Mints on the Pillow

Let there be light!

2011-06-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-06-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-06-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

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!

Another use for Cheez-Its

2011-03-24T21:12:00.000-07:00

I was upgraded to a lovely suite at the Intercontinental Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This hotel doesn't have a club floor, but gave me a couple of coupons for a free breakfast as well as a couple of free drinks at the bar. The waitress at the bar was just as cute as could be and told us she thought the appetizers during happy hour were really "great - and very upscale" and she was correct. The appetizers were wonderful - and unique to hotels. (That means they had something besides buffalo chicken wings and nachos.)

The hotel is very nice, but the parking garage was like driving through a maze. No problem, I left a trail of Cheez-Its so I could find my way back.

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-01-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

My stay at Homewood Suites by Hilton in Daphne, Alabama was as close to perfect as you can get when staying in a hotel. In fact, I would recommend to anyone in the hotel business to use this hotel as an example.

My retired husband tagged along on this trip, so I needed to find a place to "stash" him while I was working. We've done this before, and he has vast experience in staying out of the way. So far, he has napped in the car, been dropped off at McDonald's, gotten overly caffeinated at Starbucks, and once even schlepped his way through Walmart. Hey, it works.

Anyway, this time I went into the lovely Homewood Suites and explained that we weren't due to check in until later that same day. I asked if I could park my husband there while I went to work. The very nice young lady at the front desk not only pointed us to the breakfast area but also explained about the TV, mentioned the fresh pot of coffee, and showed him to the sofa so he could be comfortable. She said she would let him know when the room was ready and give him the key.

Wow. That is customer service. I immediately wished we could just move in for a while.

I finished work for the day, went back to the hotel and found my husband comfortably ensconced in the room. It was a spacious studio suite - tastefully decorated and nicely lit. He informed me that there was the (expected) breakfast buffet the next morning - and - there was complimentary dinner reception as well. Then he said the dinner reception had complimentary beer and wine, too!

I don't think a hotel can get any better than this.

Wilson never had it so good.

2011-01-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Inn Express Pascagoula-Moss Point in Moss Point, Mississippi was ready and waiting for our arrival, and upgraded us to the "Wilson Suite."

When I saw the name on the suite door, for some reason I found myself thinking of Tom Hanks screaming WilsonNNNNN as his soccer ball floated off to sea. Did you know that one of the three volleyballs used in the film Cast Away was sold in an auction for $18,400? That's a bunch of money. There's a lot of interesting trivia associated with that movie. Sometime you ought to look it up on IMDB.

But this hotel stay was not to to be a castaway. In fact, the suite turned out to be very nice. It was a generous sized suite with a cute little corner wet-bar - with a tissue holder on the front side right in the middle. I thought the tissue holder in the bar was rather clever. After all, how many times do you find yourself standing at the microwave or refrigerator saying to yourself "Gee. I sure wish I had a tissue while I am popping my popcorn." Well, they solved that problem.

The hotel was also right across the street from a very nice little Mexican Restaurant called Hacienda San Miguel. Viewing the restaurant from the hotel it appears that the restaurant is located at a truck stop. I asked at the front desk and was told that the trucks just park next to the restaurant, and that the restaurant was actually very good. We decided to try it, and were pleased that just like we were told, it was actually very good and reasonably priced. We had a pitcher of margaritas, then walked back across the street and re-joined Wilson.

Party on Garth

2010-12-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Inn San Antonio North in San Antonio, Texas has only been open for five months. It still has that new hotel smell. It still has that new hotel attitude. I liked it.

The hotel is very proud of the fact that they have been chosen Trip Advisor's "Number One" hotel in San Antonio, as they should be. I will agree that the property is very nice. The staff were well trained and extremely cordial. Everything was clean and comfortable, and I had an excellent club sandwich at the hotel restaurant/bar. I loved the bartender. Not only was he efficient and pleasant, he was also working on his final design project for semester finals in-between customers. I thought that was cute. I tipped him a couple of extra bucks and considered it an investment in his education.

After dinner I went back to my room to relax and was serenaded by the (very loud) music wafting into my room from the building next door. It went on most of the evening. That was something I'd never encountered before. I wonder if I would have heard it if my room was on the other side of the hotel?

But now I will announce that I found the single most wonderful invention ever in this hotel... the "constant fan" button. The room air conditioner/heater unit had a button that said constant fan. Now why did it take so long for hotels to figure that out? The fact that I could choose a loud fan in this room completely blocked out the party next door and I slept like a baby.

Good job, Holiday Inn San Antonio North. I'll be back!

No sniffles here

2010-11-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

I don't have a lot to report about the Hampton Inn in San Angelo, Texas. It was pretty average as Hamptons go. The room did seem small by hotel standards, but I think it was just my perception. I'm a little spoiled by the upgrades I get with Holiday Inns.

When the facial tissues ran out though, it occurred to me that I have a perfect record. I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel that the facial tissues in the bathroom didn't run out. No, really. You know how the hotel tissues are designed so that when you get to a certain amount from the bottom the tissues are beige instead of white? Well every single time I am in a hotel the obligatory beige one pops up. Once you see that one, it's over. You better not get a cold.

I'm still trying to get used to the Hilton chain. It's not their fault that I have the magic tissue gene. But Hamptons have those do-it-yourself waffles makers in their breakfast area. That makes it all okay.

Doin' it right

2010-10-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

I was very impressed with the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport in Herndon, Virginia. After my last trip to Virginia I was a little concerned because my hotel at that time was, well - it was simply awful.

I think I have finally found my home-away-from-home when I travel to this area. (I guess that opening my mind to an alternate hotel chain was a smart thing to do after all!)

Anyway, this hotel had everything I look for in a hotel - well, except maybe a complimentary mini-bar. But, hey - you can't always get what you want.

My room was spacious and very nice. But, before you arrive you should know something.

The rooms are about six and a half miles from the lobby.

It's true - the hotel is a really big circle. My room was on the far side of the circle, which meant there was nothing quick about getting to my room from the elevator. The good thing about it though is that you can't get lost. So, if you drink too much you'll just keep going around in circles until you finally find your room. Convenient.

The ceiling fell in before I got there. Really.

2010-09-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

The roof fell in the day before I checked in to the Hilton Birmingham Perimeter Park in Birmingham Alabama. At least that's what the bartender said while I was having dinner. She said that the pipes broke in the ceiling, and the ceiling tiles came down. It flooded the lobby and the ground floor of the hotel.

It was nice that they cleaned most of it up before I got there.

I wondered if the broken pipes were somehow the reason for the less than stellar appetizers in the Club Lounge. If it was, I might forgive them. (Before I proceed I must offer a disclaimer here. The two nights before this stay I was in one of my all-time favorite hotels - the Hotel InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta. Maybe I was a little prejudiced? Maybe not.)

The Hilton spread featured packaged tortilla chips with bottled Picante Sauce, BBQ chicken wings, several blocks of cheese, Ritz crackers, and a variety of pre-cut and packaged vegetables. It kind of reminded me of the things you put out for the last minute Super Bowl Party you didn't know your husband was having at your house.

There was a weird metallic smell in my room, and I guessed that it was because of the work on the lower level pipes. But, just to be on the safe side I went down the hall to see where the fire escape stairs were on my floor. The way I saw it - it would be best to know such things... just in case.

I'm having to think really hard about switching hotel chains. I really like the Hilton's "double dipping" policy that allows me to get both miles and points for hotel stays, but I have yet to feel like the chain is worth my loyalty. I've been in several properties that were just average, and several that were not even qualified as average. However, in all fairness some of the IHG properties were a little sad too, so I'm going to give the Hiltons a fair shake. I want to see how they treat loyal travelers. It won't take long to earn top level status (Diamond, I believe) so I'll be able to really compare the Hilton to the IHG chain. This is actually fun. Maybe I should do this with all the chains? Next I can conquer Marriott. Then Hyatt.

Now there's an addition to my "bucket list."

Highlighting a great stay

2010-09-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday when I went to get my hair done I told the stylist that I was ready for something a little different. She had a bad back and was taking muscle relaxers. This was probably not a good blend for a new hairstyle. The result was a color combination that wasn't awful, but was definitely not quite as subtle as usual.

After I checked into the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta Georgia, the Bell Captain complimented me on my "highlights." I thought that was interesting. Maybe they are trained to be that observant. Or maybe he was related to my stylist and she called him to tell him that I was a little freaked out about the new hair color...maybe the bell captain..... uh, maybe I should just move along with my blog.

The InterContinental should be used as the standard for hotels. It is consistently wonderful.

And the Bell Captains know just what to say.

How dry I am.

2010-09-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

I would have never stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in Pearl Mississippi had I known it was in a dry county. I didn't even know those still existed!

But, I found out they do exist when I went to eat dinner at the restaurant next door to the hotel. I chose this hotel because it showed up on the hotel list as an "airport" hotel. I often stay at airport hotels because they are - well, close to the airport.

I also often enjoy an adult beverage at the end of a long day. But the fine folks of Rankin County said too bad. They do not serve alcohol in their little county - even to weary business travelers.

So, while the hotel was relatively new and quite pleasant, next time I'll choose to stay one county over. I prefer to stay somewhere where they recognize me as an adult.

Only one thing I can wine about

2010-09-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Hampton Inn Jackson-North in Jackson, Mississippi was very nice as far as hotels go. The desk clerk was very pleasant, the room was comfortable, and I had a wonderful view overlooking the Chili's Restaurant.

The hotel even had a manager's reception featuring Crawfish Etouffee and several types of beer. I don't drink beer.

I know I'm not the only non-beer drinker to stay in the hotel. I think they should have offered other options, too. At the very least, they could have served wine. It doesn't cost that much, and it would've made me happy.

It was nice to have the reception though. I always like hotels that go that extra mile to make customers feel important. But - I never saw the manager during the manager's reception, and there were only two other people at the reception besides me. Maybe the rest of the hotel guests went next door to Chili's for a glass of wine.

A shocking experience.

2010-09-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport in New Orleans Louisiana recently remodeled the hotel.

How can a hotel not have any counters in the bathroom? Really. NO counter space.

What were they thinking? In order to set down the hairdryer I had to put it in the sink. What's wrong with that picture??

Maybe they weren't looking for repeat guests.

No touchdown here!

2010-09-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

To be perfectly honest, I never even thought of checking the football schedule before I planned my last trip to New Orleans. Did you know that everything shuts down in New Orleans when the Saints open their season? I didn't. I figured it out when I checked into the lovely Intercontinental Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When I went to my room there was a piece of paper next to my welcome letter that said I wouldn't be able to get in or out of the hotel the next day because of the game. Geez. "You can check out but you can never leave..." I remember that song.

I decided that I didn't want to get stuck there so I checked out early and went to a hotel nearer the airport.

Lesson learned.

Some like it hot

2010-08-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

I recently switched hotel chains so I could take advantage of the Hilton's "double-dipping" policy. The good part of this is that I get hotel points and miles. The bad part of this is that I am basically starting over in a hotel recognition program. I guess I should say I am spoiled. I am used to being treated "special" when I check in and during my stay.

When I checked into the Hilton Garden Inn Nashville Airport hotel in Nashville, Tennessee I was assigned a room that overlooked the trash bins.

Not exactly the treatment I am used to, but I knew that when I switched loyalties. Plus, at the rate I travel it's only a matter of time before my status with Hilton is such that I'll receive the same kind of perks. I can wait.

I did enjoy my dinner though. And there was a cute young thing singing her little country-soul out to all three of us in the restaurant. Bless her heart. She was pretty good, too.

I went back to my room. The bathroom door wouldn't stay open, and I had to use the ironing board to keep it open. Then imagine my excitement when at 5:00 AM I was awakened by the trash truck outside. OK. So I wasn't given a room on the top floor. I could probably accept these things - until I woke up to take a shower the next morning and there was no hot water. NO hot water! This was not a welcome discovery.

When I went to check out before catching my plane the desk clerk asked how I enjoyed my stay. I said the hotel itself was fine, but I was not at all happy about the cold shower. She said the system had gone out for the entire hotel but as compensation she would remove my previous night's dinner charge from the bill.

Since dinner was the best part I think they should have charged me for the dinner and removed the rest of the stay. I stay in a lot of hotels, and all I want to accomplish when visiting their property overnight is two things. While I'm there I want to get a good night's sleep, and I want a nice hot shower. This hotel fell short on both of those counts.

I probably won't be back to this hotel. But, I like the fact that they allowed the young country singer a venue. We all want to reach for the stars and accomplish our dreams. As for my dream? I want to sleep past 5: 00 AM and start the day off with a hot shower.

May we both succeed.

Dust in the Wind

2010-08-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have a love-hate relationship with the Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Well, maybe hate is a little strong. I have a love-dislike a little relationship. Yes, that phrase represents it well I think. Most of my stays have been absolutely wonderful. But the hotel has no wireless, and that alone impacts my feelings of love. It's just one of those things I have learned to put up with. I guess I view my relationships with my favorite hotels a lot like marriage. If it is worth the commitment, you just have to learn to live with strange little habits.

Anyway, since my last visit to the property several months ago they have gutted the lobby and started extensive renovations. One of the managers met me when I arrived, showed me the blueprints and fabric swatches, and assured me that the hotel was going to be quite the showplace when everything is finished.

