Hotel review - Hilton Moorea, French Ploynesia

 

Five stars out of five

 

This has got to be my favorite Hilton property. It is a resort with bungalows instead of normal hotel rooms, nestled in a lagoon on the north side of Moorea – a small island just off of Tahiti in French Polynesia. Extremely nice rooms, even if you do not splurge for the overwater bungalows. And the staff is fantastic – always happy to help with anything you need.

 

We pre-arranged transport to the hotel from the ferry dock. The hotels are not allowed to run their own shuttles, but they are allowed to arrange transportation for you through the local taxi companies. This cost about half the price of a regular taxi, however, there were plenty of taxis available when the ferry arrived, so we could have taken one of those if we did not have the shuttle waiting.

 

Another advantage of arranging transport through the hotel was that they knew when we were coming. As a result, the check-in process was amazingly smooth. The room was even ready early, so we could head straight over and freshen up – very nice since our flight arrived in Papeete at 6:00am.

 

While overwater bungalows are available, they cost a little more than our budget would support, so we ended up on land. That was not a bad thing, however, since we were upgraded to a suite – essentially two bungalow rooms together. This gave us two full baths, a full-sized living room area and a huge bedroom. The on-shore bungalows also come standard with a private balcony and small pool.

 

The hotel tries to be environmentally friendly – they make extensive use of solar panels for hot water and power. They also have a switch, triggered by your hotel key, that turns off almost all power when you leave the room (and take your key). Frequent travelers should note that they do abide by their stated policy of only taking towels left in the tubs (as opposed to many hotels where they take everything even if you rehang the towels). The towels were not always replaced immediately, but we never ran out. We received 2 complimentary bottles of water each night we were there, even though the hotel says that it will only provide bottled water on arrival.

 

The hotel has a full range of amenities, including:

·         2 restaurants (1 for breakfast, 1 for lunch; both serve dinner) plus 2 bars which also serve food

·         A large swimming pool

·         Free kayaking and snorkeling equipment

·         Drinkable water (not common on Moorea)

·         2 American-style power outlets in each bungalow (no need for adapters)

·         An activities desk that has a set of pre-selected activities available for purchase and a concierge that will help arrange pretty much anything else

·         Weekdays at 4:00, by the pool, there is a short, complementary demonstration of a specific aspect of Tahitian culture – ranging from husking coconuts to creating a lei.

 

The local lagoon has some decent, if not world-class snorkeling and is shallow enough that beginners can feel comfortable in the area.  We saw puffer fish, tangs, angels, gar, and many others – as well as a lot of urchins. There is also a public beach about 1 km from the hotel that has even better snorkeling Though we didn't see any, there are also stonefish  and other creatures that can ruin your day in this part of the South Pacific, so water-goers should watch where they step and be careful to only look, not touch (and if you are walking in the water, shuffle your feet so you will nudge fish not step on them).  

 

Something to watch for: black-tipped reef sharks congregate around the crepe restaurant (on the pier) after dark. It is magical watching their sleek bodies swim through the lights. Definitely worth staying up for.

 

The restaurants are expensive, as one would expect. Breakfast is served as a buffet and has a nice selection of hot and cold items, however it will run you about 3.500 PF (approximately 37 USD) per person if it is not included in your room package. For dinner, the main courses begin at approximately 2750 PF each with drinks ranging from 450 – 1300 PF (soda to cocktail).  There is a special Polynesian dinner buffet and show on Saturdays (7000 PF / person) which is expensive but definitely worth the money – the buffet has a huge selection of seafood items and the show contains some interesting components that are atypical of “normal” Polynesian shows.  (It should be noted that the price of the dinner buffet does not include any beverages.).

 

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Hotel review - The Cardinal Hotel in Palo Alto

2 stars out of 5 (do not recommend)  

 

I stayed in this hotel as part of a group business trip to Stanford in Dec 2011.

 

The hotel is well located, just off of University Ave in Palo Alto, easily within walking distance to Stanford and close to a number of good restaurants and coffee shops.

