Crowne Plaza, London Heathrow

Location: London Heathrow, Stockley Road, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 9NA, UK*

Date of Arrival: Sunday 15 February 2015

Duration of stay: 2 Nights

Room Type: Standard Double             

Average Cost: £75 per night

My rating: 3*/5

Despite having to stay at the Crowne Plaza on business, I’m guessing that the primary motivation to book a room at this hotel is an imminent flight from London Heathrow given that its conveniently located nearby all the airport terminals, (including Terminal 5); just off the M4 Motorway at Junction 4 and 2 minutes’ drive from the M25. Furthermore, Central London is approximately 20 minutes by car (well, on a good day) or there’s the option to take the Heathrow Express into the city which is accessible from the airport itself. I arrived at the hotel amidst a flurry of cabin crew which made for a rather slow check-in. That said, staff were apologetic, efficient and appeared unflustered in the face of what had become – for want of a better word – bedlam! Parking is available just outside the hotel and is charged as £12 per day. There is also an option to abandon your car for the duration of your holiday via the ‘park, stay and go’ packages.   

My room was rather sizeable for a standard double; offering a great deal of storage space, tea, coffee and hot chocolate making facilities, a mini bar and rather executive-looking work station complete with ‘I’m the big boss’ pleather swivel chair! The usual hotel gripes applied including the concept of having to re-mortgage one’s house to afford anything from the aforementioned mini bar and a kettle that took what seemed like hours to come to fruition! It was refreshing however, to have access to a hair dryer that wasn’t fixed (often somewhat precariously) within the bathroom and what’s more, one with enough power to dry longer hair before developing arm strain! The aromatherapy kit was a thoughtful touch and aided a particularly restful sleep – I also noted how dark and quiet the room was which was rather surprising given the hotel’s size and proximity to the airport. The lighting in the bedroom was a little dim but the bathroom was appropriately garish! The latter was also kitted out with complimentary toiletries as well as a generously-sized bath robe which unfortunately was a little on the scratchy side; meaning that I was forced to lounge around in my jim-jams instead! I had to contact Guest Services in order for an engineer to mend the television which didn’t display a picture until he arrived to work his magic – I have to say at this point, how friendly the engineer was; we had a good old natter and as company policy is to pacify the guest’s complaint with a box of jelly beans, he left a suitable cinema-style snack to compliment the movies that were on the agenda for that evening. Win!

The ‘Spirit’ Health club included a gym, heated pool and spa; the latter consisting of a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. It was a little cramped in the gym and I had to do my floor work off-piste but the equipment was bang up-to-date, clean and well-maintained. I also liked that the gym was accessible between 5:00am and 11:00pm in order to accommodate those (present company included), that wish to exercise at what could be considered an anti-social hour! The pool was amply sized but was unavailable the day I arrived as it was over-capacity. When it came to dining, I thought that the wait on food was unacceptable – my companion and I ordered an evening meal in the bar area upon our arrival and waited a good 50 minutes before it made an entrance. I also felt that the chicken burrito I had opted for, although tasty, was rather sparsely portioned given its £10 price tag. There is an Indian restaurant on-site but I’m afraid that I didn’t sample its cuisine. Breakfast fared considerably better however and it’s fair to say that the food baby I sported well into the afternoon was a result of the extensive selection of foodstuffs available. We’re basically talking everything you’d want from a breakfast (or brunch if you’re the kind of person that sleeps-in) – ok so in no particular order there were; Artisan-style breads, pastries, a ‘muffin of the day’ (honey and bran on this occasion), Greek-style yogurt, granola, cereals, cheeses, cold meats and fruit in addition to your typical cooked breakfast buffet, phew! There is also a facility to whizz-up your own smoothies and even a pancake machine which actually created teddy bear-shaped pancakes; absolute genius don’t you think?!

Overall, this hotel was fit for purpose – wake-up calls could be arranged to ensure that you got up on time for your flight / meeting (delete as applicable) and bedrooms are designed so that you achieve an optimum night’s shut-eye. Staff were friendly and accommodating and the hotel itself was contemporary and altogether shipshape. In short, I’d stay again but I’d eat elsewhere…

References:
*http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza   

EVEN Hotel, Rockville

Location: 1775 Rockville Pike, Rockville
Date of Arrival: Saturday 24 January 2015
Duration of stay: 7 Nights
Room Type: Wellness King with glass enclosed shower
Average Cost: $128 approx. per night
My rating: 4.5*/5

Part of the IHG Group, the EVEN Hotel in Rockville* is an ample base for exploring the Washington DC area - although 18 miles from the city-centre (which to be fair, does a little out in the sticks), it’s a stone-throw away from the Twinbrook Metro Station from which you can navigate to  the bustling downtown tourist traps until your hearts-content! There are also a number of nearby shops and eateries – the Silver Diner an example of the latter which, within walking distance, is perfect for indulging in an all-American breakfast or brunch, (wear an elasticated waistline though folks…you have been warned!)

