What can I say about a flight I don’t remember? That is the ultimate compliment. Copa’s seats are damn comfortable, even if they are not lie-flat. Having left the house at 2:30AM in anticipation of drama due to the government shutdown, I was a zombie by the time we boarded at 5:30AM. The last thing I recall is asking for a breakfast sandwich. The next thing I remember is landing in Panama. Here are the photos:
Read Why A Second Residency? to understand this innovative phenomenon of my creation.
Past residencies include:
I’ve come a long way from living in Mongolia (see Aug 1, 2014: The Mistake of Mongolia). I’ve come a long way from the asinine idea of having my angry readers tell me where to live (see Vote for Where TPOL Will Move Next And…). My next residency begins tomorrow in Buenos Aires. It was supposed to happen last November, but I foolishly canceled (2024 Residencies Announced! Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Cape Town). Not one to look back, I made it happen this year. What will I do? Who will I see? How much steak will I eat? How much Malbec will I drink? Stay tuned to find out.
I have been told I am mean. I have been told that people from Philadelphia are mean. Both statements can be true and false depending on the situation. If the staff of the Hyatt Centric Philadelphia and the businesses surrounding it are representative of Philadelphians, I would say that Philly is the sweetest city in the world.
Double Dip Amex Fine Hotel + Globalist Benefits
I recently was approved for the coupon book of credit cards known as the Amex Business Platinum. One of the perks is a $300 statement credit for a 2-night stay at a Fine Hotel. As the year is coming to an end, I wanted to make sure I used this perk before it expired. The cheapest option for my two nights in Philadelphia was the Hyatt Centric. The retail price was $539.36. Out of pocket, I paid $239.36, an effective use of the credit. In addition to the hotel credit, I received a $100 stay credit which I used for a mediocre dinner (see $100 Credit Amex Fine Hotels: What a Pain).
My concern with using this Amex perk is that I would be denied my Globalist benefits, namely, two free bottles of water! Namely, free breakfast. Amex said it was at the discretion of the hotel. That was not the case. At check-in, my status was recognized and my bottles of water were dispensed with no fuss.
Location
The hotel is in the city center, full of bars, shopping, and restaurants, including Cleavers, the better option for a Philly Cheesesteak (see Best CheeseSteak in Philly? Don’t Ask Me).
RoomÂ
BathroomÂ
Bean Water Coffee
Hotels must have Nespresso machines. Keurigs are terrible and should be outlawed.
Breakfast
I opted for the buffet. I am glad it was free. Imagine paying $100 for this:
Overall
I received maximum value at this hotel and I received great service. Who says Philly is full of mean people? Everyone was very nice and accommodating. Who says TPOL is a not a nice guy? I have people skills!
I am frugal. When something is free, I have to make sure I use it. This time, the free offering was a $100 statement credit at the Hyatt Centric Philadelphia for booking the room with my new Business Amex Platinum (see Approved! Amex Business Platinum: 200k MRs, $895 Annual Fee).
The problem with a statement credit is that I am forced to stay in the hotel instead of going out and exploring. That is great in a beach resort, but not when staying in a city. Having had two or too many cheesesteaks (see Best CheeseSteak in Philly? Don’t Ask Me), I decided to burn my $100 at the hotel on food and drinks. Here’s what I got:
How mad would you be if you had to pay for this?
How mad do you think I was when I was $17 over my $100 allowance? Do you think I would have tipped less if I knew I was over? TPOL readers will know the answer to that.
When I was in Chicago, I was in search of the best pho (see Pho Paradise Found: Asia on Argyle, Chicago). When I was in Chicago, I was also in search of the best deep-dish pizza (see The World’s Best Pizza: Chicago Deep Dish Edition). I overindulged on both of these foods because they are my favorites.
When I was in Philly, I had to try an authentic Philly cheesesteak. The problem is that I’ve never been a big fan of the sandwich. It’s cheese, low-grade beef, and onions. How great can it be? Before offending the city of brotherly love, I thought I owed it to them to try as many cheesesteaks as possible.
I started with Cleavers, a joint next to where I was staying, the Hyatt Centric. I went with the basic: Kraft cheese, steak, and onions. It was good, but I wouldn’t pay $18 again for it.
TPOL’s TIP: Cleavers is located at 108 S 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
After my epic run up the Rocky steps (see The Best Experience in Philadelphia & Worldwide) and a visit to Independence Square (see Guns & Butter: Philadelphia Travel Guide), my heart told me that it was ready for my second sandwich. 3.1 miles later, I arrived on foot at Geno’s.
