Hotelchain: Crowne Plaza
Location: The Hague – The Netherlands
Classification: 5 star hotel
Official website: ihg.com/…nl/nl/den-haag/dnhpr/hoteldetail

The Crowne Plaza The Hague is a five star hotel perfectly located between the city center of The Hague and the beach of Scheveningen. Both are just a few km away. I have had great experiences with the Crowne Plaza chain and this one didn’t disappoint at all! As soon as I approached the hotel, I saw 2 towers which are connected together. The new tower opened a few years ago and still looks brand new!

The lobby area has a cool vibe with up to date furniture, cool lightning and the most welcomed staff. ‘How was your journey?’, ‘Thank you for being an IHG member, here are some cookies’, etc. I love those small things and they do make a huge difference. Initially I was booked in a twin room, but at check-in I requested a king sized bed which was fulfilled with a smile and a heartbeat.

The club room I stayed in was very comfortable and spacious with a great view of a stunning garden. As every Crowne Plaza, they offer their dedicated sleep program called Sleep Advantage with complimentary products to assure a great night’s rest. And they worked! I slept very well. Bathrooms are great featuring a large shower and bath tub. When staying in one the club rooms, all minibar items are free of charge. Great value as it also includes sparkling wine, some yummy bites and fancy red wine.

After exploring the beautiful room, I went down to see the spa area which is called the Promenade Health Club & Spa. When the doors of the elevator opened, I immediately felt the relaxing atmosphere here. The place is huge with 900m² and features an indoor swimming pool, large fitness area and sauna/steam room area. When staying at the hotel, access is free and I highly recommend spending some you-time here! You will love it! I appreciated the opening hours as well, the pool for example is opened from 6:30am – 10:30pm every day. I love having a swim before heading to bed and in the morning before breakfast. The spa definitely is one of the highlights of the Crowne Plaza The Hague!

At night, I had a drink with the lovely management trainee of the hotel and looking at the menu, the prices are pretty fair here! 7,5 EUR for a cocktail in a five star hotel is cheap and trust me, they’re good! Again, a very nice atmosphere with some soft lounge music playing all over the place. A full service restaurant, Brasserie Brut, is located right next to the bar, offering a great variety of dishes at reasonable rates. No need to go out for dinner!

The Crowne Plaza The Hague is one of the better five star properties in the area! What truly makes this hotel unique is the service they provide. They will do everything to make your hotel stay smooth and perfect. This hotel is a good choice whether you are looking for a business hotel or leisure, it will please anyone! Highly recommended and I would return in a heartbeat!

Hotelchain: Vienna House hotels
Location: Magny-le-Hongre – France
Classification: 4 star hotel
Official website: http://www.viennahouse.com/en/magic-circus-paris/the-hotel/overview.html

Close to the magical Disneyland Paris resort, I was so pleased to experience the Magic Circus Hotel! This hotel definitely is a great alternative to the Disney Hotels as it is still conveniently located near the Disney parks. With the large ‘pink bus’ it is only 10 minutes away.

The Vienna Magic Circus hotel is right next to the Vienna Dream Castle hotel. Both hotels look amazing and are the best four star hotels in the direct Disney area. As soon as you enter the red tent, a magical world is waiting for you! Large horses, happy colors and fun music made us smile immediately!

What makes this hotel truly unique is the space… the large lobby area is the perfect place to hang out with your kids! They can play and actually be kids throughout the place without bothering other guests. There’s a small Disney shop in the lobby area as well as several play areas and a bar. Check-in was great. We arrived pretty early around 10am and our room was already cleaned. All the information we needed to know about the hotel and Disney parks were given in a very friendly yet professional way. Thumbs up!

The room we stayed in was great! The kids absolutely loved the bunk beds and could make their own little space with the curtains! The king sized bed was great as well. We had connecting rooms and all of us agreed that there was enough space for all of us, even closet space. The bath room had a bath tub, single sink and toilet. I loved the Occitane toiletries, there even was a hand creme. Another bonus: 2 televisions! The kids loved having their own television and watched a movie before they were going to sleep. The circus theme is noticeable throughout the room and kids (but not only kids J) will love the rooms at the Vienna Magic Circus hotel!

As you can imagine, there are a lot of fun things to do here! First of all, the Disney parks are close by. There’s a large pink bus who will bring you to the parks in just 10 minutes. They will drop you off at the train station at the Disneyland Resort and within 7 minutes (I timed J) of walking you will reach the entrances of the parks. We never had to wait long as there’s a bus every 15-20 minutes from/to the hotel. After spending a day at the Disney parks, it is great to relax and enjoy the indoor swimming pool. Although the hotel was fully booked, it never felt crowded at the pool. It has a nice size and temperature of the water was good. There’s a large kids play pool as well and several loungers on which parents can look after their little ones. A fitness center is available as well and several beauty treatments are offered at reasonable prices.

At night, we had dinner at restaurant Etoile. The buffet which was priced at 29,50 EUR was great value for money especially with the one adult = one kid for free promotion which was going on while we were there. Especially the dessert buffet was delicious! Do try the brownies… you will love them! Breakfast is served here as well and the buffet style breakfast was very good! The choices are endless and the kids (and not only kids) loved the pancake station where pancakes are prepared right in front of you.

Once again, do considerate this hotel as an alternative to the official Disney Hotels. The Magic Circus hotel is a four star hotel with top notch accommodations and friendly staff. Highly recommended!