Carlton hotels | The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

So this morning, we got up early to come home to Germany. We were checked out of the hotel by 7:40am. Bill had a heck of a time negotiating the streets leaving Haarlem, thanks to a wonky GPS. We finally found our way out and I saw a shot I regretted missing during our walks around Haarlem. Now I have another reason to go back there.

I am really happy I took Rick Steves’ advice and stayed in Haarlem instead of Amsterdam. Don’t get me wrong. Amsterdam is pretty and full of excitement and things to do. I just preferred the smaller, quainter, less overwhelming and crazy atmosphere of Haarlem. It was also a lot cheaper to stay there and it’s only two stops by train to Amsterdam. Haarlem is also very convenient to the airport. So if we go back, we’ll probably stay in Haarlem again. Indeed, I would book the Carlton Square Hotel again too. We liked the location, the rain shower, comfortable bed, and the very generous free minibar. The service was great, too. It’s not a hotel I would necessarily recommend to the price conscious or really young folks– it’s a bit old fashioned and not so cheap. I liked it, though. I’m getting old.

This was our third stay in a Carlton hotel. We’ve enjoyed all three in different cities. Not all offer the free minibar, though. We stayed at The Dominican in Brussels and the only free drinks we got came from the Nespresso machine.

Today’s lone photo… lunch at a German truck stop. I washed it down with Coke for once.

I ate a third and final space cake on the way out of Haarlem and it made the drive back more relaxing and less boring. I should emphasize that I didn’t do any driving on the way home. Bill generally does all the driving on our trips and operates on a strict no marijuana basis. He’s also very careful about not drinking alcohol when he drives.

The only time I got slightly grumpy was when we stopped at a truck stop for a pee and some lunch. Several tour buses full of elderly people got there at the same time we did. The rain was pouring down and I just wanted a whiz, but they were all in line for the potty. I knew it would take awhile and we had to pay 70 cents for the privilege.

Bill was annoyed when I said we should go to the next truck stop. But he obliged me and fortunately it wasn’t long before we came upon it. There was a crowd there too, but it wasn’t as populated as the first place was. I was able to pee and enjoy my burger in peace.

We got home at about 3:40pm. We unloaded everything and I started a load of laundry. Bill went to get the dogs, who were delighted to come home. Apparently, there were no fights between them during our trip, which is a good thing.

I don’t know when our next trip will be. My mom is going to visit next month, so I’m sure we will be entertaining her with the local sights. I’ll get back to looking for local gems.

Yesterday, we moved on from Apeldoorn to Haarlem. Originally, I had planned to stay in Amsterdam, but Rick Steves advises that Haarlem is much homier and friendlier and less crowded. Also, I found the hotel prices were much more affordable. Before we went to Haarlem, we decided to visit Apenheul, a special zoo that is home to monkeys and other related creatures. I knew it would be a very kid friendly place, but it was also fun for us to explore. We got there fairly early. As it turned out, getting there somewhat early was a good thing. The park wasn’t too crowded and there was plenty of parking available. It was 17,50 euros for each ticket, which was less than I was expecting.

We saw gorillas, ring tailed lemurs, orangutans, and other adorable primates, many of which were free range and allowed to walk among the masses. Most of them didn’t mingle too much with park visitors, but there were a few that were practically tame. Some people carried monkey bags with them because if you aren’t careful, they can get into your stuff. We had no such trouble. The only trouble we had involved rain, which got a little harder as we were leaving the park. We got out of there at just the right time.

It took about 90 minutes to get to Haarlem. Once we did, we found the hotel and the vast parking garage located right next to it. We checked into the executive suite I booked. I was lucky enough to have a $150 coupon, so it was really a steal. We are staying at the Carlton Square Hotel, which features a full and complimentary minibar. And when I say full, I mean full. There are generous decanters of whisky and cognac as well as vodka, gin, wine and beer. There are also soft drinks, peanuts, and chocolates… We stayed at the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow and The Dominican hotel in Brussels. Both are sister hotels, but only the Carlton George had a free bar in it. The Carlton George wasn’t as nice as this hotel is. I have decided I like this chain, though. I would have booked their Amsterdam property, but it was too pricey.

Nice bed.

After offloading our stuff, we went to a local restaurant and enjoyed some beer and burgers. Just across the street is a coffeeshop, where one can buy weed. Bill was a little put off by it, but I read up on it and it actually gets pretty good ratings.

Later, we went to the hotel bar, which offers a nice selection of whiskys and great 80s music, which did a lot to make me feel less old. Bill and I downed a few rounds as I said goodbye to my 42nd year on the planet…