Stay Report: Hyatt Place Arlington/Courthouse Plaza (Arlington, VA - July 2019)

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Arlington/Courthouse Plaza
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I have stayed at many Hyatt Place's, and while my last experience with the brand wasn't great (see review here) the Hyatt Place was the closest hotel to where I needed to go so I went ahead and booked the hotel.  Hyatt Place is Hyatt’s low to mid-budget option for travelers and the rooms are mini-suites – with a bedroom, bathroom, a sitting area and a mini kitchen as well.  Usually, complimentary wifi, breakfast and parking are provided, and the brand competes with Hampton Inn and Courtyard. 

The hotel in D.C. has only been open for a little over one year, and it is located on Wilson Boulevard within walking distance to many shops, restaurants, and to the two or three metro stations.  There are two entrances to the hotel, one from the street one from a faux side street for cars to pull into for the valet.  As you walked into the lobby, it smelled really nice and overall looked modern and fresh, but overall it was small.  You entered into a small seating area and then proceeded to the check-in counters which were right in front of you.  To the right of the check-in counters was the elevator, and connected to the check-in desk on the left was the bar/restaurant.  There were seating areas all around and behind the elevators was a small space for the breakfast area.  As I said, it was a compact seating area and felt even more compact when the breakfast rush was in full swing. 

Hyatt had emailed the possibility to do online check-in so that is what I did and I received an email when my room was ready so all I had to do was collect the key.  Unlike other hotels, such as Hilton, I was not able to preselect my room at check-in but I could change my room when I went to collect my key; the process to collect my key was very quick and efficient.  Once I received my key, I had to use to access the elevators to the room.  I was on the 6th floor, and the hotel overall has 8 floors.  The hallways to the room were a bit narrow so they could fit the luggage cart but could not fit the luggage cart plus guest side by side; luckily the narrowness did not extend to the rooms as they were spacious and very comfortable.  


As you enter the room, on the right was the bathroom which was more spacious than I had expected.  The bathroom contained a sink, a toilet, a shower with a sliding door, bathroom toiletries of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, as well as a sliding door between the bathroom and the main room.  As you enter into the room, on the right side are couches - one of which can turn into a sofa bed – as well as a table in front of the couches.  There is a ‘partition’ between the 'living room' and the bedroom, and I put it in quotes because it only extends a quarter-way while the remaining section is open so it does not provide a lot of privacy.  Across from the couches, along the wall, is a full size desk as well as a console which contains a TV on top and drawers on the bottom.  There is a also a fridge within one of the cabinets of the console.  

On the other side of the 'partition' is the bedroom.  I had booked a room with one large bed and the bed was in the middle with a nightstand on either side.  Each side also had a reading lamp as well as plugs next to each bed.  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a decent sleep (much better than the sofa bed).  Across from the bed was a the standing wardrobe which contained a hanging shelf to hang your clothes, a shelf on top, a safe on the bottom, the luggage stand, as well as the iron and ironing board (there was a lot in the wardrobe).  Because the room was so spacious, there was still plenty of room to move around and the room did not feel cramped nor compact.    

The Hyatt Place does offer free facilities for its guests to enjoy such as complimentary parking, complimentary wifi (for members - some hotels enforce and check while this hotel did not), and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also provides a fitness center, a business center, and valet parking.  The complimentary breakfast was standard which cereal, eggs, fruits, and coffee but the place where the breakfast was staged was way too small given the amount of guests and the seating area definitely could not handle the capacity of the hotel.  The wifi was also not strong and could not handle the large number of guests in the hotel - if you had two devices you had to choose which one you wanted to connect to wifi.  

Overall, it was an interesting stay at the Hyatt Place.  The rooms were spacious, the beds were comfortable, and the location was great as it was within walking distance to many items.  The negatives were that the wifi was bad, the hotel could not handle the capacity for breakfast, the elevator broke down on the second night, and the housekeeping was understaffed so did not service the rooms on the last night (and the hotel is only one year old).  I have had some great stays at Hyatt Place and some awful stays and this was in the middle - so while I wouldn't rush to book the hotel again, I also would not avoid it either. 

