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The Grove Hotel, Chandler's Cross - Arrogant, Uncaring And Dismissive Management

I wanted to highlight the treatment we recently received at The Grove Hotel in Chandler's Cross as it is considered as a 5 star luxury hotel which also caters for children. After the experience we had and more importantly the subsequent reaction to our complaint, surely there must be many more accommodating hotels around to spend time with your families. I know that many Musical Minis families are always looking for places to go to for a short break, I would suggest giving The Grove a miss and going elsewhere.

To place this in context we were the parents of the groom who was getting married at this hotel. It is our treatment upon checking in that led to our complaint. We spoke to the staff on duty the day of the wedding and followed it up with an email on 2nd April, which is copied below.

Dear Sir or Madam

We are writing to express our disappointment with our recent stay at The Grove. Our son got married at your hotel on Sunday March 17th. Part of the package included some free bedrooms and we booked another 3 rooms ourselves on top of the ones that were included. In the weeks leading up to the Wedding we confirmed our request with the hotel, via Reception Staff, to have access to one of our rooms early as we wished to change at the hotel and have hair make up etc. done there. We would imagine that this is a common request that you are used to handling given the number of functions held. Indeed, we were told this shouldn’t be an issue and that our request had been noted. On the Saturday night, the evening prior to the Wedding, we had dinner for 10 at Collette’s and being at the hotel we again checked with Reception staff that our request for an early check in was noted. We were told once again that it shouldn’t be an issue as the hotel had empty rooms that night.

We were therefore quire surprised to find that upon trying to check-in on the Sunday at midday we were told that no rooms were available. When we questioned this we were told that the hotel was full and on recounting our conversation of the night before we were told there had been a rush of bookings on the Saturday night. We were also told that a few hotel guests for that Sunday night had arrived early and rooms were being sorted out for them. Sally, who was looking after Reception seemed quite agitated and flustered and kept asking for our understanding on the basis that she had a number of rooms she was trying to fit guests into. In turn we kept telling her that out of the rooms we had booked, it was only ours that required an early check-in as our daughter was a bridesmaid and therefore sorted and for the others there was no urgency. We got the impression that she just did not get this fact and remained flustered throughout the process.

When a room was eventually found it was totally inappropriate due to the lack of light and poor facilities to undertake hair and makeup. After speaking to Sally again we were eventually placed in a more suitable room albeit the hair and makeup people arrived before we were in the room as they arrived at 1pm.

As the parents of the groom, hosting a wedding with you, we feel our request for access to a room was not dealt with adequately. We should have been given priority over any other guests – the bride’s parents, bride, groom and best man having all stayed the Saturday night so already had a room. The excuses we were given were wholly unacceptable. We were led to believe that not a single guest staying on Saturday night had checked out before 12:00. We know for a fact that the groom (our son) and his best man, who had stayed the Saturday night with you, had been moved to a different room on Sunday morning so either we could have had their old room or you needn’t have moved the Best Man and we could have had the room they were moved to - when the checked in on Saturday they were told the best man had the same room for 2 nights so why the switch occurred is a mystery to us, especially as there apparently was a shortage of rooms. . In a luxury hotel when check out is at 12 surely housekeeping could have organised a room for us shortly after that as a priority considering we were the grooms parents.

As an aside, the room we were moved into had a broken hot water tap that meant the bath was as good as useless. After running it for 30 minutes there was just a few inches of water. We did raise this at check-out and we appreciate that we could have called maintenance but there just wasn’t the time.

In conclusion, the poor and inadequate manner in which the matter of getting us into a room was handled left us feeling unnecessarily stressful ahead of the wedding. This feels particularly galling as we championed The Grove as the wedding venue, having previously held a party with you in The Greenhouse some years ago when we were really happy with you, hence were keen to book you for the Wedding. We had envisaged booking you again for our other children (our other son is getting married in 2020) but obviously after this experience we have changed our minds especially as there will be a number of out of London guests who will need rooms for a few nights. Between the hiring of the venue, additional rooms and the pre-wedding supper at Collette’s, we spent a considerable sum of money with you that was not reflected in the service we received.

