Continue reading this review to see what the City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo International Airport was like.

Getting There

If you will be landing late or departing early, then the City Lodge Hotel’s location is hard to beat.

While slightly further from the terminal than the InterContinental (which is approximately three times pricier), the hotel is still just a few-minute, well-signposted walk away from Johannesburg Airport’s terminals. The fact that the entire walk is indoor adds to the hotel’s convenience.

Just make sure you are booking the City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo International Airport and not the City Lodge Hotel Johannesburg Airport, Barbara Road, which is away from the terminals.

Check-in & Lobby

We got to the hotel just before 2 p.m. and were checked in in no time.

In addition to the reception desk, there was also some seating in the reception area (and throughout the public spaces).

What I found nice was that in the evening, a table with juice and water dispensers was set up near the reception.

Guest Room

We were assigned room 4215, a standard twin room on the hotel’s… Second floor.

The hotel’s layout was quite confusing with rooms starting with “4” being on all of the hotel’s three floors in addition to the rooms starting with each floor’s number. The lack of signage did not help either but ultimately we found our room and from the second time onward we knew where to look.

As for the room itself, it was more than appropriate for the price I paid. It was large, clean, and equipped with all the basics.

Just past the entrance was a large bathroom equipped with a toilet, a sink, a bathtub, and a separate walk-in shower. Amenities including (solid) body soap/shampoo, hand soap, and hand cream were provided.

Going further into the room, there were two single beds placed next to each other, each with a nightstand.

In the far left corner of the room was a sofa chair with a small coffee table while across from the beds and sofa chair were a work desk and a luggage rack. A TV was mounted above the latter.

Above the desk was a panel with not one but three types of power outlets including two local types and one universal power outlet. The panel was also equipped with a USB-A charging port (there were also ports next to the beds).

Some tea and coffee were prepared on the desk as well.

The room overlooked some of the roads and the train track leading to the airport, as well as a thermal power plant.

Breakfast & Dining

The hotel’s sole restaurant/bar was located near the reception. It was open from 4 a.m. to 11 p.m., with breakfast buffet available until 10 a.m. and dinner buffet between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. A la carte items were available during dinner time as well.

Given the lack of other nearby options with the exception of a limited number of places to eat in the terminal, the restaurant was quite crowded at dinner time. My dad and I had both dinner, from the a la carte menu, on the day of our arrival and the breakfast buffet the next day.

For dinner, I had a steak while my dad had grilled fish, both served with fries.

The breakfast offering was fairly extensive with a buffet with a good variety of dishes, an eggs station where one could get freshly made omelets, scrambled eggs, etc., a number of different juices, and tea and coffee served by the staff on request.

There was even a take-away corner in front of the restaurant in the morning where one could make tea or coffee.

The buffet included a few different types of cereals, plain and strawberry yogurts, cut and whole fruits, and a salad bar.

There were also a pancakes maker, toast bread, a selection of pastries and cup cakes, cold cuts, and a cheese board.

Lastly, there was a selection of warm dishes. Notably, there were both pork and beef sausages and there were even two types of bacon – streaky and back.

Other Facilities

While the hotel has a small gym and a small pool, I did not have a chance to check those out during our stay.

Summary

Overall, if you need a relatively affordable and comfortable place to stay as close to Johannesburg Airport as possible due to an early departure or late arrival, I can only recommend staying at the City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo International Airport.

While the InterContinental is slightly closer to the terminal and, presumably, offers better facilities and service, the extra cost is not worth it, in my opinion. That’s especially the case if you do not plan to spend much time at the hotel or if you are not an IHG status holder that could enjoy extra benefits if staying at the InterContinental.

The post Review: City Lodge Hotel OR Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) appeared first on KN Aviation.

My wife and I originally meant to try it out last year but both of us caught COVID and so had to reschedule. Luckily, things worked out well and we were able to stay at the hotel for a night earlier this year together with our daughter. Being the only hotel located directly in a park, at just over 500 dollars for the night, it was not cheap. It was well worth it, though.

Continue reading to see what the hotel was like.

Getting to the Hotel

With Hotel MiraCosta being more or less located in DisneySea (although primarily accessed from outside the park), to get to the hotel you simply need to head to the park.

The easiest way to do so is to either take one of the buses serving Tokyo Disney Resort out of Tokyo’s airports and other places or, like in our case, take the train to Maihama Station. From Maihama Station, you can take the Disney Resort Liner monorail to Tokyo DisneySea Station.

There is a well-signposted covered walkway connecting the station with the hotel. The walk takes just a couple of minutes.

Hotel/Park Gateway and Happy Entry

As mentioned earlier, Hotel MiraCosta borders Tokyo DisneySea.

Because of that, it also has a dedicated entrance to the park that is available exclusively to the hotel’s guests. The Hotel/Park Gateway as Hotel MiraCosta calls the entrance can be found on the hotel’s ground floor (it is accessible both by stairs from the lobby as well as by elevators).

Valid ticket holders staying at the hotel can use the dedicated entrance to (re)enter Tokyo DisneySea starting from one hour after the park’s regular opening. The entrance can be used in the other direction (i.e. for entering the hotel from the park) throughout the day.

Additionally, guests staying at the hotel also get Happy Entry passes.

These can be used to enter either Disneyland or DisneySea 15 minutes before regular opening. There is a dedicated security check for guests using Happy Entry passes which allows them to skip the regular line.

Check-in at Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center

While you can check in at the hotel directly, we decided to take advantage of the Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center located next to Maihama Station.

There, the staff checked us in, loaded our room keys into our phones, and handed us a variety of documents including the Happy Entry passes mentioned above and an “apology” (more like “make sure you don’t miss this out notices” for Disney fans) about potential noise from show rehearsals.

Stopping by the Welcome Center allowed us to head directly to our room once we arrived at the hotel. While you can check in at any time, the mobile key will not work until the room is ready (i.e. at or just before 3PM).

In case you plan to do some shopping at the Ikspiari mall near Maihama Station or head straight to one of the Disney parks, you might also want to leave your luggage at the Welcome Center. From there, it will be delivered to your room. Just keep in mind that even if you check in before 3PM, your luggage might not make it to you until 4PM or so.

Lobby & Facilities

Hotel MiraCosta is built in “Italian style” and, being part of Tokyo DisneySea, is marine-themed.

Stepping into the hotel, we were welcomed by a statue of a ship, which was the centerpiece of an impressive atrium lobby. The ship was surrounded by benches. Additional seating could be found throughout the lobby, especially along large columns surrounding its central part.

Like with other Disney hotels, the level of detail that could be seen in the lobby’s design (and throughout the rest of the hotel) was amazing.

