink, and a stand-up shower.  Bathroom amenities included a towel, which was poor quality, as well a shampoo/body wash/face wash combo (I would recommend to bring your own bathroom toiletries).

In the end, it was a decent night’s stay at the ibis Geneve Centre Nations.  For ibis, I always say if you know what you are expecting and prepare for that, then it can be a decent and comfortable stay.  If you are looking for a fancy hotel with all the amenities, this is not the hotel for you.  Generally the hotels have good customer service, free and fast wifi, and are usually centrally located or within walking distance to transportation and amenities.  This is what I was looking for and this is what the hotel provided, along with a decent night’s sleep.

Stay Report: Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon (Miami - January 2016)

Stay Report: Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon
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I was spending a couple of days in Miami and was looking for a hotel near the airport, and in my search decided to try the Hilton Miami Airport.  Overall, the hotel provides a nice and large facility near the airport with plenty of amenities (including a nice shower).  The hotel is located in an office park, so that there is not that much around it.  That makes it very quiet and provides a lot of space, but makes it difficult to access services without a car.  Like all Miami airport hotels, this hotel also charges for parking (the standard seems to be $17 per day).  There were plenty of spaces as the hotel has a lot of land.

The lobby of the hotel is very large and open - you enter in the sitting area and on right hand side is the check-in desk.  Right next to the desks is a hallway which leads to the elevators and the outside.  The hotel restaurant is located in the lobby as well.  The hallway to the elevators also leads towards the fitness center (which was pretty big) as well as to the large outside area.  As the hotel is connected to a business park, the business park has a walking trail and the hotel is connected to this walking trail.  You can walk around the hotel grounds as well as the business park.  Outside is also where the outdoor pool and jacuzzi are located.

Check-in was efficient and we received our keys and went to our room.  There seems to be a main wing and then two additional wings on each side of the hotel - but only one elevator in the main wing to access all wings.  Our room was located in the second wing so it took a couple of minutes to get from the elevator to our room.  

The room was nicely decorated, modern, and with various spaces for luggage and electrical outlets.  As you entered into the room, on the right was the closet and storage while on the left was the bathroom.  The bathroom had a tub, a full sink and toilet. The tub had a really nice and powerful shower and it was very nice and relaxing.  Right outside the bathroom was a table with the coffee maker.  In the room there were two double beds with a night stand in the middle.  The beds were large and spacious and provided a good night’s sleep.  Across from the bed was a TV with storage underneath.  Right next to the beds on the wall were windows that spanned the width of the wall -- the windows were only from the midpoint up as below the windows was a desk that also went along the entire width of the wall.

As we were spending most of our time exploring Miami, I did not get a chance to explore the hotel amenities - the fitness center, the outdoor pool and jacuzzi, and the restaurant.  The only amenity I did experience was the wifi, which was complimentary and provided good speeds.  Overall, the hotel provided a nice location near the airport, a comfortable room and many amenities to have a relaxing time.  Some airport hotels usually do not provide many amenities, but this hotel provides a lot of amenities across a large property. 

Stay Report: ibis Zurich City West (Zurich, May 2015)

Stay Report: ibis Zurich City West
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There are many hotels in Zurich so when looking for a place to stay, there are many options to choose from.  I was going to be staying in Zurich for 3 days and I was traveling with a group so we needed either 2 rooms or one big room.  I was also looking for a place that was close to the city and close to transportation as well as to restaurants and sights.  Most of the places I was finding were too expensive or could not accommodate more than 2 people to a room, except for the ibis Zurich City West.  The hotel has a ‘family room’ which includes one double bed and a twin bed.  While a bit outside the city, the hotel was close to transportation so I decided to book this hotel.

Prior to this, I had not stayed an ibis (or any Accorhotel properties so I was not sure what to expect).  The pictures and research of the hotel detailed a hotel that was at a lower price, and for that lower price you got a hotel that provided a decent room, free wifi, and limited amenities.  This was not going to be a full service hotel so I went in prepared for that.

The hotel does not provide a shuttle to/from the airport.  I had arranged my own transportation since I was travelling in a group and we had luggage.  The hotel is located near a technopark/business park and from the outside looks more like an office building.  There are three Accorhotel brands all in one building – Novote, ibis, and ibis budget – and each has their own entrance. 

We entered into the ibis lobby which had the check-in desks on left and directly across were the elevators.  Further into the lobby was the restaurant and bar where you breakfast was available (for purchase).  There was a small sitting area and a ‘business center’ with computers and a printer in the lobby before the check-in desks.  We were checked in, received our key, and took the small elevators to our room.

As I said earlier, we had booked a family room which is supposed to a larger room with one double bed and one twin bed.  As you entered the room, the first thing you noticed was the spaciousness, the room definitely had a lot of space.  As you entered, on left side, against the wall, was the twin bed with a small night stand next to it.  While the twin bed was small, it was an adult twin bed so it was big enough for an adult.  The bedding was decent and comfortable, and it provided a decent sleep. 

Across from the bed, on the right side, was the entrance to the bathroom.  Given at how spacious the room was, the bathroom was tiny.  The bathroom contained a small sink, with little counter space; a toilet; and a stand-up shower.  It was tiny but had the basic amenities.  Towels were provided, but the towel quality was definitely poor and it was not a nice towel to use.  Another limited amenity was the shampoo and soap; ibis provides a bottle next to the sink and in the shower that is a combo of soap/shampoo/bath gel.  While it smells nice, it was interesting to have one gel for everything so I brought my own amenities.

As you progressed further into the room, on the right hand side was the double bed with nightstands on either side.  Again, the bed was a decent size and provided a decent night’s sleep; it wasn’t spectacular but it was comfortable and decent.  There was a window alongside the main wall and in front of the window was a desk and a shelf.  On the left hand side of the wall, near the twin bed, was the open closet and shelves.  Ibis’ have an open closet concept in which they have a place to hand your clothes and shelves, but there is no door to close/hide your stuff.  As this room was a family room, they had more shelves in the room so there was a lot of storage available in the room.  In between the twin bed and the closet was the TV stand with a TV on stop and a small shelf underneath.

There are not many facilities at the ibis.  Usually there are no fitness centers nor pools, and this hotel did not have them either (you could potentially use the amenities at the Novotel).  The hotel did provide free and fast wifi.  The wifi service was extremely fast and had good reception all over the hotel (and the number of devices is not limited).  There is also a restaurant available where you breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available at an extra costs; some ibis include complimentary breakfast, this one did not.

Overall, it was a decent stay at the ibis Zurich City West.  The hotel provided a decent room that had lots of storage, had good customer service, and was walking distance (5-10mins) to transportation.  While the hotel does not provide the amenities a full-service hotel would, if you know what you expecting and prepare for that, then it can be a really nice and comfortable stay at ibis.