Pasadena
Not exactly an out of town trip but headed towards Pasadena for the weekend for a bridal shower/bachelorette.
I was going to overnight in Pasadena, I decided to take the MTA light rail into the city and be carless for the weekend. With my handy TAP card, I meandered my way north taking a combination of local city bus and MTA gold line. I checked into the Pasadena Hilton which was conveniently located near the Del Mar station and the Paseo Colorado Plaza. I was upgraded to an accessible suite, it made the suite feel even larger! The decor inside was a mixture of modern and craftsman style. The lobby looked recently done and the rooms were convenient. One might say that the room could have been updated but I thought it was suitable and the TVs were LCDs. Luckily, the suite had adjoining rooms and the group was able to make it feel like a very large apartment. Perfect for our purposes!!
Also, I was pleasantly suprised at the level of customer service at this hotel. Everyone made effort to greet me and resolve any potential questions I might have had, even the Starbucks guy gave me a greeting. Although no executive lounge, the hotel did offer me free breakfast at their lobby restaurant and the food was suprisingly good. I didn't have to pay for an upcharge for the hot buffet foods!
As part of the day, I went to Burke Williams for a treatment. The appointment process was relatively painless if you only go through the spa directly and not talk to their corporate headquarters. I would not recommend doing a group reservation with their "coordinators" as they are hopelessly confused or out of touch. For the amount of clients they have, they need a bigger space. I received the Parafango treatment and it was a relaxing time. I would recommend it again but combine it with a massage as well.
Afterwards, had dinner at Roy's. I opted for the Prix Fixe as I was tempted by the Dynamite Salmon entree. At the last minute, I stayed with my typical dessert choice of the hot molten lava cake. The other option was a warm strawberry guava tart. In my opinion, Roy's lava cake is the best thing on the dessert menu but the tart did give the cake a run for its money. I was sorely tempted to ask the restaurant to give me the tart for takeout!
Afterwards, cruised through Bodega Wine Bar in the Paseo Colorado Plaza. Suprisingly full of women, the bar was nice if you're looking for an intimate bar and want some wine. We moved on to Bar Celona down the street which was much more livelier.
I was going to overnight in Pasadena, I decided to take the MTA light rail into the city and be carless for the weekend. With my handy TAP card, I meandered my way north taking a combination of local city bus and MTA gold line. I checked into the Pasadena Hilton which was conveniently located near the Del Mar station and the Paseo Colorado Plaza. I was upgraded to an accessible suite, it made the suite feel even larger! The decor inside was a mixture of modern and craftsman style. The lobby looked recently done and the rooms were convenient. One might say that the room could have been updated but I thought it was suitable and the TVs were LCDs. Luckily, the suite had adjoining rooms and the group was able to make it feel like a very large apartment. Perfect for our purposes!!
Also, I was pleasantly suprised at the level of customer service at this hotel. Everyone made effort to greet me and resolve any potential questions I might have had, even the Starbucks guy gave me a greeting. Although no executive lounge, the hotel did offer me free breakfast at their lobby restaurant and the food was suprisingly good. I didn't have to pay for an upcharge for the hot buffet foods!
As part of the day, I went to Burke Williams for a treatment. The appointment process was relatively painless if you only go through the spa directly and not talk to their corporate headquarters. I would not recommend doing a group reservation with their "coordinators" as they are hopelessly confused or out of touch. For the amount of clients they have, they need a bigger space. I received the Parafango treatment and it was a relaxing time. I would recommend it again but combine it with a massage as well.
Afterwards, had dinner at Roy's. I opted for the Prix Fixe as I was tempted by the Dynamite Salmon entree. At the last minute, I stayed with my typical dessert choice of the hot molten lava cake. The other option was a warm strawberry guava tart. In my opinion, Roy's lava cake is the best thing on the dessert menu but the tart did give the cake a run for its money. I was sorely tempted to ask the restaurant to give me the tart for takeout!
Afterwards, cruised through Bodega Wine Bar in the Paseo Colorado Plaza. Suprisingly full of women, the bar was nice if you're looking for an intimate bar and want some wine. We moved on to Bar Celona down the street which was much more livelier.
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