Reviews

Business Hotel Hakata Seagull (Fukuoka, Japan)

This was the cheapest hotel we could find in Fukuoka, and believe me, we looked.

Rooms were spacious and clean – we stayed in two different twins whilst here. The first one was larger, with a small couch. The second was a little smaller, but without the couch it was actually more spacious. Both had tv’s, aircon and private bathrooms (small tub/shower and toilet). On the fourth floor there is a large (traditional) bathroom that you can lock, so you can have a shower in a larger room. Free wireless internet.

The checkin staff didn’t speak much English, but was more than willing to help us, and made checkin very smooth. Also helped us book another room. Attached to the hotel is a great Korean/Filipino restaurant with a Pirate theme – fantastic food, and the guy there spoke great English (we managed to get vegetarian food, a reasonably hard feat in Japan).

Shanghai Airlines Travel Hotel (Shanghai, China)

This hotels main redeeming feature is that it is extremely close to the South Railway station (about 5 mins by taxi). Prices includes breakfast and the room price is quite reasonable. There are good options for dinner nearby and the room has free broadband internet (the cable is in the drawer).

However, the beds were really hard. Really really hard. The breakfast wasn’t so good – toast wasn’t hot, there was no juice or cold water (there was hot orange tang), some of the dishes were ok, but most were just mediocre. Breakfast was served on the 8th floor, to get there, you had to take the elevator to the 7th floor, then walk a flight of steps to the 8th floor, not suitable for someone who has trouble walking. The wiring in the rooms was bad – when you sat on the bed, the lamp flickered on and off, scary! In the middle of the night, someone tried to enter our room, they had a card that worked, all that stopped them was the bar that we put across the door from our side.

Overall? It’s really close to the train station, so if you’re coming in really late/leaving really early, it’s an ok option, but the beds were hard, the wiring scary, and the overall feel of the place not too clean. Plus the incident with someone trying to break in to the room left an unpleasant feeling.

Grand Skylight Garden Hotel (Shanghai, China)

We stayed here on a recent trip and enjoyed the quiet this hotel offered. It was relatively close to the airport (about 1 hour by taxi) and close to the Shanghai South Railway Station (about 10 minutes by taxi).

This hotel is next door to the Botanical Gardens, there are trees and birds everywhere, loads of greenery, and an entrance to the gardens from the hotel (although we couldn’t figure out how to get through the gate). The breakfast was great (although we booked a villa for 3 people, we only had 2 included breakfasts, so we had to pay for the third). We stayed in a villa, which had 2 bedroom, kitchen, dining room, tv room, 2 bathroom and a laundry. Check in staff were fantastic, had us checked in and in our rooms in about 10 minutes and the Chinese restaurant was fantastic.

One of the beds in the villa was really hard (but that’s often the case with Chinese beds). The fridge in the villa didn’t work. Only 2 breakfasts were included in a 3 person room (as per above) and there weren’t alot of restaurants in the nearby area. Whilst the reception area was gorgeous, the villa itself was a little run down. The business centre staff didn’t speak a lot of English, they booked tickets for our train trip the next day, but it was hard work.

Overall, a recommended hotel, particularly if you’re flying into Shanghai and planning on taking a train out (from the Southern Station) the next day. Also great if you’re looking for somewhere to base yourself whilst exploring Shanghai, particularly as a family group, as the villas are great value.

Evergreen Place Apartments (Bangkok, Thailand)

We stayed here in February 2009 for a week, and found it to be a nice break from staying in crowded hotel rooms. As a traveling party of 5 adults + 1 baby, being able to stretch out in a 2 bedroom apartment, with a separate sitting area was great. We had a type A apartment, which had a large master bedroom, with an ensuite, another bedroom, a small kitchenette area, a sitting room, with a rollaway bed and a couch and tv, and another bathroom. The cot cost an extra 350 THB per night.

The ability to stretch out was fantastic, as we had a baby who just wanted to explore so the bub was able to crawl around a decent (clean) area. The pool was lovely, and the room was cleaned daily. There was a DVD and tv in the room, allowing us to chill out, and a few 7/11’s in the area, great for stocking up on snack food. The location was good – very close to Ratchthewi train station and Asia hotel (maybe a 3 minute walk) and relatively close to MBK (maybe a 10 minute walk). The walk to MBK wasn’t too difficult, however the last part takes you up a flight of steps and over an overpass, difficult with a stroller. Similarly, the walk to the train station wasn’t too bad, but to get up to the train station, you need to either climb the (two) flights of steps, or cross the road to the escalator.

We found the cafe on premises to be overpriced and not all that great. Internet options weren’t great – there was internet in the foyer, but it was quite expensive. As mentioned above, getting to the station etc with a stroller was a bit difficult, and the the beds were quite hard (but that is often the case in Thailand!)

Overall, highly recommended if you’re looking for some privacy, particularly if staying for a while, and traveling with family.

Spa Hostel Khaosan Beppu (Beppu, Japan)

I stayed here for 2 nights, and thoroughly enjoyed my stay. The rooms and beds were clean and quiet. The staff went out of their way to help me find local baths and things to do, and organised a “party/fireworks” night, with free food and drinks. Free internet is available from the four computers in the lobby, making it easy to keep in touch with home.

There are quite a few common areas as well, letting you chat with other travelers. The hostel is close enough to the train station (about 10 minutes), and certainly walking distance to the sand baths and other attractions. A special treat is the onsen right at the hostel.