My review of Zurich Marriott Hotel
As one of my last international trips of year 2021 I decided to return to Switzerland for a few days to visit some friends. Well in the end I had to cut the trip short and cancel Paris so that I could get back to London before the new entry restrictions struck, but let me not bore you with those details.
As one of the financial centres of Europe it surprises me how little presence the international hotel chains have in Zurich. The only luxury hotel from a major hotel group is Park Hyatt Zurich, if you don’t count the ones from LHW. There are a few Hilton, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton and Mercure hotels but most of them are not located centrally.
The only exception is probably Zurich Marriott Hotel, which is why I chose to stay here. The hotel is less than 10 minutes’ walk from the train station, and 15 minutes from the shopping street and old city.
The hotel is one of the tallest buildings in the neighbourhood. I find the numbering in their lifts quite confusing though – it jumps from 4 to 24 and goes up to like 40, which makes you think you are staying on the 30th floor or something. However the building has only 20 floors so don’t be fooled.
I’m upgraded to a Junior Suite, which is a pretty good result as I’m staying four nights and this weekend seems very busy.
Unlike most Junior Suites it’s got a separate living room:
Bedroom:
Bathroom and toilet are in separate rooms:
The room is a bit old and there’s nothing to write home about. The best part is the 180-degree city view, although Zurich is probably the least beautiful city of Switzerland and there’s not much to see from here.
My welcome gift is two chocolate bars:
You can enjoy 500 Marriott points or 10% dining discount if you skip housekeeping. Such gesture was quite common pre-covid but became very rare nowadays since most hotels are operating reduced housekeeping service anyway.
Breakfast is served in the restaurant. It’s very busy every morning (or maybe it’s just me getting up too late) so I didn’t manage to take a lot of photos.
M Club is located on the ground floor. it’s open from around midday till late.
The lounge is not huge, but I like that they have different table setups so you can choose depending if you are just casually drinking or want to do some work.
Snacks and beverages are available throughout the day.
Alcohols and canapes are served in the evening. There were two hot dishes as well but I don’t remember what they were.
The lounge is staffed all the time and they are very helpful.
I tried out the gym once, which features river view.
There is a relaxation room with loungers. It’s weird since usually when you are on a lounger, you’d expect to be facing a swimming pool or at least something interesting, instead of a wall…
Even weirder, they don’t have a swimming pool but do have a sun bed and it’s the first time I see it in a hotel.
Although nothing stands out, I think overall the Marriott does its job and it’s a pleasant stay for me. From what I’ve read the Sheraton and Renaissance are better hotels and also cheaper, but you will rely on tram and bus to move around if staying there.
My review of Six Senses Douro Valley
Thanks to the recent acquisition, Six Senses has become a new great addition to the IHG family, and potentially means more and better ways to spending IHG points and enjoying the elite benefits. The integration is still on the way though, and not all Six Senses hotels are IHG participating.
For example, Six Senses Douro Valley which is generally regarded as on the of best resort hotels in Europe, is not part of the loyal program yet although already bookable via IHG channels. There was a glitch when it landed on the booking platform though – point redemption was temporarily made available, and even the top suites could be booked for the same 90,000 points!
Thanks to the glitch, I managed to book two nights in the Vineyard Garden Suite, which is the best room of the hotel. This is gonna be one of the best hotels I’ve ever visited and there’s no need to explain how excited I am!
Departing from Porto, there are semi-frequent trains from Campanha and Sao Bento stations which take around two hours to arrive into Regua station and costs less than €10. From Regua it’s a short taxi ride to the hotel which costs circa €8, and coming back you can book a taxi at reception for a slightly more expensive price.
I don’t drive so this is the only option for me unless I want to take the time consuming cruise route. Driving a car would be faster than the train, however the latter is on a much more scenery route so usually more recommended.
The entrance doesn’t look very tempting from outside.
The lobby feels more “like it” and the viewing balcony here has the best view out of the entire hotel, in my opinion.
Red wine, walnuts and honey water are served while check-in is prepared.
