Assumptions

Holiday Michael Noose was looking for the confirmation of his suspicion. Mike, as Holiday Michael was nick named, had had an inkling years earlier, when he witnessed a spanking his brother received.

The video tapes his older brother Fin had played into his hands woke old memories and confirmed his believes.

On one of the tapes were some of Mike's spankings, on the other Fin's. The one showing his own spanking after having run away from home and being caught, reminded Mike of something. He decided to call Fin.

Mike's brother wasn't too happy about the disturbance and even less willing to discuss the subject Mike had on his mind. Mike reminded Fin he had to win back his trust after lying to him about the existence of the tapes. Grumbling Fin gave in. "Okay, what's your question?" "Remember, when I got spanked for running away when I was about ten?" Fin sighed. "Yes, I do." "Do you also recall you teasing me about getting a walloping?" Fin could remember it as if it had only happened yesterday. The bile rose in his throat. "Mhm."

Their mother Beverly had caught Fin teasing and made short process. She pulled down his shorts and underpants and grabbed one of his arms, so he couldn't avoid the two hard smacks on his rear. Fin didn't make a sound. Before pulling up Fin's clothing Beverly whispered into his ears. "Your father and I will deal with your behavior appropriately, when he is at home." Fin blushed furiously. He felt humiliated by being smacked in front of Mike and he was afraid. Fin was wondering how much it was going to hurt this time around. He hated that a "real" spanking was hanging over his head like a Damocles sword. Of course his dad and name sake was going to arrive shortly from work. Beverly sent the brothers out playing.

"I always thought the smacks were your punishment, because it was similar to what I would have gotten for the same offence." Mike said to Fin, bringing them both back to the present. His brother barked a short, unhappy laugh. Fin knew Mike would have gotten off with a warning if there would have been any repercussions, which he doubted. Mike continued: "I guess I was wrong about that." Fin could have lied, but he was generally honest and didn't look for the easiest way out. "No, you aren't." "So what happened?" "Do you really have to know?" Fin asked. "Yes. I'm curious." Fin tried to wriggle out - it wasn't very pleasant to be reminded of the incident. Fin told Mike the short version, but Mike said simply: "More details, please." With a sigh Fin told his tale. "Well, I went outside with you, but didn't stray too far from the house to keep an eye on when Dad arrived. I didn't want to get into further trouble for not being available when I was called. Dad was home about an hour later. I hovered near the front door. It took them around ten minutes to deliberate my fate. I was shaking when they called me in and feeling sick. Before entering the kitchen I had myself under control again. I didn't want to show any fear. They reprimanded me for teasing you and said I deserved a whipping for it. To my surprise they gave me a choice. I didn't like any of it. They offered me five strokes with the cane fully clothed, four on my underpants or three bare and also if I wanted to take my punishment bent over the kitchen table or the arm rest of the sofa in the living room." "What did you choose and why?" Fin sighed. He didn't feel like explaining. Another sigh followed. Making up his mind Fin continued: "I chose three on the bare bent over the sofa. I estimated the pain levels would be roughly the same, no matter if I would get three, four or five cuts. I calculated Mom or Dad would use stronger force the more I was wearing. On the other side there was the embarrassment factor. The fewer clothing I had on the more embarrassing it was going to be for me." Fin left out that he tried not to cry in front of his parents. It seemed they were gloating and proud if he lost his composure. It was another consideration to think about. Fin knew he could most likely manage to keep his tears under control, if he was receiving three strokes. He continued: "The decision was between three and four strokes. Weighing up all things, I came to the conclusion three strokes were also going to be over quicker. I hated bending over the kitchen table or chair. They digged painful into my tummy and hips, so it was easier to take the sofa. It was fairly comfortable and I could bury my face into a pillow stifling my screams." Fin swallowed. "Mom and Dad sent me to the living room and ordered me to prepare myself. I did what they asked and waited. It seemed to take them ages to follow. I hated it, especially having to stay in position with my bared behind upturned and my underwear and shorts bundled around my ankles. Finally they arrived and suddenly it was too quick..." Fin stopped for a moment. It was hard to go further, remembering the humiliation and pain. Mike didn't notice and pressed Fin to continue. Fin hated Mike at that moment for his ruthlessness and insensitivity. He was torn between hanging up and finishing the story. After closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Fin had his emotions under control and continued. "Dad told me he would give me two strokes and Mom one. Dad pushed up my t-shirt, so it wasn't going to be in the way. I heard the cane make a swishing sound. It connected with my rear and I felt a sting; within seconds the pain turned into a burning sensation. I winced. The cane changed hands and whistled again through the air. It hit me straight in the center of my behind and hurt like the dickens. I screamed into the pillow. My eyes filled with tears. The burning sensation of the first stroke merged with the second. It got near unbearable. Dad was delivering the last blow. It landed on my sit spots. I started to cry. The pain was too overwhelming to keep my tears in check." Fin hadn't been proud of himself. He felt like a coward and as if he had lost his dignity completely. When he thought as an adult about it he realized he had been only a kid and it was a normal reaction and alright to loose his composure at the time, even if Fin had played in the hands of his parents. Fin felt he had been punished too harshly for what he had done. Coldham put a hand on Fin's back, rubbing it softly. Fin shied away. He didn't want to be comforted by someone who had just caused him pain. It upset his father. Coldham didn't like being rebuffed. He stopped. When Fin had a bit recovered, his parents allowed him to get up and dressed and sent him to his room. Pulling up his clothing was painful too. The underpants chafed, when they came in contact with Fin's stripes. Fin couldn't wait to get rid of his pants and underwear. On his room he undressed quickly, took a cold shower and cried. It wasn't so much about the physical pain. Fin felt unloved and like Mike could never do any wrong. He was angry with his parents. Fin also knew it hadn't been right to tease Mike, so they hadn't punished him completely groundless, even though they had overdone it. It was easier to forgive them. Fin ignored them until the next day, but was withdrawn for another few days. Normally he was holding a much longer grudge and didn't talk to them for weeks.

