Quality Inn Plaza Orlando

This property is located on International Drive and is very convenient to restaurants and attractions in Orlando. What it is not is a great place to stay.

I haoppened to land there as it was the cheapest and only hotel on the convention shuttle route for the meeting I was attending. Also because it had been several years since I had been to Orlando and I wasn't sure that there was another alternative under $100 close by.

Check-in was tedious as I arrived around noon and they didn't have any non-smoking rooms available yet so I had to wait until one was ready. They first said wait until 3 pm and only when I checked again with them an hour and a half later did they get me a room. So they didn't have a process to help those that were waiting to notify them when rooms were available. If I hadn't asked I would have been stuck for another hour or so.

The hotel itself is spread among six building lettered A-G and if you are in G like I was it was a hike. The hotel is also quite old and so it is designed that the buildings aren't enclosed but have a window and a door that lead directly to the outside. My room faced the freeway which made for some noise that I drowned out by turning on the heater since it was unusually cold in Orlando.

As for the room itself, the furnishing and decor were old but it did have a microwave and refrigerator which is great for families or those wanting to fend for their own food.

Since this is an older property wi-fi internet access is only available in the lobby, though I managed to get a very weak signal in the room, and it will cost you $10 a day for wired access.
In the lobby there is also a snack and andwich shop where a 2 litre bottle of cke wll set you back $3.

Also if you need anything shipped in or out the hotel charges $10 to handle it no matter how small. This can get pricey and they don;t even do it with a very helpful attitude.

There are many dining options with a few blocks of the hotel. Sizzler which serves a buffet breakfast for $3.99 ($4.99 weekends) drinks extra is next to the hotel. There is also Pizza Hut, Houlihans, Maggiano's Little Italy and Olive Garden close by along with numerous other restaurants.

I ate in the B-Line Diner at the Peabody Hotel across from the convention centre one evening and they had a crab and artichoke dip that was fantastic along with other great food reasonably priced.

If I had to give the hotel a grade I would say it deserves a D at best. For the convention rate of $92.25 it was still overpriced and I wuld never bring my family to this dump.

Fairfield Inn- Cal Expo

This is a relatively new property and is built on a "campus" with a Courtyard by Marriott and a Towne Place Suites.

The rooms are nicely appointed with furnishings that exceed ay Fairfield that I have stayed in recently. It even has a second lobby of sorts so you don't have to use the front extrance or one of the side entrances.

As with other Fairfield's there is free internet access in all the rooms and a free breakfast complete with a waffle maker, oatmeal, yougurt, breakfast breads and a heat 'n serve Jimmy Dean sausage and egg biscuit.

The hotel is located right off of I-80 and is less than a mile away from the Cal Expo. The airport is about 15 miles away. Downtown Sacramento is 10-15 minutes away in normal traffic.

As for eating, a short ride to the Arden Fair area provides plenty of dining choices from Chilis and Applebees to fast food and higher end restaurants. The Arden Fair mall is close by and has some 100 plus shops and a Food Court

Just down the road in the other direction is the local Costco which always has cheap and quick food as well as the usual shopping bargains.

For a AAA rate of $80 per night and $10.85 in taxes this property was a bargain.

I highly recommend this property for anyone visiting Sacramento.

Hat's Off to US Airways

I normally fly American to virtually every destination, but on my last trip to Florida they didn't have a competitive rate nor a direct flight like US Airways. While my trip down was uneventful except for being one of the bumpiest flights that I have ever been on it was my return flight under the Republic Airways banner that made me smile. Republic operates as the regional airline for US Airways, but unlike American they actually fly a decent sized aircraft. The plane I was on had 2 x 2 seating and it was as comfortable (not overly stiff) like the Embraer jets American uses. Also it had overhead bins large enough for my carry-on rollaboard and headroom so that even people of average height weren't bumping their heads.

Thank you US Airways for treating me like more of a person than cattle that just get stuffed into small spaces.

You will be seeing more of me in the future.

Hampton Inn Fernandina Beach

I just completed a stay at the Hampton Inn in Fernadina Beach, FL which is in the Jacksonville area. The hotel is located about 20 miles from the Jacksonville Airport and on one of the main streets in this resort area.

The rate for 3 days was a reasonable $115.59 which was a blended rate for my stay. As with other Hampton Inns, there was a free breakfast, newspaper and wi-fi internet in the room. Comapred to the Ritz Carlton in nearby Amelia Island, this property is a bargain.

Restaurants are plentiful in the area and I tried my hand at a Chinese Buffet for $7.29. The food was average and the selection extremely limited. On the other hand it was the first buffet that I have ever been in with a carry-out business. I am not talking about take-out buffet, but a menu of Chinese food from which to order.

I rented a car using my USAA discount and drove a Chevy Cobalt from Budget for $22 a day plus tax.

If you are ever travelling to this neck of the woods and you don't need or want the luxury and expense of the Ritz Carlton then this is a great alternative.