Xlendi, Gozo (Malta): Decent Deal On Oceanfront Room, But Froze Our Buns Off Without As Much As An Apology

San Andrea Hotel

Xlendi Promenade

Xlendi, Island of Gozo, Malta

Phone: (+356) 2156 5555

Website: hotelsanandrea.com

Prices: €€€€

OK, so we paid $72 for a double seafront room with breakfast included. I should be jumping up and down, right? Well I am not and here is why ...

I found the place through Booking.com for $72 per night, but the guy at the front desk said to book it through him and we would get a better deal because they have to pay commissions to Booking.com, but the price he quoted (€60) translates to $71.61, a whopping savings of 39 cents ... WHOOPEE! We were there, so I booked the room through him, but after paying the €120 for two nights, we were told that we would have to pay an additional "environmental charge" of €2 at check out. No biggy, so we went to the room.

The room had a fantastic view of Xlendi Bay, a gorgeous inlet in a cute little town on the Southwest coast of Gozo, but two people could barely fit on the small balcony overlooking the bay. The room was extremely small, big enough for the king size bed (two singles pushed together) with a nightstand on each side, that was it. There was barely enough room to move around the room on the three sides of the bed without scraping the wall. The bathroom was decent size.

The weather was chilly by Gozo standards and the sea very rough because of the high Westerly winds blowing directly into the bay. Our room was FREEZING! I like a cool room, especially when I sleep, but this was ridiculous. I set the thermostat on high, grabbed a big comforter out of the closet and snuggled up on the bed, dosing off for about an hour. When I awoke, the room was even colder and I was shivering like a leaf, so we dressed and went down for dinner in their restaurant. I told the front desk clerk, a nice woman from Milan, about the problem with the heat and she said they were on top of it. There were three other people there and we were told that we were not the only ones with the problem, but it was Sunday night and their maintenance man was doing what he could.

We went to the restaurant for dinner, €16 each (hotel guest price - €21 for others) for a fixed price menu. My wife had the vegetable soup, meatloaf, and coconut tart with vanilla ice cream. I had the spaghetti Bolognese, pan fried chicken breast with tomato sauce and melted cheese, and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Our server, Merriam from Belgium, could not have been nicer or more attentive, she was the highlight of the meal.

My wife's pureed veggie soup was bland and what can you say about meatloaf (polpettone) other than it was meatloaf and OK. The grilled veggies and roasted potatoes accompanying our meals were pretty good and her coconut tart was tasty.

My Bolognese was lukewarm and the sauce way too sweet. My chicken had the same sweet tomato sauce on top and was also not very warm. The apple pie was decent, but not as good as most you would find stateside. At €16 ($19) a pop, I guess we could not complain too much, it was a decent deal even with all of the flaws.

That night and the next morning our room was still freezing, so we went to breakfast. The same guy who checked us in was at the desk, so I asked him if our heat was going to be fixed that day and he assured me it would, but added "I don't know why your room was the only one with no heat when the hotel has central heating". Well, our room was NOT the only one without heat as confirmed the night before, so I said "why don't you tell me then" and we went to breakfast. Not only did we not receive an apology, he acted like we were nuts. Give me a break!

Breakfast was actually pretty good with eggs over medium, English-style (undercooked) bacon, and pork and beans. They also had fresh, local bread, salami, ham and cheese as well as yogurts, cereals, and two types of cake. You had to get your own coffee out of an automatic coffee machine, but it was decent. The only drawback being some rather large eggshells in the scrambled eggs on our final day that my wife nearly choked on. Anyway, we left immediately afterward for a day full of sightseeing and when we returned that night, the heat was finally working ... BRAVO!

The hotel is nice for a 3-star and $73+ for a seafront room ain't a bad deal, but here is why I am deducting stars (Bombs):

1. He should have given us a better price for booking directly through the hotel and he did not.

2. We froze our asses off and not only did we not get an apology (or a comped dinner or discount on our room), we got a smartass remark.

3. The room and balcony were tiny.

4. Dinner was a bargain, but was poorly done with bland, cold food.

5. Eggshells in the scrambled eggs ... unprofessional and unsavory, even dangerous

With all that being said, I can only give them an average rating, even with the excellent price ...

CombatCritic Gives Hotel San Andrea 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Good To Go"

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Title: Xlendi, Gozo (Malta): Decent Deal On Oceanfront Room, But Froze Our Buns Off Without As Much As An Apology

Key Words: Xlendi, bay, Gozo, Malta, oceanfront room, hotel, hotels, Booking.com, 3-star, accommodation, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Copyright 2017/2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Wall Of Shame: Another Day, Another 3 Million Dollars - TripAdvisor Riding The Backs Of The Little Guys ... Their Customers

TripAdvisor LLC
400 First Avenue
Needham, MA 02494 USA
Phone: +1 (781) 800-5000
Website: TripAdvisor.com

TripAdvisor is a greedy, ruthless company and if you believe their dribble, I have a bridge in Hayes, Kansas I would love to sell you.

I was a TripAdvisor "TOP CONTRIBUTOR" for years, submitting hundreds of complimentary reviews from all over the World and getting nothing in return except total disrespect, refusing to publish many of my reviews with no reasonable explanation.

TripAdvisor makes billions (approximately $1.5 Billion in 2015) off of merchants who pay for "premium" ad or review placement on their websites and review contributors like me who spend a great deal of time generating revenue for TripAdvisor by submitting reviews gratis. Take a look at their swanky new headquarters in Needham, Massachusetts paid for by you (who click on their ads), me (who foolishly submit reviews gratis to TripAdvisor), and merchants (who pay for ads and premium review placement).

I had numerous reviews "denied" for posting on TripAdvisor while given no explanation other than "your review does not meet our guidelines". The same exact reviews were submitted on such reputable sites as Yelp (where I am Elite '14/'15/'16'/'17), Zomato ("Verified Connoisseur"), Tabelog (Official "Silver" Judge), Booking.com (Genius), and others, including my popular blog CombatCritic's TravelValue, and published without delay. TripAdvisor, on the other hand, MUST APPROVE ALL REVIEWS before publishing, ensuring that they contribute to their bottom line ($$$$) and do not detract from paid advertisements or their own image.

I can guarantee you that the "pending" reviews listed in the above photo will never be published because of my valid criticisms of TripAdvisor's imperfect website and biased business practices. Here are the unfiltered reviews in question if you want to read them for yourself:

Valletta, Malta: Free Valletta Tour Well Worth Price Of Admission ... And More!

Valletta, Malta: "Sunk" My Teeth Into This "Submarine" And Boy Was I Glad I Did

The owner of The Submarine, for example, has been complaining to TripAdvisor for months about the incorrect map location of their business on TripAdvisor's website, to no avail. We had the same problem, searching for the "#1 of 280 Valletta Restaurants", The Submarine, on TripAdvisor's map function, missing the mark by several blocks and finally calling the business to get directions. I submitted a map correction to TripAdvisor, pinpointing the exact location of The Submarine, but like all other feedback customers give them, it will likely be ignored. The only reason we were using TripAdvisor, by the way, is because they are the only game in town (Malta - the same in India), likely paying-off local officials, in my opinion, in order to keep competition like Yelp and Zomato out of their markets.

All TripAdvisor cares about is making money, not telling the truth, in my opinion, so they only post reviews that support their goals, generating revenue from travel industry businesses that pay for premium placement and clicks on travel related ads. That is why I told them to "shove it" about a year-and-a-half ago after they refused to publish my perfectly benign review of the Villisca Ax Murder House in Villisca, Iowa, resubmitting the same review several times only to be denied publishing.

I documented my concern and protest of TripAdvisor's unprofessional behavior and misleading content in my June 24, 2016 post after complaining to TripAdvisor several times, with no response, then deleting my "Top Contributor" account entirely.

I refuse to do business with TripAdvisor and so should you. The only reason I posted the recent reviews was to test their business practices once again by posting my concerns and complaints publicly to see if they would be published ... they will not.

CombatCritic Gives TripAdvisor An Unprecedented 0 Bombs Out Of 10 And An Additional Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... Shame On You TripAdvisor!

Zero Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube 

Title: Wall Of Shame: Another Day, Another 3 Million Dollars - TripAdvisor Riding The Backs Of The Little Guys ... Their Customers

Key Words: TripAdvisor, trip, advisor, website, hotels, restaurants, things to do, reservations, TripAdvisor.com, unprofessional, biased, ruthless, Yelp, YouTube, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Wall of Shame

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

"CombatCritic", "TravelValue" and "BOOAH" Are Protected Under U.S. Copyright Laws And Are Exclusive Property Of 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic

Copyright 2017-2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

TripAdvisor Accused Me of Plagiarism! Are You Kidding Me?

On Dec 17, 2013, at 9:45 AM, "TripAdvisor" <members@e.tripadvisor.com> wrote:

