The Polite Traveler

  Snapshot of my latest one-day visit to Napa, including our overnight stay in the Embassy Suites, Napa.

  Icy Cold Embassy Suites My dear polite travelers, I’m a huge fan of Hilton properties and have stayed in comfortable, and sometimes special, Embassy Suites.  In comparison, Hilton’s Napa property is a mixed bag, especially when visiting during the cold winter months.  Guest rooms are accessed from an outdoor corridor, except those in what’s called “The Atrium.”  And that room is huge, comprised of a large—albeit beautiful—dining area, restaurant/bar, and meeting room.  So, even Atrium rooms, are accessed by an open walkway looking out over this enormous unheated area.  Baby, it’s cold inside! Guest rooms are not heated unless the old-fashioned boiler is turned on.  Really.  Not kidding.  When my hubby and I arrived midday, it was 42 degrees outside and 60 degrees inside with no heat.  Yep.  That’s right.  None.  We adjusted the thermostat to 80 degrees with hopes to heat the room quickly, to no avail.  ...

  Hawaiian Airline Lounges, Honolulu: Crowded & Limited Refreshment Choices My dear polite travelers, Two lounges welcome the few departing passengers who qualify for entry when flying Hawaiian Airlines from Oahu. This qualification could be the price of the ticket, a specific credit card, or a daily/hourly fee.  Both lounges are accessible, non-smoking, and offer newspapers, free Wi-Fi, restrooms, and televisions.  Welcome to The Plumeria Lounge Well...hmmm...  The Plumeria Lounge is a tossup of good and yikes.  If arriving early, it’s not terribly busy.  But it’s also not incredibly interesting— food selection is limited.  By 10:00 am, this small space is packed, and noisy, as hot food and wine finally arrive.  Yes, it’s pleasant to have a semi-private place to sit with a computer, and a restroom nearby.  Still, I’m not a fan of small, crowded   spaces in the never-ending pandemic age.   Not a fan. Premier C...

Join me in a Favorite Waikiki Memory

  Why We Might Not Return: Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki My dear polite travelers, Imagine waiting three years to revisit a pleasant memory.  You’d probably be thrilled to be on that journey.  Right?  Well, I am, and ...well, I’m lukewarm to some aspects of it, especially our room: #1537.  But the Ocean is Right There! In our room, #1537, we have the ocean view and the fresh breezes associated with it.  Still, due to the central, otherwise excellent location, it’s noisy—very noisy.  Thus, those breezes remain outside all night.  Darn.  The pleasant sweet-ocean-air-in-our-room-memory I dream of often eluded us on this trip.  Now, it’s just sad. The Good & the Weird Beyond the noise, it is a comfortable room—especially the shower—but there’s not enough counter space.  Instead of a long counter or desk, the hotel designer thought a long built-in seat would be a clever idea??  Hint.  It’s not.  We can only ...

Viva The Pink Palace My dear polite travelers, Welcoming tourists for nearly 100-years and a member of the Historic Hotels of America, The Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a paradise fantasy come true.  The 528-room oceanfront resort has it all: luxury, history, pool, restaurant , bar, and glitz. As of now, we’ve never stayed here, but we always drop in.  We’ll sit and enjoy the surroundings while breathing in the ocean breezes.  Pour yourself a Mai Tai while checking out my pictures.  Aloha! More by The Polite Traveler  Two Waikiki Restaurants to Try & One to Skip What to Know Before Visiting Honolulu’s Hawaiian Airlines Airport Lounges Look Closer at the Hilton Garden Inn, Waikiki

Dining in Waikiki My dear polite travelers, When traveling, I sometimes feel that we are always searching for our next meal .  Is this place good?  Does that place serve wine?  Well, for our most recent trip to Waikiki, we decided to revisit one of our favs and test the waters on a few more.     Hula Grill: The View & So Much More For those of you who follow me, you know how much I love the Hula Grill.  It’s a great combo of good food, affordable prices, friendly staff, and one of the best views in Waikiki.   For this trip , we kept it simple with bar food: a hamburger with fries, battered portobello mushroom, and Hula Grill Tacos.  Every dish was good, not great, but good—with one exception.  The battered portobello mushrooms were excellent—crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside with an enticing, earthy flavor.  Hula Grill;  2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 203 Cheaper Than a Flight to Italy: Arancino di Mare...