September 30, 2017 by findingbackroads

Where we stayed: Grand Hyatt Dubai

Way back in 2007 when we were new in Dubai, we needed to meet some people who set the meeting place at Grand Hyatt Dubai and I could not forget being so impressed the moment I entered the hotel. After all, we just moved here from Japan – the land of mini this and that. Small apartments, small cars, small portion sizes in restaurants, modest hotels.

And then boom, the first five star hotel I visited in Dubai was the Grand Hyatt with huge entrance hall, massive pillars, a gigantic chandelier and high, high ceilings! They really meant to stick by the word “grand” in the hotel name for a reason.

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My awe of this hotel did not end up in the lobby. As we moved forward to the restaurant, I could hear the sound of a waterfall and saw a large green patch area right in the middle. I thought, wow, I should take my daughter (who was then 3 years old) here! She would love the feeling of like being in the middle of the jungle inside a hotel. Now, it took us 10 long years to finally book a room at the Grand Hyatt

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The UAE enjoyed a long weekend last week for the Islamic New Year so we thought to have a family staycation at a hotel but didn’t want to drive far. There are many hotels in Dubai that’s located at the heart of the city but offering resort-like facilities. The Grand Hyatt was an easy choice.

It was the last few days of September and while it’s starting to cool down on most parts of the northern hemisphere, transitioning from summer to autumn, Dubai is perpetually summery with highs of still on the high 30’s (celcius) late September. That said, the hotel’s main swimming pool was the reason why we decided to give this a hotel a try.

This isn’t actually our first time to see the pool at Grand Hyatt, we visited last year when we were members of Privilee and Grand Hyatt was one of the participating hotels and have never forgotten the wonderful experience, especially how Benjamin loved the kid’s pool with mini water play with slides!

And if you think the main pool is awesome but don’t want to toast, that’s sorted out too with their indoor pool with jacuzzi on the side. However, save for the small area with 0.43 meters depth, the wonderful temperature controlled indoor pool has a uniform depth of 1.60 meters so if you are non-swimmers like me or with small kids without swimming aids, that would be an issue though you can still stay at the shallow side or stick to the sides. The indoor pool is open 24 hours so anyone can enjoy it, whenever they feel like.

LOCATION

The Grand Hyatt Dubai is about 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport and located at Oud Metha, near Dubai Healthcare City. Though public transport is not near, there are many taxis that could take you wherever you like. Downtown Dubai (where the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa is located) is only 15 minutes away by taxi.

OUR ROOM

We booked a standard room but surprisingly, was upgraded to club room which we truly appreciate! The rooms were bigger, comfortable twin queen size beds and spacious bathroom. We were at the 14th floor of the hotel with sweeping views of the city, with downtown Dubai and Burj Khalifa on the horizon.

I’ll be writing a post why it could be smarter to book a club room than a standard room, depending on your stay needs. So watch out for that!

BREAKFAST

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The main breakfast is at The Collective, at the ground floor. Extensive, international flavorful breakfast with many healthier options like fresh fruit smoothies, fruits, detox drinks. It is right beside the indoor waterways and green space and with plenty of natural light coming in from the roof, so it felt like having breakfast on a garden, with a waterfall only, it is indoor (and without bugs hovering around!)

HOTEL RESTAURANTS

The Grand Hyatt has 13 award winning bars and restaurants. We used the Entertainer voucher to get buy 1 get 1 free at Wox Asian restaurant for lunch. It’s a delight to see the live cooking station at this open kitchen style restaurant and the food was great too (simple noodle soups for the win!). We have to go back again.

For Friday dinner, we tried Andiamo, described on their website as “Northern Italian cuisine in a light-hearted, contemporary atmosphere.”

The newly renovated restaurant’s ambiance was impressive, cozy and rustic. Food was authentic, delicious and prepared fresh! I’ve been in many restaurants where the only Italian thing was the name. Finally, upon the suggestion of a blogger friend, we tried “Andiamo!”

After eating so much stuff, we were contented and did not think to have dessert. But the server suggested that we should have their Tiramisu. OMG, I hope you saw my video post on Instagram about this tiramisu, it’s easily the best Tiramisu in town. You can hate me if you don’t like it. It’s not your usual made-days-before-and-refrigerated tiramisu. The cream was soft, velvety and not too sweet. It’s made fresh they even leave the sprinkling of the dark chocolate powder to the diner. It was heavenly. This tiramisu would haunt you when you have that sweet cravings.

I highly recommend Andiamo! to those seeking to eat authentic and freshly made Italian food. And believe me, you would want to go back for the Tiramisu!

FINALLY

If being near the beach is not a priority and you’re looking for a city hotel in Dubai that provides resort-like facilities and guarantees a grand time for everyone, kids and adults alike, Grand Hyatt could fit the bill. All of us are overwhelmed by the wonderful service and overall experience we asked ourselves, why did it take us 10 years to finally consider this hotel for a family holiday?

If you’re living in Dubai and have not been to Grand Hyatt, don’t miss it or don’t be like us and wait for ten years before checking in. It’s worth a stay or even just a visit.

P.S.
At Grand Hyatt’s sprawling gardens, you could even meet and make friends with ducks!

We booked a deluxe room at Grand Hyatt but was upgraded to club room with access to the executive lounge (THANK YOU!) however all opinions are mine.

January 18, 2017 by findingbackroads

How to score ‘free’ hotel stays through your blog

So, you’re a (travel) blogger planning to go somewhere nice and want to save up on accommodation costs. You would be writing about your travel – the destination, interesting spots you find and maybe, about your accommodation. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could cut the cost by setting a little sweet arrangement with a local hotel – a complimentary stay in exchange for a blog post or features on social media? I mean, you would be writing about it anyway.

