Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Accor

  • Kielce – Ibis Centrum

    Kielce – Ibis Centrum

    Located a short walk from the city centre, and interestingly for me in what was once the city’s Jewish ghetto during the Second World War, this is a modern building. The welcome at the reception area was prompt and polite, with the staff member setting a friendly first tone.

    My room had its own mini corridor, very nice. Not that I could do much with that space, but it made the room feel a bit quieter.

    And the welcome gold amenity, very nicely done and this pleased me greatly.

    I was here for three nights and did do this for one day, earning 100 Accor points.

    The breakfast area, which is also where meals are served throughout the day and that’s the bar area on the right. It was never very busy. I’m not sure that the hotel needs such a visible car rental area though, it’s the first thing that customers see when entering and it’s not very subtle.

    The teas, coffees and juices are on the left hand side.

    Breads, croissants, apple pie and jams.

    Fruit, salad and hot dog accompaniments.

    Very lovely.

    The welcome drink, the staff member helpfully told me that I could have a darker beer, but she took the bottle and so I don’t know exactly what it was. It tasted fine though, it’s a nice change from the standard Zywiec.

    Without being rude to the band or hotel, this simply didn’t work as far as I’m concerned. The hotel knocked out its bar and restaurant for the evening, disturbing every single one of its customers (I know this as I was the only customer in the bar, and had to leave quicker than I wanted). The hotel is meant to be promoting its restaurant and it can’t do that by shutting it to put a band on. I know it’s all part of Ibis’s engagement with music, but I’m not sure that was how the concept was meant to work, shutting restaurants and bars in order to put very loud music on. Anyway, as a positive, it was nice of the hotel to engage with a band and try something different, as innovation is the key as they say. I’m not sure who says that, but I’m sure that someone does.

    The hotel was clean throughout and everything was well managed, although it always felt quiet (other than when the band was playing, which I could hear on the fourth floor). The sound proofing seemed effective, as there was no noise disturbance either internally or externally (other than the band) and the staff were always friendly and helpful. The air conditioning that the hotel use is though inadequate and would ideally be better, although it’s frequently not that good in Ibis hotels. Anyway, all told, all very lovely given that the room and breakfast was under £25 per night.

  • Torun – Ibis Budget

    Torun – Ibis Budget

    This Ibis Budget hotel, one of the cheaper brands in the Accor hierarchy, is located around a six-minute walk from the city centre. It’s in a relatively quiet area, with car parking available for those who need such things.  The welcome from the staff member at check-in was warm, personable and helpful, so my first impressions were all positive.

    The room is basic, but was clean and well maintained. I was here for seven nights and the room was kept well stocked throughout that time. There aren’t hot drink facilities in the room, but hot drinks can be purchased cheaply at reception. There’s a vending machine as well for those guests who want some healthy chocolate based snacks.

    The breakfast room. The staff didn’t check whether guests had paid for breakfast, but I can’t imagine many people would try and avoid paying the small sum which is charged. As with the other parts of the hotel, it was spotlessly clean.

    I’m not personally particularly engaged with the cold meat selection provided by Ibis and Ibis Budget hotels in Poland, it has a watery texture and bland taste. But, I can’t much blame the hotel for that and the staff laid out everything carefully and ensured that it was well stocked.

    The cereals option was limited, but there were rolls and hot sausages available. There were orange and apple juices, as well as coffee and an excellent selection of teas. It was all very decent value for money and there were always seats available.

    Apologies to the hotel for ploughing through their pickles during the week, but I’m moderately addicted to them.

    The staff were friendly without exception, this is clearly a welcoming environment and a well managed hotel. The cost of this stay was £70 for seven nights, including breakfast, which is a ludicrously low sum. All very lovely indeed and another very positive Accor experience.

