Category Archives: Hotels and Accommodation

B&B Hotel Paris Porte de la Villette

May 13, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

After a three-day stay in Amsterdam we are back on a plane and travelling to Paris. Ah, Paris, the city of love! We arrive a week before the 2017 Presidential election and tensions are meant to be high. Although we haven’t noticed it as tourists. We even walked into the middle of a peaceful protest one evening, with French Police calmly directing us away from the area. Our accommodation for our time in Paris is the 2-star, B&B Hotel Paris Porte de la Villette.

Located in the 19th arrondissement the B&B Hotel Paris Port de la Villette is a short walk from the Porte de la Villette Metro Station. Now, although we were safe walking the streets, the 19th arrondissement can be a bit intimidating to first time travellers as it is more a poorer working class area. It is a mixture of cultures with small market stalls on some streets.

B&B Hotel Porte de la Villette — The Metro in Paris is a very good public transport system

As we enter the hotel we notice the security guard overseeing the foyer area to ensure guests aren’t harassed. This is also done to stop unwanted visitors into the hotel. The foyer area has some tourist information, four vending machines, a microwave oven, some tables and a computer with internet access.

A lady receives us at the reception desk and we check into a four person room. As none of us are smokers we ask to ensure we are in a non smoking room. The B&B Hotel Paris Porte de la Villette allows smoking in their rooms, so you must stipulate if you need a non smoking room.

We are given the security code for the door and make our way up to our floor. The elevators are small so we made a couple of trips due to my large backpack. The floors are an olive-green colour so they are a little dark.

The four person room is quite small. It has a double bed and a bunk to accommodate us. All the beds were comfortable, so no complaints. Being a small room, bag storage is limited, so you will be climbing over your bags daily. The room has a small desk near the door and a television on the wall.

Each room has a separate bathroom which again is small. There is no ventilation and no hairdryer available, but the shower is quite good. No issues with hot water here. Rooms are serviced daily, with towels and bedding changed over.

Possibly the biggest improvement would be to make the hotel a non smoking hotel. Because even though we stipulated for a non smoking room it was evident that other rooms on our floor had smokers. Our room even had an ashtray, so I’d say smoking and non smoking rooms depends only on if you actually smoke. It does become a little overpowering for non smokers. We placed a towel on the floor across the door which helped a little.

The hotel offers a buffet breakfast for its guests at an extra cost in their dining area in the basement. Its buffet spread is very limited and you may have to wait until their small supply of bacon and eggs is ready. My recommendation would be to try it one day, and if you are happy with the range and quality then eat there. Otherwise go somewhere else.

Overall the B&B Hotel Paris Porte de la Villette, is what it is. This 2-star hotel, is clean and comfortable. It is in a rougher part of Paris and they do allow their guests to smoke in their rooms. I wouldn’t think it is appropriate for young families for this reason. It has potential to be a lot better than it is. The breakfast range and quality could be a bit better. The bacon was under cooked and rubbery, but this is all easily fixed. The staff are friendly and the security guard is a large imposing figure, so we felt safe.

If you are a seasoned traveller and are on a budget than this may be the place for you as the rates are reasonable. The hotel is close to public transport which is easy to use. There aren’t too many restaurants around the hotel area, so you may need to travel into the more frequented areas to find one.

Personally, I wouldn’t stay here again, only because of the smoking issue. If they are going to continue to allow smoking in their hotel than they need to work out a better way to accommodate this. By allowing their guests to smoke in their rooms increases the risk of a potential fire occurring within the building. My advice would be to stop smoking in the hotel, as you will then increase your customer market. If they don’t want to cease smoking in the hotel then a designated smoking area away from the rooms would be beneficial.

Additional Information for the B&B Hotel Paris Porte de la Villette

4 Rue Emile Reynaud, 75019 Paris, France
Ph: +33 892 70 75 50
Website: www.hotel-bb.com

To get there catch the Metro to Porte de la Villette station.

Book your stay at the B&B Hotel Paris Porte de la Villette now with Booking.com

Prices of accommodation:

Ranging from €50 – €89 per night

Breakfast is served daily for €6.50

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Europe, Hotels and Accommodation

King’s Day and the Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South

May 6, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

After our time spent in Norway we are on a plane heading for a whirl wind tour of Amsterdam. We are only here for a few days to celebrate King’s Day and to meet up with two other travel bloggers. For our accommodation stay we are at the Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South Hotel. From the airport, we catch a train to Amsterdam Zuid, then take the Metro to Kronenburg. It’s then a short walk to the hotel which you can see from the Kronenburg Metro Station.

The Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South hotel is rated as a 2.5-star hotel, but is a new, modern and at a reasonable price. The newness of the hotel is evident as soon as you walk into the foyer. On entry, you have an internet station and storage lockers to the right and a refreshment area to the left. We are warmly greeted at the reception desk and promptly checked in.

We are given a family room for four and take the elevator to our room. The room is approximately 15 square metres and contains three single beds and a single cupboard bed. Our two large windows present a pleasant view of the surrounding area, which is mainly residential. A television with a range of local and international channels is also located on the wall.

Each room has a small clean bathroom, with sufficient space to store your toiletries. The hotel supplies linen and towels for their guests use and rooms are serviced daily. Additionally, a hairdryer is available from the reception desk for a €20 deposit.

The hotel is a 100% non-smoking hotel and has available parking facilities for its guests. It also boasts a games room with table tennis tables and various electronic games. It’s a great safe place for the children to hang out when you have finished exploring for the day.

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the whole hotel and they offer their guests an all you get eat breakfast buffet for €7.50 per person. This fee is payable at the front desk, when required. Unfortunately, the breakfast range is a little limited for choice, but we were able to find something suitable.

