24 Hours at the Grand Hotel Stockholm

After an unbelievable trip to the capital of Catalonia where we stayed at the Arts hotel in Barcelona, we have had the honour to go to the City of Islands, Stockholm. The flight has been short and comfortable and the pick up from the airport to the famous Grand Hotel Stockholm was incredible. Upon arrival the bellmen brought us to the back entrance because the main entrance was due to open on the same evening (there was a renovation ongoing). The employee at the front office was a bit unfriendly and did not give us the feeling to be welcome. Although he insisted on the fact that our room was a newly refurbished Deluxe Room, he sent us to the hotel room. In fact it was one of the older double bedrooms with a stunning view over the harbour of Stockholm.

 When we arrived at the Deluxe Harbour View Room we were amazed about the style and the lovely details of the 45 square meters big room. The main area, which includes the bed and a small seating area, was in a beautiful colonial style. The bathroom was extensive and modern designed. A big rainfall shower and a bathtub are there to hang out and relax from a stressful day of sightseeing. The Molton Brown toiletries are a nice touch. 

 At the first evening, we did a short walk through the Östermalms quarter and went to the market in this part of the city. At the beautiful little shops, you could buy everything you could imagine from Fruits to meat over cheese and jams to fresh fish and shellfish. We went to a small fish restaurant in the back of the market and ordered a shellfish platter for two. We got a big cold platter with Lobster, King Crab, two crawfishes and two sorts of shrimps served with a delicious glass of Chablis white wine.

 After this delicious dinner, we went back to the Hotel to relax at the world famous Spa area. When we arrived at the front desk, the friendly lady asked us if we want to book a massage. We did not had that much time so we decided just to go to the pool. After swimming in the well-designed pool we went to the steam bath witch was a little too hot for us so we decided to go to the whirlpool, which was so amazing and relaxing. You have to try it!!!

 The breakfast at the “Veranda” was delicious with a big choice. A young woman brought us a good cappuccino while we were eating fresh scrambled eggs. The buffet offered us a huge selection to choose from various meals, such as salmon, bacon, different sorts of cheese and jam. The location is one of the best in Stockholm. You can enjoy a beautiful view over the harbour and the royal palace.

We have been invited for one night by Mrs. Madeleine Brack, the General Manager of the Grand Hotel Stockholm to experience the full "Grand Experience".

With my best regards,

Beverage Executive

48 Hours at the Hotel Arts Barcelona

After a 15 minute ride from the airport of Barcelona, we finally drove inside the driveway of the famous Arts Hotel Barcelona. Being informed that this high end property is part of the Ritz Carlton Chain, the welcome was more than warm. Sara was the first smile we experienced at the Arts, she immediately transferred us to the main Lobby on the First floor, where we had been allocated to the PR Manager Melanie. She was the one which accompanied us to the Level 33 - the Club Level.

Upon arriving with the elevators, the whole team of the Lounge greeted us by last name and welcomed us with a glass of Laurent Perrier. After doing some paperwork we have been given a short introduction to the city with a map and Laura gave us some tipps and recommendations about what to do in Barcelona. 

Harry showed us the way to our spacious, yet breath-taking room with views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea (the Med as they used to call it at the Arts). Our vast Club Room was furnished in a very light, elegant style and had two very heavenly queen beds. Due to the situation on the corner, the whole room was filled with sunlight and offered spectacular views from nearly everywhere. 

The amazing bathroom is wonderfully designed and very spacious as well. The separated power-shower and the deep bath tub were a big plus, as the luxurious Asprey toiletries and the many guest products (like wood comb and cool toothbrush). There were plenty of towels (nearly three bath towels per person) and toiletries and the housekeeping did a great job when preparing the room. On the arrival day, they forgot to do the turn-down service. 

As the real highlight of the stay, the Ritz Carlton Club Lounge was really breath-taking and we can highly recommend to upgrade yourself to this luxurious level of finest service. Every staff member did give his utmost and went beyond the expected - we were flashed by the warm welcome and how friendly they treated us. After the first day we felt like old friends. There were five different kinds of meals at the Club Lounge: Continental Breakfast, Light Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Evening Hors d'oeuvres as well as Late nights snacks. 

Another advantage of The Club Lounge was the complimentary open-bar which included alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, such as whiskey, spirits, vodka, gin, lemonades as well as San Pellegrino and Evian waters. This was highly appreciated by us as we never needed any money for such extras in the city. In fact we would definitely say this is worth the high price tag for a Club Room. 

Unfortunately we haven't been at the wonderful Spa on the 43 Floor, but next time we will definitely go there as well. Due to the fact that it snowed in Central Europe and we were so glad to finally see some sun, we weren't shocked of the warm temperatures of Barcelona. So we went to the outdoor pool and finally jumped into the heated jacuzzi next to the pool, under the palms.

