viernes, 30 de diciembre de 2011

VI Hotel Riu Varadero

I Introduction

The Riu is a nice hotel, it's suppose to be like a 4 star hotel, but there are some stuff missing. My main reason of choosing the hotel was that the price was great comparing it to other 4 star hotels. And the facilities were totally new
So here is my review, already posted in TripAdvisor.com

This hotel is kind of a mix. Because its a new hotel their amenities are in very good but also the service sometimes is not that great.

Check in/Check out
Both of them took less than 3 minutes. At the check in, the lady just gave us the keys and a map of the city. It was after that our driver, that took us in a gold cart, explained us more about the resort. We were also offered drinks at the check in
4.5 out of 5 points

Room
It disappointed me. The whole resorts is very nice and new but it seems that not a lot of effort was put into the rooms. They were 2 beds and a sofa bed which was hard as a rock. The tv does offer plenty of channels. There is also a mini bar which is stocked with free sodas, beers and bottles of water. The bathroom was ok, never had a problem with the hot water, but the toilet did not functioned and we had to call someone to fix it. So it does offers all the basics a hotel room needs but it's just very basic and they seem a bit old.
The only "mayor" problem was that 2 times a frog came into the room. Although the first time we handled it, the second time we had a bit of a problem and we were not going to sleep in a room were a frog was jumping around. (And if a frog was there, god know what else could be there). So we called for help and although we solved the problem, the guy laughed at us as we were exaggerating.
So just saying, a hotel which was built in 2009 and have "old" rooms, it's not the best thing
I give 3.9



Food
Because its an All Included Hotel, the food quality isn't excellent but it is quite good. There is a general buffet restaurant and 5 more specialty restaurants. The buffet was almost the same every day, except for Christmas, and the food was good, but not the desserts. The breakfast was the same every day, which of you are planning to stay for more than 5 nights, it kind of s%cks. And for the Specialty restaurants... Well I was lucky enough to get a reservation for only 1. Because I stayed only 4 nights, and you have to make reservations one day before, there was nothing available. But the lady "got" us a place at the seafood restaurant which was very good, but Im sure the others are better.
So for being All Included, the food quality is good
I give 4.2 pts

Amenities
This resort is big and it has a lot to offer. The main pool has activities the whole day long, which are kind of fun. There is also a bar and plenty of available chairs around the pool (not like in other reviews).
There is also a "relaxing" pool, which is more like a boring pool for older people. There is a kids club and tennis courts but we did not used them. The walk to the beach is long, at least from the rooms at the relaxing pool is about a 7 minutes walk! So ask for a room near the MAIN pool. The beach, although is nice, it's very small, not even 20 meters. All of the amenities are in very good shape and are examples of a 4 star hotel
4.4 pts



Location
It's bad. The hotel is located at the very end of the Strip, although its 1 mile away from the end point. If you want to go downtown, it will take you 15-20 minutes and it costs 15 CUC one way! I spent more on a taxi than on the restaurant. You can also take the red bus which stops outside the hotel and costs 5 CUc pp all day long. But you might end up waiting the bus up to 22 minutes.
Is it the worst location? No, but it's not a good one either.
3.8 pts

Service
Some people are very nice and helpful, but others are sleepy with an attitude of "do it yourself". For example, the waiters at the restaurants are very lazy, I even asked the chef if they had a cheesecake and his answer was : You can check over there, were the desserts are. But I actually asked him because there are no signs at the buffet. But most of the people are hardworking and have a good attitude.
4 pts

Sorry frog, you can't come with us, we aint going to Miami :)

Value
Cuba is not cheap, it's actually the most expensive island in the Caribbean, and Varadero is probably the most expensive city in Cuba. For my dates, all the hotels were very expensive. The Riu was at the same rates as some of other 3 star hotels. So what was my rate? 240 USD per night for 3 people, so it is a normal rate an actually good considering that it's a "4 star hotel" and everything is included. But I wouldn't stay here if it was more than 260 USD per night.
So for Cuba standards, this hotel was worth it.
4.6

Overall
The hotel is pretty and in good conditions. 80% of the time service was very good but there is still something missing so it can be a real 4 star hotel. But remember that is Cuba.

Check out more than 100 reviews of hotels, restaurants and attractions from across the globe.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/charal95

VI Day 1 in Varadero

I Introduction

Let's put in simple words: It was a relaxing day.
Varadero is not like Cancun, there is not really a town. You can find a street full of cuban artwork and souvenirs but thats about it.


