Inntel Hotels Art Eindhoven, Netherlands

During a weekend in September 2016 my fiancé and I have for our first time flown with Ryanair, our destination was Eindhoven for two nights, a fascinating city we hadn't visited before.

The flight was delayed, but pleasant and to our surprise my fiancé had lots of legroom and our first flight experience was overall pleasant.

We took the bus from Eindhoven Airport to the bus/train terminal in the city, once there we could walk to our memorable hotel.

The Inntel Hotels Art Eindhoven was our second Inntel Hotels after our stay at the Mainport in Rotterdam in April 2015, which is a Design Hotel Member.

Another reason why this particular hotel has caught our eyes was that the Inntel Hotels Art had been in a previous life the Philips light bulb factory, which was also responsible for quality control.

The Inntel Hotels Art was around ten minutes’ walk from the bus station in the heart of the city.

The hotel is located on a square with the Art Deco Philips Light Tower as anchor. The square was beautifully decorated with flowers and plants. The lobby, restaurant, bar and some of the rooms were located in the "new" building, which hadn't been part of the original factory. It was well integrated with the rest of the surroundings.

The restaurant and bar were to the right, the reception and internet stations for guests to the left. The welcome desk and the stations were shaped like flowers. Very high shelves provided more privacy for check in and surfing the web. The flower theme continued throughout the lobby.

Check in was friendly and efficient.

We had booked a loft with breakfast included, which was located in the original factory building, dating back to 1909. 

The two buildings are inter-connected with a small second lobby, which housed an art exhibition about wallpaper inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, M.C. Asher, Vincent van Gogh and Billie Holiday. There was a vending machine too for drinks and snacks.

Both buildings had very high ceilings, exposed concrete walls and industrial lightning. It was great to see the original features had been kept at the factory.

On every elevator landing a sofa was placed. Some were lavish, while others were understated.

Each room number was integrated in a former heritage advertising poster of Philips products incl. light bulbs.

Previous to our stay we were in contact with the hotel via e-mail to request a higher floor loft and balcony if possible.

The reply had been friendly, but nothing had been promised. In the end all our wishes were fulfilled. Our loft was on the fifth floor and had a balcony overlooking the hotels inner courtyard.

The loft's ceilings were 4 m high and the design of the floors continued inside our room.

A door to the left in the hallway led to the bathroom.

The loft was open plan and had no wardrobe in the sense, but a coat hanger stand and large credenza with an open storage space replaced it. The coat hangers were so high up, I had problems reaching them, so it's made for taller persons.

The writing desk was large and was formerly a real work bench, so it had an industrial feel to it, which added to the fascinating design and fell of our airy loft.

Artwork was a Dutch Lady with a light bulb, which reminded us about our location in the heart of Eindhoven and the connection with Philips felt one-of-a-kind to us. 

The color scheme was red, green, brown and gold.

The floor was tiled.

The large king sized bed was comfortable and inviting.

There was a mini bar, stocked with the usual items and local beverages and snacks. There were for example Stroop Waffles, Pringles, M&M's, a large bottle of Tynant water, small bottles of San Pellegrino or Acqua Panna, sparkling Lipton ice tea, Hero Orange Juice, Heineken Beer and two bottles of wine.

 

Prices ranged from 2.50 Euro to 6.50 Euro / ca. 2.90 USD to 7.45 USD for the snacks, 3.50 Euro to 4.95 Euro / ca. 4 USD to 5.70 USD for the non-alcoholic beverages, 4.50 Euro for the beer (ca. 5.15 USD) and 7.50 Euro (ca. 8.60 USD) for a bottle of wine.

There was a credenza and flat screen TV, offering around thirty channels, most of them were Dutch, a few German, BBC1 and 2, CNN and a classical music channel, showing opera and concerts.

All the appliances like the TV, hair dryer and light bulbs were Philips branded too.

A few steps up in our loft led to the balcony. There was no railing for the steps. The balcony was furnished with two chairs and views over the reception building, the city and the back of the Philips Light Tower.

The bathroom was large and came furnished in black porcelain tiles, concrete, granite and a glass sink shaped like a flower.

The bathtub shower combination was comfortable to use. The temperature was stable and the pressure was good.

There was also a toilet and the amenities were Inntel Hotels' own branded Green Tea with sexy people on the packaging.

We used the restaurant once for dinner and had breakfast every morning.

There was a wide choice of cold items available including cold cuts, smoked salmon, cereals, bread rolls, fruits, vegetables and much more. There was also an egg and pancake station, where hot items were made to order.

