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: 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: AC Hotel by Marriott Malaga Palacio (Malaga, Spain - December 2011)

Stay Report: AC Hotel by Marriott Malaga Palacio
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photo courtesy of Marriott

I was going to be in Southern Spain for a couple of days, and was looking for a hotel that was nice and that I could also use as a base while I traveling around Southern Spain.  The AC Hotel brand is part of Marriott’s brand and it was my first time experiencing the brand, but I choose the hotel because of the Marriott connection as well as because of the location of the hotel.  The hotel is centrally located within the center of Malaga so it is walking distance to many sights and amenities.  Overall, the hotel provided great customer service, good rooms, and allowed us to store luggage at the hotel.

As AC Hotels are part of the Marriott brand, it was very easy to book the hotel through Marriott’s website.  Since I was traveling in a group, I needed to book two rooms as most European hotel rooms are small and can only 2-3 people; one room had a King bed while the other had 2 beds.  The hotel does not provide transportation to/from the airport so this has to be arranged personally; we took taxis which were efficient since the hotel is well-known.

photo courtesy of Marriott

The main entrance to the hotel is on the corner between the side street and a pedestrian-only walkway, so the taxis have to park on the side street close to the entrance.  It makes transportation of your luggage a bit difficult, but it does provide more of the ‘live like a local’ feel.  To access the lobby, at the street level you go through the main door and then go up a couple of steps to enter into the lobby.

The lobby of the hotel was stylishly decorated but was a bit compact.  Straight ahead were the check-in desks and to the right were the elevators, a sitting area, as well as the restaurant/bar.  Check-in was efficient, we received our key, and proceeded to our rooms with the bellman coming later with our luggage.

The hotel itself was modern and stylishly decorated, and this décor continued into the rooms.  I had booked two rooms, but both rooms had the same basic layout.  As you entered the room, on the left-hand side was the bathroom.  The bathroom was spacious, bigger than most European hotels and was as big as American hotels.  The bathroom was clean and modern and contained a toilet, a sink, and a tub.  Underneath the clear sink was a little stand that contained the towels plus a lot of complimentary toiletries such as combs, toothbrushes, tissue packs, and shoe polish along with shampoos and lotions.  The plethora of toiletries was a very nice customer service touch and was appreciated. 

photo courtesy of Marriott

The bathroom and the main part of the room shared a wall.  In the room, this is where the closets and storage were located.  The closets were very big and tall and provided a lot of storage, along with the shelves.  The closets were opaque so the light was showing through but you could not see in; another stylish detail.  The main part of the main had the beds, either two single or one queen/king bed, and nightstands on either side.  Each side also had individual lamps mounted on the headboard, which itself was mounted to the wall.  The beds were comfortable, a bit low to the ground, but they provided a good night’s sleep.

Across from the beds was a chest with drawers on the bottom and a TV on top of it as well as a desk.  Next to the bed were two chairs and a small table which faced the window.  Each room had a window and a balcony, and this was one of the best parts of the room.  The balconies were big enough that you could go outside, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea while enjoying the sights.  One room’s balcony faced the pedestrian walkway and the sea, while the other room faced the side street and the surrounding city and architecture. 

You could also see some great views of the city from the hotel’s rooftop pool.  This is one of the facilities that the hotel provided, along with a restaurant, a bar, complimentary wifi in the lobby, a fitness center, meeting rooms, and luggage storage.  We spent most of our time exploring the city so did not have time to experience all the facilities.  I did use the luggage storage, which was a nice convenience and the complimentary wifi, which was only available in the lobby at the time but was a decent speed.  

Overall, it was a really nice stay at the AC Hotel Malaga Palacio by Marriott.  The hotel provides a nice, clean, and modern room near the heart of Malaga.  From this hotel, you are within walking distance to all of Malaga’s city center (and the hotel is well-known by all taxi drivers and local restaurants).  I used this hotel as a base to go and explore Southern Spain, and it provided a great stay so I would definitely recommend this hotel!

