Star Inn, Linz, Austria – review written 14 December 2017

Having stayed in Linz before, I kind of knew my way around town, but when I arrived off the train from Vienna, having flown in from London Heathrow, I decided that I was too tired to haul my suitcase along the dark, cold streets, so I took a cab instead and soon found myself at the Star Inn.

The view from room 307, Star Inn, Linz, Austria...

The last time I was in Linz, back in October 2016, I stayed at the Austria Trend Schiller Park, which is about a 15-minute walk from the Star Inn. The trip was so rushed that I never had time to think about the Schiller Park, let alone write about it. Or rather I don't recall writing about it, I'll have to check.

The Star Inn is bright and spacious from the word go. The reception area is neat and tidy, there is black leatherette seating against the walls opposite the front desk and these extend into a lounging area where guests can enjoy a glass of wine or a soft drink, there's even a coffee machine. Opposite this area are the elevators, which are activated by using one's key card, something I wasn't told. I spent a fair bit of time in one lift going nowhere, which proved a little embarrassing until somebody pointed it out to me and I was on my merry way to room 307 on the third floor.

The room was fairly pleasant. A perfectly respectable bathroom on the right and then the room opened out to accommodate a large double bed. There was an LG flatscreen television opposite the bed (no English channels) and a desk at the far end of the room beyond the bed and under the window.

Room 307, Star Inn, Linz, Austria...

A distinct wood theme prevailed: a wooden door, wooden wall panels and a large wooden headboard behind the bed.

One thing that annoyed me was the lighting. It's not normally something that bothers me, but on this occasion I had a problem. A few weeks ago – probably because I overdid the travelling – I woke up one morning feeling very dizzy. I panicked and went and got it checked out by the doctor. It's called BPPV – vertigo for short – and it wasn't too pleasant. At night I went to sleep with three pillows instead of two and to cut a long story short, going to bed was something I left until the very last minute. I wanted a light on too, just for comfort. As kids we always slept with a light on and while I tend not to these days, the dizzyness worried me enough to insist on keeping the bathroom light on at night. The condition has improved considerably, I hasten to add.

Normally when I'm staying away from home, I do sleep with a light on and usually I can close the bathroom door so that just a slither of light escapes into the room, that's all I need. Usually the door is made of solid wood, but not at the Star Inn. In fact, the lighting and the room design conspired against me. The bathroom door was made of glass so it didn't shut out the light I'd left on. Furthermore, the wall mirror outside the bathroom reflected the light from within and was unavoidable when I was lying down in the bed. I considered sleeping the other way around with my back to the light, but in the end had a restless night sleeping first with no lights on and then, on day two of my stay, hanging my coat on the pegs against the wall opposite the bathroom to block the reflection of the light.

Breakfast, as we know, is the great leveller and the Star Inn offering was perfect. Every morning I made my way down to the ground floor breakfast room where I chose muesli, a bowl of fresh fruit, a raspberry yoghurt, two peppermint teas, two small croissants and a banana. It was wonderful and fairly chilled too.

There was no restaurant at the Star Inn so I had to eat out on both nights of my stay. The best place was Bigoli and you can find out why by clicking here.

The Star Inn's staircase to all floors...

The bathroom was fine, everything worked. Ultimately, the Star Inn was a pleasant place to stay, mainly because the guests were left alone to get on with whatever they were doing. The staff were pleasant, always saying 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' if they passed by and, in terms of location, the hotel was bang in the centre of town.

Just up the road from Linz is Leonding (a short tram journey away) and it's worth visiting a huge, new shopping mall that has opened there. It's amazing in terms of its sheer scale and there's also an IMAX cinema within the complex. In short, if you come to Linz as a shopper you're in for a treat and you can amplify the experience by visiting the mall.

Linz was a lovely town – especially at this time of year – with streets illuminated after dark by exquisite shop window displays and Christmas lights.

Catalonia Grand Place Hotel – review written 20 October 2017

First things first. Despite the name, Catalonia Grand Place, I had no idea that I was but a short walk from this great square in Brussels or that my hotel was strolling distance from Bocconi, arguably the best Italian restaurant in the city. It was only on my last day in town that I discovered this and many other wonderful things about the hotel's locality.

In fact, the hotel was pretty well located and was only around a 15-minute walk from Brussels Midi railway station. I don't like to admit defeat by hailing a cab so I switched on the iPhone's SatNav and hauled my suitcase behind me as I strolled through what must have been the Moroccan quarter of this great city. Fortunately I hadn't spent hours on a long haul flight – just two hours on the Eurostar from London St. Pancras International. I was feeling reasonably chipper in other words, although I was beginning to feel a little tired, it had been a long day (and a Sunday too)

My initial impressions of the Catalonia Grand Place were mixed.I thought the guy on the front desk was a little abrupt, but in fact he was real friendly (I was feeling a little stressed and a bit fretful about being away from home). It always takes me a while to acclimatise. I wasn't initially that keen on the decor, not in the lobby area, but in the corridor leading to my room (Room 107 on the first floor). It looked too much like the sort of decor that might adorn my own house – slightly beige, laminated floors, everything was too light-coloured, there were no rich colours, nothing overly grandiose. That said, I remember thinking at the time that everything would hinge on the quality of the breakfast. But again, such a thought soon went out of the window, this was a great hotel.

I had to go out. In fact, I walked a good 25 minutes uphill and across town to a cocktail reception and then a good 25 minutes back to the hotel in the dark, again initially relying upon my iPhone's SatNav. When I got back to the hotel I changed for bed and before finally settling down and trying to sleep used the bathroom – where everything worked fine, there was even a sink with a conventional plug. Brilliant! 

This is, however, quite a noisy hotel. I don't know what it is, perhaps the acoustics of the building, possibly the fact that my hotel window doesn't look out on the outside world, but instead overlooks the front desk area – the lobby in other words. I could hear things: people hauling suitcases past my door, people talking too loudly late at night and children crying here and there. There were some especially noisy individuals in the room across the hall. But I got used to it and started to enjoy my stay.

