Hotel Review – Page 4

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Getting Settled in the Fairmont Heliopolis

July 5, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: ALL I NEED IS A DRAWER!

So by now we’re into the wee hours of the morning, but we’re so wired there’s no hope of sleep, so I start trying to organize the room for our stay.

So How Was It?

To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed. I expected more from the Fairmont. Except for the size, it looked good. Nice carpet and tile. The furniture and other appointments throughout the room were elegant, but it was a very tight room – like a cabin on a boat. Holiday Inn Express rooms are more comfortable.

There was barely enough room to walk between the bed and the dresser. Since Bill and I are thinner than most people, that means it was tight. A stuffed chair, a desk and an upholstered rolling chair cluttered the rest of the room. Since we had four pieces of luggage – two full size bags and two carry-ons – what space there was disappeared.

One thing I can brag on was the closet. It was certainly ample, with a full size iron and ironing board inside. However, there was virtually no other storage place. No drawers for your drawers, if you know what I mean. The dresser was filled with a mini-bar, supplies for the coffee machine and a safe.

Most people would probably think the bathroom was top notch with a bidet and a walk-in shower, but I’m not the walk-in shower type. I’m a bubble bath type. So while I could wash my privates with ease, a privilege overlooked at most American hotels, I would have preferred to soak them in a deep tub.

Overcoming Claustrophobia

Once the bellman was gone, I had a moment of, “I can’t stay in this tiny room for three nights!” I immediately settled myself down and set to making the room manageable. The first thing I did was banish the overwhelming clutter of reading material the Fairmont had spread across the room. The leather covered binders and folders were huge and there was a selection of magazines. There were paper tents to explain my pillow choices, door hangers for room-service breakfasts. Even the tv remote had a leather cover! All nice, but perhaps they should modify the size of them to jive with the room. I’m sure all that stuff looked just right in an expansive suite, but in my small corner of the hotel, they only emphasized the clutter.

The first thing I did was find a corner in which to hide the carry-ons. They didn’t have any of our stuff in them, only gifts. I’d need them soon, but not when I woke up. Next I opened the largest suitcase which the bellman had put on the luggage rack and pulled out the toiletry bags to stow them away in the bathroom. That portion of the room was more adequately-sized than the rest of the space. I think one person with a single bag could stay comfortably in the room, but we were a little bigger than it was.

On this trip there was no his-suitcase and my-suitcase. When they’d lost our luggage before, some of the bags were returned a few days later, but not the ones with my clothes or the gifts. (This was back in the day when you got two checked bags.) That’s why the gifts were in the carry-on and we each had half our clothes in both suitcases. While that proved to be an unnecessary precaution this time around, I sure wish I’d done it last time I was in Egypt.

In the bathroom I found perks I liked. There were two huge terry robes and two pairs of slippers. Usually the hotel-provided slippers are uncomfortable-looking contraptions that my feet reject, without even slipping them on. These were elegant little jobs with the Fairmont logo on them. I’ve never been clear on whether those slippers are an amenity I’m supposed to take with me or leave behind. I liked these so well that I brought them home with me and I didn’t even feel guilty, but it helped to find this article.

There were other nice touches. Sure there was the usual shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, but it didn’t stop there. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, sewing kit, shower cap, cotton swabs – even a nail file. I’m proud to report they even had a razor, which I discovered I needed. As I write this, I still haven’t found where I misplaced mine when I was fighting the battle of the luggage scale.

One Luggage Rack!

Allowing the wrinkles to hang out of our clothes was my next concern. That’s when I remembered the carry-ons actually had our evening clothes in them, so I had to retrieve them from the corner and pull out my sequined gown, Bill’s suit and the accouterments. Yep they were really wrinkled, but we had a couple of days before we’d be wearing them. I hung them up.

Next I pulled out the clothes I’d need over the next few days, which meant I had to open the other large bag. Only one luggage rack was provided, so I had to get creative and reorganized the room. There was a small, but sturdy looking side table for the easy chair in a corner. I moved the chair to the corner and put my suitcase on the table between the desk and the easy chair. Finally, I reclaimed some floor space.

Then I pulled out my wardrobe list (something I prepare for every trip, so I don’t have the what-am-I-supposed-to-wear-this-morning moment). There were a couple of small drawers inside the closet, so I was able to get almost everything I needed for our Cairo stay into the closet and started on making Bill’s life easier. That’s when the whole drawer for our drawers thing became a challenge.

So, I reorganized the contents of the suitcases. Turning the suitcase on the luggage rack into Bill’s gave him easy access to what he needed and I moved the balance of my clothes into the other suitcase to be out of the way. Finally, I could think about sleep – and I did. Come back next week and see how the next morning went.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL

The Complimentary Cookie

June 28, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SWANKY HOTEL, BUT NOT A SIZABLE ROOM

As long as we were in the lobby, I loved the Fairmont. The place was beautiful. The service was great. We were Mr.- and- Mrs.- Sadek-ed to death. What’s not to like?

