"I have a mind like a steel... uh... thingy." Patrick Logan's weblog.

Search This Blog

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Thoughts on Hotels and Coffee in Belfast

As long as I'm writing down my thoughts on this trip: I've been in two hotels in Belfast, the Hilton and the Radisson. Both are nice, close to the city center, and on the water.

They both have internet frustrations: neither have wireless in the rooms; the Hilton charges for wired internet in the rooms at ₤15 per 24 hours! When you pay that fee then they also throw in wireless _in the lobby_! Well, it's BT and the voucher is good for any BT provider in that 24 hour period. I found BT is the provider around some nearby coffee shops.

The Radisson at least provides free, but wired, internet. The problem then is the MacBook's adapter for UK plugs do not fit in the limited space above the immovable desk provided in the room! The nearest outlet that provides enough clearance for the adapter is across the room on the other side of the bed. If I had a 25' extension cord for either electricity or the internet, then this might be less frustrating.

(Let me update this with a warning: if you intend to use the internets with any expectation of getting bits back to your laptop, avoid the Radisson altogether. Band-width-wise this turned out to be simply unusable for long stretches.)

And so on to coffee: Caffe Nero is the best I've found in the city center so far, and the best I've found anywhere for a large chain. http://www.caffenero.com/

2 comments:

PetrolHead said...

Hey Patrick,

What are your travel plans on leaving Belfast?

Dan.
http://www.dancres.org/

Patrick Logan said...

I'm heading direct from Belfast to the US to get home in time for the 4th of July. I've never missed out on the opportunity to shoot fireworks with the boys. :^)

Blog Archive

About Me

Portland, Oregon, United States
I'm usually writing from my favorite location on the planet, the pacific northwest of the u.s. I write for myself only and unless otherwise specified my posts here should not be taken as representing an official position of my employer. Contact me at my gee mail account, username patrickdlogan.