The Renaissance Capital hotel in the Chaoyang District in Beijing is a new hotel in the city, built I assume for the Olympics. It is so new that few drivers and locals know where it is! Even people who live locally. That is partly due to the fact that it is not on the road and is set off behind some other buildings. So if you are going and plan to get a cab, make sure you have some directions! One of my collegues found a taxi driver passed round the entrance 3 times trying to locate the hotel.
The hotel is located in the Central Business District and is not an ideal location for tourists as not that handy for the sites, and is seems that it is very quiet. While I was there the hotel was very quiet, and I did feel there was more staff than there were guests. There is not a lot within walking distance, though there is a large Mall with a huge selection of shops.
Although of course traffic is terrible in Bejing and times may vary, it took about 45 minutes to and from the airport.
The hotel reception is on the 4th floor. The overall look and design of the hotel is modern, bright and all areas have a "wow" factor. This is a very well designed hotel and all public rooms are funky and look great.
The bedrooms are fantastic. They are large and thanks to the glass walled bathroom are very bright and impressive looking. The bathroom is a real plus factor. The bed is huge and very comfortable. There is a massive flat screen TV a good sized working desk and there are all sorts of modern technology features like the ability to connect your PC to the TV.
The fitness room is on the 27th floor. It has great views and is huge and very well equipped. It is a great gym. This is a great hotel. very friendly, great service and very good looking.
I was on British Airways this past week flying from Heathrow to Beijing. When flying Club I always try (if on a Beoing 747) to be upstairs. This is by far the best place to be when flying Club as is quieter, more toilets per passenger and seems more civilised. On this plane were the new British Airways Club seats, which seem to now be on all the 747 planes
The pictures show the overall style, and how they differ from the old ones. I really like the new seats. The best features are:
- more comfortable. They are more comfy for both sitting but also very much more for sleeping.
- bigger and wider. This is partly achieved by the arm rests going down to level with the flat bed and so you have more room around the upper body. This makes a big difference. They claim you have 25% more space. The section where your feet rests is also bigger and a better shape, and also I could lie completely flat unlike before where it was about two inches too short (I am 6" 2')
- more private. Instead of the silly screens there is now a plastic screen that goes up and you can see nothing through it other than vague shapes, there is also "wings" round your seat back so you are blocked more from view when sleeping.
- They do not give sleeper suits and have more of a blanket thing than duvet, it is very comfortable.
(This is a photo of Heathrow T5 with no people queuing and general chaos. Not the situation yesterday when I tried to fly out......)
No-one can forget the fiasco that was the opening of British Airways Terminal 5 at London Heathrow. The baggage system went into meltdown and hundreds of flights were cancelled.
At the time BA came under pressure for their poor and sloppy ability to inform and keep passenger briefed.
Today I experienced how poor they are at this.
I was flying from Terminal 5 to Beijing. I had checked in online and all I had to do was drop my suitcase off. And there the drama and stress began.
There were massive queues as the baggage system had broken down. And every now and then an announcement was made saying the same thing, which was nothing. All it said was the baggage system was down and they would resume check-in "soon".
This was very unhelpful. Should we wait? Were they delaying flights until people could check in? What should you do?
Staff knew little and it soon was clear flights were not being delayed and you would miss your flight. Time kept ticking by and after about an hour and half it was clear I had to act fast. As there was no information, a time for dramatic choices!
Luckily my partner happened to be about to drive past Heathrow on his way home from seeing family in Oxford. So he diverted, I hurriedly rammed some clothes into my hand baggage discarding toiletries, and other clothes. Rushed through security to meet the "40 minutes before flight rule" they kept blaring also as an announcement.
In the end the flight left an hour late, leaving at least 50 people behind who sounded like they may have been trying to get through security. It was so badly handled. Unlike when there are delays on Eurostar who constantly update and give options.
You would have thought BA would have learnt and have a procedure. It is all about giving information and telling people their options.
The captain apologised. Seems they also were as left in the dark through the process...
Once on the plabne, as usual, BA crew are great. I liked the trip from then on...
As a bit of a travel geek, staying in a room with a big window in front of the desk that looks right onto a taxing area and runway was a plus of staying at the Sheraton Paris CDG Airport Hotel. Sad but true!
