Stuck in Texas: The Dallas Hotel Zaza
April 1, 2023
Imagine there is no worse airline than United domestic? Think again! American Airlines pulled absolute garbage service on my last trip. First some background.
A last minute talk opportunity popped up and the hosts promised to pay for a business class day trip. So the plan was to fly into Dallas at 9am (departing the house at 5:15am) and get home before 10pm. Ha!
The talk was great and the day was going smoothly, and then American Airlines operations just FUBARed things up. I mean wow. First there was the drip delay supposedly cause by weather (there was no weather), then there was a plane and no crew, then the crew landed at a gate 40 minutes away, and then, the coup de grace, the captain timed out and walked away. Leaving 300 or so people stranded in Dallas all wanting to get to Washington DC.
American, after some real delay during which I purchased a seat on the only United flight to Dulles the next day, “rebooked” me on puddle hoppers through some tiny ass Ohio town and into DCA. Nope. I flew United the next day and burned 24 hours.
American Airlines had a hard time accepting my rejiggering as reality. After a couple of hours of bullshit and waiting 10 days, they refunded my original business class leg. They had to be forced to do that. No more American Airlines for me!
Anyway, Hotel Zaza in Dallas came up during a cursory search for hip hotels. And off I went, arriving around 10pm…ironically the same time I was due to be in my own bed at home.
I think I was assigned 418. Of course no clothes and no bathroom amenities were with me.
At least the shower was top notch.
Here is the free bathroom stuff you get for your money. Yuck.
Finding a cocktail nearby at 11 was a thing. Even super barman Jacques was at a loss and sorry I was stuck in Dallas. LOL.
The car service at Zaza was good and was more than willing to drive me 4 blocks in style.
The Kennedy room (above) was a dive serviced by kids who were utterly clueless. Don’t even bother. Beau Nash looked promising, but closed at 11pm on a Wednesday. So it was off to the Tipsy Alchemist on a tip from the bartender at Beau Nash.
Though I was the wrong demographic being over 35, the cocktails were well made, and there was real bourbon in the house. Needless to say, insanity reigned after too many shots, but I somehow woke up back at the hotel in the morning. So that was good.
Actual real Weller in the house.
After a somewhat late breakfast at the hotel (pretty not bad, but also unremarkable), a visit to the Dallas Art Museum was in store.
I felt kind of like the picture above. DFW airport was still a pit. Overcrowded and old. The United gates are way better than the American worn out 80s mall gates through.
Three showerheads for the Zaza. Lets just skip Dallas from now on.
Manchester for a Minute: The Midland
February 6, 2023
Seems like we were just IN Manchester…because we were. The plan at the time was to go see Florence and the Machine at the AO. But Florence broke her foot in London the day before the show. So our main reason for coming to the UK was obviated. Dang.
We decided to return to see the Florence show if and when it was rescheduled. The show happened February 3rd, and it was magical. 21,000 fans singing along in an emotional outpouring of live music. Florence and the Machine shows are not to be missed!
Last time it was the Lowry. This time we targeted the Midland Manchester, one of those grande dame hotels of yore that has been updated to modern in a British kind of way. The best thing about the Midland is its prime location and a pretty decent bar.
We were assigned 541, a junior suite category room. The coloring is tasteful and yet has all of the life sucked out of it.
We spent most of our very limited time in the bedroom half.
Meanwhile the bathroom had lots of room for, well, we’re not sure. But the shower was quite nice indeed.
The under utilized sitting room. Turns out most of the sitting was in the downstairs lobby bar.
We arrived Thursday morning. Our room was available and ready, which was a very pleasant surprise! Wish more hotels would listen when you tell them you are arriving early from a transcontinental flight. Well done Midland!
It was off for lunch at the Ivy.
Followed by packing to depart (!!), some cocktails in the bar (during which an invasion of penguins occurred), and a fancy pants dinner at the French. Dinner at the French was very good indeed, but still seemed overpriced. The table space deserves some rethinking.
We slept in and headed to Bills for breakfast the morning of the show. Or more accurately, early afternoon. Bill’s is a great place to relax over a long breakfast with some Bloody Marys.
We spent a bit of time wandering Manchester, but before we knew it, we were off to the concert. We made a detour through Five Guys on the way over for a Maryland burger.
The concert was fantastic.
Late night drinks at the Midland bar were fun even when the ABBA clad Germans invaded. Each time we inhabited the bar, we found excellent bartenders willing to learn and a bit frustrated by lack of certain ingredients. We deleted the Fernet.
The whole trip, though a whirlwind, was well worth all of the flying.
Four showerheads for the Midland Manchester.