So the whole day we decided to relax by the pool and the small beach.
But because we are not big fans of the buffet we decided to have dinner at the Casa Nostra. Which is supposed to be the best restaurant in Varadero. It was good but I'm pretty sure there are better.
The only complaint about the hotel, is that it's at the very end of the Strip so a roundtrip taxi to the small town costs about 30 CUC, and dinner was 25 CUC.

miércoles, 28 de diciembre de 2011

V Day 3 and 4 in HAV

Day III
We started the day a bit late but after having breakfast we were off to see some of the tourist attractions we were missing.
Our first destination was the Rum Factory. We were told by Alex that the factory was working but he was wrong. The factory was closed because of the holidays but a small souvenir store, a rum shop and a cigar store were open.

We then went to a big market full of Cuban artwork and souvenirs at great prices, where we were asked by a very gentile old woman if we had any toothpaste or medicine, and indeed we did, so we told her to meet us outside the hotel in the afternoon.
For lunch we picked El Mercurio which is a pretty restaurant with good food but higher prices.
And after we headed to the "Camara Obscura" in which you see great views of all Havana.Later we rest and met with the old lady we went to "Fortaleza de San Carlos" to see the cañonazo. This typical event is a must. It is a representation of the old times and you can see it every day at 8:30. But be sure to arrive 45 minutes later, to see the "house" of the Che Guevara and the souvenir market and get a good place to watch the show. You can even pay 3 CUC to enter a "VIP" place where you can get drinks, snacks and a good view of the show.
But unfortunately we had dinner at the worst restaurant of the city: the Bodegon. It's also located in the Fortaleza but offers bad food, my lobster was rotten and the chef said it tasted good, and there was a small cockroach on the plate. So don't eat here.


Day IV
Although we departed from Havana around 12:00 we still went to the "Museo de la Revolucion" and I was a bit disappointed. This is suppose to be the museum that shows all the good things from Cuba and should explain all the events during the Cuban Revolution pretty well, but it didn't. Although the building is very nice, it's just a collection of photographs and clothes from the revolution. The only information provided is about the photos or the clothes and it's not very clear. And their car/plane collection is nice but a bit small. But the best part were these images


Ronald Reagan, George H.W Bush and George Bush

After the museum, a taxi organized by Jorge took us to Varadero. Although Varadero is just 150 km away from Havana, it takes 2 hours to get there. The main reason is that the average speed is about 85 km/hr. And we were in a Hyundai Accent but we never went faster than 100km/hr (60 miles per hour). The highway is in very good conditions and the views are extraordinary.
We arrived at the Riu Varadero which is almost at the end of the strip around 2 pm.
We settled in our room few minutes later and went to have lunch at their buffet.
So because Varadero is like a Cuban Cancun, one of the must is to relax at the pool and at the beach. And that's what we did the whole afternoon. And of course like many All Included hotels in the world, they offered an entertainment show. Each night was different, and this one was a Cuban show. And although it did entertained us, it wasn't as great.

lunes, 26 de diciembre de 2011

III Hotel Parque Central

I Introduction

This is probably the best hotel in all Havana. Cuban standards may not be that high but if this hotel was to be in a city in the US it will be a 4 star hotel. I will describe my visit in parts

Check in/Check Out
I stayed at the new hotel but arrived at the old part. When I arrived a a guy opened the door, and I asked him if I could change currency, but he thought I was not a guest so he just told me no in a very impolite way, then he saw my bag and he was just embarrassed.
Then I walked all the way through a tunnel to the other side of the hotel. The check in there was fast and so the check out.
4.5 points out of 5 points

Room
I'm sure that the rooms at the new part are the only hotel rooms build in this century. The design is basic but modern and it offers all the necessities you need. It has a small hd tv with a working desk and a so so comfortable bed.
The things I did not liked was the small space to put our clothes and a very weird bathroom. The shower doesn't has a door and there is a window in front of the bed.
Another negative point was that all of the furniture, even the closets, were dirty. And the view was not great.
And a big hint: DON'T TAKE THE WATER FROM THE MINI BAR, just go out of the hotel take a right and cross the Paseo del Prado there is a small grocery store with bottle of waters for only 40 cents!
4.6 out of 5


Location
In my own opinion, the location is great. It's just next to the Central Park/Capitolio and the Paseo del Prado, in conclusion, the hotel it's in a very nice zone. It's also blocks away from Obispo Street and the Plaza Vieja with the best coffe shop: Cafe Escorial.
5 out of 5

Restaurant
The hotel, at least the new part, offers free breakfast. The buffet basically has cereal, cheese and ham, rice with milk, juices, coffee, and a chef that can do you several types of eggs.
There is also an ice-cream "store" but they are not that good. The bar at the old part is great, specially in the afternoons where you can enjoy the live music
My only complaint was the the very short room service menu, they only have 3 salads and 2 snacks.
4.4

