Continuing to work backwards from the end of my road trip around Florida, having already covered my stays at the Le Méridien Tampa and the Conrad Miami. Since I won’t be going into my first night, a stay at the Sheraton Orlando North hotel in Maitland (which is pretty much my go-to hotel for stays in Orlando), that leaves us with my one night in Key West at the Casa Marina Resort.
Casa Marina is one of two Waldorf Astoria branded resorts that exist in Key West, the other being The Reach. Between the two of them, Casa Marina is definitely the more resort-like option and having been opened originally in the 1920s has a very attractive historic main building. There is some sharing of resources between the two properties which are located within a 5 minute walk of each other, such as activities. The great thing is that you can take advantage of the all the features of either property no matter which one you stay at.
Welcome!
Arrival
I had stopped in Orlando the night before, because driving non-stop from Panama City Beach is just crazy talk; if you don’t stop along the way, it’s approximately a 12 hour drive. So, I made the journey from Orlando, and for the most part it was a nice drive, but thanks to everyone else heading to the Keys for the 4th of July, that meant it took longer than anticipated to get there. By the time I pulled up to the valet drop off at the Casa Marina, I was ready to get a beer in my hand and into a hammock as quick as possible. The valet was quick to rush over and grab my key and I was making my way to check in. As I was gathering my belongings though, the valet asked me if it had been a long drive, to which I responded “Yeah, all the way from Panama City”, to which I got a surprised look and him saying “I thought perhaps Miami!” Comeon, Miami is only 3-5 hours away (3 according to Google Maps, 5 based on my actual driving time); that’s hardly a long drive! That wouldn’t be my first conversation like that during the course of my one-night stay in Key West.
Checking in wasn’t too chaotic. Perhaps since it was nearly 6PM, many other holiday beach-going vacationers had already checked in, so I walked to the first agent, who I felt bad for because she looked incredibly sun-burned. Check in was relatively quick, but no apparent recognition as a HHonors Diamond member. This was my first Waldorf Astoria stay, but from what I had read online is that more or less don’t expect anything extra. Actually, probably shouldn’t expect any of the benefits either; while it wasn’t offered and I forgot to ask while checking in, I did not get my Diamond welcome benefit as part of the MyWay Choices other than my 1000 HHonors points. However, since Gold/Diamond gets WiFi for free, they do at least discount the $25/night resort charge for $15/night, so I will at least hand them that. I’ve stayed at other resorts with free WiFi and had not seen that before. Usually you just wind out paying out the same as everyone else. As for an upgrade, I didn’t ask since it was a holiday weekend, but they made no mention of one. Either way, I got my key and made my way towards my room, 325.
This Is What Greets You After Leaving The Lobby…Beautiful!
The Room
My room was located on the 3rd floor of the western building (the resort is made up of the main 1920s building and adjacent buildings on either side). Apparently the rooms are a mixture of both indoor and outdoor entrances, with mine opening up to a courtyard. Unfortunately, there was no upgrade and I got the room that I booked. Not surprising and I don’t fault them, but at the same time I could have sworn there had been some oceanfront rooms still available that morning when I checked in Orlando. Of course, they could have been taken in the course of my drive and again…holiday weekend. I point this out, because I think too many elites get stuck in the mindset that we MUST be upgraded and when we wind up in our originally booked rooms we cry foul. Don’t get me wrong, I think it sucks I didn’t get upgraded and one could have been super-freaking-awesome, but this just meant that I needed to make sure I spent more time on the beach in the hammock.
I entered the room and pretty much found your basic, but nice, hotel room that was neither huge nor cramped. I had booked a King Room and that was exactly what I got, of which the bed was actually decently comfortable. There was also a chair by the window that looked out to the side street (and their dumpsters), along with a bench with a glass table next to it. Guess that is an attempt at having a spot for in room dining?
Entry
King Bed + Small Table and Bench
Desk + TV + Looking Back To The Entrance
…And A Small Chair Next To The Large Window
A Room With A View…
The only real annoyance that I had with the room? The bathroom door, which just does not want to stay open. Maybe that is a good thing since it is right next to the entry door, but I found that mildly annoying. The bathroom however was otherwise acceptable. There was a decent sized shower and plenty of counter space (not that I need much).
It’s A Shower.
Overall, if you’re like me and coming to Key West to have a good time which means outside of the hotel room, then this room would meet all of your needs at a decent cost ($219/night for my stay) while keeping you beachfront. It did that perfectly and as much as I would have loved a beachfront view, I was able to manage without. I did wind up with a couple of chocolates though…
They Were Gone Pretty Quick
Food + Drink
Usually when I travel, I like to not eat many meals at the hotel I am staying at. While it’s convenient, a lot of times I feel like I am missing something of the local area (although I am not one to turn down a free breakfast, if I get it at say like a Conrad). However, on this stay I think I only at at the hotel. Yeah, I probably missed out on some sort of Key West institution, but it was hard to turn down it down for both dinner and breakfast.
Let’s start with dinner. After getting here and relaxing for a bit, I decided that a dinner during sunset would just be a fantastic idea at the on-property restaurant, Sun Sun. There seems to be seating pretty much everywhere around the main courtyard for seating, but the best is really up on the beach…and when I mean on the beach, I mean on the beach. A table and chair on the sand of their private beach not far from the water’s edge was just the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal. I had opted to go with a pasta dish, the name of which I cannot remember, topped with a local catch fish, which likewise I cannot remember what it was (they sold it as being similar to swordfish, which it kinda was).
Dinner On The Sand
You Really Can’t Get Better Than That For A View At Dinner
Sunset Panorama (Click To See Larger)
As for breakfast, I had also opted to dine at Sun Sun, where service is located on the main patio off the main building. There was a breakfast buffet, but I had opted for an order for the huevos rancheros and coffee. I had just returned from kayaking and was pretty hungry, so perhaps I should have gone with the buffet, but I wasn’t let down with what I ordered either. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but still very good; there was essentially a “breakfast quesadilla” on my plate with sausage filling and topped with eggs, beans, pico, and an avocado. And sitting outside on a beautiful morning, it was again a pretty good spot to enjoy a meal.
Sun Sun Breakfast Area (Main Building Patio)
It Wasn’t Much, But It Was Tasty
As for the drinking, down by the beach there is an outdoor bar pavilion that seemed to have a pretty decent selection, however I just went with a few Coronas. Probably should have had a mojito while I was at it. It’s not a bad spot to sit and enjoy a drink and I’m not sure what the rules are with taking your drink a few steps over to the beach or to a hammock. The only one thing I noticed is that one person had some sort of drink voucher that the hotel had given him, I don’t know if it had been included in his rate, or if he was an HHonors elite member or what, but it made me wonder if perhaps I should have got one? Who knows.
Beer. After My 7-8 Hour Drive, I Needed One.
Resort Features
Obviously, if you are coming to a resort in Florida the beach is probably the number one feature you are after. Let me first say, that I’m very spoiled with the beaches here in Northwest Florida that are the finest and whitest that you’ll find. Unfortunately, Key West does not have those white sands, but on the plus side it’s not that terrible coarse brown sand. Still, that won’t stop you from spending time out there. For what it is worth, it’s a pretty small beach, but luckily it being a private beach means that you will not be competing with all the other tourists for access. I spotted a few people sitting actually on the beach before dinner that night, but most people seemed to be taking advantage of the beach chairs, lounges, and hammocks. I myself made a run for an open hammock and chilled out and enjoyed the sunset prior to sitting down to eat. After spending all day driving, swaying in the breeze between two palm trees was just what the doctor ordered.
It’s Hammock Time
There are also two pools in the courtyard, if the salt water isn’t your thing, one on either side of the path between the beach and the main building. One of the pools has been designated more or less for families (be prepared to be splashed by kids) as well as an adults only pool for floating sitting by and not having a kid run away with your towel. While I didn’t partake in the pools (there’s only so much you can do in a less-than 24 hour stay), I’m glad to see that they have both options for two very different types of travelers.
One Of The Two Pools
While I may not have gone for a swim, I did go for a paddle. Between the Casa Marina and The Reach, they offer wide variety of rentals and water activities. I myself, knew that I needed to go kayaking. It had been since last August since I had kayaked around St. Andrews Bay in Panama City, so I was long overdue. For whatever reason, Casa Marina’s otherwise comprehensive rental shack did not include Kayak rentals, so I had to make the short walk through the local neighborhood to The Reach. The waterfront activities kiosk wasn’t up and running yet (it was 830AM, which is supposedly when they opened), so I headed to the front desk to try to get something set up. Luckily at the front desk was a very friendly agent who got my two hour rental written up and set up for a room charge back to my room at the Casa Marina. The only downside was the rental rate, which at $25/hour isn’t cheap. I had her put me down for two hours as I figured that would be plenty of time for me to paddle around without wearing myself out too much.
Back down at the beach, the kiosk was now set up and after signing a waiver it was time to put into the ocean. I started out heading East passing the Casa Marina and the adjacent pier in the direction of the airport. I Believe I had almost reached the Sheraton by the time I had decided to turn back, so I had covered a good amount of water. Instead of going straight back though, I kayaked past The Reach and went towards the “Southernmost Point In the Continental US” (which actually isn’t, but hey close enough) where I captured the “Southermost Selfie in the Continental US”. By time I got to that point though, I started getting some decent sized blisters on my hands since I had let me hands get wet, which meant it was time to head in. At least it nearly coincided with the end of my two hours.
Relaxing
Casa Marina From My Kayak
Let Me Take A Selfie
It surprises me that I’ve gone this far in writing in that I have not touched on how beautiful that this property. You’ve probably noticed in several of the photos already, but I had to just say it. While some of the treatment as an HHonors Diamond member was not quite top-notch, the physical aspects of the property definitely made up for some of those shortcomings. I mean, just look at some of these addition shots from around the property – how could you not think it looked awesome?
Pool Area At Night
Off The Main Building
The Covered Pier Is At The Reach Resort
‘Murica
Casa Marina’s Pier
Main Building And Sun Sun Dining Area
Main Building (Night Time)
Conclusion
Overall, I pretty much enjoyed my one night here at the Casa Marina and would consider staying here again. It’s great location (although most anything in Key West seems to be) that makes it easy to walk to almost anywhere on the island as well as plenty of amenities onsite without being massive. With it being a 3-day holiday weekend, I would have anticipated the entire property to just be busy, but never once did I feel like it was crowded or noisy or anything of that nature. It was more relaxed and calm, which honestly is important when you want to have an hour in a hammock or a nice meal on the beach at sunset. While I may not have received out of the ordinary treatment as a HHonors Diamond member, most of my interactions with the staff were all pretty positive. Considering that I won’t probably be a Diamond member past next spring, at least I know I wasn’t getting special treatment, so I would hope I could expect the same level of service as a Gold or *shudder* Silver member.
With my last post, I started working my way backwards from the end of my circle trip of Florida starting with a review of the Le Méridien Tampa. However, the night before that I was in Miami for a stay at the Conrad near downtown in Brickell, as I returned from the Florida Keys on the 4th of July. I wasn’t thinking that I would get a great selection of rooms or a decent price for that night, but while almost all of Miami Beach was sold out or ridiculously priced, I found that the Conrad Miami had some pretty decent paid rates for a holiday weekend ($199 or less) and cash an points award available at $85 + 20,000 HHonors Points. That right there was the perfect price point considering my night before (and which will be covered in a subsequent post) at the Casa Marina in Key West ran up the credit card bill. Considering that I also had never tried a Conrad hotel in the US, I figured it would be interesting to see how it would stack up against the Conrad Macao and Conrad Hong Kong, of which the former impressed me and the later not so much, so there was a wide possibilities.
Arrival
My drive from the keys took a little bit longer than I had anticipated, probably mostly due to leaving later more so than the traffic. Getting to the hotel from the highway though was a little complicated as due to thousands of Brazilian and Colombian soccer fans there were closed streets and cops everywhere. However, once I got on to Brickell Ave, on which the Conrad is located and a little farther down than Google Maps directed me, it was smooth sailing to the hotel valet entrance.
Welcome To The Conrad Miami
Pulling up I was immediately greeted by the valet staff, who whisked away my car as soon as I had collected my belongings from it. Going through the doors, you enter into a very basic lobby that is home to the concierge desk and the elevator banks to take you to the main lobby and reception on the 25th floor.
Upon reaching the 25th floor and the reception desk I was greeted by an agent named Diana. The reason her name sticks out in my mind, is because throughout my stay she wound up being the only staff member I interacted with and every time she was very friendly and professional, and remembered who I was. It’s very rare I’ve found in a hotel that I haven’t spent many nights at to find staff that are like that. On top of that she had informed me that I had been upgraded to an “Executive One Bedroom Bayview Residence” as a Diamond member. Basically at this point I’m just thinking that this hotel is fantastic…and that thought continued through my stay.
The Room
My residence room was located two floors up from the lobby on the 27th floor, room 2712. Walking in I didn’t find it to be super massive like my suite at the Conrad Macao, but it was definitely a good size, probably the same size or slightly larger than my apartment at home. But what I noticed first was the full size kitchen and the small balcony off of the living room. Even when I’ve had upgrades to suites that have included small kitchens, they’ve all paled in comparison to this kitchen. A full size stove and oven, large fridge, all the cooking supplies you could possibly need to cook dinner in and strangely enough a washing machine (not a dishwasher – although there was one of those as well) hidden in one of the cupboards. Never have I had in-room laundry facilities before, but with the absence of a dryer, I’m not sure how useful it would have been.
Full Sized Kitchen
The Not-So-Mini Bar
Anyways, the living it self was spacious enough for myself or a couple of guests, with a TV mounted to the wall. Behind the couch and dining room table, is a large window, that essentially makes this a corner room, if you count looking out to the hotel atrium/lobby as a corner. The desk was in the perfect spot (to me), in that it was located right up against a window looking out to the bay. Had I been here for work, that would have been a nice view to sit there and work my way through countless emails. Luckily, work was nowhere near my thoughts on this trip!
