Hotel: Hampton Inn Phoenixville, PA

City: Phoenixville, PA
Chain: Hilton
Property: Hampton Inn Phoenixville
Address: 100 Cresson Blvd, Phoenixville, PA
Phone Number: 610 676 0900

Check Out: July 2010

Right off the highway (422) in the Valley Forge area.

Basic Hampton Inn experience.

Stayed in a "suite" room which had a small kitchenette. Separate doors for the sleeping area and corner building location made it quieter for sleeping.

The AC units almost wake the dead when they kick in. Didn't disturb, but creates problems setting the TV volume as it cycles on and off.

Somewhat sparsely decorated for the amount of space. Shower head was wonderfully up at the 7 ft level.

Rating:

• Safety: 1
  
• Dining: .25 (breakfast only)
  
• Bar: 0
  
• Internet: 1
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: 1
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 1
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: .5 (bed OK, AC loud)
  
• Common Areas: 1
  

Total: 6.75

Last Visit: June 2010 ($130)


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Restaurant: Shinbashi, New York City

Restaurant: Shinbashi Japanese Cuisine
Web Site: http://www.shinbashinyc.com
Address: 7 East 48th St., New York, NY 10017
Phone: 212.813.1009

A high end Japanese restaurant in mid-town Manhattan.

We were directed here from the concierge at the hotel we were staying - it was only a two or three block walk from the hotel and we're both sushi fans. The interior was very stylish; street front space set back a little from the sidewalk with a high ceiling and large windows facing the street. A large sushi bar runs along the side, and the interior was all cool green - a very natural, clean, and modern look. Service was top notch and they helped us navigate the menu which was not very "americanized".

We had an assortment of sushi and it was all very good. Dessert was unusual - green tea ice cream. Not very sweet but an intense flavor of green tea. Not what I expected but I enjoyed it immensely and it complemented the meal perfectly.



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Airports: Minneapolis/St. Paul International

Airport Name: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
FAA Sign: MSP
Location: Bloomington, MN USA
Airport Web Site: http://www.mspairport.com/

I used to spend a lot of time going through MSP. I worked a lot in the twin-cities area and other parts of Minnesota, and this is the main airport for the state. While it is brutally cold there in the winter (in my relative opinion), the area is filled with interesting places to go and populated with people that are very nice and fun to interact with.

So, my opinion of MSP has a lot of history to it. I remember the airport as a somewhat small "H" that was nice and easy to get around in, through the current state as an extremely large "H" with islands connected through underground passages and automated little trains and a gigantic parking garage that dominates the architecture. The central area behind security is a little shopping and eating area, but you may go through the airport without ever touching the central area, particularly if you are connecting flights.

There are extremely long corridors with motorized sidewalks to make things go faster, and certain points where you can step into a little train. I recently went through here and went through sections that I had never been through before. Very pleased with the signs, passages, and places to grab some food. Lots of people, but didn't really feel crowded. The only complaint was the blockages from people standing on the belts as you try to walk by (which is hardly unique to this airport - all are complicated with the friction between those in a hurry and those that are not).

Restaurant: Iron Horse Inn, Strasburg PA

Restaurant: Iron Horse Inn
Web Site: http://www.ironhorsepa.com/
Address: 135 East Main Street, Strasburg, PA 17579
Phone: (717) 687-6362

A little inn on the main street in a historic little town near Lancaster.

We enjoyed the cooking, the owner was personally involved in the serving going on in the dining room, and the service was very good and attentive. They had a variety of food, a lot of beef dishes, we had mostly fish including some specials on the menu.

The building is old and charming, decorated with local art work. The only complain was that it was unusually noisy - it was difficult to have a conversation at times.


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Hotel: Rochester Marriott Mayo Clinic Area

City: Rochester, Minnesota
Chain: Marriott
Property: Rochester Marriott Mayo Clinic Area
Address: 101 First Avenue SW, Rochester, Minnesota 55902
Phone Number:507-280-6000

Check Out: June 2010

Right in the middle of town, a block from the main Mayo Clinic building.