My friend from Philly said it was a tourist trap, a sentiment echoed by the bartender at my hotel and other Philadelphians I asked for recommendations. There is a distinction between a tourist trap and a tourist attraction.
$18 must be the market rate for steak and cheese. For the same price as Cleavers, I ordered a cheesesteak with onions and copper cheese.
Neither the destination nor the journey was worth the trek.
Full, I was determined to try one more cheese steak. This time, I was going to order it with what I thought was the missing link—mushrooms.
Unfortunately, Google gave me incorrect directions to Skinny Joey’s, a recommendation by another local. Since I was thus far unimpressed with the cheesesteak concept, I gave up on the cheesesteak mission.
TPOL’s Tip: This is the correct address: 3020 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19145
If I had to rank the two, I would go with Cleavers because of the sesame bread. But if I never have either again, that would be fine as well.
TPOL’s Trivia: I later found out that sesame is a ‘no,no’ in the traditional world of cheesesteak, further reinforcing that I am not the one to ask about what makes a good cheesesteak.
TPOL’s Tip: Yet another local recommended Angelo’s. Unfortunately, they were closed.
Wasn’t a very strong showing in terms of number of blogs posts for October 2025. Here’s what I wrote:
I have been to Christ the Redeemer in Rio (see Guns & Butter: Rio de Janeiro Travel Guide). I have the iconic photo with my arms spread apart. It was a moment of pure bliss.
Sacreligious as it sounds, it was not as rewarding as climbing the steps and taking my photo with Rock. I was not the only one who shared in the excitement. People from all over the world queued to take the same picture. Interestingly enough, those who came to revel in Rocky’s greatness were polite enough to stand in line and allow one person after another to take an unencumbered picture. In a world of no manners (see Etiquette of Things), that was nice to see.
I guess what I’m trying to say, is that if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!
TPOL’s Trivia: Do you know the Philadelphia Museum of Art is behind the Rocky statue? While it may be full of antiquities and masterpieces, the crowd and I were only there to see the Italian Stallion.
Insert your favorite Rocky quote below.
The flight from Toronto to Philadelphia is only 1:35.
After encountering my defective seat, I moved to the unoccupied exit row.
Immediately, the flight attendant asked if I was having trouble finding my seat. I explained that the velcro on my seat had come off, and I thought it would be better if I sat in the exit row. She explained that the plane had to be balanced based on weight and told me to return to my assigned seat. I complied without argument.
I don’t believe that she was being honest. I’ve been on planes where I am weighed in advance (see TPOL’s Worst Flight Experiences). I also do not believe that this plane was small enough where weight makes a difference. But what do I know?
I write these ‘Lounge Reviews’ differently from other bloggers. While they will show up first to the lounge and take a picture of all the chairs and zoom in to capture photos of the day-old hummus, I document my experience to catalog all of the cities in the world I have been to an Admirals Club.Â
The Admirals Club Toronto was no different than others. The breakfast, apart from the fork with no integrity, was serviceable, and the seating space was ample for the small footprint AA has in Toronto.
Last time I stayed in Toronto, it was at the Hyatt Regency. Unfortunately, my wish that the hotel would not be devalued did not come true (see Hyatt Regency Toronto: Please Don’t Devalue!). Now, the hotel is 15k a night. For that price, I decided to stay in a boutique hotel.
JDV
This is my second JDV Hotel (see The Time New York: A Hidden Hyatt Hotel).
Getting There
I took an Uber from YYZ.
LocationÂ
The hotel is technically in Yorkville, one of Toronto’s most affluent neighborhoods. It is also right across the street from the Brass Rail and public parks. By day, nothing seems amiss. By night, everything changes (see What Happened to Toronto? ).
Check-In
It has been a while since I was warmly greeted checking in. I was even given a cookie and club soda.
Room
My room had a great view of the high-rises, a distraction from what was going on at night below.
BathroomÂ
I liked the subway floors.
Brunch
On weekends, brunch is served from 9:30AM to 2PM. Globalists are allowed one entree, one cold drink, and one hot drink per person. As my flight was at 7AM the following day, I asked if I could use both of my vouchers on the same day. They graciously said yes, so I ordered everything, plus a bottle of Cava.
Overall
Great hotel.
