Mr Feedback

Friendly, but cold sounds a bit misleading - so what I meant was - “they are friendly, but the place was freezing”. There was no heater in the room I was in, and Adelaide was cold that day.

The service
Continuing on from my Wotif.com (reviewed here) experience, I rang the reception straight after I booked the place and they had confirmed it. They were very helpful in guiding me through Adelaide, and told me where to park the car in downtown. Usually check in was 1400hrs, but they were happy to get me early, because I was leaving that very night.

The location
It’s certainly not walkable from the Airport. It’s right behind it, and is within a taxi cab fare of 10 dollars I would say. In fact the Adelaide Airport Motel is also not within walking distance, and as they were fully booked - thats how I got to know about the Aviators Lodge. They have a small restaurant within the motel, which has meals at reasonable prices.

The cost
I paid $89 through Wotif.com. Interestingly, I asked them for a tax invoice which stated $80. Looking into it closely, the way it works is: I pay Wotif.com who then pay the motel. I.e.: The motel bills Wotif.com, and this is stated in the tax invoice. Essentially, Wotif takes a booking fee of $9. Not bad for a company who basically acts as the middle man, and almost all of their bookings are automated.

Inside tips
* When you book accommodation, its worthwhile ringing them up directly to find out the price and to see if they will offer the rooms for lower prices - considering they will be empty if not booked. You may be able to “undercut” sites like Wotif, but what you will find is that the motel will charge you their standard rates, in which case last minute accommodation sites (like Wotif) will save you money.

Suggestions
* I was freezing my a– off that day. The room did not have a heater. Is this standard? If so, fit some heaters because it was like an ice age in the room.

Rating - 8/10 (good place, please install heaters)
For a 3 star motel, a heater is a must! I will stay there again, and would recommend it to friends and family (but warn them of their heater less status).

I really love Wotif.com, and therefore it deserves a 10/10. If you have not heard about this great service, then where have you been for the last few years. Wotif.com has really dominated the last minute accommodation sector in Australia, and they are spreading their wings overseas.

I first used them to book a hotel in Halls Gap, where they refunded an extra night’s stay because I could not stay there. Unheard of in today’s online booking market.

The website
I had to find a hotel in Adelaide for June 20th, so logged on at 6pm on June 19th (my flight was the next day at 6.30am) and found a hotel near the airport. I booked it with ease, and filled out the required information and within 30 seconds my booking was made. Sure I am pretty internet savvy, and that sure helped the time. But really, the booking time was extremely fast.

The confirmation
So how live is this service. I waited for 30 seconds after I printed out my confirmation of booking. Called the hotel where I booked, and asked them if they had received my booking. Yep, they had! This was way too easy for my liking.

Suggestions
I think it would be really useful to send sms text confirmation of your booking to your mobile. A lot of people may not have access to a printer (like me), but almost everyone has a mobile phone (like me). A simple text message with the details of the booking (to show the hotel on arrival) will make life a lot simpler. I can’t see why airlines and other booking services could not use this technique as well.

Rating - 10/10 (easy to use, live booking, way too easy!)
I have booked accommodation to other sites, but Wotif.com takes the cake, eats it, and washes the plate! The efficiency is incredible, so this is going down in the Raj’s List. Do you use another site? Tell me about it!

During my recent visit to Sydney, I stayed at the Marque Hotel - Sydney. I went to Sydney for a skills workshop which was 3 days (each at least 12 hours) of grilling, so I thought a 3 star hotel was adequate.

The location
If you are traveling to Sydney, and do not plan to hire a car (remember, parking is expensive!)- then you really need to be near a train station. Location wise, The Marque Hotel is in a pristine spot. A stone’s throw away from Sydney Central Station, it took me about 2-4 minutes (depending on the mood of the traffic lights) to get to my platform, which was 25 (at the other end of the station). The hotel also has easy access to fast food joints, and also some restaurants nearby. Of course, sitting on the corner is George Street - means you have access to Sydney’s bustling downtown district.

The service
The front reception staff are always smiling, and welcoming. They did stuff up my booking by giving me a room with 3 single beds, but it was corrected (but not before my bags went up to the wrong room). I did not use much room service, as I never really had time but on the last day I spent a few hours just lazing around in the lobby. Sorry, but that is as much I can comment on service, I really never was in the hotel during business hours.

Their website is quite flashy, and very useful. Their email turn around was pretty good too (24 hours). They have an online booking facility as well through ihotelier.com service.

