Accommodation Reviews

[Accommodation Review] – Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre (Suite), Johor Bahru, Malaysia (17 – 18 Jul 26)

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Location

Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre is one of the latest additions to Accor properties in Malaysia, opening its doors in Dec 2025. The hotel is very well located in the heart of Johor Bahru, with KSL Mall sitting right across from the hotel, which houses stores from supermarkets to restaurants to massage shops. Other than the shopping mall, there are tons of eateries along the street within a stone’s throw from the hotel, with some operating 24 hours. We also found quite a few convenience shops within a 5-minute walk from the hotel, where guests would be able to stock up on snacks and drinks throughout the day.

The Suite

We originally booked the Standard Room, but were pleasantly surprised to find that we were upgraded to the Suite Room during check-in due to our status with the hotel group. According to the lounge staff who checked us in, not all suites in the hotel are open, and they are being gradually opened as the hotel is currently refurbishing the suites. The 53㎡ Suite is decked in Muji-themed interior design with wood elements from the flooring to the feature wall in the TV area. The combination of dark and light wooden colours used in the Suite, together with mocha and grey furnishings, made the Suite feel cosy and comfortable. The Suite is segregated into a living room, bedroom and bathroom.

Layout of the Suite at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre

Entryway

Entryway in the Suite at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre

The entryway in the Suite at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre is decked in a darker theme, but the dark tone does not make this part of the Suite feel small. Instead, we could immediately feel the cosiness that the Suite emits. Unlike most entryways in other hotels, the entryway of the Suite at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre houses a vanity table and a minibar. Initially, I thought the vanity table being placed beside the entrance to the Suite was a tad out of place. However, upon closer observation, I thought it was clever for the hotel in its placement. By placing the vanity table at the entrance, the mirror at the table allows guests of the Suite to check their attire before heading out, other than using it for make-up. The Suite’s minibar is well placed in a luxurious leather-wrapped cabinet next to the vanity table in the entryway. On top of the minibar cabinet sits the Nespresso machine, a kettle and all that we needed to make a cup of coffee and tea. The mini fridge, stocked with complimentary drinks, is tucked inside the cabinet, in the lower part of the cabinet.

Living Room

Living room of the Suite at a glance from the entryway

The living room of the Suite sits further into the entryway. Though not a large space, it has all it needs to function as a living room for guests to relax and chill. A small marble round table forms an introduction to the living room. This marble table, furnished with only one chair, serves more as a work desk, although it can also be used as a dining table. A three-seater European-size L-shaped sofa occupies most of the space in the living room. The fabric sofa is very comfortable to sit on, while we were entertained by the many local and international channels on the 65″ LED TV mounted on the wall. I like how the hotel chose a more minimalist decor in the living room by omitting a TV console, which would otherwise make the living room look cluttered, instead of the relaxing vibe that it currently exudes. Other than the sofa, the hotel tastefully placed a mocha leather armchair next to the floor-to-ceiling window that not only increased the sitting capacity in the living room but also allowed us to chill while looking out into the city.

Bedroom

The minimalist Muji decor seen in the living room flows seamlessly into the bedroom, separated by a dark walnut coloured door. The king bed, placed by the wall of the bedroom, took up a bulk of the real estate allocated to the bedroom. The king bed has natural elements designed into its leather headboard. The headboard is designed with columned leather that makes it look like bamboo, reinforcing the Muji theme. To continue the natural theme seen in the Suite, Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre uses a round stone with LED lighting emitting from the bottom as the bedside lamp, which I thought looked like a moon. The sleep quality on the king bed is excellent, which kept me feeling refreshed the next day. The bedside tables on both sides of the king bed are merely small tables with no drawers, which makes the bedroom look clean and is consistent with its minimalist concept. Despite its size, I find there is plenty of space on these bedside tables for me to charge my lifestyle devices overnight. Mounted on the wall facing the king bed is the TV in the bedroom with the same entertainment options as that in the living room. I like how the hotel installed a ledge underneath the TV, which not only is consistent with the minimalist design language, but it also gave us space to stow our smaller items. Another armchair is placed between the floor-to-ceiling window and the king bed, which offered us a place in the bedroom to relax and look out into the bustling cityscape below.

Bathroom & Wardrobe

Bathroom seen from the entryway of the Suite at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre

Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre did not fit its Suite with a powder room; rather, the hotel worked around this issue by designing two entrances to the bathroom, one at the entryway and the other from the bedroom. The second entrance from the entryway creates the illusion of having a powder room. The bathroom entrance from the entryway leads to the wardrobe area, fitted with a two-door wardrobe. Both panels of the wardrobe are designed with hanging racks, with the right panel capable of stowing longer clothing. The left panel houses the in-room safe and is fitted with a single large drawer, which we found useful for putting away smaller clothing items. Despite being designed with a hanging rack on the left wardrobe panel, this side of the wardrobe was not furnished with any hangers, and it doesn’t help that the hangers on the right panel are being fixed to the hanging rack, rendering this side of the wardrobe useless. As we were only staying for one night, we did not request additional hangers from the hotel. I like how the hotel fitted a luggage rack opposite the wardrobe, providing guests with the convenience of unpacking their luggage.

Decked in dark grey marble that exuded a luxurious vibe, the bathroom sits further into the Suite, with direct access from the bedroom. There is only one sink fitted in the bathroom that comes with generous countertop space to place our toiletries. The walk-in shower, fitted with both a regular and rain shower head, and the toilet cubicles sit across from the sink, have generous space allocations. A sizeable bathtub sits furthest into the bathroom from the entrance at the entryway and next to the bedroom entrance. The size of the bathtub was perfect for soaking the tiredness from the shopping outings in the city.

Service

The staff at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre were friendly and welcoming. The staff welcomed us at the reception with the warmest Malaysian smile one could get. Upon checking our reservation, she gave us the option of checking in at the lounge instead of the reception. She escorted us to the lift, gave us access to the Executive Lounge level, and gave us specific instructions on the location of the lounge. The lounge staff who checked us in were very friendly. He invited us to enjoy the evening cocktail while processing our check-in, as the evening cocktail time was ending. Apart from manning the front desk at the lounge, the staff also doubled as server in the lounge, taking our drink orders and bringing the drinks to us. I witnessed the staff patrolling the lounge frequently and clearing our empty plates despite us sitting in one corner of the lounge. The rest of the staff around the hotel were friendly and welcoming. There was no lack of smiles and greetings from the random staff we met in the lift and around the hotel. The staff at the restaurant came across as lukewarm initially, but they were observant and very efficient in clearing empty plates despite our sitting in one corner of the restaurant.

Welcome amenities were placed in the living room waiting for us

Hotel Facilities

Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre is located on the top floor of the hotel at level 34. The Executive Lounge, decked with natural wood elements, provided us with a great space to relax. Most of the lounge is decked with dining tables for two to four guests, mainly placed next to the floor-to-ceiling window that allowed us to look out into the city. There are a couple of lounge seating areas in the lounge, catering to a larger crowd by the entrance and in one corner of the lounge. There is a small food station at the back of the lounge where evening cocktails and breakfast are served. This is also where we could help ourselves to drinks, ranging from coffee, tea and a variety of soft drinks, next to the food station. Due to the thin crowd at the lounge, I find it a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Swimming Pool

The swimming pool at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre is situated on the 12th floor of the hotel. The hotel has an infinity pool, which is a tad small, that looks out into the nearby buildings. Despite the small pool, guests would still be able to get some decent swimming laps in the pool. However, as the pool is situated indoors, with only four sundeck chairs, one would find it challenging to soak up the Malaysian sunshine. There is a small wading pool for younger guests next to the lap pool.

Gym

The gym at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre is located on the 12th floor next to the swimming pool. Despite the small size, guests are still able to get a good workout from the gym. Guests who want a cardio workout can use the four elliptical and treadmill machines, and one of the three stationary bikes. For guests who want functional and strength training, there are the multi-workout machines and the free weights.

Breakfast @ Food Exchange

The main breakfast is served at the Food Exchange restaurant located on the 11th floor of the hotel, while Suite guests and higher-tier Accor members can enjoy breakfast from the Executive Lounge on the 34th floor. Food Exchange served a good variety of breakfast, ranging from local delights to Western cuisines. I like how the food is spread out around the restaurant to spread out the crowd getting the food. There are stations dedicated to beverages and the various types of cuisines. The hotel also has an à la minute station serving up various types of eggs and a noodle station. The food quality is average, with most of the food not as hot as I would prefer, but the taste was there. Some food was placed in a push cart for guests to help themselves. We found the Malaysian Nasi Lemak and Malaysian milk tea, Teh Tarik, in one of these push carts. I spotted some carts serving up waffles and pancakes, but they were not manned; unsure if these were available. Breakfast at the lounge is the watered-down version. Despite the limited menu, the lounge serves up both local and Western cuisines for breakfast. There is even a made-to-order menu featuring Western and local cuisines from the three main races in the country. I thought the food at the lounge seemed to look more appealing compared to Food Exchange, despite a smaller range.

Overall

I had a great stay at Novotel Johor Bahru City Centre. The hotel is located right next to the KSL Shopping Mall with tons of shopping and dining options. Apart from the dining options in the mall, there are numerous eateries next to the hotel, with some operating 24 hours. The well-appointed Suite was relaxing and comfortable, with excellent sleep quality on the king bed. The service at the hotel was great, with staff who were always friendly, cheerful and ready to help guests.

[Accommodation Review] – Casa del Rio Melaka (Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite), Melaka, Malaysia (13 – 14 Jun 26)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment

Location

Casa del Rio Melaka is located at the river end of Jonker Walk, the famous weekend night market and the heart of Melaka. The hotel sits on the banks of the Melaka River, giving the rooms at the hotel front row seats to the river. The two major shopping malls, Mahkota Parade and Dataran Palawan, are about a 15-minute walk from Casa del Rio. The hotel is also near the major attractions such as Red Square, Christ Church Melaka and Church of St Paul, making the hotel an excellent choice for exploring these sights. There are several 24-hour convenience stores near the hotel, with the nearest one just across the street from the hotel. Being closer to the heart of Melaka also means there is no lack of shopping and eateries within a stone’s throw from the hotel, making Casa del Rio an ideal spot for exploring the culture and the food in Melaka.

The Suite

Casa del Rio has several types of suites. In fact, for the 2-bedroom suite category alone, the hotel has four configurations. We checked into the 109㎡ Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite, which is located in the residence building next to the hotel.

Layout of the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite that we stayed in

Entryway

Unlike most suite layouts, the entryway to the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite lies outside the suite. This entryway is enclosed by a metal gate with storage for shoes and a seat for changing into shoes. Unfortunately, this gate, though it comes with a lock, cannot be locked, as we were not issued the key to lock this gate.

The shoe cabinet is outside the apartment in the entryway
There is a washer and dryer in this cabinet in the entryway

Kitchen

The living room and pantry of the Casa Residence 2-bedroom Suite, seen from its entrance

The first part of the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite that we came to when entering from its main entrance is the kitchen. The suite is fitted with a full kitchen, with a kitchen sink, a four-stove induction cooker, a full-size fridge, a microwave oven and even a dishwasher. On top of these, the hotel equipped the kitchen with a Nespresso machine and a kettle for our coffee and tea needs. The kitchen is where we got our first glimpse into the Peranakan theme that is present throughout the suite. This Peranakan identity is evident in the use of the cabinets in the pantry. Equipped with a full set of china and cutlery for four, I am certain that one can whip up a meal in the kitchen.

Living Room

The living room has a split-level design, taking up the space on the lower elevation with a short flight of stairs from the kitchen. The living room is furnished with a European-style three-seater sofa and a matching single-seat armchair, surrounding the round coffee table. The living room has a mix of colonial flair seen in the choice of the sofa, the two chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the wall-mounted lamps next to the TV. The choice of wooden furniture pays tribute to the Peranakan identity that Melaka is well known for. There is no lack of entertainment options from the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall opposite the sofa. Other than local channels, the TV has Amazon Prime, Netflix and iQiyi to keep us entertained at night after a day’s exploring the town. Wedged between the lounging area and the pantry is a small dining area. The dining area is furnished with a small round dining table for four people, great for consuming our takeaways and street food from Jonker Walk.

