Jersey's a-callin'

I have a confession to make... even a superhero-hotel-finder like me sometimes needs a rest. Last week was jolly busy, and Rosie has so much energy that I found myself somewhat lacking in my usual get-up-and-go (it had got up, gone and made a cup of tea, failed to ask me if I wanted one, then left the building!). So I needed to find somewhere I could go and sit and just 'be' for a while. It didn't take long to think of somewhere cosy, relaxed, close to home and away from it all... The famous 4 star Pomme D'Or (that means Golden Apple, yes I did concentrate in French lessons!) in Jersey.


When I checked in I learnt from the friendly staff that they've spent £3million on their bedrooms over the last 5 years. I'm sure you can understand, dear reader, how keen I was to get up and try out the bed for some well deserved ZZZZs! But there was more... the Pomme D'Or has fantastic restaurants. The Harbour Room (yes, with views over the marina) serves buffet meals, including traditional 4-course Sunday lunches - my mouth was watering at this point, it wasn't a particularly pretty sight, but I think the staff were used to that reaction as they went on to tell me about La Petite Pomme restaurant. This award-winning restaurant uses local produce, and is really popular with the locals. As they described the current menu I drifted off into a culinary daydream, where I sat in the middle of a big table of their delicious dishes and ate my way out!

I woke up when they asked if I wanted some help with my luggage. I declined, as I hadn't taken much with me! Upstairs I wasn't disappointed. The rooms are classically designed, with warm, tonal colours and... oh dear I sound like Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Suffice to say, when I sat on the bed, I melted into a lovely, well-earned snooze.

The air-conditioned rooms, with 24-hour room service, have free wi-fi and broadband. Which would be great for anyone on a business trip, but I just used it to watch silly people falling over on youtube (well, it's an hour wasted relaxing and laughing at other people's self-induced misfortune, eh!).

I decided to check out the 'Aquadome' leisure club at the Pomme D'Or's sister hotel, the Merton. Very well equipped! Sauna, steam room, spa pools and waterslides (nope, I'm not too old!). The Flowrider standing wave, I've still no idea how it works, but it enables you to surf without the annoyance of having to bother leaving the spa! Bliss when you're in a lazy mood like I was!

If you were feeling more adventurous, there are so many lovely things to do on the isle of Jersey. We wrote about it - not a song or a poem, but a little something about the wonders of Jersey... see it here.

All this, and there's a great offer on at the moment. Get 3 nights for the price of 2 at the 4 star Pomme D'Or hotel Jersey from £126pp.

New York....watch out!

Well what a week I've had entertaining all my friends who've been visiting me - we've been all over London, exploring, eating, drinking, exploring some more, watching outdoor films, visiting museums, irish dancing, and visiting Twickenham - so much so that I am in need of a holiday!

So Great Auntie Beryl, who came over last week, was overhearing me recommending all these hotels to my friends and has decided she's onto something. She's told all her friends about my skills and I keep getting calls from the likes of Mavis, Gertrude and Iris from her bridge class, all asking me to recommend hotels for them depending on their preferences (mainly chess, golf and bird watching). I like to think I can find something for everyone so I'm being put to the test but think I'm doing OK so far.

She went back to sunny Edinburgh a few days ago (my place is only just recovering from her stay - I keep finding tea cups in all sorts of obscure places - in the bath, behind the tv, in the cat's bed....). Her gossip spreading is renowned throughout Scotland for the speed at which it travels and as a result I had an interesting call from cousin Hamish just this morning. Some say he looks like me.... I prefer to think not.


He's heard about these new US entry requirements that mean that all those travelling under the Visa Waiver Programme (most British Citizen passport holders) are required to provide details online 72 hours prior to travel. This is known as an Electronic Travel System or ESTA. The system is now up and running on a voluntary basis but will become mandatory as of 12 Jan 2009. See here for more info: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/fact_sheets/travel/esta_factsheet.xml

Anyway, I digress... Hamish, hearing I'm a "travel guru" (as the gossip goes) has asked me what this means about his trip to New York & can I help him book a hotel there which he has failed to do yet despite the fact he's leaving next week. So......I told him - log onto the ESTA website and follow the instructions to fill in this new ESTA form before he goes - https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ and as for hotels - on those I can be of help.

So I began enthusiastically suggesting a few of my favourites: There's the New Yorker hotel - a 3* - centrally located in midtown Manhattan and has a mini gym and a bar open until 1am (he's keen on the odd whisky before bed) - from £91pppn. Or the Helmsley Park Lane 4* - very grand, luxurious , has a huge ballroom and a peaceful open air garden cafe - from £95pppn.