It's a hotel that trusts its guest on two counts: top marks for a fully-stocked minibar; and proper coat hangers too. My initial dislike of the hotel waned quickly and was replaced by what can only be described as affection. I liked the hubbub.

What about breakfast? It was good. I had my favourite 'in a hotel' cereal (Coco Pops) plus coffee, a fruit-flavoured yoghurt, scrambled egg and two small sausages. The reason I didn't have tea was simple: the cups were too small. The last thing I want to do is jam a teabag into a small space and then pour water on it – hardly a refreshing drink, but the coffee sufficed and was dispensed from an espresso coffee maker, nothing too complicated, probably what is known in the trade as a fully automatic machine. Either way the coffee was good (I always have an Americano).

By far the most annoying thing about the hotel was the business centre. Not because the computer didn't work or the WiFi was inadequate (both were perfect) but the most infuriating thing EVER was the computer keyboard, known, I discovered online, as an AZERTY keyboard. Letters were in the wrong place: the M was where the apostrophe should have been, the W was where the C normally resides, I had to press SHIFT to get a full stop, it was very, very frustrating and it took me the best part of three days to work out where – or rather what combination of keys – would give me the @ sign. Eventually I asked and all was fine.

There was no restaurant here, but that really didn't matter as there was plenty of choice just a short walk away. Turn left out of the hotel and then take, I think, the second on the left. Alternatively, cross the road at around the same place and cut through to the Grand Place and, as mentioned above, Bocconi is no more than a 10-minute walk (again, I wish I'd known this from the beginning).

Also, if you're in need of a haircut, there's a great place across the road from the hotel and it costs 8 Euros for a straightforward, no-nonsense trim. Barbers in this part of town stay open late too.

So, to recap: a decent breakfast, a fully-stocked minibar (although they never replaced my two cans of Spa water, which was mildly annoying). A decent room, everything worked, there was, incidentally a decent flat screen television showing, among other channels, BBC1 and BBC2.

Initially I found the place to be a little noisy and this, as I said, was probably due to the acoustics of the building, but it was fine and probably quieter had I been higher up than the first floor. I could have done with a window opening up on to the outside world, but it certainly wasn't the end of the world. Lastly, the location was perfect.

Would I return? Of course I would. I know exactly where it is, I like the restaurants close by and I know it's only 15 minutes on foot to Brussels Midi station.

Banke Hotel, Paris – review written 27 January 2016

When I reached the Gare du Nord after a fairly uneventful journey from St. Pancras International, I called the hotel to ask a simple question: is it easy to reach by Metro or should I take a cab? I didn’t want to hail a taxi so when I was told to take line four and change to line seven when I reached the Gare de ‘Est, alighting at Chaussée d’Antin – La Fayette, I headed for the subway.

Banke is a ‘boutique’ hotel. It’s full of quirky this and quirky that, slightly loud furniture and fittings and a hip vibe that I liked. The smell of burning incense followed me wherever I went. Well, not in the public areas, but in the corridors, in the lifts, and it was kind of pleasant. The corridors were dark and mysterious, deliberately so, but it had a kind of X-Files chic that I found appealing – the room numbers were somehow projected on to the walls next to the doors. Fantastic.

A porter followed me to my room, carrying my suitcase. I don’t particularly like over-attentiveness. I’m happy to lug my own case into the lift and along the corridor to my room and I hate that unnecessary guilt that goes hand-in-hand with not giving a tip.

The room was pleasant and I did the usual checks, the main one being, could I escape if a bunch of jihadists raided the hotel? Well, no. Not without difficulty. There was a window that opened on to Jason Bourne-style ledge (I was in 507) and I figured I could edge my way along and somehow escape – if it had to, but there was a problem. The window opened no more than five inches so I would end up having to smash my way out and needless to say the jihadist would follow.

The room was fantastic – a full minibar, a decent bathroom and a hallway from the door to the bed. Nothing better than a hallway!

Clutching my 20% discount card, I moseyed on down to Josefin, the hotel restaurant on the ground floor opposite a noisy bar and part of a rather splendid – and slightly over-the-top – galleried area that embraced the front desk and the elevators. But wow! What a restaurant! And what amazing service too. The menu was fantastic. Starters were pretentiously branded as 'foreplay' and followed by the 'flavours of the sea'. Very droll.

I opted for cooked meat with peppers followed by roasted cod and an amazing Tahon Rioja; and then I made a mistake and ordered dessert (a long French name, but it involved a pear and sorbet and some kind of bakery item with cream). The mistake was the suggested cocktail accompaniment, but I finished it and then headed back to the room, after a brief walk along the Rue La Fayette.

The room was unbelievably hot and this led to a broken night. It wasn’t until 0700hrs that I (at last) had the good sense to open the window.

Next up was breakfast in the basement and very nice it was too. I didn’t go over the top: cereal, fresh fruit, a slice of bread and a pot of tea. But I could have opened a bottle of Champagne if I wanted to – as a rather attractive Japanese woman did.

This really was a fantastic hotel in every sense of the word. I haven’t stopped recommending it to all and sundry. It’s relatively close to the Gare du Nord and its stylish quirkiness makes it a most appealing place to stay. I loved it so much I didn’t want to check out.

Amazing food, great service, incredible wine, a decent breakfast, an easy check-in and check-out and a pleasant room. Only one downside and that was the hot room – oh and the window that opened about five inches. Thankfully, no jihadists!

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Hampton Inn, Blytheville, Arkansas, USA – review written 23 November 2017

I never thought I'd ever have good reason to visit Arkansas, but suddenly here I am. I'm staying at the Hampton Inn, Blytheville, which is just off Interstate 55 north of Memphis and apart from the fact that the hotel doesn't have a restaurant it's okay. The room is good. There's a walk-in shower, a double bed, a decent television, free cookies and free WiFi, an empty fridge, and other essential stuff, like an ironing board, an iron and a safe.

