tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49079480590187282962024-03-13T16:44:58.384-07:00The Hyatt GuyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-7116074562266267702017-04-16T18:27:00.004-07:002017-04-16T18:27:54.851-07:00Notice: New Website!I am excited to announce that The Hyatt Guy is now JoePro Travel! You can find our future adventures and the continuation of our Maldives Trip Report on joeprotravel.com<div>
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With this, our foray into the points and miles world expands beyond the luxury of Hyatt to numerous chains, and we'll bring you plenty of varied reviews. More details about our future and our new vision can be found in the "Low-Down" and "About Us" sections.</div>
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We hope you'll join us there!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-25483281462956110482017-03-31T13:22:00.001-07:002017-03-31T13:31:12.510-07:00-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour. The Dubai Museum.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">A Fantastic End to the Dubai Journey</span></div>
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After our short stint of sleep, we were up again at 6:00 to prepare for our day in the desert. The decision to book a desert safari stemmed from <a href="http://www.pointsmd.com/your-very-own-brand-new-camel-watchout-they-spit-2-days-in-abu-dhabi/">Points MD's blog post</a> on his desert safari in Abu Dhabi. We knew we wouldn't have time to complete the safari while in Abu Dhabi, so we booked with <a href="https://www.platinum-heritage.com/">Platinum-Heritage Dubai</a>. Platinum-Heritage offers a variety of tours and safaris from the modest desert safari to a luxurious overnight-safari and hot-air balloon ride, to an exotic Bentley tour of the city. Kim and I settled on the Heritage Falconry and Wildlife Morning Desert Safari.<br />
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Our first task for the morning: to put on our protective gear and to lather every exposed inch of skin in sunscreen.<br />
Our guide Paulo met us in the lobby of the hotel at just past 6:45. Paulo was in his early twenties, fun, friendly, and knowledgeable. We loaded up in the SUV and took off towards the desert preserve, but not before stopping at the nearby Hyatt Regency to pick up another passenger (who happened to work for Hyatt IT).<br />
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<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-2-lufthansa-first-class-a330.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-9-part-1-dubai-exotic-limo-brief_28.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/01/day-9-part-2-park-hyatt-abu-dhabi-review.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/03/days-10-through-12-part-2-dubai-exotic.html"><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/03/days-10-through-12-part-2-dubai-exotic.html"><b><i>-</i>Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/03/days-10-through-12-part-3-dubai.html"><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.</a><br />
<i><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour. The Dubai Museum.</i><br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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The drive from the hotel to the Reserve would take an hour, but after 35 minutes of driving through the desert and camel spotting, we noticed a raceway to our right. We inquired of our guide and he wanted to show us what it was for. We pulled into the Dubai Camel Racing Club and began a slow crawl around the parking lot. All around us were groups of men leading camels along sandy pathways. We noticed some small packs mounted on some of the camels, and Paulo explained that they used to use children for camel racing, but that was extremely dangerous. Now they used robots. Paulo also gave us some info on Camels costing hundreds of thousands of dollars that belonged to Dubai Royalty.</div>
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After driving around for 10-15 minutes in the lot, we continued onwards for another 20 minutes or so until we arrived at the gate to the Dubai Desert Reserve, a Reserve which spanned four country borders. We got out of the car and stretched our legs. We also reapplied sunscreen as needed. Paulo opened the gate and led us to where we'd continue our tour: on 1950's vintage Land-Rovers.</div>
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Paulo gave us all head-protection: Keffiyehs for the men and Hijabs for the women. Then our group of five loaded up and we took off across the Dunes. It was an exhilarating 5 minute drive to the presentation site, and we drifted and bounced the whole way over, taking in the warm morning air.</div>
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We arrived at a flat portion of desert, where a rug and pillows had been set out for our comfort. As we waited for our presenter to set up, we all posed for a group photo:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gyrfalcon</td></tr>
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We took our seats for the falconry presentation shortly after 8:00. The presentation lasted a little more than an hour. It was entertaining, informational, and by no means overstretched. Even with the small amount of sleep we had we were able to stay alert through the whole thing. Our presenter demonstrated lure swinging, wherin she swung a tether with food attached and the falcon attempted to snatch the food mid-air. She explained the long process of training falcons and spoke of their habits, habitat, and diet.</div>
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We had a chance to see a Gyrfalcon, a Barbary Falcon, a Desert Eagle Owl, and a Kestrel. We interacted with both the Desert Eagle owl and the Gyrfalcon, while the Kestrel was allowed to freely roam our heads.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert Eagle Owl</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Kestrel</td></tr>
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The presentation wrapped up, and the safari team began to pack up. Before jumping back into the Land-Rovers, we grabbed a sand sample from a nearby dune. Then it was a five minute drive over to the main camp, where we'd take a 5 minute camel ride before breakfast.</div>
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Our camel took a liking to Kim after she scratched its neck. We snapped some photos and continued into the main camp to use the restroom and enjoy our morning meal.</div>
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As we entered the main camp, we were offered Arabic coffee, as was tradition. We took our seats at some benches and were served a traditional Arabic breakfast: an Emirati khameer bread.<br />
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Next was the wildlife spotting. We shoved our belongings under the seats of the Land-Rovers and were off once more, struggling to keep our head-protection on in the wind. We passed by a sign for the Al-Maha resort, situated on part of the Reserve. Then we spotted the wildlife: Arabian Oryx. There were several groups of Oryx across the Reserve, and a few Arabian Gazelle as well. Paulo noted that the Oryx thrived in the preserved, but were critically endangered in the wild. We snapped some photos here and there, and also stopped the Land-Rover underneath a tree so we could climb an overlook, giving us a view of a mountain range in neighboring Oman.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arabian Oryx</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arabian Gazelle</td></tr>
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We made one last stop for more photos where the Oryx were resting by some foliage, then set out to the main gate.</div>
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After our long day out, it was time to head back to the hotel. We transfered from the Land-Rovers into an SUV and started out of the reserve around 11:20. With a short stop to drop off a guest at the Hyatt Regency, we arrived back at the Park Hyatt around 12:15.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim and I with Paulo at the end of our Dubai Safari.</td></tr>
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We said farewell to Paulo and went back to our room to drop off our things and to change our sand-drenched socks.</div>
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I took a ton of video during our Safari, and have compressed it all down into 2 videos. The three videos below are a 2D High-Quality version, a 3D Okay-Quality Version, and a 2D Presentation of the 3D Okay-Quality Version (complicated, huh?)</div>
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Our recuperation from the morning was short-lived. Soon we went back to the lobby to get a cab to Old-Town Dubai.</div>
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The driver took us to where we presumed we wanted to go, though really we were uncertain exactly where it was we wanted to go. Our chauffeur from two days earlier had mentioned a spice-market, and that is what Kim had her hopes on finding. But such a place was nowhere in sight. Instead, we had our driver drop us in front of the Dubai Museum- a fort that was seemingly at odds with the nearby residences and businesses.</div>
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The museum was the largest conundrum we faced on our journey. We arrived at a place we hadn't expected to visit. But at the entrance we found that admission was less than $1. So we paid it.</div>
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We walked around visiting various rooms at the top of what we learned was the Dubai Fort, and after 10 or so minutes, I figured we were done. But then we found the stairs. The stairs took us down into a subterranean level, where a maze of hallways took us through an extensive history of Dubai. A mixture of artifacts, exhibits and taxidermy were entombed in this labyrinth. The taxidermy was either poorly executed, poorly kept, or just plain old. The rest of the displays were informative.</div>
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For $1, this offered more than an hour trip through history, even if the whole thing seemed out of place and bazaar.</div>
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After our visit, we continued our search for the fabled spice market. What we found instead were several vendors selling clothing, fabrics, foods, and a variety of knock-off products... among other things.</div>
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We journeyed as far as we could, sometimes searching back-alleys to see what kind of fabrics were being sold, occasionally passing the same vendor twice. When the sun threatened to make its mark on me, we started a search for a cab, but is was another 15-25 minutes before we truly put in the effort needed to hail one.</div>
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Our ride was the single time we felt ill at-ease, with a driver a bit too aggressive for my tastes. Regardless, we arrived at the hotel unscathed, and our Dubai journey came to a close.</div>
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Between a trip to floor 148 on the worlds tallest building, to a desert safari, to high Tea at the Ritz, our Dubai adventure was both exciting and exhausting. I'd recommend several of our activities to anyone who asked, and there were hundreds more we had not the time to partake in (indoor skiing, anyone?). I'm certainly inclined to return to this country of extremes one day, hopefully not to distant from now.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-63323738321121240452017-03-23T22:02:00.001-07:002017-03-31T07:52:16.513-07:00-Days 10 through 12 Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Can you feel more cultured?</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea at the Ritz.</td></tr>
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After some early afternoon R&R, we grabbed another hotel town car for our trip to the Ritz Carlton. On this lovely Friday afternoon, we arrived to a rather quiet hotel lobby. It took us a few minutes to figure out exactly where tea would occur, and finally we found someone to assist us. The host asked us if we'd prefer to dine indoors or out, and given the darkness inside, and the great temperature outside, we decided to eat on the terrace. The host led us to our table, and we were handed our menus.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-2-lufthansa-first-class-a330.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-9-part-1-dubai-exotic-limo-brief_28.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/01/day-9-part-2-park-hyatt-abu-dhabi-review.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/03/days-10-through-12-part-2-dubai-exotic.html"><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/03/days-10-through-12-part-2-dubai-exotic.html"><b><i>-</i>Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.</a><br />
<i><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.</i><br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour. The Dubai Museum.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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The options were pretty straightforward:<br />
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We decided quickly on the modest Traditional Treat, and kicked back on the beautiful terrace to await our delicacies. We took the time to view the menu in its entirety to find they offered smoothies, hot chocolate, various juices and even cigars! </div>
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In the meantime we enjoyed the view of the grounds, with the sea in the distance, just beyond the hotel beach. Families played croquet on the lawn of the resort, and at one point we noticed skydivers nearby- though we did not perceive just how close their base of operations was to us. (See google maps- Ritz Carlton Dubai, to discover what I mean)</div>
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We also spent some time admiring the china, until the waiter brought us water and the tea we requested. I opted for a Nuit D'Ete tea, which the menu described as a "Blend of hibiscus flowers, apple bits, rosehip peels flavoured with raspberry, strawberry and cream flavours." It was satisfactory, but failed to convert me to a "tea person".<br />
Kim chose the Rooibos Caramel Toffee, listed as "A sweet blend of South African rooisbos with toffee caramel flavour and sunflowers, to deliver a rich, comforting drink to rival any scrumptious dessert. Caffeine free."</div>
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Soon, our food arrived:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6kt-3MwyC4F9TKokzBd5315EIFMSKuDNlGNLNJL_Zi3umfw76R2nMo6lpmDUyWwcKRk6g4YBgABr9R_wafFpX12H2n5dfEGRmptD6uNfZgxtuErwSvw6972RAsZ-MITageGt9k3LfK-R/s1600/IMG_6782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6kt-3MwyC4F9TKokzBd5315EIFMSKuDNlGNLNJL_Zi3umfw76R2nMo6lpmDUyWwcKRk6g4YBgABr9R_wafFpX12H2n5dfEGRmptD6uNfZgxtuErwSvw6972RAsZ-MITageGt9k3LfK-R/s200/IMG_6782.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhq64ya6XGc3fN5Y1BNAWhyQ21xQAksGdCwmVPGJ2fpnDmbVzn3c6oLwkfCHeLzq5KVnuVqolX7BcJk2tEbl5PgrXkkIDylndNr-mymuBvKPCBPI9JaOh2HJoM7FrqfiPw60mlktIgOef3/s1600/IMG_6783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhq64ya6XGc3fN5Y1BNAWhyQ21xQAksGdCwmVPGJ2fpnDmbVzn3c6oLwkfCHeLzq5KVnuVqolX7BcJk2tEbl5PgrXkkIDylndNr-mymuBvKPCBPI9JaOh2HJoM7FrqfiPw60mlktIgOef3/s320/IMG_6783.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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We took our time enjoying our treats and tea. We split all the food items in half so we could both try a little of everything. As the time passed, the sun came in and we were obliged to move on, so as not to be burnt to a crisp.</div>
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On our way out we asked a bellhop how to get to the local tram station, and he pointed us in the right direction. After a short walk, we found the tram, figured out the ticketing instructions and were on our way to the monorail connection station.</div>
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It was while on the tram that a station agent duly informed me that I was sitting in an area for women and children only, and that I would need to move. I quickly obliged, and found a spot to stand during the short trip.</div>
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We exited the tram near the monorail station, and traversed our way around, navigating through a bunch of construction. We made our way through a parking garage and followed signs to the monorail.</div>
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We purchased our round-trip monorail tickets and got on-board for the ride to the Atlantis Dubai.</div>
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The monorail took us past numerous shopping centers, affluent suburbs, and perpetual construction situated on the man-made behemoth called the Palm Jumeriah. After a few short stops, we approached the Atlantis Dubai:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtI_-4OglMtOMkPTfSWa3PRKYiSwt5DZzyp4WYWPFAL2K8NBdPBYD7jnqusTNb4IJUs4DvPV0UF4h3KO93ekHv7r7uwWeC6labOFUfhQ0xI83oYDCC3xT-J_llQRx5fJKkSW0SNFEXf3U/s1600/IMG_1064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtI_-4OglMtOMkPTfSWa3PRKYiSwt5DZzyp4WYWPFAL2K8NBdPBYD7jnqusTNb4IJUs4DvPV0UF4h3KO93ekHv7r7uwWeC6labOFUfhQ0xI83oYDCC3xT-J_llQRx5fJKkSW0SNFEXf3U/s320/IMG_1064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here we spent some time traversing the oceanfront road and exploring some of the shops and restaurants of the massive resorts. Had the evening not been closing in on us, we would have also considered a venture to their massive next-door waterpark- which, like their counterpart in the Bahamas, features a water slide that travels through a shark tank.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRjlyjaPFzzdImguWmuD5OPbqhu58o64Vt1eg1-EKnboKH2novp8iGxHsgfQneGV2FzxMPnvVNTPSINsqjx6M_FPQ5_jAV0lipsw5defJXokCQS2zOr36M0vGe6wBHW13bWehv7Jc4hMh/s1600/IMG_6804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRjlyjaPFzzdImguWmuD5OPbqhu58o64Vt1eg1-EKnboKH2novp8iGxHsgfQneGV2FzxMPnvVNTPSINsqjx6M_FPQ5_jAV0lipsw5defJXokCQS2zOr36M0vGe6wBHW13bWehv7Jc4hMh/s320/IMG_6804.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roof Artwork at Atlantis Palm Jumeriah</td></tr>
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As the sun set, we made time for some selfies in front of the hotel, then we made our way into the resort. We kept our stay relatively short, as we still wanted to make it to the Dubai Mall to do some more wandering and to see if we could find a shop that had piqued Kim's interest on our first visit. So after observing the Gold ATM, (broken down), and slithering through various restaurants (nothing that called loud to us), we wandered for about 30 minutes in the labyrinth of hallways and then caught the monorail back.<br />
We made it back to the main station a short while later, and followed signs downstairs to waiting taxis. Some like-minded tourists followed us (we looked like we had a clue, anyways) and others inquired about where the taxis were, and we invited those people to follow us. We and our troops landed in the parking garage, where taxis and town-cars awaited unsuspecting folk such as ourselves. The ride in the town car turned out to cost us double what we were charged on our way over, despite our destination being only two-thirds the distance. Fortunately we had split the ride with a couple from Holland, and so the damage was slightly less humiliating. The driver let us off at the Dubai Mall, where we continued our day's adventures.<br />
The ride from the monorail to the mall took about 20 or so minutes, and we arrived there at approximately 8 P.M.<br />
We had to find our bearings upon being dropped off in the parking garage. Upon walking into the mall, we seemed to be at the entrance to a movie theater. But we weren't sure how to access the main part of the mall. After walking around and travelling up and down seemingly random escalators, and in the process passing by a Sega Arcade (which we were blissfully unaware was part of an entire indoor theme park), we finally got back into the main mall. In our exploration we found a section dedicated to comic-book type stores, a hall full of suspended umbrellas (only from the top, we could not find the path to go underneath them), and a multi-story fountain. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIDdqBpZC1vpD_zh5vaklOyK-x56qhEJgG_DL3G2HwtFcWuhmnGAms_Zsj0ilrjgtJMjffGp_7RmN21cxG1fbLgxQCuOtlrmId9V753rjxXXj9H4u5mu1lhEw6oKyVH67a1Dtyw0caK2w/s1600/IMG_6817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIDdqBpZC1vpD_zh5vaklOyK-x56qhEJgG_DL3G2HwtFcWuhmnGAms_Zsj0ilrjgtJMjffGp_7RmN21cxG1fbLgxQCuOtlrmId9V753rjxXXj9H4u5mu1lhEw6oKyVH67a1Dtyw0caK2w/s320/IMG_6817.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD2GVX73nmp0Ku34WpTUSKx7gsnjq1tL2rcBHeORrIVfmtmBa1tnI5tigXsWzLBE6Hccv9PBhwIunO5U_hLV9Uy-m5cPq0j3BwPvvnr4cwt98P8bQcx4ToMVUDPEl2AHiR6bAIy0Ncbl2/s1600/IMG_6818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD2GVX73nmp0Ku34WpTUSKx7gsnjq1tL2rcBHeORrIVfmtmBa1tnI5tigXsWzLBE6Hccv9PBhwIunO5U_hLV9Uy-m5cPq0j3BwPvvnr4cwt98P8bQcx4ToMVUDPEl2AHiR6bAIy0Ncbl2/s640/IMG_6818.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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After wandering for more than an hour, searching for the store that Kim wanted to find (we never did find it), I grabbed a snack from Angelina's while Kim used the restroom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fAPwucKKVfZdcyN0jqZzjqlKMjBf98noZd23o7vaNrcLE2gACqyYw-VLDuyQeNZVIaZXKywoJQ_KvwGjG1QNP5A_me8-z2L2zv2AbfEc3GQZoYt39ac2lKwyF0wrlmgZc6OMEjWCSsiQ/s1600/IMG_1082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fAPwucKKVfZdcyN0jqZzjqlKMjBf98noZd23o7vaNrcLE2gACqyYw-VLDuyQeNZVIaZXKywoJQ_KvwGjG1QNP5A_me8-z2L2zv2AbfEc3GQZoYt39ac2lKwyF0wrlmgZc6OMEjWCSsiQ/s320/IMG_1082.JPG" width="240" /></a>The snack I found was called "Babylone", and while it looked great on the outside, the inside stunned even more. </div>
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The snack was approximately $12 U.S, which certainly seemed high on first glance. The item is essentially a mini-cake. Except inside the velvety red exterior was a vanilla mousse filling. And inside of the filling was a strawberry core. Despite what may appear to be a crazy price tag, I couldn't help but finding myself return here after dinner to pick up another. Of course, if such a delicacy is not to your liking, they had plenty of other treats ready to go. </div>
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After the snack we followed the crowds to view the Dubai Mall Fountains. Essentially the Bellagio display on steroids, this spectacle did not disappoint. We arrived outside as one show was ending, so we stuck around for the next one to start (shows play in 30 minute intervals).</div>
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The interval gave us time to set up some camera equipment (tip: we found out we weren't supposed to).</div>
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The show we caught the end of was a remix of Diana Ross' "Ain't no Mountain High Enough". After waiting around for 20 minutes or so, a rendition of "Mon Amour" by Shiraz was up. We enjoyed the entertainment: a five minute show, and then started our search for dinner.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1NeiraBgMpM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1NeiraBgMpM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Video of "Mon Amour", for tablets and phones. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Use rotation lock to watch vertically.</span></div>
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It didn't take long, and I began to laugh as we saw a restaurant my cousin had worked at in L.A: Katana. With a perfect view of the Burj Khalifa and a perfect temperature for the evening, we approached the hostess and asked to be seated outside. We were informed that we would not be able to drink on the patio, which was fine by us.<br />
As we took our seats, I placed a phone call to my cousin in L.A. I informed him that the restaurant he expected to help open had indeed opened. He was shocked at the revelation. Being that the restaurant was on the backside of the Address Hotel, which caught fire on New Years Eve leading into 2016, the restaurant had suffered a delayed opening.<br />
After placing our order, a manager approached us and let us know that he had spoken to my cousin, and that if we needed anything to let him know. We talked about the restaurant and how empty it was. Of course, it was approaching 10:30 P.M, but the next door restaurant was bustling. The manager explained that their official "Grand Opening" was slated for a week or two from then, and they were currently going through their "soft opening". In fact, if you visit their website you'll see that their menu PDF is titled April 2nd, 2016, and we dined on April 8th.<br />
We talked with the manager about the hotel fire and our L.A Katana experience (good).<br />
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Our food came in due time, a noodle appetizer and a few sushi rolls for our entree.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKB2pv5TkZsoECR9SG3Vgq1eGJg-zw8EsJNTjDs9bi0zn5ixcrEJ4GrKw8YwpPHLif-oPWyT9oDpF16ge1Th9kyPG9RL3dzydY_lkAMqbjV1phLhtSqVyzEDDTVvSzVsbCpk1gE837bSY/s1600/IMG_1092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKB2pv5TkZsoECR9SG3Vgq1eGJg-zw8EsJNTjDs9bi0zn5ixcrEJ4GrKw8YwpPHLif-oPWyT9oDpF16ge1Th9kyPG9RL3dzydY_lkAMqbjV1phLhtSqVyzEDDTVvSzVsbCpk1gE837bSY/s320/IMG_1092.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ebi Yakisoba (Panfried Noodles with Jumbo Prawns)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgQ6wTYRJoeCdjn0VN9hwOJP4tHfybIHlK_v0Cu8xx7d3Iup-qF8GJpZiCZwzEoEy0HmpMx504NqJrOKIKAS98CNZ06XaW2hsPosgAtXnaX0bbVPNz80X-T9jKlRUZmDuzZIEVaywB3fG/s1600/IMG_1105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgQ6wTYRJoeCdjn0VN9hwOJP4tHfybIHlK_v0Cu8xx7d3Iup-qF8GJpZiCZwzEoEy0HmpMx504NqJrOKIKAS98CNZ06XaW2hsPosgAtXnaX0bbVPNz80X-T9jKlRUZmDuzZIEVaywB3fG/s320/IMG_1105.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green tea cake with Carmel, coconut ice cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matcha Green Tea Fondue</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">While we ate, Michael Jackson's thriller played in the background during another fountain show at 10:30. The final show played at around 11:00, and then the tower stopped sharing it's magical lighting and went plain. We finished our meal and were then </span>visited by the chef, who was insistent that we try a specialty dessert of his creation and asked for our thoughts. (Good, but not my typical dessert choice). We also<span style="text-align: justify;"> discovered that similar to our dining experience at the hotel restaurant, servers had to be summoned in order to get the bill. The crew at Katana was fantastic, and the food was enjoyable enough. But the view can not be beat.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf8cX9ojc7tz5FAGSn17AUOpe0FEbGR2ORSdiHzFt7GzEGwchrkv2vZQvdIuzmULFLylhP2OPzHCRjhAeVCRR4IoTm5a6fpKUmpuRsITr0KQkAgXIj9NK3eylv_HiMuIHYCuMSp90j0Lv/s1600/IMG_1111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf8cX9ojc7tz5FAGSn17AUOpe0FEbGR2ORSdiHzFt7GzEGwchrkv2vZQvdIuzmULFLylhP2OPzHCRjhAeVCRR4IoTm5a6fpKUmpuRsITr0KQkAgXIj9NK3eylv_HiMuIHYCuMSp90j0Lv/s400/IMG_1111.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our table.</td></tr>
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We left the restaurant at just about midnight, right as they were closing up for the evening. Despite already indulging in desert, I decided we had to bring some more of Angelina's pastries back to our room. So on our way back through the mall at 12:30 A.M we picked up another Babylone and one of their specialty pastries with a chocolate fondant topping. (We both agreed the Babylone was the better of them)</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TRAlaklFfAV3vbxHypuMspHz2brQhNzjS5GZ8XCNOsxhEMmOPbcnQBylS8ZbYvdNaU7AHuXgqYkA2iGInsoUquSwFdrAXCiUsOnyo5X59UTpyhUK1E0ELkBe7lZ4pZ-jltyfPwEdwR02/s1600/IMG_1112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TRAlaklFfAV3vbxHypuMspHz2brQhNzjS5GZ8XCNOsxhEMmOPbcnQBylS8ZbYvdNaU7AHuXgqYkA2iGInsoUquSwFdrAXCiUsOnyo5X59UTpyhUK1E0ELkBe7lZ4pZ-jltyfPwEdwR02/s320/IMG_1112.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MINE! ALL MINE!!! MWAHAHAHA.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGt2kqVnjj9h7yZ8nwJXbfg80l3WRwcm2Vo-Qi3F0t7FSX6TI_1j6G4PccQSSTSE_pJJCeEqJk4UHfzsshlVlUwLwUD7RtGp_VH16_fwfSluG_dF4WxN-5mPLw-rwsr_SRfZQGVBfZxQ_/s1600/IMG_1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGt2kqVnjj9h7yZ8nwJXbfg80l3WRwcm2Vo-Qi3F0t7FSX6TI_1j6G4PccQSSTSE_pJJCeEqJk4UHfzsshlVlUwLwUD7RtGp_VH16_fwfSluG_dF4WxN-5mPLw-rwsr_SRfZQGVBfZxQ_/s320/IMG_1114.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way out.</td></tr>
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While the bakery was still open, most of the mall had shut down at midnight, and now Kim and I wandered the mostly desolate halls of the building. We navigated to where we had been dropped off the day before, knowing there would be cabs available to us. We passed in front of the massive aquarium tank, and that's when Kim pointed out the ceiling to me: fiber-optic stars lit up the night above us. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtv0AXeVc-shbTOJnbahQFj3nzoUS6lavrL8-n_zkgL5u1zX3xNbpFn2bAwhLSN-LMwoYOOtEZ1fhL0374nYFu_YLKVS4ova9CWwKzbokeq-eei90J0LAqdalWPSufHBxSA4HTnpmTZzw/s1600/21+-+Dubai+Mall-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWtv0AXeVc-shbTOJnbahQFj3nzoUS6lavrL8-n_zkgL5u1zX3xNbpFn2bAwhLSN-LMwoYOOtEZ1fhL0374nYFu_YLKVS4ova9CWwKzbokeq-eei90J0LAqdalWPSufHBxSA4HTnpmTZzw/s320/21+-+Dubai+Mall-PANO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">360 of Dubai Mall interior at Aquarium. For full image, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@25.1973877,55.2790805,3a,75y,342.99h,90.98t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s-en5Muz5W4lQ%2FWN5sgjweNfI%2FAAAAAAAABgg%2FKtNYQBySmZEWhVxvlnRL-4fvGOclGtU0gCLIB!2e4!6s%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F-en5Muz5W4lQ%2FWN5sgjweNfI%2FAAAAAAAABgg%2FKtNYQBySmZEWhVxvlnRL-4fvGOclGtU0gCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1!6m1!1e1">HERE</a></td></tr>
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We then walked by the information booth and I snapped a photo of the massive directory.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4neOu1B05XBNuyyib8rsrylo5VMQgFPlGj8RsSmhwijX9_WDv85GDkjgPsR0fBCU-Vimdn8yuO9CjPi0xnEGmgEk-htQGXvAfLKlQ8gqNl_g_pcRJ_hwxva6yX1R8YfI-jg3JSjJthQU/s1600/IMG_1120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4neOu1B05XBNuyyib8rsrylo5VMQgFPlGj8RsSmhwijX9_WDv85GDkjgPsR0fBCU-Vimdn8yuO9CjPi0xnEGmgEk-htQGXvAfLKlQ8gqNl_g_pcRJ_hwxva6yX1R8YfI-jg3JSjJthQU/s320/IMG_1120.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was nearly 1 A.M when our taxi pulled out of the front of the mall and passed the Burj Khalifa, and our morning desert safari was scheduled to pick us up at around 6:30. It would be a tiring but enjoyable day ahead.</div>
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Check out the following video for clips from the monorail to Atlantis (and a penny crusher at Atlantis), the indoor waterfalls at the Dubai Mall, some of the fancy lighting at the Burj Khalifa, and a preview of the fountain shows "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Thriller":</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AuzKOKoUabM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AuzKOKoUabM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Clips from our second day in Dubai</span></div>
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Next up: Days Ten Through Twelve Part 4- Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour. The Dubai Museum. </div>
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In the meantime, here is a friendly reminder from the Palm Jumeriah Dubai Monorail Station:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdPZwKexxUyBUuwJg_t1MjpzqXTB3sVpkpXP1KyeyOSTJaO9Initjepiue1XQcowxY2qltmXkuKFnwQSjftr6MxDZ3K_CkRSadnC1OKOP5QDtzzl9uXW7gCa_wjGV_uA9bKfXT8_U7KKN/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdPZwKexxUyBUuwJg_t1MjpzqXTB3sVpkpXP1KyeyOSTJaO9Initjepiue1XQcowxY2qltmXkuKFnwQSjftr6MxDZ3K_CkRSadnC1OKOP5QDtzzl9uXW7gCa_wjGV_uA9bKfXT8_U7KKN/s320/IMG_1057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-71996503561471108102017-03-22T13:56:00.003-07:002017-04-23T12:28:32.460-07:00-Days 10 through 12 Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">It's a LONG way up.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirm_itTUzlc6y5ySZfXhFaUmzrGvitLVAwDZGrX6YkB-n3EWU537bdwOvzzlpZ-TqDotIDDYqnZozm70TIewYwhkHxFdCOtXQ2188tkyCQR8LiHdAieTN5Q8FhrzEpLA7IymOXOwna5d3x/s1600/IMG_6673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirm_itTUzlc6y5ySZfXhFaUmzrGvitLVAwDZGrX6YkB-n3EWU537bdwOvzzlpZ-TqDotIDDYqnZozm70TIewYwhkHxFdCOtXQ2188tkyCQR8LiHdAieTN5Q8FhrzEpLA7IymOXOwna5d3x/s640/IMG_6673.jpg" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burj Khalifa, Dubai.</td></tr>
