My Favourite Hotel – Head for Points

Take a look through our 64 ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews

Rob Burgess — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 02:06:00 +0000

During the pandemic, as a way of providing inspiration for readers who were stuck at home, we ran a 64-part series called ‘My Favourite Hotel’.

We decided to break our usual rule about not accepting reader reviews to allow people to submit stories about somewhere which had really made an impact of them.

We had a great response. Whilst we had our fair share of luxury hotel reviews, we also had a huge number of boutique and niche properties submitted. ‘Favourite’ is NOT about cost – it is about somewhere that made an impact on the guest.

Most were outside the branded chains we usually cover on HfP. One is only accessible by mule. One led to a formal complaint because photography is banned on the premises! One was written by Emyr Thomas, our luxury hotel booking partner, who has been to more upmarket hotels than most – what did he choose? One entry is a train, not a hotel.

It’s an eclectic selection. We restricted the number of reviews from any particular hotel brand or any particular city. In general, we set a higher bar on ‘unique’ if a property was more remote, and prioritised Europe because of the ease of travel from the UK.

We never properly indexed the series, although desktop and mobile readers have always been able to find a link under the ‘Reviews’ tab in the menu bar.

For the benefit of new readers who never saw the original series, as well as long time readers who may have forgotten they existed, here is a full list of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews indexed by geographical area.

Click through to read the full articles. Some of the niche ones are genuinely fascinating.

Remember that these reviews were written in 2020 and relate to stays pre-March 2020, so please check key details before booking.

UK:

Eastbourne – The Grand Hotel

Edinburgh – The Glasshouse

Lochaber – Mingary Castle (image above)

London – Shangri-La The Shard

London – The Savoy

Ecuador – Finch Bay Galapagos (image above)

Mexico – Rosewood Mayakoba, Riviera Maya

Peru – the Belmond Andean Explorer train

Asia inc Maldives:

China – The Peninsula, Shanghai

Japan – Benesse House Museum, Naoshima

Japan – The Peninsula, Tokyo

Malaysia – Tanjong Jara Resort

Maldives – Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma

Singapore – PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering

Sri Lanka – Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge, Kandy (image above)

Sri Lanka – Weligama Bay Marriott Resort and Spa

Thailand – Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok

Africa:

Egypt – Marriott Mena House, Giza (image above)

Lesotho / South Africa border – Sani Mountain Lodge

Mauritius – LUX* Grand Gaube

Seychelles – Le Domaine de L’Orangeraie Resort & Spa

South Africa – The Vineyard, Cape Town

South Africa – Fugitive’s Drift Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal

Uganda – Protea Hotel Entebbe

Zanzibar – Park Hyatt Zanzibar

Australasia:

Australia – Longitude 131°, Uluru

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review: Park Hyatt Zanzibar

Rhys Jones — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 03:32:47 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is from Stonetown, Zanzibar.

Due to a continued strong response from readers, we have been running another batch of ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews over the past couple of months. This time we wanted to hear about your ‘unique’ experiences and we’ve once again received a great amount of suggestions. As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews by clicking here.

Today’s hotel, which will be final review in this current batch of ‘My Favourite Hotel’, is the Park Hyatt Zanzibar. Here is reader Minhaal’s review:

“In the 2000s, there was a gap in proper 5 star hotels in the Stonetown area of Zanzibar.

In 2015, the Park Hyatt Zanzibar opened its doors and changed the hotel landscape in Stonetown. I had the opportunity to stay at the property in November of this year; it did not disappoint!

Most tourists opt to visit the more resort-y areas of the Island (Nungwi, Paje). However, Stonetown does offer something unique for tourists visiting Zanzibar.

The narrow alleyways, classic Zanzibar-style buildings (and doors), street food in Forodhani gardens, the “Bayt al Ajaib” and other attractions offer more local culture and history than you would find in the resort towns of Nngwi and Paje.

As a Tanzanian, I always recommend visitors to the island to spend at least some time in Stonetown, and preferably stay a night or two, depending on their itinerary.

Location of Park Hyatt Zanzibar

The property is located on the western shore of the island, a 10 minute walk from the Zanzibar port where ferries arrive from Dar-es-salaam on a daily basis. Karume International Airport is a 15-20 minute drive away depending on traffic.

The hotel is close to some of the best local attractions:

Forodhani Gardens (5 minutes walk), a street food paradise.
Bayt al Ajaib (5 minutes walk), a landmark building in Zanzibar, translating to “House of Wonders”.
Prison Island (30 minute boat ride), an iconic island, home to century old tortoises and an old prison. Boats can be hired at the Hotel, or with nearby vendors.
Shops and restaurants all within walking distance of the hotel

As far as Stonetown goes, you can’t beat the Park Hyatt’s location.

Reception and check-In

I was greeted at check-in by Taryn, the Front Office manager who acknowledged my World of Hyatt Discoverist status, as well as the fact that I had booked via Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts. She outlined all the benefits and I was promptly shown to my room, all in all in less than 15 minutes.

Rooms at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar

The rooms made it difficult to spend a lot of time outside of the hotel. These were as large as a 1 bedroom apartment, with a living area, kitchenette, two toilets, a bath and a shower.

The décor was in line and consistent with the rest of the property, very Zanzibary with a touch of luxury.

The tech was slightly outdated. The iPod dock was at least 5 years old and the TVs weren’t SMART enough to connect to your device for audio.

Public areas

The property is simply gorgeous. The infinity style pool overlooks the Indian Ocean, where you can watch the constant movement of local “Ngalawas” and ferries from Dar-es-salaam.

The restaurants carry the same theme as with the rest of the property; the consistency in décor was quite remarkable.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Our stay included a breakfast spread each morning and a $100 credit per room for three rooms. Naturally, we ate at the property quite a bit.

The breakfast spread at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar was in my top hotel breakfasts. You had your standard eggs made-to-order (special mention for the Zanzibari poached egg with Avocado, delicious!), waffles and pancakes and then a collection of local and continental dishes including coconut curried lentils, lamb, steamed veggies and salted kingfish. The breakfast alone would keep us going into mid-afternoon.

We had lunch at the property a couple of times as well. Highlights included the Zanzibari kachori, Chilly Chicken (with pineapple) and the steak sliders.

For dinner, honourable mentions go to the garlic sautéed jumbo prawns (which had a hint of sweetness to them) and a chicken curry that I cannot recall the name of but was delicious.

Service

The staff at the hotel were well-trained, attentive and polite.

I had an issue with the shower in my room which took too long to fix. In return I received a free spa package, the best one the hotel had to offer, worth $200!.

One of us required speedier internet access and the manager was kind enough to get us a USB device with high-speed internet.

Conclusion

Park Hyatt Zanzibar is a game changer for hotels in Stonetown, offering access to all the local attractions without forgoing the comfort of a top hotel.

In my previous visits to Zanzibar, I preferred to stay in Nungwi and make trips to Stonetown to visit the sites and food spots. Now I will strongly consider staying at the Park Hyatt, before making a trip to the resorts of Nungwi.”

Booking Park Hyatt Zanzibar

Pricing starts at £270 per night for Summer 2021 or for 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night. Given our general 1.2p valuation for a World of Hyatt point, a redemption here could be excellent value. The hotel website is here.

HfP’s hotel booking partner, Emyr Thomas, can access special rates at Park Hyatt Zanzibar via the Hyatt Prive programme which is exclusively offered to luxury travel agents.

If you book via Emyr and pay Best Flexible Rate, you will receive:

Upgrade at time of booking
Complimentary breakfast for two daily for duration of the stay
$100 USD equivalent hotel credit
Early check-in / late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary wi-fi

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points.

World of Hyatt update – January 2024:

Get bonus points: World of Hyatt is not currently running a global promotion

New to World of Hyatt? Read our overview of World of Hyatt here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our article on what we think World of Hyatt points are worth is here.

Buy points: If you need additional World of Hyatt points, you can buy them here.

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from Hyatt and the other major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel, Ecuador

Anika Burnett — Sun, 13 Dec 2020 03:11:34 +0000

This is our review of the Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Due to a continued strong response from readers, we have been running another batch of ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews over the past few weeks. This time we wanted to hear about your ‘unique’ experiences and we’ve once again received a great amount of suggestions. As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews by clicking here.

Today’s hotel is the Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel in Puerto Ayora, a member of National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. Here is reader YC’s review:

Getting there & location

Few people understand how large the Galapagos Archipelago is, with the islands covering over 138,000 square kilometres.

The Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel is certainly not the easiest hotel to get to from the UK. Travel includes a minimum of two stopovers as Quito and Guayaquil are the only two entry ports to the Galapagos Islands.

Once you get to the airport the journey doesn’t end. We had to take a ferry, bus, land taxi and water taxi – a pretty complex journey that was luckily simplified with a Finch Bay representative guiding us. Nonetheless, once we arrived at the small bay in Puerto Ayora, we were in paradise and the tiresome journey to get there was all forgotten.

The remote location across the bay was no issue as the hotel had a water taxi that would take us across the water to get to the nearest town where we had dinner almost every night. The ride took only three minutes and there was never a long wait for the water taxi whenever we needed it. We were well entertained by reef sharks and sea lions whenever we were waiting for the boat.

On one occasion we were even met by a sea lion on our walkway at the jetty – who knows how it got up there!

Overview

Designated as one of the unique lodges of the world by National Geographic (which they certainly are very proud of!), the hotel had a resort like feel that was surrounded by nature. The eco-friendly and nautical theme blended well with the destination. Its remote location also had its advantages with various areas to relax and explore. On top of that it’s the only beach front hotel on Puerto Ayora which meant we had access to the beach before anyone else did!

Our room

The rooms were slightly on the smaller side but they were clean and comfortable. Most guests will probably spend a minimal amount of time in the room whilst in the Galapagos anyway.

It is worth mentioning that this is one of the best hotels on the island. Pikaia Lodge is another great one but was well out of budget and its location quite remote.

Service throughout the hotel was excellent. The staff were very knowledgable about the animals and the islands and showed interest in ensuring we had a good day.

Activities

The hotel had a swimming pool, spa and jacuzzi which was great for relaxing after a long day.

The hotel owns a private yacht called the ‘Sea Lion’ which we took on a day trip to South Plaza Island. It was the highlight of my trip! Both the land and sea guides were both very informative and we were able to get inches close to sea turtles and sea lions. Not to mention the 5 star service boat service and excellent food onboard by the yacht chef.

Although pricey, I would highly recommend it. The following day, we went with a third party guide from the island and were very disappointed.

The hotel is also just a 20 minute easy hike from Las Grietas, which is on the same side of the bay. It is a fascinating rock formation of two cliffs separated by ocean water. It was absolutely beautiful with the water being crystal clear and a great place to snorkel.

It is very popular and I would recommend going early in the morning to get the whole place to yourself (and I’m not a morning person).

Wetsuits were included although flippers and snorkelling gear were not. A thing to note about the wetsuits was that they did not provide full length suits and I personally felt cold whilst in the sea.

Conclusion

All in all, this was an unforgettable holiday and we were extremely lucky to have visited Galapagos. My biggest regret is not spending more time on the islands as we missed the opportunity to see certain wildlife.

Nonetheless, we made the most of our stay and Finch Bay really helped to enhance the trip through its genuine care, unique location and amenities. I highly recommend the Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel for anyone considering a land base trip of the archipelago. We will be back!

The hotel’s website is here if you want to find out more. Pricing is $500 to $700 per night over Summer 2021.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Shack Up Inn, Clarksdale, Mississippi

Anika Burnett — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 03:33:00 +0000

This is our review of The Shack Up Inn, Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Due to a continued strong response from readers, we are running another batch of ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews over the next few weeks. This time we wanted to hear about your ‘unique’ experiences and we’ve once again received a great amount of suggestions. Hopefully you will enjoy reading these reviews. As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews by clicking here.

Today’s hotel is The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Mississippi – the town where blues was first developed before it was brought to the big cities during the Great Migration.

Here is reader Debbie’s review:

Overview

Who doesn’t love a road trip?

In Spring 2019 we covered 1,409 miles in three weeks to follow The Blues Highway. We flew into New Orleans and then headed to Natchez to join the Natchez Trace that led us slowly up to Nashville (for the Ryman Auditorium and music in every bar), Memphis (Sun, Stax, Gracelands and a memorable afternoon in the Martin Luther King museum at the Lorraine Motel) then on to Clarksdale (Robert Johnson’s crossroads), a slight diversion to Vicksburg (Civil War) and finally back to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras celebrations.

Our road trip included some memorable hotel stays. They ranged from the frankly terrible (the one that had been the subject of a Gordon Ramsey makeover), the mildly terrifying (a one night stop over by the airport), the one that was wonderful for the warmth of welcome (a B&B in Vicksburg), the one that was a tourist attraction in its own right (a haunted plantation house complete with ghost tour) and the one that won our hearts with its genteel glamour (our hotel in the French Quarter of New Orleans).

However there was none as memorable as The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where they proudly and accurately proclaim, ‘the ritz we aint!’

Clarksdale is about an hour south of Memphis, a small, rather dusty town that lacks the bright lights and crowds of many of our other stops but has the claim to being a key location for blues and rock music; it was here that Robert Johnson made his pact with the devil at the Crossroads, Bessie Smith died and John Lee Hooker lived. Clarksdale hosts many blues festivals, is the location of the Delta Blues Museum and Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero nightclub.

Location

The Shack Up Inn, is located on the Hopson Plantation 3 miles from the Crossroads. It isn’t an inn as such, but rather a collection of original sharecropper shacks sited somewhat haphazardly around a central courtyard.

The aim of the Shack Up is to preserve these little pieces of history that would otherwise have vanished or been hidden away in a museum and also to put that history to work in order to generate income and activity for an area that feels rich in neither.

Each shack is original and unique but all have metal roofs, wooden walls and porches complete with rocking chairs. The site is littered with an assorted collection of broken down chairs, hand painted signs and other ‘vintage’ items. It all takes a bit of getting used to and made us wonder if we had slipped back in time or wandered onto a film set.

Check-in

Checking in at the lobby, we had a look at the the bar and music venue. This would indeed be a great place to hear live music but sadly none was taking place on the night of our visit. But not to worry as we were invited to borrow a guitar from the eclectic assortment on offer before making our way to our shack for the night.

We followed the instructions we had been given, drove round the track and parked up – out of sight but close to our shack.

Our Shack

Exploring The Caddy Shack didn’t take long; just the one room with a small kitchen area and a bathroom to one side. The room was cosy and comfortable and distinctly old-fashioned, decorated with personal memorabilia so much so that we felt like the original tenants might be returning anytime soon.

We were pleased and somewhat relieved to see that all mod-cons were on offer – including hot water and a flushing toilet – but somewhat surprised to see that the kitchen tap was actually a set of pliers! The room was filled by a double bed and also a piano that could surely belt out a tune or two – if only one of us could play.

and (apologies for the blurry image)

It being a quiet night on the music front it was also a quiet night on the food front, so we set out to a local supermarket to lay in provisions for the evening. Of course we could have driven into town, or called a cab, but we wanted to stay in and soak up the atmosphere; we figured it would be a while before we used pliers in a sink again.

After settling in at the bar for a couple of beers and a chat with the barman about modern Mississippi, we retired to our porch to spend the evening sitting in the rocking chair pretending to play the blues on our borrowed guitar. This was followed by a cosy and comfortable night’s sleep under heavy layers of sheets and blankets.

In the morning, breakfast from the lobby was a coffee and a bagel– just right to get us started on the next leg of our journey.

Conclusion

Of course we questioned ourselves before booking a night at The Shack-Up Inn. After all we didn’t want, to quote the Sex Pistols, ‘a cheap holiday in other people’s misery’ but in the context of our road trip we did want to immerse ourselves in the origins of the music we had travelled so far to hear.

Our night in The Caddy Shack certainly made us reflect on the hardships of the sharecroppers’ lives and of how families could have lived together in such small spaces with so few home comforts. It also gave us a deeper understanding of the context of the music – principally the blues, but also country and gospel – and what it must have meant to people back then as a means of expression and entertainment.

Our night at The Shack Up Inn was a unique experience and one that we would not want to have missed; well worth the $80 we paid. Next time though, we would like to hear a band ripping it up in The Shack Up Inn bar.

The Shack Up Inn website is here, if you want to find out more.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Anika Burnett — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 03:11:00 +0000

This is our review of the Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Today’s hotel is the Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge, tucked away high in the beautiful Knuckles Mountains outside of Kandy, Sri Lanka.

This review is from reader Alex, who shares his points and miles addiction on @firstclassisinsession on Instagram and visited the hotel as part of a trip to Sri Lanka in February 2020.

Getting there

The only way to fly to Sri Lanka internationally is through Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo. There are several flight options from the UK to Colombo, including oneworld partner Sri Lankan Airlines which I believe is the only airline to fly direct.

My wife and I opted for an indirect route of first-class luxury by redeeming American Airlines miles for Etihad Apartments from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi and Etihad Business from Abu Dhabi to Velana. We flew to the Maldives first and then a week later flew the hour-long flight to Colombo from Male with serious views en route!

If you’re touring the island of Sri Lanka privately, it is likely that you’ve hired a driver. This is a standard practice and most hotels have separate accommodations to house drivers, so that they stay with you the whole trip. We used Green Lanka and were very happy with our driver Timothy. We landed in Colombo around 5pm and started the drive to Kandy, where we stayed overnight and checked out the city, before heading up the mountains to Madulkelle.

Keep in mind that driving times to Kandy vary significantly depending on traffic – 2-4 hours – and the hotel is another hour beyond Kandy accessed via winding mountain roads.

Arrival

After a rather hectic self-guided tour of Kandy, we started the journey up the mountains to Madulkelle. The drive had incredible views and I found myself glued to the windows looking at the expansive tea plantations that poured into the stunning valleys. As the roads got progressively bumpier and narrower, my wife’s grip on my arm got tighter and tighter. By the time we turned off the main road to get to the hotel, we were on a single track dirt road with very little room between the van and the edge – it was an experience in its own right!

Finally, the road flattened out and we pulled alongside a beautiful building and were greeted by a retro Land Rover and members of hotel staff, dressed in traditional Sri Lankan outfits.

Accommodation

Madulkelle offers multiple room types including a few indoor family suites, but we opted for a Deluxe Tent with Mountain View (they all have mountain views) which I believe is their base tier of accommodation. That said, Madulkelle takes glamping to an entirely new level and the Deluxe Tent option was more than big enough for the two of us.

Each tent was spaced out far enough that it felt very private and secluded – and when we say tent we mean proper thick canvas supported by a sturdy metal and wooden frame. The tent was very large with a full double bed, a desk, fully plumbed shower and toilet, shelving space, kettle for tea and coffee, and a terrace out front – everything you’d expect from a standard hotel room.

