Lodging in Europe … the European way

Finding a place to stay in Europe or anywhere can be a challenge, especially if you are making your own lodging arrangements, which we like to do.  But, one reason we have a challenge in finding a place to stay has to do with avoiding American chain hotels … not that there’s anything wrong with American hotels, we stay in American chain hotels all the time in the United States.  But, why stay in an American hotel in Europe.  Part of the experience of visiting Europe is staying in a European owned hotel.  We are big fans of the European breakfast.  [Just an aside, we don't travel thousands of miles to stay in a hotel, but we do need rest after a day's exploration.]

So, how do we pick European hotels?

• First, we check Frommer’s or Fodor’s [usually Frommer's].  Frommer’s is not always 100% reliable.  When we were in Lisbon, Portugal, both Dom Pedro and the York House receive 2 out of 3 stars.  Dom Pedro deserved the rating, if not better, the York House did not.  [The York House had character, history, and great food, just crummy rooms.]

• After checking Frommer’s or a similar travel site, we visit Expedia to read what other travelers have said about the hotel.  Again, not all travelers are reliable, so we consider a “preponderance” of opinions.
• We tend to make reservations with hotels that have websites, but if the hotel does not have a site, it’s not the end of the deal.  A hotel that does not have external photographs is probably not likely to get our money.
• We tend to make reservations through Expedia or Travelocity, but if we have to make reservations through the hotel, they have to have a secure site and accept credit cards.  There are many hotels that take reservations through a non-secure site … no thank you.  Our credit cards provide some relief if things do not work out.
• We also consider location.  In Europe, public transportation is very reliable and extensive … unless there’s a strike, so you don’t have to stay in the center of the city or have a car.  Just pick a location near a metro station.
• Services, such as a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, are important too.  While we don’t necessarily prefer to eat lunch or dinner at a hotel restaurant, sometimes, it is necessary, and sometimes these restaurants have really good food.  We like to stay somewhere where there is a staff to ask questions.

These are some of the criteria we use to select a hotel when traveling abroad and for the most part it has worked for us.  We hope our luck continues for Europe 2008!

Traveling to Europe without breaking the bank

This summer we are traveling to Europe and will be visiting three countries:  Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungry.  We are traveling while the dollar is very weak compared to the Euro … and most other currencies, but we are traveling anyway and intend to do so as if the dollar was strong.

Yesterday, I suggested that using Europe’s extensive rail system is one way to minimize or decrease your transportation costs and it truly is.  Of course, time is always a factor, as in, do you have enough time to take the train.

Another way travel suggestions is to stay in a neighborhood outside the city center.  Europe has an excellent public transportation system.  There are usually excellent and authentic cafes near hotels outside the city center if the hotel does not have a restaurant.  Of course, you don’t want to be 50 miles aways and you have to be smart about the area you are staying … just as you would at home.  I am a big believer in reading travel blogs about other travelers experiences.  Some you have to be judicious about believing, but they tend to be very helpful.  Expedia and Frommer’s tend to be the best sites to explore.  Frommer’s has suggested some questionable places, so always cross-reference with what other travelers have said.

So, my suggestions for lodging is to avoid the city center, American chain hotels [which typically are more expensive], and full service hotels [bellhop, concierge, and so forth].  Look for hotels that are near metro stops and that show pictures of the inside as well as the outside.  I am always concerned when a hotel doesn’t provide pictures.  I also consider it a positive if the hotel allows me to book my room through a travel service, such as Expedia or Travelocity, or if the hotel accepts credit cards through their SECURE site.

Livingstone, Zambia and Taita Falcon Lodge

One of the hardest decision that I had to make when visiting Livingstone, Zambia was where to stay.  Accommodations, service, and comfort are vitally important.  No disrespect to Zambia, but the country is developing and making travel arrangements are not as easy as developed countries.  For instance, I had not trouble make hotel reservation online for Cape Town and Johannesburg, but for Zambia, I had to wire funds to the hotel.  Yes, I am a suspicious American and like to use credit cards because it is easier to get your money back from scam artists.

So, after as much investigation as I could do online, I decided to go with Taita Falcon Lodge.  I debated about choosing the lodge over the one 5-star hotel in Zambia, but decided that a lodge would be more authentic and something different … we stay in 5-star and 4-star hotels all the time, but this would be our first lodge and why not Africa.

Here’s how our stay started:

We land at the airport and pass through customs and immigration and our guide, Bryan, is waiting for us.  This allayed some concerns that I had not wired my hard earned money to some phantom lodge.  Bryan greets us and loads our bags into a well used van.

As we are driving from the airport through the town, Bryan tells us that we will be our guide during the stay and he points out different features as we make our way to the lodge.  He does warn us that the drive will be a little bumpy.

Once we turn off the main road, it seems as if we drive forever on this dirt road to what seemed like no where.  The lodge is truly in the bush, but it overlooks the Zambezi River.  We enjoyed the soothing sound of the river.