Trip Report: Turkish Airlines, Business Class - Houston to Lahore via Istanbul (February/April 2019)

Trip Report: Turkish Airlines - Business Class
Houston to Lahore via Istanbul
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I was flying from America to South Asia and for this trip there are many options – Emirates, Qatar, or Turkish.  My last couple of trips have been in business class and, since it is a long flight, I wanted to travel again in business class.  I have flown on Emirates business and really enjoyed both the lounge and in the air-experience, especially on the Airbus A380 (see review here), but in my last couple of flights with Emirates the service seemed to have dwindled a bit so this time I was looking to try other services.  I have flown Turkish many times, mostly in economy and once in business class – the business class was decent with lots of food and lie-flat beds, however it wasn’t the best product out there but good value for what you pay for.  When I was searching for this flight, Turkish kept coming up in terms of best product, best flight times, and overall better price for the service so I went ahead and booked Turkish Airlines Business Class. 

My first sector was on Turkish’s Boeing 777-300ER from Houston to Istanbul.  Turkish does provide complimentary pickup and dropoff to Business and First Class passengers within 30 miles of the airport – it’s a nice service that some of the competitors only offer at their home base.  Through Turkish’s updated website and app, I was easily able to manage my flight, my seat selection, meal preferences, as well as select my complimentary pickup.  Turkish leaves Houston at 8:55pm and that is a nice time as it is later than its competitors so there is not a lot of rush at the airport.  We got to the airport well ahead of schedule and went to the business class line were our bags were checked to the final destination.  After security we went to the lounge – Turkish does not have its own lounge but its passengers have access to their Star Alliance partner United’s Polaris lounge in Concourse D.  The lounge has recently been updated to the Polaris look and it is a THOUSAND times better than what is before – before the lounge was very sad and just looked like an upgraded waiting area, but now the lounge actually looks like a lounge with improvements to the seating, the overall look, the service, and the food.  It was really nice to spend time in the lounge, but the only problem is that United does not have flight times for any of their Star Alliance partner flights so it is up to the passenger to monitor their time and ensure they leave the lounge in time for their flight.  We left the lounge and made our way to the gate to board the plane.  Even though we were supposed to board around 8:15pm, Turkish always seems to have a flexible on-time schedule.  No flight I have ever taken with Turkish has ever left on time and this was the case with these flights. 

Boarding finally started and Business Class boarded in a separate line and through a separate entrance into the plane.  The plane was configured in a 2-3-2 layout which isn’t ideal especially if you are stuck in the middle seat for over 12+hours.  I was able to preselect my seat and I had chosen a window and an aisle seat.  The seat itself was very long but it was a bit narrow, especially if you were a bigger person.  On one side was the seat and on the other side was a console with a huge TV screen on top and a footrest on the bottom.  The footrest could be opened to allow storage during the flight (I appreciated this because some other airlines do not have this feature and it makes it inconvenient to constantly get up to get things from the upper storage).  The airline magazines as well as a shoe storage were also located in this console.  The seat itself was nice and comfortable, although as I said a bit narrow.  The seat was upright and could be maneuvered to be completely lie-flat.  The seat had a reading light, and adjustable footrests as well as other adjustable parts (however – this all depended on all the controls working on every seat, which not all did).  There was a massage function as well on the seats, but again not all the functions worked for every seat.  Below the armrest in a dark cubby hole was the plug-in for the headphones as well as a USB port.  While these amenities were very nice, it was very difficult to access given the narrowness of the seat, and it all got tangled when you lay the seat flat.  This cubby hole is also were the remote was for the PTV – the PTV was touchscreen but because it was so far away the remote was needed; however, again the functions of the remote sometimes worked and sometimes it was just easier and quicker to move to the touchscreen on the TV.  I have said this in other reviews and while traveling in economy, and it remained the same in business class – Turkish’s onboard entertainment has a decent selection of movies and TV shows but they are only enough to pass about 5 hours of flight time; if your flight is longer than that I would suggest downloading movies on your personal device.  The same was for this flight as the entertainment selection was decent for about 5 hours of viewing time, and then you had to improvise (in this category, no one can beat Emirates’ selection).

