My Travels

Went to Hawaii for a week on a combination leisure and work travel. Hopped onto United to get into Oahu. This trip was a bit ambitious as I was going to be on three different islands. I had made plans with friends in Hawaii to meet up in Big Island before heading out to Kauai. I opted to based myself out of Oahu for work and did a few interisland itineraries on Hawaiian Airlines . Sheraton Princess Kaiulani King Room Due to timing and airline pricing, I came in a night earlier than planned and stayed overnight at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani . I came in early enough to dip my toes on Waikiki Beach. Afterwards, headed back to the hotel to get a free appetizer from Splash Bar. After ordering a few drinks with chicken wings and onion straws. Service was a tad slow but the best thing on the menu is the chicken wings. Afterwards, walked over to the Starbucks Reserve and ordered a honey rose latte. I was not expecting such fancy coffee shops and discovered a new higher end Waikiki ...

Went out to Chicago for a weekend trip on United . It's been a few years since I've last visited and i was able to connect with some friends while in town. I originally was going to land in the middle of the night but opted to change my flight to arrive in the early AM and rerouting myself with a layover at SFO . I don't always fly through SFO and noticed a few changes in the food court options across from the United Club near gates 70. Took a power nap in the morning at the Renaissance Chicago O'Hare Suites . The suite layout was cozy but comfortable enough. The breakfast buffet was nice with made to order omelets and waffles. Afterwards, headed into the city and checked into the Conrad Chicago . I did not realize that the Conrad Chicago is a brand new hotel and the old Conrad that I have stayed previously. I was given the "michigan avenue view" king room. I didn't get any pictures but you can see it on their website. With the new location and build, I...

Headed out to Denver on United for a conference. I haven't been to Denver in awhile. Unfortunately, the snowstorms did not grace Colorado and skipped over to Utah. I found a great rate at the Le Meridien Denver Downtown and checked in relatively quickly. It appears that Denver is growing their CBD area as this is a new location and also shares the block with the AC hotel. This is interesting given that Marriott and SPG recently went through a merger and wondered if this was intentional. Le Meridien Denver Prior to checking in, I had looked at TripAdvisor to check out opinions on the Le Meridien. The reviews were positive in the décor, location, and food from Corinne. The negatives were focused on the staffing and size of room. I found the staff pleasant and had no complaints. The room was very minimal in décor and reminded me of typical European style rooms including size. I wasn't sure what expectations are for Le Meridiens. My experience has normally been outside the ...

I had a quick trip to Santa Barbara for some personal business. I am always surprised on hotel rates in the central coast area of California. In looking at area hotels, I opted to stay at the Fess Parker Hotel because it was similarly priced as the local Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton. If I'm going to pay the same price, I might as well choose the nicest property. Apparently, the hotel has been undergoing renovations for most of the winter and stretching into spring. I assume it is in preparation for summer crowds. In the very brief time I was at the hotel I thought the hotel was nice and very large. The rooms are big and spacious. It is also a very pet friendly hotel and the rooms can accommodate large dogs if needed. The breakfast buffet was awesome with croissant bread pudding, breakfast sandwiches, and the assortment of hot and cold items. If  you do not have time for the buffet, the breakfast vouchers are also good at the coffee place with any kind of coffee, pastry, and...

Headed out to Flagstaff on a work trip. I had originally intended to fly in a little earlier to stay in Phoenix and/or snowboard in Flagstaff but the timing and snow did not work out. Luckily, as a 1K on United , I was able to move my flight to the next day and not have to eat a hotel night on my own. I did have to layover in Houston for a few hours to avoid overnighting. Apparently, Phoenix is a hot city to visit in February. There are flights into Flagstaff but the airport is subject to weather and I opted to drive to Flagstaff from Phoenix rather than flying into Flagstaff. Grabbed my rental from Hertz . I don't know if it is a new process (I haven't rented from Hertz in a few years) but the Phoenix location assigns you to areas where you pick your vehicles. Similar to National but for everyone who rents. I opted for a Kia Soul. Since my rental was through Priceline , Hertz had no idea I was a Gold member in the reservation and I assume that this meant they viewed my res...