The dinner was of good standard and upscale. We ordered one large bottle of Acqua Panna, one glass of sweet wine, one vitello tonnato, four Mediterranean rolls, one Arts Burger with fries, egg, and truffle mayo, one Atlantic cod with endive, potato mash and red wine sauce, one strawberry and mandarin sorbet and one chocolate pie.

The bill was 81 Euro / ca. 92.45 USD.

Staff was friendly and attentive.

As a side note the hotel houses also has a spa, plus their complimentary WI-FI was fast and reliable at all times.

We had a wonderful stay at this fascinating hotel and would recommend the Inntel Hotels Art, when visiting Eindhoven.

©2017

Lobby Court @ The Swissotel The Stamford Singaore

After lunch at the Raffles Courtyard (Please see also review.) and shopping at Raffles City, we were thirsty and We looked for refreshments at the Lobby Court of the Swissotel The Stamford.

The Stamford was the highest hotel in the world, when it opened its doors for the first time. It still looks magnificent and fits in perfectly well with the cityscape of Singapore. The hotel incl. the Raffles City complex which also incl. the Fairmont Singapore was designed by architect I.M. Pei.

Having visited previously the hotel we knew already the New Asia and Intro Bar, so we thought it was time to try a new outlet.

The Lobby Court is located on the ground floor and is a place to see and be seen. The entrance and check-in are located on the same level.

The atmosphere was moody with dark furniture and low lightning. To give it a more cosy feeling there were shelves with books and vases and a bar area.

The seating was lounge style. We were brought to one of the sofas by a nice waitress.

We chose a bottle of still water and two mocktails, the melon cooler and the devil mango. Our drinks were memorable and we felt refreshed.

The waitress was attentive and must have overheard we discussed Singapore celebrating 50 years of independence, because she showed us a special glass, that commemorated it and was on sale. It was shaped like the Merlion. There was no visible opening to fill it, so the waitress showed us how you could do it (removing the Merlion's head) and after the head was put on again, a straw could be entered through the Merlion's nostril. It was a novelty and cute. We liked it very much.

Our bill was delivered promptly and was 35.31 SGD (ca. 23.45 Euro or 24.95 USD).

When at Raffles City and looking for some high quality refreshments we would visit again the Lobby Court.

©2015  

The Dean Hotel Dublin, Ireland

When we first heard The Dean Hotel was going to open here in Dublin, we were looking forward to stay there.

Originally we planned to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel Dublin, the former Four Seasons, but thought the Intercontinental still had the old rooms of the Four Seasons, in which we stayed already twice, while the Dean was new and design driven. Following the reviews on Tripadvisor we heard only positive feedback beside the noise levels.

After booking The Dean, we also made reservations for their restaurant for Brunch, Dinner and Breakfast.

We were in email contact with the hotel, asking for an early check in, if possible, and a quiet room.

The email replies were all very quick and friendly. We were advised that the early check in couldn't be guaranteed, but they would store our luggage, should it not be available.

The Dean Hotel is located in Harcourt Street, just a ca. 10 minute stroll from Grafton Street along St. Stephen's Green Park in the heart of Dublin.

When we entered The Dean we found the Dean Bar to the left and the reception/gift shop to the right. The gift shop sold own branded items and other clothing and accessories from a shop located in Temple Bar, called Indigo & Cloth.

It had a sultry atmosphere. We liked the presentation. There were shelves with old cameras and a globe, dim lightning, booths and communal tables.

The elevators were hidden behind the shelf.

The Rotisserie kitchen was also visible from the bar.

On the day of check in we arrived at around 12.30 hours. Our room wasn't ready, though we could do the check in formalities already. Unfortunately we had some issues with the credit card issuer and were allowed to use the phone at reception to solve the problem. A flight we had booked the previous week had been flagged as suspicious and I had to confirm it was really me, who was trying to use the credit card at the Dean. We were happy we could call without being charged and without quibbles. A sign of good service, we felt already at home at the Dean.

Since we were travelling light and we had already a reservation at Sophie's, we didn't need the luggage storage facility, but it is a nice touch.

A more detailed review is going to follow about Sophie's restaurant.

After our brunch the official check in time of 3 PM had passed. We were handed our keys immediately.

At first we were a bit concerned about security. It was unfounded. Even if the elevators can be used by anyone the floors are only accessible at the landing via key card.

The floor to our room was as moody as the reception area. There was artwork on the floors and colorful carpets kept noise to a minimum. Our room was located on the third floor. There are five floors in total, so we were located in the middle. We had to use a flight of stairs to reach our room. The property might not be suitable for wheelchair users or people with reduced mobility.