Now for bush living, this is luxury.  The lodge is made up of individual free-standing units.  We had a large sitting area bedroom combination [we had a netted bed], a dressing room, bathroom with a fully functional toilet, shower, and a large enclosed outside sitting area.  The one surprise was that the unit was not fully enclosed from the outside.  So, there’s no heaters or air conditioning, which was not a problem for the time we were there — June.  But other than that, the room was nice. 

    

Because the room is not fully enclosed and Zambia has quite a temperature range, the early morning cold temperature, made it hard to get out of bed!

Once we settled and unpacked, we met Bryan and the owners of the lodge to discuss our itinerary.  We were staying at the lodge for two nights and three days, so we had three activities that we could choose.  We selected the fully inclusive option which includes a guide and activities.  Our itinerary was flexible to the extent possible. 

  

So, we decided on a Zambian village tour, a safari drive, and of course, Victoria Falls, our main reason for visiting. Is Victoria Falls worth it to make a special trip to Zambia? Yes, totally!

Our stay at the lodge included three meals, we even had a picnic one day by the Zambezi River.  The food was excellent as was the service.  In the evenings the family who owns the lodge had a table and ate with visitors.  Food is served buffet style.  I have to say again that it was really delicious!

Each day, when we left the lodge, the staff cleaned our rooms and in the evening they prepped our room for bedtime, which included a hot water bottle in the bed … believe it or not it works!  We even has a mild incense for the bathroom.

Last words, these people understand the concept of service.  They really try to meet your needs and accommodations.  The Lodge is not going to be the same as Livingstone’s one 5-star hotel, but if you want a different experience without giving up too much in the way of comfort, I can attest that Taita Falcon Lodge is a good way to go! 

One word of caution, for the all-inclusive package, domestic beverages are included; however, if you drink international alcoholic drinks, even from South Africa, it will cost you. 

Remember, you are staying in the bush, there’s no TV or radio, but do you really need one?

See our Zambian photographs.

Lodging in Quito, a tale of two hotels

During our recent visit to Ecuador to visit the Galapagos Islands, we got a chance to spend several days in Quito before our cruise and a couple of days in Quito after the cruise.  We decided to stay at two different hotels in different parts of the city … we were expanding our experience of Quito, a large sprawling city.  There’s the new city where you will find the business and tourists districts and then there is the old colonial city that shows the Spanish influence.  My other reason for staying in two different hotels is that sometimes you may make a bad choice and end up with a terrible hotel; I like to minimize my risk of doing this.

At the start of our trip we stayed in the business district at the Dann Carlton Hotel.  The hotel is nice, the staff understands service, most of the staff members speak very good English … my Spanish is nascent and one directional that is I can say things in Spanish, but my understanding is terrible.  A little more about the hotel … The room was clean and spacious.  The buffet breakfast, which was included in the rate, was excellent.  Grayline Tours also picks up from this hotel which is very convenient.

There were a couple of problems … the water pressure in the sink was low, but the shower was great.  There was one thing that the staff did that made us a little crazy … each day they would open the windows, leaving the room quite cold.  My other complaint probably is about timing.  Two of the nights we were at the hotel, there was a party in the ballroom one floor below.  The music was very loud, very bad, and very late.  Needless to say, we got two terrible nights sleep.  I eventually asked to be moved to another room, which the hotel accommodated.  I would stay at this hotel again … with the caveat that there is no party or convention.

Now, when we returned to Quito from the Galapagos, we stayed in the old colonial city at the Hotel Patio Andaluz.  I can use one word to describe this hotel … wonderful.  The hotel is a few blocks from the Presidential square, one of the main squares of the city.  The staff understands the concept of service.  When we arrived at the hotel, we asked the receptionist about tours, which she helped to arrange for us.  Our room was very spacious and nicely decorated.  The bathroom was incredible.  The accommodations were absolutely luxurious and included a reading room where coffee and tea were available all day.  This hotel is a bonus for eco-types, because they promote conservation … the toilet, recycled paper, a cloth laundry bag instead of plastic, low wattage light bulbs.

Because I am a contrarian, there were a couple of things I did not like [I am really just being picky]:  the water pressure in the shower was low; the buffet breakfast, which was not included in the room rate, was not stellar.  We also did not have windows to look outside, we did have a nice window looking over the courtyard.

Not only would I stay at the Hotel Patio Andaluz again, I want to stay here again.

One thing that both hotels had in common was the lack of climate control … no heat or air conditioning control.  My final word on both hotels is that either would be good choices; Hotel Patio Andaluz is definitely superior … and more expensive.

Galapagos Explorer II … now that’s one fine ship

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about exploring the Galapagos Islands on the Explorer II.  The ship is owned and operated by Canodros who markets themselves as ecotourism providers.  There were a couple of things that I was concerned about like how comfortable would the ship be, would we get motion sickness, what would the food be like, what about the facilities [the toilets], how would we get to the islands.  Translation I was mostly concerned about comfort.

First, our arrival at Baltra and navigating the arrival process was absolutely confusing notwithstanding the language barrier.  My Spanish is minimal at best and almost totally unidirectional.  I can communicate somewhat in Spanish, but do not expect me to understand much of what you say … if you speak in Spanish.

