A day in La Rochelle

Advantages: Plenty to do
Disadvantages: Expensive shopping

...La Rochelle is a town on the West Coast of France. It is a large harbour town, and at one point in its history it was the largest harbour in France. We visited La Rochelle twice during our stay in France, one day was spent in the Aquarium which I have reviewed separately, and one day was spent around the market and the harbour. Driving into the town is relatively simple, the car parks are well signposted, and we decided to park right on the harbour front. The charges for the car park were very reasonable, at least compared to car parks where I live; it was just a couple of Euros for a full day. From the harbour car park we walked approximately 10 minutes into the shopping precinct. There was a small outdoor market in the centre, mainly selling fruit and vegetables. There was also an indoor market which also has fruits...

Fiver29 16.06.2009 (18.06.2009) · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

Aquarium La Rochelle

Advantages: A wonderful experience and day out
Disadvantages: Expensive shop

...Aquarium La Rochelle, unsurprisingly is in La Rochelle on the West Coast of France. It's located in the centre of the town, a few minutes from the station, and within 5 minutes walk of the main shopping area. It boasts 12,000 marine animals, 20 species of shark, 70 aquariums and 3 million litres of water. Opening Times and Prices ********************* Adults are 13 Euro, children aged 3 to 17 years (and students with student card) are 10 Euro and children under 3 years are free If you want a narrated visit (with audio guide), you need to add 3,50Euro to the individual prices. We decided against the narrated visit and it didn't spoil the enjoyment at all, because all the notices and information about the different species is written in English as well as French. The aquarium is open every day of the year, from October to March it's open...

Fiver29 09.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Aquarium de La Rochelle, La Rochelle

Hôtel Restaurant La Flambée -dine in style but bedrooms plain.

Advantages: Beautiful dining room
Disadvantages: Bedrooms adequate but not elegant.

...a lot of roundabouts to negotiate. Winter is much quieter as in the summer the tourist traffic really increases the difficulty. Bergerac itself is situated on the northern bank of the Dordogne River. It is among the largest towns in the region. It has a wonderful old town, some quaint streets and lots of cafes and boutiques to enjoy. The hotel La Flambée is a family run hotel and you can visit the website at www.laflambee.com Our first impression as we saw the hotel was that it was inviting, and the reception was friendly and welcoming. Our room on the first floor was a double and created mixed feelings. We have been to quite a few French hotels and have found the rooms to have a decidedly romantic feel to them. This room was not in this category, but it was certainly not to be unfairly reviewed either. The simple fact is that it...

Violet1278 20.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Restaurant La Flambee, Bergerac

MAKATI SHANGRI-LA HOTEL - A Place for those with Discerning Taste

Advantages: location, wonderful accommodations, delicious food
Disadvantages: expensive

...Makati Shangri-la Hotel is classy. And expensive. Staying there is a luxury which my family and I indulged in one weekend using the discount vouchers included in my Shangri-la Senses card. Makati Shangri-la is one of the most popular hotels in Metro Manila and is often chosen as the preferred residence of most foreign dignitaries and executives visiting the country. The moment you step into the lobby, you could already feel why it is given a five-star status. The lobby itself is impressive with its spiral staircase and huge chandelier hanging on top of a beautifully-designed floral centerpiece. However, some may find it a bit imposing. As to the service, it is prompt, impeccable and very professional although somehow I long for the more intimate service that I get from hotels of a lesser caliber. The room we occupied is...

24kgold 15.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Manila

Oh La La debmercury stays in Hotel Bellevue Paris

Advantages: Excellent location and good value for money
Disadvantages: Not suitable for disabled people

...The Hotel The Bellevue hotel is a three star hotel and has 36 rooms, which are all nicely decorated in either burgundy or blue tones. It is a four storey building with lots of parisian style. The hotel is a small independantly run hotel which is in a fantastic location 19 Rue d' orsel, 7518 Paris which is at the foot of the Sacre Coeur church in Montmartre. I had pre-booked a taxi online when I booked this break. Taxi was from the Charles de Gaulle airport and when we arrived the Bellevue Hotel was lit up outside and looked very warm and welcoming. The hotel has a small reception desk which is open twenty four hours and the reception staff are very friendly and helpful. At the side of the reception desk there is a large rack with lots of tourist information leaflets on where to go and places of interest...