The highlight of the room was without a doubt the view from the terrace, especially at sunrise. The front of the tent was facing east, so the early morning sunrise could be seen without leaving the bed. We definitely felt like we were in nature — we saw many species of birds and even a monkey rustling around in the bushes a few times.

Food and beverage

All food and drinks were served in the main reception building which was very tastefully appointed. At night, they lit a large fire in the fireplace, as it can get cold at night in the mountains, and played jazz tracks from the 1950s. There was a large library of books and a pool table near the entrance to complete the rustic feeling. Beyond the lobby area was a bar and several tables, with more tables outside on the terrace with stunning views of the mountains beyond.

Breakfast was exceptionally tasty with multiple courses of food from either the Western of Sri Lankan set menu which of course included tea – or coffee if you prefer something from further afield. The kitchen also served lunch and dinner, which you’re pretty much stuck with as there are no other options nearby due to the remote location of the property. Luckily, the food was excellent overall.

To drink, they offered a good selection of wine and some cocktails, but with delicious Lion Beer so inexpensive, we mostly opted for that.

Activities

There were plenty of activities on offer to fill at least two full days suited for all interests — relaxing, educational, or active. If you simply wanted to lay by the pool and take in the view, you could do that.

They offered Sri Lankan cooking classes and also had a spa where you could book massages. We did both and were thoroughly impressed with both activities. We especially enjoyed the Sri Lankan cooking class, hosted by one of the chefs at the hotel – we still cook the green bean curry recipe back home, which the chef scribbled on a napkin for us to take home with us.

The hotel also offered hikes in the Knuckles Mountains with varying degrees of difficult, where you are led by a guide either exploring a local village or the flora and fauna of the region. Don’t forget to bring your leech socks, otherwise you might be in for a few surprises.

We opted for a Tea Plantation tour, so after a good night’s sleep, we hopped into the retro Land Rover and drove the same single track road 20 minutes down to the local tea factory – Hatale Tea, which has been running since 1925. The tour was led by a manager at the factory who had been there almost as long as the factory has been running. He took us through the entire picking, drying, grading, and blending process which was fascinating. We bought some of their green tea after the tour and it was divine.

Conclusion

Sri Lanka is an incredible country with so much to offer in one place – beach, mountains, safari, etc – and most people will split time between the mountains and the coasts on their tour.

If you’re touring Sri Lanka, stay here to really experience the mountain region up close and off the beaten path. In hindsight, we would have liked one more day at Madulkelle and one less day in Kandy, which wasn’t our favourite stop on the Sri Lanka tour. Madulkelle is truly one of a kind – the view of sunrise over the Knuckles Mountains in the morning is a memory that will stay with me for a long time.

To find out more, the hotel’s website is here. We booked on Booking.com – check out the reviews on the site – 9.1.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Elsewhere in Goa

Anika Burnett — Sun, 22 Nov 2020 03:11:00 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is of the Elsewhere resort in Goa.

Today’s hotel is Elsewhere – Goa’s best kept secret.

Here is reader Hugo’s review:

Overview

After 2 ½ weeks travelling around Mumbai and Rajasthan on our ‘pre-wedding’ honeymoon, we knew some relaxation and beach time was in order so our next stop was Goa. Upon arrival at Goa airport, we were told to look for the sign ‘take me to Elsewhere’, where we were met by our charming driver with bottles of chilled water and a little snack.

An hour and a half later, having driven north through Goa along the equivalent of English country lanes full of twists, turns and beautiful greenery, we arrived in a little fishing village. Ahead of us was a narrow 60m long bamboo bridge crossing the creek – a bridge that lets you forget about the world outside as you cross it, your luggage following behind.

The resort

The area of land occupied by Elsewhere is significant – a spot of land wedged between a creek and the sea with water on three sides of the property. The interior is sand paths amongst the palm trees and peace and tranquillity are the name of the game.

To be clear, Elsewhere isn’t for everyone. If you want hundreds of staff running after your every need, room service, lots of fluffy towels etc, don’t come here! If you want barefoot basic luxury, some of the loveliest staff anywhere I’ve travelled in the world, people that really care about their guests and a management team that really cares about their staff, then Elsewhere might be for you.

It’s the only hotel I’ve ever booked where I had to fill out an application form before I was given the actual location, as Elsewhere takes the privacy of their guests seriously. There are rumours of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt having stayed there once and Salman Rushdie being a regular guest.

Due to the chilled-out convivial and very social atmosphere, the ‘dining shack’ saw lots of interactions amongst guests and tales of all sorts of coincidences were being found.

One example was that my wife had fallen in love with the ancient craft of block printing in Rajasthan so we had ended our stay there with a visit to the Jaipur museum of block-printing (and a number of purchases…)

Coincidentally we struck up conversation with an Anglo-Indian family over breakfast in the dining tent one morning who happened to be the second generation of the family that built the museum we had visited the week before!

Other interesting guests at the time of our stay were the manager of a major British singer and the singer’s drummer plus their son, and they had bumped into a couple who once ran the BBC Maida Vale studios.

Accommodations

Accommodation at Elsewhere consists of three permanent tents (the Otter Creek tents) and a further five houses (sleeping a total of 20 people) so there are never more than 26 guests on the property.

We stayed in one of the tents overlooking the creek. It was actually more of a fixed canvas building rather than a tent.

There was a nice comfy 4 poster bed, a basic bathroom / shower, and that’s about it! In a good way! The hot water wasn’t great, and more like lukewarm but with warm days and nights, it did the trick! It’s certainly not the Taj in Mumbai where we enjoyed true five star luxury but a trip to India should always be full of contrasts.

One of the more interesting aspects of being in a tent was the wildlife, bringing about a 2am ‘threesome’ with a squirrel scurrying across our bed!

Dining at Elsewhere

Meals in the dining shack were fabulous, from great breakfasts through to truly delicious massive tandoori prawns. The menu reflected both Indian and more Western-influenced dishes and it was perfect for lazy breakfasts, casual lunches with the sand between your toes and great dinners. The dining shack was also the only place with wifi, with an apt password – ‘ruinmyholiday’!

What to do at Elsewhere

The beach was one of the most stunning I’ve been to – practically deserted and private with perfect sand and beautifully calm sea. We enjoyed sunbeds most days at the top of the sand dunes overlooking the beach (complete with regular deliveries of fresh coconuts) followed by dips in the sea and long beach walks.

Our penultimate morning saw us get up before the sunrise to go dolphin spotting (very successfully) with some of the local fisherman, which was a memorable and fantastic way to start the day.

Twenty minutes’ walk down the beach, there were a number of fabulous restaurants and boutiques and we were highly recommended a restaurant ‘La Plage’ for a delicious French-Indian seafood dinner.

The staff at Elsewhere were out of this world and the property is run by a wonderful lady, Barbara for whom nothing was too much. She suggested and arranged some epic dinners for us, and of course arranged a car and driver to all of her suggestions. Under her management, the care and attention to service from her dedicated team was perfect and she looked after her staff incredibly well.

Conclusion

By the time of our departure, we had almost forgotten about the outside world and tried to see if we could change our flights home to London by a day to squeeze in one more night at Elsewhere. Alas, and not surprisingly, they were fully booked. One day, we plan to return – but this time we want to stay in one of the houses.

You can find out more about Elsewhere here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Sani Mountain Lodge, Lesotho / South Africa border

Anika Burnett — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 03:15:00 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is of the Sani Mountain Lodge in Lesotho, on the border with South Africa.

Today’s hotel is the Sani Mountain Lodge on the border of Lesotho and South Africa, which includes the highest pub in Africa.

Here is reader Alistair’s review:

I’m eating roast lamb with mint sauce and all the trimmings. A Labrador stretches out in front of the roaring fire. Fierce wind whistles past the windows. It could easily be Yorkshire but I’m in the Kingdom of Lesotho, at the top of the Sani Mountain pass, where the cliffs meet the clouds and you can spend a night at the highest pub in Africa.

Where is the highest pub in Africa?

Lesotho is a mountainous kingdom, so high its lowest point is the highest of any country. On the eastern side, approaching from Durban in South Africa, is the Sani pass, an exhilarating drive up a steeply twisting dirt road that can only be tackled in a four-wheel drive.

Near the top, inside the clouds, you can’t see the edge of the narrow trail. After breaking through to the lost world above you might need a drink to calm the nerves, so it’s handy to have a pub right there.

Overview

Sani Mountain Lodge sits on the edge of the Sani Top plateau at 2874 metres. Many come on a guided tour from Durban, to see the pass and have a drink. The pass is too dangerous in darkness so the border gates close at 6pm and day-trippers leave early. Far better to rent your own car and stay the night.

If you want to stay but dare not drive yourself, the lodge offers a 4×4 shuttle to collect you from the South African border post at the bottom of the pass.

Facilities and rooms are basic, but you don’t come for luxury. You come for the bucketloads of atmosphere.

Rooms

There are doubles, and family rooms sleeping four. Rates usually include dinner and breakfast.

I stayed in a traditional “rondavel” hut. They are small, have a double bed, a feeble shower, a toilet, and not much else. You’ll find a fireplace with a pile of wood and a bucket of coal. Return to your hut after dinner and the staff will have lit the fire. As the wind howls across the plateau, the fire creates a wonderful cozy feeling. There’s only one amenity worth mentioning. A little decanter of sherry.

It’s perfect. You’ll lie awake, sipping sherry, listening to the wind, throw another log on the fire and enjoy it far too much to go to sleep.

I came because the Sani pass is one of the world’s most thrilling drives, but staying at the lodge is an experience that justifies the effort to get there.

Facilities and activities

The pub is open all day for food and drink, and there’s a souvenir craft shop at the top of the pass. That’s all there is, but you’ll be too busy with the landscape. There are epic views back down the pass, a spectacular mountain wilderness to hike around, and if you have your own car, more dirt roads into the unspoilt kingdom.

Take a torch because once the sun has set the darkness is total. It gets cold, too. There are just two things to do. Eat and drink in the pub, or gaze at the stars showing more clearly than you’ve ever seen.

There’s wifi in the pub, and they can organise horse riding, cultural tours, and guided hikes to the mountain peaks.

Drinking and dining

The pub has a lounge of comfy old chairs, crackling fires, and lazy dogs. The daytime menu offers sandwiches and burgers, and a cracking Basotho lamb stew. Dinner is a friendly, casual group affair. Join in with the mix of adventurers to share a drink and talk about the drive.

It’s a set menu. Food and drink is all brought up the pass or across the plateau from a great distance. You will get what you’re given and everyone gets the same – and you won’t be disappointed.

I had roast lamb. It was as good as you’d get at a pub in Yorkshire, minus the Yorkshire pudding. South African red wine, local beers, and conversation with new friends will entertain you late into the night.

Breakfast is a very good buffet, cooked and continental.

Driving the Sani Pass

You must have a proper four-wheel drive vehicle with ground clearance. An ordinary car will not be allowed through. You don’t need to be an experienced off-roader, just a competent and confident driver. Your heart will be racing, but the car will take it in its stride.

It will take at least 90 minutes to drive the pass. It gets really steep and narrow as you approach the Lesotho border post at the top. Heavy rain can make it a non-starter.

If you’re not confident in your driving skills, take a tour from Durban, which is also a good place to hire your own vehicle. It’s three hours from Durban to the bottom of the pass, and don’t forget your passport.

Booking

You can book with the usual aggregators. Points earning opportunities are with Hotels.com or Agoda. There are only eight rooms so book early.

Conclusion

Africa is full of highlights, but Sani Mountain Lodge, whether you stay the night or just stop for a pint at the highest pub in Africa, will be one of the most memorable. I explored South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe in my 4×4, and the Sani Pass is the bit I remember most.

I wish I’d stayed another night to explore more of that side of Lesotho. You might be sad to leave, but you’ve still got a breathtaking drive back down the pass. It’s a trip you won’t stop talking about.

If you want to find out more, the Sani Mountain Lodge’s website is here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – a £10,000 suite at the Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London

Anika Burnett — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 03:12:00 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is of a £10,000 suite at the Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London.

Today’s hotel is the Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard in London – more specifically its £10,000 Shangri-La Suite that reader Andrew happened to stay in due to a very generous upgrade! Here is his review:

Overview

My family and I had previously enjoyed a couple of pleasant stays, in a couple of different types of room, at the Shangri-La at The Shard. These were enhanced by having Jade status in the Shangri-La Golden Circle scheme, which got us free breakfast, that we obtained through having an American Express Platinum card. More significantly, we had experienced excellent service from a number of members of staff.

Personally, I like the architecture of the building from the outside and I’m quite fond of the interior design, as well as the views from the higher floors. I’d heard that initially some of the apartments in the building didn’t sell too well because those that could afford it didn’t want to live ‘south of the river’. That said, I’ve personally always found it fairly easy to get to this hotel and the South Bank is great for walks.

With one of those ‘round birthdays’ to celebrate, we thought we’d treat ourselves to a couple of nights and, on this occasion, book a suite using a well-priced pre-paid rate. We had also amassed a modest quantity of Golden Circle points from a summer holiday stay at another Shangri-La hotel that we planned to use towards dining credit, including celebratory birthday steaks and wine.

Check-in disaster

It didn’t go as planned. On check-in day itself, following a number of different situations which I don’t intend to go into in this ‘service-recovery’ review, we found ourselves in the lobby lounge discussing various aspects of our stay with hotel management. After checking that we were dining in the hotel that evening, they promised to give us an update later.

Dining and beverage

From breakfasts that include cooked items and pancakes to evening meals with steaks or Asian dishes such as chicken rice, we’ve always found the food in The Shard reliable and tasty, and the view is pretty good, too. They also have a reasonably-priced children’s menu so your kids can dine with you and you don’t feel like you’re being gouged for their plates.

Of course, there are plenty of other places in London where you can eat, but sometimes you don’t want to or can’t leave the hotel in the evening and it’s good to have that option.

The upgrade

At dinner, the member of staff returned and, crouching down at our table, commented that while there was nothing they could do for us this evening because the hotel was full, there was something that they could do tomorrow evening, with the news that we were being upgraded to their very best suite, the Shangri-La Suite, on the 39th floor.

Like many a good Head for Points reader, I was well aware that this wasn’t marketing flimflam (having tried to identify upgrade opportunities when booking) and that the rack rate for this particular suite was £10,000 per night!

During our meal, I made the mistake of nipping to the washroom while the wine was delivered to our table and it wasn’t until later that I noticed that we’ve been brought a cheaper bottle of wine rather than the one I had requested. However, the glass was definitely half full, as this meant that I had some points left to spend and so ordered, on special offer, a glass of Château d’Yquem with my desert.

In contrast to the regular bottle, which had simply been placed at the table, the special desert wine was delivered by the sommelier using their “by the glass” device which uses inert gas and two needles to dispense a small amount of wine from the corked bottle.

Official photo of The Shangri-La Suite

Moving into the Shangri-La Suite

The next day, after we’d enjoyed a Sunday roast at Hawksmoor, the manager with whom we’d been dealing helped us move into our new suite and gave us a tour of all of the facilities, adding that we had access to the butler that was normally included should we need it.

According to the hotel website, the suite has:

188 – 232 sqm / 2,021 – 2,494 sqf of unparalleled luxury
Sublime skyline views along the River Thames from Canary Wharf to the London Eye
Spacious living room with custom-made furniture, a private study and guest washroom
Separate dining area with crystal glassware that can accomodate up to 10 guests and a fully-equipped kitchenette
Luxurious en-suite bedroom with a custom super king-size Shangri-La Bed, walk-in closet, dressing area, two-seater sofa and chaise lounge
Extra-large marble-clad bathroom with walk-in rain shower, hot whirlpool bath, premium Washlet toilet, mirror-embedded television and heated floors
Private access via a separate lift
Bedside controls for lighting, the sun shielding panel and black-out curtains
Private 1-way airport transfer from a London Airport of your choice
A personal butler to ensure an exceptional stay

One of my children decided that they would set up their bed in the living room while the other one would make camp in the office. Admittedly, this was only after we’d said that they couldn’t sleep in the walk-in closet/wardrobe room which would’ve been more than big enough!

Of course, you can all find that plenty of information about this suite for yourselves on the hotel website, but what was it really like to live in it?

Well, it was certainly more than your traditional suite. You could certainly have lived and worked in it very comfortably indeed! With a fully-stocked fridge freezer in the kitchen, you wouldn’t need to leave the place for days.

The master bedroom has a superb view looking across the river towards St Paul’s.

Perhaps to accommodate the privacy of its usual occupant, and unlike a number of other rooms in the property, the bathroom was interior to the accommodation and so there was to be no gazing out at the London Eye while soaking in the tub.

This suite also features Aqua di Parma toiletries instead of the usual L’Occitane products. So, when housekeeping called, I asked if they could leave a set of both. We did, however, stay well away from the ‘minibar’ in the kitchen which included a £400 bottle of red and a £600 bottle of champagne.

Things continued to improve when we decided to have a light supper in the hotel that evening and the staff immediately checked if we wanted the same aperitif as we’d had the night before.

Later that evening, while still wondering exactly what one would use the butler for (and whether there’d be any charges for doing so), there was a knock at the door and there he was with a silver tray bearing two rocks glasses and a premixed bottle of negroni, our ‘usual’ aperitif!

So, what did we use the butler for? Well, we had to call him back a few minutes later and ask him to bring us some ice! Garnishes were prepared from our extensive fruit bowl with one of the knives from the well-equipped kitchen.

One of the things that I like about The Shard, even though I’ve only ever stayed there with my family, is that in the morning and the evening they have child-free times in the residents-only swimming pool up on the 52nd floor.

(If you want to enjoy the same view, without staying at the hotel, you’ll need to head up to the cocktail bar on the same floor for a drink.)

While the family enjoyed a lie-in, I headed to one of my travel-related happy places for an early morning paddle, coffee and newspaper, and to watch the sunrise light up the landmarks of London.

After a family breakfast, we enjoyed one final swim before taking an Uber (Lux, which turned out to be a Bentley Mulsanne, funded using the HfP-guided Clubcard to Uber conversion) to Luca for lunch.

Conclusion

I recognise that we were incredibly fortunate to be upgraded to such a suite, but it certainly highlights that if you do have issues while staying in a hotel such as this it is worth raising them at the time to give the hotel the opportunity to put things right. That said, I doubt I’ll ever encounter such a staggeringly good upgrade again, but there’s always hope.

You can find out more about the Shangri-La Suite here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Stanglwirt in the Austrian Alps

Anika Burnett — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 03:01:00 +0000

This is our review of the Stanglwirt hotel in the Austrian Alps.

Today’s hotel is the Stanglwirt in the Austrian Alps.