Please can you look into this for us and let us know how Reception could get this so wrong and what you can suggest to remedy our disappointment.

We look forward to your reply.

The response we received was a telephone call on 12th April advising that this matter had been looked into and that The Grove were satisfied with the way this matter was handled. I informed the caller that this was not a satisfactory reply but I was told there was nothing I could do about it. Feeling even more aggravated after the phone call, I raised this on Twitter and was told to email Guest Relations and the Rooms Manager via email, which we did on 5th May.

We explained that we would have preferred to go directly to the General Manager but apparently we are not allowed to do so. We expressed the fact that the situation is extraordinarily frustrating and a clear sign that The Grove is not open to any feedback or criticism. The lack of clear communication between reception and housekeeping is not something we have come across before to this extent. We have ample experience of staying at 5 star hotels (the Mandarin Oriental Group, the Oberoi Group, the Four Seasons Group and many other independents including those part of The Leading Hotels of the World) and we have never known such defensiveness in the face of honest criticism. We have not even received an apology for the unnecessary stress we were caused on the day and certainly no suggestion as to how the hotel can remedy our disappointment.

On 7th May, Byron Fiddler, the Rooms Division Manager, responded with the email below:

Thank you for your e-mail, and I am sorry to read of your continued disappointment.

The person that you mention having spoken to on the 12th April is Ranjna Kashyap, our Senior Sales Manager in Meetings and Events. Having looked into your complaint, we are confident that we have done all that was reasonably possible to accommodate your early arrival requests and meet your expectations as best as possible, given the occupancy of the night before and that these were not guaranteed in the first instance.

Please be assured that we do take all guest feedback seriously, and I am sorry to read that you feel that this is not the case. As in previous communications with you and not wishing to aggravate you any further, we do not believe that any further action is required.

We appreciate that they feel that the matter is dealt with but we do not! We tried to phone Byron Fiddler on numerous occasions but his phone was always on answerphone. We left messages asking him when we could phone for a quick chat to personally speak to him about our disappointment but had no reply.

On 10th May we sent Byron Fiddler the email below:

I have tried phoning you on a number of occasions but each time the call goes to a voicemail message. Whilst I am sure that we all want to put this matter to bed and get on with our lives, I would like to speak with you to understand the process you have gone through and your deliberations. From our side (as long standing visitors to The Grove and previously loyal customers) we are struggling to understand your reluctance to acknowledge you could have handled matters better. So, to facilitate closure, please can we set up a time to talk so that we may gain clarity.

On May 13th, Byron Fiddler emailed the following dismissive  reply:

I am sorry that you are not happy with your arrival and that you feel that we could have handled the situation better. I am confident that our teams endeavored to help facilitate your party’s early arrival as best as possible, given the circumstances and ultimately that early check-ins were not guaranteed. I appreciate that it was an important day for you and your family, however as previously communicated having reviewed your complaint with the relevant departments, whereby the General Manager’s office has been involved, we do not feel that any further action is required; thereby do not see a call necessary and consider the matter closed.

We replied on the same day by email and said:

I cannot help feel there is an agenda here that you are not sharing. Not only can I not understand the manner in which you have chosen to address the matter raised but not to make yourself available for a chat about it is really quite extraordinary.

It would be really upsetting for us to stop coming to The Grove because of this. We have enjoyed countless celebrations with you including birthdays, anniversaries, Mothers Day, finishing exams, passing exams and of course more recently the pre-wedding dinner and the wedding itself. We also have enjoyed many meals in the Glasshouse, Stables and Club House for no reason other than we like it and as an aside bought golf lessons at the Grove for my sons birthday a few years back. And up to now, all without a murmur of complaint. Even without the wedding we have spent a considerable amount at The Grove over the years.

Please reconsider making yourself available for 10 minutes.

Thank you.