Full service restaurant, full bar, although not a lot of space for this. There are a number of places to shop and eat right across the street at a variety of price points. A large Barnes & Nobel across the street in an old movie theater as well.

The staff was super nice all the way around, which you expect because the people from Minnesota are super nice because that's the way they are up there. Rooms were pretty large and in good shape, no hassles getting there or getting in and out.

The building is connected to many other buildings through both overhead pedestrian bridges (enclosed) and underground hallways with shopping, coffee shops, etc.

Exercise space, including an enclosed pool and patio area (small), and typical hotel equipment (lots of treadmills and bikes, full set of dumbbells, Life Cycle weight/pulley system (a nice one), and a few leg machines. A little better than average.

Rating:

• Safety: 1
  
• Dining: 1
  
• Bar: 1
  
• Internet: 1 (free, with Gold Status)
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: 1
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 0 (low shower head)
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: 1 (Ditto)
  
• Common Areas: 1 (Ditto)
  

Total: 8

Last Visit: June 2010 ($130)


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Hotel: Sheraton Cerritos, CA

City: Cerritos, California
Chain: Sheraton
Property: Sheraton Cerritos Hotel
Address: 12725 Center Court Drive Cerritos, California 90703
Phone Number: (562) 809-1500

Check Out: June 2010

A fairly nice hotel for me to stay in on business. Full service, bar, restaurant, some kind of fancy internet hangout just off the lobby that was so full of fountains that you could hardly hear anything.

Located in Orange County, so it had the standard issue fountain out front with nicely planted palm trees and other tropical plants. The weather was off-the-hook great (by Washington DC standards) so it was nice to walk around, although like a lot of other southern CA office parks there really wasn’t any place to walk to and it was pretty deserted outside the people in the hotel.

There was an outside pool (not used, larger than many hotel pools), the exercise room had several nice treadmills, a full set of dumbbells up to 50 lb., and a lame Life-Fitness brand dual cable thing that seemed to be built for someone 4 ft, 10 inches in height.

Food was OK, not great. Breakfast buffet in the morning, free for someone with gold status.

Rating:

• Safety: 1
  
• Dining: 1
  
• Bar: 1
  
• Internet: 1 (free, with Gold Status)
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: 1
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 0 (low shower head)
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: 1 (Ditto)
  
• Common Areas: 1 (Ditto)
  

Total: 8

Last Visit: June 2010 ($150)


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Hotel: Montage Spa, Laguna Beach, CA

City: Laguna Beach, California
Chain: Not a Chain
Property: http://www.montagelagunabeach.com
Address: 30801 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA‎
Phone Number: (949) 715-6000

Check Out: April 2010

A crazy over-the-top nice resort sitting on top of a cliff on the specific ocean in southern California.

I was there for business reasons, and we got there very late at night, so really couldn't tell what it looked like on check-in. But, the next morning my room was sitting on top of a cliff looking out over the ocean. Perfectly manicured lawns, tropical plantings, a million people to help out with service, luxurious well appointed rooms, etc. etc. Of course, also accompanied with 25 dollar breakfasts and other :you get what you pay for" types of things. Not a criticism - in my experience it was worth it - but these types of surroundings don't come cheap.

And, I was there on business so not a lot of time to enjoy it. When not in a meeting, most likely using the laptop to try and stay on top of things. Fortunately, I was there on east coast time so I had a few hours in the morning to be outside with few people around.

There was an exercise room that was very nice, with a lot of treadmills and machines, Precor resistance machines, a full set of dumbbells. Didn't open until 6 AM, but there is a nice path along the cliff and down to the beach, so no need for the treadmills.

Very tropical plans, and types of birds I'm not familiar with that made very interesting noises. The birds were aggressive (not overly) on outside dining. Kind of funny, actually.

