Tag: Los Angeles

Where the action is: hotels with Hollywood connections

Spinal Tap (Image: Polydor) 

I once stayed at the Hyatt (now Andaz) hotel on Sunset in West Hollywood where, apart from seeing Axl Rose in the foyer, I visited the rooftop pool that featured in the cult film This is Spinal Tap. The so-called “riot hotel” was also the scene of many real band-behaving-badly moments back in the day.  

I didn’t seek out this rock’n’roll experience (it came as part of a deal secured by a friend), but there are plenty of people who do want to stay in hotels with connections to the rich and famous.

Continue reading Where the action is: hotels with Hollywood connections

Is it ever OK for a restaurant to charge over the odds?

We all know that any product is worth whatever somebody is prepared to pay for it. But sometimes, especially as a traveller in a strange place, the customer doesn’t have a choice.

Social media and the web are full of stories about people who believe they have been ripped off  when it comes to paying for food and beverages..

Recent examples include a man who was charged €43 (US$50 or nearly A$70) for two coffees and two bottles of water at a cafe in St Mark’s Square, Venice.

Continue reading Is it ever OK for a restaurant to charge over the odds?

Where’s the romance?

Followers of this site will know that I have a love-hate relationship with lists. As a journalist, I know such offering as “the 10 best …” or “20 most exciting…” or “12 cheapest..,” are popular with readers.

Barcelona

But, as an educated and rational person, I know that nobody is in the position to offer the best of anything, unless they’ve tried everything — and nobody has.

Continue reading Where’s the romance?