At this point Hamish said "och aye - what would I need with a ballroom? Unlikely I'll be taking a kilt and showing off me reeling skills!. Give me some more...."

Now a little scared, I offer the Park Central Hotel New York - midtown Manhattan again - very near the bottom of Central Park for those early morning runs he enjoys (so he can eat as much as he likes all day and not feel guilty). That's from £98pppn.

If he fancies seeing a show or two, I suggest - there's no better than the Ameritania hotel New York - a 3* - just off broadway. Very trendy & cool - in an art deco style and there's a stylish twist lounge bar within the hotel where he can hang out & see if girls dig his weird accent.

I can tell that his eyes light up (phew!) and I think that's a winner - but just in case he's not convinced I hit him with the Jolly Hotel Madison Towers New York 4* - a beautiful Italian style hotel with plenty of handcrafted furnishings imported from Italy. Plus it has an Asian spa AND a bar called the Whaler bar which puts on popular Jazz nights.

"well you've only gone and bl**dy done it cousin" he says. "Only problem now is I'm not sure whether it's more important to choose girls or jazz....thanks for the tips" and he hangs up.

Well I'm here to help. Good luck New York is all I can say....

Brilliant Blighty

Gordon Brown and David Cameron have got it right this summer in one department at least - they're both holidaying in the UK. David Cameron might want to watch out for old Mother Ivy and not do any digging... (click here... you couldn't make this stuff up!).

Now, being who I am and doing what I do, I don't discourage holidays abroad - they're great for expanding our horizons and seeing a different perspective on the world. But this summer just feels right to bring back the good old British summer holiday. Whether it's on the beaches (ooh, Churchill) or in the wonderful cities.

My friends who came down last week had an amazing time in London - I was doubly proud because of the fine weather. Nicolas from Paris even liked the food - he did go to a French restaurant though! They all loved the hotels I recommended of course!

So, at the risk of repeating myself - there is so much to do in London right now. Come and take advantage! Somerset House are putting on their usual outside film screenings - balmy summer nights and great films! London Zoo, the galleries, the museums, the palaces, the shopping...! I've also booked up to go and see Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, full of the weird and wonderful and it's open until midnight... believe it or not... Oh, I crack myself up!

So I've taken it upon myself to invite more friends this week, as there are more fabulous hotels in London that I want to share. And you, dear reader, can take advantage of my great advice too.

My first friend would've been a real challenge, a real pain in the derriere to most people, but I'm really rather good at what I do! Irish Steve is a fitness fanatic; he needed a gym and pool; he wanted to be near friends in North London, a bit away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre; a really good quality hotel for not too high a price.

No problem - the Crown Moran Hotel in North West London. Not only does it fit all those criteria, it's an Irish hotel, so he knows it'll feel like a home from home. I've stayed here many times and I love how cool this place is - the massive glass atrium/reception is a wonder!

Crown Moran Hotel London 4 star

from £54pppn

Next up was Carrie, a Gemini (who I met whilst in a Waitrose in Surrey buying nice olives), who is rather contradictory and loves the best of both worlds. She likes history, but then loves all things modern too. She wanted to see the sights, but also experience the nightlife of London. This was also a doddle - the London Bridge Hotel, right in the city centre, right near, yes, you guessed it, London Bridge.

From here she can go to the Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the Old Operating Theatre Museum the list goes on. And when she gets back from all this sightseeing, she can relax in this historic building with its cosy modern decor. Nearby are the riverside bars and restaurants that make London so special.

London Bridge Hotel London 4 star

from £49pppn

My final challenge was John, a rugby-loving Northern builder who's been a friend of the family ever since we had an extension put on the country house for my parent's extensive expedition equipment (try saying that 5 times really quickly - even funnier after a shandy). He's never been down to London and I've told him a million times how much he'd like it.

He's a real patriot, he knows all the words to Land of Hope and Glory, stands up for the national anthem and loves his British food. So Sanctuary House Hotel London, right in the heart of Westminster, is right up his street. First of all it's above the very smart Fuller's Pie & Ale House, so if he doesn't want to do nouvelle cuisine and wants a proper portion of great home-cooked food, he doesn't have to go far. It's near all the sights he'll want to see, and the bedrooms are very comfortable and traditional. I even got him a day out at the Twickenham Museum and Stadium Tour.