We had booked a HiFi Room, the category just below a suite. We thought it would suit us best and was the essence of the hotel. Our room overlooked the backside, not Harcourt Street. We could look into other office buildings and a residential area. The Dean is housed in a former office building and has a classic Georgian facade.

The room was contemporary with orange splashes, dark brown wooden flooring, a colorful carpet, a large bed (two beds pushed together, very comfortable) and aqua blue walls with a photograph of a concert and two paintings.

The sitting area in front of the bed was comfortable too and included an octagonal table with a marble top.

We enjoyed sitting there, having drinks and watching Netflix (included in the room rate and can be watched as much as you like without any extra charge) or CNN. There were also regional channels available, but no Business Channel like Bloomberg.

A lot of thought went into the interior design.

Where it mattered the comfort and lightning was good, be it at Sophie’s Restaurant or elsewhere.

Our room had lots of natural day light due to a corner location and panorama windows. The sun heated up the room, but the air conditioning was working fast and cooled the room quickly. There was also a fan, adding some romance.

The storage units were open, so nothing could be overlooked or forgotten. It looked like a large vintage commode. The top could have been a drawing desk or part of a work bench. There were even water rings on it. In one compartment were LPs including one from Sinead O’Connor, called “I’m not bossy – I’m the boss”. A LP player and amplifier were also available, so you could throw your own parties and play the DJ.

Reading material was provided too, a coffee book called American Artifacts, Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce and a book combining the poem/lyrics of Leonard Cohen’s “Dance me to the end of love” and paintings of Henri Matisse. I love Leonard Cohen’s music and “Dance me to the end of love” is one of my favorite songs, especially the cover by Madeleine Peyroux.

There was also a writing desk with a makeup mirror.

A full length mirror was located near the entrance.

The WiFi was free, reliable and fast throughout the hotel.

Other unusual items were a modern telephone, designed like it came straight out of the fifties or sixties and a Smeg mini fridge or a hot water bottle.

The iconic Smeg was stocked with the usual suspects, i.e. Coca Cola, but had a lot of interesting items, like Irish Pale Ale, Irish lemonade, coconut and vitamin water. The Munchie Box was very tempting with Broderick Brothers bars (Rocky Road with marshmellows), Nic’s & Ali’s Sours or Cola Bottle gummies and much more. We took a few items. The mini bar is reasonable priced, for example water costs 1.50 Euro (ca. 1.60 USD). We were a bit surprised, though, because we didn’t have to pay for the three bottles we took. It’s own branded water, organic and sourced in Ireland. We love the idea of going global and local at the same time, it's more tempting than an average "chain hotel" mini bar.

Beside the Munchie Box were cups, Barry’s Tea Gold Blend and a Nespresso Coffee Machine with four capsules.

The kettle, hot water bottle and iron were kept in one wooden box underneath the Munchie Box and the hair dryer in another one. It was a professional Remington.

When entering the room the bath room was off to the left.

There was one large white sink with a black tap, a shelf to place our own beauty products, toilet, a heated towel rack and a power shower with a large rainfall showerhead, white and black tiles and a glass divider with The Dean logo printed on it.

Some of the tiles were dark, honey comb shaped which created a nice contrast to the white ones.

The floor in the shower was slightly sloped, so when taking a shower, it didn’t flood the bath room.

There was another shelf for personal items and a mirror, convenient if someone wants to shave.

All amenities were by Grafton Barber. The shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and soap came in metal dispensers. The size was large. We liked the products, but missed the body lotion.

The power shower worked well – the pressure was fantastic - and the water came constantly hot without any problems.

The bed room was quiet as requested and we weren’t disturbed by any noise from surrounding night clubs.

There were ear plugs on the night stands, just in case.

Unfortunately check out approached too fast.

Our take? This is one of the best hotels in Dublin and the 4 Star Superior is rating well deserved.

It’s a beautiful design boutique hotel with 52 rooms, where the design doesn’t go over substance. Our stay was friendly and flawless.

The location is perfect to explore Dublin or stay in, depending what room type you have booked (Punk Bunks are on the smaller side.), binge watching your favorite Netflix show and enjoy a cocktail or a meal and grandiose views over Dublin from the rooftop restaurant and bar. We would highly recommend the HiFi rooms at the Dean.

The food is excellent and the staff is exemplary – friendly, very anticipating, helpful and good looking.

We are missing the hotel already and plan to stay there again in our future.

©2015

Golden View Bar and Restaurant Florence, Italy

On our first day in Florence we went exploring a bit and found by good luck the Golden View Open Bar & Restaurant for lunch.

