Icaro Suites (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - Hotel Review

Highly recommended Value for Money Hotel in Downtown BA

My wife and I love comfortable travel, however given the trip to Argentina was very costly, we needed to select the hotels wisely and work within our budget and hence I had put in a lot of time and effort in choosing the perfect hotel to stay in Buenos Aires for 6 nights. After much research (on all review websites as well as a detailed cost benefit analysis) I zeroed in on Icaro Suites as the perfect place to stay for our vacation. The positive aspects of this hotel are given below.  

I am trying to put together a series of articles on how best to plan a trip to Argentina for the Indian Traveller, so you may want to visit my Blog Site on TravelTantra.Blogspot.com

1. Located Downtown, walking distance from the Obelisk and the Metro station Callao. This is located in a crowded and safe neighbourhood on Montevideo Street and within a 8 minute walk to the Callao metro station. It also has many restaurants around with at least 10 from the hotel lobby to AV Corrientes. There is a Carrefour, Havanna, McDonalds and multiple ATMs (incl. Citibank) located very close to the hotel (within a 5 min walk at max). Even if you are returning relatively late at night (after sightseeing), the roads are fairly crowded and you should feel fairly safe walking down the road. There is a bakery opposite which serves freshly baked bread and other snacks. From a location perspective it was perfect, though a few other hotels in this location can boast of similar facilities within a 10 min walk. This is at least a 15 min drive from Recoleta and Retiro, however I gave much more weightage for the hotel being in a crowded and safe part of Buenos Aires rather than close to the touristy locations. 

2.Facilities - The first thing I look for is Free Wifi and scan the review if the speed is adequate, and I was very satisfied with the Wifi Speed. They have router and booster combinations on every floor. Most of the rooms do not have a view and overlook other buildings, so the tip is to get a room on the backside of the hotel and on a higher floor if possible. My guess is that the rooms overlooking the street would be a bit noisy and you may want to specifically want to request for a room at the back. The hotel has a gym on the top floor with a single treadmill, and surprisingly I never found anyone using it. They have a self service washing machine on the top floor and this is important given that you may have a very long trip and may not be carrying those many clothes. Beds are comfortable and the toilets are very clean. I would rate it as a 4* Indian hotel. There are microwaves, plates, spoons, TV and dryer in the room and the room is very well equipped like any other Business Hotel.  

3. Food - I was disappointed with the breakfast spread and given that we had 5 days here, it got very boring. The breakfast options are fairly limited with basic varieties of eggs and bread, however there are multiple eateries around which serve awesome food, so please do not waste your time in the hotel and enjoy all the great food joints there. The recommendation is to stock your mini bar with stuff from the grocery shop nearby or freshly baked bread and other snacks from the bakery opposite. The room has a microwave as well as cutlery and crockery - so this is a great option. If you can save some bucks taking the non breakfast option, it would be great as well.   

4. Staff - The staff is very friendly and helpful, they speak broken English, but I did not face any problem communicating with them. They have maps available and mark out the key places to visit. Given that I had done a lot of research on the trip, I only needed help in booking a Tango Show which I did on the first night and they were happy to help. The staff willingly offered to store our luggage without charging us anything when we went to Mendoza and El Calafate for a couple of days. You will not need to interact much with the staff, and their English communications skills are sufficient to get you through your stay

Given the rates for the rooms, this is a very economical options for staying in downtown Buenos Aires. Some of my friends who visited a little after me stayed in Retiro, however I do not recommend this option as it is not very accessible to all the happening areas and you may need to take a cab ride here and there. Both recoleta cemetery and the Retiro bus stop are a bit away, but can be accessed by metro or by cab.

Because I had Premier Miles on my Citibank Credit Card, I booked on the Premier Miles site, but the prices are the same on almost any website.  

Airport Review, O.R.Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg

This is the main airport of Johannesburg, and both the Domestic and International Terminals are in the same airport complex about 300m apart. Due to this you can easily get your domestic connections without having to exit the airport.

It is best advised to have at least 2 hours of time between the arrival time of your incoming plane and the departure time of your outgoing plane. This is because you will need at least 30 minutes to complete immigration and baggage claim and 30 mins, 15 mins to go to the domestic terminal and 30 mins to complete check in and security. You also need to leave a 45 minute buffer, so please do not take connecting flights which do not have at least a 2 hour gap in-between – if you do it will be very likely that you miss the connections.

I do not know if this is true but I have taken off and landed into Johannesburg’s O.R.Tambo International Airport, and every time we were descending or ascending from the airport we had real bad turbulence. Real Bad as in horrible, almost making me puke – so please brace yourself before the landing and take off 

The check in / check-out and baggage claim processes are very efficient at O.R.Tambo International Airport. Terminal 1 in the International Terminal and Terminal 2 is the Domestic Terminal. Both the Terminals of the O.R.Tambo International Airport have got a major face lift for the FIFA World Cup. The Immigration Staff is very friendly and welcoming and does not ask you too many questions. Do keep in mind that if you are carrying any Food Items, it is better to declare them upfront to avoid any trouble.

Once you come out of Terminal 1, you are on Level 0 and you will enter a lobby area where there are money changers and ATMs. As I have stated in one of my other articles, it is best to withdraw cash from ATMs through your Indian Bank Account and not through the Money Changers. All the tour guides and taxi pickups are waiting here (in the lobby area) with nameplates.

If you have a domestic connection to catch, then you need to take the elevator and go to Level 2 which is the departures area for domestic flights. It is to be noted that on O.R.Tambo International Airport, Level 0 is the Arrivals area, Level 1 is shopping and restaurants and Level 2 is the departures area. In the domestic section there are about 100+ counters for the airlines – you just need to go to the set of Airline Counters and check in. Do not bother asking anyone or the information counter – as they are not able to understand much and ask you to show the ticket and try to sell you something. After domestic check-in there are only restaurants, so please complete all your shopping on Level 1 before check in.

