AT&T… we have a connection!

I bet you thought I was going to talk about my phone, huh? Well, I’m not. Okay, maybe I am – a little. We have been having major challenges with our cell signal at the house. AT&T just can’t seem to keep us connected no matter what they do lately. I think it’s because instead of fixing our cell tower, AT&T has been putting all their resources into the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

I've stayed in this hotel before, and again it was a wonderful place to stay while attending a conference. The conference rooms were excellent and the breakout refreshments were very nice. My room was comfortable, quiet, had a great work desk, and fast internet. Our group had a couple of very good evening meals (and more than a few drinks) in the bar and were served by a great bar staff.

Now let’s talk about those new-fangled energy efficient light bulbs.

If I have anything negative at all to say it would be that the lighting in the room was a little dim for my taste. I appreciate the energy efficient lighting and the fact that it softens the wrinkles when I look in the mirror… but it would’ve been nice to be a little brighter when I needed to put on my makeup. Even soft wrinkles need a little help when you get to my age.

Texas is better with whipped cream

The Rio Grand Valley and South Texas are a part of my territory now, so I will obviously be looking for a great home-away-from-home. I think I've found it already. The Staybridge Suites Brownsville, in Brownsville Texas is a wonderful and comfortable property.

I was a little worried when I was given a room on the first floor, because I don't like to hear stomping around above me. But this turned out to be one of the quietest hotels I've ever stayed in. Either it was extremely well insulated or there was no one else there. I think it was just well insulated.

I asked the desk clerk to steer me to a good Mexican Restaurant and was sent to Mi Pueblito, just down the street. It was wonderful and offered a regional cuisine, not typical Tex-Mex.

Then, just when I thought I'd found a nearly perfect hotel, I went to breakfast. The waffle machine made Texas shaped waffles. I've had Texas waffles before - but this hotel offered fresh strawberries and whipped cream as toppings.

I think I'm in love.

When you're hot - you're hot.

I have stayed at the San Luis Resort in Galveston, Texas three times now. It is the chosen hotel (the rooms are booked for us, and we just show up) for my required staff off-site working retreat, but I've never been there for fun. Not that we didn't manage to find a little fun while we were there, but the majority of the time was spent locked away in the bunker under the hotel. It really is an actual bunker. The San Luis Resort Hotel was built on the site of the old Fort Crockett. Fort Crockett was originally built in 1897 and was used in some form until 1947.

The conference rooms are built inside the eight foot walls that surrounded the fort. Apparently the military operations didn't use cell phones, because the signal in the conference center is nonexistent. Now that I think about it, it might have been deliberate. I imagine the military leaders didn't think it was wise for the troops to be playing Angry Birds while on duty.

Now back to my stay in the hotel. The room was fine, no weird layout or lumpy pillows, no odd noises or lights in my room. But it was hot. I don't sleep well in a room that is warm, and this one was more than warm - it felt like a sauna. I dozed off and on through the first night, but first thing the next morning I went to the front desk and asked if engineering could be sent up to my room to check on the air conditioner. The clerk asked me if I had left the balcony door open. Out loud I said no, but I was really saying "Excuse me? I've been in a conference. I've been holed up in the bunker without a cell signal. After a long day, sitting on the balcony in the dark soaking up the humidity at night isn't very high on my list." The clerk said he'd have someone look at it.

That evening, I went back to my room and found a box of Belgian Chocolate Truffles and a note from the maintenance guy. He apologized and said he was sincerely sorry that I had maintenance issues. The room hadn't cooled down a bit, but I did.

Chocolate has amazing properties, doesn't it?

Up to my neck in hot water! Well, not literally...

Well, not literally... ...but almost. I have never been in a hotel that the tub drained so poorly. It was sad. I told the desk clerk when I checked out, and she said she'd tell maintenance. I hope she does, but somehow I doubt it because I saw several reviews from years ago on TripAdvisor that referred to the same issue.

This hotel mentioned its "club floor" for Priority Members on its website. I am a Platinum Royal Ambassador who stays over 150 nights a year in hotels but even though my reservation was made several months out, they had no room for me on the club floor. I was however, given a room on the so-called quiet floor where "even the housekeeping doesn't go until after 10:00 AM." Wrong. Housekeeping was there every morning knocking on doors and vacuuming at 7:00 AM.

The room was typical of Crowne Plaza accommodations. Nothing special, but it seemed clean, had a comfortable bed and the internet access was not too slow. They also provided the typical amenities bag with earplugs.

