You should ghost write for Jake, Gawd knows he needs the help. lol
Of course LTM is a constant source of material, the jokes almost write themselves.
Best by far: The Peninsula in NYC: Excellent mood lighting, deep tub with a TV you can play videos on, and a great roof top pool and spa.
Worse by far: Motel 6 in Braintree, Mass. Place got closed down a few months later owing to a cop getting shot there.
By the way, as good as it was, the Peninsula is not the nicest hotel I've been to. The award goes to the Dorchester in London, tied with the Four Seasons In Kona Hawaii. I just never had the luck to be at these while hobbying.
but I think the nicest hotel where I've taken a paid date was also a Four Seasons Resort, in my case the one in Papagayo Costa Rica. My only complaint about the place was getting perhaps "too much" service. They did everything but wipe my ass for me, and I am pretty sure that if I had asked they would have done that for me too.
Amazing enough I spent the entire weekend there with only ONE chica. It did ruin her for future trips though, she got it in her head that I was going to make her my "novia" and allow her to "retire" from being a puta. She was stunning, but yeah right...SURE that's what I was going to do. lol
There is probably a 100 way tie for last place. Way back before the internet I am sure I am not the only one here who went for SW action and some of the motels on the "track" in almost every city could be VERY nasty. I honestly can't pick an absolute worst, but most likely the worst would have been one of the dumps on Hollywood or Santa Monica Blvds in Hollywood back about forty years ago. It honestly made the Combat Zone in Boston or the Deuce in NYC look "nice" in comparison. lol
I'm too cheap to ever get comped in Vegas but I once did tip my way into an 2 bedroom, fountain view, executive terrace suite at the LV Cosmopolitan. It was a slow Sunday and I was only staying one night. I folded a $20 in between by ID and credit card. I never asked the desk clerk for anything and was pleasantly surprised. I had quite a few Marriott points at the time so that may have also affected his decision.
The worst has to be the front seat of my car back in the 80s.
The Las Vegas Upgrade.
Sometimes it even works.
It was kind of like paying for pussy at the Del Rey, tip too little and you're a deadbeat, tip too much and you are a sucker. Back in the day knowing "who" to tip was almost a important as how much.
I liked the "good old days" before the corporations took over, although until about the year 2010 I NEVER once paid for a room, a show ticket, nor did I ever stand in line for ANYTHING in LV. "Standing in line" was for tourists. In the old days though, it was the pit bosses that ran everything, I am talking the 80's and before, By the about 1990 the corporations had taken over, things were computerized and it was the "casino hosts" that make things happen from then on.
Ironically, until relatively recently none of the best rooms even had price tags. I asked one of my hosts once just out of curiosity how much my room "would have been" if I wasn't a gambler. He responded that if you don't play enough to get I was staying for for free that they wouldn't let you rent the room at any price. Of course today the hotel casinos make their money off of a lot more than gambling and the "best" rooms are a LOT more than a couple of grand a day, a LOT more. lol
and each I return I'm appalled to see how expensive non-gambling amenities have gotten each year to the point where I'd place Vegas in the same category as New York and London for vacationing costs.
Speaking of pit bosses, I read somewhere that Mario Puzzo did most of his research when writing The Godfather by interviewing Vegas pit bosses. I wish they still ran the town.
I had some friends in college who graduated and went to LV to become dealers for a couple of years before moving on to other careers. I don't think any of them ever rose to pit boss level. They had lots of fun for a couple of years, though.
and each I return I'm appalled to see how expensive non-gambling amenities have gotten each year to the point where I'd place Vegas in the same category as New York and London for vacationing costs.
Speaking of pit bosses, I read somewhere that Mario Puzzo did most of his research when writing The Godfather by interviewing Vegas pit bosses. I wish they still ran the town.
Pit bosses used to run LV, if you wanted any kind of a hook up you went to the pit boss you knew best. That role has been taken over in the last 20 years or so by "casino hosts", but it's just not the same. Today, your casino, or executive host will look at his smart phone and it will tell him if you rate a "free breakfast" or full use of the corporate jet. Back in the day, the pit bosses just "knew" who rated what and no one questioned his/her judgment.
