CASTILLO HOTEL SON VIDA, PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN
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The Castillo Hotel Son Vida was built in the 13th century and is a member of The Luxury Collection of the Starwood/Marriott Hotels Group. Son Vida is a small village located above Palma de Mallorca, the main city on the island where the business centre, the airport and the shipping terminal are located. The hotel offers incomparable views of the Bay of Palma and has a large terrace which is often called “The Balcony of Palma”.
I stayed in a deluxe room on the 8th floor (highest floor) with a splendid view. The room was oversized with a charming wooden ceiling decoration, warm colours and all amenities that you could wish for. The room had a large bathroom with separate shower and bathtub.
The hotel’s occupancy was not high as it was low season, but the bar and 1 of the 2 restaurants were open and all the food that I tasted was excellent. There were friendly staff everywhere and beautiful decorations all over the hotel. The Spa was closed for renovation but a gym was available with a small heated pool/jacuzzi.
I enjoyed my stay at the Castillo Hotel Son Vida very much and would come back to this beautiful castle any time. All round it was a very pleasant experience.
EDELWEISS AIR
StandardEdelweiss Air, Palma De Mallorca – Zurich, A320
Edelweiss Air is a subsidiary of Swiss International Air Lines whose route network is mainly focussed on holiday destinations in Europe. The airline also operates some long-haul flights to “smaller” ports around the world. I took this flight from Palma de Mallorca to Zurich on a Tuesday night in December. The flight was fully booked with a mix of business and leisure travellers. The flight was operated by an A320 aircraft with 20 C and 142 Y seating configuration.
Pre-departure water bottles and refreshment towels were ready on the seats upon boarding. A handful of magazines were also available. Inflight service consisted of a cold meal platter with drinks, followed by a coffee service with the famous Appenzeller Biberli which is a small Swiss cookie-type sweet dish containing marzipan. The crew was friendly and cheerful and took care of the passengers well who were concerned about missing their evening connections in Zurich (the delay was only 25 min, so that should not pose a problem to anyone)
A pleasant flight despite the short delay and a friendly young crew who made a good impression.
https://www.flyedelweiss.com/en/pages/home.aspx
OMAN AIR
GalleryOman Air, B788, Configuration: 18/249 ZRH-MCT-DXB, Business Class
Zurich-Muscat:
Business Class Lounge, Muscat Airport:
Muscat-Dubai:
There was only 1 counter available for Business Class check-in and the waiting time was rather long as the check-in staff were serving economy class passengers who were carrying excess check-in bags and did not want to pay for excess baggage. So the discussions seemed endless until they finally found a solution and I could check-in.
Boarding started almost 1 hour before take-off (Ground staff explained that the captain wanted to depart 15 min ahead of schedule) but at the end the airport slot was not available and we departed on time. The Business Class section is very small with only 18 seats and each seat offers plenty of space and privacy. The booking on this flight was very light with only about 6 passengers in the front section. The crew was efficient but not charming or friendly. Service was done quickly as this was a 10pm departure and passengers wanted to sleep. I did the same and opted for a breakfast rather than a dinner which was served 2 hours before landing. (A bit too early for my preference as the flight time was only 5.30 h)
Arrival at Muscat was a tedious experience. We landed on time but the stairs were not available for 15 min for disembarkation. After the stairs finally docked on the plane there was a further 5 min delay for the special business class bus. Meanwhile, all economy passengers had already disembarked via the rear stairs and all 3 passenger buses arrived at the terminal building at the same time. Most passengers had connecting flights and went upstairs where a small security checkpoint was located and worked very efficiently.
On departure from Muscat airport, I visited the lounge in the rather old airport terminal and was pleasantly surprised. It was a large stylish lounge. There was a bar area as well as a self-service area are where drinks and food was presented. Friendly staff were available everywhere. Food choice was good, warm and cold breakfast items were available as well as fruit and other snacks. I did not see any alcoholic beverages, but I expect they were available in the bar section.