Hotel Zelos, Dirty Habit, and the Ghost of Kimpton Past in San Francisco
December 18, 2022
Oh the Kimpton of yore, how we miss it. After the IGH acquisition, the properties have gone completely corporate. No brand left at all. No personality. No staff that loves their jobs. So sad. Our last two Kimpton attempts in NY sucked (see https://noplasticshowers.com/2022/10/17/quick-hit-in-nyc-hotel-indigo-is-very-corporate/ and https://noplasticshowers.com/2022/05/08/back-in-new-york-the-muse-hotel-ihg/).
But the good news is that some of the properties have the old magic. Like the Zelos in San Francisco that used to be the Palomar. This was once one of our favorite hotels. And maybe it will be again.
We remember fondly talking to Mike Defrino about adding good bars to the properties (using Bourbon and Branch as one of the examples of what people will pay for a cocktail). Jacques Bezuidenhout was hired, and Dirty Habit was born under the direction of Brian Means.
We remember the battle of the Palomars.
At what os now the Zelos, we were assigned 712 (which is a nicely renovated version of a room we’ve stayed in back in the Palomar days). Great room.
In fact, enough space to conduct a zoom meeting with multiple attendees in the same room. (Don’t ask.)
The bathroom could be bigger. But it works. The shower is over a tub, but the nice glass doors make it all OK.
Though we arrived late, there was time for a slightly adjusted Boulevardier before bed.
And then a Cloudbreak (from Friday, Saturday, Sunday in Philly). This is still a magical cocktail. Make one!
Though it arrived late, a welcome note did arrive (along with a nice bottle of wine that I gave to madou since I was not checking my bag. Thanks for that Ben!
This is not your usual hotel art. Love it.
Breakfast at Cafe de la Presse is always recommended. At the Chinatown gate.
And for fun? How about Wildhawk, followed by ABV, followed by the Good Good Culture Club all with a bunch of great friends? Yes please.
So, a Negroni or a Breakfast Negroni?? Jacques, which should it be?
Maybe Suzu (who has become quite famous, aparently) knows.
While at ABV, tequila (or mezcal).
Thee guys…
Good Good was very good. What a treat to be in San Francisco for 32 seconds! Merry Christmas all.
Five showerheads and a big thumbs up for the hotel zelos. Looking forward to returning.
The Estancia La Jolla: Old School, but Still Classy
December 18, 2022
Way back when, I stayed in the Estancia La Jolla MANY times for MANY years. I have some very fond memories of my time there. Since we were on a quick hit to Qualcomm, it was time to revisit and see how things are going.
The Christmas Nisse was present at the front desk. My dude, you are a long way from Norway!
The thing about room 390 is that it is generic. But the other thing is that the construction is substantial. Heavy, wide doors. Things that keep noise out. It’s true that the architecture is boring, but it is also built properly to last.
Sadly, the shower tub thing. But the tub is low and is very wide. Nonetheless, the hotel needs to put in some glass.
Could be anywhere. Get this, there is a clock! LOL.
But its not! It’s La Jolla. And there is a balcony.
Even in December, everything is green.
A fantastic after lunch coffee post meeting.
And possible one of the worst Negronis ever. The airport bartender measured mediocre ingredients just so and then added a shot of Angostura! LOL. What?! We had a chat.
Extruded ice. Shitty gin. A dry peel improperly squeezed. And an extra shot of bitters. San Diego airport Negroni.
Anyway, four showerheads and warm Christmas thoughts for Estancia La Jolla.
Three tacos in Pheonix
December 18, 2022
When United fucks up ops, they do it spectacularly. NPS was headed to phoenix for a meeting. The four hour flight delay (equipment related on a route that has no other backups) caused us to land after the meeting was over. Just ridiculous.
So we did a post meeting rendez-vous and headed to Scottsdale for a taco.
I almost forgot. Dulles was all dressed up for the holidays.
And it was a complete zoo. Security was packed. This is the TSApre line.
Scottsdale fountain with a Belgian photo bomb.
Tourist tacos for the win. And a margerita too, of course.
We admired the lights and did some sock shopping in town.
FAST
SLOW
Finally we swung by the Westin in Tempe for a fantastic Negroni. Who knows why, but that hotel bar is one of the best in town?!
Anyway, United still sucks.
The Royal Crescent in Bath England: Old School Luxury Lives On
December 7, 2022
The Royal Crescent Hotel in the very gorgeous town of Bath in England is a beautiful place to stay (even if you are only staying for one night). We were in one of the back suites apparently adapted from carriage houses. This is room 51.
The sprawling sitting room where a note and some chocolate awaited our arrival. Personal touches from the old days are greatly appreciated!