Living Room
Living Room + Kitchen
Living Room (Opposite Corner)
Inside the bedroom was a pretty comfy king bed, another TV, decent sized closet with plenty of storage space and shelves. The windows here also look out to the bay and if it hadn’t been for a building that was being built right next door, I’m sure would have been an even better view.
king Bed
Bedroom Entrance
It’s A Shame The Building Is Being Built
The bathroom was more than spacious and featured entries from both the kitchen and the bedroom. Although one must remember to either draw the curtains in the living room or ensure that the door between the kitchen and bathroom are closed, unless that is you want to give a show to the room on the other side of the atrium and possibly others. That was something that did have to make sure of, as that sliding door, wound up being stuck in the wall when I arrived, and you could tell that someone had definitely tried to free it with a knife or something. Luckily upon mentioning this to Diana at the front desk, she had informed hotel maintenance and they had it freed by the time I got done drinking at the hotel bar. Honorable mention in regards to the shower: it had good water pressure. Something that honestly can make or break a hotel stay for me.
This Is Why You’ll Want To Make Sure That Bathroom Door Closes
The next morning when I woke up, definitely took advantage of the patio off my room. With multiple cups of espresso made from the in-room illy iperEspresso machine I sat out there reading the New York Times enjoying the views of the bay and taking my time to slowly wake up. I don’t care if I’m only in my 20s, that just was a great way to start my day.
I’m Actually Thinking Of Buying This For At Home…
Yep. This Is Nice.
Bar and Restaurant
With it being the 4th of July the night of my stay, I needed to celebrate the birth of our country. One of the reasons I had picked the Conrad Miami is that I figured from their lobby bar (again on the 25th floor), I would get a pretty good view of at least one firework show. After enquiring one time the fireworks would be and after I had grabbed dinner from a place nearby, I found myself at the aptly named Bar at Level 25. My plan had been to grab a table on the small outside terrace, but unfortunately too many other people, who were all in groups, had that same idea and beat me to it. I instead grabbed a vodka tonic from the main bar and proceeded to head outside to at least stand and watch the fireworks. Not surprisingly, my drink was on the pricey side, but on the plus side it was made a bit more on the strong side. It at least helped me rationalize the cost in my head…ha!
Unfortunately, the view of the fireworks was less than idea. A new construction building directly between the hotel and the bay pretty much blocked out Miami’s fireworks. Off in the distance though you could see fireworks in Miami Beach and one of the other beach towns. You could also see Miami’s, but that required looking into a reflection on an adjacent building, so that wasn’t exactly ideal.
I visited the restaurant, Atrio, the next morning for breakfast, as it was complementary for Diamond members. I’m not sure if Diamonds have free range of the menu or not, but I opted for the breakfast buffet. It wasn’t a ride ranging spread, but it had all the standard American basics, European continental options (meats and cheeses), and a good selection of breads. The only negative mark here, was that I got the impression that my server was annoyed by me. Not sure how, but when I disappeared for 3 minutes to get a second plate of fruit, when I came back to my table it had been cleared completely. Considering he didn’t even stop by my table after seeing me sitting back down and I had to flag him down, that was a bit of “what?” kind of moment. That being said, the hostess who seated me was pretty friendly.
As for the view from Atrio, it looks out the opposite direction of the bar towards the city and Everglades. Which probably otherwise would have been relatively boring, but that morning there was plenty of lightning strikes off in the distance from a brewing storm.
View From Atrio
Check Out
When it was time for me to finally leave and make my way through the Everglades and up the coast to Tampa, it was time to leave this great hotel. When I migrated back down to the lobby, I was a bit surprised to see the same agent, Diana, that I had interacted with on the previous day. She got me all checked out and followed up about the door issue I had reported to her the previous night to make sure everything was done to my satisfaction, while still presenting a very friendly attitude. I don’t know if she had the unfortunate task of working a night/evening shift followed by a day shift the next day, but I’ve found it pretty rare to have had the same agent who checked me in later in the day, who winds up being the one who checks me out the next morning.
Once the bill was settled and everything looked good, I asked her about one additional favor: I wanted to see if they had any Conrad Miami stuffed bears. Ok, anyone who is reading this is probably thinking “why in the world would you want a stuffed bear?” That is a pretty good question; as a male in my 20s, stuffed bears aren’t exactly my thing. But after my stays at the Conrad Macao and Conrad Hong Kong, I’ve started a collection of Conrad stuffed bears that have been left in my room during the turndown service. Since the Conrad Miami didn’t put one on my bed during turndown, I figured I should at least ask and see if I can go 3-for-3, and so I asked her if they had any (and why I wanted one). She disappeared into the back office for a bit, but luckily she came back with one in hand. Huzzah! The three of them look pretty good on my bookshelf along with my KLM Delft Houses from flying World Business Class…so thanks Conrad Miami!
My BMW 3 Series Coupe Was The Least Expensive Car At The Valet Pickup
Conclusion
This hotel definitely lived up to expectations as a luxury hotel, counting out the experience at the restaurant. They executed fantastic HHonors Diamond treatment at the front desk, including upgrading me to a very nice room, of which I am extremely grateful especially given that I was on a cash and points award stay. Diana at the front desk was a wonderful agent, and if I had an email address for the general manager, I would have definitely written in a note regarding her excellent customer service. Overall customer service and experience wise, it was better than the Conrad Hong Kong, which did not wow me one bit, and probably was similar in experience to my stay at the Conrad Macao. Location wise, it may not be South Beach, but nearby there are plenty of bars and restaurants that are within a very short walking distance. Would I stay here in the future on a trip to Miami? Definitely! Even if I am not a HHonors Diamond member anymore, I’m sure I would have still had a great stay just based on the observations I made while at the front desk.
This past Fourth of July weekend, I spent way too many hours and miles driving around the State of Florida doing nothing more than essentially going in a giant circle. Along the way, I stopped in several cities; Orlando, Key West, Miami and Tampa. Never spending more than one night in each place, I decided to take the opportunity not just to explore parts of the state I had never traveled to in my 15 years of living here while also getting to check out some great new hotels.
Working a bit backwards here, for my stop in Tampa at the end of my trip I found myself booking a room at the super-brand new Le Méridien Tampa. Located in what used be a US Federal Courthouse from 1905 until 2001, I first got word of this hotel towards the beginning of last year when out of boredom I had been looking through the list of upcoming new Starwood properties. There weren’t many details at the time, but I was definitely intrigued by the possibilities of turning a former historic courthouse into a brand new modern hotel. Over time renderings of what the rooms and public areas would look like and it definitely caught my eye, but it was still the fact that they were taking this building that is over 100 years old and transforming it into a modern hotel. It’s refreshing to see this becoming more of the trend of repurposing and reusing older buildings like this as opposed to the 900th cookie cutter Hampton Inn or some all too-familiar glass tower.
That being said, I booked my room on SPG.com less than a week prior to my arrival at a pretty decent rate of $119/night for an Executive King room. Not a bad deal by my book for a brand new hotel of the Le Méridien quality.
Arrival
I arrived at the hotel in the early evening, having driven up from Miami through the Everglades earlier in the day and made my way directly for the valet drop off versus looking for a lot or garage nearby; besides the valet rate is only $20/night which isn’t bad by any means.
Since I was on a road trip, I arrived at the hotel in my car in the early evening and had no problem pulling up to the valet drop off on the left side of the building. Getting out of my car, it definitely makes an impression as you look at it given the architectural style; you think…is this really a hotel? It just doesn’t look like any hotel in the United States that I have ever stayed in. I’ve also stayed in “grand” hotels in Europe, including the Dom Hotel in Cologne (formerly also a Le Méridien), and while that was a hotel that dated from the 1800s, this still had a very different feel and impression as you walked up. You might see what I mean by the pictures below.
Le Méridien Tampa – Exterior
Le Méridien Tampa – Exterior (Hotel Lobby Side)
Hotel Front – The Stairs Lead To Bizou
Heading inside I proceeded to the front desk which is located just right inside the door from the valet drop off. There wasn’t anyone else checking in (or in the lobby), so I was instantly greeted by the front desk agent who started to process my check in. The process went pretty smoothly but perhaps a bit drawn out, but again remembering that the hotel is brand new and only had their official opening the week before and that they were probably still working out some kinks. My SPG Gold status was recognized, I was given my selection of welcome amenity (which although I nearly always go for the points, some properties just don’t ask), and I had a nice chat with the agent for a bit and one of the other hotel employees briefly about the building’s history before heading up the elevator to my upgraded room on the 4th floor.
Hotel Lobby
The Room
Arriving on the 4th floor, I got my first taste of the preserved features in the building: marble…everywhere. I think one of the greatest things (and unfortunately for people with rooms on those hallways), they left the marble floors that made up the wide hallways of the building in place. I’m sure guests who get rooms off of these hallways could find that potentially annoying, but it definitely is part of the look and feel that makes this hotel so unique. Turning the corner, I headed to my room which was in a corner of the hallway on the backside of the building; this is also a carpeted hallway and more or less looks pretty much like a standard hotel. My guess is that those areas used to be office spaces, perhaps?
Entering room 415, I discovered that I had been upgraded to a corner room, and despite not being a suite, I was instantly impressed. The room had more than enough space in it and the best part was the three LARGE windows in the room that allowed so much light in. Too many hotel rooms just feel so dark and cramped and this just felt so open and light and airy (despite the fact you cant open the windows). This room looked out over the main hotel entrance on the side as well as a church across the street.
Room Entrance
As for the actual room itself…it was as nice as I had expected. Good comfortable bed, large enough desk (although it was oddly high up for a hotel room), plenty of floor space as mentioned, closet with shelves and bins for organizing (for perhaps longer stays?), a nightstand that had USB ports built in (a hotel finally got the right idea!), and a spacious bathroom. As you can see from the photos below, it’s was a pretty nice room overall:
King Bed
Desk + TV + Mini Fridge
I Think I Might Like This Better Than Nespresso…
The Windows Were Huge!
Built In USB Ports On The Nightstands
Looking Out Over The Hotel Entrance
Actually, would you believe that one of the most surprising touches that Le Méridien added to the rooms was something that I found in the bathroom? It’s something that I bet the average guest won’t even notice, but is something that I think it pretty cool. Odds are you wont guess it; in the mirror there is a string of numbers and letters that repeats over and over that says “07.06.1974.NRHP.#74000633.” Well, if you are a minor history buff like myself, you’ll recognize the NRHP part, which stands for the National Register of Historic Places; the digits after the # represent the registry number of the property and the date when it was added to the register.
It’s Almost Like An Easter Egg…
Another note is that this hotel has gone with RFID-based key cards; something that I’ve come across more often outside of the US versus within. Hopefully down the road, I’ll be able to use my NFC-enabled smartphone as my room key (which I think is something already being worked on at some Aloft properties).
Other Features
I spent a little bit of time more or less exploring the hotel’s hallways for a little bit as well. Every corner that I turned I found plenty of great examples of where they left touches of this building past in place. More wide marble-covered hallways, the “golden” elevator on the opposite side of the hotel, the door to the ice maker room on my floor that had been for an office in the courthouse and more. One of the other things that was neat was the stairwell that wrapped itself around the lobby elevator from the lobby to the 5th floor. Not quite a grand staircase, but again, not something that you really see in a hotels anymore as stairs are hidden in the corner of a building and are nothing memorable.
Wide Hallways With Marble Floors
Door To The 4th Floor Ice Maker
The “Golden” Elevator
My Room Was Off Of The Back Hallway
There’s That Marble Staircase
Do You Think That Is Enough Marble? 2nd Floor Outside Bizou
“Snuck” Into The 4th Floor Courtroom, Now An Event Space
Food and Drink
I opted to have a drink to kick off my night at the Longitude Bar off the hotel lobby to start my night off before venturing out. It was more or less your typical hotel bar and had a beer from a brewery that I had never heard of. The bartender was friendly and was good conversation for the bit I sat there. For the restaurant however, I did go there for breakfast the next morning. Bizou Brasserie counts itself as a French bistro and bar (although perhaps not so much for breakfast?) and is located on the second floor of the hotel or just up the steps on the front of the building and through what would have previously been the main entrance to the courthouse (I assume).
Longitude Bar
The menu had plenty of options for breakfast and it came down to their French toast (boring, right?) or the eggs benedict. Eggs benedict seems to be something that is more or less a standard one can use to gauge a place’s ability to make a decent breakfast. I have to say it was perhaps not perfect, but pretty close. There were not an excessive amount of hollandaise sauce used (unlike the restaurant at the Nines in Portland), the eggs were poached perfectly, and the potatoes on the side actually were seasoned nicely. The server made sure my cup of coffee never ran out and made sure that I was taken care of, without being too pushy about it or checking every three minutes. It was probably one of the better hotel breakfast experiences that I have had.
Pretty Tasty Eggs Benedict
Just outside the main restaurant area is the bakery portion which had all sorts of good looking things in the display case. Pastries, éclairs, macaroons, quiches, the works. What really drew me in though were the éclairs; they had four and two of which appeared as if an explosion of chocolate had been frozen on top and the other two had more subtle looks. I opted for the one in the middle which I believe was a salted caramel éclair. I also got myself one each of the three types of macaroons (red, white and blue), because…’merica. Total was a bit on the pricier side of I think about $13, but let me tell you they were tasty enough to be worth that much when I got them back up to my room and promptly devoured them with a cup of espresso from the illy single serve espresso machine in the room.
