Rydges Hotel, Perth

The Rydges Hotel Perth city can be summed up in one word...claustrophobic.
That is the exact feeling my fiance and I got when we walked into the reception and then again in our room.
We booked online using our Rydges Priorirty Guest membership.
We booked the Executive King Room and when we walked in we felt so squashed. The windows did not open which didn't help at all. We couldn't be in the room any longer so immediately went down to reception and asked if we could upgrade assuming the next one up would be much much better than the one we booked. Therefore, we went to the Club King Room which is the 2nd most expensive room in the hotel on the 16th floor (top floor). We walked into that room and it wasn't much better. We sat in there for 5 minutes debating whether we should even stay or not. My fiance was adamant he was not going to be staying here so that was it. We went down to reception, told them we did not like the rooms and asked for our money back. Thankfully, they gave us a refund and we were on our on way.
I guess that's what we get for choosing a hotel in the city, but still, Rydges in Rotorua NZ is very nice and we thought that being Perth, it would be better here.
If you like being closed in a box Rydges Perth would be the hotel for you, unfortunately, not for us, so I give them 1 star. That star goes to the girl on reception who was helpful in the end and gave our money back.

Abbey Beach Resort, Busselton

We stayed at the Abbey Beach Resort in Busselton in 2007, for my fiance's 21st.

Driving up the driveway the front was beautiful. So serene and welcoming, we couldn't wait to go inside and check out our rooms.

The foyer was also beautiful and the reception staff were very friendly even though we arrived later than we said we would.

My fiance and I walked into our spa suite which was a bargain price of $430 for 3 nights which we bought from Discover West and also included a hire car in the package (see previous post).

Spa Suite
Our spa suite was very intimate. It was very clean and the atmosphere was very calming. We had a view over the pools and garden area below. My fiance's cousin stayed in a room across the other side and while on our balconies we could yell out to him and say hello. One bad thing though is that there was a man across from us sitting on his balcony in his undies...not a nice sight.

Daniel on our balcony

Restaurant
There are two restaurants, the Brasserie Restaurant which is more formal and the Reflections Cafe which is casual dining. We went to the cafe for dinner which was very nice. We were in a party of 8 adults and 3 children. The food was great and the service was real good too. My fiance and I also went to the cafe for breakfast which was very pleasant. No disappointments at all.

Facilities
There are 2 outdoor swimming pools (which were occupied by ducks as it was August and quite cold, so no-one was going to swim anyway) and 1 indoor heated swimming with a children's wadding pool. There is also a spa, sauna, squash and tennis courts and playground for the kiddies to play. This resort really does have it all.

Overall
We had a lovely weekend away at Abbey Beach Resort.
My fiance and I went for a romanitc walk along the beach which is right behind the resort.
The resort is very family friendly but also great for intimate getaways as the resort has many different styles of accommodation.
Will definitely stay again.
5 Stars!

One of the outside pools

Discover West Holidays

I booked a weekend away with my fiance for his 21st birthday at the Abbey Beach Resort via the Discover West Holidays website back in 2007.
The website has awesome deals and up to 65% off accommodation, hire cars, cruises, tours and holiday packages all over Western Australia.

The Website
The website is easy to use and the best thing is that they let you pay by bank deposit if you book 2 weeks in advance, otherwise you have to pay by credit card.
They have a vast array of providers all over Western Australia and the format easy to use.

Specials
They give you a book full of coupons you can use at shops, attractions and restaurants valued at $400. You also get free nights at selected properties, free airport transfers and a free Perth Welcome Tour when you book with Discover West.

Packages
We got a package that consisted of 3 nights accommodation in a Spa Suite at the Abbey Beach Resort and car rental from Hertz for the awesome price of $430.

Service
I did have to speak to them on the phone and the service was excellent. They were very understanding and very helpful.

Overall
Discover West Holidays is an awesome way to book holidays in Western Australia. They have excellent packages and have unbeatable prices.
4 Stars!

Welcome

Hi there and welcome to my first ever blog!

I hope you like what I write and come back to read more!

I will be blogging about restaurants, hotels, products and services and reviewing them.

You will be getting my honest opinions with no hold backs.
My fiance and I have stayed at many hotels, resorts around the Perth area and also in Rotorua NZ (where we lived before coming to Perth) and are expanding our range.
We live with his lovely parents and have been since we moved to Perth in May 2007 as we cannot afford to get a place of our own just yet. So for some away time and to take a break of having a full house the cheaper option is to go stay at hotels and resorts for the weekend.
Before we had our son we stayed at a hotel nearly every 2 months. When I got pregnant we had stopped, but now our son is older and is sleeping through the night (thank God!) we are able to get back on the horse.
We also love to eat out (who doesn't). Whether it be for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

So sit tight and I hope you will enjoy my reviews!!