debmercury 16.05.2009 (17.11.2009) · Read review
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Review of Bellevue Hotel, Paris

Gateway to the Île de Ré

Advantages: Easy to get to, plenty to see, relatively unknown destination within France
Disadvantages: Gets very busy in summer

...the island to La Rochelle in 1988 was greeted with a mixture of relief and fear: relief on the part of the tourists, who no longer have to wait hours to board one of the roll-on/roll-off ferries that were previously the only way to reach the island, and the fear of residents that their peaceful haven would be overrun every summer. The reality, as is so often the case, is probably somewhere in between the two - now, you sweep over the elegant bridge and pay a return toll of ?9, and the island economy booms every summer with an influx of well-heeled visitors. Local building regulations designed to protect the integrity of the island ecosystem and retain its quiet and tranquil image ensure that no high-rise hotels can be built anywhere on the Île de Ré. This of course has restricted the amount of hotel rooms and holiday apartments available...

JVL 30.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

Parque de La Paz Hotel Review.

Advantages: Excellent location and fantastic value for money. Highly recommended.
Disadvantages: Nothing stands out as being an issue.

...Please bear in mind that Holidays in Tenerife are usually aimed at the 18-30 age group. The Parque de La Paz hotel is located in Playa de las Americas on the south of the Island. It is situated nearby a supermarket and a mere 400m from the wonderful beaches. Tenerife's reputation certainly goes before it and I found many of my ideas surrounding the island were wrong. It is true that Tenerife accomodates a large number of english tourists, however, i felt that part of the culture of the island remained in tact and the standards were certainly not low. As for the hotel i thought it was excellent value for money. As a £200 package holiday I felt the rooms were a great standard. The rooms were a good size with a lovely balcony and all the appliances you need. The rooms are cleaned daily by a cycle of friendly maids. Despite having a large...

Jonny5Review 16.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hotel Parque de La Paz, Tenerife

Confessions of a planning freak

Advantages: Lovely town, Lots to do, great weather and many more.
Disadvantages: Some attractions not open until April

...the middle of town. La Rochelle ********************************************** As I said, it was incredibly sunny and warm. My boyfriend got all excited about girls wearing skirts, but apparently, no one had noticed the hot temperature and every single person we met that day was wearing a big jacket and a scarf. Those are definitely days when I feel more English than French. The first thing we did after leaving our bags and jackets in the hotel was have a look around. The city centre is very pretty, with lots of shops under the famous arcades. The 14th century City Hall (Hotel de Ville) is said to be worth a visit, although we didn't have time to check it out. Then, the Vieux Port (Old Harbour) is definitely a place to see. It is mostly famous for its 3 towers: the Tour St Nicolas, Tour de la Lanterne, and Tour de la Chaine. You...

Pomcamgirl 22.03.2006 (26.10.2006) · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

Hotel La Pace - peace in an area famous for war

Advantages: Position, clean, secure parking
Disadvantages: Old fashioned

...beaches within an hour's drive and some very pretty/towns villages on the way. The hotel is near the main Rome-Naples highway (non-motorway). Overall, I would describe La Pace as adequate - certainly not the best hotel for the money, but nowhere near the worst!...

BristolBud 10.01.2008 (09.01.2008) · Read review
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Review of Hotel La Pace - Rome/Naples, Cassino

A Palatial Hotel fit for a Queen

Advantages: A wonderfully characteristic hotel
Disadvantages: None

...Carmona is a town with a very long history and is situated about 30km east of Seville. It lies astride the NIV Seville-Cordoba highway so the town is very easy to find. The Alcazar de la Reina Hotel is situated in the heart of the old town. It's not hard to find as it's more than adequately signposted, but it's still a bit of an ordeal driving to it. The old town was not designed with the automobile in mind (in fact I doubt whether the wheel was even invented when much of this place was built!) and you must negotiate a torturous and convoluted route through the incredibly narrow streets and lanes (all one way). The streets are so tight, it could be quite hair-raising - I don't have much hair so I was alright. When we eventually cleared the claustrophobic streets, we found ourselves at one of the highest points of the town with a car...

proxam 29.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Alcazar de la Reina Hotel, Carmona