And without further ado, the best shower in all of England. Really. Hands down. NPS wants this shower.
The bedroom with an absolutely comfortable yummy bed. We had to get up before we really wanted to in order to go on a guided tour of bath. BTW, the tour, arranged by the hotel and given by Fred Mawer was excellent in all regards. Fred is personable, knowledgeable, and fun to boot.
Ah yes, real flowers.
While Romey tried out the Spa (which she loved), I sampled a negroni at the bar. Nicely appointed with a good solid very young staff.
We enjoyed an early dinner out at The Circus restaurant. The restaurant was good but not great. Solid food on the less experimental side. The wine and drinks program is solid.
Here is a short video of the best shower in Bath and most likely the best shower in all of England. Yes please. Hot, lots of pressure, plenty of flow. You go!! NPS approved.
Our carriage house. The window is the window to room 51.
The grounds.
The sitting room where we had morning espresso was dressed up for Christmas.
All told, our abbreviated visit was top notch. Amazing place. Excellent town. Superb service. And the best shower in England. Five showerheads! We can’t wait to return.
Raining In Manchester: The Lowry
November 23, 2022
The Lowry is a business hotel of reasonable quality in Manchester, England. It rains every day. Manchester is a cool town.
Room 223 at the Lowry is a nicely spacious hamster cage that is just fine, thank you.
Though the shower could use some water pressure and the HVAC system is a disaster.
The view is nice, but short.
Florence will break her foot kind of putting a major damper on the whole thing.
On a rainy evening, head on over to Home and see a movie. If you’re lucky it will be as great as the Banshees of Inisherin.
Do some retail in the center.
Have breakfast at Côte.
Have dinner at 20 Stories (which sports not only a great view, but an excellent bar). Get Lisa to come up.
Visit Chinatown (open all night).
But maybe skip the Cloud 23 at the Hilton. No skill. Just view. (We went so you don’t have to.). An attempt at a CR#2 was just, well, just.
This cocktail should be renamed the “Lavender Yeah No.”
And by all means don’t go to the Lowry bar unless you must. (And just for the record, sometimes you just must.)
WTF?
We did make them try an industry sour.
Finally, sort out your ride to the train station the night before. Manchester traffic is a thing when it rains. And it rains!
We’ll be back when Florence heals. Can’t wait to do some dancing in Manchester.
Three showerheads for the Lowry.
The Zetter (and the Zetter Townhouse): London Revisited
November 23, 2022
It has been some years since we visited the stuffed cat in the Zetter Townhouse in London, and lo and behold, the cat is in full on Christmas mode. More about that soon enough.
In town for business, we reinhabited the old haunt (the Zetter Hotel), this time in room 503. This is one of the three rooms on the fifth floor with an excellent outside deck. Of course it was rainy and cold the entire time, because London. But we actually used the deck!
NPS still believes the 50X rooms need refurbished bathrooms. The showers are long in the tooth, unsatisfying, and involve climbing into a tub. A complete revamp with some glass showers would do everyone good.
The rest of 503 is great. Be aware that the stairs down to the bathroom can be hazardous in the middle of the night.
Looking in on 503 from the deck.
Two views from the Zetter (up and down). The blue sky was extremely temporary.
Now look at that tub! We’re going to need to try that (but only after a visit to Callooh Callay.
The blue is still around.
Hopefully this shower is not long for the world. The bathrooms are small but could be laid out much more reasonably.
Of course, the main draw of the Zetter is the Townhouse next door. Yes please. We had them fetch the Amer Picon from downstairs. The visit featured many a Picon cocktail, including the Liberal, the Brooklyn, and Picon Punch. I never make the latter because it takes way too much rare (in the US) Amer Picon.
Things were Christmasy all over London.
We returned to the Zetter Townhouse multiple times.
But first a quick note about some restaurants we did business things in. Quo Vadis is an outstanding location for a private dinner. And the Quality Chop House is unbelievably great. Seriously, best Pheasant we have ever eaten. Best Ramen in London at Mohonon.
Fun? At Quo Vadis.
Picon Punch looks like coke.
Noel was let out on good behavior. It did not last long.
Guilty as charged.
This South African gem was a perfect match for game. The Norwegians were in the house!
Romey arrived bright and early and looking very stylish.
A quick hit at the Tate rounded out a full day.
More Townhouse late into the evening.
A new thing? A visit to the London Eye. Been there. Done that.
The band.
A visit to the Churchill War Rooms was stuffy and a bit of a disappointment. The Ivy, on the other hand, did not disappoint.
Martinis for the band at the Dorchester Bar (the Connaught was packed). This round did not do much to improve the theater. We saw A Single Man at the Park Theater. It was OK.
