travel Archives - Curiously Carmen

Travel: The Resident Soho Hotel, London UK

April 9, 2023

In the fall last year (2022), the husband and I went to London! It was our first time in Europe, and we were in London for eight days. Looking back, we probably should have split our time there and visited at least two countries. Initially, we were not too impressed with London but after coming back, we found ourselves reflecting on the trip and enjoying it more than we thought!

I haven’t had time to write about our trip until now! During this trip, we also had a few day trips to the Harry Potter studio (a must do for any HP fan), a cute seaside city named Brighton, and the famous university town Cambridge. Hopefully I will also get around to writing those posts soon.

Starting off the London travel series, I will be reviewing our stay at the Resident Soho Hotel!

Location: The main reason we picked this hotel was due to the location, which is located in the busy Soho area. Since it was our first time in London, we wanted to be in the center of the action and for convenience. Originally, we were looking into the Covent Garden area but the prices were a bit too high. There are also other Resident hotels in London.

Image from Google – Half a block from Tottenham Court Road station Elizabeth Line entrance

The location was great! We were extremely close to Tottenham Court Road station, which is a big tube station with many lines. The station has many entrances, and we were within half a block from the Elizabeth Line entrance. The Elizabeth Line is a newly opened tube line and has easy access to Heathrow Airport.

In addition to the tube, we were also within walking distance to Chinatown, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, and Oxford Street! Soho is known for its many bars and pubs. After work and in the evenings, you’ll find a lot of people sharing a pint on the streets. Most of the pubs have window ledges where people are standing around and chatting.

Hobson’s: Our favourite fish and chips place, a 3 min walk from the Resident!

In addition, there are many restaurants even within a 3 minute walk from The Resident! Our favourite was Hobson’s Fish and Chips and we went there a few times.

Lazy dinner & next day lunch haul from Tesco Express, a few steps from the hotel

There is also a Tesco Express, which is a small grocery store that was a few steps away from the hotel (Think Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada). This was very convenient as we picked up snacks, fruit, breakfast items, ready to eat sandwiches, etc almost everyday!

Room: We stayed in the small double room and found it decent enough. As expected being in a big city, the room was quite small and compact – similar to the hotel room sizes in Tokyo for comparison.

The main adjustment was that the double bed was quite small. The husband has wide shoulders and one side of the bed is against the wall and windowsill, so I often felt squished in the corner. However, over the nights I began to like the windowsill. It gave me some extra room to plop my leg on in the cramped bed, and the cold wood was refreshing.

The room also had a small sink, microwave, mini fridge, and coffee maker (more on the coffee maker in the cons list!).

The washroom was an average size. The small double rooms only have a walk-in shower, no bath tub which would have been nice to soak in after walking all day. Overall, the room was cramped but it did the job. We also appreciated that it was sound proof, we didn’t hear any people in the hallway, doors closing etc. The Soho area would get pretty loud at night with all the pubs and bars, but this did not impact our sleep.

Here is a pros and cons list of this hotel!

Pros:

-Convenient location, as mentioned above
-Sound proof
-Clean, somewhat modern
-Service: The front desk staff were very friendly. After checking out and right before heading to the airport, my time of the month came and I had asked if they had any emergency feminine products. The lady went to the backroom and one of the staff gave me hers from her purse which I really appreciated! I was thinking that they would have some supplied from the hotel instead, so that was really kind of her to help me out.

Nine minute walk to Picadilly Circus and eleven minute walk to Trafalgar Square

Cons:
-This isn’t really part of the hotel, but the main con is that the area smelled like concentrated pee constantly. When we were outside, we would inevitable catch a strong whiff of pee which was unsettling. As mentioned above, this area has a lot of pubs and many people gathered on the streets so it’s not surprising. The worst was on the first day when we cut across Soho Square Garden, which is supposedly a nice little garden area. There was a strong urine smell that assaulted our noses and we held our breath until we were gone….

-Amenities: Being in a very central area and a compact hotel, there were no amenities such as a gym, spa, swimming pool, etc. We had already expected this and weren’t disappointed since we did not spend much time at the hotel, but something to keep in mind if that is important for you!

