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Some Great Railroad Hotels — (and Others Accessible by Rail)

5 Nov
Glacier Park Lodge

Lobby, Glacier Park Lodge & Resort in Montana.

Great story in the Arizona Republic today about railroad hotels, which you’ll find here.

I’ve been to the three Canadian hotels mentioned in the story; all are incredible and worth extended stays. And during a family trip to Glacier Park via Amtrak’s Empire Builder, we visited the Glacier Park Lodge but did not stay there. We opted for the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex, MT, a rustic hotel opened in 1939 to cater to Great Northern Railroad employees. It’s a charming hotel and a great place to watch trains; the trade-off is it’s not centrally located, and you have to drive a considerable distance just to get to Lake McDonald.

Prince of Wales Hotel

Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada

(The IRT Society’s Glacier Park Discovery Tour, incidentally, includes the Empire Builder between Seattle and Chicago as well as three nights at the Glacier Park Lodge and one night at Many Glacier Hotel, another former Great Northern property. And don’t forget to have afternoon tea at the Prince of Wales Hotel, another Great Northern creation; it proudly bills itself as “the most photographed hotel in the world.”)

St. Louis Union Station Marriott Hotel

St. Louis Union Station Marriott Hotel

I’m also a fan of St. Louis’ old railroad hotel, now a Marriott, located in Union Station, and easily accessible via Metrolink light rail and a 10-minute walk from the present Amtrak station.  And, some years back, fellow IRT Society member David Minnerly put us on to a comfortable little hotel, the Mornington, just a five-minute walk from London’s Paddington Station. Not a railroad hotel as such, but still an inexpensive hostelry accessible by rail and within walking distance of Hyde Park.

The Royal Scotsman’s Grand Tour-One Man’s Impression

5 Nov

IRT Society members dine aboard the Royal Scotsman, 2005.

Eleanor and I joined 17 IRT Society members in 2005 for an incredible week on the Royal Scotsman. As I’ve said elsewhere, the train ranks as one of the top three in our “life-list” of luxury trains collected over our 27-year career in this business.

But…we have not done the “Grand Tour of Great Britain.” And we’re envious of those who have.

Based on the reports we’re getting, this week-long jaunt  through Scotland, Wales and England looks fantastic. Looks to me like the Orient-Express company wants to make this tour an iconic “must-do,” much like the annual Paris-Istanbul run of their much acclaimed Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.

IRT Society traveler Sam Hall did the trip this year and told me: “It’s one of the best trips I ever had. The staff was superb. And I was really impressed with the itinerary.”

Meanwhile, here’s how one of the Royal Scotsman staff, Train Host John Gritten, described the 2010 Grand Tour:

“This unique tour was without question the most memorable of my five years as Host with The Royal Scotsman. It was the train’s first ever journey around Scotland, England and Wales and the 33 guests, from nine countries, enjoyed many exclusive experiences throughout the seven-night trip. Many of the guests mentioned that unannounced ‘surprises,’ such as the Male Voice Choir at Gwydir Castle and Raymond Blanc’s personal welcome at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, were highlights of the journey. We are already thinking up new and unexpected special events for next year’s tour.”

Over the next few days, I’ll post Mr. Gritten’s day-by-day commentary of the 2010 Grand Tour, with appropriate links.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Varna, Bulgaria

1 Sep

The annual Paris-Istanbul tour of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express reached Varna, Bulgaria Tuesday. From the sound of the press reports, the 12 IRT Society members aboard are basking in the glamor of this once-a-year extravaganza. Arriving today in Istanbul, the Orient-Express departs Friday, Sept. 3 on its final “land voyage” of the season. It is scheduled to arrive in Venice Sept. 9, where it will undergo routine maintenance until the beginning of next year’s season.

The annual Paris-Istanbul tour typically sells out a year in advance. Limited space is available on next year’s trip, which runs Sept. 2-7, as well as on next year’s Istanbul-Venice tour, which runs Sept. 9-14. For more information or to book, call (800) 478-4881 or email me at ohardy@irtsociety.com.

VSOE in Varna, Bulgaria

On the platform: staff from the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Varna, Bulgaria

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IRT Welcomes Rovos Rail Representative

18 Jun

Men: longing for luxury on Rovos Rail’s “Pride of Africa,” but cringing at the thought of dragging a coat and tie half-way across the world to wear in the fancy diner?