Staying in the hotel during renovations was interesting to say the least. There was no check-in desk, no restaurant, no lobby bar, and no concierge lounge. I usually take advantage of evening appetizers and continental breakfast in the lounge, so I had to figure out where to have dinner. There was a makeshift restaurant in the lobby, but I really wasn't interested.

It would have been nice to know all this before I checked in. If I had known about this in advance, I could have stopped after my meeting for take out. The first night I ended up changing clothes and going to Jack in the Box for fine dining. The second night I splurged with Taco Bell. Ah, the joys of life on the road.

I spent two nights at the hotel on this trip. As usual, my room was very nice, but it was hot. Nothing cooled it down. Maybe during the remodel the process was to re-route all the cool air from the guest rooms to cool down the construction workers in the lobby.

When I checked out I asked if part of the renovation plan was to install wireless internet in the guest rooms. No one could give me the answer to my question. I would like to think they read my 482 comments to that effect. Time will tell.

I have another trip to the DFW planned in a month or two. I'm anxious to see if the renovations will be finished. Maybe I should call first. It would be nice to know in advance if I need to take a fan - and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

A Grand Welcome

2010-08-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at the Hampton Inn Detroit Metro Airport in Detroit, Michigan, there was a huge party in the lobby.

I jokingly asked the desk clerk if the party was in my honor because I had recently started staying at Hilton properties from Holiday Inn. The clerk laughed and we talked about my reasons for switching. After our conversation she upgraded me to a lovely suite!

It turns out the party wasn't for me though.

The hotel was celebrating it's grand opening. It was nice to be there and I enjoyed the reception. The appetizers were excellent and I met the hotel manager. They definitely pulled out all the stops to impress the media and other local celebrities. I had to wonder if they do that at every Hampton opening.

There's only one reason I won't stay a whole lot at Hampton Inns. When I travel I like to stay in full-service hotels so I don't have to get out and drive after dark in strange cities if I can help it. Hampton Inn's don't have restaurants. They have very nice breakfast buffets, but I don't usually do breakfast so that isn't a draw for me.

There were no restaurants near this new hotel, so oddly enough I ended up at the Crowne Plaza next door for dinner - the very hotel I would have been in had I stayed with Holiday Inn on this trip. It kind of reminded me of a line from one of my favorite Eagles songs... You can check out but you can never leave.

Reflections on a Margarita #8

2010-08-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

The larger the city, the larger the ego.

I have wondered for some time about TSA agents at the airports across the United States.

In my unofficial random sampling of TSA agents around the United States I have noticed a running theme: The larger the city, the larger the ego.

Anyway, one day after being felt-up once again by one of these agents after I refused to go through the Nude-O-Scope (full body scanner – but that’s another blog unto itself) I decided to find out the qualifications required to apply for a job with the Transportation Security Administration. Here are the requirements as listed on the TSA official website.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

Have reached his/her 18th birthday at the time of application submission;

Be proficient in English (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, and listening);

Have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent

These are the people going through my personal items, ordering me around, touching my body, and telling me to step into a virtual strip search machine. The TSA agents are not required to submit to the same process, even if they are traveling for personal reasons and out of uniform.

The least educated of our society are given the most powerful positions when it comes to air travel. The average business traveler is college-educated, professional – and forced into submission. Is it any wonder that the agents are arrogant?

Reflections on a Margarita # 7

2010-05-19T18:49:00.001-07:00

I tried to access the TripAdvisor.com website while I was staying at the Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta. I wasn't checking out the Intercontinental, because it is an awesome hotel. I was actually looking into an upcoming stay at different property. Anyway, I got the following message:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access / on this server.

How can you not laugh at this? Wouldn't you think a great hotel would want to give guests the opportunity to put a review (or read one) on a travel website?

A peach of a stay!

2010-05-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

Wow. What more can I say? The Intercontinental Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia is very impressive.

My room had huge picture windows and a beautiful view of Stone Mountain, but in all honesty I have to say though that my room was actually smaller than other hotels I've been in. All in all though, it was a lovely room with wireless internet, a large HD flat screen TV, and a large bathroom with a soaking tub. I can live with that.

The Club Intercontinental was one of the best concierge lounges I've ever experienced. Nice food and attentive servers made for a very pleasant experience. The stay was wonderful from start to finish.

You know, I've stayed in this hotel several times before, and I really don't remember it being much above average. I wonder what the difference was this time. Maybe I was a bit prejudiced this time since I was upgraded to the top floor of the hotel. Maybe my business trip was successful and influenced my decision. Maybe I was just in a mood to be pampered. Hmm. I don't think so. It really was an exceptional experience.

They should all be like this.

Reflections on a Margarita # 6

2010-05-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I flew to Virginia on my favorite airline - Southwest Airlines. For those of you that don't fly Southwest you need to know that there are no seat assignments. If you forget to check in - or don't know to check in - you will always end up in the middle seat.

This particular flight I ended up with a young woman in the middle seat next to me that obviously had never flown on a plane. She got on the plane with this huge polka dot blanket that she wrapped herself in from head to toe. It was so big that it spilled over onto my seat. It wasn't cold on the plane and I didn't need her blanket but she shared anyway.

Then she told me that she flew all the time, but when the plane took off she panicked. She grabbed the seat in front of her and moaned until we were in the air. Poor thing. She did the same thing when we landed.

No, I don't think she had ever flown before in spite of what she said. If she had, she never would have carried on a polka-dot blanket. She would have made it a nice respectable plaid.

A very tarnished Crowne

2010-05-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

I've waited a while to write the blog on this hotel because I kept hoping I'd find the humor in my stay. I can almost always find something that makes be laugh even if it is after the fact.

But...

The Crowne Plaza Washington-Dulles Airport didn't make me laugh. In fact, if it hadn't been for the very nice bar and grill, Houlihan's, I would have little positive to report. OK, well I guess I have little positive say about the hotel at all. But, I liked Houlihan's. That's something positive.

Now about the hotel.

First off, the hotel is pricey. Now just to be fair, I'm told that everything near Washington DC is expensive. I'm one of those people that doesn't mind paying for quality, but I am also on record that it really ticks me off when I pay a lot for nothing.

The Crowne Plaza Washington-Dulles Airport was an older hotel, and in fact reminded me of the Holiday Inn Select Hotels from days gone by. I had assumed it would be up to Crowne Plaza standards, especially since it was $199 a night - and that was a discounted rate.

When I pay $199 a night for a hotel room, I expect it to be, well... $199 worth of hotel room. This room was worth about $21.50.

So, what happened? First of all I was really grateful for my GPS. Without it, I never would have found the hotel. It wasn't really at the airport, but I guess it was close enough to claim it.

I finally found the hotel and went to the desk to check in. I am usually given a room on the club floor no matter what room I book - a nice perk for Platinum Priority Club members. When I asked the nice kid at the desk, I was told I got an upgrade, but I didn't. I got exactly the room I booked. Since I wasn't given a club floor room I asked for club access anyway. Finally I convinced him to give me a key, but I could tell he was reluctant.

By the time I checked in I was starving, so I went up to the club lounge to see if they had anything to snack on before dinner. They had potato chips and sodas. Really. Why bother to call it a concierge?

But the real story here was the fact that I was given a room in a parking lot.

My room was next to a large parking lot on the back side of the hotel. I discovered this the first evening when I heard the really loud noise and looked outside to realize that just outside my room were 5 tour buses. My room windows were level with the top of a bus. The next morning around 5:30 AM, approximately 500 children loaded up for a day of sight-seeing in DC. The bus drivers get up earlier than that - sometime around 4:30 or so. They fired up the bus early, probably to cool it down. It didn't cool me down. In fact, I got a little fired up.

Usually, Platinum Priority Club members are given better rooms (and treatment!) than this. So, when I checked out the next morning I told the clerk I wasn't happy with my accommodations. I asked why I wasn't given a room on a higher floor, away from the noise. The clerk said those rooms were reserved for Priority Club members. I explained that I am a Priority Club member, a Platinum member in fact. Then the clerk asked me if I told him that when I checked in. I said I never tell anyone at the desk because the room is always reserved under my number, and the reservation screen displays my Priority Club status. But by then I was in no mood to argue and just checked out.

So now that I am writing this, I find myself thinking that the question was a little strange. Did I tell them I was a frequent traveler? Huh. I wonder where all that information entered in the reservation ended up?

Probably in the parking lot on the bus driver's clipboard.

Reflections on a Margarita #5: EZ does it.

2010-05-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

I got stopped by one of Ft. Bend's finest on the way home from work. Speeding? Nope. Tail light out? Nope. Expired tags? Nope. I'm a suspected EZ Tag violator - a hardcore crime in these parts. I think the penalty is a lot harsher for not paying toll road fees than it is for killing an endangered species or burning down a building.

Not that I'd do any of those things, but then I didn't skip out on paying my toll either. It turns out we were supposed to update our account with the new license plate number. Sheez. You'd think that somewhere they would have posted this information? Or maybe we might have gotten an email reminder or something that our license plates were not current on the account?

But noooo. They would much rather stop me with flashing lights and sirens. I think it was a great use of the policeman's time. I am much more dangerous than the guys that were going 95 miles an hour in a 65 zone while talking on a cell phone.

So I went home and updated my license plate information.

Don't you feel a whole lot safer now?

Might have cried over spoiled milk, but we didn't.

2010-05-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

This was a business trip ended by a reward stay, and my second stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Midland, Texas. Not much changed from the first stay, it was mostly very nice. But I did learn that next time I should request a room on the quiet side of the hotel, on the opposite side from the highway. Somehow I just never imagined that a hotel in Midland Texas would have more road noise than say, Chicago or Detroit - but this one did.

It also had spoiled milk. The first morning I told the hostess that the milk was bad, and somehow assumed the expiration dates would be checked and the offending milk tossed. Wrong. The next morning I opened a carton of milk and surprise!

I am glad they had orange juice.

Hummus? Humbug.

2010-03-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Intercontinental Chicago O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois is beautiful. I was upgraded to a lovely two room suite, and the suite was architecturally like the rooms you see in those home decorating magazines. It was spectacular, but not for everyday living. So, what exactly does that mean?

Well, for starters there was no counter space in the bathroom. I decided that a man must have designed it. Yes, I know it's a sexist comment, but realistically - and in my opinion - the average man doesn't really need or use much counter space. And this bathroom had no counter space. I need counter space.

This bathroom had a free standing sink. I had to put my curling iron on the edge of the bathtub. That's just wrong. In fact, doesn't the little do-not-remove-warning-of-electrocution tag say not to put your curling iron on the edge of the bathtub??

And then there was no full length mirror in the room. I think this may be the first hotel I've ever stayed in that didn't have one. Further proof that the architect was a man.

Parking in the hotel was $22.00 a day, but from what I hear that was a bargain for Chicago. And, on the plus side - they had wireless internet access throughout the hotel. Yay!!

Finding my room required a map. The hotel had maze-like hallways. I think that guests shouldn't drink too much or they'll never find their way back to the room. Not that that is ever an issue for me... but I set a way-point on my GPS just in case.

A real down side to the hotel was that the club lounge was not open even though the hotel has been open for about a year and a half. The website said it had a concierge, and actually bragged about it. In fact, it was one of the reasons I booked it. This became a bit of an issue since I selected the hotel based on the fact that the lounge access would cut down on my meal cost.

When I asked the desk clerk why there was no concierge he said it had something to do with the steakhouse next door and a legal issue with the hotel restaurant. Uhm... Say what? The concierge isn't normally located in the hotel restaurant. This was just plain weird to me. I asked what they were going to do to make me happy. The young man at the desk gave me a couple of coupons for a free appetizer and a free drink. Later in the evening I went to the hotel bar for dinner and handed the coupon to the bartender. She told me the coupons were good for a small salad, a bowl of soup, or hummus. Hummus. Really?

The bartender said that was ridiculous and comped me a Caesar salad. I gave her a big tip.

A Rose in the Desert

2010-03-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

We've never gone anywhere on our actual anniversary because it is right in the middle of Texas' school spring break. So, this year when I mentioned this to my parents they asked if we'd ever thought about going to Vegas for our anniversary. After all, Spring Break wouldn't really make a difference there. Right? Right!

So my parents gave us a week at the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. I think it is also a Hawthorne Suites, as well as a time share condo with the Shell Vacation Club.

I liked it. The location was great. It was right behind the Hooters Hotel and within walking distance from the MGM Grand and all the other hotels on that end of the strip. (Just for the record, I won a nice amount on the slots at the MGM!)

We had a comfortable two-room suite with free wireless internet, a simple continental breakfast, and evening wine and beer receptions. If you've ever been to Vegas you already know that the only thing free is alcohol while you are gambling. It was nice to have these complimentary amenities during our stay!

After long days of losing money, walking down the strip, seeing shows, and losing more money, it was nice to have a comfortable place to call home.

Run for the roses

2010-03-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

My husband doesn't bring me roses. But it's okay - no, really. He fixes dinner and does laundry. I'm not sure I'd trade that for roses.

I know a little bit about roses though. Tyler roses come from Tyler, Texas and they are famous. Tyler is about 30 miles from Henderson, Texas. I'm not sure if there is any claim to fame in Henderson, but I imagine they have some visitors stop by on their run for the roses. Visitors would be well served if they stopped for the night at the Holiday Inn Express in Henderson,Texas.