Headed to Carlsbad to check out the area and visit Legoland . Checked into the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at MarBrisa . I have not had to chance to stay in a three bedroom configuration before this trip. I was pleasantly surprised at the size and layout of the unit. The master was good with its own shower, the other two bedrooms shared a bathroom. I think the bathroom could have been a tad bigger given the two rooms had to share. One of the bedrooms was a king room and the other was a double/twin combination. That bedroom is clearly designed for kids. The only downside was that the building did not have elevators and the laundry units are communal. HGVC MarBrisa Three Bedroom Unit Living Room The itinerary for the weekend was to relax and explore the Carlsbad area. During this trip, visited Legoland. I didn't know that the first park is located in Denmark and that the Carlsbad location is their third park behind the Florida location. The hotel has a private entrance within ...

Drove up to Bakersfield for a work project for a one night stay. Before checking into the hotel, I stopped by the downtown area and grabbed a light lunch at Woolworth Diner at 1400 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301. I wanted to try something new and thought it would be interesting to have a quick meal at an old school soda shops. I opted for a chili cheese dog with fries and a milkshake. It was nice to see the retro signs and the staff was pleasant. Checked into the Doubletree Bakersfield without any issue. The hotel is very large and there are a number of restaurants in walking distance. Later that night, I had a pleasant dinner at Café Med . I enjoyed my lamb chops, baked brie and baklava. I was later told the Doubletree was one of the largest hotels in Bakersfield and you can see that they can handle conventions or large events.

Took a long weekend trip to Park City. Jumped on an United Airlines flight through Denver to get to Salt Lake City. On my way to Denver, I was given a thank you note from the airline stewardess from the captain. Interesting gesture, not sure if random or not. On the bright side, my connecting leg was upgraded to first and it was nice for the hour in air. I grabbed my Nissan Versa from Thrifty . I had booked their specialty random car and thought it was funny that the Versa was the choice. On my way to Sunrise Lodge , I stopped at R&R BBQ . I grabbed a three meat plate with chopped brisket, bbq chicken, and ribs. It was all delicious as last time. I was able to make three meals from this order. At the Sunrise, I was in a studio room outfitted with a kitchenette. It was good that I stopped at Smith’s to grab water and juice. I was able to stick them in the fridge and chip away at my bbq for the next 24 hours. Spent my days at Canyons Resort snowboarding. The Lodge is an easy w...

Went on a road trip North to San Luis Obispo. There was travel deal by the city chamber of commerce. They would give out $100 to visitors staying for two nights in the town. I thought it was a great way to subsidize an inexpensive stay and start my Hilton stays for the year. Checked into the Hampton Inn and Suites San Luis Obispo . The last time I stayed here was for a wedding in 2014. In this stay, the front desk was nice enough to give me a junior suite. Worked out well since I also came down with the flu and ended up staying in for most of the weekend. Due to my poor health, I didn’t really do much in SLO. I was able to get breakfast at Del Monte Cafe at 1901 Santa Barbara St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. I enjoyed my Stuffed French Toast, the strawberries really made the dish. I also liked that I could get linguica on the side. For dinner, I went to Firestone Grill and ordered the ABC burger and tri tip sandwich. I didn’t need two entrees but I figured I could have the tri ti...

Went on a short road trip to Laguna Beach. At this time of year, it isn't normally beach weather but pleasant to wander the boardwalk or Main Street. On this trip, I was here for a wedding at the seven4one hotel. It is largely a venue for weddings. The rooms were nice and had a modern feel. I had some time to spare to hit the Star Nails at 1050 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 to get a pedicure. The service was professional and thorough. They even comped my nail art because I was waiting. On the first night, I had dinner at Canaleto Ristorante . Only after visiting the website did I realize this is the same restaurant group as I'll Fornaio. It has been a very long time since I've been at Il Fornaio and Canaleto does remind me of their sister restaurant. The steak I had was good. Only because my alternative was gnocchi or salmon did I opt for steak. It doesn't beat steakhouses but it was tasty. The tiramisu was typical of any Italian restaurant. The next day wen...

I return again to Big Island this year with family. I joined the family flying out on Delta Airlines . The airline had the only evening flight out to Hawaii and I was looking to leave after work. I haven't flown an actual Delta flight in a long time and was able to snag the flight on points. I did not enjoy being in regular economy, making me miss my Economy Plus access but I did like the free TV. The snack options was interesting, it was a trio snack bags of pretzels, almonds, and biscotti cookies. I had a four hour layover in the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport overnight and opted to work in the airport rather than looking for hotel lodgings. The Wi-Fi was intermittent and I ended up snagging a somewhat stable connection through the Prada store. I don't know why, the cellphone hotspot wasn't working well for me. Normally, you can walk from the main terminal to the inter-island terminal but not overnight. It doesn't open until 5 am. Unfortunately for me, my ...

