Just thought I'd write a quick review of the hotels I stayed at during my trip:
Express by Holiday Inn - Hong Kong Causeway Way
A nice budget hotel which nice rooms right next to the Times Square shopping mall. Rooms are quite small but as a stop-over hotel it was perfectly acceptable as it had everything I needed (ie a bed, kettle and a shower - no baths though!!). Pretty easy to get to using the MTR from the airport. Breakfast and in-room broadband were included in the room rate (approx ~£70 a night fully flex rate)
Stanford Plaza - Sydney Airport
Quite a nice hotel, although rooms could do with a make-over as they are looking a little tired.
Regualar mini-bus service from SYD domestic terminal at Au$3.00 one way (which is a short train journey from the international terminal, which was Au$4.50). Pretty easy to then get into the city if you need to. It's a 10 min walk to the domestic terminal and then you just jump on the Airport Link train which takes you into the city where ther are various stops including Central and Circular Quay (where the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are located). Train only takes 15 mins.
Stanford Plaza - Melbourne
All suite hotel in a great location in Melbourne (on Little Collins Street). All rooms include a kitchen area, dining area, seating area, seperate bedroom with en-suite spa bathrooms. Service was good, although I struggled a couple of times with the in-room broadband connection. There's a great roof-top small pool and spa where the roof can open during the summer.
Stanford Hotels do offer FF miles for stays (but not VS)
Kuala Lumpur Hilton
A fantstic hotel with great service at a reasonable price. Although it's not in a great location to visit areas such as the twin towers. It's across the road from the central train station which is linked to the airport via the KLIA Express which takes 28 mins from the airport each way. The suites are fantastic and have everything you could possibly want in a room.
The only thing that slightly annoyed me was the fact despite booking a fully flexable rate for a suite, I was not entitled to use the Exec lounge only being a silver HHonor card holder. This caused confusion at check-in, as they had me down as been gold (which I was when I'd booked the room last year). In hind-sight I maybe should have not checked in using my silver HHonor card, that way they wouldn't have known I'd been downgraded from gold to silver - oh well.
Service was fantastic and the hotel is very nice indeed. It's just it's location which pulls it down (from a tourists point of view anyway, althogh good for getting from the airport)
Since I booked my suite last year prices have increased slightly (as they have at most KUL hotels) but even now rates are very reasonable. I paid a grand total of £90 a night (including tax) for a fully flexable suite rate.
Shangri-La Sydney
Another fantastic hotel in a good location with amazing views of the Opera house and the Harbour bridge. This hotel does seem a popular V-Flyer hotel (seems several people on here have stayed here
) with good reason as well. Service is great with nice rooms. I seem to have got a good rate as well for my Premier Harbour View room (approx £120 a night including breakfast). It was a 'Long Weekend' package which apparently are quite difficult to get, although the rate does not inlcude FF miles. It's quite a tough walk from the Circular Quey train station if you have luggage as it's all up-hill but still only takes about 15 mins. Getting a cab back to SYD today [:I]
My next and final hotel will be the Regal Airport Hotel,Hong Kong which is the hotel connected to HKG airport. This is a Summit group hotel so 1500 VS miles included in my room rate (~£140) which also includes breakfast, a late 6pm check-out and in-room broadband.
Regards
Express by Holiday Inn - Hong Kong Causeway Way
A nice budget hotel which nice rooms right next to the Times Square shopping mall. Rooms are quite small but as a stop-over hotel it was perfectly acceptable as it had everything I needed (ie a bed, kettle and a shower - no baths though!!). Pretty easy to get to using the MTR from the airport. Breakfast and in-room broadband were included in the room rate (approx ~£70 a night fully flex rate)
Stanford Plaza - Sydney Airport
Quite a nice hotel, although rooms could do with a make-over as they are looking a little tired.
Regualar mini-bus service from SYD domestic terminal at Au$3.00 one way (which is a short train journey from the international terminal, which was Au$4.50). Pretty easy to then get into the city if you need to. It's a 10 min walk to the domestic terminal and then you just jump on the Airport Link train which takes you into the city where ther are various stops including Central and Circular Quay (where the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are located). Train only takes 15 mins.
Stanford Plaza - Melbourne
All suite hotel in a great location in Melbourne (on Little Collins Street). All rooms include a kitchen area, dining area, seating area, seperate bedroom with en-suite spa bathrooms. Service was good, although I struggled a couple of times with the in-room broadband connection. There's a great roof-top small pool and spa where the roof can open during the summer.
Stanford Hotels do offer FF miles for stays (but not VS)
Kuala Lumpur Hilton
A fantstic hotel with great service at a reasonable price. Although it's not in a great location to visit areas such as the twin towers. It's across the road from the central train station which is linked to the airport via the KLIA Express which takes 28 mins from the airport each way. The suites are fantastic and have everything you could possibly want in a room.
The only thing that slightly annoyed me was the fact despite booking a fully flexable rate for a suite, I was not entitled to use the Exec lounge only being a silver HHonor card holder. This caused confusion at check-in, as they had me down as been gold (which I was when I'd booked the room last year). In hind-sight I maybe should have not checked in using my silver HHonor card, that way they wouldn't have known I'd been downgraded from gold to silver - oh well.
Service was fantastic and the hotel is very nice indeed. It's just it's location which pulls it down (from a tourists point of view anyway, althogh good for getting from the airport)
Since I booked my suite last year prices have increased slightly (as they have at most KUL hotels) but even now rates are very reasonable. I paid a grand total of £90 a night (including tax) for a fully flexable suite rate.
Shangri-La Sydney
Another fantastic hotel in a good location with amazing views of the Opera house and the Harbour bridge. This hotel does seem a popular V-Flyer hotel (seems several people on here have stayed here
) with good reason as well. Service is great with nice rooms. I seem to have got a good rate as well for my Premier Harbour View room (approx £120 a night including breakfast). It was a 'Long Weekend' package which apparently are quite difficult to get, although the rate does not inlcude FF miles. It's quite a tough walk from the Circular Quey train station if you have luggage as it's all up-hill but still only takes about 15 mins. Getting a cab back to SYD today [:I]My next and final hotel will be the Regal Airport Hotel,Hong Kong which is the hotel connected to HKG airport. This is a Summit group hotel so 1500 VS miles included in my room rate (~£140) which also includes breakfast, a late 6pm check-out and in-room broadband.
Regards
Regards
James Mitchell
James Mitchell
