hotel review Archives - Rebel Flying

Hotel review – Relais Hotel & Spa (now Clarion) Paris CDG

After my two comfortable flights with Eurowings and Lufthansa I had a two night layover in Paris before continuing to the UK and Egypt.

I chose the Relais Hotel & Spa near CDG airport (now reflagged as the Clarion Paris CDG), as I didn’t feel like dragging my luggage into the city.

I had stayed at this property some years before, when it was flagged as a Crowne Plaza, so I knew roughly what to expect.

The property, along with several others on the Allée du Verger, is an easy 10-minute shuttle ride from the airport.

I had booked a Studio Double, which was comfortable and well equipped with a small kitchenette, a refrigerator and a safe.

The bathroom was a good size, with a bathtub, a walk-in shower and separate lavatory.

The room was also equipped with a balcony, which although not exactly aesthetically pleasing, was very welcome for a committed smoker like myself, even in a cold and crisp Paris December.

The first of a couple of annoyances came when I found the promised pool and spa closed.

Having promised myself a relaxing swim, I decided to head out to the municipal pool in the nearby village of Roissy-en-France. This proved to be a somewhat surreal experience, as I had forgotten the unique rules at municipal swimming pools in France. My swimming shorts were immediately frowned upon and I was wordlessly issued a bright red swimming cap and Speedos, both of which were rather ill fitting.

I will spare readers any pictures of this particular spectacle, but suffice to say I have now made a mental note to check for any pool closures at hotels, particularly in France.

Since I was in the village and having been well fed on the flights, I decided to skip the hotel restaurant and pick up some snacks to eat in my room, before an excellent night’s sleep.

Breakfast was a very relaxed and civilised affair and I stayed in the restaurant for around two hours, enjoying the full hot and cold buffet and some excellent coffee.

The hotel is located conveniently enough that I could head into the city by train for the intervening day. I have been to Paris a number of times, so I just took a short stroll along the Seine to reacquaint myself with some of the iconic landmarks.

The next annoyance came that night. Having settled down early before a morning flight to the UK, I was abruptly awoken at 1:30am by a fire alarm. After around half an hour of being kept standing in the car park, I must admit that this produced some rather ripe French from the author, suggesting that I would not be best pleased if there was no fire.

Despite the annoyances, I can say that this is in fact a good hotel. The rooms are very comfortable, the breakfast was excellent, the pool and spa are now refurbished and fully open, and I am sure that the fire alarm was an isolated event. Along with the balcony and the convenient location, it ticks all my boxes.

I look forward to returning to this property to experience it under it’s new Clarion banner.

Hotel review – Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret, Oslo

5 October 2022
by thebouncer

As part of my two month Scandinavia tour, I spent 5 nights at the Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret in Central Oslo.

I had known what to expect from the Clarion Collection chain from my previous visit to one of their properties in Tromsø.

However, I was still impressed with this property.

My Nordic Choice Unlimited Nights package included a room in the “moderate” category, the most basic of several categories.

I was given a small, but well fitted out room.

The deal included buffet breakfasts with a good variety, as well as a single choice main course for dinner.

There was also a small afternoon tea offered each afternoon, as well as a reasonably varied if expensive selection of beers.

The hotel is also equipped with a nice guest lounge, which is open all day and offers indoor and outdoor seating.

The best thing about this hotel was the location, less than 10 minutes’ walk from Oslo Cetral Station and with a tram stop right outside the door.

However, although I had a public transport pass for the 5 days of my stay, the hotel was central enough to walk to the vast majority of attractions.

Overall, this property was stunning value at around €51 per night with my two month pass.

Normal rates range between around €175 and €250, which for a very central location in a blisteringly expensive city, with meals provided, is not bad for a reasonable level of comfort.

Hotel review – Hotel Oleana, Bergen

My base for my 3 nights in Bergen was the Hotel Oleana, a centrally located boutique hotel, a 10 minute walk or 2 minute tram ride from the central railway station.

After a quick and efficient check in, I found my room along corridors decorated with colourful images of characters in various stages of undress and opened my door to find my room (or possibly boudoir).

Feeling rather relieved not to find a mirror stuck to the ceiling, I slept very well on the comfortable bed, aided by the efficient air conditioning. The shower overlooks the rest of the room of course, but this was not an issue for a single traveller and it was hot and refreshing.

There was a minibar, but the price list convinced me to head out for a couple of beers instead.

Breakfast was delicious, with a good range of hot items (actually served hot), smoked salmon, nice cheeses and pastries and good, fresh coffee.

On the morning of my departure, my luggage was stored and sent with a courier to my next hotel in Oslo, while I headed off on the Norway in a Nutshell tour.

I must admit that when I first arrived at this property, the gaudy decor was a little off-putting and I assumed that this was going to be just another “boutique” hotel that places style over substance.

I was wrong. This place has style and substance. It is a comfortable, efficient and thoroughly well run property, which grew on me considerably over the course of my three day stay.

Never judge a book by its cover.

Hotel review – Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora, Tromsø

My home for the 3 nights in Tromsø was the Clarion Collection Hotel Aurora, booked as part of my Nordic Choice Unlimited Nights package.

The hotel is perfectly situated, right on the picturesque harbour front.

The rooms are comfortable and functional in Scandinavian style.

The stay included breakfast and like all Clarion Collection Hotels, an evening meal. As this was my first stay at this particular brand, I was a little unsure of what to expect from the evening meal. I was however, pleasantly surprised.

Each meal consisted of a soup of the day and a main course. There was only one choice of main course, but I can honestly say they were all decent. Examples included pork neck and chicken cacciatore. I have pretty universal tastes in food, so I was very happy with it.

There was also a nice salad bar.

Water, orange juice and coffee were included and other drinks were available for purchase.

Breakfast, however, was somewhat of a let down. Most of the cooked dishes – bacon, sausages and meatballs – were stone cold on all three mornings of my stay and the milk ran out within about 20 minutes.

Breakfast aside, I was generally satisfied with my stay and it was superb value as part of my two month Nordic Choice pass, at a cost of €3,000 for 58 nights, which works out at a little under €52 per night.