Trip Report: TAP Portugal, Lisbon to Barcelona (February 2017)

Trip Report: TAP Portugal, intra-European

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After my stop in Lisbon, I was continuing my 2017 European trip with a stop in Barcelona, Spain.  Two airlines fly from Lisbon to Barcelona – TAP Portugal, a full-service airline based in Lisbon, or Vueling, a LCC based in Barcelona.  When I compared the two airlines, both offered low fares and both offered various flight times throughout the day.  In fact, the flight times of both airlines were very similar to each other (usually within 30 minutes of each other).  Both airlines offered basic options, which included hand carry only, as well as package options that included checked luggage and pre-assigned seat.  The major differences between the two is that TAP Portugal, as a full service airline, offers free drinks and sandwiches where Vueling is a LCC meaning you have to pay for these services.  Also, as TAP is a member of Star Alliance you earn FF miles.  In comparing the two airlines - I needed to check-in a bag so I compared the ticket prices with a bag for both - TAP was only 5euro more than Vueling.   As LCC usually have tighter seat pitches and less customer service, I decided to try TAP for my flight.

The ticket that I had booked was a package which included checked baggage; this package did not include pre-assigned seats (there was a separate package for that).  Booking the flight on TAP's website was generally easy and efficient.  There were some times the website got stuck, and sometimes I was not able to enter some optional information (such as FF miles).  When I did have some issues and questions, I contacted the call center where the wait time was minimal and the service was quick; a good start to my trip.

My flight was scheduled to leave Lisbon at 8:45p and arrive into Barcelona at 11:35pm with a flight time of 1hr 40mins.  Throughout the days leading up to the flight, I was getting notices from TAP offering the chance to bid on upgrades.  TAP has the option to either bid on upgrades days before the flight, or you can see about purchasing an upgrade the day of at the airport.  I looked into upgrading, but the starting cost to upgrade was more than the total I had paid for my ticket.  That, and given the short flight time, I decided not to upgrade.

I checked in via the app, and TAP had preselected my seat as 18C.  Through the app, I was able to see my seat and see other seat availability but I was not able to confirm a closer seat so decided to do that at the airport.  Even though I had already checked in, I got to the airport 2hours prior just in case.  When I got to the airport, there was no one in line at the counters.  I dropped off my luggage, it had been included in the package I bought, and got a closer seat of 9C.  The line at security was also very minimal so I had plenty of time to roam the airport.

The boarding pass stated boarding was going to start at 8:20p, so around 8:15p I went to the boarding area.  The boarding area was extremely small and extremely crowded; there definitely was not enough room to handle everyone.   Boarding was supposed to happen in 3 groups, but when the gate agents there was no one in group 1 and most of the individuals were in group 3.  8:20p came and went and there was no announcement of a delay.  We were told to wait, and then agents were coming around gate tagging all the large carryons.  Around 8:30p, the agents told us to get in line to board.  I was in Group 2, so I boarded rather quickly – however, we did not board right away as the gate was blocked because the airplane wasn’t ready.  The agents continued to scan boarding passes making the line very long.  After about 10 minutes, the door was opened and we were allowed to board the plane.

The plane was an Airbus A320 and inside the plane looked old.  The seats and the look of the plane indicated the plane was not new.  The plane was laid out in a 3-3 setting.  The plane contained both business class and economy class, but the seats were the same and the cabins were only separated by a moveable curtain. 

The seats were generally comfortable and the leg room was decent enough for the short flight.   The seats were very plain with no PTVs or USB ports.  There was a tray table and a pouch underneath which contained the safety card and inflight magazine.   Even though we were scheduled to take off at 8:45p, we were still boarding at that time but eventually at 8:50p boarding was complete and the doors closed.  Manual safety demonstrations were done and announcements were made in both Portuguese and English.

Once we reached cruising altitude, TAP started their inflight service which consisted of a free drink and a snack.  The snack was a small (palm size) tuna sandwich, and there was only one option available.  Once the service had concluded, we still had about an hour left and there was nothing else to do on the plane.  You definitely had to bring your own entertainment to pass the time. 

Even though we left late, we landed generally on time.  Deplaning happened rather quickly, and then it was time to wait for the luggage.  Both times I flew with TAP, it took a long time for the luggage to come – sometimes almost 30-45 minutes.  I am not sure what the delay is, but it was consistent across both international sectors.

Overall, I did not see that much difference between TAP Portugal and the LCC.  Yes they provided a free drink, a small sandwich, and access to FF miles, but other than that there was no difference in terms of service.   I chose TAP because I wanted to try an intra-European flight on the carrier and the fare was not that different versus the LCC; however, if there was a greater fare difference I am not sure I would choose TAP again vs the LCC.

