Off-season relaxation

Where: Aqvatonic Balneo Spa - Steaua de Mare, Eforie Nord

What:

• The pool, the saunas and all activities there are excellent for total relaxation. (As end of October is off-season on Romanian seaside and you do not have many things to do outside the hotel, the pool is what you need!)
• Breakfast is brightening the day and the dinner is excellent too!
• It was not very clear if the booking includes free access to pool. (I presume not, but somehow, I expected to be wrong. I was right.) May be, would be batter to have also booking rates with pool access included.
• The room is small, but it doesn't matter too much.

Harmony Suites Monte Carlo

Location: Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
Web: https://www.harmony-suites.com/book-a-vacation

It good for relaxation, but depends on what is your expectation. For me, was not what I was looking for:

• Too far from beach. (The advertised 400m is from the back door of the location, in straight line. The real walking distance is 1200m).
• Too small for four adults.
• Only a pan and a small pot for cooking.
• No bed sheets change in 4 days.
• Clean towels but with spots on them.

Conclusion: There are more better locations!

Good relaxation in an almost empty location

Some notes about Arena Regia Hotel & Spa (Mamaia Sat):

• After mid September the area, as well as the location, is almost empty. This is very good for total relaxation but you do not have too many things to do.
• Pool is excellent (especially as you are the only one using it!).
• Breakfast is brighten the day!
• The restaurant is expensive (and wines, very expensive). Likely, there are some good restaurants still open in the area.
• For myself, it was strange to be on the seaside, but not able to see the sea from the balcony.

Booking Referral

If you are booking with booking.com, you’ll get a 10% refund after your stay. And I’ll get a US$15 cash reward too! This is the link:
        https://www.booking.com/s/22_8/eb5e4187

Relaxation on seaside

January is off-season on Romanian seaside, so it's a very quiet period for total relaxation. And Splendid Hotel in Mamaia is a clever choice. You start the day with a healthy breakfast, continue with a walk on the sea shore and a relaxation in the hotel spa. And you close the day with a glass of wine in the hotel's restaurant. (Please note that the spa is open only for adults: +16 years.)

Tip: The lake view rooms are quieter and you can admire a beautiful sunset.

Hotel Laguna, Mangalia

Hotel Laguna is literally on the beach! The friendly staff make everything to be comfortable and relaxing.

There is no view from room I stayed (room 2). But who is staying in the room at the seaside?

Total Relaxation at Băile Govora

Hotel Palace (ref.: http://bailegovora.ro/)

Kaliakria Resort

• It was like end of season: a very relaxing locations, not at all crowded, with pools for every one. (The water was a little bit cold.)
• We stayed in an one bedroom apartment with a fully equipped kitchen. (As a mini-market is near by it is easy to prepare your meals.)
• For evening, for El Balcono del Mondo restaurant it is better to make a reservation. 
• You can also pay in euro (good exchange rate) or Romanian lei (bad exchange rate). 
• The breakfast was good but not at the expected restaurant level.
• The hotel is on top of a hill, far from sea. There is a shuttle bus for nearby beaches, but the hotel does not have a dedicated one, so you have to pay.
• You do not have to think at tips: usually the staff is not giving full change.

Total Relaxation

Porto Galini Seaside Resort and Spa

Hiroshima Airport Hotel

• Excellent location near airport (5 min.  walking, shuttle bus is also available). 
• Convenient bust transfer to Hiroshima (town center and main train station). A return bus ticket is around 19 euro.
• Free internet connection.
• Good breakfast (served from early morning).
• Good room service.
• Nice relaxing surroundings.
• Being near airport (50 km from Hiroshima) you have to consider that there are no alternative to spent your evening/day (except the hotel activity or walking in the nice park near the hotel).
• There is also a small convenience store in the airport lobby.

Lighthouse Golf and Spa Resort

The hotel is a nice place to relax but too far from sea shore. Inside, everything is good and relaxing, but the it is in the middle of nowhere: 5 km. from beach and 17 from Balchik (so without transportation and if you are not a golf fan, only pool, spa, bicycle ride and tennis - and eating :-) - are only things that you can do). Take a room on upper floor, with sea view, if you want a nice panorama.