Rating:

• Safety: 1
  
• Dining: 1 (but pricey)
  
• Bar: 1 (ditto)
  
• Internet: 0 (wi-fi available, but $15 a day.)
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: .5 (you have to pay)
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 1 (unbelievably nice, actually)
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: 1 (Ditto)
  
• Common Areas: 2 (Ditto)
  

Total: 8.5

(note, my scoring system gives a severe penalty for paid for Internet. If you don't care about this, the place is a 10).

Last Visit: April 2010 ($350?)


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Restaurant: Bella Bacino's, Chicago

Restaurant: Bella Bacino's
Web Site: http://www.bacinos.com
Address: 75 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.263.2350

An Italian restaurant on Wacker Drive across the street from the river in downtown Chicago.

We ate there twice. One night with a colleague, the next night with a larger group. It seemed weird to eat in the same place twice in downtown Chicago where there are so many great places to eat. But, the larger group was looking for a suggestion, and we knew there were other things on the menu we wanted to try, so why not? It was a nice 6 block or so walk from our hotel, on a nice November evening.

They make little pizzas that were great, had a number of nice wines, and everyone liked all the dishes that filled the tables over two nights. Really nice service, also.


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Restaurant: Charlie Palmers Costa Mesa

Restaurant: Charlie Palmers at Bloomingdale's South Coast Plaza
Web Site: http://www.charliepalmer.com
Address: 3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa CA 92626
Phone: 714.352.2525

Neo-American Steak House attacked to a shopping mall in Orange County. Very high ceilings, very stylish staff and service. This is not a Ruth's Chris Steak House, this is a steak house in southern California that paid a lot of money for decorating.

Food was very good, and there was a real wine steward to navigate the list (with a very positive outcome). I like the giant wall of wine bottles arranged in a way that is more like a decoration than a convenient way to house a lot of wine.

Excellent joint!




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Hotel: Marriott Norwalk (CA)

City: Norwalk, California
Chain: Marriott
Property: Marriott Norwalk
Address: 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk, California 90650
Phone Number: 562-863-5555

Check Out: Febrary 2010

A full service Marriott conveniently off I-605 south of LA in the town of Norwalk. Full bar and restaurant, outdoor pool, business center, etc. Mostly a business travelers' hotel, not really near any of the attractions you might associate with the LA area. But, the hotel was clean, seemed recently remodeled so not beat up, and the staff was uniformly courteous and attentive in all my interaction.

Had an exercise room, although pretty small with two treadmills and two universal type weight machines. You can run outside, the parking lot has a "road" around it where you can stay on the property. Outside pool in a little courtyard. Food and bar were good, though. Would stay again, but not on vacation.

Rating:

• Safety: 1 (not the best neighborhood, but an isolated property)
  
• Dining: 1
  
• Bar: 1
  
• Internet: 1
  
• Wireless in Common Areas: .5 (you have to pay)
  
• Work Space, Power: 1
  
• Shower: 1
  
• Air Conditioning, Bed: .5 (good bed, weak AC)
  
• Common Areas: 1
  

Total: 8

Last Visit: February 2010 ($149)


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Restaurant: Sonoma Grill, Norwalk, CA

Restaurant: Sonoma Grill
Web Site: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/restaurant/laxnk-norwalk-marriott/
Address: 13111 Sycamore Drive, Norwalk, CA‎
Phone: (562) 863-5555

Had three meals or so while I stayed in the Norwalk Marriott for a few days.

A typical restaurant for a Marriott, in a vaguely corporate branded way. Kind of like a wine bar place, but not a lot of display of wine except for a few cases near the outside door.

The food was a mix; some burgers, some pizza, some salads, some fish and pasta dishes. Between some colleagues and multiple meals there was a small pizza, salads, tortilla soup, grilled vegtables with bow tie pasta and pesto sauce, filet mignon, seared tuna steak, grilled salmon with asparagus. All were good.

Breakfast was typical hotel buffet. Staff was very good, although cooking was a little slow for how few people were there.




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