The woman on the front desk was very friendly, there's an outdoor pool I'll probably not use, mainly because it's outdoor and it's not that warm. I say 'not that warm' it's a darn sight warmer than the UK, at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so it's not a complete no-no, but I just know I won't be swimming.

I'd spent a lot of time online checking out Google maps and driving here 'virtually' using my laptop. Believe me it really helped. When I actually got on the road, having also scrutinised many roadmaps, it all seemed so familiar to me and was, in fact, a doddle. I crossed over from Tennessee into Arkansas half way across the Hernando de Soto Bridge and then followed Interstate 40 until the road forked and I took Interstate 55, the right fork, heading north.

I kept in the slow lane and I adhered to the speed limit (which ranged from 65mph to 70mph) and I tried to keep a sensible distance between my car (a Nissan) and the many juggernauts that passed on my left hand side.

It took about an hour to reach the Hampton Inn and because there’s no restaurant I'll have to go into town later to find something. There is a Chinese restaurant next door, but the receptionist screwed up her face when I mentioned it, as if to say 'I wouldn't bother if I were you' and to be fair it didn't look very inviting from the outside. Furthermore, the last thing I needed, having travelled all the way from Memphis, was to wake up with gut rot.

There’s a Holiday Inn nearby that has a restaurant, which is probably the best bet. It was a 10-minute walk to Bistro Eleven 21, part of the Holiday Inn, Blytheville. When I got there I ordered tuna steak with beans and rice, a chicken noodle soup to start and an Octoberfest beer, brewed in Memphis, not forgetting a decaffeinated coffee and the obligatory glass of iced water (a staple in all American eateries).

The food was alright, but it didn't set the world alight and this was because Bistro Eleven 21 had an identity crisis going on. For a start it rather pretentiously called itself Bistro Eleven 21, but then it occupied a huge square space with carpeted floors and a mix of booth seating and straightforward tables. There was a long sports bar at the front of the restaurant and seated at the bar was a bunch of men in checked shirts and baseball caps, lending the place a kind of agricultural theme. Having the sports bar and the supposedly swish 'Bistro Eleven 21' name together didn't gel and while the food was fine, it looked tired and it turned up suspiciously quickly after being ordered.

I ordered chicken noodle soup to start, but they hadn't provided a soup spoon. I started eating with what amounted to a teaspoon, but eventually had to ask if they had something bigger. They did. No sooner had my soup been taken away (it was good, but a little too salty) than my main course arrived – tuna steak with rice and green beans. While the food served my purposes (it was wholesome and relatively well-presented on the plate) there was something tired about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was either trying too hard or not trying hard enough, I wasn't sure.

Dessert was offered, but as always, it was a predictable roll call of unhealthy cakes so I declined and ordered a decaffeinated black coffee and then asked for the bill, paid up and walked back at the Hampton Inn.


The great thing about this hotel was the staff, they’re very friendly, and I spent a lot of time chatting to one of them prior to having breakfast. She’d never been to the UK, but wanted to visit sometime. The next morning I was up with the lark and ready to check out. First, I enjoyed a good breakfast but it was a little basic in terms of plastic plates, bowls and cutlery, something I’ve experienced before in Hampton Inns. To be honest, it’s not a big deal, the main thing is comfort, efficient and friendly staff and a decent night’s sleep and the Hampton Inn Blytheville scored highly on all these aspects.

Sheraton Memphis Downtown, Memphis – review written 3 November 2017

I chose the Sheraton Memphis Downtown for a number of reasons: first, I’m familiar with the brand and quite like it; second, the hotel was as close as I was going to get to the Interstate, and in particular the Hernando de Soto bridge that would transport me from Tennessee and into Arkansas; and third that British Airways offered the hotel plus a flight from London to Memphis via Chicago (and four nights away from home) for the princely sum of £1,217.

My only problem on this particular journey was the shortness of the trip. I flew out of London on the Tuesday and flew back (from Dallas Fort Worth) on the Friday evening. I didn’t allow myself any time to relax and get acclimatised. In truth I needed a couple of days more.

The whole trip was a bit of a blur. I can’t remember what time I eventually arrived at the Sheraton, but arrive I did and I was pleased to get a friendly welcome and an efficient check-in at the front desk.

This was an odd trip as my plan was to spend Tuesday night and Thursday night at the Sheraton and in between one night at the Hampton Inn, Blytheville (and somewhere you’ll find my review of this hotel somewhere on Trip Advisor too).

On Tuesday night at the Sheraton I was in room 344 on the third floor. The hotel boasts two ‘towers’ meaning there are different elevators for each tower. You also need to be aware that you need to swipe your keycard, the one they give you for the room, when you enter the elevator, otherwise it won’t work or you’ll find yourself heading off for some distant floor that isn’t yours. I had a few issues with this and at one stage I had to return to the front desk to sort it out, all very annoying, but I’m not going to hold it against this great hotel as overall it was good.

It’s great to arrive in time for dinner so as soon as I’d sorted myself out in the room – I decided not to unpack as I’d be checking out in the morning – I headed down to ground floor level where I was directed to the restaurant, which was sparsely populated. There was a young family, a couple of groups and one or two solitary diners, like me.

The laminated menu offered a range of dishes and as I try to eat healthily I chose the salmon with cauliflower mash and salad accompanied by a glass of Merlot or Cabernet, I can’t remember.

The room was fine: a decent bed, a flatscreen television, a bathroom that worked fine and even a coffeemaker, which I know is always there, but I used mine for the first time, meaning I’ve never used the hotel coffeemaker before, and it was great. A steaming cup of decaffeinated Starbuck's coffee was just what the doctor ordered at something like 0530hrs when I found myself awake and on my computer, blogging.

