Brussels: The Conrad Forever

The Brussels Conrad

I used to be a great Hilton fan. Growing up in Athens in the 1970s, the Hilton was the place to be. A relic of the early 1960s, with all the optimistic American mindset that went with it, the Athens Hilton was the place to stay, to eat, to attend a conference, etc. By the mid-1980s, it was faded and desperately needed a renovation. The food was atrocious, the staff indifferent, and the rooftop Galaxy Bar was more often than not beset by phalanxes of little old ladies with purple hair and Chanel bags. It took the renovation for the 2004 Athens Olympics to restore something of its former greatness, although in my opinion the verdict is still out.

The Hilton brand in the UK suffered much the same fate. The chain made a catastrophic strategic error in expanding through buying chains such as Stakis. While this increased the rooms under management, the properties and staff which went with them were far too disparate in terms of facilities and service. As a result, I’ve stayed in some truly heinous buildings in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow claiming to be Hiltons, and have come away quite disgusted.

Luckily, in 1982, Hilton decided to launch an exclusive, truly five star chain, intended for those discerning travellers who wanted quality and presumably didn’t want to be suckered into staying at a 3* hotel with a 5* bill. This is the Conrad brand, named after the legendary Conrad Hilton. Today, the brand numbers a small number of properties, spread out in cities including Brussels, Singapore, Bangkok, Dublin and others.

I recently returned to the Brussels Conrad in last April, after a 10 year hiatus. Deciding where to stay in Brussels was discouraging. The city is slowly transforming itself into the capital of the European Union, complete with grandiose offices housing the new imperial bureaucracy. As a result, hotel prices are absurd. The cost increases the closer one gets to the Grand Place, but frankly this price differential is hardly warranted, either by the neighbourhood or by the property. I spent a good 4 hours online searching for the right place. The Conrad was only EUR 50 more per night than most safe-looking four star properties (most of which look quite dodgy). Disgusted by the loss of time and by my own stinginess, I decided to exceed my per diem and chose The Conrad.

The hotel is fantastic. Check-in was smooth, and as soon as my HHonours Gold Card slid across the desk I was upgraded to a superior room and offered breakfast for free: quick, painless and easy. The staff knew what they were doing. At many properties, they often have no clue about this card, prompting an unseemly scramble for the shift manager, who’s off flogging the squalid IT consultant who’s frantically trying to repair the crashed wireless connection….the delay goes on and on while that vital, first-minute impression is lost.

I stayed on the fourth floor: the room was large and superbly outfitted. Facing the internal courtyard, it included a sublimely comfortable bed, excellent desk (with adequate space for a laptop and files), a sofa, and a fantastic bathroom. The furnishings were in good condition – again, a welcome changes from the ragged carpets and scuffed walls in many 5* properties. Lighting was excellent: I particularly appreciated the two bed lights, which were just right for reading in bed, as well as the desk light.

The Conrad - Room Detail

The staff is extraordinarily helpful, and the management outdoes itself in small personal touches. There is a free shoe shine service, for instance, which I found absolutely grand. I was so happy I tipped the fellow who shined my shoes on Sunday afternoon probably as much as the normal hotel charge, but was really happy to do so-and my shoes are still in good condition two weeks and two flights later. There is an excellent in-room filter coffee machine and tea-maker. I was really pleased to receive a free bottle of Vittel mineral water daily, as well as the regrettably small packet of Jules Destrooper cookies. And yes, the hotel has free copies of the Financial Times everywhere – in the lobby, at breakfast, in the bar… In my travel pantheon, anyone handing out free FTs is right up there at the top.



Breakfast is superb. Along with Le Meridien in Limassol, this is the best hotel breakfast I’ve ever had in terms of quality of ingredients, attention to detail, staff service and range of food. The bread was fresh – a real delight – not that sad frozen stuff they pop in ovens and then let harden into indigestible golf balls in most hotels. I was amazed to find lightly fried aubergine slices, watermelon, several types of fish and all sorts of other delicacies on offer. The scrambled eggs are real eggs, and the bacon as it should be.



