Grown-up Travel Guide Daily Photo: An airport hotel less ordinary
Beats your boring old chain hotel, right? The Jumbo Stay Hostel at Arlanda Airport, Stockholm, Sweden. More information in this article.
Hotel Review – Conscious Hotel Museum Square, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Amsterdam is truly one of the great European cities to visit, and over the years I’ve been there seven times – running the gamut from broke inter-railer and hitch-hiker through weekend tourist from Berlin to a short break with the family.
I imagine your choices of accommodation have been similarly varied?
You could say that. I don’t think I’ll be returning to the Sleep-in hostel any time soon, though it served its purpose at the time. On this particular occasion we had a few days in Amsterdam book-ending a Muse concert in Nijmegen (more of which here) and were after a room with space for two adults and a child.
Any other criteria?
After having stayed in more central hotels before and being a bit put off by the noise we wanted somewhere in a quieter area, but of course not too far from the centre. Hotels in Amsterdam are surprisingly expensive and do not always offer great value for money, so we wanted to avoid paying for more than we got too. Even with our swimming-crazy daughter we decided against the extra expense of a hotel pool and after some research online found that this place near the National Museum seemed a good choice.
Conscious Hotel Museum Square, Amsterdam
Image (c) Andy Higgs, Grown-up Travel Guide
Conscious Hotel Museum Square, De Lairessestraat 7 , 1071 NR Amsterdam +31 (0) 20 671 95 96
Website: http://www.conscioushotels.com/hotel/museum-square/
Email: museumsquare@conscioushotels.com
When?
Mid-June 2010.
Vital stats:
Three stars. Opened summer 2009. 36 rooms over 5 floors.
Location, location, location?
As the name suggests the hotel is located close to Museum Square (Museumplein) and bus 197 passes the building. The nearest tram stop is at Concertgebouw. The hotel is located in a very pleasant residential area within walking distance of the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum. It’s an appealing area for wandering and seeing how the other half of Amsterdam lives – a very different atmosphere from the city centre.
What about parking?
It’s not a good idea to drive in Amsterdam but if you arrive in a car public car parking spaces are available for a fee but cannot be reserved of course.
Why choose this place?
It’s that classic combination of being quiet and accessible once again. If you’re going to the Van Gogh museum it’s also very handy as you can get there early to avoid the queues. Rates are good (especially through third-party sites and in advance) and the rooms are a good size if you need to have an extra bed.
Also, if you like to go green this is a perfect choice – the hotel is run according to environmentally-sound principles and has been Green Key Gold Certified. All the wood in the furniture comes from sustainable forest sources and hotel cleaning is carried out using an ‘Ionator’ which doesn’t use any chemicals. Breakfast is of course organic.
Room
Three different types of room – Standard, Premium and Family. We booked a Family room with a large and very comfortable double bed and an extra full-size single. The room was large, light and airy with a modern feel.
The room had the following features: flat screen LED television with cable channels, writing desk with designer (but comfortable!) chair, private safe, telephone, iron & ironing board on request, blackout curtains, opening windows.
Carpets?
Yes, but they are kept scrupulously clean so we’ll let that go.
Bathroom
The bathroom was modern and practical with a shower and washbasin. In keeping with the hotel’s green image soap and shampoo are in dispensers instead of small bottles. Hair dryer provided.
Free internet I hope?
Yes, free and fast. No complaints here.
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Hotel Review – Andaz Wall Street, New York, USA
Finally, after over 40 years, I made it to the USA. And where better to start than the Big Apple?
You certainly took your time about it. Was it worth the wait?
Absolutely. New York is one city that lives up to both its reputation and the expectations we create for ourselves. I was fortunate enough to have a good friend living in Manhattan who put me up for the first couple of nights, but I had decided not to impose the while time I was Stateside, and needed somewhere to stay three nights.
It seems as though the YMCA wasn’t on your mind either...
No. I figured I’d splurge on somewhere good. Now New York doesn’t come cheap anyway but I was prepared to up my budget for something memorable. I’d read a lot of good things about the Andaz properties (it’s a Hyatt brand – a bit more trendy than their regular hotels) and the hotel on Wall Street fitted my requirements.
Which were?
I like to stay somewhere fairly quiet so I wasn’t interested in Times Square. While a pool is always nice I wouldn’t be having much time to make use of it so that wasn’t a priority. I also had plans for breakfast so there would be no point in paying for a hotel buffet spread. I considered the Andaz Wall Street to tick all the right boxes and with a slightly cheaper rate for booking in advance the choice was made.
Andaz Wall Street, New York City
Image (c) Andy Higgs, Grown-up Travel Guide
75 Wall Street, New York, New York, 10005 USA
+1 212 590 1234
Website: http://newyork.wallstreet.andaz.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/
Email: wall.guest@andaz.com
When?
Early May 2011
Vital stats:
Four stars. Opened January 2010. 253 rooms.
Location, location, location?
Er, on Wall Street. The hotel is located inside a rather unassuming former J.P. Morgan building at the opposite (near-waterfront) end of Wall Street from the Stock Exchange. It’s quiet here in the evenings after the offices have closed, but you’re within easy reach of the subway and buses pass the front door.
What about parking?
If you’re nuts enough to be driving in New York city, the Andaz has its own parking facilities which start at US$34 for 24 hours.
Why choose this place?
The quiet yet accessible location was the major factor – it’s also convenient for the waterfront, Battery Park and Ground Zero (walking distance to all three). If you’re signing the deal of a lifetime on Wall Street it’s handy too. But the biggest draw is probably the high standard of the hotel itself and the excellent service and facilities it offers.
Room
Three different types of room – Double, Large and Large King, and three types of suite – Suite, Large Suite and Buttonwood Suite. I booked a Large King (as I said, I was splashing out) which had a huge and very comfortable bed, a bathtub and a shower. The room was large, airy and stylish – it felt like a loft apartment. There was a glass wall between the bathtub and bedroom so if you need privacy this may be a bad option unless your partner is focused on the television.
Image (c) Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times
The list of features is impressive: first of all an excellent idea – a complimentary minibar with snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Of course free beer would have been great but they have to draw the line somewhere. Essentially this was enough for a light breakfast before moving on to eat properly – orange juice, energy bar, healthy potato chips and less healthy chocolate. When returning from a hard day’s sightseeing it was also good to have chilled water and soft drinks and more snacks on hand. In addition, the hotel provides a complimentary morning newspaper, 24-hour room service, cable/satellite TV channels,Video on demand, iPod docking station, 42-inch LCD TV, a large desk, speakerphone, voicemail, dataport, checkout and bill display via the TV, safe large enough to store and charge laptop computer, iron & ironing board on request, complimentary beverages in the lounge (featuring excellent coffee), special lighting with dimming controls, radio alarm clock, cordless phone, individual heat control, individual air conditioning control, desktop power strip, opening windows (nice).
Carpets?
No! Beautiful hardwood floors with a rug under the bed. That’s what we like – and increasingly expect – from a modern hotel.
Bathroom
Image (c) Andaz Wall Street
The bathroom was very cool. On one side of the hall was a basin and the toilet, on the other the (big, marble) bath and rain shower (with space for two). Bathrobes provided, as were C.O. Bigelow natural bath amenities to which I became addicted (which is a problem, as they are not easy to find in Norway. Hair-dryer provided.
Free internet I hope?
Yes, free and fast. No complaints here.
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