ATMs are easily available on all Levels. Money changers are also there in abundance. An Internet Café is on level 0 charging ZAR 60 for 30 mins of browsing, the looks are very clean. Loads of restaurants and eating options on Level 1. Raj Indian Restaurant was my favorite and it serves awesome Chicken Biriyani. In the shopping options, Amarula is very cheap and you can but it at the airport, you will get cheaper Vuvuzela’s in the city. It is advisable to buy from a proper store and not from hawkers who are sitting near the check in area.

This is an efficient airport, but frankly I expected better.

Airport Review, Mpumalanga Nelspruit Kruger International Airport

The Kruger-Mpumalanga-Nelspruit International Airport is a beautiful airport on the outskirts of Nelspruit City and about an hour and a half away from the main gates of the Kruger National Park. You will need to take a flight to this airport especially if Kruger National Park is on your itinerary.

It operates approximately 10 flights per day and has only 1 baggage conveyor belt – but the beauty of this airport blows you away. There are no buses to take you from the aircraft to the terminal and you simply need to walk it up. The staff is very friendly and the airport building is maintained very well. The restrooms are very clean and have baby changers as well. Baggage handling can be an issue at items especially if there are several flights landing at about the same time.

As soon as you have picked your baggage and come out you will get the car rentals – taxis are very expensive and charge 5 times as much. It is recommended that you book a car rental before the trip so as not to be forced to pay the cab fare. I would recommend the choosing Thrifty Cabs as they are cheaper compared to Hertz and Avis. Please do not talk to the touts who are trying to convince you to take a cab.

There are 2 ATMs at the exit which support all Credit and Debit Cards – however one of them was out of currency but that would have been a one off issue. There is no area to shop at Kruger Mpumalanga Nelspruit International Airport, other than one shop which sells pictures and wall hangings. I found that very expensive – so not recommended to buy. There are not many restaurants – the Wimpys on the Upper Level is best and the outer gallery has views of the runway which is very beautiful – it is recommended you take the seat outside.

I think this is one of the most scenic airports I have visited and is a welcome change from the hustle bustle of other airports.

Hotel Review: Umhlanga Sands, Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort, Durban

I visited the Umhlanga Sands Lifestyle Resort in last week September, 2010 which is located in the Umhlanga Rocks Area which is about 20 minutes from the Durban City Centre in South Africa. I exchanged one of my RCI Weeks for a week at this resort and I was very impressed by what I saw. It is to be noted that this is a Gold Crown Resort and it definitely lives up to its expectation.

Let me state up front that this is a resort for couples with kids as most of the entertainment and activities at this resort have kids as the main target group. If you are a honeymooning couple or are in for a romantic getaway then avoid this resort and go for the Cabana Beach Resort which is located next door which will be more suited to your taste. You may find the Umhlanga Sands Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort a bit too noisy with too much stuff happening all around.

The Umhlanga Sands Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort is situated 20 minutes from the King Shaka International Airport and 15 minutes from the Durban City Centre. It is located exactly at the mid point of the Airport and the City Centre in the Umhlanga Rocks Area. The Umhlanga Rocks area is the best place to stay when you are in Durban and the most economical as well as compared to the hotels on the Golden Mile Sea Coast in Durban which are definitely not worth the amount which they charge. A taxi from the airport to the Umhlanga Sands Southern Sun Lifestyle Resort will cost you ZAR 200 one way and the resort can arrange for a pick up (you can alternatively book from one of the cab companies of which Umhlanga Cabs in the most efficient, offers the best rates and is the most preferred).

The check in is from Saturday to Saturday and the check-in process can be very time consuming as everyone checks in at the same time and you may have to wait a wile which may spoil the first impression you get of the resort, but do not let that bother you. I would rate the resort rooms as absolutely awesome due to the following reasons.

(1) 4 beds across 2 rooms. 2 single beds for the kids and a double bed in the main room. No extra bedding required and no one needs to sleep on the floor
(2) Partial Kitchenette equipped with a toaster, microwave and fridge and lots of crockery and cutlery. There is no cooking range which disappointed me a bit
(3) Huge bathroom with rooms being cleaned and linens changed on a daily basis
(4) Main bedroom is awesome with a sit out balcony overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean – all rooms are sea facing and the view especially in the evening is awesome
(5) Adequate cupboard space for a family of 4 for a week

In addition to the awesome room the following activities organized by the resort staff make the resort even more exciting for kids

(1) Brai (Barbeque) is organized twice a week usually on Sunday’s and Tuesday’s
(2) Live Entretainment and quizzes and game shows on a daily basis
(3) A lot of Games are sporting events for kids
(4) 2 Restaurants and a Bar, 3 pool including one which is adults only
(5) Beachwear Shop, Massage parlour, hair dresser, hand ball field, gym and many other amenities

Other local attractions when you are staying in this resort are as follows. The resort staff will be able to guide you on the bookings which need to be made.

(1) 1 day trip to Durban city preferable in the Rickshaw Bus which takes you around 23 important spots in the city
(2) Gateway Mall which is an awesome place to shop, catch a movie and relax
(3) Kashmir Restaurant which is a 15 minute walk away and other good restaurants in the Umhlanga Rocks Area

I would highly recommend this resort for a week’s stay especially if you have kids travelling with you.