In this post, I’m sharing a few strategies on how to score free hotel stays but first,

Who am I to write this kind of post?

For a while now, this little blog of mine has enabled me to enjoy sponsored/complimentary accommodation in and out of the UAE sponsored by the hotels since 2014. It’s a great travel perk since I do budget travel most of the time, if I can.

One of the first successful pitches I had was scoring a private villa with pool accommodation in the Maldives in 2014. It was a great stroke of LUCK!

Pitching for a sponsored accommodation won’t work for you if:

You prefer not to plan ahead. You travel spontaneously, wanting to take your own sweet time and change your itinerary on spur of the moment decisions.
You don’t want to feel the pressure and obligation to write about the accommodation (feel that it’s not worth your time and effort)
The accommodation options where you are travelling isn’t expensive anyway.
Writing about accommodation reviews do not suit well with the topics on your blog.

GUIDE TO APPROACHING SPONSORS FOR ACCOMMODATION

Staying for two nights at the Intercontinental Prague, central location, very near to the Old Town

1. List what you can offer

But first off, it is important to note that I only started sending pitches and proposals for accommodation sponsorships 4 years ago – SEVEN years after I started this blog and have built a decent base of readership and traffic.

However, the emphasis here is NOT the number of years. You don’t have to wait for seven years before you send your first proposal but personally, I think that your attempts would be more fruitful if you have at least one or two thousand unique monthly readers (unique visitors, not page views!), so you’re sure you have something to offer.

(It is also important to note that I started to send pitches only in 2014 because when I started blogging in 2007, blogging wasn’t really about collaborating with brands and I’ve not heard of “sponsorships” back then.)

2. Know the right person to send the email to

A lot of times you’ll email the general contact address which you’ll find on the hotel’s website, which is fine. But if you can find the marketing manager’s direct email, that’s even better.

Our room in Bohol, Philippines with balcony overlooking the sea

TIP: I receive a lot of press releases from different hotels and whenever I am interested in contacting that specific hotel, I reply back and ask for the contact person of the hotel at my destination. For example, if I get a press release from Intercontinental Dubai and I plan to get in touch with the marketing person at any Intercontinental Hotel Group in Prague or Manila, I ask the person from Intercontinental Dubai (who sent me the press release) for the contact details of their constituents in Prague/Manila.

3. Timing is a big factor for your proposals to get noticed

When is the best time to email hotels? The answer would always be, the earlier, the better. I always send my proposal email at least 2 months ahead. If your stay is going to happen sooner, just give it a shot but accept that they may not be able to arrange something for you.

Which day should you send your email?

The day of the week is a big factor when sending your well written proposal. If you’re sending it to someone who has Monday-Fridays as their work week, do not send your proposal on Saturday and Sunday, even if you only have the weekend as time to send important emails like this. I prefer to send my proposals on Tuesdays when their work load are lessened. I don’t know, I think if I put myself in their shoes, I would set aside emails asking for favors on Mondays for later…and would dig through other important stuff on the first work day of the week. Do not send the proposal email on a Friday too, since the person at the other end could go home early and won’t see your email till Monday.

Same rule when sending to areas where the work week is Sunday-Thursday. Do not send on Sunday or Thursday, nor the weekend days of Friday and Saturday.

4. Prepare to put in work

I mentioned in the title, “free” hotel stays but in reality, nothing is really free because though you would not shell out cash, you’re shelling out your time.

Time to talk to the hotel duty manager during your stay, to take photos of the property, to update on social media. Time to observe the little details to include in your blog post and lastly, to write that blog post (after you’ve gone through the hundreds of photos from your travel and editing them).

WHEW.

The reality is that if hotels agree to host your stay it is because they are expecting something in return. You are in a partnership in which you trade something that you can provide (publicity through coverage on your blog) for something the sponsor can provide (a room for a night or two with no charge).

It’s always a trade off between the benefit of staying in a lovely hotel that you might not otherwise afford and the work you have to put in afterwards to pay back for your stay.

It is a lot of work to get hosted accommodations, tours, restaurant visits, etc and a whole lot of work writing about all the experiences. If you’re already feeling exhausted at the thought of all this work just to get a free night in a nice hotel, then you may be better to stick to paying for your own accommodation which I mostly do – because sometimes a free night stay (or maybe even a few hours) isn’t worth it if after that I have to be away from the kids to face the PC after my day job for hours on end to write a review blog post.

However, if you’re still up to the challenge, it’s time to compose that proposal email to send to potential sponsors.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR EMAIL PROPOSAL

Your email should be concise but complete with answers the hotel might be asking. These are the basic things to include in your pitch.

1. Who are you?

Keep it short. Mention your name, the name of your blog and what your blog is about.

2. Why are you emailing?

Here, I mention briefly that I am visiting a city on a certain date and inquire if they work with bloggers and willing to consider a collaboration.

3. What is your blog about and its vital statistics

Mention your blog and its analytics (current monthly page views, unique visitors). It also helps to add a note why you think X hotel is a good fit for your blog audience.

4. What are you asking for?

Be clear if you are asking for a media rate (discounted rate) or a free stay. For how many nights? And how many rooms?

5. What can you offer in return?

Don’t over promise. Tell them if they are getting 1 or more blog post review with links to their website or how many Instagram posts.

Under promise, over deliver. Always.

BONUS: Include links to hotel reviews you have done in the past. Word of caution: Send only ONE link or two, max. Sending many links in an email and that email could land in the spam folder of the recipient!

I would recommend that you initially send a tailored email to your 5 top choices for accommodation and if you have not had any positive responses within a week, target another 5, and keep going.

All the photos that I’ve featured in this article are some of the places where I’ve stayed either on a sponsored basis (clicking on the photos will take you to the hotel review blog post).