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom in the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite

The two bedrooms’ entrances face each other, with the master bedroom situated on the right, facing the Melaka River. The master bedroom mainly takes on the Peranakan decor, seen in the massive use of dark wood in the furniture and the design of the furniture. At the entrance of the master bedroom sits a large wardrobe set. These wardrobes are capable of stowing away weeks of clothing. The shelves in the wardrobe gave us additional space to stow our smaller clothing items. The only flaw in the wardrobe is that there is no in-room safe that we can use to keep our valuables. Further into the bedroom, along the same wall as the wardrobe, sits the vanity table with a large mirror hanging on the wall. This table can also double up as a work desk with the power outlet fitted onto the wall, keeping our laptops juiced up while working. Next to the vanity table, facing the king bed, is the TV cabinet with a 43” flat-screen TV having the same entertainment options as that in the living room. The TV cabinet has a similar Peranakan-influenced design to that in the living room, paying tribute to the Peranakan identity of the town.

The king bed occupies most of the real estate in the master bedroom, topped with a firm mattress that is comfortable to sleep on. However, the pillows are too soft for my liking. On either side of the king bed lies the bedside table that is designed with one drawer and a cabinet. The size of these tables would otherwise be sufficient for us to leave our lifestyle devices to charge overnight if not for the large bedside lamps that took up the entire space of the bedside table. I like how the hotel fitted a window seat by the window in the master bedroom, which not only provides us with a space to relax and look out into the Melaka River, but also gives us additional space to put our backpacks.

Master Bathroom

The master bathroom is located opposite the wardrobe and next to the entrance to the bedroom. The European fused with Peranakan design theme flowed into the bathroom, with the cabinets fitted with Peranakan elements and the European design seen in the mosaic on the wall in the walk-in shower and the floor of the bathroom. The overall space allocated to this bathroom is sufficient. I applaud the hotel for making the right decision in only installing one sink instead of dual sinks due to the space limitation. This has given us sufficient countertop space to place our toiletries. The main functional part of the bathroom lies to the left of the sink, with the toilet fitted next to its entrance and the walk-in shower next to the sink. I like the relatively large space allocated to the walk-in shower and the ledge where the hotel places their shower amenities. The allocated space in the walk-in shower allowed us to shower comfortably, while the ledge gave us space to place our facial wash and dental kits. On the other side of the sink, opposite the walk-in shower, is a large bathtub. Despite not having a jacuzzi function, I was able to get a relaxing soak in the sizeable tub.

Bedroom 2

The second bedroom in the suite

The smaller Bedroom 2 sits opposite the master bedroom, decorated with a Peranakan theme seen in the details of the furniture. Similar to the master bedroom, Bedroom 2 is furnished with a smaller wardrobe at its entrance. The three-panel wardrobe has a larger two-panel space dedicated to hanging racks and one panel with shelves. Despite being a smaller setup, the wardrobe can still swallow a sizeable amount of clothing. There is a TV cabinet installed next to the wardrobe; however, this furniture seems more like an ornament as there are no TVs installed in this bedroom, though we can use this as an alternate space for storage. The vanity table, the same as the one in the master bedroom, sits in one corner of the bedroom. As Bedroom 2 has a smaller size, the bedroom is furnished with a queen bed that is equally comfortable as that in the master bedroom. Due to the smaller size, the queen bed is only fitted with one bedside table.

Bathroom

The bathroom for Bedroom 2 is located outside between the two bedrooms. The bathroom has a smaller size compared to the master bathroom, fitted with a sizeable walk-in shower, sink and a toilet. The sink in the common bathroom is exactly the same as that in the master bathroom, fitted in one corner of the room. Like the sink in the master bathroom, this sink also gives us ample space to stow our toiletries. The walk-in shower, taking up the space next to the sink, is also quite spacious, so we do not have to engage in an elbow war with walls. The toilet sits next to the entrance to the bathroom.

Balcony

The balcony of the Casa Residence 2-Bedroom Suite at Casa del Rio Melaka is rather large. Facing the Melaka River, the balcony is furnished with a day bed and a set of outdoor tables for two; this part of the suite is perfect for us to relax while looking out into the city and the river.

Service

We received excellent service from the staff at the hotel, from the check-in to the security guard and the housekeeping staff. Our first interaction with the staff at Casa del Rio Melaka was with the security guard at the carpark, who helped us find a good parking spot and reminded us to get the stamp from the reception for our complimentary parking. Nana was the main person from reception with whom we interacted the most. She was very friendly and welcoming. Despite having arrived 5 hours before the standard check-in time, Nana helped us register our arrival and arranged for our early check-in at noon. When escorting us to our apartment, Nana oriented us around the hotel, pointing out the various facilities. She also gave us a brief room tour and added us to WhatsApp for easier coordination. The hotel staff was very responsive on WhatsApp. When we requested additional items, they were delivered in a short period of time. The staff at The Grill restaurant, where we had our breakfast, were equally welcoming. They ensured we were very well taken care of and were very diligent in clearing our empty plates, despite us sitting in one corner of the restaurant.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ The River Grill

Breakfast at the hotel was served in The River Grill, the only restaurant in the hotel. The restaurant uses both a buffet system and a small menu of à la carte buffet style during breakfast. There is quite a number of selections from the buffet, mainly local cuisine and a small selection of Western options. There is also a small counter serving à la minute local noodles at the buffet station. The food was delicious and hearty.

Swimming Pool

As we were staying at the apartment complex next to the hotel, we had access to both the swimming pool at the hotel and the one at the apartment. The hotel’s rooftop swimming pool is perched on the 4th floor. The rooftop infinity pool is large enough for one to do some decent laps or to laze to cool off from the Melaka heat. There is also a small wading pool to cater for young guests. This rooftop swimming pool is perfect for guests to relax and get a good tan on one of the eight sundeck chairs, as there is no vegetation or high-rise buildings nearby to block out the sun.

The other pool in the apartment complex sits on level 1 of the apartment building. Here we found a small wading pool and a separate jacuzzi pool. Despite being a lower level, the infinity swimming pool at the apartment complex allows one to do some laps. However, there are limited sundeck chairs. Other than the four sundeck chairs at each end of the pool, we could also use one of the two outdoor tables. Due to the placement of the pool, getting a tan in this pool was a tad more challenging. We also had to bring our towel from the apartment to use the pool (unlike the one from the pool on the hotel side).

Gym

Like the swimming pools, we also had access to two gyms at Casa de Rio Melaka. The hotel’s main gym is also located on the 4th floor, next to the swimming pool. The gym at the hotel is a tad small, equipped with only three cardio machines and a chest press machine. There are some free weights inside the gym for guests to work out other parts of their muscular system.

The other gym is located on the ground floor of the apartment complex. Like the gym in the main hotel, this gym also has a small setup with three cardio machines and a multi-functional strength workout machine. There is also a row of free weights for guests to work out the other parts of their upper body.

Overall

We had a great stay at Casa del Rio Melaka. The location of the hotel is perfect for those who want to explore the heart of Melaka. It is within a 5-minute walk from Jonker Street and 7 minutes from the museums and attractions in the town. There is no lack of eateries around the hotel, and the nearest convenience shop is right across from the hotel. The apartment we stayed in was perfect for a family and was very well-appointed. The beds were comfortable to sleep on, and the entertainment options on the TV kept us entertained in the evening after exploring the town. The service is excellent at the hotel, where every staff member we met was welcoming and friendly. I would return to this hotel the next time I come to Melaka.

[Accommodation Review] – Pullman Saigon Centre (Executive Suite), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (29 May – 1 Jun 26)

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Location

Pullman Saigon Centre is located on the southwestern edge of District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, the city’s heart centre. Despite being technically in District 1, the hotel is about 1 to 1½ km from the tourist cluster where most of the iconic attractions are located. This distance is great for those who want the tranquillity of being away from the bustling tourist attractions, and yet still remain relatively close to the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Most of the attractions can be reached on foot within a 30 min walk from the hotel, and the nearest Bui Vien Walking Street is a mere 5 mins walk. There is no lack of amenities in the vicinity of Pullman Saigon Centre. There are several convenient shops within a 5 min walk from the hotel along Bui Vien Walking Street. We also found numerous eateries right next to the hotel and the nearby Bui Vien Walking Street.

The Executive Suite

The 70m² Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre adopts a blend of modern minimalism and contemporary glamour. The clean lines and functional layout complemented the bold colours and textures well to create a sophisticated high-end vibe. The use of a natural wood palette in the flooring brought warmth to the suite. The Executive Suite is spread across four main areas: The living room, the bedroom, the bathroom, and the walk-in wardrobe.

Layout of the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre

Entryway

The entryway of the Executive Suite simply serves as an area of the suite that connects the main entrance to the rest of the suite. This is also where we had our first look into the contemporary interior theme of the suite. The entryway also serves as a connection to the power room and the walk-in wardrobe of the suite, which in turn links to the bathroom.

Powder Room

Like most power rooms, the one in the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre also houses a toilet and a larger countertop with a sink sitting on it. The powder room employs the same contemporary minimalist decor as the rest of the suite and is an excellent addition to the suite, as our friends would still be able to use the toilet without trespassing into the bedroom.

The powder room in the Executive Suite is fitted with a toilet and a sink

Living Room

The living room in the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre

Pullman Saigon Centre uses purple to break the otherwise monotony of the heavily wood-themed suite. This purple sofa is capable of housing four to five adults comfortably, enjoying the well-curated local and international channels on the 40″ LED TV mounted on the wall. The large coffee table between the TV and the sofa gave us a great spot to rest our drinks while enjoying the welcome snacks the hotel prepared for us. A small round table, though capable of doubling up both as a dining table and a work desk, serves the work desk function more. There is only one chair furnished at this table, which seemed to suggest that the hotel intended for it to function more as a work desk. The close proximity to the HDMI port and the power outlets at the wall supported the hypothesis that the hotel intended this table to function more as a work desk.

I like how the hotel hides the minibar in the wooden cabinet behind the TV. Doing so creates a clean and minimalistic look in the living room. The mini bar occupies the left cabinet space, with the upper half of the cabinet dedicated to the coffee-making dry pantry. Here is where we find a pseudo Nespresso pod coffee machine with six capsules. Sitting at the lower half of the cabinet space is the mini fridge stocked with a wide range of chargeable beverages. Despite having a large cabinet in the living room, there is limited space for us to put away our shopping. The hotel also uses the cabinet space underneath the TV as another mini bar area with mugs and glasses occupying the shelving on the right side, and tea and an electric kettle taking up the space on the left. The only place in the cabinet that we can use to store any items is the cabinetry space to the right of the TV.

Bedroom

The bedroom in the Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre

The minimalist contemporary design theme flowed into the bedroom, but with a tinge of Scandinavian elements. Most of the bedroom is decked in a natural wooden theme with bold colours. Compared to the living room, the furnishing in the bedroom is simpler. In the centre of the bedroom sits the king bed, placed against the wall with a blue, floral-designed feature wall. The sleep quality on the king bed is good, but the pillows supplied are too soft for my liking. Despite Pullman Saigon Centre supplying a pillow menu, there is only one other choice on the menu. However, when called to request a firmer pillow, the hotel managed to provide the two that I requested. The firmer pillow supplied is only slightly firmer than those that were placed onto the bed. Well, at least this improved my sleep quality. The firmness of the mattress on the king bed left us feeling refreshed the next day. Sticking to the Scandinavian theme, the hotel uses a couple of logs as bedside tables, strategically placed underneath the international power outlet, so we could leave our lifestyle devices charged overnight.

Next to the king bed lies a single armchair with an ottoman placed next to the floor-to-ceiling window that allowed us to look out into the city. This is also a good place to relax, reading a book or watching the other 40″ LED TV in the bedroom. The TV has identical entertainment options to those in the living room. Like that, in the living room, the TV is mounted on the wooden cabinet. However, to our dismay, this cabinet serves no purpose other than as an ornament. The doors on this cabinet are glued shut, which did not allow us to open it to stow any items within it.

Bathroom & Walk-in Wardrobe

Bathroom seen from the entryway in the Executive Suite

The bathroom has two entrances, from the bedroom and the entryway. I find it weird that the entrance from the bedroom was not fitted with a door. The bathroom uses an elongated design, with the bathtub being placed next to the floor-to-ceiling glass panel that separates the bedrooms from the bathroom. The standalone bathtub is so large that I find it difficult to get a good soak. Lining up in a row in the space opposite the bathtub are the walk-in shower and the toilet. The space afforded to the walk-in shower, which comes fitted with both a rain and regular shower head, is large enough that I did not have to engage in an elbow fight with the walls. Like the other Pullman Hotels around the world, Pullman Saigon Centre treats its guests with the fragrant and luxurious American-branded C.O. Bigelow shower and toilet amenities. The water pressure from both shower heads is excellent, and the water heats up very fast. The toilet next door is fitted with a Japanese bidet.

