Holiday Inn Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

In October we spent a long weekend (3 nights, 4 days) in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

We took a long-distance bus [Translink Goldline] from Dublin's Bus Arras Station to Belfast Great Victoria Street Bus Station. A return ticket cost 25 Euro (ca. 32.10 USD).

From Great Victoria Street Station in the center of town the Holiday Inn Belfast was only a very short walk - ca. 10 minutes - away. It is in a good location, neighbors are the BBC Northern Ireland, RTE, a Nando's and a Pizza Express.

The hotel made a solid impression and was well integrated.

When entering the first thing we encountered was a pink bench and a large modern painting. The Junction Restaurant and the Bar which serves Starbucks was to the left and the reception and elevators to the right.

The Holiday Inn has also a spa, fitness center, hair salon and the only hotel swimming pool in Belfast.

Check in was quick and friendly.

We had booked a King Executive Room. All executive rooms and suites are located on the 7th floor. On the landing a free coffee/tea station is waiting, where you can help yourself to your favorite beverage.

Our room overlooked the BBC. It was large and contemporary with Asian touches, for example  dragon tapestry and shutters. The wooden head board reminded us of a tropical island.

There was a huge open wardrobe, a mini fridge (unstocked), a comfortable king sized bed, a coffee table and two chairs, a writing desk and large TV with regional channels.

The color scheme was brown, red, lilac and grey.

The photographic artwork featured important Belfast landmarks we all visited during our stay (The Titanic Belfast, the City Hall and Victoria Square Shopping Center).

There were tea and coffee making facilities, free water and snacks, a Terry's Orange Milk Chocolate bar, a Nutri-Grain Fruity Breakfast Bar Apple and an Acti-Snack+ Mangos, which was replaced daily, even so it stated these were only welcome amenities, a very nice touch.

The Executive Room also included a free movie from the pay per view section per night. At first the hotel had problems with their TV system, so when we wanted to use the free movie option it didn't work. Finally it was available, but we were too tired and the other nights too busy to watch a film.

The free internet was fast and reliable.

Our bathroom was large and completely tiled. We liked the rainbow colored mosaic tiles in the bath tub / shower combination especially.

There was also a sink and toilet.

The amenities were from The White Company and contained rose, Jasmin and nerolis. We know The White Company from other hotel stays and like the products.

Another perk of an Executive Room was no tray charge for in room dining and 20% off food and beverage.

We had in room breakfast and dining. Once we went to the Junction Restaurant for dinner.  A review of this is going to follow soon.

Continental breakfast was 12.90 GBP per person (ca. 16.40 Euro or ca. 21 USD).

There was a tick sheet on the room we filled out. For 3 GBP more hot items were also available.

We chose coffee, orange juice, whole wheat toast, jam and honey, cheese, fruit salad and fruit yogurt. It set us up nicely for the day and was delivered on time by a friendly member of staff. We were glad we used the in room dining option, because the hotel can get extremely busy with meetings and conferences. In our case the heads of all universities and colleges of Northern Ireland were meeting.

Our in room dinner consisted of a large bottle of still water, one Tia Maria, one starter sized House Salad, one chicken, roasted pepper and Cooleeney Brie Panini and a fruit salad. We liked the quality and flavors. The portion size was generous too. Waiting time was a bit long with 45 minutes. The cost was 24.35 GBP (ca. 31 Euro or ca. 39.10 USD).

We enjoyed our stay tremendously, using the excellent location to explore Belfast. City Hall, shopping, Ulster Hall, St. Malachy's Catholic Church and the Engine Room Gallery are a very short stroll away.

Too soon check out approached. It was again very busy and we had to wait about ten minutes. Check out itself was done very quickly.

We would return, because the staff is efficient, helpful and friendly, the rooms are beautiful and comfortable, the food is good and the location is just perfect for our needs. The hotel represents good value too.

