The Polite Traveler

Healdsburg Inn Hilton Tapestry Leaves Me Wanting More I hope you’re enjoying your summer, my polite travelers.  It’s been a scorcher, just about everywhere.  What’s not hot is the Healdsburg Inn, a Hilton property.  Yes, it has many of the amenities one would want in a summer getaway, like a pool and games—chess, checkers, cornhole, and Jenga.  But they don’t have a fitness room, and the self-serve laundry is in a different hotel.  Weird.  It’s also disappointing that this hotel is similar to the Tapestry in Sonoma: small rooms, the ADA room is lacking, and the reception room is…well, pretty much all there is.  It is where guests sign in, grab packaged food, and purchase overpriced beer and wine on tap.  It’s not Hilton quality.  Comparing this property to the Sacramento Tapestry leaves me shaking my head in disbelief.  The one bright spot is the people.  The staff is engaging, efficient, and pleasant. ADA Room 424—...

  You Can’t Get This in a Lower-Cost Maui Hotel…or can you? My Dear Polite Travelers, When many people think of a Maui vacation, they probably imagine lying on a sandy beach near a luxurious hotel—perhaps holding a tropical cocktail.  That’s a great vision, and one I share often.  Still, this is rarely our exact reality when staying in a lower-cost hotel .  Or so we thought. After a long day of traveling, we arrived at the Hampton Inn & Suites Maui North Shore.  From the front of the hotel—directly off a main, very busy road—the hotel doesn’t scream high-end or even comfy.  But that’s not why I chose this hotel.  I chose it for its proximity to the airport and considered it a good two-day resting place before moving on to the west side of the island for the remainder of our visit.  And perhaps we could also explore the area.  Don’t Miss! Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Review : Art, Excellent Service & Penguins...Oh My ...

Hyatt Place Delano, CA, and Room #303 Hello, my Polite Travelers. Well, we’ve had a fantastic, fun-filled week in Palm Springs, and are now traveling home to Davis, CA.  To break up the long drive, we’re staying one night in the Hyatt Place in Delano, CA.  So far, so excellent. The Spacious Accessible Room #303 This room appears brand new, as if no one has stayed here yet.  Everything is clean, neat, and warm.  We’ve been assigned a lovely corner room away from the nearby freeway.  Across the street is a huge shopping center with restaurants and shopping opportunities.  Since this is an accessible room, there’s plenty of room between furniture and grab bars a’plenty in the bathroom—near the toilet and in the shower.  The sink is outside the toilet/shower room--love it.  The walk-in shower features an adjustable shower wand and pull-down seat.  Perfect!  There is no microwave, but one can be requested.  Alternatively, th...

Hilton Palm Springs Hotel & Room #191 Review Hello, my Polite Travelers. Well, we finally made it to Palm Springs, CA.  It’s great weather, even in early December.  Palm Springs is a unique place: quirky with a side of cinema history.  And even though it’s a tourist favorite, it feels homey and welcoming .  There are numerous lodging options, but we chose the Hilton Palm Springs Resort.  We stayed here four years ago and found it to be a mixed bag: a great layout, but in need of some remodeling.  Now, it’s a tad better…with caveats.  Accessible Room #191 For the most part, this room is accessible : a walk-in shower, plenty of grab bars, a fold-down shower seat, and a low-mounted shampoo bar.  Still, the toilet is at regular height.  Those with mobility issues require taller toilets.  The bathroom sink is excellent, with counter space and no cabinets underneath.  Although I didn’t measure the sink height, it appears to be a...