The lobby / reception is actually on the top floor of the hotel (8th). The 6th / 7th floors are offices, and from 5th floor below are guest rooms, suites, restaurants and other facilities.
My Vineyard Garden Suite is located on the 5th floor.
I’m immediately stunned by the amazing vineyard view from the living room. I wish I could own a flat with such a view!
The living room is very welcoming and homey. You may have noticed that it doesn’t feature a TV, however a projector is available.
Let’s have a look at the garden.
For a suite that accommodates only two people, the garden is overwhelmingly big and well-furnished. I guess the idea is when a group of friends come and stay at this hotel, two people could book this suite while the others book the basic rooms, and everyone just spend most of the time here together…
There’s hot-tub in the garden as well. It’s not really a jacuzzi though, so although you could relax here for the best experience you should still take advantage of the spa.
The bedroom on the other hand is much smaller and basic, but also with a view.
A tablet is attached to wall which allows you to view menus, activities and other hotel information, and place in-room dining orders if needed. When checking in you’ll also be given an access code to log in to the Six Senses Mobile App, which allows you to view all the same information plus making requests. You could also view such information before your arrival in the app.
The bathroom is huge, featuring a very advanced intelligent toilet seat.
Dining facilities are all located on the 3rd floor. The first thing you see coming out of the elevator is the Wine Library, which stores hundreds of red wines produced in the Douro Valley.
You are given a chip card at your convenience should you want to taste selected wines.
Wine tasting events are held here daily for a fee.
On the terrace outside, Happy Hour is hosted every Tuesday and Friday evening, where soft drinks, wines and cocktails are offered to hotel guests for free. It’s also a chance to chat with the hotel’s general manager and give feedbacks.
We mentioned earlier that this hotel isn’t yet IHG participating, however they are going far and beyond to offer all Spire Elite members free breakfast, room upgrade, and complimentary 50-minute massages for two.
Breakfast is semi-buffet, as the bread / salad / fruits are the same for everyone and there are a few items you can order, including eggs benedict and waffles.
Presentation is really great, and the food taste good too. I’m especially impressed by the mango, which comes with a very special fragrance and almost just melts in the mouth – tastes more like an ice cream!
You can also add half-board or full-board to your accommodation, which cost €80 and €120 per person respectively. Since breakfast is already included for Spire Elite members, you can expect a €20 discount on those prices.
Menus are available here. In principle you can choose any items from starters, mains and desserts, one each, and unlimited soft drinks are included. Looking at the prices, you’ll immediately realise that booking a half-board and full-board package is a no-brainer.
I had the ribeye – which would otherwise cost €94 – for the first dinner. It’s pretty good.
If you visit between May and September, summer barbecue is available in the outdoor area which is also included in the half-board / full-board package.
The menus are very reasonably priced to be honest, however if you prefer something light you can also drop by the bar. A sandwich or burger costs around €20.
The Spa & Wellness centre is on the 2nd floor. A bird view of the swimming pool:
Although the hotel is full, I rarely see any people around the swimming pool the few times I pass by. Not that I’m complaining!
After having some massage in the jacuzzi I spent some time in the sauna room too.
As mentioned, Spire Elite members can have a two-person 50-minute relaxing massage for free.
Let’s go out! The hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool with a bar next to it. The water is a bit cold in October already so you don’t see many people going in there.
Aside the pool is a garden and mini-farm. The hotel is almost self-sufficient in terms of herb supply.
And then the reputable vineyards from Douro Valley. If you visit in August and September I believe there are grape-picking activities available which sounds very fun.
A tennis court too.
As the hotel is on top of a mountain, there’s enough space for you hike and cycle around too.
The hotel offers plenty of activities too, most of which are free of charge. It ranges from Yoga, Pilates, Kayaking, Hiking, Tree Climbing to Art and Sketch workshops. The schedule is difference every day and shuffles every week.
My stay is amazing and it almost feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you are also considering to visit this hotel, you won’t be disappointed.
