Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Almaty, an IHG Hotel (Almaty, Kazakhstan - September 2024

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Almaty
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I was traveling to Almaty and was looking for a decent but inexpensive place to stay.  I also was arriving early in the morning so needed to book an extra day to ensure the room was available, so keeping all this in mind I found the Holiday Inn Express Almaty.  I generally do not stay in Holiday Inn Express in the States because their quality is generally an issue, but overseas their quality seems to be better and I recently stayed at one in Warsaw which was very nice (review here).  I was able to book the reservation through the IHG website and was able to manage the reservation through the app.  I was able to communicate with the hotel via email, but the communication was a challenge and I will expand on that a bit later.

I arrived early in the morning so I wanted to prebook a car pickup but unfortunately due tocommunication issues this was not possible.  Communication continued to be a challenge at check-in and throughout my stay with the front desk as English was not their language of communication.  The hotel itself is located on the outskirts of the city, approximately 45mins away from the airport, but within walking distance to many sights and shops including about a 5-7mins walk to the Forum and a 20min walk to Kok Tobe.  From the outside, the hotel is a very tall building and looks like a converted Soviet-esque building that was remodeled into the Holiday Inn Express.  Inside, the hotel looks recently updated and newish.  As you enter the building, straight ahead are the check-in desks and a small waiting area.  The elevators are the to left and as walk through you pass more seating area, the bar area, the 'business center' and next to the elevators is the dining area where the breakfast is served.  Due to the communication issue, check-in took some time but I finally got my key and went to the room.

As I opened the door, the room looked updated and resembled the modern layout of the HI Express room.  As you entered the room, on the left was the entrance to the bathroom and straight ahead was the main room.  The bathroom was a bit tiny and was more along the European size of the bathroom and contained a toilet, a sink, and a shower.  The sink had Dove hand wash and Dove products were also in the shower.  The bathroom was decent but tiny and compact.  The room itself though was not compact and had enough room to maneuver around and for the luggage.  Just next to the door to the bathroom was an open closet and next to the that was a luggage stand with a safe underneath.  There was a small nook across from the closet on the other side of the room that contained the iron and ironing board.  Further into the room, along the left side of the wall was a table/desk plus chair and the along the wall was the bed with a nightstand on either side.  The bed was a decent size and comfortable enough for a good nights sleep.  The table/desk was small but big enough to get some work done and there were charging ports and plugs near the desk which were convenient.  Across from the bed, along the other side of the wall, was a TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a stand for additional storage, the coffee maker, and complimentary bottles of water.  The complimentary bottles of water was a nice touch and each day the bottles were replenished.  Overall it was a decent if not compact room; the bed was comfortable and provided a good nights sleep and there were enough charging ports that were easily accessible.

Holiday Inn Express hotels are not full service hotels but they do provide some amenities.  This hotelincluded complimentary wifi, complimentary breakfast, a business center which contained two computers in the lobby, plenty of seating area in the lobby, and a bar area.  The wifi was decent and you could connect as many devices as you wanted.  The breakfast was complimentary and included complimentary tea and coffee, but the selection was a bit limited and not as plentiful or varied as the one in Warsaw.

Overall, it was an average and comfortable stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  The room was a decent size and provided a good nights sleep; the wifi was decent and could connect many devices; and the hotel was within walking distance to sights and shops.  Negatives included limited variation for the breakfast and communication issues with the front desk.

Stay Report: avid hotel Richmond North - Ashland, an IHG Hotel (Glen Allen, Virginia - January 2024)

 Stay Report: avid hotel, Richmond North
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I was traveling and needed to stop so I was looking for a hotel in Richmond, and through my search I found avid hotel.  Avid hotel is a new concept by IHG hotels aimed at budget conscious/minimalist travelers and I wanted to experience this new concept so decided to book it.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the IHG website and afterwards through the app I could see the hotel amenities as well as what services my level of membership would get me.                                                                                                         From the outside, the hotel looked brand new and had lots of parking.  As you stepped inside, you entered into a large lobby area with lots of seating and dining tables.  At the front was a small check-in desk and at the back was the complimentary tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, microwave, as well as where the 'grab'n'go' breakfast is located.  Checkout took a bit to get the key and explain all the details of the property, but once I had my key I made my way up to the room.