Before take-off, pre-drinks were served, newspapers were offered, noise-cancelling headphones were distributed (again, some headphones worked better than others), and amenity kits were also distributed.  While the amenity kits were nice, they looked more like a premium economy kit rather than a business class kit as the kits contained socks, eyeshades, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs, a small lip balm and small lotion.  I have received the same kit – in a less fancier package and without the lip balm and lotion – in economy class on other airlines.  I have also flown business class on other airlines – namely Emirates – where the business class amenity kit includes much more such as razors, shaving cream, and cologne.  Menus were also distributed prior to takeoff and this is one area where Turkish excels over its competitors.  Both the quality and quantity of food was very good and it was an extensive menu of offerings that the passenger gets to choose from. 

Once airborne, the inflight service started a hot towel service and then with drinks and nuts.  The tray table is in the middle console which is shared between the two seats but the positioning of the tray table makes the narrow seat feel even more narrow, especially for those who are larger.  Also, the tray table is supposed to move diagonally to let the passenger out of the seat but again some of these worked better than others.  The tray table was set with linens, a fake candle, and really interesting salt and pepper shakers.  After the nuts, the first course of appetizers were served, followed by another starter, then your selection of the main dish, then dessert, then cheese and fruit, and then coffee or tea.  Again, it was a lot of food and it took about 2.5 hours for the entire course of meals to be presented and consumed.  As I said, both the quality and quantity of food were good.  Once the meal service finished, the attendants came by to make up the bed.  The pillow was already on the seat, and it was an average size pillow.  The mattress padding was fitted onto the seat, and that was a bit thin in quality but the blanket provided was nice and of good thick quality.  You really felt the narrowness of the seat when you slept, as there was not a lot of room to move in the seat, although the seat did lie completely flat so that was nice. 

Turkish only provides two meal services – one after takeoff and then one right before landing.  In between, if you are hungry there are small snacks, fruit, crackers, and nuts available in the galley.  While these snacks are nice, they are definitely not filling if you decided to skip the meal and get hungry in the middle of the flight (I also do not believe Turkish has a ‘dine on demand’ product available); again comparing it to some of its competitors, Emirates does at least provide some more substantial snacks that are available in between the meal service upon request.  About an hour prior to landing, the lights came on and the tray tables were set for the second meal.  Again, there was a selection of breakfast items to choose from as well as some appetizers.  This meal selection was substantial but smaller than the first meal selection (both were definitely filling though).  The cabin was then readied for landing and we landed in Istanbul. 

On my outbound flight I transferred at the old Istanbul airport while on my return I transferred through the new airport.  I did have family members who were affected by the transfer from one airport to the other, and the communication and coordination between Turkish Airlines and its customers during that time was very poor.  Luckily I had booked through a travel agent and they were coordinating and rebooking everything, and he said that the information kept changing minute by minute as he had many customers who were being affected by the transfer and cancellation of flights.  I transferred to the new airport about 2 weeks after it opened, and it was still a mess.  Long walks, not helpful ground staff (although Turkish has never been known for helpful ground staff), still under construction security areas, many confused ground staff, and a lot of teething issues.  While waiting in the lounge for my flight, the gate for the flight changed, and I am not kidding, 5 times in a span of 1 hour.

While there was one HUGE business class lounge in the old airport, the new airport has multiple business class lounges and both are identical in terms of the offerings and look – this makes it very confusing if you are meeting someone at the business class lounge because the only difference between the two is the location.  The lounges are nice with good offering of food, drink, and spaces.  There are free massages available but those are only on a first-come, first-serve basis and the wait time for the massage was over 2 hours.    