18 best Marriott hotel redemptions in Europe
We covered the best Marriott redemptions in the UK in the last post, which unfortunately isn’t a very long list. Today we’re gonna take a look at Europe too (plus a few other territories nearby), where there are many more great choices!
Again, before we start: Marriott Bonvoy has eight redemption categories at the moment, and the number of points required for standard / off-peak / peak are as follows:
The following recommendations are not in any particular order.
- Germany – Roomers Baden-Baden Cat 5 / 35,000 points
This hotel is generally regarded as one the best Marriott properties in Germany, and was once the best place to use a 25,000 free night certificate in Europe. Nowadays a standard reward nights costs 35,000 points here, which is still a bargain for a spa holiday.
2. Germany – Gewandhaus Dresden Cat 3 / 17,500 points
One of the most recommended hotels in Dresden with high ratings across all booking sites, and that 17,500 points should be well worth it!
3. Germany – Courtyard Bremen Cat 2 / 12,500 points
Despite being just a Courtyard, this hotel is one the of the most reputable in town for its history and excellent location, and has been on my wish-list for a while!
4. Italy – Eremito Cat 4 / 25,000 points
Eremito is a retreat in the Umbrian hills that combines historical masonry techniques with modern technology. A room night here sells for £250+.
Honourable Mentions Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany is a similar hotel.
5. Switzerland – Courtyard Basel Cat 3 / 17,500 points
It’s only a Courtyard and located by the highway, so not really very convenient for Basel. However we all know how expensive Switzerland is, and spending points here could be sensible if you are driving.
6. France – Marriott’s Village d’lle-de-France Cat 4 / 25,000 points
More of a resort hotel close to the Disneyland near Paris, and 25,000 points a night is a steal if you want accommodation near the Disneyland.
7. Spain – The Ritz-Carlton Abama Cat 6 / 50,000 points
I’ve stayed here recently (review here), which was my first stay at a Ritz Carlton hotel, and unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. That said, you may find it more to your taste, and 50,000 points is bargain compared to the cash rate.
8. Spain – AC Hotel Valencia Cat 2 / 12,500 points
A solid hotel in Valencia near the beach. I was hoping to visit it before the pandemic hit, and then sadly it jumped up to Category 2 from Category 1.
Honourable Mention AC Hotel Alicante is another city-centre hotel in South Spain.
9. Spain – AC Hotel Gran Canaria Cat 2 / 12,500 points
An economical option for a holiday in Gran Canaria, especially as it usually sells for more than €100 a night. I have to say I really like this stock photo of their swimming pool 🙂
Honourable Mentions AC Hotel Iberia Las Palmas is also in Category 2 which caters to a similar audience.
10. Croatia – Westin Zagreb & Sheraton Zagreb Cat 3 / 17,500 points
Both hotels are very similar in terms of location, condition and reviews. To be honest 17,500 points isn’t great value unless it’s peak season, however the Sheraton was one the very first hotels I stayed at with SPG, so it’s just for the sake of my memories.
11. Serbia – Courtyard Belgrade City Centre Cat 2 / 12,500 points
The Metropol Palace used to be the top redemption sweet spot in the good old SPG times. Nowadays the Courtyard may have become a more reasonable option to spend your Marriott points.
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Couryard Sarajevo Cat 2 / 12,500 points
Bosnia is still recovering from the unfortunate history of wars, and there aren’t many options when it comes to international hotel chains in the capital. I stayed at the Swissotel when I visited it last year.
I walked past the Courtyard a couple of times. It looked very new, and is ideally located for tourists.
13. Belarus – Renaissance Minsk Hotel Cat 2 / 12,500 points
I’ve never been to Belarus, but 12,500 points seems very cheap for a five-star hotel in a country’s capital…
14. Turkey – JW Marriott Ankara Cat 2 / 12,500 points
This is probably one of the best Marriott redemption out there in the entire world, and I still don’t understand why its category never got increased over the years. For only 12,500 points, you are getting a room worth more than 200 euros, and this is a very modern JW Marriott! I stayed here in a Junior Suite in 2020, and it didn’t disappoint.
