STAFF HOTEL REVIEWS

Europe > France > Cannes hotels

By Dave Grossman, HotelMagician.com, October 2006

If you want to be right in the middle of the Cannes action, the Noga Hilton Cannes is where to stay. Were you to snag a room here during the Cannes Film Festival, you’d no doubt encounter some of the cinema elite in the lobby.

Hot Tip from the Hotel Magician

: Hotel parking is not inexpensive (E35 as of this writing) but forget about street parking. With two hour limits and the hotel’s prime waterfront location, you might as well valet the car and enjoy your trip.

 

 

 

The suites are magnificent – if you have the means, we highly recommend them. A recent stay in the Ambassador Suite was nothing short of amazing with a balcony (with a view of the water and a table and chairs for dining al fresco) and 4 rooms (work area/foyer, living room, dining room, and a bathroom the size of a New York apartment with a massive circular whirlpool in the middle).

Hot Tip from the Hotel Magician

#2: The beach directly across from the hotel charges E25 + for a chaise lounger. The area directly to the left of it is about half the price. The beach is just as good

 

 

 

The hotel also features an (included) rooftop pool with absolutely stunning views of the Sea. There is a restaurant and bar on the roof as well and they do make the dining area available for private functions.

Pictures below: Whirlpool in Ambassador Suite, Work area in Suite, Overhead view of lobby

-DG

Europe > Italy > Torino

Le Meridien Lingotto
Via Nizza 262, Turin 10126 Italy
Phone: (39)(011) 664 2000

By Dave Grossman, HotelMagician.com, September 2006

The hotel is situated in the Lingotto Exhibition and Congress Centre, notable as it is an ingenious renovation of the previous Fiat factory. Designed and decorated with distinctive Italian flair by the famous architect Renzo Piano, the Lingtto actually has two hotels to choose from – the Le Meridien Lingotto and the Le Meridien Art + Tech. While this review is only of the Le Meridien Lingotto, the Art + Tech is reputed to be as good if not better and also runs slightly higher price-wise. Art + Tech is, as the name might imply, a bit more focused on art and has rooms that are a bit more chic.

Hot Tip from the Hotel Magician: If you are staying at the hotel you may ask your concierge for a key to the roof during daylight hours. With the key in hand, you can ride up to the Pista Restaurant (Pista means roof) and let yourself out onto what used to be the test track for Fiat. Nice view as well!

The rooms at this hotel form a rectangle around the gorgeous courtyard – full of trees and natural beauty – and drinks are served here at night weather permitting.

Deluxe rooms have the city/mountain views and feature an additional sitting area in the front of the room while the Superior rooms face inside and lack the sitting area. The rooms are quite large in size, especially for Europe. Most rates include a buffet breakfast (croissants, coffees, eggs, rasher bacon, sausage, cereals, breads/jams, etc). Quite nice and your best bet in the immediate area. The adjoining shopping center also provides “quick service” fare.

The area: Note that the Lingotto complex, which also includes a large shopping mall, is about 10 minutes out from central Torino. This is about a 15 Euro taxi ride or a 0.90 Euro tram or bus ride. If driving, the hotel provides parking (complimentary as of September 2006 but you may wish to inquire with the hotel directly if it is a concern).

Overall a very pleasant stay and the staff we encountered spoke excellent English and were very eager to please with advice on attractions, restaurants, bars, cafes and the like.

-DG

Europe > France > Nice

Hotel Mercure Nice Centre Notre Dame
28 Avenue Notre Dame
Nice 06000 France

By Dave Grossman, HotelMagician.com, September 2006

We chose this particular hotel for two reasons.

The first was price. On a recent 2 night stay we paid about USD$150 a night. Not bad for central Nice in Fall.

The second reason was location: at Notre Dame and Ave Jean Médecin, it is very centrally located. You are near all the centre-ville sights and only a 20 minute walk (or 3 minute taxi) from the water. Note that we also review the Le Meridien Nice – which is right on the water if that is more your speed.

Back to the Mercure… part of the Accor chain of hotels, the Mercure is about a pleasant and simple stay at reasonable cost. It succeeds at this. The rooms are small (but not tiny) and are well kept and nicely appointed. There is a small rooftop pool on the roof of the hotel that makes for a pleasant swim at summer.

Parking is available in an almost-connected lot next door for (as of Sept. 2006) 10 Euros a day on your hotel bill – good through 1pm the following day. Breakfast is included only in some rates so check when you book with us by reading the details of the rates carefully. Don’t choose a higher priced rate for breakfast, though. There are several exceptional bakeries (boulangeries) in the immediate area for crossaints, quiches, croque monsieurs, etc.

While for a luxury hotel in Nice, we recommend the Le Palais de la Mediterranee, or Hotel Negresco, and, a step below, the Le Meridien Nice, the Mercure Notre Dame provides a perfectly enjoyable experience at a much more affordable price. While we did not review the Mercure Palais Anglais that sits on the water adjacent to the Le Meridien, it is reputed to be equal to the Mercure Notre Dame with regards to their rooms at a location right on the water – again, if that is your preference and it is in season.

NB: As of the time of this review (2006) a tram is being constructed along Ave Jean Médecin. While it will be great when complete, it is causing some traffic tie-ups at the moment. Functionally, the location still works – but allow a little extra time if driving to figure out where you can turn during the construction.

-DG

North America > Canada > Quebec > Montreal

Le Centre Sheraton Montreal
1201 BOULEVARD RENÉ-LÉVESQUE OUEST
Montreal, QC CANADA

By Dave Grossman, HotelMagician.com, September 2006

Book online at Sheraton.com

In a very central location, the Le Centre Sheraton Montreal is a great choice for either a business or a leisure stay. Located on Boul. Rene-Levesque, right near Peel Street, it is convenient to many of the local area tourist attractions by foot and is only a short cab or Metro ride to Old Montreal.

Rooms are moderately to nicely sized, depending on room type, and the staff and management are very professional and courteous.

The fitness area on the 6th Floor includes 2 stair masters, 2 eliptical machines, free weights, and TVs to watch whilst working out. The pool is small to medium sized with a max capacity of 45.

Morning coffee and evening drinks are available at the quaint bar themed as a library complete with books that you may read while sitting there. A bistro option is also available on-site at standard hotel prices but we found better options nearby the hotel

Expect to find rooms in the CDN$200 (USD$180) and up range although promotional rates and packages are occasionally offered. Book the Le Centre Sheraton Montreal.

If you are looking for a more “hip” hotel and are traveling alone or with a romantic companion, we’d also recommend the trendy W Montreal which is located a bit closer to the old town and has a more hip atmosphere complete with an exclusive bar that will have a queue at weekends but hotel guests can, in most cases, jump the queue. Prices at the W tend to be just a bit higher than the Le Centre Sheraton.

-DG

… to our new hotel review site. We travel. Sometimes a lot. And whenever and wherever we stay, we’ll return with an unbiased review of the hotel. We look forward to you adding your own comments to our reviews – good bad or indifferent. There are many sites out there that allow user reviews – but now there’s one more! Hopefully you’ll enjoy our style.