Travel plan idea blog

Fact or fiction: hotel key cards put you at risk for identity theft?

So someone I know too well to stop accepting email from forwarded this to me:

HOTEL KEY CARDS

Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?

Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!

When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.

Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.

But until the ca rd is rewri tten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially thr ough the electronic information strip!

If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.

Information courtesy of: Pasadena Police Department

I did a little research, and according to the Pasadena police department, "it would appear that no hotels engage in the practice of storing personal information on key cards."

So don't bother bringing little magnets or scissors with you to destroy hotel key cards. And remember not to believe every email someone forwards you...

Novelty hotels

This article was an interesting one with some cool sounding hotels. They mention Das Park Hotel, built in "9-ton, cement drainage pipes in a public park on the banks of the Danube River at Ottensheim, upriver from the historic city of Linz." Sounds pretty weird, right? And they say you pay whatever you feel like paying - very weird!

The article has a picture of a B&B in Idaho shaped like a dog. Another weird one! Until I read this article, I though hotels in trees and the MIT hotel were weird.

New York’s Plaza Hotel reopens

One of the most famous hotels in the world recently reopened after a $400 million renovation scheme. New York’s Plaza Hotel occupies an enviable position at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, in the heart of Manhattan.

The Plaza also has the distinction of probably having appeared in more movies than any other hotel. Alfred Hitchcock filmed several scenes from “North by Northwest” in the hotel – one of the first occasions that a director and cast assembled on site, rather than in a studio.

The Plaza also features in “The Way we were”, “Crocodile Dundee” and “Plaza Suite”. And who can forget McCauley Culkin enjoying the amenities of the Plaza Hotel in “Home Alone 2”? For other movies that may inspire you to travel, Budget Travel has a list of movies of 2007 that will most inspire you to pack a bag and go somewhere.

Not surprisingly, rooms at the Plaza aren’t cheap – rooms start at around $800 – and it is considered to be one of the most expensive hotels in the world. A night in the Presidential Suite will set you back around $15,000. The suite includes five bedrooms, several fireplaces and the services of your own personal butler.

A less expensive option than sleeping at the Plaza is to take afternoon tea in the famous Palm Court. Afternoon tea costs from between $60 to $100 – the more expensive option includes lobster, caviar and black truffle. I treated myself to afternoon tea at the Ritz Hotel in London a few years ago. It’s a great experience – of course, you aren’t really paying for the tea, but the atmosphere and the service.

You can find more affordably priced tea rooms across the United States at teamap.com.

Guest entry by Mancunian

Which new resort would you most like to visit?

This article starts with the Tides Zihuatanejo, Mexico and ends with the Agua Resort, Dominican Republic (near Punta Cana actually).

I think I would choose Azura, Mozambique. At $450/night it is expensive but not retirement-plan-breaking. And everything here sounds great, except for the fishing:

The resort focuses on fresh local cuisine, and guests can choose to eat in their villa, on a dock or under a palm tree. The island's big draw is its population of endangered sea cows, and the hotel offers excursions to view these gentle creatures. Visitors can help to protect and release the turtles from their nests on the island's shores, or spend their days sailing to deserted beaches or big game fishing.

Sea cows and turtles? Awesome!

Second place goes to Evason Hideaway Six Senses, Yao Noi, Thailand (if I wasn't worried about spending $1,000/night). Seeing the limestone rocks of Phang Nga Bay, made famous in the James Bond film Man with a Golden Gun and having picnics on nearby beaches sounds nice and relaxing. I'm not so sure aboutt he rock climbing but if they offer lessons I would have a try - it must be a good workout.

Banyan Tree, Maldives, Madivaru sounds even more unique (your room is a group of 3 tents) but at $4,000/night it's more out of reach than the Thailand one.

Resort insists upon Nudity!

Most topless or nudist resorts give you the option of keeping your clothes on or taking them off, as understandably, not everybody likes to go topless. But the Hidden Beach Resort, located on the Riviera Maya near Cancun insists that its guests are naked – at least some of the time.

A concierge (who apparently wears clothes) at the resort has the perhaps enviable job of wandering around the resort grounds and instructing people to remove their clothes. I wonder how he or she knows that someone hasn’t already been naked and just wants to cover up
for a while?

The resort claims that this policy discourages participation, avoids embarrassment and also prevents people from coming in just to watch. I suppose it’s also somewhat difficult to steal things from the hotel rooms if you aren’t wearing any clothes.

Being able to go topless or take it off altogether seems to be increasingly important – a survey indicated that most vacationers thought that access to nude recreation was more important than being able to play golf and tennis. Here’s a list of the “10 Great Destinations to go Topless” according to USA Today. Most are in predictable vacation spots such as Hawaii, the South of France and the Caribbean, but beaches in New Jersey and Vancouver, Canada also made it on to the list.

And nude sleepwalking in hotels is also something of a problem in the UK, according to this article. As far as I know, I have never done that, but now I’m worried that the staff just didn’t
tell me...

Guest entry by Mancunian

Home exchange news article with interview

This is another article on home exchange, but in addition to the same old stuff I did read a few things for the first time with this one.

"Think of house swapping like internet dating for your house," suggests homexchange.com, which, like others, helps home traders connect but leaves the exchange details up to them. "You wouldn't go on a date if you didn't feel a connection, the same goes for home exchange."

They also mention hospitality exchange / couch surfing.

At the bottom, there's an interview with Helen Bergstein of Digsville.com. She says that housekeeping often determines the success of a home exchange.

Hyatt Regency Tamaya near Santa Fe

This article about the Hyatt Regency Tamaya doesn't really capture the experience of staying there but it does describe the hotel and how it works with the local Native Americans. It makes me somewhat curious - I'd certainly like to check it out.

I guess it is as close to an authentic cultural experience you can get at a Hyatt. This old blog entry might be related - I was reminded of it...

If anyone has some vacation ideas that really allow travelers to experience Native American culture, please comment here or email me - jtrotta@gmail.com

Beatles themed hotel opens in Liverpool, UK

After many years of effort, a Beatles themed hotel has just opened in Liverpool, the birthplace of course, of the Fab Four. The hotel is rather aptly named “A Hard Day’s Night” and features Beatle motifs and music playing constantly in the public areas – although the hotel assures the music won’t be too loud!

The hotel also boasts rare photos of the group on the walls and a “Yellow Submarine” jukebox in the lobby – one of only a thousand in existence, apparently.

The hotel is situated on the edge of a neighborhood in the center of Liverpool which is known as the Cavern Quarter and is the site of the famous club where the Beatles used to play. The three concierges who work at the hotel hold the key to the city, meaning that they are a good source of local knowledge.

Liverpool is also celebrating its role as European city of Culture this year. Cities that have had this title in past years include Madrid, Paris and Florence. The city has dozens of concerts, festivals and other attractions happening throughout the year.

