Round The World and other travel

This is: Chilling Out on Phu Quoc (2018)

Hotels

Hotel 1: VIE Hotel (MGallery by Sofitel), Bangkok
Saturday 24 Nov to Sunday 25 Nov (1 night)
Room 1804 (One-Bedroom Suite)

I'm fairly sure that this was my first stay at an Accor hotel branded as MGallery by Sofitel. As such, I was unsure what to expect, but was certainly encouraged by the 'Sofitel' bit. I decided very quickly after arrival that I was happy to think of it as 'five-star boutique' - which is probably just as well, as that's how it is positioned. The property is located in the Siam area of the Pathum Wan district, just a short walk from the Ratchathewi Skytrain station. I found it very impressive and thoroughly enjoyed my all-too-short stay.

Hotel 2: JW Marriott Emerald Bay Resort & Spa, Phu Quoc
Sunday 25 Nov to Friday 30 May (5 nights)
Room 5301 (Standard Double-Double)

This exceptional hotel is genuinely a destination in its own right, and indeed our five-night stay here was the most important objective of the trip. As such, many of the resort's features will emerge in the relevant diary entries. This overview is also provided for consistency.

Hotel 3: ibis Ho Chi Minh City Airport (SGN)
Friday 30 Nov to Saturday 01 Dec (1 night)
Room 1010 (Apartment)

Some 7 weeks after sampling the ibis Styles Bremen, Bruce and I got to experience a 'standard' ibis at SGN airport. Shuttle service was provided: the distance from the airport is short, but only walkable with considerable care and attention, not to mention previous experience of Vietnamese traffic! Taking into consideration our non-standard 'apartment' room and the provision of public areas such as the lobby (with restaurant and coffee shop), rooftop bar and swimming pool, we both thought that this was probably as good as a budget hotel gets. The only criticism was that on-site food was poor.

Hotel 4: Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Saturday 01 Dec to Sunday 02 Dec (1 night)
Room 3511 (Executive Double-Double)

Being directly linked to KL's main railway station, the Hilton is certainly a convenient choice. I stayed at this hotel around the same time of year in 2014 (towards the end of a Singapore & Malaysia trip) and had fond memories of the property in general, of my room in particular, and above all, of a fabulous executive lounge. Sad to say, this 2019 stay made nothing like the same impression, with our room looking a bit tired and the lounge offering no longer able to take its place among the best in Asia (and therefore the world). We both agreed that our 2017 stay at the city's InterContinental had been a better experience.