Because of my blog, I’ve been able to stay in some fantastic accommodation (5 nights in the Maldives!) that I couldn’t otherwise afford but I ALWAYS put the work in to ‘pay’ for my stay, even if the payment wasn’t in the form of cash.

Subsequently, I get invites to stay complimentary at hotels with my family in exchange for a blog post or social media coverage because the hotels looking for online exposure has seen my previous work.

The thought of staying at hotels at every destination you travel without paying in cash (or any other monetary form) is wonderful but most of the time, I choose sponsorships carefully and not ask for it as often as I would love to (who doesn’t like stuff you didn’t have to pay with money?) because of reasons like,

I would want to be in the moment and enjoy the hotel stay rather than be busy taking photos or updating social media
My blog schedule is full and I can’t commit time to write a review post after my trip
I feel that overdoing “free” stays could compromise my personal voice which in blogging, is pretty much all I have.

I know I’ve called it ‘free’ in the title of this blog post because, like a good blogger, I’ve done my keyword research and found that’s what people are searching for so I used that word instead of ‘sponsored’ or ‘complimentary’. But I’ll say it again before I close this post: bloggers get complimentary stay as payment for the work they put in which involves time, skill and effort – and these don’t come for free.

I hope you get something out of the tips I mentioned above and good luck on scoring your first “free” hotel stay! If you have any questions, fire away!

January 4, 2017January 31, 2022 by findingbackroads

Where we stayed: Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba, Jordan

hotels
Aqaba, Hotel, Jordan, Movenpick, review, Travels
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If I tell you, “I was in a wonderful beach resort in Jordan!” would you look at me like I got my geography wrong? Or if you think of a “beach vacation” would you even think of Jordan?

When I thought of Jordan at first, beach was far from my mind (except the “beach” at the Dead Sea).

After our amazing time exploring the seemingly mystical wonder that is Petra, we moved to the south of the country to Aqaba – a Jordanian port city on the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba is Jordan’s year-round aquatic playground with its balmy winter climate and idyllic setting. Aqaba is a top destination for scuba divers, with notable dive sites including the Yamanieh coral reef.

(The distance between Petra and Aqaba is roughly 166 km and travel time is approximately 2 hours and a half by car.)

There are plenty of hotel resorts in Aqaba but we stayed at the Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay. The hotel is both modern and and comfortable and provides a good option for those who prefer to stay outside the bustle of cities whilst still having access to all the amenities.

Aqaba makes for a good stop-off point on an itinerary for some relaxation, as it is located close to both Wadi Rum and Petra.

LOCATION

Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay is a perfect base if you are going to visit Jordan’s only coastal city of Aqaba or see the majestic, massive wonder of Wadi Rum, which is less than an hour away by car.

ROOM

It was dark when we arrived and we were dead tired from all the walking we did at Petra. Thankfully, the staff at reception was kind and forgiving and made our check in process smooth and fast and whisked us to our room immediately.

We had a room with a very smart, effective layout for families, with a big bed and two single beds in a partitioned section for the kids. Our room was facing the pool, a great view to wake up to every morning.

FOOD

Breakfast was complimentary with international fares and live cooking stations for eggs, pancakes and waffles. Staff were attentive and very friendly. The all day dining restaurant serves lunch and dinner but we only had dinner once and the food was average for me. Many diners seem to be enjoying though so I must have been out of my usual appetite that night.

WIFI

There’s WiFi with great connection speed all throughout the property.

HOTEL GROUNDS

One of the hotel staff gave us a tour and took us to the hotel’s garden. The idea is to create a “fresh market” where guests can harvest for their own meal, healthy, organic and freshly picked ingredients. They just started it so it’s small for now but it looked promising. I like the concept.

We toured the property on our first morning there and it was very beautiful, well manicured, tidy grounds, with multiple pools, including a small heated pool so you can still enjoy in winter. I can imagine a lot of families with kids enjoying these amenities during warmer weather!

BEACH!

The hotel has direct access to the beach, too. For many, Jordan’s main attractions are its ancient historical sites yet, despite the mystical beauty of Petra or the out of this world charm of Wadi Rum, beauty can also be found along Jordan’s coasts. I believe Tala Bay in Aqaba has some of the most beautiful resort destinations in the Middle East.

That is the Red Sea by the way and those mountains in the horizon is Israel. It was cold in December but the view was so beautiful we couldn’t ignore it so we braved the cold winds and took a stroll here every after breakfast.

What a lovely place to stay, with all those pools and a beach resort where you can just chill and forget about time. Two days wasn’t enough so if you’re going to stay there, and now that you know that you can enjoy beach time in Jordan, make your stay longer than two days at the Movenpick Tala Bay!

We already miss the quiet mornings and our strolls at the beach. Hoping to be back when it’s warmer!

Why I recommend staying at Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay in Aqaba, Jordan:

A great option for families, with a Kids Club and Family Rooms (and yummy Movenpick ice cream!)
It has a great spa with hydrotherapy area – relieves those tired muscles! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The resort has a 150-metre long private beach
An ideal place for divers, the resort has its own dive centre and offers a number of snorkelling and diving trips (we did not go to any snorkelling or diving trips)
Located 15-minutes from Aqaba city centre, the resort is great for those who prefer to stay out of cities but stay in an accommodation with 5 star amenities
The staff goes out of their way to assist so we feel welcomed and they made our stay more enjoyable

*****

We were guests at the Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay however, all opinions are mine.

October 2, 2016 by findingbackroads

Beach time at Ajman

The United Arab Emirates is composed of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah – all of which have coastlines. We’ve been to the beaches of all the Emirates except one, in Ajman. Ajman is the emirate just 30 minutes drive away from where we live so going to a beach in Ajman is actually nearer for us than say to go to the beach in Jumeirah (in Dubai). I’m not really sure why we’ve not been to a beach in Ajman till now.

