Events go on every weekend from city to state, country to continent. These ongoings are the reason we travel far and wide.
Today I participated in the Bucking Horse Sale in Mile City, Montana. There are too many details to recount in a quick a-live post but I can say that I’ve learned a lot and am having a great time.
This could be the start of the search for great adventures in the US instead of the vain quest to see every country worldwide.
This is an installment from the Trip Report The Southwest Companion Pass which began in April of 2015 and is continuing on till the companion pass expires.
Before I deserted the complacency of the desert, I was a resident of the mediocre state of Arizona, specifically the city of Scottsdale. With a friend of mine getting married in Phoenix, I was all set for my return to the Sparky state following my exodus from Mongolia. I chose to stay at the Hyatt House Old Town Scottsdale which is located right in the heart of all the action on Drinkwater Boulevard.
I used to live next door at the ‘luxury apartments’ at San Marin so I am very familiar with the area. However, this was the first time that I had stayed at a Hyatt House so I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked into my one-bedroom apartment. It was the perfect size with all the furnishing needed for me to move back to Arizona comfortably. The price was $55 + 4000 GoldPassport points per night which also can’t be beat. The pool was great for a hot day and the hot tub was a welcomed bonus for the chilly night.
While the Hyatt House will never be confused for the Park Hyatt, this particular property is definitely one of my favorites.
The Grounds
The Pool
The One Bedroom
This is an installment from the Trip Report The Southwest Companion Pass: Round 3 which began in April of 2015 and is continuing on till the companion pass expires.
In order to get to Phoenix on Southwest, we had to first drive from Western Montana to Spokane, Washington and connect in Boise.
The best thing about Montana is that passengers can have all the libations they can handle without fearing the reprimand of an open container citation. God Bless America! A tradition unlike any other is to start at the Sunshine Station which quadruples as a gas station, convenient store, restaurant, and full service bar. After downing a yummy Caesar and picking up a six-pack of locally brewed Bayern, it was time to hit the road.
Even with all the local great beer, road trips can get pretty boring if you find yourself drinking alone. Luckily, there are many great food stops along the way if you are passing through Big Sky Country. Last year I enjoyed a hot dog contest at Law Dogs and this year I had my own burger contest at the Missoula Club, Mo Club for short.
The Club is a dive bar/grill with some of the best burgers I have ever had. And at a price of $6 for a double cheeseburger, I had to have another. If you’re a burger lover or just happen to be in the area, I highly suggest stopping in.
Now back to the road trip!
<==Back to Trip Report Overview – Onto Hyatt House Scottsdale==>
This is part of the Trip Report New York, New York, New York (March 2015) which is an SPG tour of 4 NYC hotels I stayed at last time I was in the Big Apple. Note: none compare to the St. Regis New York City.
No De Niro, no problem. The Sheraton Tribeca may not draw in the celebs but this also keeps the required dinero needed to stay here to a minimum. I had heard mixed reviews about this hotel but was very impressed by its convenient location near China Town and Little Italy and its proximity to the Brooklyn Courthouse (which wasn’t where I need to go for my court appearance.) Still, for only $200 the Sheraton Tribeca is another bargain in a city that likes to charge a lot and deliver so little. For Platinum members, there is a great club room with a rooftop patio overlooking the city. Unfortunately for me, it was snowing that day in spring. I took a few pics and ran back inside
Here’s what spring in NYC looks like:
<==Back to FourPoints SoHo – Onto Le Parker Meridien==>
This is part of the Trip Report New York, New York, New York (March 2015) which is an SPG tour of 4 NYC hotels I stayed at last time I was in the Big Apple. Note: none compare to the St. Regis New York City.
Le Parker Méridien must be pronounced with the stuffy French accent its name invokes. But, there’s nothing pompous about this hotel. It is elegant yet unassuming providing its guests with a pool on the roof, a gym in the basement, and a burger joint by the lobby. This creates the perfect trifecta.
I used a platinum suite upgrade award and found myself in a room that would be a dream apartment if it included a kitchen. What distinguishes Le Parker Méridien from the other hotels on this SPG tour was the small details. The walk-in shower was massive, the colorful towels provided a nice touch, and the shot glasses were tempting not to steal.
The best feature of the room was the TV that was on a swivel making it easy to watch the NCAA tourney from the living room or listen to it while passed out on the comfy bed.
Another advantage of staying here was the ability to call The Burger Joint for a double cheese which was ready in fifteen minutes as opposed to the endless line that snaked around the lobby. My only gripe about this hotel was the lack of free bottled water in the room. After devouring the burger, I had to seriously contemplate whether I should splurge for the $10 minibar refreshments.
The Hotel
The Room
The Bathroom
The Roof
The Burger
This is part of the Trip Report New York, New York, New York (March 2015) which is an SPG tour of 4 NYC hotels I stayed at in the Big Apple.
Note: none compare to the St. Regis New York City.
Catch up with the overview, It’s Up to New York.
Following a less than impressive stay at the Sheraton Times Square, I headed over to the quaint Four Points Manhattan SoHo. I arrived on the right night as there is free beer, wine, and appetizers during happy hour for all guests.
I checked into my room which had a comfy king size bed, a view of something, and a pleasant shower. After taking the necessary Hotel Review photos of the soap and towels, I went back downstairs to enjoy some crisp Brooklyn Lager and crazy chicken.
The rate varies at the Four Points but the night I stayed there it was only $140 making it one of the best bargains I’ve found in the city.
The pictures tell the story:
<==Back to Sheraton Times Square – Onto Sheraton Tribeca==>
This is part of the Trip Report New York, New York, New York (March 2015) which is an SPG tour of 4 NYC hotels I stayed at in the Big Apple.
