Archive for August, 2006
Thursday, Aug 31st, 2006
Categories: Paris
We hadn’t realised that our first appointment was only at 10h00 so we set our alarms for 06h30. Quick shower and then breakfast and we headed off for our first appointment by 7:30. I am not entirely sure why but we had this idea that navigating around Paris was going to be incredibly difficult. The people in Paris were just lovely, everyone offering to help with directions and everyone trying to speak English to us. With Helena by my side navigating Paris was a breeze!
We were early for our first appointment which was with the Edward at the Woodstock Hostel. A beautiful hostel, one that I would highly recommend for the seasoned back packer as it has all the charm in the world. With a fantastic out door area with tables and chairs and lots of bright paintwork as well as a great reception area with lots of great art and bits and pieces.
This hostel was situated in a great area, not entirely central but within arms reach of the nearest metro it’s ideal. The rooms are basic but very clean and tidy and the staff really helpful, friendly and fun. Another reason why this hostel is particularly good is because they only accept backpackers, no families or children allowed.
The Hotel Garden was the hotel where we chose to stay whilst in Paris. As far as a lively night life sort of atmosphere is concerned it’s not the place you should stay if that is what you are after however if you are looking for convenience, cleanliness and peace and quiet this hotel is a perfect option. Situated just a few minutes walk from the Voltaire Metro it’s positioning is great.
David, the owner, offered to pay for our dinner and suggested we go to a Columbian restaurant around the corner. Eventually he convinced us to accept the offer and when Helena attempted to thank him for his kindness, she said it all wrong. What she meant to say was that his offer was very kind but instead she said that his offer was very sexual. An incredibly awkward moment to say the very least, David quickly reminded us that he was a married man!
Peace and Love Hostel is an incredible hostel. If you’re looking for fun and games then this is the perfect place to stay. With incredible staff that are more than passionate about travel and a great bar and lounge area situated very centrally this is a great choice for accommodation. The hostel itself is very clean and tidy and brightly decorated, they have all you could ever need so it comes highly recommended. For those wanting to experience the Paris night life they have no curfew and their bar is open as long as there is a demand so again another good reason to stay at the Peace and Love Hostel.
On to the The 3 Ducks Hostel a truly beautiful little hostel with a fantastic atmosphere, as far as a central location is concerned it is ideal. With great staff and a very lively bar and lounge area it is guaranteed to be good fun staying there. Again the staff at the 3 Ducks Hostel were very enthusiastic about travelling and I am sure given the time to sit down and share a beer would have a million tales to tell.
On arrival at the Aloha Hostel the girls at the reception desk seemed a bit perplexed about who we were. Once we explained it was all systems go. We first got a good show around the property. With a lovely bar and lounge area and a great internet café it’s a really nice hostel. We sat at the bar area having a chat about all sorts including the comings and goings within the hostel. After a quick show around we gave them our complimentary t-shirts and took some photographs. The hostel location is very central so again comes highly recommended.
Our meeting at Le Montclair Montmartre Hostel began with a quick look around the building. With a lovely bright and sunny lobby area and great internet café it’s a great choice of accommodation. With exceptionally friendly staff and great, clean facilities I would highly recommend it.This property has a good variety of rooms so its ideal for any type of traveller be it for groups of people travelling on their own.
On arriving at the Boissiere hotel we were greeted by Laurent Corbel, a real character with lots to say. At the moment the property is undergoing a major refurbishment. All the rooms on the fifth and top floor are en-suite however when the refurbishment is complete all rooms will be en-suite. The building is equipped with wi-fi and there is a computer available downstairs for internet access. The rooms are really incredible with nice modern furniture and some that have excellent views are available. The staff are very friendly and helpful so all in all this property comes highly recommended.
We headed back to our hotel after this last appointment, totally exhausted but somehow we managed to muscle up the energy to go and see of the sights and enjoy a lovely glass of French wine. Back at the hotel by 10, our heads hit the pillow and were out!
Thursday, Aug 31st, 2006
Categories: Paris
Helena and I left the office at 16h00, expecting to arrive at Waterloo and easily board our train to Paris. We arrived at the station only to find absolute chaos.