"Satisfied?" Fin asked his brother after he had concluded his story. "Nearly. How long did it hurt?" Fin had enough of the questions and was tempted to give a rude reply. He was agitated by now and struggling with his emotions. His problems weren't Mike's fault, though, and Fin had promised Mike honesty, so he answered. "About a week." "Wow!" Fin had to smile against his will. "You could say that. It was one of the lighter wallopings." Mike didn't believe his ears. "How long did it take you to recover from worse spankings?" "Depending, but generally a week and a half to two weeks." "What about sitting?" "For the one teasing you, I could sit tentavely the next morning. With others I wasn't so lucky. It could take up to three days." "I'm so sorry." "What for?" "What you had to endure and that I wasn't very understanding most of the times. I thought you were whining too much about nothing." "Well, we can't change the past. You didn't know what was going on. You could only rely on your own experience, which was fundamentally different than mine, and I don't blame you for it." Mike knew about Fin's mixed feelings for him - the jealousy and sometimes hatred for being the preferred son, but also that Fin loved him and if Mike should ever need Fin, his brother would be there for him. Mike would do the same for Fin.

Mike thought Fin had taken the physical aspect of the beatings the hardest. He was mistaken. Fin still struggled with the emotional side. Most of the time he was able to put it out of his mind and it didn't bother him. If the feelings escaped the mental box where Fin kept them locked, he struggled for a day or two until he had wrestled them back. It was no different when Mike hung up. The talk had opened Fin's old wounds. If his parents would have been there, he would have killed them. Sometimes he was sorry he hadn't done so a few years earlier, when his father tried to beat him up. A switch blade knife had stopped Coldham's fist right in mid air. The show down ended with Fin leaving for good, and his parents escaped unharmed.

When he was clearer thinking Fin was glad he hadn't killed them. They weren't worth it.

Fin gave up work for the day. His concentration had deserted him. Fin knew his thoughts were going to switch back to the past - no matter if he liked it or not. To get in a better mental state Fin meditated and started Tai Chi. His jangled nerves calmed down. Fin took a relaxing bath afterwards. He tried to keep his mind empty and concentrated on his breath, the smell, temperature and feel of the water. The past managed to catch up with Fin, but he was prepared and dealt with each memory and locked it away again. Finally Fin felt more at peace. He was glad Frieda, his fiancée, was at college and he had the chance to deal with his demons before she was back. To continue his therapy Fin watched a comedy and ate a tub of Chunky Monkey ice cream alone.

Frieda wondered why Fin was more withdrawn than usual. She let him be, though, and the next morning he was back to normal.

©2014

Miri Marriott Resort & Spa, Miri Sarawak, Malaysia

It was always our dream to stay at the most exotic Marriott. When we planned our Malaysia trip, we saw the time was right to go to Miri.  We used Marriott Rewards points for our stay.

Everyone we have spoken to in Kuala Lumpur or Kota Kinabalu was surprised about our choice and couldn't believe we hadn't anything to do with the oil industry and wanted to spend three nights in Miri, located on the island of Borneo and the State of Sarawak. "It's not nice; it’s boring and just an oil town." was what we heard quite often.

Intrigued we went to KK airport for our flight. A delay of an hour was announced. We used the time to explore the facilities. The Malaysia Airlines ATR turbo prop plane arrived earlier than thought, so we were boarding half an hour after we should have left. The flight was smooth and enjoyable.

As always we bought a taxi voucher at the arrivals hall. Again it cost 30 MYR (ca. 6.95 Euro or ca. 9.40 USD).

At the hotel the taxi's doors were opened for us; our luggage was taken and we received a warm welcome from the door man and bell captain.

The lobby was partly open air and had a tropical flair like the whole resort. We liked the natural air conditioning, the fans and the fountain in the middle. There were also a lot of seating spaces, the business center, the Lush Bar, a tour operator and the Borneo Baking Company.

On the lower ground floor were the Zest Restaurant and the Mandara Spa. There was also an exit to the pool and gardens with the Matahari Pool Bar.

The lobby also offered stunning views over the pool scape and the South China Sea.

At check in we received a welcome drink. The staff was friendly and the check-in process was quick.

The bell captain brought us to our room. There were two wings the main building called Seahorse Wing and the Hornbill Wing.

We stayed at the Hornbill Wing in the Orchid Section. The location was very quiet and when we opened the door to our terrace we could hear the sea, birds, insects and the wind. It was very romantic.

