Europe | That Time Of The Year!

Category: Europe
- LHR Staycation Part 2 – Intercontinental Park Lane
  
  Posted at 3:26 pm by TTOTY, on March 11, 2023
  
  As my flight landed at 6am, I was still very early and I decided to try my luck for an early check in. Previously, Intercontinental Ambassador has a guaranteed 10am check in but this benefit has since been removed (although the guaranteed 4pm check out still remains).
  
  As I was nearing the hotel, the building at 1 Hamilton Place still looked the same from the time I was here in 2018. However, the hotel underwent refurbishment and I opt to stay at the newer Mayfair Floor.
  
  I arrived at 730am and to my surprised, I managed to check in (despite it being a weekend – which is why I was able to utilize my Ambassador Weekend Certificate). Check in was brisk and I was in my room in less than 10 minutes. I was upgraded to the next level accommodation (I booked the Mayfair Cozy and was upgraded to the Mayfair Classic).
  
  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Ambassador Programme, Ambassador Weekend Certificate, Club Intercontinental, IHG, Intercontinental Hotel, London, Park Lane
- LHR Staycation Part 1 – SQ 322 Suites Review
  
  Posted at 11:15 am by TTOTY, on March 10, 2023
  
  2022 had been a life-changing year for me. Gone are the days where I can travel and eat without restriction with only a single kidney left. With my current immunotherapy sessions, I did not expect to travel (in case of any side effects) but after not flying for 15 months, the itch became unbearable.
  
  I started searching around for SQ 26 and SQ 25 Suites availability given that Singapore Airlines will remove the A380 from the JFK route from May 2023. Despite waitlisting so many flights, not a single one cleared (despite available seats shown on Expertflyer)! By chance, I found an opening for SQ 322 on February 10 and without hesitation, I confirmed it (using Advantage Award). It may not be the longest A380 flight, but I guess it’s a trade off as my body may not be able to take the long haul staycation.
  
  Total damage = 225,000 miles (Suites Advantage)
  
  Posted in Europe, First Class, Flights | 0 Comments | Tagged Airbus A380-800, Award travel, Changi Airport, Krisflyer, Silverkris Lounge, Singapore, Singapore Airlines, Suites, The Private Room
- Holiday Inn Munich City Centre – conveniently located within Munich City
  
  Posted at 3:23 pm by TTOTY, on July 3, 2018
  
  Picture courtesy of ihg.com
  
  My last stop in Europe happened to be in Munich. I had a lot of trouble deciding which part of Munich I should stay in but after some consideration, I decided to settle in Holiday Inn Munich City Centre.
  
  The hotel is located just outside of the city centre. I was initially keen to stay within the city centre itself (near the Hauptbahnhof). After reading reviews that suggest the area may be a little rowdy, I decided to stay a little off it. Holiday Inn is just at the fringe of it and it is connected to the S-Bahn via an underground connector. This is extremely useful during winter time and makes the hotel very convenient for those arriving into Munich Airport (as the S8 line connects directly to Franz Josef Strauss International Airport).
  
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  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Europe, Holiday Inn, IHG, Munich
- Imlauer Pitter Hotel Salzburg – Cosy Boutique Hotel just a stone throw away from the Mirabel
  
  Posted at 1:25 pm by TTOTY, on July 3, 2018
  
  My next stop after Innsbruck happened to be Salzburg. The journey from Innsbruck was straightforward, just 2 hours direct train from Innsbruck. I booked this hotel mainly due to its proximity to the city and within walking distance from the train station (just 500 to 600 meter from the station). This booking was made via Prestige Concierge utilising the hotel night benefit (for the 4^th night free) as Salzburg was my longest stop.
  
  The hotel is situated along the main street but it was far from being busy. It only takes about 5 to 8 minutes to walk to Mirabel Palace, and probably 15 to 20 minutes to get the old city. Most of the point of interests in the city is within walking distance, but I would recommend getting the Salzburg Card which includes unlimited use of the public transport.
  
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  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Citi Prestige, Hotel Night, Imlauer Pitter Hotel, Salzburg
- Heritage Hotel Hallstatt – a hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage town
  
  Posted at 12:45 pm by TTOTY, on July 3, 2018
  
  Semi panoramic view from the room
  
  My second last stop for my Europe trip (which was also the stop my other half most wanted to visit) was Hallstatt. Hallstatt is small quaint town in Upper Austria and is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unless one is driving, reaching there can be quite a challenge and costly. Nevertheless, it is certainly a place worth visiting.
  
  Being a very small town by the lake Hallstatt, there isn’t much hotel to choose from. Heritage Hotel is probably the most convenient to reach and is situated right in the town centre (it is very small town by the way). There are some B&B around though if one wants to consider other alternatives.
  
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  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Austria, Europe, Hallstatt, Heritage hotel, Salzkammergut, Upper Austria
- Adlers Hotel Innsbruck – A gem in the Tirolian capital
  
  Posted at 8:43 pm by TTOTY, on April 21, 2018
  
  Moving on from London, we arrived at the picturesque city of Innsbruck. Coming in from Munich via the OBB, the Adler is just a short walking distance from the main train station. This would come in handy for those who have big luggage. Staying in the old city has its charm, getting there may be a little challenging with luggage in tow and harsh weather. It is also within walking distance to the old town (where most of the point of interests are in) and also near to many supermarkets and eateries. Adlers is certainly very convenient.
  
