Can't help but make a review for Holiday Inn Ploenchit Bangkok that made my first visit to Thailand a memorable one, with that being a great hotel where I celebrated by 27th birthday.
Guest Rating: 4/5
Rhoda M. S. E.
PhilippinesBusiness Traveler
Date of Stay: March 18-24, 2007
Value for Money: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Staff Performance: 4/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 5/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 4/5
Food/Dining: 4/5
The Good: 1. very very good corporate rate of 90USD per night!!! 2. very clean and relaxing rooms. 3. free internet 4. wide as in wide selection of breakfast menus! 5. superb in-room dining experience 6. nice location - near the shopping malls and the BTS 7. friendly staff, always smiling :) (after all, they're the city of smiles) 8. enchanting aroma within the hotel 9. fast checkin and checkout
The Bad: There was this bellman who acted indifferently towards me when I failed to give him a tip after getting me a cab. It's not that I'm kuripot or something, but it just so happened that I really didn't have any loose change with me. After that day, this guy started ignoring me, and not minding me.
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : Close proximity to the BTS which makes it very convenient to go to other areas of Bangkok. They say the pool is nice, but didn't have the chance to visit it.
Showing posts with label travels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travels. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
one best thing for every visit
kulit nung kausap ko eh. first thing that comes to my mind daw when i hear the word...
*baguio - everything!
*bangkok - shopping. no need to elaborate. period. =)
*boracay - the beach. what else could it be?
*cavite - home-cooked ulam.
*cebu - otap
*india - food. spicy i don't like but they certainly have several dishes that i like: paneer, tikka, kurma, lassi
*laguna - the hot springs
*malaysia - feeling of being at home. since i look malay anyway, i am not being stared at as if i was a foreigner.
*nueva ecija - the farm
*puerto galera - hmmm...
*singapore - transportation system.
*sri lanka - hotel galadari.
*baguio - everything!
*bangkok - shopping. no need to elaborate. period. =)
*boracay - the beach. what else could it be?
*cavite - home-cooked ulam.
*cebu - otap
*india - food. spicy i don't like but they certainly have several dishes that i like: paneer, tikka, kurma, lassi
*laguna - the hot springs
*malaysia - feeling of being at home. since i look malay anyway, i am not being stared at as if i was a foreigner.
*nueva ecija - the farm
*puerto galera - hmmm...
*singapore - transportation system.
*sri lanka - hotel galadari.
Monday, September 22, 2008
let's get zany on friday
happy monday morning everyone! how was your weekend? mine was all cool, less the aircon... in 2600 - the city of pines... my hometown... Baguio City! ed and i left 4103 at around 11pm [shyete, di na ako naka concentrate sa panonood ng dyesebel, kim sam soon, and survivor philippines! babawi nalang ako mamaya. kasi naman nag empake pa ako at naligo (of course!)] for victory liner pasay. ah before we went to the terminal nga pala, i asked manong driver to take us to ayala avenue, to get the much wanted krispy kreme doughnuts for my fave SIL Gladz who's giving birth soon. yey!!! i called krispy kreme customer service in the afternoon pa lang of friday, and they assured me that the stores are open until 1:00am. so excited din naman ako, kasi matagal na din akong hindi nakakatikim. shunga! pagdaan namin ng ayala... nakasara! so ayan, pinilit ko pa rin - we went to The Fort. Napagtanungan na namin lahat ng manong guard, wala silang sinabi sa akin kundi "...punta po kayo dun, diretso lang..." o "...mam lakarin niyo lang po ng konti nasa left side po" o "...ay ma'am dun po yun, kung lalakarin niyo malapit lang." mga anak kayo ng teteng... dalawang blocks na yung nilakad ko hindi ko pa rin