In addition to the reception which we were able to skip on our arrival thanks to using the Welcome Center, there was also a bell desk in the lobby. That came in handy on the day of our departure when we needed to store our luggage before heading into DisneySea.

I briefly stopped by the reception desk at some point during our stay to pay for the stay. That way, we were able to use express check-out (via the room’s TV) when leaving.

Near the reception was also a small area marked “TELEPHONE” that, in addition to a payphone (yes, there are still many of those in Japan), also housed a foreign currency exchange machine and a number of “souvenir medal” vending machines.

Lastly, in a hallway extending out of the reception area that led to the hotel’s “Venice Side” were a smoking room, nursing room, and a “home delivery center” where one could ship packages.

There was also a desk with three chairs.

The lobby floor was also home to the hotel’s restaurants and on the first floor was a pool and spa. More about those later in the review, though.

Layout

Hotel MiraCosta offers several different room types ranging from “superior rooms” all the way to a variety of suites. While choosing the right one for you in that regard is important, arguably it is even more important to choose one with the right view. That’s because one of the main draws of Hotel MiraCosta is the ability to see into DisneySea.

Each of the hotel’s 502 rooms is located on one of the following three “sides,” each offering a view of a different part of the park:

• Porto Paradiso Side – These rooms are the most desirable as they offer a view of the Mediterranean Harbor and thus of the shows that take place there throughout the day.
• Venice Side – These rooms offer a view of the canals and the starting/ending point of the Venetian Gondolas attraction in the Venice-themed area of DisneySea.
• Tuscany Side – These rooms offer a view of the area just past DisneySea’s entrance including of the park’s signature globe fountain.

We stayed in a “superior room” on the Porto Paradiso Side. If you have a chance, I recommend staying in one of the rooms on that side of the hotel too.

In case they are all taken on your dates, choosing one of the other sides is fine, although I would also strongly consider staying at one of the other hotels like Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, Disney Ambassador Hotel, or even Hilton Tokyo Bay as in my opinion, the view of Porto Paradiso from your room is what makes Hotel MiraCosta Hotel Miracosta.

Porto Paradiso Side Superior Room

Hotel MiraCosta’s 502 rooms are spread across all five floors of the hotel. Once our room key was activated, we could see that we were assigned room number 4111, a superior room on Porto Paradiso Side’s fourth floor.

Heading to the room, I continued to be amazed by the amount of attention to detail put into everything from the floors to the walls. I liked the various Disney-themed illustrations that could be seen on hallway walls. In particular, with me being an aviation enthusiast, I liked an illustration of Mickey and Minnie flying.

I should also note that there were ice machines in the hallways and that in the morning, newspapers were available in the elevator halls. That said, they were all in Japanese.

In the room itself, there was a small entryway with a closet and a counter on the left side and a bathroom on the right side.

Mickey Mouse-themed single-use slippers were available in the closet in both adult and kids sizes.

The counter was home to a tea and coffee set. Above the counter was a mirror and under it was a small fridge with three complimentary bottles of water.

Entering the bathroom area, there was a single-sink vanity.

On the left side of that was the shower/bathroom and on the right side was the toilet.

There was a handheld shower and a large bathtub in the shower/bathroom. There were also shampoo, conditioner, and soap in refillable containers. The door leading to the shower/bathroom featured Mickey Mouse.

In addition to face and hand soap, a variety of single-use amenities was available on the vanity.

Those included Hotel MiraCosta-themed plastic cups and amenity kits in metal tins. Both of those made for great keepsakes to take home. There were also dental kits and washcloths.

Along the room’s main part’s left-side wall were a luggage rack, a TV stand, and a table with a single chair.

In one of the TV stand’s drawers were adult-size pajamas. Later on when I called the bell desk to see if it was possible to put the two beds in the room together next to a wall so that it would be easier for our daughter to sleep safely (it was), I was also asked if we wanted kids-sized pajamas for our daughter.

On the table were two tote bags – another great keepsake.

As mentioned above, the layout of our room changed slightly once the bell desk sent one of the staff members to move the beds around.

When we first arrived in the room, though, there were two semi-double beds along the right side of the room with a nightstand between them. In the nightstand drawer were some Disney postcards.

Lastly, in the very back of the room next to its window was a sofa chair with a small coffee table.

The window – or rather the view that it offered – was by far the highlight of the room. With the window starting almost at floor level, we spent most of our time in the room sitting on the floor by the window, looking inside DisneySea. The fact that the window was placed so low was also great as it allowed our daughter to look outside easily.

While we were not sure how good the view would be back when we were booking our room, we sure were not disappointed. We could see a good portion of the shows taking place in the Mediterranean Harbor fairly easily and it was also fun looking into the park after/before it closed/opened.

In fact, outside opening hours – i.e. when there were no people or music and when there was the occasional car driving around the park, it felt less like staying in a Disney theme park and more like staying somewhere in Italy.

Before continuing with the rest of the review, I also want to highlight the level of detail that could be seen throughout the room.

Everything from the framed artwork on the walls through the walls all the way to the bedding was on theme.

Dining

There are three restaurants in Hotel MiraCosta:

• Oceano: A Mediterranean-themed restaurant offering buffet breakfast and lunch and a la carte dinner. For some DisneySea shows, guests are allowed to go to a terrace that provides views similar to those I wrote about when I talked about the room we stayed in.
• Silk Road Garden: A Chinese a la carte restaurant open for lunch, tea time, and dinner. Unlike the other two restaurants on this list, it does not offer any views of DisneySea.
• BellaVista Lounge: An Italian restaurant/lounge offering buffet breakfast, as well as a selection of a la carte dishes during lunch and dinner time. It offers an unrivaled view of DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor and Mount Prometeus.

During our stay, we had breakfast at BellaVista Lounge and were lucky to score a table by the windows. Earlier in the year, we also had lunch at Oceano (you can reserve all three restaurants even if you are not staying at the hotel although guests get priority). I haven’t dined at Silk Road Garden yet.

Oceano Buffet Lunch

When my wife and I visited Oceano back in the summer, they had a Believe! Sea of Dreams-themed (Tokyo DisneySea’s show) lunch buffet. The price was 6,300 yen (approx. 45 dollars) per person on a weekday. The weekend price was slightly higher.

Both the selection and the quality of dishes were excellent.

To start with, there was a wide variety of bread and pastries, salads, and appetizers.

Then there was a vegetable soup and bouillabaisse.

The wide variety of hot dishes included everything from roasted spicy lamb and braised pork to seafood/sausage pilaf and pasta with tomato sauce.

There was also a counter where one of the restaurant’s staff members was serving roast beef.

Lastly, there was an excellent selection of desserts.

Of course, I tried almost all of them.

BellaVista Lounge Buffet Breakfast

The breakfast buffet at the BellaVista Lounge cost 4,800 yen (approx. 35 dollars) per person.

Seating mainly consisted of dining tables for four. With it being a lounge rather than a regular restaurant, there were also some sofas with coffee tables.

The four or so tables placed along the large windows overlooking the Mediterranean Harbor offered by far the best views. That said, many other tables offered limited views of DisneySea too. Those sitting away from the windows could, of course, also go and stand by the windows when something interesting like a show or a greeting was taking place.

As for the breakfast buffet, starting with drinks, there were pitchers with apple and orange juices, water, flavored sparkling water, and green smoothies.

Hot tea and coffee were served by the staff.

A good variety of cold dishes could be found on a large table in the middle of the lounge.

They ranged from octopus carpaccio and cold cuts through salad with a variety of dressings and cut fruits all the way to cereals and yogurt.

There was also a soup – clam chowder at the time of our visit.

Hot dishes were on a counter along one of the lounge’s the walls.

The variety of hot dishes was great. In fact, it would even make for a great lunch. There were eggs and grilled vegetables, mushroom pilaf, as well as a variety of meat and seafood dishes.

The counter was also home to a good selection of bread and pastries including Mickey Mouse-shaped apple and sweet potato danishes.

Lastly, there were mascarpone and ricotta cakes. The mascarpone and ricotta sauce was put on the cakes by one of the lounge’s staff and one could then top the cake off with one or more of the many different toppings available.

I would be lying if I said this wasn’t my favorite part of the breakfast buffet!

MickeyAngelo Gifts Store

Unlike the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel which had both a convenience store with drinks, food, etc. and a separate Disney gift shop, there was only one store – MickeyAngelo Gifts – in Hotel MiraCosta.

There were plenty of Disney items available to choose from. Those included both products otherwise only sold inside the parks, as well as products exclusive to Hotel MiraCosta. Unfortunately, Hotel MiraCosta magnets were out of stock and so I will have to stop by another time to get one for our collection.

Additionally, in the back of the store was a convenience store-like section with a limited but sufficient selection of drinks, snacks, and so on.

The store was open from 8AM to 10PM.

Pool and Spa

Lastly, there was also a pool and spa facility. Staying true to the theme of the hotel, it was named Terme Venezia.

It was on the first floor of the hotel and could only be accessed by “south elevators” located on the hotel’s “Venice Side.” The hallway leading from the lobby to the “south elevators” was nicely decorated and also had windows overlooking a part of DisneySea’s entrance area.

As for the pool and spa itself, I did not have time to visit it. That said, the pool and spa appear to be designed like (no surprise) an ancient Roman bathhouse. There is both an indoor area with a pool, hot tub, etc. and an outdoor area with a pool (only open in the summer).

Entering Terme Venezia is not free. Those aged 12 and over have to pay:

• 2,000 yen (approx. 15 dollars) to use the spa
• 3,000 yen (approx. 22 dollars) to use the spa and indoor pool during the off-season
• 4,000 yen (approx. 30 dollars)to use the spa and pools during the summer season

Those aged between four and 11 get a 50% discount and younger children can enter for free.

Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta Summary

To be honest, before the stay, I wasn’t expecting the hotel to be that great compared to its price. After all, some of the other Disney hotels offer a better variety of character-themed rooms and arguably better facilities for a lower price.

That said, having stayed at the hotel, I changed my mind completely. I enjoyed the stay a lot and hope to stay at Hotel MiraCosta at least once every two years, ideally, once a year going forward. Good dining (especially at the BellaVista Lounge) and great views from the room (especially the ability to see into the park before its opening and after closing) made for an unforgettable experience.

The post Review: Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to see what the hotel was like and whether it’s a good option to go with if you need accommodation in Prague.

Getting There

Hotel Museum is located in Prague’s city center. As its name suggests, it is right across from the National Museum, just a minute or two walk away from the Statue of Saint Wenceslas on Wenceslas Square.

The nearest metro station is Muzeum, served by lines A and C, which is just a couple of minutes’ walk away. Additionally, Prague’s main railway station is just ten minutes away on foot.

If you need to get from the hotel to Prague Airport or vice versa by public transportation, you will be best off using the AE non-stop bus that operates from the main station every 30 minutes between 5:30AM and 10PM.

You can easily get from Hotel Museum to Prague’s main sights using the metro or walking.

For example, walking from the hotel to Charles Bridge will take about 25 minutes (and pass by the Prague astronomical clock at about the 15-minute mark). From there you can then walk to Prague Castle in another 20 minutes or so.

Check-in & Lobby

The reception desk staff that I had a chance to interact with was friendly and check-in was smooth. In just a couple of minutes after presenting our passports and filling in a form with personal details, I was handed the keys to our room. Check-out time was 11AM with late check-out possible for 250 CZK (about 12 USD) per hour up until 1PM.

While waiting for check-in to be done, I had one of the candies from a bowl on the reception desk. There was also a pitcher of lemon-infused water on a counter next to the reception desk.

Other than that (and a few clocks showing the time in a variety of major cities around the world), the reception area was also equipped with a coffee table with five sofas around it. There was also a large sofa in a hallway leading to the hotel’s inner courtyard which the rooms were accessed from.

Additionally, there were some flyers promoting local tourist attractions, some Czech and English books, and a refrigerator with a variety of drinks available for sale.

Guest Room

When booking, I chose room number 24 (it’s possible to choose the exact room that you want when making the booking as they are all slightly different in terms of size, layout, etc.), which provided direct access to the courtyard and was large enough to fit us all.

In front of the room was a small table with two chairs. There were also some shared benches in the courtyard.

Luckily, even though the hotel was on a fairly busy street with a lot of traffic, the noise was blocked by the walls and could barely be heard in the courtyard.

Entering the room (or suite, which might be a better term), there was a counter with a coffee machine, refrigerator, etc. on the left.

In addition to a couple of Nespresso pods, there were also ten tea bags.

Past that was a sofa that was converted to a bed (that my wife and daughter ended up sleeping on) when we got to the room and in the very back of the room was a single bed that I used. While the bed wasn’t the most comfortable I’ve slept on, it was perfectly fine.

Along the right wall of the first room were two doors – one leading to another guest room and the other to the bathroom.

The other guest room had a double bed with a nightstand on either side. It was also equipped with a desk.

As for the bathroom, it was clean and adequately equipped for this category of hotels.

In addition to a sink and toilet, there was a shower with both handheld and fixed shower heads. There was no bathtub. While there was soap in the shower, there was no shampoo.

Interestingly, the hairdryer stand was equipped with USB charging ports.

The last thing worth noting is that there were plenty of power outlets throughout the room(s).

Breakfast & Dining

As mentioned in the introduction, breakfast was included in the room price. It was served in the form of a buffet in a small room (that was quite packed) next to the reception.