Further along the length of the bathroom, towards the entryway, is the sink and the wardrobe area. The large dual sinks sit on a black marble countertop, which provides us with plentiful space to lay out our toiletries. Due to the shallow design, I find water splashing out from the sink whenever I accidentally turn the tap to its maximum. The wardrobe in the Executive Suite is located within the bathroom and opposite the sink, in the same row as the shower and toilet. The large wardrobe provided us with tons of space to hang up our clothes. I reckon the wardrobe is capable of hanging up to three weeks of clothing for two guests. I like that the hotel fitted two dual-tiered drawers inside the wardrobe, which not only increases the storage space, but also gives us a space to put away our smaller clothing. The in-room safe is located on top of one of these drawers. Wedged between the sink and the entryway entrance is another set of two dual-tiered drawers with a marble slab as the top. I find this luggage rack is very well situated, which provides guests with the convenience of packing and unpacking their luggage.

Service

We experienced great service at Pullman Saigon Centre, where the staff we met were warm and friendly. At the time we alighted from our airport transfer, the ground floor porter had already taken care of our luggage. We did not have to lay our fingers on our luggage, and they were being delivered to our suite while we were being checked into our rooms. At the reception, the staff checking us in were very friendly and welcoming. My friends were served welcome drinks while we were dealing with the check-in. The staff gave us the option of checking in at the Executive Lounge on level 30, where another staff escorted us to the lounge and handed us over to his colleague, who processed our check-in. At the same time, we were invited to wait at the lounge while they processed our check-in. However, we were not accorded early check-in due to the full booking (according to the staff), and our friends were upgraded to the executive floor. The staff at the lounge were detailed in explaining the perks and exclusions. This is when I found the hotel was very religious in sticking to the terms (not the fault of the staff). While we were accorded lounge access and complimentary breakfast, our friends staying in the other rooms were not. The staff at Food ConneXion were very friendly and welcoming. We were always welcomed with a warm smile on the mornings that we had at the restaurant. The staff here were very cheerful and attentive. They would always patrol the dining floor and clear the plates immediately when they spotted empty plates on the table, or they would be busy serving guests their orders from the warm food station or one of the many flavours of Vietnamese Coffee.

Welcome amenities in the suite

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Food ConneXion

Breakfast is served at Food ConneXion Restaurant located on the 3rd floor of the hotel. From the entrance to Food ConneXion, we were greeted by the pastry station with a good variety of bread, croissants and spreads. This station is also where desserts and fruits are made available. The warm food options, with a good variety of Western, Korean, Chinese, and Indian, are made available along the long buffet table by the wall in front of the kitchen. Here is where we found one station serving up made-to-order beef pho, as well as waffles and pancakes. Other than the pastry station, there are two other kitchen island stations with salads and cold cuts, as well as dim sum and Vietnamese fried rice noodles. I like how the hotel incorporated local flavours, not only in the food but also in the various brews of Vietnamese coffee. I found the food served was of high quality and was very tasty, but the menu pretty much stayed the same throughout the two days I had breakfast at Food ConneXion. I highly recommend the Vietnamese coffee, which is quite tasty and strong, especially the Salted Cream Coffee.

Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge at Pullman Saigon Centre is located on the 30th floor, the top floor of the hotel. The lounge is a tad small and does not seem to be able to accommodate a large number of guests. The front part of the lounge is furnished with four purple striped armchairs, creating a cosy living room vibe. This part of the lounge is where we found a small meeting room. Behind the feature wall with a mounted TV lies the dining area. This part of the lounge is furnished with a limited number of dining tables, mainly catering for two guests and one larger eight-seater dining table in the centre of this area. The Executive Lounge has a small buffet area tucked in one corner of the lounge next to the dining area, serving up a small number of finger foods during afternoon tea time. The lounge is a great place to relax, sipping a cool drink, after a day of exploring in Ho Chi Minh City.

Swimming Pool

Pullman Saigon Centre has a lap pool nestled on level 6 of the hotel. The swimming pool is a little on the small side, but it allows guests to get some decent swimming in it. It is a pity that there are a limited number of sundeck chairs around the pool, which would otherwise make it a great spot to get some vitamin D due to the lack of vegetation and nearby buildings that would otherwise cast a shadow onto the pool deck. We also spotted a small poolside bar, hidden inside the hotel building next to the swimming pool. This is one of the spots where ACCOR members can redeem their welcome drinks.

Gym

The hotel is fitted with a small gym located on the 6th floor, next to the swimming pool. Despite its smaller set-up, the gym is mainly equipped with cardio workout machines, facing the floor-to-ceiling window, treating guests to the view of the bustling Ho Chi Minh City below. There are comparatively fewer strength workout machines, other than two total body workout machines and some free weights.

Overall

Being located at the edge of District 1 gives Pullman Saigon Centre the advantage of being close to the action, but minus the noise. The Executive Suite at Pullman Saigon Centre is comfortable, modern and very well appointed. The modern minimalist design with a touch of contemporary artworks dotted around the suite brought in some fun in an otherwise monotonous decor. The space allocated to the three main rooms in the suite was sufficient and did not make one feel cramped. The king bed has a great sleeping quality that refreshes us every morning. The service at the hotel is good, and the staff we met were very friendly and welcoming.

[Accommodation Review] – SO/ Bangkok (SO/ Lofty Suite), Bangkok, Thailand (2 – 5 Apr 26)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment

Location

SO/ Bangkok is located in the heart of Bangkok, opposite the famed Lumpini Park, the largest park in downtown Bangkok. There are a couple of shopping malls near the hotel. One Bangkok, the larger of the two, is diagonally opposite the hotel with shopping and food options. In terms of 24-hour convenience shops, there are two 7-Elevens within a 5-minute walk from the hotel. Despite its central location, SO/ Bangkok is only connected by the MRT and some bus services. To access the BTS, we need to catch the MRT for one stop and change to the BTS at Si Lom. For visitors who are using the BTS to visit the sights or shop in central Bangkok, where the BTS is the only way to get to these sights, they would find SO/ Bangkok a tad cumbersome to get around. There are not many sights, other than Chinatown, that the MRT connects. The MRT also connected us to shopping areas like Patpong and Terminal 21.

The SO/ Lofty Suite (Water Element)

We originally booked the SO/ One Bedroom Suite, the second-lowest-tiered suite in the hotel. To our surprise, SO/ Bangkok gave us a two-tier upgrade to the SO/ Lofty, the second-highest tiered suite in the hotel. The 99㎡ water-themed SO/ Lofty Suite is one of the four elemental themes on which the hotel designed its rooms. For those who prefer the higher floor, water-themed rooms sit on the top few levels of the hotel.

Layout of the Water Element SO/ Lofty Suite that we stayed in

Entryway

The entryway in the SO/ Lofty Suite is not furnished with any furniture that would otherwise make it easier for guests to take off their shoes. Instead, the plain entryway was designed to be a thoroughfare for guests between the living room and the entrance to the suite. As an introduction to the suite, we were given a glimpse of the dark grey colour scheme used to represent the claim and sophistication of the water element. The designer uses the dark tone and soothing shades of grey to enhance the panoramic city views.

The entryway of our SO/ Lofty Suite

Powder Room

The power room is situated opposite the main entrance to the SO/ Lofty Suite. The stone colour theme at the entryway flowed into the powder room. The light shade of grey on the wall of the powder room complements the darker shade used in the tile, which is one of the ways the designer of the suite uses to create a calm atmosphere. The powder room is only fitted with a toilet and a large sink, and given the space allocated to this room, the sense of calmness also comes from the spaciousness. To reinforce the water theme, SO/ Bangkok hangs a picture of a water ripple in grey tones above the porcelain throne.

The powder room in the SO/ Lofty Suite

Living Room

The shades of grey used in the powder room are replicated in the living room. Here, the lighter stone grey wall colour, together with the darker near black grey used in the tiles of the floor, created a darker interior. It is here where we could really see what the designer meant by letting the bright bustling city be the centre of attention. The darker tones in the living room focus our attention on the bright colours in the City of Angels. The colour used in the living room is slightly more from wooden tones in the TV console and the cabinets at the side of the living room (which we welcomed the abundance of storage here), to the sand coloured floor lamp sited next to the floor to ceiling window quietly provides warm illumination to the living room at night, to the light grey coloured two seater European size sofa. Despite an increase in the variety of colours used, everything flows in harmony. The two-seater fabric sofa, which is sufficient to seat three or even four adults comfortably, is the centrepiece of this part of the suite. Sitting by the walls and facing the 55” LED TV mounted onto the wall opposite, the sofa is where we relax while watching the multiple entertainment options from the TV, from international cable channels to local TV shows. There is something to occupy every age group sitting on the sofa. The larger hourglass-shaped side table functions as more than an ornamental piece. When nothing is placed on top of it, it is an art piece that gives some life in the living room, but when used, it can also function as an additional table area for us to stow our shopping. The single armchair, in the same tone as the sofa, sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, provides guests of the SO/ Lofty suite with additional sitting space for hosting.

Bedroom

Perhaps the only space in this water element, the SO/ Lofty Suite, that took a departure from the dark tone is the wardrobe in the bed area. Instead of having a dark tone, this part of the suite is laid with natural wood colour, which seems to be for practical reasons. As there were no views in this part of the site, the lighter colour tones used here allow guests to perform functions that are allocated to this part of the suite better. I like how SO/ Bangkok designed a walk-in wardrobe in the bedroom of the suite, with a sliding door that gave the separation between the wardrobe and the bedroom. The wardrobe space employs an open design fitted with only hanging racks. Other than the ledge below the hanging racks, which we used to place our luggage and the oversized drawer below, we found a lack of shelving for us to stow our smaller clothing items. Shelving space is limited to the two built into the wall of the wardrobe, of which one is used to house the in-room safe. While we still have the other shelving to use, I find it awkward and difficult to access. Fortunately, SO/ Bangkok furnished the vanity table inside the walk-in wardrobe, which we used to place our smaller clothing items on.

The sleeping area occupies the rest of the space allocated to the bedroom. The bedroom past the king bed continued the dark grey tones we saw in the living room. Differing from the living room, instead of having grey walls, the bedroom is decked with the same dark marble tiles on the floors and the walls, with only the ceiling painted in the same grey tones as those we saw on the walls of the living room to accentuate the focus on the colour of the city skyline. The king bed is very comfortable to sleep on, with a good selection of pillow options from the pillow menu that SO/ Bangkok pampers its guests to choose from; we woke up feeling refreshed every day. SO/ Bangkok did not use your traditional wooden bedside tables with drawers; in their place were white tables that stood guard on either side of the bed. Unlike the traditional bedside tables, these tables did not come with any drawers, but were sufficiently sized for us to place our lifestyle devices to charge overnight. SO/ Bangkok cleverly fitted the minibar into the suite on the wall just outside the walk-in wardrobe, next to the king bed. The minibar is only visible when the door to the walk-in wardrobe is closed. Despite taking up a small footprint in the suite, the mini bar has everything that makes it a full-functioning mini bar. It houses a Nespresso machine, a kettle and a mini fridge that is stocked with complimentary drinks that are replenished daily. I do, however, find the usage of the coffee machine a little difficult. Due to the space allocated, I would have to pull the machine to the edge of the shelf for the insertion of a coffee pod.

The king bed faces the quadrant floor-to-ceiling windows that curve towards the bed, giving us views of the city from our bed. There is a fairly large space between the windows and the bed. This is where the hotel filled the void with a circular armchair and a small coffee table. This grey fabric chosen for this armchair complemented the dark grey palette used by the designer, continuing the sophistication and calm vibe we had seen in the other parts of the suite. The armchair is very comfortable to sit on, allowing us to laze, focusing our attention on the bustling city. Another 55” LED TV is placed just a little shy of the window facing the king bed. A small work desk facing the city skyline is fitted in one corner of the bedroom, with the power outlets fitted on the ledge beside the work desk. This is a perfect spot for guests to do some work. The ledge also gave us additional space to place things like documents.