 

The Cardinal Hotel is a boutique hotel stuck in the 1920s, when it was originally built.

 

This means that the hotel has a beautiful sweeping lobby that welcomes people into the building and is perfect for meeting friends. There is also a single elevator servicing the hotel, with an old-style double door (you have to manually slide the outer door open yourself when the elevator appears). While the elevator is quaint and adds atmosphere, it is slightly inconvenient if you are trying to maneuver large bags into the small entrance. Unfortunately, this hotel has more problems than advantages. My major concerns:

• Some of the rooms have a shared bathroom. Further, they don’t tell you in advance whether you will get one of these rooms. If you are looking for a dorm room or a budget hotel, that is ok, but for those of us who expect privacy given the prices this is totally unacceptable.  As a business traveler, I have never stayed in a hotel that expects me to share a bathroom.
• The windows are single pane windows that do absolutely nothing to block either sound or outside temperatures. You can clearly hear every conversation or vehicle on the street below, which can interfere with a good night’s sleep. Given the hotel is at the corner of two fairly busy intersections, this is a major problem if you actually have to get up in the morning.
• There is a single source of heat in the rooms (and no cooling) – a water radiator. While I don’t really care whether the heat is from air or water, I am concerned that there is no thermostat associated with the radiator. That means that you have to get up in the middle of the night to manually turn the heat on and off to adjust the temperature within the room. Unacceptable.
• There is no parking. None. At all. There is a public lot a half a block away and street parking a couple of blocks away, but the hotel has absolutely no parking associated with it. When I asked about this, I was told, “We are downtown.” Well, having stayed in hotels in downtown San Francisco, Washington DC, San Jose, Seattle, and many other cities, this is an excuse not a reason. For whatever cause, the hotel has chosen not to develop any parking or provide a valet service for their guests. Unacceptable.
• The hotel uses keys instead of card locks. While this is not, in and of itself, a problem, the fact that the doors do not close – much less lock – behind you is a significant security and fire concern. It has been so long since I have been in a hotel that does not have this basic security feature, I thought it was code. Apparently not. Combine that with the fact that other than a single, extremely old deadbolt, there is no way to secure the door from the inside and you have a place that you want to avoid if you are security conscious.

 

Other minor inconveniences:

• The rooms are small. Not horribly small, but having to shoehorn yourself into a small room, with a double bed, is not what I would expect for a decent business-oriented room. For example, there is a single small shelf in the bathroom that is not sufficient to hold all standard toiletries, and  if you sit at the desk, you back into the bed.
• The internet does not work reliably. Some members of our party had significant problems maintaining a connection when trying to email moderate sized files. This was ultimately resolved by using a different network connection at a different business..  
• The hotel staff appeared hurried and disengaged when we tried to obtain information. It is almost as if they felt they have better things to do than answer customer questions. They also don’t have a concierge available at any time during the day to help address questions / concerns.

 

In my mind, any one of my serious concerns is reason enough to not stay here – unless you are trying to save money (although the hotel is not particularly inexpensive)-  and I would strongly encourage people to consider alternate accommodations.

 

Hotel Review: The DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel in Seattle, WA

5 Stars

Full of elegant charm and friendly, helpful staff, the DoubleTree Arctic Club Hotel is a welcoming place for the traveler to Seattle. Located close to the city’s center, the Arctic Club is within easy walking distance to many restaurants, museums, and Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. The elegantly understated interior is designed to evoke the ambiance of early 20^th century exploration and is replete with portraits of Arctic explorers, maps of the Northwest Passage, and stately chairs and tables reminiscent of the era. Just past the lobby is the Polar Bar, which perfectly exemplifies the hotel’s desire to provide luxury without taking itself too seriously. The Polar Bar, full of deep, comfortable chairs, cloth napkins and polished silver, has a drunken polar bear as its emblem.

