CombatCritic's TravelValue™: room

CombatCritic™ ... World traveler - 42 countries and counting; Military Leader - Four combat operations; Amateur chef; Published author and producer - over 4 million visitors on seven platforms! Yelp "Black" Elite '14/'15/ '16/ '17/ '18/ '19 / '20/ '21/ '22 / '23 / '24; TripAdvisor ¨Local Guide¨, Zomato "VERIFIED CONNOISSEUR"; Booking.com "GENIUS"; and Foursquare "INSIDER". On the Front Lines in the Battle Against Mediocrity - Follow Me To TravelValue™ ... That's A Freakin' Order!

Showing posts with label room. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2018

Stay In A Studio Apartment In Central Lyon For Just $61.50 - Save Up To $55 On Airbnb Now!

If you are familiar with or already use Airbnb, there's no need to read any further. However, if are not or do not and do any traveling at all, then this post is for you ... this way please!

I use Airbnb all the time in my many travels – my most recent destination was country #43 . On this most current trip, I paid just $54/night for a very nice private room in central London (3rd most expensive city in the world), $70/night for an entire studio apartment in central Paris (18th most expensive city in the world), and $61.50/night for a private studio apartment in the best neighborhood in Lyon, France.

If you like what you are hearing and use the attached Airbnb referral link, you will not just save money on your future trips, but I will also save a bit on one of my future trips. It’s a win-win situation for all of us!

CLICK HERE TO SAVE NOW

Whether you use Airbnb or not, I wish you safe and happy travels and a very joyous and healthy holiday season ... Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

CombatCritic

When in France ... Follow Me To TravelValue on my new page:

CombatCritic's Travel Value: France

Friday, September 14, 2018

Seattle, WA: Private, Clean And Centrally Located, Liam's Cozy Place Is THE BOMB!

Liam's Cozy Place (Airbnb)
Mount Baker Area - Seattle, WA
Website: Liam's Cozy Place (Airbnb)
Price: $$$$

Seattle is not a cheap place to visit, but being a travel blogger focused on helping my readers get the most bang for their buck, I have to say that Liam's place is a definite TravelValue!

A clean, charming early 20th Century home on a quiet street and just a ten minute walk from Seattle's Mount Baker light rail station makes this a terrific base while visiting the Emerald City.

Liam was there to greet us, help us settle in, and provide details about the house and local area when we arrived. The house is immaculate and Liam has gone to great lengths to ensure guests are comfortable and have all of the privacy desired thanks to the separate living spaces. It was like having the house to ourselves because the main level has just one bedroom and a dedicated, adjacent bathroom in addition to the living room, dining room and kitchen. Liam's quarters are upstairs where he spent most of his time while we were there, only popping in to say hi on his way in or out. He was so quiet, we were not sure if he was home or not.

The bed was comfy and there was plenty of space to stow our things, including several hangers and shelves in the bedroom. The bathroom was for our use only and was well stocked with clean, plush towels, shampoo and conditioner, and other amenities for use during our stay.

The kitchen was also well stocked and Liam made us feel welcome to use it and its contents as much or as little as we desired. Coffee, tea, and sports drinks were made available during our stay along with sugar and half & half, so we did not need to go to the market before bed, a nice touch.

For all of the space, privacy, amenities, and its central location, Liam's place was astonishingly well priced. Parking was no problem on the adjacent streets, the Wi-Fi was fast and reliable, and the house secure. We felt safe and at home during our two night stay.

CombatCritic Gives Liam's Place 10 Bombs Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians:

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

"Flexibility" Is The Key To Air Power And A Charlotte House Core Value

Charlotte House Hotel

78 London Road

Peterborough PE2 9BP

United Kingdom

Phone number +44 1733 315870

Website: charlottehousehotel.com

Prices: ££££

Kudos to the owner/manager for her flexibility! Usually an expert and thorough logistician (after all, it was my military career field for 20 years), I somehow screwed the pooch on this reservation, booking this hotel for the day AFTER our scheduled arrival. I contacted the property that morning with my tail between my legs and, low and behold, they changed our reservation to that night without a cancellation (aka dumb ass) charge.

We arrived late after visiting friends I had not seen in 20 years just 20 miles south in Huntingdon and left early the next morning, so we did not have time to enjoy the hotel. Parking is in the rear, so take the street immediately north of the hotel (Park Street), then left again on Woodbine Street behind the hotel. If arriving after dark, you might see the slightly obscured "Charlotte House Car Park" sign on the fence adjacent to the property if you look hard enough (see photos below).

Rear of Hotel

A two-story Victorian building on the outskirts of town and less than a mile from the impressive Peterborough Cathedral (burial place of Catherine of Aragon and former resting place of Mary Queen of Scots), the feel is eclectic and somewhat modern, but warm, inviting and slightly charming The room was a tad odd with three steps down into the room from the entry, but it was large with an en suite bathroom, TV with cable, kettle with coffee/tea/milk/sugar, a comfy full size bed, and decent Wi-Fi. We slept well.

