My wife has never been a big fan of the same type of movies I am (her tastes run more to the Romantic Comedy end of the spectrum, while I prefer big, epic Hollywood
blockbusters and little-known independent art and student films). I drop names
like Spielburg and Lucas alongside Jean-Luc Godard and Georges Melies in
conversation with innocent, flustered bystanders on a regular basis, whereas
the only movie my wife can competently discuss is “When Harry Met Sally.” Pike, on the other hand, makes a bit of Continue reading
YUMA TRIP PART TWO
Posted in Yuma
Tagged Family Suite, University of Arizona, VIP, Yuma, Yuma Film Festival
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YUMA TRIP PART ONE
Some of the greatest names in film have at one time or another made movie magic in or around Yuma, Arizona: John Wayne, Bob Hope, Harrison Ford and Arnold Schwarzenegger to name just a few. Of course, with its storied history and Old West air, it’s no wonder that films like the original 1957 “3:10 to Yuma” and its 2007 remake focus on this city, and blockbusters like “The Flight of the Phoenix,” “The Forsaken,” “Jarhead,” “The Scorpion King,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Spaceballs,”
“Stargate,” one Rambo movie, and two of the original Star Wars movies have been filmed there. With the Yuma Film Festival coming up, and my VIP voucher for one complimentary night at the InnSuites Hotel in Yuma on its way in the mail, how could I possibly resist packing my bags while tossing these trivia tidbits around in my head?
Posted in InnSuites Hotel, Yuma
Tagged 3:10 to Yuma, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bob Hope, Harrison Ford, Jarhead, John Wayne, Star Wars, Yuma, Yuma Film Festival
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PHOENIX TRIP PART FOUR
It has been a long time since I’ve been to a zoo. I’ve
actually been to a circus more recently, and so coming back to one after all
these years felt a little bit like stepping back into my childhood. With Molly
there, this day couldn’t have been any more complete. We crossed the bridge
leading into the zoo together, but couldn’t stop ourselves from stopping
periodically to look down into the “moat” below. Turtles swam and rested on a
series of logs, and the cries of a hundred different species of birds could be
heard in the distance.
The whole zoo is set out in segments representing different climate zones and habitats. We wandered a bit around Africa and South America and finally the giant Aviary. We stepped
through the doors into the gigantic birdcage. Closing them behind us, we opened
the next door into the main aviary, and already the birds were all around us in
their own sunny, outdoor environment. There were some amazing-looking
specimens, some that I’d never even seen or heard about before: flying, perched
in branches, hidden by the lemons that grew wild in the trees, and some even
walking around on the ground and bravely strutting right up to us. They had
another walk-in environment for the monkeys as well which we planned to hit
next.
This had been the absolute best day possible, and I got a chance to share it with my wife. Not only that, but my next stay was on InnSuites!
Phoenix – Part Three
We arrived to the Best Western Plus InnSuites Hotel a little
later than I would have liked. With the darkness of the night and the lighting
of the hotel it looked almost like most of the other InnSuites locations I’d
been to. We checked in at the front desk and were greeted with pleasant smiles
from the staff, who invited us to try some of the Starbucks coffee they had
available.
“No thanks,” we both said, but then she directed us to the
Tazo tea. I just wanted to check in, but they had the Zen kind with lemongrass
and spearmint that my wife loves so much. While she went about pouring herself
some hot water and nabbing a couple tea bags, I started to check us in.
As I did so, I saw something that caught my attention as
well, and my wife and I were both left floundering about while the front desk
clerk stood by, smiling personably and being, I must admit, rather patient with
us both.
“What is this?” I asked, holding up a small card I found near the desk.
“That’s our InnSuites InnCentive Membership Card,” she replied. I may have seen the before, but up until now I really hadn’t taken notice of them. She explained how every night you stay gets you one punch on the twelve-point track around the card. For every three nights you stayed at an InnSuites Hotel, you were eligible for a free upgrade, and after your twelfth stay you received one complimentary night at one of the eight InnSuites-owned hotels. That would certainly help in my goal of staying at each InnSuites
hotel.
“I’ve been staying at your hotels pretty frequently,” I told her, not letting on that I was a hospitality critic writing about them, “and I haven’t seen these yet.”