©2014

Pizza Hut Bur Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

On our first night at the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District - we went out to explore our surroundings and had dinner at Pizza Hut Bur Dubai, just opposite Bur Juman Shopping Mall.

It was already busy when we arrived, but a space was found for us quickly.  There were lots of families. Take away was also doing a brisk business.

We ordered two orange juice, two pieces of fire cracker chicken rolls, a foot long chicken lasagne and one medium Chicken Lover pizza. All was delicious.

Even though, the staff was extremely busy, our food arrived relatively quick and the order was correct.
 
The waiters were friendly too.

We enjoyed our meal, but thought the noise volume was quite high, so it's nothing for you if you are looking for a quiet time.
 
We paid 83 AED (ca. 17.65 Euro or ca. 22.60 USD).

We would return again since we like Pizza Hut and have tried different ones around the world.

©2014  

Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

After spending one night at the InterContinental Residence Suites Festival City, Dubai, to relax we took a taxi to the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District for our five night stay.

We arrived after check in time, but our room wasn't ready yet, so we were invited to go to Anwar Restaurant and have something to drink and eat. Since we weren't hungry, we just had juices.

The check in was completed by the reception manager.

The lobby was extremely busy with a large Indian group arriving at the same time as us.

After having been handed over our key cards we went to our room. The bell captain arrived at the same time with our luggage.

We had booked an Executive King Bed Room overlooking one of the courtyards.

There was just one window, making the room mellow and elegant. It is a great space to represent for business or relax with a family.

The room was very large with separate sitting area, including a sofa, chair, coffee table, writing desk and luggage rack.

There was also a hallway with a large wardrobe.

The bed was large and comfortable with a credenza in front and a flat screen TV, offering thirty five international and regional channels.

There was also a minibar containing Coca Cola, Sprite, Johnny Walker Red Label, Chivas Regal and other drinks.

The wooden furniture was dark and had beautiful inlays, which continued throughout the room. The upholstery of the sofa and chair was kept in gold tones.

The red carpet had a circle of life theme and the artwork, depicting autumn landscapes, integrated well with the color scheme of the room.

The bath room was medium in size with bath tub / shower combination, Lauf Pro sink, bidet and toilet.

The bath room amenities were by Ecokind. We hadn't had them before, but liked them.

As IHG Rewards Club members we also received free breakfast at the Two Guineas Pub, free internet access, free daily newspaper, 2 PM late check out if available - we didn't need it, since we had an early flight back home - and room upgrade, subject to availability. We didn't receive one, because the hotel was fully booked due to the conference taking place, but we enjoyed our room and had consciously chosen it in the first place.

A welcome card and gift was waiting for us - in this case a fruit basket.

Turn down was done every night and included replenishing of the bottles of water and camel milk chocolates on the bed.

Additionally there was a 15% discount at the Anwar Restaurant, the Two Guineas Pub or if using the mini bar and in room dining.

Beside the pub and restaurant there is also a cafe and Murjan Pool Bar.

The hotel has meeting facilities, a pool and fitness center.

We loved taking the bubble lifts, revealing views into the stunning atrium with a lot of gold decoration and Anwar.

Every morning we made our way to breakfast. The choice was good with international, Indian and Arabic dishes.

The staff was attentive and friendly, remembering where we liked to sit and what drinks we wanted. We were also offered omelettes made to order and a take away breakfast on our last morning was easily arranged, because we had to leave for the airport before breakfast was available.

We used in room dining twice. We had Spaghetti Bolognese on each occasion. The portions were huge, so we weren't left hungry for sure. The 15% discount was calculated into the bill I had to sign when our server delivered the pasta. It was 98 AED (ca. 21.05 Euro or 26.70 USD) for two.

On one evening we received an invitation to the managers reception. We had already plans, so we couldn't make it. We appreciated the thought, though.

The location was ideal and one of the reasons we chose the Holiday Inn. It is just a few minutes’ walk from Bur Juman Shopping Mall and the Metro station with the same name, giving easy access to the city.