I found the hotel almost outside of town. My GPS didn't know the hotel was there, so I guessed that it was a relatively new property. I guessed right. The hotel still had that new hotel smell, and the room had a 42" flat screen HDTV. That's better than most pricey hotels. They also had warm cookies ready in the lobby. Nice.

Warm cookies, roses, and a big screen TV. Hmmm. This could be the beginning of a real relationship...

Only normal people at the bar, please.

2010-03-09T20:23:00.000-08:00

The Intercontinental Hotel in Dallas, Texas is becoming one of my favorite hotels. It's consistent, and I like that. I especially appreciate that the reception desk employees act like they really care that I am staying at their property. Yes, I know that this is all taught in customer service training, but it is still nice at the end of a long day.

But, I think I may be the only Platinum Ambassador at the hotel that has ever asked for a downgrade to a different room. They upgraded me to a lovely bi-level suite, and it was beautiful. But there was no way to access the internet in the bedroom. Really now, how can I tell these fascinating tales when I can't sit in bed and write while I'm watching TV? I'd rather be in a regular room so I can relax. It's the little things that make life on the road more pleasant.

Caution... repeat rant follows....

Am I the only person that travels that uses my computer for stuff other than work? Does every other traveler use their laptop only for work?

OK. I'm through ranting. I think that was actually a mini-rant. I guess I'm starting to mellow in my old age.

Speaking of mellowing, remember in an earlier blog about this hotel I mentioned a guy that was talking to himself in the bar? Well, the bartender told me tonight that the poor guy was recently banned from the bar. He said that he started getting a little too weird. I wonder how "too weird" is defined at the InterContinental? I've seen some very interesting and really weird people at hotel bars. I think it's a shame. That guy was certainly more interesting than sports or CNN on the bar TV. I'll miss him.

Speaking of planes...

2010-03-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

The next day was on my top five worst airport experiences I've ever had.

First, I made the mistake of filling up the rental car at the only gas station I could see. It was across from the hotel - Suncoast Energys on Butler National Drive. It has an attached Wendy's Hamburgers. The station does not post prices and has a $2.00 mark-up on the gas. ($4.97 a gallon!) I asked if it was correct and they told me that they could charge it because they were the only option. I was furious, but had no choice since I had to get to the airport.

When I researched this gas station later, I found out that people have filed complaints for years with the Orlando BBB regarding this station. They said the practice is not illegal and is a case of "buyer beware."

So, BUYER BEWARE. This is the gas station across from Crowne Plaza Orlando Resort. Do not go to the Suncoast Energys gas station on Butler National Drive near the airport in Orlando Florida.

I have since learned that about a half mile up the street (where you can't see it by the way) there is a regular gas station. Go there instead.

Then there was the Orlando International Airport. Maybe I was just already irritated because of the gas station experience, but the line to check a bag was 2 hours long. Two hours! I've never had to wait two hours to check a bag other than the airport in Barcelona, Spain and then it was because I was in line with a gazillion other people that just got off the same cruise ship.

I had only given myself two hours total before my flight was scheduled to leave, and security looked as if it would take a minimum of an hour so I decided to carry on my bag. I think I'll just avoid Orlando from here on out. There are other airports in Florida.

Take two of these and please don't call me in the morning.

2010-03-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Four hotels in four nights is a little much. But the good thing is that there were no really bad ones on this trip. It's nice that I didn't have to end the trip with a bad hotel, and in fact the final night's stay was quite relaxing.

The Crowne Plaza Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida was another pleasant Crowne. I like a consistent brand like this. Every now and then I come across a lemon, but most of the time they really are nice.

While having dinner at the hotel bar, I learned that the hotel is usually full on weekends because the cruise lines contract with the hotel for pre-cruise packages. It's also very close to Disney World but I didn't see anyone that looked like the Magic Kingdom was their destination. There was a group of men talking about golf and drinking vodka and cranberry juice at the other end of the bar. Does that count, or is it a typical drink for golfers?

I wouldn't have minded taking a side trip to Disney World, but the accounting department might have been a little suspicious if I turned in a receipt from Donald Duck's Dairy Delights or Minnie's Marvelous Mousses.

Probably the most interesting thing about this hotel was the fact that the walls seemed thinner than most. Until I turned on the room fan I could hear the guy in the next room hacking and coughing. No quiet little cough there, oh no. This was loud and the kind of noise that makes you want to put on a face mask. I also think the bed in the other room must have been on the same wall as mine, because when the guy coughed sometimes he would hit the wall. I tried not to think about it too much since I didn't get a flu shot this year.

I wasn't upgraded to the concierge floor because I was told that the top floor was fully booked. I was given access to the Club Lounge though, and on my way passed the sign designating the floor as a "quiet zone." I wonder what they would have done if the man in the next room had have booked one of those rooms? Sent him complimentary throat lozenges?

I mostly hoped he wasn't going to be on the plane with me the next day.

Don't forget to close the shades!

2010-03-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

I lost my rental car in the parking garage at the InterContinental Hotel in Tampa, Florida. Thank goodness for the remote horn feature. I walked through several floors pushing the button until I got a response. I don't think anyone noticed unless they too, were wandering the parking garage.

There were a lot of cars in this garage since it was shared with the conjoined office building. I suppose it was a practical decision to combine parking, and the hotel bar was filled with people from the offices next door during happy hour. It's not a bad marketing idea.

When I stay in hotels I often open the shades in the morning so I can see better to put on my makeup. But not in this room. The view from the window was directly into the office building next door! I could almost read the names on the Rolodex. I bet those office employees could tell some tales.

I enjoyed the hotel and can't complain at all, except for the fact that I lost my rental car. But I can't blame that on the hotel. In fact, I think next time I'll log a way point on my GPS.

The coffee that made my stay

2010-03-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

I checked in the Staybridge Suites in Naples, Florida after a very long day, changed clothes and headed out for a long evening of work.

When I went back to the hotel late that night, the nice young man at the front desk took one look at me and said he had just made a fresh pot of coffee.

Yup. That was a good stay.

Don't touch that channel!

2010-02-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

A hotel in the middle of a shopping center. What'll they think of next? The Crowne Plaza in Fort Meyers, Florida is average as far as hotels go. Nothing really outstanding, but no real complaints, either. I was given a room on the key-access fifth "Priority" floor, and found myself completely underwhelmed. The room was quite small and had a slight musty smell. Some really funky smell came up through the sink drain in the bathroom, but since I was only staying one night I could deal with it. The internet was wireless. Wireless. Yay! (Yes - this is a running theme.)

When I travel I often eat dinner sitting at the hotel bar. This time when I went to find a place to sit at the at the bar, it was full. Many of the seats were taken by children. Fascinating.

The lounge reminded me a bit of Las Vegas, a cacophony of light and sound. (I find myself thinking about Las Vegas a lot these days, probably because I have a holiday scheduled there soon.)

There were at least 28 flat-screen TVs encircling the room, all playing a different channel, mostly sports. I counted them, but I suspect I missed a few, too. The voice-over playing on the speakers was coming from a source I didn't see, and trying to find the screen that matched the sound provided me with the evening's entertainment. I never did figure it out, and it made my dinner interesting. I wondered if anyone actually watched any of them.

I'm glad I didn't sit at the bar, because it wouldn't have had been nearly as much fun. And I think the drink special must have been Shirley Temples.

Don't mess with Texas

2010-02-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

Texas loves slogans. Texas Proud, Texas: It's Like a Whole Other Country, and Texas: State of the Arts among others. But my favorite is Drive Friendly the Texas Way. It received my vote for the most amusing, because if you've ever driven anywhere in Texas you're probably laughing with me at that one right now.

Then a while back, some Austin advertising guys decided that all Texans should forget about that friendly stuff and embrace their inner Bubba. They introduced us to Don't Mess with Texas. It was originally created as an anti-littering campaign slogan, but the attitude struck a harmonious chord with native Texans and was widely embraced. Now it is much better known than the actual state motto: Friendship. Friendship. Really? Bubba would not have approved of that one.

So, what does all this have to do with hotels? I wrote my first draft for this entry while sitting in an Austin hotel a couple of blocks away from the Texas State Capital. The Capital building is really pretty, especially at night. And it has a Don't Mess With Texas kind of feel to it. In fact, the whole city sort of feels that way.

When I found out I was going to a conference in Austin I had no problem staying in the host hotel, The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. If you've followed this blog you'll know that I've stayed at almost all of the Holiday Inn properties in Austin. I finally gave up on finding the perfect "Holiday Inn home-away-from-home hotel" in the city.

The AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center in Austin, Texas is on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin and made attending the mandatory conference a real pleasure. The room was spacious, the bed was just right, and they had fast wireless internet. It was wireless, and it was fast. I had to pinch myself a couple of times to see if I was dreaming, but I was awake. The hotel scored a perfect 10 on that account alone. If they take reservations for regular hotel stays I'll most likely make this hotel my next choice.

Maybe I need to come up with a slogan for my hotel experiences. How about Don't Mess With My Wireless, or Sleep Friendly, the... ? Okay. I'll stick to my current profession and leave slogan writing up to the advertising guys.

Slogans are important to Texas. Really good ones define us. They tell our story.

Austin's slogan is "Keep Austin Weird." I thought it was just a cute little catch phrase until I drove by a sign for a local restaurant. The sign read "Arab Cowboy: Cafe and Hookah Lounge. I think Austin got it right. The city wears the title well.

It makes a Texan proud.

The trip from the Twilight Zone.

2010-02-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

From start to finish, this was a weird trip. I expected Rod Serling to pop up any minute reminding us not to adjust our sets.

I travel to the Dallas area often and I have yet to find the perfect "home" hotel for my visits. I keep hoping I will connect, but it hasn't been an easy search. This time I started this trip staying in the Crowne Plaza on Midway Road in Addison, Texas. I must say this was a lovely hotel in a nice location. The club lounge was very nice and offered excellent appetizers in the club lounge. But, the guest rooms didn't offer wireless internet.

[This is another rant, so if you don't want to hear me complain please fast forward.] Charging for internet access? No wireless? Good grief. What century are these hotels in???

Anyway, with no wireless internet and only a short access cord, I abandoned the idea of relaxing in my room while surfing the net and went to have a snack in the executive lounge. I mentioned the issue to the attendant in the lounge and she told me that wireless was available there in the executive club lounge. I must admit that I seriously thought about going back to the club lounge in my pj's. I could make myself comfortable, all propped up in front of the TV... But, after seriously thinking about it I decided that only when enough guests take their business elsewhere will they pay attention to what we want so I checked out after one night and went to another hotel.

OK. That might have been a mistake.

I looked up another IHG property on the internet and found the Holiday Inn-Dallas North Addison. I must admit that I was a bit concerned when I saw the sign outside the door that said "no public rest room inside." And there were no cars in the parking lot. But, I decided to go in but asked to see the room prior to checking in. It's a good thing I did, because the room I was given had a broken security latch on the door. The second room they gave me was disturbingly shabby. Needless to say, I left immediately.

By now I was very frustrated and did what every self-assured female business traveler would do... I called my husband. I had him look up other hotels in the area, and he gave me several options. I called a hotel I had stayed in previously, the Crowne Plaza Market Center in Dallas, Texas. After all, the manager had really encouraged me to give them another try. So, I decided what the heck... I would try them again. I was extremely disappointed in the front desk clerk who argued with me on the phone, and decided that a second chance was not going to happen.

Finally I decided to just drive to the closest hotel to see if I could check in. It happened to be Intercontinental Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. I'd stayed in the hotel before, and the only real complaint I had was the lack of wireless internet. By now I didn't care because I was tired and just wanted a place to relax.

The young man at the check-in desk upgraded me to the executive floor, and I took the elevator to the 15th floor and checked in to my room. This time when I checked in I asked if it was possible to get a longer access cord so I could use my laptop while sitting in the easy chair. He arranged for one to be delivered to my room. The hotel just got my vote for "wonderful" status.

So, I went to the room, unpacked my stuff and settled in for some down time playing on the internet. After I plugged into the modem I kept getting a message that my computer had "limited or no connectivity." I called the 24 hour internet help number and they told me to call hotel maintenance for a new phone cable. I did, they came and replaced it - and it didn't work. The maintenance guy called the internet guy and the two of them decided that the problem was in the wall. So, the maintenance guy called the front desk guy who decided to call the bell guy at 9:00 PM to move me to another room.

My silver stud earrings somehow didn't make the move. I never saw them again. sigh.

Anyway, the new room was fine, although a bit smaller. It had a connecting door to another room which normally isn't too big of a deal. But, when I signed on to the internet (which worked by the way) it signed me to room 1504 - which wouldn't have been so bad except that I was in 1509. Hopefully they were platinum members as well.

After a long trip of nothing going the way it should have gone, I ended my day in the hotel lobby bar where the guy at the end of the bar was carrying on a lively conversation with himself.

Somehow, I think I know what he was talking about. He must have ignored Rod Serling's warning and adjusted his set anyway.

Duh - that was a compliment.

2010-01-29T04:16:00.000-08:00

The Crowne Plaza at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida was filled with kickboxers. Really. I even think there was a life-size cutout of Rambo at the athlete check in table.

I didn't check in there. I checked in at the front desk.

I was told that the hotel was full so I wasn't given a room on the executive floor because I wanted a king room and all they had were doubles. Hmm. You'd think they would have asked me anyway. But I did ask for access to the club lounge.