Our room, though small, was very well appointed. Many amenities were incorporated into the room, including some that we had never before seen in a hotel room. As well as such common things as a coffee maker, hair dryer and ice bucket, we found tea, a loose tea strainer, and a French press. In addition to the large flat screen television, there was a DVD player and a stereo system complete with CD player. The writing desk was stocked with such office basics as a stapler, scotch tape, scissors, rubber bands and a calculator – no need to go to the office center. Robes and a safe awaited us in the closet, as well as a large umbrella (this is Seattle, after all).

The mini-bar was fully stocked with an array of beverages from champagne to sodas to fruit juices, and there was a basket of snacks that included an impressive array of choices. To their credit, the hotel made it clear that these items were not included in the cost of the room, but did so in an unobtrusive manner (again, their elegant understatement came through). Upon check-in, we were told that we could empty out the mini-bar to make room for anything that we might want to keep refrigerated, a welcome change from the old-style mini-bars that automatically charge you if anything inside is moved.

The bathroom was surprisingly roomy, and was designed for comfort and class. The towels were plush and thick, the bathtub jetted. A marble countertop graced the vanity, which had ample storage underneath. The bathroom door was charming, and included a frosted pane in the upper half. This proved to be one of the very few drawbacks, as it allowed light to spill into the main room (only an issue when one of us was in bed before the other).

The staff was extremely courteous and knowledgeable about the area. We were given many wonderful recommendations regarding everything from where to dine to modes of transportation to things to see and do. When they discovered that I was on a hunt for one particular item, the front desk staff took it upon themselves to call three different stores that they thought might carry it, and they checked with me upon my return to the hotel that evening to ensure that my quest had been successful. The housekeeping staff, too, was wonderfully warm, courteous and thorough; our room was kept in tip-top shape throughout our stay.

Many small details were attended to that really distinguish this hotel as a top-notch place to stay: a hand-written note welcoming us to our room, a variety of teas (not just black, but green and herbal as well), warm cookies upon our arrival. Overall, we were quite impressed with this hotel, and we would definitely stay here again.

City Escapes Nature Photography

The Many Advantages of Off-Season Park Exploration

I freely admit that I am an unabashed supporter of national and state parks.  I was introduced to state parks as a child when my family went camping and fishing, and to national parks at the age of 13 on a whirlwind, family tour of some of the West’s most famous parks: The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Sequoia, Yellowstone.  I have been hooked ever since, and have been fortunate enough to be able to visit a variety of parks in several seasons, not just peak tourist season.  This has only increased my affection for these parks.

 

For many people, especially families with school-aged children, one of the constraints on travel opportunities is the school calendar.  Summer is a big travel season precisely because the kids are out of school.  The weather is often nicer in the summer, too.  These two factors combine to cram large numbers of visitors to the parks in a relatively short time frame.  But if you have the opportunity to visit our glorious parks in the off-season, I highly recommend it.  Here’s why.

 

First of all, most of the parks will be considerably less crowded during the off-season.  After all, you visit these beautiful oases to enjoy nature and the outdoors, not throngs of other people.  Yellowstone and Yosemite, for example, can become parking lots in the height of summer (and not just because of animal jams); traveling through them can cause more stress than it relieves.  Especially if you are a crowd-averse person, you will enjoy the parks immensely more during the less popular times of year.  Because of the decreased demand, lodging, airfare, and rental cars are generally less expensive during the off-season, sometimes considerably so.  Even shifting your plans by as little as a week can sometimes make a huge difference in the overall cost of your trip.  (My husband and I saved approximately $900 each on plane tickets a few years ago by shifting our departure date by a single day.  That one day took us out of summer season rates and put us into off-season rates.)  And, of course, gasoline is generally at its most expensive during the high-travel season, namely summer.

 

My favorite reason to visit parks in the off-season, however, is that you get to experience the park in ways that most people do not.  There is no question that the red rock formations of southern Utah, for example, are gorgeous – anyone who has seen a photograph of them is bound to be struck by the colors of the rocks.  Seeing those same rocks capped with snow, however, is an entirely different experience altogether.  Watching the bison in Yellowstone graze on the plentiful grasses of summertime can lead a visitor to think these majestic animals have it pretty easy.  When the temperature hovers around zero and you are in near white-out conditions caused by an icy wind whipping across the landscape, however, and you watch these same animals push aside three or four feet of snow with their heads to get to the meager scraps of grass below, you go back to your cozy hotel room amazed that any of them survive the winter at all.  And you are thankful for your warm dinner in a way that you could never be in the summer.

