Honolulu, July 2024

 DAY 1.  

So I'm a Diamond Hilton and got the top of the Rainbow Tower.  The Hilton Hawaiian Village has fireworks on Fridays.  At first I thought I got the crap view as I could not see Diamond Head, but come to find out that the fireworks are right below in the Lagoon, so this was an excellent view.  I got room 3118, Penthouse Floor.  Room was pretty big for a normal room and had the bulk amenities but had a small bar of soap for your hands.  It had a mini-fridge.

Ok, so here's a village map.  It's huge.  Also below are the Diamond benefits which is an $18 credit per day up to 2 persons

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The free 2 bottles is a trick to get you to speak to the concierge.  Whatever.  There is a water bottle filling station behind the front desk, but I noticed the filter was on RED so obviously had not been changed recently, That was the only one I found on-property.  You are also issued towel cards under threat of $20 per towel for losing them.  I'm not sure how they enforce this, but in any event, you can't get a beach towel without one.  Whatever.  

View from Tropics restaurant.  Food not notable but I was starving.  I meant to go back sometime for happy hour, but never made it. Obligatory blue drink below.

DAY 2

My friends made us go to Hula Grill down the street at Outrigger to get the Hula Pie.  Touristy bur nicer view upstairs at Hula Grill and a lot more peaceful than Duke's downstairs.  Could have walked but we drove and parked at the Post Office which was relatively inexpensive.

We then hit up the Polynesian Cultural Center way on the other side of the island as our friends booked a tour there.  I've been there a couple times and while I would not go again, for first time Hawaii folks it's ok.  Notably no alcohol in Laie or at the Center so make it a sober day.  They do stuff like walk on fire and climb up a tree to get coconuts and put on cultural shows.  If you have kids, it's a must-see.  If not.. meh.  There is a cool. Polynesian Football Hall of Fame small exhibit there.  

We went to the Luau but ducked out before the fire show as my driver was tired and it's about an hour drive home.  the Luau was ok, a lot of different foods.  I didn't care for the fish but the pork was stellar.  There's a little show that goes on there too, and you get a lei and pineapple drink (but again no alcohol so...maybe bring your mini).

THE DAYS ARE NOW GETTING BLURRY.

This was the view from the Lagoon Tower which is from the timeshare looking toward the Rainbow Tower.

At the Hotel Ilikai next door which looks very dated is a cool happy hour at the top 30th floor called Pesca.  Good views, good drinks. I went there a couple times.  The sliders were substantial and octopus was good but see below for small ahi serving.  Anyway, nice atmosphere with a cool open view elevator if you can find it.

This was the view from Pesca

Beach day.

I ventured down the street and ate at this cafeteria like place.  Next time I would just get the udon but they do handmade the noodles here.  I tried the katsu and was going to get it over rice but the guy asked if I wanted noodles and so of course I had to try it.  I also got some a la carte tempura which was good.

Friends wanted to go to Aoki which is a Benihana style place.  Drink wasn't good and was overly foamy blue.  ewww.  

Pesca ahi, which is good but not substantial.

View from my room on 31st floor of Rainbow Tower.

View from Penthouse in Lagoon Tower.

There is no CLEAR at this airport and First Class/Premium bag check is hidden in the corner.  Pre Check was down the hall at checkpoint 4.  It went fairly quickly.  This was the slowest Starbucks in existence for food.  The airport is HOT - no AC until you get to your gate.  Alaska Air is taking me home now!  Bye-Bye Hawaii!   Until we meet again.

My Alaska Air rage is over for now.

 

ALASKA AIR is the way.

I'm over my rage at Alaska.  Things are ok again post-Covid, although points aren't double anymore so I doubt I'll make my 75K again this year.  I was able to keep the status during the pandemic, but lost it early this year.  I did the challenge to get back as I think it's worth it for the free upgrades (higher up the list) and things like that.  I still pay for the lounge, although I'm questioning it as the food lately hasn't been great.

That said, I am still Alaska loyal.  I had to fly Southwest earlier this year as someone else was paying and booking.  I didn't die, but I also wouldn't ever choose it again.  I paid for early boarding, and despite measuring my bag, the GEG Employee said he thought it might be too big. Of course he asked another guy and he said no, it's fine, but by then a zillion others had boarded.  Trauma, stress.