Overall the Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South Hotel is a cool modern hotel. It’s clean and has enough activities available to entertain the average family. Rooms accommodate 1-4 persons so if you have a larger family two rooms may be needed. We found it handy for public transport and was easily able to purchase tickets from the automated machines at the stations. The hotel does have some tickets available at the front desk so be sure to ask them if they can help. They have an arrangement with a local Pizza shop for room deliveries for those days you just want to stay in. Just make sure you notify them if you are going to be paying by credit card when ordering. Pizzas can be ordered using the hotel receptions phone if required.

We enjoyed our time at the Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South Hotel. So, book your stay today and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for the Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South Hotel

Prof J H Bavincklaan 1, 1183 AT Amstelveen, Netherlands
Ph: (+31) 207154333
Website: www.accorhotels.com

To get there catch the Metro or Tram to the Kronenburg station.

Book your stay at the Ibis Budget Amsterdam City South Hotel now with Booking.com

Prices of accommodation:

Ranging from €67 – €149 per night

Breakfast is served from 7:30 – 10:30 am

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Europe, Hotels and Accommodation

Away at the Anker Hotel – Oslo, Norway

April 26, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Once again, the love of books has prompted us to tack on a stay in Oslo to meet up with our international book club. Every year a city around the world hosts the annual Bookcrossing convention and this year happens to be our friends in Norway. I know it may sound unusual to some of you, to fly halfway around the world to talk and exchange books. However, it’s become more than that. The lifelong friendships you make, the catch up conversations, and the shared meals together are at the heart of these overseas journeys. Yet we do it in the name of books.

This year’s convention was being held at the Markus Menighetshus building in the St Hanshaugen district. Therefore, our accommodation needed to be in walking distance of the venue. After some close examination of the area we opted to stay at the Anker Hotel in nearby Storgata street. The Anker Hotel is a part of the Foundation Anker that supports students in Norway and all profits go back to those students.

Located right alongside the Akerselva River the 3-star Anker Hotel has no fancy facade to make it stand out. It’s just a plain-looking building with a quick automatic turnstile entry. It’s funny how people try to time their entry into these turnstiles. Too fast and you hit the revolving door, yet go too slow and it hits you.

The Anker Hotel Oslo — The front foyer lounge area in the Anker Hotel. A coffee machine and hotel computers are located in this area.

Upon entry, the reception desk which is manned 24 hours is to the right. Check-in time is from 3 pm and all passports are required to be shown so the hotel can register the names of the guests staying in the room. The reception also has safety deposit boxes available for your valuables and some tour guide information about Oslo. Check out the Visit Oslo website because they run, tourist in your own city (Turist I EGEN BY) on selected Sunday’s. These passes give the holder free access to the major tourist attractions in Oslo.

We are greeted by the friendly hotel staff and quickly checked in for the night. We are given a family room overlooking the Akerselva river on the 7th floor and head on up. The floor corridors aren’t richly decorated so there are pretty plain-looking which reflects the same styling within the room.

The room is quite large and has four comfortable single beds lined up along the wall in that dorm room style. There are a couple of chairs and a side table next to the window and a desk and chair closer to the door. A small flat screen television is mounted above the desk which plays local Norwegian channels. However, we could find some English-speaking shows when we had it on. Each bed has its own bedside lamp if you’d like to read at night. The entry foyer has an inbuilt cupboard to hang jackets on, and the door to the right is a bathroom.

The Anker Hotel Olso — The Anker Hotel’s family room can accommodate a family of five.

Now, the bathroom is quite small, and contains a toilet, wash basin with a small amount of space for your toiletry bags, and a shower cubicle. It is fully tiled from floor to ceiling and is your basic white colour. Although small I must say the shower is fantastic. Instant hot water, wonderful water pressure and the temperature control is excellent. There’s nothing worse than having to adjust a shower because it switches from going hot to cold. Furthermore, as an added bonus the tiled floor is perfectly heated. So, no freezing tiles and cold feet. Another pleasing aspect is that they have a hairdryer mounted to the wall and a good supply of toilet paper if you’re staying for a while.

Unfortunately, the room does not have coffee and tea making facilities in them. But they are available to be borrowed from the front desk if required. Wi-Fi is available in every room on a public network, so no password is required. Internet is a bit static and drops in and out often.

The Anker Hotel stay comes with a complimentary breakfast in their large dining area. The buffet style service has a broad range of quality food available and as it is all you can eat, you shouldn’t leave hungry.

Other facilities available at the Anker Hotel are a fully licensed bar, luggage storage, laundry service and four different meeting rooms. Wake up calls are also available as your room does not have a clock in it.

In conclusion, the Anker Hotel is a clean, no frills hotel. The rooms are warm and comfortable and in my opinion the shower was perfect. At a reasonable price with breakfast included, the Anker Hotel is a good option for active families on a budget who would use the hotel as a base for their daily activities. So, book now and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for Anker Hotel

Storgata 55, 0182 Oslo, Norway
Ph: (+47) 2299 7510
Website: www.anker-hotel.no

To get there from the OSLO Central station catch the 11 or 17 tram to Hausmanns Gate stop, then walk 200m towards Akerselva river.

