Hotels
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Traders Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Introduction The Traders Hotel is part of the Shangri La chain of hotels and we love staying in them whenever possible. We had a 20 hour layover in Abu Dhabi and decided to stay at the Traders Abu Dhabi. The Hotel is located around 20 km away from the Abu Dhabi airport and it found it to be an ideal mix of proximity to both the Airport and City attractions. We booked this Hotel in cash for AED 321 which is around 90 USD / INR 6,500. Check In Large Lobby Area The Lobby is grand and super spacious. We arrived at the Hotel at around 7 AM as our…
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Ritz Carlton, Pune, India
Introduction The Ritz Carlton Pune, is the latest Marriott Property in the city of Pune in Maharashtra, India. It is a brand new property which opened in October 2019. It is a category 4 Marriott property which can be redeemed for 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a standard award. We stayed here for one night in March 2020 are were really delighted with our experience. We booked this property using a free night award upto 25,000 Bonvoy points (Click here to learn how you can earn a free night too). The property is located close to the Airport (5km away) and gets a lot of business travellers with so many MNC…
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Taj Swarna Amritsar, Punjab, India
Introduction Taj Swarna Amrtisar is a newly constructed (only 3 years old) hotel based in the centre of the holy city of Amritsar. This is the only 5 star hotel in the city and is rated number one on Tripadvisor. We stayed here for 2 nights and booked using the American Express promotional offer which gave us 25% off when booking with our American Express Platinum Charge Card (Link here). We booked the room for approximately INR 7,000 per night compared to the regular fare of INR 10,000 per night which was an absolute steal. Check in We hotel is located around 12 km from the Airport and it took…
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JW Marriott Phu Quoc – The Best Island Resort in Vietnam
Introduction The JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa is a category 5 Marriott Property located on the Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. It is an amazing Island Resort which is ranked amongst the Top Resorts in the Asia Pacific region and for good reason. Let’s find out. Getting Here JW Phu Quoc is located on the picturesque Khem beach which is located on the southern end of the Phu Quoc Island. The Phu Quoc international airport has direct flights from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur & Bangkok all of which are under 2 hours. The cheapest way to reach here from India would probably be…
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Save 25% on Taj Hotel Stays with American Express
American Express is running a promotion offering 25% off at all Taj, Vivanta and Gateway hotels. Taj has an incredible array of properties in India and some properties outside India as well. If you have upcoming travel plans then you should definitely check out this offer Offer Details Valid for booking and stays upto 30 Sep 2019 Offer available to Centurion, Platinum, Business Platinum & Platinum Reserve cardholders only Reservations to be done via following link Sample Comparison Let us look at an actual scenario. There is an upcoming long weekend on 31 Aug – 2 Sep and prices would be slightly higher for holiday destinations. Let us look at…
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The Ritz Carlton Jakarta Mega Kuningan, Indonesia
Introduction We had booked the Ritz Carlton Jakarta Mega Kuningan to achieve our category 4 free night certificate on our recent trip to Indonesia. It cost us approximately IDR 3,000,000 (~ USD 210) per night. Our package included daily breakfast for 2 guests at their Asia Restaurant, daily dinner for 2 guests at the Asia Restaurant along with 2 glasses of wine. Check In We arrived at around 9 PM in Jakarta and took a Golden Bird Taxi from the Airport to the Hotel. The Hotel is located in South Jakarta and it took us approximately 40 minutes for the 30 km journey. The Hotel lobby is beautiful and we…
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A Palatial Feeling – Taj Jai Mahal Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
The Taj Jai Mahal Palace Hotel in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India is a heritage luxury 5 star property built in 1745 which is located in the heart of the Pink City (Jaipur). It is spread over 18 acres and has been the residence of three prime ministers of the princely state of Jaipur. Check In This property has a completely different charm to it. You realise it the moment your vehicle arrives at the gates of the property and you are welcomed by the security team. After a thorough check of the vehicle you proceed to the reception area which is nothing short of a palace in itself. Guests are showered…
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Luxury Redefined – Oberoi Udaivilas Palace Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
The Oberoi Udaivilas Palace is an ultra luxury property in India. It is simply a cut above the rest and goes above and beyond your expectations. The Udaivilas Palace is located in the city of Udaipur (Also known as the city of lakes) on the banks of Lake Pichola. We spent two whole days at the resort and did not feel the need to step out even one bit. Check In We arrived at the hotel after an hour’s journey from the Airport. After a brief security check, we drove towards the main reception area. The security guard opened the door and greeted me by my name. This has never…
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Hotel Review – Fairfield by Marriott Belitung Indonesia
The Fairfield by Marriott Belitung is a wonderful one year old property on the picturesque island of Belitung located on the east cost of Sumatra Island. The island is known for its stunning beaches and this is the only hotel on the entire island which is associated with an international hotel chain. We also chose this hotel to complete our free Award Night offer on signup from Marriott. Our Room We stayed in a deluxe oceanfront room with a balcony providing uninterrupted views of the ocean. The rooms are not grand is size but sufficient for all your needs. The rooms were really clean and the housekeeping staff did a…
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Marriott Offering Two Award Nights on Two Stays
Marriott has been in the news a lot lately for all the wrong reasons. They seem to be having a really hard time in their integration of SPG / Marriott / Ritz Carlton. Their new program called Bonvoy is at the risk of making a transition from a Noun to a Verb “Bonvoyed” (representing all issues faced in dealing with Marriott) They have been definitely trying to clean up their act and are currently running multiple promotions. New members are being offered a free award night worth 25,000 points (Category 4 award) on completing two paid stays till July 2019 (Details Here). We did not waste much time and easily…
