Tag: marriott

Enjoying Afternoon Tea in London

On By Travels with MelindaIn Food, London, Travel, travel tips, travelling, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I had always thought the cost of an afternoon tea to be absurdly expensive in London, but I finally decided to give it a go while on our latest trip. So glad we did! I researched the various popular places for afternoon tea (Fortnum & Mason, the Ritz, etc.) but finally made our reservation at St. Ermin’s, a gorgeous historic hotel near Westminster where we have stayed many times in the past. I have always been so impressed with their high level of service, so I felt sure that an afternoon tea would be special there, and it was indeed the perfect experience.

Our reservation was for 1 pm during the week and it was pleasantly not crowded in the cozy tearoom up the majestic staircase at St. Ermin’s. Settling into our comfy oversized upholstered chairs, we were able to consider the tea menu for our first pots. My first choice to try was a lovely Sencha Gojiberry and Pomegranate Green Tea that ended up being my favorite of the day. Thom went with the classic St. Ermin’s tea to try first. Arriving with our pots was also a timer so that we poured our cups at the perfect brewing time for the best cuppa. Enjoying our tea, our tower of treats came soon after. I was able to get a vegetarian selection of sandwiches (they can do gluten free too!) and Thom got the meat version. There were all delicious and while I originally thought there was no way we would eat it all, we quickly dispatched the savory AND sweet selection, enjoying every single bite and sharing so we could taste each item.

My favorite sandwich was a tasty combo of smashed avocado, tomato, vegan feta, cress and Thom loved the smoked salmon with lemon crème fraiche. As far as favorite sweets, Thom liked all the chocolate ones but we both liked the strawberry and basil trifle served in the little glass cup. Very British!

After the tower of treats was demolished, there was still more tea and food to come! Be sure to allow an hour or two to enjoy your afternoon tea. So much food and tea! Clearing away our dishes to refresh with new ones, our server delivered the final course of freshly baked scones, plain and with raisins, served with clotted cream and jam. We asked our server their preferred way to layer scones with clotted cream on the bottom of the jam or the top. She shared her favorite way to enjoy this UK staple, so we went with her expert opinion and spread the cream (thick like softened butter) and then topped it with jam. With this course, we chose the chai tea served with the milk already added. The spicy tea complemented the scones perfectly.

At $45 euros per person, the afternoon tea not only filled us up with yummy tea and food but gave us a lovely London experience we will never forget. For $55 euros you can add a glass of champagne. Other teas at fancier places can easily cost you up to $100 euros a person. Wherever you choose to go, be sure to make reservations in advance-here is St. Ermin’s site: https://www.sterminshotel.co.uk/eating-drinking/afternoon-tea/ When you visit London, find a lovely afternoon tea to enjoy one afternoon. Relax, sip and enjoy the journey!

Review of Homes & Villas by Marriott

On By Travels with MelindaIn Airbnb, Homes & Villas by Marriott, marriott, Travel, travel tips, Uncategorized24 Comments

As a loyal and longtime Marriott Bonvoy traveler, I have always used Marriott hotels for my shorter (week or less) stays around the world. For longer trips, I stay at Airbnb’s for more space and a kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. When I found out that Marriott had started renting apartments/homes, I was so excited to switch from Airbnb to Marriott. What could go wrong? The ability to earn Marriott Bonvoy points on long stays-sign me up! How could it not be a better experience than Airbnb when Marriott was willing to put their global brand on the program? I do expect high standards with the Marriott brand and have rarely been let down on my global hotel stays. Unfortunately, my first experience with Homes & Villas by Marriott in Paris was disappointing at best. Marriott-do better. Please.

When we arrived after a very long day/night of travel and the house cleaner was still working away at cleaning the Paris apartment, we rented for our Girls Trip 2023 (finishing the clean after the official check-in time) and I quickly spied a huge spider that I had to kill with my shoe, I cringed. Yikes-this might not be the upscale experience I expected.

Launched in 2019 to appeal to their Bonvoy customers who want a travel brand that they trust but the space and amenities of an apartment/home, Marriott needs to improve in order to keep customers like me coming back. With that in mind, here is my feedback on my stay for Marriott:

  • Show customer ratings and reviews like Airbnb. Customers tell it like it is, both good and bad. I would not have rented this expensive apartment had there been customer reviews which described the neighborhood. Our block included a boisterous group that met every night on the corner under our windows (which had to be open-no a/c). It was crazy loud until the wee hours every single night.
  • Ensure that every apartment comes with a manual (similar to Airbnb) so that you don’t have to watch a YouTube video to learn how to use the combo washer/dryer, which we had to do. I had to take a picture and send to the property management company to translate the front panel.
  • Conduct Marriott property visits to ensure that appropriate ongoing maintenance is being done by local property management companies. Our apartment had duct tape holding cabinets together due to broken door hinges, peeling paint on the bedroom wall and kitchen appliances (oven and dishwasher) that didn’t work. These issues do not create a “premium and luxury” experience for the traveler.
  • Under promise, over deliver. If you are going to promise High-Speed Wi-Fi, television and kitchen essentials, then you better make sure these are indeed included. Our apartment had slow Wi-Fi that negatively impacted our ability to work remotely and enjoy entertainment since the television only had local channels all in French, the bedroom televisions hadn’t even been set up, and the Wi-Fi wasn’t strong enough to use our technology to stream shows via Google Chromecast.

