VIP Blog

Re: THE KEATING HOTEL

suziecan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:42:58 GMT

TWO CRITICAL POINTS:

THE KEATING HOTEL

(1) IS NOT for everyone!

(2) IS PERECT for those who know what they want!

_____________________________________________________

Couldn't agree more! We love this hotel and love that it's unique and trendy. The location is perfect for the Gaslamp nightlife. We had a blast!

Sally, Las Vegas Luxury Hotel Manager

Re: Let's Do Ecuador...

omegaet — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:29:31 GMT

t-2-f...thank you for taking the time to read my postings and it is nice to know you enjoy them ("at least most of them").

I didn't call the following properties the "best hotels."

Hacienda La Cienega (one of my favorite places in Ecuador)

www.hosterialacienega.com/

Hacienda Zuleta

www.zuleta.com/

The Inca House

http://incahacienda.com/

I referred to the all of them as "interesting" and one of them as "my favorite." I can understand why several of the www.tripadvisor.com reviewers rated them with fewer than five stars.

Our personal experiences in these properties were enjoyable...and probably because we had a pretty fair idea of what to expect. On cold nights....and there can be many of them in the Andes regardless of the season....the rooms can become quite chilled....no central heating in any of them when we visited. Furnishings are basic in all three properties.

The structures are old and with age comes certain qualities and faults.

We went to these areas and stayed at these properties to experiences the settings and surroundings. We were pleased.

Back in Quito, the level of hotels are different....even offering room service, etc!

Admittedly, Ecuardo is not the destination for everyone.....and these properties would not be ideal for many travelers. It is always about being informed before heading out on an adventure., especially to a Third World country.

Re: Let's Do Ecuador...

travel2fun — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:50:21 GMT

omegaet, as always, at least most of the time, I enjoy reading your postings. However, in this case the hotels you have mentioned, especially Hacienda La Cienega, get very mixed and often poor reviews on tripadvisor.com.

Are you comfortable you have suggested the best hotels?

Re: National Geographic Traveler - 2009 Annual Destination Survey/Assessment

omegaet — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:15:46 GMT

suziecan....agreed!

They do find some well off the beaten path things to do and places to visit!

Re: National Geographic Traveler - 2009 Annual Destination Survey/Assessment

suziecan — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:43:39 GMT

I really enjoy National Geogrphic's Annual publication, too! It brings forth many travel opportunies or destinations you might not otherwise know about!

Re: Let's Do Ecuador...

omegaet — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:53 GMT

mountie....the new airport in Quito is slightly behind schedule for completion....about three years behind right now. Looks like their new target for opening is late 2010.

If they manage to open the airport in late 2010 or early 2011, we would certainly consider a return to Ecuador and do some further explorations.

Unfortunately, when the new airport opens, it will be a greatly reduced altitude allowing for better air traffic control, which translates to more tourists.

We still have a return trip on our list.

National Geographic Traveler - 2009 Annual Destination Survey/Assessment

omegaet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:01:26 GMT

Having been a long time subscriber to National Geographic Traveler Magazine, I look forward with great anticipation to their Annual Destination Survey/Assessment.

Being journalists, or at least trying to pass as such, the writers who compile this list have developed some points of perspective resulting in the application of their Stewardship Index.

I don’t agree with their scores on a number of the selected destinations, having completed my own first-hand assessments during prior trips....but they have added some new destinations this year and updated their scoring.

All in all, I enjoy their annual review and thought I would put up a link for those of you who might have missed it:

http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/intro-text

There is one caveat I would offer about adventure travel and it goes something along these lines:

There is something about discovering or learning early on about the existence of very special destinations…what might be called "the place" to visit and experience...especially those requiring a two week hike or trek or a pack horse supported expeditions just to arrive there.

“These places” can be very, very special!

Soon though, after a few people have visited “the places,” others hear about the “the place” and want to go, so they can tell their friends they have visited “the place”….but they don’t want to endure the hardships or inconveniences of getting there….so tourism adjustments are instituted.

Accommodations (some times rustic and some times quite extraordinary) are constructed, access is improved such as clearly marked trails, bush strips for aircraft are carved, helipads, hard packed roads, followed by four lane hard surface highways suitable for tour busses….all construction sequenced so it is easier to visit “the place.”

At last, yes finally at long last, everyone is able to arrive and remain in relative comfort to see and experience “the place,”

….but...