The room was large and tiled. We received twin beds and had a large TV, comfortable seating area and a writing desk. The colors were held in brown tones and dark furniture. Our terrace was furbished with two chairs and a coffee table and overlooking the garden.

The TV channel selection was the smallest we had so far in Malaysia, but since we were rarely on the room it didn't matter.

The bathroom was large with a bath tub/shower combination, a sink, toilet and Aroma Therapy Essentials by Marriott amenities. These should be exchanged by now with Thann Native, a Thai company.

There is also 24 hours room service available.

After making us familiar with the room we went to the lobby to book two tours. Unfortunately the tour operator had already closed, even though it stated they should still have open. While I was on the look out for paper and a pen to write down the phone number and call the agent, my better half met the Operations Manager Gilbert Webber, who called the operator for us and organized the tours we wanted.

He took a few minutes to chat with us and asked if we were going to the Mulu Caves.

The Miri Marriott has three types of guests - business (from the oil industry - we saw for example a meeting of Petronas), tourists, who come to see the natural wonders of Sarawak like the Mulu Caves and Bruneians including expats, staying for a few days.

Mr. Webber told us also a secret. Marriott is going to open a hotel in Mulu at some stage this year.

Mr. Webber is a great asset and a fixer, so if you should have ever problems during your stay go to him.

After having solved this we had coffee, watermelon juice and cheesecake at the Borneo Baking Company. It was delicious and the staff very kind and interested in where we were from. We paid 69 MYR (ca. 16.00 Euro or ca. 21.60 USD).

During our stay we had room service and tried different dishes like Nasi Goreng Kampung, Telur Dada with onion and chili, a Malaysian egg dish served for breakfast, Spaghetti Bolognese and much more. Our in room breakfast cost between 107 MYR and 116 MYR (ca. 24.80 Euro to 26.85 Euro or ca. 33.45 USD to ca. 36.25 USD), while the most expensive dinner was 146 MYR (ca. 33.80 Euro or ca. 45.60 USD). The meals were all scrummy and of high quality. The portions were huge and sometimes it seemed they were made not for one, but two or more people.

On our first full day we went in the morning on the Miri City Tour and returned in the early afternoon. We were hungry and wanted to try Zest. A large group was already in the restaurant and taking part in the buffet. One member of staff told us no a la carte menu was available. We were disappointed and after a short discussion with the staff decided to go to the Borneo Baking Company again.

Enter Gilbert Webber. He had a short chat with us and the Maitre d, not the same person as the one telling us only the buffet was at our disposal and soon we were sitting in Zest and were handed the a la carte menu. We spent a very pleasant time at Zest and enjoyed an Energy Booster, two Natural Beauty cocktails, one Pizza Salami and one Ikan Masak Lemak, mackerel with coconut turmeric sauce.

The spices of the fish dish were well balanced. The pizza was also very good with a lot of cheese. It was yummy. The cost was 142 MYR (ca. 32.90 Euro or 44.35 USD).
 
If Mr. Webber hadn't saved the situation we might have gone away with a negative impression. In this case we would happily return to Zest.

Later in the day we spent time at the free flowing pool. The water was warm, the sun was shining and even though the pool was used by others including kids, it was peaceful and quiet. There were enough loungers available and they were comfortable.

We also used the swim up bar.

On the other full day we went on a day trip to Brunei, which was our second visit to the Sultanate.

When we arrived at around 8 PM back at the Marriott we were told the electricity was out and the bell captain apologized profusely. It seemed it had been gone for most of the day. Unlike at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur it didn't influence the key cards. We could enter our room and it wasn't too dark, because the emergency light was on. The telephone was also functioning. The room was nicely cool, too.

Having had an early start we were tired. I had caught too much sun and felt unwell, so I wasn't hungry, but my better half wanted something small to eat. It proofed difficult, because nearly all his choices were not available. Finally we found a dessert he had always wanted to try, but not managed to order yet.

The electricity was back on even before room service arrived.

Check out was efficient and warm. We received cookies as good bye present. A very nice touch both of us appreciated.

Having experienced Miri by ourselves we can say we like the city. It has a beautiful park. We had the chance to see the Grand Old Lady - the first oil well in Malaysia - and the largest Taoist Temple in South East Asia beside many other things. The city is manicured and very clean. It reminds us a bit about Bandar Seri Begawan.

Before I forget to mention it, the Miri Marriott has also a fitness center and tennis courts and there are daily activities for children and adults as well as film nights.

Should our travels take us to Miri again we will definitely stay again here, because the staff tries really hard to make your stay a memorable one for the right reasons. They are genuinely interested and seem to be proud to work at the Marriott. The resort is exotic and the rooms are in top condition, if not the most modern.


©2014

Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

While planning our Malaysia trip we also wanted to return to Kota Kinabalu, short KK, on the island of Borneo, where we had stayed four years ago at the Hyatt Regency. We thought this time around we wanted to try the Le Meridien, situated in the heart of KK and stayed twice for two nights each - before and after our trip to Miri, also in Borneo, in the state of Sarawak, while KK is located in Sabah. We are members of Starwood's Preferred Guest program and used points on both occasions.

Our flight with Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu was eventless. In the arrivals hall we bought a taxi voucher to our hotel. It cost 30 MYR (ca. 6.95 Euro or ca. 9.40 USD).


