Category Archives: What’s New?

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Porto, Portugal

This Hotel truly represents what a 5 Star Hotel should be. Beautiful entrance, very fast service in getting 40 suitcases to the right people in no time at all, every detail including one I had not seen before. The room smelled so lovely- like fresh ground nutmeg and they had left  a small box on the pillow. It had 2 small spray bottles with a note  stating if you wanted a good nights sleep, just spray lightly on the pillow. It was lavender.

We were having one of our dinners in the Hotel and it was perfect. For the starter, a small green salad with oil/balsamic vinegar. It came with 2 thin slices of a grain crusted  bread coins with melted Brie Cheese and a Quince jelly dollop on top.

The second course was a salt crusted salmon, baked and a couple of roasted potatoes and beautifully cooked Brussel Sprouts. Almost at tilt when the server brings out a lovely open faced tart with sliced apples and cinnamon. It had a cannelle of vanilla ice cream. Good Grief!

Our Guide, Elena, bought everyone a glass of wine for their dinner.

Great Hotel. If here do not miss.

 

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Hotel Alameda Palace, Salamanca, Spain

I mentioned previously just how beautiful this hotel is…and it is. It has been given the 5 Star designation but I am at a loss why that happened.

We were to dine in at this evening, after driving from Toledo. When we arrived in the dining room, a Buffet, of sorts was laid out and it was nothing special. Shredded beets from a can and shredded; cold pasta salad with corn (canned), hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters, sliced onions, lettuce- no dressing but they did have oil and vinegar.

The main hot foods consisted of 3 pan trays with absolutely no labels to tell you what it was. Pork sliced very thin with potato and cheese sauce ,  Paella with lots of squid, a couple shrimp and not much else and the third dish was cut up green beans (not fresh) with a ton of garlic.

Dessert was a disaster. A ‘cake’ with a very soggy crepe bottom, about 1 inch of whipped oil, another crepe, another layer of the whipped topping and a couple chocolate sprinkles. In a large bowl beside this was canned fruit cocktail. Get your own coffee from a machine. This seems to be normal here. The wine I asked for, came but was half the normal 4 oz.

We return to our room and find no Kleenex, no garbage can in the room and in the bathroom, you have difficulty  sitting on the throne, because someone placed the roll for  toilet paper on the wall on one side, at your elbow and with the glass door about 4 inches from the throne on the other side, you have to be a contortionist. The air conditioner is controlled  by Front Desk and we didn’t know this. Never mind,

Breakfast is next up and they literally grab the plate from whether you have finished or not. When a couple of diners tried to use the coffee machine on the other side of the room, he told them the couldn’t. He  was downright rude and really was not pleasant during the whole breakfast experience. Oh, and by the way…that same bowl of canned fruit cocktail was there.

Five Star – not a chance but with a good kick n in the pants, they could be.

 

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