Check out arrived too soon. It was done fast and correct.

We were very happy during our stay. The food was very good, the room was inviting, comfortable and beautifully furnished and the staff couldn't have been more helpful, friendly and efficient.

When we are back in Dubai we definitely are going to return to this hotel for a further few nights.


 ©2014 

Favors

Stanford Powell was giving his sister Deanna Maxwell a penetrating stare. She was good looking, honey blond and blue eyed. She was also the black sheep of the family. And now she was here to ask for a favor. Stanford was younger and the whole opposite of Deanna. She was attracted to bad boys and had married one. Stanford thought about the scandal this had caused and shuddered. Deanna's husband was serving a twenty year prison sentence for numerous robberies. To the Powell family's dismay Deanna stood behind Donald and refused to divorce him. Stanford considered to reject Deanna's request. Weighing up the consequences he gave her a disgusted look and said: "I'll take him, but if Philip makes one misstep, he's fired." Deanna squealed in delight, ran around the big mahogany writing desk and gave her brother a big hug and kiss. Stanford sighed. What had he done? Invited a future criminal into his company? Stanford feared his nephew Philip was going the same way as Donald.

It had been a hard time for Philip. Everyone treated him and his mother like personas non grata. Before his father's trial Philip had been very much involved at his school's theatre group and other after school activities. Since Philip's classmates, most of his friends and relatives believed Philip was worthless, he began to withdraw and hang out with the wrong crowd. It was a knee jerk reaction. Philip appreciated his mother and his paternal grandfather Bobby were concerned about him.

Bobby woke Philip's interest in fishing. They went off together every other weekend and sometimes during summer vacation.
Philip enjoyed the peace and quiet and being in close contact with nature. It always released his stress levels.

Philip was encouraged by his mother to work for his Uncle Stanford during vacations. Philip was wary, because the Powell's looked down at Deanna and him.
Of course Stanford treated Philip with disdain, but to Philip's surprise he realized he was good at his job and he liked it too. The rest of his co-workers were nice. It seemed Stanford had only told management about Philip's father's conviction and the others didn't know. Bobby's and Deanna's positive influence and his warehouse job kept Philip out of trouble.

When Philip held his high school degree in hand he was disappointed. His mother told him there wasn't any money to go to college. Philip had expected as much, but it still made him sad. He had hoped he could go to an acting school. Deanna promised Philip a job though, and he could guess where and what it was going to be.

Deanna went again to Stanford for help. This time around he wanted something in return and asked Deanna to clean his home for free the next three years twice a week. Another condition was Philip's good behavior. Deanna vouched for Philip and reminded her brother about how well Philip had done during his stints at Foreman Scandinavia Import. Stanford could only grumble and asked surly: "So, do you agree to the terms?" Deanna sometimes disliked Stanford very much. She already worked four part time jobs, including cleaning houses, babysitting and tutoring. Her family wasn't supportive, even so there would have been enough capital to help her, but she was being punished for marrying the wrong guy.
Deanna's father had told her in clear terms she had made her bed and now had to lie in it.
Bobby tried very hard to help: Be it spending time with his daughter in law and grandson, money, if he could spare it, dealing with house repairs, supporting Deanna and Philip morally or parting with his wisdom.
When Deanna didn't reply immediately Stanford said gruff: "You know beggars aren't choosers, so what is your answer?" Deanna hated begging and had a hot reply on her tongue, but swallowed it. She could rant about her stupid brother later, but Philip's future depended on her, so she replied meekly: "Of course I'll do it." "Great!" Stanford gave Deanna a smile. It didn't reach his eyes. "Anything else?" He asked. Deanna shook her head and answered: "No." "Off you go then. We can talk about when you start at my home later. Send Philip on Monday to the HR department, where he can sign his contract." Deanna bit hard on her tongue. She hated it how Stanford treated her.