Book your stay at the Anker Hotel now with Booking.com

Types of accommodation:

Single room: 1 persons AUD $170 -$232

Twin room: 1 -2 persons AUD $216 -$278

Double room: 1 – 2 persons AUD $216 – $278

Triple room: 1 -3 persons AUD $262 – $309

Family room: 1 – 5 persons AUD $309 – $386

Breakfast is served from 6 – 10 am Mon-Fri & 7 – 11 am Sat – Sun

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Asia, Hotels and Accommodation

Marina Bay Sands – A touch of luxury

April 22, 2017 OurWorldinReview 2 Comments

Singapore has always been one of our favourite layover destinations. We have been coming here on and off for the last ten years and each time we come we say, “one day we’ll stay at the Marina Bay Sands”. From the exterior, this memorable hotel looks like a boat sitting on three towers. The three towers contain the available rooms and the boat structure features the hotels romantic infinity pool with a few restaurants and bars.

As we have just commenced our extended twelve-month travel expedition, we decided to grasp the opportunity and indulge ourselves in a stay at the Marina Bay Sands. On arrival into Singapore, we didn’t head straight to the hotel because we had already organised a stay at the Betel Box Backpackers and Hostel. After our night and an 11 am checkout from Betel Box we headed back to the Paya Lebar MRT station and catch the circle line train to the Bayfront MRT station.

On our arrival to Bayfront we alight inside The Shoppes. This luxury shopping complex it situated alongside the Marina Bay Sands, and has a skating rink, gondola ride, theatre and casino. Gamble responsibly.

It’s then a short stroll through the mall before you turn into the hotel complex. Just up the escalator and to the left is the hotel porter collecting your bags to take up to your room once you have checked in. Normal check-in is at 3 pm but we headed to the check-in desk at tower 1 and was immediately greeted by Marina Bay Sands staff member Kateline. We were presented with some satisfying complimentary refreshments whilst the check-in process occurred. Kateline was extremely helpful and had us checked in straight away so we didn’t have to spend a couple of hours shopping. She was also able to organise a late checkout for us on our last day at the hotel.

Our King Deluxe room was in tower 3 on the 47th floor. Each guest is given a room key to provide access to the elevators, rooms, and swimming pool area. So don’t make the mistake of accidentally leaving one of your keys behind. Because there are no exceptions. Children must be accompanied by an adult in the pool area.

Upon entry into our room and insertion of our room key, the blinds automatically open to provide one of the most spectacular views I’ve had the privilege of seeing. Our room overlooks Gardens by the bay horticultural area, this engineered masterpiece is an incredible must see attraction.

The room is very nice. There is of course a King-sized bed, a day sofa, desk, chest of drawers and large flat screen television containing 50+ channels. Wi-Fi is available to guests which needs to be reactivated every 24 hours, which can get painful. Fortunately, the Wi-Fi is available throughout the whole complex including the shopping mall. The room is very clean and as mentioned the view is extraordinary. Each room has an automated climate controlled air conditioner which can be adjusted to your desired temperature from the wall control. As an Eco-saver when the balcony doors are opened the air conditioner will automatically turn off, then return once doors are closed again. Additionally, each room also has a pressure sensor mini bar fridge which will automatically charges your room when an item is removed.

The bathroom is pristine. With a large shower cubicle at one end of the room, a central basin with plenty of bench space and a toilet at the other end. There is no lock on the siding door, so hopefully if you are staying with another person, they know you well. Otherwise it could get a little awkward.

We tried to fit as much as we could in our brief stay at the hotel. Taking the elevator to the 57th floor to visit the world-famous infinity pool, the sky-deck and bar and restaurant. The pool stretches for a generous section of the roof area, consisting of three pools. Each pool has an incredible view of the Singaporean skyline. We swam and lounged around the pool for a few hours, making sure we ticked it off our bucket list.

The sky-deck also produced some magnificent views of Singapore. Such views included the city skyline, the Singapore Flyer and the Gardens by the Bay.

Food options at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel are exceptional. From multiple celebrity chef restaurants like Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen to your shopping centre food court. So no pressure, the choice is yours, depending on your budget.

For the fitness conscious, the Banyan Tree Fitness Club is located on the 55th floor of tower two. They have a good variety of equipment to be used. So, if you want to burn off a few calories then head on up. If training isn’t your scene but you would like a spa treatment then the Banyan Tree Spa could be the place for you!

Overall the Marina Bay Sands is one of those hotels where you must stay, just to say you’ve stayed there. It is expensive, so depending on your travel budget it may not be an excellent choice. The facilities are world class and the infinity pool and spectacular views alone make it worth it. If you are into luxury and glamour then this is the hotel for you. If you are like us and want to tick it off your bucket list then book you stay today. Also, tell them Simon form Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for Marina Bay Sands Hotel

10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Ph: (65) 6688 8868
Website: www.marinabaysands.com

Book your stay at Marina Bay Sands Hotel now with Booking.com

Accommodation ranges from AUD $559.00 – AUD $6153.00 per night.

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Asia, Hotels and Accommodation

Betel Box – Backpacking Accommodation in Singapore

April 19, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Backpacking can be a relatively cheap way to travel the world. Over the years we have been able to travel though Malaysia, Vietnam, some parts of Europe and New Zealand with our children and our trusty backpacks. The main idea of doing this type of travelling was so that as a family of four, we could keep our expenses down and in doing so teaching our girls how to travel. Hopefully, these experiences would then help them in the future if they decided to venture out by themselves or with friends.

Singapore has been our stopover or transit city for a while now, and although we dearly love the country it will once again be a three-day stopover on our first leg to Europe. During our first stay in Singapore we found a cheap, friendly and clean backpacker in the Joo Chiat district called Betel Box Backpackers Hostel. We selected this hostel because it had some great reviews and had a family room which we could stay in.