Note: none compare to the St. Regis New York City.
Catch up with the overview, It’s Up to New York.
If NYC is the epicenter of the universe, then Times Square is the epicenter of overrated. Tourists flock to Times Square thinking that NYC=Times Square or Times Square=convenient. Neither are true.
The same can be said about the overrun, dated Sheraton New York Times Square. The hotel is a typical Sheraton conference hotel with too many rooms, not enough staff, and spotty quality. If you go on St. Patrick’s Day as was my bad luck, you won’t end up with an upgraded club level room but whatever unkempt double they choose to throw you in. For the 6000 SPG points + $110, I highly recommend staying elsewhere.
Among the overlooked aspects of this hotel are the following:
Here are some snazzy photos highlighting the positives of this hotel and Times Square in general:
<==Back to Trip Report Intro – Onto FourPoints Soho==>
This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
Catch up by reading the preview, The Banana Pancake Trail to Myanmar Starts This Monday, then the overview, Thailand, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Disney, Home, where the game time decision was made to leave Mongolia for good.
Brace yourself. I’m about to write a scathing review of the Hollywood Tower Hotel Orlando. I’m not sure how this place is in operation let alone a Disney Resort. The hotel is not meant for families with children and even brave adults should stay clear.
The only positive about the hotel is its exterior. From the outside the hotel looks impressive towering over the Disney grounds.
Checking In
Checking in was a pain in the ass. Some guests had fast-past status so they were quickly ushered through the process. The rest of us had to wait in line for at least an hour. That would never be the case if this was an SPG hotel or a run of the mill Days Inn.
The Lobby
Filthy, dusty! You call this a lobby? There were cobwebs all over the place. Who knows the last time this place was cleaned. Once in the lobby, the hotel staff was extremely rude. They kept telling us to move along. One even said, “Enjoy your stay,” in such a creepy voice that I will never forget.
It’s a shame that the hotel has fallen into disrepair. In its glory days, I’m sure it would rival the St. Regis New York.
The Broken Elevator
Talk about lousy service! After waiting in line forever without being offered any refreshments, we were informed that the elevator was busted. They told us we had to use the service elevator. Unbelievable!
The Waiting Room
The hotel herded us in like cattle into a waiting room. From there, we had to watch a stupid movie about the history of the hotel. At this point, children were crying and I was getting increasingly angry.
The Service Elevator
The rudeness continued by the bellman who crammed us all into the service elevator and started laughing at us. What sort of training do these people receive? This is supposed to be Disney!
From there, we began our ascent to the penthouse suite. The ride up provided beautiful views of Disney. Finally, things were going our way I thought.
Inexplicably and without warning the elevator plummeted down the shaft, a mechanism that would go on for what seemed like an eternity. Many of the guests were inexplicably screaming with delight. Due to the elevator malfunction, we never made it to our rooms and were returned to the lower lobby.
The Lower Lobby
Outraged, I got out of the death trap elevator and stormed past the gift shop on my way to find a new hotel. Strangely many of the guests went back to the entrance of the hotel to wait for the elevator to be fixed so they could get to their rooms. Others even bought photos of themselves from the surveillance camera that was in the elevator.
I wish I had purchased a photo so I could use it in court to sue Disney for a horrible resort experience.
Never again! DO NOT STAY HERE!
This is part of the Trip Report So Long Mongolia, Hello SE Asia (December-January 2015) which covers:
Catch up by reading the preview, The Banana Pancake Trail to Myanmar Starts This Monday, then the overview, Thailand, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Disney, Home, where the game time decision was made to leave Mongolia for good.
Welcome back to the United States! The welcome wasn’t so welcoming as I was ‘randomly stopped’ my first time using Global Entry. I guess moving to Mongolia raises red flags.
After that restful Cathay flight I had one more to catch from Chicago to Orlando. With only a couple of hours before take off, I needed to find the Admirals Club, take a shower, and shave.
I checked in at the desk, received the shower key, and spent more than the 30 minute allotted time making myself look and feel human again.
Like the JFK lounge, this one gave me one drink ticket which I used to get a ginger margarita, not the best choice. I downed my drink and headed to the gate. The plane to Orlando was slightly underwhelming compared to Cathay First.
<==Back to Cathay First Class HKG-ORD – Onto Hollywood Hotel, Orlando==>
“Free Text Msg: Citi Cards Fraud Dept. Did you attempt a charge at WALGREENS in the amount of $155.95 on 05-13?”
Had they said CVS or Target, I would’ve had to think twice but Walgreens in New York, that wasn’t me. Credit card fraud is no laughing matter but this is only the second time that my card was hacked and I wasn’t the one being accosted by the fraud prevention department. The other time was someone purchasing some garbage jewelry from Jared.
We all get annoyed when our gift cards, vanilla reloads, or redBIRD transactions don’t go through. We complain to the agent who is trying to protect us that they are interfering with matters of [inter]national [travel] security. Then days like today happen making me feel guilty about berating the agents time and time again.
I’m sure my kindness will dissipate the next time my card is declined for a $3 suspicious purchase as it was a week ago and I’m stuck on hold forever waiting to clear it up. That’s almost as bad as booking multiple tickets in Asia only to have the 5th transaction being the one that sets off the fraud trigger. Where were you on the first four?
Finally, call me paranoid, call me Middle-Eastern, or call me a lawyer, but I can’t help but wonder if writing article upon article about the Citi Prestige is somehow related to this fraud attempt. If so then I would like to tell the fraudster that I appreciate his efforts of spending money in order to stockpile my ThankYou points but if he applied on his own he too could fly SQ with new pajamas.