nakita! buti pa yung taxi sinusundan lang ako. bwehe. biruin niyo... from market market to one serendra, to bonifacio hi. sana sinabi niyo nalang B2 lang pala eh di tagal ko na nakita. haaaay... ang mga manong guard talaga. so ayan, finally nakita ko na din. buy ako ng two dozens na assorted... yummy... tsalap. sulit na rin sa halagang 700+. eh nabilhan ko na din ng doughnut si manong driver para matuwa naman. sabi ni manong driver delicado daw na binigyan ko siya ng doughnut, at baka hanap-hanapin niya na din. hehe. when we arrived at victory liner pasay... my goolay... nakapost sa ticket booth - BAGUIO: 3AM NA PO ANG NXT TRIP. waaah! eh 12:30am pa lang. tumbling. eh tinanong ko si guardagurl (astig na manang guard) kung pag sa cubao ba ako nagpunta eh makakasakay kami kaagad, sabi niya mas marami daw pasahero dun. o d cge, getz ako ng two tickets to baguio. gosh, ang mahal na! ang dating PHP390 ay PHP460 na. how many months ago lang ba bago naging PHP390 ulit?! rollback rollback rollback rollback rollback rollback... lolz... anyway, tumambay muna kami ni edongs sa passenger waiting area. imbyerna lang ako sa mga observation ko:
1. mga bag ang nakaupo sa upuan! anak ng pwet. bawat upuan diyan ay may isa pang space na pwedeng pagpatungan. Isang pwet isang upuan lang po! kung kulang ang space, problema mo na dapat yun. wag ka mambiktima ng mga gustong maupo.
2. may mga taong naka-apak ang paa sa upuan. may nakasapatos, merong hindi. naman! mukha bang doormat ang upuan? maawa-awa naman kayo sa mga taong uupo diyan. eh pano kung may naapakan kayong anik anik diyan?
3. syempre kung may bag na nakaupo, meron ding taong nakahiga. hmmm... with matching hilik pa.
4. ayan at may nagpipictorial pa. ok lang sana mag kodakan diyan sa terminal kaso, wag niyo namang siku-sikuhin ang mga tao sa paligid niyo.
5. pinagbabawal ng victory liner management ang mga taxi sa loob, pero... kapag mga "kabagang" nila yung mga driver, eh pinapapasok ang mga ito.
6. may isang pamilya sa likod ko, may kasamang baby... anak ng patola, mas maingay pa yung nanay sa anak! sabi nang sabi ng "anak wag kang magulo..." "anak wag kang malikot" "anak upo ka lang" pero pag tinignan mo yung bata, behaved naman?! o baka may imaginary baby pa ang mommy?
7. may mga taong kumakain ng nissin cup noodles. again - i have nothing against this... pero... wag ka naman humigop nang parang hihigupin mo kaming lahat. at pagkatapos mo kumain, sana man lang tinapon mo sa basurahan ang pinagkainan mo.
8. bakit parang lahat ng bus ay kalahati lang ang sakay? almost half are either chance passengers, or passengers who opt to go early? i think this is a modus operandi: they make buses half-full only then proceed to issue tickets for the next trip so that the passengers who got later time slots will be enticed to pay the surcharge of 10% instead of waiting for their reserved times. imagine, kung dalawa kayo, PHP92 na kaagad yun.
all these things i've seen, from 12:30am to 2:30am. naglalaro na nga ako ng psp eh di ko maiwasan na hindi sila mapansin! [kainis, tagal tagal ko nang nilalaro ang "miss guided" level sa collapse, di ko pa rin matapos!] so pagpatak ng 2:30am eh nagpasakay na ang mga manong driver and manong condi (kunduktor) ng mga pasahero. eh ano pa nga ba, kundi may mga kakrungkrungan na naman.
1. nauna ako sa pila, sa door ng bus. then may tatlong mama na bigla nalang sumingit sa harap ko! grrrr... mauubusan ba kayo ng bus? mauubusan ba kayo ng upuan?!
2. may nagtitext habang napasok ng bus. huy! mamaya na yan! marami ka pang kasunod iha.
3. may mga nag-aargue pa kung san uupo, so again, naipon na naman ang mga passengers sa likod nila
4. eto pinaka-hate ko: kapag yung passenger sa harap mo eh nagrerecline ng seat na para bang naka business class siya sa eroplano! grrr... i would have wanted to go and sit in front of her and do the same. let's see what she's gonna do. narerecline nga po ang mga seat, but please be considerate enough naman with the people seated behind you.