View of street outside Betel Box — Looking down Joo Chiat Road towards the MRT station

It’s pretty easy to find so, hop onto Singapore’s easy and efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). If you’re travelling from the airport you will need to change trains at Tanah Merah by crossing the platform to the green line train. Take the green line train to Paya Lebar, then type the address into google maps and you will see it’s about a 10-minute walk. Take that quick walk down Joo Chiat road and look for the green door that leads into the Betel Box backpackers hostel.

Betel Box Singapore — The green door of the Betel Box Backpackers Hostel

Make your way up the stairs to the first level which encompasses the reception area, kitchen and recreation room. There is always a friendly face in this room. You never know who you may meet, and which country they are from. The communal kitchen is fitted with all the essentials; toasters, kettles, cutlery and coffee supplies. Help yourself once you’ve settled in and introduce yourself to some of the residents.

Betel Box Hostel — The front reception counter of Betel Box

The Betel Box Backpackers Hostel offers a range of different 1 star accommodations for its visitors. They have four shared room options from a 6, 8 or 20-person mixed gender rooms to an 8 female only shared room. We usually stay in their family room which can accommodate a family of four. To be honest the rooms aren’t fabulous, but they are comfortable and clean. No bed bugs here!

The bathrooms and toilets are all communally shared, so you may have to time your bathroom and shower usage around other residents. The bathrooms are fairly clean and are located on each floor. They are tiled with small signs of wear and tear, but they aren’t disgusting. There’s no clutter or rubbish, but if you were looking for a 5-star bathroom, you probably wouldn’t have chosen a backpacker anyway. Don’t worry there is a decent lock on the door to ensure privacy.

From our experience, we’ve found out that the Betel Box Backpackers Hostel looks after their visitors. A laundry service is available at a reasonable price and they also provide incredible food tours that given you an excellent feed and plenty of information about Singaporean life.

Real Singapore tours at Betel Box — The tours and equipment available to try. I recommend the food walks.

In conclusion, the 1-star Betel Box Backpackers is a friendly, clean and safe place to stay. For families trying to extend their holidays, i would happily recommend their family room. The air conditioner alone is a lifesaver on those muggy nights. It’s not noisy and children are welcomed and looked after. Definitely do a food walk, they are fantastic. They do last 4-5 hours, and our children found it tiring but worthwhile when we done it. Enjoy your stay at the Betel Box Backpackers Hostel and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information for Betel Box Backpackers Hostel

200 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427471
Ph: (65) 6274 7340
Website: www.betelbox.com

Book your stay at Betel Box Backpackers now with Booking.com

Accommodation ranges from SGD$20.00 – $80.00 and includes:

Continental Breakfast selection of fruits, toasts, jams / spreads and tea / coffee
Professionally sanitized thick and firm mattresses
Hot and Cold Showers
Use of bed linen and blanket

Use of a security locker and lock
Free usage of our Internet Terminals
Free 24 Hours WiFi with our 100mbps cable internet connection
Discounted scheduled tours and attraction tickets
Free use of Fitness Centre Facilities
50% discount for children age 12 & below

*Post contains affiliated links

Australia, Hotels and Accommodation, Places to Go, Tours & Attractions

Travelling to Wilpena Pound Resort

March 3, 2017 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

As we get closer to our international departure date, we are trying to fit as much in as we can in our remaining weeks in Australia. Therefore on this trip, we excitedly hop into the car and drive towards the Flinders Ranges. The Flinders Ranges holds a special place in our hearts as Josie’s parents owns a farm in the township of Wilmington. So with this in mind we decide to head to Wilpena Pound for a night book-ended by a couple of nights on the farm.

Snowtown's town sign — Every town has their own town sign to show who they are. This was Snowtown’s town sign.

Once again, time is on our side and we take advantage of it to get to our destination. We stop at various small towns along the way to stretch our legs, have a coffee, a toilet break or just to take a look around. We stop at the country towns of Port Wakefield, the unfortunately infamous Snowtown, Crystal Brook, Laura, Melrose and finally to Wilmington.

Flinders Ranges — Crystal Brooks feature rotunda in a well maintained park.

A catch up with family, a walk around the farm and some time with the dogs all goes past relatively quickly. Then it’s a few drinks, a BBQ, some light conversation and finally a comfortable bed. I know Josie’s got me back in a tent when we reach Wilpena Pound.

A working dogs life — Farm dogs Bob and Tim relaxing after a hard day’s work.

Early next morning we head off towards Wilpena Pound and after a night of discussing our travel plans we heed Josie’s father’s advice and head towards Parachilna Gorge, Blinman and then back around to Wilpena Pound.

The first thing you notice when heading north towards the townships of Quorn and Hawker is that there is not much traffic. We drove along the straight highway without really seeing anyone except….cyclists. It was unusual seeing a group of around 20 cyclists riding along a highway in the middle of nowhere, but cyclists seem to be everywhere. Since we were the only car for miles we stopped to take some photos of the landscape and surroundings.

Sheep Jump to nowhere — Our young MacKenzie performing a sheep jump.

Handstand on the road — Those ten years of gymnastics has paid off!

It wasn’t too long before we started ticking off the kilometres. We travelled through Quorn, Hawker, and a closed Parachilna. The whole town was shut for the summer… too hot. Then we went through Parachilna gorge where we met some of the local wildlife. Once out of the gorge we immediately came across the small yet beautifully maintained township of Blinman.

Wilpena pound — A friendly kangaroo on the side of the road in Parachilna gorge

Emus crossing the dry river bed at Parachilna Gorge

Blinman has the honour of being near the end of a few walking trails. The Heysen Trail is a massive 1200km trek which ends at Parachilna Gorge and the 900km Mawson trail ends at the Blinman Township. We stopped here to have lunch, a coffee and to stretch our legs. I meet a lovely lady in the town’s cafe who told me the population of this incredible town was only 12 people. There was 14 but the owners of the towns pub shut the doors and left. I have noticed the trend of country pubs shutting down. I recommend visiting them if you are staying overnight in a township and showing your support for country pubs.