Amenities
Both pools are nice. The one at the new part is more much calmer and slightly bigger. The other one it's a bit more crowded but offers great views of the Capitolio.
I did not used the business center, because this hotel is one of the very few hotels in all Havana to have wi fi. They will sell you an ETECSA wi fi card, ( 1 hour 8 CUC, 5 hours 35 CUC) but you can only use it at the lobby of the old hotel.
There are also computers for you to use but more expensive.
4.7

Service
Service was great, Cuban people are very courteous and hard working people. I did not had any problem with any employee, from the porter to the front desk clerk to the waiter, they were all absolutely great.
My only small complaint was the impolite porter at the old section.
4.9

Value
It was around 240 USD per night, a bit expensive, but this is because we were 3 people and in the reservation it was marked only 2, so make sure to book your reservation with the exact number of people to don't get higher prices.
All of the other "5 star hotels" will be cheaper but they will not be as nice as this one. The only rival is the Saratoga which is an old hotel, very very pretty but extremely expensive. The Nacional is a nice historic hotel but it's ... old.
The price for other things, except the mini bar, was appropriate. I think that the rate I paid was more than appropriate and after all, it is the best hotel in all Havana, even the Air France ladies and "hot" Virgin Atlantic ladies come here.
4.8

Overall.. A 5 star or a 4 star?
It depends.. If you are based on Cuban standards this will be a 5 star hotel right away. But if this hotel was to be in a US city, the new part would be a 4 star hotel and I'm pretty sure the old part too.
If you want the best hotel with with all the basics you need, great service and a good location then this the hotel.

Tips:
Get a good cell phone package. If you
dont find a cheap one, you can get a cellphone (25 CUC) and rent a line (3 CUC per day) and you can receive calls for free (1.20 CUC to USA)

View from the pool



Old and New part


miércoles, 21 de diciembre de 2011

Day 1 and 2 in La Habana


Day 1
After waking up we headed to a Cadeca to change money and later we had breakfast at the hotel, which is included.
Then we met with Jorge and our tour guide at the lobby and started our first tour, a 4 hour walking tour in Old Havana.
Amaizing prices!

Our tour guide, Alex knew everything and more, he explained a lot of the history, architecture and more things found in this region. What I liked more about the tour was the flexibility of the tour, you can choose were you want to go.
We had lunch at Jardin del Oriente, which is very good typical Cuban food, specially the ropa Vieja, for great prices (menu)


For the dessert, we headed to the Cafe Escorial at the Plaza Vieja (old plaza), and if you happen to come , you have to eat the small chocolate/coffee candies and of course a Cuban coffee.

We then went back to the hotel and rest.


Day II

After our free breakfast we started our 3 hours tour with Alex in a car. We were able to see all of the rest of Havana and places such as :Monumento a Jose Marti, Hotel Nacional, Vedado, 5th Avenue, Malecon and more.

Beautiful parks.

We were able to learn a bit more about the daily Cuban life.
After the great tour we went back to the great restaurant Jardin del Oriente and walked around old Havana. We then had dinner at the Paladar Vista Mar in Miramar. Jorge organized this and took care of the transportation, a red old Buick convertible. And the restaurant was great but I wished I was there during the day to take advantage of the great views.


domingo, 18 de diciembre de 2011

II Flight MEX-CUN (Volaris) CUN-HAV (Cubana)


1st Flight MEX-CUN

Volaris is actually the 2nd biggest airline in Mexico; although it's a low cost airline, it's a premium low cost airline. Their service is great and they offer a lot of extras.
Check in was very quickly (3 mins) considering that it's high season. The bad part, was when I saw at the tvs and saw that the plane was going to depart 50 minutes late. And although we just arrived 40 minutes late, the good thing is that Volaris will refund you certain percentage of your ticket if they arrive 30 minutes or more late.
So I had the cheapest ticket, but I'm still going to get 50% of my ticket.

After arriving at the Cancun Airport, I picked my bags and went straight to the Cubana check in.
Something I did notice, was the quantity of tvs, games, that Cubans were taking in. One was even taking a tire!
The check in was ok, (15 mins) and we even asked why did they changed the aircraft and the guy told us that the other one (Yak40) was so old that was scary to fly in. The sad thing is that they couldn't change my ticket, so I actually went with option 1. I decided to pay about 360 USD to change my volaris ticket and stay about 30 hours in Cancun at the JW Marriott, using my Marriott points. So, I guess it wasn't all bad after all.
But now the bad part.. Again. There was another delay, my plane was delayed about 45 minutes, and 10 of those we were stocked in a bus.

The flight wasn't that bad. Cubana has reviews of having the worst service, but on board the crew was very nice and polite. And they even gave some Canadians candies and Cuban drinks. But something that impressed me was at the end, I believe it was the co captain, he passed to every seat offering candies. And I've never seen this in my entire life.