15. Turkey – Sheraton Grand Samsun Cat 1 / 7,500 points
The only Sheraton Grand hotel that falls into Category 1 in Europe, which is one of Marriott’s top-end brands. Great choice if you’d like to have a very cheap beach holiday by the Black Sea.
Honourable Mentions the Four Points Izmir hotel in Turkey is also Category 1, however considering how cheap Turkey usually is I probably prefer to pay cash for a better full-service hotel instead.
16. Morocco – Le Meridien N’Fis Cat 2 / 12,500 points
I stayed here as SPG Gold when visiting Marrakesh a few years back. The hotel felt very worn-out everywhere and was by no means living up to five-star standard, but if you don’t like the idea of staying in a Riad this Le Meridien can possibly offer you better comfort.
17. Qatar – Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel Cat 3 / 17,500 points
One of the very few Marriott Marquis hotels around across the globe. There was once a Doha Marriott hotel which was only Category 2 but it seems to have left the Marriott group.
18. Kuwait – Residence Inn Kuwait City Cat 2 / 12,500 points
When you are looking for a tourist destination Kuwait City is unlike to be on your list. But if it is, using points is a great idea as hotels tend to be overpriced in this country.
Honourable Mention Courtyard Kuwait City is also Category 2.
Marriott has thousands of hotels in Europe so this list is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it gives you some inspiration at least!
My review of Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa
Having stayed three nights at the InterContinental, I wanted to switch to a different hotel for change of scenery. I thought about the Crowne Plaza at the beginning, but opted for the Sheraton instead in the end because of its spa facilities, and also better elite benefits from Marriott.
The hotel is quite far out from the city centre, and you do need the bus network or Uber / Bolt to get around, which is an important consideration.
On the other hand, it is huge and very modern. Unlike the InterContinental, most of the hotel guests are here on business travel.
I’m upgraded to a Club room on the 11th floor.
I was very surprised to learn the hotel was opened in 2003 – I don’t see any sign of age to be honest. Both the public areas and the room look fairly new.
There’s a “city view” from the room.
According to the discussions on Flyertalk, Platinum members used to only get breakfast in the Club lounge. The lounge is still closed at the moment, and breakfast is served in the main restaurant.
The breakfast is pretty good overall, almost on par with the InterContinental although there’s no a-la-carte menu.
There’s no service charge for room service here, so you can also have breakfast in the room should you wish. As a guest on the Club floor, you can order refreshments and snack throughout the day:
And Happy Hour offering between 6pm and 8pm:
But the highlight got to be the spa. Only Club floor guests have free access to the spa centre, otherwise you’d have to pay a fee. If you have Platinum status or above though it shouldn’t be an issue.
Again it feels quite new.
The Jacuzzi is most amazing, one of the biggest I’ve ever seen with different function areas, that focus on foot, shoulder, back and full-body respectively.
The sauna room and Turkish sauna are quite impressive too.
The Sheraton is a totally different genre compared to the InterContinental, and in a way I like it more than the latter. If you don’t mind travelling around in a car, or if you have a lot of time in Porto, you may want to consider staying here too.
My review of InterContinental Porto, Palacio Das Cardosas
When Six Senses Douro Valley had an intern rate, I splashed 180,000 points on their Vineyard Garden Suite for two nights. It ended up fitting nicely into my two-week break before starting the new job, so I planned a one-week trip to Porto and Douro Valley.
There isn’t a great deal of hotels to choose from in Porto’s city centre from the major hotel chains. The InterContinental happened to be running a 3-for-2 sale via their Luxury & Lifestyle program which I happily went on board. The rate comes with free breakfast, room upgrade and $100 dining credit etc.
The location can’t be any better, banging in the centre with the Sao Bento station just next door. Basically all the tourist attractions are within easy reach.
The hotel was once a palace, as you can probably tell from its name.