-Coffee maker: The Keurig machine was extremely loud! I’ve used a Keurig many times, but for some reason the one in the room was SO LOUD. I was startled the first time I used it and thought there was loud construction in the other room. This was a con as sometimes I woke up before the husband and wanted to make a coffee, and even though he is a very deep sleeper he would still be woken by how loud it was. Not a huge deal breaker but just something to mention!

Personally, for us we do not drink much so we think there would be other neighbourhoods that would be a better fit for us next time. Although it was convenient, we would try another neighbourhood that hopefully does not smell like pee constantly.

Overall, our stay at The Resident was pleasant and got the job done. Although the room was pretty tight and cramped, we appreciated that it was sound proof and clean. It was a pretty standard hotel in a convenient location to the tube, restaurants, and other neighbourhoods. The main con, although not a criticism of the hotel, is that the area reeked of urine constantly so there isn’t really much bad to say about The Resident.

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas – Review

June 12, 2022

Maki and I have just returned from a much needed vacation to Las Vegas! It was my first time being on a plane again since COVID. This year has been incredibly stressful, so I am glad that I was able to finally able to escape reality.

Special shoutout to Maki for being such an understanding and great travel companion. I am not easy to travel with and have weird needs which is why I do not travel with people normally, so this was actually a big deal for me. Thank you for letting us have solo days, understanding the need to have our own rooms, my stomach issues, checking my location when apart etc.

Now, onto the review!

I fell in love with the Venetian hotel during my trip to Vegas in 2019. This was my first choice hotel when returning, and I am glad Maki liked the hotel too.

The Venetian is a Venice-themed resort, and it is seriously gigantic. There are plenty of restaurants and a mall called the Grand Canal Shoppes. They even made a “river” so that you can book a real gondola ride from a trained gondolier. We thought anyone could be a gondolier, but we learned that you actually have to go to gondolier training school!

You could just stay in this hotel for a few days and not be bored – that is what I did actually! For this trip to Vegas, I mostly wanted to take it easy and spend my days at the pool (which there were plenty of pools!).

Room – Standard Luxury King Suite

Maki and I both don’t like sharing rooms for many reasons, which we realize is odd. We each booked a room and then paid a bit extra (I believe around $15USD a night) to have a connecting room request.

The Venetian rooms are luxurious and very spacious, probably the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. The ensuite was grand and relaxing. There is a walk in shower, marble countertops, a wide deep soaking tub, two sinks, a makeup area, and a private room for the toilet.

The king sized bed was incredibly comfortable, and the pillows were fluffy and soft. This was a very big bed for one person so I enjoyed sprawling on it.

To give a bit of separation, the living room/lounge area is lowered by a couple of steps and a balcony rail, which adds a nice touch!

I really liked the electronic curtain blinds, which added more of a luxurious factor. The blinds are controlled only by a switch at the side of the bed.

Our rooms overlooked one of two sister hotels, the Venezia, as well as the Venezia’s pool area, and the Linq Hotel’s ferris wheel.

Pros

-The convenience. As I mentioned above, The Venetian is huge and you do not have to step foot outside your hotel for a few days if you don’t want. There are plenty of restaurants, fast food places, cafes, shops, activities (such as Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Canyon Ranch – a world-class spa, Tao nightclub, Walgreens, aesthetic photo opportunities, virtual reality, art exhibitions, nightly performances, massage, casino, endless shopping options). The Venetian connects to the sister hotels, the Palazzo and the Venezia. The Palazzo also has a lot of shopping and galleries inside.

-The room. The room was very grand and luxurious.

-The security. The Venetian is a very big resort, with many non-guests shopping and walking around also, as one does in Vegas. You can spend days walking around each of the hotels. The security did a good job of making sure that the pool and guest area were for guests only – there are guards by these entrances and you have to scan your card to get in.

-The safety. This kind of relates to the above point I guess! I went to the pools by myself, but my stuff felt very safe. I saw that other guests would leave their e-reader, phone, etc on the pool chairs when going for a dip in the pool. I was not daring enough to leave my phone, but I did leave my e-reader, Pixel buds, sunscreen, sunglasses etc out on my pool chairs on three different days and they weren’t stolen.