Voyage

Some time ago I received the following:

Staff of «Voyage» Hotel wishes you a Happy Birthday! With all sincere we hope you reach every success in future and wish you a long life filled with health and prosperity. May this year be your best ever!

Should I be happy that they remembered me, or concerned that they kept my personal data?

Holiday Inn Istanbul City

Located 50 m from tram station Çapa Şehremini (line Zeytinburnu-Kapatas), the hotel has good connection with old city. The room was nice and stay was comfortable.

I do not know if this happens only on Ramadan, but at 3 o'clock in the night, a man with a drum was walking in neighborhood to wake up the people for the morning prayer. At 4 o'clock the prayers are heard from the nearby mosque. It was not disturbing from my side, but is better to ask for a room with windows to hotel inner yard.

The booking should be done on hotel web site: at reception the same room will cost you triple!

Staff are eager to help, but, sometime, they are missing basic tourists' information: for example they didn't know what a hop-on hop-off bus can be.

Hotel shuttle from airport is very expensive (60 euro one way), as you can find more convenient one (for example, 20 euro from www.istanbulairportminicab.com).

Stop at Voyage

A small room, in a very friendly environment, not so far from Zenkov's Cathedral, is what you need in a business trip.

The departure was at 5:00 in the morning. Not like in other hotel, the staff asked me if I want something for an early breakfast. And so, at 4:30, a big hot sandwich and a black coffee were delivered in my room.

An address to remember: Hotel Voyage, Furmanov Street 97a, 050000 Almaty, www.voyage-hotel.kz. (It is a hotel where you cannot lose the time: the carpet in elevator is with the day name on it :-) .)

Bad experience at Holiday Inn Almaty

It looks not like a Holiday Inn Hotel! The towels were probable 5 year old (they were clean, so no complain about this), the windows are not closing properly and the level of noise from street was a little disturbing, decoration pillows need cleaning, despite vacuuming carpet looks dirty (probable needs heavy cleaning for dust accumulated during years). At reception, there are no tourist information about Almaty and vicinity.

When I did the check out I had an "interesting" discussion as they asked for payment for one more night. Finally, after counting in calendar the number of nights, the reception guy look into a folder and without explanation he close the subject.

Despite the fact that I confirmed the transfer to airport in advance, I waited for 30 min. for taxi to come.

Due to flight schedule my stay was like from 1st 2:00AM to 2nd 2:00AM. I do not agree but , OK, I understand that, in this case, I have to pay for 2 nights.  But I paid also for 2 breakfasts, and the staff had no courtesy to ask if I want some snacks or coffee for travel.

A quiet hotel in Wilhemshaven

On the North Sea coast, on Jade Bay, in Wilhemshaven, Beans Parc City Lodge is a nice and quiet 2 star family hotel (so expectation should not be so big). It is a good choice for a commuting stay. The room I had was small, with direct access to garden where you can easily relax after a busy day. As nothing special to remark, I initially rated the hotel as "OK, but next time can also look for alternatives". But the breakfast in the morning was EXCELLENT (as not expecting something like this). And at check-out I even was asked if I want a coffee or something else for the road. For the next short stay in Wilhemshaven mot probably I will choose the same hotel.

Almost in the heart of Berlin

Not so far from Brandenburger Tor (25 min. walking), very near to Anhalter Bahnhof S-Bahn station but not on a breathtaking surrounding (is this really matter if you are there to visit the town and not to stay all day long in the hotel?), Suite Novotel Berlin Potsdamer Platz Hotel is a good choice for relaxation. (Are all Suite Novotel hotels the same? In Hamburg the room has exactly the same layout.)

PS: One click on photo will open a whole album!

Like a home comfort

For business or pleasure, relax and enjoy all the comfort, convenience and privacy of home at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel, San Jose, located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

A home away from home

When you search first time for a Chase Suite Hotel, it is, somehow, difficult to find. Approaching to your destination, you'll see a wide area with many two floor houses. OK, a nice residential area. Where is the hotel? ... These hoses "is" the hotel!

..services for business travelers ...features all the comforts of home... families enjoy suites with a fireplace, two TVs, kitchenettes, plus a complimentary grocery shopping service ...swimming pool, spa and exercise room ...ideal for extended stays and business or leisure travel.

PS: This time the Chase Suite Hotel is from Overland Park, KS.