Interesting Travel-related websites / blogs

For your enjoyment ..... I will add some descriptions to the links soon, but most should be fairly self-explanatory.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/hotelhotsheet/

http://www.starwoodlobby.com/

http://www.nakedsky.org/

http://nymag.com/

http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/

Conrad Hotel, Brussels

It is a little while since I have stayed at this fine hotel, but I came across a few pictures of it while cleaning up my hard-drive, so said that I would share my opinions with you ....

The hotel is situated set back from a cross-roads, and close to lots of great shops, pubs and restaurants. Actually, there is a very high-end selection of shops located in a little boutique mall around the hotel, including one spectacular toy shop, and another yummy delicatessen!

The Conrad appears to be popular with the well-off of Brussels, as I lost count of the number of Porches, Ferraris, Bentleys etc. etc. that were parked there during my stay!

The lobby is very plush, and does give a very good impression of the hotel as a whole; and the check-in is an efficient and pleasant experience.















On entering, the room certainly proved no disappointment ! A large (comfortable) King-sized bed, bedecked in opulent finery ....




And lots of room to stretch out and relax on the setee or lounge chair too !


The bathroom didn't disappoint either, with Bath, separate shower, and marble everywhere ....

Views out over the rooftops of Brussels were also nice, and this set my wife and I up for a wonderful stay ....

Oh, and before I forget, the breakfast in the morning was delicious, with an extensive selection of furits, breads, cereals and cooked options. Enough food to feed a hungry farmer, as we say in this part of Ireland !!

I would compare the experience at the Conrad Brussels to that of the Conrad Dublin - both keep very high (and consistent) standards, and I would have no hesitation in returning to either!

Berkeley Court Hotel, Dublin

The Berkeley Court is a 5 star Dublin hotel set in its own grounds in the heart of Dublin's embassy belt. It is a member of the Jurys Doyle Group and is within fairly easy reach of the city centre - a longish 20-25 minute walk, or short taxi ride. Unfortunately the land on which this hotel and Jurys Hotel & Towers (next door) has been sold to a developer, and these hotels will be closed and knocked-down next year to make way for a multi-multi million Euro apartment / condo development.

I wasn't too sure what to expect from this hotel - I had got a good rate of 119 Euros on the company website, and was curious on what the experience would yield ...

A very nice lobby and check-in area was staffed by some polite & friendly Europeans who quickly checked me in and I was on my way to my room. This was on the 3rd floor and seemed to have been fairly recently renovated, with both the room and the bathroom being a decent size, and well-equipped with all the expected amenities ...

The bed was a queen-sized one and just right in terms of firmness / comfort. A nice lounge chair made for a pleasant TV experience. Free newspapers in the lobby were also availed of :-)

Breakfast the following morning was a very elegant and pleasurable experience, so I was well fortified for my trip home.

I would definitely consider the Berkeley Court for a return stay if I had more business in the area, particualrly before this Grand Dame of Dublin hotels is "put to sleep" next year !

Hilton Tower Bridge, London

I arrived at this brand new Hilton near Tower Bridge on a Friday afternoon around 3pm. Took the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then underground to Waterloo, and finally a taxi. This was a bit of a roundabout route, but I wanted to check how long the taxi ride would take due to another train ride later ....

Actually, the Tower Bridge Underground station is only about 3 mins walk from the hotel, so that would be the best option to get there, without lots of luggage.

In any case, I was checked-in by an efficient, if slightly hassled, agent who told me that "everyone is checking in at the same time" !! He then grabbed me a corner room on the 9th floor, making sure that I know that he had given me a special room !

The room indeed was nice - much larger than the typical London hotel room, and everything was new (and working perfectly!). Flat panel TV, but with only 7-8 channels; WiFi, and modern furniture & decorations.

Staff were very pleasant, and concierge helpful. Executive Lounge was well-appointed with just enough room for the number of people that wanted to use it.... I was allowed access as a Hilton Diamond member, even though there has been some variability recently in access to the lounge for those not on paid Executive Floor rates. In any case, this wasn't an issue for me :-).

Two internet-enabled PCs in the lounge also made my visit productive, even if the speed of the connection was less than what one would expect from DSL.

All in all, a very good stay at this property. I would certainly return if I needed to be in the area again. Rates were a reasonable (for London!) £100 ish including VAT.

Radisson SAS Style Hotel, Vienna

Only because my usual Hilton / Starwood properties were all priced well over €200 per night did I look at the Radisson SAS Style – and I am glad I did!

Centrally located in Herrengasse, within walking distance of many good restaurants, wine bars, and the obligatory Irish pubs, “The Style” certainly lived up to its name….