Oh My, when we all get there….”the place” is not so special, it is too crowded, too much conversation in different languages we have difficulty understanding, too may cameras clicking and video recorders humming and people jabbering or texting on cellular or satellite telephones.

Oh My, “this place”….the one that only a few years ago everyone was calling “the place” is too much like home, too much like what we do everyday to earn the money to allow us to travel to “the place”…..why are we here and why have we paid so much of our hard earned money (is the market up or down today…let me check my iPhone or Blackberry) to get to “the place” and discover it offers nothing more than the “the place” we visited last year and really didn’t enjoy!

How did this happen?

Just an observation..…

Re: Let's Do Ecuador...

Mountie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:12:34 GMT

Hey, -O-, the airport landings in Quito do look a little fightening, especially considering the youtube videos did not involve larger airplanes, such as would be used to fly to Quito from the U.S. I would need some strong to drink if I were going to make that trip. When does the new airport open?

Also, whats up with collecting used toilet once a day?

Re: Wine Travels in Australia -- The Clare Valley, South Australia --- The Riesling Trail

obrienkf — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:53:54 GMT

kapper -- your kind remarks are appreciated. i have been 'off the link' for some time -- too many other commitments, as happens from time to time .... i will try to get back into this over the next while ... and scribe some more.

my kind regards

Re: Let's Do Ecuador...

omegaet — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:15:47 GMT

Oops....don't know what happened...now you have two choices for the UIO approach and landing!

Re: Let's Do Ecuador...

kyshel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:18:46 GMT

Help--I need a correct link to the video, please.

Let's Do Ecuador...

omegaet — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:53:38 GMT

Ecuador remains one of our favorite countries in South America for both luxury and budget travel.

Just arriving by air can be your first taste of adventure:

Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) is one of my least favorite airports in the world....out dated, situated on a plateau, surrounded by some of the tallest peaks in the Andes, and completely besieged by industrial and residential structures…it has never been a fun place to land, at least during our last three arrivals and departures….certainly seems like the runway is just too short and the structures too high for large aircraft to be negotiating.

Here are two perfect examples of a spiraling corkscrew on a clear day....just think how many barf bags you could fill on an overcast approach or may a very dark night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjiLGKKwOGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXSJVHoXy58&feature=fvw

Imagine doing this with low hanging clouds.....while fixating on towering snow covered peaks of several surrounding volcanoes on the initial approach, then transitioning into a downward blind spiral through the clouds...wondering if there really is a runway below and if the pilots are going to come in too short or a go a little too long!

Hopefully by our next visit, the new Quito International Airport, which is scheduled to open sometime in 2010 and is situated about 10 miles outside of the city will be operational. The new airport promises to provide a little less excitement for landings and take off, but the safe arrival percentages are anticipated to escalate dramatically.

For us, Quito is a place for a brief stop, maybe to shower, grab some sleep and then move on to more interesting destinations. Never seen much there to excite us….how many more cathedrals can I walk through?

The JW Marriott is our choice for an overnight or two in Quito (everything works, including the plumbing and their sewer system accepts soiled toilet tissue….such is not the case in a couple of the other hotel we have tried:

http://www.ecuador.com/health-safety/

http://www.exploringecuador.com/ecuador_toilets_drinking_water.htm

..if you don’t mind their “once daily” emptying of the little baskets, then there are several historic hotels in Quito you might consider for your visit, but you can do your own Internet search and live with your own decisions.

Honestly, don’t break your neck to rush to the Otavalo Market….over the past ten years it’s basically morphed into a commercial flea market for tourists…much like Chicastenango in Guatemala.

If you want to see mercados authentico, then visit theSaquisilí market down by Cotopoxi, which is one of the largest remaining indigenous markets in Ecuador and there several other markets nearby including Pujili, Latacunga and Ambato…smaller, but the real deal.

Best to have a guide along, just to assist with translations (may of the indigenous speak very little Spanish and even less English).

One thing for certain, if you visit any or all of these markets, you will likely become an object of interest and curiosity, since not too many norte americanos visit regularly.

Previous trips to Ecuador have included trekking some of the lower altitude trails of the Andes and advancing upward to some of the day hikes along the bases of volcanoes such as Cotopaxi.

We have also spent time in one of the eco camps in the rainforest of the eastern slopes of the Andes…Kapawi Eco-Lodge constructed on one of the major tributaries of the Amazon River and not too far from the Peruvian border. This is real rainforest living....so request and pay attention to the DVD before you make your final decision to travel here.