The room itself is basic but room enough and has all the basic amenities.  As you opened the door, on the left was the entrance to the bathroom and after that was a storage rack with a place to store you luggage on top as well as hooks with hangers to hang your stuff on.  Next to that was a small section which contained a small ironing board, and underneath the luggage rack was a fridge as well as cubby hotels with additional storage and the iron.  The bathroom was also a decent size and contained a sink with counter space, a toilet, and a small stand-in shower.  The shower was the only thing that looked small and prefabricated (and thus a bit cheap) but overall the bathroom was decent and had Dove toiletries next to the sink (hand wash and lotion) as well as in the shower (body wash, shampoo and conditioner).

The bed was located along the left side of the wall and I had a king-size room which the bed size and comfort were decent and provided a good nights sleep.  On either side of the bed were two small nightstands with plugs as well as USB ports on either side.  Across from the bed, along the right side of the wall, contained additional hooks to hang your jacket/clothes, a TV mounted along the wall, and a long desk underneath that along with a TV-tray/mini table underneath the big table.  The big table was great to do work as well as eat and the mini-table provided extra storage for the work and food.  Overall, the room was a decent size, comfortable, had the basic amenities that a guests need, and provided a good nights sleep.

The hotel does provide additional amenities for the guests including complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate available all the time, grab'n'go breakfast, pool as well as a gym.  I was only there for a little while so only experienced the complimentary parking (lots of spaces) and the complimentary wifi which was strong and was able to connect multiple devices.  Had I stayed longer I would've enjoyed the complimentary tea/coffee/hot chocolate, the fitness facility as well as the breakfast.                                                                                                                                     Overall, it was a nice hotel with lots of amenities and services for the guest.  The room was comfortable, provided a good nights sleep, and the wifi was strong.  Staying at this hotel did remind me of another hotel and it seemed that avid hotel is IHG's answer to Tru by Hilton (check out my review here).  Tru by Hilton is one of Hilton's newest properties aimed at the budget-conscious and these two brands mirror each other very similarly.  It seems that IHG, Hilton, and others implementing the US version of ibis hotels with these hotels (check out my ibis review here). 

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre (Helsinki, Finland - June 2022)

    Stay Report: Holiday Inn Helsinki City Centre
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I was traveling to Helsinki, Finland but I was only going to be there for a short period so I wanted a hotel that would be central and within walking distance to the city center and most sites.  Based on this criteria, I found the Holiday Inn Helsinki City Center and it fit all the criteria I was looking for.  It was very easy to book and manage the hotel through both the website and app.  The hotel is connected to the train station but it is not attached, so you do have to exit the train station but it is in the same footprint so only a couple of steps from the last platform and a 30-second walk from the main entrance.  

As you exit the side entrance of the train station, the hotel is visible on the right-hand side.  From the outside it looks nice and modern, but perceptions can be deceiving sometimes.  As you enter the lobby, the check-in desks are straight ahead, to the right was the bar and restaurant as well as waiting area, and to the left are the elevators/lifts, the 'business center'/computer stations, additional waiting areas, some work stations, and some places to relax and lounge.  The lobby was definitely spacious, had lots of good amenities, and looked renovated and updated.  Check-in was quick, I received my key, went to the 5th floor and proceeded to enter my room; this is where the renovations had ceased.

The room was definitely not updated and looked very nice for the 1980s or 1990s.  As you entered into the room, along the right side were large doors and behind the doors were the closets, ironing board and iron, safe, and coffee maker; there was lots of space but the doors and look of the closets looked dated.  Along the left side of the room was the bathroom which contained a toilet, a sink with a long countertop, and a tub which contained only a half-door.  The half-door did absolutely nothing to hold the water in, the facilities in the bathroom did not look updated and the overall look was dated.  There were reusable toiletries in the shower and next to the sink; this hotel used Dove and while it smelled decent, it seemed a bit cheap (I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Warsaw and the product they used smelled and seemed more upscale).

As you moved further into the room, on the left were the two twin beds.  Each bed had a small nightstand on either side and each night stand had a small light as well as a plug and USB ports - at least that was updated and that was convenient.  The beds were updated and although somewhat small, provided a decent nights sleep.  Across from the beds was a TV screen mounted to the wall, a desk with an outdated phone and furniture, and along the wall was nice open windows which shown out onto the street and let it light; luckily they were also blackout curtains since the sun rose at 3am.

Amenities in the hotel included a restaurant, wifi, business centre, and fitness center.  Because of my limited time there, I was not able to visit the fitness center and had no need to visit the business center - which basically was the computer station in the lobby.  I did try the wifi which was fast and you could connect many devices.  As I said, the lobby was very open and spacious and there were lots of amenities as well as working spaces in there.  To me, the best feature about the hotel was the location as it was right next to the train station, it had a grocery store across the street, it was a 2-3 minute to many restaurants and shops and it was a 10-minute walk to the University and Main Square.  Overall, the location was very nice, the lobby and customer service was very nice but the rooms need to be updated. 

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Warsaw - Mokotów (Warsaw, Poland - June 2022)

 Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Warsaw - Mokotow
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I was traveling to Warsaw and was looking for a place to stay.  There are many options either within the city, near the airport, or somewhere in between.  I was only there for a short period and was flying in and out so decided to stay near the airport and that is when the Holiday Inn Express Warsaw Mokotow came into my search.  Even though I am an IHG member, I am hesitant to stay at Holiday Inn Express hotels, especially in the U.S., because some of them are good but others are really disgusting.  I did some research and found that this hotel was relatively new so given that I decided to go ahead and book it.  

It was very easy to book the hotel through the IHG website or app and easy to manage through the both.  The hotel is located about 10 minutes from the airport by car or also a 10 minute train ride plus 10 minute walk - the walk from the hotel to the train does involve some steps and is somewhat lengthy so would not recommend it for those with lots of luggage.  The hotel is located in the Mokotow region which is a suburb of Warsaw.  The main entrance is on a side street while on the back there is a tram stop directly in front of the hotel (backside).  One or two stops away from the hotel is a big mall with lots of services and shops - the city center is about a 30-45min tram ride from the hotel.  If you take the train or the tram, you enter the hotel through the back parking lot and have to walk around the hotel to the main entrance which is the only entrance - my suggestion is that the hotel create an entrance to the back that guests can access with their key card.

As you walk up to the main entrance there are many seating areas outside - this was very nice in the 

Spring/Summer months when its really nice to sit outside and enjoy the weather.  As you enter into the lobby, there are some seating area to right and straight ahead is the check-in desks.  Further into the right is the kitchen and more seating area.  This is also where breakfast is available in the morning (more on that below).  Check-in was easy, received my key, and proceeded to the elevators on the left to head to my room.  

As you entered into the room, the first thing you noticed is how large the room is.  As you enter, on the right is the bathroom which contains a sink, a shower, a toilet, and a towel warmer.  There were no individual bathroom toiletries but rather refillable bottles - one by the sink and one in the shower; they both smelled really nice and of high quality.  The bathroom was standard and was a decent size.  As you move further into the room, also on right hand side was a narrow open closet - given the size of the room not sure why the closet was so small.  Next to the closet was an open area with the coffee maker on top, safe and fridge down below; again great amenities but given the size of the room not sure why it was narrow.  Further into the room, on the right side was a desk and a chair next to the wall - this would be a great working space and there were additional plugs and USB ports to make working in this area easier.  The table/desk was not connected to the wall so it could be moved and that was helpful as you could move it closer to the bed since there was some distance between these two areas.  

The bed was also on the right side of the room with one side really close to the window - there were mini nightstands on each side of the table and above each nightstand were plugs and USB ports.  Next to the bed was a large window which let in light during the day but also were blackout curtains which were helpful since the sunrise was very early in the morning.  Across from the bed was the TV mounted on the wall and underneath was a ledge which contained complimentary water - with gas and without - as well as a bottle opener and other items to enjoy your time there.  The ledge was a smart idea as it provided more space to store items.  The bed itself was nice and comfortable and a large size for Europe. 

Amenities at the hotel included complimentary wifi, connected parking facility, complimentary breakfast, and access to transportation.  As I mentioned earlier, right behind the hotel was the tram stop and a 10-15 minute walk was the train stop to the airport.  Wifi was complimentary and relatively fast and the complimentary breakfast was decent - it was medium size but generally had a good selection with something for everyone's appetite.  Overall, it was a nice stay at the Holiday Inn Express.  I was not sure what to expect since HI Express can vary but this was clean, modern, had great facilities, and overall provided a good nights' rest.