Gracious Service and Simple Perks

After check-in, we were escorted to our room. By then it was the middle of the night, but our courteous bellman showed us around our room as if we’d arrived midday. It wasn’t really necessary since the room was quite small, but he behaved as if he was showing us the Taj Mahal. Moments later the luggage arrived and we figured out just how small.

A nice touch was a plate of cookies hermetically sealed on a plate for our snacking pleasure. They also generously provided a bottle of water for each of us, each day of our stay. Bottled water is important in Egypt. You cannot drink what comes out of the tap, even if the best hotels. You’re not even supposed to wash your mouth out when you brush your teeth. You’ll find yourself searching out the ubiquitous little street-side kiosks, which sell beverages and snacks, but the daily bottle from the good hotels is helpful.

My handsome traveling companions, Bill, John and Steven

It’s Complimentary!

So now I have to tell you about my nephew Steven, who had a language-challenged introduction to his room. He’s American, like me, and he traveled from California with a buddy for the wedding. His very blonde wife, with two small, active blonde boys, just couldn’t see facing the risk of Egypt in these dangerous times, especially when their rambunctious boys are both too young to really appreciate what they are seeing. Steven’s very close to the groom, so there was no way he was missing the wedding. You’ll be seeing a lot of Steven and his friend, John, in our pictures.

Upon arrival they’d been presented with the hermetically sealed cookies provided by the Fairmont – round tubes of dough with a stuffing. At first glance you’re not sure if what you’re looking at is savory or sweet. The bellman handed the plate to Steven with a flourish, saying, “With our compliments.”

Steven asked, “What is it?”

The answer? “They’re free.”

“I understand,” Steven replied, “but what is it?”

“They’re complimentary. They are free. You don’t have to pay for them,” the bellman explained, wondering why this American didn’t understand his own language. Steven realized he wasn’t going to get the answer he was looking for, so he gave up.

The Language Barrier

I’d like to make a little disclaimer here. English is my only language and I speak it with such a Texas drawl that some people in the US can’t even understand me and Brits are baffled. Twenty-three years with an Egyptian husband and I recognize maybe 10 words of Arabic. At least five of those words mean OK, but I’m still unsure which one you use for what.

There’s something that sounds like “mish” and another that sounds like “tamim” and a selection of others which indicate to me, when I hear them, that the conversation is progressing in the right direction. “Urubbie” is an exclamation like “WOW” and if you want to emphasis something you add “owie,” which means very – but you don’t say “owie urubbie,” even if that’s what you’re thinking. “Shay” is tea, “shokrun” is thank you and “masalama” is good-bye. I tried to conquer the phrase for “you’re welcome” this time, but could never nail it. Thank goodness for nods and smiles.

In the Egyptian hospitality world, everyone from the manager of the hotel to the maid speaks multiple languages and they’re pretty darned good at it. Arabic, English, French, Russian – you name it and they’ll chat away. They may not have all the idioms down 100%, but they usually understand what you want and they can give you an answer. While I’m in awe of their command of languages, it’s still fun to enjoy the outtakes.

Steven is not an adventurous eater, so he didn’t try his complimentary treat until he’d checked with his uncle to find out what it was. You can understand his concern. It might have had a vegetable in it or something, right? 🙂

I didn’t have a cookie at all, but not in fear of vegetables. In spite of all the temptations, I avoided gratuitous calories and focused my intake on the magnificent meals offered at every turn. I still came home with an extra five pounds, but it could have easily been ten or fifteen. (BTW,I was a good girl and the extra pounds were gone in a week.)

In spite of the cookies and immaculate hospitality, I can’t say the Fairmont was my favorite hotel. Come back next week and I’ll tell you why – at least part of the reason.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, International, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning

Welcome to the Fairmont Heliopolis

June 21, 2017May 16, 2017 Jane Sadek

Crystal Chandeliers in the Fairmont Lobby

TRAVEL THERE: MY LUXURY VACATION BEGINS

If you read this blog with any regularity then you’re well aware that I don’t spend a lot of time in swanky hotels. I’m more the quaint bed & breakfast type, when I can find it, or I’m bragging about the huge discount I found on Expedia. However, on this trip we were in top hotels all the way. In Cairo, we checked into the Fairmont Heliopolis.

Leaving the Airport

One of the things I remembered from my previous trip to Egypt was the wide open spaces between the airport and Heliopolis. Once we had dealt with the absence of our luggage on that trip, I’d sat the backseat of a car wondering just how far we were going to drive before we got to anything.

It’s not that way anymore. It’s like the stretch of LBJ between I-35 and DFW Airport. While it used to be out in the middle of nowhere, it’s now chock-a-block with restaurants, hotels and other buildings. Outside the Cairo Airport was the same thing. What’s more, I barely blinked before we were entering the main thoroughfare of Heliopolis and almost immediately we arrived at the Fairmont. So the first thing you might want to know about the Fairmont is that it’s close to the airport.