The hotel is the only one within the airport terminals at Paris CDG, situated after terminal 2E and walkable from any of the Terminal 2 areas.
It is a modern looking hotel with a nice look and feel in the public rooms. The rooms are large, and well equipped with huge desk, sofa, big and comfortable bed. The bathroom is a bit dated but has a separate shower and bath, which is unusual and good for a hotel.
The restaurant was efficient but fairly expensive for both dinner and breakfast.
There is a large conference/ meeting room level with many meeting rooms. Again very efficient.
Overall this was one of the better airport hotels that I have stayed at, as usually with the high turn you can often feel a bit like a number rather than a guest. That was not the case here.
A perfectly good airport hotel. And handy as meant no minibus to and from like all the others.
See all the photos of the room I took on Flickr: click here
watch the video of the room I took on YouTube by clicking here, or watch on the blog posting:
The Isle of Wight sits about an hour car ferry ride from Southampton on the South Coast of England.
Southampton is famous for being the cruise ship capital of the UK. The Titanic set sail from here on her fateful maiden voyage, and ships like Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and P&O's Aurora are based out of the port.
The Isle of Wight seems to mostly be known for being a hub and focus for sailing and sailors. With events like Cowes and the round-the-island race being the best known.In Victorian times, it had quite a different status. This was where Queen Victoria spent a lot of time, and in fact she died on the island. Prince Albert and her had the very beautiful and impressive Osborne House built and developed on the island.
The grounds and house having stunning views across the sea to the English coast and Portsmouth in particular.The island today is a curious mix, as it still attracts people with money who have second or holiday homes, and are attracted by the scenery, beaches and sailing. Overall, the islands feels more low brow and does not seem to have much wealth. It used to attract low priced holiday seekers with value holiday camps, caravan parks and rentals. Some of the tourist centres have that typical English ability to make things feel they have been done "on the cheap".
Why is it that we seem to not be able to execute value tourist offerings like say the Americans?
The island, once you get past the surprisingly built up north that is closest to the ferry that run to Southampton and Portsmouth, is very beautiful and open. It is also very hilly. As you roam across it, you are struck by the numbers of people walking or cycling. The island caters well for walkers, with many paths and routes. As a cyclist, you need to like hills.
The island also attracts, especially in summer, many day trippers. And a remarkable number of buses full of white haired pensioners on a day out. They seem to be everywhere. This is probably because as a day out from even as far as London (about 70 miles away) is very do-able and very varied and pleasant.
It had been at least 12 years since I had last been to the Isle of Wight, and we decided to go for the day when staying nearby just outside Southampton. It was a great and varied day, and had a real holiday feeling to it. I am not sure I would be one of those that wanted to spend days or weeks there, but as a short day or few days it is highly recommended (unless you like sailing or walking or strenuous cycling then I guess days and days would no doubt appeal!)
My tips for visiting the Isle of Wight are
GETTING THERE Assuming you don't have a boat then you need the ferry. You can get there from Portsmouth (closest) or Southampton. There are fast catamaran crossings for passengers and then the ferry that takes about 200 cars / trucks and takes about an hour. The company is called Red Funnel and they are very organized. The crossing leaves on the hour from Southampton and on the half hour from the island. It is best to book online and print off the pass. You need to arrive between an hour and half an hour before. They board and get off very much on time.
The ferry runs more or less every hour and a bit less after midnight and out of season. The ferry has a self help restaurant and coffee station. Sitting outside gets you great views of the yachts.
GETTING AROUND There is a comprehensive bus service all over the island, but best left to locals as you really need a car of there. The roads are only 2 lanes (one each side) and rambling, but easy to find your way around if you pick up the free booklets and map the ferry company produces. Of course if you have SatNav then even easier.
The island is not massive and so you cannot really go wrong. There seems to be masses of speed cameras and signs about speeding, and seems road deaths at 33 in the last 5 years, are high. Too much speed on rambling country style roads. There are a lot of people on tours as mentioned before.
