One Island, One Resort

Hello everyone from Pangkor Laut Resort.....it is a beautiful Sunday where I am at. Pretty hot with bright sunny sun. I am not going to do any real posting today as I should. Been pretty busy May for me, with me being yet in another hotel one after another.

However, till my next posting, check out this website : http://www.pangkorlautresort.com/  . I will blog about it in my next posting....

xoxo

The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore

This is a super duper hotel, the name itself is very prominent. So do expect a super duper rates as well. Location wise, it is near the Quay area. You may have heard about Boat Quay where you can find nice F&B places, as it is by the river. From the Boat Quay, you can see the Marina Sands Bay hotel, nice view place for a great wine and dine.

I stayed at this hotel to attend a meeting, so thank god, we got a special rate and an upgrade to the Heritage room :)


Anyway, the hotel's location, is not at Orchard Road as the other hotel in Singapore I have posted before, BUT in Singapore as long you are near the MRT, it is so easy to just get to anywhere. In fact, I did take the train which the station (Raffles Place) is just less than 8 minutes walk away...the 8 minutes is because we stopped here and there along the way to go to the station.

This is the hotel from the river. Can you see on the below right, next to the river ? That's the outdoor seating area at the coffee house. So, seat there for breakie, it is just nice....

This is the Twin Sharing Room. Separate beds, but its like the beds joining, huh ?

OK, this is Singapore. When its Twin beds, means its 02 single beds and the beds are really single, single. Not like some places that has Super Single or Queen bed.

Note : even for me, I am only 5'5", but I can feel my feet jotting out from the bed :D

The room is quite long, for this category. This is due to the building structure. Nice sofa just to sit but it doesn't face the TV. So for this room, we had a weird view...which you will see later in the next photo.

Yeap, our view was the Hotel's atrium. Can you just imagine, walking in your towels and stand at the window ?? Then you would see a whole bunch of people looking up ???? hahahahahhaaaa......

Some decorations in the room. Didn't try to see if we can open up the cabinet. NOT to take the things away, but just see how "beautiful" these artifacts are.

Nice working table. Oh yeah, the room comes with free cable Internet access.

 

Big bathroom, with separate shower stall & a closed WC. So nice for privacy .

The hotel has nice a nice infinity pool so definitely, it is catered to all. But when you see mostly corporate business traveller here, families with small children may feel a bit awkward if your kids start to jump or scream around. 

So we will come to my 02 cents worth of conclusion for this hotel :

1. a VERY corporate business traveller / convention hotel ( they have separate entrance for those coming with big coaches )
2. Nice place for an Afternoon English Tea. Have that grandeur feeling, if you get what I mean
3. Not so family oriented. I mean, the hotel itself looks "old" and proper, so when you have kids running or shouting around, it is more embarrassing for the parents.

So then again, these are my opinions. Some of you may have stayed there and experienced otherwise. As I have said, and will again say, you may like it or you may just don't...... :)

xoxo

York Hotel, Singapore

The Great Singapore Sale is coming back !!! it is just this weekend. But then.....I just went to Singapore last weekend and the sale has started for some shops.

Anyway, as a tribute to the upcoming Great Singapore Sale, I shall post on some hotels that may interest you , depending on your budget and needs. The first hotel is York Hotel, Singapore. Well, this may be slightly outdated, since we stayed here mid last year.

OK, first thing is the location. It is superb location, just off the Orchard Road, provided you are OK to walk up the slight uphill road to get back to the hotel. If you know where Paragon is, the hotel is right behind, about 6 minutes walk. Yes, pass thru the Mount Elizabeth hotel. So location is fantastic. I love the fact that I don't have to get onto a cab or a train to go shopping !!!

So, OK, now, they have 02 blocks of rooms. The old and new ones. The one we stayed at the hotel was the old one, which only houses the suites. 4 units of Suites on one floor, situated in the main block. Why we took the suite was because of the space...it is REALLY HUGE !!!

As you come in ....you would see this.