  • Gdansk – Ibis Gdańsk Stare Miasto

    Gdansk – Ibis Gdańsk Stare Miasto

    The city’s relatively new Ibis hotel, somewhat in the shadow of its sister hotel in the background, the Mercure Gdansk. The hotel has a feeling of being modern and contemporary, in terms of its decor, atmosphere and the attitude of the staff. It also has that set-up of not really having a reception desk, the whole check-in process is managed within the public seating area of the hotel. I’m still not convinced by this, judging by the number of hotels reversing this trend, I’m not sure it’s the ideal first welcome.

    The room was the usual Ibis design, all clean and comfortable.

    The welcome gift, which were caramel peanuts and they were very lovely. There were also quite a lot more than the packaging might have suggested. They’re in a presentation box specially made for the hotel and it seemed a shame to throw it away, but I have enough things to carry about already.

    The view from the room.

    The welcome drink, which was Żywiec, poured in the continental style. As usual, it tasted as it was meant to and was at the appropriate temperature.

    The restaurant and breakfast area. I didn’t see many people dining in the restaurant, it must be a challenge given that it’s not a large hotel and there are also no shortage of nearby dining options.

    The breakfast croissants and rolls, along with apples, which at times seemed to be everywhere. On the first day there was also apple pie, which was a decent addition, although that wasn’t out on the second morning. The choice of bread and rolls also deteriorated on the second morning that I was there.

    More of the breakfast options.

    The meats, cheeses and salads. I’m not entirely convinced by the meat which Ibis use throughout Poland, it isn’t the best of quality and is bland to the point of, I think, being pointless. The hot options here looked unappealing and the bread selection was a little weak compared to normal. The butter was frustrating, it’s the first Accor hotel I’ve been at where they’ve got a huge slab of it and a knife to slice bits off, although in practical terms, it’s not ideal as the plate makes it impossible to cut from the edge, only along the top. I’d rather they did what their other hotels did and just have pre-cut sections of butter. There were dollops of mackerel in a paste which I had high hopes for, but these were riven with bones of a length that I didn’t particularly want to eat, so that went uneaten. It was all fine, but below the usual Ibis quality, although it was well presented.

    The staff here were always friendly and helpful, although the hotel didn’t feel particularly busy at any stage. There were no noise disturbances either internally or externally, although the church bells rang every hour during the evening which I rather liked. The room wasn’t fully restocked on the second day, an omission which was mildly irritating, but not exactly a problem of any particular measure.

    The cost of this room was under £30 including breakfast, which was quite marvellous given that it’s a hotel in the centre of Gdansk and just a five-minute walk from the Old Town. There was a friendly environment, a clean room and I liked the welcome gift. I’ve stayed at several hotels in Gdansk over the years and this is certainly one of the best.

  • Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Reduta

    Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Reduta

    My second Ibis hotel in Warsaw of this week, this is located around a thirty-minute walk from the city centre, in the Ochota district. There’s also an Ibis Budget on the same site, although on this occasion, I’m in the Ibis itself.

    This is what all the other doors in the corridor looked like.

    I mention that, as this is what the door to my room looked like.

    And, then it became obvious, this room had a travel theme.

    A little globe clock.

    A themed bathroom door.

    A large map on the wall.

    And an explanation of the concept. What a lovely idea.

    The view from the room over the neighbouring Ibis Budget and beyond. My Accor profile is set to ask for a room high up in the building (I’ve decided the views are more important than any minor risk of fires) and away from elevators, which was met perfectly here.

    The drinks voucher.

    Only a small Zywiec was included at this Ibis, but it tasted as it was meant to. The bar area isn’t in my view designed as well as some others in the Ibis chain, with too many low tables, with the restaurant area being busy.

    The breakfast room, which is also used as the hotel’s restaurant later on in the day.

    Apple pie was available for breakfast in the morning.

    The salad and cold meats selection. There were also hot dogs, cereals and pastries available, along with a range of drinks including juices, teas and coffees. Everything was kept well stocked and staff members were wandering around cleaning away empty trays. Everything was clean, tidy and organised, with a staff member diligently checking the room numbers of every guest.

