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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.
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 Hyatt Regency Birmingham
Before I start my new job, I decided to visit a friend in Birmingham for a few days. Hyatt Regency Birmingham happens to be offering complimentary 3rd night which makes its price very reasonable, and I’m attempting to fulfil my Globalist challenge, so it became my choice of accommodation.
The hotel is a modern high-rise near the city centre.
I booked a Club room as its premium over a Standard room was only £14 a night, so basically a no-brainer given the inclusive breakfast and access to Regency Club. They wouldn’t upgrade me further to a suite although it’s available – Explorist status isn’t much useful…
My room is located on the 22th floor. Its configuration is the same with a Standard King, apart from being on one of the top floors.
The decoration is a bit too plain to be honest, if not also dated. I understand it’s a business hotel which is why they don’t make a lot of effort.
You can overlook the city through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Breakfast is self-service in the main restaurant.
Spread isn’t great. I asked for a cup of Cappuccino and was told the coffee machine was broken…
The Regency Club is also located on the 22th floor. It’s a fairly spacious duplex, with some tasteful furnishings and a nice view.
Refreshment is available throughout the day.
During the evening Happy Hour, some canapes and desserts are served. There is one kind of beer, red, white and rose each available.
Three hot plates:
- Carrot coriander soup
- Stuffed goat cheese mushrooms
- Duck mushroom terrine
It’s still not a proper meal, but the offering in general is quite decent.
The thing I enjoyed most from this stay was the spa centre.
As I got a pretty good deal for the Club room, the stay was mostly enjoyable. I’ve also stayed once in the Crowne Plaza nearby a few years ago but I don’t think it’s as good as the Hyatt. I’d like to try one of the Marriott hotels as well, but their locations are not very desirable.
My review of InterContinental O2, London
The InterContinental O2 hotel was closed last year when the pandemic started, and then bid to become a quarantine hotel for LCY passengers arriving from Red-List countries. On September 18th, the hotel finally re-opened its door after more than a year’s break.
As a “new” hotel, it came with a perk – the award night pricing was relatively low at around 37,000 points compared to £200+ cash rate, at least on some dates. I happened to have an 40k Ambassador Free Night voucher from a recent promotion, and I thought it would be a perfect occasion to redeem it.
The hotel is located near the North Greenwich tube station, however directions are a bit confusing. Coming out of the station you should take the exit for the bus stop, and then you’ll see the signs leading you to the hotel. An alternative is to walk in and out of the O2 centre.
The location is not great for tourists, or anything to be honest unless you are attending an event at O2. Food and drink options are decent though in the shopping centre, and if you are a fan of Chinese hotpot Haidilao is a great venue.
Built in 2016, InterContinental O2 is possibly one of the youngest five-star hotels in London.
I saw in the app that I was pre-upgraded one level to a deluxe room, which isn’t quite generous given my recent experiences at InterContinentals and Kimptons. Upon my enquiry regarding further upgrade possibilities, they assigned me a club room on the 13th floor – with no club benefits of course.
The room is okay, nothing particular to pick on however I’d expect more from a new hotel. On the other hand it’s already showing age – many stains on the carpet, and the bath knob just dropped when I tried to turn it…
The view however, is absolutely stunning. Be sure to book or ask for a river-view room if you stay here.
Gym and spa are fully open now, and no prior reservation is needed.
Again, they are functional but I expect better facilities given it’s a new hotel (see Waldorf Astoria Berlin).
If you pre-book breakfast at check-in you can enjoy a special price of £20pp (as opposed to £25+12.5%), which should be further reduced to £5 thanks to the £15 Ambassador credit. I happily took the offer.
Unfortunately, it is the worst breakfast I’ve ever had at a hotel. There’s no cook-to-order menu and everything is self service except for a few egg-based items (they weren’t able to name them specifically). Variety and quality are appalling.
The bacon is extremely over-salted and barely eatable, which is also used as an ingredient of my omelette. There isn’t a single item in the entire breakfast spread that was acceptable to me. I’m not sure if things are ill-prepared due to the very recent reopening, or if it’s their usual standard.
Hotel staff are very friendly throughout my stay, but also unprofessional. It appears that the Ambassador credit cannot be used in conjunction with the breakfast offer but no one mentioned it to me at check-in, and they agreed to make an exception. I had to point out multiple times that I was the only guest and guess what, they still charged me for two breakfast in the end which took me an email to sort it out.
I believe the hotel has been generally receiving good reviews, but my experience this time was mostly a let-down unfortunately. If you have the 40k Ambassador as well which will expire in a couple of months, it’s not a bad idea to burn it here, but in terms of spending actual cash I’ll think twice.
My review of Hyatt Place London East
Hyatt just opened this new hotel in London very recently, and has been offering the 500 points per night new hotel bonus. Bored enough, and as I have registered to their Globalist fast track, I decided to give the hotel a try.
The hotel is located at Whitechapel, and I don’t think it’s a secret why they don’t want “Whitechapel” in the hotel’s name. I mean, the area is definitely not as dangerous as its old reputation goes, however it still feels rough and not many would choose to live or stay here. If you need easy access to the City, London Bridge and Canary Wharf are much better and not necessarily more expensive.
Lobby and reception are at the -1 floor. It’s definitely got the correct business look for “London East”. There’s a small business centre for hotel guests to print.
As an Explorist I’m upgraded one-level to a King Bed High Floor room, although I personally wouldn’t classify it as an upgrade.
Weirdly the room reminds me of Accor’s Ibis brand probably due to its colours, but admittedly it’s more complete. The room is actually surprisingly homey which some of my friends really like, and it’s not what I would expect from a business hotel.
One of the room’s selling points is “Stunning Views” as described on their website. But seriously who are we kidding here…
As an Explorist I’m not entitled to free breakfast, and I didn’t eat anything at the hotel so cannot comment. To be honest I’m a bit confused what Hyatt is trying to do here – I’m not a Hyatt fan but as far as I understand they are much more upmarket than the other hotel groups, and although Hyatt Place is understandably more mid-range, I don’t think this hotel adds any value to their portfolio!
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.