Andaz - San Diego

Stayed at the Andaz San Diego on the Hyatt “Free Time” promotion in which you got one night free with two paid nights, plus breakfast each day and a 4 PM check-out.  With my Hyatt Diamond status, which includes breakfast daily and a 4 PM check-out the only real benefit was getting one night free, but one I was very happy with.  I also used a Suite Upgrade during this stay, and was upgraded to a Large King Suite rather than the King Suite which is the usual upgrade when using the Suite Upgrade Certificates.

The Andaz is located in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, so numerous shops and restaurants abound.  The back side of the hotel is located across the street from the Salvation Army, so there are more homeless people and vagrants in the area.  Although they generally leave you alone and I had no problems, some people may feel a little unsafe or concerned about the immediate surrounding area.

The lobby of the Andaz is more like a lounge with numerous couches and sitting areas for guest to relax in.  There is a small reception area, however “hosts” assist you with the check-in process using iPads and don’t use the reception area.  A welcome drink of wine, coffee or water is offered at check-in, which is a nice touch.

The Large King Suite, located on the 6^th floor is at the end of the hallway and only borders one other room.

As you enter the room, the mini-bar instantly greets you.  There is a Keurig coffee maker, along with a tray of snacks.  Unlike other Andaz properties, not all snacks are complimentary.  There is a small basket on the tray, which are complimentary and included a granola bar, Toblerone candy, and some chips.  The refrigerator was fully stocked, but not all non-alcoholic drinks were complimentary.  Water, soda and juice were free, but Rockstar energy drinks could be had for a small fee.

Mini-Bar

Snack Tray

Free Snacks

To the right is the living room, with a small table/desk and four chairs.  The view overlooks the Salvation Army, not the idyllic view one would like.  There is a couch ~12 feet long and could easily seat six people along with a large coffee table.  There is dark wood flooring throughout the room with the exception of the bedroom where there is carpeting, and the bathroom which contains stone tiles.

Living Room

Although I had chosen points as my amenity, I was also provided with a welcome amenity including a cheese plate and bottle of wine.  Nice!

Cheese Plate & Wine

The bathroom is extremely large and includes a glass encased shower.  Water pressure in the shower is not all that great, as there is only a small hand held shower head.  The bathroom sink is a glass covered table with stainless steel sink.  There are ample towels with Lather bath amenities.

Shower

Sink

Toilet

Lather Bath Amenities

The bedroom features a long narrow desk situated right under the TV with a small lamp.  Lighting in the bedroom is rather sparse.  There is a small couch near the desk, and at the foot of the bed sits a dresser.  The king bed is a platform bed, so with the combination of sharp corners on the dresser and platform, situated close to the couch, shin guards are a great idea to avoid scrapes, bruises or broken knee caps.  Dangerous during the day it gets especially lethal at night in the dark.

Bedroom Desk

Bedroom Couch

King Bed

One of the big drawbacks to the room is the lack of outlets and minimalist lighting.  I can live with minimal lighting in the bedroom, but the lack of outlets in any hotel these days is inexplicable.

Breakfast is served on the rooftop restaurant/lounge/pool area.  Service is great and attentive, but the menu is somewhat limited.    We were allowed to order an extra entrée per day, as the banana crème brulee French toast is not to be missed.  On one day, we were brought the wrong item and the manager took it off of our bill.  Even though we were on a breakfast package plus my Diamond status, this gesture was a welcomed surprise.

The gym is rather small and includes three treadmills, a few recumbent bikes and a Universal gym.  There are some small hand weights and Thera-bands to get in a quick work out.

Service was great throughout the stay.  Often greeted or recognized by name.  All employees were friendly and cheerfully willing to assist.  I have read that noise has been an issue at night because of the Ivy night club, but I did not notice any noise from the club during my stay.

The main downside with the Andaz is that valet parking is $35 per night, but there are lots in the area as low as $10 per night.

Embassy Suites - Palmdale

As you enter the Embassy Suites Palmdale, the entry way opens up to a large atrium that is well appointed.  The front desk is located to the right of the entrance, which are actually several kiosks from which front desk agents work.  The front desk was a little under staffed, as there was only one employee working at the time of arrival with several guests waiting to check-in.

Upon entering the one bedroom suite, there is a small mini-bar to the right with a sink, small refrigerator and microwave oven.  There is a small dining table/desk with four chairs.

Mini Bar

Desk

Living Room

The room opens up to the living room, which has a sofa and TV.

The bedroom is large and contains a dresser, TV and beds.  Having two double beds, things were a little tight trying to walk around the bed.

View from Living Room

The floor plan is somewhat open, as one can access the bathroom from both the front door and bedroom.