The view of the room from the bathroom door. You can see the door of the left, which is actually the connecting door to the next room. That room comes with a King Size Bed.

I like the seating area...at least , a place to hang around after a day of shopping :) 

Another view of the room. Oh yeah, if you ever wonder why we always take Twin Sharing beds, it is because, some hotels, the Twin Sharing beds are Super Single or Queen in size. So for a family of 2 adults and 2 children, you don't have to get an extra bed . But in this case, the Single beds were single beds, so what we did was to combine the bed and make it into a slightly bigger King size bed.....errr...you get me ?

Huge space for the children to play around.

The walk in wardrobe.

Remember the seating area just now ? the sofa is actually a Sofa Bed !!! So it is definitely value for money.... so why not right to stay here ?

Well anyway, this is one of the hotels you may choose for Singapore. When we stayed there, it was like SGD350++, which was really affordable especially with the location. I heard, they have done a recent refurbishment, so rooms maybe new ?

So my conclusion for this hotel would be :

1. The location is perfect for the shopaholics
2. This room we stayed was exceptionally huge
3. Also has many meeting rooms to accommodate the corporate conventions
4. Some of the areas in the hotel has been renovated.
5. Have 3 pools i.e. Children, Adult and also a small jacuzzi which is just cute 

Well, I really like this hotel, for its location and for the size of the room and the rate as well. But then again, you may have to go and try it yourself, as you may like it, or you may just don't :)

xoxo

Thumbelina

*sigh* I seriously wished I had the time to blog during my last travelling....even at the airport. BUT ....nope, I just had to do some PR work and be more nice and not on my lappy and start blogging.

Anyway, just to give some head ups, I should be blogging soon about Parkroyal Penang , Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Grand Borneo Kuching, Genting Theme Park Hotel, Park Royal Singapore and etc etc....

A lot more ! So do keep tune.

xoxo

Please wait......

Honestly, I don’t know why I started this blog. Well, maybe I did say in the first posting. What I am trying to say is that, I just wish I have the time to post all the hotels I have stayed, so that I can share them all. I don't want people to browse my blog and said...hellooo.....only x number of hotels ??? and you call this a blog ???? muuahahahhahahahhahahahah

I do have lots of hotels experience to be loaded. So far in May, I have stayed 03 hotels, with at least 01 more hotel confirmed end of the month. That’s May alone !

Anyway, please bear with me, I have put it in mind, that I will post few, in between my travelling, or in this case, since I would be at the airport again t’row, so I shall do some postings while waiting for the flight.

Please wait………

 

xoxo

Hilton Kuching

One of the 5 stars hotels that they have in Kuching is The Hilton. 

If you are a brand cautious person, you may like The Hilton, 

BUT.... it may not be up to your expectation of a Hilton. 

You walk into a Hilton in US, the lobby or the feeling could be different. Even to walk into the one in Singapore is different. So please , do not think because it is a 5 star branding, that all Hiltons are the same. 

a view of The Hilton Kuching from another hotel in the city.

during this trip, I stayed in a Suite on the Executive Floor, however I looked at my friend's Guestroom, the room is OK, I mean acceptable with an acceptable size and facilities. 

However, just have a look at the room I stayed :

The view of the living room as you come into the room.  The room is big, its quite minimal in terms of furnishing but I kind of like it :) 

The bedroom. I love that big pillows you can see there. 

They have the big square pillows and the bed is nice and firm. 

For the Suite, the room has both, bath-tub and the standing shower. 

 The view of the living hall from the bedroom.

Since Hilton's location is quite great too, walking distance to everywhere, I have put up here some of the photos of the surrounding areas.

From my window, I could see the river, where the waterfront is. You may have seen this river, if you see the other posting of Grand Margherita Kuching. That hotel, is just by the river, but Hilton, just cross the main road.

 Just by the waterfront, it would be the main bazaar, where you can get souvenirs and some nick knacks of Sarawak.

The other side of the building, you can see another view of the city...and you can see the other hotel I have posted which is Pullman Kuching.