Bizou
Close Up Of The Treats On Display At Bizou
Tasty Treats From Bizou
Service
I sincerely hope that the over time as the hotel gets farther away from the grand opening that the staff does not become complacent, because all of my interactions with the staff was nothing short of great. I’ve touched on some already, but to expand on those other experiences let’s look at these facts. After drinking my beer at the Longitude Bar I wanted to head out for dinner, but didn’t want to go to Ybor City and quite honestly nobody goes to downtown Tampa for really anything, so I was expecting not many options. I consulted with the front desk agent who checked me in and brainstormed several ideas, all of which would be within walking distance of the hotel. As I stood there, it really started to rain, and walking anywhere was going to be out of the question. An umbrella was retrieved for me and not too much longer they had the hotel van waiting out front to take me the two blocks to a pizza joint (hey, it was really coming down that night – like a “flash hurricane”) for dinner.
The next morning at check out, which was a breeze, the agent helping me then was also nothing short of courteous and friendly as well. He made sure that there had been nothing wrong with my stay, shook my hand, then grabbed me a bottle of water to go for my journey back home.
I’ve Got No Complaints…
Conclusion
The Le Méridien Tampa, although located in the less-than-happening downtown Tampa, is an awesome hotel that is definitely worth a stay for folks visiting the Tampa area. While the general area does not have a lot of options at night, I found several bars downtown that had either impressive cocktail selections (Anise) or beer selections (Taps) and I’m told the main hotel bar on the 2nd floor has been doing pretty well. It’s going to probably still be a while before downtown Tampa really takes off, but it seems that this hotel is going to be a good anchor for that transformation whenever it does happen. I was very impressed with this hotel from all aspects and would certainly be staying here in the future should I head back down to Tampa. In fact, with UCF playing USF in Tampa later this year, I think I might just need to make a reservation.
Introduction
If you know me well, you probably know that I go to San Diego occasionally for work, and as such I’ve been able to try a number of hotels in the San Diego area, some good, some “meh”, and one that I think is a real gem: the DoubleTree Hotel Mission Valley (not to be confused with the DoubleTree on Hotel Circle which is a mile or so away). Having spent nearly a third of 2013 staying in this hotel in various multi-week trips, I think I have a pretty good feel for this property, how they treat elites, and the amenities on offer. Although I will touch on those things, really the focus of this post is their single Presidential Suite, of which I was fortunate enough to stay two nights in as part of a leisure trip I took to San Diego with my younger brother for Memorial Day Weekend.
That also means I won’t go into how he had a three hour delay leaving Milwaukee that resulted in him missing his connection in Denver or how a “controlled” burn jumped the only highway from Panama City Beach to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, resulting in the road being shut down, and me missing my flight after attempting to take a 34 mile reroute through most of Panama City Beach, Panama City, Lynn Haven, and so much frustration. But those kinds of frustrations and issues just made the room upgrade all that much more awesome and appreciated.
The Hotel
Actually, given how much time that I have spent at this hotel, I’m actually surprised that I have never written anything up about it. Especially since I keep going back time and time again for very good reasons. Let’s start with location: Mission Valley. Yes, this isn’t hip and cool downtown San Diego, but it is very, very accessible via practically all modes of transportation with all the major highways (CA 163, Interstate 8, Interstate 805 and Interstate 5) and public transit (the San Diego Trolley Green Line stops right in front of the hotel across the street). It’s no more than a 10-15 minute drive to/from the airport in a rental car and about 30 minutes to downtown on the Trolley. When I am out here for weeks on end for work, this gives me ease of access to get out of the area on my free weekends or to head to the Gaslamp Quarter responsibly and cheaply. Given that this trip was purely for fun, that was all so important.
The staff at this hotel are nothing short of exceptional for the most part; they are largely friendly, helpful, and competent. Something that I cannot say about a lot of hotels where you have staff that just don’t care. Even with my absence of nearly 6 months since my last stay (it’s been a slow year for work travel), I walked in and was instantly recognized. The doorman/valet guy, whose name I’ve never caught (despite him retrieving an endless number of boxes that I have had shipped to the hotel, welcomed me back to start. At the front desk there were familiar faces, who all welcomed me back, including one individual who strangely enough graduated the same year as me from UCF and knew one of my roommates in college; how’s that for a small world?
Then you have bar staff, which for the most part are really good; great conversation, friendly, knowledgeable about drinks, and of the local area. Several of the bartenders are pretty good, especially Gibson, who is more or less a fixture at this hotel. I think he has claimed to have worked there since it opened and is usually good conversation and is knowledgeable not just of drinks but local places. I only went to the bar that first night on this stay, more or less, just to get a pre-dinner drink and of course tap the knowledgebase for some recommendations downtown.
The Room
Having stayed here frequently for work, I’ve pretty much stayed in all the other room types in this hotel, but I’ve never been so lucky to stay in the Presidential Suite. This DoubleTree has one of this room type, and I have to tell you, it’s something. Now, to start, I didn’t book this room in advance, this was an upgrade from a standard two queen bed room (lowest tier room) that I only paid $179/night for. For the record, I do have HHonors Diamond status, which was largely earned based on stays at this property in 2013. So, when it came time to give the upgrade to that or one of the regular suites, I’d like to think that my property loyalty played a part in that. Either way, it is always awesome to get these kinds of upgrades!
Located on the 11th floor, it’s the only room that has a double door leading into it. Opening the door leads you into the entry way which has a small bathroom and a closet off to left and access to the bar area to the right. The small bathroom off to the side is just a toilet and sink, but extremely helpful when you are traveling with someone like your brother and then one doesn’t have to wait on the other to get some of the way ready. While they didn’t stock the mini-fridge with any goodies (but not expected since the other rooms in the hotel don’t have minibars), there are all the tools there if you need them: coffee maker, microwave, sink, ample counter space, the aforementioned large mini-fridge, and bar stools for two.
Double The Doors, Double The Fun
Suite Entry
Bar Area
The dining area is directly across from the bar and has more than enough seating; in fact the large table has eight(!) chairs around it!
Dining Area
From there, you can see the large living area with the couch (which must have been comfortable as my brother slept two nights on it – and not with the foldout bed deployed), chairs, and plenty of space. Then you have the TV, which is probably the largest TV that I have encountered in a hotel room/suite at 52 inches! Given how large the living area is in the suite, I’m actually very glad that went with such a large screen; makes watching it from pretty much everywhere in the room comfortable.
Living Room – Large TV!
Living Room / Dining Area
The suite has one fairly standard bedroom with a king bed, lounge chair, TV and a dresser. Nothing out of the ordinary and is the same as the beds in the rest of the hotel; decent, but unfortunately not exactly my favorite hotel bed either (the W Hotels Bed still ranks #1 there). There is a sliding door between the living room and the bedroom, so you are able to close off the space should you need to.
Bedroom – King Bed + Lounge Chair
Bedroom – TV + Dresser
As for the bathroom, it was massive. Perhaps as large if not slightly larger than the one in my suite at the Conrad Macau in November 2013. A very large Jacuzzi tub, that if I’m sure I wanted to I could have fit multiple people into; a very large shower (again, thinking one could fit many people into), and the rest of your standard bathroom features.
Large Jacuzzi Tub
And A Large Shower
One feature that was very nice about the suite was that there was a lot of natural light; as for the view however, it looks out over Mission Valley to the East, meaning you get a good view of Hazard Center (shopping area), several office buildings and so on. This is actually the “better” view from the hotel; on the opposite side one gets a view of CA 163 and a large mall.
Conclusion
While the DoubleTree Mission Valley isn’t a high end property by any means, it has become one of my favorite hotels. It may not be the W Hong Kong or W Montreal (the two hotels that I can never decide as my absolute favorite), but the staff here deliver a solid experience whether a low level Silver or an up there Diamond member. I can’t remember a time over the past two years where the staff wasn’t friendly or willing to work with me when I needed a specific accommodation or request. Perhaps it’s a function of having stayed here for weeks at a time and having become familiar with so many of the staff, but I would think that any other traveler would get the same experience. Perhaps not to the extent of getting an upgrade to the Presidential Suite, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a great stay.
The Conclusion
Although it did take me a while to pump out this trip report in its entirety, despite always telling myself that I will work on these quicker, I think it is pretty evident that this was a very excellent trip by all measures…well aside probably from the return trip while slightly under the weather.
Hong Kong had always been one of those places that had intrigued me for many years, and I was very glad that I had the opportunity to finally make it here to see it myself. If it wasn’t clear from my post about Exploring Macau“>exploring Hong Kong, it instantly became one of my favorite cities in the world that I have visited. And on top of that, my stay at the W Hong Kong is easily in the contention for one of my favorite hotels in the world and the Conrad Hong Kong just turned out to largely be an “ordinary” hotel.
Would I go back to Hong Kong? Definitely! While I did get to see and do quite a bit during my visit, there was so much that I didn’t get to do that I had on my list. I never did get around the exploring the New Territories like I had wanted to, such as Tai Wan Beach and the hike that it would take to get there. Although I got a taste of the slightly less hustle and bustle life by going over to Stanley on Hong Kong Island, I still didn’t fully get to experience that other side of Hong Kong. That being said, it just means I have reasons to go back in the future! Let’s face it, I’ll be back there someday, just hopefully it wont be 10 or 20 years.
I think when it comes to Macau for starters, most Americans just don’t realize that it exists. In terms of long-standing European colonial outposts in China, it was definitely in the shadow of Hong Kong. I explain to people where it is and that it was ruled by the Portuguese for close to 450 years and even remained in their possession past the transfer of Hong Kong to the PRC and they just don’t know that it existed. Even for those of us who are aware it existed, I don’t think what you read online gives it justice. I mean, in my post about exploring Macau, I mentioned how I had this impression of Macau being not much more than a giant casino, but was pleasantly surprised when I got out and explored the city on foot. Of course the Conrad Macao was a fantastic hotel as well on the Cotai Strip, although I’m sure the only reason I can say that is because of the awesome treatment I got as a Hilton HHonors Diamond member. It has the potential to be in my top 5 or 10 hotels though; on that thought, I really should probably make a list of what I consider to be the top 10 hotels that I’ve stayed in.
To my fellow Americans who are reading this and thinking of taking a trip to Hong Kong, I do encourage you to go to Macau. Just don’t be like the average tourist who goes there for a day trip through. Make plans to go there for at least a night or two; see the city and explore the southern, quieter areas of the territory, enjoy some great food with Portuguese influences, and of course try to recoup the costs of your side trip in the casinos!
Introduction
My journey back to the United States would take me the along the exact same route that had taken me over to Hong Kong. An all too long 26 or so hour routing that would have me connecting in the same three airports (Tokyo-Narita, Seattle, and Atlanta) and spending all too much time in the air. Although I’ve done several trips like this where you are in transit for more than 24 hours, it’s rough on the body, especially when you are in Economy, even if it is Economy Comfort and you have a little more leg room. Now, try to fly for that long when you’ve managed to catch something and you aren’t feeling the greatest. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had to start to feel under the weather with who knows what. I mean, I wasn’t running a fever, but I didn’t exactly feel top-notch, and I didn’t really look forward to being in a plane for all those hours in Economy when I knew what I needed was being able to lie down and just sleep.
Departure From Hong Kong
As I mentioned in my previous entry, I hailed an early morning cab from the Conrad Hong Kong to get me to the Hong Kong MTR station. Having an 8AM flight meant that I would want to be on the first train to the airport, although I had no idea when that was. Consequently when the driver dropped me at the station entrance I found myself on my own with the ticket counters closed (the station has a city check-in service where you can get boarding passes and check luggage before boarding the train), the ticket machines not functional, and wondering why I just didn’t pay to take the cab the entire way.
Quiet, Empty Check In Area At Hong Kong Airport Express Station
It turned out I actually had a good bit of time to kill, but there wasn’t anything to do there. Nothing was open, not even a Starbucks so I pretty much just had to sit around and wait until the ticket machines were turned on so I could get my ticket to the airport. Of course once they opened up the ticket machines, they had not actually opened the turnstiles for the train platform yet, so everyone that had arrived during my period of solitude, started crowding until they let us on. While I stood there though I did find one rather humorous sign on the platform:
Why Do They Not Like Balloons?
I mean, really, why can’t you have metallic balloons on the MTR? I can’t think of any rational reason as to why they should be banned in comparison to regular balloons. I’d love to know why that is…
The train whisked us through the early morning to the airport and found myself soon enough in the Sky Priority line to check in. Even though I believe HKG is a mobile boarding pass station, I did want to check with an agent to see about what were the odds of an op-up (operational upgrade) or if there was any other way of getting into Business Elite for a small fee. Knowing that Delta has no official program because they do like to “protect the integrity” of the Business Elite cabin, it sometimes never hurts to ask. I just wish that they had a KLM-style upgrade program where you can usually on day-of-departure pay a fee and an amount of miles (even Delta SkyMiles) and get that seat upfront if there is space. Honestly, given how I was feeling I would have probably paid up to $400 and 25,000 miles to do that, if it had been an option. Unfortunately there was no chance of an op-up although they did tell me that I should check again when I was in Tokyo.
Air France Lounge
After getting my boarding passes, I went and exchanged the bulk of my remaining Hong Kong Dollars for US Dollars, as I had about the equivalent of US$60 still in my pocket before heading through immigration and security. While there wasn’t a Sky Priority or other premium passenger line (or at least that I could find), it didn’t take long to process through either and get airside. From there I made no delay in making my way towards the Air France Lounge, which involved a train ride a decent walk, located around Gate 60. Up until recently before my trip Delta had been using the Qantas Business Class lounge, but made the switch to their alliance partner. There are two other SkyTeam lounges within the terminal (Korean Airlines and China Airlines), but if I recall correctly, they are quite far from the gate that Delta uses and were not even open that early in the morning.