Bedroom

From the bedroom, there is a large bathroom with a large vessel sink, bathtub/shower combo and toilet.  The water pressure of the shower is great, one thing lacking in many hotels.  The layout is somewhat odd, in that the toilet is next to the entry way door, but does prevent guests from having to go through the bedroom in order to go to the bathroom if having guests over.  There was a large water stain in the shower.

View from Entryway

Bathroom

Toilet

The hotel seems relatively new, as the faint smell of paint was noted throughout the hotel and room.

Embassy Suites offers guests a free breakfast, which includes hot options such as scrambled eggs, cooked to order eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles and oatmeal.  Cold options include cereal, breads, pastries, fruit and yogurt.  Service is very attentive during breakfast.

There is also a Manager’s Reception in the evening providing complimentary wine and snacks, unfortunately I arrived too late to see what options were available.

Another great thing about the Embassy Suites Palmdale is the number of outlets.  You will not have to search far to find an outlet which is a big plus in the gadget friendly world we live in.

This is one of the nicer Embassy Suites that I have been to.  If looking for a hotel room in the area, this is a great option.

Hyatt Place Herndon/Dulles Airport - East

The Hyatt Place Herndon/Dulles Airport – East is conveniently located about 10 minutes from Dulles International Airport.  The hotel does provide complimentary shuttle service from 5:00 AM – 12:00 AM which accommodates most travel schedules.

Hyatt Place is geared mostly towards business travelers or for longer stays.  The rooms are set up as mini-suites with a “separate” living room area, which is usually just divided by a partial screen and/or the TV.

Rooms are generally a little larger than your standard hotel room.  Amenities include free internet and a free hot breakfast, a plus for many travelers or to those on a budget.

After having my flight delayed, I arrived at the hotel after the complimentary shuttle service had stopped.  When I entered the hotel, there was no employee to be found.  I yelled out several times to no avail.  I walked around the hotel for a few minutes in search of an employee, again with no success.  After returning to the front desk area, an employee had come up from the back.  No apology was given.  It seems as though I had either waken him up from a nap, or from his meal break.

Check-in was fairly quick, but not very friendly.  He did not recognize my Hyatt Diamond Status, and did not explain any amenities such as when breakfast started.  I was given the internet user name and password, but at 1:30 AM all I wanted to do was sleep.

The room is laid out in a strange way.

Upon entering the room, there is a small mini bar to the right with a small desk located next to it.  The size of the desk would make it difficult to get any real work done.

Living Room/Desk

 Next to the desk is a large L-shaped sofa with the TV “dividing” the bed from the rest of the room.

Bed

Living Room

 The bathroom is located to the left of the door.  The sink is separated from the toilet and shower.  The sink has limited counter space compared to other Hyatt Place’s that I have stayed at.

Bathroom

Shower

Sink

The a.m. Kitchen Skillet is the Hyatt Place complimentary breakfast, which includes hot options such as pancakes, breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal.  Cold options include cereal, fruit, yogurt, breads and pastries.

Hopefully, the service issues improve as I have noticed that service in Hyatt Place hotels are inferior to full service Hyatt Hotels.

Seoul Sausage Co.

Entrance

Fresh off of their win on TheGreat Food Truck Race on the Food Network, the Seoul Sausage Co. recently opened up a brick and mortar restaurant.  Although packed to the rafters when they first opened to great fanfare and mostly great reviews, things have somewhat quieted down some.

Menu

Although The Great Food Truck Race gave the impression that teams were recently thrown together for the show, the Seoul Sausage Co. has been together since 2010.  Having had a couple of years to perfect their recipes and garnered a fairly big and loyal following through catering and different food events, the Seoul Sausage Co. boys have been around the block once or twice.

The Flaming Rice Balls have a Korean flair with kimchee, small bits of beef and served with a side of DMZ sauce on the side.  The rice balls are cooked to a golden crisp.

Flaming Rice Ball

Flaming Rice Ball

The Lil ‘Osaka Rice Balls have a curry flavor to them, and just somehow seems to miss the mark.

Lil 'Osaka Rice Ball

The Galbi Sausage is a mix of Korean flavors are rolled into a sandwich.  The sausage is made with Galbi, marinated beef, ground up and stuffed into a sausage.  The galbi has a surprising light texture, and seems to be lacking any substance.  It is almost like “eating air”.  Topped with kimchee relish and garlic jalapeno aioli, the accompaniments slightly overpower the subtleness of the galbi sausage.

Galbi Sausage

The Da KFC is a take on Korean fried chicken.  The chicken is cut up into small pieces, breaded in cornmeal and probably fried twice in order to get that real crunch.  The chicken is tossed with Siracha which gives it a slightly spicy and slightly sweet flavor.  Being cut up into small pieces, the chicken is a little dry.  It is served with a side of cornbread, which is rather unispiring.

Da KFC

I am glad to have tried their food, but given the amount of food for the price, I would not hurry back.