Hyatt Place Bakersfield and Room #312 Hello, my Polite Travelers. Well, we’re on the road traveling from Davis, CA to Palm Desert.  Midway, we’re staying at the Hyatt Place Bakersfield.  It’s not far from CA 99 and very near highway #58, which is exactly the road we need to jump onto tomorrow morning.  It’s also directly across the street from a shopping center with restaurants and…drumroll… Trader Joe’s .  The room is spacious and accessible.  The bathroom features numerous grab bars, and the space between furniture is ample.   This room has a bathtub, so those requiring a walk-in shower should request a different room.  The tub also didn’t have a shower wand or pull-down seat.  Many with mobility issues require these.  The shampoo and conditioner were ‘fairly’ low enough, but could have been lower. Don’t Miss! Choose This Comfort Suites When in Astoria, OR Why We’ll Skip Embassy Suites Napa in the Winter Look Closer at the ...

Hampton Inn & Suites Palm Desert, CA—Hotel & Room #330 Review Hello, my Polite Travelers. We are now in sunny Palm Desert, and it is a grand place.  Everything looks clean and new.  Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the Hampton Inn.  It pains me to say it, but this hotel needs some love…and perhaps a good handyman.  Our room is an accessible room for hubby.  On first glance, it’s adequate, with space between furniture and grab bars in the bathroom.  That’s only the first glance.   Blink once more, and there are a few issues for both the mobile and mobility-challenged .  First, although the bathroom features plenty of grab bars, the toilet is too low, and accessible toilets require taller seats.   The shampoo bar is too high, and there’s no pull-down seat in the tub.  Those in wheelchairs would require a different room, and most mobility-challenged people can’t reach up to access the shampoo bar.   ...

Ah Hawaii, warm breezes, friendly people, and many lodging opportunities. Some are elegant, some are shabby, and some are just so-so. For the most part, my dear hubby and I have found our stays comfortable, but not always…perfect. What is perfect anyway? In Hawaii, perfect could simply mean looking out a clean window.  For this trip, we traveled and stayed in Waikiki. We know Waikiki well. It’s easy to maneuver through town, and it’s comfortable for my hubby, who is now living with mobility issues. Yep, a complete bummer. Still, we have found ways to help him enjoy—or sometimes simply tolerate—travel. (More on traveling by air in another post) As for our hotel stays, well, that requires a bit of finesse.  The Room Across from a Jet Engine--Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki  We’ve stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Waikiki multiple times but never in an accessible room. We chose this hotel based on its location and price. It’s not fancy or elegant. This Hilton is the typica...

Beautiful But Needs Adjustments to its Accessible Rooms My Dear Polite Travelers I recently read about a new Hyatt House and since I needed a short brain-tidy-vaca near my home base in Davis, CA, I ventured twenty miles west to the sprawling city of Vacaville, the shopping mecca of our general area.  The Lobby/Bar/Restaurant Walking into the lobby, I noted calming tones, striking art, décor, and welcoming faces.  The registration staff was delightful and efficient.  The attractive bar and eating area are tastefully decorated and have ample seating areas. In fact, the entire area was so lovely that I brought many of those decorating ideas home with me.  The restaurant’s menu was limited and similar to what is typically found at bars: hamburgers, pizzas… etc.  I ordered a hamburger which was delivered overcooked.  Grr… Accessible Room 133 First off, this is a gorgeous room filled with outstanding artwork.  It includes a kitchenette, small ...

My Dear Polite Travelers, Our first stay in a Hyatt was less than stellar.  In fact, it’s more of a mixed bag of frustration and comfort.  The hotel was beautiful, don’t get me wrong.  It was just … incomplete.  Really? Room #281 is considered accessible ? We booked an accessible room due to my hubby’s back issue—a typical old-person problem.  Typically, an accessible room would naturally have a shower with ease of entry.  In room #281?  Nope.  Getting into a tub requires some dexterity that a mobility-challenged person may not have.  This is a major problem that should be addressed.  I hope Hyatt is listening.  Other than that oversight, there were no towel bars in the bathroom — strange.  Plus, it would have been logical if there was at least one hook for clothing/robe in the bathroom as well.  And, speaking of robes, robes are an accessory in these rooms.  There were none.  In fact, I had to call down f...

  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.  ...

  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