 

Sometimes snow is not the biggest off-season weather change, though; many parts of the country do not get snow on any regular basis.  In these areas, the off-season sometimes means rain.  While rain requires its own preparations, it can be fantastic; rain can completely alter the mood of a landscape.  Waterfalls in the rain are some of my favorite things to photograph, in part because it is something we so rarely see; most waterfall photographs are taken on beautiful, sunny days.  The moodiness of a waterfall in the rain is something few people experience, and it captivates me.

 

The off-season does not automatically mean bad weather, however.  Bright, gorgeous, sunny days happen in winter, too, and they can lend a compelling energy to a park visit.  Crisp, cool days with bright blue skies are at the heart of the concept of the “winter wonderland,” and that concept is not restricted to ski resorts.

 

If you’re not interested in the cold or getting rained or snowed on, however, then the spring and the fall are your seasons.  The landscape comes alive in spring with new plant life, while rivers and lakes are often at their fullest.  If it’s early enough in the season, the bugs have not yet become a problem, while in late fall they are no longer a problem.  Fall ushers back in the cool weather and the brilliant palettes of autumn leaves.  In some parts of the country, both spring and fall bring with them much more comfortable – and safer – temperatures than summer, as well.  The Grand Canyon and similar parks get dangerously hot in the summer, with the mercury soaring well into the 120s or above in some of the canyons.  Hikers frequently underestimate either the heat or its effect on their bodies, routinely getting themselves into trouble.  Heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death are not uncommon.  Visiting the Canyon in the spring or fall can greatly reduce the dangers of heat-related illness.  (Be sure to check with the visitor center in any canyon-containing park if you plan to hike, however.  Find out if the park has flash-flood prone areas, and what the weather forecast will be.  Slot canyons are gorgeous and much more fun to hike in cooler weather, but can turn deadly quickly in rainstorms.)

 

If animals are your thing, the off-season offers wonders that you will likely not get during the summer.  Many species give birth during the spring, meaning that your best opportunity to see baby animals at their youngest is during this time.  Be patient and keep a sharp eye; youngsters are often quite well camouflaged.  The fall brings the rutting season for many ungulates, and while you want to give them a wide berth, watching the males vie for mating rights is nothing if not impressive (in a painful, sympathetic-headache inducing way).  And in winter, you may get a glimpse of the real reason moose have such long, spindly legs.  (Hint: it’s not just to make them look funny.)  Add to that the burst of spring flowers, the brilliance of fall foliage, or the surreal blanket of winter’s white, and you will have an experience quite different from, but no less extraordinary than, one in the height of summer.

 

Jodi

City Escapes Nature Photography

 

 

 

Hotel Review: Hilton Houston North

Visited: Feb 2011

1 star

 