Soon it was time for breakfast and this was where the Sheraton Memphis Downtown excelled itself. What I particularly liked was the porridge, but I also enjoyed fresh fruit (blueberry, melon, strawberries) and some scrambled eggs with a small sausage, and let’s not forget the tea and the croissant and the yoghurt, I really went to town. I could have sat there all morning chilling out but I had stuff to do, like finding out where Madison was so I could pick up my hire car and head for Arkansas. I’d spent a lot of time on Google Maps virtually driving the route and it helped, believe me.

Reluctantly I checked out, but on Thursday evening I was back and this time in room 503, which was in the other tower and a little bit bigger than room 344. There was a sofa, which I didn’t have on Tuesday night and the view out of the window was slightly different: this time I was facing the Interstate whereas on Tuesday I was facing the Crowne Plaza opposite.

I was too tired to eat out so I visited the Sheraton’s restaurant and chose the same dish (salmon with cauliflower mash and a couple of glasses of red wine). All was good and you know what? I should have stayed a night or two longer and not rushed about like, well, like an idiot.

Fortunately check-out wasn’t until noon so I had time for yet another leisurely breakfast and then a brief wander around Memphis. I headed for Beale Street and bought a couple of tee-shirts and a baseball cap.

The Sheraton Memphis Downtown is a good hotel, staffed by good people all of whom where extremely helpful, in particular the guys on what I think the front desk girl called ‘the bell hop’. One guy there (who used to be a truck driver) offered solid advice on how to reach the Interstate from the hotel and what to do once I was on the bridge and crossing the state line. Everything worked out fine and it was down to the guys at the hotel. I’d definitely return and would advise anybody else to stay there too.

Austria Trend Europa Hotel, Vienna – review written 15 October 2016

Whenever I arrive at a hotel and prepare to check in, I always feel slightly apprehensive about the place. I would even go as far as to say that I judge the establishment immediately by what I see in the lobby and the attitude of the people on the front desk. This, of course, is not right in the same way that one should never judge a book by its cover.

From the word go, however, the Austria Trend Europa in Vienna, was perfect and I had no cause to complain about anything. I had flown British Airways from London Gatwick, taken the CAT express train into the centre of town and then jumped in a taxi for a 12-Euro ride to the hotel. I was hungry and, if the truth be known, a little tired and emotional too, but I won’t bore you with the details.

The fact is this: the Austria Trend Europa is a wonderful place. I know, I know, I say that about a lot of places I visit, but it’s true. Once I’d signed in and taken possession of my room ‘key’ – it was a key card – I made my way to what the hotel calls the ‘executive floors’. These floors have their own elevator (up a short flight of steps on the left once you leave the lobby area) and I needed my key card to gain access to the lift. This was not a problem. In fact, as avid readers of my reviews will know, with the terrorist attack threat always high, it’s perhaps nice to know that the terrorists in question would need a key card to gain access to the executive floors.

I love it when my room is ‘mentioned in despatches,’ so to speak, and by that I mean there’s a sign on the wall when I reach my floor saying, as it did, ‘Rooms 1410 and 1411’. My room was ‘on the map’ so to speak and also down its own kind of side alley (or corridor).

The room was great: A short corridor leading to the sleeping area with a bathroom on the right and wardrobes on the left. There was a minibar – always a good sign, not that I go mad and work my way through all the beers like I might have in olden days. I like minibars. There are hotels that offer the fridge, but it’s either empty or locked and to me that means just one thing: the hotel doesn’t trust its guests. There’s also a safe, always handy, and a wall-mounted LG flatscreen television that worked fine, but most of the channels, bar CNN, were foreign language so I didn’t bother, but then again I’m not a great TV watcher when I’m staying in a hotel. It seems a sin to sit in a hotel room watching ‘the box’ when I could be out and about exploring the city.

The lighting was good in the room and there was plenty of switches to come to terms with; I particularly liked the desk lighting, which was more than adequate and, while we’re on the subject of the desk, it was a good size, allowing me to spread out a bit, as I’m prone to do.

Another plus point is free WiFi, which worked perfectly, and a comfortable bed. I got a decent night’s sleep most nights, apart from the first one, but that was because I was pre-occupied with ‘stuff’ and not the hotel’s fault.

Vienna is a cultured city, and on a couple of nights I was serenaded by a classically-trained busker who played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on his violin somewhere in the streets below my hotel room. It was so good it could have been Nigel Kennedy for all I knew.

In the bathroom, everything worked; my only complaint being the shower doors, which were a little cumbersome. The shower cubicle had curved doors and they weren’t the easiest things open and close, but it was a minor problem and nothing to complain about. They had Dove soap in a dispenser inside the shower and one by the sink, which was even better as I travelled without shaving foam and I know for a fact that Dove soap lathers up well and can be used as shaving foam too.

Because of security issues at airports I often have my toothpaste confiscated before entering ‘security’. On this particular trip, however, I’d simply forgotten to pack it and found myself wondering why hotels NEVER have any toothpaste in the bathroom for those who leave it behind, like me. Lo and behold, however, the Austria Trend Europa DOES have toothpaste and what a relief that turned out to be! What it didn’t have, however, was an iron. Most of the hotels I stay in have irons hidden somewhere in the wardrobe, but I searched high and low and never found one – more’s the pity as all of my shirts had been chucked in a holdall and the plan was to iron them day-by-day. But it was not to be and I wore creased shirts all week.

So, all is good at the Austria Trend Europa and now it’s time to discuss the location. You really can’t be more centrally located in my opinion. The hotel is a short five-minute walk from Stephansplatz underground station and is bang in the middle of Vienna’s shopping area where all the big brands and more can be found. In fact, it’s pretty central to everything.

And what about breakfast? Wow! Cake, croissants, fresh fruit, yoghurt, cooked meats, cooked breakfasts, cereals, bread, tea and coffee, fruit juices, you name it, and all beautifully arranged for self-service in a bright and breezy environment.