The Security Routine

Here’s the drill for most hotel properties in Egypt. (The Cecil in Alexandria and the Dahab Paradise were exceptions to the rule, but pretty much anyplace else put you through this.) The properties are all fenced and gated. You pull up to a guard house with a barrier across the driveway. Your car is thoroughly checked.

First they get the ID of the driver and question him. Then he has to fill in a log. Then they do a physical check of the exterior of the car which includes looking under it with a mirror. Some places also had sniffer dogs. The driver opens the trunk and the dogs and/or metal detectors are used to check out the contents. There are usually a group of guards and after they’ve conferred with one another, the barrier is lifted and you drive through. Someone is usually standing nearby with a machine gun. Some kind of welcome, huh?

Ayman, our niece’s husband, assumed we were in the newer part of the hotel and drove through the older portico to deliver us to the Towers. Only we weren’t in the Towers. The bags were pulled out by the bell staff and Ayman drove away, but once inside we were directed across the way to the original part of the lobby. It was late and I was ready for bed.

Now the reason we were staying at the Fairmont is that we were part of the wedding party and that’s where they were staying. We like to keep our accommodations in two digits if we can, but we were splurging. I have to confess that I was glad we stayed in the older part of the hotel. The new part had that edgy clean look, but I’m a sucker for crystal chandeliers and other gaudy looking hotel lobby decor, like the replica of a pharaonic boat in the Fairmont lobby.

The check-in hasn’t even begun, but I’ve already run out of words, so come back next week to see how we liked our room.

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, International, Museums, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL

Egypt Here We Come

March 22, 2017March 20, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: CAIRO, SHARM & ALEX

In less than a month we’ll be winging our way to Egypt for a family wedding. While it’s primarily a family trip, you can rest assured that Museum Girl will be taking in the sights. The itinerary is firming up and I thought I’d share a few highlights.

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

As excited as I am about the rest of the trip, the reason we’re going is to participate in Bassem and Mariam’s wedding. We’re all agog with excitement. Bill and I will arrive in Cairo late in the evening on a Saturday night and be whisked away to the Fairmont in Heliopolis. On Sunday afternoon we’ll attend a luncheon for all the families at an “oriental” restaurant. When I wondered why we were having Chinese food, I learned Egyptians call Middle Eastern food “oriental.” I learn something new every day.

Monday is the day of the wedding, and it is also a national holiday, so I’m told I will see the residents of Cairo enjoying themselves in parks and other areas of leisure. I’ll spend the day getting all gussied up for the wedding. Egyptians know how to party and they expect guests, especially the couple’s families, to get all decked out. I’ll be wearing a long formal gown bedazzled with crystal beads. For the church ceremony I’ll wear a sheer over-blouse cinched by a jeweled belt, which will cover the spaghetti-strapped straight bodice of the full-skirted gown. Pictures to follow.

Let the Sightseeing Begin

On the day after the wedding we’ll be transported to the elegant Mena House Hotel, in the shadows of the pyramids. Some folks tried to convince me to hire a guide for sightseeing for the day, but 8:30 AM was entirely too early to start a day of touring, especially after partying late into the night in the ballroom of the gorgeous Fairmont.

So instead, we’ve arranged to be transported mid-day and ease into the sightseeing. We’ll enjoy the gardens of the Mena House, walk around with our mouths agape at the splendid architecture of the place, dine around the pool and then watch the Sound & Lightshow at the Pyramids from our room’s balcony. Who knows, there might even be time for a dip in the pool. Personally, I plan to have at least one picture of me taken in the pool with the Pyramids behind me.

Then we’ll do the Pyramids. Since we’ve already done the Giza Plateau, I plan to go further afield and check out the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the Red Pyramid at Dahshour. I’m also interested in the Meidum Pyramid, but I’ve been told it is too far out – drat. Instead we’ll go back to Giza and see the Solar Boat Museum, something that’s been added since our last visit.

A Family Reunion Extraordinaire

After our second night at Mena House, we’ll head to the airport and make the short hop to Sharm el Sheikh. Some of the family lives in the beautiful city by the Red Sea and others will have gone there when we headed to Giza. We’ll have a family reunion of sorts for about five days along one of the most spectacular beaches in the world.

The diving and snorkeling are supposed to be awesome, but I’m not much of a guppy. You’ll find me at the Marriott Naama Bay Resort pool with an exotic cocktail of my choice somewhere near the waterfall. Yes, the beach is beautiful, but no way am I going to smear sunscreen all over and then sit in the sand all day. Not this girl’s idea of a good time. I’ve been promised activities like a star-gazing visit to the desert, some shopping opportunities and other attractions.