Bathroom

The bathroom was allocated a good amount of space. The massive wooden sliding door separates the bedroom from the other bedroom. Right in front of the sliding door sits a dual sink. For a sink of this size, I thought the countertop space was a tad limited due to the larger-sized sinks the hotel used in the SO/ Lofty Suite. After placing a large amenities box in the centre of the sink, we were left with little space to stow our toiletries. Other than insufficient countertop space, we also found a lack of hanging spaces. There is only one hook in the bathroom, which limits the number of clothes we can hang here. The issue became more pronounced when we needed a space to hang our bath towels to dry for the next day, and at the same time, our clothes when we took a shower. More often than not, we found water splashing out of the sink due to the force from the sink, if we were not careful with turning the water from the tap to the “right” amount of pressure. SO/ Bangkok fitted the porcelain throne on the left side of the sink countertop, behind a shallow wall. There are no doors to segregate the toilet from the rest of the bathroom. The walk-in shower took up the bulk of the area in the bathroom, located to the right of the sink next to the floor-to-ceiling window. I like how the hotel placed the massive round bathtub (by the window) inside the walk-in shower. This allowed us to head straight for the shower after taking a relaxing soak, looking out into the skyline of Bangkok. The bathtub took a while for the water to fill up, partly due to the oversized bathtub and partly due to the weak water pressure.

Service

The service we received in SO/ Bangkok was nothing short of excellence. From the moment we stepped out of our ride from the airport, to the check-in process and the daily interactions with staff members of the hotel, we were made to feel welcome. Everyone we bumped into wore smiles and portrayed the warmth that the Thais were famously known for. The great service started during our arrival at SO/ Bangkok, where we were greeted by the porter at the driveway. As we were talking to the driver of our airport transfer, our luggage was already taken care of by the porter who escorted us to the concierge to confirm our check-in. As we booked to stay in a suite, the porter escorted us to the lounge for checking in, and introduced the locations of the various facilities in the hotel along the way. The porter handed us over to his lounge colleagues, who assisted with our check-in. At the lounge, we were shown to a seat, and the lounge staff disappeared into action, leaving us with welcome drinks while she processed our check-in. Before long, our check-in was completed, and we were on our way to our suite, where the porter had already placed our luggage. That is what I called service! With a well-oiled team working behind the scenes to ensure our stay was seamless, starting from our check-in process.

The lounge staff were always very welcoming whenever I popped into the lounge for a smoke or a drink. We were greeted with the widest smile by Georgia and were always offered drinks. Whether ordering a drink to have it in the lounge or to go for our enjoyment in our suite, nothing seemed too troublesome for the lounge staff. The lounge staff always made us feel welcome at the lounge and would put down their work and give us their full attention. The staff at the Red Oven were welcoming as well. At the entrance during breakfast, we were always greeted by a cheerful staff member with a warm smile while confirming our room number and showing us to our seats. The staff at the Red Oven were always on their toes, attending to guests’ requests. They were very efficient in clearing the used plates on the tables. I had not seen any used plates being left at the table for more than 5 minutes.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Red Oven

Breakfast is served at the Red Oven restaurant, located on the 7th floor of the hotel. The Red Oven Restaurant serves up a good spread for breakfast, from Western to Asian to Thai cuisine. We were already spoiled for choices just on pastries alone, where the hotel serves a larger variety of bread from the usual suspects to croissants and au pain chocolat, together with a large variety of spreads and jams. For cold food options, the hotel offered cold cuts, smoked ham and salmon, as well as a large variety of salads. While the hot food options were a choice between sausages, bacon and eggs from the Western options, as well as dim sum and sushi from the Asian menu. There is even a small number of Thai dishes in the hot food buffet line. I find it interesting that SO/ Bangkok has a station during breakfast where Thai noodle soup is made to order. For drinks, other than the usual coffee, tea, juices, SO/ Bangkok also serves a wide variety of fruits available for breakfast that provide guests with a hearty and all-around nutrition during the most important meal of the day. There is even ice cream served during breakfast. Despite the spread of food, the menu for breakfast stayed the same throughout the three days of our stay with SO/ Bangkok.

Club Signature

Club Signature is the Executive Lounge in SO/ Bangkok, nestled on the 25th floor of the hotel building. The Club Signature boasts bold colour schemes with a hint of retro vibe seen in the decor and the choice of furniture. Due to the high ceilings in the main area of the lounge and the balcony that looks out into Lumpini Park, Club Signature felt airy and spacious. The fore lounge has an inviting and cosy vibe with the sofa and a handful of dining tables catering for two, furnished here. Walking into this part of the lounge felt like walking into the living room of a house. There is some outdoor furniture in the balcony that invites guests to relax while looking out into the lungs of Bangkok – Lumpini Park. It felt liberating sitting here and looking out into the city. The back part of the lounge is mainly furnished with dining tables, and is where the retro and funky vibe is most pronounced. Here, the colour choice in the decor is more vibrant and bold. Most of the dining tables here cater for two pax, arranged in front of the floor-to-ceiling window that allows guests to look out into the city. There is a handful of seating that caters to larger groups, in a sofa setting. Club Signature welcomes guests at any time of the day for a drink. But it also caters for afternoon tea and evening cocktails, where guests are treated to finger food to enjoy with the drinks. Guests who want a quieter breakfast experience can pop up to the Club Signature during breakfast hours. The breakfast spread is certainly smaller compared to the Red Oven Restaurant.

Swimming Pool

SO/ Bangkok has a beautiful infinity pool that overlooks the Lumpini Park. Perched on the 10th floor of the hotel and looking out of the park, swimming in the lap pool felt like swimming in the sky amidst the greenery below the hotel. The swimming pool is large enough for guests to get some decent laps, and a small, separate jacuzzi pool at the end of the pool on the sundeck for guests to relax. In terms of sundeck chairs, about 1/3 of the poolside space is cordoned off for poolside bistrol, leaving 2/3 of the space for sundeck chairs. Despite not being blocked by vegetation, suntanning in the morning can be challenging. The swimming pool will only receive sunlight in the afternoon due to its orientation. It doesn’t help that only a handful of sundeck chairs are arranged in the sun, with the majority of them hiding under the shade. The orientation of the hotel also meant the pool can be quite cold when swimming in the morning.

SO/ Fit Gym

The gym in SO/ Bangkok is located on the 10th floor in front of the swimming pool. For a gym of this size, I thought the number of pieces of equipment and the range of workouts that can be done in the gym were rather limited. For cardio workouts, the gym is equipped with three ellipticals and treadmills, and four stationary bikes facing the swimming pool, allowing only a limited number of guests to use at any one time. Other than the free weights at the end of the gym, guests who wanted to do some strength training were limited to a couple of back machines, two leg machines, and a functional workout machine. I was rather surprised to find a small studio inside the gym.

Overall

We had a great stay at SO/ Bangkok. The Water Element SO/ Lofty Suite was well-appointed, and the sleep quality on the king bed left us feeling refreshed every day. The service at the hotel was nothing short of impeccable. All the staff whom we bumped into are always wearing their smiles and making guests feel welcome. It felt as though no request was too small, and the staff at the hotel always responded to requests with great efficiency. The location of the hotel is an issue as it is not served by any BTS (where most shopping and sights are located along the BTS lines), but via the MRT. It took us a while to get used to having the MRT as our primary mode of transport (we always used the BTS as the primary means of getting around Bangkok).

[Accommodation Review] – Novotel Genève Centre (Superior Suite), Geneva, Switzerland (18 – 20 Jan 26)

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Location

Novotel Genève Centre is conveniently located near Geneva train station, with a 7-minute walk to the station or a 7-minute bus ride (due to the bus using a longer route). The area between the hotel and the train station felt a little complicated, especially at night (we later found out from one of the hotel staff that this part of the city is the red light district). Having said that, walking through this area felt completely safe. There are several restaurants with a good variety of cuisines, ranging from African to Indian to French and Italian restaurants, within a 3-minute walk from the hotel. There are several supermarkets located around the hotel, with the nearest about a 3 min walk to the main street from the hotel and one more situated in the train station. The tourist sights like Lake Geneva can be reached from the Novotel Genève Centre on foot in under 10 minutes, and Geneva Old Town is slightly further, reachable in 25 minutes’ walk.

The Suite

We checked into the 50㎡ Superior Suite, the only suite category that Novotel Genève Centre offers, which has a weird layout. Not only does the suite have two entrances, one in the bedroom and the other in the living room, but it also has two fully functional bathrooms. It felt as though two rooms were reconfigured into the Superior Suite.

Layout of the Superior Suite at Novotel Genève Centre

Entryway 1

The first entryway is situated further from the lift lobby and leads into the living room of the suite. At the entryway, we found a full-length mirror and a single hook installed on the wall. This simply furnished entryway is where the entrance to the bathroom (I termed the bathroom in the living room as Bathroom 1) is. Past the entrance to the bathroom, a minibar station fully stocked with a Nesspro Machine and a kettle, as well as a mini fridge, is located. An in-room safe is located between the Nespresso Machine and the mini fridge.

Living Room

The living room took up a bulk of the real estate in the Superior Suite at Novotel Genève Centre. Originally, this room was furnished with two sofas and a chaise lounge. However, when we entered the room, we saw the sofa placed against the wall and facing the window being converted into a bed. This sofa bed comes with its own headboard and charging outlets on either side of the headboard. We managed to get the housekeeping staff to reconfigure the bed back into a sofa the next day. The second sofa in the living room is placed by the window and faces the entrance to the bedroom. This two-seater sofa can be split into two single-seater chairs.

A chaise lounger is located at the other corner of the living room, by the door to the bedroom. The brown fabric chaise lounger not only can comfortably sit three, but it can also be used as a daybed. The only coffee table in the living room is placed in front of the chaise lounger. The wardrobe in the living room opposite the chaise lounger, capable of holding at least one week’s worth of clothing, seems to suggest that the living room of the Superior Suite might have been used to be a Junior Suite. The TV in the living room is mounted on the wall facing the sofa bed, and can be tilted to face the chaise lounger or the sofa placed by the window at the end of the living room. Despite having many channels for us to choose from on the TV, only a handful of these channels are in English. Most channels are either in French or German.

Bathroom 1

There are two fully equipped bathrooms in the Superior Suite: Bathroom 1 in the living room and Bathroom 2 in the bedroom. Entrance to Bathroom 1 is located in Entryway 1. Bathroom 1 has an elongated layout, stretching from the entrance to the suite to the living room. The space allocated to Bathroom 1 was excellent that it did not feel cramped when using the bathroom. Other than the bathtub in the left corner of the bathroom being a little on the small side, whose length occupies the entire width of the bathroom, the rest of the bathroom felt spacious. Novotel Genève Centre fitted only one sink in Bathroom 1 next to the bathtub, and there is space on both sinks for us to place our toiletries on. The toilet bowl and the European bidet were wedged between the sink and the walk-in shower, which is only fitted with a regular shower head. Even the space afforded to the semi-opened walk-in shower is sufficient to prevent any elbow war with the walls while I shower in here (unlike that of Bathroom 2). I find it weird that the bathroom in the living room is the bigger of the two bathrooms and is better equipped in terms of amenities. Only Bathroom 1 is stocked with full shower amenities, while the other bathroom lacks conditioner and bathroom amenities.

Entryway 2

Weirdly, there is another entrance to the suite via the bedroom, hence a second entryway for the suite. Like the other entryway, Entryway 2 is only furnished with the wardrobe in the bedroom, and it is also home to the entrance to the Powder Room. The wardrobe has only hanging racks, which limits the amount of clothing we can stow. The limited number of hangers the hotel supplies further limits the number of clothes we can hang. Despite having a ledge above the hanging racks, we found little use for this rack. Next to the wardrobe, and facing the bedroom, is where we found the second minibar and the second in-room safe. A second Nespresso machine, an electric kettle and a second set of coffee capsules and tea bags occupy the open shelving space on top of the safe. In contrast, a second mini fridge is situated below the safe.

Powder Room

The Powder Room is a weird situation in the Superior Suite at Novotel Geneva Centre. The suite does not have a powder room per se, rather it has a toilet that is separated from the bathroom in the bedroom. The toilet is situated in the entryway next to the second entrance to the suite, akin to a powder room. However, unlike the powder room of other hotels, the powder room in the Superior Suite only houses the porcelain throne and does not have a sink. The space allotted to the powder room is rather modest, and the absence of a sink makes it inconvenient to use.

The toilet in the bedroom is housed in a separate room from the bathroom

Bedroom

A king bed is placed next to the entrance to the bedroom from the living room. The king bed was comfortable with a firm mattress, but the sleep quality on the king bed was impaired by the soft pillows that were provided. Those who prefer softer pillows might find better sleep quality on the bed than I do. The bedside tables in the bedroom are essentially two wooden planks that were wedged into the headboard of the king bed. The space afforded by these bedside tables is a little tight, which provides us with little space to place our lifestyle equipment to charge overnight. To make matters worse, the phone placed on the right bedside table took up the entire space, rendering this bedside table useless. It also doesn’t help that only one side has a power outlet, while the other only comes with two USB-A charging outlets.

Next to the entrance to the bedroom from the living room is another two-seater sofa, identical to that one in the living room by the window. I thought the sofa was useful here as we used it to place our backpack (there is limited space in the entire suite where we can place our backpacks). Next to the sofa, facing the wall, is a work desk. The already sizeable work desk that has another table top can be swivelled out to face the king bed, further increasing the available desk top area for guests to work. The power outlets are conveniently installed on the wall by the work desk, ensuring guests’ work is not disrupted by keeping their laptops juiced up. The TV, mounted onto the wall, beside the work desk and opposite the king bed, provided us with the same entertainment options as that in the living room.

Bathroom 2

The bathroom in the bedroom is the second bathroom in the Superior Suite at Novotel Genève Centre. This bathroom is smaller than Bathroom 1 in the living room, equipped with only a shower and bathing facilities. The sink lies in the centre of Bathroom 2, which only has a small countertop space on the left side. A bathtub, having the same size as the one in Bathroom 1, is located on the left of the sink, while a walk-in shower lies to the right of the sink. Due to the space allocated to Bathroom 2, the walk-in shower is smaller than that in Bathroom 1, and there are no toilet facilities in Bathroom 2. Not only is the space in Bathroom 2 reduced, but the amenities are also reduced, such as the absence of conditioners. Despite the “reduced” bathroom, I thought Bathroom 2 still functions as a full bath.

Service

Our interaction with the staff at Novotel Genève Centre was very limited, and it doesn’t help that the reception is tucked further into the lobby, with a little distance to the main entrance. This design somewhat inhibited the staff from interacting with guests. Despite our interactions with the hotel staff being limited to check-in and check-out, I found the service in the hotel to be good. They were friendly and welcoming, and processed our check-in with great efficiency. The staff were always seen with a smile and greeted us with a warm bonjour whenever we approached them. We were given detailed information by the staff who checked us in about the location of the hotel and the amenities in the hotel. When we approached the reception for an additional fan and converted the sofa bed in the living room back to a sofa, things were done efficiently. The reception staff were always seen with a smile and stood ready to render any assistance that guests might have. Even the housekeeping staff, whom we bumped into every morning, warmed up our day with a friendly greeting.

Novotel Geneva treats its guests with chocolate chip cookies as a welcome amenity in the room.

Hotel Facilities

Gym

Novotel Genève Centre has a small gym located on the Basement (-1 floor) of the hotel. The gym has a small setup with only two treadmills, two stationary bikes, a couple of strength training machines and some dumbbells. Despite its modest size, guests would still be able to do strength and cardio workouts in the gym.

Overall

Novotel Genève Centre is well situated between the train station and the old town, close to most of the sights in Geneva. I find the layout of the Superior Suite to be weird. It felt like the hotel converted a Junior Suite and a connecting Superior bedroom and called it a 1-bedroom suite. The sleep quality on the king bed was decent, and the furniture in the suite shows signs of Aging. Despite the limited interaction with the hotel staff, we felt welcomed by the friendly staff in the hotel.

[Accommodation Review] – Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre (Superior Studio with Terrace), Zurich, Switzerland (16 – 18 Jan 26)

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Location

Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre is situated north of Zurich Hauptbahnhof, approximately 7 minutes on foot from the train station and 10 minutes on foot to Zurich’s old town. As this seems to be a residential area, we did not find a lot of amenities near the hotel. There are several restaurants located next to the hotel, but they always seem to be closed whenever we walk past them. The nearest supermarkets are situated near Zurich Hauptbahnhof, which is approximately a 7-minute walk away. There is a bus stop near the hotel, but not directly in front of the hotel, which is a 3-minute walk from the hotel entrance to this bus stop. The hotel shares the same building as Ibis Styles Zurich City Centre.

The Suite

We checked into the 40㎡ Superior Studio with Terrace, which is a one-of-a-kind room in the hotel. Although it is termed a studio, the suite features a separate living room and a bedroom. The highlight of the studio is the spacious outdoor terrace that overlooks the city.

Layout of the Superior Studio with Terrace at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre

Entryway

The entryway to the Superior Studio with Terrace at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre occupies a small area of the studio suite. There is no furnishing at the entryway, and it shares the same space as the living room.

Living Room

The living room of the Superior Studio with Terrace is made up of the lounging area, the dining area and the kitchenette.

The living room of our Superior Studio with Terrace Suite, with our sofa made up into a double bed

Lounging Area

The lounging area is immediately next to the main entrance and features Scandinavian decor, with woody tones from the flooring to the sofa. The sofa, which can comfortably sit two, is placed next to the main entrance to the Superior Studio and can be converted into a bed, which would increase the capacity in the studio by an additional two guests. In fact, the sofa was converted into a double bed when we first entered the Superior Studio. Instead of a large coffee table, I like how the hotel uses small round tables that not only save space but can also double up as stools for more people to sit on. There are three such stool-tables in the living room of the Superior Studio, one placed in front of the sofa, another placed next to the sofa, and yet another placed by the floor-to-ceiling window. I thought that not furnishing a TV cabinet was a great idea, as having a TV cabinet would clutter the lounging area due to the space allocated. The TV in the lounging area is mounted on a wall, opposite the main entrance and at a corner of the living room. Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre is one of the few hotels that I have stayed in Switzerland that offered its guests more English channels. The placement of the TV with a pivoting mount allowed us to watch the TV while dining in the dining area. The living room, from the lounging area to the dining area, has a total of three floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to a French balcony. These three windows allowed lots of natural light into the living room and created an indoor-outdoor concept. They also made the elongated living room feel larger.

Dining Area & Kitchenette

The dining area & kitchenette took up about ⅓ of the living room space. Placed between the lounging area and the bedroom, the dining area is furnished with a suitably sized round table with four accompanying leathered seating dining chairs. As there are no work desks in this Superior Studio, the dining table also doubles up as a work desk. Behind the dining table is a kitchenette that has all one needs to whip up a simple meal. Other than a sink and the usual Nespresso Coffee machine and mini fridge, the kitchenette also has a two-stove induction cooker, a microwave oven and even a dishwasher. Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre also equipped its Superior Studio with a full set of dining set for four, together with pots and pans. I like how the kitchenette, despite a small footprint in the Superior Studio, was able to function as a full kitchen with the many amenities the hotel provided.

Bedroom

The bedroom is further into the Superior Studio with Terrace at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre. Instead of a wall and door, the bedroom can be isolated with the use of thick blackout curtains. The bedroom is simply furnished with a queen-size bed and two bedside tables. One of the bedside tables is mounted onto the headboard of the queen bed, while the other is a standalone cabinet. Another TV is mounted on the wall opposite the queen bed, which has the same international and local channels available as the one in the living room. Underneath the TV is a long bench fitted with a cushion, I guess to double up as a seating area in the bedroom, as well as a luggage rack. Perhaps the weakest link in the Superior Studio with Terrace at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre is the wardrobe space. The hotel fitted an open concept hanging rack that only has sufficient space for us to hang four jackets, which is grossly insufficient if the Superior Studio is maxed out with four guests. There is a deep drawer underneath the hanging rack, which gives us more storage space, given the limited space for storage in the bedroom. The enclosed cabinet next to the hanging rack also did not provide us with more storage space. Of the four tiered cabinet shelves, we were only able to use three, as one of these precious shelves is being occupied by the in-room safe.

Bathroom

The bathroom in the Superior Studio at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre comprises two rooms, the toilet and the shower room. The toilet is located in a separate room from the shower and sits right at the end of the corridor in the studio suite. Despite the modest space, the toilet does not feel cramped. There is even space in the toilet for the hotel to install a small basin with a countertop that is large enough for me to place my toiletries on. I thought the hotel was clever to put a sink here, creating a dual sink in the bathroom area. Further into the bathroom, next to the toilet, is where the shower room is situated. Sitting next to the entrance of the shower room is the other sink in the Superior Studio, placed on a slightly larger countertop compared to the one in the toilet, giving us more space for toiletries. In the corner of the shower room sits a standing walk-in shower stall, equipped with both rain and regular shower heads. Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre supplies its guests with a PRIJA combination of shampoo cum shower gel that gives off a woody scent after a shower. The only flaw in the walk-in shower is the lack of a ledge for us to place our facial wash and dental kit.

Terrace

What surprises me most is the terrace. From the picture on the hotel’s website, the terrace looked like an extension of the Superior Studio, having the same width as the studio suite. However, when we entered the terrace, we were surprised that the terrace took up the entire width of the 7th floor. In fact, we thought the size of the terrace was approximately the same size as our Superior Studio. Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre furnished the terrace with two sets of outdoor furniture. The area immediately in front of our Superior Studio is furnished with a sofa for three and another four single-seater armchairs, together with an outdoor table. There are some holders for potted plants, which were empty due to the wintry weather. The other side of the terrace is furnished with three sundeck chairs and a single armchair with a matching table. I guess this area sees more use in the summer.

Service

The service at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre is good. We were warmly welcomed by the staff during check-in, who processed our check-in with much efficiency and patiently answered our questions about the breakfast and our half-board booking. The next day, we approached the reception staff about our welcome drink, who gleefully recommended us her favourite drink. Although there are signs in the hotel lift that state housekeeping services are only available every seven days, we were pleasantly surprised to find our rooms being made up when we returned to our Superior Studio in the evening. We booked a half-board package to dine at the YUKA restaurant. The staff there appeared to be aloof initially, but they started to warm up after our initial interaction with them. Despite us having the set menu, the staff took the effort to check with the kitchen if they were able to customise the dishes for us.

Welcome amenities provided by Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre

Hotel Facilities

Gym

The hotel shares a small gym with Ibis Styles Zurich City Centre, located on the ground floor of the hotel. The gym is equipped with a limited number of cardio workout machines, with only one stationary bike, one elliptical machine, one rowing machine, and two treadmills. Guests who want to engage in strength training are limited to one strength workout machine that targets every muscle group, as well as free weights. We found a sauna in the gym at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre.

Breakfast @ YUKA

Breakfast is served at the YUKA restaurant, located on the ground floor of the hotel, adjacent to the reception. Breakfast is limited to a large selection of bread, some hard-boiled eggs, sausages and cold cuts. Despite the limited breakfast variety, the hotel still serves a hearty breakfast to fuel guests for the day before exploring Zurich.

Overall

We had a pleasant stay at Aparthotel Adagio Zurich City Centre. I liked the terrace that looked out into the streets of Zurich and the amenities in the Superior Studio. Despite being termed as a studio, the bedroom can be isolated from the living room and the bathroom, creating a one-bedroom suite. The inclusion of a kitchenette gave us the option of preparing a simple meal, and the dishwasher eliminated the need for doing the dishes. The hotel is close to Zurich Hauptbahnhof and the city centre, making exploring Zurich and its surroundings a breeze.

[Accommodation Review] – Jägerhof Hotels & Apartments (Modern 3-Bedroom Apartment), Zermatt, Switzerland (13 – 16 Jan 26)

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Location

Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments is located about a 7-minute walk from the centre of Zermatt and 15 minutes’ walk from Zermatt Bahnhof. The hotel is situated in a quiet location in town, offering stunning views of the Matterhorn. Despite its somewhat secluded location, the hotel is about a 15-minute walk to the cable car stations bound for the Matterhorn and Gornergrat. I thought the location of the hotel was ideal as we were never too far from the action in Zermatt. The hotel provides a complimentary transfer from Zermatt Bahnhof in one of its electric cars.

The Apartment

Jägerhof Hotels & Apartments offers two types of accommodations: standard hotel rooms and serviced apartments. For the serviced apartments, Jägerhof Hotels & Apartments offer apartments ranging from studios to 3-bedroom units. We checked into their 150㎡ spacious 3-bedroom apartment.

Layout of Jagerhof Hotel & Apartments 3-bedroom Apartment (Source: https://www.jaegerhofzermatt.ch/en/flats-in-zermatt-with-hotel-service/)

Entryway

The entryway to the Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments 3-bedroom apartment is the area that links the bedrooms to the living and dining room. Technically, the entryway is not furnished, but we found a wooden bench mounted onto a wooden feature wall outside Bedroom 1. This is our first look at the Scandinavian decor in the apartment, and it was a great addition for us to put on our shoes. However, we merely used this as a place to stow our backpacks. The hooks on the wooden feature wall gave us a spot to hang our outer coats without taking up space in the wardrobes in our bedrooms. The painted posters of Zermatt hanging on the wall provided some colour in an otherwise plain entryway wall.

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 1 sits right across from the entrance to the 3-bedroom apartment at Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments. This bedroom, like the rest of the apartment, is decked out in a natural Scandinavian theme, apparent in the large usage of natural wood and green colour on parts of the walls. The bedroom is not large, and the king bed in the middle of the room occupies a bulk of the real estate here. The power outlet is conveniently installed on the headboard above two-tiered open shelving bedside tables that were mounted onto the headboard of the king bed, providing us with space to charge our lifestyle devices. The two-tiered design gave us additional space to put more stuff on the bedside tables. I like how Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments installed the reading lights onto the headboard of the bed, freeing up the already tight space on the bedside tables. Across the king bed is a table mounted on the wall with a bench. This table is a little odd in its function. It does not come with a mirror to call it a vanity table, and it is not large enough to function as a work desk. However, there are power outlets here for guests to charge their lifestyle devices as well. A flatscreen TV is mounted above the table that faces the king bed, providing occupants of Bedroom 1 with entertainment in the comfort of the bed. Next to the entrance of Bedroom 1 sits a double-panel wooden wardrobe. The space afforded by this wardrobe is not large, but sufficient for us to stow a few days’ clothing. Other than the hanging rack, I like how smaller shelves are designed into the wardrobe, which increases its storage capacity. The in-room safe is tucked at the bottom of the hanging rack part of the wardrobe. The small safe only provides enough space for us to place our passports, but it is not large enough to place even an iPad. Bedroom 1 is connected via a door to the right of the table to the wrap-around balcony that extends all the way to the living room.

Bathroom 1

Bedroom 1 does not have an ensuite bathroom; bathroom 1 is situated outside, next to the bedroom. Bathroom 1 is more utilitarian than trying to create an atmosphere to impress its users. Bathroom 1 is rather compact, but it has all that is required to function as a full bathroom. The sink counter is a little on the compact side, but it still has space for its users to place their toiletries. The walk-in shower sitting in one corner of the bathroom is only fitted with one regular shower head. There is a ledge for us to place our toiletries. The porcelain throne is stationed next to the walk-in shower. Despite the compact layout, there are hooks installed here for us to hang our clothing.

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 2 is further down the entryway next to Bedroom 1 and is the largest bedroom of the three. I’d call this the Master Bedroom. Bedroom 2 also has the same Scandinavian decor as Bedroom 1, decked with natural wood furniture and a green wall. Unlike Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2 is fitted with two wardrobes, an open wardrobe at the entrance and a second double-panel wardrobe further in. The open wardrobe has only hanging racks and a shelf on top. We mainly used this wardrobe to hang our outer coats. As there is space at the bottom of this wardrobe, this is also where we place our backpacks. The second wardrobe, further into the room, is identical to that in Bedroom 1, with one side of hanging racks and the other side five shelves. We mainly used this to hang our clothes, and the shelves on the side were perfect for us to place our smaller clothing items. Similar to Bedroom 1, there is also a table next to the wardrobe, mounted onto the wall in a corner of the bedroom. As a work desk, I find this table a little tight, but the power outlet here allowed me to keep my iPad juiced up. However, we mainly used this table to stow our loose items. A TV is mounted on the wall above the table, which provides us with limited English Channel entertainment, as most of the channels are in French or German. A King bed is furnished opposite the TV. The king bed is very comfortable to sleep in, and the blanket provided kept us warm and cosy on a colder winter night. Unlike most hotels, the king bed is topped with two single-sized blankets, so we did not have to fight over a blanket. Like the bed in Bedroom 1, the two-tiered open shelving bedside tables are mounted on both sides of the king bed. With the power outlet fitted on each of these tables, we found it especially useful to charge our lifestyle devices overnight. As the bedside tables were not large, I applauded Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments for fitting the bedside lamps, which essentially are reading lights, onto the headboard of the bed. This frees up the already tight bedside table for us to put more of our stuff.

Bathroom 2

Unlike Bathroom 1, Bathroom 2 is located inside Bedroom 2, with its entrance located opposite the open wardrobe in the bedroom. Like the bedroom, it is also the largest of the three bathrooms. We were greeted by an oversized sink counter top at the entrance of the bathroom. Fitted with only one sink, the space afforded by this sink countertop felt larger. We were not complaining as this meant we were able to stow more toiletries on this countertop. The porcelain throne is situated behind the door to the bathroom. A bathtub is fitted at the end of the bathroom. This bathtub also doubles up as a walk-in shower. Although no ledge was installed here, we used the window sill to place our toiletries. Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments provided Absolute Nordic shampoo/body wash shower amenities, which have a hint of musky smell and left our skin feeling soft and refreshed after showering.

Bedroom 3

Bedroom 3 is a similar layout to Bedroom 1, with the exception of having an ensuite bathroom inside the bedroom. The decor is the same except that the wardrobe is now further into the bedroom, in a corner rather than by the door, which made perfect sense as the door would be in the way of the wardrobe. Like Bedrooms 1 and 2, the enclosed double-panel wardrobe has a section for a hanging rack and a slightly smaller section fitted with five shelves. The table in this bedroom is the same as those we saw in both Bedrooms 1 and 2, and the location of the TV in the bedroom is mounted on the wall above the table, facing the king bed. The king bed and the bedside tables in Bedroom 3 are exactly designed the same as those in the other two bedrooms.

Bathroom 3

Unlike Bedroom 1, Bedroom 3 has an ensuite bathroom with the entrance located next to the king bed. Bathroom 3 felt slightly larger than Bathroom 1, which had the fittings lined up in a linear fashion. Like Bathroom 1, the walk-in shower in Bathroom 3 took up the spot in a corner of the bathroom, fitted with a regular shower head. Next to the walk-in shower is the sink. Similar to Bathroom 1, the sink countertop here is tight, but it still offers sufficient space for my friends to stow their toiletries. The toilet took up the space in the other corner, opposite the entrance to the bathroom.

Living Room

The living room in the Modern 3-Bedroom Apartment at Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments is the largest space in the apartment. The Scandinavian design language is especially pronounced here with the wooden flooring, the large green wall, and natural wood furniture. Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments fitted out the living room with two three-seater sofas that are comfortable to sit on and relax while we watch TV. The mustard colour chosen for these sofas blended in with the overall colour theme very well. I like the usage of a log as a coffee table in the centre of these sofas, which, together with the moose logo and the fake moose skeletons, gave the living room a cosy and lodge vibe. The cabinets and shelves around the TV not only gave the overall Scandinavian look, but they are also functional, giving us additional space to put our stuff.

Dining and Kitchenette Area

Situated next to the living room is the open dining room and kitchenette area, segregated by the black matt tilings used for the flooring. The dining area had the Scandinavian elements, as seen in the large natural wood finished dining table that caters to six pax and matching dining chairs. We used this dining table a lot. Other than using it for dining, we mainly gathered at this table to do our work and discuss our itinerary. The placement of the dining table by the large windows not only brought in natural light in the day, but it also connected us to nature (our apartment faces the forested area of Zermatt. The overhead lighting that hangs down from the ceiling gave the dining area a modern look, which fits perfectly into the theme of the open kitchen. A couple of reindeer decorations hanging on the wall at the end of the dining and kitchenette area reinforce the natural theme in the dining area.

The kitchenette in our Modern 3-bedroom apartment at Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments is actually a full kitchen. The hotel equipped the kitchenette so well that we were able to whip up a full meal. In the centre of the kitchen counter, there is a set of four induction cookers where we used to fry eggs and bacon for breakfast. We also used this to cook the rosti that we bought from the supermarket in town, made possible with the full set of cookware and china. Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments equipped the kitchenette with a large oven, perfect for us to cook up the ribs we bought. The kitchenette is also equipped with a large full-size fridge, which is great for longer stay guests who want to eat in to save a few bucks. There are also the usual suspects, such as a toaster, a Nespresso machine and a kettle, made available in the kitchenette. Despite being fitted with a large kitchen sink for us to do the washing, Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments also equipped the kitchenette with a dishwasher, saving us the time to wash the crockery and china that we used.

Balcony

The Modern 3-bedroom apartment at Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments features a wrap-around balcony that extends from the living room to Bedroom 1. The part of the balcony outside the living room is furnished with four chairs and a table, while the part of the balcony outside Bedroom 1 is furnished with two outdoor chairs. The balcony was a perfect place for us to sit and relax in the morning with a cup of coffee while watching the golden sun rays lighting up the peak of the Matterhorn during sunrise. The balcony not only offered us the million-dollar view of the Matterhorn, but it also gave us views of the town and the two nearby mountains. We find ourselves using the balcony a lot, just chilling with the view of the Matterhorn.

Service

The service was fantastic at the hotel. I’d say the service at Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments was thoughtful. Before our arrival, I had emailed the hotel to request a train station pick-up. Despite our late arrival (after 8 pm), we were delighted to find the hotel pick-up was already at the train station waiting for us. The staff who did the pick up volunteered to carry our luggage up two flights of stairs, despite our insistence that we would do it ourselves, as our luggage was very heavy. Before we could stop him, he had already brought our luggage to our apartment building. Even with our late arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the reception staff, who processed our check-in with much efficiency. She also gave us a brief of the breakfast timing and the locations of the hotel bar and restaurant. We met with another staff at the reception the next day, requesting to top up our shower amenities. She was equally friendly and ensured our requests were being fulfilled. The staff at the restaurant were awesome as well. We dined at the restaurant for their cheese fondue, where the staff patiently explained the menu and constantly checked with us how we found the food. The housekeeping staff deserve a mention. As we were not too sure if Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments makes up rooms daily, we hung out towels back onto the towel racks in the bathrooms. We were surprised that our apartment was meticulously cleaned the next day we returned to the apartment with fresh towels in the bathrooms.

Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments arranged an electric bus to pick us up from and take us to the train station.

Overall

We had a pleasant stay in the Modern 3-Bedroom apartment at Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments. Not only was the apartment very well appointed and had everything that we needed for a comfortable stay, but it was also very cosy. We also found the apartment value for money; it is difficult to find lodging with three bedrooms and three bathrooms at this price point, and yet it offered us a direct view of the Matterhorn. The sleep quality on the king beds was excellent, leaving us recharged every night. The service at the hotel was excellent, with every staff member we met being so welcoming and friendly. I would return to Jägerhof Hotels and Apartments the next time I return to Zermatt.

[Accommodation Review] – Hotel Royal St Georges (Royal Suite), Interlaken, Switzerland (11 – 13 Jan 26)

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Location

Hotel Royal St Georges is located about an 8-minute walk from Interlaken Ost Bahnhof. The hotel sits on the street that runs through the town between Interlaken Ost Bahnhof and Interlaken West Bahnhof. There are a few restaurants and cafes around the hotel along the street, with most of the amenities, such as the supermarket (in fact, there are two), located outside Interlaken Ost Bahnhof.

The Suite

The historic Hotel Royal St Georges has two wings, the newer modern wing and the historic wing. The Royal Suite is the only suite category room in Hotel Royal St. Georges, where the hotel has several configurations of this 50㎡ suite. All of the Royal Suites are located in the historic wing of the hotel.

Layout of the Royal Suite in Hotel Royal St. Georges Interlaken

Entryway

The heritage of the Royal Suite can be witnessed from the entryway. From the brown carpeting to the mirror, it seems that this suite has withstood the test of time. The entryway in the Royal Suite at Hotel Royal St Georges is a short corridor in the suite that links the main entrance to the living room of the suite. I found the three hooks fitted in here, next to the entrance to the suite, very convenient for us to hang our outer coats before entering the room. The presence of these hooks also gave us a place to stow our outer coats rather than finding a space in the suite to hang them. Mounted on the wall of the entryway is a mirror that allows us to do a final appearance check before heading out. The frame of this mirror suggested that it might have been in this suite for a long time. The entrance to the only bathroom in the Royal Suite is situated in the entryway, opposite the mirror.

Bathroom

The next room closest to the main entrance to the Royal Suite at Hotel Royal St Georges is the bathroom. I find having the bathroom at the entrance is a tad weird. Maybe there are some historical occurrences that led the designers to arrange the bathroom here, or maybe the suite was renovated over the years, leading to the placement of the bathroom. I also find the detachment of the bathroom from the bedroom a tad inconvenient. The only good thing about having the bathroom here is that our friends staying in the other rooms in the hotel can use the bathroom without having to go through our bedroom when they pop by our suite for a gathering.

The bathroom in the Royal Suite at Hotel Royal St Geroges has an oddly placed connecting door to the room next door.

