I’m laying the wrong way round on the day bed by the window in an effort to afford my travel buddy a modicum of privacy while showering. Our room at the W Hotel Taipei is very nice, but not designed with modesty in mind. The bathroom features beautiful wood paneling that can be left fully open into the bedroom. The paneling does fold elegantly closed, but there is still about 0.5 meters of wooden bars at one end that provide only an ever so slightly diminished view into the sink area and directly into the shower.
Semi-public nudity aside, our toilet winked at me. It’s one of those complicated Japanese contraptions that fully automates the personal relief process. When I walked into the bathroom, the toilet lid began to automatically open, which caught me off-guard, so I stepped back, and it began closing. One step forward and it jumped open again – it was as if the toilet had come alive and wanted to flirt. The seat is constantly a pleasant 30 degrees Celsius, and the machine will do almost anything (within limits) to improve your bathroom experience. It squirts, it blows, it cleans, it deodorizes, and it’s almost completely automated – the downside, however, is that a quiet slip into the bathroom is not really possible. Our quasi-open bathroom experience combined with the millennium lavatory means that anyone in the room is likely to know that you’ve snuck over to the toilet. One step through the door and the seat buzzes open. Take a seat, and it suddenly sounds like you’re a Starbucks Barista preparing the next pumpkin latte of the day.
Despite the surprising lack of designer coffees following all the noise, we’re both awake now, so we might as well head out to discover what Taipei has to offer!
Pros: Clean and new facilities, friendly and helpful staff, great cookies
Cons: Location
3NT’s Conclusion: Excellent option for Zagreb if you don’t mind a short ride into town.
We arrived at the Doubletree by Hilton in Zagreb by taxi from the airport. The hotel is located in a new development in the business district of Zagreb. There are a decent number of good cafes, restaurants, and clubs all very close to the hotel, but the historic center of Zagreb is a short tram ride away. The facilities at the hotel were very nice, but not without flaws. It was really the smiling employees of the Doubletree that won us over. As long as a short tram ride or a 30-minute walk into town doesn’t scare you off, the Doubletree is an excellent option for Zagreb accommodations.
Check-in with Marina at the front desk was flawless, and her warm welcome included the signature warm Doubletree Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookie, which was delicious. Marina was sure to recognize my Hilton Honors Silver Status and thanked me for my business. It didn’t take long at all to have keys in hand and be pointed towards the elevators.
The room itself was on the 9th floor with a nice view over the city. It was a pleasant size, and the design was modern without being cold. It featured lots of dark wood with white and green accents. There was a complimentary fresh fruit plate and bottle of water waiting for us on arrival. A plain bottle of water is the simple kind of amenity more hotels should offer to make a guest feel welcome. The room included free Wi-Fi as well.
Doubletree by Hilton Zagreb Bedroom
The bathroom was quite large and featured both a bathtub and walk-in shower. It had speakers wired to the TV in the room for listening enjoyment. Our only complaint about the bathroom was that the shower was poorly designed in that water easily escaped through the door and flooded the bathroom floor. The tiles were also a little slippery. The hotel also features a very nice gym and pool facility on the 10th floor that we did not have the opportunity to use.
Doubletree by Hilton Zagreb BathroomDoubletree by Hilton Zagreb Bathroom
Before heading into town in the evening, we asked the front desk for the best way into town. Marina advised that it was a 30-minute walk, a 30-40 Kuna cab ride (approx. $5), or a short tram ride with a stop directly across the street. We asked about tickets for the tram, and another one of her helpful colleagues stepped in to help. He had both single ride tickets and 24-hour Zagreb cards available. We went with the Zagreb card for 60 Kuna (approx. $10). He explained the simple route (option of two different tram lines) and provided us with a map.
On our last day in Croatia, we opted to have lunch at the hotel restaurant before heading to the airport. Marina helped us again at check-out, and another colleague happily stored our bags for us so that we could have a walk around town before lunch. We both enjoyed a salad and burger at the restaurant. The service was good and the burger was tasty. The house-made ketchup was a nice surprise. The coffee was also excellent.
The hotel offers a pre-negotiated flat rate taxi to the airport for 110 Kuna (approx. $19), which is considerably cheaper than the normal meter rate. Overall, our stay at the Doubletree Zagreb was very enjoyable, and we can’t say enough good things about all of the front desk and bell staff that were always smiling, always friendly, and always helpful. One last note about the property: as Hilton is a more recognized international brand and there is no Hilton in Zagreb, the locals often refer to the Doubletree as simply “the Hilton.” This can be useful to know for any taxi rides or asking directions.
Recent travel experiences have reminded me that things don’t always go as planned. Even the most experienced traveler can face difficulties with delayed or cancelled flights, overbooked hotels, and any number of other travel issues. Below, I’ve compiled a few tips for preventing travel woes and coming out of less-than-ideal situations with your sanity in tact.