In any event, I still love the Alaska program and for now I've decided to stay.

Protein plate in AM First Class has a weird maybe yogurt type dip, but the afternoon one was way better like a red garlic hummus or something. 

Alaska Airlines, the rage I feel. Tales of an angry MVP 75K

*draft due to me not being able to move nightmare pics from phone to computer during flight

ORD-SEA-GEG Nightmare Sept 27-28.

So my last few flights have been dismal at best.  The first nightmare- when you get a weather delay and you miss the last connecting flight home, there is NO compensation,  Zero, Zip.  The incompetent CS agent who rebooked me on an earlier flight booked the connection for before I was supposed to land in SEA.  Then I noticed I was also not on upgrade list, so I called back CS, and that's when I realized she had booked me on the wrong flight.  So, I went from First Class on my delayed flight to Row 22 or some shit middle seat just to get home that night.  Well, lo and behold, we sat on the tarmac for 2 hours at least and didn't take off.... so... I missed the last 11pmish flight from SEA to GEG.  NO COMPENSATION FOR WEATHER DELAYS.  So, I fucking camped on a bench across from McDonalds in B gate, as by the time I landed it was 1, by the tine I got off 1:30 due to being in the back of the bus, and you can't book Hilton online for day prior so I would have had to call or walk there making it 2AM just to leave at 4:30 AM for my 6AM flight, not to mention walking in the rain to get there.  So no,  I camped at SEA TAC.

After swearing off never getting on a plane again,

PDX-OGG Oct 14.
My next horror flight was to Maui on Oct 14.  I was next on upgrade list but did not get an upgrade.  That's totally fine. Not an issue.  HOWEVER... this fucking baby in the seat behind me (8C) was kicking the seat, whining, yelling, crying, going ape shit, and the parent did nothing.  I turned around the third time after a kicking episode and gave it the look of death like I would kill it.  At that point, the parent (dad)  gave the kid to the mom in seat 8A (window).  Fine.  Let it kick the shit out of 7A, not my problem.  I should have known as when I boarded, because the parents had all their shit staged on my seat 7C while they got situated in row 8.  I was like, uh, this is my seat, is this your stuff?  Can I sit here?  Totally oblivious parents.

GEG-SEA-LAS  Nov 1.
So the day before my flight, I call as I changed to an earlier flight to be by my friend who I was traveling with.  I noticed again that I was not on the upgrade list.  This wasn't the first time, but it was notable the last time on my Chicago flight that I couldn't seem to get on the upgrade list no matter what.  The first agent tried to tell me I had to wait 15 min to see it.  After waiting an hour, I checked again and called again.  This time, luckily I got someone willing to look further into it,  After spending hours on the phone with the agent, she said she knew what was wrong. When you change your flights when checking in (mind you they give you the option), the back end of the reservation doesn't match the front end. They have to rebook your flight and you have to check in again.  Ok, so I did.  Still not on list.  Luckily this agent gave me her name so when I called back CS, I was able to get a hold of her.  (after accidentally being hung up on once, told they can't patch us to a certain person, etc).  I finally got a hold of her again and told her, thanks and all but no, I'm still not on the list.  So she checked into it more and said you have to ask for PFA or something like that, and there's only a few CS reps who can make these changes etc.  After 2 hours of dicking around with this, she decided as a comp to put me in First anyway next to my friend as it was empty.  Thank god.

So, as fate would have it, we are boarding, and encountered the rudest gate agent on the planet.  Sorry ma'am that isn't your seat now, you're going to have to go to the desk.  (line at desk) as I'm boarding for Row 1.  So at desk: sorry, your seat is broken, we have to get you another seat.  Come to find out, yes my seat was allegedly "broken" although my friend tested it and says it's fine - and the seatbelt works as she is in 1A next to my empty 1C seat.  I feel worse for the guy in 4 something as the KID and mom in row 1D and F got moved to his row, and his new seat in 1D broke so he got booted too.  Never mind they didn't boot us to premium....  Here we sit in Row 28, D and E.  What the fuck.  They allegedly moved another First guy to premium and booted a premium lady back here who had a seat next to her hubby as 6C was also broken.  WTF is wrong with the seats on this plane?!??!  There is nothing visibly wrong with them.  Anyway, they handled this poorly as the plane arrived at the gate from Anchorage over an hour before boarding and we were not told until we tried to get on the plane that we got fucked/downgraded. Why did they not move us to premium and downgrade the folks there who just got upgraded?  This was a friggin disaster.  They almost had to kick the guy off who is now in 28E as his rage surpassed mine.  Yeah, I didn't pay for it, but 1) don't be rude, and 2) don't lie to us and 3) why not put us in premium... or say sorry.  No, just total rudeness from SEA agents.  The one agent was decent to me, probably because I looked like I was going to cry.  She took my rollerbag on so it would have a spot and let my friend keep in it 1st with her.  Thank god, I wasn't going to get on last and check my bag.  Anyway, this nightmare continues, I'm starving and was looking forward to the food in First but now I guess I will starve and be in a total rager for the next two hours due to the shitshow of this flight.

