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Hotel Reviews IHG Reviews

Hotel Review: ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto

ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto Nijojo-Mae, Horikawa-Dori Nakagyo-Ku, Kyoto-shi Kyoto – 604-0055, Japan ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto is an IHG Hotels property located next to Nijo castle in Kyoto. A free night at this hotel costs 30,000 IHG points. The hotel is located about 3.5 km (10 minutes drive) from Kyoto station and provides a complimentary shuttle service to and from the station. The hotel is also located right next to Nijōjō-mae Station on Tozai subway line which connects this hotel to most of the sightseeing attractions of Kyoto. We arrived quite early around 11 AM and the room was not …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

June 2016: Osaka Trip Report

Day 1: We planned on taking a day trip to Nara on our first day in Osaka. Karen wanted to go see the deer park and me and my parents wanted to see the Todaiji temple so there was something for everyone. We took subway to Tennoji station and then took the JR line to Nara. After arriving in Nara we took the bus to Todaiji temple. There are plenty of buses that run on a loop in the town. The first thing you see while riding the bus are the deer all around the city – in the parks, gardens and …

Hotel Reviews Independent Reviews

Hotel Review: Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport is located just outside the airport terminal, connected with an over-bridge. For travelers arriving at this airport in late night flights or departing early morning flights, it is an excellent option for a one night stay. We arrived from our Tokyo Haneda flight around 10 pm and walked across the terminal and bridge to the hotel building. The reception is downstairs while the terminal level has a few dining establishments along with a grocery store. Check-in was quick and we made our way to the room. The room is fairly small but …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

May 2016: Kyoto Trip Report

Day 1: We stayed the previous night at Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport after arriving late night in Osaka. In the morning I went to the JR Train station outside the airport and grabbed the ICAOCA + Haruka combo ticket. One of the best deals in getting to Kyoto from Osaka/Kansai is the ICAOCA + Haruka combo ticket which costs 3600 JPY (approximately $36 USD) per person. This includes one-way trip from Kansai JR station to Kyoto JR station and a reloadable ICAOCA card with 2000 JPY (including a refundable deposit of 500 JPY). The Haruka Express train takes about 1 hour 20 minutes …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

May 2016: Tokyo Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Haneda International Airport on our flight from Beijing around 9 PM. After clearing immigration, we purchased Limobus tickets to Shinjuku area (where we were staying in Hilton Tokyo). Since there was not much traffic, so we reached our hotel within an hour. Day 2: It was raining and foggy early in the morning and we scrapped our plans to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Building because of poor visibility. Instead we took the subway to Asakusa. Arriving at Asakusa we walked towards Senso-ji Temple which is very close to the subway station. After leaving Exit 1 …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hilton Tokyo Shinjuku

Hilton Tokyo 160-0023, Shinjuku-ku, 6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku 6-Chome, Japan Hilton Tokyo Shinjuku is a Category 7 Hilton property located in the heart of Tokyo, just about 1 km from Shinjuku railway station. The Airport Limousine Bus stops right outside the door of the hotel and is a very convenient, hassle free way to get to this hotel from both Narita & Haneda International Airport. The hotel also provides a very frequent shuttle service to Shinjuku station. The hotel is also right next to Nishi Shinjuku subway station on Marunouchi line. On top of everything, the hotel is steps away from a Dennys restaurant …

Asia Destination Trip Reports

May 2016: Beijing Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport early evening. After a fairly quick immigration and customs check, we made our way to the airport taxi line. Our taxi driver did not speak any English at all but luckily I had requested our hotel concierge to email me a spelling of the hotel name and address in email which came very handy. After checking into the hotel, being very tired we went straight to bed. All the sightseeing was going to have to wait till next day !! Day 2: I had researched beforehand and found all the subway …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel

Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel 57 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District Beijing Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel is a Category 3 Marriott property located about 2 blocks from the famous Wangfujing Street. A free night at this hotel costs 15000 Marriott Rewards points. We had booked 2 rooms for 2 nights using Cash + Points (16,000 points + $130 USD per stay per room). Since neither Karen nor I have elite status with Marriott, there was no complimentary breakfast during our stay. Also the in-property dining options were very expensive compared to the city. There are plenty of dining options within 2-3 blocks of this …

Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing

Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing 97 Jinbao Street,Dongcheng District, Beijing 100005 Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing, a property of Carlson Rezidor Hotel group is located close to the Wangfujing shopping area of Beijing. The hotel has two subway stations within close walking distance – Dongsi subway station and Dengshikou subway station. The Dengshikou subway station entrance by the Regent Hotel (next to Park Plaza) is only a few steps away and gives access to most of tourist attractions in Beijing. A free night at the Park Plaza Wangfujing costs 44,000 Club Carlson points. Since I considered this price to be too steep considering the cost …

Airline Reviews Delta Reviews

Airline Review – Delta Airlines – Business Class (Boeing 767-300 with Lie Flat seats): Seattle – Beijing (DL 129)

Flight:  Delta  DL 129 from Seattle to Beijing Duration: 11 hours 50 minutes Aircraft: B763(Boeing 767-300) Class: Business Seat: 1C-1D (Middle Rows) Seat Specification: Flatbed seat, Seat pitch: 76.0 “. Seat width: 21 ” Delta operates a Boeing 767-300 on Seattle – Beijing route with a 26 Flat bed Business Class in 1-2-1 configuration. I was happy to have redeemed a total of 280,000 Skymiles for this one-way trip for 4 of us. I had forgotten to select seats and after arriving in Seattle the agent assigned me and Karen 1 C-D (first middle row) and my parents 7 C-D (last middle row). Compared to other business …

Trip Summary

May-June 2016: China, Japan, Hong Kong Trip – Introduction

After my parents short 2 week visit in the USA, we went on a 2 week trip to China, Japan and Hong Kong. Our itinerary included Beijing in China and Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka in Japan and Hong Kong.   Here are the trip reports I will be posting over the coming weeks. Airline Review: Delta Airlines Business Class – Seattle to Beijing Trip Report: Beijing, China Hotel Review: Park Plaza Beijing Wangfujing Hotel Review: Renaissance Beijing Wangfujing Hotel Trip Report: Tokyo, Japan Hotel Review: Hilton Tokyo (Shinjuku) Trip Report: Kyoto, Japan Trip Report: Osaka, Japan Hotel Review: Nikko Hotel Kansai Airport Hotel Review: ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto …

Airline Reviews KLM Reviews

Airline Review: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – Business Class (Boeing 747 with Lie Flat Seats) : Amsterdam – Los Angeles (KL 601)

Flight:  KLM  KL 601 from Amsterdam to Los Angeles Duration: 11 hours 5 minutes Aircraft: B744(Boeing 747-400) Class: Business Seat: 1J-1K (Window-Aisle) Seat Specification: Flatbed seat, Seat pitch: 63.0 “. Seat width: 20 ” I knew what to expect in the lower deck of the 747 KLM business class after traveling in it for the first time just a few hours earlier on Nairobi to Amsterdam flight. After boarding I took a few quick pictures of the cabin and me and Karen got seated. I really liked the 1A seat but it only is suitable for solo travelers. Soon after sitting down, the flight attendant came by …

Airline Reviews KLM Reviews

Airline Review: KLM Royal Dutch Airlines – Business Class (Boeing 747 with Lie Flat Seats) : Nairobi – Amsterdam (KL 566)

Flight:  KLM  KL566 from Nairobi to Amsterdam Duration: 8 hours 15 minutes Aircraft: B744(Boeing 747-400) Class: Business Seat: 1J-1K (Window-Aisle) Seat Specification: Flatbed seat, Seat pitch: 63.0 “. Seat width: 20 ” I had booked our return flight from Nairobi back to USA on KLM using Delta Skymiles. I had never flown KLM before but knew that both segments were on the Boeing 747 which featured the newly redesigned business class with flatbed seats instead of old angled flat. I had selected seats on the lower deck because of good reviews of the 2J-2K seats although in hindsight I should have selected upper deck cabin for at …

Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi

Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi Upper Hill Elgon Road 00100 Nairobi Kenya Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi is a brand new Carlson Rezidor property located about 15 km from the Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The property opened late 2015 and costs 44,000 Club Carlson points for a free award night (for standard room and 66,000 for Business Class room which includes breakfast for two) As soon as you arrive at the hotel property, there is a security checkpoint and after crossing the checkpoint you enter the main hotel. The bathroom is pretty nice with a walk-in shower (no bathtub). One of …

Hotel Reviews Independent Reviews

Hotel Review: Sarova Mara Game Camp, Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya

Sarova Mara Game Camp Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya We stayed at the Sarova Mara Game Camp through our package tour (2 Night – 3 Day Masai Mara Safari) with Natural World Kenya Safaris. The tour operator’s website listed Sarova Mara Camp along with 4 other lodging options under “Luxury Lodging” option along with other lodges under “Standard Lodging” and “Economy Tented Camp” option. After reading the numerous rave reviews of the Sarova Mara Camp on Tripadvisor, I was sold and went with this one. Unlike some other game camps, Sarova Mara camp is located inside the boundary of the …

Africa Destination Trip Reports

January 2016: Masai Mara Game Reserve – Safari Trip Report

For our 3 day – 2 night Masai Mara safari trip, we chose Natural World Kenya Safaris. There are a large number of safari operators in Masai Mara and we researched around for a while. We chose this operator based on outstanding reviews on Tripadvisor as well as fairly transparent pricing on their website. The safari representative we were corresponding with (Mr. Humphrey) was very responsive via email. Another option we liked about this operator was that you could make safari payments online with credit card. After arriving at the Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, we were met by Mr. …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Le Méridien Cairo Airport

Le Méridien Cairo Airport Cairo International Airport, Terminal 3 Cairo, Egypt Le Méridien Cairo Airport is a Category 2 SPG property located adjacent to the Terminal 3 of Cairo International Airport. It is attached to the airport building with a bridge that allows for a very reliable way to stay near the airport for short business stays. A reward night at this property costs 4000 SPG Starpoints (or 2000 SPG Starpoints + $35). We were arriving in Cairo from Luxor early in the morning (7:30 AM) and departing early next day (2:00 AM) onwards to Nairobi. I had already booked a …

Africa Destination Trip Reports

January 2016: Luxor Trip Report – Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon

Day 1:  We took the Hilton courtesy shuttle from the hotel to the entrance of the Karnak Temple. It gets hot pretty early in the day and so the earlier you go, the more comfortable the visit will be. After paying 80 EGP entrance fee, we were inside the complex. At the front entrance of the actual Karnak Temple lies the Avenue of Sphinx’s. A row of sphinx’s with head of a ram and body of a lion line the walkway to the entrance of the temple. After crossing the first pylon (entrance door), you are greeted with a courtyard with rows …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa

Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa Fondok Al Nile Helton, El-Karnak, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt Hilton Luxor is a category 4 Hilton property located on the banks of River Nile in the town of Karnak. It is located only 10 km away from the Luxor International airport and only a few minutes drive from the Karnak Temple. The hotel provides complimentary airport transfer shuttle for elite Hilton HHonors members. The hotel also has a shuttle that transports guests along the East Bank all the way up to Luxor Temple 6 times a day. A reward night at this property costs only …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Ramses Hilton Cairo

Ramses Hilton, Cairo, Egypt 1115 Corniche El Nile, Cairo, Egypt Ramses Hilton is a Catgory 2 Hilton property located on the banks of the Nile, only a 10 minute walk from the famous Museum of Egyptian Antiquities (also commonly known as Egyptian Museum). This hotel costs only 10,000 Hilton HHonors points per award night. We arrived really late at night (around 2 AM). We had booked 2 rooms for a total of 4 guests. Check-in was very quick and the agent upgraded both the rooms from a regular King to King Deluxe (with River Nile views). Due to me and my …