I got on the elevator with six of those toned and tanned bodies and jokingly commented about the pleasant situation I found myself in. They just blankly stared. Duh - that was a compliment. I thought that one or two of them must still have a few parts of their brain untouched after all of those barefooted blows to the head. Guess not.

There was no wireless access except on concierge level, which I wasn't on. The lower floors were wired access only. So I called the front desk and asked for a longer cord. The desk guy said "Well, okay, I'll see if we have one. But platinum members don't have to pay for internet anyway."

Huh? Maybe he was taking kickboxing lessons on the side.

Sign of the times

2010-01-26T14:51:00.000-08:00

It's hard to criticize a hotel that gives you a warm welcome, complimentary drink, a Hershey Bar with Almonds, and an upgrade to a large two room suite.

The hotel even had signs in all the the hotel elevators stating that floors other than the lobby are designated quiet zones. It politely reminded guests that other guests may be on different sleeping schedules. How considerate. Usually the signs are in the corridors. It's nice to warn guests in advance so they can go back down to the lobby if they feel the need to make noise after they arrive. It might just save them a trip.

The Crowne Plaza West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida seemed to have it all.

But... (yes, there has to be a "but" here.) You know that old saying about too good to be true? Well, this wonderful hotel had everything but quiet. Apparently no one reminded the nearby airport that the hotel guests had varied sleeping schedules.

Now, I booked this hotel knowing it was an airport hotel. I stay in airport hotels a lot because, well, mostly because they're close to airports. It's convenient.

Typically I don't mind the noise because there is usually a fan in the room that blocks everything out, and I travel with ear plugs just in case. But there was no fan in the room. Without a fan in the room even the earplugs didn't block out all the sound. I listened to airplanes well into the night.

Lack of sleep is not a good thing. It might keep me from staying in this lovely hotel again. What a shame.

Sugar coating doesn't always make it better

2010-01-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

I don't like delayed flights. Especially when it makes me late for a meeting.

After my (late) meeting I arrived (late) at the Holiday Inn Airport West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a room upgrade, but I was guaranteed for late arrival and was glad to finally relax after such a long day.

Sometimes I think I just step into some sort of an alternate reality or something. Delayed flight, late meeting... and, the room.

When I opened the door to my room I was overwhelmed by a smoky smell. I knew I had reserved a non-smoking room, and this was pretty bad. Interesting to note here, the halls smelled fresh. Usually it's the other way around. That's when I realized I was not in Kansas any more.

I went to the restaurant and the sign said to wait to be seated, but there was no one there to seat me. There were only about seven other people in the the restaurant, and finally someone in the kitchen saw me standing there.

I was pleased when I saw a low-carb dish on the menu, and ordered the low-carb blackened salmon with steamed veggies. When it arrived it came with mashed potatoes with gravy, and glazed carrots. The carrots were good, but that's probably because they were cooked in sugar. Obviously they don't understand the concept. Now I know why I usually choose to order appetizers and eat in the bar.

I went back to my room hoping the smoke would have dissipated, but it was still there and quite unpleasant.

Every time the people in the next room flushed the toilet the walls rattled. Loudly. And they flushed a lot.

I woke up the next morning with a headache. But now that I think about it maybe it was a sugar hangover from the previous night's carrots.

As I checked out of the hotel the next morning I told the desk clerk about the smoke, and he called the manager. The very pleasant young man was the same person that had checked me in the night before, so he obviously spent a lot of time there. He told me he had heard that complaint before and the hotel attributed the smokey smell to a ventilation problem. He said he wished I would stay and offered me a spray bottle of room deodorizer.

No one ever offered me a bottle of room deodorizer before, and though I was flattered I still went to the Crowne Plaza down the street.

Two jewels for this Crowne

2010-01-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Is this a record? Two great stays in the same hotel? I really liked this hotel the first time I stayed there, and I was not disappointed the second time. The Crowne Plaza San Antonio Airport in San Antonio, Texas is a class act. The staff is wonderful and the rooms are great.

Now if you remember my previous post about this hotel you will know that the hotel was still undergoing some renovations the last time I was there, but I think all that must have finally been finished. The hall was clear and no parade waited for me on the concierge floor. I was a little sad at that because I was hoping for a balloon animal this time.

The concierge lounge had nice little evening snacks and a decent breakfast. Little things like this encourage me to be a repeat guest, and I wasn't disappointed this time either. They even had Froot Loops. Obviously they understand what is important.

I was a little surprised when I walked into my room. This room was huge. So large in fact, that it had two separate thermostats. It wasn't one of those controls that just saves a few steps like a "dual" light switch, but two separate units. I could've invited everyone in the hotel to a reception in my room. I didn't though, because I didn't think my company would've approved it as a business expense.

If I had one real criticism of this hotel it would have to be the noise outside the room. OK, I know it's an airport hotel, but it's not the airport that makes the noise. It's the highway outside. It's loud. Crowne Plazas traditionally provide guests with earplugs, though, so it kind of becomes a non-issue.

Oh, and the TV. Here was this great room - spacious and comfortable. But it had this little bitty TV at the far end of the room from the bed. I think it was 19" screen. It was so far away that I had to go to the sitting area to see the evening news. Not that the evening news was really important, but it's nice to be able to see it while propped up in bed. I'm surprised that the hotel went to all the trouble of creating this nice spacious suite without adding a bigger TV.

Maybe they were just hoping that the occupant would forget about the news and host a big party, or maybe learn to make balloon animals for the next parade.

Reflections on a Margarita #4

2010-01-01T16:44:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve morning in Houston was foggy. Before I left for work the weather babe on TV said that we had less than 1/2 mile visibility. It was worse in our area and was totally weird when I pulled out of the driveway. I know my neighborhood, and it was disconcerting not to be able to see the other side of the road. When I was a kid I used to have bad dreams where I would open my eyes but couldn't see where I was going because everything was a gray fog. Driving through the New Year's Eve morning fog gave me flashbacks.

I'll be 74 years old the next time there is a blue moon on New Year's Eve. I wanted to see this one, but the night was overcast and I missed it. Yes, of course I know it wasn't "blue." But this interesting event will not repeat itself until 2028. There is uniqueness in knowing that something is rare.

London!

2009-12-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

Now this was fun!!

We booked the Holiday Inn London-Heathrow M4 Jct.4 in West Drayton, England for 3 nights before a transatlantic cruise. It was booked with reward points, and I always have trouble finding any faults whatsoever with free stuff. I especially can't complain when it is a only a stop-off before a cruise! But let's see... I will try to be objective about the hotel stay so I can give you a good overview.

We arrived at the hotel after an 8 1/2 hour (economy) flight from Atlanta, Georgia to Heathrow Airport in England. I am so not going to review that interesting experience because, well, just because. Anyway, suffice it to say we were seriously sleep-deprived on check-in. I think the staff at the hotel were specially trained in dealing with folks in our condition, because they seemed to be able to gently ask all the right questions to get us checked in properly. They were absolutely wonderful.

We were given an "executive" room. It was so cute! Small, but quite serviceable, the room was clean, comfortable, and had a towel warmer in the bathroom. I love towel warmers.

We took a short nap on arrival and the room was dark and quiet - more proof that the hotel caters to travelers just off international flights. Too tired to go very far for dinner, we went to the hotel's "Irish" pub. The food was fine but the music was exceptionally loud, and was getting louder by the minute. We finally figured out that this was because the pub was advertising "Disco Night." An American disco in an Irish pub at an English hotel. It doesn't get much better than that. But it did. By the time we got our Boddingtons and "proper" fish and chips we had met a charming British couple and were in the midst of a fascinating conversation about politics - both British and American - when the music swelled so loud we couldn't hear ourselves talk. That's when we decided to move outside the pub into the lobby lounge. The lounge was also very busy but a little quieter, so we continued our collective solving of the world's problems until we realized that the Brits had an early flight and we were just plain 'ol tired. We retired to our cute little executive room and slept very well.

The next morning we asked the nice lady at the concierge desk how to catch a bus to downtown London. She seemed a little surprised that we wanted public transport, then directed us to the nearby bus stop (only a couple of minutes away) in front of The Plough, a local pub. I won't go into the adventures of our stay, but if you are interested, here is a link to our wonderful London holiday and subsequent cruise.

We manage to find humor in small things, and found ourselves entertained every time we got in the hotel elevator. It was like being in a "Twitter" elevator. There was a tweet for every action, all in a beautiful female British accent. "Door closing. Lift going up. Lift going down. First floor. Lift stopping. Door opening." All the chatter made us giggle. I'm sure when there were other people on the elevator at the same time as us they must've been thinking those Americans were one floor short of the lobby.

All-in-all this was a great stay, and it was the perfect start to a perfect vacation.

If you build it…will they still come?

2009-11-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

I have been to all the other Holiday Inn properties in Austin Texas. I decided to try out the Austin Holiday Inn NW Arboretum location because I kept hoping I’d find a location that worked for me. I think I’ll probably start working through the competitor’s hotels next.

Hotel legend has it that the hotel was there long before the overhead freeway system was built. Finding the hotel required a GPS, a divining rod, and a lot of luck. The friendly desk staff gave me a map and a big ball of string to find my way back the second day.

You have to really want to stay at this hotel.

The hotel hasn’t participated in the chain’s re-branding process, but it was clean and remarkably quiet since it practically sits in the middle of a major expressway. The hotel bar doubles as the restaurant. This can be a good thing, especially when you miss the only exit to the hotel and have to drive an extra 45 minutes in rush hour traffic before you can turn around. Twice.

The hotel only had wired internet access in the room, and offered wireless access only in public areas. If you’ve read my earlier posts, you’ll know I really don’t like this arrangement. When I checked out I mentioned to the front desk person that while my stay was comfortable, I probably wouldn’t stay at the hotel again because I want wireless access in my room. She offered me the following explanation: The hotel had recently gone through major renovations (really?) and was looking at the costs of re-branding. Providing wireless throughout the hotel was too expensive so they just offered it in the public areas. But she said next time I could ask for a room off the lobby since sometimes people in those rooms could pick up the wireless. What??

Maybe it’s an Austin thing. Maybe the convergence of the Church of Unconscious Harmony’s proximity to the Magnetic Tattoo Parlor created a vortex or something. Or, maybe they are just determined to Keep Austin Weird.

Rockin’ round the Hotel

2009-10-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: If you are under the age of 50 you’ll either want to skip this blog or your curiosity will lead you to seek out a senior citizen for an explanation.

Staying at the Holiday Inn Dallas Market Center in Dallas Texas was like listening to a 45 RPM record. The hotel was shaped like one of those adapter doo-dads we used to put in the middle of the 45 so it would fit the spindle on the record player. From the moment I stepped into the hotel, I felt a bit like I was putting the stylus in the groove.

The elevator was the middle of the hole. Getting off the elevator was a little weird but nice, since there was no way to get lost. If I turned the wrong way off the elevator I just walked around and around until I found the hallway leading to my room. And there were no straight walls in the room - they all had a slight curve.

The whole hotel was sort of a time-warp. For an older hotel it was well-kept and the staff was exceptionally friendly. Maybe the lack of modernization was because the hotel was so isolated. There was a train track running alongside the property. I almost expected to see Uncle Joe movin’ kinda’ slow at the junction. And yes, I could hear the train at night - but that’s what earplugs are for, right?

I do have a semi-major complaint. I didn’t like having to enter the hotel through a smoke screen. Four or five people were sitting and smoking on the two benches on either side of the front door of the hotel. I’m guessing that either I arrived at shift change or the kids sneaked out of the prom for a Chesterfield.

Since there was absolutely nothing nearby, I ate dinner in the restaurant. After a nice meal I walked back to the elevator and went up to my floor. I noticed the halls had a slight musty smell, and I swear I could hear the crackle and pop of I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Not at all sleepless in Seattle

2009-10-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

Seattle’s Space Needle is absolutely beautiful in the morning sun, and you can see it from your room if you are not staying in the Holiday Inn Dexter Avenue North in Seattle, Washington. My room had a view of the Pink Elephant Car Wash.

I thought it was very interesting that two Holiday Inn properties were right across the alley from one another, and the hotel planners made the lower end hotel the one with the view. Now, if you’ve read my previous posts you’ll know that I often stay in HI Express hotels, but if there is an acceptable full-service option I’ll usually choose it because of the convenience of the restaurant on site. That's how I made my decision this time.

The hotel was actually quite pleasant and had wonderful staff. It was a comfortable place to stay the 4 days I was in Seattle, and had concierge access and a nice little continental breakfast each day. There was a restaurant/bar connected to the property, not actually in the hotel. The bartenders were outstanding and seemed to enjoy talking about local color, including the famous homeless guy that had been “working” the pier area for over 20 years. There's nothing like stable employment.

If you’ve ever been to Seattle, you probably already know that parking anywhere in the city requires two things. 1) Patience 2) A bank loan. It was a bargain to park in the Holiday Inn’s underground garage for only $10.00 a night.

I enjoyed my trip to Seattle. The weather was perfect the entire time, and it was sheer joy to wake up and open the drapes each morning. The blue sky was glorious. The breeze was brisk. The air was clean, and so were the cars.