My onward flight was on an Airbus A330-200.  On the outbound the plane was very old and so was on the onboard product while on the return both the plane and the product had been updated.  The service and onboard system was the same for both flights – the seat was similar to that of the Boeing 777 as it did lie flat, the space was narrow, and the same features were available on both seats.  Same amenity kits as well as same headphones were distributed along with menus.  The main difference for this flight is that only one meal service was offered, right after take-off, and the meal quality and quantity was smaller – it was more of a heavy snack/light meal rather than a full meal – and this was the only service offered during the entire flight.  This was another difference between Turkish and its competitors as other airlines, I believe, would have either offered a more substantial meal if they were doing one meal or would have offered two light meals.

Overall, the experience with Turkish Airlines in Business Class felt more like Premium Economy rather than a true Business Class.  The lie-flat seats, the access to the lounge, and the substantial food offered on the long-haul flights are characteristics of Business Class, but the quality of the seats, the narrowness of the seats, and the overall feel and experience of the on-board product made it feel more like Premium Economy.  The negative about this is that Turkish does not offer First Class, so the choice is between Economy or Business so if you are only offering one premium class, wouldn’t you make it more outstanding instead of having minor differences between the two?  In Turkish’s defense though, the price for Turkish was lower than its competitors so if you are paying less then I guess you would expect less as well.  If you are looking for an overall business experience, then Turkish is not the choice for you, but if all you are looking for is a lie-flat seat, good food, and a nice lounge then Turkish is your airline.

Stay Report: The Nishat Hotel, Gulberg (Lahore, Pakistan - April 2019)

Stay Report: The Nishat Hotel - Gulberg, Lahore

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I was scheduled to leave Lahore the next day, so I needed a hotel for one night.  Since I was only going to be there for a short-time, I was looking for something that was close to the airport, was reliable, was clean, and was affordable.  I have never stayed at a hotel in Lahore so I went around to some of the established places to check out their facilities, but when I stepped into The Nishat I knew my search was over.  The Nishat Hotel was started by The Nishat Group, which is a big textile and fabric company in Pakistan, and overall the hotel is modeled like a boutique hotel.  The rooms were nice and spacious (and clean), the hotel had good amenities for the guests, and the service was good and accommodating.

The hotel is located in Gulberg, Lahore and while it is not the best location - as its on the edge of the shopping area bordering a more residential area - it is surrounded by restaurants and shops so you can easily walk to get food or shopping.  As you pull up, there is a small circular driveway in which there are stairs that lead up to the lobby.  The outside of the hotel is in black and grey colors and the color pattern continues inside the hotel.  One you go past the security, you enter into the lobby.  On the left side is the restaurant while straight ahead is a mini seating area.  To the right is the concierge stand, the check-in desks, and the elevators.  The hotel staff recognized me from when I came to check the rooms, and they individually came up to say hello and that was a nice touch - overall the customer service was very nice.  

I did have two issues while checking in - 1) check-in time is at 2pm and the hotel calls you that day to confirm your checkin time, and if you do not pick up the phone or call back then they cancel the booking; they tried to call me but had my number incorrectly so even when I went to the hotel at 3pm they had apparently canceled my booking; 2) I had booked two rooms, one with one bed and the other room with two beds and I had asked for these rooms the day I inquired about the rooms and they day I came to book the rooms yet the day of check-in the request still needed to be processed.  While these are minor things, the minor things can build up and sometimes be indicative of major issues.

I checked-in, received my key, and went up to the 8th floor as one of my two rooms was ready - I was the other room would be ready within the hour.  The first room had the double bed and the layout was such that as you entered the room, there was a mini-hallway in which the bathroom was on the right and all along the left hand side was nice and large closets.  The closets contained a safe, shelves to store items, a hanging bar to hand your items, laundry bag, slippers as well as shoe polish (it was a really big closet with TONS of space).  The bathroom was also quite spacious and contained a sink with LOTS of counter space, a toilet and a stand-in shower.  The shower area was also spacious and contained both a hand-held as well as a 'rain shower' head.  The sink contained a plethora of amenities including shampoo, body wash, lotion, nail file, dental kit, sewing kit, etc --- really a lot of amenities and this touch was very nice.