As one of the first EVEN hotels in the world (the others located in Maryland and Connecticut), it really is rather unique – its focus is the wellbeing of its guests and its aim is to help maintain one’s healthy lifestyle whilst travelling; objectives which have been wholeheartedly adhered to at every turn. Take my room for example – a Wellness King complete with fitness zone (think complimentary water bottle plus, yoga mat, foam roller, exercise ball and resistance bands), LED mood lighting, natural ‘EO’* bathroom goodies and organic Eucalyptus linens which, designed for a cooler sleep, ensure that you wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed…uh-maze-ing! Its two most notable features however were the spa-style shower with multi-sensory water jets and the cloud of a bed which resulted in what could well be the most comfortable night’s sleep I’ve ever head. Seriously, if I felt I could have smuggled out just one of those oh-so squishy pillows to take home (pregnant…yes, yes, I’m due in April), I would have definitely done so. WIFI is free and easy to connect to and there are several outlets for plugging in electronic devices, not to mention a small area from which to work from. Storage space is a little on the stingy side however and the heater, although effective, was incredibly noisy – not great in the middle of the night when it lends to your dreams the inkling of being in the flight path of a jumbo jet The gap under the door was also pretty sizeable so added a little corridor glare to the pink glow of my mood lighting…that said, the dedication to cleanliness, ethereal décor and fresh scents which have been made to subtly fragrance the room more than made up for these minor gripes. I should probably also mention that parking is accessible (at a fee) in the hotel's garage.

Back to that personal fitness facility and the enthusiastic lycra-clad gym bods that greeted me at the touch of my TV remote. That’s right, you can choose from a number of in-room virtual training sessions which have been premeditated to suit any ability (and time frame). The main gym has been thoughtfully arranged with state-of-the-art equipment – so many hotels cram a few ancient treadmills into a space the size of a store cupboard but not here! This is a light, airy space with floor-to-ceiling windows where a designated free weights area couples the cardio apparatus; the only thing missing was a pool but then again, the 'flex room' is fitted with a ping pong table which makes for a pretty fun alternative don't you think?! When it comes to outdoor pursuits, the clued-up staff can advise in terms of what's available locally. Daily activities and group fitness options are also offered if you’re the kind of person that prefers to sweat it out ‘on mass’.

The hotel's café come bar, Cork and Kale, offers sufficient and unsurprisingly healthy options for dining; ‘grab and go’ meals are a fantastic idea for those having to eat on the hop and the range of snacks available appear to have come straight from a ‘Wholefoods’ light bite aisle. The bean to cup coffee selection is fantastic and proved my initial go-to each morning; the quality here negating any reason to go elsewhere for that all-important early morning caffeine hit. The importance of staying hydrated was upheld with no less than four varieties of 'infused' water to choose from in the hotel lobby…I kid you not! Made-to-order smoothies are also available but I particularly liked the night-time tea caddy which you could help yourself to before retiring to your boudoir; simply perfect for us tea-swilling Brits…or so I was told! The hard-core drinkers amongst us (everything in moderation, right?!) can be rest assured that wellbeing doesn’t equal dry given the ample selection of alcoholic beverages on-tap to quaff from the sanctuary of one's room or from the sociable hub of the communal lounge. The latter sports a questionable green and orange colour scheme which I just about managed to find peace with once my eyes had adjusted to its garishness! That said, buckets of complimentary reading material and an ambient soundtrack makes this a suitable base for a little R&R.

Overall, I loved how friendly this hotel is – in the grand scheme of American hospitality, EVEN is right up there in terms of its customer service; you’re greeted warmly, asked about your day and nothing is too much trouble,. I also loved the attention to detail and the little quirks at every turn…there are no ‘odd’ room numbers for instance and colloquial text brandishes typically mundane items in order to raise a smile. The concept of a fitness hotel may be written off by some and this is a shame because regardless of whether you’re a gym bunny like yours truly here or altogether unlikely to be ‘working on your core, behind your hotel door’, the inviting originality and focus on wellbeing equals comfort in a big big way, (thus, really setting this hotel apart from others in the vicinity). So, get your sprint on and book yourself into witness the fitness at EVEN, you really won't be disappointed.

References:
*http://www.ihg.com/evenhotels/
*http://www.eoproducts.com