The husband’s going away for work again and we thought it was a good time to spend a weekend with the kids at the beach. He himself wanted to go so a spontaneous decision lead me to looking for a place to stay in Ajman. It was already Thursday night on a long UAE weekend for Eid Al Adha so all the major hotels in Ajman are either fully booked or with inflated rates. We stayed at the Ajman Beach Hotel, a 3-star property seemingly dwarfed by the huge hotels along Ajman corniche. You could tell that this hotel must be one of the first ones to be built along the corniche before the big wigs like Ajman Palace or Ajman Saray or Fairmont came to be. The hotel is very basic but clean and decent enough.

TIP: If you’re a family of four and keeping budget by choosing only one room, better choose the twin beds rather than the double bed. Otherwise, get another room for the kids. Ajman Beach hotel was great value for money if you only go there for the beach (it’s the same stretch of beach anyway from the nearby big hotels) and not mind the lack of hotel facilities.

The hotel elevator was very small and the reception was really slow. Ah, I could list so many other inconvenience but it’s just because we’re used to staying in bigger hotels with better services and amenities. But come to think of it, with the price we paid, the hotel wasn’t really bad.

The saving grace of this hotel, though? The lovely private beach, which is the same stretch of beach with powdery, soft white sand and clear waters. When we went to the beach, we completely forgot about the small room or the not-for-the-claustrophobic elevator or the noisy split aircon in the room!

When we arrived just after lunch, it was still so hot (yes even in mid-September when we were there) so we had to wait for a while to go maybe right before sunset. The kids of course, couldn’t wait and though we’re speaking in all the languages we know, they can’t seem to understand when we say, “it’s still too hot!” or “wait till 5 pm”.

Finally, when we went out, the heat was milder. The tide was low so you have to really walk so far out to get in the water.

I must admit, I am not a really big fan of going to the beach. Maybe because with a small kid, it takes a bit of work to prepare the things, the clean up but then when I am there, I realize how stupid that thought is because when I am there, I can get lost in time just lying on the soft sand and listening to the waves. (It helps if someone is there to watch the kids and I can only do this when their father is here so I took this rare opportunity!)

The beach in Ajman was wonderful. We loved that it wasn’t so crowded – actually the morning after, we were the only (crazy) ones to be swimming at 10 am. Look how clean and clear the water is!

The beach was idyllic. The powder-like sand, the warm sea breeze and sea water, the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves were setting the right ambiance for a relaxing family vacation.

However, when we finished swimming, I got the kids to the shower and I was wonder why my husband did not follow. I saw him on the shore picking up snack wrappers, candy wrappers, plastic bags and other objects and other marine debris. I guess they might have floated into the water from the nearby public beach or had been left behind by previous vacationers.

Did you know that marine debris, especially plastics, is harmful to wildlife and the environment as a whole? Seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles often ingest floating plastic bags and debris with lethal consequences.

So, next time you go to the beach or park, please pick up after yourself. Don’t leave trash behind. The trash on the beach/shore was an insult to the lovely, pristine beach – something we all would like to preserve for our kids and the generations and generations after that, right?

September 9, 2016 by findingbackroads

Back at Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

hotels, Reviews
Holiday Inn, Hotel, IHG, Makati, manila, Philippines, review
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On my travels, visiting different cities, there are cities where I can say, “I can definitely live here!” and cities where I can say otherwise. One of those cities that’s so difficult to like is sadly, my own birth country’s capital of Manila. And this situation hasn’t changed much when I was in the city just a couple of weeks ago.

We arrived at the airport from our already 2-hour delayed flight from my home town in the south still hopeful we can rest immediately once we get to the hotel. Our hotel is only in Makati area (a highly recommended hotel which I’ll discuss in a bit), a mere 3.5 kilometers from the airport but we spent more than an hour on the road due to crazy traffic brought about by road constructions and diversions in and around the Ninoy Aquino International Airport premises. Was it just a bad day to be on the road? Or a bad time?

Thankfully, we had airport pick up service, arranged by the hotel. In Manila, I always opt for a safer and more reliable way to get to the hotel from the airport by asking for pick up service rather than do the guess work or get on a bogus taxi. Our driver was so professional, the car clean and assured us that despite of the power play at the roads, he will get us to the hotel safely.

We were back at the Holiday Inn & Suites Makati last month when we were on our way back to Dubai and had to spend overnight in Manila. The kids and I first stayed at this hotel last year and this year, is the husband’s first time. Last year when we were here, I told myself, when the husband comes to the Philippines, we’ll definitely choose this again.

Why, because I felt very safe and secure in this hotel. Security is tight and they have trained dogs that work on shift to sniff luggage that enter the hotel. Rooms are spacious, staff are very friendly. Special shout out to Ms. Shari who had the most sparkling eyes of all the hotel staff I met ever. They also have this wonderful service to settle the check in process in the room itself. Or have they read my thoughts that I want to be taken to the room as soon as possible?

It was already getting dark and almost dinner time but when I asked them if dinner first or we’ll go out to see the pool, the answer was sure and quick.

It has been 13 years since he last visited the Philippines and I didn’t want to stress him out too much and wanted a hotel that conveniently located in the city center but you can still feel safe and confident to venture out. The hotel is connected to the Glorietta Mall in the commercial center of Makati City (Ayala Center) so it means everything is right at the doorstep. We had a little time to walk around the mall and buy stuffs to take home.

When we came back, we redeemed our drink vouchers given to us as IHG Rewards Club member at the Citron Lounge Bar.

Next day’s breakfast was superb at Flavors restaurant where the food was lovely, there were traditional Filipino food as well as international and mine and Benjamin’s absolute favorite: fresh mangoes you can request.