Below is Marriott’s program statement detailing the travel experience they offer with Homes & Villas. I was looking forward to enjoying this premium experience in Paris. I did not get it:

Marriott’s published program statement: Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy offers a curated and growing collection of premium and luxury whole home rentals located in prime destinations throughout the world. Leveraging Marriott International’s deep knowledge in delivering exceptional hospitality experiences, each home is professionally managed and meets the company’s design, cleanliness, safety and amenity standards. Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is part of the Marriott Bonvoy travel program, providing numerous benefits to both property management companies and travelers. Members of Marriott Bonvoy can earn and redeem points at all homes, providing more choice for a range of travel needs as a complement to Marriott International’s core hotel business.

St. Ermin’s-Best Hotel in London

On By Travels with MelindaIn LondonLeave a comment

Bee lovers, history buffs, dog lovers and those who appreciate over the top hotel service will love my favorite hotel in London-St. Ermin’s. I’ve travelled all over the world and this is my pick for best overall hotel. Hands down. A historic property set in a private courtyard, it exudes charm but most of all I love the consistently world class customer service I’ve received every time I stay there. Their staff is well trained, friendly and go out of their way to make you feel special. Another bonus is the location, which is easy walking distance to many sites such as Parliament, Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben, Hyde Park, St. James Park, Churchill War Rooms, 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, etc.

Caxton Bar & Grill/St. Ermin’s Bees/Afternoon Tea

The formal lobby serves as an elegant gathering place for the afternoon happy hour with free wine/nibbles most days and a fine place to have a cup of tea. Everyone but especially kids (who may never have seen such a relic let only used it) seem to be fascinated with the typewriter available with paper to type out a review of the hotel. Just off the lobby there is the Caxton bar and restaurant where the morning breakfast is served. Upstairs, there is a lovely room for Afternoon Tea that is served daily. Featuring sweet and savoury treats from the hotel’s rooftop garden and bee garden, you can’t ask for a more quintessential British tradition to enjoy during your trip to London. Make reservations here for Afternoon Tea well in advance of your visit. It’s popular! After taking your tea, go upstairs to the third floor and visit the St. Ermin’s bees. Safely behind glass, you can watch them go about their daily business of making honey.

While Thom and I have stayed at St. Ermin’s several times on both business and pleasure trips, I didn’t stay there on my Ladies Trip recently because we needed the added space of an ARBNB. However, we did visit after our Parliament trip to soak up the warmth of tea served in the bar and take advantage of the grand staircase to pose for pictures with a kind staff member serving as our photographer.

Perks that we loved at St. Ermin’s:

  • Free wine and canapes for happy hour Monday to Thursday 5:30-6:30
  • 24 hour gym
  • Free water and candy in room minibar-handy to refuel after a long day of walking
  • International breakfast buffet free with made-to-order omelettes (with Marriott Platinum status)
  • Mailed my postcards to US for free
  • Typewriter in lobby that you can use to leave reviews of hotel-kids are fascinated by this device
  • Amazing front veranda where you can relax, eat takeway food or drinks or get lobby service from hotel bar
  • Concierge service-lent me a new electric adapter when mine failed to work
  • One block to St. James tube station-so quick to get around London
  • 10 minute walk to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Hyde Park
  • Starbucks, Pret-A-Manger and pharmacy one block away
  • Grand staircase in lobby for photos you’ll want to share
  • They allow pups-who doesn’t love a pet friendly place!

St. Ermin’s History

St. Ermin’s is built upon the site of a 15th century chapel dedicated to St. Ermin (thus the name!). The building was converted into a hotel in 1899. Famous for a meeting held here by Winston Churchill in 1940 with founding members of the Special Opertions Executive (SOE) also known as Churchill’s Security Army. This elite group formed the basis of the SAS and took over an entire floor of St. Ermin’s as its headquarters during WWII while the M16 were stationed two floor above. Churchill was known well in the hotel’s Caxton Bar during this period. History buffs will love staying here and walking over the Churchill War Rooms for a tour.

After WWII, a “Division Bell” in the hotel lobby was rung to signal MPs that they had eight minutes to get back to Parliament to the House of Commons to vote. Now the bell now longer rings but you never know who you might meet at the hotel because it is located within the “Westminster Bubble” very close to government buildings. It is rumored that MPs could use a secret tunnel to get back to Parliament, running from under the grand staircase in the lobby to the House of Commons. Hmmmm….who doesn’t love a British mystery?