A huge complex of facilities, with 2 pools and a court. 

some of the activities at the river.....kind of cool

(but at times, the river could be smelly)

I took this picture from across the river, where in previous post, I mentioned that there are some local stalls and etc. But from here, you can also see The Hilton hotel. 

So, that's the Hilton in Kuching. They also have another Hilton property in Sarawak, but its a bit to far for me to go.

My thoughts on this hotel are :

1. The front office staffs, from the door men, the receptionist , they were very nice ! Very polite and attentive, and that made you actually feel important. So good job in that sense.
2. Great for families too. The facilities are great, esp with 2 pools, what a way to unwind your day after a hot day of touring Kuching and the surroundings
3. Location wise, is great too. Short walk cross the street to the riverside, opposite there are 2 malls, bazaar just walking distance, easy access for food too 
4. Great for corporate travellers too. I mean, we need to unwind after our meetings right ?

But don't have the high expectations of the Hilton, per se Hilton. But it is nice, to be able to say, when people ask you, where are you staying ? and your answer...

"The Hilton"

xoxo

360 Urban Resort Hotel Kuching

The name is spetacular isn't it ? Which is which ? with 360 panoramic view or the urban location ? Anyway, yours truly went to check out this place.  You can see from the outside...the building looks huge !!! but...its only like 1 part of the building, the other tower.

The below part is supposedly a shopping mall, but then since the place is fairly new, the shops were like.........BUT, if you don' mind taking a taxi , there is the biggest shopping mall in Kuching called, The Spring .....anchor tenant is Parkson. Somehow, in Kuching, they have few Parksons.....

Anyway, back to the hotel, I saw the 02 bedroom apartments. Price wise, it is very reasonable...( I have learned not to say cheap :D ) . Space wise as well, it is very spacious. Apparently this place was supposed to be apartments for sale, however, the developer decided to convert into hotel apartments instead.....oh well, why not make more money, isn't it ? :)

Let's have a look at the room :

as you enter, you would see the living hall.

on the right hand side is the walk way to the bedrooms

 another view of the living hall, you can see kitchen on the right

 The kitchen is spacious too and best part, you can actual do the real cooking .Pots and pans, spoons, forks etc are all provided.

 Master Bedroom comes with a Queen Size bed.

 2nd bedroom comes with 2 Super Single beds....

which I like !! because, you can also put 2 kids sleeping on 1 bed

 Spacious room, however, no in room TV. 

TV is only at the living hall.

 Swimming pool facility.

In all, don't expect much from this hotel....the lobby is fairly small, bear in mind that this place was supposed to be a residential apartment. However, if you are travelling with families and need space or staying for a while, to explore Kuching and Sarawak, it would be good if you stay in a service apartment hotels like this. Taxis are available most of the time, just that you have to negotiate on the price. They DON'T use the meter.

In my 2 cents worth of thought , I feel that :

1. Its a good family accommodation 
2. Not for corporate or business traveller ( its not really in the town centre )
3. Value for money 

So there....as I always like to state, all these are just my thoughts, you may like the place, you may not like the place :)

xoxo

Grand Margherita Hotel Kuching

Still in the Cat City....I went to stay at another hotel.....

This hotel was previously the Holiday Inn by the river, so I saw very much of Holiday Inn influence here. You can see it also from the pictures :

The green colour of Holiday Inn.

Longish room, but no extra bed allowed for this room due to limited space.

Pillow menu

The bed is typical Holiday Inn, with Super Single Bed for twin sharing. So if you have kids, it is easy to share even though you can't add in the extra bed.

I love the work desk....especially that Internet connection is FREE !!

The view of the riverside from the room.

Hotel is right smack in the city...it is just by the riverside, so you can just walk around the Kuching Waterfront, to either try the local food, or take the short boat trip across to the other side of the river. The other side of the river is the local village where you could get local foods from the food court there. Here also, you can purchase the Salted Fish , a very famous Sarawak delicacy, which is actually, nice. I have tried it twice and kind of like it... not too salty, which is just OK, if you are not familiar with salty food.