Boarding took place again via buses and the small cramped waiting area was packed with people and many were standing in line for the wrong flights. It was a bit chaotic and there were no dedicated gates or doors for business class passengers. After all buses finally arrived at the aircraft at the same time there was another short delay as the cabin cleaning seemed not to be finished.
The crew at the boarding door was very friendly and efficient and boarding was quick. There was a small breakfast service on this flight which was only about 50 minutes long. Aircraft was an Airbus 330-200. Configuration: 20/196
GRAND HYATT DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
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Club Lounge:
The Grand Hyatt Dubai is a huge resort style hotel located between Dubai airport and Dubai downtown. There is a large airy lobby with plenty of plants and other decorations. It seems like a small jungle in the desert. The hotel has numerous restaurants and bars, a hair salon, a pharmacy, a jewellery shop and some excursion desks.
I booked a room with club level access on the 14th floor. The room was nicely decorated with a comfortable bed, a working desk and a small separate wardrobe. The bathroom had a separate shower, bathtub and toilet.
The club lounge was very large with a great view over the hotel gardens. You could see the 3 pools, the children’s play area and the event venue. The lounge food offerings were breakfast (a nice extensive choice), coffee and tea as well as soft drinks all day.
Happy hour consisted of cocktails and wines, and the food was more like a small dinner buffet rather than only a snack choice. Hot and cold items, as well as salads and desserts, were available. It seemed to me that many guests used this as their place to have dinner so seating was almost always full, but due to the size of the lounge it was still pleasant. There was also a separate section for families with children.
The hotel has a gym, 3 outdoor swimming pools, sports facilities which include a heated indoor pool and a gym. All the staff members that I met were friendly and nice. There is no scheduled turn-down service but it is available on request and given the large size of the hotel, the housekeeping department was quick in response, efficient and fast.
If you are looking for a hotel which is away from the beach, and still not too far from the city centre or the airport, the Grand Hyatt Dubai is a good choice.
JW MARRIOTT DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
StandardTRIED AND TESTED: JW MARRIOTT HOTEL DUBAI
Located just minutes away from Dubai International Airport this hotel is a top standard business class hotel with several high class restaurants such as JW Steakhouse, Cucina, Hofbräuhaus, Vienna Cafe, Champion Sports Bar and Bamboo Lounge which are very popular among locals as well as hotel guests.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dxbae-jw-marriott-hotel-dubai/
MALAYSIA AIRLINES
StandardMalaysia Airlines, Kuala Lumpur-Langkawi-Kuala Lumpur,
Business Class, B737-800, Confirguration : 16/144
Check-in at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was disgraceful. There was a separate check-in area for premium customers but there were only 2 counters open and they were dealing with passengers having oversized baggage and other complicated matters. There was no line for quick bag drop so the only choice was to wait. After check-in, I quickly proceeded through security.
I was informed that the Golden Lounge was under renovation and that a temporary lounge had been set up. This was located at a regular boarding gate waiting area and some plants had been put to give it a little privacy. There was a minimal choice of drinks and a few food snacks such as cakes and cup noodle soups were available. Boarding passes were checked at the entrance of the “Lounge” but staff members could not provide accurate information about flight departures. We were sent to the gate about 20 min before scheduled flight departure time, only to discover that the aircraft had not even landed. Boarding took place about 45 min later. The airline provided no proper information about the delay. No reason or explanation was given.
The flight was a pleasant experience. Business Class consisted of a 2-2 configuration with 16 seats whilst Economy Class had 144 seats in 3-3 configuration. The flight attendants were friendly and offered a choice of chicken sandwich or a local hot dish on this flight. This seemed reasonable, given the relatively short flight time of 50 minutes.
Baggage delivery at Langkawi airport was extremely fast as we were the only aircraft on the ground. The passenger terminal was accessed via a short walk from the aircraft as there are no aerobridges available at this small regional airport.
Verdict: Like many other airlines, Malaysian Airlines seems to struggle with their ground services while their inflight product and crews are pleasant.
THE RITZ-CARLTON, LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA
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I arrived at the Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi a few days after their official opening. Although there were some teething problems which were to be expected, I had a very pleasant stay. I stayed in a Rainforest Deluxe Room which was a generous 75 sq. metres in size, with a living area, a balcony and an oversized bathroom. The decoration is tasteful and fits well in a remote jungle setting.