-The pools. More on that below! There are three different pool areas – The Palazzo, The Venetian, and The Venezia pool areas. I spent all of my afternoons there soaking in the sun and listening to an audiobook, living my best life.

-The aesthetics. Seriously, this hotel was just so pretty! We love taking photos, and there were many different photo opp areas in the hotel.

Cons – I gotta keep it real!

-Issues with check-in. The check-in process was very frustrating and we had many issues. Firstly, as mentioned above, we had paid extra to have connecting rooms. This can be paid a maximum of 14 days in advance, which we did, and was confirmed. We also had to get up at 3am for our 6am flight, so we decided to also pay extra for an earlier, 10am check-in so that we could get in a good nap before exploring. Upon arrival, we were told that we could have *either* – not both. Apparently, when we paid for the early check-in, their system deleted the connecting room request without notifying us. We were told that we could either 1) check in now at 10am and not have connecting rooms for the trip OR 2) we could have connecting rooms and check in at 3pm. We were not happy with this news as we were sleep deprived from waking up at 3am and having a red eye flight, and desperately needing a nap. Then, I was also told that my hotel check-in did not go through when I did it 24 hours before and even received a confirmation number. In the end, we decided on having the connecting rooms so that we could be close to each other for the rest of the trip. As the Venetian acknowledged this was their mistake, they put in a request to have housekeeping clean our rooms asap and refunded the early check in fee. They told us that we would get a text message when the rooms were available – which we never did. After lunch, we decided to go back to the desk to check, where another representative told us our rooms were already ready but the text never came….

-The noise. For such a luxurious room, you would expect that the walls are thicker. We could not hear each other when we were in our rooms with the connecting doors closed, but we could always hear the hallway noise. We could hear the door slamming in the other rooms, people talking in the hallway, luggage wheels rolling around, knocking on other doors, etc. For that reason, we both woke up multiple times during the night and disrupted our sleep.

Snacks on a sensitive scale – once you remove an item, the scale will detect and charge you!

-Room amenities. I heard that this is common in Vegas hotels from friends who have stayed in other hotels, but it was inconvenient not to have a mini-fridge, coffee/tea maker, or microwave.

Pool – The Venetian pool deck, The Palazzo pool deck, The Venezia pool deck

Now, on to the good stuff again! There are 4 pools on the Venetian deck, along with a restaurant, bar, and snack shop. A 2 minute walk away, you’ll find the Palazzo pool deck, which has 7 pools. A quick elevator ride to the 10th floor and 5 minute walk away from the Venetian deck, you’ll find the Venezia pool deck which has 1 pool and 3 hot tubs.

The pools were quite crowded and it could be hard to find a chair at times. It was also a steady 40 degrees (plus/minus a few degrees depending on the time), so it was only bearable in the shaded areas for me. The Venetian and the Palazzo pool decks are more vibin’, with more crowds, drinks, and louder music. The Venezia pool was calmer, and had more shade and greenery.

The Venetian and Palazzo pools are more suited for groups, and since I was at the pool myself while Maki went shopping, I wanted some relaxing sun tanning time with my audiobook!

Beautiful, ornate Roman statues at the Venezia pool deck

The hot tubs at the Venezia pool were also very beautiful, with ornate Roman statues and greenery. I took many self-timer pictures here, and saw boyfriends taking aesthetic photos for their girlfriends at the hot tubs.

Restaurants at the Venetian and Palazzo that we ate at

We ate at many restaurants/fast food places at the Venetian, and did not get bored of the food options for the 5 days we were there! Honestly, the food options here are endless and this is just the tip of the iceberg of dining options. Here are the places we ate at:

–Grand Lux Cafe – A sister restaurant of the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious here and Maki came back again on the last day (while I was sleeping in hehe).

–Black Tap Burger – One of the Venetian’s most famous restaurants! They had delicious burgers and great service. They do not take reservations though, and the wait could get long. We waited about 30 minutes but spent that time walking around the Grand Canal shops upstairs.

–Noodle Asia – With my stomach issues, I was able to have some clear soup noodle options here. The pho was mediocre and expensive compared to Vancouver (not surprising), but the Szechuan beef soup noodles were good. I came here twice!

