Hong Kong: Holiday Inn Express.

Browsing through the photos in one of my SD cards, I found photos taken of Holiday Inn Express in Hong Kong earlier this year. It was my first time staying in a Holiday Inn Express hotel.

This hotel in Hong Kong is located in Causeway Bay and just next to Times Square! Yes, it is right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of city life. Of course, the MTR station is conveniently located across the road too.

Spot the entrance?

The hotel lobby is on the 2nd floor and one could easily have missed the entrance on the ground floor because it is part of a row of shops in the same building. I feel that something should be done to more obviously mark the 1st floor entrance to the hotel rather than for it to meld into the facade of the building.

Hotel lobby.

Escalator from the 1st floor and corridor to the service lift.

We had to take an escalator from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. If you have bulky luggage, it could be a challenge unless you take the one and only service lift in the back, walking through a narrow corridor.

Nice size room.

A choice of soft or hard pillow. This is a nice touch.

Adequate bathroom.

Times Square.

Great location but quite expensive for a business class hotel, I feel.

Related posts:
1. Hong Kong hotel: Rosedale on the park.
2. Hong Kong: Ibis hotel in Northpoint.

Singapore: Hard Rock Hotel.

Another set of "staycation" photos. These are of Hard Rock Hotel in Resort World Sentosa.

Toiletries in the bathroom. The guitar shaped display unit was a nice touch.

Posters of "Police" above the headboard? I think I recognise "Sting". No?

View from the window at the end of the corridor.

The corridor was very long and we got a room near the end. So, it was a long walk to and from the lifts.

Swimming pool area which even has a beach volleyball court.

Hard Rock Hotel is definitely not as posh as Marina Bay Sands but it has its charms. It is more suitable for family with children compared to Marina Bay Sands. That was the impression I got, anyway.

Singapore: Marina Bay Sands by night.

Here are some photos of Marina Bay Sands and the surrounding area at night. I took these photos with my trusty IXUS when I went for an evening walk after supper.

Taken from the other side of ECP.

The Supertrees, giant concrete and steel structures, at Gardens by the Bay.

Taken from the bridge connecting Gardens by the Bay to Marina Bay Sands. The Singapore Flyer is in the distance.

Singapore: Marina Bay Sands.

Here are some photos of Marina Bay Sands, a world-class luxury casino and hotel in Singapore. The hotel is capped by Sands Skypark. Photos were taken during a recent "staycation" with my family.

Our Deluxe Room.

Balcony with a view of Gardens by the Bay.

Bathroom.

Sands SkyPark Infinity Pool, located 57 storeys above the ground.

The SkyPark is longer than the Eiffel Tower laid down! Impressive, isn't it?

Singapore: Gardens by the Bay.

Recently, I went for a "staycation" at Marina Bay Sands and I took photos of Gardens by the Bay from the balcony of our hotel room at three different times.

Afternoon:

Night:

Morning:

Gardens by the Bay brings to life NParks' vision of creating a City in a Garden. The Gardens captures the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical Garden City with the perfect environment in which to live and work - making Singapore a leading global city of the 21st century.

To find out more about Gardens by the Bay, go to:
About Gardens by the Bay.

Las Vegas.

It has been a long time since I last visited Las Vegas, Sin City. The major attractions of the city are the hotels and casinos. Look at the following photos and you will know why.

Caesar's Palace.

The Venetian and the Venezia.

An older hotel, Treasure Island.

I really like this shot! Quite pro, don't you think? Palazzo, Venetian, Casino Royale, McDonald's and Harrah's. 

The Venetian and Venezia by night. 

These boxes are everywhere!
No need to buy FHM. Just grab some free flyers.
I hope my blog is not gonna be rated R because of this photo.

If you ask me what is the best thing to do in Las Vegas? Shopping in the Premium Outlets, of course! They have two: North and South. The following photos are of the one in the North.

A pair of leather shoes from Kenneth Cole cost less than US$40! A pair of shades (polarised) from Oakley cost less than US$100! Real bargains! With 150 shops, it would be hard for you to leave empty handed!

Guess which is my favourite shop in Las Vegas? Walgreens! It is like Watsons in Singapore or Hong Kong.

There is a Walgreens conveniently located outside The Venetian.

This was dinner for me one night. US$2.99 for a tuna sandwich and US$1.99 for a gallon of drinking water.

Walgreens is where I buy my snacks and drinks. I also buy Ghirardelli chocolate from them as it is cheaper to buy there than in Singapore. Godiva and Lindor are cheaper in the USA too but Ghirardelli is native to San Francisco. Go to USA must buy USA chocolates. No?

If you should ever visit Las Vegas, make a day trip to see Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. I did that years ago and enjoyed it. If you could, fly over the same in a plane or helicopter to make it more memorable. I think price starts from US$99.00 per person.

Of course, there are many live performances in Las Vegas which you could go to as well, if that is your kind of thing. Las Vegas is a city where people go and really enjoy life. Anyone visiting the city for the first time cannot help but be awed by it all.

Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport.

I just came back from a trip to the USA and it was my first time using Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport. I must say that I was impressed. I read good reviews about the airport but seeing is believing.

It was really cold. The short walk through the aero bridge from the plane to the terminal set my teeth chattering.

It was snowing but stopped by the time I took this photo.

Charles M. Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, was born in Minneapolis.

We have sky trains connecting different terminals in Singapore. They have sky trains within a terminal!

Inside a sky train.

Sunrise!

Another tribute to the creator of Peanuts.

Beautiful bookshop!

Inside the bookshop.

A gift shop. Yup! That's a moose!

Transportation used by the airport police! Relatives of R2D2, you think?

Food Court! The font looks like Food Junction's.

Let there be light!

Minneapolis means "City of Lakes". Taken from my window seat on the plane.

A vacation in Minneapolis one day, perhaps?