Unlike the entryway (or the other parts of the suite), the bathroom predominantly uses blue colour, seen in the floor tiles and the furnishings such as the toilet, the bidet and the sink. Right next to the entrance of the bathroom stood the walk-in shower. Fitted with both a rain shower and a regular shower head, the space afforded by the walk-in shower felt a little tight. The glass screen doors also felt a tad flimsy. A large, deep-seated bathtub sits across the walk-in shower. This tub has seen better times, as there are scratches visible on the tub. To our dismay, we subsequently found out that this tub is currently used as an antique display piece after checking with the hotel reception when the water is not flowing from the taps. We were informed that the hotel was not able to find the spare parts to fix the tap, and owing to a strict Swiss law, the hotel was not able to remove or replace the bathtub. A European bidet with a blue gryphon carved onto the base is found next to the bathtub. As we did not use the bidet (rather, we were not used to the European bidet), we couldn’t confirm if the bidet is working or, like the bathtub, is merely a display piece. Opposite the bidet and next to the walk-in shower, positioned the (literally) porcelain throne. Like the bidet, the toilet is also engraved with a gryphon painted in blue at its base. Fortunately, the toilet was in working order.

At the end of the bathroom, after the toilet, is a large sink that also has the head of a gryphon carved onto the base of the sink. The blue pattern on the sink top demonstrated the opulence that the original owners of the hotel placed in the decor of this Royal Suite. The opulence is also seen in the golden tap used in the sink. The biggest flaw of this bathroom is the amount of space for us to place our stuff. The sink is large, but there is not much space for us to stow our toiletries. I also found a lack of space to hang the towels after use. The only place for us to hang our towels is on the heater mounted on the wall above the toilet. The lack of hooks also meant there is no place for us to hang our clothing when we shower. Hotel Royal St Georges worked around this issue by placing a large marble top table in front of the door to the balcony in the bathroom, which I found weird to have a balcony in the bathroom. Speaking of weirdness, the other thing I found peculiar is a connecting door to the room next door, right in the bathroom. This made me wonder how many designs and redesigns this Royal Suite has gone through to arrive at this peculiar design.

Living Room

The living room is the next room that the entryway leads to in the Royal Suite. Decked in blue wallpaper and parquet flooring, and together with the patterned cornice, the living room presents a vibe of yesteryears. The furnishing is a mix of modern and historic in the living room. A side table is positioned next to the entrance of the living room from the entryway. This somewhat oversized side table is equipped with a large lamp, which brings a sense of cosiness to this space. I found the sitting situation to be a little thin in the living room. Other than a large fabric two-seater sofa that can sit three adults, placed next to the side table, the only other sitting space in the living room is a single-seater armchair opposite it. To make matters worse, instead of a regular coffee table, the living room is furnished with a small dining table in the middle of the room. The height of this table is too high to be used as a coffee table or even dining table when seated on the lounge sets, or useless as a dining table due to a lack of dining chairs.

Nestled in a corner of the living room, next to the sofa, sits a minibar table. The minibar table is sparsely equipped with a Nespresso machine and a kettle with tea cups, coffee pods and tea bags. I found it impossible to use both the kettle and the Nespresso machine at the same time, as there is only one power outlet fitted at the minibar table. The wooden table has seen better days, as it wobbles whenever we make coffee out of the Nespresso machine, giving me the impression that the legs will give way at any moment. We found a cabinet sitting in the corner opposite the minibar table. This cabinet (that we never used) could have been repurposed for some other functions, but finding a cabinet here is indeed out of place. Placed in the corner next to the bedroom is a TV cabinet. That is where we could receive entertainment from the TV positioned to face the sofa. Unless we understand French or German, there are very few channels, mainly news channels in English, that we can receive entertainment from the TV. The in-room minifridge is tucked inside a cabinet underneath the TV, stocked with chargeable drinks.

Bedroom

The heritage of the Royal Suite at Hotel Royal St Georges flowed into the bedroom with the same blue wallpaper used in the living room, and the same brown carpet seen in the entryway. The same patterned cornice design is also visible in the bedroom, while the chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room and the LED light candles on both sides of the bed, as well as the vanity table, brought some elegance of yesteryears into the room. The king bed occupied the centre of the bedroom, providing us with excellent sleep quality that kept us recharged for the next day. The wooden bedside tables furnished on both sides of the king bed provided us with limited space to stow our lifestyle devices. I found a lack of power outlets installed here for us to charge our lifestyle devices. The only place we could charge them is on the vanity table, which has only one power outlet installed. I had to use the outlet in the living room, which created some inconvenience.

Fitted onto the wall to the left of the king bed is a set of two white wardrobes. The single-panel door innermost wardrobe is fitted with shelving that allows us to stow small clothing items, while the two-panel wardrobe reveals a hanging rack that is capable of hanging at least two weeks’ worth of clothing. The Royal Suite in Hotel Royal St Georges is not furnished with a work desk. We had to rely on the vanity table in the bedroom next to the wardrobes to perform any work. The vanity table would be sizeable if not for the TV that is placed at the end of the table. As a vanity table, the large mirror with a similar design to that in the entryway allowed guests to put on makeup or style their hair. As a work desk, the power outlets installed on the wall allowed guests to keep their laptops powered up. There is another cabinet, similar to that in the living room, on the right side of the bed, occupying the corner. Here is where the hotel stores the in-room ironing equipment. We also found a wooden luggage rack by the entrance to the bedroom. However, its size is too small to hold our 28” trunk luggage, and we ended up using it to place our backpacks.

Balcony

There are technically three balconies in the Royal Suite that were assigned to us, of which two are usable. The first one is the bathroom balcony. Due to its location, we almost never use this balcony. Moreover, it is not furnished with any furniture. The other two balconies are accessible via the living room and the bedroom, respectively. These two balconies are furnished with an outdoor table and two chairs, which allowed us to relax and people-watch from the balcony. The balcony in the living room faces the main road, where we mainly used to drink coffee in the morning or just hang out and enjoy the winter breeze. The balcony in the bedroom faces the new wing of Hotel Royal St Georges. This is the largest of the three balconies. Due to its facing, we hardly use this balcony, as there are hardly any views.

Service

Service in Hotel Royal St Georges is nothing short of impeccable. The staff we met were warm and welcoming. Prior to our arrival, we received an email from the hotel offering to pick us up from the railway station. We were initially sceptical about the pick-up service, as we did not receive any reply emails from the hotel. To our surprise, the hotel staff called us to confirm our arrival timing and were present at the train station waiting for us before our arrival time. All the hotel staff we met were very friendly. The reception staff, the same guy who picked us up from the train station, processed our check-in quickly and showed us to our room. He also gave us a detailed brief on the usage of the sauna and breakfast timings. During breakfast, the staff at Brasserie St. Georges welcomed us with a smile every morning and cleared our table as soon as they spotted that the plates were empty. We visited the reception to ask about our defective bathtub. The staff took the time to explain the situation with the bathtub and offered to change our suite, which we declined. At check-out, the staff, upon knowing that we would return later in the afternoon, offered to store our luggage and send us to the train station. In the evening, the staff took care of our luggage and also brought us to the train station. He even helped us load the luggage onto the minibus and gave us tips for visiting Switzerland.

Breakfast @ Brasserie St Georges

We were pleasantly surprised that our rooms come with a complimentary breakfast. Breakfast is served at the hotel’s only restaurant – Brasserie St Georges. The spread is a typical Continental breakfast with a small section of Indian selection with rice and Indian food. The hotel served a good variety of bread, and the croissants were very fresh and crispy. There is a selection of cold cuts and salads with very fresh ham and cheese. The hotel also serves a small selection of hot food with sausages, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Though the selection of food for breakfast is small, it is hearty and certainly provides us with the fuel to explore the Jungfrau region.

Overall

The Royal Suite in Hotel Royal St Georges pays homage to the heritage of the hotel. The suite is spacious, providing us with space to gather with our friends. The sleep quality on the king bed was excellent. However, the lack of seating space in the living room and the non-functioning bathtub in the bathroom were the main flaws in the suite. Additionally, the odd placement of the bathroom was a tad inconvenient for occupants of the suite. The service provided by the staff at Hotel Royal St Georges was excellent. They were always ready to help and were never stingy with their greetings and smiles. The breakfast served at the hotel’s only restaurant had simple offerings, but they did provide a hearty meal and the much-needed energy for our sightseeing in and around Interlaken.

[Accommodation Review] – Ibis Styles Luzern City (Family Room), Luzern, Switzerland (9 – 11 Jan 26)

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Location

Ibis Styles Luzern City is located north of Lake Luzern and close to Luzern Alstadt, with the Lion Monument being the closest attraction to the hotel, at only a 5-minute walk away. The hotel’s location is excellent for exploring Altstadt Luzern, which can be reached in about 7 minutes on foot. The hotel is approximately a 3-minute bus ride from Luzern train station, and a 7-minute walk to Luzern Lake. Being close to two bus stops that ply through the city, Ibis Styles Luzern City is a great base to explore Luzern and the nearby towns. In terms of amenities, the hotel is right across from Löwencenter, a two-storey shopping mall with shops and a large Coop supermarket. When it comes to food options, there is no lack of restaurants and bakeries within 5 minutes from the hotel, where we were spoilt for choice of food.

The Room

The Ibis chain is known for its no-frills accommodations; naturally, most of the rooms in the chain are rather compact. As we wanted more space, we booked the biggest room in Ibis Styles Luzern City, the Family Room with a total area of 25㎡. There are several configurations and varying sizes of the Family Room, and the room that we were assigned happened to be the smallest Family Room the hotel has (my friends in the other Family Rooms were bigger than this). The decor in the family room felt no-frills, but I applauded the hotel’s effort in dolling up the otherwise plain and boring room with pictures of Luzern and its attractions.

Layout of our Family Room at Ibis Styles Luzern City

Entryway

The Family Room at Ibis Styles Luzern City has a small entryway that is only furnished with a two-door cabinet with no additional furniture. The entryway is so small that there is no room to accommodate any other furniture. The entrance to the bathroom is also located next to the main entrance to the room in the entryway.

The entryway of our Family Room is furnished with a wardrobe

Bathroom

The bathroom in the Family Room, despite its compact size, is very well designed. Due to the overall size of the room and subsequently the area allotted to the bathroom, there is no additional room for the hotel to install a dual sink. Despite the small setup, we welcomed the additional ledge at the sink that offered us additional space to place our toiletries. The toilet is wedged in between the sink and the bathtub, sitting at the end of the bathroom. I am pleasantly surprised to find a bathtub in the compact Family Room. However, the shower/tub combination setup left much to be desired. With such a setup, the shower/tub can be challenging for old folks and guests with children. The bathroom is only fitted with a regular shower head, but with very strong water pressure. The shampoo/body wash combination shower amenity provided, and the absence of other toilet amenities, reminded us of the price bracket the hotel positioned itself in.

Sleeping Area

The sleeping area took up most of the space in the Family Room. I like how the hotel maximises the space usage by fitting a large work desk cum TV console next to the wardrobe. This table, made of solid wood, is also home to the minibar in the room. Speaking of minibar, we only found a Nespresso machine and no mini fridge in the Family Room. Although the hotel offered tea bags as part of its mini bar setup, there is no kettle in the room that allows us to boil water for making tea. Despite having multiple functions, I still find space to work on the work desk. The TV in the Family Room has very limited entertainment options and offers us only local channels to watch.

As the name of the room suggests, the Family Room in Ibis Style Luzern City is furnished with not one but three beds. According to the photos of the room from the hotel’s website, the bed placed next to the work desk was supposed to be a sofa bed. However, a regular wooden queen bed was found in place of a sofa bed. I’d rather find a sofa bed here, where we could at least have a sitting area to relax or place our backpacks on. I also find it odd that there are no bedside tables next to the queen bed, showing that the addition of this bed seems to be an ad-hoc addition by the hotel. Opposite the queen bed is a twin bed placed next to each other, next to the only window the room has. I find the mattress on the twin bed very hard, which affects the sleep quality on the bed. It doesn’t help that the pillows provided were too soft for my liking and that the hotel does not offer a pillow menu. Two stools that were supposed to be the bedside tables were installed on either side of the twin bed. Unlike a regular bedside table, where one would at least find a drawer, this stool does not offer any form of storage. The only space for storage is the limited stool top, which was already full when I placed my mobile phone and two other gadgets I wanted to charge overnight.

Service

We were not impressed by the service of a male staff member during check-in. The staff came across as cold and aloof. During our arrival, he was observed to stand at the reception counter waiting for us to approach him for our check-in instead of initiating the check-in formalities. This male staff member also demonstrated a lack of knowledge in the ACCOR programme. During check-in, I enquired about the complimentary breakfast that came with our booking due to our status with the ACCOR group (our status comes with complimentary breakfast worldwide during weekend stays, and we were at Ibis Styles Luzern City over the weekend). The staff insisted that the complimentary breakfast is only for the Asia Pacific region. He only relented when we showed him the terms on the ACCOR app on our phone. Only at this time was he more forthcoming with information, such as the breakfast timing and where we could get complimentary coffee and water.

Fortunately, the bad service is limited only to this one person. We met with friendly and warm reception staff who were generous in their greetings for the next two days of our stay at Ibis Styles Luzern City. The one who left a deep impression on us was Jasmin. We approached Jasmin and asked her about the luggage lockers in the train station. Jasmin demonstrated excellent local knowledge and generously shared it with us. She even offered for us to leave our luggage at the hotel, but when she found out that we had a tight schedule on our check-out day, she elevated our concerns regarding the safety of our luggage when leaving it in the lockers at the train station. Jasmin is always spotted with a warm smile, which is very much appreciated on a cold winter day.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served in the only restaurant in the hotel, next to the reception. We had breakfast on our last day (we had to leave early the day before) of our stay at Ibis Styles Luzern City. I am impressed with the breakfast selection for an Economy hotel. For hot food selection, Ibis Styles Luzern City offers bacon and scrambled eggs. A huge selection of garden greens, hams and cheeses was made available for cold food. The hotel also has a considerable selection of bread, and I found the croissant to be fresh and crunchy. On top of these, the hotel also offered juices and various cereals. We had a hearty breakfast at Ibis Styles Luzern City.

Overall

For an Economy hotel, the Family Room in Ibis Styles Luzern City is spacious and served its purpose of providing us a roof to rest for the night. The bed is a tad uncomfortable to sleep on, and the storage situation is a little challenging. Other than the one bad apple, the service in the hotel is actually quite good. For an Economy hotel, I thought the service exceeded my expectations. The location of the hotel, being close to the train station and the sights in Altstadt Luzern, is a plus point.

[Accommodation Review] – Swissôtel Kursaal Bern (Vitality Suite), Bern, Switzerland (8 – 9 Jan 26)

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Location

Swissôtel Kursaal Bern is situated in a quiet neighbourhood north of the River Aare and the old town. Other than the on-site restaurants and the casino, there are no other amenities in the vicinity of the hotel. It takes about an 8-minute walk across the Kornhausbrücke to Zytglogge, where we found restaurants and supermarkets. The main train Station, Bern Bahnhof, in the old town is about a 20-minute walk or 8 min by tram. Swissôtel Kursaal Bern is very well connected to Altstadt Bern with the tram stop right in front of the hotel, with very regular tram intervals, making sightseeing in the city a breeze.

The Vitality Suite

We checked into the Vitality Suite at Swissôtel Kursaal Bern, which has a total floor area of 54㎡. The suite is decked out in a Scandinavian interior design, featuring a minimalist look and a massive use of natural wood colours.

Layout of our Vitality Suite in Swissôtel Kursaal Bern

Entryway

The Scandinavian decor of the Vitality Suite at Swissôtel Kursaal Bern is immediately seen at the entryway. The natural wooden finish can be seen from the walls to the flooring and extended into the living room and the bedroom. At the entrance, a knee-high drawer with a large slab of marble-looking vinyl top sits quietly at the side of the entrance. I am very sure the hotel intended this furniture to function as a stool for us to wear our shoes, and the drawer is meant for us to stow our shoes away. However, we found it suitable to be used as a luggage rack as the length is the same as our luggage. We found the only wardrobe in the Vitality Suite next to the knee-high drawer. I thought for a suite of this size, the space allotted for us to stow our clothing is a tad underwhelming. There are two single-panel wardrobes installed in the entryway: one filled with shelving where the in-room safe is, and another with a hanging rack. While the space for hanging our clothing is tight, the shelving next door provided us with the much-needed space to stow our clothing.

Sharing the same space in the entryway and situated across the drawer is the second entrance to the bathroom. I thought it was genius of the hotel to fit another door to the bathroom here. Having a door here gave us the convenience of accessing our clothing from the only wardrobe in the entryway after a shower. The other purpose I could think of is having a powder room without actually fitting a powder room. Most suites in four or five-star hotels would feature a powder room. Due to the design of the layout, it does not seem that Swissôtel Kursaal Bern would have additional space to fit a powder room. Instead, having a door at the entryway creates the illusion of having a powder room where our friends can access the toilet without barging into the bedroom.

There is another entrance to the bathroom in the entryway

Living Room

Next to the wardrobe are two double-panel wardrobes, marking the start of the living room. Hidden inside these wardrobes, which the hotel termed as Vitality Closet, are workout equipment. The closet next to the wardrobe features a wooden wall bar and some yoga mats. This system allowed us to do some core training and stretching. The closet next to the wall bar is fitted with sandbags of various weights and some sort of pulley system. This machine serves the same function as the functional trainer that we would see in gyms. The pulleys and the weights allow us to perform functional and strength training without needing to leave the room. There is a small LED TV installed in the Vitality Closet, but we couldn’t figure out how to turn it on. I suspect this TV would be loaded with workout videos that would guide us through the various training in the suite.

Further into the living room, next to the Vitality Closets, sits the sofa in the suite. Unlike conventional sofas, the sofa in the Vitality Suite is essentially a wooden platform with backing and some thin cushioning stacked on the platform. I like how the hotel extended its Scandinavian design theme to this sofa. There is space on both sides of the sofa with wall-mounted reading lights and USB charging outlets, providing more illumination and additional spots for charging our lifestyle devices. The living room is also decked with two additional single seater, one in the form of an armchair and another a stool, which provided us with more seating space. Instead of furnishing the living room with a large coffee table that takes up space, Swissôtel Kursaal Bern placed a small wooden table between the chairs in the living room. This small coffee table is not only consistent with the Scandinavian theme, but it also makes the living room less cluttered.

There is a false wall in the living room, opposite the Vitality Closet, that separates the living room from the bedroom. Instead of mounting the TV on this false wall, the TV is mounted onto the wall next to the floor-to-ceiling windows. I thought it made sense to fit the TV here as the lounging area in the living room is not placed in the centre of the room, but to the side. Having a TV here meant guests were able to receive the multiple local and international channels better. Underneath the TV lies a three-drawer chest that doubles up as a mini bar area and additional storage space. As a minibar, Swissôtel Kursaal Bern installed a Nespresso machine and a kettle and placed the mugs, glasses, tea bags and coffee capsules in the top drawer. Swissôtel Kursaal Bern dedicated the space by the false wall as a work area, complete with power outlets to keep our laptops juiced up by the work desk. The mini fridge in the suite is found underneath the work desk, where the hotel keeps it stocked with complimentary beverages for guests to enjoy.

Bedroom

On the other side of the false wall lies the bedroom, which has the same natural wood Scandinavian design language as the living room. The bedroom has a minimalist decor, furnished with a king bed and a vanity table. The king bed, which occupied the bulk of the bedroom space, is topped with a firm mattress that provided us with great sleep quality, which kept us refreshed after our one-night stay at Swissôtel Kursaal Bern. Usually, I am not a fan of soft pillows, but I was still able to get a great night’s sleep despite the soft pillows used by the hotel. A large natural wood bedside table flanked both sides of the king bed. These bedside tables gave us a generous amount of space to lay out our lifestyle devices, including my iPad, and other knick-knacks to charge overnight with the European power outlet and two USB-A charging ports. I like how Swissôtel Kursaal Bern kept the bedside tables clean by mounting the bedside lamps onto the headboard on both sides, and was free of an in-room phone. Unlike most bedside tables, these tables were not fitted with drawers that increase the storage capacity. Instead, there is one open shelf on these tables, which somewhat limits the number of items we can stow here. However, the generous tabletop space was more than sufficient for us to place our stuff. The advantage of such a design is that we will not forget things that are placed on these bedside tables. At one glance, we were able to tell if we had unintentionally left things behind.

Mounted on the false wall opposite the king bed is a large LED TV, which we can watch from the numerous local and international channels from the comfort of the king bed. A vanity table, which is the same size as the work desk in the living room, is furnished on the false wall underneath the TV. The vanity table uses the same natural wood finishing that reinforces the Scandinavian design theme. The generous space on the vanity table, fitted with one small mirror, also allowed us to stow our small items here. There are three power outlets fixed onto the false wall at the vanity table, allowing us to use this space to charge more of our lifestyle devices. I welcomed the three-tiered, large drawers designed under the vanity table, which vastly increase the storage space in the bedroom. The absence of additional wardrobe in the bedroom reinforces the minimalistic theme.

Balcony

The Vitality Suite has a small balcony accessible from the bedroom. The balcony is large enough to accommodate four pax, but is only furnished with two metallic outdoor chairs and one outdoor round table. The furniture in the balcony allows guests to sip coffee or dine in the balcony and enjoy the views of Bern with the Berner Münster standing tall amongst the buildings.

Bathroom

The Vitality Suite at Swissôtel Kursaal Bern is fitted with a spacious bathroom. Decked in light olive green, the bathroom presented a natural theme. As previously mentioned, the two bathroom entrances are located in the bedroom and the living room. Across from the bedroom entrance sits the sink area. Despite Swissôtel Kursaal Bern fitting dual sinks in the bathroom, the countertop offered at the sink is rather generous. We had no issues with placing our toiletries on this countertop space, and we still have plenty of space on the countertop. I like how the bathroom, particularly the sink area, is brightly lit. Occupying the space on the right of the sink, separated from the bedroom with dark glass, is a large standalone bathtub. The placement of the tub here not only accentuates the spaciousness of the bathroom, but also allows us to watch TV in the bedroom from the bathtub through the black glass. The inclusion of a small table by the bathtub is a welcome sight, as it gave us space to place our stuff on (like mobile phones). The excellent water pressure in the bathtub filled the large tub in a short amount of time.

A corridor opposite the bathtub and past the sink leads to the walk-in shower and toilet cubicles. These two facilities in the bathroom are located a little shy of the bathroom entrance from the entryway. Their location here, especially the toilet, allowed our guests to use the toilet without having to bash through the bedroom. The space allocated to the walk-in shower is generous, so I was able to shower without engaging in an elbow war with the walls. I like how Swissôtel Kursaal Bern installed a ledge next to the taps for us to place our toiletries and dental kits. The water pressure was excellent from both the rain and the regular shower heads fitted in the walk-in shower, and the hot water heats up pretty fast. The toilet cubicle, fitted with a lone porcelain throne, sits opposite the walk-in shower.

Service

The service in the Swissôtel Kursaal Bern is good. The staff at the reception initially came across as cold, but soon warmed up as she processed our rooms with great efficiency. We got the keys to the three rooms we booked in under 5 minutes. She even upgraded one of the rooms that we booked. The reception staff were patient in explaining how we could activate the Bern Guest Card, which granted us complimentary transport within Bern, and how we could use it. She even reminded us not to purchase any tickets while on public transport. We went back to her on multiple occasions with queries about our rooms and amenities around the hotel. She was patient and warm in answering all our questions, and welcomed us back to her if we had any more questions.

Welcome amenities provided by Swissôtel Kursaal Bern in our suite

We also met a very friendly bartender at the lounge when redeeming our welcome drink as part of the perks of being an ACCOR member. He was also patient in explaining the drinks that we were eligible to redeem (any drinks that are under CHF16 are covered under the welcome drink) and even allowed us to bring the drinks back to our rooms (we eventually had them in the bar). The friendly bartender brought us some nuts while we waited for our drinks to be prepared.

We requested to leave our luggage at the concierge’s desk the next morning after we checked out, so we could do some sightseeing in Bern. The reception staff happily helped us with our luggage and even recommended some sights she reckons are worth visiting. Upon our return to the hotel to collect our luggage, the friendly reception staff quickly attended to us and brought our luggage out immediately.

Hotel Facilities

Gym

The gym is the only facility (other than a restaurant and a bar) in the Swissôtel Kursaal Bern. The spacious 24-hour gym is located on the third floor of the hotel premises, which has machines for both cardio and strength training workouts. The gym is home to two elliptical machines, two treadmills, and two stationary bikes, placed by the window. Meanwhile, several strength training machines are spread out from the middle of the gym to the entrance. We also spotted a free weight area in the gym. Despite the modest set-up, the gym has everything catered to guests’ needs for a good workout.

Overall

We had a pleasant stay at Swissôtel Kursaal Bern. The hotel is close to the sights in Altstadt Bern. The Vitality Suite was very well appointed and very comfortable to stay in. The sleep quality on the king bed was so good that we felt refreshed after a night’s sleep. The staff that we interacted with were friendly and welcoming.