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop (Chicago - November 2019)

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop

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I was meeting friends in Chicago and were looking for a place that was walking distance to Chicago downtown.  We had originally booked an AirBnb but that fell through so about 4 days prior to my arrival I looked and found the Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop.  The hotel had good reviews, was within walking distance to many sights and local transportation, and had two rooms available.   I had booked the two rooms together and after I booked through the app I contacted the hotel to 1) confirm all 4 names of the guests were on the reservation and 2) ensure that the rooms would be held near each other.  Two days prior to the arrival I contacted the hotel again to confirm that all 4 members of the party were on the reservation and each could check-in without having me be present.  Unfortunately, this did not happen as my friend could not check into the room 'for security reasons' even though his name was on the reservation and his ID name matched.  The hotel said that they needed to contact 'the person whose booked the reservation to confirm the credit card' and even when I did it for my friend, I had to do it again for my other friends as well; it was not a great start to the reservation.



The hotel itself is located right across one the many walkways from downtown Chicago.  The hotel is located in Greek Town and there are many shops, restaurants, and access to transportation all within a 5 minute walk of the hotel.  As far as location, the hotel is very nicely located to either walk or transport yourself to many of Chicago's destinations (we walked from the hotel to the Willis Tower and it took about 10 minutes).  The entrance is set off of the road along an entryway, and that is the only odd thing about the hotel.  As you enter the hotel, the check-in desks are on the left while there is a sitting area on the right.  The sitting area leads into the attached hotel restaurant and bar and right behind the sitting area are the elevators and stairs.  The stairs lead up to the meeting rooms and the fitness center, which are both located on the second floor.  As my friends had already checked in, the only think I needed to do was pick up the keys and put the incidentals on my credit card - it was very easy (not a lot of communication from the front desk attendant) and I received my key and went up to my room.  

The hallway itself looked clean and modern and it was fine, but it was a little short; I am 6'1 and my friend is 6'3 and we both felt like heightwise the hotel was smaller than what we had experienced in other hotels. As for the room, you enter into an entryway which has the bathroom on the right and the closet on the left, and further up the entryway leads into the bedroom area.  The bathroom was large and contained a sink, a toilet, shower, as well as bathroom toiletries.  The closet was also a decent size and contained shelves, an iron and ironing board, as well as places to hang your clothes.  In the bedroom area, this room had two queen size beds with a nightstand in the middle.  Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top; the chest also contained the safe and the coffee maker.  In between the bed and the entrance to the balcony was a desk, and the balcony was a nice addition as it provided a nice ambiance and outside view to the room.  The beds themselves were comfortable, large, with lots of pillows, and provided a nice sleep.  Overall, the room was comfortable and there were tons of amenities for the guests to enjoy but there was a serious lack of lighting in the room.  There was a light in the hallway, a light in the bathroom, but in the bedroom there were only reading lights and lamps that were above the bed and at night it made for a dark and dimly lit room.

The hotel is full service so there were many facilities for the guests to enjoy including wifi, a fitness center, a restaurant, meeting rooms, business center, and parking garage.  Because we were mostly walking outside I was only able to try the wifi, which was complimentary and had pretty decent speeds.  The wifi was fast enough to check email, stream videos, and do searches as well.  You could also access the internet from the 'business center' which were computers and a printer set up in one part of the lobby.

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop.  The location was nice - within walking distance to restaurants, sights, and services; the amenities were plentiful for guests; and the rooms were comfortable.  The only downside was the management or lack their of and their lack of customer service towards guests and especially IHG members.  Everyone one of the management staff that we interacted with was not customer friendly, did not have a good attitude, and never acknowledged nor appreciated the IHG membership.  

Stay Report: Staybridge Suites Beirut (Beirut, Lebanon - March 2019)

Stay Report: Staybridge Suites Beirut

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I was traveling to Beirut and in looking for a place to stay, I was looking for something nice and comfortable but that was also in close proximity (walking or short drive) to the sights I wanted to see.  I looked at various options in Downtown but the reviews were not good, and I looked at places in Verdun but they seemed far; so I settled on the Staybridge Suites near Hamra.  I have stayed in Staybridge Suites before in America and I enjoyed my experience of suite-rooms, complimentary breakfast, and complimentary evening socials – based on my previous experience I was looking forward to the stay.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the IHG website and app, and through the app it was easy to manage my reservation.  I had some questions regarding transport so I emailed the hotel, and their response time was generally good and they provided detailed answers. 

The hotel is located in between Verdun and Hamra in Beirut, and it’s about a 20 minute drive from the   The hotel does not provide complimentary transportation to/from the airport, but it can arrange transportation through a local taxi company – I had arranged this through email with the hotel and when I arrived, the driver was waiting in the arrivals hall and it made for a smooth process to the hotel.  From the outside, the hotel itself looks very nice and newly constructed.  The glass windows on the outside let in a lot of natural light as well as providing an inside/outside concept.  Once you go through security you enter into the lobby, with the check-in counters on the left and a sitting area on the right.  Next to the check-in desks is the Pantry, in which you can buy snacks and other items you may have left at home, and next to that are the elevators.  Check-in was relatively quick, the amenities of the hotel were explained, and I was given the key to my room.
airport.