The rooms at the hotel aren’t cheap – they start at around $340 a night and the John Lennon penthouse suite costs around $1,300 a night. Although that’s still quite a bargain compared to some of the most expensive hotel rooms in the world. And I would imagine that any Beatles fan staying in the hotel would find it quite hard to resist the temptation to take something with them from the hotel room. I would take the Yellow submarine jukebox if I could figure a way to sneak it out of there...

And following on from a post about stealing from hotel rooms, items from cruise ships are in high demand as well, as this article points out.

Guest entry by Mancunian

Hitler hotel room / Don’t even think of stealing that ashtray!

It’s probably something we have all done on at least one occasion – taken an ashtray, towel or some other item from a hotel room. Theft from hotel rooms costs around $100 million every year, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

To some extent, the hotel chains don’t mind the theft of small items such as washcloths, toiletries and ashtrays as it often gives them free advertising. Apparently, washcloths are the most popular item to steal. I always take any pads of paper, envelopes and pens, as I know that I will use them, and I assume they are there to be used or taken away.

But some thefts are clearly completely over the top – a man was able to remove an entire marble fireplace from the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel; and a couple somehow managed to load up a U-Haul in the middle of the night with every piece of furniture from their Holiday Inn room.

And some hotels have had so many items taken from their rooms that they are offering a “no questions asked” amnesty in an effort to have some or all of the items returned. The Peabody Hotel in Memphis and the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, as well as Washington’s exclusive Mayflower Hotel have all requested items to be returned. The most “in demand” items at the Mayflower are wine glasses etched with the hotel’s name.

And there seems to be different opinions on the Gideon’s Bible that you find in most hotel rooms – some people think it’s OK to take that with you; some people consider it to be stealing.

I expect people will be tempted to take items from the “Hitler Room” - one of the rooms in a new hotel in Belgrade, Serbia. The luxurious rooms are all named after world leaders, such as George Bush, Fidel Castro and Margaret Thatcher. The Hitler room is very reasonably priced at around $200 – compared to around $500 a night for the President Tito suite. It is also in high demand – apparently the room is booked through sometime in 2009.

Here’s your chance to confess – what have you taken from a hotel room?

Guest entry by Mancunian

And me again (not Mancunian) - this reminded me of the hotel we stayed in while we were in Zurich. They said they used to have a DVD player in every room but they kept getting stolen. Now only the 3 suites have DVD players...

Liberty Hotel Boston

While a little over $5,000 a night doesn't compete with some of the world's most expensive hotels, I probably won't be staying in the new Liberty Hotel in Boston any time soon. It could have an interesting theme though since it used to be a maximum security prison.

However, since the makeover (I gather) has pretty much wiped away the past the the fact that it used to be a prison seems kind of meaningless. I've never been there but it sounds like Liberty Hotel is just another luxury hotel - fancy but nothing special. If anyone checks it out, do let us know what you think.

What to look for in all-inclusive packages

Here's an article that should be common sense but has a message worth repeating - know what's included with your all-inclusive package. A Club Med spokesperson is quoted saying something about shopping for value rather than the lowest possible price.

There are a list of things that are sometimes not included: certain beverages, restaurants, transportation to and from the airport, etc.

If you haven't seen it already, you might be interested in my recent all-inclusive experience in Punta Cana.

Gladiator training at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton

It's not too often that a travel article makes me laugh, but this one did. Just keep in mind that gladiator training isn't cheap these days, especially at the Rome Cavalieri Hilton where travelers get to do this instead of wandering around Rome:

...a two-hour fitness session on its 15-acre grounds. Participants don full gladiator garb, including tunic, belt and sandals, then start learning combat moves with a rudis, or wooden training sword...

I'm not sure if they have gladiator training for kids, and we didn't ask in our questions about Rome with kids entry (which by the way I submitted to the author and am waiting for a response).

Related entries: Rome and Venice hotel experiences
Trevi Fountain picture

Grunberg Haus: B&B in Vermont

Overview: I recommend Grunberg Haus for people who have a reason to go to Vermont. It sounds cryptic, but it really depends on the season. In the Fall you might go for Autumn leaves and hiking, in Winter it could be skiing or snow shoeing, In Spring or Summer I suppose it might be hiking or just nice trips to places like Burlington and Stowe for shopping or whatever.

Anyway, if you find yourself looking for a place to stay in Waterbury, Vermont for whatever reason, I feel that Grunberg Haus is a good choice. Here's my experience:

After my sister's wedding in Boston my wife and I took my parents to Vermont to help them unwind, celebrate, whatever. So it was my wife and I, my parents, and their dog.

So when we arrived my father asked how strict they were about the rules (the rules are pretty strict). My father explained that we had a crate but preferred to let Eagle (our dog) wander around the room even while we were out. We promised he would stay off the furniture and that if there were a problem we'd pay for any damage.

The owner said he trusted us and we left the crate in the car. I'm not promising that they'll make exceptions in the future, so if you're bringing your dog, bring a crate.

Now dogs are not allowed in the main B&B - they are allowed in the three cabins that close for winter in mid-October. Jeff, the owner, showed us to the cabin which was a bit of a hike for my parents so we decided that my wife and I would stay in the cabin with the dog, while my parents stayed in the main building.

The cabin was rustic but nice. Heat came from a wood burning stove or an electric space heater. The stove was small but I still managed to get a hot fire going that had my wife up all night (angry with me) and Eagle up all night panting. We could have opened the windows, but my wife hates the possibility of a few bugs more than extreme heat so we kept the windows closed. There were screens.

There was no phone or TV, something I think is refreshing. Cell phone reception is spotty at best. The floors and rugs in the cabins are swept but not vacuumed (I think) so the carpet was a bit dirty. My wife and I weren't bothered and the sheets and quilts and things were nice and clean.

The cabins are right near some trails in the woods, which Eagle loved. Jeff told us that people often comment on how much their dogs enjoy the woods. Dogs should be kept leashed, obviously. You don't want your dog chasing a squirrel or deer deep into the forest or going after one of the free-range chickens at Grunberg Haus.

The room in the main house was also nice, with no TV or phone (there is a phone in the main building - bring a calling card for long distance). The main building is set up with WiFi so you can get internet access. As you can tell from the few days of missing blog entries I chose no phones, no TV, and no internet. Hey, it's a vacation.

Grunberg Haus has a nice, cozy atmosphere. There's a game room with a fridge that has free apple cider plus you can make instant coffee or hot chocolate. You can also put your own food in the fridge. There's also a large fireplace that must be really wonderful in winter. There was no need for a fire while we were there, but people sat around the living room on chairs and couches chatting and drinking wine. I think there was some liquor (maybe cognac) free for people to drink.

If you're looking for a modern hotel, Grunberg haus may not be for you. The carpet on the main floor looks somewhat old, some rooms don't have private bathrooms (we paid for one that did), and there's the no phone / no TV thing.

Breakfast was good. One day we had apple sauce pancakes and the other day baked French toast. Everyone was full after breakfast, but we were all surprised that we weren't asked if we wanted more food. I'm not sure (forgot to ask) if guests who want seconds are fed as much as they can eat.