At the hotel the car doors were opened for us and we were warmly welcomed. The gentleman at reception was friendly and efficient. He assigned us a nice room on the top floor. It was in good condition, but showed some wear and tear.

Our room was very large with city views. The color scheme was brown, gold, beige and red. The furniture was comfortable and classic in style with a large king sized bed, comfortable chairs, wardrobe and a large writing desk. There was also a mini bar and 24 hours in room dining available. The TV was too small. The channel selection was good with regional and international channels.

The large bath room had a separate bath tub and shower, a sink, a mix of Cinque Montes & Le Meridien own branded amenities, a toilet and bidet.

We enjoyed the room very much and the bath room was also to our liking.

We had visited the hotel for cakes and coffee, when we stayed at the Hyatt Regency for years ago and saw some changes in the public spaces. The Circle Restaurant is smaller now and the lobby ceiling is traditional Malaysian. The gift shop and reception are still to the left. There is also a tour desk in the lobby. More about that later.

The Le Meridien also has the Lounge, Flame, a steak house and the Solace Spa.

During both our stays we used in room dining. Wines per glass started from 28 MYR (ca. 6.50 Euro or ca. 8.75 USD) or a bottle from 150 MYR (ca. 34.70 Euro or ca. 46.85 USD), starters from 22 MYR (ca. 5.10 Euro or ca. 6.90 USD) and mains range from 30 MYR to 90 MYR (from ca. 6.95 Euro to 20.85 Euro or ca. 9.40 USD to 28.10 USD).

We had a la carte breakfast incl. for example pancakes and French Toast, juice and milk for 101 MYR (ca. 23.40 Euro or ca. 31.55 USD) or dinners, like Spaghetti Bolognese, Nasi Goreng and Hainan Chicken. It was never more expensive than 140 MYR (ca. 32.40 Euro or ca. 43.75 USD). The service was always prompt and friendly.

During our first stay we were also invited to the management party. I went alone, because my better half wasn't feeling well enough to go. I attended very short, trying the delicious snacks and drinks. Everyone seemed to know everyone, so I felt a bit left out and lonely. Next time either both of us are going or I'm going to give it a pass.

When we checked in the second time around we were surprised we didn't hear anything like: "Welcome back." It had been only three days earlier that we had checked out. The receptionist tried to sell us upgrades to breakfast or club lounge access.

We refused politely. The experience left a slightly bitter taste.

Our room on the 9th floor had roughly the same size and set up as the one on the 12th floor. It had less storage space, showed more wear and tear, but had a larger shower cubicle. Overall it was as comfortable as the other room with the same view over the city.

We wanted to book a city tour with the tour operator in the lobby. At other hotels, for example the Miri Marriott, the Napasai Koh Samui, Thailand or Kempinski Ajman, United Arab Emirates,  we could easily charge tours to the hotel room, but payment was immediately required here, so a bit disappointed we went upstairs again to get cash. The city tour was 100 MYR per person (ca. 23.15 Euro or ca. 31.25 USD).

The tour itself was great. We had a driver and a guide for ourselves. We saw the Menara Tun Mustafa, the Atkins Clock Tower, the Sabah Museum, a Buddhist temple, Kota Kinabalu City Mosque and many other things. We learned a lot and Jessel, our guide, was a good source of information about the history of the island and own experiences growing up and living in Sabah.

Check out was a pleasant experience. It was fast, efficient and friendly.

Overall we enjoyed staying at the hotel, because the food is high quality, the rooms comfortable and the staff friendly. We have also heard of renovation plans.

We would have only wished we would have received some form of recognition for staying a second time within in a few days at the property and think it would be more convenient for other guests as well to be able to charge any tour bookings to the room.

We would stay here again, but not during our next visit to KK, because we would like to experience other hotels in the area and even try the Hyatt Regency KK again too.

©2014

DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We had heard rumors of a points devaluation at the Hilton Honors loyalty program in 2012 and thought we better get rid of the majority of our points before it became a reality, so we looked for the best value for our points and managed to get an Executive Suite at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur for eight nights including Executive Club Lounge access.

We had arrived the previous day in Kuala Lumpur with Aer Lingus and Malaysia Airlines and stayed a night at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur (Please see reviews for those). 

We used public transport between the Hilton and the DoubleTree. We took the LRT from KL Sentral - the Hilton is just opposite - towards Gombak and got off at Ampang Park, just one stop after KLCC.

The public transport is efficient, clean and very affordable. Most single journeys per person didn't cost more than 2.90 MYR (ca. 0.67 Euro or 0.91 USD) and that were already the longer ones. Average was more 1 MYR to 2 MYR (ca. 0.23 Euro to 0.48 Euro or ca. 0.31 USD to 0.62 USD).

The DoubleTree is located in the Intermark development and integrated into a small upscale shopping mall. Another mall, Ampang Park Shopping Centre, is very easily reachable within a few minutes via an overhead connecting walk way.

The first impression of the DoubleTree was very good with an airy and large lobby in earth colors.  There is also the reception, the Axis Lounge with jazz music every night and the Food Store and Cafe, serving delicious meals to enjoy there or to take away and DoubleTree merchandise including shirts and the infamous cookies.

