Hotels In The News Part 1

Hotel In The News is a Backup Of The Popular Section at MyCen Hotels under Hotels In The News. Bookings can be made via the links given here too.

Gran Hotel Miramar GL, Malaga, Spain (booking link)
Barça resting in the hotel where Jesús Gil was judged.
http://www.sport-english.com/en/news/barca/barca-resting-the-hotel-where-jesus-gil-was-judged-5962026

Hotel Football Old Trafford (booking link)
Gary Neville hires notorious Manchester United hooligan and ex-con to work as security at hotel he co-owns with Ryan Giggs.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/3289766/gary-neville-hires-notorious-manchester-united-hooligan/

Lotus Desaru Beach Resort & Spa (booking link)
Desaru coast — a hidden gem.
http://www.nst.com.my/news/2017/04/227711/desaru-coast-%E2%80%94-hidden-gem

The Whitby Hotel New York NY (booking link)
Inside the Whitby Hotel: Crosby Street’s Sophisticated Older Sister.
http://wwd.com/eye/lifestyle/inside-the-whitby-hotel-crosby-street-hotel-firmdale-10863353/

Hotel Indigo – Los Angeles Downtown (booking link)
Hotel Indigo Opens in DTLA
https://www.cpexecutive.com/post/hotel-indigo-opens-in-dtla/

Not a hotel specific story (no booking link)
Quick and Simple Hotel Workout
http://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2017/hotel-room-workout-fd.html

Mimi’s Hotel Soho London (booking link)
Mimi’s, Soho, London: hotel review.
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/apr/08/mimi-soho-hotel-frith-street-london-review

Boucan by Hotel Chocolat (booking link)
Real-life Willy Wonkas: how Hotel Chocolat turns bean into bar from a paradise HQ in St Lucia.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/real-life-willy-wonkas-hotel-chocolat-turns-bean-bar-paradise/

Nice Hotel, New Plymouth, New Zealand (booking link)
New Plymouth hotel named ‘most elegant’ by international travel guide – Nice.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/91318870/new-plymouth-hotel-named-most-elegant-by-international-travel-guide–nice

Formerly The Vidella Hotel Blackpool (booking link)
Family holiday goes sour at rebranded ‘Viagra Hotel’
http://www.aol.co.uk/travel/2017/04/05/family-holiday-goes-sour-at-rebranded-viagra-hotel/

Sky Mirror The Social Media Magnet

I wanted to promote the new VI Boutique Hotel in Pasir Penmbang in Kuala Selangor. They opened on March 25th and unfortunately their applications to Agoda and Booking.com are not approved as yet. I will link them when they are ready. Credit to recently featured Muo Boutique Hotel in Muar for sorting out their online booking affiliations upon opening their doors. I saw the pre-opened VI Boutique Hotel when I was heading to Sekinchan in late January 2017.

From their Facebook page, I learned that the hotel organises a boat tour to a beach with an awful name called Sky Mirror or Sasaran Beach. It is a sea shore that looks like a Bolivian salt flat during low tide. Many people dressed colorfully to take group photos, selfies and wefies with reflections on the mirror like surface. Social media drives the hunger.

You will find the most ridiculous and puke inducing poses carried out there. The boatmen even provide props like colourful umbrellas and hats. Cliche mofos.

The jetty is 3 minutes from the hotel and from there another 40 minutes by boat ride out to sea. You can inquire at the hotel.

Through the hotel’s helpful social media administrator, I asked Low Siew Chong (group pic) and my friend Emily Lowe (threesome pic) for permission to use their pics.

See my FB for links: https://www.facebook.com/mytvsmith

#sasarn #skymirror #sasaran #selangor #kualaselangor

A Curious Case

Many years ago I thought of visiting a good friend in his hometown of Taiping during Chinese New Year. That was when many people are back in their respective hometowns and locals always make competent and knowledgeable guides to an unfamiliar small town. I called the friend and he said there was virtually no walking space in his mother’s house, with all his siblings returning.

It is a time honored tradition or custom to go back during a festival. He said he will throw a mattress on the floor for me. I told him to book a hotel for me. He called me later to say he cannot find a vacant hotel in town and offered to give me his room. He was staying in a hotel? As I was to find out. many other returning locals were taking up all the hotel rooms in town.