WHAT TO SEE IN A DAY
If you take the 10am ferry and get the 430 back you can cover almost all the island and this is an ideal trip:
OSBORNE HOUSE First stop after the Ferry should be Osborne House. This is about a mile or so from where the Ferry docks.
You can probably spend most of a day here if you wanted to. Osborne House was the home that Queen Victoria spent a lot of time at, and eventually died at. Situated in massive and very beautiful grounds, the house is both impressive and beautiful.
It costs about ten pounds per adult to visit. On arrival you go through a bright and interesting shop to buy tickets. Then you can walk or catch a horse buggy to the house.
No member of the Royal Family used the house after Queen Victoria died. The house was used as a convalescent home for military and then more recently been renovated and more and more rooms opened. You get to see some fairly private rooms like bedrooms, nursery and sitting rooms. It is full of furniture and ornaments etc. Really fascinating. You can then stroll through the beautifully laid out gardens and to various areas right across the property.
There is a restaurant. There are a lot of stairs to be climbed up and down in the house and we saw many a pensioner struggling, so be warned!
BEMBRIDGE I am biased as this town and my surname are the same, but driving from Osborne House to Bembridge takes you through the more built up part of the island it seems. At Bembridge, as well as some charming shops like bakery and deli, you can also visit the famous Bembridge Windmill (oldest surviving) and hear about the sea rescue.
From Bembridge you should then drive either around the coast or through the centre of the island (stopping at one of the pubs for lunch along the way) towards The Needles at Arum Bay in the south west of the island. Both routes get you to see the glorious landscape. If following the coast you can also stop at one of the beaches. THE NEEDLES Although this is a bit too tourist trap in look, it is worth a visit.
The best part is taking the chair lift down the cliff to the beach. You get great views across the sea to the white cliff needles that jut into the sea. On the beach you can relax. You used to be able to collect the multi coloured sands from the massive cliffs, but this is forbidden due to erosion. If you are really energetic you can go down the stairs to the beach. On the top of the cliff are a series of shops like the multi-coloured sand shop where you can fill bottles and shaped glass containers, a sweet factory, a glass shop where you can watch them making vases and glass ornaments, a fun fair and restaurant.
For those into walking there is also a long walk to the Needles.
We would never have considered or even known about this hotel, I suspect, unless we had not taken part in a "blind auction" at a charity ball. We won 2 nights at the Chilworth Manor Hotel and stayed on a Saturday and Sunday night.
Based on reviews we had read, we arrived with mixed expectations, knowing that the hotel very clearly was a conference / meeting venue in the week and a weddings one on a Saturday. Having stayed at such places before, we were worried we would be treated as "filler fodder".
But we were very pleasantly surprised.
The hotel is on very beautiful grounds, with a lot of it still wild, with a long winding driveway up to the house. The house itself was originally a country home and was for a while part of the Southampton University where it was houses of residence. Then it was bought out and turned into a hotel.
While the hotel decor is a bit dated, and feels like it was influenced by one's grandmother and not all high quality, it is clean and efficient. Though the beds are not that great and could do with being better.
Overall we found the staff to be cheerful and helpful, this was true of reception, the restaurant and the fitness centre.
The restaurant was good value and good quality. The fitness centre was well equipped and the pool a good size, though with very limited space to sit around.
The grounds are quite wild, but works.
We were given the Dwight Eisenhower suite which was large with bay windows. There was a large TV but the bathroom was small and slightly odd shaped, but fine for a few days. The bed was not that comfortable, but again fine.
Overall the hotel is fine and we enjoyed our time there. It is overall a bit old fashioned and the furniture and decor okay. But for the price and also the location is good.
The nearby pub, by the way, is very good for eating at!
See all my photos on Flickr of the hotel and area: click here
The Radisson Zurich Airport is located between a Renault car dealership and the railway line in a drab and sprawling industrial park. This uninspiring hotel is unattractive to look at and has dated early 1980s style decor with lots of glass panelled walls, beige marble type floors and heavy rich colours.
On the positive side it is a 4 Swiss francs ride on a tram that takes about 10 minutes. Though annoying you have to have cash to buy a ticket and so you have to remember to buy something from the shop on the way to the tram to be able to buy a ticket as the machine does not take notes or cards.
