8 August 2011

Berlin Part 1: On Our Anniversary

I've always wanted to visit Berlin. M suggested Milan for our anniversary weekend but I told him I was too lazy to fly - that happens if you're a frequent flyer, I guess! I was thinking of some Czech cities where I could enjoy a weekend at the spa, getting pampered, drinking wine and doing nothing! He's not so keen to spend our anniversary weekend in the country so he thought Berlin would be a good idea.

He booked us a room at Kempinski Bristol, located right at Kurfürstendamm. Since it's my first time there, I had no idea what's there. When I looked up on google, I found out Ku'damm is some sort of 'shopping district'. M said the main reasons why he chose Kempinski because we're picky with accommodation and I could shop! M enjoys shopping but he couldn't stand shopping with me. It's not because he has to pay for me, it's because I could spend more than an hour at one store and I could shop non-stop for hours!


Kempinski Bristol is an old but very well-maintained hotel. Our room is slightly smaller than what we're used to but it's very clean and cozy. The staff were friendly and helpful. When the concierge found out we were there for our 1st anniversary, the hotel gave me a surprise. We went back to the hotel after spending our first morning shopping and found a bouquet of long stem roses, a champagne in ice bucket, some fresh strawberries and chocolates. I looked at M, asking if it was another surprise from him. I trusted him when he said no because he's surprised too.




We went out for dinner at Belmondo, a french restaurant as recommended by the concierge who offered to make a reservation for us. We weren't disappointed. We both loved the delightful ambiance and the food was great, so was the Bordeaux 2005 they offered. The chef came to ask if everything was fine.



To be honest, after living here for more than 5 years, I kinda forgot how great it feels to enjoy such great services. We had our wedding reception and party at Comsa Brno Palace last year. We also had guests staying over but the hotel didn't even give us any offers. The service wasn't great but I couldn't deny the food was awesome. When I left a neutral feedback on their Facebook page, I was contacted by one of their PR personnel, saying I was being unfair for leaving that comment and our wedding planners were to be blamed. They just couldn't take criticism, could they? Yes, that's the kind of service you get even at a so called '4 stars hotel with 5 stars services'. The customer services here is better than it was years ago but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

3 comments:

  1. Aww Mr. M is such a romantic. Happy Anniversary to you both.

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  2. Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! Look like y'all had a wonderful time! :o)

    xo, sam

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