Hotel Review: Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town

Strengths: Located centrally very close to the V&A Waterfront
Weakness: Expensive if you do not get discounted pricing which is available from time to time

I visited this hotel in mid September 2010. I did my booking via RCI Rentals via the Bangalore Call Centre (available only to RCI Members) and got a Hot Deal which offered me a rate of INR 7000 per night as opposed to regular rate of INR 13000 per night. If you get any process below INR 9000 per night – please go ahead as opting for this hotel saves you a lot of money travelling within the city.

The Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town is located bang in central Cape Town very close to the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront). If you choose to walk down to the hotel it is a 15 minute walk but the hotel runs a complimentary shuttle for all customers which operates every 15 minutes to the waterfront.

The rooms at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town are well equipped with all the regular amenities of a 4 Star Hotel, only a mini bar / fridge was missing from the room. The rooms are a bit small but very comfortable. Wi-Fi Internet as well as the Internet Vouchers at the Business Centre are very expensive and charge ZAR 100 for 1 hour slots – so internet surfing is avoidable.

I found the hotel staff exceptionally friendly and helpful. The reception guys offered good tips of travelling around the city and the concierge desk bent backwards to find me a laptop adaptor as well as an ice bucket (to protect the expensive cheese we had bought) given that there was no mini – bar / fridge in the room. None of the rooms at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town offer any spectacular views of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront so do not bother asking for one.

The breakfast at the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town is included in the room tariff for most packages. The breakfast spread has a lot of variety and no matter which part of the world you are from you will not face an issue in finding something to suit your palette. Room Service Menu is limited but very affordable and the service is pretty prompt as well. I enjoyed the mini meals such as chicken curry and rice that they had on offer.

This hotel is centrally located and the following attractions are very accessible from this hotel.

(1)City Sight Seeing Bus Tour (Stop No.3)
(2)Clock Tower
(3)Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island
(4)Victoria & Alfred Waterfront

You can find further details on the above attractions in my other blogs or from the hotel staff or on the Internet. Do note that there are 3 Southern Sun Group Hotels in the Cape Town area. The hotel which I am referring to is the Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel, Cape Town.

Hotel Review: Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg

Strengths: Located 500 meters from the O.R. Tambo International Airport
Weakness: Not much to do around the hotel, only good if you are staying here as a stopover before taking an onward flight

The Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg is located barely 500 meters from the O.R. Tambo Airport and is very convenient as a stopover when you are taking a connecting flight the next day. The rates start from ZAR 1000 per night non-inclusive of breakfast and are more economical as compared to other hotels in the vicinity such as the Intercontinental or the Protea Hotel O. R. Tambo.

The best part of staying at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg is that they run a complimentary Airport Shuttle to and from the Airport for 24 hours every 15 minutes. The pick-up point for the Shuttle is outside the International Arrivals area immediately behind the Intercontinental Hotel. If you have any difficulty finding this pickup point, then walk over to the Intercontinental Hotel and ask the guard there and he will be able to direct you. This shuttle bus service will save you ZAR 100 which a Taxi will charge to get you to the hotel even though it is located only 500 meters away from O.R. Tambo Airport.

The staff at the hotel is very friendly and the check in process is very quick and easy. The room is good and well equipped, the only missing thing is a mini bar / fridge. However the décor of the room at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg is very dull as compared to the other Southern Sun Group Hotels which I have stayed in. The internet rates on offer at this hotel are much cheaper than most hotels in South Africa and they charge ZAR 50 per hour as opposed to ZAR 100 per hour charged by most hotels.

If you have time to kill, I would recommend the spa. The time, at which I went the therapists were very good, however some of the treatments are expensive however highly recommended as I found them much more relaxing and effective as compared to some others that I have experienced. The room service menu is limited and a bit of the expensive side as well.

Do note that this is a very formal business hotel with no recreational activities what so ever, very different from the airport hotels we have in Mumbai. So I would recommend the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo Airport Hotel, Johannesburg as it is very economical compared to the other hotels in the area and very convenient for a stop-over before you catch your next flight.

Hotel Review: Protea Hotel - Kruger Gate, Kruger

Strengths: Proximity to Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park
Weakness: Expensive

I visited the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate in mid September 2010. This hotel is located about 90 miles from the Mpumalanga Nelspruit Airport (pronounced as MUM-ALANGA) and it takes about an hour and forty five minutes to cover that distance. It is advisable to rent a car and not take a cab as it is 5 times more economical and saved you ZAR 800 one way.

When you drive through, remember you will pass through Whiteriver and Hazyview and then you will come to Paul Kruger Gate of the Kruger National Park. The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is about 100 metres before the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park. There are Protea Hotels in Hazyview and Nelspruit as well, but I strongly suggest that you stay in Protea Hotel Kruger Gate due to the proximity to the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park.

This hotel is best suited for a 2 night stay if you are going for a safari into the Kruger National Park (obviously you need to be a die-hard wildlife enthusiast, else there is no point coming to Kruger in the first place). There is no other reason for staying here, other than visiting Kruger. The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate (or almost all hotels in and around Kruger) is very expensive priced at approximately INR 13000 per night. This rate is inclusive of breakfast and dinner. The room facilities are as good as any other 4 Star hotels. I would not rate it is as a 5 Star as my experience was a bit below the best as there were some leakages in the bathroom and the Air Conditioning was a problem – and they took a lot of time to fix it. But I am guessing that this was a one off occurrence.

The breakfast is awesome and could be rated as one of the best I have ever had, however the dinner was a bit weird for my traditional Indian Palette. There is a variety of meat which is served (and very little chicken or mutton which significantly reduced my options). It is really great if you eat all types of meat including Pork, Beef, Deer, Kudu and several other varieties which I was scared to even touch. So I did not rate the dinner option very highly, however I realize that this is specific to my taste only and others may find it pretty good, and I think the other tourists who were present found it awesome. The good part during dinner was that they have a tribal group of teenagers performing some traditional African songs and this was quite an experience as I think it was the first time I was listening to traditional tribal African music.