I also wondered about the secret handshake. I was given a key to the club floor, but the club lounge was so small that I couldn't get in either night I stayed. I came to the conclusion that the club was so exclusive I just didn't have what it takes. It kind of reminded me of high school. But, unlike high school - I ended up in the bar. The bar staff were pleasant, the food and drinks were good.

This wasn’t my favorite Crowne Plaza, and I don’t know yet if I will try it again on my return to Little Rock. I’ll have to think about it.

You want me to stay where??

This is not my first stay at the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Airport in San Antonio, Texas. In fact, I've been a regular here for years. So...

Why is it that when I checked in this time you acted like I've never been here before? Oh, no. You can't fool me. I know that you have records. You know who stays here a lot.

Until this stay, I used to stay in the hotel 5 or 6 times a year and did so for 3 years. I was always pleased with the customer service, enjoyed the club lounge, felt safe, and slept well.

In fact, up until recently this hotel used to be on my “favorites list.” Then something happened. I don’t know if the property changed management or what, but the last few stays I started noticing difficulties. On several visits I had something go wrong – the room wasn’t ready, the keys didn’t work, the safety lock on the door was not working. I kept going back because of my previous positive experiences, and because every property occasionally has a bad day. When you travel a lot you accept that even the best properties occasionally have a glitch.

I am also very well aware of the fact that Platinum Priority Club members are offered upgrades on space available basis. This hotel almost always had upgrades for loyal clientele. The few times I wasn’t upgraded, I was still given a room on a high floor in the main building and given access to the club lounge.

This time though, as soon as I saw the room I was given I left the property and haven’t gone back. This last experience along with all the inconsistencies finally pushed me over the edge.

I made my reservation for this hotel over a month out, but when I arrived I was told that the hotel was full. They did not have any rooms in the main building, but the young lady at the desk said they had “upgraded” me to a room in the back section. The room turned out to be right over the parking garage - smaller than any room I’ve had at any hotel - low ceiling, dark, and stuffy. I was appalled that the desk clerk called it an “upgrade.” In my opinion, if that accommodation was an upgrade for a loyal guest, the hotel management needs to be retrained. When I went back to the desk to express my dissatisfaction, I was not even offered an apology... just a comment that I would not be charged for the room. I left.

The way I see it, if I want to be ignored I'll call Sprint customer support.

Bluegrass, lemongrass, and ghosts

We loved the Occidental Hotel in Buffalo Wyoming!

We decided to take a last minute mini-vacation over the Fourth of July Holiday, a driving tour that took us to five states in five days. It was a little crazy, but what a trip it was! Our adventure would start with flying into Colorado where we would rent a car and drive to Wyoming, head north to Montana, ease on over to North Dakota, turn south and visit South Dakota - then head back east so we could fly home from Denver.

When we first decided to go through Wyoming, I Googled hotels and found the Occidental Hotel. The hotel had good reviews, and really sounded like fun so I called to ask about availability. It turns out that there was a cancellation just before I called, and we were able to reserve the "General Sheridan" Suite.

When we arrived at the hotel it was like stepping into a time warp. The hotel had creaky floors, rooms that weren't exactly soundproof, and decor that made it feel like we were stepping into a museum. It was awesome. I think it was haunted, too. It just felt that way.

We stayed in the General Sheridan Room, where (we were told) the general actually stayed. It was wonderful, and had a glorious feather bed with a beautiful antique brass headboard.

After checking in, we had an amazing dinner in the hotel's restaurant, The Virginian. It was upscale dining in a private dining room. The meal was five-star quality, and was truly an event from salad to dessert.

After dinner we went to the hotel saloon for the evening's entertainment. We found out that we had won the lottery because we were in the hotel on a Thursday night. For years the locals have been getting together on Thursday night for a bluegrass jam session which was free to the public. The place was packed! Some of the performers were really really good, adult beverages were plentiful, and we had a wonderful time.

But, my forever memory of this hotel has only a little to do with the hotel. It had to do with my wonderful husband. Here's how it happened...

One of my all-time favorite romantic movie moments is at the end of the 1964 movie "Unsinkable Molly Brown." (Yes, I know that the movie doesn't follow the incredible activist Margaret Brown, but that's for another blog.) My husband has endured this movie on several occasions because he knows I love it. In my opinion, that's the basis of a good marriage. In this fictional movie, Molly Brown returns to Denver as a heroine having saved countless lives after the sinking of the Titanic. She looks for her estranged husband on her return, and the audience is led to believe he isn't there. Then, at the end of the movie, John J. Brown, who has strategically been hiding behind the door, dramatically throws his hat across the room and onto the brass four-poster bed, symbolizing his lasting love and forgiveness. It is an extremely cheesy movie moment but it makes me tear up every time I watch it. I know, I know. Just give me this one. Anyway...