When you land in the Galapagos, you have to declare [on a form] that you are have nothing that might impact the ecology of the Islands, but that’s a blog for another day.

Once we finally arrive on the ship we are greeted by the crew and a very persistent ship photographer, Fernando.  So far so good … the crew very carefully made sure that we safely got from the dingy to the ship.  A crewman carried our carry-on bag and took us to our room … a Deluxe suite … and showed us the room. 

The room was very nice … similar to a hotel room in terms of accommodations and size.  We had a nice bed, two chairs, a sofa, and cocktail table, as well as a minibar.  We had a lockable drawer and plenty of space to store our clothes.  Given that we were on a 100 passenger ship, the largest that the national park service allows now, the bathroom was okay … the shower and sink were fine. 

The toilet was our least favorite, it was filled with water, but the flush was a vacuum flush like what you find on airplanes.  Additionally, you were supposed to dispose of your toilet tissue in a waste basket … at least it was sealed.  I kept saying to myself that this is good for the ecology of the Islands.

Overall, this is one fine ship … the accommodations, the service, and the experience.  If you are going to the Galapagos, consider the Explorer II.

My funky boutique hotel experience

One of the most interesting experiences that we have had during our international travels has been to stay at family and boutique hotels.  Admittedly, staying at family or boutique hotels is a gamble, because at chain or commercial hotels, you know what you are getting … most of the time.

In 2006, when we were in Portugal, we stayed at two different hotels:  a small boutique hotel, that I found on Frommer’s and a Portuguese chain, Dom Pedro.  The Portuguese chain was an accident, we needed a room and I relaxed my qualifications.  This hotel was wonderful.  The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.  They treated us as if we were special.  The attitude was definitely not “give us your money and leave us alone.”  The staff helped to arrange transportation and even exchanged American Express Traveler’s Cheques for Euros.  Service was great, the room was large [even by U.S. standards].  We even had a tub and a shower that didn’t get water all over the floor.  We are still learning this European art of taking a shower without getting water all over the floor. 

So, after Dom Pedro, we wondered what our experience would be in a boutique hotel.  Despite the excellence of our experience at the hotel, it did not have the quaint small atmosphere of a boutique hotel.  So off to our boutique hotel.  Our trip from the airport should have been a sign.  I asked our driver, in my bad Portuguese, to take us to our hotel.  He was very friendly and offered to help me with some phrases.  He also told us that our hotel was very nice and that it was in the diplomat district.  We thought good.  So, we arrive at our hotel and the driver wants 50 €!  He overcharged us about 3 times what it should have cost.  Instead of arguing, I pay him the money … no, he did not get a tip!  By the way, he took us to the wrong hotel.  Fortunately, our hotel was across the street and a block or two from where he left us.

Okay, to be fair to this boutique hotel, it was quaint and charming and the dining room and dinner was very good.  The courtyard was beautiful.  Now, the second sign was the bellhop, I think that he was probably alive for the burning of Lisboa … the first one.  I felt terrible about him carrying our three bags, which were loaded with wine and gifts, but he insisted and I acquiesced.  I soon learned what provincial and historic meant for this hotel … small room, smaller bathroom, cold and drab, moderately comfortable beds, and a slight mildew and musky odor.  Too bad I didn’t have my digital camera … I was still using my SLR film camera.

I know I sound harsh in my assessment of York House and I mean to sound harsh, because I would not pay money to stay there again.  But, the hotel did not ruin our trip. 

Did this experience deter me from making reservations at boutique hotel?  Absolutely not.  I consider these boutique hotels part of the travel experience … the local culture and practices.  Now, at home, in the United States, I tend to always stay in chain hotels … my preference is the Hilton.  Not that there are not regional differences in the U.S., but I tend not to think of my lodging as part of my travel experience in the U.S.

So far, this has been one of my funkiest experiences, but I’m sure there will be others … Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands are next … December 2007.

Staying in the bush … a Zambian experience

We visited Livingstone, Zambia June 2007 and had a little concern about where we would be staying.  Making lodging reservations for Zambia is different from our experiences in the United States Europe, South America, and other places.  I must admit that I am addicted to Expedia and to a lesser extent Travelocity.  To my dismay and chagrin, I could not find any lodging to reserve online …  I like to use credit cards, because it’s easier to get refunded, if you are scammed.  [This is another blog.]  To make a long story short, I finally found a lodge on a tourism site that I sort of trusted and took a chance on Taita Falcon Lodge.  The Lodge had a website (which doesn’t mean anything) and I couldn’t find any blogs criticizing the Lodge (which doesn’t mean anything either).  After I wired a lot of money to the Lodge (their form of payment), I fretted for several months hoping that everything would be fine, including staying somewhere nice while staying in the bush. 

Staying in the bush was one of the highlights of the trip.  While I say we were in the bush and we were, the accommodations were quite nice and modern … toilet, shower, running water, comfortable netted bed, sitting area.  We were also at one of gorges where we could hear the rushing Zambezi River.  To get to the Lodge, we had to drive through a real African village, which we visited and purchased a couple of craft items.  This was awesome!

More about the Lodge later …