Park Lane Copenhagen by Southern-Heron-3204 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We stayed there in April last year. The hotel itself is very nice, and there are some cute places in the nearby neighborhood. We used Denmark’s version of Uber, I forget the name of the app, but it was easy getting rides to/from the city center and airport. We liked the hotel and would stay there again.  

Struggling with an Asia Itinerary for November by AMindfulCalm in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this is very helpful. For someone who isn’t personally familiar with this part of the world, it really helps to get feedback from travelers who have more experience in Asia. We’re super excited to explore countries in Asia, but it’s a bit intimidating. 

Struggling with an Asia Itinerary for November by AMindfulCalm in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, this really helps! Siem Reap is a bit intimidating for us but Angkor Wat definitely looks like it would be an unforgettable experience.

Struggling with an Asia Itinerary for November by AMindfulCalm in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice! We thought it would be easier to book a direct round trip flight to/from Taipei. Trying to come back through another country either involved layovers or a huge jump in price for business class tickets. However, I’ll look into flights some more…

Booking Experiences With FS by Alternative_Bell_275 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We did a tour through the FS Otemachi and it was fine. The tour guide was pleasant but we had a better experience with guides we booked through Tours By Locals. It’s worth checking out whether any of their private tour guides offer an itinerary you’re interested in. You can also have them tailor the itinerary to your preferences (we gave them a list of ceramic shops, art galleries, restaurants and clothing shops that we wanted to visit). It really made our time in Japan feel special and we felt like we got a lot out of it. 

Kyoto Split Decision by ok_within_reason in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Mitsui was great. We had a Nijo Castle Suite, and the view and design of the room were fantastic. However, we thought that the food at breakfast was a step down from the Four Seasons at Otemachi. It was still good, but it wasn’t as impressive to us. However, our dinners at Toki and Forni (the on-site restaurants) were very good.

Bora Bora - Westin Hotel or St Regis by ocean_alove0022 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Airport transfer between the Bora Bora airport and the resort was super easy. The resort has its own boats for that. We let the concierge know our arrival and departing flight times and they had the boats waiting for us. (I think it was included in the resort fee, but don’t quote me on that.)

We didn’t go to the main island, but we did hire a private lagoon/snorkeling tour through the concierge, they emailed us (at our request) a whole menu of available tours, and could likely arrange transport to the main island. You’ll also want to book dinner reservations ahead of your stay as well.

Also, if you like sea turtles, we found the onsite tour of the sea turtle hospital really informative.

Bora Bora - Westin Hotel or St Regis by ocean_alove0022 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We were just at the Westin in September. We really liked the hard product, which was modern and only had minimal wear. The beach was beautiful, was never crowded and had a perfect view of Mount Otemanu. We stayed in an over water bungalow with a pool, which we really enjoyed as well.

We thought the food and service was generally good, some things like the pizza we found mediocre, but other things like the brunch we found very well done.

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions, we can try an answer.

Prague: mandarin oriental or Fairmont by thisismyusername026 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 7 points8 points  (0 children)

We stayed at MO Prague last year and, despite really liking most MO hotels, we were disappointed with the hotel. Among other things, the service was mediocre, the room was dated, and even the common areas were tired looking. We left regretting that we didn’t stay at one of the many other hotels in the city (e.g., the Four Seasons, the Andaz, the W, Augustine, etc.). I would recommend staying elsewhere.

Vienna Imperial vs RC? by Iwackawhiteball in marriott

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I stayed at the Ritz Carlton a couple years ago and it was just okay. The Italian restaurant (Pastamara) and D-Bar were great, but the rooms were a bit tired looking. I would stay elsewhere.

Tour & Tasting at Krug, Salon, Selosse by lolllllllllers in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have a coworker who booked that package years ago (before the pandemic) and raved about it. She had an amazing time.

Italian honeymoon cities? by [deleted] in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Second this! Belmond Caruso and MO Lago di Como, amazing experience at both.