I only availed myself of breakfast and room service at the hotel. Breakfast is at the Café Wiltshire, which is tres grand: I’m not sure how I would evaluate eating lunch or dinner there. I rounded out my days in the hotel bar every night: an excellent place, with clubby furniture, a barman who knows what he’s doing, attentive staff and good prices.

There’s an excellent business centre behind the reception. High speed b/w printing, a high-speed photocopier, two or three PCs, high speed internet access, plenty of space to work – all without charge.

There is a superlative gym and spa in the basement, but it is run on a separate basis from the hotel, and basic entry is EUR 25. Their equipment is state-of-the-art, although if you don’t know how to manipulate the Technogym running machine, you may be stuck watching Belgian talk shows on the built-in plasma TV screen while you sweat the calories away. This is punishment I can take, I suppose, just not very often.

On the whole, an excellent hotel in every respect. I recommend it unreservedly for businessmen, couples on a city break, and families with well-behaved children. I was so happy to stay there, it made sitting through the tedious European Commission meeting I was attending quite bearable. For me, the only place to stay in Brussels is at The Conrad.

Limassol: L'Onda Sanctuary

The L'Onda Pool

In my world-weary, cynical experience, there are three kinds of hotels in the world:

• Those that you are unhappy to arrive at, and happy to leave;
• Those that you are happy to arrive at, but happy to leave;
• Those that you are happy to arrive at, but unhappy to leave.

The L’Onda is the best kind of hotel: I’m always happy to arrive, and always feel I could stay at least two or three more days to catch up with myself. Small, unassuming, in the heart of Limassol’s tourist area, the L’Onda started out as the first suite hotel in Cyprus. After a long period of somnolescence, it transformed itself into a boutique hotel – one of the few real such properties in Cyprus – and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

What makes the L’Onda different? It’s not the scale of facilities: the pool is laughably small compared to the Amathus, Four Seasons or Meridien. It’s not the architecture: sandwiched between apartment blocks reminiscent of Beirut, there’s nothing architectural to distinguish it. And it’s not the beach, a hard-packed, meager strip of black sand.

What distinguishes the L’Onda is its attention to detail and its high quality of service. The rooms – no longer all suites, alas – are outfitted with carefully chosen teak and hardwood furniture, including some unique touches such as the olive-wood closet handles. They are impeccably clean and well-kept: I’ve never staying in a room that’s scuffed, tired or faded, as I have at so many other 5* Cypriot properties.

Although some rooms are small, their internal lay-out is such that they seem larger. Each room has a Nespresso machine with coffee and tea facilities, high-speed internet condition, and all the mod cons. The bathrooms are a particular delight, with Molton Brown toiletries which are always welcome.

The suites are really special. They usually include two bathrooms, a bedroom and full sitting room, very tastefully decorated, light and airy, not heavy and deadening. Refreshingly, the property is not ironic, which seems to be a motif in most overly self-conscious boutiques of this kind. I would definitely recommend booking a suite, especially since they are very moderately priced, and once you’ve stayed in one it’s a terrible let-down to go back to a standard room. A word of warning on rooms: try to get one with a full sea view: most are side sea views, and what you see are apartment blocks on either side.

The restaurant is good-to-excellent. Their lobster salad with caramelized scallops is superb, though neither ingredient is fresh, given supplies in Cyprus. The wine list is average: they are missing a good Riesling for seafood, or a Brunello for some dishes. The menu doesn’t change that often – it could do with some re-thinking. Breakfast, though correct, is a little bit minimal. The buffet includes those hoary favourites fried eggs, sausages, bacon, stewed whole tomatos, and haloumi, and could do with a revamp. It is possible to order scrambled eggs, omelettes and such.

The Caprice Bar

A highlight is the Caprice Lounge and Balcony. Modelled after the Mykonos Caprice, it fills up between 19:00 – 11:00 with the languid buzz of high society. During my stays there I’ve seen various ministers, managers, models, actors and other worthies.