At £49.50 ($70.40), we kept the price under my preferred $75 limit and it included a delicious full English breakfast ... now that is a definitie TravelValue ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Charlotte House Hotel 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Monday, January 8, 2018

Naples, Italy: The Flower Of The Spanish Quarters - Clean, Inexpensive, And Central

Fiori di Napoli

Sunflower Room

€ 30 - One Person (Discount for long stays)

Private Room in Bed & Breakfast

Quartieri Spagnoli, Naples

Contact: Ivo

Airbnb Description: "Sunflower room is located in the heart of this amazing city, close to the historical centre, few steps from the Royal Palace, the San Carlo Theatre, the Castle Maschio Angioino, Spaccanapoli, the sea , the Pignasecca market. It is well connected with all public transports (Funicolare, Cumana, Underground both lines).Daily cleaning of the rooms is provided. The towels will be changed every 3 days."

Palazzo

Amenities

Washer

Heating

Wireless Internet

Breakfast

Smoking allowed

Iron

Hair dryer

Hangers

Room-darkening shades

House Rules

Check-in is anytime after 8AM

Check out by 11AM

You must also acknowledge: Dog(s) live in the house

Spanish Quarters

Nice, clean, simple room, Il Glicine, in a palazzo (palace) in the heart of Naples, just a couple blocks from the architecturally infamous Toledo (Metro) Station and Via Toledo shopping district.

Located in Quartieri Spagnoli, literally "Spanish Quarters", this B&B is not actually a B&B unless your reservation states "Breakfast" is included, otherwise it is €5 per day and very simple from what I understand (coffee, toast and marmalade - typical Italian breakfast). There was some confusion as it was advertised as a "B&B", but my host, Ivo, told me that breakfast was not included in the price of the room I booked on Airbnb, which was very inexpensive by the way, but we made a deal so I could make coffee and buy my own breakfast. Non ce problema (not a problem).

B&B Fiori di Napoli is actually a very large apartment where a few other people, not exactly sure how many, and a sweet dog, Greg, live. The neighborhood is Naples at its best with narrow cobblestone streets with drivers on scooters, cars and trucks honking at each other in the traditional Neapolitan way.

I read about some concerns about safety in Naples, particularly Quartieri Spagoli, in previous Airbnb reviews as well as from my wife (who grew up in Naples) and mother-in-law (who lives in Naples), but I had no worries having lived in Naples for three years while serving in the military. The palazzo is actually a great base for exploring centro storico (the historical center) with easy access via the Metropolitana (Naple's Subway) to adventures in Naples and beyond (READ MORE On My TravelValue: Bella Napoli Webpage)

Ciro

There is a great little mini-market (Maielo Ciro) right across the street with basic supplies, a deli counter, and a friendly, honest proprietor (Ciro). If eating out, one of the best and cheapest pizzerias in Naples, a city famous for its pizza, is just down the street (CLICK HERE To Read My Review Of Pizzeria 400 Gradi) and there is a great little trattoria, Trattoria da Concetta (CLICK TO READ REVIEW), with decent prices, good food, and excellent service within 200 meters of your room. Less than 350 meters and a 5 minute walk away (toward "Dante" Station) is another good little, and I mean little, trattoria by the name of La Taverna del Buongustaio (CLICK TO READ REVIEW) with low prices and good, traditional Neapolitan food.

The room had everything I needed, including a comfortable double bed, two nightstands, a large wardrobe, shelves, an LCD TV with cable (BBC News in English), a large refrigerator/freezer and microwave. I stayed for three weeks and was very comfortable except for some relatively cold days and nights, but Ivo was very hospitable, turning on the heat (radiators) anytime I asked.

Naples can get rather warm in the summer months, so keep that in mind because there is no air conditioning that I am aware of. The apartment is also on the third floor (U.S. - second floor for Europeans) of the palazzo and this palazzo has 12 foot ceilings. The walk up the three very long flights of stairs was a bit of a workout because there is no elevator, so you had better be in decent shape or take it very slow.

I felt very comfortable and safe with Ivo and Manuela and their dog Greg was quite sweet and very quiet. At just $21 per night, you will not find a better value, particularly in Naples' historic center.

CombatCritic Gives Fiori Di Napoli 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

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Title: Naples, Italy: The Flower Of The Spanish Quarters - Clean, Inexpensive, And Central

Key Words: Naples, Napoli, Italy, Italia, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, hotel, accommodation, Airbnb, room, apartment, palazzo, Quartieri Spagnoli, review, fiori, Yelp, Google, Facebook

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Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock