Local Sensitivity: Priceless

Holiday Inn, Waterbury, CT

I left a review of the Holiday Inn Waterbury on TripAdvisor, as I do with any hotel at which I stay. Well, some local was upset that I began my review with what I think of the town (which is not much). I viewed it as a public service, so fuck him. Anyway, he left me a hilarious message through TripAdvisor, which I am inclined to share with you:

Good afternoon,
Before sending my RSVP for a charity event being held at the new Holiday Inn, I decided to go online to view any information or reviews on the hotel and water park. I was very disappointed to read your review of the hotel, as it began not as a hotel review, but as an opinionated rant of a town that is quite beautiful with tremendous history.

Let’s take this from the top. If he knows so much about Waterbury, why the fuck is he looking up the hotel? Why doesn’t he just drive by the goddamned place? But, maybe I’m the retard. Also, Waterbury may have a tremendous history (as does every town in New England), but it is far from beautiful, particularly the neighborhood in which you’ll find this particular hotel.

The beautiful and historic Palace Theater hosts many wonderful theater and musical performances. Diorio’s, Carmen Anthony’s, Brass City Bistro and Quench Cafe are among the finest dining establishments in CT.

I rather suspect that there are several restaurants in Hartford that rival those listed above. Just a guess, but I also think there are a number around Stamford, Greenwich and other “rich people” places that have a leg up on Waterbury as well. Oh, and I just spoke with my wife. She grew up in Waterbury, just like the dumbass who wrote this message. She is only familiar with one of the restaurants above and says that, while it’s good, it’s probably not among the best in the state. So, take that!

I, for one, am extremely proud of the City where I was born and raised, and hope you might take the time to experience some of the pleasantries that Waterbury has to offer if you should “have to” return again.
Cheers!

Well, happy fucking day! He’s proud of where he grew up! And, he still lives there, so he probably hasn’t seen much of the rest of the world. A look at his profile suggests that he joined TripAdvisor specifically to send me this “invitation” to “experience some of the pleasantries that Waterbury has to offer.”

If I had ever bothered to form an opinion of the type of nutjob who would be proud to call Waterbury home, this would have been it.

What the moron failed to indicate is whether my review of the hotel was helpful. Unlike most users, I put a considerable amount of time and effort into my TripAdvisor hotel reviews, and I do include photos when I can. So far, I have written 13 reviews and posted 22 photos. I do this not for compensation but because I use TripAdvisor and realize that other people do, too. The only way it works is if we are all as thorough as possible. This piece of shit has missed the point entirely, instead opting to defend his hometown to someone he likely will never see there.

So, he pays the price on the Wandering Blogger.

Props to the Hotel Helix

While it wasn’t my best experience in Washington, DC, I do have to give the Hotel Helix’s management credit. They read every review posted to TripAdvisor about their property, and they seem to reply to all of them, as well. In fact, the responses are clearly based on the specific information in the reviews. I was excited to see that the management is investing considerable time and effort in communicating with guests. From me, this always gets two thumbs up.

New Hotel Review on TripAdvisor

Obligatory photo of me by me

Check out TripAdvisor for my latest hotel review. Last weekend, I stayed at the Holiday Inn Waterbury (in Waterbury, CT); I was in town for a wedding. The hotel wasn’t that bad, aside from the fact that it’s in Waterbury. Well, it’s an interesting hotel for a dumpy town in suburbia and even has a waterpark (I never got around to trying it.

Check out the Holiday Inn Waterbury >>

What travelers hope to find on the Wandering Blogger

I’ve picked up the habit of posting the most popular search terms used to find my other blog, Migrant Blogger, and I think I’ll do it here. Wandering Blogger is finally picking up some momentum! Well, since launching, the most popular search term appears to consist of variations on “Cafe Mozart closed,” often including “Manhattan” or “New York” in the query. Yes, the restaurant did close, much to my chagrin (but not my father’s). The place lost its lease, which is why it shut down (to answer one search engine-based question).

For those of you looking for absinthe in Naples, FL, your SOL– at least if you’re looking for real absinthe. You can’t get it anywhere in the United States. But, if Naples, FL is on your mind, you might want to check out the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. I spent a weekend there and loved it. Learn more at TraderDaily.com or TripAdvisor. Gare du Nord, a train station in Paris, Albert Maes, and foreign street signs are popular as well.

Also, someone was looking for “Blue Lagoon Spa fucking.” I get it. The Blue Lagoon Spa is a great destination not far from Reykjavik, Iceland. I assume they frown upon sex in the lagoon, but I guess it’s worth a shot.

Tough, but Fair

I have to be honest; the Hotel Helix sucked. So, I gave it two stars on TripAdvisor, because that’s what the hotel deserved. Life’s a bitch. They need to step up their game if they want me to come back.

 

Read about the Hotel Helix on TripAdvisor >>

Read the Wandering Blogger’s coverate of Hotel Helix >>

Headed Back to DC

I’m back in our nation’s capital, after only a few months. I went down in early May to interview Adam & Eve founder Phil Harvey—it was part of my ongoing effort to finish a Doctor of Business Administration degree. This time, the trip is purely recreational. I’m going to check out the pandas at the National Zoo, check out a new hotel and grab a few decent dinners. After the recent grind at day job, it’s nice to get away for a few days.

 

The Delta Shuttle has been … well … about as good as it can be. We were late getting out of LaGuardia—big surprise. But, we’re in the air as I type this, and everything seems to be running smoothly. The snack service has been surprisingly good. Pepperidge Farm must have paid a fortune for the privilege. Honestly, even the coffee’s not bad.

 

Maybe it’s just the Delta Shuttle to Boston that sucks. Hey, consider where it lands.

 

I used to go to Boston a few times a year for short getaways like this, but I’ve grown tired of that dump. I learned growing up there that the people are assholes with little on their minds aside from baseball (which bores me to fucking tears). Finally, I’ve decided that that second city won’t be on my itinerary for a while. For me, DC is the new Boston.

 

Last time, I stayed at two Hiltons (great deals on Hotwire.com). We’ve put Hotwire to work again for this trip—the Hotel Helix will be home for two nights. I’ll let you know how it goes. For now, check out my reviews of Hilton Washington and Capital Hilton on TripAdvisor.

 

Read about the Hilton Washington on TripAdvisor>>

 

Read about the Capital Hilton on TripAdvisor>>

 

New Reviews on TripAdvisor

As you know, I’ve been traveling a lot lately. So, I’ve done my duty as an online citizen and posted reviews to TripAdvisor.com. I have three new additions to the party:

• Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, FL >>
• Hotel St Paul, Montreal, Quebec, Canada >>
• Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, FL >>

Yeah, I’ve been spending a lot of time in Florida lately. I’m not thrilled about that fact. Florida’s not usually at the top of my list at any time of the year, and summer is the worst.

Check out my hotel in Hollywood, FL

I wasn’t looking forward to Hollywood, FL. But, I have to admit, the hotel, the Westin Diplomat, is excellent. Not only do they have bathrobes here, but the room itself is amazing. It is quite large, and there is a bathroom area (not including the toilet) that opens into the bedroom. The bathtub is almost impressive. I haven’t been onto the balcony yet. It’s on the 30th floor and has a great few, but I can get the view without stepping onto it. I’m not crazy about heights, so I’ll pass on putting my life at risk.

I suspect this place will get a good review from me on TripAdvisor, but I’m not planning to say anything nice about the restaurant. The food was decent, but the service was absolutely awful. It took forever for someone to take my order. Much later, when they realized how pissed I was, the service improved, but the waiter seemed to be overcomensating.