The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate has a Travel & Tours desk which organize day trips to the Kruger National Park. You have several tour companies to select from and I would rate Echo Safaris as one of the best. They have a full day tour from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM for ZAR 750 per person where they take you out in an open air jeep and it is very cool. Their guides are also very good and know exactly the places where you will be able to spot the wildlife.

The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate has 2 very nice restaurants, one of them with a sit out area overlooking the Kruger National Park and if you are equipped with Binoculars you will be definitely be able to spot some wildlife from the restaurant deck itself. It is an awesome place to unwind with Pizza or wine or whatever it is you like. The swimming pool at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is very small and is more of the kiddies pool and the water was freezing cold in mid September – so I did not enter it at all. The Internet is very expensive at ZAR 100 for 1 hour which means you are shelling out INR 700 for 1 hour of Internet. The Protea Hotel Kruger Gate has a store on premises where you can but stuff like souvenirs and batteries for your camera and Kruger National Park memorabilia.

I strongly recommend that when you visit South Africa you need to spend a maximum of 2 nights in the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate. The first day can be a full day Kruger National Park Safari and the second day will be chilling out at the hotel, going for a massage etc. Any more days spent in the Kruger National park area and I am sure you will get bored, unless you are a die-hard wildlife enthusiast.

Attraction Review: Kruger National Park

Let me state right at the outset, than planning a trip to Kruger National park is rather expensive (comes to approx INR 9000 per day per person) and you should do it only if you are a genuine wildlife enthusiast. If you do not care too much for wildlife, then you are better off skipping a visit to Kruger National Park as you will not get your money’s worth and may even find it a bit boring driving around the park for a full day. However if you are a Nature and Wildlife Lover and you have an hi-tech SLR camera and binoculars at hand, then you will have a gala time.

To experience Kruger National Park, it is better to fly down to Nelspruit Airport in Mpumalanga province and drive down to the Paul Kruger Gate of the Kruger National Park. As soon as you enter the Paul Kruger Gate you have the Skukuza Base camp at about 6 miles distance and it is best you make a booking here for your stay at Kruger National Park. I stayed at the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate which would be a more expensive option, but very convenient as the Protea Hotel Kruger Gate is located barely 100 metres from the Paul Kruger Gate of Kruger National Park. I also did not want to let go of the luxuries of a regular hotel.

As we had a car with us we had an option of driving into Kruger National Park or being a part of the Hotel organized Tour (organized via Echo Safaris). I would recommend an organized Open jeep tour with a driver guide due to the following reasons.

(1) The driver guides know which are the specific spots to find the animals in Kruger National Park. Our driver knew exactly in which part of the park we would see elephants and this is something I would not know if I was driving down
(2) The drivers are connected to other drivers via the car intercom / walkie talkie system, hence if one of the drivers spots a rare animal such as a lion or a leopard, he announces the same on the Intercom and other drivers immediately drive to that area. This is another useful feature of the organized safaris which the individual drivers will miss out on
(3) If you need to use the loo at short notice then the drivers know where the tourist stand alone loos are located – you may face a problem with this when you are on your own

However do note that the organized packaged tours are expensive and cost ZAR 750 per person, so you will end up shelling out quite a bit if you are in a big group – but do take it, as it is an experience in itself. You are taken in an open air jeep which is usually a 6 seater and it is very comfortable.

You must always start your drive / tour of the Kruger National Park as early as possible preferably before 6:00 AM so that you can see the sunrise which is magnificent and also it is easier to spot the rare animals such as the Lion and the leopards earlier in the morning when it is very cool. The chances of spotting a lion / leopard reduces drastically after 10:00 AM when it starts becoming very hot. Elephants, Giraffes, imphalas, kudu, deer and hippos are all easy to find while lion, leopards and rhinos are difficult to spot.

The gates of Kruger park close at 6:00 PM so please make sure you come out before that. There are several stops and restaurants at Skukuza Base Camp and you can make that your stop for lunch and tea.

Do have a nice trip.

Hotel Review: Taj Awadh, Lucknow

Strengths: It is a Taj Property, so a minimum amount of class & luxury is ensured

Weaknesses: Not centrally located, a bit on the expensive side

I stayed for 2 nights at the Taj Awadh for approx. Rs.5500 per night. This was a discounted rate which I got through my company. I guess the regular rate is somewhere in the range of Rs.7500 to Rs.8500 per night – which is more on the expensive side and if cost is your only concern you are better off staying at the Park Inn, Clarks Awadh or Gemini International which are centrally located from all areas of Interest and are more economical as well.

The Taj Awadh is located about 45 minutes from the airport and you will need to hire a cab to get the hotel. It is located in the Gomti Nagar area in Lucknow. This is not a central location and Hazratganj, Chowk, Residency and other attractions ate a good 20 minutes away. The hotel building is itself very beautiful, calm and serene. It is located in very quiet surroundings and the staff is very friendly and courteous. The interiors of the hotel are beautiful though if you look closely you can see that the hotel has not been maintained well in the last few years. When I last visited about 4 years back in 2005 (when I was studying in Lucknow) the hotel was in much better shape and was abuzz with activity.

The room was great and had all the amenities of a regular 5 Star accommodation. The hotel looks a bit like a palace and has only 2 storeys. All rooms overlook a beautiful garden which is will done up and is very beautiful. Room Service is prompt and the food is great, the breakfast buffer had a lot of variety (it obviously does not compare with Taj Lands End Mumbai) but was great none the less.