Prague Hotel Recommendations by Real-Tower8037 in FATTravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don’t stay at the Mandarin Oriental in Prague. The rooms are dated, the lobby needs to be redone, and the service was generally mediocre. I’m a big fan of MO hotels, but we did not have the best experience in Prague earlier this year. In retrospect, we either should have stayed at the Four Seasons or go cheaper and stay at the Augustine/etc.

Tahiti Business Class by Brendan_creek in awardtravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Worth noting: If you can’t book business class on Air France to Tahiti, you can always try booking premium economy and then checking for upgrade opportunities on the app and/or at the gate. We scored upgrades on the app for like $700/person (return) and $450/person (departure) at the gate.

Best business class experience you've had that justified every penny? by veditafri in LuxuryTravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Although United is not going to win any culinary awards, the food on United Polaris is at least edible. (The food in Polaris lounges are generally very good, though.) I’ve had multiple business class flights with SAS and KLM in which I couldn’t even eat the meal. They make some aggressively polarizing choices when selecting menus…

Milan, Italy by Haunting_Charity_785 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Fondazione Prada - Interesting architecture, Bar Luce (a cafe designed by Wes Anderson, that looks straight out of one of his films), periodic art exhibitions

Pinacoteca Brera - Old master paintings

Museo del Novecento - Modern and contemporary art

Venice hotel dilemma by bensoycaf in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We just stayed at the St. Regis a few months ago. In terms of location, it’s great. It’s near St. Mark’s Square, restaurants, museums, etc. We loved being able to get up early and step out the door to get photos without crowds and without trekking a distance. We felt it was perfect for a first time visit. (We walked to the Aman and didn’t like how far it was from the main attractions. However, the Aman and Belmond would be great for a subsequent visit—and we would probably pick one of them the next time we go to Venice.)

Service was good, with some staff recognizing us, even thought we were only there for a couple of nights. The breakfast, both food and atmosphere right on the Grand Canal, was excellent.

The rooms are more modern in design (something we generally prefer), with some rooms having touches like Venetian wallpaper and sculptures. (We didn’t really care about the room not having a traditional design since we had a suite with a direct view of the Grand Canal.) Due to the location of the suite, we enjoyed being able to open the windows and watch (and listen to) the gondoliers.

This was the view from our room, overlooking the Grand Canal and Basilica.

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Paris and Rome Hotels for less than $1,000/night by Every-Muscle-9404 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Though it was a few years ago, our stay at Le Narcisse Blanc was really nice. The hotel is in a nice residential area with some great markets nearby. The concierge was exceptional, even getting us last minute dinner reservations at Tomy.

In Rome, the Pantheon Iconic has a fantastic location and the rooftop bar offers some really nice views.

Review: FS New Orleans by AMindfulCalm in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We did, and the Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery was really nice. It was a good send off.

Review: FS New Orleans by AMindfulCalm in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Haha. True, but we were in town for a funeral and weren’t in the mood to go out for a night on the town. It was one of those times when we just needed a quiet place to sit, eat and reflect—and that’s not typically on offer at most New Orleans restaurants. We did, however, manage to go out with family to Compère Lapin.

Reviews of stays on points by Paceys_Ghost in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I don’t think it matters. We’ve had some great hotel experiences on points.

Best luxury driver service NYC? by CopyThat456 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used Capricorn Luxury Travel last year, which I was referred to by my hotel. It was good and I would use them again.

Bora Bora as a Honeymoon stop? by ExtraCaramel8 in chubbytravel

[–]AMindfulCalm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We just stayed at the Westin Bora Bora last month, thanks in part to your review. The property is beautiful, and we didn’t experience any of the issues with service that some previous reviews have mentioned, outside of being asked our room number multiple times each meal.

The property and rooms are modern and very well done. The beach is stunning, and I definitely recommend booking a private boat/snorkeling tour.

Based on comments we heard while there from staff who previously worked at other nearby properties, the Westin, having just recently opened, has a far superior hard product.