Over 6 weeks have passed since our last email and we have received no communication from The Grove. Clearly the Management Team is not interested in anyone who dares to question the way things are run. By refusing to speak to us only highlights the clear arrogance of the Hotel's Management and the fact that customer satisfaction means very little to them. By meeting with us or speaking on the phone, even perhaps a goodwill gesture like a complimentary meal in one of their restaurants, we would have felt as if we were valued as customers - clearly we are not.

The Most Magical Time Of The Year In Lapland!

Guest blog by Leena Thakker, the Musical Minis Buckinghamshire, South Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire franchisee.

As a child I had always wanted to go to Lapland but it remained a pipe dream. But then becoming a parent, that burning desire grew stronger and stronger and I was determined to make that pipe dream a reality.

After a fabulous summer holiday in Cape Verde in 2016, I announced to my husband that I really wanted us to take the girls on a surprise trip to Lapland over Christmas. Having had our usual one holiday per year, my husband said that it would be unaffordable for us to have a second big holiday in the same year.

So as a person who likes a challenge (and never listens to anyone – a law unto myself as my husband always says!) I decided to put as much money as I could from my earnings as a Musical Minis Franchisee for Oxfordshire and more recently for Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, to get to that enchanting, magical country for Christmas 2016.

I finally convinced my husband in November that I had saved enough money to do this once in a lifetime trip and so mid-November, having finally convinced him our search began. We had left it a bit late to book which meant we did not have that many choices of hotels but in some respects it made it easier. In fact, I had read that all hotels and cabins are much and much the same in Finland whether you go for a 3 star or a 5 star - the main difference is of course the price!

We spoke to friends who had been to Lapland with regards to accommodation. I really wanted the idyllic setting in the middle of the forest in a log cabin with a real fire. Friends, who had previously visited Lapland, recommended that a hotel was a better and more practical choice. We would then be in the one place without having to take off and put layers on every mealtime. So we thankfully did find a really lovely hotel and even had the luxury of a sauna in our room. Then the decision of half board or full board? We had read a lot of reviews and decided to book half board as we thought during the day we would be out on excursions. This was definitely a good choice as a lot of people had paid more for full board but never had lunch at the hotel. In fact, a lot of excursions included lunch.

So then having read reviews on Tripadvisor we booked our 4 day stay over Christmas in a 4 star hotel through Thomson. The accommodation was pretty basic at the Forest Heights but comfortable and as we had no intentions of spending too much time at the hotel, the facilities were sufficient to meet our needs.

So on the 21st December we left for Birmingham airport, our girls totally unaware that we were going to Lapland the following day. We booked in at the Ibis hotel as we could leave our car there at no extra cost which was fantastic. Totally oblivious and thinking we were off to Switzerland where my husband works, we arrived at the airport for the ‘night before check-in’ and that is when we broke it to the girls that, as they had been so good for the year, they had a special invitation from Santa to visit him in his hometown and we would be boarding the Santa flight at 5.30am the next day to set off on a magical adventure! As you can imagine the girls were ecstatic and with all the excitement we hardly got any sleep before the alarm went off at 3.00am! The Ibis even served breakfast at such an ungodly hour so a quick bite to eat and we left for the airport. The magical journey really started on the plane with Christmas carols and a big bump as Rudolph and the other reindeer landed on the plane! The atmosphere was really jovial with so many children from babies and toddlers through to teenagers all in Christmas jumpers and hats ready for a truly white, enchanting Christmas.

The journey took just under 3 hours and went quickly. When we arrived at Rovaniemi we were greeted by cheeky elves and big mascots, who were jumping on and off the luggage conveyor belt.

We then had a short ride on a coach to our hotel. We decided to pick a hotel in Rovaniemi as most of the excursions took place there and that is where Santa Village and Santa Park was so we did not want to spend vast amounts of time traveling to the different places. But before we arrived at the hotel we had to make a trip to a big warehouse where we would receive all our snow kit. Each coach had a dedicated elf and ours was called Jolly Holly and she was absolutely amazing. She explained that the warehouse is like a human conveyor belt and we walk around and the people working there can work out our size by just looking at us. And so we walked around with a big plastic bag and each worker dropped a snowsuit, gloves, thick socks, scarves and snow boots so that we could kit ourselves out for the freezing weather conditions. It was so well organised and their guesstimates were so correct! And this was all included in the price!