The dissapointment was the very poorly maintained swimming pool. It was pathetic to say the least, full of dirt and leaves and you are not able to swim in it at all. The gym was also not well maintained. However they have a very good spa offering a range of massages. My wife tried out one of them and found the experience very soothing and relaxing.

If being centrally located is important and being economical is not that important – I would definitely recommend this hotel. Other than the swimming pool, my experience was great. (I however has a soft corner for Lucknow as a city and Taj as a Brand – hence I would be a bit biased, but have tried to provide as honest a review as possible)

Hotel Review: Mariott, West India Quay, Canary Wharf, London

Strengths: Good location (not central though)

Weaknesses: Expensive

I stayed for 2 nights in Marriott West India Quay in Aug’07 on a Business Trip to London. I paid GBP 195 per might which is awfully expensive compared to any standards and does not add up from a value for money perspective. In half that amount is you get some other hotel offering similar facilities services but it will not have the Mariott Tag on it. In such 5 Stars you just land up paying for the brand and not only for the services they have to offer.

The hotel is in Canary Wharf, which is significantly far from central London. From Heathrow it will take you about an hour and a half to get here and you will have to changeover from the Picadilly Line to the Jubilee Line. In addition the Mariott West India Quay hotel is a significantly long walk from the Canary Wharf Station and if you are tugging along suitcases this may again be a problem. The hotel the is bang opposite the West India Quay station of the DLR (Docklands Railway) so it would be great if you could take the DLR and not the Jubilee Line tube if you have to access this hotel (unless obviously you are coming by cab).

The hotel is awesome absolutely 5 Star, and I had no issues with any of the services. The Corporate offices of Barclays (where I was working then), Citibank and HSBC are a 5 minute walk away and hence most of them people living here are on Business Trips. The room had everything you could ask for from a 5 start hotel. However I did not get a room overlooking the wharf so I was a bit disappointed. Remember to ask for a Canary Wharf facing room when you do your booking so you will have a great view especially in the evening.

The restaurant and the buffet breakfast were awesome as well and no complaints on that front. In I short stay there I visited the gym which had a variety of equipment but I do not think they have a swimming pool.

This hotel is a great pick if it is for a Business Trip paid for by your company and if your office is in canary Wharf. Would never recommend it for people who need to travel to central London frequently.

Hotel Review: Copthorne Tara, South Kensington, London

Strengths: Hardly any

Weaknesses: Not a central location, Not close to tube station, Expensive compared to the services offered

The Copthorne Tara Hotel is a part of the Millennium Group of Hotels located in South Kensington London. Getting to this hotel is a pain. You will need to take the Piccadilly line from the airport and it will take you between 50 minutes to an hour to reach the South Kensington station from Heathrow. After alighting at the station you have a 15 minute walk through a great but lonely neighborhood to reach the Copthorne Tara Hotel. You will be in trouble if you have heavy suitcases and will be forced to take a cab which will be an added cost as well.

The primary drawback about this hotel is the not so central location and you will need to take a tube and keep doing the 15 minute walk to the Tube station to reach any of the touristy areas such as South Bank, London Eye, any of the Museums, Central Business District, and Buckingham Palace etc.

I booked at the Copthorne Tara hotel in Aug’07 through RCI. I stayed there for 1 night and paid Rs.6000. After taking a look at the average room, I felt that this hotel is very overpriced for the services offered. The room was not very well done up for a 4 Star Hotel. It was not well maintained and the bathroom was not clean as well. The bed made creaky noises every time you rolled over and the view from the hotel room on the 6^th floor was very pathetic as well. There was a problem with the TV and it had limited channels as well. The Wi-Fi was not working and there was no place to access the Internet – so all in all I hated the experience completely.

Room Service was very average and the restaurant and bar on the ground floor did not have anything great o offer. The only good thing was that the Copthorne Tara hotel was located close to Bombay Brassiere which was about a 10 minute walk away which is a great restaurant for Indian food.

I would not recommend staying here at all. If you are a tourist you are better off staying somewhere central London in some of the cheaper accommodations near Tower Hill, Borough etc. and if you are a corporate traveler you have a variety of options to choose from.

Hotel Review: Accord Metropolitan, Chennai

Strengths: Great Value for Money & Centrally located

Weakness: Poor Service & no proper ancillary facilities such as gymnasium & swimming pool

The Accord Metropolitan Hotel is located on G.N.Chetti Road in the T-Nagar Area of Chennai. This hotel is centrally located and is very accessible from all the major areas of interest in Chennai. You can travel to most parts of Chennai within 15 minutes from the Accord Metropolitan Hotel.

I stayed here in May, 2010 and the ride from the airport is about 45 minutes. I had done a corporate booking and the corporate rate is about Rs.2500 per night and the retail rate offered to regular customers is Rs.3500 per night. This is great value for money compared to the facilities offered at the hotel and on the cost versus front this hotel definitely scores much better than other hotels in the area such as GRT Grand, Chola Sheraton etc.

However the check in process is a pain. There are trainee staff who just did not know the check in process, hence I was waiting at the check in counter for over 15 minutes waiting to check in. When I finally got my room keys they goofed up my luggage. The key card in the Accord Metropolitan is incorrectly printed. There is an arrow indicating the way in which the card needs to be entered, and you need to do the exact opposite to actually open the door to your room. All in all the check in process was a pain and given than I had just gotten of a 2 hour flight after a tiring day, I was extremely irritated.

The room was great and even though the hotel is rated 3 Star would still rate it as a 4 Star room. There was no flat screen TV (just a regular one), but everything else was perfect. The room is spacious and big, has a sufficiently large study table and a very comfortable bed. There is a leg rest as well which makes reading of the huge relaxing chair very comfortable. The bathroom was very clean had a lot of free stuff such as the dental and sewing kit which I really did not expect given the per night charge of Rs.2500.