It is just off the Ponte Vecchio and overlooks the Arno. We choose it, because it was in a classic building, but the interior was modern with clean cut lines and had reasonable prices, plus that glorious views over the river, opening up the classical architecture of Florence before our eyes.

We were surprised how much space there was, when the waiter brought us to the back, walking along the stylish Bar area, where we found a large dining room.

We were offered a seat with a view over the river, which we gladly took. All glass doors leading to the terrace were open, allowing a breeze to come in. The table was on the smaller side, covered with white table cloth. The dining room looked elegant with contemporary artwork on the walls and was kept in white and silver. Pretty soon the menu arrived.

We had a wonderful and refreshing Aperol Spritz, a bottle of still San Benedetto water, Insalata Ponte Vecchio and a Fuego Pizza. The salad was made with green leaves, local ham, olives, parmesan shavings, courgette and crusty bread. Regional extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper were provided, so that I could make my own dressing. The pizza was topped with spicy pepperoni, tomato sauce, cheese, peppers and a lot of red onions. Everything was delicious and fresh.
 
The staff was attentive, not intrusive, which is always a plus and made us feel very welcome.

Cost were 56.50 Euro (ca. 78 USD) including cover charge.

We are going to return definitely when we are in town again.


 

©2013

AC Palacio Del Carmen, Autograph Collection

Sorry for so long nothing publishing. My better half and I have just returned from holiday. A few more reviews are going to follow. Hope you enjoy our hotel adventures as much as we did. Happy Travels!

We planned a small travel itiniery in Spain and Italy. Our first stop was Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia in the Northwest of Spain. We arrived from Dublin by Aer Lingus. We tried the new pre-order meal option. There is a choice of Irish breakfast, chicken or beef salad. We both had the chicken salad. The process worked flawless and the salad was delicious. The cost was 7.50 Euro (ca. 10 USD) per person and included a hot drink, like coffee or tea. The flight was pleasant and eventless.

We had informed ourselves about public transport and decided to take the bus operated by Empresa Freire to Praza da Galicia. The journey took about 45 minutes. A single ticket costs 3 Euro (ca. 4 USD), a return ticket 5.10 Euro (ca. 6.80 USD) per person.
We had a map with us and thought the AC Palacio del Carmen, an Autograph Collection property, was easy to locate. It proofed a bit more difficult than thought. We asked locals for directions. They were helpful, but unfortunately spoke only Spanish. Mine is non existent. We finally found someone, who spoke English. She directed us correctly and within five minutes we arrived at the Palacio del Carmen.
It nestles in a residential area on the outskirts of Santiago's city center.

The hotel is located in a former 15th century convent. In the two original buildings are the reception and small lobby with an internet corner, the bar, fine dining restaurant and meeting rooms located. There is also a new wing with additional rooms. Besides meeting facilities there is also a beautiful fairly large garden, indoor swimming pool, spa and a very small fitness center.

The check in was pleasant and conducted in German. The receptionist Karel is from Prague and spoke fluent German. My better half and I have forgotten most of it, since we have been very rarely back to our home country and speak mostly English with each other since we live in Ireland for nearly fourteen years. We were promised a big bed and were very happy about our comfortable king.
The room was located in one of the original buildings.
Each floor is glassed in, airconditioned and a bridge leads to each room.
The entrance category room was simple, but elegant and comfortable.
There were wooden floors and beams, the large bed, a luggage rack, medium sized TV, a large wardrobe and a writing desk. The colors were different shades of brown, beige and ocre. Our view was over the peaceful garden.
One night there was a wedding party and for a moment we feared we would be disturbed by the noise, but the soundproofing was good, so we heard nothing. The room's location guaranteed a restful sleep. It was really quiet.
The bath room was medium sized with a sink, Palacio del Carmen own branded amenities, a comfortable bath tub and shower combination, a bidet and toilet.
The bath tub was wide and not very high, making it easy to get in and out.
The mini bar contained orange and pineapple juice, Mondariz water, Nordic Mist, Coca Cola and Coca Cola Light and San Miguel beer (with and without alcohol). Prices were reasonable. The water cost 1.50 Euro, ca. 2 USD, the rest 2.50 Euro, ca. 3.35 USD.
TV channels were dominantely local. There was BBC World, RT and CNBC.
The air condition was easy to use. It kept up with the heat and worked fast and efficient.
The lightning was mellow, but added to the atmosphere.
24 hour room service was also available.