In the evening, look for me along the boardwalk. It’s one of my favorite memories of our last journey to Egypt. Every evening the tourists come out in all their sunburned glory to stroll along and enjoy the wide variety of entertainment available on every side. On our last visit the Macarena was all the rage. I wonder what earworm will bite me this time.

On to Alex!

We’ll fly back to Cairo and then have a driver take us to Alexandria where we’ll be in the center of the action at the Cecil Hotel. This elegant old dame gives a nod to Alexandria’s heyday with plenty of modern updates. What’s more, I’m supposed to be within walking distance of many of the sites I want to see – that is if I can ever cross the street. I remember the traffic being deadly in Cairo and Alexandria is supposed to be more of the same. Pedestrians don’t have the right of way and stoplights are merely suggestions. I’ll be right across the street from the beach, but may never actually get to the sand!

My wish list for Alexandria is long and includes a visit to a Coptic monastery on the way back to Cairo. Once back to Cairo, we’ll visit Old Cairo and seeing the famous churches there, something I never got to during our other visit. I think we’ll spend our final nights at the Fairmont. We have to be to the airport bright and early for our return. Then it’s back to the grindstone!

That’s it so far for Egypt. Keep dropping by. I’m not sure what I’ll be up to in the weeks to come, but I promise not to disappear.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL, United States

Steel City Stories

February 22, 2017February 20, 2017 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: BIRMINGHAM FOR BUSINESS

My business is ministry and that ministry targets Central Asia and the Middle East, so I can’t always be an open book about where I go and why. However, I can tell you I made a visit to Birmingham, Alabama for business at an unspecified time for an unspecified reason. While I can’t give you those details, I can tell you some of the stories related to the trip.

The Crack of Dawn

My traveling companion for this particular trip was my work buddy and good friend, Hannah Beth. I’m old enough to be her mother and she’s gracious enough to treat me as if I’m her age, and I love it. Our flight to Birmingham was ridiculously early and we had to bring along some signage, so both of us were concerned about getting there, getting checked in and getting on the flight. In our eagerness we got to the airport hours before we needed to. We were there so early I had plenty of time to walk around and take pictures of the mosaics on the floor.

An Over Easy Arrival

We arrived in Birmingham in time for breakfast. While I’m used to being the tour guide pretty much anywhere I go, I was happy to turn the reins over to Hannah Beth on this trip. Her sister goes to school there, so she has the inside track. She proved that when she took us to Over Easy. She had a breakfast-something and I had lunch-something. Both were delicious.

The decor and atmosphere was very California: modernesque furniture and semi-hippie waitstaff. Because it was a late morning on a weekday, most of the clientele were students who didn’t have early classes and a few moms who’d dropped the older kids off at school.

We arrived at the restaurant via her sister’s campus. We Uber-ed there from the airport. I’m not a natural Uber-er, but Hannah Beth treats it like it’s her second car. We may work together like two peas in a pod, but we do come from opposite sides of the generation gap. At the campus, we picked up her sister’s car – another evidence of working in ministry. No rental cars or swanky hotels.

Speaking of the lack of swanky hotels, we stayed in a La Quinta. Don’t get me wrong. There was nothing wrong with the place. It was clean and convenient. The breakfast was good. It was a fine place to stay, but let’s face it two stars is not exactly plush.

So that’s the basics – an early morning flight, a little transportational shuffle, a hearty breakfast and an economy hotel. The rest of the meals were either breakfast at the hotel or something served to us at the thing I can’t tell you about. However, this was me and I had Hannah Beth with me. Adventures are in store. By the way, Birmingham is called the Steel City, because it used to be the home of most of the world’s steel mills. More about that next week, so please come back to visit.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Legends at DoubleTree Wichita KS

December 30, 2015October 15, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: LEGENDS RESTAURANT AT DOUBLETREE BY HILTON IN WICHITA KS SERVES TASTY AND CONVENIENT FOOD

When you stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Wichita KS, you’re out at the airport and away from everything else. The hotel is lovely and once inside you can forget you’re even at an airport. At mealtime Legends Restaurant & Bar, in the lobby of the Hilton is a safe bet for a good meal.

Breakfast As You Like It

The Executive Level of this hotel is a sweet deal during the week, because you have a breakfast buffet and an evening social hour right there on your floor. If you are up on the Executive Level on the weekend, breakfast is still a sweet deal, because it’s comped. Everybody else has to either pay $12.95 for the breakfast buffet or order a la carte. Since it was comped, we opted for the breakfast buffet.

The breakfast buffet has pretty much anything your heart desires. There’s all the cereals, fruit, yogurt, pastries and such. There’s a do-it-yourself waffle maker with all the trimmings. They also have omelettes, Eggs Benedict, breakfast potatoes, sausage and bacon. You know, the usual. Well, maybe not so usual. Eggs Benedict are kind of a treat.

