Happy Tripper

Swissotel Merchant Court - Singapore

Posted by Carambs

My husband and I only decided to extend our stay in Singapore last Sunday night. For some reason, we did not bother to call the reception to extend our stay in Albert Court until Monday, the day we were supposed to check out. By the time we decided to extend, Albert Court was already fully booked. Which was a blessing in disguise because we ended up in Swissotel Merchant Court.

We went online and looked for hotels and most of them were very expensive. We were very lucky to find Swissotel, which charged $400 SGD for 2 nights. The location, Clark Quay, sealed the deal. We quickly made reservations online and transferred at lunch time.

Swissotel Merchant Court’s lobby was so much better than Albert Court’s. The receptionists were very friendly and accomodating, and we were able to quickly check in. The first receptionist that greeted us was a Filipina, but she was new so she was still trying to figure out things. Good thing her colleague came to the rescue, whom we found out was also Filipino. They were all smiles. When they told us they only had rooms with twin beds left, we didn’t mind at all.

The location was perfect. It was right beside Central mall, and right across Clark Quay. It was also right beside the Clark Quay MRT stop. So even if there were lots of available taxis, the MRT was our main mode of transportation the last 2 days in Singapore.

The elevators have a security feature where the guests need to use their keycard to go to their floors. The room was okay. It was clean, and it was big enough. I found the layout a bit weird because the desk was not against the wall, which is usually the case in most hotels. The layout of the bathroom was weird as well, and it was a wee bit too big for me. Though the room wasn’t perfect, it was cozy and the service compensated for it.

When we go back, Swissotel Merchant Court will definitely be one of our options.

Swissotel Merchant Court

• Address: 20 Merchant Road, Singapore 058281
• Tel. No.: +65 6337 2288
• Fax: +65 6334 0606
• Email: singapore-merchantcourt@swissotel.com

Ratings:

• Service: 4.5/5
• Amenities: 4/5
• Value for Money: 4/5

Albert Court Hotel - Singapore

Posted by Carambs

I transferred to Albert Court Hotel on friday. We chose a more affordable hotel because we were going to pay from our own pockets. We chose Albert Court because my husband previously stayed there, and was satisfied with the service. Also, at $120++ SGD per night, it was relatively affordable compared to the other hotels. Well, all I can say is - you get what you pay for.

The bellhop who welcomed me was very friendly. But I think all the pleasantness went to him, as the receptionists were extremely unfriendly to everyone. They weren’t rude, but they did not smile AT ALL. Good thing check in was relatively fast.

I found it odd that I had to go outside the hotel and cross the “court” area to get to my room. Security was in place, as only those with keycards could enter the building. The elevator was a bit small, and uber-slow. It looked like an ancient elevator.

The room was spacious, and clean. But there was a certain smell that I can’t describe. It didn’t smell bad, but there was something in the air that I couldn’t pinpoint. (No, it wasn’t hints of body odor or anything else nasty.) The bathroom was okay. There was a bathtub, and the size was just right.

Because I was very tired from the day before, I decided to stay in that night and order room service. Of course it was pricey, but at least it was good. I ordered ham and bacon fried rice and I really liked it!

Because of the location, not a lot of cabs pass by. You have to wait for another guest in a cab to arrive, or call for a cab, which means you will be charged extra ($2.50-3.50 SGD, depending on the time). However for some the location of the hotel is perfect because it is VERY NEAR Sim Lim, where all your gadgets needs can be found, at affordable prices!

When we checked out, the receptionist was accomodating because I was polite. Still no smiles though. The same receptionist was very rude to the other guests. It was like she was scolding the guests. Granted, they had a lot of questions and they didn’t understand the check in time (the usual: check in at 2PM, check out at 12nn) - I don’t think receptionists should treat their guests that way.

Overall, though our stay was okay, I wouldn’t recommend Albert Court Hotel to my friends.

Albert Court Hotel

• Address: 180 Albert Street, Singapore 189971
• Tel. No.: +65 6339 3939
• Fax: +65 6339 3253
• Email: reseasy@fareast.com.sg

Ratings:

• Service: 2/5
• Amenities: 3/5
• Value for Money: 3.5/5 *You get what you pay for!