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After dropping our belongings off at our new room, I anxiously made my way back to the lobby with Kim. I was concerned that our plans may not come to fruition, and that the limo company might have bailed given that we were 5-10 minutes late. I scanned the driveway at the lobby entrance, and though I noticed a few Cadillac Escalades, none matched the appearance of what I specifically ordered: https://www.dubaiexoticlimo.com/escalade_sedan.html<br />
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We stepped back into the lobby, hoping that they were just running late. Soon after, our phone buzzed. It was the limo company informing us that our driver was outside looking for us. We took the short walk back outside and found him. Our relief was short lived. He guided us over to one of the standard-equipped escalades that I had already seen. Given that the cost for the ride was a steep 3500AED for the 7 hours, I was not willing to pay full price for a lesser ride. After confirming that the Escalade in the photo was not available, the driver offered to negotiate. I made him an offer several hundred AED lower, and he accepted.<br />
I am still convinced we paid far more than necessary, but we enjoyed the drivers company, and he acted as our guide as well as our driver. As the pictured Escalade divides the passengers from the driver, the lesser model proved a better option for our tour.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-2-lufthansa-first-class-a330.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-9-part-1-dubai-exotic-limo-brief_28.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/01/day-9-part-2-park-hyatt-abu-dhabi-review.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/03/days-10-through-12-part-1-park-hyatt.html"><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review</a><br />
<i><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.</i><br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour. The Dubai Museum.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJewASXUXDc09pnCrEmnFfrAvf7c7Wbgwv__R8HsMWTK-9W7v_Qvr_gkCJfxMoADkUtQbYX33dA_OPBcU_CuEUPMGJRNTuJd1Uyjwa9suUc5GH2hLucMBEyVkO52CY00B30KeK4GW3A7l/s1600/IMG_6406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJewASXUXDc09pnCrEmnFfrAvf7c7Wbgwv__R8HsMWTK-9W7v_Qvr_gkCJfxMoADkUtQbYX33dA_OPBcU_CuEUPMGJRNTuJd1Uyjwa9suUc5GH2hLucMBEyVkO52CY00B30KeK4GW3A7l/s320/IMG_6406.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa</td></tr>
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Before anything else, we had to make a pit stop at the Dubai International airport. As I explained in my post Lufthansa First Class MUC-DXB, after reaching to curb in Dubai, we realized we forgot our 3 hats. But there was nothing more to be done at the time, since the plane had yet to be cleaned out.<br />
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The guide who led us from the gate to the curb (a first class service), called us in Abu Dhabi to confirm that our hats would be waiting for us in lost and found, so I had our driver take us there. Fortunately I had already visited the lost and found the day we arrived to check for our hats, so I knew exactly where to go. I picked them up, disappointed that they had been folded to fit in a square cubby, but happy to have them back nonetheless.<br />
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The pit stop took about 15-20 minutes. Then, as we weren't entirely certain what we wanted to do, our driver suggested the Burj Khalifa to start. We decided that was our best bet, so he took us the 20 minute drive over.<br />
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He dropped us off at the front of the Dubai mall and told us to call him when we were done. We then began the process of navigating the worlds largest mall and most visited leisure destination in order to find the entrance to the Burj Khalifa. On our entrance we immediately were drawn to the gigantic acrylic panel housing an aquarium. We decided against purchasing tickets but couldn't help but gape at the massive structure... in a mall, no less.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTMAdBZj_dLs-vaKuM9OgmJ2or7kooghUlNADhY_62fqT-yr9epPRTWgyYpnDhg5e2aGFm1mXpefZVIdQGDufTomU3InbXvhZFXiRIVqbNX2bM81I_0hwIhGT0Knl6mrgdphfdHlZoY_z/s1600/IMG_6407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTMAdBZj_dLs-vaKuM9OgmJ2or7kooghUlNADhY_62fqT-yr9epPRTWgyYpnDhg5e2aGFm1mXpefZVIdQGDufTomU3InbXvhZFXiRIVqbNX2bM81I_0hwIhGT0Knl6mrgdphfdHlZoY_z/s320/IMG_6407.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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We continued meandering and searching for signage for 10-20 minutes until we finally found the ticket center for the Burj Khalifa.<br />
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There are two ticket options to visit the top of the Burj Khalifa: At the Top, and At the Top: Sky. The standard option was sold out for the next couple hours, so we purchased the premium ticket for At the Top: Sky. The ticket was more than double the cost of the standard ticket during "At the Top" prime hours (quadruple the cost during non-prime hours). It was nearly $150 per person, or 500AED pp.<br />
After purchasing our tickets we wandered for another few minutes, window shopping. Then it was time to gather for our 3:30 tour. We had about 20 minutes until 3:30, and in the meantime the group gathered in a small waiting area designed for the premium ticket-holders. While the normal group waited in a line, we had seats and were offered coffee and dates. It was off to an okay start, but I immediately second guessed my decision to splurge. Coffee and dates were not appealing to me. After 5 or so minutes, we were led out of the room into the main waiting area. After a couple minutes in the line, wherein we had a chance to view an interactive display of the world's tallest buildings, we were led down a hall. Kim wanted a few extra minutes to play with the display, but it was not to be. We followed our guide onward to the base of the building where our elevator awaited us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyURH-2r0wr1HgGT7eTWgwYfg3SA0cjIdqZgytiTldsZ3ZYzqfn6S_v9_nOi8tYrJhAj1w15DAfav6FZifaDAuNWJfXHbxVfrczQOI3xRvHvp0MCzKnsBHlLdWYZWjZwCNJJxb6pgXuqY/s1600/IMG_6411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyURH-2r0wr1HgGT7eTWgwYfg3SA0cjIdqZgytiTldsZ3ZYzqfn6S_v9_nOi8tYrJhAj1w15DAfav6FZifaDAuNWJfXHbxVfrczQOI3xRvHvp0MCzKnsBHlLdWYZWjZwCNJJxb6pgXuqY/s320/IMG_6411.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
The ride up was swift. While the elevator projected a simulation of the construction of the Burj Khalifa all around us, I shot video of the climb up.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qxPqAh62G_I/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qxPqAh62G_I?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some clips from around the province. Featuring sprawling landscapes, twisty buildings, and a calm harbor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sections between 0:15-1:55 and 3:00-3:45 are solely of the elevator ride at Burj Khalifa</span></div>
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We stopped on floor 125 to exit the elevator and join another elevator for the ride to floor 148. It was upon exiting the elevator on 148 that I felt better about splurging. The room around us was extravagant and relaxing. The noise was minimal. Staff waited on us, offering us juice and treats. Seating was plentiful.<br />
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Floor 148 consisted of the main seating area, with sweeping views of downtown Dubai. There was a small gift shop. There was a room with a giant interactive screen showing off the many facets of the City. There was an outdoor viewing area. We relaxed on some couches while waiting for some of the seating closer to the windows to open up. When we took our seats by the window, staff offered to snap photos of us, which we accepted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-JaOpGPvubLb2crFojQWB68vOkue2basJRIMSA9EctpoZdb84gDXckGTFIZNvHPJtpNxw0kxpxx30Y2O7_dpQTqrI3KQphyQO7HS7AxUrYWzY5kLs4wysUfcsv89sw7obwsvxsVSRgU3/s1600/IMG_6426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-JaOpGPvubLb2crFojQWB68vOkue2basJRIMSA9EctpoZdb84gDXckGTFIZNvHPJtpNxw0kxpxx30Y2O7_dpQTqrI3KQphyQO7HS7AxUrYWzY5kLs4wysUfcsv89sw7obwsvxsVSRgU3/s320/IMG_6426.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Snack Assortment </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What will be the world's largest "picture frame".</td></tr>
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We spent about 45 minutes taking in the views before riding the elevator down to floor 125.<br />
As opposed to the luxury of 148, the lower level viewing area was significantly more crowded. There was no seating, no snacks, and versus staff offering to snap photos of you, there were photographers selling photos. Given the visual beauty of the 148th floor, and the simpleness of 125, we were satisfied that we purchased the premium tickets.<br />
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The views were certainly still incredible, but it was a vastly different world on the lower levels. After exploring 125 and taking a spiral staircase to the outdoor viewing area on 124, we made our way back to the elevator for the ride down. On our way back out front, we dialed our Chauffeur, who arrived at the front shortly after to continue our tour.<br />
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While on the freeway, our guide pointed out various sites. It was during this that we were sideswiped by another vehicle. While the impact was soft, it still needed to be resolved. Instead, the minivan sped forward. Our driver committed to following them. They veered off the road and over a curb to evade us, but we soon were caught up once more. Now they were on the offensive, pulling in front of us, slamming on their brakes (causing our driver to do the same), then speeding forward again. Finally they pulled over.<br />
Honestly, for the first time being so far away from the U.S, I had no clue what to expect. We had just been hit by some blatantly disturbed individuals, and now we were going to confront them face to face. The only question that was wandering into my brain--- did they have Uzi's?<br />
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After a shouting match between our driver and the young, arrogant tools, we continued on our way. There seemed to be no specific resolution to the issue, so we let it go. It was soon forgotten as our driver pulled into a parking garage at the Dubai Marina Mall. We had not heard of the mall, but the driver strongly recommended it, saying that so few people visited. He said that it was a pretty view, and to bring our cameras.<br />
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After a restroom break, we walked along the outside of the mall, and just enjoyed the afternoon ambience. On our way back to the car, we smiled at the various fast-food delivery bikes. Only a matter of time before those hit the states.<br />
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Next, I requested our driver take us up close to a building I had admired from the freeway. He obliged, and found the perfect spot across another waterway.</div>
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Next up, we requested to be brought to a good spot to see the Burj Al Arab. On our way over I snapped a couple more various shots:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNk3vemc-vukCnn5lXDfXU_vevUYR3SzV9Yu5ot2zkEomhbFtI6fslEHqLrVUnBgJ8VijHkIzkddDkObRQz4ihPUuaXBFTDb-_F0iEXp-Bskwf_q2Xv3UpYiXuIceEHuHkCT4wFOMvm4C/s1600/IMG_6619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNk3vemc-vukCnn5lXDfXU_vevUYR3SzV9Yu5ot2zkEomhbFtI6fslEHqLrVUnBgJ8VijHkIzkddDkObRQz4ihPUuaXBFTDb-_F0iEXp-Bskwf_q2Xv3UpYiXuIceEHuHkCT4wFOMvm4C/s320/IMG_6619.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Business Central Towers</td></tr>
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Our driver took us to the Jumeriah Public Beach, where we collected another sand sample and took in the evening air. A little down the way a nightclub titled "360" called to us, but our time with our chauffeur was running out. It did make for some good photography though:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHABN7jEpqrTHs7RnYcAYProJ1u-qgKpgHfuOmX6cRtSzKEPcfZkTFQ1CUXLozxgK3zRXJen5golOC7nLvBWbc_KfNC9X6r4-98uohgJG-LhTApgEO5wEKGKNZ_kQwoickR53kjd_2kv7m/s1600/IMG_6656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHABN7jEpqrTHs7RnYcAYProJ1u-qgKpgHfuOmX6cRtSzKEPcfZkTFQ1CUXLozxgK3zRXJen5golOC7nLvBWbc_KfNC9X6r4-98uohgJG-LhTApgEO5wEKGKNZ_kQwoickR53kjd_2kv7m/s320/IMG_6656.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgb8DZ2nbQwSsSUnAyR-MqTVIlxTfKaVknQQv4CscierUQSZQwT2uhyphenhyphenHGvkE-Z46_qI4YG3rR_MAczU9FBzeGLPdFsxc2hqscOncj7P7ZwF2jik3lXDyLNKrfP2eYpmkPA9DBKUBxZCGg/s1600/IMG_6661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgb8DZ2nbQwSsSUnAyR-MqTVIlxTfKaVknQQv4CscierUQSZQwT2uhyphenhyphenHGvkE-Z46_qI4YG3rR_MAczU9FBzeGLPdFsxc2hqscOncj7P7ZwF2jik3lXDyLNKrfP2eYpmkPA9DBKUBxZCGg/s320/IMG_6661.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grabbing our sand sample.</td></tr>
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It was closing in on 7:30, and we had the driver until 8:00, it was time to head back. On our way, the driver pointed out the world's tallest hotel, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai. We also passed the Emirates Towers and the Dubai Garden Glow.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JW Marriott Marquis Dubai</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the two Emirates Towers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfsbpTUlv8Ay3onS_wklFjJuS3muoAFcg_F91V8o8PqwriBXst1ZyXjoZSZLmGMMJoSuqixI04d0nigIFxAwJX-YknWGlBXBEprBqv0I2epDi9e6RTZ0dV3RSEYcHDLPEL4BN4xDoJ1Pv/s1600/IMG_6681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfsbpTUlv8Ay3onS_wklFjJuS3muoAFcg_F91V8o8PqwriBXst1ZyXjoZSZLmGMMJoSuqixI04d0nigIFxAwJX-YknWGlBXBEprBqv0I2epDi9e6RTZ0dV3RSEYcHDLPEL4BN4xDoJ1Pv/s320/IMG_6681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dubai Garden Glow</td></tr>
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Finally, we arrived back at the hotel around 8:00.</div>
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It was nice to have a guide for our trip, but ultimately I can't recommend spending a large sum on having a driver for the day. Part of the reason for booking was the type of vehicle (of which I've never seen such a configuration), and while it was for the best that we didn't get said configuration, it was certainly less cost effective than taking cabs wherever we wanted. The driver was great, and other than mentioning the wrong type of car for the second round with Dubai Exotic Limo, I have nothing bad to say about them. You might indeed have a better experience than I.</div>
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As far as the Burj Khalifa is concerned: some people will consider it a tourist trap. Indeed I just read an article advising against tall buildings in any city for their touristy aspects. But I enjoyed the sights, taking photos, and kicking back a bit. I wouldn't advise the premier ticket over the standard just for the comfort and food, but if you really want the absolute best view you can get, shoot for the Sky. -see what I did there ;-)</div>
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Next up: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-65602014290965737912017-03-15T13:48:00.001-07:002017-03-15T13:48:07.159-07:00Days 10 through 12 Part 1: Park Hyatt Dubai Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY!</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y_rvCUt9Rze0CHEinoEKbJuqHDLkV0rqysjBZBwCTMmU6a3XvtpyGCrlQGs0B-q91ayEoMpooB_Ut0i0HZlCvcXxoZ77-CtMMwLQtaOvxfP4dymYPSOiexdYQdmY2OnpOHfFta06jTUf/s1600/IMG_6400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Y_rvCUt9Rze0CHEinoEKbJuqHDLkV0rqysjBZBwCTMmU6a3XvtpyGCrlQGs0B-q91ayEoMpooB_Ut0i0HZlCvcXxoZ77-CtMMwLQtaOvxfP4dymYPSOiexdYQdmY2OnpOHfFta06jTUf/s400/IMG_6400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Embarrassingly, I have no photos from the exterior of this incredible hotel.<br />Decoration in main courtyard.</i></td></tr>
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After the valet unloaded the luggage from the sedan we had taken from the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, we made our way into the lobby of the Park Hyatt Dubai. It was close to noon, and we had a chauffer scheduled for 1:00. At the front desk, we were informed that our confirmed Park Suite had been further upgraded to a Park Executive Suite. Considering we had booked our 3 nights using a combination of 30,000 points and $375 in cash, plus a diamond suite upgrade, and a typical night in a park executive suite runs $755, this represented a value of nearly $1900.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-2-lufthansa-first-class-a330.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-9-part-1-dubai-exotic-limo-brief_28.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2017/01/day-9-part-2-park-hyatt-abu-dhabi-review.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review</a><br />
<i><b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review</i><br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour. The Dubai Museum.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I've mentioned in the past that you should be so lucky to have a problem at Hyatt, and while our experience here doesn't quite beat the apology we got for a minor issue at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, it certainly reinforces that idiom. Imagine my delight (and despair) when while we were checking in, a bellhop knocked over my camera stand with my Girlfriends DSLR attached! Fortunately, the extent of the damage was a broken lens hood. But the damage was done, and management bent over backwards to fix the problem. Their first step, offering to replace the lens hood. As it turned out, they were unable to obtain the same quality hood Kim owned, so on top of purchasing a cheap lens-hood for it, they removed the cost of the more expensive version from the bill. But that's not all: hotel management offered us 15,000 Hyatt points for the inconvenience. This is enough for a free night at up to a Category 4 hotel, and would cover the points portion of a cash+points booking on a single night at any Hyatt hotel worldwide.<br />
To top it off, we found an apology note with a box of chocolates from their cafe in our room when we returned from our first nights' adventure. Though admittedly, the hotel provided us with so many spare drinks and snacks in our room, we could barely stuff the chocolates down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgZwkEtRhbCxKu39Mz5h2K3hDO8h-S03YtMLm9WoI4XmqJTWfvDHgxyebOwYt3a-JOHK36Hb_8ZvUSobiNsCACEE4NBTc_KAM84hZg8sKLw24837YWHK5YWgNP7sIdb_KCTopDh4sBOAP/s1600/IMG_7066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgZwkEtRhbCxKu39Mz5h2K3hDO8h-S03YtMLm9WoI4XmqJTWfvDHgxyebOwYt3a-JOHK36Hb_8ZvUSobiNsCACEE4NBTc_KAM84hZg8sKLw24837YWHK5YWgNP7sIdb_KCTopDh4sBOAP/s640/IMG_7066.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small sampling of the many free snacks and beverages provided.</td></tr>
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After getting checked in, we waited over 40 minutes for final room preparations due to an influx of people checking in. In the meantime, the front desk offered us complimentary drinks, which we declined. I was getting anxious, as I wanted to get our luggage in the room and settled before our chauffeured tour.<br />
<br />
While waiting, Kim admired some of the courtyard artwork, and I took notice of a small cafe serving a variety of chocolates (the kind of which were sent to our room). I checked back with the front desk and they informed us that our room was ready. The bellhop followed us with our luggage down the hall, down one flight on the elevator, and down another hall to our corner room.<br />
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We walked into our massive suite. Of the rooms I've stayed in, it falls short of only the Deluxe Ocean Suite and Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai. A sitting area with coffee table awaited in the living room, along with a work desk and the coveted complimentary mini-bar. At the end of the room sliding glass doors opened to a view of downtown Dubai. In the giant bedroom was the king-sized bed, a couple of picture windows, and more doors leading to balcony access.<br />
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMpMXkHuJQvWUJrOesqpGMGOpXMHB31oQ9AFwdQURag0NnglFsI7kWKkjqk_XORKSuFTbG9nxbHC8evjU8iOe7Lbg__PUCiZR9MpUv0hGJoNUy5QplUrsQxv-nYNpUr4ixc2JuqOvPAmc/s1600/17+-+PH+Dubai+Suite+Bedroom+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMpMXkHuJQvWUJrOesqpGMGOpXMHB31oQ9AFwdQURag0NnglFsI7kWKkjqk_XORKSuFTbG9nxbHC8evjU8iOe7Lbg__PUCiZR9MpUv0hGJoNUy5QplUrsQxv-nYNpUr4ixc2JuqOvPAmc/s320/17+-+PH+Dubai+Suite+Bedroom+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Park Hyatt Dubai Park Executive Suite Bedroom 360<br />For full size, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@25.242992,55.33269,3a,75y,140.66h,75.52t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-Lzs4gnOxxtw%2FWILm0o2X9CI%2FAAAAAAAABQI%2FRf_xlRtwquM4zaacJEZAaZPzqEzcwkiRQCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-Lzs4gnOxxtw%2FWILm0o2X9CI%2FAAAAAAAABQI%2FRf_xlRtwquM4zaacJEZAaZPzqEzcwkiRQCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1!6m1!1e1">HERE</a></span></td></tr>
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</span></i></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nPEpDQ88Ud4zjP06WZf4e9OhsVLhYfBHLGgWxRMRifsZ4Eto_WgeRWPcs_wOXZWVXhm_tzMMY0ikEcG1_5uVSaz7FGgWb3PwhXSE1T8Asq8t7-lwfO_bC_3sLFtb6yCZnPbL62UVkRb_/s1600/20+-+PH+Dubai+Suite+Bathroom+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nPEpDQ88Ud4zjP06WZf4e9OhsVLhYfBHLGgWxRMRifsZ4Eto_WgeRWPcs_wOXZWVXhm_tzMMY0ikEcG1_5uVSaz7FGgWb3PwhXSE1T8Asq8t7-lwfO_bC_3sLFtb6yCZnPbL62UVkRb_/s320/20+-+PH+Dubai+Suite+Bathroom+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Hyatt Dubai Park Executive Suite Bathroom 360<br />
For full size, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@25.242992,55.33269,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-EqGw3gtr2wI%2FWILnBIjU7bI%2FAAAAAAAABQU%2FEnVMY67LLJ4H_TztQ26ZeG57-cCJod7XQCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-EqGw3gtr2wI%2FWILnBIjU7bI%2FAAAAAAAABQU%2FEnVMY67LLJ4H_TztQ26ZeG57-cCJod7XQCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1!6m1!1e1">HERE</a></td></tr>
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To the right of the bedroom was our over-sized bathroom with a tub, dual sinks, and a shower the size of a walk-in closet. The hotel also provided amazing rose scented bath salts.<br />
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But we didn't stick around for long, for we had a chauffeur waiting to show us around the city. We dropped off our things and took off. See my upcoming post for more details on our adventure: -Days Ten through Twelve Part 2: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<br />
When we returned from our long day out at around 8:00, we consulted with the conceirge about arranging tea at the Burj Al Arab. As we had missed our opportunity for tea at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, we figured this would be a great alternative. Unfortunately we learned that reservations are required long in advance, and that there was no availability. Instead, we made reservations for afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton.<br />
We then went back to unpack our things, and I proceeded to shoot some video of our room. In the process, I managed to partially tear down a curtain from the ceiling, so we had the front desk send maintenance down to fix it. After spending some time on that and kicking back, we made our way to the Terrace for dinner at around 10:30.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis81AMN2fNL4jMcG_-S60Oe9orueMjPMH81IMIKSP_yiDAw7v_pOt1RUb-BynGTfREZrDnMZQUbi7fA6XK772ND_HyqXzU40umVH1vcPMZKbxP9cUWMH4a9W5HbwnMiSkoDrMSl9chDKYf/s1600/IMG_1033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis81AMN2fNL4jMcG_-S60Oe9orueMjPMH81IMIKSP_yiDAw7v_pOt1RUb-BynGTfREZrDnMZQUbi7fA6XK772ND_HyqXzU40umVH1vcPMZKbxP9cUWMH4a9W5HbwnMiSkoDrMSl9chDKYf/s320/IMG_1033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We had a simple meal, both of us opting for a wagyu burger with fries, and indulging in a strawberrylicious cocktail. While the food was just fine, we were surprised at the speed and quality of service. Though as we discovered later, service speed in the country does not seem to be a priority, with it being incumbent on the patrons to request any additional needs, and the check when ready.<br />
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Though it was nearly midnight when we returned to the room, we were far from ready to sleep. Kim caught some movies on TV while I did more filming and photography, in the process snapping some shots of the Burj Khalifa: visible from our balcony.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/n2pfZdCVGXI/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n2pfZdCVGXI?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Tour of the Park Executive Suite Park Hyatt Dubai</b></span></div>
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By the time we got to bed, it was nearly 2 A.M.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVUBNUSHPHfi51ZPz2gV9Nh-aUtJSZoDs-QY3r4UdYpUnlQXCcqV57w04YvOZ3YfeCi77s5Wl2r8WwB_8C_SIZLsS7Evi5FmUswBx_o8myDKhyphenhyphenLExK6HdI0rge58xtzOhOAfIANIJSgXi/s1600/IMG_1035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVUBNUSHPHfi51ZPz2gV9Nh-aUtJSZoDs-QY3r4UdYpUnlQXCcqV57w04YvOZ3YfeCi77s5Wl2r8WwB_8C_SIZLsS7Evi5FmUswBx_o8myDKhyphenhyphenLExK6HdI0rge58xtzOhOAfIANIJSgXi/s320/IMG_1035.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing up late gave me but brief opportunity<br />
to pile on a plate and snap a photo.</td></tr>
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We woke up around 10 to grab a late breakfast, and made it to the Cafe Arabesque shortly before the end of breakfast at 10:30. Breakfast at the restaurant was terrific, though I didn't enjoy the atmosphere quite as much as at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, nor did I feel the selection was quite as extensive. Nevertheless, we both ate heartily before making our way back to the room.<br />
<br />
On our way down, we made a pit stop at the pool to check out the grounds. As we explored, an attendant approached us and advised us of the spa specials. We decided that we were interested, so he gave us a tour of the spa and brought us to their front desk to set up an appointment.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the only times available would have interfered with our tea time, and given how busy we would be the following day, we opted to skip getting a treatment.<br />
<br />
Our next task was to get in a solid nap before tea at 4:00 and adventures.<br />
<br />
We woke up at 3:00 and utilized a hotel limo- another luxury sedan, (though lesser than our BMW 7 from Abu Dhabi) to drive us to the Ritz Carlton Dubai at a cost of ~125AED.<br />
<br />
Our daily adventure took us well into the evening. See my upcoming post- Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall- for details.<br />
When we arrived back at the hotel well after midnight, we promptly passed out- with an early morning ahead of us.<br />
<br />
Our next day was spent mostly away from the hotel. We stopped back after our first adventure at around 12:30 only to grab some snacks then hop in the hotel sedan just an hour or so later to take us to Old Town Dubai at a cost of ~50AED. See my upcoming post<b>-</b>Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: Dubai recommendations/information: Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour, The Dubai Museum. - for details.<br />
<br />
We got back in the early evening, around 5:00. After dropping our things in the room, we took a stroll over to the fitness center, where we found some exercise equipment and a ping-pong table. Next, we went back to the room and began the process of manually cleaning all our clothes as opposed to paying exorbitant fees to have the hotel wash them. To check out the prices, listed in AED, click <a href="https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt/images/hotels/dxbph/Laundry_Services_Price_List.pdf">HERE</a>. After washing, we hung many of them up on our balcony railing to dry, which drew a few sour faces. <br />
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As the sun began to set we took a swim in the hotel pool, which was refreshing after a long few days out. Shortly after the sun went down it became a tad too cold for us to handle. We dried off, went back to the room, and started packing for our flight the next morning. At this point we realized our clothes were still FAR too wet, and I came up with the idea to take the load to the spa to utilize the electronic wringers. This did wonders and took several pounds weight off our luggage. We then took a break for dinner at the cafe arabesque, which felt very unpopular on a Saturday evening. I don't recall many details of the dinner save to say that it was ordinary.<br />
<br />
We left to continue packing late into the evening.<br />
<br />
We woke early, still exhausted, to finish packing for our 9:30 A.M flight. Our stress levels were high as we had a lot to do and not a ton of time to do it. We eventually checked out at 8:05 and grabbed a cab from the front for the short 10 minute ride over to the Dubai Airport. I advise giving yourself a bit more time for the check-in process at the Dubai Airport.<br />
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Like at the Park Hyatt in Abu Dhabi, I don't feel we had quite enough time to enjoy and experience this hotel. The room itself was phenomenal, as were the many complimentary treats and beverages. Having an entirely free minibar (even alcohol) is quite the perk! We took advantage of the pool for only a brief time- and as it was getting cold out, no less.<br />
The service up front was terrific, and like I noted above I felt lucky to have them break our lens hood. Had it been a more significant part of the equipment I might not have felt the same way.<br />
I wish I would've had the opportunity to try the other two restaurants on site: The Thai Kitchen and Traiteur. But this time around we were better off getting in our sight-seeing and food from around town.<br />
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I look forward to returning here in the future.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-90713672117341649382017-01-17T22:17:00.003-08:002017-01-17T22:17:42.699-08:00Day 9 Part 2: Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi ReviewWhen we arrived at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi at around 10:30 in the morning, we were exhausted. But there was still a ton on our plate of things to do. Our plan included getting over to Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque, and the Emirates Palace for tea. As you may know from the previous post, we didn't quite accomplish everything on the list.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwVSJovf1HCkSh34BNXUUglR2FZqgv9UT2koxnd1ulxBuzzChDt1VD2NIJ_yXvyog0z_XpFs9kvco89_Xu38HmZRRNu-pDExRgK3uut8T7UQBfvZNITGh_1lDTBxD-ADzgu78kznUsqJQ/s1600/IMG_6280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwVSJovf1HCkSh34BNXUUglR2FZqgv9UT2koxnd1ulxBuzzChDt1VD2NIJ_yXvyog0z_XpFs9kvco89_Xu38HmZRRNu-pDExRgK3uut8T7UQBfvZNITGh_1lDTBxD-ADzgu78kznUsqJQ/s640/IMG_6280.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi</td></tr>
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<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-2-lufthansa-first-class-a330.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-9-part-1-dubai-exotic-limo-brief_28.html"><b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.</a><br />
<i><b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review</i><br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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Our original booking at the Park Hyatt involved us staying for two nights, but when we made our last minute flight change it meant we wouldn't arrive until the morning of April 6th instead of the night of the 5th. We were able to change it with more than 24 hours notice, so we incurred no additional fees. We booked the hotel using a combination of points and cash and a Diamond Suite Upgrade. The Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi is a category 5 hotel, and required 10,000 points and $125 cash. For reference, a night in a Park Suite for April 6th of 2017 sells for $900. If you pay in advance for their non-refundable advance rate, the suite can be had for $764.<br />