As the name suggests, all the rooms at the hotel are suites.  My room as located on the 3^rd floor and as you opened the door, it felt like stepping into an apartment rather than a hotel room.  You entered into a room that contained the entreway, the kitchen, and a small dining table.  It was a full kitchen with a stove, a microwave, dishes and utensils, pots and pans, and a small fridge.  There was a small dining table right behind the stove, but it could only seat about two people.  Beyond the kitchen was the sitting area with a pull-out sofa and two chairs that faced the TV on the wall.  While the seating area was not large, it was sufficient and provided a nice area to relax and enjoy the food or tea while watching TV.  The bedroom was located next to the sitting area.  As you entered the bedroom, against the right wall was the bed (which was a large double or a small king size bed) with a nightstand on each side.  There was a   On the other side of the bed, there was a path with closets on either side that led to the bathroom.  The bathroom was somewhat narrow but very long and contained a tub, a shower, a sink with lots of counter space, a toilet, and a bidet.  As with the sitting area, the space was not grand but was sufficient enough to move around and contain lots of facilities.  In becoming more environmental and green, there were refillable toiletry bottles in the bathroom – soap and lotion next to the sink and body wash and shampoo+conditioner in the shower and tub (they smelled really good).
chair in between the bed and the wall, and across from the bed was a desk as well as TV mounted on the wall.

There are many amenities in the hotel for the guests to enjoy including complimentary breakfast,   The breakfast, the coffee, and the evening social was on the mezzanine level which can be accessed by the elevator or via the stairs from the lobby.  The mezzanine level was laid out such that as you got off the elevator, you walked into an area which housed the food items in the middle and ahead and the coffee to the left side.  Beyond the food was the dining and seating area and beyond that was a smaller seating area with couches and a TV.  There was also a computer in this area.  The breakfast was very good and vast with lots of options including both Western and Middle Eastern.  The evening social occurred three times a week and it is an opportunity to get to know the staff as well as some of the guests.  The food served during the social is light, with some burgers and sandwiches but mostly chips and crudites along with drinks. 
complimentary coffee throughout the day, an evening social three times a week, a gym, laundry facilities, and complimentary wifi.

The gym and the laundry facilities were located in the basement, and both were decent size and had enough equipment and facilities to provide a decent workout and decent laundry.  The wifi was complimentary and relatively strong (depending on the day and time you logged on) and the good thing about the hotel is that they did not restrict the number of devices, so you could connect all your devices (which is necessary these days).   Overall, it was a nice stay at the Staybridge Suites.  The hotel is nice and provides spacious rooms, a lot of facilities for the guests to enjoy, good service, and is within walking distance to many attractions and services. 

Stay Report: Hotel Indigo Houston at the Galleria (Houston, Texas - May 2016)

Stay Report: Hotel Indigo Houston at the Galleria
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I wanted to try Hotel Indigo near the Houston Galleria for a while.  I had heard a lot about the 'boutique hotel' within IHG's portfolio and had stayed at a Hotel Indigo in Canada about 5 years earlier and was intrigued by it.  From my understanding, Hotel Indigo was supposed to be a boutique hotel, one that was modern and funky, and mostly in urban settings - similar to Aloft but more business/boutique.  That is what I was expecting as I found something similar in Canada (see my review here); however, at the Hotel Indigo by the Galleria I found something different.  The hotel was a cross between Aloft and Hilton Garden Inn/Hampton Inn - it was an interesting combination.

The entrance to the hotel parking lot is on the backside of the Galleria, next to Nordstrom's Garage.  You enter into the long driveway which takes you to the back where the hotel is located.  From the outside, the hotel looks more like a Hilton Garden Inn or a Hampton Inn versus what I expect a boutique hotel to look like.  There is ample free parking available though.  When you walk into the hotel, there is circular, open-desk in the middle that is where check-in takes place and the elevators to the room are in front of the desks.  To the right of the entrance is the sitting/lounge area plus the business center and fitness center.  On the other side of the check-in desk is the restaurant and coffee bar.  Overall, the lobby looks funky and modern and has a nice color scheme with the light blue.  This look, plus the open check-in desk, made it feel like a boutique hotel but the attendants and the layout of the hotel made it feel more like Hilton Garden Inn.

