My stay in Rotterdam included two very different hotels both with an international theme.
(Pretty appropriate for a travel blogger conference, right?)
But the theme is about all they have in common. They couldn't be more different.
The first is the newly opened, luxurious Mainport which is where I stayed for the first four nights.
It's a very beautiful, modern Design Hotel located in Leuvehaven near the Erasmus Bridge.
The 215 rooms are spread over six floors each themed with a different continent.
(I was on the Orient Floor.) The restaurant "Down Under" and the bar "On the Rocks" both with an Australian theme are on the lower floor. And "Heaven" awaits you in the eighth-floor spa facility complete with a Turkish steam room and a hammam.
As a delegate at the conference, we were offered a deeply discounted rate of €90 per night with breakfast. I was upgraded to a Waterfront Sauna Room which was huge with a lovely view of the harbor. This room would normally book for about €250 per night. As the Mainport had just opened on the Monday prior, I was probably the first person to stay in the room. It had all the extra little details that you'd expect in a five-star hotel (not that I've stayed in many).
The whirlpool tub was wonderful. An added little bonus was the TV within easy view hidden in the bathroom mirror. Of course, I tried the Sauna. It was a little scary as I've never used one and I was basically pouring water over an electric heating element. (I had visions of electrocuting myself and not being found for days.) Safety tip: The water leaks right through to the floor making it slippery, so be careful.
The conference was held on-site each day and the facilities and service were great, including lunch. The only glitch was that the wifi wasn't quite up to speed. You can imagine with 150 bloggers descending on them, they weren't quite prepared. I quickly learned that nothing makes a travel blogger grumpier than spotty wifi.
When the conference ended, I packed up and moved to a different hotel for two nights for the post conference blog trip hosted by Rotterdam Marketing.
Hotel Bazar couldn't be more different from the Mainport.
They call themselves "one of the most unusual hotels in Rotterdam."
I'd call them the most unusual in Europe.
It was certainly the most unusual one I've ever stayed in.
It was certainly the most unusual one I've ever stayed in.
The hotel has just 27 rooms and is located above the Wereldeethuis Bazar which is very popular restaurant established in 1997 in a listed building. The three levels were packed full every night. And the breakfast that was included with the room was amazing.
Now here is where Hotel Bazar gets pretty, well... bizarre. Each floor is again a different theme... Orient, Africa and South America. (The industrial lift only goes to the third floor, so if you're on the fourth be prepared to lug your suitcase up an extra flight.)
I was on the fourth floor which is their "South American" floor (I think they might mean Latin America rather than South America) and here is my room...
Isn't it wild? It was just a mish-mash of stuff. I was stunned when I walked in to see the multiple colors, fabrics, patterns, prints and textures. One wall was papered with Mexican newsprint and was covered with prints from Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo. I love Mexico, so felt right at home. There was a shrine with a little girl's first communion dress and a mask. (Okay, that did creep me out just a bit.)
There was a poster of Fidel Castro above the toilet, because, well, why not? The door opens out onto a stone balcony that is open all the way across. (It had a good lock.) It was just the wackiest room.
And the other blogger's rooms were just as crazy, all with a different theme. It was just wackadoodle and a bit wonderful. It's probably closer to a hostel, than a hotel. The single rooms are extremely small and they have a few very, large rooms that were quite exotic and just as unique.
There was a poster of Fidel Castro above the toilet, because, well, why not? The door opens out onto a stone balcony that is open all the way across. (It had a good lock.) It was just the wackiest room.
And the other blogger's rooms were just as crazy, all with a different theme. It was just wackadoodle and a bit wonderful. It's probably closer to a hostel, than a hotel. The single rooms are extremely small and they have a few very, large rooms that were quite exotic and just as unique.
The two nights accommodation was a complimentary part of the post-conference blogger trip, but this room usually goes for about €80. Besides just being so bizarre, things were a bit shabby and rough around the edges. But it was very clean and it was the best night's sleep I had. I closed the black-out curtains, cracked a window and put the fan on and slept like a baby in fluffy, clean white bedding.
Can you believe how different these two hotels are?
They are both terrific with something special to offer.
I would definitely stay at the Mainport again, if we were on that kind of budget.
But we usually stay someplace less expensive and spend the bulk of our travel budget on getting out and exploring. We rarely use the spa facilities at a hotel.
I would stay at Hotel Bazar again just because it's so different and fun. Plus the terrific restaurant downstairs is a definite bonus. (Apparently, during the Summer this area of town is great for nightlife, so probably not the best choice if you want quiet.)
So, that's the tale of two hotels in Rotterdam.
Which one would you prefer?