We were sent up to the 34th floor, where the Executive Club Lounge is located. Thanks to an earlier electricity outage the computer system wasn't working and we were unable to check in immediately. We were given the DoubleTree cookies and invited to use the Executive Club Lounge. It was very large with a few nooks and crannies to hide; it was kept in light colors and offered sweeping city views. Most of the floor to ceiling windows weren't facing the Petronas Towers, but there was a terrace (also used by smokers) that offered the desired vista.

There were also two computer stations for guests, newspapers and magazines, plus iPADs could be borrowed too. During the day guests can help themselves to alcohol free beverages, sandwiches, fruits, biscuits and cookies.

After an hour or so the system was running again and finally the check in process could begin. We were explained we had free WIFI internet access and three laundry items per day were also free. Keith, the receptionist, explained they were flexible on this, so the number of items that needed to be laundered could fluctuate as long as there weren't more than twenty four items during our stay it was going to be free.

He explained the Executive Club Lounge benefits and mentioned we had a special occasion to celebrate - our anniversary. Keith gave us a letter, welcoming us as Hilton Honors Gold Members, which detailed again the benefits, and the key cards.

Our modern suite was very large with a separate living room and bed room, held in different shades of brown and contemporary artwork. The living room included a large writing desk, sink, mini bar, a sofa, chair, coffee table and a large TV. The bed room contained a large king sized bed, chair with ottoman, TV and a large wardrobe.

The bathroom was set up like a Japanese wet room with the shower right beside the bath tub. There was one sink and a separate room for the toilet and bidet. The amenities were the new Crabtree & Evelyn Citron, Honey and Coriander. We enjoyed using them.

Our view was towards the Intercontinental (formerly the Nikko), in which we had stayed during our 2009 KL visit, or towards the club lounge, which was located opposite our windows, below the swimming pool.

The sofa was made for taller people and wave shaped. TV channels were regional and international.

The bed was very comfortable and made it difficult to get up.

The chairs were also comfortable and the rain shower heaven with very good water pressure.

The mini bar was stocked with soft drinks, water, juices (from 10 MYR or ca. 2.30 Euro or ca. 3.15 USD) and Carlsberg beer (25 MYR, ca. 5.80 Euro or ca. 7.80 USD).

In room dining was available 24 hours. Breakfast started from 35 MYR (ca. 8.10 Euro or ca. 10.95 USD), appetizers from 20 MYR (ca. 4.65 Euro or ca. 6.25 USD), mains from 38 MYR (ca. 8.80 Euro or 11.90 USD) and desserts from 15 MYR (ca. 3.50 Euro or 4.70 USD).

We used in room dining once after a long day out and about, otherwise we had dinner at the club lounge. We chose from the hawker stall inspired menu and had Chicken Satay Aneka and Beef Char Kway Teow, wok fried flat noodles with sliced beef, bean sprouts, scallion and ginger. It was delicious.

The Executive Club Lounge's breakfast was a mix of Western and Asian dishes buffet style with a wide variety and part of the buffet changed daily. Some hot items could be ordered a la carte, like omelet or pancakes. My absolute favorite was the Bircher Berner Muesli. It is so far the best I've ever had anywhere.

During Happy Hour a small selection of liquors, beers and wines was served as well as a local and international buffet. The cakes and desserts were a delight for both of us.

During our stay we used the internet and laundry services on a regular basis, which were all complimentary.

The internet was fast and reliable.

The laundry was always picked up quickly and delivered back at the stated hours in perfect condition and beautifully packaged.

Of course the hotel has other facilities too. The Makan Kitchen serves Pan Asian cuisine, Tosca Italian and the Cellar Door is a wine bar.

There is an outdoor swimming pool, a gym and the Sompoton Spa. I went for two treatments. I had the Malay and a foot reflexology massage. Both were fantastic and left me in a state of relaxation. I had the same room for both treatments. The Malay massage started punctual, but for the reflexology massage I had to wait, because another guest had arrived late for his treatment and his therapist was the only one who could do my massage as well. Since I was given a magazine and ginger tea in free flow, it wasn't too bad.

The treatment room was furnished in colonial style and overlooked the city. During the massages soothing music was playing. The therapists were friendly and knew what they were doing. They found the right balance to release the tensions.

We have only praise for the club lounge staff. They were always friendly, willing to assist and go the extra mile.

The ladies remembered our preferences for seating and our favorite beverages.

Charging our IPod Touch was done with a smile.

One day my better half was sick and couldn't attend breakfast in the lounge. I asked if I could take a few items for him, which is normally not allowed. It wasn't a problem as long as I brought back the plates and cutlery. When he felt better staff asked if his health had improved.

I will always think fondly about receiving a lesson how Beef Rendang is served correctly.

Our time flew by and soon it was time to check out. The receptionist was sad to see us go. We were also sad, but also looked forward to our next adventure in Kota Kinabalu, on the island of Borneo.

When we are back in KL this is a hotel we need to stay again for a few nights.

 ©2014

Four Seasons Dublin, Ireland

 This is just a short interlude before I write further about our hotel experiences in Malaysia and maybe a short story or two. 

Originally we planned to stay at another hotel in one of the suburbs of Dublin as our Christmas present for each other.

Realizing we wanted something more memorable we were looking out for our favorite hotels. We found a very good deal on the Four Seasons' website and decided to go for it. The deal included a guaranteed room upgrade to the next category and breakfast either in room or at the Seasons Restaurant.