The hotel
I have never really stayed in a 3 star hotel before, so didn’t know what to expect. Looking from outside, it is very average. Their lobby, however, is immaculate, and very posh. But, that is where the extravagance ends if you stay in a regular room. The rooms are ordinary (but the view was great), and immediate thing I noticed was the curtains being pretty dirty. The TV reception was average too. I wouldn’t rate the rooms very high, but then again it was a 3 star hotel so you can’t expect too much I guess. The hotel also comprises of a roof top pool, sauna, undercover parking, conference facilities, air conditioning, a restaurant and bar. Details of their facilities can be found here. I never had time to explore all of these facilities, but I trust them.

The hotel itself seems to be undergoing some renovation, and according to their website - the more expensive rooms have more state of the art facilities - read more here.

The cost
I booked the rooms through Blue Holidays. The whole trip cost me about $400 (including airfares, accommodation), which I thought was not bad for 3 days. Parking would cost you about $25 per day at the hotel. Trust me, it’s not worth it - as Sydney transport is relatively cheap from point to point. They also have a airport drop off service, which is about $12 per person, quite competitive when compared to the Airport Link service (more about this later).

Rating - 7/10 (for the cost, it was a good)
For the money I paid, I think I got a pretty good deal. I will stay there again, because of its pristine location.

My family organized a function at Taj Coromandel in Chennai during my trip to India. I did not organize it, so I cannot comment on this aspect but I will comment on the customer service, food, and ambience. From what I heard, all planning was done through email - which is excellent for foreigners.

The service
Customer service has improved markedly over the years in India, and Taj Coromandel is no exception. It is one of the prestigious hotels in Chennai, and the Taj chain of hotels has an excellent reputation for customer service. But it does come at a cost. Our function for 25 people - buffet style Indian vegetarian dinner cost was Rs 38000 (approx: AUD $1027). Comparatively, it is quite cheap. A similar style buffet in Australia will cost a lot more.

There were 4 waiters looking after us, and were very friendly. The food was prepared on time, and was presented well. There was an issue with the bill, as we had been charged for 35 people instead of 25 people - but this was promptly fixed by the manager in charge and a corrected tax invoice was provided.

The food
We chose a South Indian style menu. There were other options, but ours was vegetarian. There were a few North Indian items, and also some pasta(my favorite). Finger food was also included, and non-alcoholic drinks were unlimited. The food was very nice, presented well - and with about 3 entrees, 6-8 mains, 3 desert, finger food, and unlimited drinks options - it was well worth the money.

The ambience
When I go to Taj - I expect excellent ambience. Taj Coromandel was no exception. The lobby was dimly lit, with plenty of customer service personnel available. The marvelous stair case leading to the Willingdon Hall set the tone, and the lobby was brilliantly decorated with its own water feature, Italian tiles and Mahogany furniture. The European elegance was visible throughout the hotel. The hall itself was very spacious, with comfortable seating and coffee table arrangements. I included a small presentation and they accommodated my needs with space for a projector, screen and my laptop. The decorations, and furniture quality were excellent and second to none.

When you enter the hotel, you feel like royalty and I have not experienced this feeling in other 5 star hotels I have stayed or visited.

Inside tips
* As a general rule (anywhere in the world) - check your bill. This is true in India as well, no matter how expensive the place you visit is.

Suggestions
* Do what you are doing.
* Ensure you bill customers correctly. I was a bit disappointed that I had to point out the mistake, but appreciate your prompt acknowledgment and correction. I suspect my experience was an exception, none the less you lost 1 point for this. I’m sorry!

Rating - 9/10 (Marvelous, but the billing let you down)
Taj Coromandel is a place I will be holding any future functions. I am very much impressed with their professional approach, and also the ambience of the hotel. Well done!

In India, self served car rental companies are rare (such as Hertz, Budget, Europcar etc). Car rentals are provided with a driver, and is billed at a daily rate (including fuel). I was quite disappointed at the punctuality of GRT’s travel service (T.Nagar - Chennai). Sure enough you can book cars at short notice, but never did the cars arrive on time. Usually it is a 30 minute delay, and often they would start from the hotel at the time I wanted them at my home.

Quality
The quality of their cars is great, for Indian standards. The drivers are uniformed, and they provide complimentary newspapers and bottled water on board. All cars are air conditioned, and there is a single rate for all cars. To me this is a bit silly, considering there are considerable space - and feature differences between cars. I always hired the Toyota Innova, which was spacious and a comfortable ride for Chennai’s bumpy roads.

Customer service
The best thing about their travel service is that cars can be arranged at short notice (24 hours in advance). They always had the car I wanted (Toyota Innova), but then again - I have been their customer for 15 years so perhaps that made a difference. They offered me a 15% discount due to my loyalty, however it was frustrating to have the car arrive 30 minutes late each time (total 7). They are a business hotel, and should understand the concept of punctuality. I have written a short note telling them of their time standards, and its negative impact on customers’ experiences. I hope to hear from them, and will let you know how I go.

