HOWARD PLAZA HOTEL

" Perfect for my Big Family" 

Daan District, Taipei City, Chinese Taipei

 By: Ysabs Villaflor

 

LOCATION:   Located right smack in the business district of Da-an. It is a quiet area although in the middle of the city.

FEEL:  Traditional, homey, quality, clean, relaxing and feels wide. It is probably because of the open area in the middle of the hotel.

PERSONAL:  Booked 4 rooms with my whole family for a 5 day vacation in May 2013

 RECEPTION:  The bell man of the hotel made us feel welcome right from the get-go by saying hello.  An aerosol sanitizer sits in front of the hotel.  Reception area is wide and inviting as lounge chairs are around a huge fountain in the middle of the hotel.  No problem with checking-in.

THE ROOMS:  The rooms are spacious, well-lit.  Lighting made it very conducive for sleeping.

 

THE SMELL OF THE ROOM: Clean, like that of fresh linen.

THE BED: Comfortable. Not too hard nor too soft. I love the pillows! Heavy, sturdy but very soft.

THE VIEW:  View is of the other mall and train station.

THE BATHROOM:  Bathroom has tub, toiletries, bottled water provided and refreshed everyday.  The bathroom could use a bit of an upgrade.

THE COST:   A bit on the expensive side since hotel is 4 star hotel

THE FOOD:   We were able to have Continental breakfast in the 2^nd floor and the one on the ground floor for Chinese and Japanese.  They have ample amount of choices.  Plus, it tastes good too. Pretty good view of the pool while having breakfast.

THE SERVICE:   Service is friendly, accommodating and helpful.  The bell man gave us umbrellas as we were going out for night shopping, telling us that it was going to rain.  It’s little things like that that make the difference.

OTHER AMENITIES:   They have a pool, Wifi in the lobby, some shops on the ground level.

Rate: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Pousada De São Tiago is more gorgeous than I’ve ever dreamt a hotel could be.

Room type: De Barra Suite with harbour view

* 1 bedroom, 1 lounge area, 1 bathroom, 1 powder room, 1 terraza

Price: HKD$3,278 (P17,800/US$420) per night
* Expect an additional HKD$4000+ in fees and food/drinks in 1 night.

Rating: 10 out of 5 Stars

PROS: Yes, you’ve read it right. It’s a 10 out of 5 stars for São Tiago, because it far exceeded any of my expectations.

The suite was exquisitely appointed, from the divine bed (I’ve-died-and-gone-to-heaven soft) to the opulent old fortress-inspired décor, the Bang & Olufsen surround sound entertainment systems, the Jacuzzi in the bathroom bedecked in tortoiseshell tiles, the Hermes toiletries and the spacious terraza with the relaxing view of the Praia Grande Bay. No detail was too small, no cost too high, for the developers of this beautiful hotel.

São Tiago is a refreshing alternative to the casino-hotels crowding the Macau area. The hotel is housed within a 17th century Portuguese fort, giving it an elegant and nostalgic feel. 12 suites with modern facilities are available for the most discerning guest to choose from.

Also within the fort are La Paloma (hotel restaurant) and the Cascata Bar, both serving Spanish cuisine on the finest china and in the most luxurious surroundings. Food was mostly passable, but their bread and cheeses are a MUST TRY.

We had the hotel practically to ourselves when we went. The hotel's exclusivity makes it perfect for those who are looking for a quiet, plush place to stay in (honeymooners take note) amid the hustle and bustle of Macau.

CONS: Service needs improvement. We arrived at the hotel at around 8p.m.,

with no porter or guard to greet us. We lugged our luggage up the stairs to the reception area. Service was OK at best.

An anecdote: We were late in checking out since I had to be unglued from the delicious pampering of the Jacuzzi. When we finally went downstairs, the people at the reception were acting super bitchy. With the price that we paid for the lodgings and the grub, plus the fact that it appeared we were the only guests in the hotel, I though the treatment they gave us was excessive and unwarranted. It killed off any of our desire to extend.

No iPod speaker dock. This would have sweetened the deal. There’s a TV embedded in the bathroom mirror but no iPod player? It boggles the mind. Am I really expected to carry CDs around in the 21st century?? This is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to hotels.

Also, the tacky, ugly and weird miniatures of mountain ranges and fountains lining (littering) the corridors must be removed, destroyed, bulldozed, bombed. They look lost in this hauntingly beautiful hotel.

* * *

Beyond these, Pousada De São Tiago is still, hands-down, the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in.

It has become my yardstick in measuring all other hotels. It comes as no surprise that every hotel after it (and before it) disappoints. São Tiago looks even better than the pictures.

I can’t wait to be back in São Tiago again. 

MORE PHOTOS:

CANYON BOUTIQUE HOTEL, AMMAN, JORDAN
“My Favorite Hotel in my Holyland Trip”

Canyon Boutique Hotel
Adeeb Wahbeh Street | PO Box: 144590, Amman 11814, Jordan




By: Ysabs Villaflor

LOCATION: off the main road in downtown Amman, right in front of grocery store with 24-hour service.

FEEL: very modern, clean, small, luxurious boutique inn with only 5 stories. very intimate and very charming.

PERSONAL: I was with a group of tourists and it was the last hotel we stayed at from a number of hotels in the Holyland tour. I would like to say that this hotel left a very nice impression on me. It was such a nice surprise since most of the hotels we stayed at during the tour were mostly big hotels which have franchises in different countries.  This was such a welcome change.

THE ROOMS: are spacious, clean, and very new. they have modern facilities like flat screen television, nice lighting/ had a queen size bed all to myself and had an amazing time sleeping on the very comfortable bed.









THE BATHROOM: is spacious, without a tub. There is a heater, an intercom in the bathroom. The toiletries are always refreshed and the towels are always laundered.

my sick niece in her bed, requested for Adobo.

THE FOOD: is good! I tried the breakfast buffet which has a variety of continental and middle eastern fare. Compared to the other big hotel buffets I tried during the tour, the dishes are more adjusted to Western taste but still middle eastern. Dinner is fusion of international and middle eastern dishes. Both times, delicious. Dishes could also be requested. My niece who was sick, requested for a Filipino dish, which the chef was able to come up with- it was so good, my sis-in-law asked the Chef how it was made so she can duplicate it at home!  The Chef, gladly gave away his recipe.


THE SERVICE: the staff will make you feel right at home and always willing to help out in which ever way they can. Most of the managerial staff are big handsome men, in very snazzy suits, and always with a ready smile. Since it is a small boutique hotel, most of the staff are multi-taskers and may be assigned to do more than one thing. Our waiters are always willing to help us with our questions regarding anything.

breakfast buffet

OTHER AMENITIES: a computer at the lobby to catch up on emails, 5th floor roofdeck which has a restaurant and shisha bar- with an amazing view of th city. it is the perfect way to spend a lazy night chatting with friends and drinking coffee

MY RATING: 4 out of 5 STARS !

the view from the 5th floor of the Canyon

Midnight Snacks at the 5th floor of the hotel with friends I met on the tour