Earlier on in the day there had been a fire alert on board a Eurostar train which shut down the tunnel in both directions for several hours. We ended up boarding the train at 20h15 that evening, the train which was meant to be departing at 17h45.
Eventually after hours waiting we were on the train ready to go only to find we had been situated in the worst possible carriage with a demon child who decided to scream from the start of the journey to the very end. Needless to say this was the final insult for what seemed would be a nightmare trip to Paris.
We arrived in Paris just after 01h00, now we were faced with figuring out how we would get to our hotel as the metro was now closed. Luckily because we were delayed for reasons out of our control Euro star agreed to refund us for the taxi which we had to take to our hotel. Eventually we arrived at the Garden Hotel at about 02h00 and we went right to bed, totally exhausted!
After getting in to Manchester late the evening before, we woke up after a very comfortable sleep in the Hilton Chambers not wanting to give in to the alarm clock After finally managing to navigate the (actually quite simple) metrolink tram service and working out that we really should never be trusted with directions, Paco and I found our first hotel of the day, Trafford Hall Hotel.
We met with Mark, (one we were seeing later on in the day). Trafford Hall is a lovely big hotel, and although it is out of the city centre, it has the distinct advantage of being right next to the Old Trafford football stadium. The rooms are of a really good quality and there is a great bar downstairs which is also open to the public which I’m sure is good for those pre-footy drinking sessions. Unfortunately the camera we had bought suffered a bad case of low-battery-it is and no photos were able to be taken.
After that we jumped into a taxi, allowing Paco to sneak in a quick cigarette before meeting at the Fairways Lodge and Leisure Club. Sandra, our contact, was unavailable, so we met with Belinda. This place is huge, and guests can take advantage of the use of a gym, squash courts, steam room or sauna. Niiiice.
Manchester is unique in that a lot of the hotels are in the suburbs rather than right in the centre. There are definitely city centre options though, and the public transport system seems pretty good. However, we were enjoying our frequent taxi rides to each place because of time restraint. Ahhhh luxurious! We were chauffered away to our next hotel of the day, the Stay Inn.
We met with Mr Ahmad and sat in the dining room area. This is located near some of the main train stations into Manchester, and has pretty comfortable rooms and facilities. After booking another taxi, we arrived at Monton House (owned by the same group as Trafford Hall) and we met with manager James, who showed us around the complex. They are situated right near a whole lot of suburban shops and restaurants and there is a lovely park at the end of the street as well.
We decided that shops were a good idea. Finally we could replace my batteries in my camera, and a sandwich shop and a park provided the necessary ingredients to fill our ravenous and by this time grumbling stomachs.
We then wandered up the road again, to find our next destination, which was supposed to be walking distance. However, I wasn’t sure if I believed them, and when it started torrentially raining, I hailed a cab. The driver looked at us in amusement and bewilderment when he proceeded to drive 100 metres down the road to our next hotel, Ascott Hotel.
This is a lovely little B and B style hotel, and we met with Martin. A gorgeous grandfather clock was a feature in the lounge room where we were given a very welcoming cup of tea, and then we were shown around. This place has been restored and there are a lot of antique pieces here, which really gives this place its own character. The rooms are very unique and different, with even the bathrooms having their own distinct style.
We then went to our first hostel of the day, the YHA Manchester. Here we were in central Manchester for the first time since leaving our hostel earlier that morning, and this is a lovely area called Potato Wharf. We were an hour early, so tried our luck at getting our appointment moved, but Sarah, who we were meeting with, didn’t start her shift until later, so we were pointed in the direction of the chill out/reading room/TV area which was really nice. There were lots of books and interesting maps to look at (although I confessed to the YHA staff later that I had drawn in New Zealand to a geographically challenged map). Sarah came in at the designated meeting time and we set about having our meeting. The YHA does a lot of summer camps for children, and it is well set up to do this (as it was being used for this at the time we went). The facilities work equally well for large school groups, or for travellers, with self catering kitchens, laundry as well as a café/restaurant.