I'll quote the official costs, which I think are a fair value:

On weekends, we have a large suite with queen bed in one bedroom, twin size bed in a small second bedroom, and private bathroom for $135/night; a large suite room with two queen beds, private bathroom, and gas log woodstove for $145/night; standard rooms with private bathrooms for $125/night; and rooms that share a connecting bathroom with the room next door for $95/night.

On week nights (Sun - Thurs nights), the rates are $120/night for the suite room, $130/night for the suite room with gas log woodstove, $110/night for standard room with a private bathroom, and $80/night for a room with a shared bathroom.

We also have cabins, each with a queen bed and private bathroom. On Fri and Sat nights, they rent for $145/night. Week nights, they rent for $130/night. The cabins are an ideal size for romantic getaways for two people. We take pets in the cabins with prior notification ($5/night per pet, minimum of $10) but not in the inn. The cabins are open until October 31 when we close them for winter.

All in all, it was exactly what you want from a B&B: friendly owners, nice rooms, good food, and a friendly atmosphere (we had nice chats with several other guests).

Feel free to ask me questions here.

Sirenis Resorts Punta Cana: comprehensive review

Overview: I recommend Sirenis Punta Cana to certain people looking for an all-inclusive beach resort. Those most likely to enjoy Sirenis Punta Cana are those who have or don’t mind children and who enjoy the company of Europeans.

Personal experience:

My wife and I spent 6 nights in early August at the resort (daily blog entries from that stay can be found here: first impression, first full day, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5). We will recommend it to any of our friends looking for an all-inclusive beach resort. If we returned to Punta Cana we would strongly consider another stay at Sirenis, but would also be willing to try out another resort in the same area.

Food: We loved the food. The buffet was always excellent with perhaps 10 entrees at dinner time. There were always several that I really enjoyed. I believe that the food was inspired by European tastes since the resort’s guests were mostly European and since I had never heard of most of the dishes before. I tried many new dishes at Sirenis, something I really enjoyed (especially since many of them were very good).

At lunch the buffet was passable. There was a mediocre pasta station where they would heat up already cooked pasta while you chose what kind of sauce you wanted. Luckily there is a second lunch buffet with a smaller but better selection. Here they always had a grill where they were cooking up ham steaks (a bit saltier than I like), pork cutlets (good), or beef (a bit tough).

About 60% of the time the buffet had delicious, fresh mangoes. They always had some melon, banana, and pineapple. The cakes and puddings seemed very popular with kids. I only tried one type of cake, an interesting one that looked like some kind of European pastry.

For dinner, the resort also has 8 restaurants, 7 of which are included in the all-inclusive (the other is $35/person). I generally thought the buffet was better than the restaurants, but each restaurant was a nice change of pace featuring food not really found in the buffet. The crepe restaurant was interesting, a totally new experience for someone who had only ever heard of crepes before thanks to an IHOP breakfast menu. My chicken crepe was good. The steakhouse was also good, as was the roast duck in the Chinese restaurant and the chicken in the seafood restaurant (the menu was all seafood except for the chicken dish). The veal in the Italian restaurant was not so good and the “gelato” was a joke. Of course, what's to complain about? You can always leave the restaurant and go to the buffet without spending extra money so if you don’t like your meal it’s really not a big deal.

The buffet does open all night. I went there at 1:00 AM to check it out and they had a few choices. None looked especially good but I ended up trying a type of Dominican sausage (probably the only authentic Dominican cooking I had the whole stay) that was pretty greasy for me.

All in all, the food was the best part of the trip. I ate a ton, tried many new dishes, and found many that I really enjoyed. Those of you on a diet, should seriously consider not going to an all-inclusive.

Of course the other part of an all-inclusive are the drinks. The ones at Sirenis were good – they had a large cocktail menu and while they didn’t use name brand alcohol, I can’t taste the difference. There were bars all over the place, on the beach, swim-up bars in the pool, in the lounge, and in at least some of the restaurants. A drink was never far away.

So we enjoyed the food. The resort itself was beautiful. I’ll have some pictures soon. We didn’t spend much time in the room, but it was very nice. I would note that they don’t seem to vacuum (they mop) so if you get sand in your room it seems to stay there.

We also enjoyed the beach, the ocean, and the pool. The pool only had one shaded part so for people (like me) who go to the Caribbean to hide from the sun you’ll have limited options during the day. The shade part is also where some annoying kids liked to hang out. They did all kinds of crazy things from dropping plastic cups to the bottom of the pool where the rest of us would step on them, to throwing hard balls that hurt when they hit you, to just swimming and splashing obliviously.

Now the good news is that the pool is huge. If you don’t need shade, you can easily find a kid-free zone.

The other good news is that the pool seems to be open at night. I’m not sure if this is official hotel policy, but I did see people swimming at night and I never saw anyone hanging around by the pool to stop night swimmers.

Possibly bad news is that there were no lifeguards by the pool or the ocean. That didn’t bother my wife or me, but I could see some parents being concerned about there being no lifeguards.

The ocean was as good for swimming as the pool – the water was always calm while we were there though I’m not sure if that’s true year-round. The beach was an assortment of people from kids, to 20 somethings, to 40 and 50 somethings. Very rarely did you see someone over 60 at the resort.

Bikinis seemed mandatory for women. I think I saw one or two little girls and maybe an old lady in normal bathing suits. Some women went topless. Men wore swimming trunks or speedos.

What I’ve described so far was the backbone of my experience. We slept in the room (and on the beach), we ate, we hung around in the pool, and in the ocean or on the beach.

There are one or two other things worth mentioning. There is a night club and a casino. I didn’t even enter the casino but I did check out the night club where they play Spanish language music and where people actually dance well. I was out of place there, even more than I am in regular night clubs.

A few negatives: Not much went wrong at Sirenis. I did have an issue with my room’s safe key. And I did leave a note for housekeeping to leave me extra water which was ignored. Sometimes making reservation for the steakhouse is difficult. We did find about 5 mosquitoes in our room when we first arrived. After killing them we didn’t see any more the entire trip.

Well that’s my review. Great food, beautiful resort and pool, nice beach, calm ocean, and a great time. Considering the quality of the room and the food, we found this to be an excellent value. I think the normal price is about $170/night.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Update to a recent posting - just how expensive can hotel rooms get…?

Just when I thought I had researched thoroughly for my posting a few weeks ago on the world’s most expensive hotel rooms, I find a hotel room that’s even more expensive. The Ty Warner suite (named after the hotel’s owner, the creator of Beanie Babies) at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York costs a staggering $30,000 per night. The suite is around 4,300 square feet, which by a quick calculation is almost three times the size of my entire house.

The suite boasts several bedrooms, a library, spa and exercise room, along with panoramic views over New York in all directions (I have a friend wih an apartment overlooking Central Park - it's very nice but it's still hard to imagine what this suite's view is like). Guests also have access to all the food that they can eat from room service, a personal butler on call and use of a Rolls-Royce to take trips around town.

