Stay Report: Holiday Inn Prague Airport (Czech Republic - August 2018)

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Prague Airport
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I was traveling in Prague with a friend and staying at an AirBnB in the city, but they were leaving a day earlier and I had an early morning flight the next day so I decided to leave the AirBnB and stay next to the airport.  There are two hotels located next to Prague Airport - Courtyard by Marriott or Holiday Inn.  The Courtyard is located on the airport property and is probably a 2-minute walk to terminal, while the Holiday Inn is located further way on airport property but is a 10-15 minute walk outside.  I decided on the Holiday Inn because there was a significant price difference between the two, and for me the higher price did not justify the distance to the airport (especially since Holiday Inn also runs a complimentary shuttle to/from the airport).  Booking the stay through the IHG website was very convenient, and it was very easy to manage the reservation through the IHG app.  

Check-in time was stated to be around 1pm, but I went to the hotel early (as my friend's flight was leaving early) and the hotel was accommodating and allowed for an early check-in.  From the outside, the hotel looks newly built and modern.  As you enter into the lobby, the bar/restaurant is your right-hand side while in front is a lounge/sitting area.  To the left, against the wall, are the check-in desks.  Check-in went smoothly and during check-in we inquired about the shuttle (since we had an early flight) and the check-in attendant asked if we wanted to order breakfast to go.  Apparently breakfast was complimentary and for those who have early flights, they prepare breakfast to go in bags for passengers to take with them.  Its a nice gesture (and one that I have only seen at a few hotels) and it was nice for the check-in attendant to mention this.  I got my key and took the elevator, which were open elevators so you can see outside and which were located next to the check-in desks, and went up to the 4th floor to my room.

The 4th floor is considered the "IHG Floor", and after looking at the room I am not sure what that meant considering it was a standard HI room.  As you entered into the room, on left was an open closet and a place to sit down (which was nice) and next to it was another open storage area that contained the iron and ironing board.  Across from the open closet was the bathroom which was a decent size and contained a sink, a toilet, and a stand-up shower.  The size of the bathroom and the items in the bathroom were decent, but the bathroom toiletries needed to be improved.  The open closet continued into the bedroom area where there was a space to place your suitcase.  This was connected to the ledge which run across the
wall and continued into the desk.  Above the ledge was a TV and on the ledge were books about the city, the TV remote, complimentary bottle of water, as well as coffee/tea set.  Below the ledge, right next to the desk, was a storage space as well as a mini-fridge.


On the other side of the wall, away from the TV, was the bed.  It was a queen-size bed so it was a decent size and it was comfortable enough for the one night (the bed was comfortable enough for one or two nights - but not sure it would be comfortable for a longer stay).  On either side of the bed were two small nightstands connected to the bed and next to bed, facing the window, was a small table and chair.  While the additional furniture is appreciated, it was a lot of stuff in a not so big room; however, all the room and the bed were comfortable enough for the one night.

Since I was only there for one night I could only try out some of the hotel's facilities.  I tried the airport shuttle, which operated at specific times until 11am and then by request afterwards (it was a 5-minute ride to the airport); the wifi which was free and fast (with no security restrictions or passwords); and I went to the gym but it looked really small and basic - the sign said 'mini gym' and they were not joking.  The gym was located in the basement, next to the kitchen and staff quarters and seemed to be an afterthought and looked really depressing.  The hotel had additional amenities such as the restaurant but I was not able to try that; I did try the complimentary breakfast which was given to me in a to-go bag and this was a nice gesture.


Overall, it was an average stay at the Holiday Inn Prague Airport.  The hotel is located on the airport property but at the farther end making it a longer walk or a short car ride away from the airport.  To access the city from here, you either need to take a car, paid transportation, or a bus which connects to the metro (which was not that complicated as many locals were also using this method).  The hotel and rooms are decent for one or two nights, and that seems to be what most people use this hotel for (park and go).  Given the price, you get a decent and updated hotel with free and fast wifi, a comfortable bed, and a complimentary breakfast.

Trip Report: SAS Airlines, Copenhagen to London Heathrow (September 2018)

Trip Report: SAS Airlines, Copenhagen to London (LHR) 
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

In looking for flights between Copenhagen and London, there are many options available including both mainline and low-cost carriers.  The various airlines also serve the various airports in London, so which airline you choose largely depends on price, your airline preference, time of day, and which London airport you would like to arrive at.  My only criteria for my flight was that I wanted to leave Copenhagen in the evening, everything else I was flexible with.  