So we found ourselves under the palms in mid february with lots of sun in a heated jacuzzi, while it snowed in tons in Germany and Austria. What an amazing feeling. This and also the service is why we love the Arts and definitely will return soon in order to also test the pool and stay at one of their vast and breath-taking apartments ;-)!

We have been invited by the Hotel Arts Barcelona, a Ritz-Carlton managed property. Our review expresses our own opinion and has not been influenced.

24 Hours at the Hotel Cervosa

The first hotel of our first and only "Ski Week" indeed exceeded all our expectations. In the real center of Serfaus - one of the loveliest ski towns I have ever seen - a bit up on a small hill, there is a true wellness and gourmet temple: The Hotel Cervosa Serfaus. Owned and managed by the welcoming Westreicher Family - Mr. Hugo Westreicher takes care of the guests by himself when he walks through the restaurant every evening during the dinner. Mrs. Westreicher, the friendly and welcoming soul of the house welcomed us with a glass of sparkling wine. 

Upon entering our wonderfully designed and very spacious "Junior Suite de Luxe", we were really surprised to find a bottle of sparkling wine and a nice welcome plate with apples and chocolate donuts. I really liked the layout of our suite - the bathroom was kind of open plan with access from the bedroom and the hallway. A very nice touch was the Nespresso coffee machine, the warm colors of the room as well as the balcony on the south side overlooking the wonderfully snowed town and the new spa building. 

I would describe the atmosphere of the room as very comfortable and welcoming, simply perfect for a ski hotel like the Cervosa. Our huge bathroom offers a bath tub, walk-in shower and a separated toilet with bidet. The toiletries were by Bulgari and therefore as luxurious as the complete experience we had during these two days. In addition to the furniture, I experienced the bed sheets and the mattress as very heavenly. 

One of the most important parts of this hotel is the vast wellness and spa area which boasts more than 3.000 square meters of pure tranquility and relaxation over three floors. The entry level is equipped with a large indoor pool, two jacuzzis and a separated area for treatments. Furthermore there is a huge thermal area, a large and wonderful steam bath, an aromatic sauna as well as a jacuzzi, hot loungers and water beds on the first basement. A recently added spa building can be accessed through a tunnel. In this spa building there is a small bar for tea and drinks, two wonderful relaxation rooms, a breath-taking panoramic sauna as well as a heated outdoor pool with fire places and views over the snow capped mountains and house roofs of Serfaus.

After the relaxing spa break, we headed down to the hotel's own restaurant. Fortunately we arrived on Sunday and were therefore invited to be part of the Gala evening with an amazing Gala Dinner, including six courses. The first course was a sashimi of tuna, followed by a creamy cocos-curry soup, a breast of quail and a sorbet of mango with lots of champagne. The main course was an excellent fillet of veal with potato gratin and vegetables - sounds not as good as it tasted. The grand final was a wonderful chocolate cake with a gorgeous mock ice cream. Finally we were treated with excellent cheese from the Tyrol.

On Monday we had the possibility to discover the slopes of the enormous ski resort "Serfaus Fiss Ladis". Unfortunately the weather was not the best and therefore not that good for a lovely ski day. During our ski day we discovered that the resort attracts a lot of families and beginners. If you want to live your ski dreams as a professional skier, you need to hide away to the black, more extreme slopes. All in all, there are some really goof food outlets, such as the Lassida Restaurant, the Fine Dine at Masner and the new Seealm Hög. 

A very special thanks to the Westreicher Family for the generous invitation to the overnight stay with half board. Our ski day has been sponsored by the tourism region "Serfaus Fiss Ladis".

24 Hours at the Hotel Bristol Vienna

The old grand-dame Hotel of Vienna was originally predicted to be mentally dead, but since the Sacher family took over the ownership, a lot changed and a completely fresh wind breezes now through the elegantly styled hallways.

After a glamorous arrival in the 1^st class with the new Czech Railjet, we were chauffeured by our private driver of Uber, to the luxurious Hotel Bristol on Kärtnerring 1. The check-in was smooth and our Bristol Suite was already available at 11.30 which was a great plus. Upon entering the heavy door of our Suite, a completely different world opened to be discovered. Through the bright and airy entrée we got a first sight of the size of this little piece of pure heaven.

A huge living room with two light-brown sofas, a comfortable armchair, a writing desk with seating arrangements and a TV shelf with a built-in fireplace welcomed one of its first guests. In addition to this impressive area we found our bedroom that we entered through two very elegant sliding doors with gold handles. Everything did not only look so expensive, it really was of high quality. As the antiques, the deco vases and the lamps.

Back to the facts, the bedroom: The bed was extremely comfortable and the curtains did black-out extremely well. Beside the bed there was the entrance to the bathroom, a heaven for all bath-lovers: A separated toilet area with bidet, double vanities, a deep bath tub, and finally – an enormous walk-in shower at 1,5x1,5 meters. Last but not least I have to mention the world’s best bathroom amenities, at least they are the most expensive ones – by famous perfumer Roja Dove.