Take flight schedules into consideration – when booking airline tickets, we often focus on the price and when we need to arrive in a particular destination. These are important factors, but one should also consider the season weather when planning flights. For example, much of the United States suffers from severe afternoon thunderstorms during the summer; even if your origin and destination are not directly affected by the weather, your aircraft may be coming in from a destination that is. Book an earlier flight to improve your chances of leaving on time.
Be loyal to travel providers – almost every type of travel provider offers customer loyalty programs that can earn you status with that provider. When airlines are trying to re-accommodate passengers onto other flights, those passengers with preferred status earn waitlist priority and are more likely to get out sooner. Try to give as much of your business as is reasonably possible to one carrier and their partners. The same goes for hotel chains and getting “walked” from an overbooked hotel; your chances of getting the room you reserved are much better if you have status with the chain.
When something goes wrong, keep your cool – we all have important things to do and places to be, and we all hate being in unplanned situations where things go wrong. It’s ok to be frustrated; it’s ok to be angry; it’s ok to be stressed, but it’s not ok to take out those emotions on service personnel or your fellow travelers. The people responsible for remedying your travel woes are more likely to go the extra mile if you remain calm, respectful, and understanding. It’s not the gate agent’s fault when an aircraft has a mechanical problem, and treating the agent rudely isn’t going to improve your situation.
Know when and how to complain – for one reason or another, things are often handled improperly by travel providers, and if you know when it is appropriate to complain, how to complain, and to whom to complain, you not only provide the constructive criticism necessary to improve the travel experience for yourself and others, but you may also get compensation in one form or another from providers for their shortcomings. The key to knowing when to complain is knowing when the travel provider is actually at fault. If you show up at the airport 30 minutes before a flight departs and the check-in agent refuses to check-in your luggage, it’s not their fault; airlines have clearly stated policies about when to show up at the airport and the gate to insure seamless travel. It also isn’t the airline’s fault if weather causes a flight delay, for example. Even in cases where the travel provider is not at fault, sometimes the behavior of the provider’s employees warrants a complaint. In such cases, admit in the complaint that the situation leading to the complaint was not the provider’s fault, but that the situation was handled inappropriately by their employees. When complaining, do it in writing by letter, fax, or email to the appropriate customer service contact and provide as many details as possible (e.g. dates, flight numbers, record locators, names, times, ticket numbers, gate numbers, etc…). If you have status in a customer loyalty program, leverage this status by mentioning it in the complaint and sending the complaint to a status-dedicated customer service address. Also, always provide a method for the provider to get in touch with you, and provide receipts for any relevant expenses incurred.
Be social media-savvy – in situations requiring immediate attention, don’t be afraid to use social media. Travel providers are quick to respond to postings on their twitter or Facebook pages, but always be respectful, appropriate, and concise. Remember that it’s not just the company receiving your complaint, rather it is being posted for anyone on the internet to see. An inappropriate complaint could affect your reputation as much as the travel provider’s. Photos can help too.
Know your rights or how to find them – when traveling in the European Union, airline passengers have government mandated rights that may entitle them to set compensation for extra long delays. In the U.S., one should look to the policies of the individual policies of the travel providers to know when one is entitled to compensation.
Compliment too – we are always quick to make a fuss when things go wrong, but what about those rare occasions when things go extremely well? When you are particularly impressed with the way something was handled, let people know! Don’t shy away from taking down an employee’s name for going above-and-beyond the call of duty; letting the travel provider know could lead to a bonus for a job done right.
Consider travel insurance and check credit card benefits – certain travel insurance policies may provide compensation for extra long delays and/or delayed or lost luggage. One should also be aware of the trip cancellation coverage provided by different insurance policies. These policies are not prohibitively expensive, and they may come in handy. Many credit cards also offer travel protections, so one should carefully examine the card benefits and the terms and conditions of protection. You may have coverage that you didn’t even realize you had!
Use a travel agent – an well-informed travel agent is able not only to help you deal with unexpected travel issues but sometimes even to prevent them before they happen. Also, never estimate your agent’s relationship with individual travel providers. Hotels, for example, may have large contracts with Expedia and Travelocity, but they also know which agencies loyally sell their product and that those agencies are more likely to build lasting relationships with their clients that could result in more bookings for the hotel. Through our relationships with Montecito Village Travel, Virtuoso, Your Travel Center, Travel Leaders, and Tzell Group, Three Names Travel benefits from very strong connections with many hotel chains and other travel providers. When a hotel is overbooked, our clients are some of the last to be “walked” to another hotel. Some chains will even contact us directly when one of our clients has a negative experience so that we can help address it before you even get back home from your trip. Being a travel agent isn’t just about doing the same booking you could do alone on the internet; being a travel agent is about making sure you have the best and most seamless travel experience possible.