–Mott 32 – This was our fine dining splurge, but unfortunately, one of the staff ruined the experience with her terrible service.

–Illy Cafe – They had delicious lattes!

–The Alley – It was nice to see the Alley here! They offered oat and soy milk at no extra charge which was nice. I love the Alley in Vancouver also, but I found this location to be even better!

–Popeyes – This was also located in the food court. I love Popeyes in Vancouver and wanted to see how it compared. I found the Vancouver one to be better actually! The batter/oil tasted a bit old and stale to me here.

–Panda Express – This was located in the food court. We never eat Chinese fast food, but for some reason, were craving it during the trip!

–Walgreens – Ok, I know this is not a restaurant, but just listing another quick food and cheaper option here! I picked up a sandwich and salad here for one of my pool days. I also found the tap water in Vegas tasted bad, so I picked up one of those Mio water enhancers.

Conclusion

If you made it this far without skimming through everything, congratulations! Lol!

Overall, we had a great stay at the Venetian! My main complaint would be the hallway noise. I am glad that we stayed here and do not regret it at all. Seeing how there are so many other resorts on the Strip, I would like to experience other hotels on my next visit but I would recommend staying here also!

Travel: An afternoon in Himeji, Japan

May 4, 2020

Himeji is a popular day trip destination because of the UNESCO World Heritage site, Himeji Castle. Himeji Castle has been on the fiance’s bucket list for many years now. During our first Japan trip in 2018 that was 5 years in the making (due to school/new jobs/timing/money/etc), this was already on his list but we were only staying in the Tokyo area so we didn’t get to come.

This time, during our trip to the Kansai region, we knew we had to make a stop to this breathtaking, magnificent castle.

We came here with a friend from Tokyo, who flew down and spent a weekend with us. The three of us went to Kobe on the Saturday, and then to Himeji and Kurashiki (which I’ll also be writing about) on the Sunday!

Here is what we did in Himeji for a few hours, before taking the train to Kurashiki. We did not do much except eat and go to Himeji castle, but it was a fun few hours here.

Getting to Himeji: With the exception of 3 days in Kyoto, we stayed in Osaka (you can read my hotel review here). From Osaka, we took the Shinkansen to Himeji which was about a hour, and met our friend at the station in the late morning.

Brunch: The Himeji area is known for grilled anago, which is a type of saltwater eel. I’ve only ever tried unagi, which is a freshwater eel. We went to a small shop by Himeji Station recommended by my friend’s friend who lives here, Sumiyaki Anago Yamagi.

The restaurant was quite popular as evident with the lineup even prior to opening hours. It was a warm, comforting and filling lunch.

Himeji castle: We slowly made our way to the castle! My breath was taken away when we approached the castle. It was a beautiful, stunning sight, meticulously crafted with so much detail.

My tip is to not take photos right after you cross the street to the castle. A lot of people were gathering here taking photos, because like myself, they were probably stunned of the magnitude of how beautiful the castle was. However, be patient and walk an extra few minutes to get your pictures!

After paying the entrance fee, off we went into the castle! All guests are required to take their shoes off, wear slippers, and put it in a plastic bag to carry around with you throughout the castle. I thought the plastic bag was a bit wasteful but in Japan, they tend to use a lot of plastic bags and packaging.

The castle is very easy to navigate as you just follow the signs. You start on the first floor and slowly make your way up. There are no washrooms available so be sure to use it prior to entering the castle.

Each floor has signs and displays for what it was used for, along with hidden storage areas and closets. I will also warn you that the stairs are very steep and narrow so be careful! There were a couple of times where I thought I was going to slip and fall (but I didn’t).

View of Himeji from the top floor of Himeji Castle

When you get to the top floor, you are greeted with a beautiful view of Himeji. My first thought was imagining this castle back in its prime, overlooking what was farm land and villages.

It took us roughly a hour to get through the castle at a leisurely place. Apart from the castle, you can also walk around the area which features smaller houses where staff lived, etc.