This hotel has a wonderful lobby with a huge atrium and decent-sized guest rooms. There are two restaurants and a Starbucks on the main floor, and several good-sized conference rooms are available. So, what’s not to love? Unfortunately, a lot. Pretty much everything about the service was disappointing during my visit. Things started off poorly and did not get much better. The hotel is 15 minutes from the Houston Bush Intercontinental airport, but it took me an hour to get there using the free shuttle bus, “which runs every 30 minutes.” Except that it didn’t, it was late, and then, after boarding, it was full and we had to wait for 15 minutes while the shuttle driver explained to the next group of passengers at the next stop that there were no seats on the shuttle and he couldn’t pick up more people (as opposed to actually dropping us off and returning to pick them up – or using the larger shuttle in the first place). There were 2 people at reception checking in a line of about 15 people, so the wait was longer than it should have been. Fortunately, I was able to get into the restaurant 15 minutes before it closed (at 11:00 pm, along with room service) and order my $12 hamburger, which was ok but not outstanding. My room was a good size; however it was not particularly clean. There was mold on the bathroom floor in the grout lines, where it was obviously not disturbed by the cleaning people. I used a towel to keep it covered (I couldn’t change rooms since the hotel was full). The phone was not programmed properly (the buttons for messages and wake-up calls dialed but never connected), the air conditioning didn’t work well (the thermostat was off by about 10 degrees), and there was no fan in the bathroom (probably a contributing factor to the mold), so the room was a little warmer and more humid than it needed to be – particularly after a shower. The conference room, however, was freezing, so I guess it balanced out. Our meeting of 60 people overwhelmed the wireless connection, so I ended up using an air card connection for most of the meeting. I don’t understand how a hotel can charge so much for wireless and yet have no connectivity.  Overall, the attitude of the staff seemed summed up by a single experience as I was checking out: I was on one side of the elevator with my bags, an open (empty?) can of Monster sitting on the rail on the opposite side. A member of the housekeeping staff got on the elevator next to the can, didn’t acknowledge me, went down 2 floors, and left the can sitting on the railing after she got off. Of course, no-one asked how the stay was when I left, even the 2 managers I passed with my bags – I have noticed only the well trained staff do that, and I usually don’t have problems in hotels with well-trained staff.  One final note, if you are still considering staying at this hotel, be very, very careful at night. The hotel is located in a dangerous part of Houston, and you should never walk outside at night (I was told this by at least 3 people I trust who are familiar with the area, one of whom is a police officer).  For better or worse, there aren’t any restaurants nearby that you would be likely to walk to, so you may have no reason to go outside.  Nonetheless, be warned.

 

 

Hotel Review: Elizabeth Lake Lodge, Cranbrook, BC

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Date of visit:  Jan, 2011

 

This lodge has been a favorite on trip advisor for several years, and deservedly so. It embodies the best of a local inn. We stayed here twice, heading to and from our final destination, and were very impressed with this motel-style lodge. We were fortunate that others had sung its praises previously or we would have driven right by it.

 

One of the first things you notice, beyond the striking mural on the side of the building, is the location.  The lodge is on the south side of Cranbrook, right next to a 250 acre bird sanctuary. While there were not a lot of birds during our visit (in the middle of winter), just having the view over the expanse of trees and Elizabeth Lake, instead of looking into another business, was a nice change. I imagine in the summer, it would be even better.  There is also a miniature golf course on the premises, though it, too, was closed for the season.

 

The rooms were well-equipped with a miniature kitchen, a full size breakfast table, and duvets over the beds. The kitchenette was a nice surprise, and allowed us to easily make breakfast and reheat leftover dinner.  My favorite feature, however, was the heated floors in the bathroom. Tile floors are common in bathrooms, and are always cold. The heated floors warm the tile so that it is not only not cold, but actually warm on your feet. This makes stepping out of the shower much nicer. The heated floors were also a great compliment to the dedicated bathroom heater that allowed the temperature in the bathroom to be set independent of the main sleeping area.

 

Other amenities included a 42” flat-screen TV, tea and tea kettle (it is Canada, after all), deck chairs outside, and custom soaps made especially for the Elizabeth Lake Lodge by a local soap company. 

 

It is also worth mentioning that we were greeted enthusiastically on check in. On both occasions, we were met by George (one of the owners) who not only showed us a room before we committed to staying, but checked the weather and road conditions for the next leg of our drive,  as well as provided multiple restaurant recommendations. George is clearly interested in providing the best accommodations in the area, and even asked us what amenities we have seen elsewhere that we have enjoyed. Clearly, he is not taking his high trip advisor rating for granted and is continuing to look for ways to enhance his guests’ experience.