As I said there were a number of options available including easyjet, Norwegian, Flybe, British Airways, Ryanair, Eurowings, and SAS.  In looking at base prices, initially the low-cost carriers were the lowest in price; however, once I added on extras such as a checked baggage, the price went up dramatically.  When I looked at mainline carriers - SAS and British Airways - both had a variety of options available.  They had 'light fares' which were comparable to low-cost carriers to 'packaged fares' which included other amenities in the fare.  When I compared the package fare of SAS (which included a 23-kg checked baggage) with that of the low-cost carriers, it was only a price difference of 10euro.  To me, that is not that much of a price difference especially given that with the mainline carrier I would land at Heathrow (which is more central), the timings of the flight was better, and I would have the option for miles accrual.  Based on all these factors, I choose to fly with SAS.  

My flight on SAS was scheduled to depart Copenhagen at 8:35p and land at Heathrow at 9:35p.  The flight was scheduled to be operated by an Airbus A320 and a scheduled flight time of 2hours.  Through the app I was able to manage my reservation and create flight notifications.  24-hours prior to departure I was also able to check-in and preselect my seat for the flight (at no additional charge).  I went to the airport very early (as another airline had lost my luggage and had found it two days later) and while I was at the airport I wanted to check my bag in.  It was about 5hours prior to the flight so I inquired with SAS who informed me that they accept checked baggage up to 24-hours prior to departure!  As with most European airlines, there were self-service kiosks where I printed out the baggage tag, tagged my own bag, loaded it up on to the scale, and it was scanned and sent to holding.  

Even though I already had my boarding pass and my luggage was already checked through, I still arrived at the airport about 2hours prior to the flight time.  Boarding was scheduled to begin at 8:05pm, but I also knew I had to go through security and immigration so that could take a while; and it did.  The security lines at Copenhagen airport were ridiculously long, and it took a while to get through the entire process.  Once that was completed, those who were going to non-Schengen countries or who were going somewhere else internationally also had to complete immigration protocols - this also took some time but was quicker than the security line.  I finally reached the boarding gate for it only to be closed.  Apparently the boarding gate was closed until the boarding time listed on the ticket, so most of the passengers were crowded in the hallway waiting for the boarding gate to open (seems like an inefficient system).  The boarding gate finally opened, our boarding passes were scanned, and passengers proceeded to sit and wait at the boarding gate.  While waiting at the boarding gate, the inbound aircraft came in late and the ground crew did not seem in a rush to quickly turn the plane around; it looked like it was going to be a late departure.

Boarding finally started but there was no system to the boarding.  Business class and priority members were called first, and then it was a free-for-all so passengers could board at their leisure.  The operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 in a 3-3 seat configuration.  The seats were slimline seats but were comfortable enough for the short flight.  The seat width and seat pitch were also pretty good - better than some airlines but not as good as others; it was good for the intra-European flight.  The seatback did not contain a personal screen, but rather had a slot for the airline magazine and safety cards.  Next to the slot was a USB port, which was a welcome addition (the USB was only activated after reaching 10,000ft).  Below the slot was a tray table and below that was a pocket for personal use.  To add to the chaos of boarding, carry-ons were not limited based on their number nor weight so many passengers had multiple carry-ons in various sizes and weights; this delayed the boarding even further.  Once the passengers were boarded and seated, the pilot came on and basically said he was in no rush - he said that the inbound flight was delayed and the turnaround time 'was ridiculous for a human to accomplish' so they were going to take their time and do things properly.  This meant a delayed pushback and delayed take-off.

Once the boarding doors closed, manual safety demonstrations took place.  The plane was operated by SAS Ireland and most of the crew had English (British) accents.  Once we reached cross 10,000ft the inflight service commenced.  SAS' inflight service depends on the class and type of ticket you purchased; regular economy passengers receive complimentary tea, coffee, and water but have to pay for everything else.  If you have paid for a higher service, then complimentary meals plus a drink is included in your fare.  Flight time was scheduled at 1h30min and the flight was entirely full so it took the cabin crew almost the entire flight time to serve all passengers.  Once the inflight service had finished, passengers were left to pass the time as they pleased.  The time to start the decent into Heathrow approached, and the cabin was prepared for landing.  We landed and then took a long taxi to the gate at Heathrow.