The arrival at Cuba wasn't that good. First we were 45 minutes at customs/immigration. Then we waited 20 minutes for our bags. Then I finally got out and met with our great taxi driver that Jorge organized for us. And although we planned before in changing the currency at the airport, the lines were so long (1 hour) that we decided to go to the airport.

The drive to the hotel was about 25 minutes long but it seemed that it took for ever.
But as soon as I arrived to the hotel, I knew it was a good option. Although I arrived at the old part and had a reservation there, I had already sent an email if a room at the new part was available and they replied with a yes. So I went through the underground "trail" and did the check in with a small problem. In Cuba it's very important to put the exact number or guests even for kids, but everything was solved.

Maybe my arrival wasn't that good, but I'm ready to have a great time.

And wait for the next post and some pictures....

viernes, 16 de diciembre de 2011

Cuba is here... with some changes

I Introduction

So I'm just 48 hours away from getting to Cuba and I'm very excited. But I'm also angry at Cubana (the arline).
So last Monday I checed the schedule and everything was fine, but it wasn't until today that I saw a change in both of my flights with Cubana (CUN-HAV, HAV-CUN) Both were bad. In the first flight I was going to be at the Cancun airport for 3 hours and 45 minutes, now I'm going to be 4 hours and 20 minutes.

But for my returning flight, I had 2 hours and 50 minutes and now I have 1 hour and 50 minutes. The problem here is that I have to pass through customs (might take 5 or 50 minutes) and then I have to check my bags at least 1 hour before my flight. So if I was flying a normal airline, this could be done without a problem but I'm flying Cubana. I've heard that 99% of its flights are at least 15 minutes delayed, so if the plane arrives 30 minutes after, I would have less than 20 minutes to get off the plane, pass customs and run to another terminal. And if I don't make it, I totally loose my plane and have to pay for new tickets.

Of course Cubana will not pay me anything. So then I have this 2 options
1) Change the flight with Volaris (Cancun- Mexico City) 485 USD
2)Forget about the Volaris flight and pay for a new ticket on Aeromexico 360 USD
3) Try to change my Cubana flight from Havana to Cancun, to Havana to Mexico City.

So I might go with the 2nd option, because the 3rd isn't very possible and I'm very mad and my trip hasn't even started yet.

domingo, 9 de octubre de 2011

2011 Cuba Trip- Introduction

I Introduction

Although I'm still more than 2 months from this trip I'm happy to say that I already paid for everything and do not have to worry.
I decided to go to Cuba because I've always wanted to go and it is pretty close and not so expensive. After some research and just finding expensive air tickets to HAV (850 pp) I decided to go to Cancun in one of the low cost airlines and then take a Cubana flight. (550 pp). Although I have to say that I'm a bit scary for hearing that Cubana is not exactly a safe airline and does not offer the best service but it will be just 1 1/2 hour.
In Havana I chose the Hotel Parque Central because it is one of the best hotels of La Havana and they have a new section.
In Varadero I chose the Riu Varadero because of the great offer and it's actually one of the new resorts.
So I'm all set and ready to go for my Christmas Vacations!


martes, 6 de septiembre de 2011

Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7


Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 6: A relaxing day, at least for us. We decided to have brunch in the restaurant that is below our hotel. It wasn't great but the service and the food were ok.
We then walked two blocks down in search of some good tennis shoes for my mom and we found them. It was actually the Asics Store that is in front of the Bryant Park. So because all morning had passed so quickly and one hour later we had our show we bought some ice-creams and just sat and relax.
After, we arrived to the Theatre to see Mary Poppins. And the show was just great, although it was more of a musical than a normal play, everything was amazing and both my sister and mother loved it. As we left the Theatre, it was already 6:00 p.m., we grabbed a cab to the Megu Restaurant in the Trump Towers in front of the UN.
The food was not only exquisite but the whole service was great and even better, it was NYC Restaurant Week so it was 33 USD per person for a entree, main course and dessert. I highly recommend it if you like Asian cuisine.
Well the day was over, but we enjoyed watching some t.v. shows that are not available in Mexico, and slept to be ready for our final day in NYC :()

Day 7
So because our last visit to NYC was 5 years ago we decided to go to the Statue of Liberty and it was of course a good choice. To get here we took the metro and walked a bit around Battery Park.
We then took the Ferry and although we bought the tickets days before we did not know that we could not access the small museum in the Statue of Liberty, so we just walked around and took pictures of Lady Liberty and the Skyline of Southern Manhattan

And because we were already near we took the metro to Brooklyn. Our plan was to take a taxi near the Bridge and then walk the Brooklyn Bridge but we ended up taking the taxi from Brooklyn to Manhattan, which was first a mistake but then we realized that the bridge is extremely large. But we still walked a little bit and took some photos.

