The view or two from my "office"

We stayed near by at the Samling hotel. Wordsworth paid his rent there back in the day.
Great hotel but has increased in price considerably.
 
You must be VIP guests at that hotel
Do they give you your favourite room?😘
And it is a great view!
We were greeted warmly upon arrival even before showing my ID @ellen10 !
Think only once we have not received an upgrade to a suite. This time it is a corner suite with views of MCG one side, across to Government House, Arts Centre spire, Port Phillip Bay
20260913_095636.jpg

and out the other window, Fitzroy Gardens, CBD and St Patrick's Cathedral (where my parents got married!)
20260913_095654.jpg
So to answer your question - Yes!
 
Elevate your business spending to first-class rewards! Sign up today with code AFF10 and process over $10,000 in business expenses within your first 30 days to unlock 10,000 Bonus PayRewards Points.
Join 30,000+ savvy business owners who:

✅ Pay suppliers who don’t accept Amex
✅ Max out credit card rewards—even on government payments
✅ Earn & transfer PayRewards Points to 10+ airline & hotel partners

Start earning today!
- Pay suppliers who don’t take Amex
- Max out credit card rewards—even on government payments
- Earn & Transfer PayRewards Points to 8+ top airline & hotel partners

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

From Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston in 2nd Class. As usual train companies don't believe that anyone travels with luggage but at least there is reasonable leg room. One good thing was that we could board early and jag luggage rack. Sitting on the aisle my elbow is being hit on a regular basis. The carriage seems a lot narrower than the German ICE trains.


IMG20260913094655.jpg

IMG20260913100812.jpg
 
After being on board for 30 minutes the seats are very hard - like suburban trains

Also the internet confirmed that the trains are markedly narrower than the European trains we are used to. The seats are also markedly narrower. But I couldn't justify the extra £150 on a 2:30 trip when I made the booking. They offered upgrades for £40 per seat just before departure.
 

Become an AFF member!

Join Australian Frequent Flyer (AFF) for free and unlock insider tips, exclusive deals, and global meetups with 65,000+ frequent flyers.

AFF members can also access our Frequent Flyer Training courses, and upgrade to Fast-track your way to expert traveller status and unlock even more exclusive discounts!

AFF forum abbreviations

Wondering about Y, J or any of the other abbreviations used on our forum?

Check out our guide to common AFF acronyms & abbreviations.
Back
Top