Blinman South Australia — Blinman also offers tours of their old mines.

After lunch we travel the remaining distance to Wilpena Pound. Surprisingly we once again come across the cyclists at the turn-off, this time with their support vehicles. As a bit of history, Wilpena Pound is a naturally formed amphitheatre approximately 430km’s from Adelaide’s city centre in Adnyamathanha Country. Wilpena Pound is a part of the Ikara-Flinders National Park and visitors can stay within the Wilpena Pound Resort as a base for their National Park Adventures. With various walking tracks and the Aboriginal culture on show, the Wilpena Pound Resort is a good place to learn and be at one with nature.

Wilpena Pound resort has a variety of accommodation options available for visitors. We stayed within the caravan park this time with non-powered and powered sites starting from AUD$25 and AUD$10 for additional people. The public facilities are quite clean and the water pressure is excellent. If you prefer not to camp then the resort has comfortable rooms starting from AUD$193 per night. Also, if you are looking for a little luxury, their Glamping (or glamorous camping) safari huts are available from AUD$320 per night. And to make your stay memorable the resort offers other activities for its visitors which can be booked through the visitors centre or online. Scenic Flights, 4WD tours, bush walks, mountain biking and Aboriginal Cultural Tours are some of the activities available to visitors.

Entrance to the Wilpena Pound Resort Visitors Centre

All camping and overnight visitors have access to the resorts pool, bar and restaurant. If you forgot something, supplies can be purchased from the resort store. In addition, if your vehicle is low on fuel, don’t worry because the resort also has on-site petrol bowsers.

Wilpena Pound Resort is a perfect base for any stay in the Ikara-Flinders National Park. If you are going to be doing some of the longer hiking trails like the St Mary’s Peak hike. Make sure you are wearing proper enclosed shoes; take plenty of water and food. Log your time of departure in the book provided or at the visitor centre. You know, just in case! Safety First! So enjoy yourself, breathe in the fresh air and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional Information Wilpena Pound Resort

Resort Reservations: 1800 805 802
Email: reservations@wilpenapound.com.au
Resort Reception: 08 8648 0004
Campground Bookings: 08 8648 0048
Website: www.wilpenapound.com.au

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Australia, Hotels and Accommodation

Heading out for a night at the Hilton Adelaide Hotel

January 2, 2017 OurWorldinReview 2 Comments

I know I might be biased but the city of Adelaide and the surrounding wine areas are a fantastic place to visit and live. This has been endorsed by travel reporting mega giants the Lonely Planet with Adelaide and South Australia being ranked number 5 in the best regions to visit in the world (woo hoo, home town pride). This fabulous endorsement means additional visitors to Adelaide and with many good hotels in Adelaide, where should you stay? Our team headed into town to see what the Hilton Adelaide Hotel has to offer.

When you know where you’re going and are considering booking a hotel, what are the things you look for? Do the hotels need to offer other facilities like, gyms, swimming pools, restaurants, health spas, business centres or bars? Or are you just looking for a clean room to sleep in free of those pesky bed bugs? Are you a hotel shopper, looking for the best price, or are you loyal to a particular hotel brand?

Hotel loyalty may be new to many of you, but like airlines, hotels offer their customers the option of joining their loyalty programs. If you tend to spend a lot of time in hotels, then remaining loyal and amassing your stays or nights within a certain hotel chain is the way to go. The Hilton Adelaide Hotel is such a hotel that offers its customers earned benefits when staying at any Hilton branded hotel. Their Hilton Honors program allows qualified customers chances for room upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, and access to their executive lounges to name a few.

Hilton Hotel Adelaide — Victoria Square Water Fountain

As recent Hilton Honors Gold members, we thought we’d experience the benefits for ourselves. We decided to book a King Hilton Guest Room and made our way into the city. The Hilton Adelaide Hotel overlooks Victoria Square in the heart of the city.

Adelaide Hilton Hotel — Reception Desk – Welcome to the Hilton Hotel Adelaide

Upon entry into the hotel the reception desk is located to the left and the Collins Bars is down a short corridor on the right. On check in the hotel staff were very friendly and we were immediately upgraded to a King Hilton Executive room.

King Executive Room at the Hilton Hotel Adelaide — King Executive Room

We were soon in the elevator and making our way up to our room. The King Hilton Executive Room are quite spacious with plenty of room to swing a cat (no animals were harmed during the review of this hotel). There are complimentary magazines and water available in the room and the Wi-Fi is easy to access and free. The King sized bed is very comfortable with your choice of pillows, based on your preferences.

Rooms offer the usual features like a television with local and paid channels. There is also a selection of in-house movies available. Coffee and tea is also provided and the extremely old bar fridge is fully stocked. The room also has a safe for the security conscious, an iron and ironing board, and a hair-dryer for the large bathroom.

The bathroom is large and contains a bath tub and a separate shower cubicle. Bathroom amenities and towels are refreshed with the room serviced daily.

By booking the King Hilton Executive room or having enough hotel status provides access to the executive lounge on the sixteenth floor. The comfortable lounge is a good place to relax, catch up on some reviews on your laptop or at the desktop computers provided. You can help yourself to the complimentary drinks or snacks like these beautiful macaroons.