The Colonel would have approved

2009-09-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

After checking out of the Austin Crowne Plaza, I hoped I'd find my luck improved at a different hotel. I checked into the Austin Town Lake Holiday Inn in Austin Texas, an interesting property with a round tower on the bank of Lady Bird Johnson Lake. I was offered a choice of an executive room or a room with a view of the lake. I decided on the room with a view, (mostly because it was on the side of the hotel away from the expressway) and I must admit the view was lovely at sunset. This hotel is an older property, but I can’t complain about it. It was quiet, clean, and comfortable.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I often choose to eat in the hotel bar when I’m on the road. It’s usually quicker, and more than likely has the same menu offered in the restaurant. It’s also a fun way to hear “traveler tales” from other road warriors who’ve had a little too much if you know what I mean. I’ve heard some wild stories, and while I’m sure that 98 percent of them are seriously embellished or completely fabricated, it certainly beats watching reruns of Desperate Housewives on TV. Plus, most bartenders are pretty good conversationalists which makes dinner time a little more interesting for those of us traveling alone. And I can get a pomegranate martini.

This time I ordered an appetizer - chicken strips. Down at the end of the bar were a couple of guys that had been talking to the bartender about being in town for a video game software developer’s conference. They looked like kids. Or maybe I just felt old? Anyway, when my plate arrived, I wondered if I had mistakenly ordered the Colonel’s family sized bucket of chicken with all the fixins. It was huge! I commented to the bartender that I thought I had been given the party platter, and said I’d be happy to share if anyone else at the bar would like some.

Video game software developers have good appetites.

No jewels in this Crowne

2009-09-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

I should have picked up on the first clue.

After I checked in to the Crowne Plaza in Austin, Texas I went to the elevator and my key wouldn't work in the executive floor key reader on the elevator. I went back to the front desk and the clerk told me that the middle elevator was always a little weird, and I should use one of the other two. I pushed the button, and the middle elevator door opened. I pushed the button again. No other elevator responded. It was starting to remind me of a Twilight Zone episode I saw once. I finally took the service elevator. The service elevator magically stopped on every floor.

My room on the executive floor was the very last room at the end of the hall. I think it had previously been a closet.

I was actually stunned when I walked in the room. The ceiling was low. The room was almost entirely filled with the king-sized bed, which was actually pushed up to the wall. I don't know how the housekeepers were able to make it up. The nightstand was in the only possible location in the room and was about two feet from the bed. I tried to make the best of it, I really did. But I was supposed to stay three nights at this hotel. I decided it was going to be unacceptable when I realized I was going to have to get out of bed to turn off the lamp or turn off the alarm. The whole experience reminded me of the pictures in my childhood storybook of Alice in Wonderland. When Alice ate the cake she grew so large she had to bend over to stand up in the room. Weird stuff in that book.

I plugged in my laptop at the desk to use the free hotel internet. The signal was so low the internet was virtually nonexistent. I looked at other available wireless networks in the area, and discovered that the hotel next door had a pretty good connection.

I looked for another outlet to charge my blackberry and ended up having to charge it in the bathroom. My cell phone just had to wait its turn. I'm just glad I didn't have to wait in that line.

I decided to stay the night, then checked out the next morning and went to another hotel. If I wanted to stay in a rabbit hole I would've invited Alice.

Room with a view

2009-09-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Inn Express in Wichita Falls Texas is a lovely, relatively new hotel on the outskirts of town. It was a bit challenging to find at first because of the highway construction. In order to get to it I had to drive through the gas station and around the Sonic Drive-In. After the first time finding my way in though it was no problem.

One side of the hotel overlooks a little man-made lake. I bet there is a nice view. I wouldn't know because I wasn't on that side of the hotel. I wonder what you have to do to get one of those rooms? I'm a Platinum priority member, I booked an executive suite - and I didn't get a room with a view. I got a room with a lovely view of the highway construction, complete with sound effects. But, the heavy machinery didn't bother me too much because the fan worked well in the room.

I also discovered that I wished I was better skilled at TV channel-surfing. The hotel had HD TV, but I couldn't find the HD channels. It turns out that I had to channel down on the remote control in order to find them. I never thought about channeling down from zero. It would have been nice to know that. Maybe the hotel could give a hint or two in their hotel guide. They could call it "Remote Control for Dummies."

Speaking of control... the toilet seat in the bathroom slid over when I sat down. Now I know that this isn't a big deal, but it was a little disconcerting.

Oh, and one last thing. This hotel had a surprising number of active military personnel staying there. Word must have spread that if you had to go TDY to the local air force base, it was a quality hotel with quiet rooms. And, I hope that the servicemen and women were warmly welcomed and given the very best rooms with a nice view of the lake.

All wired up and no place to go.

2009-08-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

When I first started traveling, I hauled around a widescreen laptop that weighed around 152 pounds. I even bought a wheeled briefcase for it because I got so tired from hauling the darn thing through airports. Then I discovered the wonderful little HP notebook computer. What a brilliant invention. It weighs less than my purse.

Once I got this petite little laptop, I almost didn’t mind pulling it out to go through security. In fact, I remain a little proud of how smart I was to have made this purchase. I know I’m not alone. I think a lot of savvy travelers have purchased these handy little travel notebooks.

Handy unless you stay in the Intercontinental Hotel, in Dallas, Texas. But what a beautiful hotel! It exuded perfection. Décor, customer service - everything was wonderful. Well, the bed was a little hard, but I can live with that. It just makes me appreciate home a little more.

Just don’t try to use your little notebook say...across the room from the desk. Or while sitting in the comfortable easy chair. Or while in bed. Nope. You have to stay tethered to the desk with an Ethernet cord and a modem, which the hotel cheerfully provided. I thought it seemed a little cheerfully old-fashioned.

So there I was, all wireless in a wired world. What a dilemma I found myself in. The way I saw it, I had four choices:

Force myself to sit at the desk long enough to do some work and forget playing computer games for my evening entertainment.
Go cold turkey and just shut myself off from it for two days.
Use the wireless option the city of Addison offered, a weak connection but maybe adequate.
Make myself comfortable and/or tipsy in the lobby bar.
Sit in the hotel Starbucks and enjoy an grande iced caramel coconut amaretto chocolate macchiato with whipped cream.

My decision was all that, and had a cherry on top.

Three strikes and I'm out.

2009-08-24T19:05:00.000-07:00

I just removed a hotel from "most favored" status. I can't believe this was the same hotel I stayed in before. Everything seemed to go wrong from the minute I checked into the Crowne Plaza Market Center in Dallas, Texas.

One: Room for improvement

I checked into the hotel, and went up to the 20th floor and used my key to open the door. When I opened it I heard the television blaring. Then I saw a disheveled bed in the room and I quickly backed out not really knowing what was happening in the room. I'm not sure I really wanted to know. It was extremely disconcerting. I took the elevator back down to the lobby and told the desk clerk what had happened. She was polite, said she was sorry and gave me a key to another room.

Back up the elevator I went - this time to the 21st floor. I went into the room and it was a room with two double beds. I always reserve a king sized bed because the room seems to have more space and for some reason I feel claustrophobic in rooms with two beds. Down the elevator I go for the second time.

Now I'm wondering if it's a full moon or something.

The clerk is now not quite as friendly, but still polite and tells me she has a king room on the 7th floor. I don't mind which floor it is as long as it is quiet. I take the key and go back to the elevator. This time the room is a king and is definitely unoccupied. Finally.

Two: I only have ice for you

By now it is fairly late in the evening, and I want a glass of ice water since I didn't get my traditional bottle of cold water at check in. The guest services book in the room said there was an ice machine located on each floor across from room something or other. I take the ice bucket and head down the hall. The ice machine was broken. I got on the now familiar elevator and went to the eighth floor. The ice machine was not working. Ninth floor. Not working. On the elevator I met a guy holding an ice bucket. Don't bother trying ten or eleven because those ice machines don't work either. I went back to my room and called the desk. The desk clerk said I had to go to the third floor.

Three: It's a no drainer

I usually stay in IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) properties. All of the Holiday Inns and HI Expresses have been undergoing renovations as a part of the re-branding of the chain. Many of the more upscale hotels in the chain have also been updated, and I think I heard that the Crowne Plaza Dallas had also undergone upgrades. One of the nifty things they did was add these classy looking sink stoppers to the sink in the vanity. But I discovered a problem when I washed my hands. There was no way to raise the sink stopper so the sink would drain. I looked everywhere. I thought maybe I needed to twist it or something to get it to stay up. Nope. I imagine the intent was for it to always be open, but this one was always closed. Each time I used it I had to put my hand through whatever I had just washed off in order to empty the sink. See the problem here? A person with OCD would have never left the bathroom.

That night before going to sleep, I made a reservation at another hotel. The phone worked.

The next morning I went to the front desk ready to check out. The friendly clerk asked about my stay, and I said unfortunately I was checking out instead of staying three nights as originally intended. She seemed genuinely concerned and called the manager. It turns out the manager was one of the wonderful employees I had encountered on my previous two experiences in the hotel. He was so nice and seemed genuinely sorry about my less than satisfactory experience. I told him I was really sorry too, and very disappointed. He comped my room. He also said he hoped I'd give them another chance sometime.

I might go back to the hotel some day. Everyone deserves a second chance, even after failing three chances on the same night.

Tissue on request

2009-08-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

After spending the night at the Michael Phelps Suite at the last hotel, I checked into the Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport, in Birmingham, Alabama. This was an older hotel, where the staff answers the phone with "Thank you for calling Birmingham's award-winning Holiday Inn."

When I stay in hotels I tend to look for things that will encourage me to book with them again, and if all else fails I look for the entertainment value of the overnight stay. This was a combination of the two. Like I said before, this is an older hotel which has obviously undergone recent renovations - and some of the improvements were definitely interesting.

For instance, the bathroom. This bathroom had two sinks. Not two sinks in the same vanity, but one sink outside the "water closet" and one inside the "water closet." (That means the room with the toilet for those of you needing a translation.) The first sink wasn't a wet bar, just a vanity. I found it rather strange, but I guess it would be kind of nice if you are the type of person that likes to spread out your stuff all over the place. The little bathroom had a very small vanity, the tub, and the toilet. It also had a really odd layout. There was only about an inch clearance between the door to the toilet. When it was time to "take care of business" I had to step in, move to the side, and then close the door. Leaving the door open was not an option without being skilled as a contortionist. It made me wonder how many people alone in a hotel room actually close the door when they gotta go?

I think there was a toilet tissue shortage in the hotel. My room didn't have any when I checked in, but they bought it to me immediately when I called the front desk. On my way to dinner I passed by a housekeeper delivering it to another room. Maybe it was service on request or something. I think it was a good thing that I noticed the lack of tissue before I closed the bathroom door. That could have been awkward.

I stayed on the second floor, which also happened to be the "housekeeping" floor. When I got off the elevator, it looked as if I'd accidentally pushed the button for the basement. The tile floor looked like a work space and in the mornings the the hallway was lined with housekeeping carts. It was kind of handy if you are the type that takes the little bottles of shampoo, but it created a traffic jam in the mornings as all the housekeepers and their assigned carts made their way toward the newly vacated rooms.

Probably my only "real" complaint was the location. While the hotel was convenient to the airport, it was a less than desirable location for everything else. I'm not sure I would have even ventured out after dark. The first night I had dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was quite average to say the least, and was way over-priced. The next night I found a restaurant before I went back to the hotel.

While I had a few issues with the hotel, I had nothing but kudos for the staff I encountered. They were wonderful. But I do think it would be nice if the hotel automatically offered Priority Club members complimentary toilet tissue along with a cocktail at check in.

Anyone for a swim?

2009-08-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Inn Birmingham-Homewood, in Birmingham, Alabama is a beautiful new property on the south side of Birmingham. I was supposed to stay two nights but I checked out after one night and went to another Holiday Inn property.

I encountered something in this hotel that I've never encountered before. It was more humid inside the room than it was outside. If you've ever been to Alabama in the summer then you know this is an amazing statement. But it is not an exaggeration. The room was downright wet. It was bizarre.

My paperwork got limp. The sheets felt damp. When I took a shower the bathroom mirror didn't fog up because there was already so much moisture in the room. I didn't like it but I thought I could deal with it.

The final straw was when my my Cheez-Its got soggy. Nobody messes with my Cheez-Its.

Reflections on a Margarita #3

2009-08-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

Living in a big city offers many interesting activities. One of the most interesting is getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Fortunately, I was given two very important pieces of advice when I moved to the big city:
1. Never leave home or work without a full tank of gas.
2. Never leave home or work without an empty bladder.

Advice well taken on more than one occasion.

Traffic jams offer an abundance of entertainment if instead of getting mad you use the opportunity to take it all in. For instance, last week I was in a whopper of a traffic jam when traveling to work via Alt 90 E. I used my extra hour and a half travel time to work to enjoy the other drivers equally late to work.

There is an automobile dealership in our area named Weidner. Of course a prankster is going to remove the "d." At 6:30 AM how can you fail to see the humor in following an SUV proudly labeled Wei ner?

One of my all time favorite stuck-in-traffic moments was the opportunity to see a maroon PT Cruiser. Now, PT Cruisers make me laugh anyway because they remind me of Keystone Cops. And it seems to me that most of the unsold new Cruisers were sent to car rental companies because some CEO somewhere had a few too many and decided it would be funny to put a visitor in a strange city in a strange car offering the most restricted view possible.