It was still pouring with rain and armed with an umbrella we got ourselves back over to where we began, right in the centre of town. We met with Evan at the Hatters Hostel, and settled down with chocolate biscuits and my second cup of tea for the day. Unfortunately Paco had to catch his coach back to London, but I was staying an extra day so got to chat with Evan and also James, who were the contacts for both the Hatters and the Hilton Chambers. Really nice relaxed guys, these two hostels are connected and they work closely with one another. Both have a different feel to them, which cater to different kinds of people.
The Hatters is a classic hostel, with posters on the wall, a pool table and free internet. There is a great vibe, and you can tell that there would be a few party goers at this place. There is also a very unique and amusing ‘tip jar’ on the reception desk, where instead of leaving spare coins you could impart words of wisdom onto tiny pieces of paper, for future travellers to enjoy. Hilton Chambers is just around the corner and is a lot newer than the Hatters. It is also a great hostel, with more private rooms and smaller dorms. It is definitely a quieter hostel, but both are of very good standards with excellent and friendly staff.
All in all Manchester was worth a visit. It is known for its football and live gigs and vinyl shops but there seems to be a lot of things to bring you to Manchester. It is a very vibrant city!
Thursday, Aug 24th, 2006
Categories: Brussels
Feeling increasingly ropey from too much beer and too little sleep, we started our day with a fry up courtesy of Bridie!
Suitably refuelled, we headed to Brussels@Heart Hostel – a self contained 1 bed ground floor apartment that sleeps 4. Great location 10 minute walk from Grand Place, 2 minutes to closest metro on a quiet residential street. High on the contemporary design features, clean with modern décor and art on the walls. Small private patio area to enjoy your breakfast. Almost like having your own apartment in Brussels – great if you want independence, and not relying on your accommodation for meeting people. Carmelo the host seems like a top fella.
With a brief gap in the schedule we’d been tipped off that the Royal Palace was open to the public. Apparently it’s open access for a fortnight each year when the King decides to take his summer holiday. Loads of very similar looking rooms differentiated only by the colour of the tables and chairs in each….except the main ballroom which was bling-tastic, painted gold and covered in mirrors and chandeliers. Definitely worth the detour!
Next up was Hotel Royotel to say hello to Sohail. The property’s a one star hotel near the botanical gardens and financial district. Sohail was manning the small reception area, and was eager to have a chat with us. After a quick refreshment we went upstairs to check out the rooms. All would meet your basic needs – bed, tv, bathroom en-suite, sleeping any number from 2 to 6 people per room.
Our penultimate appointment for the day was Monty Design Hotel. In a well manicured part of town, 2 minutes from the metro and a decent stroll to the centre of town. The building’s a large old end-of-terrace house that juxtaposes with the ultra-modern design interior. Grey and red rule from the moment you step into the front garden to be greeted by a full size shiny red cow. Plenty of attention to detail in this boutique hotel – from Campari bottle lamps over the dining table to replica microwave televisions in each bedroom. All en-suite with mini bars perfect for backpackers looking to treat themselves to something a little different for a night or two. The surrounding area has plenty of life – supermarkets, bars and restaurants abound. Nice communal breakfast/dining room and lounge area to meet others.
Back to Bridies Bed & Breakfast to pick up our bags and have a chat with Bridie. The place is run single-handedly by Bridie – a number of rooms spread over 2 floors. From self catering apartment to themed rooms, she seems to have the lot (the Irish look in the James Joyce room and a pure state-side feel in Ralph Lauren). A comfortable lounge/breakfast area with lots of character and oodles of charm…a definite home from home. 1 minute from Simonis Metro, 2 minutes from the Brussels Basilica, and strolling distance from the centre of town, this place is ideal to get away from the hustle bustle of city life and enjoy some rest and relaxation. Bridie, goes out of her way to make sure you enjoy your stay in Brussels!
After a Eu10 menu near ther Gare Du Midi (we’re budget traveller after all!) and a quick Duvel stop at the local off license, it was back on the Eurostar….which we found out still let you on if you arrive 5 minutes before departure!!