Stay Report: Ibis Styles Barcelona Centre (February 2017)

Stay Report: Ibis Styles Barcelona Centre
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I was going to be spending 3 days in Barcelona so I wanted something that was central to the landmarks and places I wanted to visit.  I also wanted to keep costs down so keeping all this in mind, I decided to try the Ibis Styles Barcelona Centre. 

According to AccorHotels, ibis Styles "offers an all-inclusive package, with room rates including breakfast and internet access. Situated in the heart of cities and in other major centres of activity, each establishment has its own distinct personality and reflects a colourful, bright and energetic brand spirit with a hint of humour."  While travelling in Switzerland I had seen the ibis Styles and they looked fresh and interesting so I wanted to try out the hotel.  As the information states, another unique feature is that all rooms include free breakfast.   

The hotel is centrally located, near many shops and restaurants, and about a 2-3 minute walk from the metro station.  The hotel is also about a 10-20 minute walk, on the same street, to the main plaza or a 10-15 minute, in the other direction, to the Sangrada Familia.  From the outside, the hotel itself does not look like much – it has a grey exterior that blends in with the surrounding building.   

The main entrance is on the street level, and then you enter the automatic doors and can either go straight or take a left.  Both lead into the lobby, but to different parts of the lobby.  Going straight leads to the breakfast area and sitting area, while going to the left leads to the check-in desk , the computer access, and the elevators (its all connected so does not matter which entrance you pick).  Even though the outside of the building is grey, the inside is very light and warm with light green colors and writing.   The color and brightness make the hotel look inviting and refreshing.

Check-in was quick and I received my key as well as the details of the free breakfast.  The breakfast took place in the sitting area from 7a to 10:30a on weekdays and from 7a to 10a on weekends.  Free wifi was also included, and I could log in as many devices as I wanted. 

After check-in, I took the elevator to the 7^th floor.  The elevator was a pain – you connected your key to activate the elevator and then used touched screen to press your number; however, it almost never worked because it was too sensitive.  On the last day, a hotel employee told me the trick was that you had to touch the screen with your wrist – she said guests had a lot of complaints about the elevators.  The hallways were narrow and dark, which made them look more narrow, and the lights were motion sensored so only activated when you were there (making the other parts of the hallway look dark).  The room itself was a decent size and pretty bright

As you opened the door, there was a mini-hallway as you stepped into the room.  On the left had side was a long desk/table with the TV mounted on the wall.  Next to the desk was the open closet with shelves underneath.  The closet was very small comparable to the room.  The closet did have a safe. 

On the other side was the bed with two night stands on each side.  The bed was big in terms of size and was comfortable enough – it provided a decent nights sleep; not great, but decent.   Next to the bed was the bathroom, and given Ibis’s general size the bathroom was a decent size.  As you entered into the bathroom, on left was the sink and underneath were shelves which held the towels and hairdryers.  Next to the sink was some empty space which served no purpose.  On the other side was the toilet and next to the toilet was the stand-up shower.   The amenities provided included a hand wash/body wash/shampoo/soap bottle connected to the wall next to both the sink and inside the shower.  Overall, the room was more spacious than other Ibis hotels, and was generally comfortable.  The floor was very loud and this combined with thinner walls meant you could hear your neighbor sometimes.

Amenities of the hotel included the free wifi and free breakfast.  The wifi was very fast and I could connect as many devices as I wanted.  It was fast enough to stream videos and do emails.  The free breakfast was more substantial than I had expected.  They had a nice bread selection, with fresh breads you could cut yourself as well as sliced bread.  Croissants were also available along with Nutella and jam packets.  There was also a selection of yogurts and fruits, with a variety of toppings and fillings for your yogurt.  On the plated selection were meats, cheeses, and Spanish tortilla (slices of egg and potatoes).  There was a coffee machine available for espressos, coffee, teas and hot chocolates.  Orange juice, apple juice, and water were also available. 

Another nice perk of the hotel was that the left over croissants and donuts were placed next to the check-in desk, along with coffee and water, so anyone could take what they wanted when they wanted.  This was a nice perk.  As a LeClub member, I also got a card for a free drink which meant that I could have access to a free soft drink from the bar.  The bar also included beer and wine which could be paid for.

Overall it was a nice and pleasant stay at the Ibis Styles.  Good points including nice location, free wifi, free breakfast, decent size room, and overall pleasant staff.  Negatives included thin construction of rooms and touch-sensitive elevator.