I followed this particular PT Cruiser for some time. It was painted with a sign on the back that advertised Mobile Tattoo Artist and Notary Public. I wrote down the phone number. You just never know when you might need to prove that you weren't drunk when you got that new artwork on your leg.

A rose by any other name...

2009-08-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

I learned a lot when I went to Tyler, Texas. I already knew the city was considered the "Rose Capital of the Nation." Tyler Roses are magnificent - no doubt about it. But did you know that they have an even bigger claim to fame? Oh yes. They do. You see, Tyler was the very first city in the world to adopt a section of the highway in the Adopt a Highway Program. Now that is a claim to fame.

I also learned that less than satisfactory hotel experiences almost always ride on the heels of a really great hotel experience. I wonder why that is? I gave this serious thought over a margarita, and have decided that it isn't just a matter of perception. It really happens.

My latest adventure into this really weird phenomenon occurred when I checked into the Holiday Inn South Broadway in Tyler, Texas. I stopped by between meetings to see if maybe I could check in a little early. I was told my room wasn't ready. OK, no problem - I'll be back later. I went back several hours later to check in and was told my room wasn't ready. Hmmm. No apology, no thank you for your patience, no thank you for your patronage, in fact, no thank you for anything.

So anyway, now the desk clerk gets on her walkie-talkie and loudly announces the room number to the person on the other end to ask if the room is clean. It was and had been since the morning, but now the whole hotel knows my room number which is generally a no-no for a single female traveling alone, but since the lobby wasn't a beehive of activity I figured it would probably be a non-issue. I hoped.

This hotel's website advertises two executive floors with a club floor lounge. I was not put on either of the executive floors. No upgrade here, at least not when I checked in. I asked if I could have access to the club level, since I was allowed access as a Platinum member even if I was not upgraded. Then I asked if the hotel was full, or if it was policy not to upgrade Platinum members. The desk clerk told me she didn't know what was going on because she just got there. Hmmm again. The clerk said the hotel wasn't full, and asked if I wanted an upgrade. I said that I almost always get an upgrade without asking and didn't really care if I was staying on the club floor if I could have access to the lounge. You can't have access to the lounge without a key and you can't have a key to that floor if you aren't staying on that floor. So I got an upgrade.

My upgraded room was actually just a regular room on a key-access floor. But wow did they make me feel important when I saw that I had a power strip in the room since there was only one open outlet at the desk.

When on the road I don't ask for much. I want my hotel room to be clean, quiet, and secure. Oh, and I like to have a telephone in my room that doesn't have a perpetual flashing light. The message light was blinking every time I went into the room. Room service told me they had a new system. They manually turned it off each time I called. And I didn't even need the blinking phone to provide a wake-up call, because each morning at about 6:00 AM a loud crash - so loud it shook the balcony rails - woke me up. On my way out I stopped by the front desk to ask what it was. The desk clerk told me she didn't know what was going on because she just got there.

Finally, the internet was down almost the entire stay. I didn't even bother to ask the desk clerk about it. I figured she wouldn't know anyway. She just got there.

Shamu, margaritas, and Christmas lights

2009-08-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

SeaWorld at San Antonio on a Saturday in August is not for the fainthearted. We learned this the hard way when we went on a mini-vacation recently. Trust me on this one, go any other time than this. But if you don't believe me and go anyway, you might want to consider staying at the Holiday Inn Express Seaworld in San Antonio, Texas.

We used a couple of Holiday Inn reward nights for this trip, and were pleasantly surprised. It was nothing fancy, had no priority perks, and had standard but well-prepared HI Express breakfasts. But it had wonderful customer service - well, that is if you don't count the welcome letter I was given at check in. The letter welcomed me as a valued Platinum guest, and addressed me by name. They got my name wrong, and used a masculine form of my name at that. But they meant well I'm sure.

We were very impressed with the young man that checked us in. When we asked him for a recommendation for a good non-chain Mexican restaurant, he sent us to a Cha-Chas, a local restaurant just down the street from the hotel. It had incredible service, wonderful margaritas, excellent food, and Christmas lights at the bar. It doesn't get much better than that.

When we got back to the hotel after a very long day at Seaworld we were looking for a cup of coffee. Usually HI Expresses have coffee in the lobby, but the hotel was full and they had run out. We already knew we didn't have any in our room, so we were standing there lamenting the empty urns when a man came up and told us if we'd wait a few minutes he'd brew up a pot for us. It turns out he was the night security guard. We decided he deserved a raise.

All in all, it was a whale of a good stay.

Reflections on a Margarita #2

2009-07-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today's topic is airplane etiquette.

I've had a cowboy go to sleep on my shoulder, ignored babies crying, listened to people arguing politics, endured the story of more than one stranger's life, been sandwiched between two very large people, and had a beverage dumped on me. I've held my breath when a passenger had to share with us his over-spiced dinner, listened to lavatory sounds, and been hit on the head by fellow passenger's carry on luggage. Once, my foot was stomped on so hard it was bruised for life.

These are a few of the things all air travelers experience on a regular basis.

But nothing has been as annoying as the guy seated two seats over on my last flight. We had an empty seat between us, a very unusual thing on flights these days. I figured it was because it was a late evening flight. Anyway, as soon as we were seated on the plane until we arrived an hour and a half later, this guy shook his foot. You know the kind of foot shaking I'm referring to. We've all seen it. I'm sure it's a nervous habit. But did you know that kind of foot shaking shakes the whole row of seats on the plane? I'm convinced it even shook the entire plane. I have never been susceptible to any type of motion sickness, but I actually started getting a little queasy from the back and forth motion. And it never stopped! I could feel it through the entire flight. I wanted to throw my bag of peanuts at him, but I didn't.

I just added him to my list of things that happen on an airplane.

Ready? Set?.....go figure!

2009-07-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the Crowne Plaza in Little Rock, Arkansas fairly late in the evening. It would have been nice to have had my priority check-in ready to go when I got there, but it wasn't. The desk clerk gave me my keys and said thank you. I had to ask where to go to get to the room. I asked if I was on the executive floor and she said yes. Since she didn't offer any other information I decided that I was on my own.

The executive level "club" floor of the Crowne Plaza Little Rock is key access only. My room was spacious, nicely decorated, comfortable - and right next door to the ice machine. So here is a bit of advice to anyone staying in room 507 of this hotel...make sure you have earplugs. Fortunately, Crowne Plaza Hotels usually provide these in a little amenities bag on the bed when you check in. Earplugs are in there along with an eye mask, and linen spray. I never use the spray. Or the eye mask. But the earplugs come in very handy when people decide they need ice at 2:00 in the morning.

The executive floor had a concierge lounge with complimentary breakfast, evening appetizers, and children. Children everywhere. Now, one of the things I like about executive floors is the fact that the concierge lounge offers a quiet area to snack and unwind at the end of a long day. Not so when the executive floor is filled with children. I finished my nice appetizers and went to my room.

I stayed in this hotel on a business trip, so my stay was during a work week. Apparently the executive floor of this hotel isn't a "quiet" floor catering to business travelers. It was more like a race track in a daycare center. I listened to children running track and field time trials as they raced up and down the hall. When they weren't running they were knocking on doors and slamming them once they were let in. Well, they were slamming them when room service wasn't delivering, which was every thirty minutes or so. This went on well into the night. Somewhere around 2:00 in the morning I arrived at the conclusion that the parents couldn't stop them because they were busy filling their ice buckets.

The second night of my stay, (more accurately the second morning) I received a phone call at 5:08 AM. I picked up the receiver and the guy at the other end of the phone asked if I had received my earlier wake-up call. I said I had not, but then I hadn't actually requested one either. The guy said "Oh, I guess I read the number wrong. I apologize." But he didn't sound very sorry. I was sorry, because he woke me up out of a no-children-no-ice machine sound sleep.

Crowne Plazas take their wake-up call service very seriously. In fact it's guaranteed that you'll be awakened as requested. Hence the call to make sure I'd received the call. But I didn't want either call at 5:00 in the morning. I wonder if they have some sort of guarantee that they'll call the right room?

I ate dinner one night in the hotel lobby bar, Rocks. They had a live artist who played guitar and had a lovely voice that reminded me a bit of Dan Fogelberg. He played to a group of people that basically ignored him like they would elevator music. And, he had the background accompaniment of the kids screaming and laughing in the lobby's indoor pool. But I clapped and said thank you. He seemed a little surprised that anyone was actually listening. I've played to audiences of 6 people, too. I sensed a psychic bond between under-appreciated performers. Just then, the waitress, a 20-something sweet young thing stopped by and asked "Can I get you anything else sweetie?" Suddenly I felt like I was the little blue-haired lady on the front row at a Sunday afternoon matinee.

I love a parade.

2009-07-08T20:13:00.000-07:00

My GPS didn't know that the Crowne Plaza San Antonio Airport was here. But it was there in San Antonio, Texas. It was a bit of a challenge to navigate because of the construction on Loop 410, but after I arrived I decided it was worth the effort. What a lovely hotel.

My room was on the "key access only" concierge floor, but it did have its share of weirdness. When I got off the elevator I couldn't help but notice that the entire hall was lined with mini-fridges. It looked like a refrigerator convention. I almost expected to see them pull out their little fezzes and head to the bar.

The room was spacious and comfortable, and had very nice "extra" amenities. But the oddities continued once I got inside. The faucet in the bathroom was hooked up backwards - hot was cold and cold was hot. Now one nice feature in most Crowne Plazas is the nifty little "chip clip" they give you for the curtains to shut out street light. It works. But in this room, I needed some kind of device to cover up the electric blue light on the air conditioner wall control. It was so bright that it would catch my eye in the night if I happened to wake up enough to roll over. It was very annoying. I actually went and bought tape to put paper over it for my second night. The room was awfully warm, too. I turned down the electric blue thermostat, but I think the hotel had set it at a range of temps, so no matter how I set it it would be what they wanted me to have. So much for choice.

There was a concierge lounge with complimentary cocktails and snacks, and it was substantial enough that I ate dinner there my first night. I also enjoyed the full breakfasts. It was nice to have servers that were exceptionally attentive and pleasant. All in all I really enjoyed my stay in this hotel. In spite of its idiosyncrasies it was enough to make me want to grab my fez and join the parade.

The top news story on TV in San Antonio was about a guy that died when he fell into a vat of chocolate. How sad. Death by chocolate. And we thought it was only a description of dessert at the local steakhouse.

The last morning when I left my room the refrigerators were gone. I guess they caught an earlier flight than me.

Can't you show a little excitement?

2009-07-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

The plane was half full. The pilot walked into the aisle and said "Good news folks, we're taking off a little early and getting you there early!" Three people clapped. The pilot said "I know it's Midland, but hey can't you at least act excited?" We arrived 10 minutes early. Nice. It made me want to clap - especially since my morning flight had been canceled. I was just glad to have arrived at all.

This trip was a "freebie" since it was not a business trip, but for pleasure. (Yes, really. We went to see Summer Mummers, a wonderful Midland event.) Anyway, we used one of my free nights, and stayed in the Holiday Inn Express in Midland,Texas. It was a great stay. No complaints at all. We were recognized immediately as priority members and given nice little gift bags with all the necessities - trail mix, chips, cookies and bottled water. Believe me... in Midland you really appreciate the bottled water.

The only thing I can really comment on was the alarm clock. But you know, I didn't even attempt to set it as I always use my Blackberry for an alarm when I travel. But since my husband was with me he was determined to figure it out. I tell you what. I think I'll let you read his story for yourself.

UPDATE: The month after I stayed in this hotel I was matching my credit card receipts against my statement and came across a very odd thing. Two days after checking out I was billed on our credit card for our stay at the highest nightly rate, $170.00. Since we used a reward night I shouldn't have been billed for anything. I called the hotel, and the person I spoke with asked if I had charged anything to the room. I said no we hadn't, but in the back of my mind I was wondering who in the world could charge anything worth that much money at a Holiday Inn Express?! Anyway, I was told the manager was in a meeting and would call me back. After 2 days and making 3 more calls to the hotel (I never was able to speak with the manager) the last person I spoke with said "Oh they took care of it and credited your credit card." I said I was glad to hear it but it would have been nice to have been informed of the action. I asked for a copy of the credit and gave them my email address. The next day I received an email from the manager. It said "Here is your requested receipt. Please let us know if we can do anything else to assist you." There was no apology for the mistake or even a thank you for your patience. I can't believe the manager didn't even take the time to call me. I'm sad to think this lovely stay was marred by an error like this. But mostly I'm really glad I always check my credit card statements!

Off by a minute?

2009-07-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Crowne Plazas get it. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever stayed in one that missed the mark. The Crowne Plaza Hotel Dallas-Market Center in Dallas, Texas was no exception. They treated me like I was the most important person to walk in their door. Now, there were no platinum perks other than a bottle of cold water at check in, but I can live with that if the other aspects of the hotel are quality - and this was a class act hotel.

I was on the 20th floor, which I was told was the “priority” floor. It was quite spacious and had a nice view of the sunset each evening. I was a little concerned when I first went into the room because the room faced the freeway, but the room was surprisingly quiet.

I learned that this hotel is regularly used as a place where new military recruits arrive for an introduction prior to shipping them off. I guess they like to send them off in style. I think it’s kind of a nice touch. Anyway, I was told that because of the crowds in the restaurant the service might be quicker at the bar, so I took that to heart. I had a wonderful dinner at the bar both nights and the bartenders were great.