This is a strange hotel. It seems to be efficiently run, as most of Switzerland does, but lacks any character and mood. It was especially challenging to be there for a week, which I was for a conference. The meeting rooms have no windows and are very gloomy, making it a tiring place to have a meeting.
The rooms, though, are large but with terrible views. I had a view into a courtyard surrounded by offices – but it could have been worse as I could have been looking over the busy railway lines or the car dealership and road. The room had a good sized desk, very comfortable beds and dated bathroom which a lot of mirrors, which meant as a chap you get to view yourself in all your glory when going to the toilet.
The hotel is very hot and quite stuffy, and many people commented about how the hotel suffered on that front. My room had good air-conditioning, but that was not everyone’s experience.
There are a number of restaurants in the hotel, but all are fairly average. But at least there is some choice.
There is a 24 hour fitness centre that is well equipped with weights, cardio machines, small pool and sauna. It is very hot down there. You have to take a specific lift down to the centre.
Other than having to stay there because you have to go to a conference being held there and you had no say in the venue choice, or you have to stay near the airport for 1 brief night and have not time to even want to venture out of the hotel, I can see no reason why you would chose to stay here.
A visit to the Duxford Air Museum about 50 miles from London is a must for anyone with an interest in flight and aeroplanes.
I first visited the museum about 15 years ago, and in recent years (thanks to lottery money and investment by the Imperial War Museum that it is a part of) it has been transformed into a quite remarkable experience. One that is actually and literally breathtaking.
The museum is spread out across a massive stretch of open land. It used to be one of the most crucial airfields during the 2nd World War when planes set off from here to protect Cambridge and then London from the Blitz bombing. Later, once the Americans entered the war, it was the base for the American planes that would set off at night to bomb German targets.
Across the huge area are a number of old and new hangers chock full of planes from the Second World War and more recent times.
Two of the most impressive buildings are the Air Space building (which includes one of the test Concorde planes among many other massive planes, and a history of flight and interactive exhibits) and the American Air Museum (which has some of the largest planes I have ever seen). Both buildings are striking, as well as massive, and the American Air Museum is a stunning piece of architecture.
In addition to these there are also smaller hangers with submarines, tanks and of course planes. On the tarmac are retired passenger planes most from the 1960s.
There are, especially at weekends, various air displays and the ability to fly in some old planes. Also dotted about the area are things like air defence guns and old 1940s pre-fab houses to view.
There are a few places to eat and a very impressive gift shop.
I loved this museum and it is a great day out, especially for kids who were visibly excited by the whole experience.
The place must cost a fortune to run. It is well worth getting yourself there.
Anyone who knows me, or reads this blog, knows that I spend a lot of time in Paris and stay at many hotels there - and at the Pullman Rive Gauche (Issy Les Moulineaux) a great deal..
I always moan about the hotel (mostly about the way they treat even the most regular customer like me, for example asking if you stayed there before, making you fill out your address every time like it is the 1st time etc). Now they even have a machine check you in and out. In recent stays I have not even been spoken to by any member of staff the whole time I have been there.
I recently compared that to Meridien who use their computer systems and your loyalty card to recognise you and your tastes. A simple IT tool...and it makes all the difference as when you check in you feel that they know you and actually can be bothered to take the time to understand you.
I was even more impressed at a recent stay last week at the massive Concorde Lafayette hotel. Not only are they revamping the hotel and rooms but both on checking in and checking out senior staff (sales on arrival and duty manager when checking out) were called and told me how my custom was valued, how I liked the new rooms and suggestions etc. They really made you feel important. I assume they both knew my record and number of stays at the chain but also the volume the company puts through. Again easy IT things that can trigger and guide front facing staff.
I was impressed. It makes we want to stay there. And I will (they also were cheaper by the way too!!!).
I am back there this week, and so will be interesting to see how I get treated this time!
Addendum
When I checked into the Concorde Lafayette today, the chap on reception greeted me warmly and told me they had been expecting me - and had spoken about me arriving in their pre-shift briefing.....
The assistant manager came out to welcome me and she had remembered me and the discussion I had about a leak. She told me they had fixed it and given me a room they thought I would like.
