CHECKING OUT THAILAND/US A ...long haul hotels, flights, trains and cruise ships CHECKING OUT HOTEL AMARI WATERGATE – BANGKOK, THAILAND
BY ROSE WIGHT THE BACKGROUND: The flagship property of the Amari hotel brand, one of Thailand’s largest locally-owned hotel and resort groups, with a network of properties across Thailand, including Koh Samui, Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket, Koh Chang and Hua Hin, as well as Doha in Qatar. The Amari Watergate Bangkok is a sleek and stylish hotel, stretching up into the city’s skyline. THE LOCATION: Its prime central location is one of the Amari Watergate’s real selling points. Just 40 minutes in a taxi from the airport, it’s in the middle of Bangkok’s main shopping and commercial district. The Pratunam market area is right outside the hotel, and opposite you will find the Platinum shopping mall, Central World and Siam shopping centres. A shopper’s paradise! THE CHECK IN: Check-in is speedy and your luggage will be whisked off and up to your room almost before you’ve had time to notice the impressive lobby area. The lifts can get busy at peak times, but
there are enough of them that this isn’t too much of a problem. THE ROOM: We tried the ‘Grand Deluxe’, a generous space with a fantastic view of the city. The TV was huge, the bed was big and comfortable, and the shower was roomy. The view of the city from the bathroom window was an added bonus. KEY FACILITIES: The pool on the 8th floor felt surprisingly like a resort pool (even though you’re in the middle of a city). The adjacent Breeze Spa offers very reasonably priced massages along with other treatments, and there’s also a Clark Hatch Fitness Centre in the property for gym addicts. Right outside the front door there’s a taxi rank and the team of helpful porters will call you a cab so you don’t need to leave the air conditioning for more than a moment. The highlight, however, is without doubt the executive lounge on the 32nd floor. You do have to be staying in the executive floor to get in, but if you are, the views of the city are spectacular.
RESTAURANTS/BARS: There’s a good choice of restaurants, with the recently renovated Cascade offering international cuisine, Thai on 4 for authentic Thai food, and the Heichinrou Chinese restaurant. Our favourite was Heichinrou – first class food and impeccable service.
www.amari.com/watergate Cri Watergate Bangkok, 847 Petchburi Road, Bangkok 10400 T: 0066 (0) 2653 9000
The verdict
An excellent hotel in a great location, and with some very reasonable rates available. Right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, once inside the Amari Watergate it’s relaxed and stylish. This is a particularly good choice if shopping is on the itinerary. RATES: Room prices start from approximately £59 per night for a Deluxe Room.
EXCEPTIONAL LOVED IT! PASS FARCE
HOTEL BATTLE HOUSE RENAISSANCE – MOBILE, ALABAMA, USA
BY LAURA GELDER THE BACKGROUND: A Marriott Renaissance hotel as well as a member of the Historic Hotels of America, this landmark hotel opened first in 1852 and has reopened twice more, after fire in 1905 and in 2007 after lying dormant for 23 years. Before its decline in the 1970s it played host to presidents, royals and celebrities, as well as being a makeshift hospital for confederate soldiers during the civil war. THE LOCATION: In the heart of Downtown Mobile, the hotel is adjacant to historic Dauphin Street and across the street from the Museum of Mobile and the Gulf Coast Exploreum & Imax. Within easy walking distance is the Entertainment District's bars, Fort Conde, and the grand antebellum houses of the Oakleigh Historic Garden District. THE ROOM: My standard guest room was arranged in an L shape with two squishy queen beds. The hotel's furnishings are traditional, rich and warm but understated: dark wood, red armchairs, gilt mirrors and heavy gold curtains. The
bathroom had a seperate shower and bath tub. All rooms have complimentary internet, a tea/coffee maker and TV. KEY FACILITIES: The hotel has a tennis court, driving range, salon, fitness centre and a swimming pool. The 7,000 sq ft foot spa has eight treatment rooms for facials and massages. It also features Swiss showers, separate men’s and women’s quiet rooms with eucalyptus steam rooms and whirlpools. The women’s room features a Zen fire pit. Use of the spa facilities for guests who haven't booked a treatment is $25 a day. The lobby is the Battlehouse's most impressive feature, with its plush art deco carpet, vaulted, ornately-carved ceiling, and the whispering galleries that run around it. Take a peep into the huge Crystal Ballroom and you can imagine the hotel's heydey in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it was the centre of Mobile's social scene and southern belles would twirl under the sparkling chanderliers. RESTAURANTS/BARS: The AAA 4 Diamond Award-winning Trellis Room is the hotel's fine dining venue, serving
up tasting menus and Sunday brunch, including jumbo lump crab cake benedict with crispy hash browns and Creole hollandaise. Joe Cain Cafe serves up informal pizza, panninis and cocktails, whilst Royal Street Tavern concentrates on drinks, a smattering of classic local snacks like fried green tomatoes and has a background of live piano music. There is also a pool bar.
www.marriott.co.uk (search: Battle House) 26 North Royal Street Mobile, Alabama 36602 USA T: 001 251 338 2000
The verdict
The hotel oozes history and it's the epitome of Southern charm and glamour – you can almost imagine Gone with the Wind's Scarlett O'Hara swishing into the lobby. The rooms themselves, although extremely comfortable and well-appointed, are less charismatic and more practical. For this reason only, it stops just short of being rated exceptional. RATES: A standard guest room starts from around £120 per room, per night.
EXCEPTIONAL LOVED IT! PASS FARCE
www.sellinglonghaul.com • October 2012 39
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