Articles in Checking In
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Hotel Review
Following its opening in October 2009, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi became immediately recognizable by its modern, boxy, glass exterior, outlined at night with linear lighting, and fronted by a long row of palm trees.
When we pulled up to the entrance, several speedy doormen were instantly car-side to open doors and take our luggage, and we were politely whisked inside.
With its soaring ceilings, white modular furnishings, and abundant mirrors, …
Loews Lake Las Vegas, Henderson, Nevada – Hotel Review
After an action-packed Friday in Las Vegas, I was looking forward to a nearby getaway where I could leave behind the neon and the noise, but still have quick access to the city, if I needed a little stimulation.
Loews Lake Las Vegas resort was the right antidote to the lights and frenzy of the city – and it was only a 20-minute drive away. I drove up the long, palm-tree …
Park Hyatt Tokyo – Hotel Review
Stepping inside the glass-and-granite Shinjuku Park Tower in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood brings a temporary respite to the chaos of the city, as one is whisked to a quiet oasis, the Park Hyatt, a hotel that occupies the top 14 floors of Kenzo Tange’s 235 meter-high architectural masterpiece.
You start on the 41st floor, and you can only go up from there. I was warmly greeted and immediately escorted up to my …
Kruisherenhotel Maastricht, Netherlands – Hotel Review
The Dutch are a practical people, and, since numerous churches and monasteries were closed as Napoleon Bonaparte established hegemony over most of continental Europe, they were sooner or later bound to find a good use for these large empty buildings.
One such building is the Kruisherenhotel, which dates back to the 15th century, when the Order of the Holy Cross (Crosier or “Kruisheren” in Dutch) built a monastery in the center …
Doubletree by Hilton, Philadelphia, Pa. – Hotel Review
The word “reception” designates not only the desk one goes to upon entering a hotel to check in, but also the manner in which one is received or greeted. Sometimes the two reflect excellence in tandem, but that’s rare. One such example, however, is the reception I received upon arriving at the Doubletree in Philadelphia. The warmth of the greetings by the bellman and the front desk clerk immediately took …
Gibson Hotel, Dublin, Ireland – Review
Dublin’s dizzying pace of change never ceases to amaze. Case in point is the Docklands neighborhood, where the year-old Gibson Hotel has opened. When I was last in Dublin, four-and-a-half years ago, this area was still dominated by derelict buildings and ancient warehouses from Dublin’s maritime past. Fast forward and the whole area – now called Point Village – is in the vanguard for trendy neighborhoods. The past two years …