Over the years Stanford kept an eagle eye on his nephew. He was torn between feeling proud and dismay, because Philip was excelling as warehouse worker and should have been promoted, but somehow Stanford couldn't bring himself to admit Philip wasn't like Donald. His official excuse when he was approached by Philip's superior about Philip and making him deputy of the warehouse Stanford replied he didn't want to be accused of cronyism and Philip was way too young to hold such a position.

When someone started stealing in the company and also a hole in the book keeping was found, Stanford suspected Philip. When the police couldn't solve the mystery Stanford thought outside the box and engaged a cat burglar Coldham Fintan Noose III, the best in fact, to get to the bottom of the problems. Stanford was more than surprised when his new head of security didn't confirm his suspicion. Mr. Noose told him he had come to other conclusions but needed more evidence to support them. Stanford was impressed on the one side what Mr. Noose had achieved within a three months period, but was getting impatient, because he wanted to know who had betrayed him. Forcing himself to not press for answers he waited for the results. When they came Stanford was very disappointed in the persons involved, since they were not only employed by him, but he had counted them as his friends too.

 ©2014

Mezza Luna @ The InterContinental Residence Suites Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

During our stay at the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City, we had dinner and breakfast at Mezza Luna.

The restaurant was designed in the same contemporary style as the lobby with two story floor to ceiling windows and black and white photographs.

Mezza Luna serves Italian cuisine.

There was an open kitchen and when we arrived there was a family and a few couples already dining.

The chef showed some kids how pizza was made as they watched.


DINNER:


We ordered one berry smoothie, one mango juice, one hot chocolate, one Piri Piri chicken pizza, one gnocchi with artichokes, cherry tomatoes and garlic parmesan sauce and a tiramisu to share.

The hotel is dry, so Mezza Luna doesn't serve alcohol.

The pizza had just the right amount of spiciness. It wasn't a scorcher, but hot enough.

The gnocchi dish was surprisingly light, considering the sauce was cream/cheese based. It was colorful and mild.

The tiramisu was served with coffee ice cream. All was delicious.

The bill came in at 200 AED (ca. 42.10 Euro or 54.50 USD).


BREAKFAST:


Breakfast was included in our rate
.
Cold items were served buffet style with a lot of Western and Middle Eastern choices, including fruit salad, lassi, cold cuts, cheese, bread and pastries and much more.

Hot items, coffee/tea and juices could be ordered from the waiter.

We had scrambled eggs with sausages.

We enjoyed the quality and freshness of both, breakfast and dinner.

We would gladly enjoy Mezza Luna again when staying next time at the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City.

 ©2014

InterContinental Residence Suites Festival City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

After long consideration we decided to relax after our flight from Dublin to Dubai at the InterContinental Residence Suites Dubai Festival City for one night.

Arriving very early in the morning we took a Lexus limousine, instead of a regular taxi to the hotel.
There was a bit of confusion, because there is also the InterContinental Hotel Festival City, but the Residence Suites are at a slightly different location and building. It might be best to tell the taxi driver to go to Marsa Plaza, where the suites are located.
We paid 62 AED (ca. 13.05 Euro or 16.90 USD).

Beside the InterContinental Residences, the Marsa Plaza also contains long stay apartments.

The location was ideal for us. The InterContinental Hotel and Crowne Plaza Festival City were just fifteen minutes walk away along the New Creek. From there it was only a stone throw to Festival City Shopping Mall.

The Residence's entrace was relatively small, compared to the seize of the building. The lobby was also small, but filled with daylight through high ceilings and offered contemporary design and had Sakura artwork. The reception and concierge were to the left. There was also a hallway leading to the prayer rooms, ATM and rest rooms.

To the right was the Cafe Deli and Mezza Luna Italian restaurant.

We didn't expect our room would be ready. We had sent an email to the hotel to advise them we would arrive at around 08.00 hours.

The receptionists were very friendly and asked us to take a seat in the lounge area while they checked if a room was available for us soon.

