Bart Lapers
Visiting Every Country In The World
Superior room at NH Ghent Belfort
Pic: Superior room at NH Ghent Belfort (July 2011)
Pic: Superior room at NH Ghent Belfort (July 2011)
After experiencing the comfort of staying at a downtown hotel during the Gentse Feesten last year, I couldn’t resist booking a room for this year’s edition. In 2010, I had an excellent stay at Marriott Ghent (ranked #1 for Ghent on Tripadvisor) with a memorable check-in experience. Check this funny review “Belgium’s Marriott Ghent formerly a brothel” Marriott was bookable at Marriott.com for 149 euro for a 1 King Guest Room stay on July 20, 2011.
NH Ghent Belfort (ranked #3 for Ghent on Tripadvisor) was my choice for 2011. After reading the reviews, it was obvious to me I had to book a Superior room (129 euro). They were recently renovated and only 15 euro more expensive than the Standard rooms (114 euro). At check-in I requested a late check-out which was promptly refused; “It’s weekend and we are fully booked” When I countered with the fact I had checked the website with rooms still available a few moments before, the frontdesk lady went to the backoffice to see the manager on duty. A few moments later I was confirmed a 1pm check-out time. Not impressed, the InterContinental Ambassador program guarantees 4pm late check-out for every stay. The room was clean, spacious and had a modern design. Also remarkable was the complete silence in the room while the concerts and events of the Gentse Feesten were ongoing just outside the hotel.
Deluxe Suite at Novotel Bucharest City Centre
Pic: Novotel Bucharest City Centre – Exterior
Pic: Novotel Bucharest City Centre – Eugene Ionesco Suite (Jan 2011)
Pic: Novotel Bucharest City Centre – Eugene Ionesco Suite – Jacuzzi (Jan 2011)
Mid January 2011, I stayed at Novotel Bucharest City Centre. Normally I don’t consider Accor Hotels except for their Sofitel and M Gallery luxury brands. But this time I found a nice deal at Novotel Bucharest: they advertised their ‘Deluxe Suite’ at almost the same rate as a Standard Room. For 102 euro per night I was offered the Eugene Ionesco Suite (‘Deluxe Suite’ on Novotel website – bellboy called it the ‘Presidential Suite’) It had one bedroom with king-size bed, two bathrooms with massage showers, a huge Jacuzzi with tv, a living room with bar and a conference area with video conference facilities. It also came with vip lounge access (free snacks and drinks), free Wi-Fi and access to the Wellness Centre.
InterContinental Johannesburg Sandton Towers
Pic: My InterContinental Johannesburg Sandton Towers Club Floor Room
Pic: My InterContinental Johannesburg Sandton Towers Club Floor Room
Pic: IC Sandton Towers – Complimentary Club Lounge Breakfast
On May 20, I had the pleasure to be one of the first passengers flying the brand new Lufthansa Airbus 380-800 ‘Wien’. I left Brussels on Friday night and returned on Monday morning May 22, just in time for work. 🙂 As I spent two nights on the plane, I only had to book one Priority Club reward night in Johannesburg. Originally I had booked the InterContinental O.R. Tambo Airport, but one of my Couchsurfing friends convinced me to rebook (Priority Club reward nights can be canceled without penalty) at the InterContinental Sandton Towers. Glad I did, as I had an awesome weekend in sunny downtown Johannesburg. On arrival at O.R. Tambo Airport, I took the Gautrain to Sandton. The airport and train felt very safe, every wagon had its dedicated security guard. The InterContinental Sandton Towers transfer service from Sandton Gautrain station to the hotel turned out to be a laughable 500m ride…at least I arrived in style. Upon arrival I was directed to the 27th floor for the executive check-in desk. Early check-in (10am) was not an issue and I received a nice upgrade to a Club Floor room with Club Lounge access. A nice gift from the hotel, as they are not obliged to give upgrades or lounge access on reward stays. I didn’t spend much time in the hotel, but enjoyed lovely complimentary breakfast, afternoon snacks and evening drinks in the Club Lounge. Above all, I had a good night of sleep in between two nights on the A380!
Details Priority Club Reward booking:
When: May 21, 2011
Redeemed points for Reward Night: 30,000 (value $180)
Lowest rate found for May 21, 2011: +- 275 euro
Regency Suite at Hyatt Regency Cancun
Pic: View from my Regency Suite at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Regency Suite Bedroom at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
I’m currently enjoying a 10 9 night stay (arrived one day late thanks to Continental Airlines – United) at the Hyatt Regency Cancun. The main reason for this trip is to secure my Gold Passport Diamond level for the next two years using the Gold Passport Status Match Challenge. At arrival I was assigned a Regency Suite King with Ocean view (room 1115). I used two Suite Upgrade Awards to exchange my King room for a Regency Suite at the time of booking. Initially I was disappointed with the view. The room was facing the ocean, but you couldn’t see the Cancun bay. I went back to the front desk and requested a room facing the bay. The front desk attendant told me no Regency Suites facing the bay were available, but I should come back the next day at 1pm to check if I could move to an other room. I was fine with that, as I would stay 9 nights anyway. Once back in my room, I got a call from John, the Chief Concierge at Hyatt Regency Cancun. He wanted to check why I didn’t like the room and if he could offer a solution. Ten minutes later I could pick-up new keys for a Regency Suite (room 1220) with view on the bay. Now that’s customer service!
Pic: Arial Para Sailing view of Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Nighttime view from Regency Suite at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Lobby Area at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Lobby Area and O restaurant at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Main Pool Area at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Pool Area at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Pool Lounge Chairs at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Pool with beach view at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: The Beach House Spa Cabana at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Cabanas with beach view at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Cabana with beach view at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Pic: Stunning beach at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
Video: Regency Suite at Hyatt Regency Cancun (Jun 2011)
InterContinental London Park Lane – Studio Suite
I’m currently staying at the InterContinental London Park Lane on a ‘Sweet Dilemma‘ reward (two nights) Thanks to my Royal Ambassador status, I’ve been upgraded from a classic room to this Studio Suite. Nice!
Pic: My InterContinental London Park Lane – Studio Suite (May 2011)
Pic: My InterContinental London Park Lane – Studio Suite (May 2011)
Pic: InterContinental London Park Lane – Ambassador Welcome Gift
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