They always leave a room service breakfast menu on the bed. You know - the one you are supposed to leave on the door at night. I laughed when I looked at it. It said that in order to receive breakfast you had to leave the request out by 3:01 AM. What happens if you leave it out at 3:02?

Probably the most interesting thing that happened was the express checkout ticket they slipped under my door the first night. I was staying two nights, so I knew it was a mistake. Oh what a mistake. The ticket was for Mr. So-and-so, and it had a rather large bar tab signed on the room. In the address section in very large print it noted “Please don’t send any mail.”

I bet there’s a story there…

Frankly my dear, they sort of give a damn

2009-06-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek in Ft. Worth, Texas is a property next to a really big post office processing center. Its location right off the interstate makes it a bit of a challenge to leave the hotel because it requires a left turn on a busy street, but I solved this by turning right and driving down to the Liq-o-Rama parking lot a block or so down. Liq-o-Rama. It still makes me laugh as I type the name. Liq-o-Rama. OK. So it's been one of those weeks...

Now where was I? Oh, I was reviewing the hotel. Check in was smooth and the clerk at the front desk was pleasant and efficient. I was recognized as a platinum member immediately and my keys were ready and waiting. I was not offered an upgrade or any platinum perks other than a silver gift bag with potato chips, a bottle of water, and a (large) 3 Musketeers candy bar. It reminded me of breakfast when I was in college. Nothing wrong with that.

This hotel was either relatively new or recently remodeled and was in pretty decent shape. My room was a little too small for me, but like I said I wasn't upgraded. Maybe I'm just spoiled. The bed was comfortable though, and the room had plenty of electrical outlets.

One interesting feature was the little electronic "privacy/clean this room" switch on the wall. It lights up a little sign on the outside of your room. I've never seen that before. That means no one can steal your do not disturb sign off the door. I liked it.

I had a couple of issues. For one thing, the shampoo had been used. Now I know it was just soap, but it begged the question... What else was used? I figure the housekeeper didn't see it because the light was dim in the bathroom even if you turned on all three lights. There were three light switches in the bathroom, and none of the lights were heat lamps - just three lights.

I don't think the floor had been vacuumed. It didn't look like it. I was looking for a phone book and opened the nightstand drawer. In the drawer with the phone book was trash... including a used tissue. Gross.

The sound on all the TVs in the hotel was just weird. Some stations were really loud, some were nearly silent, and all of them were completely distorted when turned to NBC. It was extremely annoying. The desk guy told me they were trying to work it out with Direct TV. Later I learned (from a different hotel employee) that the hotel probably just didn't want to pay to get it fixed. But, since the batteries in the remote were dead it didn't make any difference anyway.

Not able to watch TV, I decided to go use the treadmill in the exercise room. The communal TV was turned to NBC.

There was no fan in the exercise room, and it was very hot. I'm not sure why they didn't have the air conditioner turned down as in most hotels. After 30 minutes on the treadmill I was glad to see a water cooler in the corner. I grabbed a cup, and the cooler was empty. That's the kind of experience that makes one want to go hang out at the hotel bar.

I went back to my room. The most interesting feature of the room was a larger-than-life picture of Rhett and Scarlett in a passionate embrace. It was totally out of character and in fact looked as if someone left their souvenir poster. But I liked it. Gone With the Wind is one of my all time favorite movies. It inspired me. "With God as my witness... I'll never go hungry again."

Especially since I had that big ol' candy bar.

If only they could all be like this

2009-06-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

Near hotel perfection awaited me at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. From the moment I walked in the door until I walked out it was an outstanding experience. Check in was smooth, and I was recognized immediately as a priority member. I received a personalized envelope which had enclosed a thank you and a coupon for a complimentary drink and a full breakfast in the restaurant. I wasn't sure if I would use them though, because I was upgraded to a room on the the "key access only" executive club floor. One of the perks of the executive floor is a complimentary happy hour with appetizers, and complimentary continental breakfast. Ah, decisions decisions.

The room itself was great. When I arrived in the room waiting on the bed was a little gift bag with lavender linen spray, ear plugs, and an eye mask. I got the feeling that they really wanted guests to have a very restful night. I didn't need any help though, because the bed was comfortable and the room was quiet. I almost didn't need the fan, but left it on anyway. I slept very well.

There was a spacious desk and a plush lounge chair with an ottoman. Perfect for watching the large flat screen HD TV. Nice.

Sometimes I find myself wondering if my unpleasant hotel experiences cloud my judgment. After the previous experience did this one just seem better because the plumbing worked? Did I just imagine the softness of the bed? Was it really that terrific?

It was really that terrific.

You have to have a sense of humor

2009-06-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

The Holiday Inn Express in Macon, Georgia was interesting. There was no fluff or warm fuzzies when I checked in, and no acknowledgment as a priority member at check in other than having my keys ready.

But they had little bags of popcorn on the counter for the guests, so I figured they had a little culture.

This was an older property, and was the old style of the hotel chain. It was very different in that the decor in the hallways was deep blue, yellow, and sage green. I was surprised when I first saw it, but it actually had a nice feel to it.

When I entered the room, sitting on the table was a laminated card that welcomed me as a platinum priority member, a bottle of water, and a small package of Famous Amos cookies. I did not receive an upgrade, and was given a room with two double beds. I don't have a problem with double beds, but these were hard beds. They did try to disguise them with a pillow top, but it only helped a little. The room was small and felt very cramped. I had to fight past my clothes and out the door, because the space for hanging up clothes was right next to the front door. There were no electric outlets that were not in use so I had to charge my phone in the bathroom.

I've mentioned before that in hotels I need to have a fan running constantly to keep outside noise from waking me up. This hotels window unit cycled on and off all night, and so did my sleep - even with ear plugs. I think I'm going to invest in one of those small white noise machines so I can listen to crashing waves or whale songs instead.

The cabinet with the fridge and microwave was placed in a location that only left about two feet clearance to get by to the bathroom. But, since the toilet only flushed every other time and the bathtub wouldn't drain, I wasn't particularly inclined to spend much time in there anyway.

Holiday Inn Express breakfasts are legendary. You may remember that the hotel chain even featured them in an advertising campaign at one time. The food is always the same everywhere, so in theory there should be no surprises. Well, this one was a surprise from start to finish. Oh, the product was the same, but the preparation was virtually non-existent. I started out trying the omelet. I'm not sure if it was even heated up, because the slice of cheese in the middle was cold. So I tossed it and thought I'd have biscuits and gravy instead. I couldn't open the biscuit because it was rock-hard. Now, this happened to be the one day I really needed something for breakfast because I was going to miss lunch due to my meeting schedule. I was determined to find something. I got a bowl of cereal, and the cereal was stale. I moved on to my last resort: Holiday Inn Express has a trademarked hot cinnamon roll. While I know they are quite tasty, I don't usually get them because I have tried to reduce my intake of sugar carbs. I placed a cinnamon roll on a plate and went back to my table. Anticipating the forbidden carbs, I anxiously took a bite. It was cold.

I took my coffee back to the room and ate a few Famous Amos cookies.

But I have saved my favorite feature for the last. When I opened the curtains to let in the morning sun, I discovered I had a corner room with a view... of the dumpsters and the roof of the neighboring Motel 6.

Now that's class.

A whole new world

2009-06-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make. After my last hotel experience in Columbus,Georgia I was a little nervous booking a trip there again. But after I thought about it - and, being the open minded person that I am - I decided not to book the Holiday Inn Columbus North I-85.

I booked the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites at Northlake (also in Columbus) instead. This was a good decision. I was warmly welcomed at the front desk by a friendly employee, immediately acknowledged as a repeat guest, and my priority check-in was ready and waiting. Less than five minutes after arriving, I was on my way to my room. I was upgraded to a spacious and comfortable suite and waiting for me on the table were bottled water and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Very nice.

For dinner I decided to try out the Texas Roadhouse Restaurant next door because it was, well... next door. On my way to dinner I stopped by the front desk because I was looking for a pencil sharpener (can't do Sudoku with a pen, you see) but they didn't have one. The nice desk lady was very apologetic. I told her it really was okay. She gave me a coupon for a free appetizer at the Roadhouse.

It was happy hour at the Texas Roadhouse. Margaritas were $1.50. I think a person could get very happy on six bucks. I had an excellent steak dinner, but could've made an entire meal out of salad (with their homemade house vinaigrette dressing) and rolls.

By the time I got back to the room I'd forgotten all about my Sudoku. I guess I didn't need that pencil sharpener after all.

Out In the West Texas town of El Paso

2009-06-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

I didn't fall in love with the El Paso Airport Holiday Inn. I chose this hotel mainly because of its proximity to the airport in El Paso, Texas. I do that a lot because its just easier most of the time. This time it wasn't such a good thing.

First impressions.
Let's start at the first trip to the hotel desk. Just off the plane, I decided to see if I could check in a little early - usually this works since I'm a Platinum Priority Member. Plus, I'd made my reservation over a month before. When I arrived at the hotel the (pleasant) desk girl told me they didn't have a room yet. OK. No problem. I know I'm early so I'll come back later - I just hoped I'd get lucky before my appointment. Oh, and she said I couldn't have an executive room because they were full. Hmm. So, I went to my appointment, and came back after the regular check-in time. Now the desk girl (a different one from the first) said they only had one room available in the "front" section with a sofa bed. What did that mean I asked? She said it has a sofa in the room. "A suite?" I asked. "No, only a sofa" she said. "You mean I have to sleep on a sofa?" "No," she said - "it has a bed." I decided we didn't speak the same language, said ok and took the key. I went to the assigned room and discovered that it was an outside room with a door that opened to a high traffic area. (I somehow wasn't expecting a cheap motel.) Anyway, I went back to the desk and explained that as a single female traveler I preferred a room opening into an inside hallway. Did they have any inside? She said yes, but they were in the back section. What? She directed me to an out-building behind the main hotel. Fine. Will I still have access to the concierge lounge? "Of course," she said.

The room.
So off I went to the Back 40 to find my room. Opening the door, I flipped on the light switch only to find that it was not connected to any light. No, really. I tried them all. It was pretty easy to do since there were only two lights in the entire room, and no entryway light either. I turned on the bathroom light to see if it would help, and only one of the three fluorescent bulbs worked. Now I'm thinking I'll have to go sit in the car the next morning to put on my makeup because the room is so dark. No reading in bed either because the light didn't reach that far. I couldn't use my laptop because the battery was low and there were no plugs in the room. Well, there was one plug on the desk, but it was too far away and I was recharging my cell phone with it. The room itself was in general disrepair. For instance, the air conditioner had one speed and temperature. The wall had been poorly patched. The ceiling had been filled in with so many layers of texture that I was afraid it would fall in on me if it was bumped.

But there was a sofa in the room.

Wining and dining.
Before I went to the room to settle in for the night I went to the concierge room to have a glass of wine. I went up to the bar and the cute young thing asked me my name. I told her and she said she was sorry but I wasn't on her list. I told her I wasn't surprised because they didn't have a room for me, but I was eligible for the concierge. After a little more discussion she wrote my name on her list and gave me a glass of wine. She was quite friendly and understood proper customer service. After a glass of wine I decided to try the hotel restaurant. The restaurant was actually very good - no complaints there. The restaurant was nearly empty though, so I don't know how it would have been if it had been busy.

The final straw.
I was supposed to stay two nights in this hotel. It was a little thing that pushed me over the edge. The next morning I lifted the lid on the coffee maker to pour in the water, but the hinge was broken and the whole lid came off and fell on the floor. That was it. The irritation of it all just got to me. I called a different hotel, made a reservation and checked out.

What a difference a few miles can make.
About 20 miles away I found the El Paso Sunland Holiday Inn. Nothing but kudos to this hotel. The staff was outstanding, the room (I got a complimentary upgrade because of the Platinum status) was wonderful. They put me in a bi-level jacuzzi suite. The downstairs has a large sitting area and a jacuzzi, and upstairs has a king-sized pillow top bed and a huge shower. The only (minor) negatives I can offer here is that the room has an outside corridor entrance and it is upstairs with no elevator. But, the room is on the second floor, has a great security latch and is well worth the climb. I was told that the hotel has been recently renovated, so I imagine the regular rooms are also very nice.

After a margarita and a 45 minute soak in the jacuzzi... I have decided that life on the road isn't too bad sometimes.

The Midnight Express

2009-05-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

I liked Albuquerque, and I liked the Albuquerque Midtown Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites on Menaul Boulevard. I had appointments all over the city, so location wasn't an issue. I picked this hotel completely at random off the list of hotels on the website. As it turns out, I made a good choice. Due to a delayed flight, I arrived at the hotel at midnight rather than the anticipated 7:30 pm. The desk clerk was a wonderful young man who immediately acknowledged me as a Priority Member, and had my room keys ready and waiting for an express check in. He offered me a "goody bag" with bottled water and a snack. The snack came in very handy as I had missed dinner because of the airport delays. I was upgraded to a suite, and the room was quite spacious with a nice executive workspace. The only real downside to the room was the bed. It was an extra firm mattress with no nice comfortable pillow top. Most hotels nowadays have pillow top mattresses, so I missed that.

