I only stayed for one night prior to a cruise. The exterior of the hotel is pretty stunning and this wonderful feeling of Old World tradition carries on into the lobby and public areas--even into the hallways off which the rooms are located. I was somewhat disappointed upon entering my room, however, as the furnishings were Old World to the point of being tired and a little beat up. That said, my room was large but definitely not luxurious--although I did get a good night's sleep. It leaned more toward 3-star than to 5.
Since I arrived late and was pretty exhausted from nearly 24 hours of travelling, I decided to just eat at the hotel bar adjacent to the restaurant. The service was excellent but the bar menu is very limited. The cost of a tiny Cesar salad and a sandwich made on the crustless equivilent of Wonder Bread was staggering. I suppose it was that Old World charm I was paying for.
The next disappointment came the following morning. I got up early and got dressed in anticipation of a workout at the hotel's fitness center. It did not, unfortunately, open until 10AM on weekends and since I had planned on checking out by 11AM to head to my ship, I had to skip the workout plans. Instead, I had an unscheduled breakfast (which was included in the price of my room) and the hotel's breakfast buffet was...I only stayed for one night prior to a cruise. The exterior of the hotel is pretty stunning and this wonderful feeling of Old World tradition carries on into the lobby and public areas--even into the hallways off which the rooms are located. I was somewhat disappointed upon entering my room, however, as the furnishings were Old World to the point of being tired and a little beat up. That said, my room was large but definitely not luxurious--although I did get a good night's sleep. It leaned more toward 3-star than to 5.
Since I arrived late and was pretty exhausted from nearly 24 hours of travelling, I decided to just eat at the hotel bar adjacent to the restaurant. The service was excellent but the bar menu is very limited. The cost of a tiny Cesar salad and a sandwich made on the crustless equivilent of Wonder Bread was staggering. I suppose it was that Old World charm I was paying for.
The next disappointment came the following morning. I got up early and got dressed in anticipation of a workout at the hotel's fitness center. It did not, unfortunately, open until 10AM on weekends and since I had planned on checking out by 11AM to head to my ship, I had to skip the workout plans. Instead, I had an unscheduled breakfast (which was included in the price of my room) and the hotel's breakfast buffet was outstanding. It is entirely, though, self-service.
Following that, I took a walking tour of the area surrounding the hotel. Other than the fact that the hotel is just across the street from the sea, there wasn't much to visually impress me in the immediate area.
I still give the property four stars. The building, the grounds, the breakfast, and the staff were all remarkable.More
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