Comprehensive list of Brussels Hostels
For more information on getting around Brussels go to Planitram Brussels
Thursday, Aug 24th, 2006
Categories: Brussels
Up early on day two to head to Hotel Mirabeau at 10.30. We turned up and met Jean Claude, chilling behind the desk. He runs the place alone with 2 maids, and couldn’t show us round –rooms not clean yet and no one else to look after the desk. Nice big reception area, doubling as a lounge and breakfast bar – there was a big spread on at the time.
On to Hotel Opera Brussels, situated near Place Du Opera, and just around the corner from a maze of narrow touristy streets with a million and one great looking seafood restaurants. Ben met us and took us on a tour of this budget two star hotel. The entrance was narrow, but we got out of the lift on the first floor by the breakfast room and the place opened out a bit. Doubles, triples and quads were all extremely clean and airy, each room having a good bathroom ensuite, large windows with street scenes and tvs.
Back up towards the other end of Rue de Brouchier we found our next stop – Hotel Moon. A family run budget hotel – one of 2 in Brussels owned by 2 brothers, and a third on the cards soon. We had a chat with Shaquil, who then showed us round the place. A clean and tidy hotel with a consistently decent standard of rooms – doubles and triples. Most seem to have small balconies looking over the Place Agora Plein, where there’s a small market selling various tourist trinkets…all very pleasant. Great location if you want to stay somewhere central with a view.
The last stop of the day was the Hotel Arlequin. Our contact there, Kalid, was on holiday, so we had the pleasure of being entertained by Eric who’d just started a couple of weeks ago. Great hospitality and some seriously indepth knowledge of the hotel industry. The property is undergoing some renovation at the minute, but remaining open in the meantime – by Christmas they’re hoping to be upgraded to a 4* hotel. A comfortable and spacious hotel, very central. 7 floors of en-suite double rooms, the top 3 floors being “Executive”.
After the hard day’s graft it was back to Bridies for a quick siesta…then back on to our appreciation of Brussles in the form of a bier rollercoaster. Having sampled a mighty pizza from one of Brussels’ many eateries, we spent a good while finding a cash machine (they are few and far between so if you find one make a mental note). From there we continued to the splendid Delirium Bar, minutes from the Grand Place. Once inside you are greeted by an award from the Guinness Book of records for being the bar with the most types of beer in the world, notching up a phenomenal 2004. Prepare to be flabbergasted by the Bible-sized menu! Adding to that, live bands every night and continuing the bizarre Belgian tradition of sticking the contents of a car boot sale to the walls and ceilings, again, very kitsch.
Comprehensive list of Brussels Hostels
For more information on getting around Brussels go to Planitram Brussels
Thursday, Aug 24th, 2006
Categories: Brussels
The land of beer, chips and chocolate seemed as good a place as any on the list to volunteer our services.
Andy and I set off towards Waterloo after a long Monday at work to jump on the Eurostar. 2.5 hours and a security scare later (Andy was left stranded on a train platform after nipping out for a fag, only to be dragged back in the terminal by a rather burly French Eurostar employee!) we were in the heart of Brussels. We made it to our accommodation – Bridies B&B, to be greeted by our smiling host.
By the time we’d settled in it was getting on a bit, but we thought we’d head into the centre to see if anything was going on. Sure enough, after a quick stroll round the Grand Place (Brussels’ main square and the centre of the historic district) we took a back street and stumbled across a gem of a drinking establishment – Goupil Le Fol. Described as abracadabrament by the locals, a shrine to all things cabaret and kitsch.
This place has been running since 1900, and is jammed full of theatre paraphernalia from floor to ceiling over a labyrinth of 3 floors. We enjoyed our first beer in Brussels sat between a full on 1950’s Wurlitzer blasting out old Edith Piaf numbers and a 3 foot bird cage, containing a statue of Virgin Mary and bust of Mozart peeping through the bars. An hour here was plenty, so we cracked on to find somewhere a bit more lively…..a trawl of the streets at 2 am inevitably brought us to one of Brussels 2 Irish Bars – Celtica. Rammed to the rafters with backpacker types, stag do-ers and locals alike, the dance floor was heaving, with barely enough room to raise a beer glass to your lips. This didn’t stop us having a boogie as the DJ worked his way through a latino, cheesy pop, disco set, finishing up with some classic old school house. 3am and we were starting to feel it….jumped in a Eu7 taxi back to Bridies to get some well earned rest.