It’s been awhile since I last visited Phoenix. Went out on United Airlines for a quick weekend trip with friends. I was reminded on how small planes can be when I boarded my flight out to Phoenix. Luckily, I had decided to check luggage and bring a small messenger bag onboard. The plane could only accommodate that size of carryon. Landed into Phoenix Sky Harbor and went to meet with the first group at the car rental facility. Checked into the Hilton Scottsdale Resort & Villas on this trip. The villas inside this Hilton are very spacious which worked well for our group of 13. It is in a separate area on the property from the main hotel. I had booked two villas, one end unit (2700) and one next door (2706). In the past, I’ve only stayed in the end unit and it was the group meeting spot which worked well on this trip. The living room and kitchen layout allowed everyone to comfortably sit around and still feel cozy. The end unit also meant that the room can be as loud as they...

Headed out on United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines to Maui and Oahu. The trip was originally only Oahu but some friends were in Maui for a wedding. Overlapping the end of their trip with the beginning of mine meant an overnight stay in Maui. Since the flight from the mainland to Hawaii was after work, there are not many options for a direct flight into Maui. I opted to book two separate itineraries, one to Oahu and one interisland. Due to the late arrival into Honolulu, I stayed at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hotel. With the late arrival, I was able to grab a quick bite at the Splash Bar before retiring for the night. The hotel has always been a bit dated in my mind but I haven't been to this Sheraton in a long time. I did find the room slightly upgraded from my previous experience. The bathrooms could stand for a full refurbishment but the room was serviceable. I was also given a pretty good view of the ocean on this trip. The next morning, ate some breakfast at the Pike T...

A local trip for a wedding event in Long Beach. The venue was at the Hotel Maya . A hidden part of Los Angeles, the hotel is on the port side of Long Beach. There is also a Marriott Residence Inn next door. I would not have guessed that one hotel let alone two would be in this part of Long Beach. I'm much more used to downtown Long Beach or Belmont Shores area. Luckily, this is a Doubletree branded hotel and I decided to use the block rate to stay for the wedding and avoid having to leave the wedding early and/or drag tired people home. The hotel was pleasant and recently renovated according to its website. The rooms were nice and it did seem new. Being an outdoor layout, the rains can make a number on this location as evidenced by the slight warping of the wood in the public areas as well as the entryway to the room. Hotel Maya The hotel restaurant, Fuego, is hit and miss. The first time I ate was dinner and the food was fantastic. The restaurant is an outdoors restau...

Flew up for an afternoon to San Mateo on United Airlines. On this trip, I had a couple of firsts. I was upgraded on both segments pretty early on. At the gate, I wasn't able to capitalize on a voucher for $300  and a first class seat for a later flight because I had to be in San Mateo at a certain time. Was sad about that one. I rented a Zipcar for the afternoon. I had landed around 1:30 and stayed in the United Club for a bathroom and drink break. Had I known what I was going to do with the Zipcar, I would not have stopped. At SFO, the Zipcar is located adjacent to the Avis area in the rental car center. Since they are near the return entrance, it is a walk to get to from the airport. Apparently the rental car center was swamped when I went through and I had to fight my way through the crowds to get out to the cars. I've had the membership for over a year but have not needed to get a Zipcar. When I looked at regular rental and Uber it actually made more sense to get a Zipcar....

Headed out on a mix of Star Alliance carriers to Vietnam. I'm out for a short trip on personal business and was able to buy a last minute fare to Hanoi on United and Vietnam Airlines . Interestingly, I did not realize that United would sell non-partner flights on their website. I guess Vietnam Airlines (like Hawaiian Airlines) is some kind of secondary code share partner and so will pop up on the United site. My layover in Haneda Interational Aiport was a few hours. Unfortunately, ANA Lounge did not accept my ticket on Vietnam Airlines despite being a codeshare flight and I wondered around the terminal. I was disappointed to be denied of karaage and curry. Yet again, I am unable to get ANA karaage! On the bright side, I was able to upgrade on the United segments to business so I can't complain too much. Despite the fanfare of Polaris in United literature, I did not get the "full" Polaris experience. The seats were not yet installed but the bedding and amenity k...