Despite taking the first train to the airport, I was not going to have much time in the lounge. Checking into the lounge was quick and efficient, and I had enough time to sit down, grab a quick breakfast and chill out for a moment before needing to make my way to the gate. The breakfast spread was decent, along with beverages, and there was ample seating for everyone.
Lounge Breakfast
Plenty Of Complimentary Reading Materials
Not A Bad View From The Lounge Either
On the way out I had grabbed a water bottle from the lounge fridge to take with me on the plane since I knew I had to keep hydrated, but when I got to the gate I found out that anything of that nature was forbidden from being brought on the aircraft. I had not seen that before; perhaps I had just not noticed this prohibition in the past when flying out of other international destinations, but I tell you I would not have been happy had I bought a bottle of water and found that out.
Making My Way To The Gate
Patiently Waiting For Boarding To Begin In HKG
Delta Air Liens A330 Ready To Board For NRT
Delta Air Lines #156
Hong Kong (HKG) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
Monday, December 2, 2013
Depart: 8:05AM Arrive: 1:58AM
Aircraft: Airbus A330 Seat: 13C (Economy Comfort)
The load on the segment to Tokyo was not overly full, which was great as that meant that the seat next to me was free. All for the best as I was still feeling less-than-stellar, so being able to spread out a bit to take it easy was a great thing. Shortly after takeoff a breakfast service was conducted; I opted for the omelet with potatoes, fruit, and a pastry; which wasn’t the exactly the best, but then no omelet that I’ve had in Economy or Business or First Class has really been that good. At least my expectations weren’t high! Can you guess what I did for the rest of the flight? Slept! Or at least tried to…
Economy Class Breakfast HKG-NRT
Tokyo-Narita Layover
I had roughly about two hours to kill at Narita for my layover of which about 30 minutes was spent just getting through the transit security checkpoint (and that was even going through the SkyPriority line). However, once in the terminal, I decided to head the Delta Sky Club in T1 Satellite 1 to waste the bulk of my layover. I wasn’t feeling any better at this point but wasn’t feeling any worse either so I took that as at least a small victory.
Once in the Sky Club I started to work on keeping hydrated, but also trying desperately to find my way into Business Class. Speaking with one of the agents at the counter, there was a glimmer of hope that might need to op-up me due to the oversold condition of the flight, but they weren’t able to process in the club. I was directed to go and check at the gate to see if I might be so lucky. With that being said, I didn’t stick around in the Sky Club for too much longer as a result. I thought about checking out the Korean Air Lines lounge as well, but figured it wouldn’t be worth the trouble as I walked to the gate. Another thing that I tried to do as I walked to the gate? I tried to find a vending machine that had a Suica reader on it; from my last trip to Japan I still had ~¥600 on it, and I figured I would try to spend that. Nope! Despite every other vending machine in Japan accepting them as payment, none of the machines at NRT did. Oh well.
Ok, I Lied…I Did Have One Beer In The Sky Club (Just Had To Use The Beer Machine Again!)
When I got to the gate, I did approach the agent to see if there was any chance of the op-up. They said maybe, but 99% of the time that means “no”. Such is life, and honestly I probably wouldn’t have even really tried if it weren’t for the fact that I wasn’t feeling top notch. I really just wanted to lay down and sleep. Unfortunately, I would be in my originally assigned Economy Comfort seat on a full flight.
Patiently Waiting…
When boarding began, a crowd did rush the gate, but luckily there was an agent that went through the line and was sorting out the people who weren’t Sky Priority during that boarding zone to kick them out. Still, that being said there were a lot of non-Business Class SkyPriority passengers on this flight today, but that probably shouldn’t be surprising.
Delta Air Lines #156
Tokyo-Narita (NRT) to Seattle, WA (SEA)
Monday, December 2, 2013
Depart: 3:00PM Arrive: 6:55AM
Aircraft: Airbus A330 Seat: 12G (Economy Comfort)
On the plus side, the eastbound flight takes a few hours less than the westbound ones; flying time to Seattle was at just about eight hours, getting us in a little on the early side. Just as with the HKG-NRT flight, I was trying to rest as much as was possible; being in Economy Comfort makes that a little bit easier compared to regular Economy thanks to a little extra leg room, but is still difficult. It also meant that I tried to watch a movie too; which one I don’t remember because I feel asleep part of the way into it.
That being said, I did at least eat the meal, because I figured that I should probably keep eating and drinking water. For dinner that afternoon/evening I went with the chicken, which guess what? Was served with a side of chicken! No really; check out the photo below. You’ll see a pretty standard chicken + rice + vegetable Economy Class meal, but for an appetizer there was a cold chicken dish. Had I known that I probably would have gone with whatever the other option was, but that’s ok. There was also a typical salad, bread, and a piece of cake. As soon as I got done though, I tried to get to sleep.
I’ll Have The Chicken, With A Side Of Chicken, Please.
Seattle Layover
The good thing was that being near the front of the Economy cabin, I was in the first few off the aircraft in Seattle and quickly made my way to Immigration and Customs. Unfortunately by the time I landed, I was having difficulty hearing in one ear, which made the process with the CBP officer a little difficult. I could barely hear what he was saying and on top of the usual questions I get of “What were you doing ‘over there’ by yourself” and the such and ultimately he apparently was not satisfied with my answers because he marked my form for a secondary inspection. Now, I’ve been through secondary before and each time I have to say the CBP officers conducting the search through my suitcase and bag have always been courteous and friendly during the process. This time was no different than my past experiences and quickly the officer searched my bags and was satisfied that I had not lied on my declaration or had anything to hide.
Whenever I’ve mentioned that CBP has been typically friendly during the times I’ve been referred to secondary, I sometimes get confused looks from other passengers. Most have told me stories the exact opposite, but perhaps I’ve just been lucky. Now in terms of the agents who are scanning passports that’s a different story.
Once in the terminal, I made my way to the Delta Sky Club, of which is one of my favorite lounges in the system. Mostly due to the fact that it is spacious, has a great view of the maintenance hangers (like that counts to most people!), and has a shower that no one seems to know that exists. That last one, is probably the biggest selling point; I have never ever had to wait for a shower at any time of the day that I have flown out of Seattle. The nice hot shower did perk me up a bit, and then I decided that I just didn’t want to spend the next few hours in Seattle (I had an originally booked 6-7 hour layover, that would allow me to go into the city), I just wanted to get home.
With that said, I went ahead and had myself added to the standby list for the 8:10AM SEA-ATL flight, which could have allowed me to get back to Panama City around 4:00PM and I could get medicine and get to bed. Shortly after showing up at the gate I cleared the list and I was a very happy…that is unntil about an hour and a half later at 35,000 feet.
Delta Air Lines #128
Seattle, WA (SEA) to Atlanta, GA (ATL) Kansas City, MO (MCI)
Monday, December 2, 2013
Depart: 8:10PM Arrive: 3:45PM 1:07PM
Aircraft: Boeing 757 Seat: 24C (Economy)
Well on the plus side, I was cleared into an aisle seat at the last minute instead of being stuck in an middle seat for this flight. However, as you can tell by the few lines above, this flight didn’t exactly go according to plan. No, the flight didn’t divert to Kansas City because of me; about an hour and half into the flight the captain announced that a sensor probe was indicating a failure and that they would not be able to descend into Atlanta as there was a chance of icing conditions. This is probably also why we didn’t turn back to Seattle or head to Salt Lake City. Apparently, our best bet was to land in Kansas City and they would sort it out from there.
So here I was just thinking “great”. My plan to get home early and get rested up had just been torpedoed. On the plus side I had never been to the Kansas City airport before, so I tried to look at it as a “good” thing from that perspective. Although as soon as we landed and disembarked, it became clear that this was not going to be fun.
I had read online about how Kansas City was more or less inappropriately designed and it became very clear very quickly. All of Delta’s gates were in a small area that was not connected to other gate areas and within our small area, there was one restroom, two small kiosks and apparently a restaurant upstairs. Did I mention that it was crowded too? You had all the normal passengers and then there were all of us from that unexpected 757.
They announced that they were going to be bringing in a spare part and mechanic from Atlanta to fix the aircraft, but that was going to be for at least a few hours. Everyone was provided with a $50 Delta Voucher as well as a meal voucher when we got off the aircraft; Delta actually had this worked out pretty well. Immediately I got on the phone to the Platinum Medallion line to investigate my options. Aside from the Atlanta flights, it appears that MCI mostly has Regional Jets to the other Delta hubs. The folks on the phone gave me a few options including through MSP and ATL but that would have gotten me home at my originally scheduled 10:00PM at night. I was still looking for that time savings of even just an hour or two. On Twitter, another agent was able to rebook me on to an MCI-ATL flight that afternoon and went further to provide me with a $300 voucher for the inconvenience. A few days later I would get an email giving me 5,000 miles as well as an apology for being delayed as a SkyPriority customer (which is something I haven’t seen from other delays). I won’t lie, I made out pretty well from the delay, but it was frustrating being stuck in Missouri when all you want to do is be at home in bed resting and getting over being ill.
The “Broken” 757
Delta Air Lines #896
Kansas City, MO (MCI) to Atlanta, GA (ATL)
Monday, December 2, 2013
Depart: 3:38PM Arrive: 6:40PM
Aircraft: Boeing 757 Seat: 23E (Economy)
I apologize to the two people I sat between on this flight. Yep, I was in a middle seat. At this point I had a bit of a cough and was feeling a bit more mucus-y, so I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant for either of them. At the very least I was able to pass out for about an hour or so, so hopefully I didn’t drool on anyone’s shoulder…
Although I was glad to get to Atlanta sooner, due to the arrival times, I had just missed a Panama City flight and as a result would have to wait for almost two more hours for the 8:26PM departure. That just meant I went over to the Concourse E Sky Club, took another shower and then hid out until it got closer to boarding time.
Delta Air Lines #2111
Atlanta, GA (ATL) to Panama City, FL (ECP)
Monday, December 2, 2013
Depart: 8:26PM Arrive: 8:38PM
Aircraft: Boeing 717 Seat: 3A (First)
Well, at least I cleared into First Class on this final 45 minute or so leg back home! Ha! Can’t say there was anything remarkable about the flight, it’s a short and standard flight and I just drank water. Not really anything to say there…
Once we landed though, I made my way as quickly as possible to my car rushed home. I knew at this point that I would not be going into work the next day, as there was no way I was going to be feeling well enough to go into work. I settled in, sent an email out saying as such (or I thought I did, because the phone call at 11:00AM the next day from my manager indicated otherwise), and proceeded to pass out in my bed. I didn’t even bother to bring my bags up from the car…
One more installment to go: the Conclusion of my trip and overall thoughts. Stay tuned!
Introduction
While I’ve already covered my last few days in Hong Kong following my side excursion to Macau, I still have the stay at the Conrad Hong Kong. This would be my final stay of this trip and my second Conrad hotel following the stay at the Conrad Macao. Given my experience at that hotel I can say that my expectations were high, although I had heard that the elite treatment at this property wasn’t quite as good.
For this stay, I opted to use points again, with this property being 80,000 HHonors points per night – twice as much as the Conrad Macao. However, that does not guarantee a better experience. To start, I did not get a email in advance (which while isn’t necessary, is a nice touch), asking if I needed assistance or to confirm arrival time or anything, so there was already that.
Arrival
I arrived from Macau, having taken the ferry back over in the middle of the afternoon and took public transit from the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal to Admiralty Station which is connected to the Conrad Hong Kong via a shopping mall; essentially this is the back entrance to the Conrad, but is very convenient for getting around. The ‘official’ front entrance is on Supreme Court Road and faces the British Consulate General.
Entering the lobby, I approached the front desk. Based on comments I read online prior to my arrival I had no expectation of any sort of a real upgrade as a Diamond member…and I’m glad that my expectations were low because the best that they seem to do is upgrade to the Executive level floors. I believe the only benefit here is being on a higher floor and having access to the lounge. The agent who did check me in through, did offer that I could complete my check in from the executive lounge on the 59th floor. However, the few times that I have been offered this service, I have always wondered what the point is? I mean I’m already at the front desk and it isn’t like checking into a hotel is a long and arduous process, basically I just want to be able to get to my room and drop my bags and hit the ground running. I suppose that some see this as being exclusive or something, but I’ve just never really understood it.
The Room
I had been upgraded by the front desk to an Executive Peak View room on the 55th floor. I had been hoping for at least a harbor view room, but again, I kept my actual expectations low so that I wouldn’t have my hopes up. Actually it might be a good thing that I had a peak view room; although I had wanted a harbor view room that faced Victoria Harbour, I did have a partial-ish view from the W Hong Kong at the beginning of my trip, so having Victoria Peak outside my window was at least offered a different side of Hong Kong island.
I think the first thing one would notice when entering the rooms at this hotel are that they definitely have not been through a refresh in a while. A lot of the finishes on the room, definitely had that dated feel. I know that the Conrad Hong Kong has been around a fair bit longer than the Conrad Macao, but I think it’s time for the property to refresh the rooms and make it feel a bit more luxurious. It’s not that the room was terrible, but at 80,000 points or whatever the cash rate is, you definitely are not paying for a modern luxury property – you are paying for the address in Hong Kong.
King Executive Room – TV
King Executive Room – Bed
King Executive Room – Shower/Tub
Doesn’t it just look dated?
You Bet I Took The Bear Home With Me
With that said, the bed was comfortable and the room had everything that one would need during their stay, including a fairly comprehensive mini-bar. There was adequate space for everything and the view of the peak was actually pretty nice to wake up to in the morning, especially when I had a winged visitor fly up to the window ledge and we stared each other down for 30 minutes.
