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Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review – Hilton Barcelona

Hilton Barcelona Avenida Diagonal 589-591, Barcelona, 08014, Spain Hilton Barcelona is located in the heart of Barcelona, only about a 4 minute cab ride from Camp Nou (FC Barcelona stadium). It is just 5 minute walk from Maria Cristina Metro stop (Line L3 Barcelona Metro). We booked one room with points and at that time it cost 50,000 Hilton HHonors points per night while another with cash ($160 USD per night after taxes). Thumbs up: Great location in the heart of Barcelona around a lot of dining options on Avenida Diagonal street Only 5 minutes walk to nearest metro stop …

Hotel Reviews Independent Reviews

Hotel Review – Artiem Madrid

Artiem Madrid Calle Juan Perez Zuñiga, 20, 28027 Madrid, Spain While researching for various hotel options in Madrid on Tripadvisor, I came across Artiem Madrid hotel. It had a good cash rate (about $120 USD per night after taxes per room per night) along with a high rating on Tripadvisor (#3 as of booking the hotel). I went ahead and booked 2 rooms for 2 nights at this hotel. We showed up at the hotel from the airport at around 10 AM. The hotel is in a residential neighborhood and about 10 minutes walk to nearest metro stop Barrio de …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

June 2019: Madrid Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Madrid Barajas International Airport in the morning. We were staying in Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center for the first night. After checking-in and freshening up we took the metro to the city (from the airport which was the closest Metro stop from the hotel). All metro trains outbound and inbound for the airport carry a 3 Euro surcharge. We did not buy any metro pass during our stay in Madrid and instead used the 10 journey ticket (that can be shared between travelers). It was close to lunch time and our first stop …

Airline Reviews Iberia Reviews

Airline Review: Iberia – Business Class (Airbus 340 with Lie Flat Seats) : Chicago – Madrid (IB 6274)

Flight: Iberia IB 6274 from Chicago to Madrid Equipment: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 1E – 1G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 78″. Seat width: 26″ Iberia flies a couple of different aircraft types in this route (for example A340 and A350) and we got the fly the older A340-600 aircraft. The business class still features 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access to all seats. The middle rows are good for couples traveling together while the window seats are better for solo travelers. The odd number middle rows are next to each other …

Trip Summary

June 2019: Europe Trip – Introduction

During June we visited Europe for 2 weeks at the end of my parents’ visit in US. This time we went over to Spain and Russian Federation with a short 1 day stay in Brussels. We stayed 2 nights each in Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels and St. Petersburg followed by 4 nights in Moscow. In the following months, I will be posting reviews on the following: Airline Review: Iberia Business Class – Chicago to Madrid Trip Report: Madrid Hotel Review: Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Hotel Review: Artiem Madrid Trip Report: Barcelona Hotel Review: Hilton Barcelona Hotel Review: AC …

Airline Reviews American Reviews

Airline Review: American Airlines – Business Class (Boeing 787 with Lie Flat Seats) : Frankfurt – Dallas (AA 71)

Flight:  American Airlines AA 71 from Frankfurt to Dallas Equipment: B787 (Boeing 787-8) Class: Business Seat: 2 D & H (Middle row seats with direct aisle access) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 60 “. Seat width: 21 ” American Airlines operates a Boeing 787-8 aircraft between Frankfurt and Dallas. There are 28 lie-flat seats with 1 – 2 – 1 configuration in Business class. Some seats are rear-facing while others are standard forward facing. Bottomline: Seat: ***** Service: *** Food: **** The seat was long, quite comfortable and even though it was a daytime flight, had no trouble sleeping …

Airline Reviews Etihad Reviews

Airline Review: Etihad Airways – Business Class (Boeing 787 with Lie Flat Seats) : Abu Dhabi – Frankfurt (EY 01)

Flight:  Etihad Airways EY 01 from Abu Dhabi to Frankfurt Equipment: B789(Boeing 787-9) Class: Business Seat: 11H & 5A (Rear facing and forward facing seat in aisle) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 73 “. Seat width: 22 ” Etihad operates twice daily flight between Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt, both on Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Business class consists of 28 seats with 1 x 2 x 1 configuration. The seats are in staggered layout with the odd number rows facing the aisle (less privacy) while even numbers facing the window (more privacy). Service started with pre-departure beverage. We chose a refreshing lemon-mint drink. …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