Here is reader Matthias’ review:

“I think I’ll ask the lady to make me another pancake,” said my son, “but I can’t decide between Nutella and apple sauce”. I give him a look that says this will be your 6^th course so you’d better eat it, which is met with a confident nod. Just then, my daughter bounds over with her usual pile of scrambled eggs – extra mushrooms but definitely no onions – to ask whether I’d seen the fresh hunk of roast beef sirloin.

I leave my wife to her healthy plate of insalata caprese to cut myself a slice, picking up a wedge of delicious-looking cake for later as I pass. It will probably be the only thing I’ll eat between now and dinner, unless the temptation of an Apfelstrudel becomes irresistible mid-afternoon. Back at our table I meet Gerry, who’s been in charge of this most epicurean breakfast for as long as I can remember, and he gives me a hearty welcoming handshake before disappearing off into the kitchen.

Soon enough the children are done and run off downstairs. I know their three Euros won’t last long on the arcade games, but I expect they’ll then build a Lego tower in the playroom, so we should be able to enjoy our second latte macchiato in peace before lumbering off. It’s our first day here so there’s no rush – as usual, we’ll start at the children’s farm for an hour or two playing with the animals, jumping into the fragrant hay and joining in with the arts and crafts. I think they’re decorating flowerpots today.

The afternoon will be spent in the children’s ‘water world’ complete with slide, whirlpool and big-screen Disney movie projected poolside. I’ll accept my children’s dare to swim a length of the cold pool (my wife won’t), but I’ll be rewarded with another coffee in the sun on the beautiful hotel lawn, enjoying the view of the majestic Kaiser mountains. We might also go and see the Lipizzaner horses, bringing back fond memories of pony rides around the hotel grounds when the kids were smaller.

The 2-hour drive from Munich airport last night seems far away now, although next time we’ll find a way to fly to Innsbruck or Salzburg, which are closer. I drink in the hotel’s unapologetically alpine style, all solid wood and stone, and watch the waiters in traditional outfits drift past. A little card in the room says the wood was specially selected for its relaxing smell, which may be quack but I do have the deepest sleeps here, no doubt aided and abetted by the clear mountain air. I see a couple on their way to a spa treatment in only their bathrobes and no-one bats an eyelid.

Whilst I’ve been coming here for a long time, it’s a mere wrinkle in the hotel’s 250-year history unfolding like tree rings from the original Gasthaus at its centre. Over the last 50 years the family patriarch, Balthasar Hauser, added suites, a golf course, tennis courts and a huge wellness area to attract customers from around the world, although Germans still make up the majority.

While this includes the occasional celebrity such as Arnold Schwarzenegger or Bill Clinton (as documented on the hotel photo wall), the same warm welcome is extended to everyone regardless. In the evenings, Herr Hauser still holds court at the chalet-style bar, but nowadays his three children are the custodians of the hotel’s tradition.

Tomorrow we will venture into the surrounding mountains. The gondolas that ferry eager skiers around the world-famous Kitzbühel resort still run in the summer, with hill tops converted into giant kids’ play areas. We’ll probably hike across the meadows to enjoy a drink and the view at the Tanzbodenalm ski chalet, hoping that the broken plastic cow has been fixed – it wouldn’t be the same without it.

We’ll start a bit earlier to return safely before the forecast afternoon thunderstorm, midwife to the lush flowering landscape carpeting the region. The day after it might be the climbing park, where last summer my son (139.5cm to the 140cm minimum) got stuck on one of the obstacles and had to be rescued. He’s grown a lot, so he should be fine this time if I can convince him to return. Or we might go for a stroll in the beautifully restored village of Kitzbühel, marvelling at the steepness of the famous downhill run towering overhead.

Perhaps one day when the kids have flown the nest, the circle will close and we’ll come back as a couple to enjoy the serenity of the adult pools and the decadence of the 7-course dinners, so evocatively described in the hotel’s daily newsletter. Either way, just as the hotel advertises, we really do feel “daheim beim Stanglwirt”. At home at the Stanglwirt.

The hotel’s website is here if you want to find out more. Rooms start at €300 to €400 per night depending on season.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Our Land Island Backwater Resort, Alleppey, South India

Anika Burnett — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:11:00 +0000

This is our review of the Our Land Island Backwater Resort in Alleppey, South India

Today’s hotel is Our Land Island Backwater Resort in South India

Here is reader Simon’s review:

Overview

Our Land Resort in the depths of the Kerala backwaters is by far my favourite hotel. I stayed there in February 2014 when my wife and I unexpectedly met up with my brother and sister-in-law during a trip to South India.

Despite our trip containing a magnificent stay in a glorious luxury suite overlooking the Queen’s Necklace in Mumbai as well as a modern sea view villa with Mamallapuram’s famous Shore Temple in the distance, the one place we still keep talking about was the simple yet special offering at Our Land in Alleppey. The most elaborate routine on show would come from the wildlife and a multi-starred dining experience meant looking skyward from your plate at dinner time.

Location

Our Land resort is set on a small island on the Pamba River in Alleppey and was once a bandit’s hideout. Nowadays it is a small ecologically friendly resort with five traditionally furnished rooms, a tree house, and a houseboat.

We were promptly collected from Alleppey train station with our friendly driver confidently picking us out from the gaggle of departing passengers. It was a short drive along the palm lined streets to the riverside and from there we were rowed across to the resort in a large canoe.

At first we were nervous about how the slightly rickety looking vessel and its somewhat elderly looking navigator would get the four of us plus our luggage across in one piece. We needn’t have worried and by the time our stay was over we’d got quite used to rowing or being rowed around in these surprisingly stable canoes.

Accommodation

Once we arrived on dry land, we were shown to our bungalow which was split into two separate rooms that the four of us shared.

The rooms were simple whitewashed affairs, with a basic bathroom, large comfortable beds (though slightly hard as is normal in many Indian lodgings).

The locally made hardwood furniture and doors added to that typical South Indian feel. In front of our rooms was a small veranda with a table and chairs for entertaining as well as a hammock in case you felt like getting in some extra rest. From our bungalow we had the perfect view to watch the world flow gently by on the river without having to go anywhere ourselves.

Food and drink

One of the highlights of our stay at Our Land was the delicious food on offer. The resort is full board and each day we enjoyed a delicious feast of South Indian food. All the meals are freshly made, with many of the fruits and vegetables grown on the island and the rest purchased daily from the local village market. There were several dishes and ingredients we got to try that I’ve sadly never seen again since.

Breakfasts contained the usual South Indian suspects of plentiful piles of puris, stacks of idlies and delicious dosas with an assortment of curries and condiments as well as buttered toast and a deliciously sweet pineapple jam.

On our last morning, Madhu the owner cooked up one of his own specialities, adda, which was a cylindrical idli made from a combination of flour, shredded coconut, banana and jaggery, flavoured with cardamom. The mixture was steamed and fried, and looked somewhat like a thick rice pudding wrapped in banana leaves – and was utterly delicious.

Lunches and dinners consisted of either fresh caught and grilled fish or a chicken curry with various vegetable accompaniments, rice dishes, Indian breads and popadoms.

Whilst only soft drinks are available on the island you are more than welcome to bring your own alcoholic beverages.

The staff were also keen for guests to do a behind the scenes look at the kitchen if the culinary arts were their cup of tea. One of my only regrets from our stay was not to ask for a cooking lesson or two.

Activities

So other than relaxing in your hammock, with the regular chug of the houseboats passing slowly by and being served a multi-course feast with reassuring regularity what else is there to do on a bandit’s island?

The simple answer is exploring! The staff offered a number of complimentary local excursions including bird watching at sunrise and sunset. The resident twitcher who ran the activity claimed to have spotted over 106 different species of birds in the area during his time working at the resort. Even our amateur eyes spotted at least 10 different species on our morning tour along the palm lined canals and luscious green rice paddies.

One of the advantages of touring this area by foot and canoe is how close you can get to even the shyest of creatures. The larger houseboats would scare them off long before you even caught a glimpse of them.

In addition to the bird watching the staff would happily take you to visit a local village, or better still take you out on the river to enjoy a spectacular sunset with just the local fishermen for company.

If you still need more action in your life, then there is a selection of several traditional Indian board games you can take back to your room and play which we certainly did. If you need more relaxation, massages and Ayurvedic treatments can be arranged for an additional charge, though this was not something we felt we needed to take up.

Conclusion

I hope one day soon we can return to India. As much as I’m excited about trying out yet another luxurious five star hotel I also hope to return to Our Land. The simple things are done well without harming the environment or negatively impacting on local life and service comes with a smile straight from the heart. Rooms start from £69 per night.

The resort’s website is here if you want to find out more.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Villa Side Residence, Antalya, Turkey (£26.75 per night)

Anika Burnett — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 02:13:00 +0000

This is our review of The Villa Side Residence, Antalya, Turkey.

As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews by clicking here.

This review is a little different. Tim is a long-term HfP reader and commentator who is often critical of what he sees as overpriced ‘international brand’ hotels compared to what is on offer from independents.

He offered to cover the hotel where he will, again, be spending a chunk of the Winter. Last year he paid £26.75 per night with food and drink included. How could we refuse?

Today’s hotel is the The Villa Side Residence in Antalya – A Winter-bargain if you want to escape the gloomy UK in exchange for some sunshine.

Here is Tim’s review:

Overview

At a little over 8,000 square miles and with 408 miles of coastline, Antalya Province is around the same size as Wales. There are over 20,000 hotels with over a quarter of a million beds (TURSAB figures). Despite this, Antalya is far less known to English-speaking visitors than Turkey’s Aegean coast, with Marmaris and Bodrum some 5-7 hours drive away. Indeed, Antalya Airport figures put UK visitors at only around 5% of all arrivals.

For me the Antalya coast has an unbearably hot summer – with temperatures regularly going over 40°C – but does have a very pleasant winter climate. It makes for the perfect extended escape from the dark days and persistent precipitation of my native, but otherwise beautiful, Yorkshire.

Choosing a winter hotel is no simple matter. Almost all hotels’ advertised facilities, service, modus operandi and even their reviews apply only to the summer season. Finding a great one is like finding a diamond in a coal mine. The Villa Side Residence – my new ‘favourite hotel’ – is such a diamond. I will share it with you….

Check in

On arrival, there is an audacious, verging on ‘bling’, international five star reception: smart bellboy with pantomime trolley to greet our transfer vehicle, ornate granite floors, plush furniture, polished brass, three scenic lifts (that speak Turkish and English!) facing the atrium to the roof above the the lobby.

Check-in took just seconds – scan of our passports, signatures and handover of printed ‘winter concept’ information to us – before the bellboy was despatched with luggage to give us tours of our rooms. It has never been slicker.

The hotel comprises two almost-equal sized wings, set at a ‘wide right angle’ to each other. They are connected by the atrium containing the reception lobby on the ground floor, with guests rooms on the seven floors above it.

Rooms

Rooms are spacious and well-furnished with headline features: pillow menu, minibar replenished daily, tea and coffee station, 32” LCD TV with several English channels (including BBC); DVD player, generous toiletries down to dental and shaving kits, heavy, fluffy white towels and bathrobes, three layers of curtains – net, blackout and decorative, free safe, room wi-fi and air conditioning.

There was an included laundry service – a godsend for those of us who prefer to travel with hand luggage only!

Food and drink

Ether side of the lobby are two bar areas around the same size. In Winter, one is used as the main venue for live music and other evening shows. The other is the ‘quiet bar’ with leather sofa sets, library and card playing area for those, like me, who want to avoid the entertainment. Waiter service in both is devastatingly efficient.

A range of imported spirits and international cocktails are included in addition to the usual all-inclusive fare.

Beyond the main arena is the patisserie / bistro which is used for afternoon coffee and cakes, as an all-night buffet and for late breakfast. Food and drinks are available 24 hours.

At level -1, or as the lifts put it “Minus first floor”, there are the three a la carte restaurants: fish, Italian and Turkish for which reservations and a €10 cover charge are required. I usually avoid the a la cartes – not because I am a tight Yorkshireman, but because of the sheer quantity of food. Over an extended stay, my clothes start to shrink. I tried the fish a la carte – superb but it took two days of fasting before I was comfortable in my suit trousers.

In the opposite wing is the main buffet restaurant. Its eating area has just five tables across and is broken up lengthways by decorative screens such that any one area feels like an intimate restaurant. Tables are decorated with cloths, runners and a little flower vase. Lunch and dinner have places set with two sets of hollow-handled cutlery and cloth napkins. Waiter drinks service is efficient. After a couple of days of asking for a glass of red wine, my wine usually arrived at whatever table I chose at the same time as myself.

The buffet runs the full length of the restaurant. There was a huge variety of food plus display cooking of the specials every meal. At lunch and dinner there was an international selection plus Turkish specialities, soups, always a choice of meat and fish options, several counters of sweets, fruit and at the very end, the popular ‘ice cream man’.

At breakfast, there is every form of eggs including the delicious Turkish spicy tomato scramble, various other cooked items plus all the salads, cold meats, huge cheese selection, vast bread and sweets counters, cereals, strained yoghurt, preserves and honeys, dried and fresh fruit, etc etc etc. Food quality and presentation were consistently excellent – the best of any hotel or cruise ship I have experienced.

Facilities

The outdoor pools and terraces (one heated in the winter) are at “Minus second floor”. Sadly the swim-up bar was decommissioned for the Winter but a trolley service of drinks came around during the day (or so I am told – I was usually at the beach bar) and there was always someone to bring sun bed mattresses.

Inside on that level is the spa, indoor pools, shops and ladies and gents hairdressers with an extensive menu of beauty therapies, the doctor, gym and games room.

The beach bar, reached via a tunnel from the pool terrace, is open all through the Winter. The beach here is broad and sandy and part of a 10km stretch running West from the Side peninsula.

There is a full bar with waiter service and kitchen staff – in full costume. Inside, a self service buffet has soups, salads, cold starters, a couple of cooked main dishes. Outside the daily specialities alternated between a barbecue and a kebab rotisserie.

Conclusion

Overall: superb room, food and service, the facilities and activities of a cruise ship, the most generous all-inclusive system plus that private beach bar open through the golden sunny winter days.

I will be at the Villa Side Residence for six weeks this coming Winter with my office established at the beach bar – why work at home when you can work at the beach?

We paid £26.75 per night in February 2020 for sole occupancy of double rooms on an all-inclusive basis. We booked with Travel Republic but always check Trivago for the latest deals. The best prices tend to be found 6-9 months in advance – the current price is around £45 to £50 for the same dates.

(EDIT: Since Tim wrote this review, the hotel has decided to close for Winter 2020/21 due to reduced tourist numbers in Turkey. It is planning to return to Winter opening next year.)

Here is the hotel’s website if you want to find out more.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma, Maldives (bookable on IHG points)

Anika Burnett — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 02:19:00 +0000

This is our review of the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma, Maldives.

When reader Karen suggested reviewing the Holiday Inn, we jumped at the chance. Head for Points often covers hugely expensive resorts in the Maldives – JW Marriott and Waldorf-Astoria have opened new properties recently – but we tend to ignore the fact that more wallet-friendly alternatives exist.

As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reader reviews by clicking here.

Holiday Inn Kandooma in the Maldives (click for their website) is a great budget friendly alternative to other well known resorts. Here is reader Karen’s review.

(Anika note: We have added in some additional PR pictures of the hotel. It should be pretty clear which ones these are!)

Overview

Visiting the Maldives has always been on my bucket list but I never seemed to have got around to it. The opportunity finally arose when we were visiting family in India and my husband and I fancied a few days away. It had to be somewhere not too far and picturesque with nice weather – the Maldives fitted the bill perfectly.

I knew from previous research that the Maldives is an expensive place to visit and a lot of the resorts are only accessible by seaplane which is not for me! I was keen to do this trip on a budget and to avoid a seaplane by any means which is why I chose Holiday Inn Kandooma.

The pictures on the website looked very pretty, the room rates were good, there was a speedboat transfer from Male and we would also earn some IHG Rewards Club points – perfect!

We flew down from Bangalore to Male with Air India which took just 1.5 hours.

Arriving at Holday Inn Kandooma

Ours was the only flight arriving at that time so after a quick walk across the tarmac we got to immigration, were quickly processed and on our way to arrivals.

This is where things turned sour. To cut a long story short, after a failure of communication by the rep we ended up waiting nearly an hour and half for our transfer to the resort.

Transfer

Luckily the speedboat ride to the resort was pretty quick at just 45 minutes. As we arrived we were amazed that the resort looked just as good as the pictures on the website.

We exited the boat and took a short buggy ride to reception where the manager checked us in. He already knew that I wasn’t happy about the transfer and apologised. I reiterated that if I had been kept informed it wouldn’t have been that big of a problem.

Our villa

The hotel offers a variety of rooms to suit all budgets from a basic garden room to overwater villas.

I booked a standard Garden View Villa and due to our IHG Rewards Club status they upgraded us to a Garden View Beachhouse Villa.

Our villa was split over two levels. An open area downstairs, with a seating area, and an outdoor shower and an enclosed area upstairs with the bedroom and bathroom.

The accommodation was a good size. You entered into the bedroom which had a small balcony, an area with tea/coffee making facilities and at the back of the room was a dressing area with the toilet and shower. The room was really nice and although we couldn’t see the sea or the beach we were only a few minutes walk away.

Food and drink at Holiday Inn Kandooma

I had booked a room with breakfast and the hotel emailed me before our stay with upgrade options for lunch, dinner or all inclusive. As we only wanted breakfast and a light snack dinner we decided that it was not worth upgrading, and to be honest the all-inclusive prices had looked better at the time of booking.

Breakfast was set near the reception area with a choice of dining inside or outside. We sat inside as it was cooler. The buffet was vast with lots of choices from around the world. There was an area with hot food and live cooking stations and an air-conditioned room with juices and cold items. The food was really good.

As with any Maldives resort additional food and drinks were expensive. A half bottle of spirits from the mini bar was £50!

What can you do at Holiday Inn Kandooma?

The resort was beautiful with many different beach areas. It also had an amazing outdoor pool overlooking the ocean.

There was a local island within swimming distance, but guests were banned from swimming over.

The resort had plenty on offer whether you wanted to chill on the beach/pool or take one of the many paid trips offered by the resort. They also had a spa on site. We chose to relax on the beach in one of the cabanas and used the snorkelling equipment and kayaks which were both free of charge to hire.

Conclusion

We had a fantastic three night stay. The staff were lovely and the island is beautiful with many different parts to explore. Even though the hotel was nearly at capacity whilst we were there, it didn’t feel like it. Apart from the main pool area and during breakfast we never really saw anyone else.