Overall, it was a very interesting experience at SAS.  The USB ports and the seat comfort plus seat pitch were good, but the chaotic boarding and not trying to rush and maintain on-time departure was a little disturbing.  Also, there was no wifi so no personal entertainment was available on the flight (even though SAS had been advertising this all throughout Copenhagen airport and the city).  I was interested in trying SAS short-haul first before testing if I could stand their long-haul service, and based on this experience I would try their long-haul service but they would not be my first choice.     

Trip Report: Lufthansa, London Heathrow to Frankfurt (September 2018)

Trip Report: Lufthansa, London Heathrow to Frankfurt
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was returning from my European trip and had booked my return from London Heathrow to New Orleans via Frankfurt.  The ticket was booked through Condor but the first leg of the trip, London to Frankfurt, was being operated by Lufthansa.  I had received my Lufthansa booking reference number through Condor and immediately I could go online, or through the app, and manage my reservation.  The only thing I was not able to do was pre-select my seat, which was only available 24-hrs prior to my flight.  My flight was scheduled to depart London at 7:30am and arrive into London Heathrow at 10:05am.  24-hours prior to my flight time, through the app I was able to check into my flight, select my preferred seat (at no additional cost), and receive my boarding pass.  Managing my reservation and keeping tracks of my flight was very convenient through the mobile app.

I arrived into the airport very early as I was not sure how busy Heathrow would be in the morning.  I went to the line to check-in my bag, only to be told to turn around and use the self-service baggage kiosk.  I went there, entered my information, and out came the baggage tag.  I applied the baggage tag to my bag and then went to check-in my bag.  The first agent I went to was very strict about the weight allowance - I was allowed one bag of 23kg and my bag was over so I asked how much was it to pay for overweight and she replied "23kg is the max!"; not the most friendliest of attendants.  I went to repack my suitcase and got it closer to 23kg, and then the next attendant was more helpful and checked my bag through.  The flight was scheduled to depart at 7:35am, boarding time was listed as 7:05am, and check-in closed at 6:40am.  I went through security and even though the monitors in the airport had not listed the gate, the app had already informed me which gate the flight was going to depart out of.

Around 7:05am, boarding was announced but there were no groups and no differentiation between the boarding; it was a come-one, come-all boarding.  Luckily the flight was not completely full, load factor seemed somewhere between 80-90% with most passengers connecting to other international flights.  Even though Lufthansa had indicated that only one personal item was approved to bring onboard, this was not enforced nor was the weight of the carryon ever checked; this meant that many passengers brought on multiple carryons in various weights and sizes.  Once boarding was completed and all passengers were in the seats, manual safety demonstrations were done, we pushed back and took off for Frankfurt.

The operating aircraft for this flight was an Airbus A320neo in a 3-3 configuration.  The seats were relatively comfortable, with a decent seat pitch and seat width (I am 6'1 and my knees were not hitting the seat in front of me, which is always a good sign!).  There was no seatback entertainment nor any visible USB ports, instead the seatback contained a pocket for the airline magazine, duty free magazine and safety card.  Below that was the tray table and below that was a small pocket to house personal items.  Flight time was scheduled at 1hr35minutes so as soon as we reached cruising altitude the inflight service started.  The service consisted of complimentary tea, coffee, water, juice or soft drinks plus a complimentary cinnamon and raisin pastry roll.  I was not expecting the pastry roll (as in the U.S. its mostly just peanuts and pretzels) so the pastry roll, especially for the morning flights, was a nice and welcomed gesture.  Once the service was completed, there was not that much time left before we started our decent into Frankfurt.

We landed in Frankfurt ontime but then it took a long time to taxi to the gate.  Also, once we got to the gate we had to deplane via stairs (and only one set of stairs in the back of the plane was available) and then take the bus to another set of gates as we were coming from a non-schengen country to a schengen country.  While I understand the security and immigration of it all, it was a pain and the bus system at Frankfurt really needs to improve. 

Overall, it was a pleasant intra-European flight with Lufthansa.  I had previously flown with Lufthansa long-haul (check out that review here) and the overall experience was ok so I did not have high expectations for this flight; however, the service and the overall experience on this intra-Europe flight exceeded my expectations.  While they may not be my first choice for long-haul service, I would definitely choose them again for intra-European service.