Further into the room, the bed was the right side while on the left were two chairs with a table in the middle.  Both chairs were very comfortable and one faced the bed while the other faced the large window - the window was open enough to let in light but had some decorative sculpture outside thus blocking the outside from looking in.  In front of the bed, along the length of the wall, was a long desk which had a chair as well as outlet plugs as well.  The desk also contained the welcome fruit platter, two complimentary bottles of water, as well as the tea kettle.  The bed itself was very comfortable, the sheets were nice and the pillows new, and it provided a great nights sleep.  On either side of the bed was a nightstand and the entire place was electronic so you could control the lights and sounds from panels on either side of the bed).  The room with the two beds was laid out in a similar fashion as the one bed is just one mattress over two box springs so they can easily pull apart the box springs and make it two beds - I have seen this done in other hotels but the lack of space usually means not enough room between the two beds, however given the spaciousness of the room there was space in between the beds.    

The hotel has many facilities for the guests to enjoy including complimentary breakfast, complimentary wifi, a gym, an indoor pool, airport shuttle, parking, and others.  Given I was there for a short period, I could only try a few of the facilities: the airport shuttle was a large van that could accommodate many passengers and luggage, and would run on the hour.  It was very easy and convenient to book and access the shuttle.  The wifi was complimentary and strong enough for basic email and WhatsApp (streaming videos would be difficult). 

Overall, it was a great stay at The Nishat Hotel with comfortable, spacious, nice-smelling, and clean rooms along with good service, good facilities for the guests, and a nice location.  I would definitely recommend this hotel and this is a hotel that we intend to use in the future as well.  

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Houston North (Houston, Texas - February 2019)

Stay Report: Hyatt Place Houston North
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I had previously stayed at a Hyatt Place in Memphis (see review here) and while I was not overly impressed with the brand, I was also not deterred from trying the brand again.  I was traveling out of Houston Bush Airport and was looking for a nearby hotel that was good but also allowed for a late checkout, since my flight departed at 8pm.  The Hyatt Place had a good price, so I contacted them and asked multiple times regarding their late check-out policy.  Based on my conversations and discussions with various representatives at the hotel, I booked the hotel. 

Hyatt Place is Hyatt’s low to mid-budget option for travelers.  The rooms are mini-suites – with a bedroom, bathroom, and sitting area – and contain a mini kitchen as well.  Complimentary breakfast and parking are provided, and the brand competes with Hampton Inn and Courtyard.  The hotel is Houston is located on the service road, and while the access is from the service road the hotel is located a bit farther back so you do not hear the traffic noise.  The lobby looked modern and fresh and had an open lobby plan with a sitting area, an open check-in desks that connected to the bar, additional seating area, and the kitchen area where the complimentary breakfast was served in the mornings.  Across from the bar, right next to the kitchen area, was the business center with two computers and a printer (although the printer did not work).  When I went to check-in, I talked to the check-in agents regarding my late checkout and I was told ‘this is not something I am aware of’.  I told them I talked to various representatives at the hotel and based on that information I had made the booking, and then I was told that they would ‘look into it’ but that it shouldn’t be a problem.  I completed the check-in process, received my key, and proceeded to my room.

The room that I received was designed for those with a disability, so I am not sure why this room was given to me and not kept for those who it was intended for.  Because of the design, the layout of the room was different than the standard room.  As you entered into the room, on the right against the wall was a desk and opposite the desk was a little nook which contained a sink and a counter with a coffee machine on top.  In between the desk and the nook was the fridge against the wall in the middle of the room.  In a standard room, on the other side of the desk would be the sitting area but in this room it was different so the beds were situated in this section.  I had booked a room with two beds, so the beds were against the wall and there was a nightstand in the middle of the bed as well as one next to the partition.  Plugs and USB ports were available next to the bed.  The bed itself was comfortable and provided a decent sleep (much better than the sofa bed). 