After waiting for about half an hour we could check in and were pleasantly surprised. A late check out at 14.00 hours was granted without problems either. We had booked the Weekend Rate, which included late check out until 4 PM and breakfast. The over night rate for a room or a Studio Suite was the same, so we booked the studio.

Our One bed Studio Suite was located on a higher floor as requested. We had views over the airport, two mosques and towards Sharjah.

The room was large and had a kitchen, large kingsized bed, a dining table, three chairs, a 50 in flat screen TV (with 196 channels), a shelf, small wardrobe and an unfurnished balcony.

The kitchen was marble tiled and had everything expect a microwave and tea towels. According to the manual on the shelf we should have had a microwave. Since we didn't intend to use it, it wasn't a problem.

The fridge wasn't stocked, beside several bottles of water and the residences are dry.

The TV channels were more than enough and should offer for every taste something.

The chairs and bed were all comfortable and the living/sleeping area carpeted with palm prints.

Overall the room had a homey feel as was to be expected since it was in a residence and was contemporary. The color scheme was inspired by the dessert.

On the shelf was a Time Out Dubai magazine, a directory, a form to join the InterContinental's Ambassador program, the spa menu of the InterContinental Hotel Festival City (massages start from 415 AED - that's about 87.35 Euro or 113 USD. A free shuttle bus to the sister hotel runs every ten minutes.) and the in room dining menu.

The bath room was large with a bath tub shower combination, marble tiles, granite, Toto toilet, bidet and a sink.


Bath room amenities were by Agraria.

The bath tub was a bit difficult to climb in and out. When using the shower the room turned into a steam room and at first we managed to flood the floor, because the protective glass divider wasn't water tight. After changing the dirctions of the spa shower head it was better.

Before napping we had in room breakfast. When I ordered Eggs Benedict I was offered to have smoked salmon instead of ham at no extra charge, since I love smoked salmon it was a done deal. Beside the Eggs Royal we ordered one hot chocolate, one large bottle of still water, one carrot juice, one water melon juice and one portion of pancakes with vanilla cream and fresh fruits. It was all delicious and the carrot juice smooth. The bill was 160 AED (ca. 33.70 Euro or ca. 43.60 USD).

After our nap we went exploring the hotel and the surrounding area.

On the 17th floor were the fitness center, jacuzzis and swimming pool and the pool bar located. The pool is clean cut, interesting lighted and has stunning views over Dubai. We could clearly see the Palazzo Versace across the creek.

We had dinner and breakfast at Mezza Luna.

The staff was efficient, knowledgeable and warm. They were always ready to offer help and services or if we wanted to, have a chat. They seemed genuinely interested in us.


Time went by quick and before we knew it was time to move to our second hotel in Dubai - the Holiday Inn Bur Dubai - Embassy District.

Would we return? Definitely. The location is perfect - very near to the airport and Festival City Shopping Center -,  the staff attentive and friendly, the room feels like a home and is comfortable and the cuisine outstanding.


 ©2014

Balfes @ The Westbury Hotel, Dublin, Ireland

After watching an Iranian movie called Willow and Wind at the Irish Film Institute we wanted to have brunch at Cafe Novo at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, which we visited a few times over the years.

To our surprise the name had changed to Balfes. That wasn't the only thing that was different. It had been renovated and there were some menu changes too. For example there was no longer French Toast on the menu.

The renovation was a success in our opinion and looked good. It had now a nice contrast in black and white, dark chairs and comfortable leather sofas.

The atmosphere was good with a lot of families with young children, who were very well behaved.

The staff recognized us immediately, but they were very busy. They were attentive, though, and always there when we needed them.

We ordered during Sunday brunch four chai latte, two fresh orange juice, one Eggs Benedict, one Eggs Royal, blueberry pancakes with bacon and maple syrup and mixed berries with champagne sabayon. Everything was fresh and delicious.

We paid 55.50 Euro, ca. 71.90 USD.

No matter if it's called Cafe Novo or Balfes we are going to be regular guests in the future.


 ©2014