Vegas Mirage, October 2019

Stayed at the Mirage on a random whim when bf had a conference Mon-Thurs.  The Mirage is full of middle-class folks... like Spokane on a good day.  Older crowd, slower moving.  Pros: nice restaurants were available on a whim.  Pool fairly empty.  Bf gambled enough they comped our resort fees and food...host much nicer here than MGM Grand!  Gave us normal room for Platinum, but it was a comped room... rooms at Cosmo comp much nicer for me, but hey.  You have to find a host to ask to waive resort fees, as you'll pay here no matter what if not.

Otoro the sushi and grill was great

 The pool area was nice and quiet during the week - could move around, have space, no rush.

 Normal looking room.

 MGM standard amenities...

The hot tip here is that when you leave at 4AM on Alaska Airlines with no baggage, it's Terminal 3.  Don't stop at Alaska sign or you will have to walk all the way down to security.  Get let out of your UBER at KLM / JetBlue.  You can thank me later. There's also CLEAR here.

Chicago Westin River North and RPM Italian! Also, airport homelessness.

Chicago Westin River North:

Absolutely nothing notable other than it's next door to the ABA Mothership.  Last time I was here I had to complain about the totally rude front desk.  This time I was given a room (as I should be, arrived after 4) and no mention of my Gold status or anything.  Got a boring room on the 8th floor.  Could sort of peer at the river out of my window, but mostly at the parking garage across the street.

The best part of this trip?  RPM Italian.  Never fails to deliver.  We had a group dinner with a private room.  Everything was delicious.  I felt bad I couldn't take our leftovers home!!!

The meatballs, burrata, bucatini and filet were excellent!!!  If I had to pick just one, it would definitely be the bucatini even though I love cavatelli as well.  I love this place!  http://rpmrestaurants.com/rpmitalian/chicago/

I also took Ventra in from the airport as I landed around 4.  It was $5 and like taking the light rail in Seattle.  I actually hate Ventra, affectionately apparently known as the "L ".  I don't know why, but it's awful in the rain, in hot weather, or if you have to pee.  At least if you're in an Uber, you can ask them to stop.  Ventra drops off about 2 blocks away, across the river from the ABA/Westin.  Clark/Lake station.

I won't go into the hell of O Hare delaying my flight, me taking an "earlier" one, sitting in a middle seat, getting stranded in SEA by Alaska Air and sleeping on an airport bench, etc etc.  I still have PTSD and cannot talk about the matter.  SEA lounges are closed overnight.  The closest hotel is Hilton, but wasn't worth hiking there and sleeping for 3 hours. Notably the best sleeping bench in SEA is across from McDonald's in B Terminal as the other homeless folks are sleeping near the Alaska gates in C.  No compensation for an MVP 75K for screwing up flights, sleeping in an airport, etc etc.  Notably weather delays get you NOTHING.  This is terrible for GEG fliers, as if you are commuting from the East Coast, if your plane is late and you miss the 11PM something flight to GEG, you are essentially stranded.  I'm a little concerned about upcoming trips that have to make that connection.

Alaska Air N Gate Lounge at Sea Tac

This was a pleasant surprise.  This lounge rivals that of the JFK Alaska Lounge and others.  Barista as well as bartender with numerous microbrews.  The best part?  Spacious and relaxing oasis in a crowded airport.  Plenty of outlets and seats.

Same food otherwise, but the layout makes you feel relaxed.  The fireplace is also cozy/nice.