“That’s not a problem,” she said, her smile still warm, “give me a moment to look into that for you.”
We had made her wait for a while as we snooped around her lobby, and now we had to wait a moment for her. I did grab that cup of coffee she had told us about, and Molly continued to sip on her piping hot Tazo Zen tea. After a few moments she came around the corner.
“I just called the Central Reservation Center, and they were able to tell me all your previous stays because you’ve been booking with us on our website, www.innsuites.com. Here, let me take care of you guys.” She reached for the membership card I had taken
and punched all nine nights from my previous stays at the other InnSuites
hotels. “There,” she said, “now I can upgrade you to a Presidential Jacuzzi
Suite for free, if you like, and after these three nights your next one-night
stay will be on us!”
As I had come to expect from InnSuites, this young lady had gone over and above the call of duty to help us have the best possible experience, and it’s people like her that prompt me to continue writing this series on my trips to InnSuites Hotels.
Phoenix – Part Two
Molly wasn’t actually as thrilled as I hoped she’d be about
the concept of gallivanting around with me on one of my writing trips. Despite
the promise that I wouldn’t seclude myself away at the desk to do my writing, I
couldn’t bring her around. Continue reading
Phoenix-Part One
I had only just returned from my trip to the Tucson
Foothills, walking through the door with Pike, when I realized something quite
embarrassing. There on the couch, restfully slumbering with the blanket I
normally sat with at night, lie my lovely wife Molly. It was only at that moment
that I realized I hadn’t yet travelled on one of these little excursions with
her yet. Continue reading
Hotel Tucson Foothills – Part 3
The morning arrived much faster than I would have liked. The
alarm went off right on schedule at 7:30 AM, and I rolled out of bed. A quick
shower later and Pike and I were ready to go. Continue reading
Tucson Foothills Hotel-Part 2
When Pike and I first got in the room, he looked up at me
with one ear slightly raised, as if to say “Huh. You know how much I hate
sleeping in strange beds, and yet, here we are.” I stared at him formidably and pointed to the single King-sized bed that dominated the center of the room. He stared at it
for a moment and then took a few steps closer. Looking back, I could tell he
wasn’t the happiest camper, but I dropped my bags and approached the bed
myself. Plopping onto it, Pike turned his head one way, and then the other, and
then leapt into my arms. I put him down on the mattress, and he circled around
several times before settling into the center. He looked back up at me, but
now, the story was different: “Just try to get me off now,” I could imagine him
saying. Continue reading
Tucson Foothills Hotel in Tucson AZ
It was with great excitement that I picked up my phone to
dial the Hotel Tucson Foothills. I’d stayed in the Tucson
City Center already, and a couple months ago I got back from my trip to Tempe.
It was time once again to continue on my quest to stay in and report on the
InnSuites hotels. This time, I had a friend along. Continue reading
Posted in Hotel, InnSuites News, Mount Lemmon, Sabino Canyon, Tucson, Tucson Foothills
Tagged Hotel, Mount Lemmon, Sabino Canyon, Tucson AZ
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What to Do in Tempe AZ-sailing?!
Yesterday had been a busy day, but I had still remained within the confines of my goal of relaxation for this trip. Today would be the most relaxing day of all, doing something I absolutely loved to do.
Originally, I had planned on going to the Phoenix Zoo on my second day inTempe, but then I found out something that I think not many people are aware of: there is a lake inTempethat’s big enough to sail on in a small yacht. Located just 5 miles from the hotel, complete with boat rentals of all kinds, spending the day sailing in the desert wasn’t an opportunity I planned to miss.
Sailing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so I’ll spare you most of the details that you may not be terribly interested in, but I will tell you one thing: you can’t know until you’ve experienced it how thrilling it is to control a watercraft under the power of the wind. There’s no lanes, no traffic, no engine sound… just peace, and quiet, and the gentle rocking of the boat with the waves with the sun on your face, the wind in your hair, and brilliant blue all around. This was the perfect end to a trip that had been planned with the word “relaxation” in mind. I’d check out of the Hotel Tempe the next morning, but the next time I was looking for a break from the daily grind, I’d be picking up my phone and dialingTempe.
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