There’s no restaurant, which is a shame as I’d imagine it would be good if there was one, but in all honesty there’s so much choice just outside of the hotel it would be foolish to stay in and eat. There is a bar where I think snacks are offered.

For me, if I return to Vienna, I would immediately re-book the Austria Trend Europa. I booked it online and stayed from Tuesday to Friday – three nights – for £493 – or Euros, I can’t remember, not that there’s much difference these days. My flight was roughly £200 (British Airways to and from London Gatwick, roughly two hours).

The Austria Trend Europa is a friendly hotel, centrally located, offering pleasant rooms, an excellent breakfast service and there’s little much else you could wish for in my opinion.

The Dune Resort, Sardinia – review written 16 September 2017

If you want a good holiday in Sardinia, then the Dune Resort, near Badesi on the northern coastline of the island is the place to be, but try not to judge it when you first arrive. Give it time. I say this because I woke up at some ungodly hour to catch an early TUI flight out of London Gatwick to Alghero and it’s never a good way to start a short break.

It took around 90 minutes by coach from the airport to the hotel.

My initial gripe about the Dune Resort was this: it’s complicated and the last thing I want when I arrive at a hotel is complications, especially when I’ve had a long day and it’s not yet noon.

The Dune Resort is not a conventional hotel. It’s not a case of arriving at the front desk, filling out a form, being given the WiFi code and a key card and then heading for the elevator. Well, it is, but it takes a while for the reception staff to explain the place to arriving guests. There are three hotels, not one; there are half a dozen or so restaurants, some charge a premium. You can only have breakfast in one allotted restaurant – being as I was staying in the Ginepri Hotel my breakfast location was the Nautilus restaurant. You can’t use cash, instead there’s a card you can charge up during your stay, there are three swimming pools and one is out of bounds (of which more later). On average, you’ll be at the front desk for a good 15 minutes before being handed your room key.

Then there’s getting to the room. There are no elevators, it’s a matter of walking along scenic, bamboo-lined pathways and watching out for small headstone-like signs that direct you off a main path towards your room. Let me tell you, I lost my way on more than one occasion and it took me half an hour or longer to find where I was staying (room 831). I got used to it, although it took me a few days, and just when I got the hang of it, I had to fly home.

To be really unkind about the Dune you could equate it to Center Parcs or a ‘holiday village’ – both analogies hold water, but it’s more than that, although there is a map of the site – and minor fairground attractions – risking theme park analogies.

Let’s move away from what I’d call the negative aspects of the place and, well, hold on, let’s stick with the negatives for a little bit longer as, in a sense, once you arrive at the Dune (if you’re not planning to hire a car or bike) you’re stuck there because it’s out on a limb, there’s not much around it and there’s no ‘town centre’ nearby, certainly not within walking distance. Badesi is small and sleepy.

The Dune Resort is a ‘village’ of sorts: there are shops, a stage area for live entertainment, a theatre and plenty of stuff to keep kids entertained. I was there early September so there were only young couples with tiny babies and pre-school toddlers, but you’re in a wonderful location with beautiful flowers and swaying, rustling bamboos, so let’s get on to the more positive aspects of the resort, which far outweigh the piffling negatives.

For me the first big positive is the food. It really is top end and wine is free (and strong). I can’t remember exactly how many restaurants there are, but let’s say there are plenty of them and the predominant offering is a self-service buffet style operation. It’s all very smooth and efficiently run. And what a buffet! What amazing quality and variety. Put it this way, you won’t need to venture out of the hotel grounds, which are extensive. For me the best restaurant was La Spiagga, down by the beach. Perfect! I paid three visits. Second place was the Nautilus – what a wonderful display of fresh fruit – and third Pomodoro (a great paella). I wasn’t too keen on a traditional Sardinian restaurant (the meat was a little tough) and we never tried the pizzeria or any of the other restaurants. Who wants pizza with all that great food on offer?

Nothing is more than a 10-minute walk away and if you want to visit the beach but don’t fancy the walk, there’s an electric buggy ferrying guests there and back.

One hotel on-site is billed as ‘exclusive’ and it’s called the Sabine. It can be found along a bamboo-lined pathway close to the Palm swimming pool. If you’re not staying at the Sabine you can use the poolside bar (all bars offer the same snack menu) but you’re not allowed to use the pool unless you’re a resident and if you want to use the Sabine’s restaurant you have to pay a premium. No riff raff in the Sabine! We were half board and it would have meant paying extra cash, per person, so we didn’t bother. The other restaurants were more than good enough. But that phrase ‘not allowed’ is like a red rag to a bull: I had to risk a dip in the forbidden water, just to say I’d been in every pool. I hatched a cunning plan that involved entering said pool via the shallow end and swimming right across it, touching the far edge and then swimming back, snorting with childish laughter at every stroke.

Best pool? They’re all good. If you like all-day sunshine, swim in the Palm pool; if you want peace and shaded tranquillity, go to the Rocce; and if you just like a big  pool, try the one adjacent to the Nautilus restaurant.

Room 831 was great; there was a small patio area out front with deck chairs and garden furniture – nice and secluded and ideal for reading. There was a fair-sized bathroom with a bidet – great fun! The wardrobe had a safe, the television was on a very high shelf in the corner and the bed was comfortable. My only problem was the door, which always proved problematic when I tried to lock it.

For me, the confusing element of the place was having all these different hotels and reception areas, but generally speaking the Dune was an amazing resort with something for everyone – and that includes tennis, archery and horse riding.  I wish I was there now, but I’m not. I’m back home watching Newsnight.