We took Bus 7 from Trinity College towards Loughlinstown and got off at the RDS stop. The Four Seasons Hotel is just a few steps behind the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). The National Craft Show was going on, so it was really busy.

We had stayed at the hotel four years earlier and also visited for cocktails or lunch over the years.

It has changed quite a lot. For example check in is not any longer to the left side when entering, but to the right.

The lobby has been also modernized and has some daring pink splashes in the lounge for example.

Check in was very pleasant and we were offered another very special deal. We could upgrade for a reasonable amount to a Junior Suite, which we decided to take. Otherwise we would have received a Deluxe Room.  We were recognized as returning guests. We also asked for a late check out, which was no problem at all. Our room wasn't ready yet, so we went for lunch at the lounge.

It was ca. 1.5 hours before official check in time when we arrived. We were in the middle of eating our starter when the receptionist came with our key cards.

After finishing our meal we went up to see for ourselves what the Junior Suite looked like. It fulfilled our expectations completely. The suite was open plan and large. There was a hall way with a large wardrobe, leading off to the large bathroom to the right or to the bed room and separate sitting area, when going straight.

The room was kept mostly in gold, brown and green colors. We had views over the RDS and Ballsbridge.

The bed was very large with a credenza and a huge TV in front of it. The Four Seasons has the most TV channels available of any Dublin hotel we have stayed so far. There are regional and international channels including CNN and Bloomberg, Arabic, German, Italian and much more.

The minibar was stocked with Sunraysia juices, beer, water and other soft drinks.

The sitting area consisted of a large sofa, a comfortable armchair, large coffee table with Photography books and magazines and a writing desk. There was another credenza with a slightly too small TV.

The safe didn't function, but we had trust in the staff and thought it was unlikely somebody would break into our room. Valuables can be also handed over to reception. Staff will store them in the main safe.

The furniture was scratch free and having tested all, comfortable. We spent hours talking and watching TV.

The lightning was bright, which was a plus. We don't like too dark rooms.

The fully marbled bathroom had the typical Four Seasons set up with a separate bath tub and shower, one sink and a lot of storage space for cosmetics. There were also the usual L' Occitaine bath room amenities.

In room dining is 24 hours a day available. We enjoyed hot chocolate, a pot of green tea, a milkshake, a large bottle of still water, Farmhouse Chicken Soup and chocolate mousse with caramelized banana and peanut butter ice cream. The bill came in at 63 Euro (ca. 85 USD) including tip.

There was also a turn down service, but there weren't any free goodies, like free water or chocolate. The bed was made and slippers put out. The gentleman was very friendly and asked if he could also check the bathroom and if we needed anything else before leaving.

You might wonder what we had for lunch earlier in the day. We had two seasonal cocktails, a cappuccino, a hot chocolate, chicken lollipops (messy eating, but tasty), turkey with ham and root vegetables and venison with greens and red cabbage. The bill was 96 Euro (ca. 130 USD) including tip.

After a good nights sleep we had breakfast at the Seasons Restaurant.

There was a buffet with a selection of cold cuts, smoked salmon, fruits, vegetable, yogurt and much more. There was also an egg station and a la carte items were included in our rate. He had French Toast, which was large enough to feed two and me an omelet.

Afterwards we spent some time exploring the "Sculpture in Context" exhibition - the largest and most prestigious outdoor sculpture exhibition in Ireland by emerging and established artists. It is going on until early January 2014 in the courtyard.

Time Out by Ana Duncan, The Fat Lady Swings by Mike Duhan and A Gathering by Maureen Bush were a few of our favorites. All the art can be purchased ranging from 140 Euro to 30.000 Euro (ca. 189 USD to 40.491 USD).

Unfortunately and way too quickly check out arrived. Again it was quick, warm and friendly.

We can't say enough about the warm, welcoming and knowledgeable staff, the perfect condition of the hardware and the excellent food.

Naturally we are going to return.


 ©2013

Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

We monitored different hotels and their overnight rates for a few months, before making a decision and booking the Hilton Kuala Lumpur for one night.  One of our thoughts was that we didn't want to have a full blown KL experience after a long flight, so we had to make our mind up, if we wanted to stay at the airport or take the KLIA Ekspress into KL and stay at the Le Meridien or Hilton. In the end we decided to take the train to KL Sentral and walk the short distance to the Hilton.

We also deliberated fairly long which room type to take. We booked an Executive Room Plus with Lake Garden view.

As mentioned we took the KLIA Ekspress, a fast train, to KL Sentral. The journey takes 28 minutes. Two Return tickets cost 140 MYR (ca. 32.40 Euro or 43.80 USD). They are valid three months from the time of issue. At the central train station we followed the signs for the Hilton and Le Meridien. The hotels are located in twin towers opposite KL Sentral. We left the train station and crossed the street at the traffic lights. At the ground level of the buildings is a parking lot; an elevator leads up to both hotel entrances on the same level.  Keeping to the left led us to the Hilton. If we had turned right it would have brought us to the Le Meridien. In 2009 we had a night at the Le Meridien and now in 2013 at the Hilton.

We were impressed by the large, airy lobby and floor to ceiling windows over the Lake Gardens.


Cafe Oro, the Lounge, Vasco's and the Chambers Bar & Grill are on one side, the concierge and reception at the other side.