My first embarrassing episode in a casino over comps was actually in an Atlantic City hotel maybe ten to fifteen years ago, and I am sure you'll be happy to hear it was a Trump property. lol. AAR I was with friends, who were also people I did business with, and we were having dinner after a rather dismal day at the tables. (I think I was stuck about $30K for the day) We ordered our food and I ordered a bottle of wine for the table, which they brought, but when they brought the wine, before opening the bottle the waiter informed me, right in front of my friends/business associates that while the dinner itself was comped they would have to charge me for the wine and he asked if I still wanted it, which is about as embarrassing as having the waiter loudly pronounce that your credit card has been declined after you just picked up everyone's tab. I was pissed, of course I still had him pour the wine, and yes it was about $500, but just as soon as dinner was over I tracked down my "host" and read him the fucking riot act. They didn't end up charging me for the wine, but in my mind the damage was done and I NEVER went back to that casino again. (which I am sure brings you a lot of pleasure. lol) That kind of thing NEVER would have happened in the old days
Pit bosses used to run LV, if you wanted any kind of a hook up you went to the pit boss you knew best. That role has been taken over in the last 20 years or so by "casino hosts", ...
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Pit boss intuition has been replaced by Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. As good as a good pit boss might have been, I'll bet that the computer stuff is better at balancing comps and maximizing ROI.
but that doesn't mean the "customer experience" is as good as it once was.
I will agree that it's designed to make you spend more money, but I will strenuously disagree that it makes you (or at least me) happy. For the record I absolutely REFUSE to join Facebook either. I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of big brother knowing EVERYTHING I do.
The day of the pitboss having any real power in a casino has been dead and gone for about twenty years now. Let me put it this way, If you want a room for the night, or maybe show tickets and/or dinner, the pit bosses still have "power of the pen" but if you need to borrow the jet for the weekend, you to go much higher up on the food chain, and as I sure you know, I did NOT learn this from watching 60 minutes. lol
I ate at one place where the cost of around half the bottles was greater than the price of the date of the bottle in dollars.
All I could say was Hoot Gibson.
At least this was all on the company's expense account - your tax dollars at work! 8o)
Case in point, what does the average person do when they show up to a restaurant on a busy night without a reservation and are told that they are in for a two hour wait?
1) Get mad and leave.
2) Look for the bar and settle in for your two hour wait (ok you get partial credit for this answer)
3) Put your name on the waiting list and go find something to keep yourself occupied for the next 2 hours
4) Tell the Maitre D that you "think" you have a reservation for right about "now" and slide him a $50 bill while he "looks" for your reservation. (The price varies with the caliber of restaurant)
I find it amazing how few people will pick option number 4, most people don't even realize it's an option.
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Personally, I prefer to plan ahead and arrive on time and NOT get screwed by a unscrupulous maitre d'.
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Looking for a pic, I found this article:
http://www.thrillist.com/eat/new-york/maitre-d-future-of-hospitality-restaurants
... "It's a dying profession" ... "Greasing palms isn't really a thing" ...
While it's true that most people have seen it in the movies, they don't realize there is an art form to actually doing it. If you are too overt about it, or misjudge the price, you are not only NOT going to get moved up in line, you are also likely to get put at the very end of the line or informed that "we don't do that here"
I guess you and I grew up in VERY different worlds, it really doesn't surprise me that if anyone were to be offended over something like this, it would be you. I bet you have one of those "tipping apps" on your phone too, so you know how much you are "supposed" to tip. lol I guess you'd have to live around people who live on tips to know what I am talking about, there is nothing "unscrupulous" about a Maitre d that looks out for his "special" customers. It's no different than leaving a hundred dollar tip to the bartender in a very busy place to make sure that when you need a drink you will ALWAYS be able to get his/her attention while others are standing there for forty five minutes waiting to get served. Or do believe that too is unfair to the other patrons?
What? I'm not disagreeing with the fact that it happens. I am using SIMPLE arithmetic to make MY point that someone is getting screwed when a reserved table is given to someone else for a $ tip.
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I don't care if it's a place with 8 tables, 80 tables, or 800 tables (mrfisher: Remember the old Hilltop Steakhouse in Saugus?).
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N tables; N customers with N reservations. Another customer w/o a reservation comes along and bribes (quid pro quo = tip for a table) and now there are N+1 patrons so one of the original N gets bumped. Not fair.
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People going out to dinner are not expecting a game of musical chairs, in particular a RIGGED game of musical chairs where one kid pays to get a chair while the others get screwed.
While it's true that most people have seen it in the movies, they don't realize there is an art form to actually doing it. If you are too overt about it, or misjudge the price, you are not only NOT going to get moved up in line, you are also likely to get put at the very end of the line or informed that "we don't do that here"
I guess you and I grew up in VERY different worlds, it really doesn't surprise me that if anyone were to be offended over something like this, it would be you. I bet you have one of those "tipping apps" on your phone too, so you know how much you are "supposed" to tip. lol I guess you'd have to live around people who live on tips to know what I am talking about, there is nothing "unscrupulous" about a Maitre d that looks out for his "special" customers. It's no different than leaving a hundred dollar tip to the bartender in a very busy place to make sure that when you need a drink you will ALWAYS be able to get his/her attention while others are standing there for forty five minutes waiting to get served. Or do believe that too is unfair to the other patrons?
It wasn't until a few years after I dined there that I met a former chef who had worked there and warned me to stay away as the kitchen was the filthiest kitchen he had ever worked in.
The other kicker is that they place would not accept credit cards (tax dodge, much?) leaving more than a few parties scrambling to find the cash to pay for their meal.
I don't miss it, except for the cacti that used to grace Route 1.
For those who don't know what mrfisher and I are talking about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilltop_Steakhouse
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They must have had at least 500 tables and a few bars for people wetting their whistle while waiting for their turn at some sit-down food. The waiting line outside wrapped around the building and moved along slowly.
It wasn't until a few years after I dined there that I met a former chef who had worked there and warned me to stay away as the kitchen was the filthiest kitchen he had ever worked in.
The other kicker is that they place would not accept credit cards (tax dodge, much?) leaving more than a few parties scrambling to find the cash to pay for their meal.
I don't miss it, except for the cacti that used to grace Route 1.
I have always found Maitre d's to be democratic. EVERYONE has the opportunity to move to the front of the line by tipping generously. If you choose NOT to do it in a place where it gets you something, then you are CHOOSING to screw yourself. Nobody else is screwing you.
Beyond that, he benefits are often subtle. Without saying a word to the waiter, WHERE the Maitre d' seats you conveys a message to the waitstaff about your VIP status and whether you are a good tipper. You not only get the best table, you get the best service the place has to offer on spec that you will tip well.
In smaller restaurants where the owner is at the front of the house, a tip may not get you what you want if there are a lot of regulars booked, but asking him to come to your table and suggest some wine pairings from his cellar with each course will usually get you a table faster. (Wine is hugely profitable in restaurants). AND he will remember you next time you show up and you will be seated immediately.
You make a reservation with a hostess. You arrive early. You call. No answer. You text. No answer. Maybe she does answer and says, "I'm sorry. I have to cancel your reservation." You leave, disappointed. Why did you lose your reservation? She got a better offer.
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Such behavior used to receive negative criticism on TER. I'm not saying that we don't understand it ("A bird in the hand ...") but you end up getting screwed ONE way when you really wanted to get screwed ANOTHER way.
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When you show up for your reservation at a restaurant, they CAN'T NCNS you. They have to tell you to your face what happened.
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If a restaurant or the maitre d' wants to auction off the open tables to the highest bidder, make it transparent and level the field.
I have always found Maitre d's to be democratic. EVERYONE has the opportunity to move to the front of the line by tipping generously. If you choose NOT to do it in a place where it gets you something, then you are CHOOSING to screw yourself. Nobody else is screwing you.
Beyond that, he benefits are often subtle. Without saying a word to the waiter, WHERE the Maitre d' seats you conveys a message to the waitstaff about your VIP status and whether you are a good tipper. You not only get the best table, you get the best service the place has to offer on spec that you will tip well.
In smaller restaurants where the owner is at the front of the house, a tip may not get you what you want if there are a lot of regulars booked, but asking him to come to your table and suggest some wine pairings from his cellar with each course will usually get you a table faster. (Wine is hugely profitable in restaurants). AND he will remember you next time you show up and you will be seated immediately.