If you can’t quite afford the Ty Warner suite, a standard deluxe room at the same hotel costs around $1000 a night. Smaller suites start at around $2,150 a night – and the hotel says they have no trouble filling these rooms most of the time.

The Four Seasons hotel is also the tallest hotel in New York – but not the tallest hotel in the world. As far as I can see, that title goes to the Rose Tower in Dubai, at just over 1000 feet. Dubai seems obsessed with tall buildings and currently boasts the world’s tallest, still under construction at 1600 feet and rising.

However, if you prefer your hotel rooms small, Japan is the place to go. So-called capsule hotels have been popular in Japan for some time; they aren’t really rooms, more like capsules as the name suggests. They are just about large enough to lie down in and have a TV screen at one end. The bathroom is usually down the corridor somewhere. They make for an inexpensive – and memorable - stay in one of the world’s most expensive countries.

The concept has recently spread to Europe - capsule hotel rooms opened at London’s Gatwick Airport in June, and the company, Yotel plans to open more capsule rooms at London’s Heathrow airport and Amsterdam’s Schipol airport in early 2008. Yotel rooms are slightly bigger than Japan’s capsule hotels and have room for a shower. They cost from between $50 to $80 for a stay of four hours and then $10 per hour thereafter.

I’m curious as to how comfortable they are…has anyone stayed in a tiny hotel room? (Or one of the hotels listed as being the most expensive)?

Guest entry by Mancunian

First impression of Sirenis Resort in Punta Cana

This will be a fairly short entry because I'm really struggling with the weak WiFi connection here at Sirenis in Punta Cana. I'm in the spacious lobby (which has 2 bars) since there is no internet access in the room.

First impressions here at Sirenis were mediocre, although to be fair we had already been stressed out a bit before arriving several hours late (there is a critical review of Spirit Airlines coming soon).

When we checked in, they wanted to charge us for 7 days even though we're staying for 6 nights. It took a really long time (even though their English was fine) to straighten that out. Strange.

First, and they didn't tell me this over email when I made reservations, I had to pay $60 for a taxi from the airport to the hotel because we didn't have a voucher. Apparently some tours or packages give you vouchers for a taxi from the airport to the hotel. My all-inclusive rate didn't include transportation.

This would be an important thing to warn people. I mean I don't usually have $200 cash on me but luckily for me I did this time. We had to pay $10 each to enter Dominican Republic. Then $60 for the taxi. It will be another $60 from the resort to the airport. Then at the airport it costs $20 each to leave the country.

This is all cash only and I'm told there's no ATM at the airport. Sure you could walk to a bank or maybe one of the stores here at the resort has an ATM. But I wasn't expecting to need $180 in addition to what I spent on airfare and the all inclusive and I'm lucky I had it on me or I'd certainly be stressed out about it.

All-inclusive also didn't include the key for the safety deposit box in the room. I paid $12 and am now trying to get the stupid thing to work...

The room itself is spacious, but we've already killed 5 mosquitoes in just a few minutes in there. Housekeeping is supposed to spray it tomorrow morning at 8:15. I think that's included at least...

The resort itself seems really nice. There's a great big pool area and everything is nice and peaceful. It's active, but not too crowded - I think this is the offseason. I've heard lots of European languages and accents and so far I think I'm the only American I've seen here at Sirenis.

Impressively, the people at the front desk who couldn't get my 6 nights / 7 days figured out spoke at least English and French.

The buffet is open to 11:00 PM, so even though I ate myself silly at 7:30 I'm going back for more. The food is good but not spectacular at the buffet. The specialty restaurants didn't seem crowded so I guess making reservations for them tomorrow morning will be no trouble.

I'll write more tomorrow.

Upcoming reviews: Sirenis Resorts in Punta Cana and Grunberg Haus in Vermont

Some of you may remember how evil Spirit Airlines forced me to go to Punta Cana instead of Costa Rica. Making the best of the situation I decided to review a resort in Punta Cana, but of the many emails I sent out, I wasn't getting any replies.

Sunscape the Beach commented on my blog but never replied to my email. I was certain Club Med would reply but was wrong. It seemed like none of the Punta Cana resorts wanted me to give you guys the real scoop on what to expect down there. Or every resort lost their email service...

One resort replied but they aren't opening for another year or so. Then Sirenis Hotels replied and said that they would welcome a review on their two resorts in Punta Cana, so that's where I'll be from August 1 to August 7. Like when I decided to review Plantation Bay in Cebu, I think this is an important task because online comments are very mixed regarding the Sirenis Cocotal Beach Resort Casino & Spa and the Sirenis Tropical Suites Casino & Spa. I'm not sure which one I'll be staying in, but I plan to review both. As always, I'll share my experience in some detail to bring you the definitive review of these resorts.

I've also booked 2 nights in Grunberg Haus Vermont Bed and Breakfast Inn and Cabins. Following my sister's wedding, my wife and I will bring my parents up to Vermont for a little relaxation (I hear that paying for a wedding is pretty stressful so we're buying). My parents are bringing Eagle, a Schnauzer my wife and I rescued in Korea that my parents adopted. Actually, here's the story about flying Eagle from Korea to America on JAL.

Anyway, I think that the Vermont B&B will be another valuable review. You don't see enough reviews / vacation experiences with two generations and the family dog out there. I'm sure there are a few other people like me who want to take their parents and/or their dog somewhere. I'll let you know if Grunberg Haus is the answer.

Sorry, but none of you are invited to Punta Cana or Vermont (not that I'll stop you from going when I go). And you definitely can't crash my sister's wedding. But you are invited to my other vacation activity, live action role-playing in New Jersey. Imagine a weekend of camping, dressed in medieval costumes, acting out a fantasy story where heroes battle monsters with boffer weapons (made of foam).

I know it's not for everybody (OK it's not for most people), but my wife and I (and our friends) like it. If you want to join us July 27-29 in New Jersey, leave a comment here or email me - jtrotta@gmail.com. One thing is for sure; your vacation pictures will be unique...

Well now you see how my summer vacation is working out. Live action role-playing, Punta Cana, sister's wedding, Vermont B&B. I'm pretty excited!

And I don't know where to fit this in, but here's an article on a vacation experience in the Dominican Republic.

Kocadere village (Gallipoli Peninsula) Turkey hotel

I don't think this hotel in Kocadere village is one of the world's most expensive, but it must be fairly unique since it's in a Turkish village that has only 15 homes. Apparently the village's claim to fame is being near Arıburnu, an important WWI site in the Dardanelles Campaign. I think this is a great idea, but I'm not sure I'm ready to add this to my must-see list.

World’s most expensive hotel rooms

Perhaps the last hotel you stayed at was overpriced – but it was probably quite a bargain compared to the cost of a room at the world’s most expensive hotels. The world’s most expensive hotel room seems to be either the Penthouse suite at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France or the Bridge Suite at the Atlantis resort in Paradise Island, the Bahamas.

I’m not sure how much the Penthouse suite costs as two different web sites list two vastly different prices - $37,200 a night and $18,000 a night. Regardless, the price includes four luxuriously furnished bedrooms and a private terrace. Considering you could probably comfortably fit 20 of your family members and friends in there with you, it doesn’t seem quite so expensive if you split the cost!