I was key-challenged at this hotel. The key reader for my room was quirky. If you put the key card in too slow it didn't work. If you put it in too fast it didn't work. After two replacement keys, they sent me with the maintenance guy to see if he could help and he showed me the "slow slide while pushing up" method. A little weird, but I didn't have any more problems after that.

You just gotta love the complimentary breakfasts at the HI Express. (If for no other reason, they provide excellent people-watching opportunities.) While the choices are the same at all properties, the quality can be questionable. This breakfast bar was well stocked, fresh, and had a very pleasant and attentive hostess.

The next time business takes me to Albuquerque, I would definitely consider this hotel again... especially if I want to work out the kinks in my back from sleeping on all those soft pillow top mattresses at the other properties.

It was all about the oysters

2009-04-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

I spent five days at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, Louisiana. I stayed in this particular hotel because it was associated with a conference I was attending. For the price I paid per night, I expected it to be a spectacular hotel and a room with a view. The hotel was very nice, and the room did have a view looking out over the traffic circle in front of the hotel toward Harrah’s Casino. It was kind of pretty at night, but the room itself was nothing special. I think I was in a section of the hotel that was an older part, because my colleagues were in a different area and were thrilled with their accommodations. (I was actually a little under-whelmed after reading the hotel website’s description.) The room was spacious, comfortable, and clean, so no complaints there. Parking was $30.00 a night for self-park and $36.00 for valet. I think that’s too high, but it was New Orleans after all and the parking garage was protected. Probably a good thing.

I ate several times in Drago’s Seafood Restaurant. Everything about this restaurant was absolutely wonderful. Even though it was always crowded, the service was outstanding and the food was amazing. It was worth the price of the trip just to have Drago’s signature dish: Charbroiled Oysters.

I did have an issue with the front desk. I found it fascinating that after I’d stayed two nights in the hotel that the desk clerk called me to tell me I hadn’t given them a credit card to pay for the room. “Uh, excuse me? You wouldn’t let me check in without giving you a card.” “Well,” she said, “we don’t have one on file.” So I asked her what she did with it. She said nothing - since I never gave it to them. (I’d had a very long day by this point.) I asked if the hotel was in the habit of allowing people to stay without first presenting a confirmed method of payment. She said “of course not.” I said “I’ve been in this room for two days, and you don’t know how I’m paying for it?” Like I said, I was really tired and didn’t really appreciate the problem that was not of my making. Besides, I was a little worried wondering just who had taken my credit card when I checked in. Somebody had that number.

Now I think I’ll backtrack a bit and fill you in on the reason I was so tired. I checked in the hotel on a Friday night. Apparently it was a designated party weekend at the Hilton, because the hallways were filled with people yelling, laughing, and slamming doors throughout the night on both Friday and Saturday nights. When I didn’t hear noise in the hallway (usually slowing a bit by around 3:30 a.m. or so,) I found myself listening to the couple in the next room. They were having serious domestic arguments complete with expletives that bounced around my room before landing. I realize this was not the fault of the Hilton, but considering the price of this hotel I somehow didn’t expect the clientele to be so... interesting.

Five days in New Orleans was too long, even with a nice hotel.

Live from our studio in beautiful downtown Burbank

2009-03-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

So what can I say about the Holiday Inn Burbank-Media Center in Burbank, California? It is basically a "cookie-cutter" Holiday Inn. Nothing stands out, but nothing really to complain about either. It's too bad I wasn't upgraded, though. I'd like to see the Executive Towers.

There's a Hostage Negotiators Conference in this hotel. I'd be willing to bet all the bad guys in California are somewhere else.

Buck Owens would be proud

2009-03-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

The only thing I knew about Bakersfield, California was that it was Buck Owens hometown. I stayed two nights at the brand new Bakersfield North Holiday Inn.

It was a beautiful drive through the mountains to Bakersfield. Good thing I went when I did, because I heard on the news that about an hour after I arrived a chemical truck crashed and leaked out noxious fumes. It closed down the entire highway for three hours. That would've been unpleasant I think.

Pleased that I wasn't stuck on the closed highway, I made my way to a steak restaurant a block or so away from the hotel. It turned out to be crowded so the hostess said I could be seated immediately if I wanted to sit in the bar, and that the same menu was available. As it turns out, it was happy-hour and all the appetizers were half-priced along with the drinks. OK. That worked for me.

Everything in the hotel was great, and the "newness' of the hotel was refreshing. The delightful young man at the front desk was text-booked trained and went out of his way to make sure I had everything I needed. I really liked the updated look and style of the lobby as well as the entire hotel.

The room was great and had a wonderful king-sized pillow top bed. They had actually correctly labeled the softness level of the pillows. The room even had that "new" and very fresh smell.

I had breakfast in the restaurant. It was excellent. The chef even came out to check and see if I was pleased. Each booth had a remote-controlled flat screen TV mounted on the wall. I noticed that diners all over the restaurant were channel surfing, keeping their channel preferences to themselves. It was nice not to have to listen to Kathy Lee Gifford sharing personal details about her life on a communal TV. I started off my morning with Spongebob. It would have been fun to hear the conversation of the elderly people at the table looking toward my booth.

It's probably not very often that they see a woman in a business suit laughing at Mr. Krab.

Reflections on a Margarita #1

2009-02-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

I’m in San Antonio right now. One of the perks of my job is having the opportunity to try many wonderful restaurants around the country. But sometimes I just want to get take-out fast food and relax in the hotel room. So, tonight I went to Taco Cabana for a salad. I noticed that I got a 10% discount when I signed the receipt, but didn’t look at the ticket very closely. A few minutes ago I pulled out the receipt to put in my travel folder and noticed what the discount was for. The cute young thing behind the counter automatically gave me the senior citizen’s discount! At least she didn't ask me if I wanted a side order of wrinkles with my salad.

I guess this means I have finally arrived. Sigh.

Columbus never discovered this

2009-01-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have stayed in a lot of Holiday Inns in the past, and the Holiday Inn Columbus North I-85 in Columbus, Georgia was by far the worst property I have ever stayed in.

I understand that construction and improvements are necessary to maintain a hotel, and I’ve stayed in numerous hotels in the middle of a remodeling process. However, this hotel appears to have made little (if any) effort to reduce the impact for guests.

While the lobby area was fairly nice, there were large piles of construction debris around the entire hotel. The side entrance closest to my room had a mountain of debris (read trash here) that made it impossible to enter without climbing through it and collecting dirt on shoes, clothing, and luggage. There was no way into the building that one could avoid tracking dust and dirt into the hotel hallways, or back into the car. The access ramp leading to the door was covered with construction materials, and the only way I could get my rolling luggage to the door was to lift it up and over the curb – stepping through the pile instead of next to it. But I felt oh-so-much better when I saw the tattered sign placed inside the door that said “pardon our dust.”

I went into my assigned room. I couldn’t believe this was a Holiday Inn property.

The guest room sliding glass doors opened to the debris filled parking lot. The doors didn’t close tightly and had a gap large enough to let in a cold breeze. The room smelled musty or like an animal had been in it, and the mini-fridge was sitting on the floor in the entryway to the room with the cord stretched out along the wall to reach the room’s only outlet. Lamp shades were askew and the sofa cushions didn’t match the sofa. The bathtub stopper was broken, and in order to take a shower the stopper (very nasty) had to be pulled out of the drain and set aside or the water wouldn’t drain.

I am a female business traveler and I never felt safe in this room. As I look back on this experience, I can’t believe I stayed. But I did, and I survived to tell the tale.

And, in the midst all the negatives, there is one positive note. The desk staff I encountered were pleasant and professional. It is my opinion that they should be commended for maintaining professionalism in a hostile environment. Either that - or they should be awarded Purple Hearts.

Georgia on my mind

2009-01-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

I always have mixed emotions when I know I'm going to Atlanta, Georgia. I enjoy the city but hate the traffic, so when selecting a hotel in Atlanta my primary criteria is location. This particular trip took me to the Atlanta Buckhead district, so I decided to stay two nights in the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. This was a good choice for a really great hotel. The hotel is gorgeous. I had a standard king-sized room (no upgrade here, but none was expected). The generous sized room was absolutely beautiful with upscale decor, had a nice assortment of bathroom amenities, and offered an extremely comfortable bed.

But even diamonds can have flaws. For instance, don't expect any old-fashioned-southern-down-home-friendly hospitality. The front desk was all business and efficiency when I checked in. I was the only person at the desk at the time, and there was no chit-chat and only an obligatory smile.

Many times when staying in a hotel I choose to eat in the hotel lounge instead of the restaurant since they usually have a variety of appetizers that are meal-sized. Sometimes they even offer a full menu. There's really no reason to go to a restaurant if I'm not really in the mood for a large dinner. This being the case, I went to the hotel's lounge only to be told by the bartender (the only one on duty) that if I ordered there I would have to wait for an hour or more to receive the meal. Now this was not an empty hotel lounge as many often are - this was a busy lounge, and a very busy hotel. The lack of employees in the lounge seemed an oversight to me. Not really wanting to wait over an hour, I went to the restaurant. The fine dining restaurant was full service and open all night. My meal was excellent and served quickly.

Sensitive readers be advised that the following may be considered a rant.

Now, before I make my next comments I need to put something into perspective. This was not a cheap hotel. In fact, it was almost too pricey for my business travel. So, I have to ask this question: when you pay that much for a hotel, why do they charge an additional $20.00 a day for self parking? $20.00 a day?! (Valet parking was $30.00.) It's not as if the parking spaces were at a premium as the large underground garage was relatively empty. And charging for the internet is also a mystery to me. If McDonald's and Starbucks can offer free WiFi, you'd think that expensive hotels would consider their customers important enough to offer complimentary access. But I have discovered that the more expensive hotels usually charge for the internet as if their access is somehow better than the less expensive hotels. I think this is a problem that should be addressed in the industry as a whole.

Lubbock in my rear view mirror

2008-12-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

I had to smile when I first saw the name of this hotel... Holiday Inn Lubbock - Hotel & Towers. Towers? In Lubbock, Texas? (The name still cracks me up.)

The hotel staff was very pleasant, made me feel like a valued guest, and upgraded me to a suite. Actually, I got the feeling that I could have had my pick of rooms since the hotel had only a few cars in the parking lot, and seemed almost empty.

The area of the hotel the suites are in is set apart from the rest of the hotel and had a convenient side entrance. The room itself was nothing spectacular, but it was clean and quiet.

It turns out that the section of the hotel with the suites had an open space with a fountain that could have been considered an atrium if you squinted your eyes. I guess that counts. I found it rather amusing that the "atrium" still had an imitation floral arrangement in the shape of a cross that was obviously left over from a memorial service. I guess that's one way to keep decorating costs at a minimum.

I tried the restaurant for dinner, and while only three tables were occupied, I heard the guy in the next booth saying his meal took thirty minutes to arrive. I ordered a salad, so it's hard to mess that up.

When I was checking out I mentioned how quiet it was at the hotel, and was told it is usually empty except for game weekends and Tech graduation. I wonder if they leave floral arrangements, too?

The Alleys of Austin

2008-11-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I find myself in a non-Holiday Inn property, so it's only fair that I subject the other hotels to the same scrutiny offered to my hotel chain of choice. I found myself this trip staying four nights in a lovely Marriott property, the Renaissance Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas. It was a wonderful experience, as most of my Marriott stays are. I'm not sure why I don't stay more often at the chain. My father was a Marriott "Black Card" holder - pretty high up on the Marriott frequent traveler chain from what I understand.

It was a bit too high-priced for my regular business trips, though. Probably the reason I don't stay in such hotels too often.

This was a great hotel stay. Excellent service, and a beautiful well-lit room with an exceptionally comfortable bed. It was a good location for my home base, had complimentary on-site parking, but charged $13.00 a day for internet. Another added perk was the proximity of a nice upscale shopping mall within walking distance (for evening entertainment) and a terrific Japanese Restaurant next door with $5.00 Martini specials.

I enjoyed Austin. It's a really pretty place. But if you visit you have to be careful. I was driving along enjoying the scenery while on the way to a meeting, and I found out that other people on the road don't want you to enjoy the scenery. They just want you to get out of the way.

I drove by the Church of Conscious Harmony and found myself wondering what the services were like. Does the congregation sit around listening to someone with one of those tuning harmonica thingies that barbershop quartets use to get their pitch? And is there somewhere a Church of Unconscious Harmony? The church was right down the street from the Telepathic Tattoo Shop. I hope the Church of Conscious Harmony doesn't interfere with the psychic nature of the tattoo artists. That could get ugly.

A Steak Out

2008-08-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

I've never been to Baton Rouge, Louisana before. I selected the Holiday Inn Baton Rouge on College Drive based on its location in relation to my meetings. It is a bit of a challenge to get to the first time if you don't know about the weird intersection that you have to negotiate to get to the correct street. All in all this is one of the nicest (regular) Holiday Inn Hotels I've stayed in to date. They truly understand customer service.

Tonight after a recommendation by the front desk person I ate dinner at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse just down the street. I just spent thirty minutes writing about the best steak dinner I've ever had. (It was a word doc and I didn't do an automatic save.) Before I could post it to the blog the hotel wireless kicked me off. So now you'll just have to imagine that you've read my glowing review of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Sorry. I think you would have enjoyed it.

Even a nice hotel has a few problems now and then.