January 2019: Abu Dhabi Trip Report

We spent only about half a day in Abu Dhabi (compared to 3 days in Dubai). We took a cab to Dubai Ibn Batuta Mall Bus Station where we then took the E101 bus to Abu Dhabi. The trip takes 1.5 hours and costs 25 AED per person. This bus is the cheapest option to travel between Dubai & Abu Dhabi. After reaching Abu Dhabi bus station we took a cab to our hotel (Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi). After checking-in and freshening up we took a cab to #1 sightseeing spot in Abu Dhabi and that is the Sheikh Zayad …

Hotel Reviews IHG Reviews

Hotel Review – Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi

Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi 31st Street, between Muroor & Airport, P.O. Box 46668, Abu Dhabi There are a few IHG properties in Abu Dhabi but we chose the Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi for its high ratings in Tripadvisor. Its important to remember that there are 2 Holiday Inn hotels in Abu Dhabi. This is the one that is “closer” to Abu Dhabi International Airport while the other one is the “downtown” hotel (and also called Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi Downtown). Both these hotels charge 25,000 IHG points per night for award redemption stays. We booked direct with IHG.com as we …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

January 2019: Dubai Trip Report

Day 1: We walked from our hotel (Doubletree Hilton Dubai Al Barsha) to Mall of Emirates and then took the Dubai Metro Red line to Al Ghubaiba station (with changing to Green line at Bur Juman station). The Dubai Ferry leaves just 2 minutes walk from Al Ghubaiba station.   After reaching Dubai Marina we took a cab back to Mall of Emirates. Cabs are plentiful in Dubai and have pretty reasonable fares. One of the popular attractions in Mall of Emirates is Ski Dubai (yes skiing in the desert!!). We had lunch at one of the food courts in the …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review – DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Residences Dubai Al Barsha

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Residences Dubai Al Barsha Al Barsha Road, Al Barsha P.O. Box 72584, Dubai, U.A.E Hilton has close to 20 properties in Dubai and it is easy to get overwhelmed by options. We were looking for a mid-price range property and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Residences Dubai Al Barsha fit the bill. It is located very close to Mall of Emirates (about 10 minutes walk due to all the construction going on around it). I had booked 4 nights at this hotel – first 3 using regular rate through Hilton website and last night …

Hotel Reviews IHG Reviews

Hotel Review – Crowne Plaza Amman

Crowne Plaza Amman K. Faysal Ben Abdul Aziz St.، Amman, Jordan Crowne Plaza Amman is located in city of Amman about 35 km from Queen Alia International Airport. While I was researching accommodations in Amman for our upcoming trip, it was rated as #1 hotel in Amman on Tripadvisor. I booked 2 rooms at this hotel for 1 night for 20,000 IHG points each. Check-in was smooth and we were upgraded to a King room. We wanted to have dinner at the Cafe Vienna and it was smoke everywhere and no separate section for non-smokers. We ended up ordering from …

Hotel Reviews Independent Reviews

Hotel Review – Petra Guest House

Petra Guest House Hotel P.O. Box 30 Petra, Wadi Musa, Jordan Petra Guest House Hotel is located just a few steps away from the visitor’s entrance of the ancient city of Petra. It is supposedly run by Crowne Plaza Petra management however it does not appear to be bookable at IHG site. We booked 1 night at this hotel at Booking.com site. I had booked Breakfast rate and we arrived at the restaurant early right after it opened at 6:30 AM. There was a huge selection of items along with omelette station. We were planning on sightseeing Petra till 1 …

Hotel Reviews IHG Reviews

Hotel Review – Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea

Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea Dead Sea Road Dead Sea, 18186, Jordan Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea is one of the 2 IHG properties (the other being Crowne Plaza Jordan – Dead Sea Resort) located in Dead Sea, Jordan. A free night at this hotel costs 20,000 IHG points although we booked cash rate at around 60 JOD(about 90 USD)/night. Check-in was fairly quick and efficient. There is a dedicated check-in desk for elite members. After finding out that Karen is Platinum Elite, the front desk upgraded one room to Seaview King Suite while the other with poolview (partial Seaview). …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

