Saturday, July 19, 2008

Sunnyvale


Went to Santa Clara University for work, it is a nice and simple campus. Stayed in Sunnyvale at the Sheraton Sunnyvale. It seems like a recently purchased property. The building is apartment style with the pool in the center of the property. I wouldn't be suprised if this was renovated from a previous development. It is a very nice Sheraton, has a very modern feel and decor. Probably due to the proximity of Silicon Valley and all techies must love modern decor. :D

Not sure if I'm catching all the Sheratons in the down season or the industry is down. I'm no longer any type of status with Sheraton except for the American Express. I've noticed that I've been upgraded this year more so than in the years past. In this particular stay, I was given the Club level room with "amenities." Amenities include a breakfast (buffet style at the hotel restaurant), bathroom robe, and upgraded toiletries. I just might have lucked out as the hotel doesn't seem super busy.

Had dinner with some friends in Redwood City at John Bentley's, http://www.johnbentleys.com/redwood-city/home.html. My friend felt it would be too "stuffy" from other people's opinions but seemed happy with the ambience and food when at the restaurant. I found the restaurant quite charming. Dinner was very good, had the quail starter, duck breast/confit, and sticky toffee pudding cake. All in all, a very satisfying excellent meal.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Atlanta

Got an evening flight out of Denver and landed into Atlanta nearing midnight. After a shuttle debacle, finally made it to the Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel. Got a nice corner room and felt alot better after I cranked the AC to get rid of the humidity. How is it possible to be so muggy at 1 am??

Had brunch with a local friend who recently had twins. Took the MARTA to navigate around and have decided that Atlanta's transit system is worse than LA's. Suprising! A day pas cost $8.50 versus $5 in LA. At a base fare of $1.75, one would have to take more than 4 trips on MARTA to make it worthwhile. How often does that happen?

Due to the shortness of this trip, didn't leave the hotel much. For a change, ate at the hotel restaurant, Andiamo, and actually caught the appetizer hour in the executive lounge. It is the first domestic executive lounge where I found the found quite tasty. A selection of normal sized sandwiches (although not a fan), crudite, and this hot snack which didn't look appealing but was good. It looked like mini flat bread cannolis but was stuffed with cheesy meaty something. Had the rack of lamb and was pleased with the selection and creme brulee for dessert. They need to invest in a torch because there was no real caramelized top, just a very warm upper half of creme.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Denver again!

I'm overnighting in Denver visitng University of Denver. I think I'm on the outskirts of the city as I've never really been where my hotel is located. I'm staying at the Hampton Inn Denver Cherry Creek. Standard Hampton as always. Although they seem to have problems with their TV signals and wireless internet. Thank goodness for the Blackberry.



Got my car rental and the guy gave me various SUV options. I guess Denver doesn't really believe in small cars. The rental agent said that Denver is a "SUV-rich" city. I guess it makes sense given the area. One of my choices was a H3 but I opted for the Ford Edge. Didn't really feel like driving a Hummer.

Tried a Vietnamese restaurant nearby, Grilled Skewers - http://www.grilledskewer.com. They mostly do grilled meats, typical dishes are the Bun (meat variant) nuong. The spring rolls are ok. In general, it was pretty tasty and nice decor.

Encountered something new at Denver International. Free Wifi!!! No more paid service to T-mobile.