The Bridge Suite at the Atlantis resort costs $25,000 a night and includes a personal bar lounge, entertainment center, kitchen and butler. There are two master bathrooms and the entire suite is built on top of a bridge that connects two towers. It supposedly offers spectacular views over the Atlantis resort and marina – I would settle for nothing less than a spectacular view if I were paying that much money to sleep there.

The other expensive hotel rooms around the world are located in predictably expensive cities – Geneva, Rome, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong and Las Vegas. And Las Vegas now has 19 of the world’s 24 largest hotel rooms as well as some of the most expensive.

One of the most intriguing expensive hotels is the Burj Al Arab hotel on the coast off Dubai. This hotel is considered to be the world’s only 7 star hotel - with spacious luxury suites and gourmet restaurants, one of which is under the water. The hotel was cleverly designed to reflect the character of the area, and resembles a huge billowing sail. At night, the 1000 foot high building is surrounded by spectacular choreographed displays of fire and water, making it visible from miles around. Oh, and the cost of one of the better suites will set you back almost $7,000 a night.

I noticed that it isn’t easy to determine prices by looking at the web sites for some of these hotels – I suppose the old saying is true: If you have to ask, you probably can’t afford it!

Guest entry by Mancunian

Some relevant blog entries: hotel pillows, Naomi Campbell's birthday at the Burj, 5 star underwater hotel.

All inclusive resort prices in Punta Cana: official hotel sites, cheapcaribbean.com packages, kayak.com and Orbitz ot cheaptickets.com

When I mentioned my Spirit Airlines issue, several readers were kind enough to suggest some Punta Cana resorts. I just priced them on each resort's web page to see if booking direct would save me money or if it might be cheaper to book through another website. here's what I found:

I'm not sure if any of these include taxes and other possible charges.

Staying 6 Nights from 08/01/2007 to 08/07/2007:

Destination: Punta Cana Princess

Room Type: JR.SUITE V.I.P.
Cost Per Adult: $546 Total: $1092 Grand Total: $1092

Room Type: HONEYMOON SUITE
Cost Per Adult: $648 Total: $1296 Grand Total: $1296

Room Type: JR.SUITE (no VIP service)
Cost Per Adult: $432 Total: $864

Destination: Iberostar Bavaro Punta Cana

Room Type: Junior Suite (strangely iberostar.com redirected me to another domain when I searched availability and they gave me only one room choice).
Total cost: 1.944,00 US$

Destination: Punta Cana Occidental Resort - Allegro Punta Cana

Price per person includes transfers: Sub Total $652.00, Instant Saver! $189.89, Total $462.10 (it's not really the total since it's only for one person when I told them we would be two...)

Destination: Punta Cana Occidental Resort - Occidental Grand Punta Cana

Sub Total $711.00, Instant Saver! $213.30, Total $497.70 (I'm not sure if this one also includes transfers)

Destination: Sunscape The Beach, Punta Cana

Deluxe Room with Balcony or Patio: $1,644.00
Deluxe room with private garden and patio: $1,806.00
Deluxe Partial Ocean View Room
Premium Room with Balcony or Patio
Deluxe Honeymoon with Swim-out access to pool (2 People Max): $2,364.00

Honestly I don't see swim-out access being worth much of anything when the pool closes early.

Some prices are missing because their website is incredibly annoying and you have to do a new search each time you want to pick a different room. Prices include transfers.

Notice how Occidental Grand is $497.70 per person not including air. The flight we booked through Spirit is $354.10 with fees added in. The total is 851.80 per person.

On Cheapcaribbean.com they quoted me "Average per person $837.60" including flights on Spirit and the same resort all-inclusive package. They would have saved me $14.20 per person but it's too late for me now. Plus cheapcaribbean.com uses Spirit Airlines and we hate Spirit Airlines. They do let you choose another airline at least.

Kayak.com found Sunscape the Beach for $231/night but that might not include taxes and fees. It also doesn't clearly say it's all inclusive. However if it is all inclusive it's a nice discount since the cheapest room on their official site (Deluxe Room with Balcony or Patio: $1,644.00) works out to $274/night when you divid by 6. Would Orbitz.com or cheaptickets.com (both showed $231/night on the Kayak search) save me $40/night?

When I clicked on the Orbitz link, I found that the price was $225/night for a super saver room (I didn't even see that on the official sunscape site) and it was all-inclusive. For $230/night they had "Deluxe Room - 2 double bed or 1 king bed INCLUDES MEALS, DRINKS, TAXES & GRATUITIES - SUMMER/FALL STAY MORE SALE - 20% OFF !"

They added 36.02 in taxes and fees for a total of 1,416.02 - that is better than $1,644.00 by 227.98. There's a substantial difference there. The super saver room is 1,385.23 after 35.23 in taxes and fees. I wish I knew what the difference was.

I haven't booked yet. I understand that August is not a busy season so I figure I'll wait a while to see if any sales come up or if anyone answers my email and offers a discount.

I guess the conclusion is to search the hotel website and check Kayak to see if any other websites can beat the hotel website's price. Search Google news for sales in the area as well - a Google news alert makes this easier.

Plantation Bay experience conclusion

This will be the final entry on Plantation Bay (though there will be a few more on Cebu). It might make sense if you read the overview, the first day Plantation Bay experience, and check out the pictures first.

Our last full day in Plantation Bay started late (much like the first full day). Something just made me sleep well there. Around 1:00 or so we went to the Fiji restaurant for breakfast / lunch. We had more of the delicious fresh mango juice and sukiyaki, a Japanese noodle and beef dish. This was easily enough for my wife and I so it turned out to be an excellent value.

As I mentioned before, you don't want to go to Plantation Bay and live as cheaply as possible. You'll want to splurge on lots of fresh mango juice, cappuccinos, or whatever. But you can spend a lot less money on food if you get these 2-person meals (I wrote about the Pochero Cebuano style on the first full day description).

I had never had sukiyaki before, but my wife used to have it a lot and said this one was good. We could have had them call us a golf cart to take us to the game room, but we were pretty full and in the mood for a quick walk (the game room is close to Fiji). We spent some time online (you get 30 minutes free /day), playing pool, and playing darts. They also had ping pong, air hockey, and fuze ball.

Then we went to the Savannah to use up the free drink vouchers we had gotten at check in. The free drinks were pretty bad, either soda or cheap juice (not the fresh mango juice, but pineapple juice from the bottle and the like). This was right next to another pool, a shallow one that seemed to be mostly for kids. After the free drinks and reading the newspaper (you get a free one each morning) we went back to the main fresh water pool by the Kilimanjaro café.

As usual, we had no trouble finding a "hot tub" area to lounge around in. The resort just never got crowded despite the weekend and the glorious weather. We spent some time there, went swimming in the lagoon, went back to the freshwater pool, and basically lounged around in the water until around 5:00 when we headed to Leblon Hall.