The Hilton Adelaide Hotel offers many other facilities for their customers. Their small Swimming Pool is located on the first floor balcony. Amazingly, this balcony area is a little stark, one end of the balcony has the pool and the other half is just a large empty space. This large area could be utilised a lot better to give the hotel added value, something like a balcony bar or outdoor dining area.

The Gym is also located on the first floor which looks out across the pool. This fully equipped gym with an attached spa and sauna area is immaculate, well presented and everything you want from a gym.

If you don’t want a full gym workout then the hotel also has a tennis court and small running track.

If you are getting hungry or thirsty then head to the ground floor and get comfortable in the popular Collins Bar, or feast at Coal Cellar + Grill the Hilton’s on site restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served at Coal daily. We decided for breakfast at Coal and with an enormous selection of food options, you will not go hungry eating here.

Overall the Hilton Adelaide Hotel provides good service to its customers, with comfortable well maintained rooms. Some of the furnishings and facilities like the tennis court and pool area are out-dated but the hotel is working to rectify this. The hotel has an excellent restaurant in Coal Cellar + Grill and the popular Collins Bar is always good for a relaxing nightcap.

The Hilton Adelaide Hilton experience was definitely worth it, and they have rooms available from the standard guest room to executive room and suites. So book a stay today and tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Additional information

233 Victoria Square, Adelaide SA 5000
Ph: +61-8-8217-2000
Website: www.3.hilton.com

Rooms available from approximately AUD$150 – AUD$400 per night

Restaurant bookings and menu for Coal Cellar + Grill

Book your stay today at the Hilton Adelaide Hotel

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Hilton Adelaide Hotel Rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Service = 9
Comfort=9
Cleanliness = 9
Price = 8
Facilities =8

Overall = 8.5

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Australia, Hotels and Accommodation

The Bluff Resort Apartments

November 9, 2016 OurWorldinReview 1 Comment

One of the hardest choices when travelling is finding the right place to stay in. With so many hotels, resorts and Airbnb apartments to stay in it all comes down to location and cost per night. On our recent trip to Victor Harbor we planned to Quad Bike at Waitpinga Farm and spend time in the main tourist area of Victor Harbor. After some research we decided the Bluff Resort Apartments would fit the bill nicely, so I quickly organised a room.

The Bluff Resort Apartments is situated on the side of Rosetta Head. Rosetta Head overlooks the entrance to Encounter Bay and has spectacular views of the ocean. The Bluff Resort boasts a history going back to 1836, with it currently located on the old whaler’s station site. The resort contains 42 apartments on various levels. The first level has balcony views of the bay and township. Whilst the rear offset level studio apartments have limited views. Each apartment has one car park per room. Seaside apartments having access to undercover parks whilst other rooms only have open parking.

The reception is located between the two main buildings next to the resorts sparkling clear blue pool. Due to our expected late arrival we were offered an after-hours key drop service. Although not needed it was nice to know that we didn’t need to rush to ensure we could check in.

Queen bed in a offset rear room at Bluff Resort Apartment — Queen bed in a suite

After the friendly check in, we were allocated one of the rear suites. These rooms are fairly large and capable of accommodating a family of four. The suite contains a queen bed for the parents and a fold out lounge for the kids.

Bluff Resort Apartments — Fold out lounge for the kids to accommodate four people

The rooms have a self-contained shower cubicle and a separate toilet. Both rooms are tiled from floor to ceiling and would get pretty cold on a frosty morning. Luckily the room does have a working heater/air conditioner so you can set the room to your own comfort level. Other room accessories include, an iron, cups, crockery and that all important hair dryer.

Each room comes with an in-room coffee supply and a fridge containing milk. Not your measly little pod milks that you get in major hotels, but a 250ml fresh bottle. Hallelujah! The rooms also have local television with 8 other satellite channels featuring sport, films, news and children’s programs. Rooms also come with free Wi-Fi in case you need to log onto that device.

Bluff Resort Apartments Coffee and Tea Selection — Coffee and Tea Selection

Bluff Resort Apartment Features and Information

The facilities solar heated swimming pool is located out the front of the hotel overlooking the bay. Opening hours are 8am – 9pm during the summer. 8am – 8pm during spring and autumn and if you’re daring enough you can swim in the winter from 8am – 5pm.

Bluff Resort swimming pool — Crystal clear swimming pool. Still too cold to go for a swim. Maybe next time.

BBQ facilities are also located next to the swimming pool and are available during pool opening times. The only condition is that you leave the area tidy after use.

BBQ Area Bluff Resort Apartments — It’s time for a BBQ

The resort is located right next to Eat @ Whalers and although adjoining the resort it is a separate business offering breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Reception is manned daily from 8am -5pm Sunday to Thursday and 8am – 6pm Friday and Saturday. Snacks and some personal products are available to purchase if you can’t make it to a local shop. The resort also has a guest laundry located next to the pool that is open 24 hours. Laundry powder is available to purchase from the reception.

Check in: 2pm Check Out: 10am

Price Range: AUD$155 Suite – AUD$385 3 Bedroom Apartment

Verdict

The Bluff Resort Apartments are a comfortable clean resort that has a lot going for it. Currently their views of the bay are outstanding, but with a new development occurring in front of the resort views may possibly diminish. We did enjoy our stay here and was chuffed by having enough real milk in the room to both enjoy a in house coffee. You know, the little things! We would happily stay at the Bluff Resort Apartments again and believe you would too. So book a night or two and remember to tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Service = 8
Comfort=8
Cleanliness = 8
Price = 8
Facilities =8

Overall = 8

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Australia, Hotels and Accommodation

Living like a Rock Star at the Largs Pier Hotel, Adelaide

August 27, 2016 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

During the 70’s and 80’s Adelaide had a thriving live music scene. Rock bands would flock to Adelaide to prove themselves. Getting a gig at the Largs Pier Hotel was coveted and playing here was a stepping stone to making it in the industry. The Largs Pier Hotel embraced the Australian music culture and gave some of Australia’s best known bands a helping hand. AC/DC, Cold Chisel, The Little River Band and the Angels to name a few all played the Largs Pier to a generation of music mad Australians.