The breakfast was also complimentary, but the spread was pretty average and the service was poor. Even though the breakfast is to start at 6:00 AM, it had not been properly laid out till about 6:35 AM which delayed the start of my day. The service was also not upto the mark. The hotel has a gym and a very small swimming pool and both are not well maintained.

Check out process was a pain as well, and the trainees manning the check in / check out desk had no clue on how to swipe a Credit Card. I had to actually teach them. They took a good 15 minutes to check out again.

Service is poor, but it is very economical for the central location and hence all in all I would recommend this hotel.

Hotel Review: Chancery Hotel, Lavell Road, Bangalore

Strengths: Centrally located, very suitable for long stays, value for money Weaknesses: Nothing specific, matches up to a good 4* hotel

I stayed in this hotel thrice between Feb’10 and May’10. This hotel is located in Central Bangalore at one end of MG Road bang opposite Chinnaswamy Stadium. For such a centrally located and easily accessible are the single occupancy room rate of Rs.4500 + Tax is very attractive. (for double occupancy the charge is Rs.5500 + tax)

It will take you about 45 minutes to an hour from the new Bangalore Airport in Devanhalli to the Chancery Hotel. The first time I stayed there I also had an airport pick up included free in the price of the hotel. The hotel interiors are done up fairly well and the staff in friendly and you immediately get the feel that this is a decent 4 Star hotel.

The rooms are specious, on all 3 occasions I had a fax machine and Wi-Fi Internet in the room. The Television in the Chancery Hotel is not a flat screen one (which was a bit disappointing) and is a bit difficult to operate. I liked the eco friendliness of this hotel and the attempts they are making to Save Water and promote renewable sources of energy. Room service is good and prompt, although it is a bit on the more expensive side. I think all the tariff plans come with a complimentary breakfast. The spread is very good, though I found the restaurant staff a bit below the mark as compared to the reception and room service staff.

The gym in the hotel is very good and very well equipped as compared to the other hotels I have stayed in. It is open till 9:00 Pm which may be an inconvenience; however the variety of equipment is good which makes sense if you are interested in longer corporate stays. The Chancery Hotel also has a salon and spa, which offers relaxation massages. They are fairly priced and worth a try.

Another plus point is that there are many good restaurants nearby and on MG Road. Oh Calcutta, the famous Bengali food joint is only about a five minutes walk away and is worth a try. There are several good hotels close by such as ITC Windsor Manor etc., however I would think that the Chancery Hotel offers the best value for money.

Hotel Review: Hotel Park Premiere, Gurgaon

Strength: Good 4 Star Amenities, proactive staff Weaknesses: Inaccessible and far aware from important landmarks in Gurgaon, swimming pool is a sham, food variety not upto the mark. Quality Inn Bliss which is located within 2 kms, scores much better on all these points

This hotel is a Business hotel which is not very accessible and is located in Phase 5 Gurgaon. This is about a 1.5 kilometre walk from the Signature tower in Phase 5 where you will find the nearest ATM. The issue with this hotel is that you will not even find any cycle rickshaw guy nearby and hence you will have to walk for all the short distance commuting which can be a pain in the heat. I stayed in this hotel for 4 nights in early April 2010 and was pained at not having an ATM / Shopping complexes nearby (bit I guess this is a problem with Gurgaon as a whole).

This is a 4 Star Hotel with 4 Star amenities and is priced moderately at Rs.5500 per night for single occupancy. When I compare this hotel to Quality Inn Bliss which is also located nearby, I think that Quality Inn, Bliss is much better as they offer the same services and better accessibility at Rs.3000 per night (unless this was a corporate rate which was extended to me).

The room was pretty classy and upto the mark, I would say it was almost bordering on 5 Star accommodations and there was nothing wrong with the room per se. They have a swimming pool which is so small, that I think it was slightly larger than the size of a regular bath tub. In my 4 days there, even though it was hot, I did not see more than one person in the swimming pool as I do not thick there was enough space for two people to fit in. The gym and the spa at the Park Premier, Gurgaon are also nothing to write home about.

The room service was good but very very over priced, simple Tea and Toast would come to Rs.200 and that definitely blew a huge hole in my pocket. The restaurant was not upto the mark as well. The buffet spread is not very appealing and I would once again state that Quality Inn, Bliss which is not located very far away is much better on this aspect.

The checkout process was very cumbersome, and as I had booked through the travel agent, the hotel staff refused to issue me a bill. They conveyed that I would need to get the bill from the Travel Agent which was ClearTrip in this case. I had a huge fight with the staff due to this.

I know I have been scathing in my review, but I feel that travelers and reader are much better staying in Quality Inn Bliss as compared to the Park Premier, Gurgaon. While the hotel room is good several other services offered spoil the show completely.

Hotel Review: Quality Inn Bliss, Gurgaon

Strengths: Value for money

Weakness: No gym and swimming pool and hence may not be preferred for long corporate stays

This hotel is located in Phase 5 Gurgaon amidst a few other hotels about a 5 minutes walk from Signature Tower and Crown Plaza. I would still rate this hotel as fairly inaccessible as compared to other hotels in Gurgaon such as the Trident etc. When you compare it to Park Premier which is just 2 kilometers away and almost twice the price it is at least 10 times better in my opinion.

The most attractive part of Quality Inn Bliss is that it offers good value for money. For a single occupancy room I paid Rs.3000 per night and the facilities offered to me were way beyond my expectations.

