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Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:40 am
by Kyle76
Rufus wrote:
Gene wrote:
Rufus wrote:There are two I should mention in addition to the two I mentioned above: Mansion Del Rio on the River Walk, San Antonio and the Arizona Builtmore in Tucson, AZ.
What a coincidence - wife and I are driving down to San Antonio for the weekend, and we are staying at that hotel!
That sure is. When we lived in Houston we often went to San Antonio and always stayed in the Mansion del Rio. As it's been several years since we were last there, we'd be interested on getting your take on the hotel.
Is that the "haunted" hotel in San Antonio?

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 12:37 pm
by Squire
Rufus wrote:There are two I should mention in addition to the two I mentioned above: Mansion Del Rio on the River Walk, San Antonio and the Arizona Builtmore in Tucson, AZ.
I can recommend the Mansion Del Rio and the Riverwalk generally.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 8:30 pm
by Kyle76
Kyle76 wrote: Is that the "haunted" hotel in San Antonio?
According to the interwebz, San Antonio's famous haunted hotel is The Menger Hotel near The Alamo.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 8:43 am
by Gene
Well, I had it wrong.

We were planning on staying at the mansion, but at the last minute shifted to the Hilton Palacio Del Rio. I had stayed there before, years ago ... and it was close to all the things we wanted to do:

Walk the Riverwalk
Take the boat tour around the Riverwalk
Eat at Dirty Nellies (part of the Hilton, Irish pub with the best shepherds pie I have ever had)
Stop by Schilos (pronounced she-lows) Deli - delicious home-made root bear: one glass sipped, one in a float with ice cream
Eat at the Iron Cactus - table-made guacamole
Of course visit the Alamo

It was an amazing weekend!

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 10:09 am
by Rufus
Gene wrote:Well, I had it wrong.

We were planning on staying at the mansion, but at the last minute shifted to the Hilton Palacio Del Rio. I had stayed there before, years ago ... and it was close to all the things we wanted to do:

Walk the Riverwalk
Take the boat tour around the Riverwalk
Eat at Dirty Nellies (part of the Hilton, Irish pub with the best shepherds pie I have ever had)
Stop by Schilos (pronounced she-lows) Deli - delicious home-made root bear: one glass sipped, one in a float with ice cream
Eat at the Iron Cactus - table-made guacamole
Of course visit the Alamo

It was an amazing weekend!
Sounds like a great weekend; I'm very jealous. SWMBO and I love San Antonio. Although I've been there many times for both business and pleasure I really can't get enough of the place and look forward to visiting again some time soon.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 4:01 am
by Squire
Kyle76 wrote:
Kyle76 wrote: Is that the "haunted" hotel in San Antonio?
According to the interwebz, San Antonio's famous haunted hotel is The Menger Hotel near The Alamo.
Big fan of the Menger, especially their wood paneled bar (go ahead and laugh) which is a copy of one of the private bars in the British House of Commons. It's also the place where Theodore Roosevelt sat down with Col. Leonard Wood to organize a new outfit called the Rough Riders.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 9:17 am
by Rufus
I thought I’d revive this thread. Previously I listed a few of my favourite hotels, but one that I didn’t is the Mena House Hotel in Giza, Egypt. In the later 1970’s I travelled to Egypt frequently on business. When in Cairo I’d always stay at the Mena House, which is in Giza close to the base of the pyramids. After a day battling the people and traffic in Cairo it was an oasis of tranquility. It comprises low-rise cum bungalow-style buildings behind a high wall with beautiful gardens. The restaurant looks out on the Great Pyramid, which made a nice backdrop for my daily breakfast. I haven’t been back since 1980, so I don’t know what it’s like today. I believe it was one of Winston Churchill’s favourite hotels.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:11 pm
by brothers
On our most recent visit to Fredericksburg Texas we were pleasantly surprised by the Peachtree Inn. Still privately owned by the original family. Free standing duplex cabins. Nicely refurbished and very reasonably priced. Upon check-in, we found a complimentary bottle of wine in our room. I'm definitely going back when we get a chance.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 8:52 pm
by slackskin
So many wonderful hotels. Let me call out one US and one international.

The Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans is probably the most hospitable hotel I have ever stayed in. The staff at all levels speaks of it as being "my hotel" as if they owned it. Serious southern hospitality. The revolving Carousel Bar is not to be missed. Plus, the French Quarter is said to begin in the lobby of the Monteleone. It seems to be rated 4.5 stars, but I personally don't pay much attention to stars.

The Hotel NIcolo in the heart of Paris was (and I assume still is) a small, family owned hotel boasting the smallest elevator I have ever seen (about as big as a phone booth, for those of you old enough to remember such things). You put your luggage in the elevator and then walk up the stairs. It is rated 2-stars but is warm and inviting. All the food is prepared on site; no finished product brought in. They do not speak much English, and they encourage patrons to at least try to speak a little French (they will teach you). We had a view of the Eiffel Tower if you stick your head out the window and crane your neck. Our friends who live in Biarritz stay at the Nicolo when in Paris, and they told us about the place. Very reasonably priced, and includes breakfast.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2017 10:04 am
by Gene
The Nicolo sounds wonderful.

The company I work for is based in Montreal - and I get a lot of (private) laughs tossing the odd French word into my conversations - I can almost feel them rolling their eyes at my Texas-accented tones. "Bon Jour, y'all" and so forth.

Gary - we are about 90 minutes from Fredericksburg - and planning a trip out there in January. I will try to get our group to stay there.

What I really want to do is tour that Pacific War Museum while we are there. I never knew that Chester Nimitz was from Fredericksburg. Plus - they have a full sized actual PT boat on display there. I love those things - can't wait to get in/on one.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 8:25 am
by Rufus
Gene wrote:. "Bon Jour, y'all" .
The Quebec language police would have your guts for garters if they heard you utter that. They are currently trying to ban shop assistants, baristas, etc. from greeting people with “Bonjour-Hi”. I kid you not: The Parti Québécois recently put a motion forward in the Quebec National Assembly calling on service-sector workers to greet the public with just the word “Bonjour”; the motion was adopted unanimously.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 4:07 pm
by CMur12
This reminds me of some of the "French" we came up with in my office, to give equal time to non-Spanish speakers:

Je ne wanna do it pas.

Je ne gonna do it pas.

:mrgreen:

- Murray

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:13 pm
by Gene
Bryan - They told me a little about this.

The law is already pretty clear - French first, english second. Our phones system is that way - you get used to it.

What does perturb me are the people who pretend they don't speak English when I want to order something at a deli or whatever. Deliberate snubs - and they could care less. I actually had one nice counter lady snap at her work companion for doing that to me.

But - Montreal is a pretty city - and I am headed up there next week for meeting and our yearly party. I am looking forward to it.

We used to stay downtown - at the Novotel. It was pretty nice - I always liked it.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:28 pm
by Rufus
Montreal is one of my favourite cities. I attended McGill University, which is right downtown and lived a half a block up Peel St. from Sherbrooke for four years. As this was right in the heart of Montreal’s bar, restaurant and club scenes, I’m surprised that I actually graduated. After graduation I moved further east on Sherbrooke St and worked in Old Montreal for several years. Only occasionally I came across locals who refused to speak to me in English, but they usually succumbed to my Franglais :mrgreen: Unfortunately, I left Montreal in the great exodus of the financial sector in the late 1970’s and thereafter. My favourite hotel in the city is the Ritz-Carlton on Sherbrooke St. West. Unfortunately, the Ritz doesn’t have a McGill alum rate, so I stay down the street at the Meridien which does. Enjoy your stay in Montreal and try to take in a Habs game.

BTW Gene, where is Buda, Texas? I lived in Houston (Missouri City and The Woodlands) for ten years.

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 7:46 am
by Gene
We are about 15 miles south of Austin. About half way between Austin and San Marcos.

Looking at the 2 inches of snow that fell last night - an unusual thing for us hill country folks to be sure!!

Re: Favorite hotel

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:15 pm
by Squire
The Monteleone in New Orleans is one of my favorites and a great introduction to New Orleans.