This Guy Kept Trying To Get In…
There was one nice touch that the hotel did put out for me on my arrival in my room. A tray with a few chocolates and fruit along with a welcome note were left in my room; I’m assuming this was because of being a Diamond member, but I had not seen that really mentioned by others, so who knows. The only downside? I made way too much of a mess trying to eat the orange. Seriously, how is it that I am from Florida and can’t eat an orange without getting citrus juice everywhere? I have failed…
Welcome Snack
Executive Lounge
The executive lounge is probably one of the best things about this hotel. I came up here for breakfast on my last full day in Hong Kong and I have to say the views are magnificent. They look out towards Victoria Harbor and on a nice sunny morning, it is absolutely a fantastic view. The lounge does appear to get busy, but I had no problem getting a table by the window so I could eat and take in the view. I will say that the lounge is a little bit on the small side, but even then I did not find myself waiting on anything as the staff all seemed to be pretty good with getting you what you needed and keeping the food items stocked. As for the food, all I remember is that there were plenty of options: hot, cold, continental, baked goods, etc to keep most people happy.
View From The Executive Lounge – Awesome!
Departure
Considering that my flight left HKG at 8AM, I had to have a fairly early departure from the hotel in order to make it to the airport in a timely fashion. The lone front desk agent that was working the overnight shift took care of me quickly and then I made my way out the front door. I needed a taxi to get me to Hong Kong station, but obviously since I had not prearranged a taxi or car, there were naturally none around. The on duty bell hop though saw that I needed one and started running up and down the adjacent roads to the hotel trying to catch me one. He did succeed in flagging one down for me, and off I went.
Conrad Hong Kong Main Entrance
Conclusion
Between staying at the W Hong Kong and the Conrad Hong Kong, if I were to ever come back to visit, I don’t think I would choose to stay here again, unless I just had a lot of Hilton HHonors points to burn. The 80,000/points per night cost is higher than it should be for this hotel, given that it is in definite need a refresh, even if the service at the hotel seemed to be otherwise up to par. In the end I almost feel that the W Hong Kong treated me better as an SPG Gold than Conrad Hong Kong did as a HHonors Diamond member. There was just nothing to say that my stay at the Conrad Hong Kong was anything outside of the ordinary. Had I been upgraded to a harbor view room or a suite that may have changed my opinion slightly, but I still think I would choose the W. I mean it definitely has the benefit of being a newer hotel, unlike the Conrad. The Conrad definitely wins on location, but with the W having access to the Kowloon MTR station in the connected shopping mall, does it really matter?
Perhaps by the next time I make it to Hong Kong (I have a feeling that this will be more than just a couple of years) the Conrad will have gone through a refresh and I will be able to say much better things about this hotel. I think with that, even with the low chance of getting a ‘real’ upgrade, could make this a much better property or at least one that I wouldn’t feel so bad about dumping a ridiculous amount of points at.
Introduction
I think Macau has to be one of the most surprising places in the world that I have visited. Why might I say that? Well, it’s complicated, but it boils down to preconceived notions. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of people in America who don’t even know that Macau is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China (or even exists), like Hong Kong, or that it was a Portuguese territory for almost 450 years (by comparison Hong Kong was only a British territory for a little over 150 years). Portugal handed over Macau in 1999, and since then has transformed into the world’s largest gambling center, earning more than even Las Vegas. For those that know of Macau, I think this is the image that they get in their head – that it is nothing more than another Vegas in Asia with not much else. While, yes the casinos are a large part of it, there is so much history to explore in this city! I think that most tourists that come over for a day from Hong Kong and see Casinos or maybe only a few sights get the wrong impression of Macau. While I won’t say that I got the full picture myself, I would like to think that after spending two nights here, that I got a pretty good feel for the city, it’s history and culture, all of which left me a bit surprised and wanting more!
Does This Look Like China?
Getting Oriented
I’m not going to lie, on that first night in Macau, I oriented myself through the massive Sands Cotai Strip and Venetian Macau complexes. Yes, I did not venture out in the city proper, but after going pretty hard in Hong Kong for the past few days I decided to take it a bit on the easy and slow side. Starting off with some drinks at the Lounge at the Conrad Macao, I then headed out to explore the two complexes and see if I could make a few extra Patacas on the side.
The Gambling
Gambling is part of the reason that this territory exists, especially now that it is part of the PRC. As such, it’s worth just to check out the casinos if anything, because essentially they have outdone Vegas. The Venetian Macao for example, is the world’s largest casino, and is a good deal larger than the original in Vegas. Before you even hit the casino floor you realize how large it must be; as you walk to the Venetian from the Sands Cotai Central complex (which are right across the street from one another) it feels like a long hike as they guide you through the skybridge, a mall of luxury goods, what can only be described as an airport duty free shop, and more wrong turns than you can imagine because of poor signage. There’s the fake Venetian Canal shops as well, if that interests you, and of course the gaming area.
North End Of The Cotai Strip And The Venetian Macau
The casino floor itself is massive. Had to be the largest one that I’ve stepped foot in, and it wasn’t even being fully utilized. there was a large area over by the night club that is in the casino area that was a void with no machines or tables. Definitely some room for them to expand, but I can’t even think how crazy that will be. I visited here both my nights in Macau, hoping to win some Hong Kong Dollars to take back with me to HK (they don’t accept bets in the local currency – the Macanese Pataca for whatever reason). That first night, I stuck to things like slots and roulette and quite honestly, it wasn’t working out well for me and since that first night was about getting oriented, I probably spent as much time just wandering around the massive Casino.
The second night however, I got a bit braver. I knew that baccarat was supposedly big over here, so I quickly watched a few videos in my hotel room before heading to the Venetian to get the rules of the game. There was potential there for me to at least have decent odds of not losing all of my hard earned cash, so I settled down at a low-bet table and started working at it. Giving my self a HK$1000 limit (somewhere around US$120) for this adventure, it started looking early on that this was going to be a disaster. There was a point where I was down to my last few HK$100 chips and I decided that I would go for the risk and bet on a tie. I only bet HK$100, but I wish I had bet more! My HK$100 bet turned into HK$1100 in an instant. Nothing could stop me, right? In fact that was a start of a good ride where at one point I had more than doubled my money. I mean I wasn’t the guy who was sitting next to me playing HK$10,000 chips and constantly winning, but I still was doing respectably well. I was at least smart when I saw the tides turning again and with about $1800 in chips decided to cash out, having nearly doubled my original investment. I figured this would at the very least get me a nice dinner or a bar tab back in HK.
The City
I came more to Macau to really explore the city and not really for the gambling aspect. I’ve got this weird thing about being interested in places like this that have interesting histories or are oddities on the map. Unlike the day tourists that come over from Hong Kong, I wanted this to be a legitimate leg of my trip so that I could explore this city and see more than just a few tourist sights.
Given that I had one full day as part of my two night stay in Macau, I resolved to get started as early as possible, so that I could maximize my time while not feeling rushed. I figured that the easiest thing would be to take a taxi from my hotel to the Ruins of St. Paul and start wandering from there. It also meant that I would be guaranteed to be able to communicate with my taxi driver, by putting it in the hands of the hotel staff (one thing I read in advance of this trip was that very, very few people speak English or even Portuguese for that matter, which ultimately was actually true). It was a beautiful morning and day for my exploration and the cab ride into the historical center of town was nice with the windows on the cab down. As my cab got deeper into the city, the roads started to get a lot narrower and as we approached my destination more and more buses and people afoot. My driver didn’t seem to care if he was going to run over people in order to get me there, but eventually I decided I was close enough and had him let me out.
Being one of the major tourist sites in Macau, the crowds were quite numerous. In what would seem to be the theme of my short stay in this city, I seemed to be the only westerner – Macau is big a tourism spot for people from mainland China, but the US? Not so much. The strange thing is that all the crowds seemed only to be at the ruins, the minute you went down the steps, around the corner or up into the Portuguese fort (Fortaleza do Monte) located just “next door.” Although they were all missing out; there were pretty good views from the fort and moderately quiet.
Ruins of St. Paul
Crowds On The Steps Outside St. Paul’s
Remaining Section Of The Old City Walls
Entrance To The Fort
Take Aim!
Ground Of The Fort
Across The River Is Mainland China
From there I started my slightly aimless wandering. Down the hill I went walking along usually somewhat quiet or at least quieter side streets finding many of the historical buildings and sites within central Macau. There was the Cathedral of Macau (Se Catedral), the Lou Kou Mansion, and the Largo do Senado by about mid-day. The Largo do Senado was quite crowded with what I can only assume were tourists, but it was worth checking out the large number of colonial buildings…and desperately trying to find a public restroom. Eventually, that search took me to a public market that is just off of the square and somewhat hidden – Mercado de S. Domingos. There wasn’t anything that was of interest to me, but if you want to see locals buying meats or vegetables, this would be somewhere to go. Also around Largo do Senado, you also have the main post office of Macau; from there I quickly sent myself a post card and got on my way again.
Wandering The Quiet Streets Of Macau
Portuguese Consulate General – Never Have I Been Able to Just Walk Past The Gates Of A Diplomatic Mission…
Cathedral of Macau
Shops on Largo do Senado
Largo do Senado – All Decked Out For Christmas
Mercado de S. Domingos
As I continued my exploration I found myself outside another church, St. Augustine Church, and then at the neighboring Dom Pedo V Theatre (built in the 1860s and considered one of the first western style theatres in China). I think one of the more surprising things I found as I wandered around, and part of what kept giving me the “this isn’t China” feeling, was when I stumbled onto Lilau Square. A small public square surrounded by old colonial houses and buildings, there were a few trees, a few locals relaxing and small kiosk store. While it’s not great people watching or even a fantastic view, I still found this as a nice little spot to take a quick rest. Not far from there is the Moorish Barracks, which I had figured would be a museum or something, but as I walked in the front door, it was clear that I was mistaken and this was not a tourist site…it was a Government building, and luckily they didn’t say anything as I turned around and left.
Dom Pedro V Theatre
Lilau Square – Quiet And Out Of The Way
Outside The Moorish Barracks
While my wanderings that morning had been relatively aimless, the ultimate goal was to get to the A-Ma Temple. Located right next to yet another public square, it seemed to be a good idea for checking out a local religious structure. Except it wasn’t entirely what I expected. A large portion was outdoors and built into the side of the hill it was next to. Unfortunately as I got to the upper level, I found some fellow Americans. These people, who were identifiable by the Georgia Tech School of Business jacket that one was wearing, had climbed on one of the large boulders that were adorned with text in Chinese in order to take a picture. Now, I don’t know if boulder had any particular religious significance, but I liken to not different as climbing around on the pews or alter in a Church. You just don’t do that. It’s disrespectful and it puts us Americans in a bad light. I’m guessing these were probably people on a day trip from Hong Kong and maybe they aren’t as culturally aware, but it still not an excuse for doing that. With that being said, the Temple did lend itself to being a great spot for my camera (no, I didn’t take any of me standing on a boulder or not).
Square Outside A-Ma Temple
Entrance To The A-Ma Temple
A-Ma Temple
I thought about going to the Maritime Museum, but decided instead to grab myself a Egg Tart Pastry from an outlet of the Kol Kei Bakery nearby. A perfect little snack to keep me going before I figured out how to hail a cab.
Portuguese Egg Tart Pastry From Kol Kei Bakery
This was the part that I was somewhat worried about. Before coming to Macau, I was told that I shouldn’t expect anyone outside of the hotels and potentially major tourist sites, as being able to speak English or even Portuguese for that matter. I knew that at some point I would need to take at least a cab or two from somewhere other than my hotel, so this was going to be a bit of a challenge. The other challenge was just trying to catch a cab. Despite being on a busy street, I tried for at least 15 minutes trying to flag a cab, and despite how many had passed me, I wasn’t having any success. I won’t speculate why that was, but eventually I was able to grab one as someone got dropped off…score! Using nothing but the guidebook my hotel gave me, I was able to get him to take me to my next stop the Fortaleza da Guia (Guia Fortress).
Located on a large hill, I noticed the fort’s lighthouse and chapel from the Fortaleza do Monte earlier in the day, and it is home to several great views of Macau. It also is where the first western-style lighthouse was erected in addition to having a small chapel present as well. After A quick look at those, I started down a path across the hilltop which took me past what looked like to be disused fortifications before finding myself at a cable car station. The ticket was pretty cheap and offered an alternative way back down to the rest of the city.
Flag Of Macau at Guia Fortress
Guia Lighthouse
I knew I was starting to run out of steam, but figured I would make my way to Old Taipa Village. This area is considered one of the best preserved historical areas of Macau; just like the others, narrow streets, trees, and old buildings make up the majority of the area. While there, I stumbled on some sort of film shoot (I’m placing bets on commercial) and tried Macao’s popular Pork Chop Bun. It’s exactly what it sounds like a fried pork chop sandwich; I went to Café Tai Lei Loi Kei in the area as some claim that it is the best or that they even invented it. For a mid-afternoon snack it was pretty good.
Not Sure What It Was For…
Taipa Village
Pork Chop Bun – Café Tai Lei Loi Kei
One thing to note is that Taipa Village used to be on the water; the Cotai strip where I was staying was built on reclaimed land that had previous been a body of water separating two islands in Macau. As such, when the Cotai strip went in, it lost its waterfront aside from a small lake next to the church that was formed from what was left. If you ignored the view of the casinos, and looked back at the church, you again had a sensation that it was not China that you were in. It was a good way to finish up my exploring of Macau before catching a cab to take me back the short distance to the Conrad.
The Former Taipa Waterfront; The Cotai Sands Complex (Including The Conrad Macao) Is In The Center
Taipa Houses – Former Homes On The Former Waterfront
One of the things that I had wanted to do was go to a Portuguese restaurant while in Macau, having heard that there several good examples. I opted for Restaurante Fernando at pretty much the end of the territory on former Island of Coloane nearly on the southernmost part. I had the hotel call in advance since I had no idea what the hours were or if it would be busy and then had a taxi driver speed off into the night; going through quiet and mostly wooded parts of Macau – quite the opposite of “the mostly densely populated place in the world” that I had spent all day in.
