We made a stop at Fort Lauderdale right before a cruise on the Allure of the Seas and checked-in to the Crowne Plaza Airport/Cruise hotel which conveniently offered a shuttle to the hotel from the airport, and a really good rate on a taxi to the cruise port. This hotel was really much more than what we were hoping for, and it was really nice.
We checked in quite late as our flights got in late. Our room had 2 queen beds in the room which was really large and had tons of space. The beds were extremely comfortable, but I’m not sure if it was just me as we traveled all day or if it was a dreamy and luxurious of a bed as I remembered it to be.
The bathroom was a good size bathroom and had lots of counter space. It wasn’t anything special, but it was really nice with a modern design.
This hotel offered many amenities such as parking, pool and fitness room and a restaurant. The food and service at the restaurant was delicious as we ended up eating our late dinner there and an early breakfast before we left. It was an excellent stay and we would go back to this hotel again. It offered fair rates in the area.
The area wasn’t a bad area, there wasn’t a lot you can do within walking distance, but as mentioned it’s a convenient place to stop if you’re going to board a cruise.
I’ve been going through some personal things and it’s been making me kind of depressed lately. The few cravings I’ve been wanting lately have been complete fails and so when I had a craving for Thai Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice, I looked for a place with the best reviews and found White Elephant Thai Cuisine inside the hotel. I was kind of low on patience when I got there and they said to me it was cash only and a wait. Good thing my husband decided to do the wait as I was happy with the food! We started our meal with their Hot and Sour Soup with Chicken or what they call Tom Yum Gai which is one of my favourite Thai soups. It’s fragrant and spicy, well balanced.
Of course, with my craving, I ordered their Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken and it was exceptional. It was spicier than expected but nothing I can’t handle, especially after the tom yum soup. The portion size was large, tons of chicken and pineapples and I was really quite satisfied with this fried rice.
Then, we ordered some Red Curry with Beef and Pineapples as my husband knows I love pineapples. We had an order of coconut rice with it, and I was expecting us to bring some curry home… but we actually ate the entire thing. The beef was tender, tons of slices of beef as well. Again, tons of pineapple and the curry was smooth and delicious. The coconut rice was a great with this dish!
After my visit here, I have no problem returning here for any Thai craving that I may want. It’s not cheap here, but the portions are quite large. It’s great for sharing! The location is a little intersting as it’s located inside a hotel and there’s not much signage to the location, but follow your nose! I really enjoyed my evening here. It is smoky as the ventilation isn’t great, and the service is kind of slow… so, don’t come when you’re on a tight schedule and you’ll enjoy it!
We went for a little road trip and needed to stay over in the Edmonton area, so we booked a room in downtown at Chateau Lacombe Hotel which is just at the river. The hotel was beautiful and the rooms were very spacious.
We stayed in their regular guestrooms with a king bed, and it was really nice. There was a lot of space in the rooms even though the shape of the room was a little skewed.
The bathrooms were your typical hotel bathrooms, so it was nice it was standard and clean.
The room offered nice work space and a big TV so it’s great for any type of travelers that would need a hotel in this area!
This was a great hotel and the dining from either their Lacombe Cafe for breakfast, or the revolving restaurant up on 24th floor offered really delicoius food! We wouldn’t have a problem booking a stay at this hotel again! Click below to see the complete hotel room walk through!
Chateau Lacombe Hotel – Edmonton, AB
10111 Bellamy Hill,
Edmonton, AB Canada
Tel 780.428.6611 Fax 780.425.6564
I had the lovely opportunity to stay at night at the famous Rimrock Resort in Banff. It’s a beautiful resort that is tucked away from the tourist of Main Street Banff. I love how the resort is built into the side of the mountain and offers spectacular views all around! We stayed in their regular Standard Guest Rooms which was still spectacular! The room was quite large and spacious complete with working desk space, seating area, and mini fridge.