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  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Adlers Hotel, Austria, Europe, Innsbruck, Tirol
- Radisson Blu Plaza Helsinki
  
  Posted at 3:44 pm by TTOTY, on April 21, 2018
  
  Radisson Blu Plaza is situated very centrally in Helsinki. It is within walking distance to the regional train station, the art museum is just a stone throw away and the esplanade and market hall is within walking distance. During winter, the Christmas market is just around the corner. Kamppi is just nearby; where the central bus station is situated in (it is a shopping centre too). With such a strategic location, how did the hotel fare?
  
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  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Europe, Finland, Helsinki, Radisson Blu
- Rovaniemi Scandic Hotel
  
  Posted at 2:55 pm by TTOTY, on April 21, 2018
  
  After more than 3 months in the backburner, finally some time to resume my reviews before my next travel in March.
  
  This is the first of my 3 hotels I stayed in Finland. I chose Scandic Hotel as it was the most convenient, being located in the city centre (with a supermarket directly opposite it) and the price was reasonable. I booked a Superior King Room with attached sauna.
  
  Continue reading →
  
  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 4 Comments | Tagged Finland, Lapland, Rovaniemi, Sauna, Scandic
- London Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel – a luxury that is in need of some uplifting
  
  Posted at 8:28 pm by TTOTY, on April 19, 2018
  
  For my recent trip, London was my first stop and what better way for me to use the Intercontinental Ambassador Weekend Night certificate than to use it on this top end Intercontinental property. One of the perks of the Ambassador program is the Weekend Night where you get a free night stay when you make a booking of 2 nights over the weekend period (Friday to Sunday Night for most regions). Depending on the property, this constitutes a big saving (in my case, 630 GBP). Besides the free stay, you will get a guaranteed upgrade to the next level room. I had to book the Studio Suite room as that is the lowest level room that comes with complimentary club lounge access. For all other rooms, lounge access will cost you 96 pound per night per 2 persons (which is fairly exorbitant!). With this benefit, we were upgraded to the 1 bedroom suite.
  
  The hotel is certainly well located in the up market Park Lane/Mayfair area (the most expensive plot on the Monopoly J ). It is within walking distance to many spots such as Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and Kensington Park, Piccadilly, Knightsbridge etc. It can also connect to other parts of London easily as the Hyde Park Underground station is just at the doorstep.
  
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  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 0 Comments | Tagged Club Intercontinental, IHG, Intercontinental, London, Park Lane, Suite
- Arctic Snow Hotel and Igloo Hotel Rovaniemi
  
  Posted at 11:02 am by TTOTY, on March 28, 2018
  
  There are a 2 igloo hotels in Finland. One is the Arctic Resort Kakslauttanen (nearer to Ivalo, further north than Rovaniemi) and the other is the Arctic Snow Hotel (the one I stayed in) which is only 27km away from Rovaniemi City Centre.
  
  The hotel is not very big, there are a total of less than 40 igloos (of which 5 are family igloos). Each igloo is 20 Sq meter (houses up to 3 person) while the family igloo is 35 Sq meter (houses up to 5 person). There is a snow hotel as well but it is only operational from late December until February. During our stay there, the Snow Hotel is still in the midst of construction.
  
  Continue reading →
  
  Posted in Europe, Hotels | 2 Comments | Tagged Arctic Snow Hotel, Finland, Igloo Hotel, Lapland, Rovaniemi, Winter

That Time Of The Year!

Category: Europe

LHR Staycation Part 2 – Intercontinental Park Lane

Posted at 3:26 pm by TTOTY, on March 11, 2023

LHR Staycation Part 1 – SQ 322 Suites Review

Posted at 11:15 am by TTOTY, on March 10, 2023

Holiday Inn Munich City Centre – conveniently located within Munich City

Posted at 3:23 pm by TTOTY, on July 3, 2018

Imlauer Pitter Hotel Salzburg – Cosy Boutique Hotel just a stone throw away from the Mirabel

Posted at 1:25 pm by TTOTY, on July 3, 2018

Heritage Hotel Hallstatt – a hotel in the UNESCO World Heritage town

Posted at 12:45 pm by TTOTY, on July 3, 2018

Adlers Hotel Innsbruck – A gem in the Tirolian capital

Posted at 8:43 pm by TTOTY, on April 21, 2018

Radisson Blu Plaza Helsinki

Posted at 3:44 pm by TTOTY, on April 21, 2018

Rovaniemi Scandic Hotel

Posted at 2:55 pm by TTOTY, on April 21, 2018

London Intercontinental Park Lane Hotel – a luxury that is in need of some uplifting

Posted at 8:28 pm by TTOTY, on April 19, 2018

Arctic Snow Hotel and Igloo Hotel Rovaniemi

Posted at 11:02 am by TTOTY, on March 28, 2018

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