Marriott Hotel, Liverpool, UK – review written 17 August 2017

I don't know what it is about the Marriott hotel chain and me, but I rarely book a night in a Marriott deliberately; it's always a kind of necessity. In fact, the last time that I did book on purpose was in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, or it might have been Atlanta, Georgia: probably both of them. So perhaps I'd better take that remark back, or at least a little bit of it, because I've also stayed in a Marriott in Brussels, on the Grand Place, but that was back in the early noughties. Let's just say that, for some reason, Marriott isn't my first choice. There's no outright reason for this; it's not that I don't like Marriott hotels, far from it, but this week, once again, I found myself staying in a Marriott because I had to; the last time was in Chicago at O'Hare airport when my flight to London was cancelled and there was no alternative. This time it was my own stupid fault for overdoing things, getting generally carried away with life and chatting that I forgot the sorry fact that the last train out of Liverpool, headed for London, was at some ridiculously early hour, something like 2130hrs.

The alcohol didn't help either, but I won't bore you with the details of my derelict state, just let's say I wasn't on top form and I never seem to learn a simple lesson: know when to stop.

There's nothing worse than staying in a hotel without a toothbrush or a change of clothes and if you add to that the general weariness brought about by drinking too much and the mildly  – alright, seriously – angst-ridden state of mind I found myself in, then you won't be surprised to learn that I didn't sleep well. I must have hit the sack around 11pm after enjoying hot food downstairs in front of the television (for some reason I had ordered another glass of red wine (another one!!!) but I realised the error of my ways and ignored it.

I awoke around 3.30am unable to sleep and in need of water and so I dressed and paid a visit to the front desk three floors below me. The receptionist told me that because the hotel was deemed to be a public building all the tap water was drinkable, so, having ordered a large bottle of still mineral water I went upstairs and drank copious amounts of tap water while I paced the room debating what to do next. Get the really early train home, or the slightly later one? But soon I realised that all of them were classed as 'on peak' and that I'd be paying upwards of £200 if I decided to leave Liverpool early. I went back to bed around 0500hrs and then awoke around 0700hrs, not feeling brilliant. I took a much needed shower (excellent as everything worked fine) and then hit the breakfast room, but could only manage Alpen, tea, a yoghurt and a banana.

The Marriott was fine. It did the job. The woman on the front desk was good, the breakfast was fine, although there was a strange smell that kind of put me off a bit and made me feel a little ill.

My hotel room was pretty standard, nothing to write home about, and the last thing I was in the mood for was the television so I never switched it on.

A room for the night, a bowl of Alpen, a mug of tea and a banana cost me £144.00. The alternative would have been to find a park bench somewhere in the city and see the night out as a vagrant. No sir!

One thing I wasn't impressed with was the so-called 'business centre'. It was little more than a printer and a tablet in the lobby. Writing emails proved difficult as was accessing my work email system. I would much have preferred a proper keyboard, but each to their own.

I can't grumble too much about this hotel because it was fine. The room was good, the shower was fine, the room service was fine, the breakfast did the job, the location was close to the station, but also bang in the centre of town and was fine too. And what I did like was the screen behind the front desk advertising other Marriotts around the world: Hotels with wonderful pools in wonderful locations. And when you're a little hungover and you see alluring images of still swimming pools in hot climes, well, it works wonders.

And let’s not forget the staff – all very friendly. Top marks to the early morning receptionist and the guy who checked me out.

I made my way to Lime Street railway station where I ordered a medium-sized tea and a heated sausage baguette, plus another banana. I won't say it did the trick, but it helped.

Bohem Art Hotel, Budapest, Hungary – review written 30 March 2017

The Bohem Art Hotel is good and by good I mean it’s well worth booking if you’re planning a holiday or a short break in Budapest.

Located at 1056 Budapest, Molnar utca 35, a quiet, dark street running parallel to the Danube (and only yards from the great river) the Bohem is understated from the outside, like a lot of businesses that ‘hide’ away from the general public on the same street. There are hairdressers and a coffee shop that don’t exactly advertise their presence to passers-by. I found myself surprised when I peered through various small windows and found a coffee shop and a couple of hairdressers.

When I got off the plane I jumped straight into a Mercedes taxi laid on for free by the Bohem – I had the choice of a free transfer to or from the hotel and opted for the former. In fact, the deal was wonderful: EUR271 for four nights! You can’t get much better.
The Boheme, as I suspected, was a typical 'boutique' hotel, meaning slightly contrived and quirky, but in a good way. The front desk was dark and cosy, there were big lamp shades, ‘modern’ furniture, and works of art on the walls. There’s nothing to moan about, put it that way. Check-in was simple and soon I found myself in the lift heading towards my room on the sixth floor (room 602 – written in large black figures on the door).

The room is a little basic, but again in a contrived, ironic sort of way, but it's not in any way uncomfortable and while I initially thought there were no wardrobes, I eventually found them – and a minibar – simply by pressing the walls and hoping that doors would open for me; they did.

There is a double bed, wooden floors, some kind of artwork over the bed, something written on the ceiling (Haász Katalin), a white Samsung television on the wall opposite the bed, a desk, free WiFi and, of course, space to hang clothes (with normal coathangers, not the type that implies the hotel doesn’t trust its guests).

As I've come to expect, the view from the hotel window is nothing spectacular – it never is – just roof tops, the odd satellite dish and, of course, chimney pots.

There are two free bottles of mineral water on the bedside tables, with the Bohem name on the label and in minibar there are small tins of snacks, such as wasabi peanuts, which are green, moreish and hot; and I'm now punctuating virtually every word I write with eating a wasabi peanut. They're hot but strangely pleasant. It's going to be difficult to ignore them until they've all gone.

There's a distinct masculine touch to the bathroom decor: woods and dark tiles plus some contrasting creamy white tiles. It's not a big space, but not cramped either and the shower worked fine. Despite being a 'boutique' hotel, they have adhered to the golden rule of 'function before form' – everything worked as it should have and I didn't encounter any problems with taps or plugs.