Seemed their pampered urban kids can’t sleep without air conditioning or bath without hot water showers. They like the Cartoon Channel and other kiddie shows on satellite or cable channels too but not all hotels provide it.. My friend explained that it was also to shield his infant child from the rampant sounds of bomb like firecrackers and fireworks in his village.

Meanwhile, poor grandma cannot understand why her grandchildren are unable to sleep under mosquito nets and a fan.

I was not surprised as I know of another friend who will put his two young daughters in the car with engine and air condition running whenever there was an extended power breakdown at night. He checks into hotels too when there is water disruptions.

It is a new phenomenon that impacted many Malay and Indian families too, as I was to find out. Don’t laugh at the proliferation of budget hotels everywhere because you think they are meant for ‘day use’ customers. They play a vital role albeit thrice yearly during festival exodus by urbanites.

If you are planning to book a room for the upcoming Hari Raya holidays, you may want to book now. Do a search for your hometown’s name at MyCen Hotels http://www.mycen.my/ and find a hotel you like. Let me know of your experience. Thank you.

Pic of a sheltered park bench at Taiping Lake Gardens from a MyCen Hotels post about Hotels In Taiping, Kuala Sepetang and Kamunting.

#cny #hometown #smalltown #exodus #festival #hotels #taiping #park #rain

Sunset Capital Of The World

Kota Kinabalu is the sunset capital of the world. I don’t mean it in the metaphorical sense as in declining.There was a spectacular or glorious sunset every day I was there. This is a scene from the same balcony I captured the earlier pic of the flickering silver sea with Bernard Khoo. Without warning, it soon developed into a majestic golden sunset,

Whether you are on the balcony of your hotel room or on the beach or on the waterfront, or at the UMS jetty at Sepanggar Bay, at the stilt houses of the water village or at the Bandar Mosque, a stunning sunset awaits you daily unless it is raining heavily. West Malaysians need to know that sunsets in KK are an hour earlier at around 6:20 pm.

Don’t wait for the sun to dip below the horizon although the beauty of an afterglow with rich hues has its merits too. Compose to include reflections on water, wet sand and palm trees if there are. Photographers go to the seaside for sunsets because all these elements make a great backdrop. Not surprisingly, the Shangri-la Tanjung Aru Resort has a bar named Sunset Bar.

The beaches of Tanjung Aru is a great place to photograph sunsets. The coast faces West. If you are planning to go KK to photograph sunsets, book a KK hotel listed in MyCen Hotels (http://www.mycen.my/) Suggestions are Marina Court Resort Condo Hotel (where I photographed this), Tanjung Aru Beach Resort, Manukan Island Resort, the Magellan Sutera at Sutera Harbour and possibly at the resort at big Gaya Island, if you are on he correct side.

You can do it at any beach or high elevation vantage point you have access, Nobody owns the sunsets.

#sunset #dusk #goldenhour #sundown #nature #sea #kk #kotakinabalu #sabah #kk #kotakinabalu #borneo

Muo Boutique Hotel

Time to introduce another local hotel. Muar has an exciting new boutique hotel in town. Muo Boutique Hotel is a new hotel that opened a few days ago. Tastefully refurbished from an old shop house, it appears classy, painted in white.

I was introduced to the new hotel in Muar, Johor by my long time Muar friend Yusof Noi or Ms Noraini, the former headmistress of Muar Convent. She spent a night there and had only good things to say. Guests can go the rooftop which will be an alfresco cafe when ready. One can view Muar River from up there. Norani is seen here in a selfie on the roof with the Muar River behind.

The hotel has a mamak restaurant downstairs serving local fare. The famous Muar breakfast satay shop and famous 434 coffee outlet is not far if you venture out on foot.

I first thought MUO is an abbreviation but it is not. According to Noraini, Muo is how Murians say Muar. Haha. I like Muar as it is charming small town with nice food, people and many places of attraction. Noraini was one of my local guides when I visited the last time. The other guide being Christine Yeow Cher Yuin. I stayed at the Elite Hotel, opposite Sam Kee. Happy to know there is now another accommodation option in Muar.

Check price, room availability and book Muo Boutique Hotel and other hotels in Muar here:

http://www.mycen.my/muo-boutique-hotel