We didn’t feel like going through that area since it would not compare to the beauty of the castle that we just witnessed, so we took some photos outside of the castle and walked back to Himeji Station to go to our next destination, dessert!

Dessert: Another Himeji specialty food item that I did not know about was imagawa-yaki. This is a waffle cake usually stuffed with red bean. It was recommended by our friend, so we had to try it out! We went to Gozasoro at Himeji Station, one of the most popular stands for this dessert.

We bought both the red bean and white bean cakes, and they were delicious! The cakes were made fresh so it was piping hot. It was lightly crispy on the outside but soft inside.

Usually, this is the part when people head back to Osaka or Tokyo. However, we decided to go in the opposite direction, and take a hour train ride through the Japanese countryside to the city of Kurashiki.

Next stop of the day: Kurashiki, Japan – Stay tuned for another post!

Kurashiki is not a well-known city in Japan among international visitors, but I wanted to go after seeing beautiful pictures of their preserved historic district, Bikan Historial Quarter. Stay tuned for my next travel post on Kurashiki, you don’t want to miss it!

Travel: Kyoto Eats

April 15, 2020

During our trip to the Kansai region of Japan earlier this year, we stayed in Kyoto for 3 days! Since we were only here for 3 days, we picked a very central location to stay at. You can read my review on the hotel, Grand Bach Hotel Kyoto, here! A major plus was that we were close to so many food options such as Nishiki Market and Teramachi Street!

Here’s some of what we ate during our time in Kyoto! I didn’t include all the places we ate at because I don’t remember the name of or didn’t take a picture (gasp!).

Freshly Baked Melonpan: Yes, this is the name of the food stand! Melonpan is a popular type of Japanese pastry which is a bun topped with sugar in the shape of melon, hence the name. I saw the Freshly Baked Melonpan stands quite a few times throughout the trip, and it did not disappoint. The melonpan was warm, fresh, and so delicious. You can also add soft serve!

Sugi Honey Shop: This was located in Nishiki Market, where there are tons of food stalls! Although this place specializes in premium honey (which was very good, by the way), they sell soft serve on the side drizzled with their honey. We really enjoyed the yuzu honey soft serve and came twice during our 3 day visit!

I contemplated including this place because this was the only picture I had (why didn’t I take a picture of the soft serve?!), but in the end, I want to look back at my posts and remember this lovely shop!

Yakitori Kanazawa: Since we were a mere 20 footsteps away from Teramachi Market, the fiance looked up some yakitori places around there and picked Yakitori Kanazawa. Props to him because it was a great find! The yakitori was juicy, delicious and full of that grilled, smokey flavour.

One of the chefs/waiter (it was a very small place, probably only fit 10 customers) was really funny and liked to scare customers. He would talk normally and then all of a sudden, scream AH!!!!! which was startling to us, but then entertaining as we saw him do it to other customers, LOL!

Katsukura: Oh my GOD, the best meal we had in Kyoto! We still talk about Katsukura to this day. Katsukura specializes in tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was so delicious and the best we’ve had so far. I ordered a set that came with shrimp tempura above. Just writing about this makes my mouth water and I’m hungry again.

A Happy Pancake: A Happy Pancake isn’t new to us, as we tried the location in Tokyo in 2018. We were happy to see a location in Kyoto and came here for lunch before heading back to Osaka. A Happy Pancake is known for their fluffy pancakes. The pancakes were delicious here as well but be prepared to wait! Luckily we came right when they opened so there wasn’t a line yet.

To be honest, I didn’t enjoy Kyoto as much as I thought I would because the city was over crowded with tourists. I don’t want to be one of those people who complain about tourists because I am also one, but it lacked an authentic vibe to me. However, the food was really good and memorable.

I enjoyed the quieter cities of Kobe and Kurashiki more. I published my post on Kobe earlier this week, which you can read here. I will be publishing a post on Kurashiki soon!

Travel: A Day in Kobe, Japan

April 7, 2020

During our trip to the Kansai region, Kobe was a city that I was really wanting to explore! Kobe is smaller than Tokyo and Osaka, so it doesn’t receive much international attention, except for its world-famous, mouthwatering Kobe beef! However, I personally really enjoyed our day trip here! There was a lot less tourists here, and felt like a breath of fresh air from the crowds of Osaka and Kyoto.

