Eat. Travel. Eat!

Exterior: New LOVE Banners The Mirage Hotel and Casino recently celebrated its 24th anniversary, and with its anniversary came additional tinkering to the hotel's public spaces. Here's a look at changes we noticed on our last visit to the Mirage. Outside, many of the elements that were with the hotel when it opened have stayed, like the Mirage Volcano and the many water and landscaping elements. A people mover to Las Vegas Boulevard, however, has been removed, and replaced with just a modern walkway with simple railings. Also, the LOVE banner has been updated to feature the Beatles more so. Ironically, a 3D rendering of the Mirage for advertising doesn't feature this banner, however. Inside, check-in and check-out has finally been changed to a single line queue, which is much more efficient than the previous system. It's quite surprising though, how big this line was during check-out (mornings)--it was filled to the queue entrance! ...

The Grand Hyatt San Francisco was our pick for the Bay Area trip we took in early April. At the time, the hotel was still under renovation, and recent reviews on the hotel were average. The rates however, were much better compared to the other Hyatts in the area. This was surprising since this hotel has the "Grand Hyatt" branding, yet companies like Zagat rate this hotel below the other Hyatt properties in the area, which include the Hyatt at Fisherman'sWharf and the Hyatt Regency. (Check-In Area) (Elevators) (Information) The lobby was quite dark when we arrived, and everything had a yellow tint. However, during the day, sunlight flowed through the windows and created a much brighter environment. (Concierge) Our check in experience was fine; the employees were friendly, if not as professional as in some other hotels. Joanna Husk, the concierge (also part of Les Clefs d'Or Concierge) which helped us later during our stay, was really helpful in providing...

An advantage of staying at any hotel at Pacific Place (especially the Island Shangri-La and Conrad) is the proximity to Hong Kong Park. Hong Kong is a bustling city, and Hong Kong Park offers a calm environment in an area bustling with business activity. Like the Expo Promenande , Hong Kong Park has its own host of various monuments. This monument commemorates the opening of Hong Kong Park, which opened in May 1991. With the holiday season, Hong Kong businesses seem to decorate profusely. One restaurant put out these nutcrackers along the stairs to the restaurant. Besides the lush greenery, random art exhibits are placed in open spots. I don't really understand this particular one though; is this supposed to represent a community? Other monuments, like this one dedicated to WO 2 John Robert Osborn VC, are also in the park. Like most monuments, these reveal many details when one walks closer to glance and enjoy them. Hong Kong Park also offers some great views of the...