The Expat

September 2005

Insight Guides Asias Best Hotels and Resorts - p. 134


Focusing mainly on the regions many hotel chains, Insights guide (which stretches north to Japan and south to New Zealand) rates hotel out of 10; gives them dollar signs according to price and a thumbs-up overall rating. No, it's not an original concept but one which has been tried and tested many time before. That's not necessarily a criticism, but when 80 per cent of hotels are awarded between 7 and 9 per cent for ambiance, it becomes meaningless. At least the writing style is quite up tempo and all corners are covered fairly succinctly in a one-page-per-hotel write-up. Shame about the photography, mind. It's rather too reliant on uninspired hand-out shots. I'd hope to see a slightly more creative picture editor employed for the next edition. Having stayed at Le Meridien Cyberport in Hong Kong , I was surprised and a little disappointed that I missed out on the bathroom chock-a-block full of Hermes gooeys.(sic) The only confection I could find was on the pillow after turn-down