On Saturday, I tried the Eggs Benedict. Everything about them was fine, except for the fact that I’m funny about eggs. I don’t like scrambled eggs or omelettes, and any other egg should be well done. Well, a properly cooked Eggs Benedict should be over easy, but I’m not fond of the runny yellow goo. The sauce was good, the muffin fine and I ate my egg white. I left a lot of yellow goo behind.

The next day was Sunday and after 10 there is a Champagne Brunch with an elevated price tag. They had an extra buffet table all ready to fill up with additional goodies, but we got there before 10 so we could get on the road and to avoid having to pay extra. On that morning I went for some cereal and a biscuit. OMG, that biscuit was good. There can be some pretty sorry excuses for biscuits on a buffet, but these were amazing. I only ate one and since I’m not fond of gravy had no problem avoiding it, but I really, really wanted another biscuit.

Saturday Night Seafood Buffet

After breakfast on Saturday morning, I noticed on the way out of the restaurant that they had a $34.95 Seafood Buffet in the evening. That sounded pretty darned good to me. We’d be at the Living Proof Event all day long and I just bet we’d love to come back to the hotel and veg. I was right. What I didn’t know was everyone else in the general vicinity was also going to realize this was a good deal. I’m guessing that most of the people we saw hanging off the rafters in the restaurant lived in Wichita and came out on a regular basis. They all seemed to have the drill down pat.

There really was all the seafood you could eat. From broiled cod to shrimp cocktail and mussels to crablegs, you could eat yourself into a stupor. I love crab legs and they were sweet enough that they didn’t need butter as far as I’m concerned.

Oh and dessert. There was a chocolate pie good enough for someone’s mother to claim. It had a denser meringue than my own mother made, but the chocolate and the crust tasted just like home. There were other delicious looking choices, like a chocolate cake, but that wasn’t as amazing as the pie. After dinner we were glad to waddle back to our room and call it a night.

The New Year is upon us. I hope itis going to be a good year for you and yours. Party hardy, but get home safe. And come back in 2016 for a little Wichita KS sightseeing.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The DoubleTree, Wichita KS

December 23, 2015December 23, 2015 Jane Sadek

It's all about the cookir! — It’s all about the cookie!

TRAVEL THERE: THE DOUBLETREE BY HILTON AT THE WICHITA AIRPORT

If you ever go to a Beth Moore Living Proof Event, book your hotel early. I assumed we’d stay in downtown Wichita, close to the Intrust Bank Arena where the event was being held. I even sat down to make my reservations a month in advance. We had a lovely stay at the Wichita DoubleTree, but it wasn’t our first choice.

Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk

OK, so fine. Our first choices for accommodations in Wichita weren’t available – at least not at the convention pricing – so we couldn’t stay there. Next?

Hilton’s Doubletree Hotels are lovely places. After I booked our bargain room they emailed me and told me I qualified for a standby upgrade. It would cost $15 a day, but I would be on the Executive Level. The Executive Level offers amenities like free breakfast and daily hors d’oeuvres in the evening, but those breakfasts and hors d’oeuvres weren’t available on the weekend. I wasn’t sure whether it was worth it or not, but I took it anyway. I’d leave it to chance. If there were no upgrades available when we got there, I would be perfectly happy with a regular room. If the upgrade was available, then we’d see if it was worth it for the next opportunity. When we got there we got the upgrade and it was worth it.

Check-in and Unloading

Checking-in was not as easy breezy as it had been in OKC. Apparently whoever had our room during the week had gotten a late check-out and the registration desk wasn’t sure whether or not the maids had gotten to it. Still, the Doubletree always greets you with a seriously amazing cookie, so you can’t get too upset by anything as you enter chocolate chip nirvana.

Should you ever stay here, please note that their complimentary shuttle will deliver you to locations within the airport, but otherwise, you better have a car. The registration desk couldn’t answer that question, so we found the bellman. He said he could take us to the airports taxi stand where we could get a $30 round-tip taxi. No thank you. I was trying to avoid parking fees, so a $15 taxi wasn’t the answer, since it also came with other hassles.

So we headed to the room. I’m sure the nice bellman would have been happy to see to our luggage, but we’re independent sorts. We pulled around to entrance closest to our room and gathered up our bags. Deb led the way into the building, pulling her bag behind her. There was a pair of exterior doors and a pair of interior doors. I negotiated the exterior doors with no trouble, but as I held them open to wheel in my bag, I backed into the vestibule and fell into Deborah’s luggage. We found this very amusing, but a pair of maids who stood nearby looked as if they suspected we were drunk. Then Deb asked them where the elevator was. They pointed to our right. We were standing right next to it, which we also thought was hilarious. The pair of maids were then firmly convinced we were bonkers.

Up on the Executive Level

The Executive Level requires your room key to let you in. No riff raff allowed. There’s all kinds of amenities up there for the business traveler. A computer with wifi, a printer, comfy chairs and a TV. There’s a coffee bar and buffet, as well as tables for eating. It’s all tastefully decorated in rich woods and dark upholstery.