A slight feeling of being a celebrity. I like it. They will get my almost weekly visits to Paris.... And they are a great price too.......
This hotel stands tall on the Paris skyline as, at 33 or so floors, it is of unusual height for the city better known for buildings a few stories high. It also does not match the usual beauty of Parisian buildings, looking more like an ugly 70s style concrete office block.
The hotel has been spruced up a bit but very much caters and is targeted at the conference and package tour markets seeking good location, suitable facilities and value. It is neither luxurious nor downmarket, and in almost everyway it is average. Not in a negative way but more in an unremarkable and very functional way.
You need to ensure that you get a room as high up as the one consolation for the averageness of the hotel is that the view across Paris from the rooms is beautiful. If you do not get a high room then make sure that you visit the Panoramic Bar on the top floor.
The bedrooms rooms are small with a large bed taking up most of it. On first inspection the room will look good, with a small sofa, big white duvet and functional bathroom. As you settle in you will find the room and facilities again average. The bed is not very comfortable and feels cheap. The sheets and towels are also not that high quality, but perfectly fine.
The breakfast is a strange set-up as it is on the First Floor across in what seems to be the hotel conference area and rotates through meeting rooms - I assume ones that are not booked for meetings. It is probably a cost effective way of running a buffet breakfast and is a good spread and selection, but there are usually queues to get your details and room checked before getting into breakfast.
The fitness room is small and hard to find on the first floor, but perfectly adequate. However, it can be frustrating as based on the huge size of the hotel is far too small as only about 5 or 6 people could be in there at one time. There is a massive Club Med Gym connected to the hotel that Club Room Guests can use but costs 25 Euros per visit otherwise.
One small touch that amused me is that they change the carpets in the lifts each day as the carpet says what day of the week it is in French and English.
It is a year since I last stayed at the hotel. This time I was in a Deluxe Room on the 30th Floor and had access to the Club Lounge.
The room was better although the overall hotel can never be that special. The Deluxe room was less shabby, and having the breakfast in the club lounge was good (and you also get free access to the gym) - and if you do both this works out better than getting a standard room and paying for all of this).
Video of the deluxe room 3004 (watch on youtube: click here)
FURTHER ADDENDUM: APRIL 2009 - MORE ABOUT THE REVAMP OF ROOMS!
About a year or so I reviewed this hotel and was not very complimentary as the hotel rooms were shabby and old fashioned. That review and some pictures are one of the most viewed blog postings I have ever written, probably as this is a massive hotel that attracts many conferences (as next to the Congress Centre) and package tours, especially American.
I was, therefore, very impressed on staying here again. The hotel is going through a major revamp and refurbishment and while not all rooms done yet as time of writing, the rooms that have been done have the "wow factor". They have done a great job.
The new room look is contemporary, feels quality and is well done. The rooms are actually not very large but space has been used well.
The bathroom is very modern, with black slate wall tiles and light tiles on the floor. The bathroom fixtures are Villeroy and so quality. The whole look is stunning and good to use.
In the bedroom there is a decent sized desk to work at, trendy leather chair and large bed. They use 2 single duvets though that works less well to sleep under, and the linen is not as good as some chains - but that is me being picky than anything important...
There is a flat screen TV with a good range of channels, though for English speakers only news channels.
The building is I guess from the 70s or so, and there are some noises and such I think from the dated plumbing, but nothing too disturbing.
You can buy access to the gym under the hotel. It is a good gym but quite expensive and always very full, but at about 25 Euros a visit is quite costly, so if you want to use the gym check rates for room that give you gym access.
Breakfast is a bit of an ordeal as zillions of conference and tour groups and in what seems to be meeting rooms. But a good selection of food, though a bit stressful event for the morning!
In terms of service, it is pretty good. On checking in they made a fuss and someone from the corporate sales team came to greet me, saying how pleased they were to work with the company. Probably a bit over the top, but made you feel welcome in this massive and busy hotel where one could easily feel anonymous. So nice touch, though she did not upgrade me to a club room which would have been even nicer. But as above, I liked the room a lot.
Watch a video of one of the renovated rooms (room 425) on YouTube: click here