Upon arrival at the hotel there was quite a bit of waiting around which was frustrating as we wanted to get to our rooms and just get outside! Finally we were able to get into all our snow gear and explore the area. We had a meeting with our Thomson rep who explained the itinerary for the next 4 days and it was up to us if we wanted to book more excursions, as we would have a taster of the some of the excursions.

The most striking thing we noticed was the few hours of daylight! It was so strange as the sun would not rise before 11.30am and would set by 2.00pm so by about 3pm it would be pitch black!

The following day our excursions started very early. So with a warm hearty breakfast we went to a farm where we had taster sessions of husky rides, reindeer rides and snow mobiles. And when I say tasters they literally were a few minutes of each. Of course all tour operators want people to spend more money and book the full excursions. One tip, book the excursions early as we found out a lot of people had already booked theirs back home and so when we had our meeting with the Tour Rep a lot of places had already gone – something we were unaware of. So we actually booked on the first day even before we had our tasters as we just didn’t want to miss out.

Our next few days we had excursions booked from day to evening. We did an elf adventure in the evening where we met Mrs Claus and the children could have some time to create Christmas key rings, we went snow tubing, quad biking and much more! Warm berry juice and gingerbread biscuits were in abundance on every excursion we went on. Christmas Eve we went on a 3 hour snow mobile through the forest in snowy conditions – it was stunning.

We spent some time in Santa’s village and Santa Park where we attended and graduated from Elf school, saw an Elf Show, visited the ice kingdom and saw Santa’s mammoth post office with all the letters from children around the world!

And then the main day arrived – Christmas day!

After the girls opened their presents we spent some time sledging in the morning and taking photographs of the unspoilt scenery, followed by going to a reindeer and husky dogs farm where we had a couple of hours on each rides through the forest and the snow. The scenery was breathtaking – a truly winter wonderland!

In the evening we were taken to a remote log cabin in the middle of yet another forest where Father Christmas lives, where we had a lovely Gala dinner with Turkey and all the trimmings – so lovely to be served and not have to make it myself or clear up the mess afterwards!

And if that was not enough, just before the big firework display to welcome Father Christmas arriving on his sleigh, we saw the wonderful Northern Lights! And they truly were magical. We were really fortunate as we had already seen them a couple of nights before but the ones on Christmas day were really powerful with beautiful colours of pinks and greens! A lot of the locals said they had not seen such vibrant colours for 5-6 years so we were very fortunate to have experienced them.

And whilst admiring the Northern Lights and the firework display, we then saw Santa arriving with his elf and Rudolph through the snow! A private meeting for each family with Santa absolutely made the whole trip so wonderful and believable whatever age!

I would so highly recommend this once in a lifetime adventure. As exhausting as those 4 days were, we will cherish the memories of this amazing trip forever! Christmas 2016 was an unbelievable and unforgettable experience for us and our girls! And I now have to start saving again before the next big adventure! 

Safari - At Ngoma Safari Lodge Botswana

We know a number of people who have been on Safari but had never experienced one ourselves and were not really sure what to expect.

We spent a lot of time researching our options and eventually decided we wanted to go to Chobe in Botswana. We decided upon this because we didn't want to travel by light aircraft and we wanted as authentic an experience as possible. We had heard of safaris where the roads are Tarmac and you were guaranteed to see the big 5. This is not the case in Chobe where they don't even have Rhinos (one of the big 5) and does not have a huge number of cats. In consequence it has significant numbers of elephants, giraffe, Impala, kudu, Cape buffalo and other typical prey of the cats.

Choosing the lodge was even more complicated as there are so many different types to choose from and they all offer a wonderful safari experience according to their literature. We didn't want tented accommodation as we felt safer with concrete between us and the animals. In the end we settled on Ngoma Safari Lodge which had eight concrete hats with thatched roofs and glass windows on one side looking out onto the Chobe river. It was one of two lodges set on the ridge above the plain.