Then, if you walk along the waterfront, you will see the Bazaars along the road where you can get souvenir items. Shops mostly would close at 7pm or latest 8pm. So perhaps, you could do bits and pieces of shopping here, then walk over to the eateries for dinner.

Across is also a shopping mall. Nothing big and fancy, but at least, you can do a bit of therapy.... he..he..he... but then, the Bazaar alone is very fascinating that I, myself, spent like hundreds over there.

So basically the hotel, from my perspective , I would summarise as :

1. Great for both , leisure and also the corporate travellers
2. Location is also superb
3. Room rates could be quite good depending on the seasonality 
4. They also have bigger room but it is on the other block, which is quite old
5. With the modern looking from Holiday Inn time, it did a lot to support the hotel's outlook 
6. Kids would be fine here....there is after all a pool, a McD opposite the hotel and KFC at the side of the hotel. 
7. Another thing, i should add....the Pizza here is NICE. Check out the menu.

but again and again, this is just me....who knows ? you may just like it or don't  :)



xoxo

Pullman Kuching

Hello hello..... again, it has been a very long time since I blog...gosh, I actually have to learn how to phone blog, at least, I can load things much faster.....

Anyway, I am starting the blog this month for the hotels outside Kuala Lumpur....and the first one is in Kuching, Sarawak.

A new hotel hotel in Kuching, Pullman is actually under the Accor group, if you are familiar with the hotel thingy.  The other brandings are like Sofitel, Mercure, Ibis and etc, so being a normal human being, I am sure you expect the Accor services as well.

I stayed at the Deluxe room, which as you can see below, is very spacious. I like the room, I like the layout perhaps as normal hotel rooms, mostly are longish, where you go in the straight ahead, pass by the bathroom, pass by the wardrobe and so forth. Unlike this room where is, you enter, you can either go left, right and etc...

So as you come in, you will see this on your right :

I like the sofa part, where after the end of the day, you can just rest without interfering the bed,

some walking space around the room between the sitting area and the tv part.

and the bed....just *sigh*.....do you know about Westin's heavenly bed ?? 

YES, this is the same bed...but at Pullman.

 Flat Screen TV and that's the table where I did some work....1st hour Internet is complimentary then its chargeable...which is alright I guess

From the window , I can see a bit of the waterfront and can also see Hilton....
From the picture, it looks quite far right ? but.....it is so near to walk to the waterfront, like less than 8 minutes and to walk down is much easier as it is walking down the hill.

 First hotel that I have been to which offered a Yoga Mat and dumbbells . Cool right ? This is where the wardrobe is located

and the bathroom fixtures.....standing shower stall and also bath tub with a view of the Kuching city....

Below this hotel, there is actually a shopping mall, its called Hills Shopping Mall. Not many shops are opened yet, but they have some restaurants, so if you don't want to eat in the hotel, options are there. 

Also, the hotel is very near to a popular Seafood Centre which is called as Top Spot Seafood Centre.

It is actually on top of a car park, just 5 minutes away from the hotel.

Cheap seafood, a lot of varieties, also you can try some local food there. 

But talking about food, I had the best ever Macarons....

and it was from Pullman Kuching 

Look at these gorgeous pictures :

Yummy macarons......

I had to return to this hotel just to get the Macarons..... especially the Strawberry flavour.










I know, I didn't take the public area pictures, but yes, they have the pool, they have the kids playground which is covered, they also have nice restaurants.....

My 2 cents worth of thought for this hotel would be :

1. Perfect for both Leisure and Corporate Business ( they have ample conference rooms ) 
2. Location is great as well, not at busy street so noise level is minimal
3. Rooms are great, can add in extra bed
4. Families would enjoy the hotel too.....
5. The Staffs were very nice , the bellboy , restaurants

Oh well, again, this is just my 02 cents worth of thought.... you may have different opinion :)

xoxo