We then took the metro near/to the American Girl Place and some final shopping of souvenirs. We also had lunch at AGP which was fine and very different. We later grabbed a cab to Times Square for some more Coconut M&M's which I can only find in the US. And sadly we then went back to our hotel to do put everything in order before we left.

sábado, 27 de agosto de 2011

Par IX Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5


Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 4: Shopping Shopping Shopping

The day before I googled the address of at least 10 stores that we all wanted to go and mad a map in Google and print it.
So early in the morning we started with the some stores that were near the hotel and then we took a taxi to the great and beautiful Fifth Avenue and started shopping. We went to many stores, from Forever 21 to Saks Fifth Avenue and Abercrombie and Fitch. Although it was a long and hot-humid day I'm not going to describe it all but in conclusion we did have fun.

Day 5: Museums and a bit more of Shopping

We started kind of late but ready to have a good day. We first went to the Natural History Museum and spent about 2-3 hours. We then walked around Central Park for about half an hour. After "getting lost in C.P. we took a cab to the Madame Tussauds oh and if you want to save 5 USD per person do a check in at FourSquare. This museum is very cool and although I visited the one in Hollywood it's always nice to go back and see some new figures (sadly K. Kardashian wax figure was taken off apparently she was not that popular :( )

We had lunch at the nice Red Lobster at Times Square and we then took a cab to visit the remaining stores. A trip to NYC can't be done before going to FAO Schwarz and Niketown (and also LV)
After this calm day we headed back to our hotel for some rest.



The famous Big Whale in the Museum



Gotta Love Times Square

miércoles, 17 de agosto de 2011

Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3.

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 2:

Woke up early and had breakfast in our room, which is a really big benefit of having a kitchen in the suite. We then went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spent about 2 hours which is sufficient if you have you are in a family with kids. We then went to the Minsk Theatre and enjoyed the Lion King. It really is a great show and specially for families. The only recommendation I have is to don't go and see a play the next day you got to NYC, because of the humidity outside we were kind of tired when we went to the theatre.

We then went to have dinner in the TGI Friday, not the best restaurant but it was ok. Because it was the first day and we got tired we went to the hotel but with a stop in Walgreens.

Day 3: After breakfast we decided to buy tickets for the Double Decker bus. We took the bus at Times Square and went to SoHo where we walked a little bit and had ice-cream. We also visited, just for curiosity, the Kardashian Store which is pretty nice but kind of expensive (10 USD for a bottle of water?)

We then took again the bus to Chinatown and Little Italy, the problem with the Decker Bus is that because the upper part is usually full the button part not always has AC or windows, so if outside was about 105 F inside was 115 F!!
We walked around Chinatown which I personally thought it was going to be a little bit more interesting but it wasn't. We then went to Little Italy and had lunch there, which was good.

We then took the bus to the U.N. which was already closed and could not see anything. So we took the bus again to the Rockefeller Center where we went to Top of the Rock. For anyone that thinks that the Empire State has the best view, then you are wrong, the Top of the Rock is the best view of all Manhattan, it really is.
After Top of the Rock we went to to the shops near and even Magnolia which might be overrated but it is a very nice place to go.

After all this "tourist" day, we went back to the hotel and rest.

sábado, 13 de agosto de 2011

Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Finding the perfect hotel in NYC it's very difficult. Location, the room size and most important the price are all 3 very important factors that you need to take in consideration. I was looking for a 4 star hotel in NYC most of them where from 250 USD (not in a great location) to more than 350 USD. Then I found the AKA Hotel. The AKA hotels are long-term stay hotels which offer you great suites with kitchens and a great price. I chose the one in Times Square which is between 6th and 7th 44th St. And it's less than 1 minute away from Times Square. To find a suite this size with a very good location in a great hotel fro 270 USD a night was just great.
Above you will find my review of T.A.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d655944-r115824373-AKA_Times_Square-New_York_City_New_York.html
Check in-Check out.
Both of them were fast and good. At the check in they explain you the apartment details. We asked for a rollaway bed but after knowing that it was 50 USD per night we declined it. Still, without asking, the lady at the Front Desk called Housekeeping and sent some sheets and pillows so we could sleep on the couch.
The check out was very good too.
I give 4.9 out of 5.