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Of course, given how early we were we had no idea whether to expect our room or a wait. Our experience as Diamond members has been that if our booked room is not available when we arrive-- no matter how early-- we are assigned a lesser category room to relax in until our booked room is ready. That is exactly what happened. Ashutash got us situated with information about breakfast times, currency exchanges, hotel check-out time, our hotel sedan that would be taking us to the Park Hyatt Dubai, and the grounds. He informed us that we could use a Park King room until our Park Suite was ready. The bellhop took our luggage and guided us down a hall to the Park King room, room 263. We promptly set the luggage on the floor and proceeded to pass out.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB9nQkFXKL5_9ags2UVQbOeIATsrwYHXJ8v7xwehSNlQ0kpr48SUE1EWfTv9dJ1t9rBIxVsjzn2x1lAwRpNwiUsPw3v_yRjKP4SCBxIrRWVpmanaFICKyqS4SSSLwCo0xVIIurCH8oV-M/s1600/11+-+PH+Abu+Dhabi+Room+263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikB9nQkFXKL5_9ags2UVQbOeIATsrwYHXJ8v7xwehSNlQ0kpr48SUE1EWfTv9dJ1t9rBIxVsjzn2x1lAwRpNwiUsPw3v_yRjKP4SCBxIrRWVpmanaFICKyqS4SSSLwCo0xVIIurCH8oV-M/s640/11+-+PH+Abu+Dhabi+Room+263.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Room 263, 360 View. For larger version, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@24.530292,54.445157,3a,75y,294.13h,76.47t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-VZtgrwKCeg4%2FWDH7K-vkywI%2FAAAAAAAABDU%2FukDx49TcGMoIVoz1rKklI9j3THKu-3C2QCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-VZtgrwKCeg4%2FWDH7K-vkywI%2FAAAAAAAABDU%2FukDx49TcGMoIVoz1rKklI9j3THKu-3C2QCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1">HERE:</a></td></tr>
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When the phone rang at 2:00, I quickly realized I would have to sacrifice some of our days plans. We prepared in a hurry and shortly after the phone call a bellhop arrived to bring us to our Park Suite.<br />
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We left our humble abode and were led through a hall, up an elevator, and down another long hall to our suite. Our room was incredibly spacious. It featured a living area, two balconies with views of the Gulf, an over-sized bedroom and a luxurious bathroom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-qk2w-ZxdPvGZSf_Zva3fnG2y1aNySn7zJd_n7T9uKPeUmU_p2XS3P5S_Jaxu-fh2kXMsIS32bBse2w6vb7EE1TS2ncG45rxjs6s5o4fPv0Ih-hTtr10lYySDBfceQZk7kc90e_-GUry/s1600/15+-+PH+Abu+Dhabi+Suite+Living+Room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-qk2w-ZxdPvGZSf_Zva3fnG2y1aNySn7zJd_n7T9uKPeUmU_p2XS3P5S_Jaxu-fh2kXMsIS32bBse2w6vb7EE1TS2ncG45rxjs6s5o4fPv0Ih-hTtr10lYySDBfceQZk7kc90e_-GUry/s640/15+-+PH+Abu+Dhabi+Suite+Living+Room.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Suite 474 living room at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. For larger version, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@24.530292,54.445157,3a,75y,278.44h,77.36t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-ITsksORne0A%2FWDH7K3lRbsI%2FAAAAAAAABDQ%2FbDro_6hdnGwgSAL3YTgaaw01uj25huejwCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-ITsksORne0A%2FWDH7K3lRbsI%2FAAAAAAAABDQ%2FbDro_6hdnGwgSAL3YTgaaw01uj25huejwCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1">HERE:</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNNfbpR7blVsfN7EU7pmvqZ3rXOxdCgh3onSeMxcCkDH_xCpcVqfmVfodf7K2lU3EPrDGK6MXRDZDRcaLl5HLLQ1eZf7-38_aqbf1a-O0fIkZh8OmE-Fv-xb2OmNjwccEcdMx5JWrnOeD/s1600/14+-+PH+Abu+Dhabi+Suite+Bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNNfbpR7blVsfN7EU7pmvqZ3rXOxdCgh3onSeMxcCkDH_xCpcVqfmVfodf7K2lU3EPrDGK6MXRDZDRcaLl5HLLQ1eZf7-38_aqbf1a-O0fIkZh8OmE-Fv-xb2OmNjwccEcdMx5JWrnOeD/s640/14+-+PH+Abu+Dhabi+Suite+Bedroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Suite 474 bedroom at Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. For larger version, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@24.530292,54.445157,3a,75y,173.69h,86.48t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-fEalPgo2490%2FWDH7Kp9qIAI%2FAAAAAAAABDM%2F_cYqpx_Ai88gGZ8sHfEj-iizLH7QRBifACLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-fEalPgo2490%2FWDH7Kp9qIAI%2FAAAAAAAABDM%2F_cYqpx_Ai88gGZ8sHfEj-iizLH7QRBifACLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1">HERE:</a></td></tr>
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As Diamond members, we were given fruits, strawberry smoothies, nuts, and red wine. I did end up missing out on the famed Macarons, but given how tired I was and how much I had to do, I didn't even notice at the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6dMY3-_iZUPLk1J3Hxn1s-QqHidJYXg3qao6PaEGItxNQYWxFNoe07oj0KO7Lfoo0xANdTShQQTmLn6mlqXXSAPUJTOn-Rfx0FLQHQDVaN2eTRPCvsBXDRM1zcSo3x11FfyhPt3GelPY/s1600/IMG_0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6dMY3-_iZUPLk1J3Hxn1s-QqHidJYXg3qao6PaEGItxNQYWxFNoe07oj0KO7Lfoo0xANdTShQQTmLn6mlqXXSAPUJTOn-Rfx0FLQHQDVaN2eTRPCvsBXDRM1zcSo3x11FfyhPt3GelPY/s320/IMG_0873.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoothies and Fruit</td></tr>
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The smoothie was fantastic, but we decided to save the wine and bring it home to family. After some pictures it was off to Ferrari World and the Grand Mosque. (See previous post for things to do in Abu Dhabi).<br />
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On our way out, we stopped at the front desk to exchange some currency. The exchange rate was rather high (don't remember the exact amount), but I needed a lot more than I had, so I sucked it up. The front desk took most of my cash but would not exchange some of the older $100 bills I had with me. Apparently it is standard in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to accept only newer bills with more security features.<br />
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The valet hailed a cab for us, then we were off.<br />
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By the time we got back, there was nothing left to do but pass out. And pass out we did, until early in the morning when I woke up in a massive sweat. Despite a generally cool room, the blankets turned out to be way too much for me, and this trend continued into Dubai and the Maldives (where I finally got a thinner blanket).<br />
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I managed to get back to sleep, and when Kim and I did wake up around 7, opened the curtains to a fantastic and serene view:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv1KiBEpHiLN9OElw5pEU7GqCQjyIzJJK5OkA3JccZW9o2uqApUFa8TPDNR_UQqO8wZSpS8XGhYooythXxTfZCim7cyWMbZrPI38eNyr3dmvGZA6oDb0aT4LMUBqOz17SArnDYmT_VSmz/s1600/IMG_6373_4_5_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlv1KiBEpHiLN9OElw5pEU7GqCQjyIzJJK5OkA3JccZW9o2uqApUFa8TPDNR_UQqO8wZSpS8XGhYooythXxTfZCim7cyWMbZrPI38eNyr3dmvGZA6oDb0aT4LMUBqOz17SArnDYmT_VSmz/s640/IMG_6373_4_5_tonemapped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made the bed to make this more photogenic. You're welcome!</td></tr>
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Next, we took off downstairs to view the property and visit the beach:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaehRXHNBLH_V5jjl6SA8YKpVAkBf7UUv4rIVWyqdocF_VvZkdCpNvEepmKZdCe2f-YQmfnJ9yLVPxRrmLH-axDLZ8UXJD-jys7p61O0vuMHQAkBajYmChW8Wa96eNp0OLla4i_JJ_HjJa/s1600/IMG_6280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaehRXHNBLH_V5jjl6SA8YKpVAkBf7UUv4rIVWyqdocF_VvZkdCpNvEepmKZdCe2f-YQmfnJ9yLVPxRrmLH-axDLZ8UXJD-jys7p61O0vuMHQAkBajYmChW8Wa96eNp0OLla4i_JJ_HjJa/s320/IMG_6280.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLWKSr7EhYx9bhxkWYW3eiH1OqgD6VLBoHkEybMhaFB1kq9GvE4hLl6b3bdqR8N2wKFaiHI7KMVZiUZ1-albIVl5FZPAf-FdsodZbUWVR5MI7RQZaHtFH2Szv9aF3DKT1iNjM7RSmD__O/s1600/IMG_6277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLWKSr7EhYx9bhxkWYW3eiH1OqgD6VLBoHkEybMhaFB1kq9GvE4hLl6b3bdqR8N2wKFaiHI7KMVZiUZ1-albIVl5FZPAf-FdsodZbUWVR5MI7RQZaHtFH2Szv9aF3DKT1iNjM7RSmD__O/s1600/IMG_6277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLWKSr7EhYx9bhxkWYW3eiH1OqgD6VLBoHkEybMhaFB1kq9GvE4hLl6b3bdqR8N2wKFaiHI7KMVZiUZ1-albIVl5FZPAf-FdsodZbUWVR5MI7RQZaHtFH2Szv9aF3DKT1iNjM7RSmD__O/s1600/IMG_6277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLWKSr7EhYx9bhxkWYW3eiH1OqgD6VLBoHkEybMhaFB1kq9GvE4hLl6b3bdqR8N2wKFaiHI7KMVZiUZ1-albIVl5FZPAf-FdsodZbUWVR5MI7RQZaHtFH2Szv9aF3DKT1iNjM7RSmD__O/s320/IMG_6277.JPG" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1ymIHYytVqSvz9wmroWD7LZ7M_wVORFyWesWXb3oIVIfvh25IwPAXMu4S-y6UWTtYS_LdzPxckPwAhLzqHdLc_GC1PxhSVVeEzqA77J4sgXDPxxF3Ubb6MTcOWfGWE_QowABBaYsW3IU/s1600/IMG_6281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1ymIHYytVqSvz9wmroWD7LZ7M_wVORFyWesWXb3oIVIfvh25IwPAXMu4S-y6UWTtYS_LdzPxckPwAhLzqHdLc_GC1PxhSVVeEzqA77J4sgXDPxxF3Ubb6MTcOWfGWE_QowABBaYsW3IU/s320/IMG_6281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We found a few pools, hammocks, and plenty of seating areas on the beach, near the pool and out on a patio.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHajiFA7ToZlYSlKcdUFspgOcUmFqF_IvDspg0_HcERuEuoUSY3SyKT9chWw7qkMbI-FhyphenhyphenaepYagq86YtvsocTtYNM6AijVWCK79BXdppGuf7KmUll3HUMHT_5V86hJtFzsd5TcqKFHWq/s1600/IMG_6286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHajiFA7ToZlYSlKcdUFspgOcUmFqF_IvDspg0_HcERuEuoUSY3SyKT9chWw7qkMbI-FhyphenhyphenaepYagq86YtvsocTtYNM6AijVWCK79BXdppGuf7KmUll3HUMHT_5V86hJtFzsd5TcqKFHWq/s640/IMG_6286.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We didn't trek very far west before turning back. Close to the Hyatt a construction project was ongoing, presumably on a new hotel. This will be a bit of a shame given the Hyatt's location is somewhat isolated from other buildings, and what little view of the city it offers may soon be obstructed. But it didn't impact our stay, and soon we were back on the property for breakfast.<br />
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Breakfast consists of an international buffet. It was by far the most extensive buffet I had experienced (beaten out not long after at the Conrad in the Maldives). The first hint of extravagance was a honeycomb dripping into a bowl for guests to indulge in. We took seats close to a window and then navigated through a maze of offerings.<br />
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There were pastries galore, a sumptuous variety of cereals, yogurts, fruits, preserves and more! There was a variety of international dishes, but I consumed loads of drinkable yogurt and half a dozen or so creampuffs--- because I have class! ;-)<br />
On our way back to the room, I stopped to snap this photo from one of the windows on our floor.<br />
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It certainly looks like an OK view when zoomed, angled and framed properly. But if I'm going to be honest...<br />
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The second photo is more representative of what you'll see from the halls in the hotel.<br />
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Before packing up for our trip down to Dubai, I explored the room a little more extensively:<br />
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The bathroom featured a nice sized shower with a rainfall head and a built-in nook for the Bergamonte 22 body lotion, shampoo, and conditioner. There was also a large soaking tub set in front of a gorgeous rock facade. It also featured a table that spanned its width and could be used to hold the salts, a facial bar, and bath soap. A frosted glass door separated the toilet and bidet from the rest of the room.<br />
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Beyond the tub was an oversized closet that double-functioned as a pass-through to the living area.<br />
Off the living room was a half-bath.<br />
The living room itself featured a good-sized couch, a coffee table, a workstation, and a balcony.<br />
Off the living room was a half bath and a pass-through closet leading to the master bath.<br />
Both the living room and the bedroom featured 42" LCD TVs. Next to the King Bed in the bedroom was a second balcony.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Hotel Limo (BMW 7 Series)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Burj Khalifa</td></tr>
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We packed our things and called for a bellhop, who showed up promptly to help us to the front desk. <br />
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We had originally arranged for a 9:00 departure but had requested a delay until 10:00, which they gladly accommodated.<br />
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We utilized the hotel limo, which was a BMW 7 Series, to take us the hour and a half drive down to the Park Hyatt Dubai. It wasn't the cheapest option at 750AED, but it was certainly comfortable.<br />
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In the end our room was great, breakfast was magnificent, but our stay here was far too short. I would've liked to have more opportunity to view the grounds, dine, and enjoy the pool, but we traded an extra night here for an opportunity to fly first class on Lufthansa, and I'm glad we did. Eventually I hope to return. I hope you'll take a minute to enjoy the following short video featuring clips from around the resort and our trip in the BMW:<br />
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Next Up- Days Ten through Twelve Part 1:<b> </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-42293561430895992582016-11-28T15:58:00.001-08:002017-01-18T12:13:28.549-08:00Day 9 Part 1: Dubai Exotic Limo brief review Part 1 & Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, and the Grand Mosque.After our first class treatment from the security line at Munich to the curb at the Dubai Airport, we were finally ready for.... MORE first class treatment. Having waited patiently for us to sort out our hat mess, our limo driver helped load our luggage and got us settled in the back. Originally I had my reservations about the limo service, as my experiences in the U.S have been typically lackluster. But this particular ride met my expectations. We utilized Dubai Exotic Limo for the trip from the Dubai International Airport to the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, choosing the Dodge Charger VIP 2013 Limo.<br />
Our driver was pleasant, but overall we didn't interact much. We took advantage of the bottled water and relaxed for our hour and a half trip.<br />
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Relaxing is the best you can hope for during the ride, as subsequent rides in taxis and even the hotel limo (A BMW 7 Series) gave a little too much view of the dangerous and nerve wracking traffic ahead and around us. On our trip up we saw one car on its side along the freeway.<br />
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The cost of our limo was significant at 1200AED plus an additional 250 AED Tip (Approx $400 total) and you can easily find cheaper transportation, but I'm a fan of pulling out all the stops.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The sole image I have of the outside of the Limo.</td></tr>
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<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b><u>-Day Two:</u></b><u> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</u></a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-2-lufthansa-first-class-a330.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</a><br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Finally we had arrived at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. We checked in (review to come), got a temporary room while they prepared our suite, and promptly <strike>completed all the things we wanted to do in Abu Dhabi</strike> passed out for 3 hours. We were lucky enough to be woken at around 2 P.M when the phone rang to inform us that our suite was ready. We gathered our things, moved into the new room, and set out to grab a cab from the front.<br />
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Our taxi driver from the hotel to Ferrari World was friendly enough, and one of the safer drivers we encountered. At one point during our 25 minute ride from the hotel to the park, I pointed out another bad-looking accident to Kim, and our driver calmly announced "someone is dead". I couldn't block Kim's view before we both saw the blood doused shrouds. Fortunately it was the last major accident we passed, though it would not be the last of crazy road experiences.<br />
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Soon after, we pulled up to the front entrance of Ferrari world. We got out and paid the approx $15 in cab fare. We crossed the street and went up the Yas Mall escalator to the sky bridge linking Ferrari World. We purchased standard tickets, as judging from the crowd we would not need fast-passes. It was 3:30, and our tickets ran $70 per person, with the park closing at 8:00. I only had one goal though- to hit all three coasters in the park. First up was the Formula Rossa, the most important coaster on my list, and the fastest roller coaster in the world. We entered the queue, went down the stairs, around some ropes, and finally to the stopped line. The line did not look bad at all, but looks were deceiving. The coaster was not launching, and they appeared to be water cooling the tracks, delaying any of the line from moving forward. We kicked back against the rails, and after about ten minutes the coaster began its circuit. What looked like a fifteen minute wait turned out to be closer to an hour and fifteen, and as we got closer to the front we saw that the fast-pass ticket holders definitely had an advantage. But we were in no particular rush, and we ended up spending even more time in line so that we could sit at the very front. As the two lines between fast-pass and regular ticket holders merged, we handed our loose items to a check-in desk and received a wrist chain at no cost. We would turn it in and get our items back with no trouble at the end of the ride.<br />
The line split again for those that wanted to be at the front and the rest of the crowd. We were finally down to two people ahead of us when an employee opened a side gate and let another couple ahead. While Kim and I knew what was going on, the two women ahead of us protested, and the employee had to explain that the people he allowed in had a priority ticket.<br />
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Finally we were in our seats. The adrenaline began to kick in as the coaster pulled forward to the starting point. Queue a fancy sound effect and a three second countdownnn-annnd-holy-cow!!!<br />
You can't help but smile as your body is pushed hard into your seat and your heart starts to race. What resulted was 1 and a half minutes of smooth and speedy hills and turns that made the hour wait incredibly worthwhile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpkOJ_txwQJqtRTJsmVPvut-X7DQMr7Pytj5IgVIjPycBoDG_I8Bc0Iw3isDFLQoHnUfM132fQWvp8gGEcxCHKREhN8AMx__bJNfgfW1d5M4jtFsZfPVP_D7b4NbnjwTsoewld3vIK5py/s1600/IMG_0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpkOJ_txwQJqtRTJsmVPvut-X7DQMr7Pytj5IgVIjPycBoDG_I8Bc0Iw3isDFLQoHnUfM132fQWvp8gGEcxCHKREhN8AMx__bJNfgfW1d5M4jtFsZfPVP_D7b4NbnjwTsoewld3vIK5py/s320/IMG_0875.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Before Formula Rossa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">After Formula Rossa</td></tr>
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It's a high you have to come down from, and you'll still be smiling minutes after you exit the ride... whether you want to be or not!<br />
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Next up was the only real "exploration" of the park that we did: the Galleria Ferrari. Essentially just a small collection of classic and new sports-cars, the facts offered around the miniature museum did offer an educational and interesting alternative to "just the rides". The remainder of the sights we took in were on our trips to the next two roller coasters. A good portion of other rides at the park require a higher-end ticket or extra fare, and still others are designed for kids. There are coaster tracks coming out of various walls, some appeared just to be decoration, others may be part of future rides. It was hard to tell which was which. The whole park still seems to be a work in progress.<br />
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After reading about a few of the cars, we continued to the new Flying Aces Roller Coaster, which had opened just 2 months before. In all honesty, while I'm a coaster fanatic, I do get sick nowadays, and I was definitely feeling it after Formula Rossa. Albeit in that case the smoothness of the ride and the adrenaline shooting through me muted that sick feeling.<br />
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We dropped off our bags at a locker area specifically for Flying Aces, before entering the queue. The guardrails led us through a series of themed rooms, and it was about a 2 to 3 minute walk to the back of the line. The line for the ride was quite short, and we were on board within 10 minutes.<br />
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Flying Aces took me to the brink of my breaking point. It was awesome, smooth, fun, and not overly intense, but definitely the limit of what I can handle nowadays. The Flying Aces coaster has set the world records for the steepest and fastest incline (and it definitely was steep and fast- from starting position it appeared nearly completely vertical), as well as the worlds tallest inverted loop. Essentially, at the top of the loop the coaster train sat upright and twisted downwards on the way back.<br />
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I was definitely nauseous upon exiting the ride, but I was determined to conquer the third, easiest coaster in the park: the Fiorano GT Challenger Racing coaster. Two sets of steel tracks that, like the Formula Rossa, take you outside the comfort of the indoor park into the desert heat... albeit at a much lower pace. You'll race alongside another coaster, and Kim and I took front seats in competing trains. Unsurprisingly, her train won the race.<br />
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We completed our trip to the park with that ride, and made our way out through the gift shop, where everything from sunglasses to miniature, $2000+ Ferrari models were on sale. After crossing the skybridge back to the Yas Mall, we went downstairs to grab a drink from Starbucks and to gain internet access so we could determine our next course of action.<br />
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That next course of action turned out to be dinner at Al-Fanar Restaurant. This restaurant is located on the second floor of the Yas Mall, very close to the skybridge leading to Ferrari World. It appealed to us because of the opportunity to try local cuisine, and by looking around in the food court it seemed this was one of the only options (if not THE only option). We passed on several restaurants found in the U.S.<br />
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Ultimately the food was good, and the setting was perfect as the sun was going down. We sat outside with a view of some of the fountains, and we enjoyed a Machboos Deyay (essentially chicken and rice).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Machboos Deyay at Al-Fanar Abu Dhabi.</td></tr>
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Upon completing our dinner, we grabbed another taxi to bring us to the Grand Mosque. It was another $15 fare, and upon reaching the mosque our driver politely insisted that we return to him to take us back to the hotel, mentioning that the rate would be much cheaper than the starting rate of other drivers waiting at the mosque. I which I was happy to oblige him, and was completely content with what turned out to be an approximately $20 fare back to the hotel.<br />
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The toughest part of being an American at the Grand Mosque turned out to be finding the entrance so we could borrow the proper attire. There may have been an easier way, but we ended up looping around on various sidewalks, taking an escalator down to a parking garage, walking across the parking garage to a small area where hijabs and robes could be borrowed. As we were both already dressed in conservative clothing (mainly to protect ourselves from the sun), all that was needed was a hijab for Kim, and the staff only took down her ID information, they didn't require leaving ID with them. (Your results for required attire and leaving your ID may vary, bringing your passport is recommended)<br />
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We walked back across the garage and up the escalator and entered the mosque, leaving our shoes amidst dozens of other pairs stowed away at one of the massive hallways.<br />
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We spent around an hour to an hour and a half admiring the incredible architecture and decor of the mosque, and dusk was the perfect time to do so, with a cool temperature providing perfect ambiance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-117eQbkmer8/WDE3JC1WBhI/AAAAAAAABB4/S2noYoQhDMU9yni1PXExSlgoz_gFkEMgwCPcB/s1600/12%2B-%2BGrand%2BMosque%2BAbu%2BDhabi%2B1-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-117eQbkmer8/WDE3JC1WBhI/AAAAAAAABB4/S2noYoQhDMU9yni1PXExSlgoz_gFkEMgwCPcB/s400/12%2B-%2BGrand%2BMosque%2BAbu%2BDhabi%2B1-PANO.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Grand mosque interior 360. To view larger version, click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@24.4151353,54.4746328,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!2e4!6s%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-U3RHqdbQGSk%2FWDHw5sd_NcI%2FAAAAAAAABCo%2FgX61HzjcHZ0VhERib1QLz_WZ5Lqhvy95QCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048">HERE.</a></td></tr>
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The above pictures can't do justice to the scale and grandeur of this place, but can give you some idea of what to expect.<br />
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Upon dropping off Kim's hijab and making our way back to the parking lot, our driver waved us down and we were off back to the hotel.<br />
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I took some video of our day's adventures. Check it out to see the Formula Rossa complete a circuit (non-POV), a POV of the Fiorano GT Challenger Racing coaster (second half of the circuit), a view from the Al-Fanar Restaurant across from Ferrari world, and a brief clip of the Grand Mosque interior:<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hqVPANCLwDQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hqVPANCLwDQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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Ultimately our single night in Abu Dhabi was well worthwhile. We would have liked to have had tea at Emirate's Palace, but our jet-lag was a bit too strong. I may return one day to see what else the city has to offer and to spend a little more time enjoying the Park Hyatt.<br />
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A review of the Park Hyatt Abu-Dhabi is soon to come, with details of our check-in, the room we crashed in, the suite we spent the night in, breakfast, and our hotel limo (Upscale Sedan) to the Park Hyatt Dubai.<br />
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Useful tidbits and links: I found myself in need of currency at the Dubai Arrivals Area. I found an HSBC ATM and withdrew approximately 1500 AED. I could not tell you what the surcharge was, but that it was not all too significant between three ATM transactions in Dubai and Istanbul. I received an ATM surcharge rebate of $5.45 from my bank, but I am not certain what I was charged for conversions and fees. I was also able to make change by making small purchases at a convenience store at the front of the airport. (Although they frowned on using super-high denomonations for that purpose).<br />
<a href="http://dubaiexoticlimo.com/dodge-charger-vip.html">Dubai Exotic Limo: Our Limo</a><br />
<a href="http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2012/12/31/bling-it-on-park-hyatt-abu-dhabi-saadiyat-island/">My inspiration for our hotel stay in Abu Dhabi: Ben Schlappig's review.</a> (My review to come soon)<br />
<a href="http://www.pointsmd.com/your-very-own-brand-new-camel-watchout-they-spit-2-days-in-abu-dhabi/">My inspiration for excursions in Abu Dhabi: Points MD</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-22914772262947633422016-11-20T12:06:00.001-08:002017-03-04T14:07:05.162-08:00Day 8 Part 2: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB SummaryBetween all we had done over the last week, and our exciting day in Munich, we were exhausted. There was no way we were going to be awake for any portion of our flight to Dubai.... so I thought.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for departure!</td></tr>
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<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b><u>-Day Two:</u></b><u> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</u></a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-8-part-1-6-hours-in-downtown-munich.html"><b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary</a><br />
<b>-<i>Day Eight Part 2:</i></b><i> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary</i><br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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After our meal at the lounge, it was time to go to the gate. Unlike in Washington, nobody came to get us for boarding, we were on our own. We left the lounge and walked a short ways to find the line had already begun to form. We took a seat at the edge of a restaurant across from the gate and waited about 10 minutes before the call for initial boarding. We got up, went to the first class boarding line, and with minimal wait started down the jet-bridge to our seats.<br />
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We loaded our hat collection (3 hats for the two of us), and our luggage into the overheads. Then it was time to change into pajamas before our departure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathroom accent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refreshing pre-bed amenities.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicer than my sink!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jYynYa5gYFEulZTYApLHIN8cnLl64gVJ70_dGOHPQG_RDGTmPWP4wvcpV_65a2s6KyTDxoKM4LMDcfonZ2zFMDFlQX0oxChfPkvnfAj5j8U_i8dYwX6qyxp9Ypch7uB3pDY0seLOp8Jc/s1600/IMG_0834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jYynYa5gYFEulZTYApLHIN8cnLl64gVJ70_dGOHPQG_RDGTmPWP4wvcpV_65a2s6KyTDxoKM4LMDcfonZ2zFMDFlQX0oxChfPkvnfAj5j8U_i8dYwX6qyxp9Ypch7uB3pDY0seLOp8Jc/s320/IMG_0834.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too much of a regular guy for first class!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ_BRK2YGTdA_K34Sx8CK4W9zhrMsCGRlNHpy236xABIeBFiRHSxu2omJm3hGow345cz4gGxBakXI5NqdnY3gfspUdw8an1DlRJqmJBW4QxnkThSEI1TD-M5qvJRFp7qApqMXDQdE8BTE/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQ_BRK2YGTdA_K34Sx8CK4W9zhrMsCGRlNHpy236xABIeBFiRHSxu2omJm3hGow345cz4gGxBakXI5NqdnY3gfspUdw8an1DlRJqmJBW4QxnkThSEI1TD-M5qvJRFp7qApqMXDQdE8BTE/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, you can't exactly enjoy the view while going (hopefully)</td></tr>
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After getting ready, the flight attendant approached us and politely asked if we would give up our two middle seats in the first row to trade for two middle seats in the second row. I was at first confused by the request, until I realized that the only other soul in our cabin was a woman with a window seat in the first row. The flight attendant was just trying to give us all our own rows. So we obliged, settled in, and were soon on our way to Dubai.<br />