On the top of Leblon Hall there's an area for watching the sunset. Plantation bay advertises a sunset that’s "among the most beautiful in the world." It was nice, but I’m not sure there aren't lots of other equally nice sunsets around. Here's a picture I took:

After watching the sunset, we went to the Magambo Springs spa but they couldn't do both my wife and I at the same time – they only had individual openings for the rest of the night.

We went on to the nearby Piazza Palermo. They had some decent live music (piano, voice, saxophone) and my wife spent some time in the shallow pool while I hung around waiting for her to feel like eating. Eventually we went to the Palermo for dinner.

The Italian food there was pretty good. My wife had the tortellini. They were big and looked more like ravioli to me, but tasty. The portion seemed a little small but it was enough for my wife. I had some sort of skewered meat thing with veggies and mashed potatoes. They pour alcohol over the meat and light it on fire at the table for a good 2 seconds of entertainment before you eat. Then you have pools of bad tasting alcohol on your plate and you have to be careful not to drench your food in the stuff. Still it was tasty. It felt a little weird eating in a fancy restaurant in a wet bathing suit.

Then we took a taxi (that just happened to be dropping someone off at the resort) to a spa for massages. Since that spa was not associated with the resort I'll save that story (nothing's ever simple) for another day.

Anyway, back at Plantation bay we changed into our bathing suits, left the room through the back door, swam across the lagoon, and headed to the pool by the Kilimanjaro café again.

After some more swimming and fooling around in the warm water we walked around the resort, noticing small lizards for the first time. Then we went to the 24-hour Kilimanjaro café for a midnight meal. We got more fresh mango juice and tried some calamansi juice which was too bitter for us. My wife ordered Japanese Ramen. Which was very good. My wife thinks the broth was home made. It compared favorably to any of the ramen restaurants I've eaten at in Japan. I asked for some of the cookies that they always give you when you order a cappuccino. I was surprised to see that they gave me my cookies for free.

We overheard some Korean guys asking where they could go to meet women and getting some advice from the waiter who probably sent them to a KGV (expensive bar where you buy drinks for women and probably pay from some alone time with them). We asked him about the screaming we heard every night and he said that on the other side of the resort walls some Filipinos were having a fiesta. It made me wonder who was really having fun – the people in the resort or the people out there in the real Cebu. Not that I have any regrets since I was pretty relaxed by that time. The best part of the trip for me was about to come.

On the way back to our room we sat down on some lounge chairs on the sand by the lagoon. We stayed there for a good long time, just talking and looking up at the stars. It was one of those magical moments where I felt totally peaceful and appreciative that I was able to share such a great view of the night sky with the woman I love.

And that was that. We went back to our room, packed, set up a wake up call, and left the next day.

Conclusion:

I had a great time in Plantation Bay. Our room was good, the food was good, the fresh mango juice was great, the resort was beautiful, there was plenty to do when we weren't in the water, there was plenty of warm water where we spent most of our time, there were a few other people but no crowds, and the inconveniences were very minor in comparison.

The few inconveniences:

People have complained about the prices since the resort is more expensive than the impoverished neighborhoods outside. You have to expect that. You could go to Cebu, stay in a cheap hotel (we saw some under $10 a night), eat cheap food on the street, and have yourself a cheap trip. Obviously the resort is for people who want to spend money and experience something luxurious.

People have complained that there's algae on the bottom of the lagoon. There was algae in some places and it does feel weird when you step on it. So I wore sandals. If you let little things like that ruin your vacation than you have to go somewhere else.

Some people complained about the staff not being friendly enough. I found them overly friendly except for a rude security guy when I rode my bike into a restricted area. Pass a worker at night and you get a big smile and hello. It actually got old after a while but they were definitely friendly. There was a time when we had to wait a while for a worker to come to the swim up bar and give us some mango juice and that probably shouldn’t happen. Overall, we were satisfied with the service we got.

We did see a few bugs in our room the first night, but not after that until the last day when I ate some cookies in the room and then noticed a bunch of ants. I guess they were collecting my cookie crumbs. We were leaving and didn’t mind. My wife and I hate bugs but have no complaints about seeing 2 or 3. That's life.

Like I said, it was very nice. I'd go back though I might also want to check out the Hilton and the Shangri-la on Cebu (on the bottom of the entry).

First full day Plantation Bay experience and review

If you missed my first night at Plantation Bay experience, you may want to read that first before continuing here with my first full day Plantation Bay experience and review.

Our first full day in Plantation Bay started quite late. I think we woke up around 1:00 after about 10 hours of sleep. Some reviews I read online complained about the hard beds. I personally prefer hard beds – My mattress is right on the floor with no box spring or anything. Anyway, every morning my wife and I woke up with sore backs. A little stretching helped tremendously (as did floating around the pools all day I bet).

We called someone (our butler, guest services, or something like that) with a question about which restaurants were open but got hung up on. I called three more times to test their service and had no more trouble. On the third call we asked for a golf cart to come pick us up and we went to the Kilimanjaro Café for lunch (or breakfast or whatever).

The freshly squeezed mango juice continued to thrill us even though it was no longer free. I think it was around 260 pesos which is about $5.50. We thought it was well worth it, but I understand why some people complain about the prices online. In a nice restaurant outside the resort you’re looking at about $1.25. Like I said in my overview, if you’re not willing to spend money then don’t go to a resort. I don’t think Plantation Bay is for bargain hunters. No 5 star resort is.

There are bargains to be found however. My lunch was one of them; for about $10 I got a Filipino beef stew, Pochero Cebuano style. The serving was huge – easily enough for two people. My wife got some shrimp in a salty Filipino marinade which she loved.

After eating way too much (and not coming close to finishing my meal) we figured we'd do something to help us digest. You can borrow a bike for 1 hour/day at Plantation Bay (or longer if you pay) so we got a golf cart ride to the game room and signed out a pair of bikes. The bikes are only available until 6:00 PM though.

We rode our bikes around Plantation Bay, stopping at the store where my wife bought an inflatable tube to help keep her from sinking in the water that is almost never deep enough to reach your neck anyway (there are two well-marked deep areas in the lagoon). We also met a rude security guard when we entered some kind of parking lot on our bikes.
The guard wasn’t exactly shouting, but he certainly wasn't smiling or being remotely polite when he said, “Just go.” I hate being told what to do, and I really hate paying for people to boss me around so this bothered me. I rode my bike over to him and asked him why. "Just go!"

I asked, "So bikes aren’t allowed here?"
"Just go!"
"So bikes aren’t allowed here?"
"Right."

So I left. I managed not to let that experience bother me but you’d think that they could train these guys to be polite.

After the bike ride, we went to the fresh water pool by the Kilimanjaro café and spent a couple of hours there. They have a few hot-tub like areas in the pool and there was always one available. One great thing about Plantation Bay is that it’s really not crowded.

Then we went for a free archery lesson (every Friday). There was no actual lesson, but you did get to shoot a bow and arrow. We did this for a few minutes and it seems that there’s only one bow since other people had to wait for us to feel like we were done. If we hadn’t gotten bored so easily those folks could have been forced to wait a while.