The Scarlet Hotel - Singapore

Posted by Carambs

After I found out that we were staying at The Scarlet Hotel, I immediately went online to check it out. It was the first time I’ve heard of a “Boutique Hotel”. According to Wikipedia, Boutique hotel is a term popularised in North America and the United Kingdom to describe intimate, usually luxurious or quirky hotel environments. Boutique hotels differentiate themselves from larger chain/branded hotels and motels by providing personalized accommodation and services / facilities. Sometimes known as “design hotels” or “lifestyle hotels”, … Typically boutique hotels are furnished in a themed, stylish and/or aspirational manner. Although usually considerably smaller than mainstream hotels, often ranging from 3 to 100 guest rooms, some city-centre boutique hotels may have several hundred. Boutique hotels are always individual and are therefore extremely unlikely to be found amongs the homogenity of large chain hotel groups…

The experience was indeed different, starting with the very warm reception, to the elaborate beddings and pillowcases all around. Typically, the bellboy brings the guests to the room. At The Scarlet, the receptionist actually brings the guests to the room, then explains all the amenities.

I stayed at a standard room, so unsurprisingly it was small. The TV only has a limited number of channels, but HBO and CNN are included so I was happy. Anyway, in Singapore, there’s not a lot of time to watch TV, just at night before going to sleep. Days are packed with either conferences and meetings, or shopping. The first night was priced at around $220++ USD, and the second night was priced at around $180++ USD. I felt it was overpriced, given everything. But hotel prices really go up during conferences, and Communicasia is one of the popular conferences held in Singapore. So I’m guessing these are not the regular rates.

The bathroom was okay - also small, but big enough to move around in. However there was no bathtub, which a businesswoman or tourist would surely enjoy after a conference or long shopping day. There is a standard safety deposit box which is very easy to figure out. I was pleasantly surprised to find an umbrella in the closet, which the guest can borrow when it rains. It was very useful because it rained on our second day.

Overall, The Scarlet is okay.

The Scarlet - A Boutique Hotel

• Address: 33 Erskine Road, Singapore 069333
• Tel. No.: +65 6511 3333
• Fax: +65 6511 3303
• Email: enquiry@thescarlethotel.com, reservations@thescarlethotel.com

Ratings:

• Service: 4.5/5
• Amenities: 3.5/5
• Value for Money: 3/5

Baguio Accomodations

Posted by Carambs

In June we will be going back to Baguio to attend my boss’ wedding. We didn’t think twice, we will stay in Hotel Veniz. We love this hotel - the room, the location, and the service. I highly recommend it! I hope our stay there will be as great as our stay in the past. The last time we were there was late 2006.

Here’s a list of Baguio accomodations that I’ve gathered the past 3 years.  I was able to stay in Hotel Veniz and El Cielito Inn already, and my stays were okay.  Next time I go, I’ll surely post about it.

1) Hotel Veniz

• Address: 1 Abanao St., Baguio City, 2600, Philippines
• Tel. Nos.: +6374 4460700 to 03
• Telefax: +6374 4460704
• Mobile No.: +63917 5060701
• Email: hotelveniz@skyinet.net
• Website: http://www.hotelveniz.com

2) El Cielito Inn

• Address: 50 North Drive, Baguio City, Philippines
• Tel. Nos.: +637 4434846, +637 4435272
• Fax. No.: +632 2506020
• Email: stay@elcielitoinn.com
• Website: http://www.elcielito-baguio.com

3) Camp John Hay Manor Hotel

• Address: Loakan Road, Baguio City, Philippines
• Tel. Nos: +6374 4460231 to 50 local 1003/1004, +632 8450892, +632 8450911
• Fax No.: +6374 4450420
• Email: reservations@cjhhotels.com
• Website: http://www.cjhhotels.com/

4) Microtel Inns and Suites

• Address: Upper Session Road, Baguio City
• Tel. Nos.: +6374 6193333
• Fax No.: +6374 6193344
• Mobile No.: +63927 5164129
• Email: baguio@microtelphilippines.com
• Website: http://www.microtel-baguio.com/

5) Bloomfield Hotel

• Address: No. 3 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City
• Tel. Nos.: +6374 4469112 to 15
• Mobile No.: +63917 5100044
• Email: info@bloomfieldhotel.com
• Website: http://www.bloomfieldhotel.com

6) Golden Pine Hotel

• Address: Corner Carino and Yandoc Sts., Baguio City
• Tel. Nos.: +6374 4449965 to 72
• Website: http://www.goldenpinehotel.com