The restaurant I almost thought was closed when I arrived; I saw staff, but no one else. I was then shown through a hallway and past a courtyard, eventually to a dining room that had a fair number of people inside. I opted for Sangria to start, of which a nicely sized pitcher was brought to my table. I wasn’t really sure what to get, so I opted for some Portuguese Chorizo to start and then ordered the prawns. Since in Florida, most people will sell prawns/shrimp peeled and ready to eat, when I got then unpeeled, I had to think for a second about how to even peel one! It had been quite a while and I admit I am a little bit embarrassed by that! Once I had down though, it was all good. And the food and sangria were both excellent; I didn’t waste a drop or an ounce if that tells you anything.
Fernando’s
Food Stalls In The Parking Lot Outside Fernando’s
Getting back to the hotel was a little bit trickier. Being on the southern end of the territory and not heavily tourist-laden meant that Taxis were not exactly a dime a dozen. After I finished up I went outside and into the parking lot, which is shared with a public beach, and discovered this immediately. I probably should could have called the hotel, but instead I decided to walk around a bit in this quiet parking lot, checking out the beach, and wandering past the several food stalls that were set up that locals were there for. Eventually when a taxi did show up myself and two other people were vying for it. I asked if they would be find with splitting the cost of the ride, to which they agreed, and off we went. Unfortunately, the language barrier meant that we went past my hotel and went to theirs in Taipa first. Once they gave me some cash, I had the driver turn back towards Cotai and the Conrad. Not terribly bad and accounting for their share I probably only paid slightly more than just the straight drive to my hotel.
The next day, was going to be a little bit different. I planned to order room service for breakfast, as the Conrad gives to Hilton Diamond members the option of eating in the restaurant or taking the American Set Breakfast in their room. Other than just being able to get free room service, I wanted to eat in my room, as I planned to stay in my room all morning. Why you ask? Well, I could have checked out a little more of Macau, but at 9AM in the morning, Fox Sports Asia was simulcasting ESPN’s coverage of the UCF Knights (my alma mater) versus the USF Bulls – the restart of a college football rivalry game between two large universities barely 100 miles apart (if that), that also had the distinction of being a game that would either crown UCF as champions of the American Athletic Conference and an automatic BCS Bowl bid (our first ever opportunity to be considered), or end those aspirations. Plus I had talked a lot of smack to the USF alum that sits in the cubicle next to me prior, so I had a vested interest in watching this game to make sure it went well.
Go Knights!
Besides, I was in this amazing suite anyways, especially considering that I had never had any hotel room that featured a separate media room with surround sound, so after my breakfast was delivered (which was pretty decent) and chowed down on while watching a replay game that was airing before, I bunkered down in the media room for a morning of sitting on the edge of my seat. Despite the fact that UCF was winning games this season, including against some very tough opponents, each game nearly gave fans heart attacks; multiple times. In fact at one point it was bad enough that I reached into the minibar in my room to grab a beer (which by the way, for once, was actually not horrendously overpriced – I think it was US$4.50 for a Heineken). But in the end my Knights won and put us on the path to going to the Fiesta Bowl.
I pretty much killed the morning doing that, and by the time the game was over, I finished getting packed up and made my way downstairs so I could check out and head back to the ferry terminal. The hotel was able to sell me the ticket, and again I opted for First Class; the shuttle bus ride back to the terminal was no worse and going through immigration wasn’t too bad either. One benefit I guess is that First Class has a separate waiting area within the terminal prior to boarding, but it’s not like a lounge or anything, it’s just a few seats off to the side that are partitioned off. The ride back was nearly identical as the ride over, just with me sitting next to the window and sitting next to a dude that I am sure who was at least 50% alcohol by body weight. Let’s just be glad that I don’t get seasick…
Introduction
Although for my first few nights in Hong Kong where I stayed at the W Hong Kong to take advantage of my SPG Gold status and some of the Starpoints I had saved up through the year, for my two nights in Macau I decided that I wanted to take advantage of the Hilton HHonors Diamond status and all the points I accumulated thanks to all my work travel in 2013 (I usually stay at Hilton-branded properties for work for whatever reason). Given the properties on the Cotai strip, that left me with the Conrad Macao. Paid rates for regular room weren’t too bad, hovering around $240/night, but I was after redeeming points and 40,000 at HHonors points per night it seemed like a pretty good deal, especially compared to the Conrad Hong Kong which wanted 80,000 points per night. I had read many reviews of the property online in advance of booking my two night stay, but the common thread seemed to be that they take very good care of their Hilton HHonors elite guests, specifically Gold and Diamond members. There are two types of suites available that I had heard of upgrades to, the Deluxe Suite which measures 1,119 sq ft and the Premier Suite measuring in at 1,679 sq ft. I knew that I would be happy with either suite if I got the upgrade and I knew that there was an excellent chance that I would get it.
Arrival
Just as with the W Hong Kong, the hotel’s Guest Relations Manager had reached out to me roughly a week in advance by email to give me a run down on what my benefits were as Hilton Diamond member, and to verify my arrival time or if I needed any assistance with transportation arrangements to get to the hotel. Since I was taking the ferry from Hong Kong, I didn’t really need any assistance with that (it’s not exactly difficult to buy a ferry ticket) and there wasn’t anything that I needed pre-arranged by the hotel since I tend to decide on everything at the last minute. Still, just as with the W Hong Kong reaching out to me, I appreciated the gesture to try to address anything that I may have needed in advance.
In order to get from Hong Kong to Conrad Macao, I headed to the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal and booked myself a one way ticket in First Class (approximately HK$220 or US$28; Coach is a little cheaper) on the Cotai WaterJet which instead of going to the “main” Macau ferry terminal, takes passengers to the Mo-Taipa Ferry Terminal which is located right next to the Macau International Airport and a short bus or cab ride to the Cotai strip. One thing to remember that while Hong Kong and Macau are both SARs of China, so prior to boarding the ferry at the terminal, one must pass through Hong Kong Exit Immigration (just as painless as entering) and then on the other side pass through Macau Immigration.
Hong Kong -> Macau
The ferry ride itself takes roughly an hour and depending on sea conditions can get a little bouncy. Nothing too bad for my journey and I pretty much just sat in my seat listening to music and snacking on the snack box that they passed out shortly after we pulled away from Hong Kong. I was also seated in the center (they do assign seats), so there wasn’t a window for me to really look out either. The big advantage it seemed to booking First Class on the ferry is that they hold back the Coach Class passengers until the First Class passengers disembark at the other end. That meant being the first off to make the sprint to Macau Immigration and Customs and not getting stuck behind a hundred other people. Just as with Hong Kong, the immigration process was very painless and I moved through without any issue.
Cotai WaterJet First Class Snack
As you exit the terminal, one finds many, many busses lined up outside all waiting to take passengers to all of the various hotels and resorts that are on the Cotai Strip; this ferry terminal pretty much seems to exist solely for the purpose of getting people from Hong Kong to these places. It didn’t take long to find the line up of bright green busses for the Sands Cotai strip complex which contains the Conrad Macao, but also a Holiday Inn and a Sheraton; the Sheraton actually takes the distinction as the largest SPG property in the world with a claimed 3,896 rooms! That alone is probably a good thing I decided not to stay there!
After the 10 minute bus ride from the ferry terminal, I found myself walking into the lobby of the Conrad Macao. I didn’t notice a specific counter reserved for Hilton HHonors members, so I just walked up to the first available agent that I saw. After being checked in, another member of the staff, an woman named Shirley, led me to my room. Along the way, she would point out some of the features of the hotel as well as answering a few questions that I had about the hotel and Macau. She punched the button for the 22nd floor on the elevator and up we went.
Conrad Macao Entrance
The Room
After getting off of the elevator, she led me to the end of the hallway to room 2226. Upon opening the door, I was very much impressed. Sure, they had not upgraded me to their largest suite, but this one at 1,119 sq ft was still very large – even larger than my apartment back home! She showed me all the features of the room and then left me to my own to check it out.
First of all, the most impressive thing to me, most because I had never seen this in a suite before (I’ve stayed in suites before, but usually more of a smaller or junior suite – nothing this massive) was the media room! This totally separate room, located next to the entrance to the suite had it’s own TV, DVD player, and (what I think was) a 7.1 surround sound system with a Yamaha receiver at the heart of it. Of course there was a couch too, because one does need to sit somewhere.
Deluxe Suite – Entry (Media Room To The Left)
Deluxe Suite – Media Room
Deluxe Suite – Media Room
Then there was the living area which featured a dining area with a table for four, a desk (which I don’t think I actually ever sat at), and the living room which had another TV and a decent sized couch. From there you could also look out the windows which unlike rooms on the other side of the hall look out towards the Venetian, the City of Dreams complex, Macau International Airport, and Taipa Village (the other side of the hall faces the middle tower of the complex which is the Sheraton Hotel).
Deluxe Suite – Living Room
Deluxe Suite – Living Room (Looking Back Towards Entry)
Deluxe Suite – Dining Table
View From The Room – City of Dreams Complex + Macau International Airport
View From The Room – Venetian Macao + Taipa Village
The bedroom is just off the living room and is pretty much a standard hotel bedroom. When I came back later in the day after checking some things out the turndown service was completed and they left a Conrad Macao bear on the bed placed slippers on the floor next to the bed. Unfortunately, the slippers did not fit my size 13 feet…
Deluxe Suite – King Bed
Finally, I checked out the bathroom. It was pretty large, having ample space for multiple people with two sinks, large amount of closet space (with his and hers everything it seemed), separate toilet room, large bathtub, and a massive shower. I would joke when showing people pictures of the room that the bench in the shower is so that you can take a break on the long walk from the shower door to the shower head. If I had to guess, I would say that it was 6-7 feet to the left of the bench; so far from the door, that I partially wonder why they even bothered putting a door on the shower as there is no way water could get out.
Deluxe Suite – Bathroom
Deluxe Suite – Bathroom
Deluxe Suite – Massive Shower!
I made my way back out to the living room and noticed an envelope on the desk addressed to me. In side was a letter from the same Guest Relations Duty Manager, Paweena, that had emailed me the week prior. Inside was the run down of the benefits I would get during my stay for being a Diamond member:
Buffet Breakfast from 0630 to 1030hrs daily at Grand Orbit Restaurant (Level 1) or an American Set Breakfast from in-room dining or a “Lounge” or “Asian” Set Breakfast from 0700 to 1030hrs at The Lounge, in our Lobby
Afternoon Tea from 1500 to 1800hrs daily at The Lounge, in our Lobby
An evening cocktail from 1800 to 2000hrs daily at The Lounge, in our Lobby
Complimentary in-room internet and wifi access
There was also a hand written note from her as well welcoming me to property as well. Between the room, the benefits, and the handwritten note, I knew that this was going to be a good stay and a great hotel. As a side note, I think the last time I had a hand written note left in my room from a hotel was my stay at the Sheraton Anchorage in 2012…
A Welcome Note…
Food and Beverage
If we consider the entire Sands Cotai Strip complex as part of the Conrad Macao, then there are many, many options to chose from given that you have three hotels in the complex (Holiday Inn, Conrad, and Sheraton) and between the towers is pretty much a large mall, including restaurants and a food court.
Given my arrival time, as soon as I finished checking out the room, I made my way down to the Lounge. Actually, I would come here both that night and the next night before heading out for dinner. I mean, we’re talking free alcohol here, right? After identifying myself as a Diamond guest at the podium, they invited me to sit wherever I liked, which I went for a couch since it wasn’t very busy. A drink menu was brought to me which listed out all of my complementary options which included several beers and liquors as well as two specialty drinks. That first night I went with a fruity, frothy drink which had many, many types of liquor dumped into it, of which I enjoyed a few to get a buzz going. They also brought out a tray of assorted nuts to snack on while I sat and enjoyed my drink. I was told that only my first drink would be complementary and they did charge me for the second. That was ok by me, but the second night that I was went there for my pre-dinner cocktail, I had multiple drinks and was not charged a single cent for any of them. Overall the service was pretty good and the waitress on the second night was very friendly and stopped to chat for a bit, probably because it was a bit slow. I don’t think there was ever more than a few people at a time in the lounge. It could be that it was part location (it can be loud as it is in the middle of the hotel entrance and passageway from the Sheraton to the Holiday Inn sides), or perhaps there just were not many Hilton HHonors members or ??? While I understand there used to be a much larger lounge located elsewhere, for my purposes it did the trick. It was also while sitting here that I realized, I was a bit of an anomaly. Which by that I mean that I was probably one of very few Americans. Most were obviously Chinese, more than likely from the mainland, with a pretty sizeable contingent of what seemed to be Russians. This was definitely not like Hong Kong.
The Pretty Empty Lobby Lounge
Enjoying A Fruity Drink
And A Different Fruity Drink
For breakfast that first morning in Macau, I opted to try the Grand Orbit restaurant that I had the option to take my complementary breakfast at. It’s actually located in the mall between the Conrad/Holiday Inn and Sheraton sides and a bit towards the back. It had a fairly comprehensive buffet, but it was not quite as good as the one at the W Hong Kong I had several days prior. I had my few plates, left a tip and then headed out to explore the city.