The gym and spa are well-equipped, with professional staff in the spa area. The front office staff is extraordinarily helpful. This past visit, I was finishing a proposal, and they readily provided an AA battery for my mouse, a high speed LAN cable for internet access, photocopies, a stapler and hole puncher and all manner of encouragement. Honestly, this is rare.

There are only two negative things, if they can be called that:

- The elevators are two steel coffins left over from the 1970s. They are probably too awkward to replace, but they should be at the first opportunity.

- The business areas are inadequate. There is one large conference area on the ground floor just to the left of the entry, and one underground “board room.” The conference area is tired, lacks natural light and is a little depressing. I’ve seen it used to store luggage, but never for an actual event. The Board Room is well-equipped (save the carpet), but is underground, and impossible for day-long meetings. On the bright side, the lack of such facilities means a refreshing absence of tubby accountants in rumpled suits and mobile phone addiction.

I would unreservedly recommend the L’Onda for businessmen in Limassol for 2-3 days. It’s small, contained, tres chic, and refreshingly different from the 5* dinosaurs down the road. I don’t recommend it for people looking for the ultimate, 7-day, 6-night resort vacation, or families.

Venice Ai Tre Ponti

Santa Croce 359/B - Rio Terá dei Pensieri - 30135 Venice
Tel +39-041-710962 info@aitreponti.com
http://www.aitreponti.com/eng/b&b.asp

I spent a good deal of time on the Internet, trying to find a convenient hotel in Venice, with two bedrooms for a total of four people, which looked clean and not too dodgy, but was also within a reasonable budget. We weren’t staying at the Grizzi Palace – this time – and I wanted something which would allow us a night’s rest in between our transit from Ancona and Turin. This was a ski holiday, but a good chance for a quick visit to La Serenissima.

So when Christine booked the Hotel Ai Tre Ponti, I was a bit worried. The hotel is in Santa Croce Ovest, quite some ways from St. Mark’s Square, and near the train station: I usually associate train stations with dodgy people.

Arriving at the hotel was remarkably easy: we parked at the Municipal Parking Lot and after a 3 minute walk (and only one bridge to cross), we were at the hotel. Use the Municipal Parking: you can lock your car. In the adjacent St. Mark’s Parking, they insist that you leave your keys in your car, which I would never do.

From the outside, I had that sinking feeling: the hotel looks like a bit of a dive, not the palazzo you might be expecting. But once inside, we were charmed. We had booked the “Suite”, at EUR 200 per night. You go up 3 flights of stairs (no elevator, so pack light), and have a spacious and well-light main floor which includes a double bedroom, bathroom, sitting room with sofa and TV and kitchen. Another internal flight of stairs leads you up to a second bedroom and bathroom. There is a beautiful view of the canal from the main bedroom windows.

The Suite is well-equipped, with a full cooking range, refrigerator, sink, cleaning area, etc. The bathroom includes a stand-up shower with sliding screen doors. There is lots of room, and the authentic wooden ceiling beams lend a nice touch to the place. The hotel is good for two couples (one living upstairs, one downstairs) or a family of four, with lots of room and comfort. One extra person can probably sleep on the sofa in the TV room.

Although on the outskirts of town, the hotel is very convenient:

- A 3-minute walk from the train station and arrival point for busses;
- A 1-minute walk from the vaporetto stop;
- A 20-minute walk through the streets of Venice to St. Mark’s square;

There’s a bakery just 10 metres outside the hotel, to the left, one of the few authentic bakeries we found, so breakfast is easy. Guests are given keys to the hotel, so there is 100% independence for coming and going. The Suite's bathrooms are very clean, but as always, bring your own toiletries.

Three disadvantages of the hotel:

1. Some of the guests downstairs were a bit loud…luckily they feel asleep about midnight. Sound travels.

2. The heat turned off around midnight, and started again at around 07:00. Luckily, there were extra blankets in the room. If you are staying in November – March, be prepared for cold weather.

3. The manager, Maurizio, is not at the hotel full time, especially between 13:00 and 17:00. Make sure you time your arrival to coincide when he is on the premises, otherwise you will be walking around Venice with your baggage. Call/email in advance.