Next to beds was the seating area which contained couches, one of which can turn into a sofa bed (a very uncomfortable one at that) as well as a table.  There is a ‘partition’ between the 'living room' and the bedroom, and I put it in quotes because it only extends half way while the remaining section is open so it does not provide a lot of privacy.  In between the ‘bedroom’ and the ‘sitting room’ was a chest with drawers on the bottom and the TV on top – the TV can be turned to face either the bedroom or living area. 

Generally, the bathroom is located in front of the bedroom area and is in a narrow space making everything tight; the arrangements for this room were a bit different.  The sink was outside the bedroom area but the toilet and the tub were in front of the sitting area – so you had to walk outside of the toilet area and go into the other part of the room to wash your hands.  It was an odd and unhygienic setup.  

picture courtesy of Hyatt Place

The Hyatt Place does offer free facilities for its guests to enjoy such as complimentary parking, complimentary wifi, and complimentary breakfast.  The hotel also provides a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a business center, and a local shuttle.  The complimentary breakfast was average, standard complimentary breakfast with eggs and bagels; the wifi had decent speeds; and the business center had 2 computers with free printing (which did not work) – so the facilities were nice and a good for customers. 

While the facilities were nice, the customer service was extremely poor.  There was a lack of communication amongst the staff, the management took a while to address issues, and the staff themselves did not seemed bothered about the guests wellbeing or overall comfort.  As I said, I have stayed in many Hyatt Places before and have decent experiences but the customer service experience here was horrendous.  The overall experience at Hyatt Place is average so if you add poor customer service then it makes me not want to stay at the brand in the future.

Trip Report: Kuwait Airways, Southeast Asia to Beirut (March 2019)

Trip Report: Kuwait Airways, Southeast Asia to Beirut
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I was traveling from South Asia to Beirut, and through my searches Kuwait Airways kept coming up as the most convenient and cost effective.  I have flown Kuwait Airways before (see review here) and had a decent experience so I wasn’t hesitant to book them again – also since my last travel, the airline had embarked on a refresh so I wanted to check out their updated products.  I booked my ticket directly with Kuwait Airways and the website was easy to manage and it was easy to book my ticket, select my seats, and manage the booking.  I could also manage the booking as well as check-in through the app, which was easy to download and use. 

My flight was scheduled to depart at 4:50am with a boarding time of 3:50am.  The day before, I was able to check-in through the app, confirm my seat assignment, and receive my boarding pass.  Even though I had my boarding pass, I still went to the airport about 2.5hrs early given the security.  The ticket included two checked bags at 23kg each as well as a hand carry at 7kg; the checked baggage allowance was enforced but the hand carry was never weighed.  My luggage was checked through to Beirut, I received my boarding pass, and went through security to the gate and waited for my flight.  The inbound aircraft was late in arriving so that delayed our departure; we were originally supposed to board around 3:50am but instead boarded around 4:15am.  It was a general boarding announcement, which meant all passengers in all rows boarded at the same time.

There was a lot of security in and around the plane.  As you entered the plane, women were taken behind a curtain for security purposes and on the plane were Kuwaiti security guards.  The plane itself was an old Airbus A322 with a 3-3 seat layout.  Everything in the plane was old, from the seats to the paneling to the carpets.  I had prebooked my seats online, and the seat reservations were complimentary and this included an exit row which I selected for myself.  The seats themselves were wide but they were very old and the padding/cushion had definitely gone making it an uncomfortable seat; the seat pitch was good.  The seat itself had a tray table and a seatback pocket with the safety card and airline magazine, and that was it.  Each seat contained a pillow, blankets were available upon request, and below each seat had a foot rest.   

Once the passengers boarded and the main cabin door had closed, the crew came around with English and Arabic newspapers.  Afterwards, safety demonstrations were done in both Arabic and English and then we took off for Kuwait.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the inflight service commenced with breakfast.  I had selected a special meal and those were delivered first, and then the trolley came with the regular meal.   There were two options available for the meal and those were served with both Arabic bread as well as a bread roll; both of them were cold and were only heated when placed on the heated food.  Regarding the food, it was decent in terms of both quantity and quality – there was enough food but you definitely weren’t stuffed and the food won’t win any awards.  Following the food was the drinks cart and then tea and coffee were served.  After a while (more time than necessary), the food trays were cleared and then it was up to the passengers how they wanted to pass the time.  Since there was nothing to watch, and since it was early morning, most passengers just slept until the plane started to descend for our arrival into Kuwait. 