The lobby was nature inspired, contemporary and for example the barrier between the reception area and Vasco's was looking like huge trees.

Cafe Oro and the Lounge were understated. The cakes and chocolates were presented like jewelry. All was very beautiful and up to a high standard.

There are also Graze, Chynna (Cantonese), The Board Walk (poolside bar) and
Iketery (modern Japanese).

For relaxation guests can enjoy the fitness center, swimming pool and spa. Massages start from 250 MYR (ca. 57.85 Euro or 78.10 USD).

We arrived at around 09.00 hours. We were advised our room wasn't ready. If we preferred we could have another one with city view. Even if this would have been an upgrade we choose to wait and were sent up to the executive club lounge. After an hour we were handed our room keys.

Our room was on one of the highest floors. It was contemporary and large; mostly kept in brown, black and grey shades.

There was Malaysian artwork, wooden floors and a carpet, a huge bed, large TV, DVD player, a chaise lounge, a luggage rack, a large wardrobe, big writing desk and floor to ceiling windows.

The TV offered international and regional channels including CNN and Bloomberg. There was also a mini bar stocked with Sunraysia juices, Asahi or Carlsberg beer and Tau water. Prices ranged from 26 to 34 MYR (ca. 6.05 Euro to 7.40 Euro or ca. 8.15 USD to 10 USD).

The tea and coffee facilities were Nescafe and Hausbrandt from Italy and Ronnefeldt.

The bathroom was large with separate shower and bathtub. Both toilet and the bathtub were from Toto. Until then we associated the company with toilets only, so it was a bit of a surprise for us. The toilet had a bidet function.

The mirror had an integrated TV, but individual channel control wasn't possible. The person in the bathroom has to watch what the person in the bedroom chooses. In November 2010 we had also such a TV set-up experienced at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.

There was also a weighing scale and Peter Thomas Roth amenities.

Unfortunately we couldn't use our balcony, because the door was locked.

The bed was very comfortable and allowed a good rest.

The wardrobe light wouldn't switch off, when closing the door and I thought this was going to cause problems, but that wasn't any issue. During the night my better half had to get up and use the toilet. Since the bathroom door was made of glass it let the full light into the bed room and woke me up as well.

The black out curtains were very good, making the room completely dark.

The rain shower had strong water pressure and the bath tub was comfortable too, allowing great views over the Lake Gardens, like the floor to ceiling windows did as well.

As Hilton Honors Gold members we received blackberries, apples and salted peanuts as a welcome gift.

In room dining is available 24 hours and offers a wide range of Malay, Chinese and Western dishes. Prices range from 19 MYR to 68 MYR (ca. 4.40 Euro to 15.75 Euro or ca. 5.95 USD to 21.25 USD).

Turn down was also automatically provided and delivered free water bottles.

Being tired after the long flight we went to nap for a few hours as soon as our room was ready.

Afterwards we ventured out to explore the area a bit.

Before we knew it was already evening and time for the happy hour at the executive club lounge.

The executive club lounge is located on the 33rd floor and offers stunning views over the city and the Lake Gardens. It is divided into two parts - a restaurant and a lounge set up. There is also a small library with books and magazines.

During the happy hour alcohol and food was served. There was wine, whiskey, rum, vodka and gin. Of course there were also non alcoholic beverages. The buffet was large and had western and eastern delights. It was enough to cover dinner. There were for example small sandwiches, sushi, cold cuts, Chicken Kong Po and short ribs.

The next morning we headed again for the executive club lounge for breakfast. There was a wide choice available, including Beef Rendang, noodles with ground chicken, dim sum, sausages, tomatoes, salad, mushrooms, cakes, yogurt, donuts and much more. Eggs were made to order at the egg station.

Every member of staff was friendly and efficient. They were also unobtrusive, but there when needed.

When it was time to check out, the electricity was suddenly gone and we were trapped on the floor, because we couldn't use the elevators and were unable to access our room again, since it was working via electric key. Thank goodness the black out lasted only a few minutes, but it had started to get uncomfortable hot since the air conditioning had stopped working when the electricity was gone.

When the elevators were working, we made our way down to reception. It seemed the hotels own generator had kicked in. Check out was fast and painless.

Unfortunately electricity hadn't been restored in the whole building and before waiting ages until the lift was working again, we decided to walk the stairs down. We were accompanied by a member of staff with a torch. Safely on the ground floor we crossed the street, ready for our next adventure: using the public transport and checking in at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

Would we stay here again? Yes, we would for longer than just one night, though, and we wished that the glass door could be replaced.


©2013

Flight Aer Lingus / Malaysia Airlines

We booked our economy class flight via Expedia, because we liked the price, timing, route and had good experiences with Malaysia Airlines on short haul flights in the past.  It also gave us the opportunity to fly the Airbus A380, which would be our first time.

We had an early flight from Dublin to Paris Charles de Gaulles, arriving at 09.00 hours at CDG. It was pleasant and eventless. Our luggage was checked through to Kuala Lumpur, but we had to get our boarding passes for the leg between Paris and KLIA at Charles de Gaulles. We had tried the online check in the previous day, but it didn't function the way we wanted it. We were checked in, but didn't receive any boarding passes.