Self-serve drinks included water, juices (apple, orange, and cherry), coffee, and tea.

Things to eat included a variety of cereals, cut fruits, Caprese salad, bread and pastries (with jams, spreads, etc.), yogurts, cold cuts (cheese, ham, and salami), and pickles.

There were also some warm items including fried and scrambled eggs and sausages.

A wide variety of sauces and condiments was available.

Hotel Museum (Prague) Summary

Hotel Museum in Prague is a small independent hotel located just off Wenceslas Square. In spite of its great location, it is reasonably priced and offers a pleasant place to stay.

The staff was friendly, the room was decently furnished and, while not too large, provided enough space for the five of us for the night. The seating in the inner courtyard and not over the top but sufficient breakfast were a nice bonus.

The post Review: Hotel Museum (Prague) appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to see what the hotel was like and whether you should consider staying there.

Getting There

As we were on a road trip, we arrived at the B&B Hotel Maribor by car. Unfortunately, there is no parking lot directly at the hotel. That said, there is a reasonably priced public parking lot just across the street from the hotel.

If you are traveling with a lot of luggage and arriving by car, keep in mind that to get from the parking lot I link to above to the hotel, you will need to go through an underpass. While there is a ramp in addition to stairs, you might still find it a bit challenging to get to the hotel.

Given that the hotel is right in the city center, it is also easy to access using public transportation. Additionally, in just a few minutes on foot, you can reach Maribor’s Main Square as well as the river Drava.

Check-in & Lobby

There were two reception desks at the B&B Hotel Maribor. When we arrived, there was only one front desk staff, though. That was also the case whenever I passed by the reception during our stay. Still, with no one else ahead of us, we were able to check in in no time.

The friendly agent also later helped me get some hot water to make our daughter’s milk since there was no kettle in the room.

In addition to the reception desks, there was also a pair of large sofas to the desks’ right and a pair of lounge chairs to the desks’ left.

Between the reception area and the elevators leading to the guest rooms was a breakfast area.

It consisted of a buffet counter and mainly tables for two. Along the windows were also some larger tables for four I will talk a bit more about the breakfast itself later on in this review.

Double Room

The B&B Hotel Maribor’s guest rooms were spread across three floors. While the rooms were on the building’s floors 4, 5, and 6, the room numbers were 101 to 136, 201 to 236, and 301 to 336. This broke the convention of hotel rooms’ first digit (or two) being the room’s floor number and made getting to one’s room a bit confusing.

One guest, in fact, returned to the reception mentioning that he couldn’t get to the second floor (his room number was 200-something) using the elevator he found and asking if there was another elevator.

Our room was room 129 on the fourth floor (you see how confusing it is?).

The hallway, while uninspiring as one would expect from a simple hotel like this, was at least decorated with some photos of Maribor’s sights.

Entering the room, there was a short and narrow hallway leading to its main part. As is fairly typical, on one side of the hallway was the bathroom while on the other side was a closet.

The bathroom was small and very simply equipped. In addition to the sink and toilet, there was a shower. There was no handheld showerhead, only a fixed one. That said, the water pressure and temperature were fine. As is usually the case with hotels in  Europe, there was not much to speak of in terms of bathroom amenities.

Like the bathroom, the main part of the room was compact as well. Most of the space was, unsurprisingly, taken up by a fairly comfortable double bed. Waiting on the bed were, in addition to the bedding, a pair of towels for me and my wife.

To the left of the bed was a nightstand with a lamp, a box of tissues, and a pair of power outlets and USB-A charging ports. There was also a mirror, and under the nightstand was a small ottoman.

To the right of the bed were a small refrigerator, a safe, and another set of power outlets and charging ports.

Above the bed, as well as on the wall across from the bed, were, in a similar fashion to the hallways, pictures of Maribor.

Across from the bed were a chair and a wall-mounted TV.

There were also additional power outlets and charging ports on some of the walls.

It’s also worth noting that there was an air conditioner in the room and that the free wi-fi was working well.

Unfortunately, there was no work desk in the room (I guess one could use the tables in the breakfast room during the day and at night) and the view from the room was nothing to write home about.

Breakfast & Dining

When booking the B&B Hotel Maribor, I had the option to add a buffet breakfast for 7.2 EUR to my cancelable reservation. Those booking non-refundable rates paid in advance can add breakfast to their reservation for just 5 EUR. The breakfast was served from 7AM to 10AM.

The breakfast spread could all be found on one island counter in one of the breakfast area’s corners. There were some yogurts, cereals, a selection of bread and pastries, pancakes, cakes, eggs, pickles, and vegetables. Drinks included orange, apple, and multivitamin juices, water, coffee, and tea.

All in all, while it wasn’t the most amazing breakfast buffet I’ve seen, it seemed well worth the few extra euros.

That said, rather than having breakfast at the hotel, we decided to go to one of the many cafes within walking distance of the hotel. Namely, we went to Nana Bistro where my wife and I shared a mushroom omelet and eggs Benedict both of which were great.

Similarly, while there were no dining options in the hotel itself, with it being in the city center, there were plenty of restaurants within a walkable distance.

The evening we arrived, we had a great dinner at Baščaršija Etno Hiša, a Bosnian restaurant. In fact, originally, I booked a night in their apartment but with it being located right above the restaurant, I decided to cancel it and book the B&B Hotel Maribor instead.

B&B Hotel Maribor Summary

All in all, the B&B Hotel Maribor was a fine place to stay at. For the price, it provided an OK room and an excellent location. While we didn’t have breakfast at the hotel, from what I saw, the buffet looked decent for the low price (although it was nothing to write home about in the grand scheme of things).

If you are looking for a reasonably priced hotel in Maribor and do not need any of the bells and whistles that higher category hotels offer then the B&B Hotel is a good option to consider.

The post Review: B&B Hotel Maribor appeared first on KN Aviation.

Given that I would only stay in the room for a few hours, I decided to go with one of the latter – Relax Casa Victoria. Looking back, I couldn’t have made a better decision. Continue reading this review to see what the accommodation was like.

Getting There

Relax Casa Victoria is just a short, 10-minute walk from Bucharest Otopeni Airport. As such, even if you are coming from the city or elsewhere, you will probably be the best off by going to the airport first and walking from there.

Once at the airport, exit on the arrivals (ground) floor and head toward the parking lot. Pass straight through that and then head down the road along the airport’s railway station. After a few minutes, you will see a pedestrian bridge over a highway. Cross the bridge.

On your left side, you will see Casa Romanesca. This accommodation is right next to it – you just need to continue left past Casa Romanesca and will see a big gate with Relax Casa Victoria titles on it.