I must give credit where it’s due – at check out when going through the bill I saw, to my surprise, that we had been heavily comped for the delayed transfers which rounded off a perfect stay.

Given that we only took a 90 minute flight to Male and were only planning a short break, the resort gave us everything we needed.

Whilst pricing is probably not typical at present, the current ‘from’ price is stated as $257 per night including taxes. Reward night pricing varies due to IHG’s new revenue based structure but you seem to get just under 1 cent per point which is far better than the HfP target of 0.4p per IHG point.

.You can find out more, and book, on the resort’s website here.

IHG One Rewards update – January 2024:

Get bonus points: Our article on IHG’s January 2024 bonus promotion is here. You will receive double base points on every cash stay between 1st January and 31st January 2024. Click here to register.

New to IHG One Rewards? Read our overview of IHG One Rewards here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our article on ‘What are IHG One Rewards points worth?’ is here.

Buy points: If you need additional IHG One Rewards points, you can buy them here.

You get a 100% bonus when you buy IHG One Rewards points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from IHG and the other major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Benesse House Museum on Naoshima, Japan

Anika Burnett — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 02:24:02 +0000

This is our review of the Benesse House Museum on Naoshima, Japan.

Today’s hotel is Benesse House Museum – a hotel located within the Benesse Art Site on the Japanese island of Naoshima. Here is reader Helen’s review:

For our honeymoon, we took the trip of a lifetime to Japan, where we spent three weeks exploring the most incredible country.

We wanted to pack in a full itinerary and see as much of the country as possible. Our trip included time exploring the extraordinary city of Tokyo – shopping, late-night karaoke and of course sushi, a few days in Kyoto where we visited the most beautiful temples and ancient sites, a whirlwind tour of Mount Fuji, an extremely emotional trip to Hiroshima and a few days lapping up the sun and sea on the beach.

However, our highlight had to be spending two days on the island of Naoshima.

The Benesse Art Site situated on Naoshima is an art lover’s paradise and a truly unique place to visit. An old industrial island, mainly home to tiny wooden fishermens’ huts, has been transformed by architect Tadao Ando who has created a modernist paradise filled with incredible architecture, nature and art.

Throughout the island are different museums, art installations, interventions and site-specific art pieces. One of these museums is the Benesse House Museum, which if you are lucky enough and book well in advance, has a number of bedrooms to stay in. Waking up in a museum on an art island in Japan is definitely one for a lifetime bucket-list!

Fortunately, we booked early (reservations can be made up to 180 days in advance) and so we were able to secure a room at Benesse House. The experience was unlike any other “hotel” we have stayed in anywhere in the world. Where else can you stay in a museum, with original art and sculptures everywhere you look, including unique art works on the walls of your room?

It felt pretty special to be able to be in the museum, after-hours, knowing we could access any of the rooms at night time, when all the other day visitors had left!

There are different parts to the Museum, each with its own distinct feel and style. I would advise staying in The Park or The Beach as these are the most conveniently located rooms in terms of accessing the other exhibitions on the island.

Our room in the Beach House was spacious, with a large King-size bed and a lovely bathroom. The style of the rooms are simple and functional, yet all made with beautiful materials. As with most of the hotel bathrooms in Japan, it came equipped with an array of complimentary toiletries and even pyjamas. The complimentary soap was made from natural ingredients and smelt delicious.

Our room overlooked the beach and the Seto Sea with views of a distant harbour city. From our window, we could also see the Yayoi Kusama giant yellow pumpkin on the nearby pier — an iconic image of the island.

An additional advantage of the Beach House is the location next to the Terrace Restaurant where the breakfast buffet is served as well as lunch and dinner.

There are three restaurants in the hotel, the Etoile de la mer Terrace Restaurant and the ISSEN Japanese Restaurant as well as Museum Cafe.

For dinners, The Terrace offers French inspired cuisine with a set menu or a la cart. The food we enjoyed was excellent. For dinner it was a set menu with a beef, fish or vegetable option. ISSEN offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, Etoile de la mer offers breakfast and dinner. The cafe is open from 10:00AM to 5:00PM.

There is a lounge area for hotel guests that serves free tea, coffee and water. It is open early until late. There is very poor internet speed in the hotel rooms and I would advise using the lounge which has better coverage.

There is a gorgeous decking area on the sand by The Terrace, and we loved having sunset drinks on the terrace before going into the restaurant for dinner. We also had late-night drinks in the Oval Bar – which is an oval shaped bar, high on a hill and which has no roof. The middle of the oval shape is filled with water and you sit dotted around the water.

It was incredible to sit under the stars, reflected in the water, drinking wonderful Japanese cocktails and talking about all the art we had seen that day.

The easiest way to get to Benesse Art Site Naoshima is from either Takamatsu Port or Uno Port. Once on the island, a free shuttle bus is available for hotel guests and is very frequent and travels around all the main exhibitions on the island.

As a hotel guest you can also access the Bennesse Museum out of hours and you get access to the Oval Bar area. Other installations not to be missed include the Lee Ufan Museum, the ANDO Museum and the Needle Factory.

There are also some great restaurants to check out throughout the island, including a fabulous American-style diner and an ice cream parlour selling black sesame ice cream.

The official Benesse Island website is very useful and has all the relevant info for booking and transport links, as well as a full list of every art piece on the island, so if you are interested, that would be my first port of call for finding out more.

Pricing varies widely depending on when you go and which room you take, but starts at around Y40,000 per night (£300) for a couple.

In conclusion, if you are in Japan, an overnight / two-day trip to the art island of Naoshima is definitely worth it. Although pricey, staying in the Benesse House Museum is something truly memorable for art lovers and culture addicts alike.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Sundance Lodge, Alberta, Canada (accessed by mule)

Anika Burnett — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 02:22:23 +0000

This is our review of the Sundance Lodge, Alberta, Canada.

Today’s hotel is the Sundance Lodge – a 10 room log cabin 10 miles outside of Banff accessible only by horse or mule.

Here is reader George’s review:

It is often said that the journey is more important than the destination; and that has never been more true than when it comes to an overnight stay at the Sundance Lodge in the backcountry of Alberta, Canada. However, what’s so truly magical about staying at this place is how it manages to make the journey through such an inhospitable environment worthwhile. Allow me to explain, but first some background:

History of Sundance Lodge

In the early 1800’s pioneers were forging new routes through the Canadian backcountry in order to secure trade links between the east and the west. At the turn of the century when the railroad first ventured through the Canadian national parks, the trails were repurposed as a way to guide wealthy British tourists through the mountainous terrain.

In 1923 the Canadian Pacific Railroad built three lodges; a 3-mile cabin, a 10-mile cabin and a Halfway cabin (halfway from Banff to the British Colombia border) in order to further facilitate their new found tourism market by making the backcountry more appealing.

In the 1960’s there were three different guiding companies running the trails, all based out of Warner Stables in the town of Banff; in the 1970’s they merged to form Warner/McKenzie Outfitting; in the 1980’s they signed an exclusive lease on all three cabins; and in 2014 the business was bought out and re-branded as Banff Trail Riders who operate Sundance Lodge today.

The practicalities

The practicalities of this hotel are perhaps amongst the most unique of any hotel anywhere in the world… it’s only accessible by horse or mule! In real practical terms that means that not only do guests have to arrive this way, but also all the luggage, food, bedding, amenities, fuel, equipment must arrive with the daily train of mules lead by one of the companies experienced “packers”. Packing light is essential for this unique stay…

The accommodation at Sundance Lodge

Sundance Lodge is a relatively new Log Cabin built in 1991 next to the original 10-mile cabin dating from the 1920’s. It’s a bright, spacious, and most importantly warm place to rest with a truly peaceful atmosphere.

There are 10 guest-rooms each with double beds (and some featuring an additional bunk bed for families or groups). The beds are comfortable and warm with plenty of blankets to keep you warm at night.

There are two shared bathrooms downstairs near the kitchen, which are kept immaculate by the staff and are stocked well with essential amenities. The showers are better than average when compared to ‘traditional’ hotels, which is impressive considering where you are.

There are two main communal areas. First of all the living room, with comfortable sofas and chairs, spaced far enough apart for you to enjoy time to yourself relaxing or reading in front of the fire but also near enough for group conversation to spark up with those around you. Secondly, there’s the kitchen, which is very much the hub of this accommodation.

Food

All stays at Sundance Lodge are full board (with alcohol charged at an additional premium). Meal times are very much an event here; one long bench in the kitchen accommodates all the guests, packers, guides, and cooks for an evening meal every day.

The hotel describes the food as “sophisticated comfort food” and I think that’s perfectly accurate. The meal is laid out as a buffet for the guests to help themselves to the meats, side dishes, salads and home baked cornbreads, before the staff take second pick of the food.

Meal times here can run for several hours as the conversations flows, and the lifelong cowboys / girls working as guides and packers in the company recall their own tales from the park, and tales from those who came before them; stories of horses, riders, disasters, rescues, conservation, wildlife and more.

The experience

A stay at Sundance Lodge cannot be reviewed in isolation. Stays at the lodge are part of 2, 3 or 5 days on-horse excursions from Banff town.

The views from the trail over Banff National Park are quite simply breathtaking! The mountain ranges are beyond spectacular, and the sense of tranquillity is so so special.

Whilst it would be technically possible to hike these mountain trails in order to soak up the views, they would be long and gruelling thanks to the steep inclines and rough terrain. Horseback is the only way to see Banff National Park in my opinion.

Conclusion

If your idea of the perfect hotel involves a large suite, multiple dining options, and lots of varied activities; this is not the place for you. However if you want 5* hospitality, incredible surroundings, and unrivalled peace and quiet (and you’re not bothered by complete loss of phone and internet from an hour after leaving town) you’ll feel right at home here.

What’s most spectacular about this hotel is not quantifiable; it’s what it is. This hotel takes the views that would normally be reserved for only the most extreme campers and explorers and pairs them with a warm and comfortable place to sleep, fantastic food (as good as any restaurant), and company from people who are extremely proud to call the backcountry home.

I can’t recommend this experience highly enough to anyone, and that’s why this is my favourite hotel.

One-night trips up to the lodge start at $700 per person this season. You can find out more on the hotel’s website here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Saariselka, Northern Finland

Anika Burnett — Sun, 13 Sep 2020 02:48:58 +0000

This is our review of the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Saariselka, Northern Finland.

Today’s hotel is Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort– a truly magical winter wonderland resort where you sleep under a glass dome, potentially looking directly at the Northern Lights.

Here is reader Clare’s review:

Getting there

The nearest airport is Ivalo, from where it is a short drive to the Kakslauttanen Artic Resort. Coming from London you have – in normal times – two choices, either BA direct from Gatwick (books up fast) or Finnair. The Finnair routes goes to Helsinki out of Heathrow with an overnight stay and a morning flight to Ivalo. Either way you should be able to use or collect Avios.

The direct flight is obviously quicker, but it cuts your time at the resort short as you arrive in the late afternoon and will have to leave the resort early on your departure day to catch your return flight. This is not ideal when paying a high nightly rate. For this reason we chose the Finnair stop-over flight, stayed at the Radisson Blu City Center for one night and maximised our time at the resort.

Arrival

The next morning we took a Finnair flight to Ivalo. Landing in Ivalo is a true Arctic experience – small airport (maybe only two gates) and snow everywhere!! Magical. As we went down the plane steps most of the passengers were already taking pictures in the snow.

The Kakslauttanen Resort rep was waiting for us as we came through security. While we waited for the rest of the passengers, a guy in Finnish traditional dress, who was there to greet the tourists, let us pet a baby reindeer.

The coach ride to the resort was an about 45 minutes long exciting white knuckle ride mostly at 60km/h in heavy snow on only partly ploughed highways! Fab driving though.

Accommodation

Initially we were looking at the two person Kelo (dome) accommodation, but once we realised it was very small and used a shared shower block, we decided to go for the pricier (roughly £850 per night) spacious Kelo Lodge, which was excellent. Technically it could sleep six and was perfect for two. It would also be OK for a family of four, but as it was open-plan it would not be ideal if travelling with other couples.

The Kelo Lodge is the resort’s premier offering that comes with a separate smaller check-in and service centre, which felt special.

After checking in we had to choose a wooden sleigh to transport our luggage to our lodge!

Kelo Lodges have a kitchenette with a fridge and a private bathroom with shower and sauna(!), all within the lodge! The best bit of course is (like the basic Kelo accomodation) that two people can sleep under the stars in the integrated glass dome, from where you might see the Northern Lights if you are lucky.

There is even an Arura Alarm that goes off if the Northern Lights are spotted so you don’t miss them. Sadly during our short stay we weren’t so lucky but it was still amazing to sleep out there looking up to the sky.

Food and beverages

We think all rooms come with half board, but as their website was a bit unclear about this we ended up booking via Booking.com where we had half board confirmed. The price was roughly the same either way.

It was table service at dinner, and the menu was a choice of two starters, three mains and two desserts. It was all very hearty and tasty, but basic. We got to try a Reindeer mince dish, local fish, lingonberry sauces and several traditional desserts. If you are a picky eater, bring cooking supplies with you as there aren’t alternative options for many miles.

Drinks were served at our table at pretty reasonable prices (surprisingly so for Finland, and for being so remote). On the second day we discovered the Arura Bar – which is a big domed bar area through the back of the restaurant – wow – what a find. The cocktail menu was great and also not too expensive – all things considered.

Breakfast was served until 11am, which was perfect for us as we love a lie in. It was a plentiful hot and cold buffet. You could pretty much find anything you wished for.

Each morning we ate a late breakfast and went straight through to an early dinner around 6pm. Therefore I cannot comment on lunch.

Activities

We brought our ski wear, and it was perfect. Very chilly, dark and snowing most of the time. You can also rent resort snow suits if needed (a bit 1980, but they looked functional).

There were lots of activities to book (horse drawn sleighs, husky sleds, Father Christmas, and many more). To be honest most of them were a bit too pricey. If you go there with kids, I imagine you need very deep pockets. There was also a viewing observatory, an art gallery and a shop.

We found the whole resort magical and spent the first day exploring. Walking around the resort, you could see resort Reindeer in their enclosures, but we never found the huskies – you could hear them – but they were in kennels a little way out.

For the second day we booked Nordic Skiing – which was excellent. This activity was offered at the other resort centre, so we took the complimentary shuttle bus that runs between the two resorts. They have their own track and the price included equipment as well as an excellent instructor (highly experienced, having apparently previously been part of the Finnish team!). Surprisingly this activity was reasonably priced – I guess as you had to be quite energetic!

You can find all activities offered during the Winter period including pricing here.

Conclusion

Kakslauttanen Resort is absolutely magical. I would go again in a heartbeat, and probably will, hoping to see the Northern Lights next time!

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here. Pricing for the Winter season 2020/2021 is here.

PS by Anika: If Lapland appeals, you should read Rob’s 2018 review of his trip on Europe’s last major sleeper train, from Stockholm to Kiruna in Swedish Lapland, and his stay at Camp Ripan.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Mingary Castle in Lochaber, Scotland

Anika Burnett — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 02:11:51 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is from Mingary Castle in Lochaber, Scotland.

Due to a continued strong response from readers, we are running another batch of ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews over the next few weeks. This time we wanted to hear about your ‘unique’ experiences and we received some great suggestions. Hopefully you will enjoy reading these reviews. As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews by clicking here.

Today’s hotel is Mingary Castle – a 13th century castle which has undergone three years of meticulously orchestrated restoration work which can now accommodate guests in one of just four suites. Here is reader Julie’s review:

For the ultimate castle-lover’s staycation, how could you resist a fortress overlooking the sea where your once-hidden bathroom has arrow-slits for windows? Come with me then to a place known in Gaelic as the Headland of the Great Seas: the remote and peaceful Ardnamurchan Peninsula of Scotland.

We’ll follow a single-track road, so empty that the sheep are convinced it’s all theirs. Shortly before reaching the westernmost point of mainland Great Britain we’ll turn off to discover a stunning fortification that until recently was slowly falling into the Sound of Mull.

This is Mingary Castle, a hotel with just four rooms on offer to those who have made the long journey, so you can roam the battlements feeling like a medieval queen.

Some of its story of attacks and sieges is lost in the mists of time, but visiting history buffs are welcome to read the 19^th century memoir of Margaret McDougall. She remembered great fields of wool drying in the sun and seeing the weavers spread damask to bleach on the beach, but the busy kitchen was off-limits to her because it would mean exposure to the servants’ Gaelic.

When the last residents left in 1838, Mingary was abandoned and slowly started to crumble. Recently the local laird took the decision to restore it, and a meticulous multi-year restoration project got underway: today’s guests discover a luxurious Georgian-style house inside the formidable walls.

As I entered my room, MacDougall, my eye was immediately drawn to the fine craftsmanship of the centrepiece, an inviting four-poster bed with crewel work in the bedspread, curtains, and cushions. More crewel work appeared in the wonderfully textured fabric panels on the walls, patiently created by hand in Bangladesh.

My bathroom was built into the thick walls and as well as a rolltop bath and those wonderful arrow-slit windows, it offered a modern shower: the best of both worlds. Intriguingly, it was once part of a secret passage that was sealed hundreds of years ago to strengthen Mingary’s defences.

If thoughts of archery, sieges, and secrets give you an appetite, you’ll be pleased to know that the castle’s food has drastically improved since the last garrison was hosted here. The artistic breakfast was certainly fit for a queen: four tiny courses served simultaneously, with a personal explanation from the chef, as well as home-made sourdough and even home-made butter. My favourite course was “the last of the smoked Mingary wild salmon with almost-burnt cream”.

I thought the meal was a truly exquisite spread, but it clearly didn’t suit everyone: one morning my neighbouring diner whispered to her companion, “When I get home tomorrow I’m going to have a Full Scottish!”

For castle-lovers, the roaming of the battlements is an essential component of any fortress visit. Following in the footsteps of the one-time Earl of Argyll, I too looked out from here, but instead of fretting about an attacking clan I admired the irregular crenellations, indulged in a little ferry-spotting, and was awe-struck by a perfect sunset over the sea.

The restorers have thoughtfully built in a wooden seat where I happily put my feet up, enjoying the view and listening to the waves breaking on the rocks below. It was the only throne I needed, and it even had wifi access.

But if the Earl of Argyll could manage without wifi, then so could I, and the promise of a sunny day tempted me to explore just a little further. At my request, my hosts provided a packed lunch, and thanks to their constant (much-appreciated) attention to detail it came complete with backpack and picnic blanket. I let myself through a gate or two, and wandered off to see where the path would take me. It led to a lovely photo op, with Mingary framed by a spreading tree.

I spread my blanket nearby and enjoyed a castle-view lunch, rejoicing in the tranquil seascape and the solitude. Al fresco October dining in Scotland (admittedly of the hiking-jacket-and-scarf variety) was an unlooked-for treat.

