Impressive Frontage
by johngaytonHA! According to Orbitz's map the hotel should have been just round the corner from the internet cafe that I was using at the time and so I decided to check-in before going back to pick up my luggage from the previous night's stay at Hotel Marina. This was the first niggle - I couldn't find the hotel anywhere in the area that it was mapped and enquiring over a beer at a local cafe yielded no joy either.
Back to the internet cafe, back online, I discover through Holiday Inn's site that the hotel is not in the city centre but in fact out by the airport. I explain this over the phone to Orbitz and despite being shunted up the chain of command can only get them to agree to cancel the reservation without charge if I find somewhere else.
Having already spent several hours searching hotels earlier I decide to stay there anyway as it is on the main airport bus route into the city and so the location isn't really a major problem.
The hotel itself is a brand-new Hi Tech, all singing, all dancing, 5* establishment and most of what it offers is spot-on but there were a couple of little niggles which annoyed me. Coming back late one evening (very late!) my key card didn't work requiring a trip back down to reception to get it sorted. Internet access in room was fine but the 12 euro daily charge was a hefty expense and the hourly option not available. The electronic "Do Not Disturb" button which I tried to use on the Saturday "slob-day" didn't work, resulting in a couple of interuptions by housekeeping. Arriving back late on the Sunday night (Monday morning!) I found that despite having been out since 10 am my room had been made-up but the mini-bar not restocked, leaving me without any beer (having drunk it all on my Saturday "slob day") nor had the coffee facility been topped up for my morning cuppa - a phone call to reception failed to elicit any suitable remedy - not even the offer of room service. The credit card operated safe didn't work - though the idea of having a room safe operated by credit card seems a bit useless (a bit like keeping the spare safe keys in the safe!!).
For the money these were just too many small faults, thus not particularly happy.
Great views though!