When we got there a couple was hogging the area in front of the TV with an attitude that suggested they belonged there and we didn’t, so we didn’t try to make friends. I’m thinking they were booted out of their room, had a late flight and needed a place to hang out.

You’ll need your room card again to get into your room. And it’s just a room. More luxurious and spacious than the space in OKC, but no door separating the sleeping area, so we gave a little and got a little. The room was beautifully appointed and quite chic, but it was still just a hotel room. Nothing about it to get very excited about. We did have comfy robes and house shoes to use and there was a safe, but the bottles of water were strictly for Hilton Honors members.

What made the upgrade to the Executive Level worthwhile, in spite of the absence of breakfast and social hour, was that in lieu of these amenities the hotel comped our breakfasts down in the hotel’s restaurant. The breakfast buffet was $12.95 each, so were were about one breakfast ahead each day. We also had dinner there on Saturday night, not comped, but I’ll tell you about Legends Restaurant next week.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States, WRITING

Country Inn & Suites in Oklahoma City

November 11, 2015October 23, 2015 Jane Sadek

No prickly problems at the Carlson, then on to the botanical garden

TRAVEL THERE: CARLSON’S COUNTRY INN & SUITES IN OKLAHOMA CITY,OK

The primary reason we stopped in Oklahoma City was their art museum. We also wanted to visit Bricktown and the botanical gardens. All of these sites were downtown, but for a quick overnight stay I thought the downtown hotels were a little pricey. So we opted for the Country Inn & Suites on NW Expressway. Downtown was mere minutes away and the reviews sounded pretty good.

Can You Say Mustard?

Nancy the Navigator told us the Country Inn was nearby, so we started scanning the area for a sign of our hotel. There are several in the general area. To help Deb locate it I said, “It looked yellow in the picture.” Suddenly a mustard yellow tower with brown mustard trim came into sight. We’d found our accommodations. If you have an aversion to shades of mustard, stay away at all costs. You will see more variations of mustard yellow at this hotel than you ever imagined were possible.

However, if you just need a place to spend the night in OKC, then this is a great place to stay. We got the room with two queen beds for under $100 on Expedia. With the exception of the pervasive mustard yellow and some renovations, everything about the stay was fine.

Compact But Adequate

When we first arrived all we did was throw our luggage into the room and head back out to Bricktown. Registration had taken only seconds and they had plenty of luggage carts. Our room was right across from the elevator. We noticed the bathroom had been specially equipped for handicap access, which meant a roll-in shower with no bathtub. I can’t tell you whether it’s that way in all rooms or just the bargain room we got, but it wasn’t a deal breaker. It meant I wouldn’t be having my usual bubble bath, but I’m a big girl, so I could live without it.

The other thing we noticed was that the room was tight. The sitting area is completely separate from the sleeping area, which was nice, but there’s not much space. Not a problem for overnight, but I’d want more space if I were going to be there for several days with a companion.

When we got back from Bricktown we were exhausted and hit the sack pretty quickly. I woke up about five and decided to go ahead and write the article that had given me such a fit before we left. I dreaded fighting the log-in on the hotel’s wi-fi, which is usually a hassle, but I wanted to unburden myself from my perceived obligation. If you want to read about the exhibition I previewed, you can do that here. Being able to close the door and leave Deb sleeping peacefully while I puttered around made things easier and that wi-fi log-in? Piece of cake.

About the time I finished my article, Deb was up and about. We got ready and headed down for breakfast. Breakfast was great. The area set aside for the breakfast bar was actually quite nice. The buffet offered everything from make-it-yourself waffles to bacon and eggs to fruit and yogurt. I confess, I had the waffles. Deb opted for the protein. There was a baby who was making a lot of noise, but he was absolutely darling and it was happy noises, so we actually enjoyed him.

By nine we’d loaded up the car and headed downtown. Let the fun begin.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Hotel Contessa – Royalty on the River

July 22, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: A ROYAL WELCOME FROM HOTEL CONTESSA

Deb and I knew one thing as we planned our San Antonio Stroll: We were staying on the River. That wasn’t a very restrictive idea. The Riverwalk is chock-a-block with great hotels.

Riverwalk Hotels

The first Riverwalk hotel in my memory bank is the La Quinta Riverwalk, but that was way back in high school and the river was several blocks away in those days. I’d been selected as a delegate to a convention by my Home Economics teacher. ( Don’t laugh, I’d just won an award for a table setting. I still can’t sew a hem that will hold.) I stayed at this La Quinta several times since high school, but never since the Rivercenter Mall was next door and since then the hotel has grown into a high rise. It was once just a little La Quinta.

I’ve stayed at the Marriot Courtyard Market Square several times, because it’s convenient to downtown and the Riverwalk, without having the Riverwalk price. (It doesn’t hurt that I can use the points from my Marriott credit card there.) On the trip just before this one, I stayed at La Mansion and that is an experience everyone should enjoy, but I have a new favorite – Hotel Contessa.