Check-in

With this not being a traditional hotel, there is no reception. Instead, I had to ring a bell that was next to the gate. I had to ring it a couple of times as it turned out the owner was taking a bath. Soon, though, the gate started opening in front of me.

The gate led to a long and a bit dark pathway. As I was walking down the pathway, I saw a big dog. I wondered for a while if it was safe to continue but I did. As I approached another gate that led to Relax Casa Victoria’s garden, I heard the owner greeting me and saying “Hello, this is Diego, a friendly dog!”

With that, I greeted the owner who showed me the way to my room while telling his dog it’s not often that they have guests from Japan.

All in all, other than the initial surprise of seeing a big dog down a fairly dark pathway, the check-in experience was smooth given the circumstances and the owner was very friendly. It would also probably have been smoother had I arrived earlier in the day.

Garden

As this was a very simple accommodation, there was not much to speak of in terms of facilities outside the room. That was not an issue considering that most people likely only stay here for a few hours before catching an early morning flight or after arriving late at night (or both like in my case).

Still, for those that have more time to spend at Relax Casa Victoria, there was a nice garden with plenty of trees and some seating. …and a huge teddy bear that looked a bit creepy at night.

Guest Room

My room was on the second floor of a small building next to what appeared to be the owner’s house. There seemed to be three other rooms in the building for a total of four, two on the first floor and two on the second floor.

To get to the room, I had to climb a narrow spiral staircase which reminded me a bit of the one on classic Boeing 747s. I didn’t mind that as I only had a backpack. That said, climbing the staircase with a lot of luggage or with a big suitcase would have been challenging.

In front of the room were a chair and a hot water dispenser.

Stepping inside, the room was simply but sufficiently furnished.

To use space efficiently, there was a folding chair hanging on the wall next to the door and there was a folding desk to use with it too. Above the desk was a TV. A closet and a mirror could be found on the left side of the room near the entrance too. Given that most people likely only stay at Relax Casa Victoria for a night, the former probably doesn’t get much use.

In the corner of the room on the other side of the door were two lounge chairs including one with a dog-themed (Diego-themed?!) pillow.

There was also an air purifier and a counter with a small fridge.

I was surprised to find the counter and fridge well-stocked with complimentary packaged snacks and drinks. That was the kind of a nice small touch that I like and that is much more common in small, owner-run properties than in big hotels.

There were a couple of croissants, a wafer, a couple of juice boxes, and a couple of bottles of water. There were also some coffee and a couple of tea bags.

All of those were very useful the next morning considering that there was no breakfast at the accommodation, I had no lounge access, and I didn’t feel like finding a place to eat.

In the far right corner of the room was a couple of single beds, each with a nightstand. On top of each bed were not only towels but also slippers. While I didn’t use them, I found that to be another nice touch.

To be frank, as you can probably tell from the photo, the beds weren’t overly comfortable. That said, they were fine for the short night.

Given that it was quite warm when I stayed, I also appreciated that there was an air conditioner in the room.

Lastly, across from the beds was the bathroom door.

The bathroom had all that one could expect from this type of accommodation (a shower, a sink, and a toilet) and then some (amenities beyond just soap and shampoo).

There were dental kits, a shaving kit, shower caps, and even a sponge.

Relax Casa Victoria Summary

When I chose this accommodation, I decided solely based on two factors – the fact that it was within a short walk of Bucharest Airport terminal and that it was the cheapest option. That was really all I needed for the few hours I had in the room before having to head to the airport again.

Because of this, I was very pleasantly surprised by Relax Casa Victoria. The owner (and Diego) was very friendly, the snacks were something I didn’t expect and that I was happy to see, and the bathroom amenities were a nice bonus.

If you are looking for a cheap place to stay near Bucharest Otopeni Airport, I can only recommend this one.

The post Review: Relax Casa Victoria (Bucharest Airport) appeared first on KN Aviation.

At 15,300 yen (just over 100 dollars) for the night without breakfast, the hotel was one of the more affordable options I could find and, for the price, ended up being quite nice. Continue reading this review to learn more about our stay.

Getting to the Hotel

JR Clement Inn Kochi is in a very convenient location, just a three- or four-minute walk from JR Kochi Station’s South Exit. In case you are coming from the airport, you can first take a bus from the airport to the station and walk from there.

Kochi Castle is just over 20 minutes away on foot. For other attractions in the city like the Makino Botanical Garden, you will be best off taking “MY-YU BUS” – a sightseeing bus that departs from a stop across the street from the hotel. Tickets for the bus can be bought in the tourist information center right next to the bus stop.

Check-in & Lobby

In front of the hotel’s entrance, there was a nice stone feature. The lobby and the rest of the hotel were nicely designed too, featuring a lot of wood.

In fact, there was a rightfully earned “Japan Wood Design Award 2022” certificate displayed in the lobby.

Check-in was a two-step process. First, one of the front desk staff confirmed our personal details and gave us our room keys. Then, I had to take a room key and put it in a payment machine where I had to pay for the stay. While that felt a bit cumbersome given that there was no one else checking in it likely speeds things up during busy times.

Check-out was smooth as all I had to do was return the key cards into one of the payment machines.

Next to the payment machines was a rack with a fairly good array of amenities. Things from mouth wash and hair bands through lotion and face wash all the way to mints were available.

Across from the reception desk were three large benches for those waiting for check-in.

There was also an entrance into the hotel’s restaurant but more about that later.

Down a hallway that led to the elevators was also a nice seating area. It was equipped with half a dozen or so tables, each with two chairs, as well as with a counter with half a dozen seats or so, each with access to a power outlet.

The latter provided a great place to get some work done at night after my daughter and wife went to sleep.

Rather than offering just seats, there was also a free tea and coffee corner in this space. There, coffee from an espresso machine and six different types of tea bags (Ceylon, Darjeeling, peach, apple, rosehip, and camomile) were available from 6AM to 10:30AM and from 3PM to 10PM. The drinks could either be consumed there or taken to the room (or elsewhere).

Across from the seating area were restrooms and a smoking room.

Guest Room

Before talking about the room itself, it’s worth noting that the following amenities could be found on the guest room floors:

• Vending machines and ice machines (even numbered floors)
• Microwaves (third and seventh floors)
• Laundromat (second floor)
• Rack with a selection of pillows, irons, and trouser presses

Our room, 503, was a standard twin room on the hotel’s fifth floor. Two other room types – single and accessible twin – were available.

The hallway, while nothing to write home about, was slightly more inspiring thanks to its wooden features than what can typically be found in similar hotels around Japan.

Entering into the room, there was a small bathroom (although standard size for hotels of similar category in Japan) on the right.

Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap were provided in dispensers. Single-use amenities including dental kits, razors, body towels, and hair brushes were ready in the bathroom too.