Later, riding the ferry over to Mull, I looked back at Mingary, feeling grateful to those dedicated workers who stitched, sanded, and lugged stones to bring this remarkable stronghold on the edge of Scotland back to life. I also pondered its multi-faceted appeal: history aficionado, food-loving shutterbug, searcher for quietude, or thalassophile? Mingary is the place for you.

Mingary Castle’s website is here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Sind Club, Karachi, Pakistan

Anika Burnett — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 02:26:13 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is The Sind Club, Karachi, Pakistan.

Due to a continued strong response from readers, we are running another batch of ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews over the next few weeks. This time we want to focus on ‘unique’ hotel experiences and we’ve received some great suggestions.

Hopefully you will enjoy reading these new reviews over the next few weeks. As always you can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews by clicking here or searching for ‘My Favourite Hotel’ in the ‘Categories’ menu on the desktop sidebar.

Today’s hotel is The Sind Club in Karachi, Pakistan – one of Asia’s oldest exclusive members-only clubs. Here is reader Reg’s review:

Stepping into the night at Karachi Airport a mass of waiting people throng the arrivals hall. The noise, the smell, the dust, the sheer size of the teaming crowd is overwhelming and as I push through the mass of people the taxi touts hassle and jostle me incessantly.

The drive into Karachi is fraught with periods of psychotic driving followed by long bouts sitting still in stationary traffic. Horns blare incessantly and the air is thick with fumes. Huge trucks overloaded with goods rumble along. Motorbikes weave everywhere, many carrying entire families (mum, dad, teenager, toddlers and a baby or two). Helmets are optional. A journey that would, on an open road, take 15 minutes, takes 45.

It bears repeating, the drive is terrifying. My life is in the hands of the almighty. I resign myself to my fate. And then the gates of the Sind Club appear.

The armed guard questions who I am – relief as my name is on the list and in to the haven of the Sind Club I am ushered.

The Sind Club is a private members club – the private members club – in Karachi, Pakistan. In a city of 20 million people, it is an oasis of calm, tranquility and achingly beautiful colonial splendor.

I am welcomed by a uniformed porter and even the patina of the wood on the reception desk as I hand over my passport smooths my mood – a feeling of relaxation and serenity takes over. It is impossible to be stressed here. My room is clean, pleasant and basic. I am reminded of my boarding school functionality over luxury.

I am hungry and the restaurant is where the Sind Club comes in to its own. Food is served by a crisp white turbaned waiter on a silver platter.

Again I am reminded of my boarding school. The menu is English public school circa 1985. Chicken Kiev and chips with spotted dick and custard to follow (skin on the custard at no extra charge). Stuffed tigers look down at me from the wall. Men play backgammon and chess. The mobile phone is banned. Sir Roger Moore would feel at home.

I leave my rushing western pace behind at the Club gates. I awake leisurely and stroll down for breakfast. The newspapers are ironed. I eat heartily (no bacon though). The coffee is thick and strong.

I treat myself to a shave by the Club barber and off to the office for a round of meetings. Lunch out and back for a nap and a swim before dinner. The pool is tranquil and I relax in the steam room which seems to act as the equivalent of a drink after work for the Club members. I learn to copy them and walk around the gardens before the sun goes down bringing peace to the soul. Their easy laid back manner belies the furious politicking and plotting that is a constant part of Karachi society.

When the British ruled India (before the partition into Pakistan), the club in any town or city was the staple of social life. Even as a small child growing up in expat lands I was aware of the importance of “the club” – all life seemed to revolve around it. Established in 1871, the Sind Club managed the transition from British colonial club to Pakistani club with ease and great success, the names on the Chairman’s board merely changed from John Smith to Ahmed Khan.

After dinner, a game of billiards and a cool drink in the bar with a snow leopard in a case watching me. The faded photos on the wall stare back, old games of polo and hunts in the hills by men long dead – like us all strong and tall in their prime.

When I die, I hope heaven is modelled on the Sind Club.

You can learn more about the Sind Club on its website here. You can book a room here if you are a member of a ‘reciprocal’ club, which in the UK includes The Royal Over Seas League (membership open to anyone without recommendation), the East India Club, the Royal Automobile Club, the Oriental Club, the In and Out and the Royal Northern & University Club.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review: LUX* Grand Gaube, Mauritius

Anika Burnett — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 02:03:17 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the LUX* Grand Gaube resort in Mauritius.

We are currently running this reader-written feature to provide some positivity and inspiration to Head for Points. You can find all of the ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews so far by clicking here. This was scheduled to be a series of about 25 hotels, but a good response from readers means that we have commissioned another batch and are continuing the series.

Today’s hotel is the LUX* Grand Gaube, a mid-range resort in Mauritius. It’s reader Alicia’s favourite hotel and here is her review:

The LUX Grand Gaube hotel is really something special. We were welcomed to the Lux with open arms from the second we arrived and thanks to the abundance of green space, tranquil spots to relax in and the wide selection of choice at the buffet, we left fully relaxed and already itching to book our next trip.

For those who have not visited Mauritius, I cannot recommend it highly enough – the friendly people, incredible pan-cultural food, beautiful scenery and variety of activities make for an excellent one or two week stay with a short time difference (and therefore no jet lag!).

Overview

The LUX Grand Gaube is part of a small chain of hotels mainly represented in Mauritius and the Maldives. The hotel is situated on the very northern tip of the island of Mauritius, just over an hour from the airport. For those who haven’t been, I would highly recommend hiring a car and getting out to explore what the island has to offer.

As a family we did a two week multi centre holiday (one week in a villa further south near Mon Choisy beach and one week at the Lux). We still didn’t manage to cover the island, though if you are someone who likes to stay at the resort, there is plenty to do there too: the hotel itself has six restaurants, two beaches, two pools (one of them is adults only) and lots of facilities!

Rooms

LUX was recently redesigned by Kelly Hoppen and offers chic yet informal rooms, facing out onto the beach and the beautiful Indian Ocean. Rooms and bathrooms are spacious and come complete with fluffy dressing gowns and roll top baths. The entry level Standard rooms are advertised as 55 square metres – which was large enough so that we never felt cramped – but other options are available if you want more space.

Here are some official hotel photos, which are a fair representation:

and

Facilities and activities

One of the great things about the LUX is it offers a lot of activities free of charge, including tennis, water sports, spa access and twice-a-day glass bottom boat snorkelling trips with a very knowledgeable captain. I had a 30-minute facial at the spa which was absolutely glorious.

They also offer a kids’ club and cinema evenings out on a beanbag at the beach with complimentary snacks. Each day there was a competition to win a prize by finding a glass bottle hidden around the hotel.

There were lots of small touches that made us really appreciate how much thought had gone into every aspect of the hotel.

If you want to explore Mauritius you can book tours that the hotel offers and the reception and concierge were always on hand to give helpful tips. We drove ourselves to the hills, botanical gardens and other parts of the island, and would highly recommend taking a boat out to the Ile aux Cerfs – the beach is just stunning.

Drinking and dining

I am not ashamed to admit that as a family we love a good hotel buffet so we were very content with all the amazing options on offer at the live cooking stations for breakfast and dinner.

We also went to some great Indian restaurants in Grand Baie, and spent a lot of time at Café LUX – yes, we are coffee fiends – and the ice cream stall (unlimited toppings!).

Conclusion

The LUX may not be the most ‘exclusive’ top-of-the-range hotel in Mauritius (of which there are many incredible options if you are willing to pay for it) but for quality, service and heart it is second to none.

It is currently pricing at around €300 to €350 per night for November and December 2020, which I think is excellent value for what you got, especially as many activities are included.

I would return time and time again for the friendliness of the staff, attention to detail and the little touches which make your trip special. It was a hard last day making our wish at the wishing tree and saying goodbye to the staff. We hope to return soon.

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here. It re-opens next week after a coronavirus-related closure.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review: Weligama Bay Marriott Resort and Spa, Sri Lanka

Anika Burnett — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 02:07:53 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the Weligama Bay Marriott Resort and Spa, Sri Lanka.

Today’s hotel is the Weligama Bay Marriott Resort and Spa in Sri Lanka. It’s reader Yasmin’s favourite hotel and here is her review:

Overview

Weligama Bay Marriott Resort and Spa is not your typical resort style hotel. With its 11-floor imposing façade, more akin to something you would expect to see in a city, it stands out amongst its neighbouring buildings and coconut trees. This does not detract from its interior though, comprising of stylish, modern rooms and suites, all south westerly facing with a private balcony offering striking ocean views of Weligama Bay.

The beach is a surfer’s paradise, with friendly waves making conditions ideal for beginners. Countless surf schools and instructors offer affordable lessons.

The resort is perfectly situated for anyone wanting to explore the Sri Lankan southern coast as Galle is easily accessible by train and Mirissa, renown for whale watching, is only 30 minutes away on tuk tuk. Access to Colombo International airport is also fairly convenient, taking just over two hours by car via the Southern Express Highway.

Rooms

As Gold Elite members we booked a Superior Ocean View room at 70,000 points for four nights (at the time of booking it was a Category 3 hotel and it is now a Category 4) which meant we were offered the fifth night free. Considering these rooms at the time had a rate of $300 a night, this was quite a bargain – we ended up getting over 2 cents per Bonvoy point, which is 3x the standard Head for Points valuation of 0.5p!

As a Category 4, you will now pay either 20,000, 25,000 or 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night depending on whether it is an off-peak, standard or peak night.

Upon check in at Weligama Bay we were upgraded to an Ocean Vista Room located on floor 9. It is worth noting that all rooms are pretty much identical in design and layout and the price varies mildly based on how high you sleep (unless you opt for a suite which would be more extravagant).

The room design is sleek and contemporary but cleverly blends traditional Sri Lankan design features such as lace wood panel stencilling to provide those key cultural nuances.

Each room has a large king size bed and an open grey marble bathroom with separate shower and toilet. Sliding doors expose the bathtub to both sea views and the large TV, making the room feel even more spacious.

One of my favourite experiences in the hotel has to be the selection of Sri Lankan animal towel creations I was presented with every day after my husband mentioned to housekeeping, I was fond of towel art!

Food and Drink

We were pleasantly surprised that as Gold Elite members of Marriott Bonvoy we received free breakfast during our stay as well as 20% off food in all their restaurants. With this perk we ended up eating all of our meals in the resort.

Breakfast was buffet style in the main dining restaurant Weligama Kitchen which had a lovely outdoor seating section on pool level. The food was of high quality and plentiful with made to order Continental, Sri Lankan, Thai and Indian options available.

The service was always outstanding, I particularly liked that the spa manager and head chefs would stop by and check in with guests. Although we did not use this service, on check in we had a personal introduction from one of the resort’s head chefs who was more than happy to cater to any dietary requirements and/or create any bespoke meals-a great benefit for families with children or fussy eaters!

The Big Fish restaurant is a more intimate affair and open just for dinner only serving fresh local fish and seafood. Tides Bar located on the mezzanine is perfect for evening cocktails as well as afternoon tea and small bites.

Amenities and Service

With a full five days in Weligama Bay, and as a restless individual who likes to be on the move, I thought spending all our time in the resort would get boring. I can safely say this was not the case. Aside from one day where we caught the local train to visit Galle, we maximised on all the hotel’s facilities!

The asymmetric pool is surrounded with loungers – it is worth noting the loungers get snapped up pretty fast and are hard to come by in the afternoon. Friendly staff are always on hand serving food and drinks from Surf’s Up Pool and Beach Bar.

We enjoyed a nourishing complimentary morning yoga class and took full advantage of the exclusive Quan Spa. I indulged in a 2.5-hour luxurious full body massage, relaxing facial and full body scrub for a fraction of the price of what you would pay in the UK.

There is a fully equipped 24-hour fitness centre with personal trainers, however the beach and beginner friendly surf waves are enough to keep everyone healthy and entertained.

Whilst I cannot comment on the efficacy of the facilities for children, they appeared to be well catered for with their own small pool with slide and kids’ club.

Weligama Bay is also equipped to host weddings as we witnessed. The manicured lawn overlooking the beach was set up for the ceremony and a marquee installed for the wedding reception. The assembly and dismantle was also very seamless and did not compromise the guest experience. They even delivered cake to our room for the noise and inconvenience this may have caused!

There is rooftop access, however the space has not been utilised and is vacant. I imagine that there would be plans to convert it, perhaps into a rooftop bar or penthouse suite but at present it is a wasted opportunity.

Conclusion

Would I go back to Marriott Weligama Bay Resort? In a heartbeat! The resort is the perfect retreat for families, couples, aspiring surfers and solo travellers after a bit of luxury at decent value (if you go with points!)

However, outside of the beach and resort itself you will need to venture out further to Mirissa or other beach towns for activities. Even so, Weligama Bay Resort is the epitome of Sri Lankan hospitality and service with delicious food, unparalleled views, deluxe living and a fantastic base from which to explore the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

If you want to find out more, the resort’s website is here.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and status from UK credit cards (January 2024)

There are various ways of earning Marriott Bonvoy points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

The official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comes with 20,000 points for signing up, 2 points for every £1 you spend and 15 elite night credits per year.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points sign-up bonus and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points by converting American Express Membership Rewards points at the rate of 2:3.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Marriott Bonvoy Gold status for as long as they hold the card? It also comes with Hilton Honors Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status. We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

You can also earn Marriott Bonvoy points indirectly:

American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Marriott Bonvoy points is 2:3.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

(Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Savoy, London, watching New Year’s Eve fireworks

Anika Burnett — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 02:22:36 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is The Savoy in London, for a New Year’s Eve visit.

Today’s hotel is The Savoy in London – a great treat for a New Year’s Eve stay as reader Ryan experienced. Here is his review:

Overview

In 2019, my wife and I started to visit the bars and restaurants at The Savoy. Whilst expensive for a drink, the overall experience was always worth every penny, especially when you think about the amazing live music that was often playing.

After a few visits, I knew we had to stay the night for New Year’s Eve. The Savoy needs no introduction, I’m sure. Just in case, it’s ‘the only five-star hotel on the river’ and minutes from Trafalgar Square, London.

Like many HFP readers, I am points and miles crazy, so wherever possible I will stay utilising just that. This stay however required hard-earned cash. Whilst not cheap, it was worth every penny.

(Rob’s edit: The Savoy is, of course, part of the Accor Live Limitless loyalty scheme. However, as Accor Live Limitless has revenue-based redemptions – 1 point get you 2 Eurocents off your bill – there is no advantage to spending points here compared to an Ibis!)

Booking

The Savoy is part of American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts for Platinum cardholders, so booking via Amex would provide you with the standard FHR benefits including free breakfast and guaranteed 4pm check-out. Another option of course is booking direct via the hotel website, which may sometimes be worthwhile due to the advance purchase offers that are occasionally available.

The final option (which due to non-explicit terms and conditions enabled this stay) was purchasing an experience voucher directly with the hotel and redeeming it. Considering typical rates for this time of year, and that stays for New Year’s Eve usually require a 3 to 5 night minimum stay, I managed to get somewhat of a bargain.

The ‘River Suite’ experience cost £995 and included the following:

1 night stay in a Junior Suite with River View
Bottle of champagne placed in the room upon arrival
Welcome drink for two guests placed in the room upon arrival
Butler service
Courtesy car (subject to availability)
Chauffeur transfer
Complimentary drink in the American Bar for two guests with overall value of £60
Same day pressing services for two garments
Access to fireworks available for all residents on the night of the 31st December
Breakfast (in restaurant or in-room dining)

Check In

Upon arrival, the doorman promptly whisked our bags away and took us to reception for check in. If you think the service is amazing (which it is) when you are visiting for a meal or a drink, it somehow manages to exceed perfection when you are staying.

We were invited to take a seat and the formalities were promptly taken care of. We arrived a few hours before official check-in, so our room wasn’t quite ready yet and we were invited to relax by the pool whilst they got everything ready.

After an hour, our room still wasn’t ready, so I asked how long it would take. We actually crossed paths with the receptionist who checked us in earlier who was coming to inform us about the delay and profusely apologised. This was of course fine as we were still early, but she insisted we had a drink on the house at the American Bar to apologise for the delay. I’ll never turn down a free drink!

Our room

After a short while and a lovely cocktail, Sean Davoren, the head head butler (he is famous in his own right and had a segment on the Late Late Show that you can find on YouTube) came to find us and escort us to our room.

Words cannot describe how beautiful this room is, overlooking the Thames with the best view in the house for the fireworks.

and

Sean offered to unpack for us and deal with anything we could ask for. He ensured our outfits were pressed and back with us within the hour (more like 20 minutes). I cannot explain how sweet he was. Having a butler was a new experience for us, and he made it as comfortable and natural as possible.

Facilities

Hidden away is a beautiful swimming pool, gym and spa area, along with treatment rooms should you require any services

In room dining

As it was New Year’s Eve, all of the hotel restaurants were understandably (and we were pre-warned) full or offering full evening packages. As we just wanted a small dinner and then spend our night drinking at the American Bar, we opted to have dinner in the room.

Whilst ordinarily you would call up and place your order, things were different here. Your butler will come to you room to take your order and provide you with a restaurant level experience. The food and setup was simply exquisite.

The American Bar

Following dinner, we went downstairs to secure our table at the American Bar and soak up the music of John Nicholls and his marvellous band. We had the perfect table dead centre and ordered some drinks. The waiting staff were phenomenal, the atmosphere relaxed, everything was just perfect.

New Year fireworks

At 11:45, everyone was invited to go to the Savoy’s own viewing area or, if you were lucky enough, to your room to view the fireworks. As we had a River Suite, we went to our room, popped open our champagne and watched the show.

and

Following the fireworks, we went back down to the American Bar and continued the night with a few more drinks and some more live music. By the end of the night, we realty felt the staff were our friends and when we were leaving we even hugged!

Breakfast

Wanting to make the most of the room, we had a late breakfast via room service. Of course our butler came up and took our order. Not too sure what was included (due to the menu being a-la-carte and our rate just including ‘breakfast’), we asked our butler. The answer was ‘anything you want’. So we did.

Courtesy Car

Certain packages and room types include use of the courtesy car. Whilst we had no actual need to use it, I couldn’t turn down the chance of a short drive in the beautiful Rolls Royce – and yes, people do turn around and take pictures.

Conclusion

I really feel our experience was once in a lifetime – it was perfect in every single way. The hotel has a special place in our hearts and I can’t wait to return for a few drinks. It has a real family feel and nothing is a problem. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend a stay. This isn’t an ‘everyday’ hotel, but if you have a special occasion and can pick up a package like the one we had, it is honestly worth every penny.

If you want to find out more, the Savoy’s website is here.

