Wonderful Anniversary at the Conrad Brussels

Advantages: Immaculate Accommodation. Superb Staff. Excellent ambience. Attention to detail.
Disadvantages: It's not usually cheap, but some great deals can be found - as we did.

...We had really looked forward to spending our twelfth wedding anniversary at the Conrad for some time and we were certainly in no way disappointed. It being our wedding anniversary, and being a Hilton Hhonors Gold VIP member, we were given a free upgrade to an absolutely superb duplex suite at an astonishingly good rate, although it is clear that any room at this hotel would be delightful; it's known for its very spacious, well-furnished rooms. Basic rooms are 42 square metres - yet our suite boasted 120 square metres. We paid 190 Euros per night. The rack rate was 1150 Euros. The Euro is very much on a par with the US Dollar. We were absolutely delighted! Two nights in a duplex suite, a bottle of champagne on ice, international telephone call from our room, delivered breakfast and a room-service pizza late at night all came to less...

andymcf 01.11.2002 · Read review
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Review of Conrad International Brussels, Ixelles

Shine a light in the darkness

Advantages: A story that tells you a lot about yourself if you'll only let it
Disadvantages: A bit difficult to read at times

...I had to read Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness for my University degree and will admit that I personally found it quite tough going, despite the book being ever so short in length, 111 pages in fact. After writing a 2000 word essay on a particular aspect of the book however I found myself being drawn into the story and have know come to if not like at least respect the book. When Marlow was a young child he would spend hours staring at the blanks spaces on maps and when he found one that particularly interested him would exclaim 'When I grow up I want to go there'. Now older he still has a passion for adventure and despite the fact that those once empty spaces are now coloured in by the colours of the empires that own them he still wants to travel there. Becoming a seaman and head of a steamboat Marlow leads an expedition down...

MI9to5 26.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

Steamship shenanigans

Advantages: Entertaining period read
Disadvantages: The plot is a little thin

...is plenty of opportunity through her, to describe the trappings of wealth that surrounds them. Again, she isn't the most imaginative of fictional detectives and she isn't one that will stay in my mind for any length of time, but she is perfectly adequate for the job in hand. Probably the weakest part of the book is the plot. I suspect that Conrad Allen, (aka Keith Miles and husband of Judith Cutler - another author of crime fiction) is a bit of a nautical fan and that he wrote the book with the aim of showing off his knowledge, with the plot being secondary. It isn't a bad plot, it is just not particularly exciting and feels a bit like painting by numbers at times, with the odd murder thrown in just to spice things up a little. There are certainly no clever twists involved - but then maybe I've been spoiled by Agatha Christie and her...

sunmeilan 28.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Murder on the Mauretania - Conrad Allen

FOR THOSE WHO DESERVE THE LITTLE LUXURIES IN LIFE

Advantages: The amazing and phenomenal luxury and service
Disadvantages: Not living there

...I have stayed in a few hotels in my time, but when in Thailand the Conrad Hotel (part of the Hilton group) really has to be singled out as the utmost pinnacle of sheer unadulterated luxury. Staff really go beyond the realms of expectation when dealing with their customers. We stayed in Bangkok for four nights and five days at the end of May 2004. We usually book Hilton group hotels as we have a diamond Hilton Honors membership card and this usually means room upgrades and access to the executive lounge in the hotel. We booked our hotel as part of our Bangkok trip but for the 4 nights it worked out quite reasonable with a free upgrade to a deluxe corner suite room. The rates were pretty reasonable, especially when you consider a 5 star hotel in regard to Western prices. Check out www.conradhotels.com for booking...

purdy 12.10.2004 · Read review
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Review of Conrad, Bangkok

Haunted Hunter

Advantages: one of the gems of English literature, short
Disadvantages: none

...published in 1902, at that time Belgium had a colony in central Africa, the Congo, Marlow becomes the captain of a steamer going up and down the Congo river serving the stations where the ivory the African natives (have to) hunt for the Belgians is collected, counted and then shipped off. The description of the jungle really puzzles me, several times we read about its 'stillness'. I haven't been to the jungle but from what I know from books and feature films the jungle is very noisy with all the animals screeching, howling, cawing. Yet Conrad's jungle is an impenetrable silent wall. The African natives are stereotyped as ugly, savage cannibals with sharpened teeth constantly rolling their eyes and performing strange rites. One can get the impression that Conrad only read and heard about the jungle and the Africans but never saw the one...