Once deplaned, transfer passengers had to go through security to get back into the terminal.  I understand security and the need for it, as well as the need for heightened security, but it can be done with respect and a level of customer service; this was not the case at Kuwait Airport.  They are extremely rude, disrespectful, discourteous, and not customer friendly at all.  This was my experience both on the outbound and the return and it was so bad that I vowed never to fly Kuwait Airways ever again, solely based off the bad experience at the airport.  Once security was finally cleared, we were ushered into the new terminal, Terminal 4, at Kuwait International.  The terminal is still new and there are still building it, so the only items open for passengers are the gates, bathrooms, prayer rooms, two lounges, sitting areas, a small duty free, and coffee kiosks.  While it is enough for 1-2 hours, it is definitely not enough for longer layovers.

We made our way to the next gate for our flight which was scheduled to board at 8am and depart at 9am, but again boarding time was delayed and again all passengers were boarded together.   Also, there was a lot of security prior to boarding the plane and women were taken to be screened behind a curtain inside the plane.  The operating aircraft was an Airbus A320 in a 3-3 seat layout with an updated and upgraded interior.  The seat width was decent and the seat pitch was very good, and the seats were generally comfortable.  Each seat had a PTV, which had a headphone jack and USB port, and below that was the tray table and then the seatback pocket which contained the safety card, the airline magazine, and the air sickness bag.  The PTV was already active once you got onboard so passengers were able to go through the content and start watching while everyone was still boarding.  The content was decent and there were enough movies and TV shows for a small 3-4 hour flight, but definitely not enough content for longer flights.  The PTV did contain interactive flight maps and cameras, and the details and information provided were very interesting.  Once everyone had boarded, we sat at the gate for more than an hour while “paperwork was being corrected”; this announcement was only made after waiting for over 45 minutes in the plane.  Once the announcement was made, the air crew came around with glasses of water for the passengers.  Finally we pushed back, a safety video was screened, and we took off for Beirut. 

Once we reached cruising altitude, the meal service was started and again special meals were delivered first followed by the regular meals.  The regular meals had two options – chicken or lamb – and again for the portion size and quality were both decent, not great but not bad.  The meal service was followed by a drink service and then coffee and tea.  Once the meal trays were cleared, most passengers passed the time either sleeping or going through the entertainment section.  Given both the security situation of Lebanon’s neighbors and given Kuwait’s relationship with other countries in the Middle East, the flight took a long and circuitous route to get to Beirut.  Instead of a straight flight path, we took off for Kuwait and flew over Saudi Arabia to Egypt, and then turned up the Mediterranean Sea before turning into the final approach to Beirut.  It made the flight feel and last longer than necessary.  We finally landed in Beirut, taxied to the gate, and deplaned.

The return flight experience was same as the outbound, both in terms of airplane experience, aircraft type, and experience at the airport.  Overall, the customer service on board was basic – the crew did their work and did what they were supposed to do but did not go above and beyond their duty.  Also, they did not perform their duties with a smile or with any sense of customer service; it was basically this is my role and these are my duties.  It was also the same issue regarding any delays, which there were many, as no notice or information was given regarding delays in boarding nor takeoff.  Our return flight was supposed to start boarding Kuwait at 9:15pm, but that time came and went and there was no boarding call and no announcement made of a delayed boarding.  When passengers went up to ask for an update, since the ground crew had not informed anyone of any delay, they seemed annoyed that passengers were asking information and just expected passengers to wait until they were ready.  The lack of customer service on the ground, the inconsistent aircraft product, and the horrible treatment of the security made for an unpleasant experience flying with Kuwait Airways.  My previous experience flying with them was decent, so that is why I was not hesitant to fly them again; but after this experience, I will avoid them at all costs even if that means going longer routes or paying more money.   