Spire Ambassadors are usually upgrade two-level to their Junior Suite. The hotel is very busy at the moment though, and the entire 4-th floor is under renovation. I’m upgraded just one level to an Executive Room.
It’s pretty much what you can usually expect from an old-fashioned luxury hotel in Europe. It’s a corner room with two aspects.
The room also features a mini-balcony on which you an go out and enjoy some view.
As I said, it’s location is super central, meanwhile the soundproofing isn’t great given the hotel’s age. This is very problematic during the night, especially an ambulance or police car passes through.
As a consequence I voluntarily asked for a downgrade to a Deluxe room with courtyard view instead. It’s more or less of the same size, with the same furnishings but much quieter.
Some desserts, including a couple of pasteis de natas are offered as the welcome gift.
Breakfast buffet’s quality is pretty good. Many hotels just totally mess up with scrambled eggs by presenting them overly dry or soggy, but they do a good job here.
There are also some items for you to order, including pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict and omelettes etc.
There’s a pretty good spread of desserts and pastries too. Even champagne is available!
On the other hand I wasn’t very impressed by the dinner menu. The octopus I got for €38 was a tiny portion:
The $100 credit cannot be applied on drinks, but can be used in conjunction with the €15 Ambassador credit. I don’t recommend eating at the restaurant unless you have the credit, as Porto has a lot of good and cheap food to offer.
The hotel features a gym and sauna room, but no spa facilities.
The hotel’s location is unbeatable, but other than that it was slightly below my expectations. If the price is right however, it’s not a bad idea to stay here.
My review of Tempelhof Lounge, Brandenburg Airport Berlin
After a nine-year delay, the Berlin Brandenburg Airport finally opened in October 2020, and this is where I fly from to get back to London after my one-week trip in Germany.
Most of the flights depart from Terminal 1, and there are two lounge options here: Lufthansa Business Lounge for Star Alliance customers, and Tempelhof Lounge for everyone else. If you are in economy class, have no status and rely on Priority Pass then you are out of luck, as the Tempelhof doesn’t accept Priority Pass or LoungeKey. If you have DragonPass though, you can get access to the Tempelhof AND the Lufthansa Business Lounge!
I’m flying British Airways so entitled to the Tempelhof Lounge. It is located near A20 which is quite a trek after security.
The Lounge is big and bright.
At 11am, there are potato soup, meatballs with rice and scrambled eggs served in sealed jars. I applaud their effort to make hot food available 🙂
One of the best features of this lounge is a dedicated passport control service. After exiting the lounge there are two border control desks which are reserved for lounge guests only, and you’ll be entering Zone B/C immediately for non-Schengen departures. This saves you around 20 minutes’ time!
In general I find it a very pleasant lounge and definitely much better than the previous options at Tegel. It’s worth spending some time here before your flight the next time you travel from Brandenburg.
My review of Waldorf Astoria Berlin
Thanks to the Impresario 3-for-2 offer, I managed to grab three nights at the Waldorf Astoria for my Berlin trip at a more than reasonable price. This is the second WA hotel I’ve stayed with after Edinburgh, which was quite good, although to be honest nothing spectacular.
The WA is right next to the Zoologischer Garten station with excellent connections to both the Hauptbanhof and Brandenburg Airport. Ku’damm street and the Tiergarten Park are both within reach so I find here a nice balance between nature and busy city life. I stayed at the Westin Grand last time and definitely prefer the location of the Waldorf Astoria (West Berlin).
You won’t miss the hotel’s iconic building.
Check-in experience is prompt and smooth. Unlike Hyatt Regency Cologne, I only need to show my vaccination proof once and never again for breakfast and dinner throughout the stay.
My room is upgraded to a Junior Suite on the 6th floor. From what I understand this is what Diamond members are usually upgraded to, so there’s no special advantage for booking Impresario unfortunately.
The Junior Suite measures around 50m2 which is fairly big – actually even the entry-level rooms at the WA are 36m2 which is decent enough by all standards.
Despite being called a “suite”, there isn’t really a well-separated living space apart from this small corner:
There is also a walk-in wardrobe.