Upon arrival, I was checked-in at the arrival lounge and then taken by electric buggy to the Dahlia building which hosted 9 suites.
The hotel offers 3 food and beverage outlets. The high-end Chinese restaurant Hai Yan; the Langkawi Kitchen serving Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine; and the Beach Grill serving western and eastern dishes, mainly seafood. The menu choices at the Beach Grill were quite limited and comfort food (beach resort favourites) such as club sandwiches or spaghetti dishes etc. was unfortunately missing. However, all the food that I tasted at the resort was delicious.
The hotel had a nice private, clean, sandy beach with plenty of lounge chairs, all of which were unfortunately not equipped with sun umbrellas yet.The pool is beautifully situated overlooking the beach and the bay.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi opened during early October 2017 and all the staff members that I met were eager to please, charming and helpful.
The resort is set in an emerald jungle and its design is inspired by a Malay fishing village. The contemporary Ritz-Carlton SPA is offering various treatments in private settings which are shaped like local Bubu fish traps.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi offers luxury accommodation and the renowned Ritz-Carlton service. It’s a beautiful place in the Malaysian rainforest.
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/langkawi#Hotel
SHARQ VILLAGE RESORT AND SPA, RITZ-CARLTON, DOHA, QATAR
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On my arrival at the Sharq Village & Spa resort, I was escorted directly to my room where the check-in procedure was completed efficiently. I was assigned a room in Villa 8 overlooking the main pool with good views over the resort which reminded me very much of a Morrocan village. The buildings were low rise and in oriental style, white and very different from typical big-city resorts. Everything was very clean and the resort grounds had beautifully manicured gardens.
The Sharq Village & Spa resort offers 2 swimming pools, a jacuzzi and 300 metres of private beach frontage. The beach is taken care of by an enthusiastic and helpful beach attendant. He keeps the beach impeccably clean at all times, ensures that guests always have enough towels and offers plenty of free ice-cold water to his guests. The main pool area has some waterfalls and a swim-up bar which is quite popular all day long. The staff at the pool are very attentive and ensure that everyone feels always at ease, being with an excellent service, a chat or just checking back from time to time to see if everything is all right.
The room was spacious in oriental style with a large bathroom with bathtub, a rain shower and a toilet. The room also had a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle for tea and plenty of drinking water. The bed was very comfy and the room lighting system was flexible. There was a working desk (with a multi-type electric power plug, which I greatly appreciated) and a nice balcony.
The hotel offers several food outlets including an award winning Persian restaurant, a shisha bar and a cigar lounge. All the food outlets I tried were excellent. The food choice available was plentiful, everything tasted delicious, and the service was attentive and friendly.
The resort has a fantastic Six Senses Spa which offers luxury spa treatments including massages and Turkish bath (hammam). A large gym is also available on site.
This hotel offers all that a resort style property needs to offer. Spacious rooms, nice swimming pools and a private beach. All the staff members that I met were warm, charming and attentive. They strive to make the guest feel at home and they do this with great success. I would recommend this hotel for a vacation style stay as well as for business people since the airport and downtown Doha are both not far away and easily reachable.
AIR FRANCE
StandardZurich-Paris, Business Class, Airbus A318
I checked-in online and went directly to the gate where I arrived 20 min before departure. The boarding was taking place by bus as the airplane had an overnight stay in Zurich.
The Airbus 318 is the smallest of the Airbus family and was well designed with black seats and red headrests. The meal service comprised breakfast served on chinaware and included orange juice and a coffee in a mug. The senior flight attendant was polite and friendly and made this short flight a positive experience. (There was a short delay on the flight and many pax inquired about their connecting flights). Some of the onward departure gates were announced by the chef de cabine – I thought this was a good service offering.
We arrived at CDG Terminal 2F with long walkways to the terminal exit. But if you follow the signs it’s fairly easy. Verdict: Solid product, short and pleasant flight in a clean airplane with a professional crew.