 

If possible, I would give this lodge a 4.5. However, there are two, minor reasons I don’t believe this hotel rates a 5. The first is the request that the guests wash their own dishes (and as a small sign notes, they may be charged if they don’t). While I find this to be an unusual request, having never seen this before in anything but a condo, and I am not thrilled with it, I would be willing to go along with it given the other advantages of the lodge. However, I am very concerned about the sanitary aspects of this practice. Specifically, I have very little confidence that guests will do a thorough job cleaning the dishes, and that could lead to germs being passed along to the next visitor.  Something as simple as a centralized dish washer that could sanitize the dishes (and not just make them look clean) would resolve this concern. The second issue is that the rooms do not appear to be particularly sound-resistant. It was fairly easy for us to hear other guests both above and near our rooms – more so than in many other hotels. Unfortunately, this problem is not something that is easy to resolve in the existing building. On the plus side, a second building is under construction, and is due to open in May. Hopefully, the insulation in this building will provide additional soundproofing.

 

Terence

City Escapes Nature Photography

 

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Arctic Trip Tips 2 - Tips for Polar Regions

Finally, our arctic cruise provided several insights that are primarily applicable for travel to the poles, or other cool climates where you may end up in zodiacs for an extended period of time.

1.       Bring a second sweater or jacket. After a day out on zodiacs, or hiking in weather, it is really nice to have a clean, dry sweater or fleece jacket to be able to slip into to stay warm. I had originally planned to just take one jacket with me on this trip, and am extremely glad that I brought a second that I could use around the ship (in particular sightseeing from the deck) while the first jacket dried off.  If I had only had the one jacket, I would have had to wear it before it dried and I would have been cold and miserable instead of warm and excited.

2.       In Antarctica, take the longer trips. Make sure that your trip includes both the Falkland Islands and South Georgia as well as the Antarctic Peninsula. While the addition of these two locations will increase your time commitment as well as the cost, these are where most of the animals hang out. According to everyone we have talked to, both staff and more importantly fellow travelers, these locations are well worth it. The animals are plentiful, easily found, and not shy – providing ample opportunities for photography and general viewing.  Since these animals are one of the primary reasons people visit the Antarctic, do not short change yourself by passing by these locations. In the grand scheme of things, the additional cost is well worth it (and much cheaper than going back a second time just to see what you missed).

3.       Bring a dry bag. When travelling in a zodiac, you have to expect to get drenched. You may not, but you have to plan for it. And since this is salt water, which is corrosive, you need to really protect your equipment – losing a camera early on in the trip can be tragic. While you can use Ziploc bags, and general waterproof bags much of the time, I suggest bringing a dry bag along for those days when the sea is a little rougher. Using a large dry bag in addition to the other preventative measures can save you huge headaches (and repair bills).  You can also stuff your extra hiking socks and a dry sweater into the bag, bonuses that your potentially cold and wet body will appreciate.

4.       Use hand-warmers and foot-warmers.  Obviously, the polar regions are cold, or at least cool, even during the summer season when the adventure travel cruises take place. While we dressed in layers, and were generally warm, we did find that when we went on zodiac cruises, our extremities got a little cold. On these cruises, which lasted up to 3 hours, there were minimal opportunities to move around – we were mainly just watching the scenery and wildlife from a fixed position. In this case, the warmers did their job exceptionally well. Now, someone just needs to develop a warming seat. J We were also glad to have the warmers on those few days when we had poor weather, our hikes were slower and shorter, and/or we didn’t generate enough internal heat to stay completely warm.  During those hikes, the warmers were a nice addition.

5.       Use dishwashing gloves as a waterproof layer. As previously mentioned, you need to expect to get wet on a zodiac. Even in relatively calm weather, your hands / gloves will get splashed as you hang on to the zodiac. Instead of having wet gloves after every excursion, place your glove or liner inside an oversized dishwashing glove. This will give you an outside layer that is waterproof, over an inside layer that keeps your hands warm.  This may require stretching the dishwashing glove a little (I should be using a XXXL, but could only find an XL on short notice) but it is well worth it. While not stylish, we were the envy of many of the other travelers. Of course, if you do these excursions regularly, you may want to invest in gloves that are both truly waterproof and warm; however a good pair of these gloves can be quite expensive. For the rest of us, using dishwashing gloves is an excellent and much cheaper alternative.

 

Terence

City Escapes Nature Photography