In the main part of the room, along the left wall, was a small sofa.

Behind the sofa was a work desk with a TV mounted above it. In addition to a box of tissues, a notepad, and a reading light, there was also a phone charger and a good number of power outlets.

Under the desk was an electric kettle and some tea. Next to it was a small refrigerator.

Lastly, across the desk was a pair of semi-double beds with a nightstand between them. The nightstand housed a safe. Above the nightstand was a pair of power outlets, one for each bed.

In our case, there was also a baby bed at the foot of one of the beds. Unlike at the Osaka Airterminal Hotel that we stayed at the night before, JR Clement Inn Kochi was able to provide the baby bed free of charge.

As for the view from the room, while it wasn’t anything amazing, it was better than nothing. Some of the tracks leading to Kochi Station, some buildings around the station, and some hills in the background could be seen.

Massage

On the desk in the room was an in-room massage menu.

Body and foot massages from 40 to 100 minutes long were available at a cost of between 5,000 and 11,000 yen.

Dining & Breakfast

On the first floor of JR Clement Inn Kochi was an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) called “Ekimaeno Rakuda.”

This was where breakfast was served between 6:30AM and 10AM. The place was also open from 5PM until 11PM for those wanting to eat something for dinner or grab a drink.

Breakfast cost 1,300 yen (about 9 dollars) per person and was in the form of set meals. Six different sets were available – four that had fish as the main dish, one with TKG (rice with raw egg) being the main dish, and one Western-style.

We decided to add breakfast to our stay when checking in and, as a result, were handed a pair of coupons that could be used at the restaurant in the morning. While we had to choose our breakfast time slot during check-in, we didn’t have to choose our preferred set until we arrived at the restaurant the next morning.

It was nice that those who changed their mind about having breakfast could use the coupons to get a 1,300 yen discount for dinner at the restaurant instead.

While it took us a bit to decide since all the options looked good, in the end, my wife decided to have the straw grilled bonito set and I had the amberjack sashimi set. Both of the mains came with the same set of side dishes including rice, miso soup, tofu, and pickles.

We really enjoyed the breakfast – not only was it tasty and included some local dishes but the portion was also perfect.

There was also a drink station set up near the entrance to the restaurant.

Coffee, green tea, and water were available. The coffee machines had “one cup per person” stickers on them. That said, those that wanted an extra cup could easily get it at the coffee and tea corner in the lobby seating area that I talked about earlier.

JR Clement Inn Kochi Airport Summary

We chose this hotel as it appeared on a list of baby-friendly hotels in Kochi. That said, I would not hesitate to stay at the hotel regardless of whether I was traveling alone or with my family, for pleasure or for business.

The hotel was very conveniently located, it was new and clean, the room was relatively spacious, and the breakfast was great.

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I had a chance to stay there a couple of months ago during a trip that included my daughter’s first flight. In case you are wondering, we booked our double room directly with the hotel and paid 15,900 yen (approx. 110 dollars) for one night. Continue reading this review to see what the stay was like.

Getting to the Hotel

Once you arrive at Osaka Itami Airport, whether from the city or on a flight, the Osaka Airterminal Hotel is well-signposted and easy to find.

It can be found on the terminal’s third floor, one floor above the arrivals level.

Check-in & Lobby

Once inside the hotel, there was a wooden wall lined with framed model aircraft (I liked the concept). Walking along the wall led to a reception desk. Next to the reception desk was an express check-out key box.

On the reception desk were some amenities including earplugs. Depending on the time you arrive and your sensitivity to aircraft noise, you might find them helpful. Itami Airport has a curfew, though, so you do not have to worry about hearing aircraft noise overnight.

When I got to the hotel in the morning, the front desk staff swiftly tagged my bags as I wanted to store them before checking in later in the day and also filled my daughter’s thermos with hot water. Later in the day, I stopped by the reception again to check-in. At that point, our bags had already been placed in our room.

A bit closer to the hotel’s entrance than the reception desk was a lounging area with a couple of large benches and a small coffee table.

Additionally, there were also a couple of booths with a desk along one of this space’s walls. Those were perfect for getting some work done later at night without disturbing my daughter and wife who were already sleeping.

The booths were equipped with power outlets.

Across from the reception was another small seating area. That one had a few lounge chairs arranged around a couple of coffee tables and some safety boxes for guests to store valuables in.

Next to this area was also a small showcase with some model aircraft.

Guest Room

While there were some rooms along hallways parallel to the reception, most of Osaka Airterminal Hotel’s rooms could be found along a long hallway perpendicular to the reception area (the hotel was T-shaped). The hotel only had one floor.

In addition to the rooms, there were also vending machines in two places along the long hallway. Near one of the vending machine corners was also a smoking room.

We were assigned room 107 – a “Double A” room located in the hotel’s “South Wing” – i.e. to the right side of the reception.

Stepping into the room, there was a large closet and the bathroom door.

The bathroom was larger than the “unit baths” that can be found in Japanese business hotels like Toyoko Inns. That said, it was still fairly small and nothing to write home about.

On the left side of the small room was a bathtub, next to it was a sink, and to the right of the sink was a toilet. It’s worth noting that there were separate faucets for the bathtub and for the sink.

Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, and hand soap were provided in big dispensers. Single-use amenities including dental kits, razors, body towels, and hair brushes were available too.

Most of the main part of the room was taken up by a fairly comfortable double bed. Its position was shifted slightly to the left since we also requested a baby bed which was placed to the right of the double bed. There was an extra charge of about 8 dollars for the baby bed.

Based on the hotel’s website, it looks like the space that was taken up by the baby bed in our case is where a small sofa chair and a coffee table can be found under normal circumstances.

The bed’s headboard was equipped with reading lights, as well as power outlets and USB-A charging ports.

Across from the bed was a desk that doubled as a vanity and a TV stand.

Under the TV was a cabinet with a small refrigerator, a hairdryer, an electric kettle, and some tea.

Lastly, the room’s window didn’t offer any interesting views, let alone views of aircraft.

Dining & Breakfast

There were no restaurants directly at the Osaka Airterminal Hotel. That said, with the hotel being located inside the terminal, there were plenty of establishments to choose from there.

It was also possible to order food and drinks from one of the restaurants at the airport – Osaka Airport Winery – as “room service” for a small delivery fee.

There was no breakfast room at the hotel either. That said, guests could still pay for breakfast which was provided in two different ways:

1. A discounted (800 yen instead of 1,020 yen) Japanese breakfast set at one of the restaurants in the terminal
2. A discounted (500 yen instead of 810 yen) Le Pan Kobe Kitano sandwich set for take-out

We decided to pay for the latter when checking in and, in turn, were given a pair of coupons. We were then able to exchange those coupons for the sandwich boxes the next morning between 6AM and 10AM.