We travelled to Kobe from Osaka via a regular train which took roughly a hour. You can also take a Shinkansen which is faster, but it would cost a lot more. Our friend took a plane from Tokyo and met us in Kobe. Since he had limited time, a domestic flight was a lot faster than taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo.

We were in Kobe from the morning until evening! Here was our itinerary for the day:

Meriken Park: We started our day by walking around Meriken Park, towards the harbour. The photogenic Kobe Port Tower is located here, as well as a big Kobe sign that would make for a nice souvenir photo. The skies were blue and sunny, so it was a pleasant walk around this small area.

We also saw a small ferry terminal, and a boat offering tours around the harbour!

Harbourland: A quick 10 minute walk along the same path as Meriken Park, is Harbourland. There are some malls here to do some shopping as well. We walked around the path outside and took some pretty photos of the ferris wheel.

Lunch at Steakhouse Zen: You can’t go to Kobe and not try Kobe steak. Our Japanese friend knew a local, who recommended Steakhouse Zen to us. We came during lunch so the prices are a bit cheaper, but I will warn you that Kobe beef is not cheap!

The quality of the beef is unparalleled and unlike any steak you will ever eat. As expected, the beef was mouthwatering, melted in our mouth, and super delicious. We ordered a lunch set, which also came with rice, soup, veggies, and dessert.

The cherry on top of a perfect lunch was that Steakhouse Zen is located on a higher floor of a building complex above the train station, so you get a beautiful view while eating Kobe steak. To our right, were buildings and the water peeking out. To the left, was greenery and mountains (including Mt. Rokko, our next destination!).

Mount Rokko and the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens: After lunch, we walked to the base of Mount Rokko, next to Shin-Kobe Station. We took the cable car to the peak of the mountain.

The ride up in the cable car was beautiful and we also saw Nunobiki Waterfall from above. Alternatively, you could also hike up the mountain but we wanted to spare our tired feet when possible.

Atop of Mount Rokko is the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden. The Nunobiki Herb Garden is a really pretty, calm area where guests can see many different types of herbs, flowers, and greenery. There is no entrance fee to the garden.

You start at the top of Mount Rokko and can walk down the mountain to see the different types of vegetables and herbs that they grow here. Unfortunately we came during winter so the trees and leaves were bare, but I still found it to be very beautiful and calming here. I can only imagine how breathtaking it would be during sakura season!

Foot soak atop Mt Rokko: One of our highlights of the day was the herbal foot soak. For 100 yen, guests can soak their feet in a hot, herbal bath made with fresh herbs from the garden. The foot soak has a beautiful view overlooking Kobe. We ended up spending a hour chatting, just enjoying the view, and enjoying the hot water relaxing our feet.

There are also hammocks at the herb garden! It was a bit too chilly to fully enjoy in the winter time though.

City Loop Bus: After our relaxing visit to Mt Rokko and the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden, our friend (tour guide/translator hehe) suggested that we take the City Loop bus back to the Harbourland area for dinner.

The City Loop bus stops at all major and recommended Kobe attractions. This was a great suggestion because we were able to see other areas of Kobe instead of being in an underground train!

Harbourland at night: We were thinking of going on the sunset cruise, but we spent too long relaxing at the foot soak at Mount Rokko and missed the sailing time. Oops! But no regrets because that foot soak was amazing. Anyways, I would recommend the sunset cruise if you have time.

We ended up walking around Harbourland a bit more, and took some pictures of the night landscape. You could also take this time to shop around Habourland.

Dinner: Our friend suggested Vietnamese food for dinner! It was my first time having Vietnamese food in Japan. We went to Thang Cafe Motomachi which was a short walk from Harbourland.

Compared to Canadian Vietnamese restaurants, the noodles were thicker and chewier. The main distinction was that the pho broth was very gingery so that may be a good or bad thing depending if you like ginger or not.

Overall, it was a very fun day in Kobe. We left very satisfied with the sights that we saw and the city left a great impression on us. The weather was beautiful the whole day as well. Kobe, you were great!