We arrived at Kasane airport with a group of dignitaries from across the World attending an anti-poaching conference. They were fast tracked through passport control whilst we had to go at the speed of their computers - this was not very fast. After collecting our luggage which had been stacked in the arrivals lounge (if you could call it that!) we were met by Richard who was to be our guide for the next four days. It was an hours drive to Ngoma, much of it through the National Park. The park is unfenced allowing the animals to roam freely between Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The freely roaming animals also meant that we had to be escorted by security guards at night as we went between our room and the main lodge.

We thoroughly enjoyed our safari experience. The lodge has a policy of grouping those people who arrive on the same day with one guide. As we were the only arrivals we had Richard to ourselves for all the activities - something we hadn't expected. Over the four days we did two afternoon game drives with sundowners, a full day safari which included a river safari and a land safari, a village tour to see a local school, clinic and woman's club and one early morning game drive.

In total we saw only 9 lionesses and no other cats. However we saw an abundance of other animals and birds. We saw herds of elephants, giraffe, Cape buffalo and Impala. We also saw a number of zebra, kudu, varieties of antelope, mongoose, hippos, crocodile, hyena, jackals and wild dogs. The exciting birds included hornbills, stork, cranes, eagles, Falcons, vultures, bee eaters, egrets and many more.

There were a couple of scary moments but luckily we had an excellent guide in whom we had the utmost confidence. The first was an encounter with an aggressive adolescent male elephant. This was within 5 minutes of starting our first safari. The elephant had a stand off with the jeep, before charging. Luckily it was only a mock charge and it decided to let us by. During the water safari a lone male hippo decided to attack our boat. Our guide hit the throttle just in time and we zoomed to safety.

The visit to the local primary school was brilliant. We spent time with the headmaster and one of the teachers who explained the school system and how the classes were operated. We were really impressed with the standard of education the children were receiving. There were about 20 children in each class and after reception class all the lessons (except for the national language) were conducted in English. We spent a lot of time with the children who were delightful.

What made the experience really good was the staff at the lodge. From our very warm welcome to our send off four days later the staff couldn't have been more friendly, helpful and accommodating. There was a lot of food but it wasn't particularly exciting. All the drinks (including alcohol) were complementary and always being offered to us. We genuinely felt that they wanted us to be there and had a mission to make it the best experience for us. One example was when they pulled everyone away from supper to see a python that had been spotted outside the kitchen.

 

Support The Nepalese Community

If you've been touched by the news in Nepal and want to help out, HVP is a very worthy cause.

HVP Nepal is uniquely placed to provide support directly to those in local communities most affected by the earthquake. Their schools and projects in Kathmandu, Thali and Dang - all places affected by the earthquake - are already embedded in communities, run by local staff, and engaging the most vulnerable.

Help them do as much as they can to help those who might otherwise slip through the gaps of the relief effort.

My daughter Emily volunteered at one of their charity schools a few years ago. Thankfully the schools and projects are not seriously affected and have suffered no casualties. HVP Nepal-UK is volunteer-led so 100% of your donation will go to where is it most needed in Nepal https://www.justgiving.com/hvpukdonations/  

Cape Town - A Great City To Visit

We were not quite sure what to expect when visiting Cape Town. This was our first visit to the city and indeed to Africa. What we found was a modern vibrant city with cheerful, easy going and friendly people.

We stayed at the Cape Grace Hotel adjacent to the V&A Waterfront for 7 nights and this was a fantastic location and fantastic hotel.

The highlights of our stay were:

Table Mountain - everything from the revolving floor on the round cable car to the fantastic panoramic views made the visit to this natural wonder highly enjoyable. We spent 4 1/2 hours wandering around the top. We were really lucky with the weather and buying an open ticket is a must so that you can go up on a clear wind free day. As soon as the weather is suitable, just go for it.