At Charles de Gaulles was a short confusion - we were sure we simply had to go to the departure gate of our next flight and receive our boarding passes there, but an airport employee tried to convince us it might be better to go through security and go to the check in desk. After some discussions with her the time was running out to go to the check in desk and we headed to our gate. It let us believe, if we had followed the employee's advise we would have had problems later on with the counter being closed while we were stuck in security or something along the line.

No Malaysia Airline staff was there yet, so we waited and when somebody arrived, asked for the print out of our documents. Unfortunately there were problems with the printing, so it had to be done for us and other connecting passengers off site. We had to wait until the very last moment. All other passengers had already boarded. Finally we were on our way to Kuala Lumpur.

We were located on the main deck.

The seat configuration was 3-4-3. Both of us were happy with the seats. The leg room was okay.

The in-flight entertainment system was a bit own minded and always froze, when we wanted to check what kind of meals were going to be served. As soon as a public announcement was finished, the system was working again. Having learned our lesson, we didn't use this feature again and waited until the flight attendant gave us the choice for lunch. Our neighbor had the same issue and was a bit impatient. She rang the bell to summon a flight attendant quite often, which in turn didn't make the stewardess happy having to explain again and again they would restart the program for the passenger as soon as we had taken off and reached cruising altitude.
Another problem was the remote control. It didn't work either, so I couldn't play games. The touch screen on the other side was working fine.

The interior was designed in a way we didn't feel like we were going to spend around 13 hours on board of the world’s largest plane. The red and dark colors were great and the mood lightning a nice feature.

The staff was friendly and efficient.

Two hours into our flight lunch or dinner (It was around 2 PM in Paris or 9 PM in Kuala Lumpur, so you can decide what it was we had.) was served, either spicy chicken curry with rice and vegetables or fish in a creamy sauce and potatoes. The starters, side dishes and dessert were the same for either main course. There was vegetable salad, camembert, crackers, Kitkat and vanilla chocolate cake. Beverages to choose from were wine, different juices and water. After lunch tea and coffee were also offered.

Soon afterwards the lights were dimmed to prepare for our overnight flight. The crew regularly offered more alcohol free beverages. If any one was thirsty or hungry in the mean time, the galley had always something stocked, including snacks.

While my better half managed to sleep for about four to five hours or so, I couldn't and napped for about two. At least I could use the in-flight entertainment to its full potential.

Between lunch and breakfast we also received a snack box, containing a healthy bar, roasted peanuts, cookies and a fish snack.

We definitely weren't left hungry or thirsty.

Breakfast was served 1.5 hours before landing. Choice was Nasi Lemak (Malaysia's national dish) or eggs with sausage, potatoes and mushrooms.

I also used the toilet. The floor was a bit scruffy, but over all it was clean, there were enough hand towels, toilet paper, soap, moisturizer, perfume for him and her and aftershave lotion no matter if it was at the beginning of our flight or near the end. Thumbs up for this.

Time was passing fast and soon it was time to land at 07.00 hours the next day in Kuala Lumpur.

Having spent 23 days in Malaysia, learned a lot and tried a few things it was unfortunately time to return home.

Our route was slightly different. Our connecting hub was London Heathrow. Having experiences there, we knew how it functioned.

As always our luggage was checked through to Dublin, but we had to get our boarding passes for the leg between Heathrow and Dublin at the connection center.

We had again an Airbus A380 and were seated on the upper deck. We liked the experience better, because it felt slightly more intimate and had a configuration of 2-4-2.
As always the staff was attentive and friendly.

There was never a shortage of eating and drinking. The in-flight entertainment system was fully functioning and the flight took slightly over 13 hours.

There were slight turbulences over India, but otherwise it was an event less flight.

We were served two meals. The first was a choice of chicken or fish and served around two hours after reaching cruising altitude; the second beef or chicken arrived two and a half hours before landing. In between we also received ice cream and a snack box, containing the same as on the flight from CDG to KUL. Everything was tasty. We were stuffed at the end of the journey.

Having had a good experience on our connecting flight from Dublin to Dubai via LHR the previous year we thought this one would be also a breeze. Wrong.

After landing we at 16.15 hours the same day followed the signs for the connections and arrived at the transport center, where we waited for a few minutes before the bus arrived.

We had a long walk to security.
The queue wasn't too long, but somebody famous I won't name was in front of us and kept everyone up. The person didn't want to remove his electronic devices from his bags, when finally doing so, the lap top ended up on the floor. They also had an unbelievable amount of hand luggage with them, so it took ages. There were also constant reminders from security to have all liquids in sealable plastic bags and to remove all electronic devises. It started going on my nerves. Finally it was our turn. We were well prepared and weren't reminded or asked if we had anything in our pockets.

Then there was the passport control. The queue was very long and the whole process let me more feel like entering a fortress and was a marked contrast to our experience in Malaysia or Brunei, but I assume it is even there depending what nationality you are...

Finally having all security checks behind us we went to the connecting desk of Aer Lingus. We were wondering what was keeping the short queue from moving. After what felt like eternity it was our turn to have the boarding passes printed. The whole process from deboarding to finally hold our boarding passes in hand took over two hours. It was a bit frustrating.

The rest of the experience went flawless. Our flight back to Dublin was on time and eventless.

Would we fly again with Malaysia Airlines? Yes, we would.




©2013