Friday 19 September 2014

Millenium Hotel Broadway

 

 

The  Millenium Broadway Hotel is a modern hotel right at Times Square.


It is next to and connected to the Hudson Theatre and also to the Premier Hotel which is also under the Millenium Group.

I had a free night stay from my credit card and redeemed for a night here back in November 2013.

Why choose this hotel?

Located at 145 West 44th Street, one cannot get much closer to Times Square!
The clean, modern decor is also very appealing.

The Management

Millennium And Copthorn hotels manages this hotel as with Orchard Hotel in Singapore which was reviewed previously.

Getting to the Hotel

The central location posed no difficulty to cabs or walking.

The Hotel

The lobby is very spacious and with exits at the adjacent streets.

The large art pieces added glamor to the hotel.

I really like the modern elegance with clean lines and wood/metal contrast.




The lifts are located off the lobby but are slightly dark although I do like the large number of lifts and the resultant short waiting time.



However, the corridors seemed a little underwhelming and mismatched to the feel of the lobby.


The Rooms

I was given a 1-bedroom suite (on a free stay!) for the night.

The suites are named 'Broadway Suites' and described at the website as "Located from floors 50 to 52, high above the city overlooking the vibrant Times Square, the thoughtfully appointed Broadway Suites feature comfortable furnishings and a separate living area."

 



The separate living room has a small toilet which was invaluable when 2 people needed to use the washroom at the same time.
Toilets are hard to come by in New York City.




Somehow I felt the bathroom was mismatched with the scheme of the bedroom and living room.
Otherwise it was really spacious, but had no separate standing shower.

The view from the room is definitely not as great as pictured in the hotels website.



The Food and Drinks

Breakfast was served in the lobby and had a small but adequate range and the quality was fine.

Service was rather prompt but there was definitely room for improvement.



The Service

The front-desk agent was rather prompt and friendly. Otherwise there was minimal contact with the hotel staff.

I presume this was because the hotel is a busy business hotel and guests usually did not want to be disturbed.

The Gym

The fitness centre was rather small but empty.
Nothing to shout about,but I guess it can be considered functional.



 

In Summary

The hotel was very kind to upgrade the room to a suite and the service other than the front desk was a bit cold.

So if one is looking for great service, that may be a little hard...

There were no major hiccups during the stay thankfully.

Undeniably, the location is fantastic and that is a great reason to stay here. 

Happy Travels!

fred

Monday 15 September 2014

Sheraton On the Falls - November 2013

The Sheraton On the Falls claims to be "the largest most luxurious Falls view accommodations in Niagara Falls".

I visited this hotel on the way from New York to Toronto and was glad that I did.
The hotel was rather empty during this time of the year as expected.

Why choose this hotel?

This hotel is one of the closest to the Niagara Falls, but on the side of the American Falls.


The Management

This hotel is a Sheraton and under Starwood Hotels and its loyalty programme.

Getting to the Hotel

The hotel is one of the closest luxury hotels to the Greyhound bus terminal, which is still a distance away!

The Hotel


The hotel is located in a complex and hence one may remain indoors if the weather is less than ideal.
There is a door on the second floor into an arcade, right across the club lounge.

The lobby has computers with internet access and some of them are able to provide prints.

A dinosaur theme-park is right across the street from the hotel as well.



The Rooms 
Lift Landing
My room was a corner suite overlooking the American Falls.
The description from the websites states "Included in the Niagara Falls American Falls Corner Suites is a King size Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed with a queen size pull out sofa bed, fireplace with seating area, full step out balcony, a 37” LCD flat screen Television, and floor to ceiling windows that surround the room. Also included in the room, is a refrigerator, and a full bathroom offering a hairdryer, telephone, a two seat oversized Jacuzzi bathtub, shower, and a large opening picture window overlooking the Falls. Complimentary in room Starbucks coffee, work desk, pay per view movies($) and in-room wireless internet access are also available in this guestroom. This hotel room is 693 sq. ft"



A sink in the room, but it did not serve much function when the bathroom is just beside it.


A jacuzzi is a great idea but it occupied a little too much space.
American Falls

Rainbow Bridge

The fireplace was interesting but did not provide a great deal of heat.
The suite had a small door at the side for viewing the falls outdoors.

The Food and Drinks

The lounge was fairly adequate and I had my meals outside the hotel.
One minor inconvenience was that one needs to use another card to access the lounge instead of the room key card. 





The Pools
There are 2 swimming pools in the hotel. The outdoor pool was drained during the cold season and the door locked.




The Service

The service was excellent during our visit, which is may be due to the low occupancy. Online reviews for stays during the peak season are not too great.

I would give credit to the staff for the excellent attentiveness and friendliness during my stay!
A point to note is that there is a resort fee that guest have to pay and one of the items is a WEGO pass for the bus rides.


The Gym

The gym is rather small for such a big hotel, but I had it all to myself!




The Spa
No comments about this as I did not use the facilities.
Entrance to the Spa

The View (Niagara Falls!)

Well, Sheraton On the Falls is indeed very close to the Falls, although not really "on the Falls".
A short walk out of the lobby and across a small garden, and one is at the Falls!





The Shops

There are a few shops located at the lobby, notably a Starbucks for one's caffeine fix.
Souvenir shop!


In Summary

This hotel is good for going to the Falls, but is otherwise away from the main hotel and casino zone, requiring a short walk up the hill.
The location is both a boon and a bane.

The view of the falls may not be great if one does not get a room on the high floor.
 

I would say this is a good hotel to stay in but I would not go out of the way for a room here.