Suite.
I originally paid for a 750 square feet without a den but when we got there the suite had a den. The Suite was very spacious, it had a very complete kitchen with everything you needed and a big fridge. There was also a small living room with a large plasma T.V. and a large couch in which someone smaller than 5'6 can sleep very comfortable.
The Den is a small room with a char and a desk, I wouldn't pay for more just to have a den. There was also a small table for two and of course the main room with a king size bed.
The bathroom was the thing I didn't loved, although it was very clean it was very outdated so if the bathroom was renovated the whole suite would be great.
The suite succeed my expectancies and more but it was missing sun light(.I would ask for a room facing the street.) It had everything you needed. The only problem we had was that the first night the AC didn't worked and inside the suite was like 85 F but that's it.
I give a 4.8

Location:
I was undecided between this location and the AKA Central Park and although the Central Park might be in a nicer location the AKA TS has the best location. It' s just 150 meters from Times Square which is good because you avoid the crowds without being to far away. It's 2 blocks away from 2 Subway Stations, (Orange Line and Red Line) And if you just want to go shopping just take a taxi at 6th Avenue to the Shops at the Fifth Avenue (from 50th St. to 60th St) It will cost you less than 6 dollars. The only bad thing about the location is that is in between avenues and do not have a lot of sun light.
I give a 4.9

Service:
Although in this hotel you are not going to talk with a lot of the employees, the few of them that you may have some sort of conversations are very nice and ready to help. From the doorman to the front desk people to the housekeeping lady they are all super nice and very helpful. Because this is not really your typical hotel they just offer you housekeeping service once but if you decide to pay it it's only 25 dollars more.
I give a 5

Amenities:
There are not really amenities at this hotel but you can find the Fitness Center and the Business Center. The Fitness Center is small and just have the basics. The Business Center has 4 computers in which you can use the printer. Also remember that the suite offers internet connection for free which is kind of slow but it's free.
I give a 4.5

Overall:
So I paid 260 USD per night for a large suite in a 4 star hotel. I don't think you can get a 4 star hotel with good location standard room for less than 280 so to get a suite just makes it better. You may not receive the same attention like in other hotels but for what you paid you receive a lot more. I would definitely stay here next time unless I can afford a Peninsula room.

Room Tip: Ask for a suite facing the street or at least with sun light.

viernes, 12 de agosto de 2011

Part VI : Train from DC to Newark and 1st day IN NYC

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Bye bye DC.. Hello NYC
Although I really liked DC I was really excited to go to NYC, last time I was there I was just 10 years old.
The train departed at about 10:30 a.m. so after a quick breakfast and a fast check out we took a cab to Union Station. Fortunately we were going with a lot of extra time because traffic was horrible. The 5-8 minute taxi ride took 20 minutes but we got there still 30 minutes before the train departure. I was informed that not only business passengers can go first but also families with small kids which this was just great.
This was my first train experience in the U.S., I've done it before in Europe and although I didn't expected to be as nice as the europeans train Amtrak offers a really good service and not expensive. The seats are way more comfortable than a normal coach and even some business plane seats. The food variety is not as big but ok. We departed on time but arrived 20 minutes later. We didn't took the Acela because it didn't offered kid rate so it was about + 300 dollars vs 98 USD for all 3 of us, which is great.

We arrived at the Newark Airport which you need to take another train (6 minutes) to the terminal you want. We went directly to Terminal C so my father could check-in for his Mexico City Flight. We then needed to wait about 1-2 hours for my mother to arrive. The bad thing is that her flight got delayed about half an hour and she was about an hour at the Newark immigration. Newark is one of the worst entry points for any hispanic.
Finally she came out and after saying good by to my father we went again to the the Newark Transit Center Station and took a NJ transit train to NYC which was only 25 USD. We arrived to Penn Station and let me tell you, it was about 102 F outside but inside Penn Station was about 115 F and because we had bags we had to make long lines for the elevator. Not the best way to get to NYC in Rush Hour. We then took a cab to the great AKA Hotel in Times Square.
Because we still had some hours to do something, we walked to Times Square, went to the Minsk Theatre to pick up our tickets and had dinner at the Bubba Gump.

We had a good time in DC but much better in NYC.. Continue to read my next posts.

lunes, 8 de agosto de 2011

Part V : Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC.

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 4: We woke up kind of late but it was Sunday. Because the restaurant breakfast was already closed the concierge recommend us a nearby restaurant which although I don't remember the name it was part a library and part a restaurant. The food was ok but what I really didn't like was the atmosphere. People were almost screaming, it was kind of hard to enjoy our breakfast.
We then went to the Smithsonian U.S. Air and Space Museum which is suppose to be the most popular museum not only in DC but according to the USA Today of the whole U.S.A. I had big expectations and although the museum is very interesting I just didn't get that wow factor. After the museum we went to Georgetown. Georgetown is just beautiful it's near the Potomac River which looks great and the whole place is just lovely. It's kind of Europe meets U.S.A. because of the nice and short buildings but of course with all the american stores I love.
This is a must in DC even if you are here just 24 hours, to come here and spend a couple of hours walking around it's amazing.
We had lunch at Sequoia which is just 2 blocks down the main street of Georgetown. It offers great views, good service and the food was ok. (My TA review:http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g28970-d450449-r115824494-Sequoia-Washington_DC_District_of_Columbia.html)

Because my dad didn't quite felt good because of the Hot weather and going in and out of the stores with high AC we left to the Hotel to relax.

