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 !