Check-in was quick and we took the elevator to our room - the elevator continued the nice color scheme.  The hotel itself is not that big and only has 6 floors - our room was on the 2nd floor.  Our room was at the end of the hallway, and the hallway itself was very wide and also incorporated the nice color scheme as well.  We opened the door to our room, and although the room continued the color scheme, the layout and the design of the room made it feel more like Hampton Inn.

As you open the door, you enter into the hallway of your room.  On the left hand side is the entrance to the bathroom, while ahead on your right is a table with the coffee stand and ice bucket.  The bathroom itself was very wide - it had a nice wide sink with some storage underneath.  There was a toilet (which looked more like a Hilton Garden Inn toilet) and then a small table in front of the toilet that held additional towels and the bathroom amenities.  The shower was interesting, as even though the bathroom was large the shower was very long but narrow so it was difficult to manage.  Also, the design of the shower was very odd as the drain was far away from the shower so the water just stayed there, and the shower itself was alright.  Again the bathroom was an odd mixture of boutique and leisure.

The room design was more Hampton Inn than boutique, but the bed quality was very nice.  As you entered into the room, on the left hand side were the two double beds with a night stand in the middle.  The beds were very high and extremely comfortable, providing a nice and restful night sleep.  Across from the beds was a standing closet that had places to hang your clothes, an iron and an ironing board, as well as a safe.  On one side of the closet was the TV stand that was on top of a dresser with drawers underneath - there was also a fridge in the dresser as well.  On the other side of the closet was the desk to do some work.  There were a lot of amenities in the room including a safe, a fridge, and many outlets and USB ports to plug in your electronics.  The amenities were nice, but again the design and the layout of the room felt more like Hilton Garden Inn.  

There was wifi in the room and you needed to login to access the wifi - while the wifi was free, the login would not stick and sometimes the wifi would drop.  While the wifi was on the speed was decent, but the constant checking to ensure the wifi was on was a bit annoying.  Additional amenities of the hotel including a business center as well as a fitness center.  The business center was not an enclosed area but rather was an open business center that housed mostly desktop computers.  If you are doing standing surfing and printing then its fine, but there were some business men who were conducting a skype-meeting in the business center and the volume echoed throughout the open hallway.  The fitness center was nice, while basic it provided the facilities needed for a good workout.

Overall, I was a bit confused by my stay at the Hotel Indigo.  After my stay I was not sure what the hotel was going for - are they trying to be a boutique leisure hotel, a modern, funky leisure hotel, or  just a leisure hotel?  Who is their competition - Aloft, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton, or another brand.  While the stay was comfortable, the price for the hotel consistently remains high and after my stay I was not sure why the high price since I can get a similar stay and a competition for a much lower rate.  Still, an interesting experience at the Hotel Indigo.

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Muscat (Oman - February 2011)

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Muscat
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Photo Courtesy of IHG.com

We had planned a long layover in Muscat so that we could see the city and decided to stay at the Crowne Plaza Muscat.  Overall, the hotel is very nice with good service, comfortable rooms, and a nice view as it is situated right next to the water.  The only downside is the location, in that is somewhat far from the main city center – it is about a 20 minute walk or a 5-10 minute taxi ride from the city center to the hotel.  The hotel is situated on a hill overlooking the sea.  The location is a bit odd as you drive away from the business area and enter into more of a residential area, and that is where the hotel is located.  The hotel is one side of the hill facing the sea while on the other side, and across the street, are houses; so it is bit of an odd location.

Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The hotel itself is laid out very nicely.  As you enter, on the left hand side is the check-in desk and on the right hand side is a lounge area.  Straight ahead are windows which open directly to the water, providing a nice view and letting in nice sunlight.  Beyond the lounge area are stairs which lead downstairs to the restaurant and pool area.  A full, and expansive, breakfast buffet was included and the dining room opens up to the pool area so you can sit and eat breakfast while looking out onto the pool and water.   The breakfast buffet was very nice, with lots of options, and provided a nice start to the day.  The pool was very nice, but it seemed a bit small given the size of the hotel.  There was also a private beach available, but I did not have a chance to experience it.