Choosing the Contessa

As Deb and I perused our Riverwalk choices, the words “luxury suites” kept bringing us back to The Contessa. So we booked one of their suites, but being the frugal ladies we are, we didn’t opt for a Riverwalk view. We figured we needed to stay on the Riverwalk, but that didn’t mean we had to see it from our room. Besides, we congratulated ourselves on our wisdom by pointing out to one another that some people had complained of the noise on the Riverwalk side.

Due to my research, I knew the only parking for the hotel was valet parking and it was quite a chunk of change. I also read there was a huge, much cheaper, parking lot catty-corner to the hotel. So we pulled into the big public parking and rolled our suitcases across the street to the Contessa, like paupers approaching their liege with all their earthly goods in a wheelbarrow.

Royally Welcomed

There is nothing about the outside of the Contessa to signal what’s inside. It’s just another building. If it didn’t say it was the Contessa, you’d wonder why someone had built a new office building right on the river. Then you walk inside. The bustling lobby has a cool chic that says, “You’ve arrived!” On your left is a huge full-length portrait of a lady in Spanish-looking garb – the Contessa I presumed. Further to your left is registration.

The registration desk was busy, but not hectic. I didn’t have to wait long. The greeting was cordial and the clerk asked me the reason for my visit. I explained it was a belated birthday celebration – and then I got my birthday present: an upgrade to a River View room. Hot diggity dog!

The elevators are glass, giving you a view of the inviting atrium as you glide to your floor. We went to 401, a corner room which overlooked the Briscoe sculpture garden on one side and looked over the Riverwalk on the other. Heaven!

But the view was only part of the charm. It really was a luxury suite. The den had a sectional sofa,a large coffee table, a tall side table with two barstools and the requisite TV. The next room was a sort of dry kitchen connected to the bathroom, with the honor bar, frig, coffee pot, ice bucket etc. We used this area as a second vanity, because though the bathroom is quite luxurious, it’s really not set up for two women getting ready at the same time. That worked fine, because of the huge mirror over the honor bar. And there was a TV.

The bedroom was functional, not palacial, but adequate. The accouterments were luxurious. There were lots of drawers, but closet space was limited. And there was a TV.

Because of the other generous spaces, the bedroom seemed a little tight by comparison, but how much space do you need to sleep? You could get in on both sides of both beds, so what more do you need? This is not a complaint, just a description of what you’ll find.

We loved that room. The whole hotel has a very modern feel, but on the warm side of modern, not the sterile, “”don’t-move-that-magazine” modern. On the following night, we would come back to the hotel right after dinner, just so we could luxuriate in it. We also enjoyed the Cork Bar, down at the river level. Las Ramblas, their Spanish restaurant on the same level as the bar, also looked marvelous. We just ran out of time. We also didn’t make it up to the pool on the roof or the spa. That’s for next time – and we will make sure there is a next time!

I read a lot about extraordinary service when I was shopping the hotel. I’d have to agree and my favorite guys were the doormen. Once we parked the car, we didn’t go back to until we were ready to go home. We’d set forth from the hotel with all sorts of questions and the doormen would have answers for us. They also had a warm greeting for us every time we came “home.” Yep, I liked this hotel.

There are great reasons to stay at all the wonderful riverside hotels, but for my travel dollar, the Contessa is the queen.

Accommodations, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Beware of the Hotel Bargain

June 24, 2015August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Microtel San Antonio Northeast, San Antonio TX — The lovely picnic area, right next to the rusting dirt movers!

TRAVEL THERE: MICROTEL SAN ANTONIO NORTHEAST A DANGEROUS BARGAIN

We all know that if it’s too good to be true, then it’s probably not true – and with few exceptions, you get exactly what you pay for. Deb and I wanted a cheap hotel for our first night in San Antonio and that’s exactly what we got, so no surprise here.

Decision Path to Disaster

Now I’m not so cheap or adventurous that I’d purposely stay in an awful hotel, but I will look for bargains. In fact, I’d first planned to stay somewhere in San Marcos or New Brunsfel, but all the reviews of their bargain hotels made it sound as if these hotels had served one too many drunk river rafters – dirty and smelly being the biggest clue.

But I know Microtel. I’ve stayed at several of them and they have all been great. They weren’t always the latest and greatest, but you got a lot for not so much dough and they were clean. Enter Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham San Antonio Northeast. I know, for $45 a night in San Antonio I should have figured out there was a problem, but I didn’t.

Maybe our first clue should have been how difficult it was to find. On the map it looked as if it would be easy to get to, but maps can be deceiving, because what’s in a convenient place might be hard to reach. Our GPS had to take us around and around and around until we finally broke a few laws and made it to the parking lot. Then there was a sigh of relief. The outside looked as if it had been freshly painted and the landscaping was under control. The cars all looked as if they were driven by people with a sense of propriety and the lobby was nice.

