Hotel Bookings

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Major Thom
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Major Thom »

If I told you it would get certified on here


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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by HEPZIBAH »

Major Thom wrote:If I told you it would get certified on here
:ni: Eh?
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Mad Dilys »

Honestly, I had a friend who was "Certified" for a month recently - did her the world of good, no kidding. :up Not that it is relevant to Hotel Bookings. :oops:
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Dusak »

Not that long ago MT likened the typical Egyptian dwelling to ''hovels,'' so I suppose this would be as close as he could get, descriptive wise. I think that all regular posters, including myself, need to be certified for just not only reading the tosh, but replying. I think that he has a ten points to raise bucket list before he departs as it would be pointless wasting his time once he is wherever as it would then be irrelevant to his new location. :urm:
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Horus »

I think that he has a ten points to raise bucket list before he departs as it would be pointless wasting his time once he is wherever as it would then be irrelevant to his new location. :urm:
Oh I doubt that Dusak, his current raison d’etre is to rubbish Egypt and in particular Luxor to anyone who will listen, he is incapable of just moving on both physically and mentally. I am sure we will still be receiving gloating and glowing reports from Australia once he arrives there, he still has not realised that one man’s paradise is another man’s hell. 8)
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Mad Dilys »

Major Thom, seriously, all joking apart why don't you like the UK enough to retire in familiar surroundings. You would be able to find all of the things that you complain about in Luxor - plus being close to familiar entertainment and old friends and relatives.

I'm hoping to be heading for warmer shores for health reasons. It may be Egypt it may be Ibiza or both, depends on what the future holds, but I definitely do not want to stay in the UK. 8)
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Dusak »

Mad Dilys wrote:Major Thom, seriously, all joking apart why don't you like the UK enough to retire in familiar surroundings. You would be able to find all of the things that you complain about in Luxor - plus being close to familiar entertainment and old friends and relatives.

I'm hoping to be heading for warmer shores for health reasons. It may be Egypt it may be Ibiza or both, depends on what the future holds, but I definitely do not want to stay in the UK. 8)
An interesting question MD. But picture this, six months prior to emigrating to Egypt, assuming all close friends and family were 'in the know', the excitement and anticipation, the tying up of all loose ends and sorting out of everything that you need to sever for ever, those half muted questions like ''are you certain that you want to live in a Muslim country,'' ''What about the constant heat,'' ''lack of good medical care if needed.'' All these points were raised by our close friends when we announced that we were going to come here and live. Our replies were that we were quite certain that it was the right move for us, after all, we thought that we knew it all after several visits over four years, mainly content to just soak up the sun and read by the pool with frequent nighttime visits to the city and what it had to offer.

As the time grew nearer to departure day, you are flooded with an overwhelming sense of excitement, expectations and an overall knowledge that your doing the right thing.

Now, MT comes over as a past hard working individual that I can only assume commanded quite a degree of respect from those same family and friends that wished them both well, but showed a degree of caution in their well meant good wishes for the future.

As he has mentioned in past posts, he lived a high end life, expensive cars for him and his wife, expensive label named clothes and I presume a house and life style to match, frequent and expensive holidays abroad, including his final destination, here, all to mach the income he has indicated as earned, his involvement in million £+ electrical installation contracts, a well paid sub contractor as well as a direct employer. Hotel management in Scotland, life behind the wheel of a plod vehicle, all not necessarily in the correct chronological order, but all giving him the security of private pension provisions. I can only guess that on the final wave off, some would of said ''A foolish decision if you ask me,'' Others may have said ''If anyone can make it happen its Justin and Lyn.'' Our friends had similar words when we flew off into the great unknown.

So would you really want to return to the UK and have to mumble your way through a very large slice of humble pie as to why first off you managed to loose £30,000+ before you even had a home because you trusted complete strangers with yours and your wife's hard earned retirement nest egg, or when you did finally get your luxury villa built, it was built on semi marsh land to very low building standards, then have to spend x number of £ in repairing, rewiring, re tiling, re rendering, repainting to get it to the finished point that you should of achieved in the first place. Then, take quite a big loss on the villas true worth just to get rid of it, loosing the value of all the contents to achieve the sale. Then attempt to explain why you were so cock sure that you knew what you were doing in the first place to those same family and friends and why it had lead to such a costly and monumental cock up. Unfortunately, the truth always finds itself out within the public domain.

I personally would not like to hear all the ''Told you so'' comments, or the ''I'm surprised that you could be so stupid ones.'' So no MD, I do not think that it would be just the cold weather that cancels out returning to the UK as an option. You never feel obliged to tell even close friends the true facts, or explain to family the full extent of the true facts.