5. may mga bata sa likod namin ni edongs, na tuwang-tuwa pagsisipain ang mga upuan. pwede na sana yun anoh, kaso sinabunutan pa ako. hindi baby ito... mga 10 years old na yun bata. ngyaks... syempre napa aray ako!!!
6. paalis na yung bus, saka pa naisipan magweewee. eh di hinintay pa tuloy!
7. yung mga giniginaw sa aircon, dina-divert yung exhaust sa iba. tama ba naman yun?
8. alam niyo ba ang maingay na mommy sa sumbong # 6? aba... nasa likod ko, nonstop ingay pa rin! this time naman kakwentuhan niya ang husband niya. para bang kinukwentuhan niya yung buong bus sa lakas ng boses niya!
while i've been whining about all these on the bus... ed and i go zany by quoting bitoy on bubble gang...sumbong sumbong kay bonggang bonggang bongbong. dito na kayo magsumbong... derecho pa ang aksyon!
1. mga bag ang nakaupo sa upuan! anak ng pwet. bawat upuan diyan ay may isa pang space na pwedeng pagpatungan. Isang pwet isang upuan lang po! kung kulang ang space, problema mo na dapat yun. wag ka mambiktima ng mga gustong maupo.
2. may mga taong naka-apak ang paa sa upuan. may nakasapatos, merong hindi. naman! mukha bang doormat ang upuan? maawa-awa naman kayo sa mga taong uupo diyan. eh pano kung may naapakan kayong anik anik diyan?
3. syempre kung may bag na nakaupo, meron ding taong nakahiga. hmmm... with matching hilik pa.
4. ayan at may nagpipictorial pa. ok lang sana mag kodakan diyan sa terminal kaso, wag niyo namang siku-sikuhin ang mga tao sa paligid niyo.
5. pinagbabawal ng victory liner management ang mga taxi sa loob, pero... kapag mga "kabagang" nila yung mga driver, eh pinapapasok ang mga ito.
6. may isang pamilya sa likod ko, may kasamang baby... anak ng patola, mas maingay pa yung nanay sa anak! sabi nang sabi ng "anak wag kang magulo..." "anak wag kang malikot" "anak upo ka lang" pero pag tinignan mo yung bata, behaved naman?! o baka may imaginary baby pa ang mommy?
7. may mga taong kumakain ng nissin cup noodles. again - i have nothing against this... pero... wag ka naman humigop nang parang hihigupin mo kaming lahat. at pagkatapos mo kumain, sana man lang tinapon mo sa basurahan ang pinagkainan mo.
8. bakit parang lahat ng bus ay kalahati lang ang sakay? almost half are either chance passengers, or passengers who opt to go early? i think this is a modus operandi: they make buses half-full only then proceed to issue tickets for the next trip so that the passengers who got later time slots will be enticed to pay the surcharge of 10% instead of waiting for their reserved times. imagine, kung dalawa kayo, PHP92 na kaagad yun.
all these things i've seen, from 12:30am to 2:30am. naglalaro na nga ako ng psp eh di ko maiwasan na hindi sila mapansin! [kainis, tagal tagal ko nang nilalaro ang "miss guided" level sa collapse, di ko pa rin matapos!] so pagpatak ng 2:30am eh nagpasakay na ang mga manong driver and manong condi (kunduktor) ng mga pasahero. eh ano pa nga ba, kundi may mga kakrungkrungan na naman.
1. nauna ako sa pila, sa door ng bus. then may tatlong mama na bigla nalang sumingit sa harap ko! grrrr... mauubusan ba kayo ng bus? mauubusan ba kayo ng upuan?!
2. may nagtitext habang napasok ng bus. huy! mamaya na yan! marami ka pang kasunod iha.
3. may mga nag-aargue pa kung san uupo, so again, naipon na naman ang mga passengers sa likod nila
4. eto pinaka-hate ko: kapag yung passenger sa harap mo eh nagrerecline ng seat na para bang naka business class siya sa eroplano! grrr... i would have wanted to go and sit in front of her and do the same. let's see what she's gonna do. narerecline nga po ang mga seat, but please be considerate enough naman with the people seated behind you.