Photo Courtesy of IHG.com

Check-in was quick and overall the service at the hotel was very good.  I had been communicated via email with the GM prior to my arrival (I had to rearrange travel) and they were very accommodating and very nice – so overall good service.  The lobby is the main floor and the guestrooms start from the lobby area and go higher.  The bottom floors, heading towards the water, are reserved for dining, meeting, and pool area.  Our room was located on the main floor so we entered through the double doors next to the check-in desk and went to our room.

Photo Courtesy of TripAdvisor.com

The room itself was nice and comfortable.  As you entered, on left hand side was the bathroom and on the right was the closet and shelves.  The bathroom was nice and spacious and decent for the hotel.  As you walked further into the room, on the left hand side were two double beds and on the right hand side was the TV, a chest with drawers, and a desk.  Straight ahead was a window that overlooked the water – the vistas from the hotel was very nice and glad the design was made to show that.  The windows also allowed natural light to come into the room.  The beds were very comfortable and provided a nice rest.

Overall, the only negative was the location in that the hotel was not near the city center.  The positives of the hotel included good customer service, nice views of the water and the service was also good. 

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Nairobi, Upper Hill (Kenya - April 2018)

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Nairobi, Upper Hill
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was travelling to Nairobi, Kenya and whenever I asked someone which location to stay the response was always ‘Upper Hill’ so I looked for a hotel in that area and found the Crowne Plaza.  I have stayed in Crowne Plaza’s before and they are usually pretty good, and I was told this one was of the best hotels in the area; needless to say my expectations were high.  I had booked the hotel online through the IHG website, but then had to modify my booking so contacted the hotel through email.  While they did respond, it did take them a while.  The hotel does not provide a complimentary airport shuttle, rather you can book the hotel car for airport transfers at a cost; I decided to use my own transport.

The hotel itself is located in Upper Hill but off the main road, and there are two entrances to the hotel making it a bit confusing for pick-ups.  The main entrance is to the side of the road but most people see the side entrance, which is the entrance to the parking garage as this is where the large Crowne Plaza sign is; ensuring you were picked up at the right location was always a challenge.  From the outside, the hotel looks decent – not too new but not too old either.  As you enter inside the hotel, you enter into a large and open lobby.  Straight ahead against the wall are the check-in desks, while on left is the restaurant and on the right is the bar.  Every time I went to the check-in desks, there always seemed to be a line as there were always a number of guests who needed attention and a lack of staff behind the desks.  This was the same for my check-in experience, which took a long time (generally, the staff overall were neither fast nor efficient).  I finally checked in and received my key and proceeded to my room.  The elevators are located to the right of the check-in desks and are located in front of the open circular staircase.  This is where the hotel shows its age as the staircase and elevator section looks a lot older than the lobby section.  There were two elevators available, but they were slow and one broke on the second day and never seemed to get fixed.  Again, the staff never seemed to be in a hurry to fix or alleviate issues that would affect guests.

I proceeded to my room and the hallway décor continued the older look of the hotel.  When I

opened the door to the room I noticed two things: 1) the room had an older look/feel to it and 2) the room itself was quite spacious.  As you entered into the room, on the right was the closet and storage area while on the left was the bathroom.  The closet contained space for storage, a safe, robes, and an umbrella.  The bathroom was basic and contained a shower, a tub, a sink, and a toilet.  In between the bathroom and the sink was a nook/bar which contained glasses on top, a fridge on the bottom, and a tea kettle and tea/biscuits.  Complimentary bottles of water were also provided here.  

Further into the room, the bed was located on the left side of the room.  On either side of the bed was a nightstand, but in between the bathroom wall and the bed was a lot of space; just empty space.  The bed itself was decent, not very comfortable but not very uncomfortable.  It was lower to the ground than I expected and the décor of the bedroom and carpet did not look new.  On the other side of the bed was a lamp, two chairs and a small desk in front of the window.  The window was very big and let in natural light which was good since the room was very dark without it.  Across from the beds was a very table attached to the wall which contained the desk on side and additional place to store items on the other side.  Next to this was a chest with the TV on top and drawers on the bottom.  As I said, overall there was a lot of space in the room but the décor of the room and the carpet indicated the older age of the hotel. 

The hotel is full-service so there are a variety of facilities for guests to enjoy.  These include an outdoor pool, a spa, a fitness center, a restaurant, a bar, and complimentary wifi.  I spent most of my time outside so I was not able to enjoy all the facilities, but I did try the wifi.  The wif was complimentary and a good strength, but the thing I find odd was there was no password or login needed; anyone could connect to the wifi and login.  It did not seem very secure.