Booking

Our luxury hotel booking partner, Emyr Thomas of Bon Vivant, can get you special deals at The Savoy. You pay the same Best Flexible Rate shown on the website and will also receive:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Complimentary full English breakfast daily for two guests per bedroom, in Kaspar’s, Thames Foyer or Room Service
£85 Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Complimentary Wi-Fi
20% off Beauty & Fitness Treatments
Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of HfP. All bookings are ‘pay on departure’ and cancellable like any other booking made at Best Flexible Rate.

Accor Live Limitless update – January 2024:

Earn bonus Accor points: Accor is not currently running a global promotion

New to Accor Live Limitless? Read our review of Accor Live Limitless here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our analysis of what Accor Live Limitless points are worth is here.

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from Accor and the other major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Yatama Ecolodge, Costa Rica

Anika Burnett — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 02:13:13 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the Yatama Ecolodge in Costa Rica.

Today’s hotel is the Yatama Ecolodge, a private tropical rainforest reserve in Costa Rica. It’s reader Cat’s favourite hotel and here is her review:

Where is Yatama Ecolodge?

The Yatama Ecolodge is located near the village of Horquetas, in Heredia province, Costa Rica. The closest airport is San Jose and from there you will need to get yourself to Horquetos. You can either drive in a private vehicle, which takes about an hour and a half, or if you don’t mind a more “authentic” experience, use local buses – with one change it takes just over three hours.

Pedro, the owner of Yatama, will arrange a 4WD pick up in Horquetas to take you on the ridiculously bumpy 40-minute journey to Yatama Ecolodge. Do not attempt this in your own vehicle, wrap clothes around precious electronics and, ladies, wear a sports bra!

The private tropical rainforest reserve of Yatama borders, and provides an ecological buffer zone to, Braulio Carrillo NP, which in turn borders La Selva. This creates an extensive zone of astonishing biodiversity that crosses diverse habitats, for enthusiastic naturalists who don’t mind temporarily trading in some of their creature comforts for an epic adventure.

Hotel overview

Disclaimer: this is not a 5* hotel! There is no pool. You will not get cooled towels to mop your brow when the humidity gets to you (and it will). There is no free WiFi if you book through the hotel website. In fact, there is no WiFi at all, and almost certainly no phone reception, so let your loved ones know that you’re going off-grid for a few days before you head out there to avoid panic and search parties being sent out.

Instead, booking direct gets you a guided day hike and a night hike into this incredible, breathtakingly beautiful ecosystem, with a highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide each day, included in the room rate (this is as a group with any other guests of the ecolodge while you’re visiting – as I went at the end of the season, I frequently ended up with a private guide).

The guided day hikes usually take between one and three hours, and might just be a tour of the extensive, jungle-swathed grounds, or there might be a trek through a variety of terrains, fording a river or two along the way to a remote waterfall, where you can expect to swim (if you can navigate the slippery rocks) surrounded by dense, verdant foliage, with morpho butterflies flitting past you on a seemingly never-ending circuit up and down the river.

My room

You can expect your dinky en-suite rustic wooden cabin (elevated on posts above the forest floor) to come with the occasional Insect Of Unusual Size (IOUSes), and intermittent hot water, although the relative frequency of each is a constantly fluctuating thing. There is also a hammock on the veranda.

I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed that hammock – every day, after my morning hike, I’d make a pot of tea in the kitchen, take it to my hammock and then just lounge there with my Kindle, listening to the din of the aptly-named howler monkeys, the calls of the great curassows that would occasionally strut past, and the faint, high-pitched “chee-dit” calls of hummingbirds as they hover momentarily, just out of reach, and then suddenly are gone. I also enjoyed the rather spectacular view of the resident green macaws’ occasional flight in the middle distance, far behind my feet!

Of course, if you take sugar with your tea, I strongly recommend having a flicking stick at the ready, to get rid of the leafcutter ants (the smaller ones – they will make mincemeat of your skin) and the bullet ants (the bigger ones – they will make mincemeat of your central nervous system) who will definitely congregate. Check said flicking stick carefully before picking it up, and be prepared to fling it if the ants start to use it as a route to your arm. Or be dreadfully un-British, and add the sugar in the kitchen while it’s brewing. I couldn’t bear to do this.

Back to the room – the bathroom was very basic. If you are inextricably attached to your creature comforts and need a bathroom that is an ode to enamel, marble and chrome, this is not the place for you. However, the water for the shower comes from natural springs, as does the filtered drinking water, which you’re welcome to refill your water bottle from. Electricity to light your room and to charge your camera (you will want to bring your camera) is available from 5:30pm – 7am, and is solar panel generated. This is a true ecolodge.

Plan in advance for IOUS removal from your room at night though – it didn’t matter how long I left between switching off my headtorch and unlocking my door, you could guarantee an insect larger than my fist would follow me in. Trying to get them back out again was a challenge that’s not for the faint-hearted.

The night hikes

To be honest, if the swimming under waterfalls with morpho butterflies dancing through the air from one beam of light to another didn’t instantaneously make you decide to visit, then the night hikes are unlikely to appeal. For me it’s a tough call whether I’m completely smitten with this place because of said morpho-laden waterfalls, the hammock of joy, or the night hikes.

The day hikes were more about the location – the lush, liana-filled rainforest, the waterfalls that you have all to yourself, the moss-covered bridges and rivers that you ford. Sometimes we’d chance across a large bird, an agoutis, or a troop of Geoffroy’s spider monkeys, but the night hikes were when the fauna of Costa Rica really seemed to come alive. The frogs make the oddest variety of noises at night and they come in crazy colours, then there’s the snakes (only 3 of the 5 snakes we saw could potentially kill a human, if that’s any comfort…) and the mad IOUSes – it felt like a new adventure every night.

Dining

The food is simple, homely, delicious, plentiful and greatly appreciated after a hike. However, meals are taken as a group and there is no menu, you all get the same. If you have particular dietary needs, I’d discuss them in advance.

The dining room is a mesh-sided structure that allows for marvellous wildlife watching while enjoying your meal. It has comfy sofas, should you wish to lounge in a communal area, and 24-hour charging points.

Conclusion

This is not the place for everyone, and I realise that many HfP readers will be firmly in the not-on-your-nelly camp. The hikes are properly trekking through undulating jungle – as a Lincolnshire lass (albeit one who did the Tour du Mont Blanc right before this trip), Pedro’s idea of a flat hike and mine differed wildly. If the idea of being off-grid, surrounded by nature in all it’s creepy-crawly-slimy-flying-jumping glory fills you with joy, then this place will be your idea of heaven.

If you book direct, the $70 per person per night rate currently includes accommodation, taxes, three meals per day, fresh fruit, water, tea and coffee throughout the day and two guided hikes per day. Having stayed in various other hotels and guest houses around Costa Rica where I was paying $20-40 just for guided wildlife hikes and boat trips, this is a steal.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Four Seasons Orlando

Anika Burnett — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 02:15:31 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the Four Seasons Orlando in Florida.

Today’s hotel is the Four Seasons Orlando – a great place to stay when visiting Disney. It is reader Lisa and Ian’s favourite hotel and here is their review:

Overview

If you know you know: nothing compares to Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort – where dreams really do come true.

The only true five-star hotel located on Disney property brings luxury to Disney in a way that no other hotel can manage. We have visited twice now and on both occasions have had the best time ever. As a family of four we are Disney lovers, however we found ourselves not actually wanting to leave this absolutely unbelievable hotel to visit the parks.

The rooms

The suite we stayed in was simply beautiful. The spaciousness and sleek interiors are like no other hotel room Disney has to offer. The room cleaning service was done to perfection – and my standards are higher than high.

…. and our view:

Service and facilities

From the moment we drove through the golden oak gates the service was seamless. The ability from every single staff member to meet our needs was exceptional in that we barely needed to ask for anything and just like magic it appeared!

Breakfast

The character breakfast was done like no other in Disney. You do not get the hustle and bustle of people at Four Seasons like you do at other Disney hotels. The Goofy and Friends breakfast was far more personal. My kids got to actually spend a great amount of time with the characters which was a huge deal and made their day even more special.

The normal breakfast offered everything you could possibly want. They kept the buffet to the standards you would expect and will get you absolutely anything you ask for. We asked for grapes at breakfast one day that I cut up for my little one once they got to our table. The next day we found grapes already cut up on the table waiting for us.

Also, the mini doughnuts are to die for ….

Restaurants

Four Seasons Orlando has a number of restaurants as well as an extensive in-room dining menu.

In addition to the breakfast place we tried these restaurants:

Lickety Split

This is the most delicious lobby cafe you will find anywhere. The ice cream counter was just the best! The sandwiches and salads to go were a great little thing to take to the parks or just an easy grab for a quick breakfast or lunch alternative. We could not keep the kids out of here.

Ravello

Ravello is the Italian option where we found ourselves most nights – great for kids and again easy option with delicious food and fantastic service. Anything not offered could be made if requested. The one thing that the kids absolutely loved was the kids buffet option that was offered on two nights of the week. The cookies were sensational.

PB&G

This is the restaurant bar by the pool. So many options and great food for both kids and adults. The setting by the lake is gorgeous and our kids ate very well here. There was nothing they couldn’t do for us here. The staff were so friendly and made this a great lunch option.

Capa

The famous Capa restaurant offers the best views of Disney. A great spot that we all loved watching the fireworks from without being in the busy parks on some evenings.

Pools

The swimming pool complex (or water park as my kids called it) was immense. The splash zone was a great area for the kids and the two water slides were great fun.

As we were walking up to the pool area the staff were immediately setting up our chosen area. The pool area was vast and there was always space.

The lazy river offered a relaxing float around the beautiful settings and made you feel like you were in paradise.

The main pool was also amazing and even more so when they had a movie night with popcorn on the large outdoor pool screen. The adult pool which we used a lot when our kids were at the kids club was so relaxing and service just perfection. The cocktails and drinks topped this off.

Kids Club

My kids will never, ever, go to a kids club at any other hotel we have been to, but they did not want to leave this one. The timetable of activities and facilities including a climbing wall, playground, arts and crafts, toys, games and swimming were fantastic and so much fun. They also had a separate games room for slightly older kids.

Golf club

There was the most fantastic golf and sports club that now has 16.5 acre practice facility. Within the club there was also a club restaurant offering delicious menu options.

The gym was great and free fitness classes were available daily. The spa was absolutely beautiful and they even offered princess makeovers!

Disney planning centre

Four Seasons Orlando also had a Disney planning centre in the lobby which was great for any help booking park tickets and fast passes.

A huge bonus was the most luxurious private Four Seasons shuttle coach which took guests to and from the parks – and these never got full!

Finally….

Although they say Disney World is the most magical place on earth I actually think they mean Four Seasons Orlando is most definitely “the most magical place on earth”!

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here.

Booking

Emyr Thomas at Bon Vivant, HFP’s luxury travel booking partner, is a Four Seasons ‘Preferred Partner’ travel agent. This means that he can get you valuable extra benefits on all your Four Seasons.

Importantly, Emyr can usually get these benefits added to ANY rate showing on the Four Seasons website – even promotional offers.

If you are interested in booking Four Seasons Orlando, contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points and he will confirm what extra benefits are available.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Vineyard hotel, Cape Town

Anika Burnett — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 02:19:20 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is The Vineyard hotel, Cape Town.

Today’s hotel is The Vineyard hotel in Cape Town. It is reader Helen’s favourite hotel and here is her review:

Overview

Nestled under Table Mountain, the most beautiful mountain in all the world, you find The Vineyard hotel in Cape Town. Its classic and understated charm provides a tranquil and gorgeous spot for a wonderful trip to “the Mother City”.

Our favourite part of the hotel are its magnificent gardens (eight acres!) which are large and abundant with gorgeous greenery and flowers. A family of tortoises roams freely through the gardens and there is a sweet river which flows at the bottom of the property.

One can spend hours getting lost in the gardens, which feel more like a magical forest. There is always something special to see, from amazing South African florals to exotic birds and butterflies.

Location

The Vineyard is situated in the Claremont area of Cape Town. It is a great location for exploring Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Muizenberg Beach and the city centre.

Getting to The Vineyard hotel

We travelled with British Airways and rented a car at the airport with Hertz. Parking at the hotel is free and I would definitely recommend renting a car to explore the city, the nearby wine lands and the beautiful scenery. If you don’t want to rent a car, the hotel can organise a taxi for you and Uber is widely available. There is also a private car service, which is more expensive, but can be booked at the Travel Desk, near the reception area. The hotel also offers pick-ups and drop offs to the airport and a complimentary shuttle bus which goes to the nearest shopping mall called Cavendish Square.

Facilities

To the left of the main house is the swimming pool, which is large and sparkling clean. Here you can order drinks and food to your sun lounger from the Splash Café. The menu at the Splash Café is pretty extensive, from salads, sushi, hamburgers to milkshakes and ice-creams. Unfortunately we found the service slightly on the slow side.

There is also a small indoor warm-water pool and a gym. The gym is well equipped and overlooks the swimming pool. It is always a treat to have a work-out with the fresh air coming in and looking out onto a beautiful view.

I booked regular personal training sessions with the gym instructor at the hotel which was amazing and a great start to my day. I would suggest booking sessions way in advance because the instructors get booked up quickly especially during peak season.

We also had one of the gym trainers take us on a guided walk of the mountain which was really wonderful as it was nice to have a knowledgeable guide showing us the way and explaining the history of the area.

The hotel also has a spa which is part of the international Banyan Tree brand. It offers therapeutic massages, facials and a variety of lovely treatments by trained therapists, using natural ingredients and aromatherapy. I had a facial and a pedicure and my husband had a massage. Both were extremely relaxing and I would definitely have more treatments, if I return. They are not on the cheap side though, so we limited ourselves!

Rooms

The bedrooms are luxurious and spacious, with lovely interiors and spotless en-suite bathrooms and sheets. The beds are large, and the hotel can accommodate roller beds and cots for families. Most rooms have recently been renovated and some have magnificent views across the gardens and of the mountain.

We travelled with my extended family so had a range of ages with us. My partner, my children and I stayed in a large mountain facing room on the first level, called a Mountain Deluxe Room. We had a large king-sized bed and there was also room for a small single bed for our toddler and a cot for our baby.

We had our own private patio area outside which had a small table and chairs and a sun lounger. This was lovely to sit on when our children had afternoon naps. Each room has a Nespresso coffee station and obviously a gorgeous en-suite with both bath and shower.

My younger brother stayed in a courtyard-facing room, in the standard option, overlooking a green courtyard. His room was on the same level as ours. His room was a very good size and also had a lovely en-suite bathroom with shower, bath, and ample cupboard space.

My parents stayed in a deluxe suite on the north side of the property with a spacious balcony overlooking the gardens and mountain scape. It was really beautiful and well worth the extra money.

Food and drinks

The food in the main restaurant was five-star and I find myself dreaming about the breakfasts, overflowing with fresh mango, granadilla, granola, yogurt, pastries and of course eggs. For later in the day, there is a wide variety of food on the menu from both The Square, but also the Garden Lounge and the on-site restaurant Myoga.

Afternoon tea under the trees is very unique and the scones with cream and jam are lovely. The hotel was extremely helpful in regards to helping us feed our children and baby. We ordered food off-menu, particularly kid’s meals. They also cleaned and sanitised our baby’s bottles and helped make up milk. In general South Africa was extremely kid-friendly and welcoming.

Importantly, the hotel has a good environmental ethos, especially in regard to saving water and using ethically sourced ingredients. I was excited to learn that the hotel has 80 solar panels which are supplied with green energy from the Darling Wind Farm and that they recycle 98% of their waste!

The best thing of all are the smiling staff who have worked there for years who are always friendly and warm. It is a family hotel and you get the sense that you are part of a large happy family whenever you stay there.

I would highly recommend The Vineyard hotel and am looking forward to my next trip as soon as possible.

How to book

We booked directly with the hotel, who were extremely helpful. Our breakfast was included in our rate.

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Peninsula, Shanghai

Anika Burnett — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 02:36:30 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is The Peninsula hotel in Shanghai.

Today’s hotel is The Peninsula Shanghai. It is reader Robin’s favourite hotel. Here is his review:

Introduction

What better way to start a mini-tour of China (Shanghai > Beijing > Xi’an) and Hong Kong back in October 2018, than to stay at the glamorous and art deco-inspired The Peninsula Shanghai hotel?

Booking

As a regular reader of Head for Points, I found out about the annual Business Traveller charity Christmas auction and bid on a two night stay at The Peninsula Shanghai in a Deluxe Room with daily breakfast for two. My winning bid came to £234 per night, while cash rates for the same room with breakfast at the time were double that.

Where is The Peninsula Shanghai?

Opened in 2009, the hotel is located at the end of the historic Bund (Shanghai’s iconic riverfront promenade) with views of the Bund, Huangpu River, Pudong and the former British Consulate gardens. The front of the hotel and bar faces the famous Oriental Pearl TV Tower and other tall skyscrapers. The Bund is extremely ‘Instagrammable’ and you will see many wedding photo shoots day and night.

(ROB’S EDIT: don’t underestimate the value of being able to walk from The Peninsula down the Bund. Many Shanghai hotels, such as the Park Hyatt where I stayed on my last trip, are in the main business district on the other side of the river where there is far less going on around you.)

An added bonus was the Shanghai ‘City Sightseeing’ bus had a stop outside the hotel. I recommend bus tours in any country you are going to visit; you get to see the majority of the city in a short time frame. Don’t get off at every stop though, have a plan to maximise your time. The nearest metro station is a 10 minute walk.

The hotel does provide Peninsula’s signature Green Rolls Royce airport pick up/drop off service at additional cost (other vehicles are also available). A regular Sedan taxi from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to the hotel cost approx. £20 (170 RMB). From the hotel to Shanghai Hongqiao railway train station (for onward journey to Beijing) cost £12 (100 RMB).

Rooms at The Peninsula Shanghai

The Peninsula boasts 235 ‘rooms’ including 44 suites. We were staying in a deluxe room.

After checking in we were escorted to the room and the professional staff member proceeded with a tour of the room.

The Deluxe room (54-59 square metres) comprised of a (as per the hotel website description):

• Luxurious, comfortable, neutral and quiet bedroom with high quality bedding, a two seater sofa, coffee table, desk with a range of stationery, TV, mini-bar, Nespresso coffee machine and tea-making facilities, internet access with VOIP calls, multi-function bedside electronic control panel, bedside sockets inclusive of USB ports, fax/scanner/printer and daily fruit basket
• Spacious dressing/cupboard/luggage room area (wooden vanities) with safe
• Marble bathroom with separate shower cubicle, two sinks, small encased TV and Oscar de la Renta amenities

As well as daily housekeeping, there was an evening turndown service.