Day 5:

The Last Day in DC and we still had many things to do but because of the AC in the room that never turned off mad my dad feel more tired but still with some energy we all went to the National Spy Museum. It's actually a pretty cool museum. You do learn a lot of stuff in a fun way, I do recommend this hotel for all the families that visit DC. We after took the Metro to the Arlington Cemetery which is just nice to walk around. We then went to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City where we had lunch at the Fast Food and walked around the mall. Then we went back to the hotel and started packing.
DC is a great city, not your typical american city which just make me love it more and hope to come back when the temperatures are not as high as they were.

viernes, 29 de julio de 2011

Part IV Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in NYC (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Day 2 in DC

Although this wasn't really a day where we were "tourists" in DC we were able to visit some places. Right in the morning after a great breakfast at the Jockey Club, which is the restaurant of the Fairfax, we headed all the way to Washington Dulles Aiport waited 30 minutes and after talking to a supervisor I got someone to open the lost and found room which had everything Kindles, iPads, cameras, cellphones even laptops but not my camera. Sad we decided to go back to the hotel.
Because we used all of the morning in trying to retrieve the camera we just had some hours left.

We went to the Tom Ford Theatre which was the Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated. The theatre also has a museum which is very interesting. We then went next door which is the Hard Rock Cafe for some average lunch. Because we still had some time we went to the U.S. Capitol which you I expected to see more than a movie and an average tour that at least was free.
Maybe not the most productive day but we tried to get back our camera.

Day 3 in DC

We bought tickets with our concierge for the Double Deck Tour Bus. So we went directly to the nearest stop which was 2 blocks away Dupont Circle. The bus takes you up to Washington Cathedral which is very pretty and then down on the Embassy Row crossing the beautiful Georgetown. We decided to not stop at Georgetown so we could see the monuments first. Then we stopped at the Lincoln Memorial which is impressive but very crowded and the fact that the reflecting pool in front of it it's under renovation didn't make it so nice. Then we walked all the way from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House. On the way we stopped at the Holocaust Memorial and at the Washington Memorial although we did not went up.

The walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House looks small on a map but with temperatures of 100 F and higher it took longer than expected. Of course you can not see much of the White House and specially if they close the closest pedestrian street to the WH. (Maybe it was because of the meeting of Obama with the Dalai Lama)
We walked a little bit more to the White House Visitor Center which explains you a lot of the White House. We then walked to the nearest Bus stop and we mad it to the Union Station so we could change routes. The DC Double Decker Tour has 3 different routes. Because we were very hungry we stopped at a restaurant inside the Station.
We then took the bus to the National Zoo where we passed the whole afternoon. It is a very very nice place to go specially for families. To end our day we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant.

jueves, 28 de julio de 2011

Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

Like always I wrote my review at Tripadvisor which you can see it here or at their page. You can also check my 105 reviews about hotels, restaurants and attractions around the world: http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/charal95

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On my last trip to Washington D.C. I stayed at the Fairfax at Embassy Row for 5 nights and although it is a very nice and historic hotel there are a few details that everybody should look before coming here.
Check in- Check out.
Both of them were fast and the service at the small Front Desk is very good. I asked for an upgrade and for 50 USD they gave me a room a bit larger than a standard and a better view. Because it was too small, we were 3, we asked for a larger suite and the offered us, I believe it was the Fairfax Suite and we took it which was 150 USD plus per night and because we got a great Hotwire rate we took it.
I give a 4.8 out of 5 points

Room
The suite was located on the 7th floor offering a very nice view of the Washington Memorial. The suite is a large standard room with a living room. In both, the room and the living room there was a sofa bed plus the King-size bed. There were also 2 tvs one in each room.
Because this hotel is a Luxury Collection I expected some perks for the suites but nothing.
The only 2 small details in the suite where:
1. The bathroom was way too small. The standard room bathroom was the same or larger than this.
2. The living room has two entries for the AC. One is controlled by the AC panel located in the main room but the other one was located in another room which was occupied and it was always turned on and we even called the engineer but he said that he couldn't do anything. The big problem is that my father got a flu and it got worst because of the AC.
I give a 4.3 out of 5.