Although the city is amazing, we did not want to leave our heavenly bed. Fortunately breakfast was predicted to be world-class, so that’s why we headed down to Bristol Lounge and it really was worth the way. I would call it a very selective offer but of really high quality: bread is served in the main area, while all other products, including the cooking place are located in a separated room which is perfectly cooled for the fresh products.

The staff was always helpful and they even gave us a complimentary late check-out until 4 pm without any discussion. So we could enjoy the luxury of our huge Bristol Suite on a lazy Sunday afternoon before we headed back to Prague.

The Bristol proofed once again that it want to compete with the other high class properties such as the Imperial, the Ritz Carlton and the Park Hyatt. We can gladly say, YES! It is our new favourite hotel in Vienna.

Our stay in a new Bristol Suite at the Hotel Bristol Vienna was completely sponsored by the hotel. 

Our above written review is our personal opinion and hasn't been influenced.

Travel Diary: My Summer holidays Part 3

My second week of travelling through the very Southern Italy and I am still very impressed of the beauty of the Amalfi Coast! Now I am on the way to Calabria and I just left the Peninsula of Sorrento, Vico Equense and the Capo La Gala hotel!

The hotel itself did a small change from the morning after my last blog entry! The requested and promised Lorenzo Villoresi toiletries were not in the room, but after I asked one of the super-friendly front office ladies, she immediately called all departments to get me the last products they could find! To top this service she also gave us a restaurant recommendation for a really wow-experience- we had the best dinner with locals only during this week!

The room itself was bright, with sea view window, comfy bed and nice bathroom with very small and old-smelling Palais Jamais Etro toiletries!

Furthermore there is a Spa with indoor pool, which is beautifully designed but not good managed (empty Ortigia soaps and terrible smell of dirty water in the corner o the relaxing room), as well as very nice Carthusia toiletries if you book a Prestige room or a suite! I do not like these hotels which make two-class system with the toiletries, this gives me more the feeling of a cheap hotel than a five-star property, but the front desk told me that they will have Carthusia everywhere soon! Again I have to mention the four ladies at the front desk, who are more than very helpful and they are so friendly - they greeted us like friends!

The breakast is a nice Buffet of a 5-star hotel and the service is friendly.

Although they try to be luxury in some aspects, which have to be improved for this price category, they get 8 Points out of 10 for one of the best front office staff I've ever had as a hotel guest!

Yesterday I had a great day in Capri! I went there with the Speed Ferry from Sorrento and experienced one of the most beautiful islands I've ever been! The streets are narrow and you can find every world-famous Designer you can imagine: there is a Prada store next to the funicular, a Louis Vuitton shop in the luxury shopping street and of course the Carthusia factory with the factory store around the corner - a MUST for every Capri visitor!

I have bought a nice 50ml perfume called 1689, which is a great male perfume mix by Carthusia! The price was 55 Euros for 50ml, which is not too overpriced for a nice holiday souvenier! Afterwards I strolled into the shop of the famous Qvisisana Palace, where they have beautiful accessoires in cool beige and brown colours.

After the shopping tour I passed by a very chic restaurant called Edodè, which serves excellent sea food! The only problem or shok for me was the service charge of 14 Euros!!! It was a nice lunch, but not really worth such high obligatory tip or service charge!

Hotel-Check: Aqua Dome Spa Resort Part 2

Sorry for being offline the whole day, but it was more stressful than it should have been. 

 1 hour after my last blog, I wanted to pick up the keys for the reserved Alpine Room. Of course they tried to give me the standard room in the old wing! So I went the whole way to the room and then back to the reception to claim about the room. They did not apology and immediately called the housekeeping to prepare a new room. After 15 minutes waiting on the reception without offering a drink or a seat, they gave me the keys without any comment. 

The new room is nice, the smell is fresh, the balconies and bathrooms are modern and new, too! Although the bed sheets are dirty and used! YES - All-over Shampoo comes out of a dispenser - very exclusive :-(( ! They are not even branded ones!

Back to the Spa, some tyrolean citizens tried to get our loungers as they were not able to got some by theirselfs! We shouted at them and they left us alone - horrible if you're paying 380.00 Euros for that one night in the low season!

We went to a local restaurant as we are disappointed of the overall service at this property! This was probably the best decision we did the whole day - the Pizza was absolutely great!

To be honest, everything I wanted is to sleep, but this was impossible as the materess felt extremely cheap and unconfortable, a bit like in a youth hostel or in a boarding house!

After replacing the mattress protector, the beds felt more comfortable and sleeping was no longer a problem. :-)

We will see what tommorrow brings, we will for sure no longer stay the afternoon at this chaotic place! Sorry but this is a true hotel-fail for this price!