Our stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites Makati was short but faultless. I wish we could stay longer to try out the Oz bar at the pool but we have to leave early for the next leg of our flight back to Dubai.

I highly recommend this hotel when you are in Manila, one for the proximity to the airport, the good food, spacious and clean rooms and mostly,for the excellence of service and warmest welcomes.

You know I have stayed in a fair number of hotels in the past, some I have written about here. But what counts most is the courteousness of the staff addressing us like they know us personally – the kids were asking me, “Why do they know us, mom?”, genuine smile (don’t know how they do it when they have to do it everyday) and that little extra effort whether it’s a handwritten note or a piece of your favorite in your room or at breakfast.

We had a peaceful sleep and cannot hear anything from outside despite the central location of the hotel. Benjamin woke up early and opened the windows.

There are so many different hotels in the Makati area, with the same size and stars but probably cheaper than Holiday Inn & Suites Makati but I guess guests would really love to go back to this one because of the staff and people, hotel guests or otherwise – they won’t forget how you made them feel, no matter how brief the encounter.

And most of all, this ‘home away from home’ that the hotel gave made us forget of the horrible traffic in Manila. (The next day, when we left the hotel, the journey to the airport only took about 30 minutes or maybe less.)

To learn more about Holiday Inn & Suites Makati and their special offers, check out their main website as well as connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We were guests at Holiday Inn & Suites Makati but all opinions are my own. Top photo from the Intercontinental Hotels Group website.

July 14, 2016 by findingbackroads

Where we stayed: The Bellevue Manila

hotels
Alabang, Bellevue, Hotel, manila, review
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I have a confession: Metro Manila makes me anxious.

In fact, I wish I don’t have to go through the Philippines’ capital city whenever I go back to my first home, in the south. Why? Because I am not familiar with the place and the stories and news of crime don’t help erase my anxiety. I hate the traffic as well. However, since there is no international airport near or in my hometown, I have no choice but to pass through Manila International Airport each and every time I visit my parents in the Philippines. Even if I arrive in Manila in the morning, the long haul flight (9 hours from Dubai), I always prefer to stay overnight to rest it out, especially if I travel with the kids and fly out by noon time the next day.

So my goal is to find a clean, safe place to stay for the night + not too far from the airport. This time around, we stayed at The Bellevue Manila, in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Wait – I did say I wanted a hotel not too far from the airport but Alabang? I know most will be quick to ask, “but isn’t Alabang far?

LOCATION

Filinvest City, Alabang where the hotel is located isn’t exactly ‘near’ the airport per se, if you look at the map. Makati would probably be nearer in distance but surprisingly, the trip from the airport to the hotel only took less than 30 minutes via the Metro Manila Skyway. The Bellevue Manila’s location within the Alabang Business District brings you close to dining and entertainment spots like Alabang Town Center, SM South Mall, Festival Mall and Alabang Business District.

CHECK IN

The check in was smooth and fast, the staff on the desk was very friendly and accommodating and made sure we get our room access cards quickly so we can rest. We were assigned to the 16th floor of the main wing of the hotel.

We were asked to give a PHP2,000 deposit per night, per room as incidental deposit. This was refunded during check out.

THE ROOM

What do you check first when you get in your hotel room for the first time? I check for views outside the window! Philippines is into the rainy season right now and overcast skies like this is very common – as in every day, especially in the afternoons. I love how green Alabang and the surrounding areas are. It’s definitely a relief from the concrete jungle of central Manila.

The kids and I stayed on a deluxe room with very comfortable king bed. The room is clean and wide with the usual amenities like a wide screen tv with cable, a work desk and a free WiFi with strong connection.

One of the things I love about this room is the bathroom. What is your bathroom preference (be it in your home or in hotels)? Mine is separate shower and bath tub. There was also a hand shower as bidet near the toilet bowl. Now that was a surprise as it’s the norm in the UAE and I actually prefer that than without after living in Dubai for a long time.

We could see the pool below our 16th floor room so I know we have to check it out. The weather was overcast at around 30C but there was wind and humidity was low. The water looked really inviting! I love that the pool is long enough for laps to relieve jet lag.

For dinner, we checked out the Japanese restaurant Hatsune inside the hotel, in the Tower Wing. There were many Japanese guests, which means, the dishes served are trusted to be authentic enough. We have not dined out in a Japanese restaurant for a while in Dubai because our favorite joint was closed during the whole month of Ramadan.

The next day, we woke up early to have breakfast at Cafe d’ Asie. The breakfast spread was good with Filipino, Korean, Indian and Japanese dishes. We love that there was miso soup and maki rolls.

We ventured out outside when we saw a 24 hour Jolibee restaurant outside the hotel. If you’re a Filipino living abroad, it is but imperative and automatic reaction to eat at Jolibee as soon as you’re back home. I don’t usually go out of hotels where we stay to keep safe (unless the hotel is connected to a mall) but the streets outside Bellevue Manila were clean and very peaceful. I did not feel unsafe at all.

We enjoyed our short stay at The Bellevue Manila and it definitely satisfied the requirements that I needed for a safe, clean accommodation while in the capital and it wasn’t far from the airport at all! Our flight was at 12 noon the next day and we left the hotel at 9:45 am, just in case. We reached the airport at 10:30, took a little time as there was little traffic at the Skyway because of the rain.

Next week, we’re off to another Bellevue property – this time, in Bohol island!

To learn more about The Bellevue Manila and their special offers, check out their main website as well as connect with them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

We were guests at The Bellevue Manila but all opinions are my own. Top photo from the hotel website.

March 21, 2016 by findingbackroads

Finding a cheap hotel room: HotelsCombined Review

When you travel, how do you book your hotel? Chances are you would say “I book my hotel ONLINE”. I know, I do. Over the last few years, travelers for both business and pleasure have been more likely to book accommodations on either direct hotel websites or online booking sites or price comparison sites. This post is a review of HotelsCombined – I’ve been late to the party and only knew about this recently.