After we checked into the hotel and found our room, I went to unpack. I walked put of the bathroom toward the bedroom and there was no husband in sight. Then - right on cue, a hat goes sailing across the room and lands on the center of the big brass bed.

Sigh.

It just doesn't get any better.

Let there be light!

I really liked the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites in Desoto Texas. They upgraded me to a nice little suite, but the best thing about this relatively new hotel is that my room had a ceiling fan with lights! Hotel rooms are notoriously dark, so this was a wonderful and welcomed surprise.

Good job!

An evening under the Fun

I didn't actually stay in the MCM Grande FunDome in DeSoto, Texas, but I attended an event there so it's fair game for my blog.

I was speaking at an event, so I was dressed appropriately in a black business suit. When I walked into the hotel atrium it was like walking into a sauna. It was miserable, not only for me but for all those other people that were dressed in their finery.

But even worse than that was the banquet food. It was just plain awful. Banquet food is usually pretty bad - dry chicken, rice, and something green. But this took bad banquet food to a whole new level. The dinner plate held chicken-fried steak (sprinkled with dried parsley), potatoes, and cooked carrots. The potatoes had so much garlic in them that no self-respecting vampire could remain in the room. But the real problem was that the hotel provided one gravy boat for every four people at the table. Now, if you are from anywhere in the South you know that us "Southerners" use about two normal-sized gravy boats on one steak. What were they thinking?? That was just wrong.

Anyway, in spite of the gravy, the event was pleasant and I was honored to speak to the group. Then I left.

When I went out of the banquet hall I walked into a sea of white. For a minute I thought the "white people" had followed me from the Dallas Intercontinental... White shirts, white pants, white saris, white shoes, white turbans, white scarves, white shawls.

And there I was, dressed in black. I felt a bit like the angel of death might feel walking through a crowd of people on their way to the light.

Yup. That was weird.

White is right?

I stay often at the Intercontinental Dallas, in Dallas Texas. I like the hotel for the most part, but it has issues. My biggest complaint is the lack of wireless internet in the guest rooms. For almost four years now the front desk clerks have told me that "they are working on it." Yeah right.

I get free mini bar access at this property because I am a frequent, elite level guest (to be exact, I am a Royal Ambassador) so I guess I can overlook the whole wireless thing.

I've stayed at this particular hotel more times than I can count, and have a pretty good feel for the hotel and the types of clientele the hotel serves. Most of the time the people I encounter are business travelers, or people in town for conventions. This hotel does have it's share of interesting things going on, though. I mentioned in a previous entry the crazy guy at the bar. He was a regular for a while, but eventually they asked him not to come back. They said he got to be a little too much trouble, but I kind of liked the guy. And, I remained loyal to the hotel and stayed multiple times when the entire hotel was under renovation and wrapped in saran wrap. It was a real mess when it was under construction, but I stayed true. (Hey, a free mini-bar is great incentive.)

This particular stay was the first of four nights in different hotels on a long business trip. I should have known it was going to be an interesting couple of days when I walked out of my room at the Intercontinental the next morning. I wondered if I had stepped into a weird time warp or something. First, when I went for breakfast the concierge lounge on the executive floor was packed with people. And kids. Lots of kids. It reminded me of a Holiday Inn Express. This is not the norm for this property. I couldn't even sit at a table, so I took my Raisin Bran back to the room. That was a first for me.

But this time I was starting to think I had stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone.

When I went to check out the next morning I noticed that the entire lobby was filled with people in very interesting white attire. Skirts, saris, turbans, shawls, slacks - all white. I'm not sure what was going on or who they were.

After I checked out and went to my car I found a flyer on my windshield advertising Swami Somebodyorother speaking the next day at a neighboring city. Maybe that was the draw for the hotel.

Then again, maybe I just missed the memo on the dress d'jour.

Oh what a night.

I've stayed before in the Holiday Inn Airport South in Ft. Worth Texas. It is a very nice property, beautifully decorated (different than most Holiday Inns) and is an exceptionally clean hotel. The desk clerks are pleasant, and recognize their loyal guests. I like that.

The bar in the hotel on this Thursday night had a real party going on. Seriously loud music, boisterous guests, and from the looks of it, some serious bar tabs. I asked the bartender if it was a special event and was told there was no special event going on... just fun. I kinda wish I could have stayed for the fun, but alas... I had to get to bed so I could make the next morning's meeting. Oh, well - maybe next time!