Then we went to the dive shop and rented snorkeling stuff for $7 / hour. The snorkeling at Plantation Bay was neat. The water is mostly quite shallow so the fish are very close. They also arrange diving and snorkeling 2 hour excursions but my wife learned that she was not comfortable snorkeling even with a guy from the dive shop holding her hand and trying to teach her.

I had to send back my first set of equipment to get stuff in better condition. I also managed to cut my finger on something but they didn’t have a band aid for me at the dive shop. They offered me a role of gauze but I passed.

Then we went back to the freshwater pool by the Kilimanjaro. We were thirsty and had to wait a long time (maybe 15 minutes) for someone to come serves us at the swim-up bar. A good mango shake cost us around $5.50 again, 264 pesos. At the bar I met a Filipino guy who said it was his third trip to Plantation Bay. This guy actually lived near Boracay where he said the beaches are much nicer. He comes to Plantation Bay because it’s exclusive. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised that there were relatively few people there. It helps that the place is huge.

He did give us a tip for bargain hunters. He likes to get the number of a call taxi at Cebu’s airport when he flies in. When it’s time to eat he calls up the taxi (which meets him outside the main gate) and then gets the Plantation Bay golf cart to drive him to the main gate. He eats outside the resort to save money.

He recommended a Filipino restaurant named Gerry’s Grill in the Ayala Mall. The hotel car cost us 670 pesos one way for the 45 minute trip. It was a small Toyota but clean and comfortable. However my seatbelt was broken; you expect better when you’re paying extra (the taxi back was under 200 pesos). The rest of that experience isn’t exactly part of my Plantation Bay review so I’ll save it for later.

When we got back to the resort we spent a half hour in the PC room (half an hour is free – any more than that and you pay). There are only 3 or 4 computers there, but I never saw anyone waiting. It’s open from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM.

We spent the next few hours swimming. I loved swimming in the warm water at night. There were a few other people but we felt pretty much alone. Plantation bay says to request a lifeguard if you want to go swimming after 8:00 PM but I don’t think anyone actually did that.

All in all it was a wonderful day.

Plantation Bay review: overview + first night experience

Plantation Bay resort in Cebu, the Philippines (Lapu Lapu City on Mactan Island to be exact) is great for couples and families that want an exclusive resort experience. Singles who want to unwind will enjoy not being bothered but are unlikely to meet any other singles. People looking to really experience Filipino culture won’t find much on the resort (though you can learn something from talking to employees and trying Filipino food). People looking for bargains should stay in a cheap hotel and eat on the street with Filipinos. To enjoy a stay at Plantation Bay you have to be willing to spend money.

That was the short version of my Plantation Bay review. The long version is included in the following Plantation Bay experience story. This is part 1, our first night:

I’ll write about Cebu Pacific Airways and Cebu’s airport in the future; for now we’ll just say that we passed through immigration and had our bags at 11:45. There was a fellow there holding a Plantation Bay sign and we went over to a little Plantation Bay gathering area to wait for other people from our flight who would also be taking the Plantation Bay shuttle.

The waiting area was pleasant enough. It was still in the restricted part of the airport so there were no crowds and the chairs were fairly comfortable although I didn’t feel like sitting (having just gotten off the plane).

We saw that we might have a long wait so we thought we’d look for an ATM (Plantation Bay doesn’t have an ATM although they can exchange currency at the resort). I suppose the rest of that story will be told later in my piece on Cebu’s airport.

By 12:15 they decided to leave without the others as they must have missed the flight. When we got in the van, however, we saw that they were already there. Apparently poor communication between the driver and the greeter meant that while we were waiting for them in the airport, they were waiting for us in the van. I’m sure the airport was more comfortable although the van was OK.

At 12:24 we found ourselves back at the airport to pick up some late arrivals. During the 17 minute ride to Plantation Bay, we saw a relatively impoverished Cebu. A few images that have stuck in my mind are the “buses” that look more like trucks. When room runs out inside people hang onto the back. We saw people selling cigarettes on the street. It looked like you could buy them one at a time which reminded me of my grandfather (when he was a kid in 1930s New York City his older brother would send him to buy cigarettes but not whole packs if I remember the story correctly). We saw many Korean restaurants (with signs written in Korean characters) and several KGVs (expensive bars where female companionship is available). We noticed that drivers turn their headlights on and off while they drive and that handmade signs on trees were common ads. We saw some dogs that might have been strays and my wife is certain she saw yellow goats.

Then at 12:41 we entered Plantation Bay. The first impression was an impressive one as everything went pretty smoothly. At check-in they went over a map of the resort with us and gave us a welcome mango juice (free). This was freshly squeezed mango juice, not the cheap stuff that comes out of a plastic bottle.

We went to pick up our bags but bell service insisted and I was glad for the no-tipping policy. Call me cheap, but I hate tipping someone for carrying a light bag that I'd prefer to carry myself anyway. We got in a little golf cart (where the no tipping policy was clearly stated on a large sign) kind of thing and they drove us all around the resort pointing out where things were. After getting a virtual tour with the map and then a real tour on the golf cart we felt fairly comfortable finding our way around the resort. It's very big but you can’t really get lost (and I’m a master at getting lost).

As the guide / cart driver unlocked our door and brought our bags in, my wife asked if there were many mosquitoes. We were a bit worried when he said yes. Then he quickly added that they spray regularly. I hate mosquitoes, and they love me and my wife so I was expecting to be fighting them off all weekend. We each came home with one or two mosquito bites and no complaints on that account.

Our first impression of the Water's Edge room was very positive. The room was clean and spacious, the balcony was a nice size and had steps descending into the very large salt water lagoon. I heard that this lagoon is the largest salt water pool in Asia; it certainly seemed huge to me.

The small, old TV looked out of place but I didn’t come to Plantation Bay to watch Filipino TV so I didn’t care. I did care about the bugs; we saw 3 in the first 5 minutes in our room. First my wife killed a mosquito. Then she called me to kill a cockroach on the bathroom wall and a millipede-type bug in our bathroom sink. Despite getting off to a bad start, we didn’t see another bug in our room until our last day so I actually have no complaints and seeing a few at the beginning of our stay.

We spent a few more minutes taking stock of the room. The lights and AC only come on when they key is in its little place by the door and it took us a minute to get that thing inserted properly. It also took us a minute to unlock the door leading to the balcony. Then I found a mosquito-repellent thing which I was desperate to plug in. It took me a minute to find the right kind of outlet – it was behind the TV. They give you flip-flops (tongs), an umbrella, a bit of dried mango candy, and 2 small bottles of water. My wife was hoping for a bathrobe but no luck there.

At 1:00 AM we walked into the water from our balcony. The water was warm, there were stars in the sky, and the bottom of the lagoon was slimy in parts. Some of the complaints I read online mentioned how "filthy" the lagoons were. While there was some moss on the bottom in parts, it didn’t bother me much. I figure people at Plantation Bay can do any of the following:

1. step on the moss. It's not that bad.
2. swim past the moss. There are only a few areas where the bottom is slimy.
3. wear sandals in the water.
4. not go in the water, stay in your room, and dream about how much you can complain to people who don't want to listen to you.