Stay Report: Hilton Brisbane (Australia - January 2012)

Stay Report: Hilton Brisbane - Elizabeth Street

comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

I had an overnight in Brisbane so I was looking for a hotel that was central to the sights and attractions I was interestas central to the sights and attractions I was interested in visiting.  Overall, the Hilton Brisbane on Elizabeth Street provided a nice, comfortable room in the middle of downtown that was easily walkable and accessible to the various sights and attractions.

To get from the airport to downtown Brisbane, there is either a train or taxi.  The train takes approximately 30-45 minutes while the taxi depends on traffic.  The taxi will drop you off directly at the hotel, while the train station is about a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel – which is fine without luggage but can be a struggle with luggage.  The hotel itself is located right on Elizabeth Street, and this seems to be one of the major, pedestrian thoroughfares in downtown Brisbane.  You can access the hotel directly from the street – sometimes with the use of a keycard and sometimes without.  The elevators from the street level take you to the lobby level.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The lobby is quite large and open, which is nice.  As you exit the elevators from the ground lever, you exit next to the hotel restaurant.  The hotel is laid out in a square design, which you encounter as you walk further away from the restaurant.  In front are the elevators to the guest rooms while down the hallway, past the elevators and to the left, are the check-in desks.  In the middle of the square is an open-atrium which creates a sense of openness and largeness to the hotel.  While the elevators were convenient to access the outside once you have checked-in, they were a bit oddly placed for check-in and check-out.   Check-in was efficient and I received the room to my key.  I walked back down the hallway to the elevators and went up to my room.  The rooms surrounded the atrium, with the entrances to the rooms from the hallways next to the atrium.

photo courtesy of Hilton.com

First impressions of the room were that is was big, modern, and had great views from the large window.  As you entered the room, on the left hand side was the bathroom while on the right was the closet and storage area.  The bathroom was spacious and modern and contained the standard facilities of a bathtub, sink, and toilet; there were also nice toiletries provided as well.  Further inside, against the left wall, was the king-size bed which was big, plush, and comfortable.  On either side of the bed was a nightstand with plenty of outlets to charge all the electronic devices.  Across from the bed was a TV with storage underneath and next to that was the desk.  Next to the desk were windows that stretched along the wall, and these provided a great view of the city and let in a lot of light during the day (thick curtains blocked out all noise at night). 

The hotel offers an outdoor pool and tennis court, a fitness center, a business center, meeting rooms, as well as wifi.  As I was here only for one night, I was only able to experience the complimentary wifi which was decent for email and internet searches.  The best aspect of the hotel is the location, as it is centrally located and within walking distance to many of the sights and attractions of Brisbane.   As soon as you go down to Elizabeth Street, you are in the heart of downtown with multiple restaurants and shops and attractions around you.  While the hotel is a bit expensive, and far away from the airport, it provides a great location with nice and comfortable rooms.

Stay Report: Lamana Hotel, Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea - October 2013)

Stay Report: Lamana Hotel, Port Moresby
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photo courtesy of PapuaNewGuinea.Travel

As it was the preferred hotel for the company I was working for, I stayed at the Lamana Hotel in Port Morseby many times while travelling for business in Papua New Guinea.  Overall, the hotel had a good standard, decent service, and was in walking distance to a major supermarket, mall, and cinema.  One key aspect was that the hotel provided a complimentary shuttle to/from the airport, and staff were usually at the airport around flight times.  I used the airport pickup/dropoff many times, have left baggage to be picked up later, and basically used the hotel as a base in Port Moresby; throughout it all, the staff have always been pleasant and courteous.  

photo courtesy of Booking.com

The hotel is located up on a hill, and the drive up is not that great, but once you enter into the hotel property the view changes.  You pull up into the lobby of the hotel, with the check-in desks and the business center on the left, and straight ahead is the restaurant.  I never made the reservation myself so I am not sure of the booking process (the company always did the booking), but I never had an issues when checking-in.  After you receive your key, you head outside the main door and turn to the right to head to the rooms.  It is an open-air property so access to the rooms is outside.

