Starling Travel

While we covered the Consumer Electronics Show for The Gadgets Page earlier this month, Mike and I stayed at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Because it was so close to the Sands Expo Center, it was a convenient hotel for us. Unfortunately, that’s where the love for the hotel died. Geography and location are important for any real estate property, but CONDITION trumps it in this case.

The Imperial Palace looked like it was waiting for the implosion. From the stained carpets to the inattentive staff, the hotel had an air of resigned finality to it. I took the obligatory pictures of the Hotel SWAG and the room.

We stayed in room 17112.

Here is the Hotel SWAG:

You don’t need to pack a hair dryer:

Each room also has an iron and board so you can smooth out the wrinkles on your suitcase-squashed clothes.

I really hate it when a hotel assumes that I’ll steal from them. I know this sign has more to do with the kind of clientele that frequent an establishment than the establishment itself, but I HATE being treated like a criminal for no reason.

Worst of all, the toilet struggled to flush every time. It was so bad that Mike and I actually bought a plunger just in case. Considering how bad the maintenance was on the property, we had no hope that they would be able to provide us with a plunger if there was an incident. Here is a video of the toilet trying its best to flush.

To be fair, the toilet never plugged up and we didn’t have to use the plunger. However, the toilet wasn’t the only thing having trouble draining. The tub and sink had slow drains as well.

The whole hotel felt like it was just waiting to die. According to Wikipedia, it is:

• Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

During a conference call with investors on November 20, 2005, the Chairman for Harrah’s, Gary Loveman, noted that both the Imperial Palace and neighboring O’Sheas “are going to require very substantial modifications or complete tear-downs and rebuilds” in order to make room for a Harrah’s and/or Flamingo expansion on the Strip.[1] However, since then, Harrah’s has invested millions of dollars into refurbishing both the hotel rooms and the casino itself.

In July 2009, Harrah’s announced new plans for the area around the Imperial Palace, O’Shea’s, and Flamingo casinos, confirming that the Imperial Palace will not be demolished at this time.

Since the economy tanked, Harrah’s just seems to be waiting to do ANYTHING to the hotel, even clean the carpets. I liked how close it was to the Expo Center, but considering its tenuous grasp on life, I think I might have to say goodbye to the Imperial Palace.

Right on the seawall in Galveston, Texas sits the Holiday Inn Express. I love how comfortable the hotel feels. Here are some photos of the hotel swag.

Here is the view from the suite rooms.

When you are staying at a hotel with a weak wi-fi signal, a homemade wi-fi booster antenna like this one can be a godsend.

• Gadgets Page » Ikea Hack: Wi-Fi Antenna

Here is are the directions to make yourself one, including Amazon.com links to the materials:

Materials:

• A parabolic strainer (from Ikea or Oxo)
• A USB Wi-Fi adapter (Mutated Jellyfish said that the Motorola brand didn’t work, so here’s a link to a different one: Belkin ME1001-USB Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter 802.11g at Amazon.com
• USB extension cord: Dayton USB 2.0 Extension Cable Black 3.3 ft. at Amazon.com
• Popsicle stick or anything to mount the USB adapter: Freezer Pop Sticks at Amazon.com: Mutated Jellyfish used a marker.
• Black electrical tape: 3M 49656 “Scotch” Vinyl Black Plastic Electrical Tape at Amazon.com: Mutated Jellyfish used scotch tape, but electrical tape will look nicer, hold better and last longer.

Instructions:

• Connect the USB wi-fi adapter to the USB extension cable.
• Tape the wi-fi adapter to the end of the popsicle stick.
• Mount the popsicle stick onto the strainer with the USB wi-fi adapter as close to the center of the strainer as possible. Tape it in place wrapping the electrical tape around the stick, the handle of the strainer and the USB extension cord.
• Plug in the USB extension cord into your laptop and turn the wi-fi antenna until you are able to get the best wi-fi signal.

If you pack this wi-fi booster antenna in your car on your next trip, your likeliness of getting wi-fi at your hotel increases exponentially. Give it a try!

The Sands Motel has been a fixture in St. George, Utah for a LONG time. In the Fifties, it was called the Sleepy Hollow Hotel:

When the Vegas craze hit during the Sixties, it became The Sands Motel and outlived its namesake:

A few years ago, when we were driving through St. George, we took photos of it in all its glory:

You can see all the photos here:

• Sands Motel – a set on Flickr

Where:

Sands Motel
581 E Saint George Blvd
Saint George, UT 84770 Google Map

Phone: (435) 673-3501

This is the second time we’ve stayed at the Radisson Town Lake. We love it because it overlooks the river and Congress Bridge. Congress Bridge is where the largest urban bat colony in North America live. In the summer, huge clouds of bats leave the bridge every evening at dusk.

This year, however, the bridge is quiet and abandoned.

It’s too cold this year to support the bats, so I suspect they are vacationing a little longer in Mexico. We came to Austin for the SXSW Interactive Festival, so the bats were a secondary attraction.

The hotel swag, however, was quite enjoyable.

The toilet paper origami left a little to be desired.