WHAT IS HOTELSCOMBINED?

HotelsCombined is a hotel search engine where people can get the best deals on hotel accommodations coming from the top travel sites around the world.The top travel sites are all linked here such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Venere, Agoda and many more.The goal of HotelsCombined is to create a one stop for all website that would gather results from other hotel websites and collect them in one place for the traveler to see. This means that one visit to the HotelsCombined website will allow you to see the cheapest prices on hotels around the world, with most major cities and towns covered.

I tried using them for the first time when I looked for an accommodation in Tokyo for an upcoming trip. The main website is pretty straightforward where you can enter your destination, check in and check out dates and number of guests.

From the search results, I picked a hotel. (In case you may wonder why, I picked this hotel because this is a central Tokyo area but less chaotic, near to the stations and you can easily visit Hama Rikyu Garden, Tsukiji Fish Market and even Tokyo Tower.)

See how there are different price options even for the same room types with the same amenities like bed sizes and perks like free breakfast. You can then click the “Compare 15 websites” to see more details.

From here, you can click “View Deal” to see the conditions in more detail and HotelsCombined redirects you to the appropriate online booking site that offers that price.

So there, I was taken to the online site that had the best deals among the list and made my booking. I was done in a few minutes. At HotelsCombined, finding the best prices for over 800,000 hotels in 120,000 destinations across the globe is guaranteed. Have you used them? If yes, what was your experience with them?

December 27, 2015 by findingbackroads

Where we stayed: Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri

hotels
abu dhabi, Hotel, review, staycation, uae, weekend
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We spent a wonderful weekend at Traders Qaryat Al Beri in Abu Dhabi and couldn’t be happier.We’ve never been to the Qaryat Al Beri area before but within minutes of arriving, we’re already pretty sure we would like to be back soon. Just a little over an hour drive from The Dubai Mall on Sheikh Zayed Road, Qaryat Al Beri is a little piece of paradise very close to Dubai.

TIP: When you go to the hotel around sunset time, don’t miss to stop when you drive beneath Al Maqta Bridge.

We were lucky to be at the right place and at the right time to witness this beautiful sunset with the silhouette of Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque against the crimson sky.

When I first heard of Traders Hotel, all that was in my mind was that this must be strictly for business hotel. However, internet research showed it is not just for business but for leisure and families as well. The lobby is huge and welcoming and the vibrant, funky colors are proof that this hotel is upbeat and modern – certainly not just for the modest business traveller!

View outside the hotel – you can easily tell this is a resort type hotel.

Traders is managed by Shangri-la and follows all the protocols, service and food quality standards of the Shangri-la brand.

LOCATION

Traders Hotel is located within the Qaryat Al Beri complex and is a 10-minute drive from Abu Dhabi International Airport, five minutes from Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and 15 minutes from the city centre. It overlooks its own private beach and is directly across the water from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (covered by another property but visible as you walk towards the neighbouring property Shangri-la).

The beach area out at the back side of the hotel is well kept and the sand is clean. There are lots of sunbeds and other comfortable seating available .

THE ROOM(s)

We stayed at interconnecting rooms (perfect for families staying with children) at the Traders Club floor. The Traders Club Superior rooms on the 7th, 8th and 9th floors are sleek and modern, affording guests access to the dedicated Traders Club Lounge and full Traders Club benefits.

The rooms are very spacious, with king sized beds which were very comfortable.

The bathroom is large with a monsoon type shower, amenities and a separate bathtub. A hotel with a separate bathtub is always a winner in our book!

We had a sea view room on a top floor with magnificent views from the balcony. One of the first things I check after entering a hotel room is the view outside. I couldn’t complain…

TIP: Booking a club floor is such a great value. Guests who stay at any rooms in the club floor get access to the Club Lounge with breakfast, all day tea/coffee, soft drinks and alcohol and nibbles between 6pm and 8pm, and of course, free WiFi and a place to work, overlooking the private beach.

TRADERS FOR FAMILIES TOO

The property was very family friendly, starting with the staff who never fail to make us feel at home, especially our kids. There’s plenty of space to run around and a playground to boot!

If swimming on the beach is not your bet while staying here, there’s also a pool, which unfortunately small for the size of the hotel. We did not have a problem with the crowd though as not many were keen to swim at the time we went there (around 10am).

But how many would prefer to be in the pool if the beach is so close by?

DINING

The hotel is serviced by the all-day dining restaurant Afya that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast buffet was good and staff were alert and attentive to everyone’s needs. You can also opt to sit outside for al fresco breakfast while enjoying the lovely sea breeze.

FRIDAY BARBECUE NIGHT

Every Friday is barbecue night at the beach with wide spread international buffet, mixed grills of meat and seafood. Shisha also available.

What’s great about it, other than the food? There’s a play setup for kids which means quiet dining time for the parents!

It was quite chilly when we were there so we’re glad there were heaters placed all around the dining area to keep us warm. Strange things happen when you live far too long in desert land – you become sissy with the cold once the temps drop below 20C!

We enjoyed the lovely dinner under the stars (that sounds so romantic, I know and it was) while the children played in the bouncy castle and in the sand. It is really the loveliest time of the year to be outside.

WHAT WE LOVED MOST

Our stay at Traders Qaryat Al Beri was faultless. Everything from the rooms to the service was ace. Add to that, the property was really a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city – the green surroundings, the soft sound of the lapping waves…it is a breath of fresh air, literally.

We really liked our early morning walks in the promenade to the Souk/Shangri-la Hotel and back.