January 2019: Jordan Trip Report (Dead Sea & Petra)

Day 1:  We arrived in late afternoon at the Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea after driving about 80 km from Jerash. It was pretty cold being January but I was not going to let that get in the way of my bucket list item – taking a dip in the dead sea. After checking-in in at the hotel and freshening up we made our way to the private hotel beach. The hotel kept 2 big tubs of Dead Sea mud by the beach. I had read about the beneficial qualities of Dead Sea mud and coming all this way I …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

January 2019: Jordan Trip Report (Amman & Jerash)

We arrived on a late night flight to Amman via Muscat on Oman Air. Immigration was fairly easy as we had already purchased the Jordan pass. If you are going to be visiting Petra during your Jordan visit (and staying at least 3 nights in Jordan total), Jordan Pass is basically a no-brainer. Since we were staying more than 3 nights in Jordan and also visiting Petra, we had already purchased the Jordan Pass online (must be purchased online before arriving in the country). Jordan Pass waives the visa-on-arrival fees to Jordan ($40 JOD). After picking up our rental car from …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review – Amman Marriott Hotel

Amman Marriott Hotel Issam Al-Ajlouni St., Amman, Jordan Amman Marriott Hotel is a Category 3 Marriott property located in downtown Amman and about 36 km from Queen Alia International Airport. A night at this hotel costs 15,000 Marriott points (off-peak). We arrived late at night and after a thorough security check at the entrance we were checked in pretty quickly. We even got upgraded to Executive floor (even though it did not matter as we were staying for only 1 night and I had already booked a breakfast rate). My parents decided to call it a night while me and …

Hotel Reviews Independent Reviews

Hotel Review – Niranta Airport Transit Hotel & Lounge (Landside), Mumbai

Niranta Airport Transit Hotel & Lounge (Landside) Terminal 2, Mumbai International Airport, Navpada, Vile Parle East, Vile Parle, Mumbai Niranta Airport Transit Hotel is located at Terminal 2 of Mumbai International Airport in the airport premises. There are actually 2 hotels here and its important to know the distinction so as not to make a mistake during booking. The “Landside” or “Arrivals” hotel is before immigration procedures where as the “Airside” hotel is after immigration. If you are checking-in in Mumbai then remember that regardless of for how long you make the booking, you are not allowed to check-in till 4 …

Airline Reviews Reviews Singapore Airlines

Airline Review: Singapore Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 330 with Angled Flat Seats) : Seoul – Singapore (SQ 607)

Flight: Singapore Airlines SQ 607 from Seoul to Singapore Equipment: A333 (Airbus 330-300) Class: Business Seat: 16 D, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Angled Flat, 172 degree recline, Seat pitch: 60″. Seat width: 24.5″ MilesPointsTravel Disclaimer: This review is solely the work of Karen. I personally did not fly this segment.  The last time I flew on Singapore Airlines business class was during our Maldives trip with my hubby. Since then the business class cabin seems to have undergone some cosmetic refresh but essentially still have angled-flat seats with 2 x 2 x 2 configuration. Although they are not full lie flat, I was not …

Airline Reviews Asiana Reviews

Airline Review: Asiana Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 380 with Lie Flat Seats) : Los Angeles – Seoul (OZ 203)

Flight: Asiana Airlines OZ 203 from Los Angeles to Seoul Equipment: A380 (Airbus 380) Class: Business Seat: 21K, Window Seat Specification: Full Lie Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 80.4″. Seat width: 21.3 ” MilesPointsTravel Disclaimer: This review is solely the work of Karen. I personally did not fly this segment.  It was exciting as always to ride an A380 business class, this time with Asiana. When I flew Asiana business class last time, it was on a Boeing 777-200 LR. The seat configuration is the same in both the aircrafts with 1-2-1 with direct aisle access for all seats. I had pre-selected row 21 …