    One thing that I thought was positive was that breakfast was available from 04:00 onwards, with the main food selection being served at 06:30. I didn’t arrive until after that latter time, but I was surprised that they had food ready that early in the morning. Until I saw this review:

    “In the elevator was a notice with the breakfast times, 0400 to 0630 early risers, 0630 to 1000 buffet, 1000 to 1200 late risers. I needed to leave the hotel on my last morning early, so decided that I would go down for the early risers. I realized it would only be coffee, perhaps a roll and some juice. What a surprise when I arrived at 600am, the total breakfast room was in darkness. I asked the front desk clerk where the breakfast was for the early risers. He replied that for the early riser breakfast this had to be pre-arranged the day/night before. What? I told him there was no notice in the elevator explaining this, no communication in the room regarding this or even in the breakfast room.”

    If that’s the case, this guest is entirely right, that was communicated badly by the hotel, as I wouldn’t have thought it required a prior reservation. The hotel’s response was a little vague on the matter as well. Anyway, I didn’t have any problems with breakfast and I liked that it was never too busy, so it was easy to find a seat. The hotel is though otherwise well reviewed, there are very few negative comments about its operation.

    Overall, this hotel was reasonably priced and it is within walking distance of the city centre, or there’s a nearby tram line for those with luggage. All of the staff were friendly and helpful, with absolutely no noise disturbances either internally or externally. The room temperature was also easy to control, primarily as I could open the window, something which seems to be beyond the wit of some hotels….

  • Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Centrum

    Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Centrum

    I have quite a few stays in Warsaw planed for the next few weeks, this is the first of them in a hotel located around a 20-minute walk from the old town of the city. The welcome was friendly and engaging, with the staff member speaking perfect English.

    The bar area, which didn’t shut until 01:00, with food being served until around 23:00.

    To keep things simple, which I like, the hotel has listed the drinks which are included with the voucher for members of the loyalty scheme. The complimentary beer options were though extremely limited, although I suspect that this will start to gradually change over the next few years. There is a wider selection of beers on the regular drinks menu, but it’s still relatively limited.

    I went for the Żywiec, which took a little longer than expected as the barrel needed changing, but it tasted like it was meant to.

    The room, which was clean and comfortable with everything working as it should. It was on the sixth floor, so my usual plan to use the stairs was partly abandoned.

    The welcome amenity, fruit and breadsticks.

    The breakfast area.

    The salad items, although it’s the pickles which I particularly like.

    The breakfast area didn’t feel busy, even at what was probably one of their busier times of the morning, so all very relaxed. There were hot dog sausages, cold meats, cold cheeses, breads, cereals and machines serving coffees and juices.

    The only minor flaw I found with the hotel was they hadn’t cleaned the room by around 17:00 when I got back, although there was some clattering about outside a few minutes later, so I don’t think they’d forgotten and it was just being down later on. At this juncture, I put the privacy sign on the door so as to avoid traipsing downstairs whilst they cleaned the room (it’s very awkward trying to sit in a room being cleaned, as it’s near impossible not to be in the way). Although, if I had known this in advance, I’d have left the privacy sign up throughout the day and claimed the 100 Accor points which are available for guests who don’t want the room cleaned.

    I thought I’d have a little look on TripAdvisor for some of the more intriguing reviews. This one amused me:

    “Although we believed this was rated as 4* it was in fact no better than a hostel. The clue was a table football machine in the lobby. The room was clean but small and very basic. I towel per guest. No soap. Minute sized single pillows.
    Breakfast was adequate but overpriced. The staff in the main were helpful. It is situated on a semi main road by the side of tram tracks and therefore can be noisy. There are no facilities close other than a small supermarket next door and a bar within walking distance.. For what is offered this is too expensive. The clincher was the free bottled water but without a bottle opener.”