Sanctuary House Hotel London 3 star superior

from £50pppn

It's so satisfying knowing that I've made some great friends very happy. Check out our London hotels and all our other destinations here. And, of course, our special offers. After all, we all love a bargain!

sunshine, sausages and socialising

here comes summer, here comes summer...

yes, as the nation breathes a sigh of relief (and as I inevitably jinx the rest of July and August - sorry!) we finally have hot weather.

And do you know what that means?

In the words of Martine McBride (the country-pop music singer-songwriter... c'mon keep up) - I aint goin' nowhere.

Some people hate cities in hot weather, but not London! So many parks to sunbathe in, ponds to swim in, and gardens to charcoal some sausages in (on the outside only - remember, the inside is to remain raw).

I've invited some friends to come to London this weekend, so i've been doing some research as for the best places for them to stay. Normally I'd put them up at my place, but my great auntie and her clan that are decamping at Secret Agent headquarters this weekend... more tea crazy than tea cosy believe me.

So - my lovely Parisian friend Nicolas is going to come over via the Eurostar. He's your typical student... a bit short of cash, but very very long on the knowledge. So I've suggested he stay at the Arriva Hotel which is just near the Eurostar terminal. It's unbelievable good value, and is nice and clean and he'll love the fact that there is a mini fridge in every room, AND WIFI access. Then he can continue to Facebook and tell people his status every second of the day.

Coming down from Glasgow is Bobby. Bobby is THE man about town. He's already selected where he wants to stay. He told me "I want to be in the centre of the action, where i can FEEL London all around me". I suggested the Northern Line at 8am, but instead he's chosen to stay at the Strand Palace which IS on the Strand. Just as Nico loves his mini fridge, Bobby loves the fact that the Strand Palace hotel has 2 restaurants and three bars.

And then, making up the rest of the crowd is Julian from Leeds. Or J-woah as we like to call him. He has some-what of the Keanu Reeves about him. J-woah is too cool. He's almost too cool for himself, stating that he likes something in one sentence then following it with a statement about how he's so over it already. It's the Crowne Plaza Shoreditch for him. The area is just perfect - loads of uber hip bars and venues, and then ultimately Brick Lane for the end of the evening when he's realised that he really is still Jules who loves a pint and a really hot curry.

So a weekend of sunbathing, shopping and bar hopping. As long as I haven't jinxed the weather... I can feel those clouds coming over now...

Laters

Secret Agent

Football, cheese and juniper berries....

Ah footy...

I'm quite pleased that england aren't in Euro 2008. No - really, I am.

It doesn't just mean that our English lads can go crazy in sunny spots around the world and appear in the tabloids rest up...

It means that I can concentrate on the football. I can watch the silky skills of the other teams without booing, hissing and shouting 'LUCKY!!' when an amazing goal is scored.

I still haven't chosen 'my team' yet.

It's pretty hard to not love Holland after last night's game. The last time I was in Holland, it wasn't all clogs and tulips... no, that was the first visit. The last time I went, it was all about theatre and cheese. I got my ideas from here.

I also drank a lot of Genever (which is a Dutch gin drunk from tiny glasses) and then kind of regretted eating all that cheese.

I stayed in the beautiful Vondel Hotel .

It's a bit of an unusual hotel as it is comprised of three adjacent buildings, two of which are linked by a passageway with staff escorting guests to the other. The bedrooms are cool and contemporary with really cool furnishings!

There's also a fabulous bar open until 1am, giving the perfect holiday mix of sightseeing, nightlife - and yes, don't forget the cheese!

Right, I'm off to find some orange in my wardrobe!!

laters

Secret Agent

Bangkok - get there if you can

In between my attempts to beat 29 seconds on that steal, save, splurge game (I am just a little addicted - can't seem to get away from it) I bumped into Jennie, a colleague of mine in the office, and supreme expert on certain destinations. We got chatting about places she'd been and I thought I'd let you in on what she said. Give you a bit of insider information on Bangkok. I once lost my passport there which meant I spent a bit more time there than originally planned, but that gave me a little extra time to explore the city and I can tell you I had plenty of fun on the way. Anyway that aside, here's what Jennie had to tell me:

"Love it or hate it - you will not be able to deny that Bangkok is a pretty amazing city!!! Personally I love it - in actual fact it is possibly one of my favourite cities in the world (and I have travelled a lot). Yes - you might wrinkle your nose at some of the smells whilst walking around - but it is at least a city that feels truly alive. I think it is the mixture of history, an ancient culture mingled with new high-rise buildings, ultra stylish bars, fab restaurants and luxurious hotels that adds to its appeal.