Overall, it was an alright stay at the Crowne Plaza.  I have stayed at other Crowne Plaza around the world and have had good experiences, and I was told a lot about this hotel so based on these two ideas I had high expectations; the hotel fell well below these expectations.  While the room was spacious, the décor and look of the room felt old.  The staff were neither efficient nor customer-friendly and were not attentive to guest’s requests.  The hotel bills itself as a high hotel and charges money equivalent to a high hotel, so in my opinion the hotel was not worth what was being charged.

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Amman (Jordan - January 2012)

Stay Report: Crowne Plaza Amman
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

photo courtesy of IHG

I was using Amman as a base while travelling through Jordan, so I was looking for a hotel that would be able to accommodate my travelling schedule, was close to sights and attractions, and also had access to transportation and services within walking distance.  Based on research, I choose the Crowne Plaza as it fit most of my criteria.  Overall, the hotel does not have the greatest curb appeal but inside the good customer service outweighs the outside appearance.  

The airport is located far away from the city center, so it takes approximately 45 minutes from the airport to the hotel.  Since I was arriving in the middle of the night, and given the distance from the airport and the hotel does not provide a shuttle, I had booked a car with the hotel for the pick-up.  When I exited the airport, there was no on there to pick us up as the hotel forgot to send someone.  This was not the greatest start to our visit, but this seemed to be the only lapse in customer service, and they tried to rectify the situation throughout the stay.  

The hotel faces the main street, but the entrance to the hotel is on the side street, connected to a mini shopping plaza on the first floor of the hotel which contains a barber shop and other small shops.  As you enter the hotel, there is a security check and scan (each time).  In the main part of the hotel, on the left is the check-in desk and straight ahead is the dining room where breakfast is served.  The hallway next to the check-in desk leads to the back of the hotel, and along the way you pass the elevators, a jewelry shop, and other small stores.  Towards the back of the hotel is another restaurant and the exit to the side of the hotel that is connected to the small shops.  As it was very early in the morning, and the hotel was overcompensating given the earlier mistake, check-in was quick and efficient.  I had booked a room on the Club Floor so included in the club floor was complimentary breakfast, tea/cocktail hour, as well as unlimited high speed internet.  

photo courtesy of IHG

The room itself was nice and comfortable, but a bit small.  As you entered the room, on the left side was the bathroom and the right hand side was the closet and storage area.  The bathroom was small, not as small as some European bathrooms but definitely smaller than American bathrooms.  The bathroom contained the standard facilities of a sink, a tub, and a toilet as well as bathroom amenities.  Beyond the bathroom were the two double beds with a night stand in the middle.  The beds were very comfortable to sleep on, but they were also very close to each other.   As the room was a smaller size, it seemed like everything was squeezed together.  Across from the beds were the TV, a chest with drawers, as well as a connected desk set against the wall.  From our side of the hotel, our view was of the parking lot, the main street, and the market across the street; on the other side the view would have been of the pool, health club, and neighborhood. 

photo courtesy of IHG

In terms of amenities, I tried the complimentary breakfast, the club floor lounge, the spa, and the fitness center.  As we had access to the Club Lounge, we could choose where to have breakfast; downstairs or in the Club Lounge.  On the first day, I ate in the club floor lounge, but the next day I decided to try downstairs where there were more options, more staff available, and more guests to interact with.  The breakfast was nice and very filling. 

The club floor lounge is located on the top floor and has some really nice views of the city from the top of the hotel.  The lounge itself looks a little dated, but is very spacious and can accommodate a large group.  Against the wall is a TV with couches in the middle, and behind this is a long table in which the food is set out.  For the tea/cocktail, in addition to drinks they also had hors-d'oeuvre available such as meat kabobs, mini sandwiches, and other small items to eat.  It was very comfortable to sit and relax as there were not many patrons when I was there.  

photo courtesy of IHG

The fitness center and sauna are located on the other side of the hotel across from the pool area.  The facility is two stories and it houses both the fitness center, which is decent, and many spa rooms.  The spa services were very nice and very affordable, and they provided a nice relaxing experience to the Crowne Plaza Amman.

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Crowne Plaza Amman.  Despite the initial issue with the hotel pick-up, the customer service at the hotel was very good (and the hotel continuously tried to compensate for their earlier mistake).  The positives included strong internet connectivity, comfortable beds, a good breakfast, and good customer service.  Negatives included the small size of the rooms.  While a bit outside the hotel district, the Crowne Plaza Amman is a good choice.