Inside tips
* Newspapers and bottled water is complimentary in all their cars
* Build a relationship with the hotel, and they WILL look after you - everything from organising a pleasant stay to discounts

Suggestions
* Mantras for you to chant: “Must be punctual”, “Must arrive on time”

Mr Feedback - Rating 6/10 (average, punctuality really killed them!)
Basically, if you are not punctual, it defeats the purpose of running a car rental company. If you’re running a hotel for traveling business people, being punctual should not even be an issue. Unfortunately for GRT Grand hotel, it was a major issue in my case and I made it known to them.

After my day trip, I needed a place to chill out until my flight to Chennai. Singapore Airlines offers premium lounge services to its “premium” passengers. The airport also has lounges on a pay per service basis. The lounge I used was Plaza Premium Lounge situated in Terminal 2 - Level 3. They run special offers from time to time.

The lounge
The lounge was clean, featuring a number of facilities. For S$30, you get: free flow hot & cold beverages, salad bar & freshly prepared light snacks, comfortable seating area, international newspapers & magazines, shower with amenities, internet access, and free local telephone calls. The shower facilities are reasonable, but I wouldn’t say are 5 star standard. The internet was easily accessable, and the unlimited snacks/food makes for fulfilling relaxation. They also feature a gym, oxygen, massage therapy, nail care, and napping facility. The main lounge area is filled with couches, and has an area to store your luggage, and suits.

One of the quirks of the lounge is the balcony (to view aircraft) is accesible as a one way, so once you enter it - to come back into the lounge you will need to circle the lounge, and make your way to the main front entrance. They have a range of magazines to keep you busy, and newspapers. Not many people use the lounge, so it is not cluttered nor busy. They really do need chase style lounges, so people can lie down and relax. Or, you can do it my way which was to join two couches together and lie down with a magazine to read. The aircraft departure / arrival details are available on a separate computer - but there isn’t a glistening plasma which spits out information. Never mind, Changi airport has plenty of these to satisfy (including Panasonic’s world’s largest plasma - 103“).

Plaza Premium Lounges are available in Hong Kong, China, Kuala Lumpur, and Vancouver as well. Drop by and relax!

Inside tips
* Its S$30 per 5 hours, so if you have > 5 hours transit time - you can easily afford to pay a quick visit to downtown Singapore before coming back to relax. Read more about free tours.

Suggestions
* A couple of chase lounges will be really useful for the traveller who wants to stretch their legs.
* The 2 computers at one corner of your lounge are not visible at all. Perhaps move them to the other end. Get Firefox installed too!

Rating - 8/10 (Great)
I wouldn’t say it was 5 star quality, or service but certainly very useful for the traveller who just needs something more than the plentiful public lounges in Changi. The free food, drinks, internet, and local calls is attractively priced at S$30. The strong Aussie dollar really comes in handy.

Type: Superior Room, King size bed
Length: 12 nights
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
View: Garden

I booked my accommodation through Blue Holidays. There are plenty of options, but watch out for cheap options because sometimes they have shared bathroom facilities. Le Meridien sounded like a good option because of its size, rates, and also the range of activities available. All activities are free of charge. Besides, the pictures looked good. Let’s analyse my stay!

Food
Not many resorts offer meals as part of the deal. Many, however, do include complimentary breakfast. Le Meridien was offering complimentary continental buffet breakfast, and lunch vouches. The break is fantastic. Their range extends along an entire wall, and the staff are friendly. Some options are: bacon, eggs, toast, range of fruits, range of cereals, baked beans, range of breads/croissants/muffins/danishes, range of drinks, and of course tea/coffee.

I had major problems with lunch because they only have 1 vegetarian option. After getting to know the waiters, I was able to order what I liked and change it up a bit. Don’t be afraid to order something which is not on the menu. They are a 5 star resort, so should cater to your needs. Buffet lunch is sometimes offered. The best part about lunch is you can laze around the pool, and they will serve right to you. But the time it takes for meals to arrive is a big disappointment. The longest it took for me was 60 minutes. But if you go a bit earlier, or later in the afternoon, food is delivered quicker. One annoyance is the lack of staff available at times. Sometimes, 4 people are allocated to deal with 50 or so hungry Westerners. Bad idea! Also, don’t be afraid to “push in” and tell the staff what you want. If you just wait for them to approach, IT MAY NEVER HAPPEN!

I bought dinner every night (about 20 bucks per meal). The pool side restaurant is cheaper than the main one. I did go to a buffet (Mexican) but it wasn’t worth it. I never made it to Melanesian night (every Thurs), and it looked good but way too expensive for my budget (4000+ vatu per person). The lobby restaurant has the best Hokkein noodles, its a must. The entertainment is often repetitive (string bands), but good to have them there anyway.

Overall, not bad but they certainly got work to do with meal delivery times. Read the rest of this entry »