The room was very well done up with a flat screen TV, Tea Coffee Maker, I would rate it a tad higher than 4 Star. There is no swimming pool and the gym is very small, so if that is very important to you I suggest you do not stay here. It is not a very palatial building but has nice and cozy rooms. The staff is very friendly and has a personal touch, as there was no ATM nearby they offered to provide me with case and billed the same to my account which I could pay by Credit Card. I found this gesture very cool as they are flexible to meet customer needs.

Room Service is prompt and definitely not as expensive as Park Premiere. I found the food tastier as well and I think Quality Inn Bliss definitely has better chefs. The tariff includes a complimentary breakfast and the spread is very good, again much better than Park Premiere. The staff was also very prompt in arranging a taxi for me at short notice.

I would recommend this hotel for long corporate stays or short stays as well, however only if you are not very particular about a swimming pool or a full fledged gym.

Hotel Review: Radisson Zuri White Sands Resort, Goa

This is a 5 Star Resort on Varca Beach which is about 45 minutes from the airport. It is right next to the Club Mahindra Resort. To summarise the review it is equivalent to any other Five Star Resort with nothing more or nothing less. It is more of a corporate / business resort as compared to the other resorts in Goa. You can take a taxi to the resort and it will cost you between Rs.400 to Rs.500.

They had a traditional welcome at the reception with a Goan Necklace and hat. I found it pretty cool. The Welcome Drink which was made out of pineapple extract was also very good. The check-in process can be time consuming if there is a crowd given that there were only 2 tellers at the reception. However I did not face any such problem.

The resort interiors are fabulous and appeared to be very new. I have visited some of the Taj properties especially in Lucknow where the paint was wearing off and the room had an aged look – this was not the case here. The room and corridors have a very new and clean look and so do the restaurants etc.

The service was a bit slow – as I asked for the Times of India and they took 45 minutes to bring it, but I think that was a one off glitch in an otherwise perfect experience. I ordered food which came promptly and was very good in terms of taste as well as the portions. The room is very well equipped and has a balcony overlooking the swimming pool. I would even rate the interiors to be better than the Taj Lands End, Bandra and the room size was big as well. The Zuri resort has two swimming pools, a tennis court, table tennis tables etc. so there are a lot of recreational activities to be undertaken. I found the spa much better than most 5 star resorts as I found the massage experience more blissful than the rest. The cost is also reasonable as compared to other reports and is priced at Rs.800 for the 45 minute full body relaxation massage.

I had the breakfast as well as the Dinner Buffet at the coffee shop. The spread was good. I found their dessert options to be very good especially the Rasmalai and the Chocolate Mud Cake. You have options for watersports you can do Jetskiing, Parasailing and the Ringo / Banana ride for approx Rs.800 each. If you have a limited budget, I suggest you do the Jet Ski as compared to the other two as it is more fun. For women I would recommend Para-sailing as the Jet Ski can be a rough ride.

The tariff of this resort is approximately Rs.13000 / night. I feel it is on the higher side, however they have discounted weekend packages etc. which you can avail off.

Do enjoy your holiday in Goa!

Attraction Review: Jaipur City Palace, Jaipur

I would not call this much of a Palace. I think it was less of a palace and more of a museum. I would recommend you take a guide to help you navigate this city palace. There are 7 or 8 sections of the city palace which the guide will take you through. The Chandra Mahal where the current king lives, is not open to tourists. There is a proposal to open up two stories of the same with an entry ticket of the Rs.2000 or so which is expensive by any means.

The artillery section can be avoided as there are too may weapons and I got bored watching them while my wife went through the details reading every plaque. The central exhibits with the Clothes work by the various kings and queens are very boring again unless you are interested in textile history. I am more of the stories guy and what fascinated me was the story of the 2 huge urns kept in the courtyard which the king took to England full of Gangajal. Since the Jaipur City Palace is much more recent as compared to Udaipur City Palace and Amer Fort there are very few ancient stories associated with it which makes it boring. However I did manage to spend two and a half hours walking around out here.

There is a restaurant in the city palace which is very shady and the quality is also very poor. Jantar Mantar is very closeby and you can cover both Jantar Mantar and the Hawa Mahal on the same day as the Jaipur City Palace. Your guides are most likely to recommend some Rajai shopping places after the tour, on the outskirts of the City Palace. Please do not go to these places, you will get better deals in the Government approved shops in Jaipur City. Some of these shops also demonstrate the Vegetable Block Prining Technique which is interesting, so do go for the same and politely excuse yourself when they try to sell you stuff.

Hawa Mahal has nothing much to offer other than lots of air and walls where every inch is defaced by young Indian Tourists. I felt more embarrassed than happy at visiting the Hawa Mahal. Jantar Mantar is good fun if you are mathematically and astronomically inclined. Spend maximum of 1 hour at Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal, however a guide is a must at Jantar Mantar.

The Jaipur city palace is not as beautiful as the Udaipur City palace, which has much more to offer in terms of history. It is more a collection of photographs, clothes and weaponry of the Jaipur Royal family. However it just may be because we did not pick the right guide.

Attraction Review: Jaigarh & Nahargarh Forts

The Jaigarh and Nahargarh Forts are about 7 kilometers away from the Amer Fort and are about 5 kilometers away from each other. If you have time for only one of the two forts then it is recommended that you go to the Jaigarh Fort.

The Jaigarh fort houses the world’s largest cannon. You can take your car / taxi within the fort and navigate the fort in your car as distances are significant. Taking the guide is advisable and you can get a common guide for the Jaigarh and Nahargarh forts and the fee charged is Rs.100. In Jaigarh fort you will see the cannon and hear the stories associated with it. Apparently the last time it was fired, people within a 500 m radius turned deaf … or so the story goes.