I was impressed with this opulent room that I would class it as a suite itself – I can only imagine how amazing the ‘real’ suites would be… and how amazing the associated price!

Breakfast

Breakfast was served between 6am and 11am in the elegant and cordial setting of The Lobby. The hotel was reasonably busy, but this was not noticeable because the tables were well spaced out.

There was a well presented breakfast buffet in the middle of the room, and additionally an extensive a la carte menu to order from. The breakfast and service was to a very high quality.

Lunch, Afternoon Tea and Dinner were also served in The Lobby. In addition the hotel also boasts two further restaurants.

Bar

Sir Elly’s rooftop bar and terrace is not to be missed especially in the evening to view the neon lit skyline – phenomenal! It provides a 270 degree experience with magnificent panoramas of the Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek and Pudong skyline.

Wellness

The hotel had a small sized well equipped gym with on-site personal trainers. The gym equipment was from Life Fitness and the treadmills had built in TVs.

Enclosed in a beautifully presented indoor atrium was a heated swimming pool (25m x 7.5m x1.35m), complete with steam room, sauna and outdoor terrace.

There was a separate spa that offered a variety of massages and treatments.

Other points to note

• The service was at a superior level. You can tell the courteous legion of staff throughout the hotel have been highly trained.
• The air quality in and around the Bund was noticeably poor due to smog, but I didn’t face any breathing difficulties
• The entrance to the hotel from the Bund has a mini shopping arcade full of luxury brands
• The hotel has fully accessible rooms for wheelchair users
• Children are welcome

Conclusion

The Peninsula Shanghai is an ultra-luxurious hotel, boasting many facilities with impeccable service levels and arguably the best view in Shanghai. I highly recommend it.

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here.

How to book

You can get extra bonuses when booking The Peninsula Shanghai if you book via Emyr Thomas at Bon Vivant, HFP’s luxury hotel booking partner.

Bookings made via Emyr come with:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
American Breakfast for two guests per bedroom daily
$100 equivalent food & beverage credit, to be utilized during stay
“Peninsula Time” – Flexible check-in and check-out times to suit your needs
Complimentary wi-fi

You will pay the same as the ‘Best Flexible Rate’ shown on the Peninsula website, and you pay at the hotel as usual.

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points.

Don’t forget that The Peninsula London is currently under construction at Hyde Park Corner, next to The Lanesborough, and due to open in 2021/22.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Carmel Forest Spa Resort, Haifa, Israel

Anika Burnett — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 02:02:29 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the Carmel Forest Spa Resort, Haifa, Israel.

Today’s hotel is the Carmel Forest Spa Resort, part of the Isrotel chain. It is reader Ruth’s favourite hotel and here is her review:

Overview

When most people think of taking a holiday in Israel, their first point of call is usually Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. However, the third most populated city in Israel is Haifa, and just a 20-minute drive away from this bustling city sits the Carmel Forest Spa Hotel located on the Carmel Mountain.

This quiet spa hotel does not allow children under 16, or mobile telephones in public spaces, and provides an extremely relaxing break. A minimum of two nights is recommended.

Save with a hotel membership

The Carmel Forest Spa is one of five Exclusive Collection hotels run by the hotel chain Isrotel. They also have 11 other hotels in the country.

Isrotel has a membership scheme called the Sun Club which costs tourists 350 NIS (around £80) for a 2-year membership. If you plan on visiting multiple Isrotel hotels, it is well worth becoming a member. Membership includes 10% off all rooms booked via the Isrotel website, and 10% discount on all expenses during your hotel stay. The club also offers birthday and anniversary treats including a bottle of wine and a free meal in the hotel restaurants.

Booking

The cheapest way to book your stay is directly via the Isrotel website. Usually the best deals you can find come with at least one free spa treatment so it is worthwhile checking out the “deals” section of the site before booking your stay. The cheapest days to arrive are usually Saturdays due to the Jewish Sabbath.

Arrival

Guests can arrive at the hotel from 1pm onwards and rooms are guaranteed to be available from 3pm (these times are slightly later on a Saturday). On arrival you will find a welcome stand with healthy treats such as fresh juices, tea and oatmeal cookies.

I highly recommend arriving at the hotel as early as possible if your stay will be short. Upon arrival you are greeted by a porter who will take your luggage, and you will receive a text message once your room is ready, allowing you to benefit from the hotel’s facilities as much as possible.

Food

All bookings include half board meals. Being a spa hotel, the food tries to remain healthy, and all meals include a vast salad bar together with whole-wheat, low fat, low sugar and low carb options. You will get a call from the hotel ahead of your stay asking if you have any other dietary requirements and the hotel is always happy to accommodate any special diets .

You can also opt for full board dining. However, the breakfast room remains open until 11am and even if you do feel hungry ahead of dinner, there is a lounge café with reasonably priced snacks and salads. Dinner is served a la carte and a secret that only the regulars are aware of is that you can request multiple main dishes from the waiters without any extra charges.

Rooms at Carmel Forest Spa

The hotel offers many different types of rooms. The cheaper rooms are on the higher floors (6/7), and as you get lower down the rooms get larger and feature balconies or even small gardens. There are also a number of suites available. Your room choice, however, is not so important as the majority of your stay will be spent using the hotel’s spa facilities.

Spa facilities

The hotel has an indoor and outdoor swimming pools, jacuzzi, dry sauna, wet sauna, Turkish baths and a solarium.

There is also a outdoor tennis court – rackets and balls are provided. Being a Spa hotel there is also a large fitness room which is open 24/7 and multiple work-out rooms offering activities from kick boxing over mediation, to couples’ yoga. There are multiple individual and couple treatment rooms and the hotel offers various types of massages, dermatological treatments or dietician consultations.

Hotel facilities

The hotel also has a large reading room containing all the latest magazines, a large cinema where films are shown most evenings, multiple conference rooms, a cosy bar that usually offers an evening happy hour and a large lounge area.

My tips for your visit

If you are celebrating a special occasion, tell the staff at check-in, they will be happy to spoil you. We had rose petals on our bed, together with a fruit platter and a bottle of wine awaiting us in our room when we told the hotel we had recently got married.
During the day there are a range of teas and fruits available in the waiting room of the spa
The reading room is filled with all the latest magazines and books so be sure to pick up your fill of literature for your stay
On your day of departure, even once you check out, you can stay in the facilities until 6pm, and the hotel offers a locker service for guests to use
Be aware that most guests will wear their robes for the duration of the stay, however these are not allowed at dinner
Dinner usually gets very busy, so make sure you book a time slot with the concierge upon arrival

Conclusion

The Carmel Forest Spa Resort is a warm, friendly hotel, and is perfect for a getaway. The staff are very friendly, and if you need anything they will go out of their way to accommodate. This is a hidden gem in Israel. Once you have tried this hotel, the other Isrotel Exclusive hotels are also a must.

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Conrad Algarve, Portugal (bookable on Hilton points)

Anika Burnett — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 02:36:00 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the Conrad Algarve resort in Portugal.

Today’s hotel is the Conrad Algarve. As part of Hilton Honors, this is a hotel you can book with points. It is reader Matthew’s favourite hotel and here is his review:

Overview

Conrad Algarve is a modern 5* hotel and one of the most luxurious hotels in the region. It has won countless awards, including most recently ‘Europe’s Leading Luxury Lifestyle Resort’ for 2019 at the World Travel Awards.

Location

Conrad Algarve is located on the edge of Quinta do Lago, a beautiful private resort which plays home to a number of world-class golf courses and has access to stunning sandy beaches.

One of the key selling points for me is that the hotel is only a short 20 minute drive from Faro Airport, which means you can be off the plane and on a sun lounger in no time at all!

Reception / Arrival

As soon as you pull in the driveway, you will be wowed by this hotel. Valet parking is all part of the service and you are escorted through to reception for check in. You are offered a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, which is very welcome after a tiring journey.

Staff escort you to your room and give you the full tour to ensure everything is to your satisfaction. As usual, Gold and Diamond Hilton Honors members are entitled to a series of benefits at the Conrad, including complimentary breakfast and room upgrades.

Staff

Before I go on to talk about what this superb hotel offers, for me it is the staff that make this place as good as it is. They are so well trained and every single one of them from the receptionists to the cleaners goes out of their way to provide such an amazing customer experience.

Just a handful of examples include rolling out your towel and bringing you ice-cold water when you arrive at the pool and leaving little gifts in the room throughout your stay. One year I had broken my sunglasses and, without me noticing, housekeeping had taken them to a local opticians to have them fixed and placed them back in the room.

Rooms at Conrad Algarve

The hotel has 154 contemporary styled rooms and suites and they exude luxury. Each room features a huge bath complete with a TV for kicking back for a long soak, a separate rain shower, A Nespresso machine, minibar and a balcony. Amenities are from Shanghai Tang.

The rooms are all light, bright and airy and even the entry level rooms are a spacious 38m².

Facilities

Conrad Algarve has an extensive list of facilities including two stunning outdoor swimming pools, an indoor pool, a luxurious spa, a fully equipped gym, daily exercise classes, a tennis court, sports lounge, golf concierge and much more.

and

The hotel also offers a minibus shuttle down to the nearby beach. At the beach the hotel has an agreement with a local restaurant to provide a private section of the beach with sun loungers, towels and bottled water.

Next to the hotel is a shopping complex with a supermarket, bars and retail outlets.

Food and drink

Conrad Algarve has a wide selection of excellent dining options. The stand out option is Gusto which serves contemporary Mediterranean cuisine under the aegis of three-star Michelin chef Heinz Beck. I highly recommend splashing out on the tasting menu, which is a real experience.

Louro Restaurant offers all-day dining and hosts the hotel’s most incredible breakfast, which can be taken inside or out by the pool. When getting to your table, two traditional Portuguese pastries are already waiting for you and the buffet contains everything you could ever want.

Other drinking and dining options include the Lago Lounge, Dado and Sereno pool bars. The hotel also offers an extensive room service menu.

Families

I was staying at this hotel long before I had children, but as the hotel caters so well for families it means that it has adapted with us.

There is a kids club on site, playground, children’s pool, babysitting service, and in room baby facilities including cots, bottle warmers, monitors and toiletries.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a relaxing holiday in luxurious surrounds where your every whim will be looked after, then you should certainly consider Conrad Algarve. Prices are not cheap during the summer months, but if you go in the shoulder months of April/May or September/October you will be paying around £250 per night for an entry level room.

As a points redemption, it seems to cap at 89,000 Hilton Honors points per night. With cash prices this Summer reaching €480 per night, this is an outsized return of 0.45p per point.

The hotel’s website is here, if you want to find out more.

Booking

If you are booking Conrad Algarve for cash and not with points, you can access a special deal via Emyr Thomas at Bon Vivant, the Head for Points luxury hotel booking partner.

Emyr can access Hilton’s Impresario scheme, which covers bookings at Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and LXR hotels. At present, there is a 5th night free offer at Conrad Algarve which is only available via Impresario.

You also receive the standard Impresario benefits:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Complimentary breakfast for two daily for duration of the stay
$100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit
Double Hilton Honors points
Early check-in / late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi

You will pay the same price as the standard ‘Best Flexible Rate’ room only rate showing on the Hilton website, and you pay on departure from the hotel.

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points.

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (January 2024)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card? It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status. We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.

(Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Tanjong Jara Resort, Malaysia

Anika Burnett — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 02:22:49 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the Tanjong Jara resort in Malaysia.

Today’s hotel is the Tanjong Jara Resort in Terengganu, Malaysia. It is reader Claire’s favourite hotel and here is her review:

Overview

I, along with many other HfP readers, am a points and miles fanatic. In Malaysia, though, luxury hotels offer excellent value and it is worth spending your hard-earned cash.

The Tanjong Jara Resort in Terengganu is, after having stayed at resorts all across Malaysia, the one that captured my heart. This is a resort that gives you a magnificent beach, great diving spots and warm hospitality. I’ve been back three times so far and know I’ll be back again shortly.

I can never spout my love for Malaysia as a destination enough. It is an often overlooked destination in South East Asia, falling under the radar behind Singapore’s glitz and the well-known islands of Thailand, with delicious food (if you haven’t been to Penang, you truly are missing out), great wildlife and beaches as far as the eye can see.

The hotel is run by YTL, a Malaysian conglomerate which also holds the Majestic Hotels in Kuala Lumpur and Malacca under their belt (and which I would also recommend, highly!). YTL’s UK properties include The Glasshouse in Edinburgh, also reviewed in this series, the Gainsborough Bath Spa (reviewed here) and Monkey Island in Bray.

Where is Tanjong Jara Resort?

Tanjong Jara is located in a sleepy little town called Dungun. I always fly into Kuala Lumpur International Airport and rent a car, driving the 4.5 hours to the resort. This is a great way to see the country, with lots of palm trees and delicious street food along the way. The alternative, for those who do not want to brave the sometimes-chaotic roads of Malaysia, would be to fly into Kuala Terengganu airport and have a car pick you up from there – the resort can arrange this for you. They can also arrange for a car to pick you up directly from Kuala Lumpur.

While this isn’t necessarily the easiest destination to get to, it presents something different for those who want something a little bit offbeat. The hotel is a great springboard for those who want to do nothing but dive, eat, sleep and repeat. It is very much a tucked away resort that you go to in order to escape from the world.

There isn’t much else to do in Dungun. There are little pockets of fishing and farming to be seen if you care to explore the place, and it is a fantastic town for those who, like me, aren’t big fans of touristy locations.

Check-in

The moment you step out of the car, there are four members of staff there to greet you with cold towels. The Malay gong rings out, and your bags are whisked away while you are led into the all-inviting lobby with the welcome drink of the day in your hand (expect lemongrass, pandan or other exotic flavours in your drink).

I am always blown away by the open-air, Malay-style architecture of Tanjong Jara – expect to see lots of wood, and high ceilings that provide much-needed ventilation for the hot, humid climate. It is worth noting that the warmth you receive at check-in will be carried on throughout your stay, with staff remembering your name and anything you need done as quickly as possible.

The rooms

The rooms in Tanjong Jara are all lovely. The basic room is the ‘bumbung’ room – bumbung meaning roof in Malay – which are based in double storey chalets and scattered all around the resort. These rooms don’t offer much in the way of views, though would suit those who are happy to walk a short way to the beach and come back at the end of the day to be surrounded by lush greenery.

All rooms are massive (by my standards) and have day beds (great for kids!), luxury bath tubs (which can be filled with bubble bath and rose petals if the resort hears it’s your anniversary…), his-and-hers sinks, walk-in wardrobes and just about everything you would expect in a 5* resort.

If you can spring for it, I would recommend going for the Anjung seafront rooms. These are single storey chalets opening right onto the sand and are just a fabulous experience all around. The beds are inviting and comfortable – though I’ll admit, whenever I’m at Tanjong Jara, I am almost never in the room as there’s so much to do!

Facilities and things to do

Undoubtedly, the biggest feature of the resort is its private pristine beach and the nearby diving spots. I’ve spent days on end reading books surrounded by these white sands, in cabanas and hammocks provided by the resort. Staff whisk by with ice-cold drinks and service is always impeccable.

The resort has an on-site diving centre which can arrange both PADI courses and leisure dives for you. This usually entails traversing to nearby Tenggol – a popular hotspot for divers and part of the Terengganu Marine Park, with over 20 diving sites. You’ll encounter diverse corals, sea turtles and, if you’re lucky, manta rays.

For those who like to snorkel, the resort can also arrange guided snorkelling visits to Tenggol, with lunch included. If you come during turtle-watching season, expect to be able to watch the world-famous Terengganu Green Turtles lay some eggs.

Back at the resort, there are cycle paths, cooking classes, learn-to-make batik courses (a form of Malay fabric), jungle walks, and waterfall picnics. Some of the activities are included and some you have to pay for. On some nights, the resort arranges an excursion to the local bustling night market – this isn’t your typical touristy night market, but a true-blue local Malay one with street food galore.

There are two swimming pools (one adults only) and a small gym and tennis court. Other things to do include visiting an elephant sanctuary, catching a movie at the outdoor cinema (weather permitting – Malaysia is a tropical country, with tropical rainstorms).

There is, perhaps most importantly, a fabulous spa on-site for those craving massages; I’ve always got buy-one-get-one free massages with my partner – and the spa abides by traditional Malay methods, with all treatments beginning with a Malay bath where you are washed seven times, giving you seven blessings.

Food at Tanjong Jara

The resort has some fabulous restaurants, offering a mixture of western and local food. While you can walk around the resort to eat at some great local eateries – which I would recommend, if only for the experience – the restaurants provide great quality food (I’m a big fan of the steamed snapper) though it isn’t the cheapest you’ll get in town.

If you look around on the Tanjong Jara website, however, you will find full-board and half-board meal plans for a fee. We always go for the half board (breakfast and dinner) and that is enough to sustain us.

The main restaurant, serving breakfast and dinner, is Di Atas Sungei – an open air restaurant overlooking a river. Breakfast in Di Atas Sungei is buffet style with a fair selection, the meal plan for dinner will give a choice of three items per person. For those staying for a longer period, alcohol plans are available. Nelayan is another restaurant just off the beach – offering a great barbeque on Saturday evenings and great burgers on other days.

Note that Terengganu is a conservative town and alcohol is hard to come by. Prices at the resort for drinks are what you would expect for a 5* hotel.

Conclusion

Overall, Tanjong Jara is a great getaway at a reasonable price. Rooms here go for as low as £120 per night with half-board. The rooms are amazing, staff are ever-helpful, diving spots are great – and the beach is divine. I could live here forever, getting lost in the underwater wonders and the sand. I will never stop touting my love for Malaysia, and Tanjong Jara, as a destination for the world to see!

If you want to find out more, the resort’s website is here.

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Peninsula, Tokyo

Anika Burnett — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 02:42:35 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is The Peninsula, Tokyo.

Today’s hotel is The Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo. It is reader Kieren’s favourite hotel and here is his review:

Overview

My partner and I stayed at The Peninsula Tokyo for 8 nights in May 2018. We first visited Tokyo in April 2017 as part of a Japan – Vietnam holiday, during which time Tokyo solidified itself as one of our favourite cities in the world.

Owing to our fondness for Tokyo we were keen to explore the hotel scene while also looking for something that was well situated and gave us easy access to the many sites we wanted to visit. We knew that The Peninsula chain was a leading premium hotel brand but had never yet committed to staying with them. However, knowing that we were visiting Japan’s capital again, having read more than one very favourable reviews and been captivated by the brand and reputation of The Peninsula globally, we decided to book!