Things I love to do when I am in Bangkok... A must is to visit chatuchak weekend market (the largest market in the world with nearly 9,000 stalls - I am not joking when I say I spent about 7 hours there and had really not seen everything. It sells everything from the normal touristy Thai gifts, clothes, impressive artwork, beautiful and stylish furniture (which they will ship to the UK) and just for good measure there's a wealth of food stalls selling some excellent local cuisine along with a few interesting looking Thai delicacies (deep fried locusts etc etc...). There are also some amazing temples and palaces that are just so different to anything you see in the UK that alone makes them worth a visit.

I think I was also genuinely surprised to see how stylish some of the bars and clubs are when you get off the main tourist strips. A few that I can personally recommend are Q bar, a great place to dance the night away or maybe the bed supper club . Although I am not that way inclined I also had a fabulous evening in a gay bar called telephone - its amazing how much fun you can have when there is a telephone on each table so you can phone people you like the look of. Although I think some of the gentleman clientele were probably a little disappointed when they answered their phone and there was a me (a girl) on the other end!

If you want to treat yourself to a beautiful bed whilst you are there then choose the sumptuous Sukothai hotel - very modern and stylish with beautiful Asian influences and award winning restaurants. If you want something a bit more prestigious then try the Peninsula with its beautiful location on the Chao Phrya river. Of course it is nice to have a bit of luxury every once and a while but even on a budget there are some very trendy hotels in this town including the Bel Aire Princess for one. I have stayed there a few times and have nothing but good things to say about it and I would seriously recommend the half day Thai cookery course that they offer."

And at that point, Jennie went off to finish her cornflakes and get on with the job of finding more fabulous hotels in exotic locations, and I daydreamed about losing my passport once again. Oh and had another quick play on the steal, save, splurge game. Seriously it's pretty
good.

glug glug, chugga chugga, ooh la la

I'm not going to try and glamorise it...





it's a shameless bit of self promotion.


it's for my employers, HotelConnect.



but if I were you, i'd be wanting me to tell you about my exciting news. and then I'd be thanking me so much.

Let me continue before I have more personalities than Sylvia...


You can not only get addicted to this game ...click here.. it's lots of fun and the music cracks me up.... >


you can also win a trip to Paris, travelling FIRST CLASS on the Eurostar (don't mind if I do), with a bottle of champagne at the Champagne Bar in St Pancras first (pop! fizz...), staying in a luxury hotel for 3 nights!!


Sigh....



just play it and try and beat my fastest time of 31.23 seconds!!

Laters,

with RSI

Secret Agent

I’m not one for gossip normally, as you know, but I had to give you the inside information on the HotelConnect Annual Quiz Night. I went as an impartial observer and photographer - that's why you can't see me in any of the shots... I can tell you that the HotelConnect gang are a pretty knowledgeable bunch. They took it upon themselves to dress up for the occasion!!

General knowledge, mental agility, and the ability to set off a party popper in lieu of a buzzer all came in handy on the night. The HotelConnect gang were on top rowdy, jovial form! The winning team was Japan, who won a lot of points in the round that involved gambling. I must take them with me to Monte Carlo next time I go. They could be handy in the casino!

What an Easter I’ve had! You may not know this, but a while ago I borrowed Jeff Goldblum’s teleporter (don’t ask me why he has one, but it’s on permanent loan to me as I do more good with it) to ensure I can get round the world as quickly as possible to track down bargains for you. It’s a little bit like that new film, Jumper, but with a bit more machinery involved, and, unfortunately, the delightful Rachel Bilson doesn’t always accompany me... well actually she never does, but the offer’s there!

Anyway, my travels took me far and wide: I went to Barcelona to see the Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions, to Stockholm for egg rolling, I decorated an egg tree in Munich, I read a crime thriller in Oslo - it's an Easter tradition over there I learnt, and it certainly whiled away a few hours before I sped off to Canada to see the world’s largest Easter Egg, at 31 feet tall. Of course I came back to dear old London for an Easter Egg Hunt and a big turkey roast.

I hardly had any time to sleep, what with packing in all these activities, which was a real shame as we at HotelConnect have got some great hotels at all these locations. I wish I’d had time to pop into the 4* Avenida Palace in Barcelona for instance, you can stay there for 4 nights for the price of 3 for just £183 per person.