Bookings
We booked directly through the hotel at http://www.aitreponti.com/eng/b&b.asp

Turin Holiday Inn Via Gaidaro

Holiday Inn Express
Via Paolo Gaidano, 12110137 Turin (Piemonte), Italy
+39-011-311-3322
www.hiexpress.com

One of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at in terms of value for money, the Holiday Inn Express in the southern suburbs of Turin offers very high quality rooms and amenities at an extremely competitive price.

We stayed two nights, 29 December 2007 and 4 January 2008, en route to and returning from La Rosiere, a ski resort in the southeastern French Alps, and this hotel was extremely convenient. It is only 2 km from the tangenziale, Turin’s ring road, on the south-western side of the city, and offers secure underground parking.

On each stay, we booked two adjoining non-smoking rooms, for a total of EUR 75 per night. That’s right, 2 rooms for EUR 75 per night, everything included: tax, breakfast, parking. Admittedly, it was low season, but the hotel was quite full due to families like ours, traveling to and from the ski resorts.

The rooms are very well outfitted. We stayed in rooms 203-204 in December, and 304-305 in January. Our room had a very large double bed, with high quality sheets, pillows and a comforter. The adjoining room had two single beds. Each room has a Philips flat screen TV which also provides internet access, a large desk and comfortable chair, and multiple plugs (220 V electricity using a standard European double socket as well as Italian triple sockets) and data points. (Note: UK travelers will need an adapter; US travelers need an adapter and transformers).

Each room has an in-room water heater, with complementary coffee and tea packs provided. The bathrooms include shower stalls with sliding screens, hair driers, and electric plugs. There was abundant hot water, clean towels.

The internal architecture comprises clean lines, free of clutter, using woods and fabrics with clean lines and a warm contemporary feel. It was a real relief to be in the rooms after our road trip from Venice (going) and La Rosiere (coming back).

Breakfast is amazing. The hotel has a copious buffet, serving bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs; Italian cold cuts and cheese; fresh fruits; yoghurts; lots and lots of bread, pastries and confectioneries, and excellent coffee and tea. A real highlight is the real hot chocolate and real orange juice, which is unlimited. Make sure you get there between 08:30 – 09:00 at the latest: the earlier the better (breakfast ends at 10:30, but the staff stops replenishing many of the dishes at about 09:45).

The staff is extremely helpful, both at reception in the evening and morning, as well as in the restaurant at breakfast. There are three staff serving breakfast, and they are often a bit overwhelmed, but if you can get their attention, they’ll serve you fresh cappuchino, tea, espresso and set the table. Our biggest problem both mornings was getting a table, but we came down late at 09:45.

There is WiFi access in the lobby, and a PC for internet access and limited printing in the basement, near the internal parking entrance. Underground parking is free and in the room price when we stayed (there may be an extra charge in the summer, when it’s high season).

There is a medium-sized supermarket right next to the hotel, handy for buying some groceries and drinks for the road, which is cheaper and more convenient than the gasoline stations on the highway.

There are three disadvantages of the hotel:

1. It is in an industrial neighbourhood in the south of Turin. Don’t expect fancy architecture or lots of restaurants around the hotel. Getting to the centre is relatively easy by car or taxi, but you need a good map if you drive your own car.

2. There is no in-house restaurant, apart from breakfast (at least in the winter, when we stayed). On the other hand, the hotel has an arrangement with an external restaurant, and we were able to order good pizza at a very good price (between EUR 6.50 – 8.00 per pizza, better prices than most hotel room service I’ve tried).

3. Like all Holiday Inns I’ve stayed in, it provides Lux hand soap and hair shampoo in squeeze bottles: I advise guests to bring their own toiletries (which I do in nearly every hotel I go to anyway).

These disadvantages are easily outweighed by the fact that the hotel offers excellent value for money (2 high quality rooms at EUR 75 per night total); a top-of-the-line breakfast, parking and easy access to the highway. It’s secure, convenient and ideal for visitors traveling by car who choose Turin as a stopover point.

Bookings
We booked our first night on www.venere.com, an excellent Italian hotel booking engine. The second night, we booked directly with the hotel, and were offered the same rate.