Breakfast is served in the basement in a pleasant, airy space. There's a lot on offer, but I steered away from the traditional rolls and sliced meats and chose instead vegetables with cous cous, a strange thing to have for breakfast, but it was there so I figured it must be what somebody regards as normal. It was very nice so I had it every day. There was also something like a bread pudding with cherries and that was also very nice. I chose Darjeeling tea in a glass mug, I'm not sure I like drinking tea out of a glass mug, but the tea was so good I had another (it was called 'Darjeeling Brilliant' so I'm telling you now that it lived up to its name). A small bowl of yoghurt, an orange and a banana followed and while I could have sat there all morning, I had things to do. But let's say breakfast was good. Fortunately I didn't have a newspaper otherwise I'd be down there now, pretending to be important.

Because there’s no restaurant here, I was forced to eat out, but that wasn’t a problem, there are plenty of places to eat in the street parallel to Molnar utca so you’ll find you’re spoilt for choice.

The staff are friendly, the hotel is centrally located, you really can’t go wrong if you book this place and some of the deals online are amazing.

NOFO Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden – review written 25 June 2017

I always try not to use a taxi when I travel abroad, so when I arrived at Stockholms södra (or Stockholm South) I followed my own sense of direction and walked to the NOFO Hotel, having already taken a train from Arlanda Airport. If you’re going to do this, beware: the journey from Uppsala station is very expensive, so instead take a short bus journey, the 583 – no more than 15 minutes – to Marsta and go direct to Stockholms södra, it takes about 30 minutes.

From Stockholms södra it’s no more than 10 minutes on foot: you come out of the station’s main exit and go straight across the street and keep walking until you reach a kind of square. Cross the road and then bear right and take the first road you see that is effectively a left turn, but basically you’re still moving  roughly straight ahead from the station and you’ll find the hotel on your left.

It’s a quirky place. There’s a lovely secluded courtyard (perfect on a warm, sunny day) and then there’s the hotel reception area, which is dark and cosy and perfect.

Check-in was easy and I was given room 315, a tiny room with a single bed where, I’ll be honest, it would have been impossible to swing a cat. It was, however, a very small ‘apartment’ in a sense with a bedroom and a bathroom.

I must point out that the NOFO Hotel used to be the Columbus Hotel, but it’s also been a brewery and once served as a barracks for the city guard. It’s also listed, which means there is no elevator and you have to walk. Fine if you’re able-bodied, but if not see if they have rooms on the ground floor or, at the very least, on the first (depending on how immobile you are).

The room was small, but it was fine. It had a flatscreen television on the wall opposite the single bed, a small desk on which I could rest my lap top and a few hooks with coat hangers instead of a wardrobe. Not a problem for me, but it might be for others, but then I expect they give their single rooms to lone travellers like me; there are ‘proper rooms’ and judging by the quirkiness of the hotel, they’re probably pretty cool.

I slept well, which was good, and the only downside I could think of was the view from the Velux window of tree tops and sky – not that good in other words, but this isn’t a complaint as most of the so-called ‘views’ from the hotels I’ve stayed in have been poor (buildings) so swaying tree tops and blue sky is nice and surreal.

One big complaint: the shower in the bathroom, I couldn’t get hot water on day one and on day two I got it but only after considerable faffing around, which annoyed me. It might have been me, but it’s rare that I don’t get a hot shower in the morning.

Room 315 is right on the stairs so there’s a very real possibility of falling out of the room, tripping on the stairs and ending up in a crumpled mess on the landing. Fortunately, it didn’t happen, but it could have.

So, on to breakfast: very good – a wide selection of ‘stuff’ hot and cold. What baffled me was the tea situation. There were teabags, but they were empty. The deal was that guests filled their own teabags with the leaf tea provided in glass jars. Call me an idiot, but I couldn’t figure it out on day one; it was only on day two when I saw another guest with what looked like paper tissues dipped in a mug of hot water that I finally clicked. Unfortunately, it meant that I didn’t have tea for breakfast, just very strong, black coffee. Again, it wasn’t a problem.

It is possible to eat at the NOFO, but I got the impression that the food was light and designed to accompany the wine, for which the hotel has a reputation. There are, however, some extremely decent restaurants nearby and the receptionist will recommend them to you. I enjoyed Bistroteket and Bistro Boheme.

The area in which the hotel is located, Södermalm, is a pretty laid back and quiet part of Stockholm, which is perfect for me; add a decent and quirky hotel like the NOFO and it’s heavenly. I would definitely return, but I might ask for lessons in how to work that shower, unless it was a problem specific to room 315.

Sodermalm is described as the 'vibrant heart of the city' and the NOFO Hotel is said to be steeped in the history of Soder. It was built in 1783 and has served as a brewery and as a barracks for the city guard. Today, it is claimed to be one of the world's most stylish city districts. "You will love the enchanting mix of people, bars, shopping, restaurants and culture," say NOFO's general manager, Desiré Eklund. She's right, it's a very pleasant part of Stockholm and yes, I could live here!

Sheraton Hotel, Warsaw, Poland – review written 15 June 2017

I’m not sure whether I’d call the Sheraton Hotel in Warsaw, Poland, a corporate hotel. I mean, Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame was staying there while I was in town and I can’t imagine him buying into corporatism.

Yes it’s a large hotel with bars and a restaurant, not forgetting a spa and conference facilities – quite good conference facilities – but perhaps to denigrate the place by calling it corporate would be unfair.

The check-in, I thought, was quite efficient. It wasn’t long before I was making my way towards the elevators and room 201, a conveniently located ‘end of terrace’ room ‘mentioned in despatches’ by the hotel signage. I’ll admit to getting a little lost and almost walking out of the hotel’s side entrance before realising that I’d missed the elevator area, but I found it and was soon ensconced in the room, checking things out.

First, the Sheraton in Warsaw trusts its guests, I was glad to note: it had proper coathangers in the wardrobe and a fully-stocked minibar, so top marks there. A light came on whenever I opened the wardrobe doors and, I noticed, there was a safe in which I could have placed my passport, but chose not to. Then there was the flatscreen television, which I never, ever switched on, but can only assume that it worked perfectly. There was a desk and, in addition to free wifi, a lead connecting my laptop directly to the Internet.