Robben Island - a really well organised excursion to this historic prison island. The history is well told and the prison visit is conducted by an ex-inmate, which brings it more alive. Firstly we had a 35 minute boat ride out to the island. A bus with a guide ran through the history of the island, pointing out all the important landmarks. We were fortunate in having on board an ex-inmate of Nelson Mandela who told us about their time at the quarry. The prison visit is on foot and includes Mandela's cell. Finally there is a boat ride back to Cape Town. We unknowingly got on a slower boat so the journey back was about an hour.

Travelling On Eurostar With Children

Guest post by Jo Weaving, the South Wales Musical Minis franchisee.

We’ve used the Eurostar twice. On both occasions we travelled from Ashford International to Disneyland Paris. On our first trip our children, both boys, were 4 and 9. On our second trip our boys were 6 and 11.

Upon arrival at Ashford you enter the station via the main concourse and take the escalator, or the lift to the security area. This is pretty much the same as an airport. You go through the x ray machines and then through passport control and through to the departure lounge. We were advised to arrive an hour before our train departed. We did note that the passport control staff were particularly friendly to the children. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that there was no limit on luggage and no limit on liquids.

The departure lounge is spacious, light and airy. There is a play area for younger children and a TV on the wall that was showing CBEEBIES while we were there. On the information desk there were free colouring sheets and colouring pencils along with cardboard build your own Eurostar kits which my 2 boys loved doing. There are ample toilet and baby change facilities, which, in our experience, were all clean and well maintained. The departure lounge overlooks the railway line which sees local services as well as the Eurostar, so great if you have any little train spotters in the family. There is plenty of seating in the departure lounge and plenty of room to manoeuvre luggage along with small children. If you’re travelling to Disneyland Paris, as we were on both occasions, the magic starts here. The walls are decorated with life size popular Disney characters as well as several stand alone cut outs. If you’ve booked the ‘Disney Express’ service, the Disney Express check in desk is situated within the departure lounge. Other facilities include cafes and a newsagents.

Whether you’re travelling 1st class or standard class your tickets state which carriage and which seats you have been allocated. Carriages are clearly marked out on the platform as well as on the side of the train. This makes it very easy when travelling with children as there’s no mad rush to get on the train and find enough seats all together. There is plenty of space in the luggage areas at the end of the carriages for larger items such as suitcases and pushchairs (pushchairs must be folded before boarding) and there is plenty of room in the over head luggage racks. Toilet facilities and the buffet car are clearly signed. Staff come along and check that passengers are in the correct seats.

On our second trip we travelled first class. Upon boarding at Ashford we were greeted by the hostess at the door and shown directly to our seats. First class travel also included a meal. Our outbound journey was mid morning so our meal was a simple breakfast which included yoghurt and cereal, croissant and rolls with butter and jam along with tea, (with milk or lemon as standard) coffee and orange juice. Our return journey was teatime. Our teatime meal was offered with a choice of cheeses or chicken served with vegetables, along with a fruit flan for the adults or a chocolate mousse for the children. A selection of hot drinks along with water and juice was offered.

Seats were comfortable and spacious. Plug sockets, British and international, were also available along the walls of the carriage by the seats - very useful if children are using games consorts or you wish to charge a mobile phone.

I can’t write about return journey’s from other destinations within Europe but once you have passed through security and passport control returning from Disneyland Paris there is no departure lounge so you board the train immediately and wait for departure.

On both occasions we found travelling by Eurostar and positive experience and very easy with children.

British Airways - Inflight Customer Services, Well They Just Don't Care!

I'm outraged by British Airways inflight customer service. Rob, my husband and I recently went to New York with our 3 Grown up kids. Rob and I were travelling premium economy whilst our kids were going economy.

Rob's screen wasn't working so he couldn't watch a film. Actually our steward was lovely and after a few attempts to reset it said he would call the chief steward over to discuss options. The chief steward had a problem talking to both Rob and I and would just talk to Rob. I found him quite rude and dismissive, I'm unsure if it was because it was Rob's screen that was broken or because I was female. He offered to move Rob to business class after the meal - he said there was only 1 free seat but even if there were more he would only move 1 of us. He refused to accept the idea that the 2 of us travelled together so wanted to sit together. I was even more wound up by the fact that he then asked what car we had and when we bought it did we get one free? I'm not sure what that analogy was meant to show but he obviously thought he had made his point.