I truly hope that they both receive great benefit from the move, but I have an inkling that this is not possible for MT no matter where he ends up in life as he comes over continually as a personal setter and expectant receiver of high standards in his life, but to achieve that, you first have to understand that another persons lifestyle and perceptions on their way of life is what they are comfortable with and is not one to be altered or debated by someone else just to make you personally feel more comfortable.

And if two of the most important reasons for another shift is what is on offer entertainment wise, or on the plate in front of you, then once again I think that you are heading towards another disappointment.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by newcastle »

You may be right Dusak, but I suspect Australia is the chosen venue simply because he has family there whereas he's feeling lonely and isolated here

If his views on Egypt (and Luxor in particular) are to be taken at face value, he's grown to hate the place and for his own mental welfare, if for no other reason, he's better to cut his losses and go.

As for the constant rubbishing of Luxor.....maybe that makes him feel a little less guilty, particularly if he can paint a picture that it was jolly good when he came but, somehow, unexpectedly, has fallen over a precipice in recent years. Avoids him looking stupid!

He'd make a good case study for any budding psychologist.

A bit sad really.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Bombay »

I've told people rent and live here a couple of years or more before you think of buying as it's not the same as being on holiday.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by newcastle »

Bombay wrote:I've told people rent and live here a couple of years or more before you think of buying as it's not the same as being on holiday.
With the vagaries of the property market, the uncertain political/economic situation and the rather opaque property ownership laws, I'd be wary of buying here AT ALL !
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Mad Dilys »

Actually I'd be very very careful about buying property anywhere these days - look at the terrible situation of thousands of Brits who bought Spanish properties and lost all their money. Caveat emptor.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Yildez »

Bombay wrote:I've told people rent and live here a couple of years or more before you think of buying as it's not the same as being on holiday.
Bombay, I've been saying that to people intent on moving to Turkey for the past twenty years. Gives you the chance to confirm that it really is where you want to live; you get a feel for the area so that you can make an informed decision if you decide to buy; you pick up info on the local rogues, and which agents to avoid; you experience the whole culture rather than the holiday vibe.

Sadly, I guess that very, very few have listened to my advice - it was ever thus!!! If MT had had the sense to do that he might not have become so embittered.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Bombay »

Yes if I had a pound for every pound I lost I would have all my money back :P
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Who2 »

Iv'e just arrived home.........and
Iv'e zipped through the last 20 posts without reading them but the jist is:.......

'Personally speaking of which I'm the only practitioner alive..
"I have always liked and loved Major Thoms' [sic] topics and posts.

Fully reminiscent of Ken Dodd, one knows whats coming and one knows it will make one laugh,'hopefully?

Also having personally & professionally dealt over the years with many, many forms of human brain activity viewed,
(from a 'Sherlockian' point of personnel survival instinct.)
Iv'e constantly taken the p*ss out of him even before he came to live here,
Why because he enlightens my life, and being ex-plod that goes along way in my wicked life.

"So Major Tom 'floating in a most peculiar way where the stars look very different today '
"So don't listen to your 'dissenters, 'goes without saying really, but keep in touch down under, please...

"Watch out for those 'arse-biting spiders.... 8)
"The Salvation of Mankind lies in making everything the responsibility of All"
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Zooropa »

All the best MT.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by A-Four »

A-Four wrote: The point I have tried to make on this forum in the past, is that if you are a regular traveller, it matters not what ever is going on in that city whether it be Birmingham, or any other city in the world, once you are a regular stayer at that hotel YOU get preferential treatment over most others, for obvious reasons. That is certainly the case with regards to my favourite hotel in Luxor, and with many of the hotels I stay at throughout Europe, which whether you use Booking.com or what ever, I guarantee, I always pay less than the internet price. NOTE. Always keep those business card hotel references, especially names of managers..
Well, it seems at long last the the British Government watchdog now agrees with me, that the likes of booking.com, have been ripping people of for years. I travel in Europe a lot these days I stay at hotels that are near rail stations for obvious reason, sometimes in good hotel that quote often have no lift, but the service is brilliant. If you use a hotel regularly, book direct, then you will not be put on the 8th floor without a lift,....you did want cheap.