Souk Qaryat Al Beri (the souk between Traders Hotel, Shangri-la Residences and Shangri-la Hotel), is a contemporary adaptation of a typical Arabian market, with abras (water taxis) ferrying visitors round the waterside complex via meandering man-made canals.

The children are thrilled to be in the small motorized boat. We passed through the narrow canal to Traders from the Souk and back again to Shangri-la. Hotel guests can enjoy this service free of charge.

LASTLY…

If my photos don’t do this place justice, you simply have to go and see for yourself (you won’t regret it). I would have no hesitation recommending this hotel to anyone, whether travelling on business or leisure and highly recommend for families. We had a great time and would love to celebrate family milestones in this hotel or simply a long weekend staycation in the future.

If you’re looking for a high quality class of a hotel and not at 5 star prices, then give this hotel a look.

To learn more about Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri and their special offers, check out their main website as well as connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

We were guests at Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri but all opinions are my own.

October 27, 2015 by findingbackroads

Where we stayed: Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City

hotels
Hotel, IHG, Intercontinental, staycation, weekend
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We had a long weekend for the Islamic New Year and after living in Dubai for almost nine years, we find ourselves running out of ideas of where to go or what to do when a few days of holidays strikes. Recently, we’ve been staying at home more than going out but it would be unfair for the children so I thought it would be the perfect time to use the loyalty points I got from the IHG Rewards Club for one night hotel stay!

What is the IHG Rewards Club?
Through IHG’s Rewards Club, you can earn rewards at more than 4,900 properties within IHG’s extensive network of hotels, including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites properties. The program also offers a variety of ways to use your accumulated points, ranging from paying for hotel stays and air travel to purchasing goods and services online.

I chose that we spend our rewards night at the Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City because it’s the nearest IHG hotel from our home.

LOCATION

Intercontinental Hotel is at Dubai Festival City, a large residential, business and entertainment development in Dubai. It is very close to the airport and access to other parts of the city is easy via taxi or private cars.

Hotel staycations are always a hit with the kids (actually for all of us) – there’s a change in atmosphere, big comfortable bed, nice view outside, pool time and for me, not having to wake up early to cook breakfast on a Friday morning (our weekend here).

THE ROOM

50,000 IHG Rewards Club points = 1 night stay at a deluxe room at Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City. The room as surprisingly huge. It’s very comfortable for families staying with children. There’s also a kitchen, a separate walk in closet, bath tub and separate shower room. It is very spacious!

And the view outside our hotel window…lovely.

POOL TIME

One of our favorite part of any hotel stay is time at the pool. The weather is easing up on us and it’s so wonderful to swim and just relax by the water.

And of course, just lounging in bed watching a movie. We never do this at home because we don’t have a tv inside the bedroom!

We loved our short but wonderful stay at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City. The staff were courteous and always helpful, we’re happy with the room and the pool and the breakfast (not included in the rewards club redeemed room).

You can read and see more pics of our stay at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City from the IHG Destination Guides page.

Disclosure:This post is brought to you in collaboration with InterContinental Hotels Group as part of their Rewards Club scheme promotion. The views and opinions are entirely mine.

October 9, 2015February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Budget travel: Austria

Europe
Austria, budget, budget travel, Europe, holiday, Hotel, Salzburg, train, Travels, vacation, Vienna
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So as I mentioned in the post where I announced that I was going to Austria, I intended to travel my way through 3 Austrian cities on a budget.

Maybe you’re one of the those who wouldn’t think Austria or Europe and “budget travel” could belong in the same sentence. I certainly thought too that wasn’t possible until I made the trip myself, on a shoestring budget. Here’s what I did to enjoy Austria without breaking the bank.

1. Plan ahead – starting with your international flight from your city of origin to Vienna (or to any point in Austria)

I’ve always wanted to go to Austria since forever and this will be our little secret: I have played a lot on the Expedia app on my phone, entering probable dates, searching when it’s cheaper to go. And after a few trials, I kind of know which dates are relatively cheap. But the basic rule is this: never fly on peak season or holidays. Sad reality, I know for corporate slaves like me who rely on holidays to travel.

However,I found a reasonable ticket around the Eid Al Adha holidays a month before, I swear that was the ultimate sign that I should go. I immediately bought it. It was direct flight via Emirates! I immediately bought it and found out after a few days that the price has doubled (as the holidays neared).

Note:

Plane fares fluctuate a lot and they do get more expensive as the date of flight nears so better lock it in early when you find something reasonable (and within your allocated budget).

So yeah, install that Expedia app and play around with the dates beforehand!

2. Use the Tourist Cards

I was in Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck and the city cards really helped me a lot. All 3 regional cards will give you unlimited access to public transportation. Except for the Vienna card that offer only discounts for entrance to museums and other attractions, the Salzburg and Innsbruck cards offer free. The cards can be bought online or at the Tourist offices in each of the cities.

Here’s a detailed post about each of the cards and my experience using it: The Austrian tourist cards, are they worth it?

3. Book train tickets in advance

I needed long distance tickets from Vienna to Salzburg, Salzburg to Innsbruck and Innsbruck back to Vienna and if you are planning to visit other places in Austria, what better way to explore this beautiful country than using the railway that travels through stunning mountain scenery, lush alpine meadows, historic towns and picturesque villages.

The train journey from Innsbruck to Vienna was about 4 hours and while it’s tempting to sleep, how can you sleep with this view outside?

The Austrian Federal Railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen or ÖBB) site is very easy to use and you can purchase tickets online way before you travel. Example, if I am to travel from Vienna to Innsbruck (a must visit in Austria, by the way!) and booking a train ticket a week before my travel, the prices will be like this for date of travel: October 14, 2015, Date of booking/purchasing ticket: October 6, 2015

Note:

The train ticket price for long distance train travel within Austria varies depending on the time. Same distance, different time means different prices.
If you are travelling on a budget, play around with the time in the OBB site so you can choose a more affordable one and adjust your itinerary accordingly.