Easter reminded me of my travels with my parents, who were both intrepid explorers and part-time Red Cross volunteers. We would go from place to place (not as quickly as with a teleporter, I can tell you!), soaking up the local cultures. I remember the first time we went to Australia, my father asked one of the aborigines what the strange bouncing creature with the long tail was... He replied "kangaroo", so that's what we called them. It was only later that we found out that meant "I don't know"!!! Ah, wonderful times. Actually, come to think of it, that wasn't us, that was Captain James Cook... Oh well!

Paying for your pillow? Not in my room...

You know when someone in your office is having a bit of a rant about something? I usually choose to block it out, unless it's crazy office gossip, or I hear my name - and ESPECIALLY if the two occur together.

Anyway, my ears did really prick up this time and for neither of the above reasons. It was Ian (Ackland, our Commercial Manager - see the picture below) who was doing the talking.

I haven't seen him this passionate about a subject since games night at the pub.

Anyway, Ian went to a travel conference in Ireland the other week, and heard some crazy stuff about customer service. So let me paint the picture...

He walks in, with his luggage, and starts telling the story to a few of us

"At the conference there were some of the major players in the travel industry – airlines, hotels, car hire companies, travel insurance companies, transfer companies and companies that organise car-parking at departure airports.

I heard some fascinating ideas and insight into what all these companies are planning to do to give the customer choice. Some of it was amazing, but some of it quite depressing..."

a few more people gather around, Ian puts his bag down, takes a swig of MY water, and continues...

"One technology company told us all about what they’re doing to help airlines “unbundle” – which is industry jargon for breaking down everything about a flight to show you the cheapest price possible.

This is why you now see a cheap price, and then add on everything else: airport check-in, baggage check-in, priority boarding.

This company even joked - I hope! - about charging people to use the toilet on board!..."

'ooooh' the crowd groan at this one

"It seems that while flights become a simple commodity that is no more glamorous than taking a bus into town, the only thing left to fight on is price.

I sat there scared and depressed: scared that, at some point, hoteliers may adopt this approach and start charging us for a duvet in the room (with an additional charge if you want a pillow!), and depressed that the industry is failing to “sell the experience” of travel. Shouldn’t travel make you feel warm and fuzzy, a little bit excited and , in all cases, relaxed, rather than make you have to work out if your bag will be too big to take on board and, God forbid, if that bottle of water you had in the departure lounge is going to make you need a wee on board?!... "

Ian was REALLY loud at this point! Those who hadn't gathered around, now did. The stairs were busy full of people pushing their way upstairs to listen to what was going on. People were shaking their heads at the thought, and all was quiet as he took a breath and stepped up onto his chair:

"So, I did breathe a slight sigh of relief when a bigwig from Starwood hotels told us of their plans: sell the experience, show the customer the type of views they can expect if, for example, they upgrade from a standard room to a superior, Eiffel Tower-view room at the Westin, Paris. They stressed the concept of making the customer feel comfortable and reassured by your brand, and always seeking to offer the customer something more..."

people nod, there's a bit of pushing and shoving in the audience. I wonder if Ian's going to crowd surf

"At this point, I decided I’m in the right part of our industry – or at least, as long as hotels don’t start this trend of “unbundling” rather than provide decent service exceeding expectations.

At HotelConnect, we’ll keep trying and fighting to ensure that customers are inspired and excited by their travel experience, not stressed and bombarded with extra charges for something you should just expect to receive. We’ll always include taxes, we’ll always show the total, final price right at the beginning, and we’ll always try to make you feel warm and fuzzy about booking your hotel stay, because we’re passionate about what we do well! "

By this point, Ian's standing on the table and we've all got our credit cards out, wanting to book hotels with our own company. There's whooping, cheering and he's pumping the air with his fist. Couples in the crowd embrace and that girl from our Hotel Experts team kisses that bloke from Accounts.... Ian starts singing 'danke schoen' and waves to the crowd.... then he goes back to Camerons place and the car goes in the pool and ooh - hang on - I might have confused SOME of that with Ferris Bueller's day off. Sorry.

We love customer service - it really is important to us. We love it when our customers email us with their comments - good and bad (hardly any of those mind you - the last one we had was someone complaining about the colour of their curtains in their hotel room. but we did not snigger about that. No we did not).

Finally, I should pass on Ian's thanks to the Temple Bar hotel in Dublin for letting him stay with them – an excellent welcome from the front desk, a really good quality hotel and in a great (if a bit lively!) location. He gave us one small tip though – unless you want a serious intake of salt in your diet, steer clear of the scrambled eggs at breakfast! Absolutely nothing wrong with the eggs, but they’re just very, very salty!

Until next time...

Secret Agent