photo courtesy of Expedia.com

There are two sets of rooms available – the first set are updated and while the second set have not been updated.  The layout for the rooms were generally the same though, but the updated rooms are nicer and have a standard comparable to Western-style hotels.  As you enter the room, on right is the bathroom while on the left is the closet.  The close was standard and provided space for storage and hanging clothes.  Each bathroom had a sink, a toilet, and a shower; the updated rooms had an open tub with a ‘rain-shower’ showerhead.  Further inside the room, on right was the bed with side table.  Some rooms have two beds (bigger than a single but smaller than a double) while other rooms have one bed (bigger than a double but smaller than a king).  The beds are comfortable and you get a decent night sleep.  Across from the beds, against the left side of the room, was TV (mounted on the wall), and a luggage space underneath the TV that connected to the desk.  While both rooms were laid out the same way, the main difference between the two is the decor and feel of the room - the older wing looks very well for 1980's while the updated wing is very modern and nice.  For that reason, the older wing rooms are not as comfortable.   

photo courtesy of Booking.com

There are many facilities at the hotel for the guests to enjoy.  There is an outdoor pool, a gym, a restaurant, a business center, the complimentary shuttle, and a nightclub.  The gym is nice, with good equipment and a trainer; you can get a good workout there.  The pool is outdoor so the operation is dependent on the weather.  The restaurant is very good, especially for lunch, with the Indian buffet, and the moussaka my personal favorites but beware the service is a bit slow at the restaurant.  The hotel does not provide free wifi but you can purchase wifi cards which can access the internet throughout the hotel.  You can also access the internet through the business center, which houses two computers in a room near the front desk and provides 30mins of free internet time to the guests.   

photo courtesy of Booking.com

There is also a very popular nightclub (the Gold Club) on premise and this place is very packed on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The music can go on until 2am so if noise bother you, ask for a room away from the night club.

Overall, it was a pleasant stay and a nice relaxing time at the Lamana.  The updated rooms are nice, the access to the internet is appreciated, the restaurant provides good food, and it is within walking distance to a big mall/grocery store.  The hotel is also well-known in the area so many locals know of the hotel (and the club) so it’s a good meeting place.  The only negative is that is far from downtown, there are cabs available; however, the hotel is close to embassies and Parliament.   

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Auckland Airport (New Zealand - April 2013)

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Auckland Airport
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photo courtesy of IHG.com

I was going to be in Auckland for a couple of days, and when looking for a hotel I had two choices; I could either stay at a nice, lower-priced option near the airport or I could spend a lot more and stay within the city center.  I decided I wanted to stay near the airport for two reasons: 1) because of cost as I was saving a lot by staying near the airport and 2) because I was breaking my journey and traveling in the middle.  While I gained in savings, I did have to budget more time to access downtown and I also had to ensure my hotel had access to the airport so that I could access downtown.  I decided to stay at the Holiday Inn Auckland Airport and overall it was a decent hotel with nice amenities.  While the outside looked very old, the inside had been updated and had enough amenities to provide a decent stay outside of Auckland.

photo courtesy of IHG.com

The hotel is located about 10-15 minutes away from the airport, so it is a very convenient transit hotel.  The hotel does offer a shuttle to and from the airport – this shuttle is a hybrid public and hotel shuttle as it transports both hotel guests as well as regular commuters to the airport.  Because of this system, the bus sometimes requires a ticket from the hotel for guest to ride for free (the ticket policy was not always implemented, especially if you were picked up from the hotel or were known to the driver).  From the airport, there is a paid bus that shuttles passengers to downtown (there is apparently a train that runs near downtown but that was under construction or was undergoing maintenance while I was there).  The roundtrip ticket from the airport to downtown and back is about 30NZD.

photo courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel itself looks very old from the outside.  From the construction and the look, it seems to have been built in the 1970 or 1980s and spread out in a double-story fashion.  The hotel is shaped in a U-fashion, with the check-in desk and lobby at the bottom of the U and blocks of room on either side.  As you enter into the hotel lobby, in front is the check-in desk while on the side are some couches and a sitting area.  On either side of the check-in desks were hallways which lead to the rooms (and eventually the two hallways connected).    My room was on the left-side hallway, so after an efficient check-in I went down the hallway to my room.  The hallway was not a straight hallway, but rather one with many twists and turns.  The rooms were further down the hallway, and along the way I passed meeting rooms and facilities, as well as the house bar (which was very lively and had sports games on the TV).  The meeting rooms and the bar were near the lobby, so I had to go further down the hallway to get to my room.