Breakfast At The Grand Orbit
The second morning, I decided to take my breakfast in the room. Really the main driving factor here was that morning my alma mater, the University of Central Florida, was playing our “rival” the University of South Florida on national TV back in the US. Prior to my trip, I did some research and found that Fox Sports Asia would be broadcasting the game live from ESPN! I was ecstatic that I wouldn’t get to miss this game, and opted for an “in-room tailgate”. Going with the American Set Breakfast, it was pretty comprehensive including: cereal, yogurt, a bread basket, omelet, hash browns, a grilled tomato, OJ (probably not Florida fresh!), and coffee. I thought I had timed the delivery such that it would show up a little bit before the game started, but back in America another game had been running late and so I had to sit there and watch the previous week’s Navy v. San Jose State game. This meant by the time Fox Sports Asia picked up the ESPN feed, a good chunk of the 1st quarter was already done (and UCF wasn’t doing that hot). But back to the breakfast…overall, it was pretty good and they definitely had the complete setup with everything I could have needed. The only downside is that when the delivery guy presented me a check – it should have been free, but I went ahead and wrote in a tip and signed, figuring that it could be taken care of at the front desk. I knew trying to resolve the issue in my room with a language gap was not going to be fruitful, and honestly the reason for the mix up was probably due to a language gap between me and the person who took my order. When I checked out, the agent quickly corrected this when he spotted the error. This alone was probably the only misstep I think I experienced at this hotel, and all things considered, that really isn’t that bad.
Room Service Breakfast
$5 Says I Was The Only Person In Macau Watching UCF Beat USF…Great Use Of The Media Room!
Spa
This was a vacation, and being this week was all about not thinking about work and relaxing, I wanted to take advantage of getting a massage. Especially by the time of my second day in Macau, I had been walking around all day across there and Hong Kong with my messenger bag slung across my back and feeling the effects of that. The in-house spa at the Conrad, Bodhi Spa is located on level 3 of the hotel and has access to both the Conrad and Holiday Inn elevator banks. As a result, I’m curious if the spa is shared with the Holiday Inn, but I cant seem to find any evidence of one way or the other online.
I only decided to book my appointment at the relative last minute after getting back to the hotel from a day of exploring the city. Luckily they had an open spot for 15 minutes later for a 90 minute Balinese massage, which was excellent news! I headed downstairs to the spa and right when I walked in, they addressed me by name right away and led me off to a small waiting “alcove” where they brought me some tea while I waited for the therapist to come and get me; I didn’t need to take a shower before hand since I had just taken one in my room, so I just tried to start relaxing. When my therapist came to collect me, I was asked the usual questions about where I wanted focus and was then led to the treatment room.
The room itself was pretty large and featured counter space for me, a large bathtub (which I wouldn’t be using), massage table and more. After getting changed the therapist came back in and started by washing my feet. I’ve had a few massages over the past few years, but I hadn’t experienced a pre-massage foot wash before. Not a bad idea though, if your feet feel clean and cool you generally can feel more relaxed…or at least for me that is the case. From there it was to the massage table where the 90 minutes of working my muscles started. The therapist was very good at the technique and I was in a state of semi-melted relaxation. Just as with any massage, I just wish I had booked a slightly longer session. For the 90 minute treatment it was MOP$1180 or just under US$150. Given that a comparable massage at some places in the US would probably be more expensive, especially at a hotel (I think I paid $150 for a 75 minute massage at the W Atlanta Midtown in July 2013), I can’t really complain too much. Overall, I was impressed and found their facility very clean and relaxing.
Concierge
I used the Concierge staff for a few things throughout my stay. The first and most important thing was getting from them a card to give to taxi drivers in Macau which has the hotel name printed in Chinese so that you can get back to the hotel. Outside of the hotels, knowledge of English was pretty spotty which resulted to me doing a lot of pointing at pictures to be taken to places. In fact, I’m told Portuguese is barely spoken as well, despite over 400 years of Portuguese rule. Second, they also sell local SIM cards provided by CTM (the major local GSM provider) for MOP$100 you get enough service to last a short trip. My only regret is that I accidently activated the ‘3G Data Package Plan 1’ which is only 50MB at a listed cost of MOP$50 (although it appears they only deducted MOP$35 when I activated), when I could have gotten the second package plan which gave you 300MB for MOP$100, or the total value of the SIM. I did get a bonus credit of MOP$10 after activating the service. For whatever reason, between my two phones it was a little tricky to get data service to get fully functional, but after an agonizing 30 minutes I eventually got it working on my phones. Third, they helped me check out whether or not Fernando’s was open (a Portuguese Restaurant on the south side of Macau) for dinner on my second night and getting me a ferry ticket for my journey back to Hong Kong when I departed. I don’t normally use Concierge desks at hotels, but for my time in Macau they became pretty indispensable to help me navigate this foreign land.
Overall Impression
As I mentioned earlier, this was my first stay since making the jump from HHonors Gold to HHonors Diamond status, so I didn’t have a good baseline as to what to expect from being a Diamond member. Unfortunately, I think the Conrad Macao set the bar pretty high for what to expect as a Diamond customer! They really did a fantastic job of taking care of me, especially the super flexible complimentary breakfast options, incredible upgrade, and extremely friendly staff who took care of everything for me. I don’t think I could have asked for a better stay at that hotel…well I mean it would have been better with the even larger suite, but I’ll let that one slide. I would say that if I ever make it back to Macau, I would definitely pick this hotel again even if I still am not a Diamond member. I hear that they take pretty good care of Gold members too. Basically to sum it up, they know how to treat HHonors elite members and I think that is great, especially since some hotels just don’t seem to get that, like my stay for New Years at Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front which was terribly disappointing. Hopefully, I’ll be back in the future!
Cotai Strip As Seen From Taipa (Conrad Macao Is The Forward Half Of The Front Tower In The Middle)
Introduction
Given that I have been wanting to visit Hong Kong for a long time, I had planned to make sure I maximized my time within the city as much as possible during my trip while of course still leaving a little time for visiting Macao. To do that, I spent my first several days within the city and then two days following side-trip to Macao, which gave me roughly five days to explore. It didn’t take long for me to realize that even five days wasn’t going to be enough to explore this city. I thought I understood the size of it all, but some of the things I had planned, like spending a day hiking in the New Territories never came to fruition. Part not enough time and part starting to feel ill on the last few days of my trip. Still, I managed to cross off many of the sights and activities that I wanted to do, so I’m not disappointed one bit. It just means I have things to do the next time I go there!
Note: I’ve decided to try out YouTube, Flickr and Vimeo for some videos that I’ve embedded into this post. Let’s see which one works best!
Getting Oriented
As usual, I find myself on the first day in a new place trying to get a feel for the city, the transportation options, and walking around semi-aimlessly while usually trying to get some of the big tourist crowded spots out of the way. Considering that I was staying in Kowloon at the W Hong Kong, I decided that I would cross over to Hong Kong Island and Central to start my day off. Getting over there was easy; it’s a one stop train ride from the Kowloon station that the W Hong Kong is attached to over to Hong Kong Station right across the water. I walked out of the station through the IFC mall and soon found myself on the elevated walkways above the roads. I still really wasn’t too sure where I was going, so I managed to work my way over to the opposite side on street level.
I knew the first order of business for me was going to mean getting a SIM Card. I had looked for something within the IFC mall, but I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for (which is funny, because I’m sure there were a dozen places I could have gone to). Not having done much research in advance I figured I would try to track down a PCCW store so I could pick up the 8-day Discover Hong Kong Tourist SIM Card. Considering it is only HK$96 (~$12USD), it really is a fantastic deal! You get:
Unlimited local calls
Unlimited WiFi at PCCW Hotspots
5GB of local mobile data
HK$0.45/min flat rate International Direct Dial (IDD) which included the US
HK$35 Credit for calls and SMS
It’s practically a no-brainer to me; in comparison if I used my Verizon Wireless service, I would have been stuck paying a lot more for a lot less. It almost is always best to pick up a local SIM card as a result regardless of where you are visiting. I will also say that the staff at the PCCW shop were great too, especially after I told them I needed a nano SIM when I really needed a micro SIM and had already opened the package. The location on Des Voeux Road in Central just around the corner from Hong Kong Station was convenient for me that first morning, but there are stores located all over the city.
With my PCCW SIM Card installed in my phone, I was able to get about walking around this great city! Starting out, I headed East back down Des Vouex Road and found myself at the Old Supreme Court Building and the Cenotaph. Since I’m not much of a planner, I used the time spent walking down there to figure out what I would do with my day. I quickly decided that once checking those two places out I would make my way to Victoria Peak.
Old Supreme Court + Cenotaph
I kept wandering, although there wasn’t a great distance to cover between where I was and the Peak Tram. As I wandered I stumbled on St. Johns Cathedral, which happens to be the oldest western religious building in Hong Kong. It wasn’t overly ornate, but the it’s always interesting to look at scenes that get depicted in the stained glass windows; there was even some clues of the British colonial heritage with one chapel with what I can only assume were the standards or flags of various armed forces units that were resident in Hong Kong, including the Royal Navy.
St. John’s Cathedral – Exterior
St. John’s Cathedral – Altar
Victoria Peak + Peak Tram
This is probably one of the most popular tourist stops in Hong Kong. Victoria Peak, which happens to the highest point on Hong Kong Island, offers fantastic views of the Financial District/Central and Kowloon across Victoria Harbour. There are three ways that I know of to get to the top; hike your way up through the wooded slopes on the Old Peak Road or take a bus, or take the Peak Tram. The Peak Tram is obviously, the more popular option and I went with that for my ascent to the peak.
It was the first spot where I really managed to get snagged by a crowd during this trip, even though it was mid-morning, almost everyone and their uncle was trying to get to the top. I shouldn’t have been surprised, it really was a beautiful day that morning! Just a tip for anyone going, if you have an Octopus card for use on public transit, you can use it for the Peak Tram and avoid standing in the line to buy a ticket…especially since I think the ticket windows are cash only.
Everyone Wants To Ride The Peak Tram…Everyone.
Onboard the Peak Tram
The ride to the top maybe took 5 minutes or so, and offered some decent views on the way up once past some of the apartment towers. They don’t over cram the trams (heh), but don’t expect an empty seat next to you. Once at the top you’ll find yourself at the Peak Tower which seemed full of touristy type of stuff, so I quickly made my exit and headed left along the paved path. You don’t have to go far until you are past the Tower and you find a little viewing spot. From here there were excellent views of everything down below…it really was fantastic! I probably sat here for at least 30 minutes taking it all in and enjoying the sunshine.
You Get A Few Good Views On The Ride Up
Following The Path…
Central + Kowloon
Kowloon Star Ferry Pier (From Victoria Peak)
Me On The Peak!
Before I headed back down I checked out one of the observation decks at the building across from the Peak Tower which gave a very different view on the other side of the Peak.
The Other Side Of The Peak
Old Peak Road…Just A Steep, Narrow Path Now
Street Eats
Once you get to the bottom of the Old Peak Road, you empty out into what I think was a primarily residential area. Not really anything to see, but it was fun getting Google Maps to try to get me back into middle of it all. That would eventually lead me to the Central–Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System, which is the longest outdoor covered escalator in the world. Turns out though that it’s pretty much only escalators in the up direction, so it was down the stairs for me. I took it until about Hollywood Road and from there I started to wander. I made my way through several street markets until I finally made my way to Graham Street and picked a outdoor food stall for a cheap and easy lunch. Luckily the one I stopped at, Chung Kee had a menu in English and Cantonese, and found myself going with fish balls and noodles with a side of whatever the seasonal vegetable was (steamed leaf lettuce?). Honestly some of the best food is street food in my opinion and this was no exception; part of it is of course the food, but just being out there on the street is part of the experience. Especially when you are me and sitting on a plastic chair that you think was designed for a small child, praying that the chair isn’t going to fail spectacularly and send your bowl of noodles flying on to your head. Not that has ever happened to me…
Street Market
Graham Street Food Stalls
Lunch Is Served!
Star Ferry
After my late lunch I took my time to head back to my hotel in Kowloon; to get there I would finally take the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour. One of the essential to do items in Hong Kong, I unfortunately made my journey across as the weather was starting to take a turn for the wet. The views were still pretty good of the harbor, and you really can’t complain about only paying US$0.32 (HK$2.50) for any mode of public transit. I would wind up riding the Star Ferry multiple times through the course of my stay; it became a great way to get between the two halves of Hong Kong while keeping things on leisurely side.
Star Ferry in Kowloon
Hidden Drinks
It being my first full night in Hong Kong, I decided that I didn’t want to try to do the Lan Kwai Fong circuit of drinking, in fact I decided that I just wanted to take it easy and find somewhere that wouldn’t be overly pricey or overrun with other tourists. Through some quick research back at the hotel, that meant heading to a place called New Discovery. The location of this bar really cannot be beat; it’s right on top of one of the ferry piers in Central! Sitting there at night you could see the lit up buildings in both Central and on the Kowloon side while sipping cheap beer and snacking on typical pub grub. I will admit that it was a bit on the chilly side that night (it’s all outdoors), but a buy two get one free special kept me there for a while. There was also live music and unlike what I would find in Lan Kwai Fong the next night, this was definitely a more relaxed environment.
Cheap Beer!
Lit Up Hong Kong From New Discovery
Live Music And A View? Awesome!
Exploring Hong Kong Island By Tram
Along with the Star Ferry, Hong Kong has another old and very inexpensive mode of public transport: the Hong Kong Tramways. These electric trams go across Hong Kong Island and despite the distance that you ride, only costs US$0.30 (HK$2.30). This makes for an excellent way to see the city, especially when on the upper deck as it snakes through the crowded streets. For my journey, I hopped on in Central and rode out to the Happy Valley Racecourse. Honestly, I should have probably have done this on my first day in Hong Kong and just rode as many of the lines as possible instead of going to the Peak first; it would have made for a great introduction to the city. That being said, after getting out to Happy Valley, there wasn’t really anything for me to do, so after a quick look at the Racecourse grounds, I hopped back on and made my back into the middle of town.
Let’s Hop On!