Comprehensive list of Brussels Hostels
For more information on getting around Brussels go to Planitram Brussels
Because we were staying at The Portman Hotel, we didn’t schedule a time to meet with Zena. Realising that our first scheduled appointment wasn’t til 11am, we decided to sit out in their lovely beer garden out the back, and soak up the sun and have a chat. Zena also made us some beautiful cappucinos. Zena is a fantastic host and she makes you feel welcome from the moment you step in the door. The Portman is also a pub and there are a lot of regulars who have made it their local, which gives this place a real authentic feel. There’s also the Greenroom bar which is part of the complex but owned by different people. This means that there is always live music every night of the week. Although none of the rooms are ensuite, it didn’t matter as the rooms are really spacious with a little sink in them, and the bathroom wasn’t too far away.
There are 2 friendly hotel dogs and a resident cat as well. Although they will do a complimentary breakfast for you, they generally prefer that you have a dinner instead, as there are a lot of workmen who are hungry when they return. No matter what though, you will feel at home here.
The first scheduled appointment on our second day in Bournemouth was at Amitie Guesthouse. The place is actually a house converted into B&B with 16 beds in total, the rooms were all neat and the simple dining room had a few tables in it. A good choice for someone who is looking for a place to spend a night just to sleep.
After yesterday’s rushed lunch, we decided to have a lovely English continental breakfast/brunch today to make up for it. We then jumped on a bus and made it really easily to The Yenton Hotel. We were definitely getting the hang of Bournemouth buses!
The Yenton Hotel looked quite nice from the outside, with 2 buildings, but I definitely was not prepared for the stunning garden and pavillion area that was out the back. This area is just gorgeous and really relaxing. Although it is really near the beach as they all are, you have a real secluded garden feeling to the place. This place is perfect for weddings and the like, as they have the reception area and can house the guests as well. There is also a lovely restaurant and bar area which was where we met Sue for the meeting. A lot of the rooms had garden views, and they seemed of a pretty high standard as well.
On to The Abbey Court Hotel - a lovely little Bed and Breakfast style small style hotel. Anne and Paul are extremely friendly and welcoming and make you instantly feel at home with little touches like sweets and fruit and home made biscuits in your room. We sat in the lovely living room area and talked about the place, then were shown around by both of them. They should be proud as this is a lovely little place, really homey and with lots of character, but at the same time, very clean and tidy. They don’t hire any staff, it is just the two of them and they pride themselves on making sure that the standards of cleanliness and feeling of being at home is high. There are also lovely framed photographs of the local area which is also a nice touch, as it makes you want to explore all around. They are very knowledgeable and keen to answer any questions you have. They also have a couple of dogs so are obviously dog friendly if you have some friends of the canine variety you wish to bring along. All in all, a great little place, and you would have a really lovely stay here.
The last property on our Bournemouth trip - The Hostel Inn - was one of the best locations; only a few minutes walk away from the beach and ideal for groups of familes and young people who want to have a good time during the summer season. When we arrived there we were warmly welcome by the couple Mike & Pauline, they were really very friendly and showed us the property. We were amazed of the architecture - a combination of modern and vintage style with a funky dining bar, huge hallway and modern, ensuite rooms. There’s a self catering kitchen (the only one we saw in all the Bournemouth properties we visited), they also have free wi-fi access and a very relaxing lounge with large windows. I should say that the place has a character, very good to be recommended especially for young guests, they will for sure enjoy their stay there.