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: Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport (Dubai, UAE - March 2019)

Stay Report: Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport
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I was spending about 24-hours in Dubai and I was meeting someone who was spending only 12hours in Dubai, so I was looking for an inexpensive place near Dubai Airport that provided shuttle as well as early check-in.  The Holiday Inn Express Dubai Airport is located across from T3 and in my previous travels I have passed by the hotel numerous times, so I looked online and found a good rate and decided to check it out.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the IHG website or app, and I had some additional requests that I emailed to the hotel and they were very quick to respond.

According to hotel’s website, the shuttle from the airport to the hotel runs every 30 minutes but I was not sure where the shuttle actually stops so I tried to call the hotel but no one every picked up the phone.  The shuttle finally came and it was a 10-15 minute shuttle ride from either T1 or T3 to the hotel.  The hotel itself is quite large and there are a lot of rooms, but there is nothing around the hotel that is within walking distance; everything is about a 10-15 minute car ride away.  Considering the hotel caters to passengers departing and leaving at various times, their policies are a bit different than other hotels.  For example, if you check-in that day and are leaving that night (ie not staying until the next morning) then the breakfast in the morning you check-in is complimentary.  Check-in times can also be early as well, but only as early as 8am if you have booked one night; if you want to get a room earlier you have to book a room for the previous night.

As you enter the hotel’s lobby, the check-in desks are to the left while straight ahead is the waiting area with couches and chairs.  To the right is a little shop where you can buy snacks, drinks, and some basic items.  Further ahead on the right is the breakfast area and the room is large, spacious, and can accommodate a lot of guests.  There is a tour agencies desk in the middle of the lobby as well as bathrooms and meeting rooms as well.  I had arrived around 6am, which was too early for me to check-in but early enough to access the breakfast so I decided to enjoy the complimentary breakfast while waiting for my room.  I have stayed in Holiday Inn Express hotels in the U.S., and their complimentary breakfast is standard and a bit unappealing.  That is what I was expecting here, but at this hotel the complimentary breakfast is very large and has a decent variety of various breakfast items (the breakfast was comparable to that offered in 3-4 star hotels).  There were hot dishes – including eggs, beans, and potatoes – bread, cheese, salad, fruit, coffee, and a variety of other items; overall, I was very impressed with the breakfast. 

I was finally able to check-in and access the room around 8am, and the room itself is a bit underwhelming.  The layout and quality of the room and bathroom reminds me of the ibis hotels, which are also basic hotels that offer lower rates with lower standards of rooms.  As you entered into the room, on the right was the bathroom which contained a side sink, a toilet, and small stand-up shower, as environmentally-friendly, refillable toiletries – one in the shower and one next to the sink (very similar to the ibis hotels).  Further into the room, on the right were the two beds, double-size beds, with a nightstand in between.  Across from the beds was a desk and above the desk was the TV while below was a mini-fridge.  Next to the desk was an large armoire that also was the closet, and if you opened up the closet there was full-length mirror in there.  The beds themselves were of decent size and quality and provided a decent night’s sleep.  The size of the room was also decent, not too grand but not too compact either.  It was a good layover or transit-size hotel room, but only good for a day or two. 

Amenities for guests at the hotel included the complimentary breakfast, parking, a health and fitness center, shuttle to/from the airport (at select timings), laundry service, complimentary wifi, and a computer and printer in the lobby.  The complimentary wifi was available in the lobby for all guests and in the room as well as for guests.  The wifi speed was good enough for checking email, doing work, and streaming videos on YouTube.  The airport shuttle was convenient, but it was limited in its timings so you had to make sure to schedule around the shuttle timings.  As I said, there was little to nothing around the hotel in terms of walking distance; the only thing in walking distance was the metro station, which was a 5-10 minute walk and you are one-stop way from T1 or two stops away from T3. 

Overall, the hotel provided complimentary shuttle, complimentary breakfast and a decent night’s sleep.  The room was basic but clean and updated, and the considering the low price it was a good value.  Overall, the hotel provided a nice and affordable transit or layover hotel.