7) Ridgewood Residence

• Address: 17 Julian Felipe St., Barangay Lualhati, Baguio City
• Tel. Nos.: +6374 4466295, +632 2996411
• Website: http://www.ridgewoodhotel.com

Hotel Elizabeth

• Address: #1 J. Felipe cor. Gibraltar St., Baguio City
• Tel. No.: +6374 6190367
• Fax No.: +632 4423940
• Email: reservations@hotelelizabeth.com.ph
• Website: http://www.hotelelizabeth.com.ph

9) Atenara House Baguio

• Address: 40 Navy (CM Recto) Road, Barangay Saint Joseph, Baguio City
• Tel. No.: +6374 4469808
• Mobie No.: +63922 8824580
• Email: atenarahouse@gmail.com
• Website: http://www.atenara.com

Casa Rosario, Cebu City

Posted by Carambs

Casa Rosario is a pension house located at Aboitiz Street within Metro Cebu. It was recommended to us by Jovan’s biker friend who lives in Cebu. I actually wanted to try out the new Mango Hotel but because of Sinulog, all the hotels were fully booked by the time we started to plan out our trip.

Casa Rosario turned out to be a really good choice. The location was perfect. It was 2 blocks away from the Redemptorist Church, and 2 blocks away from Maxilom Street, which was part of the parade route. On Sunday, we got up early to hear mass, then we headed straight to Maxilom Street to choose a position for the parade. We didn’t have to go far at all!

The room was very neat. The beddings were very clean. The bathroom, which I’m very particular about, was very clean as well. I was comfortable in using it. The lobby was spacious, and cool, and very welcoming. For the rate, P1,700/night, it wasn’t bad at all. The normal rate was P1,000/night but all rates really go up during Sinulog time.

Vigan Heritage Mansion

Posted by Carambs

During our last roadtrip with Vigan as our destination, I wanted to be sure that our chosen hotel wasn’t “spooky”. You see, I’m a scaredy cat. And most of Vigan’s hotels are actually preserved old houses. I researched online, and came across several hotels. We ended up choosing Vigan Heritage Mansion because of 2 reasons - its location, and its supposedly “modern” feel even if it’s a restored, antique mansion.

Location - Vigan Heritage Mansion is literally 10 steps away from Calle Crisologo, the most popular street in Vigan. It is lined with stores that sell Vigan goods such as woven blankets and bags. It’s a short street, so you can easily walk from the hotel to the end of the street and back. But it’s still advisable to ride the kalesa going back, even just for the experience.

Modern Feel - The Vigan Heritage Mansion is an old, antique house built in 1885 and restored in 2003. The paint is new and colorful, but the doors, chairs and other furniture are antique. It is not “spooky”, as with other old houses. The owners were able to achieve a balance of making the hotel accommodating while retaining the things that showed Vigan’s rich culture and history.

We paid P1,500 per night - I think this was a promo rate. This includes breakfast - longganisa or tocino, scrambled eggs, and rice. Unfortunately, the rates listed in their website shows 2005 rates. To inquire, you may contact them through email (inquiry@viganheritage.com) or by calling them in Vigan (+6377) 722-6495 or their Manila office (+632) 410-7955 and (+632) 371-0831.

Hostal Opera - Our home in Barcelona.

Posted by Carambs

There were so many hostels to choose from in Barcelona, so we looked for one with good reviews on the net. Our choices were narrowed down to 2 - Hostal Benidorm and Hostal Opera. Good thing my friend’s cousin-in-law was based there. He offered to check out both hostels, and in the end, he recommended the Hostal Opera. He told us that the bathroom was nicer.

Hostal Opera is located at Sant Pau, which is one of the side streets of the Ramblas. It’s very near the Liceu Opera, the Boqueria Market, and Plaza Real. There was a Metro stop (Liceu) nearby. It was walking distance to the Barri Gotic district. As one of the companions said, we were in a “happening” place. It was a busy place at night.

Our room had 2 beds and was very clean. The bathroom was also very clean. However, the room was bare. Well, what can you expect - it wasn’t a hotel. The rate was 66 Euros per room per night. That meant each person only had to pay 33 Euros per night. For the location, the cleanliness, and the privacy, it was well worth it.

I can definitely recommend it to friends.

Pictures of the lobby, the room and the bathroom: