SecAppDev in Leuven
June 17, 2023
Though we stayed at Yo’s house this time, secappdev was held in the same excellent venue as always (the Faculty Club in Leuven Belgium).
I gave three talks (including the opening keynote) during SecAppDev, and one bonus talk for the Belgian Security Consortium.
Much fun was had during the hall track and pizza night.
A Belgian, and Israeli, and an Italian walk into an ice cream shop…
The venue for the last talk was a repurposed convent.
As always in Leuven, beer was unavoidable.
Lunch at Absolut was excellent.
More beer at Malz.
Negroni capability varied widely, with Bar Nine coming in at the top. Baracca was good pizza. Manhatt’n Burgers was quite bad.
As always, Leuven is an excellent place to visit. Five showerheads and a top secret location for the accommodations.
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.
Denver Renaissance
February 23, 2023
We didn’t really have our hopes set high enough, it seems. Because business trip, travel set by others, Marriott property, etc. But here we are at a very nice Renaissance Hotel in Denver. And everything is fine.
Getting here was a thing because a huge winter storm had travel all in a bind. Something like 1200 flights were cancelled. Mine was not, but it did take an extra 40 minutes because the headwinds were so strong.
The snowy drive from the airport was actually hazardous due to Americans in SUVs.
We were assigned an excellent suite (550) with lots of windows and, most important of all, glass showers. The room design is dated, but passable. Some refurbishment would be a good thing.
We were greeted with a personal note and a bottle of bubbly (which sadly will remain behind).
Glass shower for the win. The rest of the bathroom is pure Marriott.
A fun little chair.
The lobby bar is very good with clear ice, and proper Negroni capability. Seriously.
Entertainment for the evening included bowling (?1) and tequila shots. yeah no.
A late evening visit with Gino to Lady Jane (who made an absolutely excellent El Diablo with house hot ginger syrup) killed some time before we headed over to Williams and Graham (special shouts to Jacques and Sean Kenyon). Though W&G remains a top notch bar, it somehow seems to be overrun by non-bar people from conferences. Enthusiastic and stupid. Our bartender from NC was a hot and cold mess (and being a southern gentleman myself, I can assure you he is not very legit NC). Thing is, there was no green chartreuse. But instead of saying so, NC boy swapped to something not at all the same without saying a word. Not a fan of that kind of nonsense. We did have some excellent snacks and some great drinks in the end before we were summarily dismissed. Fernet for all.
Nephew Gino.
Sam’s number 3 is a great place for breakfast, even when it is 4 degrees outside.
All told, four showerheads and a great deal of surprise for the Renaissance. You go Marriott.
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.
1Hotel NYC: Time for a New Thing
January 28, 2023
As you know if you read this blog religiously (you do, right?!), back in the old days NPS favored the Kimpton hotel chain. Once IHG bought Kimpton, the vibe transformed itself over a number of years from design-forward, hipster-esque to corporate hamsters from Kansas. So we’re done with Kimpton.
That puts a small damper on problems like where to stay in NYC. The prosthetic memory is no longer valid in a bunch of towns. So what do we do? We strike out on our own again and try new things. 1Hotel is one of these new things.
What’s the verdict? Well, 1Hotel is certainly trying hard to be cool. Kind of like that kid in high school who would sneakily tag along, hoping to be invited to the keg party.
For one night it will do. And it’s in an interesting place (just south of the Park, near the Moma, and for our purposes this time, very close to the CORE Club.
We’re spoiled. Yeah, we admit it. So when we uber in from EWR to check in at 11, we kind of expect a room to be ready. Like, the hotel has a computer, right? But no. No personal note. Just friendly staff who will text you during your business lunch meeting to inform you that, yes, 90 minutes later your room is ready. Whatever, dude.
So you can wait here in the lobby with the Spaniards. Or you can get an espresso in the restaurant. But freshen up in your room and unpack your set of stuff? Nope.
We were eventually in room 904 (a Park view King on the corner of the building, but nowhere near high enough. Ask explicitly for a high floor.
After lunch at Hatsuhana (great sushi) and some excellent street coffee, we did finally check in around 2:30. There was time for a quick visit to the MoMA.
A corner room is nice, but this one is too low to really see the park.
The actual view.
This window box is a nice, if not a bit chilly, place to delete email.
Interesting but very small bathroom with a glass shower. The shower is NPS approved.
The event, at CORE Club was very nice. This is a great location for a private event. We comfortably hosted about 60 people, though only 40 of them were served dinner. The food was pretty not bad and the cocktail bar downstairs was quite good.
Real plants.
All in all the 1Hotel seems a bit overpriced for what it offers. but it is NY and the room had enough space to actually exist once we got into it.
Four showerheads for 1Hotel by Central Park.
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 Waterside Inn: Unbelievable Food
December 7, 2022
I love the Waterside Inn. Luckily I have been twice for dinner so far. I’ll be saving up for a future visit starting now.
The Waterside is a Michelin three star restaurant distinguished by being a place where new star chefs gather to celebrate their stars. The service is incredible. Fun, relaxed, and just goofy enough to make a haute cuisine meal something so human and warm that you want to do it again and again.
Pictures are discouraged (maybe even disallowed), but here is proof of Negroni.
On this trip we had a blast with the “new guy” riff started when the Maître d stopped by to have a visit. After that we had a very silly and entertaining parade of “new guys” including the Pastry Chef herself. Just so much fun.
Here is the menu which we enhanced with the caviar service to begin.
This is a meal of a lifetime place. Just go.
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.
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