My favourite part about the room was the seating area, as it’s right by the windows – which where punched out so you can lots, close and in the distance! We didn’t have too much view as we were quite low at floor 3. The neat thing about this resort, the hotel lobby was on the 7th floor and it sometimes confuses me to go “UP” to the lobby!
I love hotels that offer king size beds, so I loved this bed! It was quite comfortable as well, and the blankets was the perfect thickness for the season. The thermostat was a little weird as you had to push the “up” or “down” button for awhile before it changes. If you set it higher than 22C, the heat stays on constantly and it’s a tad noisy so I had to turn it down a bit and grab the extra blanket as I like to be really warm.
The bathroom was nice, it was huge and had toilet paper on both sides of the toilet, so I guess it can please all guests! 🙂 I’m not sure, it was honestly a little weird! I love the huge counter top for me to put stuff on – and I don’t even have lots, but it’s just nice to spread out. Our room had the standard tub with a shower head. The tub is quite strange as it curves at the bottom, so there wasn’t too much “flat” standing space, but we made do with what we had.
This resort did use nice bathroom amenities, as they offered Pharmacopia amenities and they smelled really nice! They used their Verbena product line which lightly scented and it’s an all natural and organic product!
Overall, we loved our stay here at the Rimrock and glad we made a weekend trip with a stay here! Check out below for my room walk-through to see it all!
I have loved the CityCenter since I first saw it revealed in real life. I had the opportunity to stay at Aria Resort last year, and this year, I knew Vdara Hotel & Spa was on the top of my list. We were actually at the Bellagio the night before, and we were preparing ourselves for a big walk with our suitcase, but to our excitement, there was a walk way that connected Vdara with Bellagio!
Once we got inside, there was a lovely scent to the hotel, like Aria – but it was a different scent. I convinced I loved the Vdara scent more, until I walked back into Aria afterwards. I liked it so much, I bought a pack of their scented sticks home, and I’m in love with the product! Anyway, that’s quite a diversion, but the check-in staff was phenomenal, and we got checked in early. Once we got to our room, we opened the door to put the suitcase down, and was greeted by a dining table, and with a quick glance, I realized there was a kitchenette! This is fantastic as I’ve been wanting to make tea every night!
The problem with the kitchenette is that it doesn’t come stocked. You’d have to ask them to stock it for you, so I didn’t bother as I was leaving the very next morning. I ended up just buying tea elsewhere. Regardless, the kitchenette has a 2 burner stove top, a garbage compactor – which was actually kind of loud and scary, so I didn’t use it at all. There was also a microwave, a mini fridge and a stocked mini bar! This hotel room has all the bells and whistles if you’re looking for a long term stay!
From the dining area, I ventured into the living space with plenty of seats. The sofas were extremely comfortable, and It looked onto a large flat TV. The view was exceptional as well! In the corner of this space was a little desk area as well. Actually, it’s not in the corner really, it’s in the corner of this area, which is at the divider space that separates the living area from the bedroom.
This divider space was compete with flat screen TV’s on both sides and tons of storage! The desk was spacious, and I loved the fact everything was branded to Vdara so perfectly!
Anyway, on the other side of the divider wall was the bed, and it was a large and comfy bed, perfect for a good nights rest after days of adventure on the strip!
Finally, the bathroom, which was my favourite part! Immediately when I stepped into the bathroom, the space blew my mind! It was complete with a luxurious soaker tub, which had a cart beside it with some towels! What a brilliant idea! The tub was large enough for 2, and it was a fabulous tub!
Behind the tub was a walk in shower, which was walled with glass and tiles. It was a large shower and all the bath amenities was already in the shower so if you forgot to bring your products in – it’s alright!
The actual sink and vanity part of the suite was phenomenal as well! Tonnes of counter space and lots of mirrors! It was spectacular, and I really enjoyed my time staying at Vdara! I also was able to see the Fountains at Bellagio from my suite and I sat on the window ledge watching many shows!
To get a better idea of this wonderful suite, be sure to check out my walk through below! To book your own Vdara experience, be sure to check out Vegas Hotel Casino Deals!
