Travel, Itineraries & Guides, Hotel Reviews
After weeks of speculating whether the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un would actually happen; here I am looking at live footage of the latter’s entourage arriving in Singapore – this only being his second foreign trip as North Korea’s leader since he succeeded his father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011.
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The Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu is one of the most established hotels in the state capital of Sabah. Located right smack in the city center, just across the seafood and handicraft markets and just a few steps away from the nightlife district; the property is one of a handful of SPG properties in East Malaysia. During a return trip to Kota Kinabalu, I managed to check out the Le Meridien for a couple of nights.
Kota Kinabalu is not a particularly large city but the hotel lobby is more in keeping with large city hotels. It’s hip and happening, with an illuminated ceiling, furnishings decked in gold and plenty of mirrors.
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Novotel Melbourne South Wharf opened in March 2018 in the city’s buzzing bar and restaurant district immediately south of the Yarra River. The property is adjacent to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and is visible even from afar. The golden glass panels of the 26 storey hotel makes it one of the more recognizable skyscrapers in the city.
I recently stayed at the Novotel Melbourne South Wharf when I flew to the city on the inaugural Qantas flight with the Airbus A380 servicing the Singapore to Melbourne route. From the airport, the hotel is roughly 35 minutes away. While corporate guests are likely to comprise the majority here, the hotel is also conveniently located for leisure visitors. One can easily cross the bridge to catch the tram at the opposite side of the river, where rides within the city’s central core are free-of-charge.
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Nestled prettily on the northeastern coast of the idyllic island of Mauritius, the Club Med La Plantation D’Albion is one of the flagship resorts of the iconic hospitality brand. Opened in 2007 as the first 5 Trident (equivalent to 5 stars) property of the brand, think of it as an all-inclusive luxury resort – where you can just order a cocktail (or two) at anytime or have wine while dining in style for every meal during the stay. During my trip to Mauritius, I stayed at the Club Med La Plantation D’Albion for a couple of nights – my first time to experience Club Med.
The Club Med La Plantation D’Albion is located in the town of Albion, not far from Port Louis. From the airport, watch out for the Club Med kiosk at the arrivals area. Transfers are complimentary for staying guests – make sure to have a copy of your welcome letter (a digital one will do). The journey from airport to resort is around 50 minutes.
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Parkroyal Penang Resort in Batu Ferringhi recently reopened after undergoing a MYR 55 million transformation encompassing the public spaces and guestrooms. The hotel has been around since 1990 and has an enviable position as it faces the Andaman Sea. It is also the only resort being managed by Parkroyal Hotels and offers a good peek at how the city hotel chain does its leisure infrastructure. For the reopening, I ventured to the Malaysian island for the weekend to check out the hotel and also some new attractions in Penang.
lobby of parkroyal penang resort
From Penang International Airport, the resort is almost an hour’s drive as Batu Ferringhi is located near the northern tip of Penang. If you decide to take a ride sharing service such as Uber, the fare is around 35 to 40 Ringgit.
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There are hotels that are cool without even trying really hard and W Taipei in the city’s Xinyi District is a fine example. Even as Taipei is experiencing a boom in hotel construction in recent years, this property dating from 2011 is still as iconic as ever with the inhouse WooBar still considered today as one of the city’s top nightlife hotspots. I have personally stayed in a number of W properties around the region including the W Bangkok as well as the W Singapore Sentosa Cove so I was curious to see why this particular W property is frequently singled out for awards where Taipei’s best hotels are concerned.
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citizenM Taipei North Gate has been one of my anticipated hotel openings in Asia in 2017. I remember visiting Taipei a year back, walking past the city’s north gate to find the chain’s first property in Asia under construction. That was fresh from my stay at the citizenM New York Time Square months before where I had pretty good memories of the brand’s unique proposition. I was determined to see how the Taipei property panned out so the next time I visited the city in January 2018, there was no question where I was going to stay.
citizenM Taipei North Gate has plenty going for it. The airport MRT station is located just across, a mere 3 minute walk. While it is situated a bit off the lively Ximending area, it’s within walking distance. There’s also a bus stop next door from where guests can move to various parts of the city, at just TWD 15 per ride.
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Silks Club Kaohsiung opened in August 2017 as the first hotel of Yui-mom Group, a Kaohsiung-based building contractor. The property also comes under the wing of Regent Hotels with this being their first Silks Club branded hotel. Compared to the chain’s other brands, Silks Club is more exclusive with a luxury boutique and design-oriented proposition. During a recent trip to Kaohsiung, I managed to check out the Silks Club for a night.
Kaohsiung is experiencing a bit of renaissance as of late, diversifying its image to incorporate more art and culture into what is traditionally known as a heavily industrial city. I witnessed this transformation myself after coming back to the Southern Taiwanese city after more than a decade. So much has changed.
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