Happy Valley Racecourse
This Feels British…
Passing A Busy Side Street
Computer Markets
Given the number of electrical components and devices that I’ve bought online that always seem to come from Hong Kong, I figured it might be a good place to peruse for these types of things in person. In my head I was picturing something along the lines of Tokyo’s Akihabara district (which I spent way too much time in back in 2011 on my trip to Japan), and decided to lookup what were the local computer and electronics outlets. My first stop: Wan Chai Computer Centre. This, I believe (and someone can correct me here), is the larger of the computer markets in Hong Kong. Multiple floors hawking pretty much every sort of computer, camera, and other technology devices. There were several things that I found that interested me, but to my surprise the prices were not any better, if not worse than the prices back home. Here, I was expecting to find some bargains, but that was not the case. There was one other place that my phone was pointing me to, which was the 298 Computer Zone. It was pretty much a much more run down version of Wan Chai Computer Centre; half of the stalls were either closed or out of business, the prices were not any better, and figuring out how to leave was interesting (the escalators only go up and eventually I found the exit, which turned out to be some back of building stairwell that wasn’t marked very well). Heck, I didn’t even find a single place selling individual components either. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong places and there were other markets in Hong Kong that are better? I guess I won’t be finding out anytime soon, but I guess I’ll just stick to eBay for those Hong Kong purchases!
Roasted Meat
BBQ…Is there a more perfect food that exists out there? Well, during my planning for my trip to Hong Kong, I kept seeing mention of a place called Joy Hing Roasted Meat online, in my guidebook, and on TV. The promise was excellent roasted pork and a very affordable price in a very hole in the wall establishment. I knew that I just had to try it based on everything I kept hearing about it. After escaping the 298 Computer Zone, I started my search on Hennessey Road for this hole in the wall, but I could never seem to find it. Perhaps the address I had was wrong, but I eventually found it just a few steps from Hennessey Road on Steward Road on the left hand side. Immediately as I entered, I was taken to a table where others were already sitting and quickly placed an order for pork + rice + beer. Not more than a minute later, I had a plate with a heaping pile of rice, a few slices of pork and a Tsingtao tall can in front of me. I have to say, it really was some of the best pork that I had; excellent cooked with it being moist and full of flavor. I finished fairly quickly and made my exit quickly having only spent a little less than US$5.00. Not quite as cheap as the public transit, but still a good deal in my book.
Joy Hing Roasted Meat
Pork! Rice! Beer!
Hong Kong Park
After a filling lunch, I made my way to Hong Kong Park. Essentially Hong Kong’s version of Central Park, I spent some time in the Aviary checking out the birds before wandering around other areas of the park. From my time walking around, it seemed like there were a fair number of office workers strolling around as well, perhaps to get out of the office for a bit to refresh one’s self? Definitely convenient given it’s location.
Colorful Bird!
Wedding Photos?
A Calm Patch Amongst Skyscrapers
Temples, Markets, and a Museum
I have to say, that my afternoon on that Wednesday was ridiculously busy or at least seemed that way. I found myself in a Temple (Man Mo Temple), a market (Cat Street Bazaar), and the Hong Kong Museum of History. Starting with the Temple, I had more or less stumbled on it, and decided to check it out briefly, although it did appear to be under renovation, but one could still see the ornate decorations spaced throughout the small space.
Man Mo Temple Entrance
Man Mo Temple
Man Mo Temple
Cat Street Market is known as a place to buy curios and knick-knacks. I had pictured a bustling street market, but when I showed up there was a few stalls (all pretty much selling the same items) and a not really anyone else. Pretty disappointed with the offerings, I didn’t buy anything, not even the smallest trinket.
Cat Street Market
From there it was back across the Star Ferry to Kowloon and from there a walk to the Hong Kong Museum of History. It was a good 1 mile (approx.) walk from the ferry to the Museum and normally I wouldn’t have cared so much if it hadn’t started to drizzle a bit as I got halfway there. Luckily it never started pouring, so at least I was spared from getting soaked and not being able to enter the museum. By the time I made it to the museum it was already 4PM and knowing how museums can be, I was curious if I was even going to get in, since most aren’t open very late into the evening. Luckily, not only was it open, but for whatever reason today was a free admission day! Being a bit of a history nerd (in additional to several other types of nerd), this place was fantastic. Especially of interest to me (and I bet many others) was the colonial period of British rule, of which there were several excellent exhibits. Including even a reconstruction of a city block that showed exhibits on the wartime occupation of Hong Kong by Japanese Forces. There was so much history that I obviously did not know about this city, and several of the exhibits definitely taught me a few things and a bit about some of the cultural aspects as well. I probably could have spent even longer there, but I knew after two hours or so hours I needed to get back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.
The Opium Trade Definitely Had A Big Impact
Boundary Marker From Prior To The Lease Of The New Territories
Japanese Occupation Exhibit
Standard Of The Governor of Hong Kong
Lan Kwai Fong
After getting back to my hotel to change and then eat dinner at Classified: Mozzarella Bar (in IFC, after my first choice for dinner was beyond filled to the brim), I made my way into Hong Kong’s own district for drinking: Lan Kwai Fong. With not much of a plan, I made a few circles of the blocks before settling into the first bar of the night: Hong Kong Brew House. What drew me to this place was what looked like a very extensive selection of beers from around the world, claiming upwards of 90 different selections on tap and in bottles. While I could have had some excellent beers from back home, I mostly found myself sticking to European beers. In fact, the selection of Asian beers was less than anticipated, and I just didn’t feel like drinking some of the more standard ones that again I can easily get back home. Sitting at the bar, I made my way through a few with the intention of heading downstairs eventually for the comedy night. For whatever reason I decided against that and ultimately left the bar in search of a new home.
Follow The Path To LKF
LKF Outside Hong Kong Brew House
That new home would turn out to be a Canadian bar. You heard that right, Canadian. I didn’t know it until I walked in and found beavers on the walls, hockey on TV and Molson freely available; I had found myself at The Keg. The bar was incredibly small, and I think I lucked out when I grabbed what had to be one of the six or eight tables for myself (there wasn’t even any counter seating it was that small). While I spent the rest of the night at this bar, it was times a little weird, but not necessarily in a bad way. I mean here I was sitting in Hong Kong (China), in a Canadian bar, drinking a Mexican beer (Corona), listening to too much country music and Nickelback, and eventually making some small talk with two Canadians that I accidently called Americans. Perhaps almost surreal; there were way too much meshing of cultures at play here and honestly I didn’t think I would be on the opposite side of the world from Northwest Florida and having to hear country music. I mean, who would have thought? Still, a good time was had before making it back to the hotel to inevitably pass out.
Drinking Mexican Beer In A Canadian Bar In China
Pre-Macau
I woke up on my third morning of the trip, admittedly with a slight hangover. Nothing that some water and ibuprofen and a greasy McDonald’s breakfast can’t cure. Once that was taken care of, I was off by foot to find myself the Happy Foot Reflexology Centre. A place that as far as I know only does foot massages and after two days of walking all across Hong Kong, I decided that my feet could use the rub down. Plus I just wanted to take today easy as I planned to take the Ferry to Macau that afternoon once I checked out from the W. The first address I had in Foursquare was the one that was in my guidebook and after spending about 15 minutes trying to find it where it should have been I found out that it had closed down. Luckily they had reopened a few blocks down in a tower (actually in LKF at that), so off I went.
The elevator dropped me off in the lobby and I saw the prices for all of the options and it was cheap! I mean for about US$25 you got a 50 minute foot massage which just seemed like a steal! They led me around to the other side of the wall to a room with about six or so chairs and started to go to town on my legs and feet. Even managed to work in my neck and shoulders too (which I had not expected), but seeing as I had been carrying around my messenger bag for the past few days everywhere, it was definitely appreciated. By the time I wrapped up here though, I had to head back to the hotel to finish packing and grab something to eat. From the hotel it would off to the ferry terminal to hitch a ride over to Macau.
Post-Macau
This might not make the most sense, but I’m jumping around a bit here; the next two posts will cover my time in Macau, but the sake of keeping like things together, I’ll pick up after I arrived back in Hong Kong a few days later.
There was still that I had wanted to do in Hong Kong before I flew on that Monday back to the US. The first goal was to make it down to the Southern side of Hong Kong Island to Stanley for that evening; I thought that it would be nice to sit out next to the water as the sun set and enjoy the evening in a more laid-back area. Like everywhere else, the best way to get there is using public transit and being no stranger to using public transit systems around the world, I set off on my journey. It seemed so simple; take a bus from Central to a spot on the other side of the peak, transfer to another bus and take it straight to Stanley. It was anything but simple. It seemed to be going all so well, but then I couldn’t find where the connecting bus left from after Google Maps told me to get off. Seriously; I figured it would be at the same spot where all the other buses were stopping along an expressway, but after not finding the number I found out there was a bus terminus nearby and figured surely I would find it there. After venturing through a construction zone and reaching the bus terminus, I again was met with no joy. At this point I was rather confused and was starting to wonder if there was an adjustment to the schedules or routes that Google Maps did not know about or something else. All I know is that for the first time ever, a public transit system had bested me. I started walking back to where I got off and grabbed the first bus into Central as I admitted defeat.
Unfortunately that would be only the start of a less than stellar night. After getting back to my hotel so I could regroup and take a shower, my gut really began to feel uneasy. I wasn’t sure what was the cause as I hadn’t really ate anything that strange or anything the past few days, but what I do know is that it killed my motivation to do anything. Eventually though I decided that I would go and try to eat something and see if perhaps it was just that I was hungry. Sometimes you just never know…
So off I went in search of familiar food. In the event that my gut really was messed up I didn’t want to shock it with something strange. What did that mean? McDonald’s. Yes, it’s pretty lame, but you know it’s pretty much a constant the world over, so I figured the risk was low. Aside from the fries appearing to not have been fried all the way, it was perfectly a normal American fast food meal, but didn’t settle my gut. Although I had wanted to go out to Lan Kwai Fong again that night I decided to “do the right thing” and go back to my hotel to go to bed early and try to sleep.
Waking up the next morning I was definitely feeling a bit better, but still just a little off. You know that point where you don’t feel sick but you don’t exactly feel 100%? That’s where I was at. So after breakfast I actually decided to just hang out in the room for a bit. Just staring out the window at the Peak watching the morning sun hit the trees and buildings and almost losing myself in thought. I wasn’t sitting there for long when out of nowhere this hawk or eagle or something swopped in and perched just outside my window on the 55th floor! I’ll admit that for far too long the bird and I were staring at one another. At multiple points the bird kept tapping on the window; perhaps it wanted in? After probably 30 minutes or so, the bird flew off and it was time for me as well.
My Winged Visitor
Although the previous night had left me doubting my skills of navigating public transit, I decided that today I would take it very, very easy and attempt visiting Stanley for the day. This time I was much more successful and actually hopped off the first bus at Repulse Bay Beach. I wasn’t going to get in the water, but I did go for as stroll along the length of it before happening upon the Kwun Yam Shrine at the southeastern end. I checked out several of the mosaics and other features, including what I think was a concrete memorial to the Hong Kong Life Guard Club from a bygone era that would have seemed more in place in a former Soviet republic.
Repulse Bay Beach
Guess The Water Was Too Cold; No One Wanted To Swim..
Kwun Yam Shrine
Kwun Yam Shrine
Memorial To A Bygone Era
With enough sand in my shoes, I grabbed a public light bus (small, no more than 16 seats) for the rest of my journey to Stanley. It was most definitely a beautiful day and it appeared to have been the final day of the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival and as a result at Stanley Plaza there were concerts and acts on the stage there. I stopped by a few times during the day and took in a musical act and then later some apparently popular Korean act. I had no real goals for the day and ultimately I just spent the entire day meandering around the core Stanley area; checking out Stanley Market, had a sandwich at Lucy’s on the Front, and then ultimately spent a few hours kicking pack in a pub, The Smugglers Inn. It was a great way to take it easy and I was actually feeling decent throughout it. I stuck around for until the sun started to set and realized all too late that I should have planned this better so I could have taken the Aqua Luna (I think one the remaining junks still sailing around HK) back to Central, but just reversed the route on buses.
Murray House (Next To Stanley Plaza)
Stanley Waterfront (Panorama – Click To Enlarge)
I Recall This Band Play Bob Marley…
The Aqua Luna Pulling Into Stanley Harbor
Stanley Market
Tasty Sandwich From Lucy’s on the Front – Great Spot To People Watch!
Smugglers Inn – Kicking Back And Drinking
As The Sun Sets In Stanley
Sadly I Did Not Raise My Hand Fast Enough To Represent ‘Murica In This Beer Drinking Contest
Once back in Central, it was pretty much now dark, so I decided to roam around a bit but not to stay out very late since I had a relatively early morning flight the next day to Tokyo. As such I grabbed a beer and some calamari from Red Bar + Restaurant on the roof of the IFC mall. There were some decent views, but the beer was overpriced so after one drink I headed down and decided that I would stop off at New Discovery for one more drink so I could take in the lit up skylines of both Kowloon and Central.
As I sat there I reflect on this trip and how much I had enjoyed myself over the week out here and very, very glad I decided to take the plunge and visit this city. Hong Kong definitely became one of my favorite places that I’ve visited; the mixing of cultures from around the world and the opportunities for exploration here kept me busy and wanting more. I didn’t quite hit everything on my list, especially on the last two days in Hong Kong where I had planned to take in some hiking in the New Territories. Actually the New Territories and some of the islands that I had wanted to check out were left completely unexplored on this trip, but sometimes that happens. One could say that this leaves something to do on a future trip, but honestly I don’t know when I’ll make it back to Hong Kong. It being half way around the world and require almost too many hours of travel to reach there, it’s going to be difficult to go back; especially as I have other areas in Asia that I want to visit and still have Africa completely unexplored. With that said, I will make it back here somehow in the future, even if it takes me 10 years.
