Tag: Luxury

Soho Grand Hotel, New York

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Among the hotels in Lower Manhattan, New York, Soho Grand Hotel is one of the more famous ones. I would say that it’s famous because it has been in the New York scene since 1996. It was also featured in several shows like Sex and the City, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The Sopranos.

Location

The exact location for Soho Grand Hotel is at 310 West Broadway, right between the Canal and Grand streets. The place used to be occupied by a church and among the 8 or so attempts of having a hotel built up in the exact spot, the Soho Grand Hotel stands today with 17 stories and a total of 353 guest rooms and 2 penthouses.

I also found out that the Soho Grand Hotel is just a few minutes’ walk to boutiques and restaurants around New York City. This made me love the hotel more because I don’t have to hail a cab to go around Lower Manhattan. Everything was very accessible from the hotel.

Interior Design

If there’s one thing I can say regarding the interior design of Soho Grand Hotel, is that it is the perfect depiction of the old and new times. The interior showed a glimpse of the time when it was built and this was incorporated into the modern times we have now.

The lobby, hallways, and the dining areas are filled with plush seats that are very inviting. But at the same time, they aren’t bulky as to make the hotel look smaller. There is actually a lot of space for anyone who just wants to walk around the hotel.

However, the room that I stayed in was nothing plush. Instead, the room had a background of New York City on its walls and it gave an industrial and city vibe. I appreciate the effort they put into integrating the culture of The Big Apple, but I just wished they were able to match patterns better. There were patterns that made the room look “noisy”.

Amenities

As for the amenities, the Soho Grand Hotel has everything you can wish for in a New York hotel. As I was on a business trip, it made no sense for me to stay in a place that has a lot of amenities and that was also filled with families.

It was such a relief that the Soho Grand Hotel felt that it was made for businessmen and adults rather than families. You can actually notice it in the amenities they have – they don’t have play places for children and there aren’t any family activities offered. For someone who was on a business trip, I was very content with this.

Instead of having those family-friendly amenities, the hotel has its own fitness center, bar, restaurant, and spa. The room services were also superb so it was a perfect opportunity to just stay in bed during the free time I had in the city.

Staff

Since it was my first time to stay in Soho, I was unfamiliar with where to go and where the amenities were located. Good thing that the staff were accommodating and I didn’t feel the need to be ashamed that I was a first-timer there.

Watergate Bay Hotel, Cornwall

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When I was visiting Cornwall, I stayed in one of the most talked about hotels in the area. The Watergate Bay Hotel is said to be a great place to stay if you enjoy surfing. Thinking that I wasn’t planning on surfing (simply because I didn’t know how), I wasn’t too thrilled at reserving a room here. But all these changed when I saw their website.

Watergate Bay Hotel’s website transports you to the coast. It showcased rooms that were white and navy blue and it showed great views of the shore. This made me want to give the hotel a try despite my hesitation.

Location

Watergate Bay Hotel is located at On the Beach, Watergate Bay, Newquay. Just reading the address already gives you an idea that the hotel is in front of the shore, and it is.

As I took a suite that was facing the sea, the view from my room was spectacular. During the day, I can see children, parents, and dogs running along the shore and playing games. During sunset, I can see the sun reflected on the moving water. And during the night, I can see the stars right above my head looking down at me.

If I had to give a rating for the location, Watergate Bay Hotel will receive a 5/5. It’s the perfect place to feel that you went away from civilization without having to feel that you’re living like a caveman.

Interior Design

I mentioned earlier that the overall design of the hotel is coastal. This means that the hotel’s color scheme ranges from navy blue, white, yellow, and pastel green, and light brown.

What I liked about the interior is that it doesn’t look loud with all those colors. It was also spacious enough to accommodate the number of guests the hotel was having. I went here during peak season so I expected the place to be crowded, but it wasn’t. The light airy and sunny feeling the lobby and the dining areas had contributed to making the place look bigger.

Amenities

Watergate Bay Hotel doesn’t fall short of any amenities. They have several restaurants and I would recommend eating at The Beach Hut. They’re open all throughout the day, but the best part is that it’s just by the shore so if ever you feel the need to take a quick break from swimming, you just go to The Beach Hut.

The hotel also offers a lot of activities. As I said earlier, I didn’t know how to surf and although they had their own surf station where you get to enroll at a 2-day course, I went ahead and took yoga classes. The hotel offers a 2-day program where you join a class guided by a yoga instructor. They specifically have a room for this and it was so serene because it was looking out to the sea.

Staff

The staff was the best. They were very welcoming and accommodating. Whenever I need something, they made sure that they will get it. I also noticed that they were accommodating to families especially to children.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay here. Even if the hotel was packed, it had a lot of space and amenities that will disperse the crowd.