The Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles

As you walk into the hotel, the front desk is slightly to the right.  Due to my late arrival, there was only one other person waiting to be checked into the hotel.  Check-in was quick and efficient, although the front desk staff was not overly friendly.

The room is fairly spacious with a king bed, a small desk and lounge chair.  There were two bottles of complimentary water, which is a nice touch.  Although located close to LAX, there is very little noise from the airport, a big plus.  The bed was comfortable, although the furnishings are a little worn around the edges.

The bathroom was fairly large, only because I mistakenly booked an ADA room.  The sink is very small due to the amount of space needed to accommodate a wheelchair.  There is a shower/tub combo with a shower chair and an adjustable shower head.  It was a little inconvenient taking a shower due to the added equipment in the bathroom, but is solely my fault.

After checking out, it took forever to get my car, probably 20 minutes and it was not even that busy.  The worst part, valet parking is $28/day plus tax (???)

If given the choice, I probably would not stay here again, unless I could get a fantastic rate to help offset the cost of parking.

Alan Wong's Amasia

Great news for foodies traveling to Maui.  Alan Wong recently opened Amasia at the Grand Wailea.  After closing the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons Hualalai several years ago to concentrate on his two restaurants in Oahu, Alan Wong has decided to branch out and open a "pupus" style restaurant in Maui.

The menu is said to have over 50 small plates that took over a year to perfect.

Although I don't have any plans to visit Maui in the near future, Amasia will definitely be at the top of my list.

Here's my review of the now defunct Hualalai Grille:

"Pack your survival kit, grab some flares and if you go at night hire a tour guide or a knowledgeable local especially if you haven't been to the Big Island or the Four Seasons Hualalai before.  When calling for directions the hostess said to look for the big tree.  Not exactly the easiest thing to do as the sun is setting.  And after all this searching, the "big tree" was a little bit bigger than a Charley Brown Christmas tree.

Once you finally do find the property, the road to Oz strangely passes another resort and winds through a residential neighborhood.  At the end of the road, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, appears the majesty of the Four Seasons resort.

The restaurant is set in a lovely open air space, like a lanai, that overlooks the golf course.  It feels like you are on a deserted island that you can call your own.

The tasting menu is a must.  It starts with the signature dish of "Soup & Sandwich" but this is no ordinary soup and sandwich.  The soup is a chilled red and yellow soup, with each color in its own half of the bowl.  The sandwich is a foie gras, kalua pork and grilled cheese sandwich.  The combination may sound strange but works wonderfully.  The tomato soup helps to cut through the richness of the foie gras while still allowing the flavors of the sandwich to shine through.  It also comes with a wonderful seafood cake composed of lobster, shrimp and crab.  It is lightly held together with mayo and the sweet, delicate flavors of the seafood to be the star.

The next course is pan seared diver scallops with a pork hash risotto.  Huge diver scallops are perfectly seared with a nice golden brown crust and the delicate interior allows the natural flavor of the scallop to rise to the top.

The fish course is ginger crusted onaga (ruby snapper) with a miso sesame vinagrette.  This delicate fish is perfectly cooked and the ginger crusting gives it a sharp bite that is perfectly paired with the fish.  The saltiness of the miso also helps to bring out the flavor of the onaga.

The meat course of short ribs is nothing short of spectacular.  Braised to perfection the meat falls off the bone to give the taster a mouthful of pure beef flavor.  The accompanying soy glaze adds a hint of saltiness and sweetness.

The signature Chocolate Crunch Bar is unlike anything Hershey'r or Nestle ever made.  The chocolate is not overly sweet and the infused macadamia nuts add texture and saltiness, as well as helping to cut down the sweetness of the chocolate.

This is one of the best meals I've had in my life and worth every penny.  It's actually pretty affordable compared to some other restaurants."

The Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa

On my quest to build up my Starpoint balance, I have been focusing on staying on Starwood properties where I had been able to book a stay by getting a Best Rate Guarantee, in which one can either get an extra 10% off or an extra 2,000 points.

During my search however, I found a rate at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa on American Express with a rate of $149 with a $200 golf or spa credit.  Not wanting to miss out on a stay credit, I called Starwood’s Best Rate Guarantee Customer Service asking if they would match the offer from AMEX.

Entrance

Unfortunately, they couldn’t but for a “free” stay or massage (take your pick) I decided to book the room anyhow.

Upon checking in, the front desk did not have my reservations in their system, which I figured since I got an email from AMEX letting me know that my reservation would likely not be recognized by the hotel and to bring in a copy of my pre-paid reservation email in with me.

As I was in a rush before heading to Rancho Mirage I forgot to print out my confirmation.  After showing my reservation to the front desk staff on my phone, they were still unable to confirm my reservation.  I was given the keys to my room anyhow, and the front desk staff said that they would look into my reservation and confirm it with AMEX.  They had to manually input my reservation since they could not find it.

The Westin Mission Hills is a large, spread out resort with no building over 2 stories.  The room was fairly large for a standard room with a large king bed, two chairs and a desk with enough manageable work space.  There was a balcony with 2 chairs and a small table overlooking the golf course.  The bathroom was large with a large corridor with the sink, a vanity and closet.  Another room held the toilet and shower/tub which was also fairly large.

Bedroom

Bathroom

At the time of check-out, I noticed that the $200 golf/spa credit had not been deducted from the bill.  This was quickly taken care of and I was presented with a corrected bill.

Overall, it was a nice little getaway, but during the summer the Palm Springs area can get sweltering.  Fortunately, it was not as hot as I have experienced in the past.  It did rain a little bit, which made the following day super humid.

A couple of days later while checking out the SPG site, I noticed a nice little “surprise”.  Although I did not get the extra 2,000 Starpoints I have been on a quest for, I was given a stay credit and Starpoints for my expenditure at The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa.

Best Rate Guarantee Success – The Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles

A great way to build up your Starpoint balance is to find a better rate according to their Best Rate Guarantee.

If you can find a better rate, you can either select an extra 10% off, or 2,000 Starpoints.  Depending on your travel habits, the 2,000 Starpoints is probably a better value.  If you are an infrequent traveler, then the 10% may be a better option.

At a recent stay at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel, I was able to find a better rate and thus was able to bank an extra 2,000 Starpoints.

As a Starwood Preferred Guest, you can either earn 2-4 Starpoints per dollar spent, depending on your “status”.

As you can see, an extra 2,000 Starpoints may be the equivalent of a $1,000 “spend”.  If you can find rates around $100 per night, you are in essence receiving over 20 Starpoints per dollar spent, a great way to increase your Starpoint balance for future award stays.