Today the live music scene has dwindled in Adelaide, but the Largs Pier still remains as a historic monument of that era. This magnificent hotel is located at 198 Esplanade, Largs Bay, South Australia, on the stunning foreshore overlooking the Spencer Gulf. Well positioned on the corner of Jetty Road, the Largs Pier Hotel offers travellers a variety of accommodation options. You can stay in their modern hotel or apartments from AUD$140 per night, or alternatively choose their luxury heritage rooms ranging from AUD$164 – $360 to feel like a rock star.

Room 1 Largs Pier Hotel — Room 1 – Luxury Heritage Spa Room

We recently had the opportunity to stay in their enormous luxury heritage spa room. Also known within the hotel as Room One, this hotel room offers three huge rooms and a personal balcony overlooking the ocean. Upon entry into the room you are struck by the enormity of the living areas. The first room is a massive dining room with a 10 seater dining table for your entourage to gather around.

Room 1 Dining room — You can just imagine AC/DC sitting around a table like this sipping cups of tea

From here, there are two other rooms leading off, the first door is the entrance to the bathroom. This bathroom is the biggest bathroom I have ever seen. With stunning floor to ceiling tiles a shower, toilet and a large two person spa bath. You could easily hold a party in this room. That’s not encouragement by the way, I’m just saying, you “could”! The bathroom is in pristine condition and very clean. If you are staying in the winter time make sure you turn on the heat lamps to warm it up.

The other door leads into the sizable bedroom with a four-posted king size bed, a big screen television, a three-quarter size standing mirror, a day bed to lounge on, and double doors leading out to the balcony. The room is extravagant for the casual traveller. It is equipped with nearly everything you need in a room. Tea and coffee facilities, a bar fridge, guest robes, a selection of books and an ironing board are located throughout the rooms. The only changes I would suggest is perhaps the addition of a room safe. We didn’t feel the need to use one, but other visitors may like the added security.

Luxury Heritage Spa Room — Extravagant bedroom

Once you go out on the balcony, you instantly realise that this is probably the best view of the surrounding area. The balcony extends around the frontage of the hotel and your area is separated from the rest by a sofa. There is a little table there where we sat and drank some wine as the sun set over a magnificent beach. This view alone is worth every cent of this luxury heritage room experience.

The hotel consists of the Largs Bar, where the locals and tourists mingle for a few drinks some quiet conversation and some live entertainment. The Pier Restaurant offers a comfortable dining experience with a good selection of dining choices with a contemporary flair. If you like to have a flutter there is a gaming room with various poker machines which also provides free coffee and tea (Please Gamble Responsibly).

Largs Pier Gaming Room – Please Gamble Responsibly

We decided to eat at the Pier Restaurant, booking a table from our room as the restaurant can be popular. The restaurant area is spacious and well heated with small wooden table and wooden chairs, and you have a choice of either eating indoors or outside in their alfresco area. The menu on offer is impressive, they have a selection of common pub fare if that is your desire or a contemporary menu for those diners who want something more. We opted for the Seafood Plate and the Grilled Whiting for our mains and the Crème brûlée and Illusion of Watermelon for dessert.

The meals arrived fairly quickly and the first thing you notice is they don’t skimp on quantity. The Seafood Plate was covered with salt and pepper squid, a fillet of fish, two large prawns and two kilpatrick oysters on a bed of large cut fries. I must admit, I loved it, but it beat me, I couldn’t fit it all in, knowing that a had a Crème Brûlée coming to top it off.

The Grilled Whiting was served with potato bake, broccolini, roasted tomatoes and hollandaise sauce. Josie had no trouble with this one. The whiting was perfectly cooked and the vegetables rounded off an excellent dish.

After our main dishes were cleared, we waited a little while before our desserts arrived. With so many customers and counter ordering, it is a good idea to prompt the serving staff when you are ready for your dessert. The Crème Brûlée and Illusion of Watermelon arrived and they both looked a treat. The Crème Brûlée was good, it had a nice flavour, the custard was a little grainy in texture and the caramel top layer was more flaky than a hard crunchy layer. It was a little different from the usual Crème Brûlée but quite edible.

The aptly named dessert the Illusion of Watermelon is quite incredible. This sorbet creation is formed into a watermelon slice including sweet little chocolate seeds. It is a beautiful constructed dessert of three flavour layers, that create the outer green skin to the bright red watermelon flesh. The sorbet was ice-cold and excellent. A quick acknowledgement must go to the chef here for creativity.

sorbet watermelon — Illusion of Watermelon

When we turned in for the night the room was warm, with dual split system heating to warm up the room. The king size bed is comfortable and holds you firmly in an embrace. Although right above the main bar and restaurant in a popular drinking establishment, we couldn’t hear any noise, so the night was very relaxing.

In the morning before checking out we opted to try out the Largs Bar for their breakfast from 0630am. We selected the Largs Breakfast and the Avocado and poached eggs. The Largs breakfast is eggs cooked to your liking on toast with lashes of bacon, tomato and mushroom. Whilst the Avocado and poached eggs was on toasted ciabatta topped with rocket and balsamic dressing. Both breakfast dishes were exactly what you need before a long day at work or sightseeing.