The sandwiches – especially the BLT – were good. That said, the portion was fairly small.

Osaka Airterminal Hotel (Itami Airport) Summary

Being a business hotel, there was not much to speak about in terms of amenities. That said, the room was well-equipped and clean, the lobby was pleasant to get some work done in, and the staff was helpful. What really made the hotel special, though, was, of course, its location.

If you have an early morning flight to catch out of Itami Airport, then staying at this hotel is a no-brainer. In case your flight departs later in the morning or in the afternoon, you might want to look at other options in the city too.

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Those labeled Tokyo Disney Resort Official Hotels like the Hilton Tokyo Bay are located around the Bayside Station on the Disney Resort Liner. The other two categories – Tokyo Disney Resort Partner and Good Neighbor Hotels – are located further away from the park but still offer free shuttles.

During one of our recent visits to Tokyo Disneyland, we stayed at one of the Tokyo Disney Resort Partner Hotels – Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay. Continue reading to see what the stay was like.

Getting to the Hotel

Like all other Tokyo Disney Resort Partner Hotels, getting to Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay is easy thanks to a free shuttle that connects the hotel with both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The shuttle runs regularly throughout the day, generally with at least three buses per hour and with six or seven during busy periods.

The shuttle bus uses stop no. 6 at Disneyland and no. 8 at DisneySea and the ride takes between 15 and 20 minutes. At the hotel, the shuttle bus stops at both Emion Square and Emion Tower. Since both of these have their own reception, make sure to check which one you booked your stay at. During our two stays at this hotel, we stayed at Emion Tower both times.

You can see the latest shuttle bus schedule here.

Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay is also 10 or so minutes away on foot from Shin-Urayasu Station. Just like Maihama Station serving Tokyo Disney Resort, Shin-Urayasu Station is on the JR Keiyo Line.

With that, when coming to the hotel from Tokyo, you have two options: get off at Maihama, walk for a few minutes to the Tokyo Disneyland bus stop, and take the free shuttle bus which will drop you off in front of the hotel, or get off at Shin-Urayasu Station and walk to the hotel.

Unless you want to do something specific in Maihama like visit the Bon Voyage store or Ikspiari shopping mall, then it should be easier just getting off at Shin-Urayasu Station.

Check-in & Lobby

When we arrived just after 6:30PM, check-in was smooth and we got our room keys in no time. With many guests coming to the hotel straight after a day in the park, however, the lobby was very crowded around 10PM and they were calling people by numbers when it was their time to check in.

For those that didn’t have any extra room charges, it was possible to do express check-out by just returning the keys into a box next to the entrance.

In addition to the reception desk, there was also some seating for those waiting for their turn to check in.

With large floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, the reception area, while not large, was nice and had plenty of natural light during the day.

Next to the hotel entrance, there was also a bell desk (on the right side looking from the outside in) and a small kids’ space with soft mats and a TV (on the left side).

There was also a separate room with some more seating in the form of a couple of dining tables with chairs and some benches along one of the walls. The room was also home to another play area with nice large foam building blogs that kids could play with. The room provided a perfect space to wait for the shuttle bus after check-out.

In addition to the seating on the reception floor, there was another space for those that wanted to sit down and relax a bit on the second floor. That area was equipped with some benches and some sofa chairs.

For those that wanted something to drink, a bite to eat, or anything else, there was a Family Mart convenience store open from 7AM to 11AM and 3PM to 11PM. There were also a few vending machines.

Outside the hotel, along a nice patch of lawn, were some more tables. Those seemed to belong to one of the restaurants, though. There were also Easter rabbits… In June.

Separately, there was a smoking corner.

Guest Room

The first time we stayed at the hotel back in 2021, we stayed in a regular room with a double bed. This time around, however, we stayed in a Japanese tatami room as we thought it would be more comfortable since we were staying with our baby daughter.

We stayed in room 303, a short walk from the elevators, down a fairly uninspiring hallway.

Along the hallway was a room with an ice machine and a couple of microwave ovens.

Entering the room, there was a short and narrow hallway leading to its main part. On its left side was a small, narrow closet, and on its right side was the bathroom.

The one thing that I found nice was that the power switch where one usually puts a key card already had a dummy card in it so that the air conditioning would keep running and the power outlets would keep working. There was also something fairly unusual in the closet – a shoe dryer.

The bathroom consisted of three parts. Right behind the door connecting the bathroom to the room was a small area with a sink. There was a good selection of amenities including dental kits, hair bands, a shaving kit, bath tablets, etc.

There were then doors on the left and right sides of this area. The door on the left led to the shower room with a large bathtub and the door on the right to the toilet. In the shower room, basic amenities – shampoo, conditioner, body soap – by Pola were available.

The main part of the room consisted of a space with six tatami mats where futons were already waiting for us when we got to the room and a narrow space with wooden flooring around that.

There were also two sets of pajamas on the futons.

On the wooden flooring part of the room were a Japanese-style coffee table (this would be placed on the tatami parts during the day), a cabinet, and a TV.

Inside the cabinet were a small refrigerator, an electric kettle, some cups, and packs of coffee and green tea.

Inside the TV stand’s drawer was an extension cord and a cellphone charger. Those were very nice to have and I wish more hotels provided them – especially extension cords in older rooms with limited and inconveniently placed power outlets – by default.

There was also a small safe under the TV stand.

Lastly, there was also a traditional Japanese closet with an extra futon, bedding, etc. Extra pajamas of various sizes and children’s toothbrushes and slippers were available in front of the hotel’s public bath on the second floor.

The room’s window offered a view of the parking lot and some nearby buildings – nothing exciting.

Hohoemi no Yu Public Bath and Massages

One of the draws of Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay is its public bath with a hot spring. As mentioned in the previous section, it was on the second floor. With this being a typical Japanese public bath where people bathe naked, it had men’s and women’s sections.

In addition to an indoor bath and jet pool, there was also a nice outdoor bath (rotenburo).

Using the public bath wasn’t free but it was well worth the extra fee. It cost 800 yen (5.5 dollars) per entry with discounted entry available during certain hours and discounted one-night (i.e. one entry at night and one in the morning) and two-night tickets available too.

The bath was open from 5PM until 1AM and from 6AM until 10AM.

Separately, body and foot massages were available between 7PM and 2AM.

Dining

There were two restaurants directly at the hotel.

On the first floor was lala Italiana where a variety of pasta and other Italian dishes were available together with an appetizer buffet. This is the restaurant that also had some outdoor seating, which I briefly mentioned earlier in this review. When we stayed at the hotel, Lala Italiana was open daily from 11:30AM to 3:00PM for lunch and from 5:30PM to 10:00PM for dinner.