The hostess will pretend to look at the list and not find your name. Then she will ask you if you remembered who you talked to (no one ever does), and when you say no, she will say she is sorry, they are fully booked, but if you would like to put your name on the list, they can get you a table in about an hour. Isn't that a much nicer way to do it? And most of them have no trouble telling you to your face what happened. I try not to smirk if I'm standing there when they tell you. What are you going to do? Call them a liar and storm out of the restaurant? That only makes you look like a crazy.
Further, the Maitre d's do not "auction" anything. That would be tacky, and besides, some of us with a lot of experience are a little better than others at nabbing the best table by knowing who to tip and how much, even if its our first time there. Like most social skills, these are learned over time, and an auction would only serve un unfairly level the playing field.
I will admit that a lot of this goes on In the Asian agency hooker world. However, besides the tipping aspect, a lot of weight is given to your volume of business. If you're a once-a-month customer, even when you tip, you may still get bumped from time to time. This happened to me when I first started out at agencies 11 years ago, and it is, indeed, annoying, but in that market, there is always another girl who is available so you still get screwed the way you expected. Too many guys get hung up on thinking they have to see a particular girl. The vast majority are above average, as sex workers go, and there were many times when I thought the girl I was switched to on a bump was better than the one I originally asked for. Its been many years since I was bumped, but if I went to a booker in another town that didn't know me well, then I could see it happening to me again someday. Now I mainly use three bookers that have girls in both LA and OC, and my volume still warrants some priority. I don't tip bookers, but I do give the ones I'm active with something at Christmastime, usually between $500-1000, depending on active I was with them. Much like a restaurant Maitre d', that expression of gratitude, along with my continued volume of business, assures me of almost always getting the girl AT THE TIME THAT I WANT, even if they have to bump another monger. If you get bumped, its not personal, its just business.
Everyone here, with the probable exception of LTM, knows that's not how it happens. Not with a hooker and not with a restaurant. Or at least not at any kind of place that would be in demand.
In the case of a hooker, what most will do once they have found someone "better" than you who wants your slot, is to text you with a feigned emergency asking to reschedule. If she booked you in the first place than you are still "money" to her and while you might not be as important to her as her multi-hour, big tipping, regular, she is still going to want your business, so she is going to do her best to get you to reschedule, probably right after CDL is done fucking her. lol
In the case of a restaurant, Just because I came in and stole YOUR table doesn't mean that you are going to be turned away for the evening, and they are NOT going to tell you that they seated someone like me who was more important than you. They are simply going to apologize that they are "running a little bit late" on the reservations that evening, they are going to direct you to the bar where you are a few extra minutes for your table. The chances of you ever knowing that I cut in front of you and "stole" your table are even less likely than you finding out that CDL stole your K-girl. lmao
BTW, I know you have read a LOT of those threads about the guys who got "bumped" by hookers over the years, but did you ever notice that "some of us" have NEVER had that problem. I doubt you can find a single post from me out of the 50,000 or so posts I have made over the last fifteen years whining about how "I" got bumped by a hooker for a "better customer" Don't be a hater, just learn to step up your game. Whining is so unbecoming on a fuck board.
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Restaurant reservation, hostess reservation, arrive on time or early ... CANCELLED. Nobody likes to be treated that way, period.
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And not every fancy restaurant has multiple seatings. If there are no tables, it means that there are no tables now or in an hour or two.
per the hour. I would have to go and check the name and address. Some of them might not even be there anymore or have changed. The best hotel maybe was this Double Tree by that Citadel mall. I saw a TER girl there. Then I saw another in one by LAX and another somewhere in Orange. After that they were all flea hotel or whatever they are called.
But mostly I've seen girls at apartment complex that were in a very cheap area of the city too. I'm low class and so have been my experiences, what can I say?
I must say I think I would be too embarrassed to admit some of the sh!tholes I've stayed in.
I have actually stayed at places a LOT worse than some of the "hourly" shit holes that I have used close to the "track" back when SW's were the main place to find hookers, but I didn't mention them because they were during times where I couldn't afford to eat, much less hire a hooker.