We planned a small travel itenary in Spain and Italy. Our first stop was Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia in the Northwest of Spain. We arrived from Dublin by Aer Lingus. We tried the new pre-order meal option. There is a choice of Irish breakfast, chicken or beef salad. We both had the chicken salad. The process worked flawless and the salad was delicious. The cost was 7.50 Euro (ca. 10 USD) per person and included a hot drink, like coffee or tea. The flight was pleasant and eventless.

We had informed ourselves about public transport and decided to take the bus operated by Empresa Freire to Praza da Galicia. The journey took about 45 minutes. A single ticket costs 3 Euro (ca. 4 USD), a return ticket 5.10 Euro (ca. 6.80 USD) per person.
We had a map with us and thought the AC Palacio del Carmen, an Autograph Collection property, was easy to locate. It proofed a bit more difficult than thought. We asked locals for directions. They were helpful, but unfortunately spoke only Spanish. Mine is non existent. We finally found someone, who spoke English. She directed us correctly and within five minutes we arrived at the Palacio del Carmen.
It nestles in a residential area on the outskirts of Santiago's city center.

The hotel is located in a former 15th century convent. In the two original buildings are the reception and small lobby with an internet corner, the bar, fine dining restaurant and meeting rooms located. There is also a new wing with additional rooms. Besides meeting facilities there is also a beautiful fairly large garden, indoor swimming pool, spa and a very small fitness center.

The check in was pleasant and conducted in German. The receptionist Karel is from Prague and spoke fluent German. My better half and I have forgotten most of it, since we have been very rarely back to our home country and speak mostly English with each other since we live in Ireland for nearly fourteen years. We were promised a big bed and were very happy about our comfortable king.
The room was located in one of the original buildings.
Each floor is glassed in, air conditioned and a bridge leads to each room.
The entrance category room was simple, but elegant and comfortable.
There were wooden floors and beams, the large bed, a luggage rack, medium sized TV, a large wardrobe and a writing desk. The colors were different shades of brown, beige and ochre. Our view was over the peaceful garden.
One night there was a wedding party and for a moment we feared we would be disturbed by the noise, but the soundproofing was good, so we heard nothing. The room's location guaranteed a restful sleep. It was really quiet.
The bath room was medium sized with a sink, Palacio del Carmen own branded amenities, a comfortable bath tub and shower combination, a bidet and toilet.
The bath tub was wide and not very high, making it easy to get in and out.
The mini bar contained orange and pineapple juice, Mondariz water, Nordic Mist, Coca Cola and Coca Cola Light and San Miguel beer (with and without alcohol). Prices were reasonable. The water cost 1.50 Euro, ca. 2 USD, the rest 2.50 Euro, ca. 3.35 USD.
TV channels were dominantly local. There was BBC World, RT and CNBC.
The air condition was easy to use. It kept up with the heat and worked fast and efficient.
The lightning was mellow, but added to the atmosphere.
24 hour room service was also available.

We went twice to the bar. There are nineteen dishes to choose from. A small selection is available during general opening hours, a larger between 13.30 hours and 15.30 hours and 21.00 hours to 23.00 hours.
We had refreshing sangria, chicken salad with cherry tomatoes and sherry vinaigrette, fresh tomato and tuna salad, Iberian ham in a bread roll with parmesan cheese and dried tomatoes and a seasonal fruit plate with green and watermelon, red grapes, kiwi and pineapple.
All was tasty, fresh and healthy.
Prices were reasonable again. We paid 29.60 Euro (ca. 39.30 USD) and 35.20 Euro (46.70 USD) respectively.

Breakfast was included in our rate. It was every day in the former chapel. It can be also used a meeting room.
The room is beautiful with a large mosaic depicting the Archangel Gabriel visiting Mary to tell her she is going to give birth to Jesus.
The windows are high up, letting in the light in an unusual way. The plays between shadow and light are beautiful.
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and juice are self service based. There are a Nespresso Coffee machine and three differently colored capsules (red, green and black) available. The colors indicate the strength of the coffee. Red is de-caffeinated, green normal and black strong.  I had the last two and enjoyed them. They are smooth and have intense flavors as it is expected from Nespresso.
The buffet contains the continental breakfast, while egg dishes can be ordered a la carte and don't incur an additional charge. We tried the scrambled and baked eggs and French omelet.
Juices on offer were orange, pineapple, peach and raspberry.
The buffet is small, but has everything one could want beside fish. There are cold cuts, cheese, pastries, bread, Tortilla Espanola including condiments, jam, different types of cereal and much more.

All staff was warm, helpful and efficient.

The memories we took home are about a very different place. It's romantic, peaceful and tranquil. It can be as near to the action as you like, though. When you know your way around, you can reach the Cathedral and Old Town within ten minutes walk.

It's definitely on our return list.

©2013