Dear TripAdvisor Member, Thank you for taking the time to write a review of Wheatfields Bakery on TripAdvisor. We value your contribution, and would like to be able to post it to our website. However, we are unable to publish your review because it violated the following guideline(s):  *Original  Reviews should contain only original content and no substantial quoted material from other sources, including (but not limited to) websites, e-mail correspondence, other reviews, etc.  Important note: If you'd like to update a review you wrote, please Contact Us using the following form: http://www.tripadvisor.com/UserReviewSupport. If you'd be willing to edit and resubmit your review, we'd really appreciate it, and so will your fellow travelers! Your original review is included below so you can easily copy and paste it into the review form and make the necessary edits. You may view a comprehensive list of our guidelines here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/our_guidelines_for_traveler_reviews Best regards, TripAdvisor Support Team ------original review------- Subject: Wheatfields Bakery Location: Lawrence, Kansas, United States, North America Title: Wheatfields: A Field of Dreams for Bread Lovers ID#: XXXX0666 WheatFields Bakery Café 904 Vermont Street Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: 785.841.5553 Web: www.WheatfieldsBakery.com Hours: Monday through Friday - 6:30am to 8:00pm Saturday 6:30am to 6:30pm Sunday - 7:30am to 4:00pm I have been meaning to review Wheatfields, a bakery and restaurant one block West of Mass Street in downtown Lawrence, for quite some time, but this morning was the first time we actually had a meal there. I love a good, hearty breakfast, but because bacon, eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy are not as healthy as they are tasty, we normally only indulge on special occasions. With today being my birthday, we went for broke! Wheatfields makes the most wonderful breads and my wife has been buying them since she started working at KU nearly three years ago. Our favorite is the raisin and pecan sourdough ($, a robust torpedo-shaped loaf with a thick crust outside and plenty of raisins and pecan pieces inside. It toasts marvelously and is delicious alone, with butter, or coated in my favorite delicacy in the world ... peanut butter ... YUUUUUM! They have many other varieties, including sourdough, semolina with sesame and poppy seeds, and others ... Ciabatta, Country French, Pain de Campagne, Rustic Italian Round, Walnut Raisin, Walnut Sage, 100% Whole Wheat. Breads range in price from $4 to nearly $9 for their holiday specials, including chocolate cherry ($8) and anise and grape ($4) which are only made during the month of December. When dining at Wheatfields, you order at the counter immediately in front of you as you enter through the lefthand door (the bakery counter sits in front of the right), pay, and are given a small sign to place on your table so the servers can bring your order to the correct table. Drinks are help-yourself with three varieties of coffee (two regular and one decaf) and a small selection of fountain drinks. Always keeping it simple on a first visit, I decided on the Classic Breakfast (#1 - Two eggs, freshly grated hash browns and toast - $3.95, with sausage links or bacon - $5.95) and a full order of the biscuits and gravy (#5 - Buttermilk biscuits, spicy sausage gravy - Full order $5.75, half order $3.75) to share with my wife. Not a big meat eater, she had the French toast (#3 - Three slices dipped in egg, Irish Cream, and cinnamon, grilled, served with pure maple syrup - $6.95). Our meals arrived rather quickly, even before I was done pouring our coffee and toasting the sourdough bread which accompanied my breakfast. My Classic Breakfast was good with the eggs cooked perfectly over-medium, the bacon crispy but not burnt, and the hash browns also crunchy, just the way I like them. The order of biscuits and gravy was HUGE with two very large biscuits smothered in a thick country gravy with loads of sausage. I was surprised that my breakfast and the biscuits were luke-warm considering the fact that they arrived so quickly, leading me to believe that they are not cooked to order, but are prepared in advance, kept semi-warm, and served buffet-style from the kitchen. The taste was good, but my meal would have been better had it been served piping-hot. The coffee was hot, obviously fresh, and delicious! My wife's French toast consisted of three large slices of sourdough dipped in egg and fried with an overgenerous amount of cinnamon. At $6.95 for three slices of bread, a little egg, a dash of cinnamon, and a little (maybe Maple) syrup, this dish is overpriced by at least $1. Again, this dish could have also been warmer and it would have been nice if the accompanying cup of syrup had also been warm, but it seemed to be straight out of the jar (bottle or can). The cinnamon was overbearing, but otherwise the dish was good, not great. As breakfast goes, I have had better, much better, but we enjoyed our meal and may return for lunch or dinner to see how they do. Lawrence does not have an abundance of good restaurants, but being a fairly small town of around 90,000, I guess that is to be expected. Wheatfields is a very popular meeting place with great (not cheap) bread, excellent coffees, and "very average" breakfast fare. They seem to be doing well because the place was nearly full at 10:30AM on a Sunday, but I believe they would be bursting at the seams, as most GREAT breakfast restaurants do, if the food was cooked to order and hot. I would also suggest having the servers, who are already there to serve the food, take orders rather than creating a choke-point by having customers order at the counter and fiddle about with coffee, cream, sugar, drinks, silverware and napkins. The servers would likely also appreciate it, instead being tipped 15-20% instead of the loose change they receive in the jar by the register. A few smiles and an occasional "thank you" from staff would also be much appreciated. CombatCritic Gives Wheatfields Bakery Cafe 6 Out of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Here is my reply TripAdvisor:

Beside a couple of words from Wheatfield's menu item descriptions, my review is completely original and I am offended by your accusations! 

I WILL NOT update my review because IT IS 100% ORIGINAL! How 'bout I simply stop providing my uncompensated reviews? Yelp, Urbansooon, and Foursquare love my original, comprehensive reviews and being that there is NO VALUE ADDED to my submitting my hard work to TripAdvisor, it's no skin off my nose if you publish them or not.

For that matter, why don't you go ahead and close my account and I will happily take my business where it is appreciated! 

Read more about your poor judgment and insult to my integrity in my increasing popular blog: http://www.CombatCritic.com

C.T. Sorrentino, LtCol, USAF (Ret)

aka CombatCritic

CombatCritic Gives TripAdvisor 1 Out of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: Tripadvisor, advisor, buy, travel, restaurant, 66044, Kansas, website, plagiarism, web, purchase, trip, Hotels, airlines, Lawrence, review, combat, critic, insult, CombtCritic

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