IRT Staff and David Patrick Front Row (Left to Right): David Patrick, Owen Hardy Back Row: Margaret Langner, Eleanor Hardy, Angela Walker

No worries, says Rovos Rail marketing director David Patrick. They’ll gladly loan you one. They have a wide range of sizes. And there’s no extra charge. Just let them know ahead of time.

This was just one of several revelations made known during David’s recent visit to IRT headquarters in Louisville, KY. Others are:

• In-cabin minibar: Fill out the menu, and your bar will be filled with all your favorite drinks and snacks, David says. The staff restocks your goodies each day of your journey.  Instead of a hotel mini-bar, which has the implication of an extra charge, this is a “personal bar,” and everything is included in your tour price.

• All-inclusive fare: Everything except gratuities and gift shop purchases is included. That means: all your excursions, lectures, food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and, of course, everything in the minibar.

• Room Service: Run out of champagne? Need a snack? Simply attach the white Room Service tag outside your door or use your cabin phone to call, and the staff will get you anything you need.

• David’s favorite Rovos Rail journey: Surprise! It’s not Pretoria-Cape Town, the train’s most popular. It’s the special three-day safari between Pretoria and Durban departing during Africa’s summer months. “It includes a visit to a Big Five game reserve, which is fantastic,” David said. “We saw all five:” lion, African elephant, Cape Buffalo, leopard and Black Rhino. He also gives high marks to the once-a-year, nine-day “African Collage” tour, the only one which covers the “Garden Route” from George into Cape Town, at times skirting the Indian Ocean.

• Gratuities: The age-old question: how much to leave for a tip? “When asked,” David says, “we suggest 15 to 20 U.S. dollars per guest per day; maybe slightly less for the longer trips.”

Photo by Nels Freeman

• Beds: it’s crucial to let us know upon booking any mobility challenges you have and even your height. That way, we order the room most suited for you. Order far in advance for one of the limited number of cabins whose beds are configured in an L-shape. They’re easier to access than the usual king-size bed in the deluxe cabin.  Also, if you love a view, there is one exclusive cabin per car whose bed faces the window.

• Observation Car: For many IRT travelers,the outdoor platform is party central. Responding to popular demand, Rovos has enlarged the space to accommodate 12 sitting passengers—with their drinks.

• Rohan Vos: The brains and muscle behind the entire operation, Mr. Vos (Rohan, if you will) seems to be every returning traveler’s best friend. His secret? He works like a demon, knows every aspect of his operation and does his best to personally greet all Rovos Rail passengers, whether they’re boarding in Pretoria, Cape Town or elsewhere.

Photo by Nels Freeman

Meeting at Louisville’s classic Brown Hotel, IRT staff and David continued the discussion over dinner at the hotel’s English Grill that night. David had an early plane to catch the next morning, so there was no time for Kentucky sightseeing. Maybe next time!

Society owners Owen & Eleanor Hardy host one of Rovos Rail’s most ambitious trips, the July 2-15, 2011 Cape Town, S. Africa to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania trip. For information about this or any Rovos Rail trip, email us or call our office at (800) 478-4881. Or visit our website.

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Ass Eats Donkey on Luxury Train

4 May

Kim Jong-IL, “Dear Leader” of North Korea, loves his Dad’s luxury train, dining daily on fresh donkey meat. He gives luxury trains a bad name. Read about it here.

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Palace on Wheels to Offer Spa Services and Free Wi-Fi

30 Apr

India’s luxury train, Palace on Wheels, will start a Wi-Fi Internet facility on board as well as a spa, Economic Times of India recently reported.

According to Pradeep Bohra, the general manager of Palace on Wheels, these services will become available in August. “There will be extra charges for the spa while Wi-Fi will be free,”Bohra told Economic Times of India.

The Palace on Wheels is rated as one of the IRT Society’s Top 25 Trains.  It departs for Rajasthan and Agra for nine months out of the year. It remains closed May through July. The train runs a seven night and eight day tour leaving every Wednesday. For more information on the Palace on Wheels visit the IRT website http://www.irtsociety.com/trainDetail.php?id=13.

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