However, if I would be travelling from Vienna to Innsbruck TOMORROW and book/purchase my ticket TODAY, these would be the price options for me for date of travel: October 7, 2015, Date of booking/purchasing ticket: October 6, 2015. Bye bye cheap ticket!!

Note:

Everything is expensive when you purchase train tickets near your travel date!

So, when you book early, you have the option of choosing the cheaper ticket called SparSchiene Österreich.

This type of ticket has limited allocation restricted to a specific train, no exchange, no refund, no cancellation so be sure to plan your itinerary well and stick to your time plan because the discounted tickets cannot be refunded, changed or reimbursed.

I bought this type of ticket and the train compartment was decent, clean and safe. No problems, whatsoever.

BONUS TIP (Travelling from airport to city center):

Unless you are in a hurry, I would suggest traveling to the city center from the airport by normal train. I used the City Airport Train (CAT) from Vienna International Airport to Wien Mitte Landstrasse because my flight arrived at night and didn’t want to wander around too late in the city I am not familiar with yet. It only takes 16 minutes for the CAT to reach the city center. For normal train, around 30 minutes. However, the CAT costs 11 euros while the normal train is only 4.40 Euros.

4. Choose cheap hotels

Real talk: You would likely to spend most of your time exploring the city and will only use the hotel for sleeping. Instead of staying in luxurious and expensive hotels (nothing wrong if it fits your budget!), you could use the money to buy some local food fares or souvenirs to take back home.

The good news is that there are still a lot of cheaper accommodation options in Austria like hostels, AirBnB or basic hotels.

There were cheaper hotel options in Vienna but I chose a hotel with convenient metro access for my accommodation in Vienna because I was arriving late and did not want to get lost in a city I do not know yet. I stayed at Motel One Wien Hauptbahnhof as it was literally just a stone’s throw away from Wien Hauptbahnhof station. The hotel was new, modern and clean. Very basic though but comfortable enough for sleeping. They had a good breakfast spread too.

My accommodation in Salzburg was pretty reasonable too. I stayed in a church guest house Gastehaus im Priestseminar. It’s not too near the main train station and I had to take a bus but I know that Salzburg was smaller and less complicated than Vienna so I took the chance. The bus stop was just right outside the station and the church was a short walk from the bus stop. It’s also only 5 minutes away from Mirabell Palace and Gardens so location is not bad! More detailed review in another post.

I also considered booking Salzburgrooms and Hotel Garni Evido for the cheap price as well as proximity to the main train station Salzburg Hauptbahnhof.

From this trip, I learned that there are affordable hotels near the Old Town: Altstadthotel Wiesse Taube. It’s a great base as most of the attractions in Salzburg are around the Old Town.

Booking your Vienna and Salzburg accommodations through the above affiliate links will cost you nothing extra and helps support this website. Thank you!

5. No fancy dining and drinking

For food, you can find inexpensive fare at snack bars all over town that sell pizza, Turkish sandwiches known as “kebaps” and other quick bites. The most popular, called “wurstelstands,” sell Austrian sausages and hot dogs.

Restaurants in the busy central area of Vienna can be expensive, but you can save on eating out by having your main meal at lunchtime. I had my lunch at Naschmarkt, an open air market with many restaurants offer a cheaper mittagsmenü, where you can get a two- or three- course meal from a set menu for under €10.

And if you’re self-catering there are also several Spar supermarkets in the city centre or at train stations.

When I was staying at hotels in Vienna and Salzburg, I chose hotels that offer breakfast. Then for lunch, I buy a sandwich and water from a deli or Spar to power me through all the walking I made. At night, I had very light meal of yoghurt, some fruit and bread again because I am too tired to even eat! (Don’t worry mom, I took my vitamin supplements with me on trips…)

TIP: Never buy water at attractions but buy them at Spar convenient stores at the train stations (0.60 Euros compared to 2 Euros or more at museum stores).

Finding Backroads

Get out of the tourist trail

Tag / Hotel

Where we stayed: Grand Hyatt Dubai

LOCATION

OUR ROOM

BREAKFAST

HOTEL RESTAURANTS

FINALLY

How to score ‘free’ hotel stays through your blog

Who am I to write this kind of post?

Pitching for a sponsored accommodation won’t work for you if:

GUIDE TO APPROACHING SPONSORS FOR ACCOMMODATION

1. List what you can offer

2. Know the right person to send the email to

3. Timing is a big factor for your proposals to get noticed

4. Prepare to put in work

It’s always a trade off between the benefit of staying in a lovely hotel that you might not otherwise afford and the work you have to put in afterwards to pay back for your stay.

However, if you’re still up to the challenge, it’s time to compose that proposal email to send to potential sponsors.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR EMAIL PROPOSAL

Under promise, over deliver. Always.

I hope you get something out of the tips I mentioned above and good luck on scoring your first “free” hotel stay! If you have any questions, fire away!

Where we stayed: Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba, Jordan

If I tell you, “I was in a wonderful beach resort in Jordan!” would you look at me like I got my geography wrong? Or if you think of a “beach vacation” would you even think of Jordan?

LOCATION

ROOM

FOOD

WIFI

HOTEL GROUNDS

BEACH!

Why I recommend staying at Movenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay in Aqaba, Jordan:

Beach time at Ajman

The beach was idyllic. The powder-like sand, the warm sea breeze and sea water, the rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves were setting the right ambiance for a relaxing family vacation.

Back at Holiday Inn & Suites Makati

Where we stayed: The Bellevue Manila

Finding a cheap hotel room: HotelsCombined Review

Where we stayed: Traders Hotel Qaryat Al Beri

Where we stayed: Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City

Budget travel: Austria