Martinis were not a sufficient dinner. So we made a late night run to Chinatown. It was also packed. Where did all these people come from?
In other news, the Victoria and Albert has a design exhibit that is interesting, the South Bank Christmas market is a bust, Bengal Village is really nothing worth writing home about, and Callooh Callay remains a blast (thanks for the good conversation Charlie).
The Industry Sour cocktail made several appearances during this trip:
equal parts green chartreuse, lime, fernet, and simple syrup (1:1). surprisingly great.
Always Negroni.
And that tub? Yup!
A very nice visit to the Zetter again. We’ll probably be back. Because. Four showerheads and a hope for new bathrooms in the near future.
Scandic Nidelven, Trondheim, Norway: Go for the Breakfast
November 5, 2022
More post-COVID business travel in 2022. Trondheim, Norway is well north of Bergen and Oslo, situated on a Fjord, and is the home of NTNU where NPS was participating as adversary for a Ph.D. defense. That meant travel was dictated by university policy. Fortunately, breakfast was included.
In case you have forgotten what Norway is like, here is a video. About the same geographic size as California, Norway has only 5.4 million people. It is a gorgeous country.
Flying in to Trondheim is always an adventure, as you have to stop off in Oslo for customs and then brave the winds at the Trondheim airport. One poor old lady on my flight was literally screaming in fright as we made our approach and landing.
The great news is some of our good Norwegian friends were in town to greet us. Our first committee meeting was a very nice dinner out at the cozy Fagn bistrot.
The Scandic chain has done nothing to improve post COVID. A middle tier hotel chain on par with Marriott in the US or maybe Hyatt, Scandic pays more attention to their common areas and meeting rooms than they do to their actual rooms.
The Scandic Nidelven does boast the “best breakfast in Norway.” And the spread is actually quite good (and equally crowded). So go for the breakfast! I got two breakfasts in while in town.
The shower in my room (423 I think) looked something like this. Distinctly uninspired, yet functional and not plastic.
Views from the breakfast room over the Nidelva canals are very pretty.
In one minor wrinkle, my suitcases followed me into town by a day. That meant borrowing a coat and a dress shirt from friends just to stay warm and presentable.
The defense itself was interesting and fun. We minted a new doctor!
After which it was time to celebrate. First with a large dinner at Rive Gauche a droite (LOL) and then for some late night cocktails at the Britannia. The hotel has undergone major renovations and now has a world class cocktail lounge fittingly reminiscent of its London cousins.
We had to sort a major travel SNAFU on the way to the cocktail bar (NPS does sometimes drop packets, but we also bring along our credit card to buy entirely new packets…and sometimes a router.)
The next day a public talk at the university on Machine Learning Security was in order.
After lunch with the faculty (deeply interested in MLsec), there was a very short window for some tourism in Trondheim. The Rockheim museum is almost worth a visit..if you go with the right attitude it can be silly and fun.
The Trondheim sense of humor is even visible in the cafe signs. “probably the best espresso in the world” (more LOL).
After a parting Negroni at the Scandic bar (inundated with business types having a cocktail before their conference dinner), it was off to the airport to wait several hours for a quick flight to Bergen?
All in all, three showerheads for the Scandic Nidelven. Like the headline says, go for the breakfast.
Quick Hit in NYC: Hotel Indigo is Very Corporate
October 17, 2022
What was to be a long weekend in the city shrunk down to one night when business did its usual thing of melting away. NPS stayed on the lower east side on somewhat of a whim. The verdict? Meh.
Thing is, Madou had no idea that we weren’t in midtown. So we shlepped up there for sushi at Sushi by Bou. Which was hilarious and definitely worth the subway time.
Waygu and uni…surf and turf @mmadou pic.twitter.com/BBZUfT75ih
— noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) September 7, 2022
The place is tiny, so make a reservation. Immediately after coffee, it was back downtown for our meetings, and then back to midtown for dinner at Freemans. Dinner was great.
But skip the rice pudding fad! LOL. Ride pudding is way too filling to catch on.
After dinner, the plan was to wedge into PDF, but the hot dog place was being its persnickety self. So instead we headed to Amor Y Amargo for some fantastic cocktails. We made up an experimental cocktail called the McGillicutty.
The Indigo was generic and boring. All of the Kimpton magic has dispersed.
The shower is not plastic.
The lower east side is close to some stuff, we guess.
NPS doesn’t remember the room number. Not returning.
Back to EWR you go (in an early Uber).
The United club is all new and fancy, but the flights are still delayed.
All told, three showerheads and no more strikes for Kimpton. Anybody have a good boutique hotel chain to offer?
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