    Must have been galling for the staff to read this, although they replied professionally. Especially since Ibis self-declares itself as a two-star hotel and I’m not sure many mid-tier hotels offer soap any more, it’s nearly always liquid shower gel and soap. I’m intrigued about the lack of facilities since the hotel has its own restaurant and bar, perhaps some guests want a football stadium within the hotel. I was amused at the bottled water comment, as I momentarily pondered this, until looking at them and seeing that they were twist tops……

    “There was no English Breakfast – it was all salad and ham!! There was no Beans, Mushrooms, Fried Tomatoes, no hash browns or bacon.”

    No English breakfast in Poland, whatever next…..

    Overall, the hotel staff were all friendly, the room was clean and it was a peaceful and relaxed environment. Reasonably priced and just a short walk to the centre of Warsaw.

  • Accor and the Welcome Amenity

    Accor and the Welcome Amenity

    Suggested by Richard (and I might see if he will send me photos throughout the year of his hotel visits), I thought that I should get round to noting exactly what welcome amenity is offered by each hotel in the Accor group. So, from 1 January 2020, here’s what we have…

     

    IBIS HEATHROW

    Nothing (January 2020) – NB, it has transpired from Accor that there was a problem with this booking and the hotel thought it was a booking from a third party site. Accor have fixed the issue, but the hotel wasn’t at fault.

     

    IBIS WARSAW CENTRUM

    Fruit and breadsticks (January 2020)

     

    IBIS WARSAW REDUTA

    No gift, but larger themed room (January 2020)

     

    IBIS GDANSK STARE MIASTO

    Mini presentation box of caramel peanuts (January 2020)

     

    MERCURE GYDNIA

    Room upgrade and bottle of local beer (January 2020)

     

    IBIS WARSAW OSTROBRAMSKA

    Chocolate (January 2020)

     

    IBIS KIELCE

    Wine, chocolates, water and fruit (January 2020)

     

    IBIS WARSAW STARE MIASTO

    Chocolate and fruit (January 2020)

     

    IBIS BUCHAREST GARA DE NORD

    Welcome biscuits, water and an upgraded room to a suite (February 2020)

     

    IBIS FLORENCE NORTH AIRPORT

    No gift.

     

    IBIS CHESTERFIELD

    Bottled Sparkling Water.

     

    RICHARD’S LIST:

    Ibis Styles London Walthamstow – Nothing (January 2020)

    Mercure Darlington – Nothing (January 2020)

    Mercure York Fairfield Manor – Nothing (January 2020)

    Maidstone Mercure – Nothing (January 2020)

    Ibis Gatwick – Nothing (January 2020)

    Novotel Nottingham Derby – Nothing (February 2020)

    Mercure Preston Samlesbury – Nothing (February 2020)

    Novotel London Excel – Fruit and Chocolates (February 2020)

    Ibis Florence Airport – Nothing (February 2020)

    Novotel Newcastle Airport – Fruit (March 2020)

  • Heathrow – Ibis Heathrow

    Heathrow – Ibis Heathrow

    I’ve stayed at this Ibis hotel near the airport a few times and written about it before. It’s a short free bus journey away if using TFL buses and there’s car parking available for those who insist on driving everywhere.

    This is one of the Accor hotels which persists in this habit of welcoming customers from the customer side of the reception desk. I don’t much like the practice, they’re often leaving screens open with names of other guests, and I’m pleased more Accor hotels are ditching this policy.

    The check-in process was relatively quick, but they missed my free drink voucher, although it was provided quickly enough when I very politely hinted about it.

    I’ve only once been given a welcome amenity by this hotel, and Accor themselves have told me to mark this hotel down for failing to do so every time. That seems a little harsh, but consistency is probably in the hotel’s own interests. The room was clean and well presented though, with a most lovely view of the car park. Everything was well stocked and worked properly, with the wi-fi being fine, albeit with a couple of drop-outs. They still have the anti-theft devices on their towels that I mentioned last time.