Getting to The Peninsula

Tokyo has two major airports: Tokyo International Airport (more well known as Haneda Airport) and Narita. Both offer various ways to get to The Peninsula Tokyo e.g. by train, bus, taxi or private transfer. We arranged a private transfer from Haneda Airport to the hotel which took around 13 minutes (16km).

The Peninsula Tokyo is located in the Marunouchi district, a stones throw away from uber chic Ginza, and (very importantly for our purposes) a 3 minute walk to Hankyu Men’s – Japan’s sensational offering to men who enjoy floor after floor of nothing but the latest menswear. It is also situated directly opposite from the Imperial Palace, with many of its rooms offering a bird eye view of the royal complex.

Arrival

Upon arrival, we were greeted by two majestic stone lions, the familiar guards of The Peninsula’s hotels. Both lions were flanked by members of hotel staff dressed in pristine white uniforms, who beckoned us into the hotel lobby.

As can be seen in the picture below, the lobby is quite impressive. The walk towards check-in takes you down a central walk-way where you are flanked by hotel guests who quietly go about their business (business meetings or indeed, enjoying Afternoon Tea in The Lobby restaurant). A special comment needs to be made about the hanabi chandelier that guests walk under as they head towards the check-in desk – it really is exquisite.

We were escorted to the check-in desk which was tucked discreetly into the back-left hand corner of the lobby and were greeted by hotel staff with a customary bow and warm welcome to the hotel. After a very efficient check-in, we were led over to the elevators by an elegantly dressed lady who ushered us inside before stepping back from the doors and bowing until the doors closed.

Our room

In Tokyo hotel rooms are generally on the smaller side owing to the extreme lack of space and high land prices. That said, we were quite simply blown away by our room!

Upon entering we were greeted by a long and spacious hallway which led to a large bathroom and walk-in closet on the left- and right-hand side, respectively. The hallway ended by opening out onto a very well-proportioned bedroom and living room, with beautiful views out over the roofs of the imperial complex.

and

There is a short video of the room at the bottom of this review

(EDIT by Rob: What Kieren doesn’t mention, but which I loved when I stayed here, is the two-way wardrobe cupboard which staff can access from the corridor outside your room. You can get undressed at night, place your shirt in the two-way wardrobe, ring down to tell the staff what you’ve done, and when you wake up in the morning you open the wardrobe to find a washed and ironed shirt waiting for you. It is an amazing service and allowed me to survive on just hand baggage for 5 nights.)

Facilities

As the main purpose for our visit to The Peninsula Tokyo was using it as a base for us to explore the city, we did not use the relaxation facilities on offer but there were many: a spa; fitness centre; and pool are all available to those looking to relax or keep up their fitness routine.

Food and drink

While we tended to eat out of the hotel for most of our meals, The Peninsula Tokyo offers several dining options.

The Lobby restaurant is the first place that guests come in contact with – they walk through it on a central walkway as they enter the hotel.

We ate breakfast there almost every morning, taking advantage of the many offerings available. Diners keen on developing their palette could explore the Japanese option of exquisitely cooked fish accompanied by fragrant rice, pickled vegetables and a restorative broth.

On the other hand, those that wished to indulge their sweet tooth could peruse the many pastries on offer by the expert hands of the waiting staff, or dive into the rich French toast with perfectly sweet and sour fruits (which is a must!)

Another option is Hei Fung Terrace, a Cantonese restaurant designed to mimic the gardens of Suzhou. We visited the restaurant to enjoy Yum Cha (afternoon tea) one afternoon and were not disappointed. Each dish was perfectly presented in its own compartment atop a tiered stand which was a very nice touch to a traditional menu.

Additional options for dining include the hotel’s luxury grill restaurant, Peter, and Peter: The Bar, which offers sensational views of Tokyo’s skyline.

A note on service

One thing that we have come to admire and respect is the Japanese attention to detail. We have been fortunate to have visited some incredible cities and stayed at some of the leading names in the hotel world, but few experiences come close to how things are done at The Peninsula Tokyo.

Whether you are eating at one of the restaurants, or simply passing time by sitting in the lobby watching guests come and go, nothing escapes the hotel staff’s gaze. Staff members were warm and friendly, always on hand to take questions if and when we had any and executed their day-to-day duties with a degree of diligence and precision that commanded admiration.

Conclusion

The Peninsula Tokyo is by far one of our favourite hotels and this is for two important reasons: the Peninsula’s brand (which we have long admired) and the way that its staff represent the brand. There is something quite special about The Peninsula Tokyo which is difficult to describe, but hopefully this article goes some way to communicating the fantastic experience that a stay there promises. In short, we will be going back soon and hope that others will enjoy their stay as much as we did!

The Peninsula Hotel Tokyo website is here if you want to find out more.

How to book

You can get extra bonuses when booking The Peninsula Tokyo if you book via Emyr Thomas at Bon Vivant, HFP’s luxury hotel booking partner.

Bookings made via Emyr come with:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
American Breakfast at The Lobby for two guests per bedroom daily
$100 equivalent food & beverage credit, to be utilized during stay
“Peninsula Time” – Flexible check-in and check-out times to suit your needs
Complimentary wi-fi

You will pay the same as the ‘Best Flexible Rate’ shown on the Peninsula website, and you pay at the hotel as usual.

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points.

Don’t forget that The Peninsula London is currently under construction at Hyde Park Corner, next to The Lanesborough, and due to open in 2021/22.

And a video …..

Kieren took a short video of their room which we’ve uploaded to the Head for Points YouTube channel:

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points? Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

Hilton Honors is offering an 80% to 100% bonus when you buy points by 12th March 2024. Click here.

IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown

Anika Burnett — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 02:11:56 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is from 66 floors up in the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

Today’s hotel is the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

It is reader Katie and Darran’s favourite hotel and here is their review:

Overview

The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is situated in, as the name suggests, the downtown area of Los Angeles. It’s a little out of your usual LA hotspots, but still perfectly placed for exploring the city.

The hotel building is relatively new (it opened in mid 2017) and is an impressive steel and glass sail-shaped construction. 73 stories high, it has some of the best views of the city and out to the Hollywood Hills and beyond.

Location

Situated on the corner of Wiltshire Boulevard and 7th St, InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is just across the road from the 7th St. Metro Centre making it perfect to get around the city on the subway network. It’s easy to use and reasonably priced ($7 for a day pass) and can take you to all the main areas of LA, as well as out to Santa Monica.

If you like sightseeing on foot like we do and are prepared for a walk, the Arts District, Financial District and Chinatown are not too far away. The hotel can help with walking routes, or you can do some mapping yourself before you go – it’s a great way to see this part of the city.

And of course there are Ubers and Lyfts if that’s more your style!

Getting to InterContinental Los Angeles

We flew from London Heathrow to LAX direct on a BA flight.

The hotel is situated approximately 17 miles from LAX and is a comfortable Uber ride costing around $30. Depending on LA traffic which is renowned to be busy to say the least, it usually takes about 40 minutes. The journey approaching the downtown area is always one of my favourites as the hotel appears on the skyline.

Reception and check-In

We were greeted at the ground level by a light atrium with hotel porters directing you to the elevators which accelerated us (in 40 seconds to be precise!) to the 70th floor where the main Reception and check-in are located inside the Sky Lobby. When we stepped out of the elevators into the lobby we began to really get a feel for the hotel. As the Lobby Lounge bar is situated at the far end, it’s often a busy space.

The Sky Lobby is a modern light space with large windows looking out over LA. Check-in was efficient, courteous and welcoming on both of our stays at this hotel.

We were staying in an InterContinental Club room so were shown where the Club Lounge was and explained the other additional benefits.

Room

We stayed in room 6631, a Club King room, on the 66th floor, on each of our two stays. We are IHG Ambassador members and this was an upgrade on our first stay at the hotel but now there is no going back. It’s amazing and we will always request this room again for future stays!

There was fresh fruit and pastries in the room on arrival which was a lovely touch after a long flight.

Floor to ceiling windows on three sides of the room had views reaching out to the Hollywood Hills in front, across towards the airport and Santa Monica on one side and the Dodger Stadium on the other. You could also see the Hollywood sign on a clear day, adding to the wow factor.

The room was comfortable and spacious but not too big. There was a king-sized bed, which faced out towards the Hills. Carefully chosen Southern California art adorned the walls that weren’t windows.

A desk area and TV, and a small seating area with sofa, chair and coffee table allowed for some work time if you had to. The small bar had a coffee-machine, fridge and bottled water was replenished daily.

The bathroom had a full-sized bath, large shower, wash basin and vanity area with separate toilet. It was clean, well-appointed and always well stocked with plenty of fresh clean towels and toiletries.

The room was pretty quiet but there was occasionally some noise from the restaurant above with scraping chairs on the floor which could be heard in the room. Other than that we weren’t bothered by traffic noise, or noise from any other areas of the hotel.

Facilities

The hotel has six restaurants and bars. La Boucherie (an American steakhouse), Dekkadance (international dining), Sora (sushi), Lobby Lounge (bar and bar snacks), Dive Bar (poolside cocktail bar) and Spire 73, the tallest open air bar in the western hemisphere, and not to be missed.

Spire 73 is located on the 73rd floor and usually has an entrance fee – but not for hotel guests. It is a must visit for the view, atmosphere of fire pits, music and good cocktails. If you want to sit at one of the tables next to the windows, you need to reserve in advance and there is a minimum spend requirement. They do get booked up quickly so it’s worth requesting them at check-in.

The Club Lounge, which was part of our stay, had the trademark hotel views, great service and a good selection of breakfast, afternoon snacks, and evening drinks and canapes.

The vibe in here and the food and hospitality have been so good on both stays we haven’t ventured to another restaurant at the hotel to eat. (We must do that next time though.) The Club Lounge is never too busy and overall great to relax in.

Other hotel facilities were a well equipped gym and fitness area with sauna and steam room and a decent sized rooftop pool area with cabanas, fire pits and a bar.

Conclusion

This is our go-to hotel in LA. It has the perfect mix of luxury, convenience, comfort and location. We would definitely recommend staying here irrespective of whether you’re visiting LA for the first time or are a returning visitor. The views are worth it on their own.

We can definitely recommend paying a little more for the Intercontinental Club Lounge as it certainly adds something special to the stay.

As I am sure you have gathered, we will be returning soon. The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is a little on the pricier side, especially as the location isn’t one of the most popular ones in LA, but with the subway opposite and an abundance of Ubers and Lyfts, it’s not a problem getting to where you want to go in this fabulous city!

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here.

Booking

InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is part of the IHG Luxury Collection. This means that you receive extra benefits when you book through a luxury ‘preferred partner’ travel agent such as Emyr Thomas, with whom HFP partners.

Book via Emyr and you will receive:

GUARANTEED 2pm late check-out
Breakfast for two in the hotel restaurant
$100 of hotel credit per stay
One category upgrade, subject to availability on arrival
Bottled water and fresh fruit or snacks in the room on arrival

The rate you pay is the room-only Best Available Rate showing on the IHG website. You will receive IHG Rewards Club points as usual and you pay on departure.

You can get in touch with Emyr via the form on this page on this page of Head for Points.

You can find out more about IHG Luxury Collection in this article.

IHG One Rewards update – January 2024:

New to IHG One Rewards? Read our overview of IHG One Rewards here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our article on ‘What are IHG One Rewards points worth?’ is here.

Buy points: If you need additional IHG One Rewards points, you can buy them here.

You get a 100% bonus when you buy IHG One Rewards points by 2nd February 2024. Click here.

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada

Anika Burnett — Sun, 28 Jun 2020 02:02:57 +0000

Today, our ‘My Favourite Hotel’ review is the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta in Canada.

Today’s hotel is the Fairmont Banff Springs. It is reader David’s favourite hotel and in his view the greatest mountainside resort in the world. Here is his review:

Overview

In today’s review we will look at one of the pinnacle properties in the Fairmont collection. Before the large French conglomerate, Accor, bought them up a few years ago Fairmont was an independent group alongside the Raffles and Swissotel brands.

Before that, the original name was Canadian Pacific Hotels. The chain was developed in the late 1800’s by the railroad company of the same name and its primary function was to host people who were travelling across Canada’s rugged terrain.

My wife and I have always loved Fairmont’s as they are known for their elegance and superb service. I’d go as far as to call my wife and I Fairmont enthusiasts as we’ve stayed in over 40 Fairmont properties worldwide. In fact, we got married at a Fairmont (Sonoma Mission Inn) and spent our honeymoon across three other Fairmont properties ranging from Dubai, Singapore, and the Maldives. So having experienced many of the global Fairmont’s we can confirm the Fairmont Banff Springs is the crown jewel in the collection!

Getting there

Don’t worry if Banff isn’t a town you’re familiar with. Unless you’re from Canada or a frequent mountaineer, you may not know it. The name comes from the national park located outside of Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta. Opened in 1888, the hotel was originally called the Banff Springs Hotel as it was part of the railway project. The hotel was built onto a small bluff overlooking two nearby crystal blue rivers.

To get to Banff you’ll fly into Calgary. The Calgary airport is well serviced with flights coming in from all over the world including London (LHR & LGW), Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, Zurich, Frankfort, and Rome. Air Canada and United dominate but the Canadian discount airline WestJet offers attractive fares. You will want to rent a car as public routes are very few and far between. If you are travelling in Winter months be sure to rent an appropriate all wheel drive vehicle as snowstorms can pop out of nowhere in Canada!

From the airport it takes around 1 hour 45 minutes to drive from densely populated downtown Calgary to the sparsely populated Banff national park – the drive is lovely as you go from flatlands to picture perfect mountain scenery! As you approach from the highway you will begin to see a large castle looking building from afar. Minute by minute you get closer until you arrive on what can only be described as a Canadian version of the Disney Castle (of course it was modelled after the German Neuschwanstein Castle!).

You’ll first notice that the Fairmont Banff Springs is HUGE. It’s a convention centre-sized hotel boasting four restaurants and large indoor and outdoor pools.

You’ll also notice that there are many adjoining buildings in the property. You can stay from the basic “Fairmont Rooms” to the most elegant suite apartments depending on your budget. Summer season is by far the most expensive and a basic room will run you $500+ depending on the exact dates – of course this was all pre Covid-19. A quick check of the website has July rooms available for a steal of a price at $350!

Reception and check-in

My wife and I stayed here in July 2019. We booked a basic room but decided to splurge on an upgrade to a two-bedroom two split level suite! It was the right choice and only about $150 extra a night.

The grand lobby is HUGE with many receptionists available to service people staying in the 764 rooms covering 15 floors.

The hotel staff is amazingly trained and unbelievable friendly. We were welcomed by a bottle of champagne and treats including the famous Canadian Bear Claw chocolate snacks.

From the windows of the room we could see, hear and feel the mountains. What’s amazing about this hotel is although it’s massive in size, you never feel like you are in a big hotel. All views look out at the seeping mountain sides and you can’t help but think you made it to heaven!

This was the actual view from our room:

Eating and Drinking

When hunger calls or you get tired of looking at the mountains, you have MANY options on the property. In fact, you have 12 different restaurants to try! There’s a convenience store stocking essentials should you want to “rough it”.

There’s a snack shop at the outdoor pool and a Mexican themed taco bar on the deck. There’s a wine and tapas bar. There’s even a bowling alley serving nachos and hot dogs! And of course, there are plenty of fine dining options. We enjoyed some fancy cocktails. Our favourite dining spot was the German style beer pub out back overlooking the golf course.

You really can’t go wrong with any of the options. Just make sure to bring your wallet because food and drinks on property come with on-property prices!

What is there to do near Fairmont Banff Springs?

From the Fairmont Banff Springs you are at the perfect point for enjoying all the Canadian Rockies and Banff National Park has to offer. You are minutes away from a ‘can’t miss’ trip to the Banff Observation Peak or minutes away from adventures like white water rafting and all the hiking you could do in a 100 lifetimes.

Don’t miss a trip down the road to Lake Louise and take a peek at another lovely Fairmont property, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. No matter where you explore you will be met with picture perfect postcard quality sights!

Conclusion

With the Fairmont Banff Springs you get the Fairmont brand at its very best – high quality, superb service and guaranteed amazing memories! It is a special occasion type of hotel that you will save for.

Any trip to the Canadian Rockies wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Fairmont Banff Springs. But remember to bring that wallet because a special occasion hotel comes with special occasion prices!

If you want to find out more, the hotel’s website is here.

As part of Accor, the hotel lets you earn points in Accor Live Limitless and benefit from any Accor status you have. Accor Live Limitless is a revenue-based redemption scheme, and points are worth a flat 2 Eurocents each when you redeem them towards a stay.

How to book

You can get extra bonuses when booking Fairmont Banff Springs if you book via Emyr Thomas at Bon Vivant, our luxury hotel booking partner.

Bookings made via Emyr come with:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
Daily full breakfast for two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant
$100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
Authentically local welcome gift
Early check-in / late check-out subject to availability
Complimentary wi-fi

You will pay the same as the ‘Best Flexible Rate’ shown on the Accor website, and you pay at the hotel as usual.

You can contact Emyr via the form on this page of Head for Points.

Accor Live Limitless update – January 2024:

Earn bonus Accor points: Accor is not currently running a global promotion

New to Accor Live Limitless? Read our review of Accor Live Limitless here and our article on points expiry rules here. Our analysis of what Accor Live Limitless points are worth is here.

My Favourite Hotel – Head for Points

Take a look through our 64 ‘My Favourite Hotel’ reviews

UK:

Europe:

Middle East / Israel / India / Pakistan:

North America:

South / Central / Latin America

Asia inc Maldives:

Africa:

Australasia:

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review: Park Hyatt Zanzibar

Location of Park Hyatt Zanzibar

Reception and check-In

Rooms at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar

Public areas

Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Service

Conclusion

Booking Park Hyatt Zanzibar

World of Hyatt update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel, Ecuador

Getting there & location

Overview

Our room

Activities

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Shack Up Inn, Clarksdale, Mississippi

Overview

Location

Check-in

Our Shack

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Getting there

Arrival

Accommodation

Food and beverage

Activities

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Elsewhere in Goa

Overview

The resort

Accommodations

Dining at Elsewhere

What to do at Elsewhere

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Sani Mountain Lodge, Lesotho / South Africa border

Where is the highest pub in Africa?

Overview

Rooms

Facilities and activities

Drinking and dining

Driving the Sani Pass

Booking

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – a £10,000 suite at the Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London

Overview

Check-in disaster

Dining and beverage

The upgrade

Moving into the Shangri-La Suite

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Stanglwirt in the Austrian Alps

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – Our Land Island Backwater Resort, Alleppey, South India

Overview

Location

Accommodation

Food and drink

Activities

Conclusion

Hotel offers update – January 2024:

‘My Favourite Hotel’ review – The Villa Side Residence, Antalya, Turkey (£26.75 per night)