Right from my arrival in a very “mod” lobby, this hotel exudes a modern, relaxed atmosphere. The staff is bilingual English / German, and friendly, and the rooms (of which there are only 70 or so) are a good size, and well-appointed. Free WiFi and a free (small) Mini-bar complete the package at this hotel.

I did not use the Fitness room in the basement, although I visited it on my arrival, and intended to do so the following morning – the extra 30 mins sleep won hands down though! The basement contained about 6 or 7 pieces of new-ish equipment and the sauna area was also attached to the gym.

About a €10 and 10 min taxi-ride from the CAT (City-Air-Train) station, this hotel comes highly recommended from me, for a business or a leisure stay in Vienna!

http://www.radissonsas.com/

Tyler Brule, Financial Times Weekender

A little “off the wall”, but this guy really brightens up my weekend – people either love him or hate him, and I am one of the former …..

What does Tyler do? Well, he writes a column in the Weekend Travel section of the Financial Times on a Saturday. Not just any old column though – he pontificates about the global travel experience, high-end brands and consumerism, Sweden, and Japan!

His love for all things Swedish, Japanese or generally high-end and “minimalist” is well-documented, and he gives his weekly sermon from the “pulpit” of his FT column. I look forward to it every week, as I am generally transported to a faraway place through his musings – check him out on www.ft.com/brule

Veselka Ukranian Diner, New York

It's quite a while since I have eaten at one of my favourite little gems in the East Village, but on my recent trip to NYC, I walked right by Veselka, so let me tell you about it ...

Zagat, Time Out and New York Magazine all rate this 24 hour cafe very highly - "Borscht, whether hot or cold, is hot these days, as a culinary glasnost, heralded by Pravda and promises of the revamped Russian Tea Room, has overtaken the city. But the best borscht happens to be found at an old standby, the 24-hour Ukrainian cafe where chef Malgorzata Sibilska gets the balance of sweet and sour just right. For 43 years, owner Tom Birchard insists, Veselka’s three renditions of the electric-magenta fare have been made from scratch, even when the going rate for good beets skyrockets and others use bottled ones. A hot, “Ukrainian borscht,” Eastern Europe’s answer to minestrone is a menu staple. Traditional Eastern European “Christmas borscht,” with mushroom dumplings, and a cold vegetarian version that “looks tike paint,” with cucumber, sour cream, and optional sliced egg, are served seasonally."

I personally love a weekend lunchtime at Veselka - the atmosphere is "buzzy" and I love the Pierogi - Ukranian dumplings stuffed with meat and/or vegetables and then boiled or fried, are just scrumtious ! Desserts aren't half bad too ! Be ready to wait when things are busy, but believe me, it's worth it !

Fishy Fishy Cafe, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland

My first recommendation is neither far nor distant from me, but I wanted to be sure that my favourite restaurant in Ireland was in prime position on this blog! Well, it's actually restaurant(s), but more on that later .....

Fishy Fishy - so good they named it twice - is one of those places that you love and admire big time. Whats to love? The freshest fish cooked with true culinary acumen, the most lipsmacking shellfish and the best salads and desserts. All their fish is caught locally, from lobster, crab, crayfish to cod, monkfish, john dory and haddock.

They don't do meat: they don't need to. This restaurant is so radical, you can't book a table.

Opening hours

March - November: 7 days a week 12-4pm - later hours in summer, until 5ish

Rest of year: 6 days a week (Mon-Sat) 9am-6pm

STOP PRESS: Fishy Fishy 2 has recently opened in the former Kent Gallery, near the Marina in Kinsale - to cope with exponential demand, Martin & Marie have opened another location in Kinsale, with the same excellent service and ingredients ..... And it's now almost as busy as the original ! Stop by (early) on a sunny day to take some of the outdoor seats under the canopy, and have a long, lazy lunch of delicious cuisine, superb wines and a relaxed ambiance - ohhhh, the world is such a wonderful place .....

The First Post !

Well, it's Monday morning here in Ireland, and our Bank Holiday weekend, so I'm on holiday. I've been meaning to start a travel blog for some time now, so here goes !

The purpose of this blog will be to create a diary of my travels, together with some hints & tips that I have picked up along the way ..... I will also dive back into my own photo and memory archives to publish some interesting bits about destinations that I particularly enjoy, together with the best ways to get there.

I must admit that I have been spoiled by travelling in Business (and even First!) class longhaul on occasions, so I desire a champagne lifestyle, with unfortunately a beer budget ;-). My hotel and resort experiences generally are good mid-range 4-star properties and I do enjoy finding particularly good value in such properties across the globe.

Anyway, enough of my rambling - let's get this blog on the road (or on the web!), and I will begin adding to it over the next few days.

Methinks that this will be a bit like golf - once you start, it may become very addictive!

Welcome to my world!

John P