Ecuador was also our jumping off point for a cruise among the Galapagos Islands off the Pacific coast, which involves a visit to Guayaquil.....too many people (largest city by population in the country).

We did spend a week in Cuenca…one of the real treasures of and not so crowded Spanish Colonial cities of the Andes.

Should you travels take you deeper into the Andes and the colonial city of Cuenca….plan on visiting our friends (actually catered events for us for years here in South Florida) Chris and Leslie Breen….owner/operators of

Café Eucalyptus.

They have lived there for many years and suffered the trials and tribulations of opening a business in a foreign county. Thankfully, their most difficult times are behind them and now their café is a favorite of locals and world travelers as well…they are featured in most of the top guide books as the place to refresh yourself when in Cuenca:

www.cafeeucalyptus.com/

Another reason to consider travel to Ecuador is the very favorable currency conversion of the Ecuadorian Sucre with the US Dollar..…approximately 25,000 to 1 at the time I am writing this.

Looking for some interesting places to stay outside of the main cities consider one or all of the following: Each of them offer unique and typical experiences.

Hacienda La Cienega (one of my favorite places in Ecuador)

www.hosterialacienega.com/

Hacienda Zuleta

www.zuleta.com/

The Inca House

http://incahacienda.com/

It would be nice for the Luxury Link Sales Team to find some interesting properties in Ecuador……while the country still offer luxury destinations at relative travel bargain prices!

Message Edited by omegaet on 11-02-2009 07:06 PM

Re: Filadelfia Resort & Spa - Again

bonniejoy03 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:16:07 GMT

I did check the website and Small Luxury Hotels of the World and the Filadelfia is not a part of their group at this time. I couldn't even find a way to contact the property. Is it still open? THanks for any updates. We will stay at the Hotel Casa Concepcion on our next trip to Antigua. It is run by Elizabeth Bell. We stored our luggages there this past February and it was very quaint.

Re: Filadelfia Resort & Spa - Again

omegaet — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:45:32 GMT

Well, I'm not sure The Filadelfia is going to be offered again here on Luxury Link. Too bad for those of you who were interested, thought about bidding but just procrastinated. You may very well have lost out on a very special place in Guatemala!

Re: Eating On Early Flights...

Mountie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:57:17 GMT

Hey, -O-, you make a very good point. I have to believe the other passengers suffered on the next leg of that flight.

Re: Eating On Early Flights...

omegaet — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:42:07 GMT

I am certainly not opposed to eating or drinking on flights.

My commentary was directed at "what" some people choose to bring aboard for their meal(s). Some foods are best eaten at home or in a well ventilated area...not an aircraft cabin, in close proximity of others.

I can only imagine what the other passengers must have suffered as the beans moved into the lower GI of the aforementioned twosome. I think the next leg was on to Vegas and I'm sure there was gasping for fresh Nevada air when the flight landed.

A couple of power bars and some water might have been a more considerate choice!

Re: Eating On Early Flights...

travel2fun — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:23:43 GMT

So, -O-, you're not taking issue with act of eating on flights as much as you are complaining about what the selection of food might be. Do I understand that correctly?

In my case, when I do take something on a flight to eat, I am sooooooo careful about cleaning the drop down tray before placing anything on it. I have dropped down some pretty disgusting examples of missed cleaning in the past.

I hate touching anything sticky that anyone has left behind.

Re: Eating On Early Flights...

jsattapr2 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:25:49 GMT

I almost always take along my own food on flights. These days, even though on longer flights many airlines offer the option of buying a selection of food items, I prefer to know exactly what I am going to have. I'm not very creative although I do some fellow passengers who bring along an entire picnic.

Re: Eating On Early Flights...

dhdanner@verizon.net — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:07 GMT

Always get interesting take aboard food on flights from latin america - weird smelling fried chicken stuff, etc. carried aboard in greasy paper sacks or in a box. When we came back from Mexico in May, there was this guy in the boarding line screaming at the ticket checker "where's my apple juice?" Everyone in line was wondering what the deal with apple juice was - he also had about 6 family members and a tantrum throwing kid with him - maybe apple juice stops the tantrums?

Denise

Re: Eating On Early Flights...

kyshel — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:15:57 GMT

Try a similar show on Cathay Pacific 5 hour flight. Now try not to squirm whilst the passenger next to you downs something indescribable, with the scent of his bare feet waft as accompaniment.