I arrive at many places that I book direct, with an added message to me,.....'your milky coffee will be ready on your arrival',.......home from home.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Major Thom »

You ask why I don't reside in the UK, well that is quite easy really, I personally have no family left alive in the UK, both my sisters passed when I lived in Egypt, my parents passed in 1987 (My Father) and 2004 (My Mother) I have no longer any Nephews or Nieces living in the UK, no aunts or uncles either. The only people I know living in the UK are friends and I have not been home since last February for the first time in 12 years, and that was an overnight stay on my way to Iceland for a break. My daughter lives in Oz with her husband and Grandson. My son I have not seen for 15 years, not my fault, all I told him was o grow up and accept responsibilities. My wife's family we see every year when we meet up for holidays. So I see no sense in moving back to the UK whatsoever. My daughter and her family are holidaying here in Cyprus in June and we will fly back with them for a 6 week holiday. Yes I agree we made a mistake moving to Luxor, it was not our life whatsoever, and why I subjected my wife to living there I will never know. However we did, to be quite honest we loved it there at first the place was buzzing plenty of tourists work for almost anyone willing to do so. We built our villa and we were both happy. But things changed in 2011 and for the worse, no work for the people, the whole place slid into a chaotic mess for most.
Yes, it was cheap to live there and I honestly believe that is the main reason why ex pats live there, I see no other reason whatsoever, away from the high prices of the UK. Cheapness will not stop me or my wife from staying anywhere! Once we sold the villa (Another load of cash to fork out in Luxor) on things the purchaser should have paid and not the vendor, we could not wait to run up the steps of the aircraft out. Our lives completely changed for the better, no more chaotic scenes at the Traffic Office, no more multi trips to the visa office, no more having to be careful what you say because you do not know who is listening and no more paying above the odds, and by that I mean no more paying more than the local people pay.
I have nothing really else to expand on, other than the fact sight seeing in Luxor, if you think about it, how macabre to want to visit graves, (Tombs) When we lived in the UK we never spent our time visiting grave yards. When you look at the Temples, they are mostly the same except one is larger than the other, ie Main Gates, Courtyard, Pillars and the inner sanctuary.

But I have said this all before, its not up to me to accept my own feelings its up to others to accept. Everyone knows my feeling I have made them so plain for all to see, and don't think its only Luxor I don't like its the UK as well, ruled by little Hitlers all feathering their own nests, and the state it is in now due to incompetence is a disaster. I suppose what I am trying to say is, its not where you live its what you make of it, because you can live anywhere in the world, and you are free to do what you want, the world is so small nowadays. We tried Egypt and it certainly was not for us. The medical care was one of the main reasons we moved from a primitive Country, now my health is much better and by the end of this year I should be back to my normal self, laughing and joking, something I could not do in Luxor because I knew something was wrong with me and after 2 years they found nothing. Here within 6 weeks they had diagnoses my problem and started treating it, another 8-9 months I should be fit and healthy again.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by HEPZIBAH »

WOW! Major Thom, that's quite an outpoiring on a thread that has lain dormant for almost two years, other than a recent comment about holiday companies. I hope you found it theraputic.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by Dusak »

A-Four wrote:
A-Four wrote: The point I have tried to make on this forum in the past, is that if you are a regular traveller, it matters not what ever is going on in that city whether it be Birmingham, or any other city in the world, once you are a regular stayer at that hotel YOU get preferential treatment over most others, for obvious reasons. That is certainly the case with regards to my favourite hotel in Luxor, and with many of the hotels I stay at throughout Europe, which whether you use Booking.com or what ever, I guarantee, I always pay less than the internet price. NOTE. Always keep those business card hotel references, especially names of managers..
Well, it seems at long last the the British Government watchdog now agrees with me, that the likes of booking.com, have been ripping people of for years. I travel in Europe a lot these days I stay at hotels that are near rail stations for obvious reason, sometimes in good hotel that quote often have no lift, but the service is brilliant. If you use a hotel regularly, book direct, then you will not be put on the 8th floor without a lift,....you did want cheap.

I arrive at many places that I book direct, with an added message to me,.....'your milky coffee will be ready on your arrival',.......home from home.
I saw the disgruntlement Booking.com created in Pattaya last year. My booking was canceled by my place of stay, but still honored by them. They stated that what booking.com was asking them to do in regards to taking bookings was unworkable, as did many others, so they opted out dealing with this company. By dealing directly with the same place, same room, same length of stay, I saved myself £250.

PS. Just noticed that this is an old post, so I talk about 2018/19
Life is your's to do with as you wish- do not let other's try to control it for you. Count Dusak- 1345.
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Re: Hotel Bookings

Post by BENNU »

I was looking for a room in Sweden. I know that tourists to Copenhagen often choose to sleep in Sweden and cross the bridge to expensive Denmark, so I knew that it was affordable, but I was surprised with the good deal I found online. Four stars, perfect location and very positive reviews for no more than I pay in Cairo these days. I went to the hotel's own website and found an even more attractive offer - I wondered it was per night, but it was the price for the two nights I needed, so I have just booked it. :ct

Finding a better deal booking directly was new to me. What I have experienced is booking through an online agent, then cunningly write a polite email with some innocent request to the hotel, letting them know how much I look forward to my stay, only to be upgraded and treated more friendly than other guests, based on my interest in the place. My clever son taught me that. 8)
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