    The room this time didn’t have an information card about breakfast times, contact details and the like, but it now has a menu instead.

    The hotel is asking guests to pay £1 per bag they want stored during the day, which is donated to charity. I’ve never stored bags here, but I’m not convinced that charging for a service that guests would expect for free is an ideal solution here. I thought Accor hotels were meant to organise separate events to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust rather than this, but it is a marvellous charity to raise money for.

    This was provided after I queried where it was….

    The bar area, with two members of staff, one of whom was competent and welcoming, the other was, well, not. Bar work really isn’t an ideal role for those with misanthropic tendencies.

    The London Pride was off, just for a short while, so I went for the Goose Session IPA as I haven’t had it before. Slightly generic, but it’s an interesting additional option for the hotel to offer as nearly every customer I noticed order beer went for the Stella option….

    And served in a branded glass and at the appropriate temperature.

    The breakfast buffet arrangements, with the food placed on two large tables in the centre of the restaurant area. There were plenty of seating available and the manager was making continual efforts to keep everything clean and tidy. There didn’t seem many customers going for the breakfast option, but it starts early and runs late to cater for those with strange flight times, so perhaps it’s rarely overly busy.

    The croissants were particularly nice, although the muffins were the usual bland Ibis affair which the company must provide. The sausages were delicious and flavoursome, with the bacon either served slightly firm (my favourite) or with raw fat on it (my least favourite) which required some dexterity to get the piece I wanted. The ham lacked some colour and seemed quite grey, as if it had been out for a little while, but everything seemed organised and well presented.

    I had a look at TripAdvisor to amuse myself and the hotel was left this ridiculous review.

    “When I arrived at just gone 11am, which I have done on MANY occasions, I was expecting maybe a short wait to get into my room as 11 is a little early, what I wasn’t expecting was to be told the hotel was fully booked the night before & I would have to wait until TWO pm to check in UNLESS I paid an extra £20.00 & then low & behold a room would miraculously appear clean & ready for me.”

    I’m often one of those people who checks in early, but 11:00 is very early for a check-in…. £20 for early check-in seems reasonable to me, although it’s free for most under the loyalty scheme anyway.

    “You either have NO rooms available full stop because the hotel is booked OR you put your prices up on your website & on booking.com to reflect how much you are ACTUALLY going to charge people to get into their room at a reasonable time.”

    14:00 seems reasonable to me…. They definitely had a room, ready and waiting for those who wanted to pay…. This is the problems that hotels face, they try and help customers by giving them something they’re not entitled to, such as an early check-in, only for the customer to throw it back at them later on with a 1 star review when they don’t get the same favour.

    Overall, I can’t much complain (although I seem to end up doing so on here….) as the room, including breakfast, came to just over £30. For the convenience of Heathrow, this was ideal, plus I’ll get some points back on the new Accor Limitless loyalty scheme.

  • Accor Hotels

    Accor Hotels

    Since I seem to now be visiting Accor hotels on a relatively industrial scale (around 50 different Accor hotels a year), I thought that I’d post more information about them on this page. There are some things about Accor that I don’t like (that new Ibis room being rolled out is I think a mistake, and I’m glad a couple of their hotels told me they were concerned as well), but overall, I think they’re the best hotel chain out there. Well, after Ovolo Hotels, but they’re much smaller.

    My favourite brand within Accor is Ibis Styles, quirky and irreverent, I like that. I also adore their Polish hotels, and I’m on target to have visited every single Accor hotel in Poland by the end of 2022. They should do a badge for me….. Well, or offer a free alcoholic beverage, I’m easy.

    Richard suggested compiling a welcome amenity page which I’ve been keeping updated with his and my visits. I’m also pleased with Accor for my wireless headphones and for confirming my platinum status (OK, I need to get out more, or perhaps stay in more, whichever works here…) given the health crisis we’re currently in. I mention this as their loyalty scheme is also one of the best, particularly if monitoring the offers that they regularly send out.