Verdict

The Largs Pier Hotel is surrounded by history and is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. The building façade is picturesque with its arched balcony lookouts. The luxury heritage rooms are spacious, comfortable and well equipped with spectacular views. I recommend sitting on the balcony, drinking a nice glass of wine while watching the sunset over the ocean. If you are visiting Adelaide or are a local looking for a city getaway then do yourself a favour and stay at the Largs Pier Hotel.

The best way to get to the Largs Pier Hotel from the Adelaide airport is a 25 minute taxi ride. Alternatively, if you are in the city and wish to visit the hotel then hop onto the Outer Harbor train. Travel to the Largs Bay train station and then it’s a quick walk up Jetty road towards the beach.

If you would like to stay at the Largs Pier Hotel you can book your stay here. Don’t forget to mention Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Service = 7
Comfort=9
Cleanliness = 9
Price = 7
Facilities =9

Overall = 8

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Australia, Hotels and Accommodation

Doubletree by Hilton, Flinders Street, Melbourne

August 10, 2016 OurWorldinReview Leave a comment

Melbourne is one of those cities where staying for one day or overnight doesn’t do it any justice. There is so much to do in Melbourne and the surrounding areas. Why not stay for a week or two and enjoy all it has to offer? The City of Melbourne has many accommodation options for travellers, depending on the amount they wish to spend. The Doubletree by Hilton on Flinders Street, is one of those reliable mid-market hotels that offers quality service to their visitors.

When we travelled to Melbourne recently, we opted to stay at the Doubletree by Hilton on Flinders Street, due to its handy location. We have been to Melbourne many times so we decided to walk from the Skybus stop at the Southern Cross Station to the hotel. The walk takes about 10-15 minutes and is perfect on a nice sunny day. The entrance is a little bit setback into the wall so if you aren’t concentrating, you can walk straight by. So be careful, unless you enjoy walking and backtracking.

Upon entry into the hotel foyer, you are greeted by a large reception desk on the left hand side. From the initial appearance you can see this hotel has incorporated so much into its limited floor plan. This open area alone holds the main reception, the bar and the dining area. In fact the reception desk and the bar is one continuous desk. This means there is always someone available to help you with your booking or serve your drinks.

If you decide to have breakfast included in you accommodation stay then the Platform 270 Restaurant and Bar is where you will find a nice spread of breakfast options, in a comfortable dining area.

Breakfast Buffet at the Platform 270 restaurant and bar — Breakfast Buffet at the Platform 270 Restaurant & Bar

The hotel receptionist was very friendly and once the check in process was done they gave us the signature warm and delicious chocolate chip cookie Doubletree are known for. They also mentioned that you could keep coming back for more of them, but we didn’t take them up on the tempting offer. Check in is usually set for 3:00pm but if your room is available they will allow early access. Subsequently if it is not ready they will store your baggage whilst you explore this amazing city.

A hotel can win you or lose you based on the first impression of the room. In this instance the Doubletree by Hilton on Flinders Street does not let you down. Upon entry you can tell the house cleaning staff take pride and care in the rooms they present. Our room wasn’t large, but it was clean. No musty smell, no mould in the bathroom, and no evidence left from the previous tenants.

Hotel Bed, with clean sheets — Queen Room, good to see a clean fresh smelling room

The bathroom was in pristine condition and well stocked with hotel accessories. The water pressure in the shower and hand basin was fantastic, the toilet was clean and there is enough bench space to hold our toiletries and hair dryer. As standard the room had a fridge, coffee-making facilities, an in-room safe and guest robes. The television was large with a good selection of in-house films or cable television channels. Wifi is free as a Hilton Honors member, so it’s a good idea to sign up before visiting.

Clean hotel bathroom perfect — No water streaks in that mirror, shiny bath tiles. Nice clean bathroom

For the fitness fanatics, the gym is located on the first floor, along with the function and conference rooms. The gym room itself isn’t large, but they have two treadmills, an exercise bike and an elliptical machine. There is also a good range of free weights and a weight machine offering different exercise options.

hotel gym, treadmills, weights — The 1st floor gym, if you can’t work up a sweat in here, you’re not doing it right!

We didn’t eat in the hotel, but it is worth noting they offer room service in case you decide to eat in, or you can try Platform 270 Restaurant and Bar. From what I hear the food is pretty good, and we saw that the dining area is nicely set out.

kitchen area platform 270 restaurant and bar — Platform 270 Restaurant and Bar Kitchen

The Verdict

The Doubletree by Hilton is located at 270 Flinders Street, Melbourne across the road from the Flinders Street Station. The average room price per night ranges between AUD$200-AUD$400 depending on the type of room you want and the dates you require. Bookings can be made through here.

We found the hotel comfortable, accessible and helpful. The CareLine service will assist you with most of your additional needs. We required a corkscrew and it was brought to our room within minutes.

The best way to get to the Doubletree by Hilton from the Melbourne Tullamarine Airport is by the Skybus service. A round trip ride is currently AUD$38 for an adult or family of four (2 adult and 2 children). The Skybus will take you to the Southern Cross station. There you can either use their free hotel shuttle service for CBD hotels, walk, take a taxi or catch a tram using a MYKI card which you can purchase from the train station.

Our team would happily recommend the 4 star Doubletree by Hilton hotel on Flinders Street. If you’re going to Melbourne check out their rates and if you book, tell them Simon from Ourworldinreview sent you!

Rating: 1-10 (1=very poor, 10 = excellent)

Service = 8
Comfort=8
Cleanliness = 9
Price = 7
Facilities =8

Overall = 8

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Our world is an amazing place, so go out there and enjoy it!