The other restaurant in the hotel was Kai. This was a Japanese restaurant that was open daily for dinner from 5:30PM to 10:00PM. On weekend and holidays, it was also open for lunch from 11:30AM to 3:00PM.

Breakfast

With Kai being on the 22nd floor, it offered some excellent views. While we didn’t visit it for lunch or dinner, we were served breakfast there. Perhaps we were lucky since some of the documentation showed breakfast as being served on the first floor and there were also some people having breakfast in the Italian restaurant.

In addition to regular tables, Kai also had a counter and even an outdoor terrace with an amazing view of the Tokyo skyline.

As for the breakfast itself, both the selection and the quality were good.

Starting with cold drinks, there was ice tea, barley tea, ice coffee, grapefruit juice, apple juice, and orange juice. Hot drinks included coffee, green tea, roasted tea, and black tea.

Going through the food selection, there were a few types of bread and pastries. To go with those, orange marmalade, blueberry jam, strawberry jam, and honey were available in addition to butter.

Then there was a salad bar with a variety of vegetables and dressings. There was also a table with potato salad, a variety of fruits, some jelly, yogurts, and smoked salmon.

Some cereals were available too.

Warm Western items included corn soup, sausages, bacon, pasta, French fries, and scrambled eggs.

There was even tomato rice for those that wanted to top it with scrambled eggs to make the Japanese dish “omurice.”

Japanese items included a variety of pickles and appetizers, miso soup, ochazuke (rice with soup), grilled fish, and countless other dishes.

Lastly, there were some desserts in the form of matcha pound cake, daifuku, and warabi mochi.

Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay Summary

All in all, we really enjoyed our stay at Hotel Emion Tokyo Bay. While nothing fancy, the room was large enough, the bathroom was spacious and clean, and the public bath was nice to relax in after a long day in Disneyland even at the extra cost. Additionally, not only was the breakfast great in itself but it was made even better thanks to the great views from the restaurant.

While the hotel cannot, of course, rival the Disney hotels or the hotels near Bayside Station, it is our top choice when we want a relatively cheap place to stay (the night cost us about 125 dollars) that’s easily accessible from the parks.

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While lacking the services typically provided by hotels, the inn was not only considerably cheaper than the other options but also situated directly on Great Slave Lake’s shore. As such, I decided to book it for three nights at 119.85 CAD per night. Continue reading to see what my stay at Aurora Bayside Inn was like.

Getting to Aurora Bayside Inn

The Aurora Bayside Inn is located in Yellowknife’s Old Town, just a few minutes walk away from one of the city’s landmarks – the Bush Pilot’s Monument. It is also just a short walk away from Latham Island and just over 20 minutes of walking away from the city center.

Right in front of the inn, there is a bus stop – McDonald Drive at Causeway – served by Yellowknife Tranist’s route C. That said, due to the sparse bus schedule, you will generally be better off walking, driving, or taking a cab.

In my case, I walked to the city center and took cabs to/from the airport. The cab rides between the inn and the airport cost just over 20 CAD and took just over 10 minutes each.

Check-in

Depending on the season, I believe it might be possible to check in at Fishy People – a restaurant located in the same building as the Aurora Bayside Inn. During my visit, though, the restaurant was closed and the keys to my room were placed in a key box next to my room’s door.

The instructions about how to pick up the key were provided through an app accessible through a link I got from the inn in a message on Booking.com where I booked the stay. The app also provided instructions on how to connect to the inn’s wi-fi and, later on, check-out instructions.

Guest Room

My room was in the main building and could be accessed directly from a patio located behind the building. While I am not sure how many rooms in total there are in the Aurora Bayside Inn, there appeared to be at least one more room in the main building and there was also a standalone cabin in the patio.

The room itself was equipped with furniture that has seen better days. That said, the room was more than large enough and the furniture did its job – in fact, the bed was surprisingly comfortable. On the bed were two small and two large towels – those were not replaced during the stay.

In addition to a closet and some other storage, there were also a TV, a table with two chairs, and a sofa chair with an ottoman in the room.

Next to the table was a counter with a small refrigerator, a microwave oven, plates and other kitchenware, and some tea and coffee.

The bathroom was clean and equipped with a sink, a toilet, and a shower. There was no bathtub. Basic amenities – i.e. hand soap, body soap, and shampoo – were provided and so was a hairdryer.

One thing worth mentioning here is that for part of the year and soon year-round, water has to be trucked to properties in Yellowknife’s Old Town meaning the water supply is not unlimited. While generally, this should not be a problem, for some reason we happened to run out of water on one of the nights I stayed at the inn.

The very nice owner, Joe, explained the situation to me and offered me a few bottles of water so that I could at least brush my teeth until the tanks would be refilled the next morning. Later during my stay I also run into him in the patio and had a chance to hear his unique story of how he ended up in Yellowknife.

Lastly, in front of the room was a wood deck which – just like the patio which I will talk about in the next section – offered great views of the Great Slave Lake.

Patio and Dock

Off the wood deck was a nice patio with a few picnic tables.

What was even nicer, though, was the hotel’s dock floating right on the Great Slave Lake. There were a couple of chairs there which provided an excellent place to relax or get some work done. I also had breakfast in one of the chairs during sunset – I highly recommend you do the same!

From the dock, great views of the Great Slave Lake and Air Tindi’s float plane base could be had. While there were no float planes yet during my visit, in the summer, the dock offers great views of float planes coming in and out of the base too.

Dining

As mentioned earlier, there is an on-premise restaurant – Fishy People – where, among other things, fish caught in the Great Slave Lake are served. An extension of that is The Garden which is located on the patio behind the inn.

Unfortunately, as both of those were closed during my stay, I wasn’t able to try them out. I heard good words about Fishy People from a couple of people I interacted with in Yellowknife, though, so definitely check it out if it’s open during your stay!

A number of other restaurants are located within walking distance of the Aurora Bayside Inn. During my time in Yellowknife, I had a chance to try two of those.

I had excellent fish and chips made out of fish caught in the Great Slave Lake at Bullock’s Bistro, a small restaurant about a five-minute walk away from the inn. The portion was unbelievably large. I also had a tasty and filling bison short rib sandwich at NWT Brewing Company, a brewery/restaurant with outdoor seating a ten-minute walk away from the inn.

Aurora Bayside Inn Summary

I was tempted to book one of the regular hotels, but I am glad I went with the Aurora Bayside Inn in the end. Not only was the stay cheaper than it would have been at a regular hotel but it was also much more enjoyable thanks to the inn’s location directly on the Great Slave Lake.

While it would have been great if we didn’t run out of water on one of the nights, the issue was resolved promptly and the owner handled the situation nicely.

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