I think the all time worst place I have every stayed was in Morgan City LA back in about 1974. It was $15 a week, there were three cots in each room which you were expected to share with two total strangers. The room had two windows, one of which had a screen, the other one had "most" of it's glass. There was no tv, no fan, and the bathroom was shared by everyone on the floor, so naturally there was no TP. lol. Hey, hard times keeps us humble, right?
I would love to hear the "worst" place that LTM has stayed, and I guess we can say that "borrowing" the soup kitchen's wifi to run his mouth on TER counts as being "hobby related" lol
I think the W is for the WORST hotel.
Yes, W Hotel in Barcelona, have bar, restaurante, club... but you put 1 foot in the looby and the neandertal of the security guy treat you as a cheap hooker. Escort or not, if he see a lady in the looby come over you as a hungry animal. Asking on bad mood what the hell are you doing there.
Not nice for a hotel where you spend 1000€ per night in a suite where you listen the music of the club. AVOID.
Labor is cheap so they have security goons posted by elevators and other places where they can see who is coming and going. An unaccompanied woman is usually challenged and asked to show proof she's a guest. And even if she shows a room key they ask for the room number, name, etc. IME, it works better to meet the lady in the lobby (or outside) and escort her up. That doesn't work for everyone, or in all situations, and sometimes you might need to slip some local currency to the security employee(s). IIRC, there are websites with info on which hotels are hobby friendly and which are not. Can't recall URLs at the moment so maybe others can fill in the blanks.
this hotel have a club inside the building https://www.eclipse-barcelona.com/
+ bar
+ restaurante
If you will take the elevator to go to some room is normal to security ask after midnight in other hotels, not this one and is not normal to go over the people when you across the front door. You can be waiting for someone.
Don't justify the bad education and verbal violence. He was unnecessary rude. This is Europe: Not Fosta. Not FBI.
I used to love hotel Costes (Paris) when I was younger. It was hip, lively, very fashionable and just a fun place to stay and hang out and it had a great nightlife scene and fantastic food. These days it’s tired and past it’s best (or maybe I’m just older and want something different?)
I’m very very fortunate to stay at the hotel de crillon these days when I visit Paris - but admittedly, only due to it being on the corporate tab. It’s just so opulent and decadent and cannot be bested for location....
I don’t have a favourite in London anymore there are several good hotels to choose from. There were 2 I adored in Chicago but it’s been a while and I can’t remember their names anymore....
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Well pretty close to one of the best I've had fun at ... Grand Hyatt in Atlanta GA (Buckhead)
The room I had originally booked was pretty nice but I got upgraded for no reason complimentary to one of their better suites for my stay (I wasn't even a high level Hyatt member at the time).
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Worst lol ... some no-tell inn back in 2011 up in Harrisburg PA **shudders**.
Did 1 night there and ran to a Comfort Inn the next 2 days which wasn't much better lol.
-- Modified on 11/3/2019 8:38:27 PM
There was no comfort at the Comfort Inn? Lol
I haven't stayed in one of those in maybe 4 yrs either.
The Hotel Imperial in Vienna (tho this was 40 years ago) was the best hotel I have even hobbied in. Hugh rooms magnificent furnishings with Personal attendants available all night, wonderful breakfast knowledgable concierges.
Hitler and Goering used to take over that Hotel when either one was in Vienna.
The worst : who can remember them all.
the only thing wrong with it is the fucking Austrians.
This is a paraphrase quoting an Austrian from a book written by a traveler who was in Austria and was warned by said Austrian to leave a certain pub he was in because he picked up a conversation from a nearby table that the inhabitants of that table were planning to force the author to eat "doo-doo" on account of the fact that, apparently, he was an American.
Thanks for the tip Doc. If in Vienna I will only stay at the Imperial assuming that doo-doo is not on the menu.
but back then I had no such issues with the locals. Of course over the course of 4 decades a LOT of things can change.
Not to excuse the Austrians in question, but I have seen a lot of "Ugly Americans" in my life who deserved to be force fed a sizeable helping of Scheiße. Personally I prefer the schnitzel mit bier
The lady supercedes the hotel, always.