I was also intrigued by the water storage & drainage system in Jaigarh Fort and going by the story told by the guide the kings who built the fort were very scientifically aware. The story goes that below one of the tanks the entire wealth of the Rajput Kings was stored which was emptied later in the 70’s and the Jaipur Delhi Highway was chock a block with trucks ferrying this wealth to Delhi.

There is also an exhibition of the Jaipur Rajput Royals in Jaigarh fort with a lot of focus given to Sawai Mansigh II (the father of the current King). There are a lot of photos and medals and you may find it worthwhile going through this if you have the time. There is also a shopping place for jewellery and silverware but again very very expensive as compared to the Government outlets in Jaipur city. You can spend a maximum of an hour and a half in Jaigarh Fort.

Nahargarh has much less to offer as compared to Jaigarh. This fort gives a good view of Jaipur City and is a good place for panoramic photography. There is a two storied palace with many rooms and passages similar to Amer Fort. The architecture is beautiful, but this fort is definitely not as well maintained as the other two. Thirty minutes in this fort would be sufficient.

Attraction Review: Chowkidhani Theme Village, Jaipur

This is a Rajasthani Theme Village on the outskirts of Jaipur. I would rate the Chowkidhani Theme Village and the Amer Fort as the two must visit attractions on your trip to Jaipur. It is situated near Sanganer Airport and the entry ticket is Rs.700 odd which covers the food and performances only. Experiences such as Fortune telling and Massages need to be paid for separately. You need to pay for the other attractions within the village.

Firstly you can start with the camel or elephant ride which is quite an experience. This is just about a 5 minute ride just to get the experience of it, especially as most of us will not have the time or inclination to go get an actual one. After the rides you can go to the various stalls. The recommended ones are the head massage one, which costs Rs.20 for 5 minutes but the massage quality was very good, my wife got Mehendi put on which was very intricately done as well. There were also 3 fortune tellers, one a PhD who charged Rs.100 (while the others Rs.20) however they all spoke non sense and you could guide him to say whatever you wanted by asking smart questions. This fortune telling stall is avoidable.

There are several places to shop for footwear, Jewellery , Rajais etc. however they are a bit more overpriced from what you will get in the regular Government stores. There are also puppet shows and performances by tribal Rajasthani dance folk who invite you to dance with them and it was heartening to see many Indian tourists actually take up the offer and Dance. Do remember to leave them a small tip after the dance is complete, more as a sign of encouraging the art and prevent it from dying. There would be about 50 stalls in total which can keep you busy for about 3 hours. You must try to cover as many of them as possible as each stall is very different and has a different experience to offer.

Food is included in the price of the ticket. When I visited Chowkidhani, the buffet option was not there, you have to sit on the floor in the dining area and the staff serves you in traditional Rajasthani style (Ghevar, Bajra roti with Ghee etc.). They welcome you with the traditional Ram Ram Sa …… fit your head with a turban and then stuff you with food until you puke. They keep insisting you eat more and more and do not let you get up (there were times when I found it annoying as well). The food is authentic Rajasthani food and I did not like it much, but that does not mean it was bad. My wife who is more adventurous with food, loved the experience.

All in all it was 3 hours well spent. This theme village is a Must visit, it will give you a good idea of Rajasthani culture & village life which you will otherwise not get to see in Jaipur / Udiapur and other major cities. I think the Govt. of Rajasthan has done a good job of promoting this site.

Attraction Review: Amer Fort, Jaipur

This is the top attraction in Jaipur and your trip to Jaipur will not be considered complete unless you visit the Amer Fort which is located on the outskirts of Jaipur.

At the outset, let me inform you that the best part of the fort is the Sound and Light Show which happens every evening at 5:30pm (Hindi) and 6:30pm (English). Please enquire about the timings as they may change from time to time. If I remember correctly the ticket cost is Rs.250 per person. This beautiful sound and light show gives you the history of the Amer Fort right from the time it was built to the time the last of the Rajput Kings lived in the fort. The show is very informative from the historical perspective, is well scripted and the sound and light is co-ordinated very well. Full marks to the government of Rajasthan (tourism department) for putting up a world class show which we can be really proud of, I could hear the firangi foreigners cooing in delight at the end of the show.

To visit the fort you need to take the car up the hill (there is parking on top) and enter from the back gate or you can go up the main entrance of the fort on Elephant Back. This fort was depicted in Jodha Akbar as well as Hum Saath Saath Hain and both the movies show entry through the main entrance either on Horseback of elephant back. If you take the car route, when you get off make sure you are not eating anything as there are monkeys all around who will come and snatch anything edible from your hand.

It is advisable to hire a guide as you will get to know the detailed history for the place. The guides tend to give you detailed stories which are very interesting and are good pieces of dinner conversation to narrate when you get back home. You get a Government approved guide for Rs.150 who will give you a detailed tour for 1.5 hours.
There are different parts of the Amer fort such as Sheesh Mahal, the ministerial Court, the Bedroom area, the cooking area etc. I found the bedroom area most interesting which had 13 bedrooms for each of the princesses and secret tunnels from the Kings room to all the 13 bedrooms so that no other princess knew which room the king was in. I found that very innovative for that time.

A lot of the fort is defaced badly with “I Love you” messages from Indian tourists – so please do not add to the filth, we will lose whatever little we have left of our heritage monuments. What I was impressed with a lot is that there were toilets for public use and separate private toilets as well which you could use by paying Rs.5. These toilets were almost 5 star equipped with baby changers and the works, and I am sure that the foreign tourists will find these very useful.

After touring the Amer Fort and if you still have some time left before the Sound and Light show you may want to visit a Hanuman Mandir which is in the by lanes near by. Nothing much to see here unless you are an architecture student – but definitely a good place to go and kill time. The local guides will show you the place.

Enjoy your tour of Amer Fort!