    I had multiple Accor stays which had to be cancelled given the international crisis of 2020, but every single Accor hotel offered a refund willingly. One admitted they were struggling so I just postponed my stay there rather than cancelled, but having an e-mail address to contact every hotel made things much easier.

     

    2021 ACCOR VISITS

    Coventry – Ibis Coventry South

    Birmingham – Ibis Birmingham New Street Station

    Birmingham – Ibis Styles Birmingham Centre

    London – Ibis Styles Seven Kings

    London – Ibis Budget Whitechapel

    London – Ibis Styles London Kensington

    Edinburgh – Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge Royal Mile

    London – Ibis Barking

    London – Ibis Wembley

    London – Novotel Heathrow

    London – Mercure Heathrow

     

    2020 ACCOR VISITS (During crisis)

    Warsaw – Novotel Centrum

    Warsaw – Ibis Styles City

    Warsaw – Ibis Styles West

    Warsaw – Ibis Styles Centrum

    Warsaw – Mercure

     

    2020 ACCOR VISITS (January to March, then an international crisis hit the hotel world….)

    York – Ibis York Centre

    Chesterfield – Ibis Chesterfield

    Bucharest – Hotel ibis Bucharest Gare De Nord

    Heathrow – Ibis Heathrow

    Warsaw – Ibis Warszawa Ostrobramska

    Florence – Ibis Airport North

    London – Ibis Budget City Airport

    Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Centrum

    Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Reduta

    Gdansk – Ibis Gdańsk Stare Miasto

    Gdynia – Mercure Centrum

    Torun – Ibis Budget

    Warsaw – Ibis Warsaw Stare Miasto

    Kielce – Ibis Centrum

    Bialystok – Ibis Styles

  • GeoGuessr 2 – Birmingham (Ibis Birmingham Bordesley Circus)

    GeoGuessr 2 – Birmingham (Ibis Birmingham Bordesley Circus)

    I was pleased to get a hotel in Birmingham city centre at such a cheap rate, just over £30, on the Saturday before Christmas, which included breakfast. Thank goodness for the Accor sale….

    The view from the hotel window of, well, Birmingham. The check-in process was efficient, although I had to query where my drinks voucher was, which the staff member had forgotten. As seems to be typical of most Ibis hotels in the UK, they didn’t offer a welcome amenity, but Accor have told me to rate the hotel down when they don’t. The Ibis in Hull offered me a Mars bar as a welcome amenity, which was more than satisfactory. Accor haven’t sent me a feedback form for this hotel, so they won’t get my thoughts on how they could offer a Mars bar to cater for those who are easily pleased.

    The festive Christmas tree in reception. I was pleased to note that the hotel wasn’t too Christmassy, as these things can be overdone.

    Since there was enough alcohol the night before, this was the free welcome drink we went for the following the morning. Bottled Pepsi Max. It’s a rockstar lifestyle…. Or something like that. The hotel didn’t worry about providing a glass, they must have known I have low standards.

    The breakfast arrangement, which I’d say was better than average. The bacon was crispy and a bit hard, but that’s my favourite way of doing it as that means that the fat isn’t all raw and unrendered. The sausages, beans and hash browns were all fine, with the muffins and croissants being a little bland, although every Ibis in the UK seems to use the same supplier of products. The ham was excellent, so much so I managed to eat nearly all of it, with yoghurts, fruit and cereals also available. I’m not sure that breakfast is necessarily worth the £10 it usually costs if purchased separately, but as it was included in the room rate, I was entirely content.

    Overall, everything was fine in the hotel, it was quiet, clean and well maintained. The staff were helpful, the breakfast was of the expected standard and the Christmas decorations weren’t excessive. Perfectly decent value for money.