Neolodge: Ye Olde Ship Inn
Cost: 40 Neopoints
NeoPet's Rating: 3 stars
The only way to reach this on-the-water hotel was to get on a tug boat and
putt putt out to it. The boat ride was nice, but I was a little seasick after
a while. When I arrived at the hotel a man in a sailor outfit greeted me and
took my things to my room. The hotel was all on one level so it made it easier
to get around, which I liked. The weather was nice and I had a good view of
the water from the window in my room.
Outside, there was some swimming and diving boards which lead into the bay.
I wasn't a very skilled swimmer, and the water was a little murky, so I didn't
want to risk it. I stayed in the Inn most of the time. While I was there I ordered
some of their seafood dishes. Not being fond of seafood, I was looking for something
else but they said seafood was all they had :(
The room was nice. There was a waterbed and little fish on the wallpaper,
which gave the room a nice touch. Every once in a while there would be a strong
wind and it would make the whole inn rock in the water a little. Not nice when
you're trying to sleep and then you get tossed off the bed, but for those water
loving NeoPets it would be a nice addition to your stay.
After a few days I decided to go venture outside and see the dock. There was
some fishing, swimming and diving. I decided to do some fishing and was lucky
enough to catch a small guppy! A new experience for me.
The setting of the ship allowed for exploring, but the only set back was that
you had to stay on the ship, unless you wanted to wait for one of the tug boats
to come back from land and take you in. There was a long wait between boarding
and going back to land, so not many people got to leave. Those of you with NeoPets
with weak stomachs should stay home. Seasickness was common on the boat.
While I had fun and loved hanging out around the ship, I would have liked
to see more non-sea related activities for those who aren't fond of the sea
water smell. But over all my stay was nice.
Final Rating: 3 (good room, good service, some sea sickness and sea smells)
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Neolodge: Hotel Opera
Cost: 50 Neopoints per night
NeoPet's Rating: 4 stars
Like anyone else, I love fine service and nice hotels, and I was sure, for
50 Neopoints a night, Hotel Opera was going to be just that. When I arrived,
I had my things taken to my room and was pleased to see they had a fully functioning
elevator and room service.
Keeping with the opera theme, the room was very nice and there were paintings
of ballets and operas. The bed was made and, after a long day's traveling to
get to the hotel, I wanted to rest before exploring all the hotel had to offer.
I hopped in the bed, which was soft and relaxing. After a couple hours, I was
awakened by the sound of singing. I went to see where it was coming from. Just
down the hall from where I was staying there was the rehearsal room for the
show later that night. It was impossible to get any sleep then.
I went downstairs to see what features the hotel had to offer, after a stay
at the Ye Olde Ship Inn, I wasn't in the mood for swimming, but even still,
I would have liked to see a pool in the hotel somewhere. There was, however,
a lobby where they had a piano player who played while some couples danced.
I checked the schedule for the night's performances. They ran all night and
day! It was very convenient if you wanted to watch something. However, it costs
100 Neopoints to buy a ticket. It normally would have been more than I was willing
to spend, but for the sake of the article, I bought myself a ticket for that
night's ballet and opera showing.
I arrived at the show on time and took my seat. The theatre was so big it
was almost impossible to see a thing, and for 100 Neopoints a ticket, I wanted
to see what was going on. I saw most Neopians had binoculars. Something I didn't
think of. I sat through the show anyway, listening to the music and trying to
make out the dancers in the distance. When the show ended I was a little disappointed,
and returned to my room.
When I came back, I found my bed was made and the room was somewhat clean.
I ordered some apples from room service. They arrived a little late. When I
asked why they came so late, they said some of the shows had just gotten out.
And when the shows get out, the halls are too crowded to deliver the food. It
seemed the hotel was more about entertainment than service, and for music lovers
I suppose that is fine, but I was not in the mood for any more shows.
When the week was over, I gathered my things and was heading out of the hotel
when I was bombarded by a flock of actors. They nearly trampled me. Annoyed
I told the Hotel owner, who told me the actors seem to think they own the hotel.
They get preferential treatment. So it was clear to me that the theatre was
the main focus of the hotel. Room service and guests came second to all of that.
I was a little disappointed. I suppose a theatre and music-loving pet would
have better appreciated it, but I wasn't very impressed.
Final Rating: 2.5 (good accommodations, good room service, but hotels should
be about the guests - better for theatre loving pets)
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Neolodge: The Royal Neopian
Cost: 80 Neopoints per night
NeoPet's Rating: 4 stars
Staying at a hotel called "The Royal Neopian" I expected good things. Upon
my arrival, a friendly bellhop who offered to take my things to my room greeted
me. They had a huge elevator that went up 20 levels! All throughout the hotel
there was carpet, with the Royal Neopian Hotel symbol. The halls were long and
very elegant looking. It was well light and smelled like fresh picked White
Lulus.
The bellhop opened the door to my room. The room was very nice. With large
windows, a spotless kitchen and a big welcoming bed. As soon as the bellhop
left, I leaped into the bed. It was so comfortable I feel right asleep. When
I woke from my nap, I was a little hungry and ordered some Milk and Cookies.
They were wonderful and right on time. Impressed with what I had seen so far
I decided to explore the hotel some more.
In the lobby, there was a warm fire, outside was a large swimming pool, which
was filled with many happy NeoPets. The pool's water sparkled and looked so
inviting I decided to take a dip. The water was very cool and refreshing. After
that I was ready for the hot tub. This place ad everything I needed in a pool.
Now it was off to see what sorts of work out centres they had. Being the weak
NeoPet that I am, I wanted to try to brush up on my Battledome skills.
But there was no such luck. No Battledome training centre. Shucks. As I was
heading back up to my room, I noticed some music coming from down the hall.
I decided to take a peak. I skipped inside the room undetected and took a seat
in the back where nobody would notice me. It was a group practising for tonight's
performance. They were very good, but not as nice as I would have expected.
The next day, I decided to go out on the town. Looking around the area, it
was busy with tourists and shops. I found a lot of nice foods and other items
to bring back to my NeoFriends. Later that day, I went for a walk in the shopping
centre and met another Royal Neopian guest. She was loaded with shopping bags
and said this was the grandest hotel she had ever seen! I too was impressed
and it was by far the nicest I'd seen. Then another Neopian chimed in and said,
"If you think The Royal Neopian is nice, wait till you see the Faerie Castle!
It's magnificent!"
Now I couldn't wait! Packing up on my last day, I gave my room another look.
It was clean, neat and very comfortable. Large enough for a single NeoPet and
the pool accommodations were quite nice. I enjoyed the shopping I was able to
do and the other guests seemed very pleasant. I decided I would like to come
back here again if I was in the area. I felt I got my Neopoints worth.
Final Rating: 4 (very pleasant, clean, neat and welcoming)
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Be sure to check out next week's issue for the final part of this three
part Neolodge series. |