The best and worst of hotels

Okay, so I do enough hotel bashing on this blog, so I thought I would give kudos to a really nice hotel I stayed at recently.  The Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, GA. Of course, it helped because I had my own room and didn't have to share with a co-worker, but it truly was a great place. Amazingly comfortable beds, 24 hour room service, and if you sign up for their free rewards program you get complimentary wi-fi in the room along with a newspaper, morning beverage, and some other perks. Plus, it seems Atlanta is really working to improve the downtown area.  They recently put in a Ferris wheel in Olympic Park, not far from the Coke Museum and some other tourist attractions. I would definitely stay there again - in fact, I'm going back this June.

Olympic Park in Atlanta, GA

The other side of things: I've been in some hotels that I feared my life and my overall health. I stayed at a Knights Inn in Denver off Speer Blvd and it was perhaps the worst experience I've ever had.  I was trying to save a buck and booked it online without knowing what I was getting into.  Nasty bedding, dirty bathrooms, yellow lighting, and a sippy cup under my bed with rotten milk that made the entire room stink. I walked across the street to the hotel I wish I would have booked and spent most of my time there, since they had food and a bar. Here's a helpful links for the owners at Knights Inn - maybe it's time to clean up a bit, so I've done the legwork for you:

Hotel Supply Online

Atlanta Hotel Supply

Hotel Bar Supplies

You're welcome.

Click to read the full blog about my Knight's Inn experience, or some of the many other travel stories over the years including why I'm on the Mafia hit list, top 10 things overheard at the Days Inn in Nashville, and other joys of traveling.

Other Atlanta Resources:
http://news.atlanta.net/_ir/8/20139/2013-08-21_Never_Stop_Traveling_Atlanta-Sophisticated-and-Surprising.pdf?ucid=E2013-000066 

Atlanta discoveries: food, Ford, and furries

I just arrived back from a few days in Atlanta.  I was there for work, but I learned about more than I intended.

FOOD

Thrive Restaurant: 101 Marietta Street | Atlanta, GA 30303

First of all, there are some incredible restaurants in Atlanta.  I kept just eating, and for both lunch and dinner. I decided maybe a good way to start dieting is to simply make the move from a six-course meal, down to two. I nearly killed myself at South City Kitchen (midtown location) with fried green tomatoes, she-crab soup, buttermilk fried chicken, and homemade banana pudding to top it all off. I ate enough to keep me going for 3 days, yet I continued to hit up other restaurants like Thrive and Stats which both are worth going back next time I'm in town.

FORD

2013 Atlanta International Auto Show

Also, I was checking out the Georgia Convention Center space for my job and there was a car show going on while we were on our site visit.  I found myself drooling over some very cool cars, and believe it or not, even some Fords. But I have to say I'm not a big fan of the new Ford Explorer.

FURRIES

Okay, so this was the odd part of my trip. We're sitting in the Atlanta Gift Mart one day and this person with a full wolf-looking custom (including head, tail, paws, etc) runs by the window. One of our contacts immediately piped in, "Oh, the furry convention is in town!" I had never heard of this odd phenomena  - these people are fully committed, running down Hotlanta streets in full costumes, drinking at bars through straws so they don't have to remove their heads, and customizing pairs of pants so their tails can come out the back.  Yes, tails.  Someone please explain this to me - I still don't really understand.  My observation was it's simply a group of lonely 20-something nerds looking for some community to be part of something bigger than themselves.  And no, I don't have any pictures on this experience.

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