I chose options 1 through 3 at different points during my stay. Also not that the fresh water pools have no moss issues so if you can't handle it just head for a different pool; stay out of the lagoon. One thing I liked about the lagoon was the wooden platform with hammock not far from our room. My favorite part was floating on my back looking up at the stars. Plantation Bay turns most of the lights out after midnight.

One thing about leaving your water’s edge room through the back door is that you won’t be locking it behind you. Make sure your valuables are in the safe. We left our room like this for hours and never worried about anyone swimming up to our back door, entering our room, and stealing our towels or whatever. All the good stuff was locked up. Also remember that the lagoon is salt water so if you kiss your wife on the shoulder, it's going to taste pretty awful.

That's it for our first night in Plantation Bay. Everything I talked about here happened in about 2-3 hours. After our 1:00 AM swim (which might have lasted an hour) we went to bed.

Hotel experiences in Rome & Venice

After yesterday's entry, Lin asked:

Does anyone have any suggestions for a nice hotel in Rome? I am planning 3 or 4 days in Rome, and then possibly take a train to Venice. Any suggestions as to a hotel in Venice? Thanks

I stayed at an expensive hotel in Rome (it was a wedding gift) and a cheap hotel in Venice (which I paid for myself).

The hotel in Rome was excellent, but very expensive. Grand Hotel Plaza on Via del Corso starts at about 400 Euros/night. I don't think it was that bad in 2001 because we didn't have to worry about Euros or the weak dollar back then. Then again, things just don't get real cheap in Rome.

Even Express by Holiday Inn San Giovanni is close to $300/night. They boast good customer satisfaction and great location but this is a 3 star hotel. Express By Holiday Inn Rome East is about half that but the location is not what most tourists are looking for - it's on the outskirts or Rome in an ugly area and you need a shuttle to get to the subway.

Next time I'm in Rome I'm going to find an apartment - these are often less expensive than hotels in comparable locations even if you have to pay the higher rate for a short stay discounts are for stays over 1 week or 1 month).

The hotel in Venice was fine. Hotel Bernardi-Semenzato is around $115/night now. We paid 95,000 lira which was about $50 back in 2001 (for a double with no bathroom). There is a curfew.

Maria recommended "Forum Hotel. And try asking for a room overlooking the Forum/Palatine Hills" in the comments for yesterday's post.

Plantation Bay club rooms vs. poolside rooms

I had an excellent little vacation in Cebu at Plantation Bay, but the review will take me a few more days to get together. For now I'll try to answer Paul's questions from my Plantation Bay entry a couple of days ago:

If you can, can you peek at the other rooms, specially the Club room (which ironically is the cheapest as per their website, which leaves me wondering why).

If you can, it'll also be nice to hear some reviews on the new Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa which should be right around the same island. A comment, even from a walk-in guest's point of view will be very intersting (like how well it is appointed, beachfront quality, etc)It's relatively new and not much reliable and objective info can be found on the web. These two hotels, along with the Shangri-la Mactan are the places to stay in Cebu. And like you said, Plantation Bay always has had mixed reviews, and the Hilton is still a question mark.

I was able to get a look at some club rooms but I've only seen pictures of the inside. At first I thought that the two drawbacks (no balcony and limited view) were pretty serious. Let's look at each one individually:

1. Club rooms have no balcony

We had a water's edge room and didn't use our balcony as much as I thought we would. During the day we were in the water, only hanging out on the balcony for a few seconds on our way into the water. At night we did spend a little time on the balcony chatting, but we had a much nicer time at night chatting on the beach, in lounge chairs, looking up at the stars. What we used our balcony for most was drying bathing suits or sandals or whathaveyou.

I really don't think you'll miss having a balcony much. Other than drying stuff, everything you can do on a balcony can be done better somewhere else on the resort.

2. Club rooms don't have great views

I liked looking out the window of my room, but it didn't make or break my stay at Plantation Bay. We had a view of the lagoon from our room - it was nice but the scenes I saw from my window don't rank among the most memorable from my time at Plantation Bay.

Once again, I see only a minor drawback.

What about poolside rooms?

When you consider that the poolside rooms are the same price if you're putting 4 people in each, you have to consider these rooms instead. If you're bringing 8 people, the club room will cost you an extra $80/night ($20 each for the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th people) while a second poolside room is an extra $118/night (off peak). If you're bringing 6 people, the club room savings are more substantial.

I saw poolside rooms around Piazza Palermo, which has a shallow pool and an Italian restaurant (and a jewelry store which I found even more boring than most but at least smaller). The pool seemed popular with young kids during the day and older kids at night. In the evenings they had some live music there (keyboards, singer, and saxophone). The music was fine, but it could be a drawback for people in those rooms if they weren't in the mood. Then again, when you're in your room, you're not getting the most of your Plantation Bay experience so if the music got on your nerves and drove you out so you explores the rest of the resort, that would be a good thing.

The verdict

The room doesn't much matter. Your best memories of Plantation Bay will be had outside the room anyway (there is a possible exception with the suites - I saw at least one that has its own little pool). The club rooms seem fine to me and my wife and I even talked about the possibility of bringing the family and staying in a club room. If 8 people in a room seems too crazy then two poolside rooms is another possibility.

Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa or the Shangri-la Mactan?

I didn't see either of these resorts with my own eyes, so I can only pass on what I've heard. Just a few things really:

I was told that the Shangri-la has the best spa.

Both of these resorts are smaller than Plantation Bay but that doesn't necessarily mean fewer guests. I'm not saying that they are crowded (especially since I've never been to either), just that Plantation Bay is very big and really not crowded.

Shangri-la has the better beach and is the only true 5-star hotel in Cebu. I bet the beach part is true (the Plantation Bay beach is certainly not its main attraction). I'll discuss whether Plantation Bay deserves 5 stars or not in my upcoming review.

Also, this blog entry will seem too positive for those looking forward to a critical review of Plantation Bay. I suppose I should warn you now that while there are some things to criticize, my wife and I were very happy overall while at Plantation Bay.

Plantation Bay resort in Cebu: review coming soon

I'll be reviewing Plantation Bay resort in Cebu on a working vacation for the next few days. My blog entries will probably be brief and irregular but know that I will be doing something that I think will be helpful for a lot of travelers.

Here's how it all happened. About a year ago, I heard some good things about Plantation Bay. This is a resort in Cebu, which is one of the two very popular beach vacation spots in the Philippines (the other is Boracay).

When I looked at the Plantation Bay web site, I saw a great concept in the "water's edge room... located right at the edge of our lagoon. From your balcony you can be in the water in 0-2 seconds. (Not suitable for children and infants)." I immediately put Plantation Bay on my list of places to stay.

And I went looking for independent reviews online. I found some positive ones and some negative ones, each with a snippet of info