5. may mga bata sa likod namin ni edongs, na tuwang-tuwa pagsisipain ang mga upuan. pwede na sana yun anoh, kaso sinabunutan pa ako. hindi baby ito... mga 10 years old na yun bata. ngyaks... syempre napa aray ako!!!
6. paalis na yung bus, saka pa naisipan magweewee. eh di hinintay pa tuloy!
7. yung mga giniginaw sa aircon, dina-divert yung exhaust sa iba. tama ba naman yun?
8. alam niyo ba ang maingay na mommy sa sumbong # 6? aba... nasa likod ko, nonstop ingay pa rin! this time naman kakwentuhan niya ang husband niya. para bang kinukwentuhan niya yung buong bus sa lakas ng boses niya!
while i've been whining about all these on the bus... ed and i go zany by quoting bitoy on bubble gang...sumbong sumbong kay bonggang bonggang bongbong. dito na kayo magsumbong... derecho pa ang aksyon!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hotel Review: Peninsula is it?
O sa aking friendship dyan na naghahanap ng review about hotels in Singapore... eto na para sayo. This is published in www.agoda.com - where I do my hotel bookings. I'll post another on Grand Churva so that you have one more. :)
Guest Rating: 2.3/5
Rhoda M. S. E.
PhilippinesBusiness TravelerDate of Stay: 21 Aug 2008
Value for Money: 2/5
Location: 5/5
Staff Performance: 3/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 1/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 2/5
Food/Dining: 1/5
My Stand? I think Peninsula Excelsior should renovate not only the outer areas of the hotel, but also the rooms instead. The current state of the hotel does not match the prestige that the "Peninsula" brand is known for. I would have appreciated an old room, but not a dirty bathroom, not the dirty towels, and not the stinky carpets. My only good experience with Peninsula is the fact that it is within the city area and that because of staying there, we were introduced to the very good Aangan Restaurant.
The Good: Only these - close proximity to the city area and instant confirmation via Agoda (probably because this is not a sought-after hotel anymore) and the Aangan Restaurant which was nearby
The Bad: 1. Expensive rate which was not matching to the over-all service of the hotel 2. The staff were not interacting with their guests 3. Broadband Internet was priced expensively at 25 SGD per 24 hours (other hotels would give this for free) 4. The rooms are very old, not to mention that everything around the room smelled so old too 5. The bathroom was the dirtiest I have ever seen among all hotels in Singapore. 6. The toilet flush wasn't working well. 7. Shower and bath tub were not separate 8. The bath tub's drain was clogged... and dirty 9. Windows in the bathroom were dirty 10. Towels were not as white as they should be 11. Carpets smelled bad and were dirty 12. Water kettle was rusty (I had it changed though)
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : Close proximity to the City Hall MRT which makes it very convenient to go to other areas of Singapore. Walking distance to the Singapore River which has a lot of dining options around.
Guest Rating: 2.3/5
Rhoda M. S. E.
PhilippinesBusiness TravelerDate of Stay: 21 Aug 2008
Value for Money: 2/5
Location: 5/5
Staff Performance: 3/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 1/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 2/5
Food/Dining: 1/5
My Stand? I think Peninsula Excelsior should renovate not only the outer areas of the hotel, but also the rooms instead. The current state of the hotel does not match the prestige that the "Peninsula" brand is known for. I would have appreciated an old room, but not a dirty bathroom, not the dirty towels, and not the stinky carpets. My only good experience with Peninsula is the fact that it is within the city area and that because of staying there, we were introduced to the very good Aangan Restaurant.