Checking In

There was one couple ahead of us in line, but I was more interested in the breakfast bar than I was this anonymous couple. That was until I figured out who they were. He was a rugged type, with a beard that was a day or two old. He was wearing a black t-shirt with “The Trucker’s Prayer” emblazoned on the back. I found that to be at least a little bit interesting, because they’d arrived in a crossover van. It didn’t seem as if English was his first language. In comparison, his companion was a beautiful young woman with cafe au lait skin. Her hair was in a semi up-do. She had on great shoes and a cute short set with very, very short-shorts which showed off a pair of perfect legs. She flashed me a great smile.

Though I was not listening carefully, I figured out that the clerk was trying to explain the hotel’s cash policy to the man. If you pay cash, you have to leave a $50 deposit at the desk. When you’re through with your stay, they inspect the room to make sure everything is OK and then you get your $50 back. It seemed reasonable on the surface and then the woman cooed, “Just put it on your credit card, baby.” Something clicked in my brain and I figured out what most of you had already realized. This was a hooker with her john. That made them very interesting.

The conversation went on for a few more clicks, but the baby was not going to put it on his credit card and the Microtel wasn’t going to change their policy, so eventually the pair left. The funniest thing was that the female half of the pair turned around at the door and said, “We’ll be back,” in her outdoor voice. I want you to know I do not hold this episode against the Microtel. They can’t help who walks in the front door and they had a policy in place to keep that kind of stuff at bay.

Unloading

The clerk was very nice to us and very helpful with suggestions and directions to the Riverwalk. It also wasn’t the hotel’s fault that I don’t drive those luggage carts real well. Deb helped me load our bags and walked ahead to open the door. Unfortunately, the cart decided it was more interested in the swimming pool than it was the interior of the hotel. Nice clerk person appeared out of nowhere and got me going in the right direction.

The clerk had given us the very first room past the lobby, so that gave me a pretty secure feeling. Deb stuck her card in the door, but it took both of us to shove the door open. Whoever chose the carpet, which was still pretty new, had selected a style that was too deep for the door. Each trip in and out was like a tiny weight resistance session.

We didn’t pay much attention to anything else, because we were ready to head to the Riverwalk. More about that later, but coming back to the hotel AFTER the Riverwalk, now that was an adventure. The hotel is in a sort or industrial area, which is part of the reason it’s so hard to reach. The GPS on my phone discovered another way to get there on the return trip. We exited and the GPS told us to take a street that on any other occasion we would have avoided, but the GPS showed that it was the most direct route. We feared a repeat of our earlier around the world experience, so we ignored those little voices in our head and crossed into no man’s land – or maybe I should say no-woman’s land.

The narrow two lane street had thick vegetation on each side and at a certain point the vegetation gave way to junk yards and re-cycling centers wrapped in chain link fences – or at least that’s what it looked like. The road got very rough and suddenly it felt like the car had fallen into the Grand Canyon. Deb kept right on driving and said, “If we get a flat, I’m gonna keep on driving. We’ll just worry about it in the morning.”

We didn’t have a flat and, with the exception of that too-thick carpet, had no other troubles getting to our beds. We were soon happily asleep. Now I know the Microtel can’t be responsible for the condition of the streets around it, especially small back-roads the GPS decides you should take and they certainly can’t help who walks in the front door, but the odds were starting to stack up against them nonetheless.

Morning Ministrations

Mornings for me mean a bubble bath and that’s when the real trouble started – nasty tub corners. When it comes to the hotels and motels of this world, I consider cleanliness my primary concern. I laugh my way through bad decor, small rooms, rude desk clerks – in fact most of the foibles that you can run into, but you better be clean. This is where the Microtel missed the mark.

Then there was the hair dryer. I guess they must have a problem with losing hair dryers, so now they hard-wire them in place. I can understand that, but did they have to cover up the other plug. I had to wander around the room looking for another plug with a line of sight to a mirror, because I needed some curling iron therapy to cope with my wild hair. (I don’t blame the Microtel for my wild hair either. I explained all that a few posts ago.)

The nasty tub corners sort of ruined my stay, but I got cleaned up and we headed to the breakfast bar for a bite, anyway. Like most of the things we’d experienced at the Microtel, the breakfast bar was more than decent. They had boiled eggs, which I like, and an assortment of other things, so it more than satisfied the need at hand. The morning clerk was a grandmotherly sort and that really made me want to like this hotel better, but the specter of the nasty tub corners couldn’t be erased.

Deb and I have a certain cure for everything. It’s called laughter. We started to enjoy all the little quirks we found. We even went outside and shot these pictures so you too could enjoy our stay.

Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about our dinner at the Tower of the Americas – but don’t stay at Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham San Antonio Northeast, unless grime is your friend.

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