MALU 26.10.2006 (27.10.2006) · Read review
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Review of Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

Opulence and a lucky dancing fountain

Advantages: Luxurious hotel with all the facilities you would expect from a hotel of that calibre
Disadvantages: Can be expensive

...Our main holiday trip this year took us to Bali Indonesia for a ten night stay and then to Singapore for a further 5 nights. During both of these trips we were lucky enough to enjoy the luxury comfort and service of the Conrad Hotels. In Singapore we checked in to the Conrad Hotel for 3 of our 5 nights staying - we had previously booked into the Swissotel Merchant Quay booked via Travelocity but we missed the Conrad which we had grown very used too during our stay in Bali. The Conrad Centennial Hotel in Singapore can be found at Two Temasek Boulevard Singapore Tel: 65-X-6334-8888 Email: Singaporeinfo@conradhotels.com There are 509 rooms in the hotel, on over 31 floors of the hotel. Its location is in the business district of Singapore but is in close proximity to shopping mall of Suntec City and public transport...

purdy 30.12.2005 · Read review
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Review of Conrad Centennial, Singapore

Is it really that good? I'd say yes.

Advantages: Evocative and disturbing
Disadvantages: Sometimes difficult

..."My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel - it is, above all, to make you see. That - and no more, and it is everything." So wrote Joseph Conrad in his introduction to The Nigger of Narcissus, and any reader of Conrad will get some idea of what this means. Conrad's writing however is subtle and the language is intellectual. These are the first stumbling blocks that many readers will encounter. Conrad will make you see, but only if you want to, and perhaps only if you are able to. His writing does not hammer the truth into you as many others would,b ut allows you to discover it for yourself. Unfortunately this is not always possible, as the language, prose, and poetics may alienate the reader who does not want to engage with the text. I think his use of words is...

temf 05.11.2003 · Read review
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Review of Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

I could relate to this

Advantages: This is a good book to curl up with, on the beach, under a shade tree -just a good read!
Disadvantages: None - unless you don't like this style of book.

...Yet again, Conrad Allen's hero, George Porter Dillman, is trying to figure out the bad guys - this time on the first voyage of the Cunard ship, the Mauretania. It's a transatlantic crossing that keeps him busy, all the way across the Atlantic. His beautiful sidekick, Genevieve Masefield, subtly helps whilst trying not to let other passengers on the liner know of her connection to him. The plot meanders with intrigue, making you constantly re-evaluate your previous thoughts on who, what, why? This is an excellent read, decently paced, with descriptive narrative combining with excellent characterizations. You can "see" these people, hear their voices. Allen's submersion of the reader into turn-of-the-century history is brilliant, and having sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 2 myself, I can identify with much of the scenarios that he...

poet831 07.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of Murder on the Mauretania - Conrad Allen

A surprisingly modern tale

Advantages: Great prose style, interesting plot
Disadvantages: Some archaic attitudes hiding away

...Conrad?s Heart of Darkness is one of those works of literature that everyone means to read, but generally never gets round to. Having re-read the book, I?m now asking myself why I?ve not got around to reading any more of Conrad?s work, as he?s a marvellous writer. I suspect that the answer is that I?ve got too much else vying for my attention on my bookshelf at the moment, but I really ought to add some more Conrad to the queue. Surely a standard text for any colonial literature course, the story is concerned with a Belgian company operating in Africa, its treatment of the ?savages? and the effect this has on the white men who go out to work there. Using, unusually, two narrators, one of whom tells the reader about being told the tale by one Marlow, seasoned seafarer and spinner of yarns. This Marlow had apparently got it into...

DavidBedford 30.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

THE FIVE STAR TREATMENT

Advantages: A wonderful luxurious break
Disadvantages: Staff could be a bit more personal

...I was treated to an extra special birthday present in June, l had stipulated that l did not want to be in the country (i.e. Northern Ireland) over my birthday which was on a Saturday, but as l had just come back from Prague which was as l thought my present l didn?t expect anything more (and l got the Harry Potter latest as well!). Well as l am a very spoiled and lucky girl, my wonderful boyfriend had booked us into the Conrad International Hotel in Dublin. Five stars l?ll have you know (previously l had been more for a B&B girlie!) The Conrad International Hotels is set just off St Stephens Green in Dublin and therefore pretty central for those who know Dublin, and for those who love shopping Grafton Street is minutes away. I was a happy bunny!!!! I was excited and a bit apprehensive about staying in a swish city hotel ? lm...

purdy 18.10.2003 · Read review
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Review of Conrad International Hotel, Dublin