The bed was comfortable – I managed to get a decent night’s sleep over my three-day visit – and the bathroom was perfect too. I always judge a decent bathroom by whether the shower works properly and it did.

So far, so good and, to be honest, I’ll say now that I loved the Sheraton Hotel, but I was annoyed about what happened when I discovered, late on Thursday night, that my keycard didn’t work. It enabled me to get in the lift and travel to the second floor, but it wouldn’t open my door and I was in dire need of the bathroom. So I went to the front desk, told them my predicament and they asked for ID. I didn’t have any bar a passport that was in my room, so the receptionist called a member of the hotel’s security team to escort me to my room where I showed my passport and was left to visit the bathroom.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been annoyed about this. What if somebody in the middle of the night asked for access to my room while I was sleeping and they gave him or her a new keycard? It doesn’t bear thinking about so I think I’ll say that I’m glad they were so security-conscious rather than berate them for making me jump up and down in public in a desperate attempt not to humiliate myself.

On the hotel’s location, it was around 20 minutes to the old town of Warsaw and only around five to 10 minutes from some excellent restaurants (Buddha, Carpaccio and Kaiser spring to mind).

So, to sum up, the Warsaw Sheraton is good and well worth a visit and, who knows, you might meet a rock star!

Mercure City Centre, Dusseldorf, Germany – review written 24 April 2017

I'd like to call myself a 'biscuiteer', but having mistaken a small, wrapped block of hard foam designed to clean shoes for some kind of free snack, possibly even a biscuit, I think I’ve seriously failed the entrance examination.

I'm safely ensconced in my room at the Mercure City Center Hotel in Dusseldorf and I thought I'd scout around for freebies. That's when I encountered what I thought was a biscuit. Life can be infuriating. There's not much for free: a sachet of premium peppermint tea, two elongated sachets of instant coffee, some 'Zabielacz de kawy creamer' – that's powdered milk to you and me – and a couple of sachets of sugar. Oh, there's also a bottle of Evian mineral water.

Hoteliers get a little angry when I suggest that a locked minibar means they don't trust their guests, but I hate that unmistakable feeling of exclusion – ‘keep out!’. There's a couple of locked doors, one being a small safe that has been rendered unusable, and the other some kind of fridge, which I'm guessing is either empty or jam-packed with beers and wines and wasabi nuts, but just not for me. I wonder if they thought, 'hold on, we've got Moggridge staying with us, lock the minibar and don't give him access to the mini safe either, he’s got nothing worth nicking'. There must be some kind of policy decision that says 'lock the fridge and the safe and don't leave any keys floating around'. Annoying, yes, but so far I have very little to complain about, apart from trying to find the elevator after I checked in. One of them was out of order so I was directed along a corridor to where I would find another, but I got lost and had to ask for directions. It turned out the lift was up some stairs, on the first floor, so I figured what was the point? I walked instead and soon found room 211, which was absolutely fine. There was a carpeted floor, a single bed, a flatscreen television, power points, a telephone (that worked!) and various leaflets. The bathroom, of which more later, was small but perfectly adequate.

The hotel was under four minutes' walk from Da Bruno, my all-time favourite Italian restaurant (turn left on leaving the hotel and keep walking). I had booked my usual lonely table for one, but advise anybody reading this review to go there, it’s the best.

Breakfast was good, but the surroundings were too white and bright for my liking. There was a glass roof letting in the sun, which was fine. They had everything one might expect from a hotel breakfast offering: sausages, scrambled egg, sautéed potatoes, mushrooms, boiled eggs, cooked meats, a variety of breads, including croissants, yoghurt, fresh fruit, cereals, tea and coffee and fresh fruit juice, not forgetting cake.

Every day (I was here for three nights) I chose a bowl of fresh fruit and a bowl of yoghurt plus a banana, some scrambled egg with sautéed potato and mushrooms and a cup of English breakfast tea. Tea is always such a faff as it is contained in a sachet that needs to be opened – sometimes a big problem – plonked in a cup into which hot water must be poured and so on; that's the problem with self-service, I tend to get fed up with the process.

But I won't complain too loudly about the Mercure City Center because it's a cut above other hotels in its price bracket, so the only causes for complaint that I can see are the locked safe and minibar, the unruly coathangers – you know the ones I mean, not proper hangers with hooks but those you can't get off the rail. Again I find myself thinking that the hotel doesn't trust its guests – they can't trust them to tell the truth when asked "did you use the minibar?" so they lock it; they don't believe their guests will have anything worth putting in a safe, so they lock that too, and because they think their guests will half-inch the coathangers, they provide the unruly variety.

And there were issues with the bathroom too. Well, not the whole bathroom, just the hot water situation, particularly in the shower: it wouldn't warm up and the only way to make it hot enough was to turn the lever in such a way that the flow was severely limited to little more than a dribble; it was the same with the sink tap. It made showering less of a pleasure than it might have been, that's all, but still it's another negative to add to the locked minibar, the locked safe and the unruly coathangers.

The Mercure City Center does have a restaurant, the Four Seasons, adjacent to a small and cosy bar where I enjoyed a couple of dark ales prior to dinner outside of the hotel in my all-time favourite restaurant, Da Bruno. I have, however, experienced dinner at the Mercure and it’s fine.

So, in summary, you can’t really go wrong with the Mercure City Center: it’s close to Da Bruno (an excellent Italian restaurant I have reviewed already), it’s close to Dusseldorf Central Station which is only a short ride from the airport and you’re only a 20-minute stroll from the Alt Stadt, or old town with its many bars and restaurants, not forgetting the shops.

Lastly, of course, there’s free WiFi and if you haven’t got a computer there’s one close to the front desk.