The all-marble bathroom feels lavish:
Bathrobe is super comfy!
There is a small platform outside the window but I can’t really go out. Due to being on a low-ish floor I don’t have much of a view at all. You should be able to overlook the Zoo and Tiergarten on floor ten and above, if the aspect is right of course.
In terms of breakfast, Diamond members used to receive the continental buffet for free only until 2019. This has changed since and the entire cook-to-order menu is comped for Gold and Diamond guests.
The menu is very extensive, covering all egg variants including Shakshuka, Eggs Royale, Eggs Benefits and a WA special. You can also indulge yourself with American Pancakes and Belgian Waffles etc.
The only dining option at the moment is ROCA on the ground floor. I used my $100 credit here. Food is okay, nothing to write home about.
There is a Library Lounge at the 15th floor which is usually used for private events. It’s now open as a bar from Wednesday to Sunday. I didn’t have my phone with me and here are some stock photos from the hotel’s website:
It’s got a nice view over the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and I recommend having a couple of drinks here if you’ve got time. The setup is similar to an Executive Lounge which intrigued me, but then I was told the drinks were not complimentary :p (many hotels in China have a complimentary happy-hour alternative if no Executive Lounge is available to elite guests)
One big pleasant surprise is the Guerlain Spa, which is very big, bright and modern.
I thoroughly enjoy the swimming pool (although I don’t really swim) and the jacuzzi. The sauna and steam rooms (with fragrance) are very nice too.
There’s also an outdoor terrace attached to the Spa.
There’s a gym too.
It’s probably down to personal preference, but to me WA Berlin is one of the most luxurious hotels I’ve ever stayed at in Europe for sure and I would not hesitate to return. Compared to my most recent “luxury” experience at the Langley, WA Berlin has larger and more functional rooms, and better Spa facilities – not to mention it’s also much cheaper!
My review of Hyatt Regency Cologne
After one year I’m finally comfortable travelling abroad again, and my first stop is Cologne in Germany. In fact I’m desperate to make use of the Amex Hyatt cashback offer, which plays a big part in me deciding where to go 😉
Cologne has its own airport albert quite small and only Ryanair flies here from Stansted. Instead I choose to fly into Dusseldorf on BA and Cologne is just 30-60 minutes away from its airport, depending on the train you take. The Hyatt Regency is only 5 minutes’ walk from Köln Messe/Deutz station.
The hotel is located on the “wrong” side of the river, which reminds me of the Hilton in Newcastle. All the attractions, shops and restaurants are on the west riverbank so it’s not very convenient for tourists, however it has the advantage of being much quieter, and owning the amazing view of the city centre including the Cologne Cathedral.
I booked a Hyatt Prive rate, which comes with room upgrade, free breakfast and $100 credit. Unfortunately the current 3-for-2 sale only includes suites, and I can’t really justify the extra cost.
Being a measly Explorist, I’m granted a one-level upgrade to a King Room with River View.
The room is okay, although lacking in any innovation or spirit.
Some chocolate as a welcome gift:
The river view is impressive, and I’m thankful to my free Explorist status.
The Hyatt has four restaurants open at the moment. One Italian and one fast-food in the cubic houses in front of the hotel:
A lobby bar on the ground floor, and the main Glashaus restaurant where breakfast is served.
If you don’t have a river view room, the Glashaus is worth visiting.
The breakfast spread is good with a few cook-to-order options. Sunday morning is very busy though and service is bit chaotic.
I had dinner here to use my €85 credit. I ordered Pluma Iberica which turned out to be excellent – in fact it’s one of the best pork I’ve ever had in my life!
Hotel residents can book to use the spa. There’s no sauna or steam room, but the swimming pool and jacuzzi are decent enough.
I read good things about the Regency Club but unfortunately I don’t have access to it. Overall the hotel is fine, although for a five-star I’d expect more elements in the room. If you prefer to stay in the city centre and don’t mind the view, Hilton Cologne might be a better choice.