The towel origami, however, was beautiful.

I don’t care for Sleep Number beds. They are beds that are filled with air depending on what firmness you want. It took a lot of tweaking to get my side of the bed to feel like a “normal” bed. I guess my sleep number is 45, but I didn’t enjoy finding that out. The Radisson brags about their Sleep Number beds, but I don’t find them pleasant or appealing. It’s more like sleeping on a camping mattress.

You can see all the photos for the Radisson Town Lake here:

• Radisson Town Lake Hotel Swag – a set on Flickr

On the whole, our stay at the Radisson has been enjoyable. They charge ten bucks a day per computer to be online in your hotel room, which I find appalling. I guess I’m used to cheaper hotels that try to attract me with free wireless. I like that I can just walk to the convention center from this hotel. I LOVE the view of the bridge, even though this year it’s bat-free. I even love the TGI Friday’s in the hotel lobby. Sometimes I’m so tired that I just need a quiet meal that is familiar. Someday, Internet connectivity will be free at all hotels just like water and televisions. Until then, it’s hit and miss.

This postcard from PostSecret talks about drawing in hotel bibles.

It reads:

Room 1912
I draw naked people in hotel bibles, most times it’s my FAVORITE part of the trip. (Besides jumping on the bed!)
Pg. 399, 638, 846, 1052

The secret was written on stationery for the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida:

• Rosen Centre Hotel

It’s like a scavenger hunt to find the naked pictures before the hotel staff does.

I’ve left money in hotel bibles before. I talked about it here:

• Pick Me! » Holy Texts (Part One)

• Pick Me! » Holy Texts (Part Two)

I have never written in one except to underline a particularly interesting passage. Have you ever written in a hotel bible? If so, do you remember which hotel and room?

PostSecret’s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.

Early this month, Nicole Lee visited Las Vegas and stayed at Palms Place Hotel. Here are some photos of her room.

The room had TWO televisions: one in front of the bed and one in front of the couch.

The living room area looks very spacious.

Oh, and there was a kitchen as well. It had a fridge, microwave and dishwasher.

The third television was in the bathroom. Remember folks, this is a HOTEL room!

I was hoping to get a glimpse of the Hotel Swag, but no such luck. Thanks for the photos, Nicole! Palms Place looks AWESOME!

I’m a HORRIBLE house guest and I KNOW it, so I rarely stay with friends when I visit their towns. Some of them consider it a insult, but most of them understand that we keep strange sleeping hours and even stranger habits. We find a hotel as near to their home as we can and we spend almost as much time with them as we would if we had stayed at their home.

If finances or familial duties require that you be a house guest, here is an EXCELLENT article on how to be a good one:

• How to Be a Good House Guest – wikiHow

Here is the condensed version:

• Arrive when you say you will arrive.
• Don’t overstay your visit.
• Bring a gift to say thank you at the outset.
• Keep your guest area neat.
• Be reasonable about sharing a household bathroom.
• Be sensitive about your own body odor.
• If towels are not placed out for you in the guest room, don’t presume that the fancy towels in a shared bathroom are for you.
• Don’t keep the hosts up late.
• Always offer to help at mealtimes.
• Offer to make contributions.
• Do your own laundry.
• Entertain yourself.
• Be home on time.
• Be careful about Internet and phone usage.
• Leave a thank you gift on your departure.
• Strip your bedclothes on leaving.
• Leave quietly and thoughtfully.
• The Golden Rule: Don’t outstay your welcome.
• Send a thank you note.

You can go their website for more detailed instructions about how to be a good house guest. When I was a child, my grandmother housed many guests, so I learned all these things first hand. Most importantly, it set the standard so high that it’s far easier for me to get my own hotel room rather than try to live up to all these expectations. There have been times when I’ve had to be a house guest because of finances or because my family insisted, and I’ve done my best to be a good house guest, but even then, I’ve fallen below my expectations. I guess that’s why I love hotels so much.

Las Vegas has snow for the first time in years, and they got 6-8 INCHES! That’s probably the best Christmas present they could get this year.

Mike and I were caught in a snowstorm in Vegas once. It was that flurry of dandruff-like snow that we Utahans are very used to dealing with, so we drove right through it without a second thought. It melted before the end of the day.

To see my beloved Luxor Hotel covered with snow like this is so strange. It’s almost as if the black pyramid has been turned white.

More photos after the break: (Continue Reading…)

Hilarye at Dotting the Map has done the research on a number of Hotel Rewards Programs. Her goal was trying to find out which one is the best to go with.

• Dotting the Map » Blog Archive » Who offers the best hotel rewards program?

In the end, she really had a hard time making a decision:

I guess what it really comes down to is what you personally prefer and what you find convenient. I would take time and figure out which program is right for you and your travel needs.

Personally, I think that Hotel Rewards Programs are a waste of time if you only travel once or twice a year. If you travel more often (i.e. for business), then you should be a member of ALL of them. Whichever is the best hotel for the location you’re traveling, make the reservation and use your rewards card. Don’t limit your choice based on the promise of rewards.