The Good: Only these - close proximity to the city area and instant confirmation via Agoda (probably because this is not a sought-after hotel anymore) and the Aangan Restaurant which was nearby
The Bad: 1. Expensive rate which was not matching to the over-all service of the hotel 2. The staff were not interacting with their guests 3. Broadband Internet was priced expensively at 25 SGD per 24 hours (other hotels would give this for free) 4. The rooms are very old, not to mention that everything around the room smelled so old too 5. The bathroom was the dirtiest I have ever seen among all hotels in Singapore. 6. The toilet flush wasn't working well. 7. Shower and bath tub were not separate 8. The bath tub's drain was clogged... and dirty 9. Windows in the bathroom were dirty 10. Towels were not as white as they should be 11. Carpets smelled bad and were dirty 12. Water kettle was rusty (I had it changed though)
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : Close proximity to the City Hall MRT which makes it very convenient to go to other areas of Singapore. Walking distance to the Singapore River which has a lot of dining options around.
Hotel Review - Grand Plaza Park Hotel
Guest Rating: 4.0
Rhoda M. S. E.
Philippines Couple Date of Stay: 18 Aug 2008
Value for Money: 4/5
Location: 4/5
Staff Performance: 4/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 4/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 3/5
Food/Dining: 3/5
My Stand? Like what I have read from many reviews, the Grand Plaza Park Hotel lived up to its friendly image. (Thanks to Emily at the Club Lounge, and Albert, the Filipino attendant at the lobby). This is the most noteable observation, and a lasting impression. For business trips, this is the best hotel to stay at - economical compared to same grade hotels... and what can I say... I enjoyed the broadband internet access - which was free! It was a good experience all throughout except of course for some "not-so-bad" things that I saw, but could be seen as areas that need improvement: the variety of buffet breakfast for one. I would love to come back again, so I would be happier to get another good rate, and some membership points.
The Good: 1. Complimentary broadband internet access 2. Very friendly, helpful, and accommodating staff 3. Good rates via Agoda 4. Proximity to the city area 5. Good housekeeping procedures 6. The food was good
The Bad: 1. The shower and bathtub were not separate (I found this so inconvenient) 2. I wanted to stay longer and enjoy the Agoda rate but the rate was almost doubled. (Other hotels would offer a lower rate for extension, but I was treated as a walk-in guest) 3. Good food, but very less variety 4. There were only a few power sockets 5. No complimentary drinking water
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : The hotel is in close proximity to the City Hall MRT, which makes it much easier for you to go around the other distant parts of Singapore. The Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, Raffles, Singapore River, Singapore Flyer, Chjimes are must-sees and the nearest areas for dining.
Rhoda M. S. E.
Philippines Couple Date of Stay: 18 Aug 2008
Value for Money: 4/5
Location: 4/5
Staff Performance: 4/5
Hotel Condition/Cleanliness: 4/5
Room Comfort/Standard: 3/5
Food/Dining: 3/5
My Stand? Like what I have read from many reviews, the Grand Plaza Park Hotel lived up to its friendly image. (Thanks to Emily at the Club Lounge, and Albert, the Filipino attendant at the lobby). This is the most noteable observation, and a lasting impression. For business trips, this is the best hotel to stay at - economical compared to same grade hotels... and what can I say... I enjoyed the broadband internet access - which was free! It was a good experience all throughout except of course for some "not-so-bad" things that I saw, but could be seen as areas that need improvement: the variety of buffet breakfast for one. I would love to come back again, so I would be happier to get another good rate, and some membership points.
The Good: 1. Complimentary broadband internet access 2. Very friendly, helpful, and accommodating staff 3. Good rates via Agoda 4. Proximity to the city area 5. Good housekeeping procedures 6. The food was good
The Bad: 1. The shower and bathtub were not separate (I found this so inconvenient) 2. I wanted to stay longer and enjoy the Agoda rate but the rate was almost doubled. (Other hotels would offer a lower rate for extension, but I was treated as a walk-in guest) 3. Good food, but very less variety 4. There were only a few power sockets 5. No complimentary drinking water
Sightseeing/Attractions Tip : The hotel is in close proximity to the City Hall MRT, which makes it much easier for you to go around the other distant parts of Singapore. The Clarke Quay, Boat Quay, Raffles, Singapore River, Singapore Flyer, Chjimes are must-sees and the nearest areas for dining.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
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