I'm regretting our decision to recently travel British Airways often, to build up our miles. How can they think this is the right way to treat customers and regular customers at that?

Rob asked, even though I had to ask Rob to ask as the chief steward refused to talk to me, if we could both be upgraded on the way back. This wasn't something he could do. The option he proposed was for one of us to move to business class or not. Our nice steward suggested we may get extra Avios points, so Rob put this to the chief steward who said we wouldn't get many but he would see.

5 hours later the chief steward still hadn't returned to see if Rob wanted to move to business class, Rob asked our steward what had happened and was told somebody in business class had a problem with their screen and had been moved to the spare seat. Customer service is obviously at its best when we are just ignored!

The chief steward did come over again just before we landed. He said a lot of seats in business class had issues with their screens so he was too busy ( on a 7 hour flight) to come back and see us. Our custom is not considered as important as theirs obviously. He also mentioned, to our astonishment, that he thought I was abusive as he was dealing with Rob and I was interfering! Apparently there are no Avios we can get and no compensation for getting a seat with no inflight entertainment.

I'm doubtful if other airlines would have dealt with the problem of a broken screen in this way. I think British Airways need to remember we, the customer, have a choice. They also need to train their chief stewards in customer relations better! Next time we go to New York I'll investigate Virgin Atlantic. I'm definitely going to follow this up with Customer Services in the UK. I wonder if they'll be better than the inflight version!

India - The Golden Triangle

At the end of October Rob and I travelled to India. The sole purpose of this trip was to see the Taj Mahal, which is in Agra but in addition we visited Delhi and Jaipur too.

Driving into Delhi from the airport we found familiarity in travelling on the left hand side of the road with three lanes clearly marked. However, the cars were five abreast, some cars were heading towards us on our side of the road and every driver had their hand firmly planted on the horn. We were shocked by the sheer number of cars, motorbikes, tuk tuks and other three wheeled vehicles, not to mention carts pulled by oxen.

Throughout the trip we had our own driver, Gurmit and guides in each place. We stayed in Oberoi hotels and only ate vegetarian food in the hotels. We are not particularly brave travellers! We booked through Abercrombie & Kent who were great.

The Taj Mahal - The Most Beautiful Building I've Ever Seen

The Taj Mahal was the reason I wanted to go to India - I really wanted to see it and they refused to move it to another country so I had to go to India!

We had travelled from Delhi to Agra by car on a near empty toll road. The scenery en route was quite beautiful. People were working in the paddy fields, there were areas popular for brick making as they harvested the straw and hay and we saw antelope and monkeys. The contrast when we arrived in Agra couldn't have been greater. The roads were just dirt tracks and we were surrounded by poverty. The most disturbing sight was of a man sitting outside a medical centre. His daughter waved cheerfully whilst the small child he held in his arms was still and listless.

We were relieved to get to the hotel, the Oberoi Amarvilas where we were greeted with a yellow bindi on our forehead and a refreshing drink. Every bedroom in the hotel has a view of the Taj Mahal. Whilst there is smog in the Autumn, it was still quite exciting to see.

Viva Las Vegas

Love it or hate it, Las Vegas is the most extraordinary and bizarre place I have ever visited. I went to escape a big birthday, with Rob (my husband) and my three young adult, children. I was keen to go to a place that I hadn't been to before and that I thought we would all enjoy. For four of us it was ideal but for my 19 year old daughter, Emily, it wasn't so great. In Las Vegas if you are under 21 you cannot drink or stand anywhere near the gambling tables.

We stayed at the Bellagio, which is ideally positioned in the middle of the Strip. We have never experienced a hotel quite like this. First of all it is enormous. The lobby has a Murano glass ceiling of colourful flowers. The reception desk seems to go on forever, with every position containing a small queue. The walk to the bedroom is through the casino and every time we walked through, whether it be early morning, afternoon, evening or nighttime, it was always busy. Not that you knew the time of day because no daylight was visible in the casino.