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Unlike our previous flight, we decided to go without a meal for the evening. The flight attendant offered us caviar, and we looked at each other trying to decide. We agreed that we'd try it in the morning, and quickly passed out... for just a few hours.... until it was 4:00 A.M and we were awake. A flight attendant noticed we were up and he offered us a drink menu. Being a fan of dessert wines, I asked for a glass of the Neef Emmich 2013 desert wine. And then another. And then another. All told, I probably downed 4-5 glasses of what became my new favorite wine. We were also served chocolates, and overall just had a great relaxing morning wrapped in blankets 30K feet in the air. I also took the moment to boast about our treatment and beverages on Facebook. Of course my main intent with a little boasting is to encourage friends and family to join my points and miles crusade so they can share such amazing experiences with me in the future. It truly isn't out of reach for any of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLubNEOjy_9IGE8NX3VwZvN-1QXShl6FwkHpSTWW8BM_pk3D-CIxQ_cb6_UrrFsZuJp6f5nNIsK_1COpw6hbWRYrukUYJnlult_LzXE1PzUK5rtVFUCQWAP4c9enG-i0XsxY-cS7RRsHuc/s1600/IMG_0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLubNEOjy_9IGE8NX3VwZvN-1QXShl6FwkHpSTWW8BM_pk3D-CIxQ_cb6_UrrFsZuJp6f5nNIsK_1COpw6hbWRYrukUYJnlult_LzXE1PzUK5rtVFUCQWAP4c9enG-i0XsxY-cS7RRsHuc/s320/IMG_0843.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRsTx2K7Vsi0mCLekKbu2EPmvTSbypqRrk4m3nIS2GEbM0aTnvsARVoAIHnoKWW7LTSUC2sRYmx2Gtp81-9K2_hXfn5waIj1rVW0l05OeyMm5_UZEWL517TXd85vJeZ3kDyQL8AnPGgYz/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRsTx2K7Vsi0mCLekKbu2EPmvTSbypqRrk4m3nIS2GEbM0aTnvsARVoAIHnoKWW7LTSUC2sRYmx2Gtp81-9K2_hXfn5waIj1rVW0l05OeyMm5_UZEWL517TXd85vJeZ3kDyQL8AnPGgYz/s320/IMG_0844.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkf-_-S0SPG6HZZmSNOce5_wWqE-qVhAo-BLSrw_HbR4_qNeJCeLdtM3yIMmglYkvkY7HsNGy_RNKbQsWLfKIk_lSjvwaJT5oez4ru08EcMeukaKwcm_oD-aQT-ZmL0Hf1f68R0F61-4U/s1600/IMG_0846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkf-_-S0SPG6HZZmSNOce5_wWqE-qVhAo-BLSrw_HbR4_qNeJCeLdtM3yIMmglYkvkY7HsNGy_RNKbQsWLfKIk_lSjvwaJT5oez4ru08EcMeukaKwcm_oD-aQT-ZmL0Hf1f68R0F61-4U/s320/IMG_0846.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pineapple Coco Smoothie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU8lGNtWg5TwlB_XeKZenUY7Ll3Lt-XwcH6hK3bPMRSms5-ohHM4nOY266yp7eHLjV0wFr8OvSI6G16V3llqeQ9N-2gtgyWRfJg7wggGnmS9XPETcG5xjzZO4DQ9JF1tgVOqa1pMOLMAo/s1600/IMG_0847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCU8lGNtWg5TwlB_XeKZenUY7Ll3Lt-XwcH6hK3bPMRSms5-ohHM4nOY266yp7eHLjV0wFr8OvSI6G16V3llqeQ9N-2gtgyWRfJg7wggGnmS9XPETcG5xjzZO4DQ9JF1tgVOqa1pMOLMAo/s320/IMG_0847.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caviar on Lufthansa First</td></tr>
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We knew there was no more sleep to be had, so we continued to relax as we cruised towards Dubai. For breakfast I took them up on their offer of caviar and enjoyed a pineapple Coco smoothie. Then it was time to get dressed.<br />
After a smooth landing, we begrudgingly disembarked and trotted up the jet-bridge with our luggage in tow.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1eHUc_hLGRWMJxP223WCi4-IFSVEp-L-gLx5txEvjm5JRW9K-NCjEoZNAjXID9Q0J4dHWcBGdZNiHDL0dgUv9k1TgTO19zX4YgO09Ik5onoWkCo052Qem3DCuL4sewcdFYs-C-vSSe47/s1600/IMG_0850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1eHUc_hLGRWMJxP223WCi4-IFSVEp-L-gLx5txEvjm5JRW9K-NCjEoZNAjXID9Q0J4dHWcBGdZNiHDL0dgUv9k1TgTO19zX4YgO09Ik5onoWkCo052Qem3DCuL4sewcdFYs-C-vSSe47/s320/IMG_0850.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Class Service: Guidance from gate to curb.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NYafgFdfC1F-4jVcCD3Y1CPh_gD0Fw4Im1qLM27yPQxt-MIHVrOFL2FG6-7y-TN5uBESntNlQrYIuBXrG-nh2dpKOeaJ9THbcYelTRBKUp6wFUv0xMSq53mLjfMTK-ixa75O8Iun5JQI/s1600/IMG_0852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NYafgFdfC1F-4jVcCD3Y1CPh_gD0Fw4Im1qLM27yPQxt-MIHVrOFL2FG6-7y-TN5uBESntNlQrYIuBXrG-nh2dpKOeaJ9THbcYelTRBKUp6wFUv0xMSq53mLjfMTK-ixa75O8Iun5JQI/s320/IMG_0852.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Khloe.</td></tr>
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We were met just outside the gate by Khloe, who guided us through Customs and out to the curb. Having her by our side all the way to the curb made the experience of arriving in Dubai extremely comfortable. We gathered our bags at baggage claim and continued on until we reached a lounge by the curb with all of our belongings. It was at this moment that we realized we had left our 3 hats in the overhead bins and Khloe showed us her true value. While Kim stayed with our bags at the curbside lounge, Khloe guided me to lost and found. They in turn got in touch with the gate crew, who informed us that the plane had not been fully cleaned out yet. Unfortunately there was nothing more that could be done at that time, but Khloe volunteered to follow up with lost and found and get in touch with us as soon as she knew more. Later that day while in Abu Dhabi, Khloe left a voicemail informing us that our hats would be waiting for us at lost and found. More on that story to follow.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-48898387043220679822016-11-20T12:06:00.000-08:002016-12-07T13:58:09.180-08:00Day 8 Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich SummaryAfter the extravagant first leg of our trip, we had arrived in Munich! We followed a simple set of directions to find the First Class Lounge, just a short walk away from our gate. We were warmly greeted at the entrance, and discussed our options with the front desk for getting into downtown Munich. But first it was time to kick back for a little bit and get our bearings. The lounge agents sat directly across from the customs agent, and they explained to him that we were going to leave later (thank goodness, because he spoke little to no English). He had us keep our passports since we'd be leaving soon enough.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGC7freVdDEBeodE4TB4ODaOAnp1iu8QUd6cehWIt1YxK8rUMUTpp31XM3A4UCY2iBvwfwoK2rCSzoXoMIsDW5AkTcrwKD0piEU3pDos0XlFFEyf-hiY-J9KTbs1CZKWW-DaMifNElx1B/s1600/IMG_6209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGC7freVdDEBeodE4TB4ODaOAnp1iu8QUd6cehWIt1YxK8rUMUTpp31XM3A4UCY2iBvwfwoK2rCSzoXoMIsDW5AkTcrwKD0piEU3pDos0XlFFEyf-hiY-J9KTbs1CZKWW-DaMifNElx1B/s640/IMG_6209.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LH First Class Lounge Bar.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b><u>-Day Two:</u></b><u> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</u></a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/day-7-lufthansa-first-class-a330-300.html"><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</a><br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfYACmBQQv7CKjhh64goIw82xj0WG7MH-nAQE4EKo1QVqrvBcrbIxqi19bDEjhXEiGV7H6awcdAhD2N91anMI25CCKP5CgmhZ4A-zEaK2aHXOWyLBg5fsvtjCAof1ugz0nxE46iSZGC_W/s1600/IMG_6141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfYACmBQQv7CKjhh64goIw82xj0WG7MH-nAQE4EKo1QVqrvBcrbIxqi19bDEjhXEiGV7H6awcdAhD2N91anMI25CCKP5CgmhZ4A-zEaK2aHXOWyLBg5fsvtjCAof1ugz0nxE46iSZGC_W/s400/IMG_6141.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macaron Selection at the Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPybngdvdIVzrEQF7IKNbuRZ5a3TBBJqvFJH2ct6Dmbgj3_ZPKjQVabBiePERGCsez68Xbh47PpLbAvyz8Ayc-0RBJ5nfvHFy2s7fTZ436apMeWISwcKZWEeRaSJlFFTCNB1Qwq2vrrYi3/s1600/IMG_6219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPybngdvdIVzrEQF7IKNbuRZ5a3TBBJqvFJH2ct6Dmbgj3_ZPKjQVabBiePERGCsez68Xbh47PpLbAvyz8Ayc-0RBJ5nfvHFy2s7fTZ436apMeWISwcKZWEeRaSJlFFTCNB1Qwq2vrrYi3/s200/IMG_6219.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snacks at LH First Class Lounge</td></tr>
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After sorting the confusion, we were led into the lounge and we took a seat and started munching on some Macarons. At first, I was hesitant to eat them, as they appeared to be more for decoration. But within a minute or two of eating a few, they were immediately replenished by a lounge attendant.<br />
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I was not very hungry after our breakfast so I didn't indulge in much, but there was definitely a variety available... from the macarons to gummy bears, soft pretzels and more. They also had fruit infused water available, and they had a full bar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy22JsmdODbqwXXtdwN-HFv51sZZOdlnqUFLZtkHFrY2LvsdhnurtZLLYGZSeXpSWG5JIxb3qRgJTMOm0O88hjPH4TE9bKOp3QKU6iwL4o2232jMYNZa8BHpauaDgZZ5IEp7D50fqv_H0n/s1600/IMG_6214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy22JsmdODbqwXXtdwN-HFv51sZZOdlnqUFLZtkHFrY2LvsdhnurtZLLYGZSeXpSWG5JIxb3qRgJTMOm0O88hjPH4TE9bKOp3QKU6iwL4o2232jMYNZa8BHpauaDgZZ5IEp7D50fqv_H0n/s200/IMG_6214.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverage options at LH First Class <br />
Lounge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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While I kicked back on the couch, Kim went exploring and discovered the showers. After our long and rather warm flight over from DC, we definitely needed one.<br />
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While tolerable for her, I discovered that I could not get the water warm enough for comfort, and an attempt at a different shower room yielded no better result. I eventually gave up on freshening up and went back into the main lounge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VCuiYCvPaowp_Kef5jGGWVfY3JhfEcpj0QjV475xAhMZc6-Z25NbLTA0fTki5okKIxDtaHjykgdC3kFybhoW3w92uDwX92oL53VPkQqmsJ3MPbn9MbdI178kMnUGJeq9HWuivRpCZw4J/s1600/IMG_0808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VCuiYCvPaowp_Kef5jGGWVfY3JhfEcpj0QjV475xAhMZc6-Z25NbLTA0fTki5okKIxDtaHjykgdC3kFybhoW3w92uDwX92oL53VPkQqmsJ3MPbn9MbdI178kMnUGJeq9HWuivRpCZw4J/s320/IMG_0808.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sink at the shower room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBMF9M3W0MOLNHsnuSRsxXgHplgdL5j_o6bfmuzKoPZYks6Tp3Mq2xUN_0wDZ02Hpzwyt2wJZZ95b5aOEar-iDVLx4R1NBfkD9rMRNdl37oaozIRn00hwoiZGLlM38wDW8wCI0cL9t8WS/s1600/IMG_0809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBMF9M3W0MOLNHsnuSRsxXgHplgdL5j_o6bfmuzKoPZYks6Tp3Mq2xUN_0wDZ02Hpzwyt2wJZZ95b5aOEar-iDVLx4R1NBfkD9rMRNdl37oaozIRn00hwoiZGLlM38wDW8wCI0cL9t8WS/s320/IMG_0809.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfume at the shower room. LH First Class<br />
Lounge MUC</td></tr>
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On my way to the showers, I also noticed a Cigar Lounge. While it's not something I'd ever partake in, it certainly appeared classy, with comfortable seating and available whiskey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXir-lEBrlhtMx73MMQGv1wMcgTjxJAGYXBhDeidiyPs3XQ6GshJpmjHxXeuyiAoT41ACoRmzq0KRr_Y5adw-NXaQ4TP4SFF4jqOeIjJq8zHISUkq6dnGIBtG1glzd3fXF0vITHs7K8SxR/s1600/IMG_0810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXir-lEBrlhtMx73MMQGv1wMcgTjxJAGYXBhDeidiyPs3XQ6GshJpmjHxXeuyiAoT41ACoRmzq0KRr_Y5adw-NXaQ4TP4SFF4jqOeIjJq8zHISUkq6dnGIBtG1glzd3fXF0vITHs7K8SxR/s320/IMG_0810.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cigar Lounge at the Munich First Class Lounge</td></tr>
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After gathering our things, we headed out to the city, dropping off unneeded luggage at the lounge storage room. We walked through and out of the terminal and followed the signs for the metro rail. We purchased two day passes directly from a station agent and made our way down the escalator onto a waiting train. After a five minute minute wait, the train departed towards Marienplatz, Munich's city center. The trip to Marienplatz is about 45 minutes long, and is relatively comfortable. The train is akin to a subway or metro in the U.S. It cost us approximately $26.50 for the day passes ($13.25 per person). Very shortly after we departed the airport, an attendant began requesting to view people's tickets. I suggest you keep it at the ready if you embark on the same venture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht25vBphEU-AGaz8fMw8ZJArPf7BWRRx3Il8LoH15J4UzM8t3gR_rT3zg9VG_DOAeiUikw0ot7hrWfvzm4N0WgFUpExZRnoLzxdkVriA4EF6kNalJQCrrrf1pCpt47KiBbU_ve4kAuYUhM/s1600/IMG_6172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht25vBphEU-AGaz8fMw8ZJArPf7BWRRx3Il8LoH15J4UzM8t3gR_rT3zg9VG_DOAeiUikw0ot7hrWfvzm4N0WgFUpExZRnoLzxdkVriA4EF6kNalJQCrrrf1pCpt47KiBbU_ve4kAuYUhM/s320/IMG_6172.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just outside Marienplatz Station</td></tr>
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We arrived to a bustling and loud city center. It may have been the day of a soccer game because there were marches, there was chanting, there was general excitement in the air. We took the escalator up the the ground level and found ourselves in the midst of some incredible history and architectural wonders.<br />
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It took a moment to take it all in. Church bells rang every so often, and the noise came from all over. Chanting continued from nearby.<br />
The air was slightly chilly, and we began walking in a generally random direction. We found a chocolate shop (I believe it was Chocolaterie Beluga) , a miniature farmers market (Victuals Market), some cafes, some retail shops. We continued along some of the sidewalks and passed by some adult shops displaying the latest in fashionable adult toys. <br />
We picked up some postcards at a convenience store and walked a block down to Caffe Piemonte, a hidden gem tucked nearby the Heiliggeistkirche.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQRj69SCS7rAKhUGm6ZR1pTYE0UkrFZpyiX9lKKXZ6y4CLCmORJUbJGG42-39Ox_TOSs_3Xm0_1BzTRZUTctI-U2kMr3ntWtwjqP80ysQuTNYN5kCgb09s8fd1OUMrmDE5iMFaHG0VLF0/s1600/IMG_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQRj69SCS7rAKhUGm6ZR1pTYE0UkrFZpyiX9lKKXZ6y4CLCmORJUbJGG42-39Ox_TOSs_3Xm0_1BzTRZUTctI-U2kMr3ntWtwjqP80ysQuTNYN5kCgb09s8fd1OUMrmDE5iMFaHG0VLF0/s640/IMG_0812.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's right, I made this photo extra-large.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Apple Strudel at Caffe Piedmonte</td></tr>
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It was here that we both indulged in some delicious apple and cheese strudels, while enjoying the atmosphere. We then continued to visit the Heiliggeistkirche Munich, a gothic church built in the 14th century.<br />
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We spent only a short amount of time inside admiring the detail and architecture of the building and its interior. While there were a few worshipers, it seemed the mass of the crowd inside were like Kim and I: cameras out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoMitBSFFqjCVUISFXqSeu9blGOcAV76BdENOgWgUrE3FdjUf37okHCKkSufYZFEECUwbTFAKhvvLYaV-5N9gfX4H6CrZMgq1D-AYqKsHl5qHPRYbz-cs3sM5PtMKZnczmghpLM61_Ixv/s1600/IMG_6147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoMitBSFFqjCVUISFXqSeu9blGOcAV76BdENOgWgUrE3FdjUf37okHCKkSufYZFEECUwbTFAKhvvLYaV-5N9gfX4H6CrZMgq1D-AYqKsHl5qHPRYbz-cs3sM5PtMKZnczmghpLM61_Ixv/s320/IMG_6147.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Inside the Heiliggeistkirche Munich.</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkOyUrYrYssykT5k5MmkB80Mq42Yk10TuBh1aVG3nDOePr860TA8qHfpBsZGJyit3d8aXlVUndtuUhaI8EzboSajAD64a086Hi0uLp05mRRjDjYKr8-6bMLHt4oS406Dbxg6zy-H4EW8t/s1600/IMG_6203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkOyUrYrYssykT5k5MmkB80Mq42Yk10TuBh1aVG3nDOePr860TA8qHfpBsZGJyit3d8aXlVUndtuUhaI8EzboSajAD64a086Hi0uLp05mRRjDjYKr8-6bMLHt4oS406Dbxg6zy-H4EW8t/s320/IMG_6203.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Altes Rathaus: Old Town Hall, Munich</td></tr>
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After finishing some photos and taking a couple postcards (available in the back with donation), we continued out to the town square where we started, and found the tower of the Altes Rathaus. We entered the base of the tower and climbed some stairs to the entrance of a toy museum. But despite a relatively minor surcharge to visit (about six bucks a person), we were pretty much out of cash at this point, so we elected not to continue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ec_yX2Bvr8P5NLK28ypdB-7txxsHLbsjCP35b-kA9-BEATwQim4qtDvhwT4P0eV0VcXijrLO7WszgKcHmzDhBuTAmo67fYcBp8X3eUH6EpO2qDb_htxFyuSohLxZqlxOJLA736HLtEpO/s1600/IMG_6172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ec_yX2Bvr8P5NLK28ypdB-7txxsHLbsjCP35b-kA9-BEATwQim4qtDvhwT4P0eV0VcXijrLO7WszgKcHmzDhBuTAmo67fYcBp8X3eUH6EpO2qDb_htxFyuSohLxZqlxOJLA736HLtEpO/s320/IMG_6172.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Outside the Neues Rathaus.</td></tr>
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Next up we visited the courtyard of the Neues Rathaus, one of the most prominent pieces of Architecture visible from the town square. During business hours tourists are able to visit the clock tower for views of the city, but as we were running out of time we decided to skip out on this opportunity. Instead we walked a little further down the road past several retailers and through another rowdy football crowd flanked by police over to the Frauenkirche, another incredible church. Then it was time to head back to the airport. For our entire time of exploring, we had never wandered far from the train station, and the hardest part of the navigation was finding the proper tracks once we arrived at the station. After traversing several escalators and meandering around several paths, all while surrounded by the noisy football fans, we found our train, and were on our way back.<br />
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After getting back to the airport station and walking across the giant airport atrium to the terminal, we found the first class check-in and security. Since we already had our boarding passes, we bypassed the check-in counter and went straight to the security line. With NOBODY else waiting. It was no less convenient in terms of strictness of the security (and that's for the best), but there was no rush to move through the queue. After passing through the metal detectors, we started on a journey in the wrong direction, making our way to the standard customs entrance. My girlfriend smartly guided me away from this area back towards terminal 2 (per what the lounge attendants had advised us to do) and we found the first class lounge entrance, where we gathered our things from the storage area, took the elevator up a level, and went through a simple customs procedure with the agent at the lounge entrance, leaving our passports with him. Then was time for an hour or so of relaxation and dinner before our boarding.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR1smcf-PbZASiWNwtNUppdGkYwYE92eSwsuIIZ3swQiZame_9hWDDSaTpy8q3ZxQdOuVMcOAmHCOhcJrgA3HCMkAX_Q7mZ_j1KZWvOguM-zOL1s35GuaQiwb1dMXLvHS1-b6N0NCRdxb/s1600/IMG_6215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR1smcf-PbZASiWNwtNUppdGkYwYE92eSwsuIIZ3swQiZame_9hWDDSaTpy8q3ZxQdOuVMcOAmHCOhcJrgA3HCMkAX_Q7mZ_j1KZWvOguM-zOL1s35GuaQiwb1dMXLvHS1-b6N0NCRdxb/s640/IMG_6215.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Dining area, Munich First Class Lounge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBirRfMAO3fIqG2GiyyxPzKKu9LotJOWb1weFPzvIw-nFLi8w2_xB3Rcl1maWSjbQNiGJjNNYbryKWTuB9b102XMcPPfXfjynkL44XOQM3v29gFURfKPJpvHBa9Kx3xM79BaT_ZC8QesV/s1600/IMG_0825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBirRfMAO3fIqG2GiyyxPzKKu9LotJOWb1weFPzvIw-nFLi8w2_xB3Rcl1maWSjbQNiGJjNNYbryKWTuB9b102XMcPPfXfjynkL44XOQM3v29gFURfKPJpvHBa9Kx3xM79BaT_ZC8QesV/s320/IMG_0825.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Cabbage, German Potatoe Salad, Schnitzel, Spatzle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKd3gmXstwZN-5tTg3qII2Fwr0eGrmPCxG7P8VYpy9aFwTUJdxvOCg8N_-TJJmnEr0KC_plo1EUlV5dmEMUim_T8NSTfPZlXRLOmouVuAz0PhVIAK4ypOamC_csn-q9pDpnpFZyFP5TtQg/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKd3gmXstwZN-5tTg3qII2Fwr0eGrmPCxG7P8VYpy9aFwTUJdxvOCg8N_-TJJmnEr0KC_plo1EUlV5dmEMUim_T8NSTfPZlXRLOmouVuAz0PhVIAK4ypOamC_csn-q9pDpnpFZyFP5TtQg/s320/IMG_0822.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef Filet with Asparagus and Salad</td></tr>
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We took seats in the dining room of the lounge and were soon handed dinner menus. Though none of it looked particularly appealing to me (more a cause of the descriptions than the actual food), the food actually turned out pretty great. Admittedly I made the mistake of ordering a beef filet while Kim splurged on Schnitzel, which is the proper choice for dinner in Germany. I enjoyed a bite of her meal and would have otherwise ordered one for myself but for that we were running out of time. After finishing dinner we quickly gathered our belongings and headed out for our next flight.<br />
Next up: Day 8 Part 2: Lufthansa First Class MUC-DXB.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-84021239301005445282016-11-20T12:05:00.001-08:002017-01-18T12:09:49.902-08:00Day 7: Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC, Summary.When we first booked our flight from Washington Dulles to Dubai, we were scheduled on United's direct flight in business class at the cost of 70,000 United Miles per person. Then late last year, United announced they would be ending their direct service to Dubai, meaning we had to rebook. We were changed over to Lufthansa Business Class, connecting in Frankfurt. Our flight IAD-FRA would be on a 747-8, and our flight FRA-DXB would be on an A330-300. <br />
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<br />
<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html"><b><u>-Day Two:</u></b><u> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</u></a><br />
<a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/11/days-3-through-6-dc-area-recommendations.html"><b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</a><br />
<i><b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary</i><br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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Normally, this flight would run 80,000 miles per person, but due to United's cancellation of our original flight, we incurred no extra mileage cost. Fourteen days before our flight, I began to monitor availability for First Class.<br />
Though first class did pop up, the only flight that ever became available was on an A330-300 connecting in Munich. I questioned whether it'd be worthwhile to change our flights, given that we'd each incur change fees and close-in booking fees adding up to $250 per person. On top of this, it would be an additional 70,000 miles per person (for 140K total per person), I would not get to fly on a 747 (something I've always wanted to do), and we would be unable to experience Lufthansa's First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.<br />
We decided against it.<br />
But then, the night prior to our business class flight from Washington Dulles to Dubai through Frankfurt, we changed our minds and upgraded our flight to first class.<br />
At first, it became apparent that we had made a terrible choice. Due to a snaffu involving misinformation from customer service and my eagerness to get the flight booked ASAP, I ended up spending 3 hours on the phone with United. This detracted from spending the last night in D.C with my family, and it loaded me with a heavy amount of stress. After several agents, the snaffu was resolved, but not before I unnecessarily transferred 40,000 Ultimate rewards points into Kim's United account, something I was kicking myself for during a good portion of the call.<br />
In the end it was worth it, as all $500 of change fees and close-in booking fees were waived because of the confusion. Kim still has those 40K United Miles in her account, and we have yet to determine what they'll be used on.<br />
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Our final booking was as follows:<br />
LH415 IAD-MUC Seats 1D & 1G. Depart 10:30 P.M Arrive 12:45 P.M (8hr, 15mins)<br />
LH638 MUC-DXB Seats 1D & 1G. Depart 10:15 P.M Arrive 6:20 A.M (6hr, 5 mins)<br />
<br />
Our total cost for this flight was 140,000 Miles and ~$75 per person.<br />
Estimated cash cost for a one way ticket: $11,000+<br />
<br />
After saying goodbye to my dad, my mother drove Kim and I to Dulles at a ripe 7:30 P.M. It was my belief that such time was far too early, but it turned out for the best.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCaxgnPtlZH2euMkcWUqBa0xHKc9Hd11eN7XC4oGaGfe6pCXKcHdQAmA_0USDwkWfy8K2E9JKbG8gtEiAT7XH1EK2rDPz7rfOf0Fh4Wjzy6sF_ZA_w_DN4kaWn3EewBJ4wW7jioktxmpX/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCaxgnPtlZH2euMkcWUqBa0xHKc9Hd11eN7XC4oGaGfe6pCXKcHdQAmA_0USDwkWfy8K2E9JKbG8gtEiAT7XH1EK2rDPz7rfOf0Fh4Wjzy6sF_ZA_w_DN4kaWn3EewBJ4wW7jioktxmpX/s320/IMG_0743.JPG" width="240" /></a>We made our way to the first class check-in, though given how early it was, there was only one other couple in the queue. Ironically, despite the other couple standing in the business class line, they were called over first.<br />
Not much of a biggie.<br />
We were assisted quickly, though I didn't specifically feel any more special treatment at the counter than I might normally receive. We took our boarding passes, clamped in a fancy first class folder, then hopped over to a currency exchange to get some Euro's.<br />
I'm fairly confident I paid more than necessary for the exchange (I couldn't tell you now the rate), but we were on vacation, and convenience always wins over cost (to a limit).<br />
From the exchange, we took the escalator down to security.<br />
It was at the bottom of the escalator that I noticed both boarding passes were in my name. No, not just the two passes for the two legs, all four printed passes were for me. We took the escalator back up, went right back up to the desk (there was nobody at all in the queue at this point), and got the error resolved.<br />
Again, no biggie and no hard feelings against the agent, but in general you could probably expect a more efficient process.<br />
Finally we were off through security, onto the tram, and over to our terminal. From the tram exit we made our way to the business class lounge and the real experience began.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUlv4EWjA_kNrYIy07RMhOQurvg6e6oWlOzax7thxEsddKYKSuk6KhY8uT8SIdNluSLdbV1uL4BoSqXZG2RD-435RJfWeeu_doe4FkEVTkjTn29ooXGLFqJk2ZkKzbReo7k0nnKR-gqax/s1600/IMG_0745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUlv4EWjA_kNrYIy07RMhOQurvg6e6oWlOzax7thxEsddKYKSuk6KhY8uT8SIdNluSLdbV1uL4BoSqXZG2RD-435RJfWeeu_doe4FkEVTkjTn29ooXGLFqJk2ZkKzbReo7k0nnKR-gqax/s320/IMG_0745.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cavatelli with Artichokes and herbed ricotta:<br />
compliments of First Class!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is no separate lounge at Dulles for Lufthansa first class (the agents even apologized for not having a first class lounge), but a portion of the business class lounge is dedicated to first class passengers, where a full meal is served, drinks are consistently offered, and passenger comfort is of the essence.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3yJIlZi6O96aIEAbkawlH2PupvMBF5gso_phLecV4UJck0bS9lyEQq4vc0OGxaCZiWmBMQyCEtRemH9-KLiwHDRWTebre39mcPsy0LMG-B8BgAalBROIBjGnDR-ofQX-v4Q3kkZMQ4iO/s1600/IMG_074edit4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3yJIlZi6O96aIEAbkawlH2PupvMBF5gso_phLecV4UJck0bS9lyEQq4vc0OGxaCZiWmBMQyCEtRemH9-KLiwHDRWTebre39mcPsy0LMG-B8BgAalBROIBjGnDR-ofQX-v4Q3kkZMQ4iO/s320/IMG_074edit4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drink offerings at the First Class portion <br />
of the business class lounge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On arrival there was only one other passenger in the first class section, though that eventually bumped up to about 6 or 7 people.<br />
The agent at the front desk welcomed us, and introduced us to Ebee, who ended up serving us our drinks and taking our food orders. She was exceptionally friendly, and gave us great recommendations. She also tipped us off to the secret of our delectable caramel ice-cream: it was Breyers!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OjPsXde7FX9qOPoJgZfxwuVmnX_nPnYQ5O7UNd75xsIMlz-HhryBkzBcacYx7ngZerI-wSsS0NYd-kxPL1WoGJZryTfudnvlzRNBJas5YSS5UieorohiDtbXidP6lwheR4Qrcd77sVue/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OjPsXde7FX9qOPoJgZfxwuVmnX_nPnYQ5O7UNd75xsIMlz-HhryBkzBcacYx7ngZerI-wSsS0NYd-kxPL1WoGJZryTfudnvlzRNBJas5YSS5UieorohiDtbXidP6lwheR4Qrcd77sVue/s320/IMG_0747.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert! Toasted Cocunut Cheesecake with <br />
Caramel Sorbet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For dinner I chose the Cavatelli with Artichokes and herbed ricotta. Admittedly I didn't quite know what Cavatelli was, but it turned out decent enough. In retrospect, it wasn't my cup of tea, and had I known, I might have chosen the filet of Atlantic Cod instead, but my meal was in no way poorly made, and I'm always a fan of ricotta and of artichokes.<br />
We also sipped on Lemon Drops (specially prepared by Ebee, despite the lounge not having the proper ingredients available) and Rum and Coke while awaiting our flight.<br />
For desert, we had an excellent slice of cheesecake topped with the previously mentioned Breyer's caramel ice cream.<br />
<br />
We finished our desert just in time (though I was unable to down my entire dinner). An agent came to inform us that we were boarding. We grabbed our things and I expected we'd be headed out the way we came. To my pleasant surprise, the agent led us through a side door out the first class area of the lounge. She scanned our boarding passes, and we made an immediate left turn to the jet bridge. (Jet-bridge visible in photo of cheesecake).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4l16l2tJwIVkz5rkMLgiiYWdzjXncGTFMwAVmMx4NI24S1GRyf3gX_Y_AJZ5iDUFecL-IUjBHfCGJwY2wH3rBNrbtHd-WRR7-JxFyzdXM_i4_nuTk84pZpKcZw4P3RvLi6EptPHW7yhL/s1600/IMG_0796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4l16l2tJwIVkz5rkMLgiiYWdzjXncGTFMwAVmMx4NI24S1GRyf3gX_Y_AJZ5iDUFecL-IUjBHfCGJwY2wH3rBNrbtHd-WRR7-JxFyzdXM_i4_nuTk84pZpKcZw4P3RvLi6EptPHW7yhL/s320/IMG_0796.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Admittedly, most of the flight was a blur. Among the dozens of other activities and hotels and restaurants, it's hard to look back and remember the exact details. But what I do remember is being warmly welcomed, and gaping at the largest and most luxurious airline seat I've ever seen.<br />
<br />
But there was little time to admire. We were in a rush! To put on pajamas!?!?! <br />
<br />
Yes, while economy continued to board behind us, each of the 5 first class passengers (out of 8 seats) took turns changing in the restroom. Soon we were all kicked back, our belongings stored in various overhead bins and cupboards.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyLJR_ktCCp9-WPJM7WxrQmlul8ObAtTlMNOqdrd6zZpVgEVE-YojoCtAs29nrgdmJfaWAmn3BxjlbWYbAbGeXKUnYf1NXeohr5QiIRXis76LWWs0EP8lBvdVGNzdw7o4ZvpP3VP3_ct1/s1600/IMG_6048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyLJR_ktCCp9-WPJM7WxrQmlul8ObAtTlMNOqdrd6zZpVgEVE-YojoCtAs29nrgdmJfaWAmn3BxjlbWYbAbGeXKUnYf1NXeohr5QiIRXis76LWWs0EP8lBvdVGNzdw7o4ZvpP3VP3_ct1/s320/IMG_6048.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champagne and Macadamia Nuts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next up: Champaigne and Macadamia nuts!<br />
<br />
As we settled in, I requested a photo from the flight attendants, who happily obliged. We configured Kim's seat to lie flat and gave her a blanket for the photo, but as it was pre-departure, they did not fully make up the bed. After our quick photo-shoot, we positioned our seats upright (as required). Soon, we were off. As we climbed to cruising altitude, we admired our hard-case amenity kit, which featured a variety of useful toiletries and a blindfold, among other things.<br />
<br />
After getting airborne and approaching cruising altitude, we requested our beds be made up. We were full and exhausted, and definitely ready for some sleep.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1dIF5H0mIsHRG4sTUNWuIEgY3e5be9Li3AueVqXqsmz306j-CKMIRcswUWBEetVksGOn6PHy-YVmmrO3snKTZ09RedUO9xEzhYl_7YFjMdSYN4BZt2v6OJqlFKALsSwJ3Nft7PDCLue_/s1600/IMG_6046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1dIF5H0mIsHRG4sTUNWuIEgY3e5be9Li3AueVqXqsmz306j-CKMIRcswUWBEetVksGOn6PHy-YVmmrO3snKTZ09RedUO9xEzhYl_7YFjMdSYN4BZt2v6OJqlFKALsSwJ3Nft7PDCLue_/s400/IMG_6046.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-departure photo shoot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m1a9DqXG2QEFfTn5hwjlGlik6PNjsGB9WMdCEBeKYfJAEv9qFVUo5z6EhtzANwQSVgQKIaCO9129h5R02KY7PRD8dRELWDRBN_PLQ8iuQx28bllRk1AuyntzHNIRqD5Z2oXmPj2tzlg1/s1600/IMG_6044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0m1a9DqXG2QEFfTn5hwjlGlik6PNjsGB9WMdCEBeKYfJAEv9qFVUo5z6EhtzANwQSVgQKIaCO9129h5R02KY7PRD8dRELWDRBN_PLQ8iuQx28bllRk1AuyntzHNIRqD5Z2oXmPj2tzlg1/s400/IMG_6044.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome view from the seat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSP9O5trvTkXbX-rwKYO8pDf_diimknCdMhSetaMzgzMX_g2DEBitEFfpZsFmjc3tJBDoEcsSjGZdKVgx8xE95s71ppNzY9wjIbawCK1w5H5ogbRMkwW7EQXXDZyL0IS5pHg80bfbzyK2/s1600/IMG_6049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSP9O5trvTkXbX-rwKYO8pDf_diimknCdMhSetaMzgzMX_g2DEBitEFfpZsFmjc3tJBDoEcsSjGZdKVgx8xE95s71ppNzY9wjIbawCK1w5H5ogbRMkwW7EQXXDZyL0IS5pHg80bfbzyK2/s400/IMG_6049.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miniature Hard-Shelled Suitcase Amenity kits!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuAAazdMCq0jlZOLsVztBif1PuljbRtXestJOmCQpPE6IOBHhIwoGcjEIo8t7WNpScOOtmav82CqP6Vahe1tvCUBDHAfz922u2c3gSjqn1jBvd_8eoipZnr7MbcbZRi8aDpE8tAH4LmUe/s1600/IMG_6051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuAAazdMCq0jlZOLsVztBif1PuljbRtXestJOmCQpPE6IOBHhIwoGcjEIo8t7WNpScOOtmav82CqP6Vahe1tvCUBDHAfz922u2c3gSjqn1jBvd_8eoipZnr7MbcbZRi8aDpE8tAH4LmUe/s400/IMG_6051.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Made Up Beds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hard as it is to admit, the ultimate in luxury failed me at this point. Despite a very comfortable, spacious, and private sleeping area, as I've heard is typical with international airlines the cabin was a tad too warm for me. I tossed and turned for a good portion of the evening, though I did manage to get some shut-eye in the process. Despite the high temperature, I'm convinced I was in a much better position than had I flown business or economy on this 8 hour leg. And when it was finally time to open the shades and have breakfast, I was certainly not in a foul mood. (I managed a little more sleep on the second leg, as well).<br />
The dark cabin slowly became light and others began to stir. I woke up and we all started preparing for breakfast. First on the menu was changing into regular clothes. Everybody settled in before the carts came out.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF9WW7cJzGsQt06Eais1jfS5ON0HQbw5Q3jkcQqmiew2nO9jxvV9Ocy-Ckf-7PRvfNjJgZ6xJxpn0l5ltjjNNO4bWQzxWs4eRk6WDWzBW1oz_SHs3bqQOCNQffTcF6uWIkbk3UjXBkhuJ/s1600/9+-+Lufthansa+First.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF9WW7cJzGsQt06Eais1jfS5ON0HQbw5Q3jkcQqmiew2nO9jxvV9Ocy-Ckf-7PRvfNjJgZ6xJxpn0l5ltjjNNO4bWQzxWs4eRk6WDWzBW1oz_SHs3bqQOCNQffTcF6uWIkbk3UjXBkhuJ/s400/9+-+Lufthansa+First.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lufthansa First Class 360. View larger version <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@48.35463,11.76328,3a,75y,173.56h,74.01t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-s9BVl2NjgtA%2FWDHvWjmrjkI%2FAAAAAAAABCc%2F4Es9cPWorVo42QlrcEABiTgyW99fSc0KQCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-s9BVl2NjgtA%2FWDHvWjmrjkI%2FAAAAAAAABCc%2F4Es9cPWorVo42QlrcEABiTgyW99fSc0KQCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1">HERE.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBjIBzdUHJNHWtxfbHj9o2mYdsq9YCkatF5BFEvpZTL4QFk671Dzac3OHq_McBO8oyU6XrJYp2Rub1TiSU5qp-SGuUjiT90adgkSotGZY7Mzufwsp381os2eW9Yx0J-c5LSdw6lZeUOLc/s1600/IMG_0803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBjIBzdUHJNHWtxfbHj9o2mYdsq9YCkatF5BFEvpZTL4QFk671Dzac3OHq_McBO8oyU6XrJYp2Rub1TiSU5qp-SGuUjiT90adgkSotGZY7Mzufwsp381os2eW9Yx0J-c5LSdw6lZeUOLc/s400/IMG_0803.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We were served more champagne, mimosas, offered a variety of cheeses, and handed an amazing platter of bacon and eggs. To top off the morning we were given a box of chocolates... because life is like it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP379QMpOnc4XcmmzGwHiECIjgG97aNXZLdVfFJFKpfTbqM6CnhSBq1_z_YrVqCsymQ2v1vGZRf_qVGw3ymmfiT3PoCvSa8n3KNcWYkgo1_XMnslBli9TnyDaR12EqbuSyA3s4Pe3Z4-2L/s1600/IMG_6129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP379QMpOnc4XcmmzGwHiECIjgG97aNXZLdVfFJFKpfTbqM6CnhSBq1_z_YrVqCsymQ2v1vGZRf_qVGw3ymmfiT3PoCvSa8n3KNcWYkgo1_XMnslBli9TnyDaR12EqbuSyA3s4Pe3Z4-2L/s320/IMG_6129.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymumdZ_KXXnszVy59q3li2o_pqqK9GZsRruQLLbABPBMDQtBq2UYZTIdwZB3d553l0gAqeUjHFfyCpLA1HmbMFEMqBrp__zl7quN1sXUqiK5iuO5bDgxTe3nNgM0HHYFQiJV7QpfxUybI/s1600/IMG_6132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymumdZ_KXXnszVy59q3li2o_pqqK9GZsRruQLLbABPBMDQtBq2UYZTIdwZB3d553l0gAqeUjHFfyCpLA1HmbMFEMqBrp__zl7quN1sXUqiK5iuO5bDgxTe3nNgM0HHYFQiJV7QpfxUybI/s320/IMG_6132.JPG" width="213" /></a><br />
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<br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Left: Champagne and Mimosa.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Right: Bacon and Eggs.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bottom: Box of Chocolates.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi53GkmhlBkMk0eu5dHZmhxJZhFgzw3ni8Mj4r9NjnZgPinJ2HYt9EUCm_pCwV6skcoN-g0dxZF6CdcQx4o3iIRJAOh7olIg72OIZFXPpYWZiLKBLhZ97suaGJKKAI16Nd_Rm9JV9xLGXE/s1600/IMG_6138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi53GkmhlBkMk0eu5dHZmhxJZhFgzw3ni8Mj4r9NjnZgPinJ2HYt9EUCm_pCwV6skcoN-g0dxZF6CdcQx4o3iIRJAOh7olIg72OIZFXPpYWZiLKBLhZ97suaGJKKAI16Nd_Rm9JV9xLGXE/s320/IMG_6138.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDFELnZ8xGi8n_TdyD2gWbkS3KDwAiFX6c6D1SJNFDWEaq73rGe9xmErIjT2OlHLKpvFoRyBmWQJoVJCbu2FM39NrLH4-Glszl67ONrk9yWLe1EjYxPXyhgi997XEWzCQvBUXDtS4dIEg/s1600/IMG_6139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDFELnZ8xGi8n_TdyD2gWbkS3KDwAiFX6c6D1SJNFDWEaq73rGe9xmErIjT2OlHLKpvFoRyBmWQJoVJCbu2FM39NrLH4-Glszl67ONrk9yWLe1EjYxPXyhgi997XEWzCQvBUXDtS4dIEg/s320/IMG_6139.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding a monkey to First Class cost no additional fees.</td></tr>
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Our flight landed uneventfully, and we deplaned with smiles. The luxury was far from over.<br />
Next up: Day Eight Part 1: 6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-64595883792867146952016-11-20T12:05:00.000-08:002017-03-31T13:43:20.393-07:00Days 3 through 6: DC Area Recommendations<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLj7HzWE2rG7g4_3ekv5dqHKoHeQOMwDjWnL2R3asCwOT23UWVXfMUC8aXLor0C1uzM14O51PWrz_a5tYtBm8BXLDUE5O7AE_8-Y6oYG7nv4lBqp4XyarXnSdw1t6eQ6zLF3y7CifWKSvl/s1600/IMG_0626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLj7HzWE2rG7g4_3ekv5dqHKoHeQOMwDjWnL2R3asCwOT23UWVXfMUC8aXLor0C1uzM14O51PWrz_a5tYtBm8BXLDUE5O7AE_8-Y6oYG7nv4lBqp4XyarXnSdw1t6eQ6zLF3y7CifWKSvl/s320/IMG_0626.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful day in D.C.</td></tr>
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Author's Note: Thanks all for your patience as I work through this extensive process. This piece is long overdue, and I promise that at least the next few updates will come more quickly (I'm already well into writing the next few). As time passes I'm losing more and more of the minute details in my mind (how much some things cost, how long things took and what times we started and finished various activities). I apologize in advance for generalizing in some places I wish I could be more specific about. My weekends have been consumed with other tasks these last few months.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A</span>fter our arrival into Washington Dulles, we headed off to my parents to stay at my old home for a few nights. We passed out fairly quickly after watching Jeopardy, and woke up the next morning to take off for D.C.<br />
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My mother dropped us off at the Franconia/Springfield metro station Thursday morning before she went to work, and we took the metro all the way to Smithsonian Station. We arrived at about 9:00, and we made our way to the Washington Monument, hoping to snag a couple of tickets.<br />
Tickets for the Washington monument are available online for a small fee, but those tickets sell out about 2 months in advance. You can also visit the lodge in front of the Washington monument to get free tickets on the day of. But as we found out, while the lodge opens<br />
at 8:30, you need to be in line for the tickets at 6:00 A.M.<br />
So instead, we started walking to the Lincoln Memorial, passing both the monument and the World War 2 memorial.<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<b><a href="https://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html" target="_blank">-Day Two:</a></b><a href="https://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-2-united-first-class-b737-800-sfo.html" target="_blank"> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</a><br />
<b><i><u>-Days Three through Six: </u></i></b><i><u>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.</u></i><br />
<b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbt0sRgpuRzQs_JamJKE19qdS-U2BQE8Nh2cHxzMLwpZkOO7ZD-DoQCjTNhicKVfV_xAiwtXVl1TLFrRSEC8vkPsRKcEqI7HEYc7mTMYXEXweqb1PUdbUc1bR-wG3oqE2NEdJUK0Zxbm7Q/s1600/IMG_0631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbt0sRgpuRzQs_JamJKE19qdS-U2BQE8Nh2cHxzMLwpZkOO7ZD-DoQCjTNhicKVfV_xAiwtXVl1TLFrRSEC8vkPsRKcEqI7HEYc7mTMYXEXweqb1PUdbUc1bR-wG3oqE2NEdJUK0Zxbm7Q/s320/IMG_0631.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps of the Lincoln Memorial<br />
(Photo by Kim)</td></tr>
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We spent some time at the Lincoln memorial, taking in the grandeur. It was exceptional how many people were visiting, including hundreds of children out on a field trip. Overhearing many adults shouting out historical facts to their students reminded me of how great it was growing up in the area, where history is rich.<br />
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After perusing the gift shop in the memorial, we made our way back towards the Smithsonian, opting to take a path that would lead us by the White house.<br />
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As we walked, we found a memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, the surrounding area seemed to be somewhat neglected, and this location went rather unnoticed as a result.<br />
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We continued towards the White House, and passed a few photogenic tulip gardens on the way.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3s21-QuuT1EfSFCSDdzKiG2Kl990vECsLd9bsAbBP62C6K4aHLBTMPJLfZVQxdYB2_R0TbK6JSNztQkCf7eW0BvrGQt9McbUVCOXAy0fC0iOpNu8Xk7UxFnEstep54UUrCVM31ELAxSB/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3s21-QuuT1EfSFCSDdzKiG2Kl990vECsLd9bsAbBP62C6K4aHLBTMPJLfZVQxdYB2_R0TbK6JSNztQkCf7eW0BvrGQt9McbUVCOXAy0fC0iOpNu8Xk7UxFnEstep54UUrCVM31ELAxSB/s640/IMG_0638.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tulip garden nearby the White House. (Photo by Kim)</td></tr>
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The gardens just west of the White House are part of the Division One memorial, and one garden is roped off in the shape of a "1". Maybe it's not worth a detour just to see, but while walking from the Lincoln Memorial back towards the Smithsonian museums, it's not far off the path.<br />
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After stopping in front of the White House to get a glimpse of executiveness (we saw nobody), it was off to the Natural History Museum. On the way we heard siren after siren as several motorcade were in the area.<br />
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The Natural History Museum is free admittance, but on this morning the crowd was only moderate. A short wait in a security line, and then we were in.<br />
The Natural History Museum is a fantastic home to several exhibits. As you might guess by the name, the museums focus is on the natural on Earth. You'll find exhibits on insects, animals, sea-life, and gemstones, among others. Perhaps the most popular attraction is the Hope Diamond, and indeed the crowd swells in this area.<br />
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Kim and I actually went through many exhibits pretty quickly. Possibly due to the jet lag, we weren't feeling on our game, so we made it through about half the exhibits along with taking in an IMAX film: America Wild: National Parks Adventure 3D. The film was a visual spectacle, but I'd recommend against it if you're impressionable and think you might want to take on the lifestyle of the film's protagonists, who adventure for a living. ;-)<br />
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After leaving the museum, we walked over to the nearby sculpture garden, and then across the street to walk along the other side of the mall.<br />
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We took in the cherry blossoms lining much of the walkway, and then stopped for a carousel ride across from the arts and industries building.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwfuLpNgTEusLzN3CoTxNrcC8IkTRx-mnvQplFjbIhbvoiF4ftPzlOO-rxZMCQKCvKtMPIwByj9Z4TJZWYCt7RIrTrPmgTF-16hgSszgbVwmHNU6ah0ucwqehuF2Wxc0qQRLcwdDjNL4I/s1600/IMG_0664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwfuLpNgTEusLzN3CoTxNrcC8IkTRx-mnvQplFjbIhbvoiF4ftPzlOO-rxZMCQKCvKtMPIwByj9Z4TJZWYCt7RIrTrPmgTF-16hgSszgbVwmHNU6ah0ucwqehuF2Wxc0qQRLcwdDjNL4I/s320/IMG_0664.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D.C Cherry Blossoms</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP2w4u7TskweEyRt4XuIjqjIbRtkr6C7A380NEWbn-L8AJcyl1ifDnygHd2pCn8HTZECFDI9i4oxyeKiH9JMzy1ezUrEm9wf2q1cFytoJsK7anBaCuz-wXK1zZ59ghIJfx-AZHtZgVsxX/s1600/IMG_0672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGP2w4u7TskweEyRt4XuIjqjIbRtkr6C7A380NEWbn-L8AJcyl1ifDnygHd2pCn8HTZECFDI9i4oxyeKiH9JMzy1ezUrEm9wf2q1cFytoJsK7anBaCuz-wXK1zZ59ghIJfx-AZHtZgVsxX/s320/IMG_0672.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smithsonian Carousel</td></tr>
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By this point, it was already closing on 3:30, so we went back to the metro station to start making our way to Franconia. We did make a pit stop at a childhood favorite- the Pentagon City Mall. It's a nice mall just to visit the atrium of. We grabbed some Godiva chocolate, walked around a couple floors, then went back to the metro station at the bottom floor.<br />
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Friday was another early day, with plans to visit both the Asian History Musuem and the Air and Space Museum.<br />
We arrived at the Asian History Museum shortly after they opened. As we entered, we noticed some men in suits coordinating with museum security. It was later that I found out that the First Lady of Turkey was visiting as part of a summit taking place in the area.<br />
We made our way down from the top, heading a few stories deep while taking in several exhibits, the most famous being the Filthy Lucre, a mock-up of James Whistler's peacock room.<br />
We spent a couple hours at this museum before making our way back to the top.<br />
I have little to offer in terms of media from this museum, save for this tid-bit panning up to the ground floor of the museum from the bottom. To view in 3d, click <a href="https://youtu.be/23FsL1oOuo4">HERE.</a><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OqF-T4VosDQ/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OqF-T4VosDQ?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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We then ventured towards the air and space museum just a block away<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrJBO3rcWeIvW2jw9LoRU0BQ5_WZxvckp4rVFS2A-bTcwHqHLStrdZeMRcfzlEVzEL9UrRdvphO4-DnDpSWVgynlJo5aoCGbpwH3l4f8xOXhU0gwhHxwA6oQKjFVWAV8aqT0Ms4Fioc1_/s1600/IMG_5874_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrJBO3rcWeIvW2jw9LoRU0BQ5_WZxvckp4rVFS2A-bTcwHqHLStrdZeMRcfzlEVzEL9UrRdvphO4-DnDpSWVgynlJo5aoCGbpwH3l4f8xOXhU0gwhHxwA6oQKjFVWAV8aqT0Ms4Fioc1_/s640/IMG_5874_5_6_tonemapped.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Between the African History Museum and the Air and Space Museum</td></tr>
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The sun was blazing and the line to get in went to the bottom of the steps, but it moved quickly through security, and in no time we were back in the comfortable indoors.<br />
The museum was more densely packed than the natural history museum, but far from over-crowded. Kim and I took in the overhead displays and then walked upstairs to the skylab orbital workshop. After waiting in a short line, we moved briskly through the exhibit. Because of the line behind us, we went through a little too quickly through America's first space station. But others clearly did have the chance to take more of it in. From our exit, we then ventured through various exhibits including The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age, Art of the Airport Tower (personal to me), and Sea-Air Operations. We also munched on space ice cream, as I did when I visited the museum as a child (it was as tasty as ever), and even snuck some of the freeze dried delicacy into the planetarium for a viewing of "Dark Universe". Planetarium shows run 9 dollars for adults, and for the most part showings were of "Dark Universe" or "Journey to the Stars". When I asked the ticket agent which she recommended, she answered without hesitation "Dark Universe." The show was an enjoyable 25 minutes long. After exiting, we picked up some more freeze dried ice cream, checked out a couple more exhibits, then left for the day.<br />
With just a little time to spare, we decided that we might give visiting Union station a shot, as it was one of my childhood favorites in terms of D.C staples to visit. Unfortunately the Metro Red line from Metro Center was experiencing delays, so we decided to head back to Franconia. After a long, tiring day, we collapsed into our seats on the metro. We would later take in Ruth Chris' Steakhouse for my mother's birthday dinner.<br />
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The entirety of Saturday we spent with my dad visiting the National Harbor and the Tysons Corner mall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbpGSt78fFG3BqQycGNxeQ_HVvcF_NJBkvWWsnwgTTSgLuj946vi52FAHvUkfJXvaVfsui4e6exDAi0VwmT8qaH1i-k3CaGmsjMCC4Oj8wMjvDHGjhVdDxYbgYCumzHjB-8ep8p7YZjm1/s1600/natharbor-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbpGSt78fFG3BqQycGNxeQ_HVvcF_NJBkvWWsnwgTTSgLuj946vi52FAHvUkfJXvaVfsui4e6exDAi0VwmT8qaH1i-k3CaGmsjMCC4Oj8wMjvDHGjhVdDxYbgYCumzHjB-8ep8p7YZjm1/s320/natharbor-PANO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">360 National Harbor. For Fullscreen, Click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@38.7847995,-77.0167498,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s-Vv82xbr3nng%2FVyGHN_azQ7I%2FAAAAAAAAAhQ%2FTcAf8Ey_0owTjq8wV9gLU4b-aPbqXDbpACLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F-Vv82xbr3nng%2FVyGHN_azQ7I%2FAAAAAAAAAhQ%2FTcAf8Ey_0owTjq8wV9gLU4b-aPbqXDbpACLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i2508!8i1254!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1!6m1!1e1">HERE</a></td></tr>
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Directly across the Potomac River by the Wilson Bridge in Maryland, the National Harbor is still a fairly new development, with an MGM Casino being built nearby. It features a man-made beach, a viewing wheel similar to the many observation wheels going up across the nation, and the spectacular Gaylord hotel.<br />
I say "spectacular" having never actually stayed there, but several times visiting the expansive lobby and atrium area.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMxtYtZPpPCiap5mLw2ZC-k4NUfv7woWtJ1KPuADy0VuzWDWAiLr886ClGxMZCqFQoqqqivIuHLstdw4UwzjovXeSFsoJnZSFqN9LCrzwrk4Rfm3dkjKFcDdO0OHf0_28pUhQfJyCFevC/s1600/vsvNSK_flat-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMxtYtZPpPCiap5mLw2ZC-k4NUfv7woWtJ1KPuADy0VuzWDWAiLr886ClGxMZCqFQoqqqivIuHLstdw4UwzjovXeSFsoJnZSFqN9LCrzwrk4Rfm3dkjKFcDdO0OHf0_28pUhQfJyCFevC/s320/vsvNSK_flat-PANO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">360 Gaylord Hotel: For Fullscreen, Click <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7808838,-77.0168914,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!2e4!6s%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F-VeotnSTvHv8%2FV1xMkn5mxgI%2FAAAAAAAAAsc%2FccNx3A7AFtUYO2E0SCvybgB-7SagEEmqgCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i2508!8i1254!6m1!1e1">HERE</a></td></tr>
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The atrium spans many stories high, and almost creates a greenhouse-like environment below it. There is a large fountain, upscale shops, gardens and sitting areas, and a few restaurants. It's worth a quick walk through, even if you're not staying the night.<br />
Outside the Gaylord is the main street of the Harbor. We made a quick stop at the Peep Store, and in the past I've enjoyed a sandwich at the Potbelly Sandwich Shop. There's also a McCormick and Schmicks, an elegant chocolate store, and much more.<br />
Across from the main street, a giant lawn and LCD screen host local and sporting events. This time around, the Peep store was hosting an event for kids, and giving away peep hats to all.<br />
We walked by the bustling lawn and purchased tickets for the Capitol Wheel.<br />
While a bit pricey, it was a relaxing 15 minute ride offering views of the U.S Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the dozens of planes on approach to Washington Reagan Airport.<br />
We finished with a ride on the harbor carousel, though it's designed primarily for kid's use.<br />
We then took a trip over to the Tysons Corner Mall. Other than it's size, there's nothing too special about the mall, so I'll spare most of the details save for that we ate lunch at Seasons 52, one of my favorite restaurants. The rest of the time was mainly spent walking, perusing L.L bean, and finding some specialty eye cream at Bloomingdale's and Macys, both stores of which were hosting fashion related events.<br />
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We would return to the mall the next day to correct an error with one of our purchases, and to dine at American Tandoor, a terrific Indian restaurant which enticed us with samples on both days.<br />
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We woke up early Sunday for our trip to the Baltimore Aquarium. From my old home, it was about an hour and fifteen minute drive. We showed up very shortly after they opened, around 10:15 (Hours vary monthly). We had a short wait in line for tickets, then a quick entry.<br />
It had been more than a decade since I last visited the aquarium.<br />
The facility is extensive, much more so than the closest major aquarium to me, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and much more fill this aquarium with an incredible diversification of life. Inclined moving walkways guide you through the many floors and exhibits until you reach the top, where a rooftop rain forest setting awaits, then a descending rectangular ramp guides you back to the first floor while glass walls on all sides provide large views of a variety of sharks and other large fish.<br />
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Some Highlights of the Baltimore Aquarium. 2D Version Top, 3D Version Bottom.</div>
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On completing this area, we cruised over to the large dolphin pool and amphitheater. While the aquarium does not host any shows, keepers do offer educational talks at various periods of the day. None were being conducted while we were viewing, so I have no feedback to offer on that.<br />
We zig-zagged through the cafeteria outside of the amphitheater to visit the Jellyfish exhibit. This was easily the smallest exhibit at the aquarium, and felt hot and cramped. It is much smaller than the jellyfish on display at the Monterey Bay aquarium, and as such we felt it was a disappointment. Had it been a little less crowded, it might have been more enjoyable.<br />
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After several hours at the aquarium, we finally left around 2:30-3:00 to go grab a bite at Bertha's downtown. I'll spare a full review of the place, suffice to say it is highly acclaimed for it's mussels, and I'm not a fan of mussels.<br />
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We left downtown after a short walk in the area, and headed home.<br />
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Our Monday was filled with last minute errands, and another stop at both Tysons Corner and Tysons Corner Galleria. For the second time we sampled some of the butter chicken that was being offered nearby American Tandoor, an Indian Restaurant at Tysons Corner. It was just as delectable the second time, and we opted for lunch there. If you get a chance, I highly recommend it.<br />
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We then walked across the street from Tysons to the Galleria, which features higher-end department stores, jewlers, and restaurants. While I have fond memories of the Galleria from when I was a kid (a two-story F.A.O Schwartz was my cherry-on-top), it was far from the bustling hub I remember it to be. Albeit, it was a Monday. We spent less than an hour there before requesting an Uber home.<br />
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Despite the fact that our flight to Munich was scheduled for a 10:30 departure, my mother was insistant on leaving the house at around 6:30 to get us to Dulles. It turned out for the best as it gave us time to experience the Lufthansa Lounge. That experience and our First Class flight to Munich are next up in the blog!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-89844304284120185192016-05-06T18:39:00.000-07:002016-05-06T18:39:19.925-07:00Day 2: United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD SummaryAfter our short shuttle ride from the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, we were dropped off in front of Terminal 3, where United operates out of. From the entrance you either head right to the main check-in area, or to the left for premium cabins. I'm uncertain how often it's of advantage to walk the extra distance for premium cabin check-in (it is slightly further away), but we gave it a shot. Check-in was quick and easy, and we made our way back to security.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking our seats.</td></tr>
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<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">-</a></i><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Day One: </a></b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/05/day-1-hyatt-regency-san-francisco.html">Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</a><br />
<b><i><u>-Day Two:</u></i></b><i><u> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary</u></i><br />
<b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.<br />
<b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa Business Class Lounge IAD summary, Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the edge of California.</td></tr>
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I can't give you a full-on review of the flight, as my first-class experience is fairly limited, nor did I take nearly enough photos and notes. But for a bit of a summary:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Airline-provided snack bowls, self-provided extras.</td></tr>
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Reaching security, we found the line to be quite long. I was a little anxious, as we had a little less than an hour before the flight was scheduled to depart. It took us about 30 minutes to clear TSA, and we rushed to our gate.<br />
As it turns out, there was still some time remaining before boarding, but I was happy to arrive in time to board with my group. I don't recall our precise gate, but it was either 83, 85, or 87. We didn't bother taking a seat in the terminal, because a line had already formed.<br />
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After just a few minutes, boarding began. We got on quickly and nestled in our seats as the rest of the plane loaded up, and less than 20 minutes later, we departed on schedule for IAD.<br />
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, flight attendants passed out snacks and beverages, and we pulled out a couple of our own.<br />
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Meal service began soon after, and while we took in views of the Sierras (see short video below), the attendants brought us a spring mix salad with mandarin oranges.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Mix Salad</td></tr>
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In general, I'm not a fan of mandarin oranges. I used to eat them by the can, but for some reason they tend to make me nauseous nowadays. These oranges however were delicious and caused me no problems. The salad itself was decent enough, but nothing special.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim enjoying her sorbet (more than I did)</td></tr>
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Next came the main course. To be perfectly honest, even with the photo I don't remember what was served, only that it was a mediocre meal. I paired it with a red wine, just to get more monies worth.<br />
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It appears as though United has recently upped their game in food service. And I gotta admit I was not disappointed by the taste and presentation of the salad. Also to be fair, I didn't get my snapshot of the main course until after I had already started, so I can't give them any grief over how it was presented. I will say that whatever it was they served me, it was not any of the items shown <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-whats-on-united-airlines-new-onboard-menu-2015-10" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The sorbet that was served was also sub-par. Typically no matter how full I am by the time dessert comes around (and make no mistake, I was full!), I can still down a good sorbet or ice cream. But I put my spoon down after a couple of bites.<br />
Maybe just go back to hot-fudge sundaes?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main course in question.</td></tr>
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When meal service finally ended, we kicked back and opened up our tablets to watch some pre-loaded entertainment. I'd say all in all the meal service lasted a good 2 1/2-3 hours into the flight.<br />
We landed at around 7 P.M Eastern, after a mostly smooth ride into D.C.<br />
People often question whether it's worth the extra cost (miles or cash) to fly first class domestically. For me, at 6 feet tall, I'm typically uncomfortable in standard economy. (I'm sure there are those of same or greater height who can manage just fine). Pretty much without fail I will purchase an upgrade to economy plus, which on a cross-country or California to Hawaii flight will run upwards of $100 each way. Had I saved the 12,500 extra miles by booking economy instead of first, I still would've found myself paying 100 to upgrade to E+. In this case, it was a no-brainer. For those who haven't tried flying domestic first, for a 4+ hour flight, I'd recommend trying it at least once. Typically that's all it takes to start to decide for yourself when and if it's worth doing more often.<br />
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Stats for this flight:<br />
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Aircraft Type: Boeing 737-800<o:p></o:p></div>
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Seats: 2E & 2F (United First)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Duration: 5 Hours, 3 Minutes<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cost: 25K United Miles Per Person,
purchased at 1.9 cents a mile. ($475 Per Person)</div>
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Value: $544 per person (based on average
cost of this flight)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-18383210065128906032016-05-01T20:52:00.003-07:002016-05-25T20:51:13.693-07:00Day 1: Hyatt Regency San Francisco Aiport: Review<span style="font-size: large;">O</span><span style="font-size: small;">ur adventure began with a single night stay at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport. This was the first time I had stayed here, and I was looking forward to it. I had booked this stay using Hyatt Points + Cash, at a cost of 4000 points and $55.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://thehyattguy.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-big-one-introduction-and-united.html">-Introduction/Giveaway</a></b><br />
<b><i><u>-Day One: </u></i></b><i><u>Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review</u></i><br />
<b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary<br />
<b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.<br />
<b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi-pZSgMDdX08PWC033bu99DzXZ3Hd8gz9ebYkFAXLQYhiTU4t1vJITc_WcCbz4iYU89o1gFhI48XbyqcXBkCAnhSNwUH3chKgex1KyMIu43aeeOuYXVMvcHyDWbVP0IDE6OnUXFG3rEL/s1600/IMG_0592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi-pZSgMDdX08PWC033bu99DzXZ3Hd8gz9ebYkFAXLQYhiTU4t1vJITc_WcCbz4iYU89o1gFhI48XbyqcXBkCAnhSNwUH3chKgex1KyMIu43aeeOuYXVMvcHyDWbVP0IDE6OnUXFG3rEL/s400/IMG_0592.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the club: SFO Airport in the distance.</td></tr>
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After the 2 hour drive from home, we pulled to the front at around 7:30 in the evening. The valet assisted with luggage and Kim's mother took the car and made her way back home.</div>
We walked into the hotel, and I was instantly unimpressed. Unfortunately, the hotel was under renovations, and the entrance to the main atrium was blocked off by a large wall. Hotel check-in was (I presume temporarily) in a rather depressing hall area off the right side of the entrance.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TzTAiLvh53-hwBAM5Vrv3wqmXdfwg1a_tgm41f-G2x149NIIQNMHM3or_bfN5GQFuzARdnEMG_rGGAKpbiIRJd8ot-8T_CX5_CZsYtTwvwdlPplnqGtYpA5umbTlfbPi8t0LbZC_JYOF/s1600/IMG_0588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TzTAiLvh53-hwBAM5Vrv3wqmXdfwg1a_tgm41f-G2x149NIIQNMHM3or_bfN5GQFuzARdnEMG_rGGAKpbiIRJd8ot-8T_CX5_CZsYtTwvwdlPplnqGtYpA5umbTlfbPi8t0LbZC_JYOF/s400/IMG_0588.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temporarily blocked off atrium.</td></tr>
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<br />
While the valet took the luggage to the bellman, we got in line to check-in. <br />
While waiting to check-in, a customer ahead of us was loudly complaining to the front desk about her room, describing it as noisy and demanding a better view . As the hotel seemed to be sold-out, the issue was escalating quickly. Our personal check-in was eventless, and the front desk clerk welcomed us, advising that we had been upgraded to a business suite.<br />
<br />
We got our keys, and opted for the 1,000 point bonus for our Diamond membership, then we made our way to the elevator.<br />
<br />
The walk from the elevator down the hall to room 2097 seemed to be significant. The hotel is essentially a giant square with rooms on all edges, and it took at least a couple minutes to traverse our edge.<br />
<br />
We entered the room to find a spacious living area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA8fW4hWlYONEwMvyJDddxPUnzAgziU5NmpFZKmhKfRgPUgnhwo8qtHWwa5n2EymBbSpBP0ItednmGNRceUMgXHK2pasJktMy4gokwYRe840JU6HWe9QJYfpKuVSbC145ZSnJCDn65Upl/s1600/360HRSFOAirport-PANO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA8fW4hWlYONEwMvyJDddxPUnzAgziU5NmpFZKmhKfRgPUgnhwo8qtHWwa5n2EymBbSpBP0ItednmGNRceUMgXHK2pasJktMy4gokwYRe840JU6HWe9QJYfpKuVSbC145ZSnJCDn65Upl/s320/360HRSFOAirport-PANO.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Business Suite #2097: Click </span><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/contrib/117254888140497697712/photos/@37.59361,-122.36527,3a,75y,211.15h,70.66t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s--lHEHdAfhhA%2FVyGKfeNU9RI%2FAAAAAAAAAig%2Fqw7ERTzEm4oOmpT_Gz7PG-P9hx1jNe7OQCLIB!2e4!3e11!6s%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2F--lHEHdAfhhA%2FVyGKfeNU9RI%2FAAAAAAAAAig%2Fqw7ERTzEm4oOmpT_Gz7PG-P9hx1jNe7OQCLIB%2Fw203-h100-p-k-no%2F!7i4096!8i2048!4m3!8m2!3m1!1e1!6m1!1e1"><span style="font-size: x-small;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> for 360 View</span></td></tr>
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Overall, the room was most impressive. Off the right of the entrance was the workspace and living area, immediately to the left of the entrance was the bathroom, and the bedroom was around the corner from that.<br />
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<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NKJlziUmeac/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NKJlziUmeac?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"></iframe>From our second story room, the freeway was quite close, but the hotel has done a fantastic job insulating and has multi-pane windows to block the noise (which was unnoticeable). Sure the view wasn't that great, but for an airport hotel, I wouldn't expect anything more, and we were more than happy with the extra space we were given. Exploring the room, we found the typical amenities, including Kenet M.D shampoo and conditioner. I was rather surprised that for as nice as the room was, it lacked automatic blinds/shades. This was rather inconvenient given that there was no solid divide between the living and bedroom, which meant needing to manually close the gigantic blinds on both windows. Small inconvenience, but something I'm used to seeing in suites as nice as this was.<br />
After dropping off our bags, we made the long trek down the hall back to the elevators and went up to the ninth-floor regency-club lounge, where things got interesting. <br />
<br />
It was 7:50, and the dinner was technically over at 8:00. But while I wasn't particularly concerned about missing out (the remnants in the pot on the hot-plate lacked appeal)- apparently another guest was quite put off by it, and demanded more food be put out. The host gave the guest a rather blank stare, and let him know that dinner was over, and there was no more food to put out. This only infuriated the elderly gentleman even more, and he made that quite clear by tossing his silverware loudly on top of the bussing station. He then ordered to speak to a manager, at which point I had exhausted any interest I had in the club. Kim and I left and made the trek back to the room.<br />
After a little TV, and a little videography, I went back to the club to scout for dessert. Fortunately, the dessert selection was more appealing than what was left of the dinner, though it still wasn't the most interesting thing going on in the club.<br />
I almost laughed aloud when a guest who straggled into the club behind me sought out a host to ask if he could check-in at the club. Of course, I'm unfamiliar with clubs overseas, and this man was most definitely not from the U.S--- maybe some clubs offer check-in service? The man fruitlessly explained that the line for registration was substantial, and he wanted to check-in upstairs.<br />
With little else to say, the host reassured the guest that the lines would die down after 15 minutes or so (a baseless assumption).<br />
After taking dessert back to the room and sharing it with Kim, I set a wake-up call and we passed out.<br />
Our wake up-call came a bit early though, when the phone startled us awake at 2:00 A.M. I groggily answered, still half-asleep. <br />
"Mr. Dubya?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Sir, your room door is open!"<br />
"It is?"<br />
"Yes, sir"<br />
So I got up and went to the front door, to find it sealed shut. "Our door is closed."<br />
"My apologies, we have the wrong room."<br />
"Okay."<br />
Within 10 minutes, I was back asleep.<br />
I clarified later in the morning with the front desk, and it turns out a guest had called to report a door open, but the guest gave security the wrong room number. The hotel offered 2,500 points for the inconvenience despite it not being the fault of the hotel. I gladly accepted the offer, but unfortunately said points have yet to show up in my account, and I may end up calling Hyatt in the near future to resolve.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotANN2glFiPUdWyX-L593vF7udOMjhJiMVd4RIHDDoV9gxZf60DcO3GYnz3NrbJ3p9mmaTXLhvILhF3rKvlBGzeYfZVEpSA06ccdfVxVA90nV9aQy0UOpVBHd3A92AtxFzAJEFzv60FXS/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotANN2glFiPUdWyX-L593vF7udOMjhJiMVd4RIHDDoV9gxZf60DcO3GYnz3NrbJ3p9mmaTXLhvILhF3rKvlBGzeYfZVEpSA06ccdfVxVA90nV9aQy0UOpVBHd3A92AtxFzAJEFzv60FXS/s320/IMG_0590.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Regency Club's morning food offering.</td></tr>
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When we finally got up we packed quickly, grabbed a light breakfast from the club, checked out, and hopped on the shuttle to the San Francisco Airport.<br />
<br />
Overall, the suite upgrade made this stay. I may have enjoyed it more had the renovations not been in progress, as I'm a fan of different hotel atmospheres, and I particularly enjoy hotel atriums. The Regency Club I felt was sub-par. I enjoyed the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero's club far more. Despite the club issue, this hotel still offers great point redemption value, considering it is only a category 2. I would definitely consider returning here if I were flying in or out of SFO again.<br />
<br />
<b>Stats for this stay:</b><br />
1 Night Points Plus Cash: $55 +4000 Points (Total bill w/taxes ~$65)<br />
Room Value (Based on low end cost for standard room): $310<br />
Diamond Value Received: $125 (Based on $100 value upgrade, and $25 value for club access for two)<br />
Points Earned: 1358 (275 Base, 83 Diamond Bonus, 1000 Welcome Amenity)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA37.7943007 -122.3957300000000137.7927322 -122.39825150000001 37.7958692 -122.39320850000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-91342790180028917882016-04-27T07:31:00.002-07:002016-05-05T21:05:16.690-07:00The Big One! Introduction and United Club Pass Giveaway!<div id="fb-root">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgInhUC9K9bKwf_MCtR7HaHrNXZear1Hd-cOPH_bNQh_7IVARfBQQEgfsD28Q6GQDUt46DYWNO0IA4RBzPNPSTGlqM_LkL5n0ut_nO0FwyMzGGjNNN72jlow1y3xIyEHb5nRIFUkurrTgx/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="419" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgInhUC9K9bKwf_MCtR7HaHrNXZear1Hd-cOPH_bNQh_7IVARfBQQEgfsD28Q6GQDUt46DYWNO0IA4RBzPNPSTGlqM_LkL5n0ut_nO0FwyMzGGjNNN72jlow1y3xIyEHb5nRIFUkurrTgx/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maldivian Monkey enjoying the view.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgInhUC9K9bKwf_MCtR7HaHrNXZear1Hd-cOPH_bNQh_7IVARfBQQEgfsD28Q6GQDUt46DYWNO0IA4RBzPNPSTGlqM_LkL5n0ut_nO0FwyMzGGjNNN72jlow1y3xIyEHb5nRIFUkurrTgx/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>L</b></span>ast week we returned from our whirlwind trip to D.C, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and the Maldives (with adventurous layovers in Munich and Istanbul). To celebrate, I'm giving away 4 United Club passes (giveaway will be two pairs of two). The first pair includes one pass that expires August 31st, 2016 and one that expires September 30th, 2016. The second pair includes two passes that expire September 30th, 2016.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJlvyH_kEyc0bTFibkK4-Jb_ljNU6whsNtfprShZ3BpvKN01Iy7LWD3RQMSy63mXKKgN11RSpOgT16Ts0GfIuGUCyjvzoLHjyN-H5cG6zEMGOlq7vWkW9UFq75U-8T1vyxklt3YPf-q-C/s1600/20160427_064907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTJlvyH_kEyc0bTFibkK4-Jb_ljNU6whsNtfprShZ3BpvKN01Iy7LWD3RQMSy63mXKKgN11RSpOgT16Ts0GfIuGUCyjvzoLHjyN-H5cG6zEMGOlq7vWkW9UFq75U-8T1vyxklt3YPf-q-C/s320/20160427_064907.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not in the best of shape, but they'll do!</td></tr>
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The winner will be chosen at random on May 3rd. To be eligible, all you need to do is comment on this post and tell me whether you'd rather spend a week in the Presidential Suite at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai or a week in a Park Water Villa at the Park Hyatt in the Maldives. (Feel free to watch my tour of the GH Kauai Presidential Suite <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEd8w1Gv3UQ">here</a>). One entry per person.<br />
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This trip was 3 1/2 years in the making. But all the planning and research in the world could not prepare me for how incredible it would be. Some highlights include.<br />
<br />
Sharing an incredible dessert wine with my girlfriend while in bed at 4 A.M, 40 thousand feet in the air.<br />
Accelerating from 0-150mph in 5 seconds on the worlds fastest roller coaster.<br />
Drinks and Canapes at the worlds tallest observation deck.<br />
Afternoon tea with an ocean view at the Ritz Carlton.<br />
A perfect-weather desert safari trip in the Dunes of Dubai.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhaMv062dcstlwKrY6jcooHB6yeVb8AtL-_I_ndXQmClB30UUmesFM5DZKlmTe6-GzLQtPOtM7amLQ7Kt_tCCrQLf890QgpAv8bpVk9_V7oMPU3bB3m7Xp4NFVKry7wOEOEBasxP0Fzwn/s1600/IMG_7018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhaMv062dcstlwKrY6jcooHB6yeVb8AtL-_I_ndXQmClB30UUmesFM5DZKlmTe6-GzLQtPOtM7amLQ7Kt_tCCrQLf890QgpAv8bpVk9_V7oMPU3bB3m7Xp4NFVKry7wOEOEBasxP0Fzwn/s400/IMG_7018.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert Safari Dubai</td></tr>
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A private boat trip down to the equator, with a crew of five to tend to our every need. (and a lot more adventure to go with it!)<br />
A romantic dusk dinner catered on the beach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjiUiC2k8nzZGWfyAJ00kpkY2Sp1ddB1TG8Rf0X7XTAoMncGLFUGy3o5NSo5oQ0LVN4eJC_0bnae79S-92hBHn56WrE_6c2IpYyQxAYvjKCWcuJW8EhhocaYOHfhX8mveqYjrYHcdzwcR/s1600/IMG_7518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjiUiC2k8nzZGWfyAJ00kpkY2Sp1ddB1TG8Rf0X7XTAoMncGLFUGy3o5NSo5oQ0LVN4eJC_0bnae79S-92hBHn56WrE_6c2IpYyQxAYvjKCWcuJW8EhhocaYOHfhX8mveqYjrYHcdzwcR/s400/IMG_7518.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Sunset Beach Dinner</td></tr>
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A sunset yacht cruise that became more than we bargained for when nobody else booked, making it a private trip.<br />
Snapping photos of my girlfriend scuba diving while I was 16 feet below sea level in an underwater restaurant.<br />
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I have a ton of photos and videos to share (I have to narrow down ~250GB worth), and thousands of words to write, so please be patient with me, but feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments section (comments/questions are welcome, but only comments answering the question listed above will count as an entry for the giveaway)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Whirlwind Trip 2016:</span><br />
<br />
<b><u><i>-Introduction/Giveaway</i></u></b><br />
<b>-Day One: </b>Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Review<br />
<b>-Day Two:</b> United First Class B737-800 SFO-IAD summary<br />
<b>-Days Three through Six: </b>D.C Area recommendations: Smithsonian, National Harbor, Baltimore Aquarium.<br />
<b>-Day Seven: </b>Lufthansa First Class A330-300 IAD-MUC Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 1: </b>6 Hours in downtown Munich, Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich Summary<br />
<b>-Day Eight Part 2:</b> Lufthansa First Class A330-300 MUC-DXB Summary<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 1: </b>Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 1. Abu Dhabi recommendations: Ferrari World, the Grand Mosque.<br />
<b>-Day Nine Part 2:</b> Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Dubai Review<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 2:</b> Dubai Exotic Limo brief review part 2 & Dubai recommendations: Burj Khalifa Sky.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 3: </b>Dubai Recommendations: Tea at the Ritz Carlton Jumeirah Beach, Atlantis Monorail, Dubai Mall.<br />
<b>-Days Ten through Twelve Part 4: </b>Dubai recommendations/information: The Dubai Museum, , Platinum-Heritage Falconry Heritage Tour.<br />
<b>-Day Thirteen: </b>Emirates 777-300 DXB-MLE summary, Moonima Lounge MLE summary, Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer to Park Hyatt Maldives summary<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 1: </b>Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa Review<br />
<b>-Days Thirteen through Sixteen Part 2:</b> What to do at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa<br />
<b>-Day Seventeen: </b>Maldivian Dash-8/Boat Transfer Park Hyatt-MLE summary, Conrad Rangali MLE Lounge summary, Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter transfer MLE-Conrad Rangali Island<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 1:</b> The Hilton Guy!? A review of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Isaland Resort.<br />
<b>-Days Seventeen through Twenty-One Part 2:</b> What to do at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 1:</b> Trans-Maldivian Twin Otter Conrad Rangali Island-MLE summary, Conrad Lounge MLE summary, Leeli Lounge MLE summary<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Two Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class A330-300 MLE-IST summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 1:</b> Turkish Airlines IST Lounge Summary, 6 hours in Istanbul.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Three Part 2:</b> Turkish Airlines Business Class B777-300 IST-SFO summary.<br />
<b>-Day Twenty-Four:</b> Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero Review.<br />
<b>-Trip Summary/The Numbers</b><br />
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You may notice from the above outline that I'm only reviewing the hotels I stayed at, and not the flights. I didn't take nearly enough photos or notes during my flights, nor do I have nearly enough comparable experiences to thoroughly review any of the flights, but I will post summaries. My blog focus is on Hyatt hotels, but this trip was so massive and amazing that I feel the need to share many more details than that.<br />
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Stay Tuned!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-51192127494051010902016-04-21T05:37:00.000-07:002016-04-27T16:21:40.604-07:00Hyatt Place Roseville ReviewThe Hyatt Place Roseville has everything stacked against it. Despite being right next to the Sacramento region's premier mall, it is separated by a canal, making a walk to the Roseville Galleria doable but impractical. Rooms come in two shapes with two possible configurations: Corner and Standard with King or two Twins. Breakfast is standard fare.<br />
For all of the downsides, the staff make the best of it for guests.<br />
Over the last two months, I completed 22 single-night stays at this hotel in order to retain my Diamond Status with Hyatt, which will get us fantastic amenities over the next two years at hotel's in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the Maldives, Kauai, and more!<br />
<br />
The two highlights during our stay (for better or worse): <br />
<br />
- A grand re-opening celebration with complementary food-trucks from the region and champaign.<br />
- Kim getting cut on broken glass lodged in the couch (complements of the previous occupants)<br />
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My 22 nights (all separate stays), began eventfully when on my way there for the first stay I was side-swiped by an uninsured, unlicensed driver. What would have been a 30 minute drive ended up 2 and a half hours, so I was extra-grateful to get to the front desk.<br />
Mike was the first agent we had the pleasure of dealing with. He welcomed us and got us quickly assigned to our king-bed room. He noted with surprise how many reservations I had planned (30ish). He was also quite empathetic when I related our trek from the house.<br />
<br />
In all honesty, I don't remember which nights I spent in which rooms, but here's a short breakdown of some of the rooms I stayed in:<br />
602, 536. 428, 628, 301, 526.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Room 301: Corner King Room, Hyatt Place Roseville</span></td></tr>
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<br />
The King room is as basic as it gets, yet I still find it to be far nicer than many other hotels. It's simple, elegant, inviting. The best of them are the corner rooms, as the layout is a tad more convenient and welcoming. While the standard rooms feature a television that pivots towards the couch or the bed, the corner rooms have a TV that rotate's 180 degrees. Viewing from both the couch and the bed in those corner rooms is more comfortable than in the standard rooms because of the viewing angle. It's also nicer to have a sink and bathroom not visible from bed in the corner rooms, unlike in the standard rooms.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, all the rooms are nice, and the beds are extremely comfortable. Minute problems over our 22 stays included an air conditioner that needed tuning for excessive noise and a toilet that kept adding water throughout the night. I also noticed stained/dirty blankets in our sole night in an ADA King Tub room, which put me off just a tad. Our only major issue was one night when we noticed what appeared to be wine stains on the carpet in our room. We took note of the problem, but it didn't hit home until when the following morning Kim pushed down on the couch to get up, and a piece of broken glass cut her hand.<br />
<br />
The cut was minor, but it was still a problem none-the-less. Upon reporting it to an agent at the front desk, a supervisor provided Neosporin and a band-aid and had Kim fill out an incident form. The supervisor also offered 5,000 points to cover the cost of the night, which we accepted.<br />
<br />
Admittedly it's easy to develop a bias when you get to know the agents at the front desk and they get to know you, but I'm confident in my decision to say that I received excellent service from every agent, though specifically the following people: Mike, Lee, Genevieve, Eric, Tania, and Jacqueline.<br />
<br />
The most memorable evening I had was during the Grand Re-Opening Celebration in early February. The hotel had inexplicably renovated all the rooms, despite the fact that it was only a few years old to begin with. For the grand reopening, catering was provided by two food trucks, including a well known local sea-food establishment. It was a fantastic night, and on our following stay we were given a spare bottle of champagne compliments of the hotel.<br />
<br />
Ultimately I can easily recommend this hotel for anyone thinking of staying in the Roseville area. While it may not be the most convenient location, it is a quiet and premier location. The staff are friendly, and the rooms warm and inviting.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-13748803736645192292016-03-16T23:59:00.000-07:002016-03-16T23:59:03.270-07:00Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores Review<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkadCMqMVrRhPX2DI27sgDYIgKm3QgnbzsPngH4QbizQjVnSrkhkv_pI5Bhi-aPrdEdLTKwfPgv44fvtt92NGtcyptEzDAX8yBfX8W3vbFQYblvpbgvUpV-PkTJZZVqjqV27n3OkPTzBw/s1600/20160214_220535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkadCMqMVrRhPX2DI27sgDYIgKm3QgnbzsPngH4QbizQjVnSrkhkv_pI5Bhi-aPrdEdLTKwfPgv44fvtt92NGtcyptEzDAX8yBfX8W3vbFQYblvpbgvUpV-PkTJZZVqjqV27n3OkPTzBw/s320/20160214_220535.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bedroom of two-bedroom suite,<br />
Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been nearly a couple of years since I've stayed at a Hyatt House, back when I was first mattress running for Diamond Status. For those stays I spent the nights at the now defunct Hyatt House Rancho Cordova in the Sacramento region.<br />
Fast forward to now, and I've been working on requalifying for Diamond through February 2018. While most of my mattress runs have occurred at the Category 1 Hyatt Place in Roseville, my girlfriend and I decided to spend a night in the bay, and so booked a stay at the Category 2 Hyatt House Belmont. For this stay we used 4000 Points and $55 cash for a single night stay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPwYcObhzX9WLnbOzENf0vxJtGgiU4yIMRqeMuQtJG7rPpZ7nY10cIblvP3yuxtOMp0CbFROl-if5jSq9Cf4SynpLzh-RTxjklVgtRwsjpWCBVIq-QECDFTawVQjyc5AVMxPCQ6wBHyjh/s1600/20160214_220513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPwYcObhzX9WLnbOzENf0vxJtGgiU4yIMRqeMuQtJG7rPpZ7nY10cIblvP3yuxtOMp0CbFROl-if5jSq9Cf4SynpLzh-RTxjklVgtRwsjpWCBVIq-QECDFTawVQjyc5AVMxPCQ6wBHyjh/s320/20160214_220513.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen of the two-bedroom suite,<br />
Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPwYcObhzX9WLnbOzENf0vxJtGgiU4yIMRqeMuQtJG7rPpZ7nY10cIblvP3yuxtOMp0CbFROl-if5jSq9Cf4SynpLzh-RTxjklVgtRwsjpWCBVIq-QECDFTawVQjyc5AVMxPCQ6wBHyjh/s1600/20160214_220513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>We pulled up to the hotel mid-evening, and were checked in quickly. The clerk advised me that we had been upgraded to a two-bedroom suite. In general I'm inclined to be excited about upgrades, and I wasn't going to turn it down, but as there were only two of us, I was rather unmoved.<br />
We drove around to the other side of our hotel, and brought our luggage to the room.<br />
The room we were assigned was in building 16 on the first floor. We opened the door to a cozy living area with a couch, a sofa and a TV. Beyond that was a full kitchen with a fridge.<br />
The room was nice, and quite functional, but that's about it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room of two-bedroom suite,<br />
Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores</td></tr>
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The suite featured two bedrooms each with their own bathroom, and I found the layout of the suite to be a bit cramped. It was definitely cozy shutting off the master bedroom from the living room, as the door was situated at an angle. Luckily the living room was big enough for our things as we unpacked.<br />
Opening a closet in the master, my girlfriend noted a smell of cigarettes, as though someone tried smoking in the closet. As noted in a previous review (See Andaz San Diego), she is a bit more sensitive than I when it comes to smells. I didn't notice anything, and I guess it was muted enough that she didn't feel the need to change rooms, unlike our stay at the Andaz.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool at the Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores</td></tr>
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We finished unpacking and decided to go on a walk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoor Kitchen, Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores</td></tr>
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The Hyatt House Belmont/Redwood Shores is laid out more like an apartment complex than a hotel. It was a stark contrast from my previous Hyatt House experience, which was a hotel with a separate building for loft rooms and suites. This location was split into multiple three-story buildings, with the check-in desk and kitchen located in what might otherwise be utilized for an apartment clubhouse. In the center of it all was a pool and an outdoor kitchen area, complete with a grill and a gas fire-pit. There was also a small basketball court in the midst.<br />
Sadly it was much too cold to be swimming, and we noted that the pool was locked at around 9:30, despite posted hours indicating it closed at 10.<br />
On our walk we found perhaps the best feature of the hotel: a nearby man made lake with a wrap-around sidewalk. This was a perfect area to take a stroll and enjoy the night.<br />
The hotel is located right near the bay, in the midst of a small housing development and a couple of office buildings. It is a convenient alternative to the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, though I can't speak to the differences in amenities just yet (I will have a stay at said hotel in a couple of weeks).<br />
The night was quiet and restful, and we woke for breakfast in the kitchen area. Breakfast was typical, though we did notice an omelet station that we hadn't seen at the Hyatt House in Rancho Cordova. Unfortunately the station was closed down 30 minutes prior to the end of breakfast, when we showed up.<br />
We checked out after another short walk on a nearby nature trail, and my girlfriend noted to the agent, Erika, that the closet in the room smelled like smoke. Not that we were looking to get anything out of it, but Erika offered to put some points in our account, and we accepted. It turned out to be a generous 2500 points.<br />
<br />
Ultimately this was a decent stay at a category 2 hotel. It was convenient for our planned day trip to Half Moon Bay, and it was quiet despite a close proximity to a couple of airports, including San Francisco. I would consider staying again should it the need arise, but would advise anyone planning on visiting not to expect anything more than you'd get at a basic hotel.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-14149370111736852322016-03-13T21:58:00.000-07:002016-03-13T23:38:22.948-07:00Diamond Summary: July 1st 2014-February 29th, 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">THE RESULTS ARE IN!</span></i></b></div>
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<br />
My Hyatt Diamond Status expired February 29th, after earning it via a mattress run I completed during the first half of 2014. But not to fear! We are already 23 stays into our new run, and will complete the last two by the end of March.<br />
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So why would someone stay at a Hyatt hotel 25 times just to earn status, are those people crazy!? Well, I've compiled the data on how much I spent vs how much value we got out of Diamond status. Granted, both figures are estimates, but they'll give you a general idea of what is possible depending on your stay habits.<br />
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For our mattress run in 2014, we stayed at 6 different hotels: The Hyatt Miami at the Blue (now closed) once, the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento twice, the Hyatt Regency in Monterey once, the Hyatt Place in Roseville twice, the Hyatt Place in Rancho Cordova three times, and the Hyatt House in Rancho Cordova 17 times.<br />
<br />
Of those, 5 stays we would have completed regardless of whether we aimed for Diamond status or not.<br />
<br />
So for the mattress run itself I spent approximately $1425 and 56500 Hyatt Points (of which 52000 were purchased on promo for $960). We earned back 16500 in United Miles (Enough for a one-way saver award ticket within the U.S) and 7000 Hyatt Points. If you value United Miles at 1.5 cents apiece, as I do, that means my net expenditure for Diamond status through February 2016 was <b>~$2075</b><br />
<br />
So now the big question: What did we get out of it.<br />
<br />
First, we received 8 Suite Upgrade Awards (4 upon earning status, 4 more March 1st of 2015) which we applied to the following:<br />
2014-<br />
Single night stay at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero: Value $100<br />
Seven night stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai: Value $2100<br />
Two rooms on a single night stay at the Grand Hyatt in San Francisco: Value $300<br />
2015-<br />
Five night stay at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, which was further upgraded to an Ocean Suite: Value $2000<br />
2016-<br />
Two night stay at the Park Hyatt in Abu Dhabi: Value $600<br />
Three night stay at the Park Hyatt in Dubai: Value $1050<br />
One night stay at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco for NYE: Value $250<br />
<br />
Total value of Diamond Suite Upgrades: $6400<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SP0iff9e-Vac7h5LaCrnrZ8VdIK6hHugU0HHhrN-5A8eahJTNbRNdVqrDlJh2SRgjzfD1HODYu_bABhgoooghqRyacl8-J65Ytdqj5p_flQgHOZeSVfNZYw65gKutKNA5RyF27092sPv/s1600/IMG_0027_8_9_Smooth2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SP0iff9e-Vac7h5LaCrnrZ8VdIK6hHugU0HHhrN-5A8eahJTNbRNdVqrDlJh2SRgjzfD1HODYu_bABhgoooghqRyacl8-J65Ytdqj5p_flQgHOZeSVfNZYw65gKutKNA5RyF27092sPv/s400/IMG_0027_8_9_Smooth2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
The bulk of our Diamond status value came from upgrades and club access</div>
<div>
at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai.</div>
</td></tr>
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<br />
These values were calculated using the difference in cost between a standard room and the suite we upgraded to. Of course those prices may fluctuate up or down depending on time of year.<br />
<br />
So in Diamond Suite upgrades alone we received $6400 in value. Everyone values suites differently though, so consider whether those would hold any value to YOU.<br />
<br />
Next on the list are the few complimentary suite upgrades I received.<br />
<br />
The first was on a three night stay at the Hyatt Regency in Miami. Granted this was the least impressive of the suites I had been in, but it was an upgrade nonetheless: Value $75<br />
The next was on a single night stay at the Hyatt Regency Monterey: Value $125<br />
Finally was a single night stay at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento. Unlike the other two, this upgrade I requested: Value $250<br />
Not included in the value was a suite upgrade we received at the Andaz in San Diego. We had a foul odor (smoky) in the first room we were assigned, and upon complaint was upgraded to an Andaz Suite. I consider the possibility that we may have been upgraded no matter our status, but were we a lower tier, we may have just been reassigned to a different room.<br />
<br />
Total value of comlimentary upgrades: $450<br />
<br />
Next was our amenities. At every Hyatt we stayed at as Diamond members, we received a bonus of either 1,000 Hyatt points or a food and beverage amenity. (Save for a single Hyatt Place stay where we chose United miles on promotion) We only took the food and beverage amenity twice, I'd value that at $30.<br />
We accumulated over 14,000 points through 14 stays with 1,000 points apiece. Incidentally, the two stays where we chose the food amenity, we also received the 1,000 point bonus. Based on those 14K, I'd say the value was $250 (using the same calculation from above whereby I spent $960 for 52K, or 1.8 cents per point)<br />
<br />
On top of the above, we also received bonus points during our mattress run this January and February to requalify through February 2018. Most of those stays were at a Hyatt place, 2 were at Hyatt Regencys. Through a total of 22 stays in those two months, we earned an extra 12,000 points we would not have otherwise received. We also earned an extra 4000 points for the 50% bonus I received because 15 of the 22 stay bonuses did not post and I had to call Hyatt to resolve. (14 HP stays x 250 & 1 HR Stay x 500 points) Value: $295<br />
<br />
Total amenity value: $560<br />
<br />
Lastly was the free breakfast we received at all Non-Hyatt Place hotels (where breakfast was included) and lounge access. Sparing you another 10 minutes worth of details, I'll just say that my value was calculated using 14 Stays/29 nights whereby I would have not otherwise had free breakfast or lounge access. The figure is far from exact, but I am undervaluing club access (I.E, you would have to pay more than I am valuing it to get it), and base my breakfast figures on how much the bill came to each time.<br />
<br />
Quick stats: 6 stays/6 nights breakfast, 8 stays/23 nights club access.<br />
<br />
Value: $1120<br />
<br />
<b>Total value obtained via Diamond status: $8530</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Obviously the bulk of value came from our room upgrades, and if you took those away, we'd actually have lost $400. Breakfast/Food in the lounge and points are a little more substantive when it comes to determiming a value, and so at minimum I'd value status at $1675. I have plenty of friends who could care less about having a suite, but I love it. Of course, I would never spend $6850 to have the rooms I had, but I would value them much greater than $400.<br />
<br />
Here are a couple other great posts about the value of Diamond Status:<br />
<a href="http://thepointsguy.com/2016/03/what-is-hyatt-gold-passport-elite-status-worth-2016/">http://thepointsguy.com/2016/03/what-is-hyatt-gold-passport-elite-status-worth-2016/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.pointsmd.com/what-is-a-year-as-a-hyatt-diamond-elite-worth/">http://www.pointsmd.com/what-is-a-year-as-a-hyatt-diamond-elite-worth/</a><br />
<br />
We are looking forward to the next two years of status!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-6133890638248586832016-03-09T19:17:00.003-08:002016-03-09T19:32:31.139-08:00Hyatt Regency Sacramento: Review<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mIKWJ76wiLwO6uIMjP-9vSjs-65Yr570E-pJ9bdB7uFf0ef8T1yfoL0yiXldYNvsyXQ609Y65MKjf3lZR_cnFWOehdrvqm3ZWRiozOU3w0nsQQjoaZUxRnjt2SvoYuAEBCIZ-zMgR6Em/s1600/IMG_5622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8mIKWJ76wiLwO6uIMjP-9vSjs-65Yr570E-pJ9bdB7uFf0ef8T1yfoL0yiXldYNvsyXQ609Y65MKjf3lZR_cnFWOehdrvqm3ZWRiozOU3w0nsQQjoaZUxRnjt2SvoYuAEBCIZ-zMgR6Em/s320/IMG_5622.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Park Capitol Suite</td></tr>
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I last stayed at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento in 2014, prior to obtaining Diamond status. We had been in a couple rooms, the nicest being a complementary upgrade to a Capitol View King. Being as this would be our first night at this hotel as a Diamond, I was hoping to get something even nicer.<br />
This would also be our last night as a Diamond until requalification at the end of this month (March).<br />
<br />
We pulled up to the front around 7:30 in the evening, opting for self-parking.<br />
<br />
Sarah at the front desk checked us in, and confirmed our King room booked on points+cash. I could tell I wasn't going to get an automatic upgrade, so I inquired about the Park Capitol suite, noting that I saw availability, and asking if the hotel would be willing to comp an upgrade- or if not, how much it would be to upgrade. After some fiddling with the computer, Sarah handed us our keys to room 902, a Park Capitol Suite! She also informed us that our parking for the night would be $17, and that the Regency Club was on the 10th floor. We also were offered our Diamond amenity, and we initially opted for milk & cookies and a Pepsi (though when we discovered there were cookies in the club, we called to have our amenity changed to points). Finally, we were given a 4 P.M late check-out, meaning I could spend my day off in the room if I chose!<br />
<br />
While I've been upgraded a couple times to a suite automatically (HR Monterey, HR Miami), this was the first time an inquiry on my part scored me a free upgrade, and I was pretty ecstatic about it, especially considering the standard rate on that suite was nearly $500 for the night!<br />
We got in the elevator and went up to the 9th floor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Capitol Suite</td></tr>
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Initial impressions of the room were great. Off to the left was a 6 person table and counter space aplenty. There was a mini-fridge and a Keurig machine.<br />
Further in was a worktable and a couch with a 42" television. In the bedroom was the Hyatt Grand Bed and another 42" TV. The room also featured a mini-balcony with a fantastic view of the Capitol.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc9VlYlSGL4spFW1LEyv1yQLflqwspgiyRlSR02EbvmC8QEuZT65iUpll5YMDX5GQWJhNCV2JoUUuk6Xl-JeKy5TBcx2mbI7Vprx142Kzeyg7YmwVEvtHvwWTroxfSOIDv3hlgYVWOoBI/s1600/IMG_5599_600_601_tonemapped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc9VlYlSGL4spFW1LEyv1yQLflqwspgiyRlSR02EbvmC8QEuZT65iUpll5YMDX5GQWJhNCV2JoUUuk6Xl-JeKy5TBcx2mbI7Vprx142Kzeyg7YmwVEvtHvwWTroxfSOIDv3hlgYVWOoBI/s320/IMG_5599_600_601_tonemapped.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen Area, Park Capitol Suite.</td></tr>
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We set our bags down and made our way up a floor to the Regency Club. As it turns out, the club was directly above our room, but luckily there was little noise to disturb us. We snacked on white chocolate flakes, tamales, and chocolate chip cookies, all the while being doted upon by the club host, who ensured we had everything we needed multiple times. Then we went back to the room for some shut-eye.<br />
<br />
We woke up for breakfast around 7 the next morning, and grabbed some pineapple and strawberries along with an egg-quiche from the lounge. The food was slightly better than you'd find at a lower-end Hyatt, though selection was relatively lacking.<br />
<br />
We left the hotel around 7:45 so I could drop Kim off at work, with a plan to pick up our belongings later.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitol Suite Bathroom</td></tr>
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We returned around 12:30 and headed back up to the club to grab a couple snacks. We took some peanuts, soda, and chocolate chip cookies and went back to the room. to watch some TV. We arrived at the room somewhat surprised to see it hadn't been cleaned. Not that it was necessary given that we weren't staying an additional night, but it's been our experience that our rooms get cleaned in the morning regardless of our check-out time. About 5 minutes after settling in to watch a show, housekeeping showed up to ask what time we'd be leaving. I informed her that our check-out was at 4, but in the meantime asked for additional bath amenities. She returned shortly after with a small bag full of specialty bath amenities (more on those amenities in upcoming Mattress Run Summary post).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsOcfEP1m_SKJ8gbO5TxyqAfwICW540tSNPShtUTjpZVg2v-ZxLvlRDEYAlGtkhk-I8G4VwrFdFN_W7OaD4dnti8cc8Do1VViFeN9FLunohWF0bDvKy54VdI0rT12FMkTEmL7zfhrJdAA4/s1600/IMG_5608_09_10_fused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
We left the hotel a little after 1:00. I later discovered that my Diamond Amenity points had not posted, and called HGP to have them added along with the 500 point bonus for having to call. It was the most complicated call I've had with HGP, because my account history confused the representative, and because by the time I made the call, I was no longer Diamond status. None-the-less, it was worth it for 1500 points.<br />
<br />
Ultimately this was a fantastic experience. My previous stays were lackluster at best, and this stay beat my expectations. Service at the front desk was great, and service in the Club was phenomenal. I wish I had more excuses to come back.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-75230454181847067612016-03-08T19:32:00.001-08:002016-03-08T19:32:27.785-08:00Hyatt Regency Monterey: Stay 3 Summary<b><span style="font-size: large;">Third Time's A Charm</span></b><br />
<br />
I've reviewed the Hyatt Regency in Monterey twice already, so I'll keep this summary rather short.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our golf-course view room.</td></tr>
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<br />
I pulled up to the hotel around 12:30 in the afternoon on a beautiful Saturday. I left my car out front to go check in. The valet requested my keys in case they needed to move my car, so I obliged. However, I forgot to mention that just the previous night I discovered the window had come off it's track. (I was able to get it back into place by holding it in position and bringing the track to it's top position, so when I left it in front, all appeared normal)<br />
Check-In was smooth. I was helped by Nina, who advised that my points+cash booked king bed room had been upgraded to a golf-course view room. She also explained my Diamond benefits (half-off resort fee, complimentary breakfast, amenity). Though I had a good experience with the food and beverage amenity on our previous stay, I opted for points this time around. Nina offered a 4 P.M checkout, which I happily took. She also offered turn-down service and bottled water, which I also took. I was told my room wasn't ready yet, which I had no issue with given that it was only 12:30. I did hear another guest be told their room would be ready around 2.<br />
I walked out of the lobby with a gleeful face, it was quite the gracious check-in.<br />
As I approached the car, I was approached by Nick at the valet. Nick asked which car was mine, and when I pointed he explained that they had rolled down my window. "Noooooo!" I cried, half-laughing at my faux-pas. I explained that this was a prior problem, no fault of the hotel. None-the-less, Nick offered to send a bottle of wine to the room. I told him it was not necessary, and he told me that if there was anything he could do, to let him know. I suggested maybe throwing some extra points in my account (not that I felt I deserved it, but you know... he offered something).<br />
I was taken aback when Nick told me he was going to deposit 6000 points! Now 6000 is not enough for a free night at the Regency in Monterey, but the going rate on points is about 2.4 cents each (presuming no promotions). That means I was getting about $120+ worth of points for an incredibly minor inconvenience.<br />
This also surprised me because about a week before, Kim had cut her hand on a piece of broken glass lodged in the couch of a local Hyatt Place. All it had required was some Neosporin and a Band-Aid, and the supervisor on duty agreed to place 5000 points in the account (her way of comping our Category 1 night). At the time it happened we were happy with the resolution, but now we're thinking we should've asked for more!<br />
After fixing the window again (a 5 minute task), I made my way to the Fireplace lounge with tablet in tow. I spent a couple hours there just relaxing and playing games on the tablet, and ordered a fantastic Roasted chicken sandwich and some rum and coke. Around 2:30, I approached the front desk, and was told the room was still not ready, but it was listed as vacant and they would put a rush on cleaning it.<br />
I went out to make a couple phone calls, and about 20 minutes later, the room was ready. I brought the bags to the room and ran off to pick up Kim from her business meeting.<br />
Our night was restful, and in the morning we made our way to TusCA for breakfast.<br />
<br />
Our previous two breakfasts at TusCA involved the full buffet. I felt at the time it was the best value, since the full buffet was $22 while most of the menu items were $15 or less. But we were both in the mood for menu items. The problem was I couldn't decide on the Crab and Artichoke omelet or the White Chocolate French toast. Kim couldn't decide on the donut holes with Nutella or the smoked Salmon on bagel. A quick run to the front desk confirmed my suspicion: our Diamond free breakfast would take care of WHATEVER we ordered (up to 4 registered guests). So we got all four, and it was not a mistake.<br />
Even nicer was that when we initially ordered, the server offered to bring us crab, artichoke, and white chocolate so that I could bring an omelet and French toast from the buffet and save some money (a $7 difference for the two entrees vs the buffet). I mentioned we were Diamond members, and he told us then to order whatever we wanted. The total bill with write-in tip came out to $75, a fantastic amenity to have as a Diamond member.<br />
<br />
Overall this was a great stay. We had the best meal we've had at this hotel, and while there was no availability to be upgraded to a suite, we were quite content with our golf-course view room.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-75013233521196662182016-03-06T21:00:00.000-08:002017-08-16T00:34:22.645-07:00D.C, Dubai, & The Maldives: Pre-Trip Report.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoFrI1gfWrr7sBxlxl99gtbo6UYUXZk0kO1J03l8AzzZWLV-DySKNpNHTQNh0fWejH0CNufN3zNiqNbqNkHt2vMcxixM8YdeUobUP8BTUQ7LQDsmQ6otWAvL8rJQoiskDLvGA9W7OMjpi/s1600/Park-Hyatt-Maldives-Hadahaa-Exterior-Aerial-Landscape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoFrI1gfWrr7sBxlxl99gtbo6UYUXZk0kO1J03l8AzzZWLV-DySKNpNHTQNh0fWejH0CNufN3zNiqNbqNkHt2vMcxixM8YdeUobUP8BTUQ7LQDsmQ6otWAvL8rJQoiskDLvGA9W7OMjpi/s640/Park-Hyatt-Maldives-Hadahaa-Exterior-Aerial-Landscape.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy Hyatt</td></tr>
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<br />
THE BIG ONE: Pre-Trip Report<br />
<br />
The idea to travel to the Maldives first came to me in 2013, while visiting the Grand Hyatt in Kauai. I figured if we could utilize points and miles, I could save some significant money to do the trip. While I originally envisioned travelling there in February of 2015, my booking ended up being for April of 2016. Even with free hotels and airfare, I needed to budget a lot of funds. In the end, I booked 16 nights across 6 different hotels for our vacation. <br />
<br />
The booking process was extensive, and everything had to come together in a short period of time. Unfortunately it was not a perfect process, and on top of the booking fees, I spent an additional $300 to change our flights once the bookings were made. As for the flights: for a grand total of $3636.80 and 350,000 United Miles I have the following:<br />
<br />
First Class on United Airlines from San Francisco to Washington D.C<br />
Business Class on Lufthansa from Washington D.C to Dubai (With a stop in Frankfurt)<br />
Economy Class on Emirates from Dubai to Male<br />
Seaplane flight to/from the Park Hyatt Maldives<br />
Seaplane flight to/from the Conrad Maldives<br />
Business Class on Turkish Airlines from Male to San Francisco (With a stop in Istanbul)<br />
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In a sadistic twist of irony, $1650 of the $3650 will get me 36 out of 45 hours in-flight in lie-flat business class seats, but I will be forced to shell out an additional $2000 for two round-trip <1 hour seaplane flights to and from our hotels in the Maldives.<br />
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For our hotels: For a grand total of $785.10, I will have: 1 night at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport, 2 nights at the Park Hyatt in Abu Dhabi in a suite, 3 nights at the Park Hyatt Dubai in a suite, 4 nights in a Beach Villa at the Park Hyatt in the Maldives, 5 nights in a Beach Villa at the Conrad in the Maldives, and one night at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco.<br />
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Of course, I plan to upgrade our rooms to Water Villa's many of the nights, which will add a hefty fee to the total cost of the trip, but I'll leave that out for now.<br />
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Thus far, we've only run into a couple of hiccups: the first being the changes we had to make for our flights, and the bigger one being United's announcement in December of 2015 that their direct-service flight from Washington Dulles to Dubai would be terminated at the end of January 2016. I quickly rebooked into the best available alternative: Business class on Lufthansa.<br />
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While the change adds a bit of travel time into the equation, it also enabled us to move the flight back a day without charge, and I'm expecting service and comfort will be better overall on Lufthansa.<br />
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Additional plans are:<br />
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Dinner at an underwater restaurant<br />
Camel Rides<br />
A trip on the world's fastest roller coaster<br />
A day trip in Istanbul<br />
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I look forward to bringing you reports from all our hotels in the coming couple of months.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-65810530748289395112015-10-28T21:15:00.000-07:002015-10-28T21:15:04.330-07:00The Grand Hyatt Kauai: A Room Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A GUIDE TO PARADISE</span></div>
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I've already been over the fantastic experiences I've had at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, so now I'd like to share some tips with you.</div>
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I've spent 17 nights at the Grand Hyatt, and I've experienced 8 different room categories, from a Pool View to a Presidential Suite. So I'm going to start by sharing which rooms I've stayed in and giving you the pros and cons.</div>
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The lowest category room is what the Grand Hyatt Kauai classifies as a standard room. Standard rooms will vary in location, but all share common traits. Each of these rooms will either face the parking lot or the gardens on the south side. On the Poipu wing, these will be 1st floor rooms, in the shipwreck wing these will be from 3rd to 6th story rooms. In my opinion, the worst of these rooms is a 4th-6th story room in the Shipwreck wing, as these will most likely have Parking lot views. You will not be able to see the Ocean from these rooms. All of these rooms will feature a terrace or balcony to relax outside.<br />
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Room 3132: The very first room I experienced at the Grand Hyatt was a pool view room on the ground level of the Shipwreck wing. The room is spacious, and incredibly convenient for pool access. The terrace has an obstructed view of the pool. Pool view rooms will be located in the Shipwreck wing at ground level (3rd floor)<br />
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Room 3092: As a late checkout accommodation, I was assigned this partial ocean view room for several hours until it was time to leave. This room is not too far from the lobby in the Poipu wing. It would be ideal for access to the club, or for wedding guests who would not have to wander far from the outdoor altar to return to their room after the ceremony.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from room 3092, a Partial Ocean View Room.</td></tr>
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Partial Ocean view rooms will be spread across both wings of the hotel, and are basically defined as rooms that have less than a premier view of the Ocean. Close proximity to the lobby can be viewed as a pro and a con. Shorter walks to the car are appreciated by many, but it's always possible the Ilima Terrace restaurant may be hosting an event. In such a case, it's possible the noise will disturb guests located here.<br />
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Room 6093: The last two nights of my first stay were upgraded from a paid standard room to this Deluxe Ocean View Room. In size it is similar, if not the exact same as most of the rooms on property, but the view was spectacular. Unfortunately it was not well appreciated by me or my girlfriend, as we had downgraded from a suite just a few doors down. Along with said Suite, this room was not all that ideal location-wise. Stairway access to the pool is a long walk through the hall, and compared with the pool view room we stayed in for our first two nights it felt like a significant trek. It shouldn't discourage most people though, as compared to rooms in the Poipu wing it was a cakewalk to get places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deluxe Ocean View Room with 2 queen beds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our Deluxe Ocean View Room</td></tr>
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Room 1029: A single night in this Garden Suite was sufficient for us. Larger than the Ocean Suite we had spent a night in the previous year, this suite did impress us in size, and it would certainly be comfortable for up to a family of four. It was also fantastic to have a hammock right outside the room. Yet we discovered here that ground floor rooms are not our forte at the Grand Hyatt. You too may realize that the ground floor is grounds for many critters, and while geckos and other reptiles are scattered everywhere at the resort, the ground floor is the most occupied. Plan to encounter at least a few creatures in your room.<br />
We also realized just how inconvenient this suite was. It's quite a roundabout trip to the club, and very distant from the lobby, the pool, and the parking lot. We utilized the valet while staying in this room, and it's likely you'll want to do the same.<br />
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Room 6083: I blame this room for many of my financial woes. We were given a complimentary upgrade to this room for a single night from the paid Deluxe Ocean View Room. While I found out later this is the smallest room in the Ocean Suite category, it was by far the most luxurious accommodation I had experienced at any hotel I'd ever stayed in. Like all the Garden and Ocean Suites, this room features a wet bar, a table for four, and an L-Shaped Couch with a TV in the living room. In the separate bedroom is a Hyatt Grand King bed with a TV. The master bath is equipped with a shower and a jetted tub, along with a small TV above the sink. This particular room had sliding glass doors leading out to an oversized balcony from both the living room and the bedroom.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HBHjeAj0pYY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HBHjeAj0pYY?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"></iframe>Room 2029: This standard sized Ocean Suite was directly above the Garden suite we had stayed in the previous year. In layout and features it was exactly the same. The sole difference was that instead of access to the Garden and a hammock directly outside the room, a balcony offered ocean views.</div>
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Room 2038: While this Large Sized Ocean Suite essentially had the same features as the other standard suites I had stayed in, it was significantly better. It's location was slightly more convienent than the Standard Size Ocean Suite and Garden Suite I had stayed in, but most impressive was the views it offered. This room featured an oversized living room and an oversized balcony off the living room. Additionally, the bedroom featured sliding glass doors with a small balcony on the other corner, meaning you could view the ocean or the hotel lobby from the room. Of all the rooms I have stayed in at the resort, we spent the most nights in this room (5 nights).<br />
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Check out the video above for a preview of four different standard suites in the hotel.<br />
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Room 6127: This Deluxe Ocean Suite is impressive in size, views, and location. Featuring a 6 person formal dining table and a half-bathroom along with all the other features found in the hotel's standard suites, this is one of the best rooms on property. French doors off the bedroom lead to views of the expansive pool. The oversized living room has two sets of sliding glass doors that open to a giant balcony with premier ocean views. Ultimately, my assessment of the property has led me to believe that this room has the best views on the resort, though there are a few rooms closer to the ocean. The following video is a tour of this incredible room.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-Vt78MZvqZU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Vt78MZvqZU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">....AND THE BEST FOR LAST</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM7s1hRpkWKZmaay6RvUMIAwmVaYmGyP2dVf946CUeqOLkSKbHUcPodSLg21388uvgFEUeOFaqXP2pEUIbtDsAMfNkLOEOFnmJUpnIV6MaJQ4qAhWh_gHzhwUhadrpX5SsL-_5AJxVy6V/s1600/HDR8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHM7s1hRpkWKZmaay6RvUMIAwmVaYmGyP2dVf946CUeqOLkSKbHUcPodSLg21388uvgFEUeOFaqXP2pEUIbtDsAMfNkLOEOFnmJUpnIV6MaJQ4qAhWh_gHzhwUhadrpX5SsL-_5AJxVy6V/s640/HDR8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ultimate of Accomodations at the Grand Hyatt Kauai: The Kaumuali'i Royal Suite</td></tr>
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Room 6026: This is one of two Presidential suites at the resort. From what I've seen of the other and because of the location of this room, I'm led to believe it is the better of the two. While clearly the most luxurious accommodation offered, unfortunately you have to sacrifice the best view and a premier location to get it. Granted the views are nothing short of spectacular from this room, but having a line of sight to all of the pool grounds and having convenient access to the lobby and pool in room 6127 was invaluable to me.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KEd8w1Gv3UQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KEd8w1Gv3UQ?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe>Despite that, if I had to choose between 6127 and this room, I would take the Presidential Suite. This suite is the ultimate in entertaining options at the resort, and would be a spectacular family retreat for a week. From separate living, dining, and entertaining areas to the oversized Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, this suite has it all.<br />
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The suite entrance features double doors. For additional space, the adjacent room can also be rented, and an additional set of double doors in front of the suite entrance and prior to the adjacent room can be closed to turn this suite and the adjacent room into a 2-bedroom, 2 & 1/2 bath suite.<br />
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Enjoy the video above for a preview of this home-sized suite.<br />
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I hope you've enjoyed my review and guide of the Grand Hyatt Kauai. If you have time, check out my video of the Garden Island below. (2D Version on Top, 3D Version on Bottom)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-35985190651180469982015-10-22T02:23:00.001-07:002017-03-04T20:33:47.983-08:00The Grand Hyatt Kauai: A Comprehensive Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">GRAND</span></div>
The Grand Hyatt Kauai may be the young traveler's most aspiring destination within the U.S. Indeed, it was mine nearly three years ago when I came across the Hyatt Visa card and wanted to know where the best place to use my two free nights was. In September of 2013, I spent my first five nights there. Since then I have stayed an additional 12 nights and I've experienced a total of 8 different rooms. No day has been a let-down, no moment has been forgotten.<br />
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Our departure for this trip was a calm Thursday morning. We departed Sacramento on an economy ticket with United and connected at Los Angeles International, where we took advantage of both the United Club with our day pass and the Alaska Board Room lounge with our Lounge Club access. From there we departed direct to Lihue on an eventless 6 hour flight. We arrived in Lihue around 12:45, and after grabbing our baggage, picking up our convertible, and making a snack run at Costco, we drove the 15 miles to the Grand Hyatt and arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon. We chose as we always have to utilize the valet for the first night. If you stay at this property, you should at the very least use the valet on your first day. You are presented with a Lei, offered water, and assisted with your baggage. You may otherwise be presented with a Lei at the front desk, but I've heard of instances where people miss out on this.<br />
On our first stay we were checked in by Eric, on our second by Lauren. This time we were helped by Jessie. Jessie welcomed us back and informed us that our government rate Diamond Suite Upgrade to a Garden Suite had been further upgraded to an Ocean Suite. Based Hyatt's website, upon check-in there was availability for all room categories across the board, less Garden Suites (as these typically fill up with people using Diamond Suite Upgrades). I informed Jessie that I had spoken to Darlene in the reservations department about paying to upgrade further to a Deluxe Ocean Suite for the last two nights of my stay. After conferring with a supervisor, Jessie let me know that there was availability for a Deluxe Ocean Suite on the 5th floor in the Poipu wing. I then specifically requested room 6127, as I had heard this was the most lavish of the Deluxe Ocean Suites. After a quick check, I was offered that room at an additional cost, which I agreed to. In the meantime, we would be in room 2029. We confirmed our 1,000 point bonus for our Diamond Membership amenity, although for the first time we considered taking a Cabana rental instead (Value between $70 and $150) <br />
The bellhop, Teddy, walked with us to our room and unloaded our luggage. As bellhops go, I haven't experienced any friendlier than those at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, Teddy was no exception, nor was the man who later helped us move to our other Suite (though I missed his name)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Diamond benefits.</td></tr>
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Room 2029 is a standard sized Ocean View Room. It is larger than the small version I experienced in room 6083, though it did feature a smaller balcony. It was smaller than our corner large version ocean suite in room 2038, and even less convenient location wise. It was directly above the Garden Suite I stayed in last year, and was essentially exactly the same. All Ocean and Garden suites feature a television in both the bedroom and the living area, a wet bar, a table for 4, an L shaped couch, a Jacuzzi tub with a small TV in the bathroom, and toilets with heated seats and front and rear cleansing options.<br />
As a Diamond member, we received a card with information about our amenities, and I scrolled through, having forgotten what they were. <br />
Throughout our stay we would take advantage of a nightly turndown service, access to the Spa, 15% off at the Logo Shop, and most importantly Club Access. We were disappointed to find that 15% off the Anara Spa Retail Price applied only to the Spa store, and not to services (this led to our decision to postpone a pampering until our upcoming trip to the Park Hyatt Maldives)<br />
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After unpacking, we made the roundabout trip to the Grand Club. I say roundabout because there is no easy access to the club from a good portion of 2nd floor rooms. We literally had to walk down a hall, turn left down another, turn left down another, elevator up, and another left with a short walk to the double doors. All in all, you turn 235 degrees for the trip. But definitely a worthwhile trip.<br />
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The grand club is almost always available for snacks and drinks, in fact on our last trip I did not once show up to locked doors. Among trail mix, wasabi peas and macadamia nuts you'll find my favorite amenity: Passion Guava juice! You're also provided with Pepsi products in cans and bottled water, along with some various carbonated canned fruit drinks.<br />
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After grabbing some trail mix and a couple of soda's, we went back to the room for some R&R.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our first room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOO5cPW1oZzZZvGcrI-JTWI2v3WVQstciqEZJlZ9z4AI6BMNonBIIJBgX-Tnse2sww5i3XYtlWHcQ40pbu4WLuVNjjoHydCmF_WRJog6ghXO7GPcKRqicMA9YYC9Ye7xAeppJylopino4/s1600/20150924_182234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOO5cPW1oZzZZvGcrI-JTWI2v3WVQstciqEZJlZ9z4AI6BMNonBIIJBgX-Tnse2sww5i3XYtlWHcQ40pbu4WLuVNjjoHydCmF_WRJog6ghXO7GPcKRqicMA9YYC9Ye7xAeppJylopino4/s320/20150924_182234.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desserts compliments of management.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a small amount of rest, we did something that we haven't done in our many days at the resort: walked up the trail to the big rock east of Shipwreck beach. We admired the view of the resort and took in the awesome Kauai weather, then went back to the club for dinner.<br />
The club was serving chicken enchiladas, and we both chowed down. While it was nothing to write home about, they were quite enjoyable, and served as sufficient dinner. When we returned to the room, we found an assortment of four truffles delivered by management. We had also received a welcome dessert our previous year, and I'm unsure whether this is an amenity passed to all guests, diamond members, or return guests. We devoured the truffles and quickly passed out. It was 8:00.<br />
<br />
On Friday morning we woke up to sunset, and realized we had time to make it to the morning fitness walk hosted by Ani. Ani hosts many of the fitness classes at the resort, and while I hadn't attended any in the past, she did recognize my girlfriend from previous years.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBno9n-PYwTBQ9Ef05onO6ftZjWmLnpypcilEzep0pDM5LS0AnF3vc2lwoyyL3TzSyFfBTvB1skD7YRb4bJO5jrTbskile0PDIn_7oJQCXZ5prcJm5hCbC0OV0jkJ_mrVaFxpIc0n3ICFD/s1600/20150925_081014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBno9n-PYwTBQ9Ef05onO6ftZjWmLnpypcilEzep0pDM5LS0AnF3vc2lwoyyL3TzSyFfBTvB1skD7YRb4bJO5jrTbskile0PDIn_7oJQCXZ5prcJm5hCbC0OV0jkJ_mrVaFxpIc0n3ICFD/s400/20150925_081014.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Girlfriend opted for a Salmon bagel, <br />
but I indulged in scrambled eggs with ham.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our walk took us west over to Poipu beach park. Last year we were able to spot Sea Turtles in the shallows, but this year we were not so lucky. Shortly after leaving the resort, a downpour began. We huddled under some brush for 10 minutes until it cleared enough for us to continue.<br />
Upon returning from our walk, we went back to the club for breakfast.<br />
<br />
Breakfast at the club consists of an entrée, and offerings of pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe. They also serve sliced turkey, salami, and oatmeal. Miso soup is served consistently throughout the day.<br />
There is also a station for bagels and toast, with Guava and Mango jellies, Smuckers peanut butter, and delicious North Shore Coco peanut butter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VtyvjFTExnSebTFdaDoHG29k7XvO0SLrwjv-Bs1jFhYZr8uXHBFudA3H9DWXer01hKrQX9H_mn9r-t9K2CvXYFQfJiHwRk6H4QmarB0zjbZZaea0JHHy-HLaiRnoS4M0em4ityi0XrV-/s1600/20150925_083836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VtyvjFTExnSebTFdaDoHG29k7XvO0SLrwjv-Bs1jFhYZr8uXHBFudA3H9DWXer01hKrQX9H_mn9r-t9K2CvXYFQfJiHwRk6H4QmarB0zjbZZaea0JHHy-HLaiRnoS4M0em4ityi0XrV-/s320/20150925_083836.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Load up while you can <br />
for daytime snacks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our entrée for Friday was scrambled eggs with ham. While we once had a great breakfast at Ilima Terrace, saving the $25+ per person with our club access was well worth it. You may have more options and better food at the restaurant, but this was still a great substitute. When we finished breakfast, we loaded up with extra pineapple, watermelon and cheese and salami, and dropped it off at our room.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3CH0rS60JQXK2Nw3tLDx3k71vNKdl_TZtF50BflV2sAmsTCBHqYCRtZdOutoUa_OB12bHOOcCwuyxr7zkGdnDfS-F26ttmYsHmWc-QK1rl9aUdh2k-u1enD7ZZXpqk_-6OxZ5y5l_ndd/s1600/IMG_9935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU3CH0rS60JQXK2Nw3tLDx3k71vNKdl_TZtF50BflV2sAmsTCBHqYCRtZdOutoUa_OB12bHOOcCwuyxr7zkGdnDfS-F26ttmYsHmWc-QK1rl9aUdh2k-u1enD7ZZXpqk_-6OxZ5y5l_ndd/s320/IMG_9935.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Extra treat!</td></tr>
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When we arrived at the room we found a small dessert plate along with a bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes. We opened up the note, which was clearly marked for other guests at the hotel. We called the front office to let them know of the mistake, and offered to return the champagne. They apologized, though no apology was needed, and told us to keep the champagne for ourselves.<br />
<br />
Next up was to move our car from the valet to self-parking. Though we used the valet every day during our last stay, we were on a tighter budget this trip, and the convenience was not worth the $16 a night fee. In general, I'd recommend using the valet if you're staying in the Poipu wing, as it will save a little bit of a walk. Last year our entire 7 night stay was in the Poipu wing, but this year 2 of our 5 nights were spent in the Shipwreck wing, far closer to the self-parking.<br />
<br />
We grabbed our car from the valet and decided to drive over to a local shopping center to visit some jewelers and art galleries. There, we heard about an art festival later in the evening in the town of Hanapepe. After an hour exploring, we drove back to the hotel and dropped the car at the self parking lot.<br />
<br />
The rest of our day was spent mostly at the pool, where we enjoyed several beverages including Lava Flows, Banana Split smoothie with rum, and the Mount Wai ale ale chiller.<br />
<br />
The pool at the Grand Hyatt Kauai is expansive and incredible. It begins with an adult pool level with the third floor of the hotel. You can follow a mini-river under a bridge and over to a short tile waterslide which flows into the river pool. From there, you follow a river with a light current around past two waterfalls that feature hidden grottos. Once at the end of this area, you can walk up a few steps to their waterslide, and end at the 1st level of the resort in the main pool. The main pool features a volleyball net and a mini-river that ends at the base of a large waterfall.<br />
<br />
We also rented a 2 person kayak for 30 minutes at a cost of $10. We used this at the lagoon pool, a "sand" filled saltwater pool larger than the others.<br />
<br />
We had come prepared this trip with water shoes, as the stairs leading to the waterslide are uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet, along with the "sand" at the lagoon pool, which is more akin to fine gravel. I'd strongly recommend you bring water shoes as well.<br />
<br />
After spending most of the day at the pool, we departed for Hanapepe, where we spent the night roaming the street at an art festival.<br />
<br />
Upon our return, we went back to the grand club for dinner. We were served delicious sliders with Chile mayonnaise, then it was bed time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixA8KtXoE-BhFJExCuH0Ur76H2SCzHADHkUYbidrL0r-VKkKxe-o1r2ZBcc7HTGao6ZnNEz0TsyaMSgi_ugH6WaNdlhQM_WIgp9RZVpBo2My9iKlhVIXZkQhE8kgemn1QOFmsjeTEN-Hu/s1600/IMG_9921_2_3_painterly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixA8KtXoE-BhFJExCuH0Ur76H2SCzHADHkUYbidrL0r-VKkKxe-o1r2ZBcc7HTGao6ZnNEz0TsyaMSgi_ugH6WaNdlhQM_WIgp9RZVpBo2My9iKlhVIXZkQhE8kgemn1QOFmsjeTEN-Hu/s640/IMG_9921_2_3_painterly.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incredible view from the Grand Club.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWOhBr91A63RrBVu40nC4yvraUXvYcGEeoZLRKvzmmgptwM9VXPIWL8Qc3bDlXOyjFlajgabIm2SO4a9pGDtmnbyiCU_82wafPYzWV8gft4rG0QTfoyT0ApdQRrGivH7KAnvEXcONioxP/s1600/20150926_084410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWOhBr91A63RrBVu40nC4yvraUXvYcGEeoZLRKvzmmgptwM9VXPIWL8Qc3bDlXOyjFlajgabIm2SO4a9pGDtmnbyiCU_82wafPYzWV8gft4rG0QTfoyT0ApdQRrGivH7KAnvEXcONioxP/s320/20150926_084410.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious breakfast... except for<br />
that weird meat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Saturday morning we woke, got ready, and headed straight for the Grand Club.<br />
The club was serving Petite Quiche Florentines, which were terrific, along with the usual fare. I added a muffin and a couple meats to my bowl, and discovered that I absolutely despise whatever the extraneous meat was (not pepperoni or salami). I'm sure it's an acquired taste. Maybe you can identify it on the left.<br />
<br />
As shown above, the view from the club is terrific, and during a couple of our visits we did sit outside for our meals. If you take this route, beware though... there are birds and cats abound.<br />
<br />
More than once I've dropped off some food, reentered the club to grab something additional, and returned to find a critter had scavenged!<br />
<br />
After our breakfast and a little relaxation, we headed west out to old Koloa town, to the Kauai coffee Plantation (highly recommended), and to Waimea Canyon. I'll spare most of the details, except to say I was delighted that the Waimea Canyon falls were flowing in force, unlike the last time we had trekked all the way there to find it dry.<br />
<br />
Dinner at the club was ravioli served with either Alfredo or Marinara sauce, and after our meal, another early bedtime preceded a day spent entirely at the resort.<br />
<br />
For all the days we had spent at the Grand Hyatt, not once had we managed to stay at the resort for a whole day. We were always too busy on an adventure--- tubing down a sugar cane canal, soaring over Jurassic Falls in a door-less helicopter, hugging the Napali coast on a luxurious catamaran, etc.<br />
But on Sunday we "pooled" it off, spending our day changing rooms and enjoying the pool.<br />
<br />
Our morning began with another visit to the club. I'll spare you my breakfast photo and just let you know it was a scrumptious breakfast burrito along with a toasted bagel and peanut butter. We continued our morning by packing up our Ocean Suite in preparation to move to a Deluxe Ocean Suite.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNCk4SDgyzoM0Y6wVQB4u06HtahTWbWic31k8TLy3oFfgGEyPJvvFIljr4g9V0A5NAH1ldlPKA3Zi-PcefB-LoePHsSIQ58EBWkMILHpjt4bi3AnEvnptTSnGhEA4C10ZlrfE7RR-fMXt/s1600/IMG_2018_19_20_fused.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNCk4SDgyzoM0Y6wVQB4u06HtahTWbWic31k8TLy3oFfgGEyPJvvFIljr4g9V0A5NAH1ldlPKA3Zi-PcefB-LoePHsSIQ58EBWkMILHpjt4bi3AnEvnptTSnGhEA4C10ZlrfE7RR-fMXt/s640/IMG_2018_19_20_fused.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Deluxe Ocean Suite: Room 6127.<br />
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In the middle of preparations, we got a call from the lobby informing us that our new suite was ready. Thus, we had them send a bellman to help us load up our luggage, and strolled down to 6127.<br />
In contrast with the suite we were in, 6127 is on the opposite side of the hotel in the Shipwreck wing. It is bigger, has a nicer view, and in my opinion is a far more convenient location for nearly everything at the hotel except for the Grand Club.<br />
Despite it being significantly smaller than the Presidential Suite I had stayed in, this room was still magnificent. Its location and view are prime, and it is by no means too small.<br />
<br />
We continued our day out at the pool, this time with a water tube in hand. We spent several hours enjoying the outdoors until it was time for dinner.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, no trip to the Grand Hyatt is complete without at least one dinner at Tidepools, and this one was no exception.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuPxNsQroqWe6GVDvSCv4Wz07Wt4sDX9QQxYHcnncwzLxbIHXhdvshIfZSUWgLtgodE2lM08CWgLk_IAnJkvpRjTaEoTG6EPEZFtsi2WqKv9UhNX-pGS3SA7wSKK8UFX9jqDE0B2LKuPf/s640/20150927_180118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tidepools: No stay is complete without visiting at least once!</td></tr>
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</div>
Tidepools is the resort favorite when it comes to restaurants, offering an incredible setting with even more incredible food. While I did once run into an entrée that didn't take my breath away, I have not run into an experience here without at least a little awe. This time around my girlfriend and I shared an appetizer of Crab Cakes and Polenta Crusted Scallops. The crab cakes, while great, were still a step down from my favorite: Ruth's Sizzling Crab Cakes at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The Scallops, however, were terrific. So were our entrees: my girlfriend's usual Hawaiian catch, and my kryptonite... Butter Poached Lobster. Along with our cocktails, this was a very satisfying dinner.<br />
<br />
Monday began with Quiche and Pineapple at the Grand Club. We spent our final full day in Kauai heading north. We visited Costco for more sunscreen, hit Wailua falls, the town of Kapaa, and enjoyed fish taco's at Tropical Taco in Hanalei. We also grabbed ice cream from Lappert's and took some scenic photos at the Hanalei valley overlook.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PJjygeoAseMioT6vhwIshOj7Jks73Iwvpgs5kgnOnHSK-PmtRLFXs-IG99ERcJH-WYemYklFzg-vdW95MtLynh8iMSpRCapmAR5oA7DrSYKL4CwFAg3lyThWibZlsYkl15Z67mPf4AXk/s1600/HDR9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PJjygeoAseMioT6vhwIshOj7Jks73Iwvpgs5kgnOnHSK-PmtRLFXs-IG99ERcJH-WYemYklFzg-vdW95MtLynh8iMSpRCapmAR5oA7DrSYKL4CwFAg3lyThWibZlsYkl15Z67mPf4AXk/s320/HDR9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanalei Valley Overlook</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoQ1YlZli-rrqh2yWr2KdtWJYXx0Ju7ICKcxIH8ROqq_d8ix5zPPXzTsrHDTSWuuv02zknmU1rlKHisTqTmBvl0EeG9EMnQ-Bav3NPFQC_df8ar4RHVc4JFzKVEFSJzvOLjrf86CihQBK/s1600/IMG_2870_1_2_painterly2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoQ1YlZli-rrqh2yWr2KdtWJYXx0Ju7ICKcxIH8ROqq_d8ix5zPPXzTsrHDTSWuuv02zknmU1rlKHisTqTmBvl0EeG9EMnQ-Bav3NPFQC_df8ar4RHVc4JFzKVEFSJzvOLjrf86CihQBK/s320/IMG_2870_1_2_painterly2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wailua Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoQ1YlZli-rrqh2yWr2KdtWJYXx0Ju7ICKcxIH8ROqq_d8ix5zPPXzTsrHDTSWuuv02zknmU1rlKHisTqTmBvl0EeG9EMnQ-Bav3NPFQC_df8ar4RHVc4JFzKVEFSJzvOLjrf86CihQBK/s1600/IMG_2870_1_2_painterly2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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We got back with barely enough time to grab some desserts from the club, and went back to our room loaded with chocolate brownies. Even though we were in time, we decided to order some take out from Tidepools. We ordered Crab Cakes, a Cream Brulee, a Chocolate Lave Cake, and a couple of cocktails. Unfortunately the Crab Cakes weren't as delectable as they were a night earlier. Maybe it was just because it was takeout and was presented differently, but I was not as impressed as I was at the table. The Crème Brulee and Chocolate Lava Cake were great, so were the cocktails. On our last night in Kauai, we passed out around 10 or 11.</div>
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We had already confirmed a late check-out of 4 P.M with the front desk, which was terrific considering the previous year we had to move out of the Presidential suite by noon on our last day. After a quick breakfast Tuesday Morning, we made our way to the lobby to try to catch the 10:00 Bird Talk. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIRcqxLf32rDyAm9txxhpDlR3AK1n6d3qL4dVl59Ram4e0BPrlsg54e5ZRlX_wa73KLDGZwNW61odRmWJWhnw6q1lpV4CUbJ_2CCSsPIaqDyj7UpzV9cTfiWDxnpcfge6qcOeDoJv894f/s1600/IMAG0049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYIRcqxLf32rDyAm9txxhpDlR3AK1n6d3qL4dVl59Ram4e0BPrlsg54e5ZRlX_wa73KLDGZwNW61odRmWJWhnw6q1lpV4CUbJ_2CCSsPIaqDyj7UpzV9cTfiWDxnpcfge6qcOeDoJv894f/s640/IMAG0049.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bird Talk 2013.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPEFGb0ZJxlS8iQGqcRwMVMgE4kCMtW6ERXgR2PZ8VEFJ13DjOUGWOS2rzGPjiWunIMJarkJEihyphenhyphenJmFardSMFkC6RTwV_JZJhMZwBHIg-5GmxV7ktWuuNE3UwNT0hYNpjsguzQEgFrmL7/s1600/IMG_9865_6_7_vibrant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVPEFGb0ZJxlS8iQGqcRwMVMgE4kCMtW6ERXgR2PZ8VEFJ13DjOUGWOS2rzGPjiWunIMJarkJEihyphenhyphenJmFardSMFkC6RTwV_JZJhMZwBHIg-5GmxV7ktWuuNE3UwNT0hYNpjsguzQEgFrmL7/s320/IMG_9865_6_7_vibrant.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rico: A Green Winged Macaw who enjoys<br />
listening to the tune from Hawaii 5-0</td></tr>
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Unfortunately for us, the talk was at 10:00 A.M, and it was 10:30 when we arrived. A quick check with the front desk confirmed that the talk only lasted 10 minutes. This was disappointing, as the bird talks give kids and adults the chance to interact with some of the resort's exotic birds, and we've enjoyed it in previous years.<br />
<br />
The resort has 4-6 birds that are usually on display either in the lobby or near the shipwreck bar by the pool. You can pick up an activities guide from the front desk to find out when all the bird talk events are hosted.<br />
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We left the lobby and went back to the room to suit up for a day at the pool.<br />
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Alas, it was finally time to leave, so we packed up our belongings and loaded up the car. Even though we were 30 minutes late getting out of the room, we had no issues from the hotel.<br />
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With our car loaded, we wandered over to the Grand Club. Normally we wouldn't have access so late in the day after already checking out, but we had made acquaintance with one of the staff and she was nice enough to let us in to grab some dinner and snacks. After saying goodbye, we took off for the airport to catch our red-eye back to San Francisco.<br />
<br />
While this wasn't our favorite of our trips to Kauai and the Grand Hyatt, considering we had 2 nights less this vacation than last year, it was no less a wonderful time. I'm intrigued by the few who don't have a perfect time here, but am well aware that there are those who can't be satisfied, and that every experience is different.<br />
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If there is one thing I wish the hotel would do differently, it would be to keep the waterslide open longer. As it stands, it opens at 10-11 and closes somewhere between 4 and 6. It's been like this for at least the last 3 years that I've stayed, and is definitely not long enough.<br />
<br />
Special Thanks to all the staff who made this vacation fantastic.<br />
Staff I had positive interactions with: Teddy (Bellhop), Irvin (Bellhop), Victor (Valet), Michael from San Diego at the Front Desk. Jessie at the Front Desk, Eric at the Front Desk, Ani from the fitness center and Simone from the Grand Club, among many many others.<br />
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Come back soon for a guide to the rooms and grounds of the Grand Hyatt Kauai, and in the meantime checkout my Youtube channel for videos of a variety of suites on the property, including a Presidential Suite! I also feature a video of Kauai from Land, Sea, and Air in 3D! Youtube user novelist1985Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-91069259970371800552015-09-20T09:19:00.001-07:002016-03-13T21:59:52.544-07:00The Ultimate of Ultimates!Anyone familiar with the Hyatt brand may know that the Park Hyatt in the Maldives is arguably the most aspirational property in their portfolio. Next April I will finally have the opportunity to bring you a review of said property, along with reviews of the Park Hyatt Washington D.C, the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, the Park Hyatt Dubai, and the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero.<br />
While there is no shortage of reviews out there when it comes to the PH Maldives, a unique aspect I will be bringing is a side-by-side comparison of another chain's Maldives property: The Conrad Rangali Island- where I will be staying for 5 nights immediately after my 4 nights at the PH.<br />
I hope you all come back when the review is completed!<br />
In the meantime, our next review will be up in a couple of weeks: The Grand Hyatt Kauai, which will feature a comprehensive guide of most room types (I've stayed in almost every room/suite type at this point).<br />
<br />
Even more info about this trip can be found at <a href="http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/10/success-story-how-to-use-my-hyatt-certificates-dubai-the-maldives-and-a-37000-vacation.html">http://www.frugaltravelguy.com/2015/10/success-story-how-to-use-my-hyatt-certificates-dubai-the-maldives-and-a-37000-vacation.html</a><br />
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-The Hyatt GuyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-19027742538414708902015-08-06T23:12:00.002-07:002015-10-18T12:23:44.338-07:00The TIMESHARE Guy??? (Grand Mayan Riviera Maya Review)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local Wildlife at the Grand Mayan Riviera Maya</td></tr>
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I'm a hotel guy through and through (specifically Hyatt, though in my childhood years, it was whatever the family could afford), so you may be surprised to learn that I recently spent a week in a timeshare. There is a catch--- this timeshare is owned by a friend of my family, and she was there with us while we stayed, making this stay free for me. On top of that, because of my resistance to travel to Playa Del Carmen and stay in a timeshare, my SO offered to pay for my airfare. Done deal. So aside from F&B and local transportation/activities, this was a free trip to Mexico.<br />
I don't need any more free trips.<br />
From one standpoint, the Grand Mayan Riviera Maya looks like an expansive resort with lush foliage, relaxing pools, local nature (Iguana's abound), and great restaurant options. It has gigantic rooms with plunge pools, full kitchens, jetted tubs, rainfall showers, and HBO. Located north of the city and right on the beach, the pitch to stay here really sounds ideal. <br />
But that's all it ever pulls off: sounds ideal.<br />
The reality is much different. Being north of the city means you pay a ton extra getting anywhere. Scuba diving, local nature parks (Xcaret, Rio Secreto, Xplor), shopping... all will be at LEAST 20 dollars each way. Throw in a bunch of activities to your vacation, you've now spent an extra $200+ just on taxis.<br />
The pools, though massive and with swim-up bars, all lack appeal. They are waist deep for adults, and way too warm for the summer sun. No waterslides, no waterfalls. A volleyball net is the most entertainment you'll find in one of these pools. (Though a pool with a lazy river should be completed in the next few months). You can cool off if your room has a plunge pool, but don't expect to get any swimming done in those.<br />
The resort is truly expansive... so much so that a shuttle is necessary for a good portion of guests. A shuttle from your room to the pool, from your room to the lobby, from your room to the restaurant, from your room to the shuttle exchange to your friends room. Waiting for the shuttles while the sun beat down upon me or while the mosquitos tore at my skin was the greatest reassurance I had that staying in hotels is a better choice. Twice in an evening I spent 20+ minutes just waiting for the shuttle to arrive. (ultimately I ended up walking).<br />
Next are the restaurants. During my stay, I had the chance to eat at four of the resort's restaurants. None of them were truly overpriced, but you can easily find better food in town for cheaper (cheaper aside from the Taxi fares, of course). I was not impressed by any of the meals I had--- from French toast to burgers to tacos and enchiladas. None made me sick or tasted bad, but none made me want to return. Speaking of restaurants: every single one of them closes at 11 P.M or earlier. OK, so my go-to hotel, the Grand Hyatt in Kauai, closes their restaurants at 10... but come midnight I can still order cocktails from room service. No cocktails available with the Grand Mayan's room service.<br />
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So the pools are too warm and take too long to get to, the restaurants are mediocre, it's too expensive to go into town... okay, time to return to the room and watch HBO..... in Spanish.<br />
The reality is nobody should expect television to be in English at a Mexican resort (though some of the channels were in English), yet when all other options were exhausted, it would have been nice to come back to the room and watch a movie.<br />
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I will say the one thing I enjoyed at this resort: the wildlife. A Coati, Racoon, Bat, Lizards, Iguanas, Crocodiles, Oriole's, and more all share the grounds of this gigantic resort.<br />
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I can't compare this resort to the Grand Hyatt down the road, so maybe this is a good place to be by Playa Del Carmen standards, but I can say with certainty I have no need to return here.<br />
I look forward to returning to the Grand Hyatt Kauai in September all the more now.<br />
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Despite my distaste for the resort, I had an enjoyable time with my girlfriend down in Playa, and put together a video featuring the resort and all the wildlife it had to offer (the entire video up until the boat is filmed on the resort grounds, room featured is from the Grand Luxxe).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4907948059018728296.post-37993748523935737952015-08-03T12:39:00.000-07:002015-10-22T00:44:17.011-07:00Return to Hyatt Regency Monterey (Review #2)Last week I decided to book a night down at the Hyatt Regency in Monterey. It would be my third trip to the hotel, and a great option for an evening getaway. I used 15,000 Hyatt gold passport points to book the room, as opposed to a $339 nightly rate.<br />
While our last stay was clear-cut excellence between receiving a free suite upgrade and relaxing times at the Regency club, this trip was more of a mixed bag.<br />
We arrived at around 9 P.M. I already knew it would be busy because the Hyatt website showed the hotel had sold out for the night, and the lobby made that even more evident. While there was a separate desk for Platinum and Diamond check-in, there was no separate Queue for it, nor was there anyone staffing it. About 4 people were ahead of me when I first got in line, and only one check-in agent to help them. After a few minutes, a few more agents filed out of the back room and manned the additional stations. Overall it was a short wait to get to the front. Chris checked us in, letting us know we were booked in a top floor golf-course view room. He explained that as a Diamond member, I would receive complimentary breakfast for two in the Tosca restaurant. This was new in the last few months since the Regency Club had closed down. I got no direct answer about potential reopening of the club, it sounds like it may return or may stay closed.<br />
He offered us our Diamond amenity: either a 1,000 point bonus or a food and beverage option. I'm typically inclined to take the 1,000 points, as I find the food and beverage amenities at most hotels to be sub-par. But in this case they offered a local artichoke dip, and I chose that along with a bottle of Pepsi and Tropicana orange juice.<br />
We took advantage of the complimentary valet and carried our bags over to our room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf Course View Room (#852) at Hyatt Regency Monterey</td></tr>
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Our room was spacious in size. Definitely smaller than the suite we had received on our previous trip, but still good size.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from room #852 at Hyatt Regency Monterey</td></tr>
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The view from the room was a decent panorama of the Del Monte Golf Course, par for the hotel. I did notice some ocean view balcony rooms scattered about, but the views of the ocean were obstructed, and it was still a distance between the hotel and the ocean.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruit and Cheese Platter</td></tr>
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About 5 minutes after arriving in our room, Chris from the front desk called to inform us that the kitchen was backed up and that our amenity might not arrive until 10 P.M, 45 minutes from his call. I advised him that it wouldn't be a problem, and kicked back into the bed. A mere 10 minutes later a knock on the door surprised us. It was room service with--- the wrong amenity. They delivered us a fruit and cheese platter along with my soda and orange juice. I informed the server about the mistake, and he in turn showed me the amenity sheet that had been delivered to him. Sure enough was my handwriting next to the beverage option, but it was Chris at the front desk who had mistakenly drawn a star next to the Fruit and Cheese platter option. No biggie, it would be another 20 minutes before we received our artichoke dip with flatbread, and in the meantime we tried out the fruit and cheese platter. It came with assorted nuts: pistachios, cashews, walnuts. It also came with cinnamon pears, dried cranberries, garlic bread, and a small cheese collection. I could not tell you what type of cheese, but that my taste buds were not keen to it. The rest of the platter was enjoyable, but not as much as the Artichoke dip platter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artichoke Dip Platter</td></tr>
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Before heading to bed I called the front desk to inquire about a late check-out. Diamond members are given a check out as late as 4 P.M when available. The agent on the phone offered us 1 P.M.<br />
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We passed out around 11 and woke at 9 to take advantage of breakfast.<br />
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It was a quick seating at the restaurant, and a waiter came to take our drink orders. I mentioned my Diamond membership and inquired as to what was free, but got a vague response. I decided to take a chance and order a Raspberry smoothie on top of the full breakfast buffet. My girlfriend opted for hot chocolate and the buffet.<br />
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I made my way to the omelet station where a cook served me an Omelet with tomatoes, pepper mix, bacon, and cheese. I also loaded up a plate with bacon, French Toast with Maple Syrup and brown sugar, and yogurt. The food was great, and we downed our meals quickly. When the waiter brought our bill, he told us breakfast would be removed, and I asked if I could just write the tip on the receipt, to which he answered that I could.<br />
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We left the dining room and traveled back to the front desk to see about an even later check-out. The agent offered us 3:00, which we gladly accepted. We left the hotel to enjoy our day in Monterey, and arrived back at 2:30. Upon check-out, the front-desk agent advised me that my only charges would be for my Raspberry smoothie and the tip for breakfast. This was disappointing, as my last few breakfasts I was able to order what I wanted and leave a tip without being charged for any of it, smoothies included. Examples are at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Andaz San Diego, and Hyatt Regency Orange county. I imagine every hotel has a different take on the "free breakfast" policy, and since the Regency club had only recently closed down, I'm sure the policy in Monterey hasn't been refined to fit the norm. I decided not to argue the bill and took off to enjoy the rest of my day in Monterey.* (See Update at Bottom)<br />
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While this stay wasn't as great as our last visit, most of the reasons were beyond the hotel's control, and I still think this is a great place to getaway for a night or two.<br />
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Check out this short video I took of whale watching in the Monterey Bay.<br />
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*Update. Less than a week later, after completing the online survey, I received a call from the asst. food and beverage manager informing me that I was correct that I should not have been billed for tip or my smoothie and that they will process a refund for me. After a short discussion, it sounds like this mistake is less likely to happen for future guests.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12155466703554976715noreply@blogger.com1