Theresa and I started our day at Bournemouth with a very good weather - perfect for our long day of walking. We arrived at Woodcroft Tower Hotel at 9am sharp and picked up keys to some of the rooms to check. The rooms were standard with large windows, and the beds we’re orderly done – things were obviously kept very neat because they have many chambermaids. The dining room is quite spacious and they serve different types of breakfast and dinner. The atmosphere of the place was a bit old school and conservative their location is close to the beach, pier etc & Bournemouth’s huge selection of restaurants. A great place to stay if you’re looking for basic luxury accommodation, though not really enjoyable for young groups but families & elderly will certainly enjoy their stay here.
After Woodcroft, we went to the Golden Sovereign Hotel and were met by Hugh who was just finishing with the guests’ breakfasts. We even got offered some fruit which I gladly accepted as I hadn’t had breakfast yet. It was a great atmosphere in the place. Hugh was very relaxed and talked to us with his seemingly trademark pipe. Golden Sovereign has a lot of character. There are a lot of Tiggers from Winnie the Pooh around which is pretty cool. Apparently, Steve got one from guest once to say thanks and now the place is overrun with little toy striped tigers. They’ve got a great location, right near the beach (although most places in Bournemouth are) and there is a real personal touch here. There are bowls of fruit on the living room table, videos for the kids to watch and even a huge fish pond and a beautiful outdoor area out the back. They get a lot of return custom, and the huge amount of thank you notes hung up on the wall prove that they are definitely doing their job right.
After finishing with Golden Sovereign, we went straight to Studland Hotel (which was quite a walk!). Sashi and Linda gave us a tour of the property and we we’e impressed by the awesome sea view that you get from some of their rooms. Most of the rooms are ensuites, and all very tidy. This Hotel is good for young groups, businessmen and family and maybe not for very old people. The hotel has lots to offer when it comes to fun and dining, very close to the beach and they’ve got a Thai restaurant, bar and an area for catering (perfect for the seaside wedding 
Heading on to Woodcroft Hotel we met Cherie and had a bit of a roam around the property. Most of the rooms are ensuites, tidy and bright because of the big windows. they’ve got a spacious dining room; it was very quiet during the time when we roamed around because almost all the guests were out. Cherie also mentioned that children below 12 only have to pay half price.
After a rushed lunch on the go, we wandered down to the Glendevon Hotel, where we were met by the manager Richard. We sat down to drink our lemonades in the front room, which was a really nice space to chill out in. Richard also owns the Babbacombe Hotel across the road, and so is really flexible with group numbers. The rooms were of a pretty good standard, all of them being ensuite. There is also a fantastic function room and bar downstairs for residents and groups to use. In a good location, this is in one of the main Bournemouth town hotel areas, so you are surrounded by a lot of other hotels and of course near the beach.
We arrived at The Manchester Hotel at 2pm sharp to meet Lucinda, who was very accommodating and gave us a tour of the property. The place has a nostalgic 70’s atmosphere as most of the furniture were from that period, with tidy rooms. What fascinated me was their bar & dance hall because it was very spacious and of course still very 70’s, the dining rooms were enormous, Lucinda said that those rooms were used for wedding receptions. They actually got pool tables which guests can use it for free. They’re location is easy to find. Groups can actually organize a party inside the property if they like to, this place is highly recommended for party groups.
After the Manchester, we wander straight across to The Fairmount Hotel where we meet the very charismatic Maryann. She is the owner and is an absolute character which adds a lot to this place. But it stands apart as a great little place anyway. Perfect for groups (especially stags) as there is a bar downstairs and Maryann keeps groups in line without the need for deposits and bonds. The rooms are of a very high standard, with very clean bathrooms, and lots of space. Like a lot of the others, the location is also excellent near the beach and town. I would definitely recommend this place. The vibe is relaxed and you would have a really comfortable stay here.
The last appointment of our first day was at the Russell Court Hotel - right on one of the main roads, Bath Road, so there is brilliant transportation links to a lot of places. Not that you need it though, as it is very near town and the beach. It’s a big place and definitely has all the facilities that you would need in a hotel. It has a restaurant and bar which was where we had our meeting. It’s a lovely, big space. The staff seemed friendly enough, and happy to help out. There’s also a lift which makes a good change from climbing lots of stairs!