photo courtesy of Booking.com

As you entered the room, on the right hand side was the bathroom while on the left was the closet area with a safe deposit box, a luggage stand, and storage space.  There was also a fridge and coffee maker near the closet area.  The bathroom was nice, updated, and was a decent size.  It had a roomy shower, roomy vanity, and a toilet and the size made it very comfortable.  Further into the room, on the right hand side was the king-size bed with a nightstand on each side of the bed.  Along the wall was the TV, more storage underneath the TV, as well as a desk.  Next to the bed was a chair/couch combo, and this faced out onto the garden.  There were sliding doors that led out onto a garden area – other rooms faced the pool so the sliding doors led out onto the pool area.  Overall, it was an updated, spacious room that provided a comfortable night’s sleep. 

photo courtesy of IHG.com

The hotel had many amenities including meeting rooms, hotel bar/restaurant, laundry facility including washer/dryer to do your own laundry, fitness facility, and wifi.  I tried the laundry facility, the fitness center, and the wifi.  The laundry facility was a bit old, but it was very convenient and did the job.  The fitness center was also a bit older but still had decent facilities and so you could get a decent workout.  At the time I stayed at the hotel (in 2013), wifi was only free in the lobby.  In-room wifi had to be paid for and this was very inconvenient – the wifi in the lobby was decent speed.  As an IHG Rewards member, I also received the paper delivered to my room each morning (a nice welcome).

Overall, the Holiday Inn Auckland Airport provided a nice and comfortable stay in Auckland.   If you are looking for a hotel that is close to downtown, then this is not the hotel for you; however, if you are looking for a hotel that is close to the airport, has upgraded rooms, and had nice amenities to take advantage of then this is the hotel for you.

Stay Report: Hilton Curacao (Curacao - December 2015/January 2016)

Stay Report: Hilton Curacao
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

When we were planning our vacation to Curacao, we wanted to stay at a nice resort.  I had stayed at other Hilton resorts and those were nice so decided to check the Hilton Curacao.  Overall, the hotel looks older, is an average hotel that provides a nice private beach, a small pool given the size of the resort, and a great NYE party.  What the hotel does not provide is good customer service as that definitely needs improvement.

Prior to our arrival to the hotel I had tried to communicate with the hotel regarding airport transfers and confirmation of the NYE party.  Trying to contact the hotel proved to be difficult and that was the first instance of not great customer service.  When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted as HHonors member (very nice as some hotels do not recognize this) and given our key to the room.  We had booked a club floor so our room was located on the top floor - which was the 5th floor.  Both the outside and the hallways of the hotel looked older - like 1980's/1990s Miami fashion.  

The room itself also looked older but was decent.  When you entered into the door, on the right hand side was a closet with a safe and some drawers in it.  Next to the closet were additional shelves.  Across from the closet was the bathroom, which had a nice long sink, a toilet, and a full bathtub.  The shower and the water pressure in the hotel was not good at all (no matter what time of day you took a shower).  Next to the bathroom was a table on which the coffee maker stood.  Further into the room were the two double beds with a nightstand in the middle.  The headboard behind the beds were wicker and the both the tables and the lamps continued the 1980/1990 fashion.  The beds were comfortable and provided a decent night sleep.  Across from the beds was the TV with drawers underneath and a desk next to it.  Behind the desk was a door which led out to the balcony - our room faced the casino so the views were alright, not great, but the balcony provided a nice relaxing area.


We had access to the club lounge so decided to check that out.  The lounge also needed updating as the decor looked very old.  Also, the food in the lounge all looked frozen and none of it looked fresh.  Apart from two nice attendants, most of the service in the lounge were neither pleasant nor helpful.  Also, the food in the lounge was on a first come, first serve basis - if you did not get it when they put it out then you were out of look.  There was no refilling going on, despite the crowds.  The lounge had a balcony that looked onto the pool and the ocean and that was a nice to sit out and enjoy the view.

The hotel itself had a lot of amenities from various restaurants, to a private beach, a health club, a spa (which was closed for the holidays, which was very odd since this is when a lot of people will be coming to the hotel), and a pool.  While all decent amenities, each item seemed small given the size of the resort and number of people at the hotel.  The service at the health club and the restaurants also needed improvement as well.


One good aspect of the hotel was the New Year's Eve party.  The hotel hosted a New Year's Eve party and you could purchase tickets.  The tickets included a buffet dinner, entertainment, and close access to see the fireworks show.  The service during this event was very nice, the entertainment was very nice, the additional party favors were a nice touch, and the fireworks amazing.  Overall, it was an older hotel that provided an average stay with a good NYE event but poor customer service.