Three hotels – three countries: My nostalgic stay

To be honest, this review is from my trip in 2010, and I certainly hope Four Seasons Bangkok is still as amazing! I am sure a lot of people who know me will possibly be a little bit shocked that I am talking about this experience since it was one of the trips I made with my soon to be ex-husband but I say why not? Life takes away a lot, good memories shouldn’t be a part of the deal. :) Coming back to Four Seasons Bangkok, if I had to sum up the experience in just one line, I would like to say – Bradley Cooper and other actors from Hangover 2 were also staying there at that time. Yup! Obviously I am trying to make it sound like we hung out and stuff, which of course, never happened. What did happen though is that I had a great time at FS, Bangkok. Must point out their amazing service, that brilliant goose-down bed (FS hotels never disappoint in that regard, ever), courteous staff, stunning oriental interiors and superb food. Forget everything else, I still haven’t gotten over the fries! Lame, I know, but those fries were a work of art! Swim (in my case being parked at the shallow end), shower, TV, room service, your favourite sandwich and fries… You know what I mean? Of course, you can’t let gluttony take over your stay. You have to step out no matter how comfy the bed. It’s pretty easy to get around town from Four Seasons Bangkok. You can take the metro which is just short walking distance away or hail a cab just as easily but my daily ritual used to be to hop on a tuk-tuk and let it whisk me away to one of the shopping destinations. Most of them are just 10-15 minutes away. I would come back, sip on a glass of wine and head for a relaxing massage. Good life!

Last summer, my friend Rimzim Dadu and I stayed at Hyatt Union Square, New York. What can I say, it was the perfect choice!! Imagine this, you’re just a walking distance from shopping heavens like 5th Avenue, SoHo, Nolita etc and a quick ride away from Times Square, Central Park, Empire State and Rockerfeller Building! Yes, that’s Hyatt Union Sqaure for you. Another thing that I loved about the hotel was its boutique-hotel vibe. The staff was polite and dressed in we-are-not-so-stuck-up uniforms. It’s a smaller, more chilled-out Hyatt with a great roof-top. I liked that! The bed was super and the shower was absolutely brilliant (am I the only one who’s particular about water pressure? It has to be just right!). I wish our room faced the bustling road than the back of another building and a bathtub in the room wouldn’t have hurt, although to be honest you’d rather be on the streets soaking up the city than bath-salts in a fancy tub especially if you’re there just a couple of days.

I reached Sri Lanka at the wrong time. Alone. There were some terror activities just the week before I landed and the entire city of Colombo was full of men with arms. After spending a couple of days in the city, shopping and roaming aimlessly, I knew I had to get out and see the countryside. So I rented a car and left towards Bentota. The drive was gorgeous. The road was laced with rain drops and pretty temples and ever-smiling people were my constant companions. I didn’t want the journey to end but once I reached Taj Exotica (the former name of the hotel) I knew I had to stop. The hotel was an oasis of calm and peace. The classic interiors with wooden high ceilings and large windows overlooking the private beach and the everlasting Indian Ocean screamed perfection. And I have to mention the standard Taj service which is always a plus. To be honest I don’t remember a lot of details but I can confidently say that my two days and one night stay before I left to explore more of Sri Lanka was a lesson in serenity. I would go back.