Location
The hotel is located on the Embassy Row-Dupont Circle which is supposed to be a gay village but I did not see many of them. The whole neighborhood is very safe. There is a Starbucks just around the corner and a CVS pharmacy about 2-3 blocks away. The subway station is 2 blocks away and can take you practically anywhere. Although I would have prefer to stay in a hotel right at the National Mall the location of the Fairfax is very nice.
I give a 4.6

Service
The service is great, I did not had any problem with anyone. From the porter to the Front Desk people to the Housekeeping, they were all great. And I need to mention that the Concierge was absolutely helpful and mad my trip even better. The only person that I didn't quite liked was the waiter at the Restaurant who kept lying about where he was and I just didn't liked him at all.
I give a 4.9

Restaurant
The restaurant-Jockey Club is a very nice historic restaurant. The food is very good and the service, apart from the other guy, is terrific. But in my opinion the restaurant was a bit overpriced but everything was very good.
I give a 4.8

Amenities.
The hotel offers a small Fitness Center which is very convenient to anyone that wants to do the basics. The business center is also great because they offer computers with free internet so you can save the 10 USD per day. If you want to use your computer but not pay for the internet there you can go to the lobby in which there is free wi-fi.
I give a 4.5

Overall
So this hotel in total cost me about 320 USD per night for a nice suite although I expected more. All the hotel is very nice but in my opinion is a bit old and not enough Luxury as the hotel should be. I feel that paying more than 250 USD for a normal room here is not the best idea. I do recommend this hotel for solo travelers, businessman or even couples but not for families.

Room Tip: Ask for a suite.

miércoles, 27 de julio de 2011

Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC (United)

Part I: Summer Vacation's Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part v: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

After some hours of sleep my father my sister and myself woke up to get to the International Airport of Mexico City. As oppose to most of the airpots in the world the Mexico City Airport is right in the middle of Mexico City which of course is a very bad location not only to the people that live 50 meters away from the airport but to all the tourists that get stuck in traffic jams trying to get there. Fortunately the flight was in the morning so there was no traffic at all.
The check in at United was fast in the Premium check in line but it was the double at the Economy class. United offers flights from Mexico City to all of its Hubs except for Denver which is seasonal.
All the boarding was pretty fast and the flight was very good. I was even surprised, because when I went to buy food and explained to the flight attendant that I just had cash, she gave it for free. The only bad thing was the descend, it was very windy and it was just a bad landing.
Internationals arrivals at IAD are very but very strange. After walking for 5-10 minutes you get to a place in which you will board a bus that takes you to the Immigration Building. I was like 1 hour in the immigration line which just makes me want to have the Global Entry membership. After picking up our luggage we went outside to take a cab. And about 25 minutes after we departed the airport we just realized that something was not with us, no it wasn't a bag or a cell phone it was a 2k dollars camera. The first thing we thought is going back to the airport but we decided to go to directly to the hotel settle in and call them.
We arrived to the hotel 10 minutes later. The Fairfax at Embassy Row is a very nice and historic hotel but maybe a bit too old for my style. We asked for an upgrade to a bigger suite which they offered one for 150 USD per night and because we were on a 160 USD per night rate we said yes. The suite is lovely but you will find more at the next segment. Well as soon as I arrived to the hotel I went directly with the Concierge which called United and was on hold like for 40 minutes until we got to speak with an agent that told her that I needed to send an e-mail which I sent 2 minutes after. I quickly got a response that said that they were going to check but that if I didn't receive an e-mail in 7 days it meant that they didn't found it.
So there I was feeling sick for a terrible landing, tired of being 1 hour waiting and very anxious because we just lost a very expensive camera and we had no idea of what to do. Nice first day ...

miércoles, 16 de febrero de 2011

Washington DC / New York City Summer Vacations' Intro

Part I: Summer Vacation Introduction
Part II: Flight MEX-IAD and Day 1 in DC(United)
Part III: Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row
Part IV: Exploring Washington DC Day 2 and 3 in DC
Part V: Exploring Washington DC Day 4 and 5 in DC
Part VI: Train from DC to Newark and Day 1 in (Amtrak)
Part VII: Hotel AKA Times Square
Part VIII: Exploring New York City Days 2 and 3
Part IX: Exploring NYC Days 4 and 5
Part X: Exploring NYC Days 6 and 7
Part XI: Flight EWR-MEX (Continental)

For this Summer Vacations my family decided to go to New York. Because my parents are not together anymore we decided to go to New York City with my mom and Washington DC with my father. I just find this to be great because I know my father will love DC and all of its history and we will have a great time in NYC with my mother.
We have never been to DC and the last and only time we went to NYC was 5 years ago.
So in only 2 weeks we will be going to DC with my father for 5 nights, staying at the Fairfax at Embassy Row and then taking a train to Newark Airport where my father will take his plane back to Mexico City and my mother will arrive. We will then be 8 days at NYC, staying at the hotel AKA which is a "luxury" appartment/hotel which their rates where the same to a 4 star hotel small room.

So wait for my trip report and I hope it helps all the families that are planning to go to DC or NYC.