Dec 28 2014

Best Bagels 百吉饼


40 Middle Neck Road
Great Neck, NY 11020

Bagel, has to be one of New York’s institutions. And this one is really good, one of the best bagel shops in New York – the other one is on UWS on Broadway in the City – had it closed?

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Dec 12 2014

New Tung Yi Fung Seafood

135-29 37th Street (off Main)
Flushing, NY 11355

Basic, ok food, ok service.
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Dec 9 2014

Renaissance @ Philadelphia airport

Yahoooo, I drove to Philly myself, without getting lost. Talking about challenge. Going through the city under a heavy downpour. It’s been raining like cat and dog for the past few days in New York. The sky looked brighter once in New Jersey.
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Renaissance @ Philadelphia airport is an above average airport hotel. The lobby is welcoming and warm. Hotel’s reply on TripAdvisor
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The service is pretty good. The shower pressure is decent. Their toiletries are Aveda (sorry, no La Mer), includes mouth rinse and Q-tips. The Concierge Lounge on the top floor, 12th however, serves alcohols but not free, odd. One look at the wine on the table, don’t know how long have they been opened, not very appetizing. The rest of stuffs, coffee, tea, fruits and hors d’oeuvre are free.

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The swimming pool is small (stating a fact, not a complain … although I do wish it’d longer .. never hurt to dream. Over the years, I did stay at some hotels that have excellent lap pools.)
Talking about pool. I called the hotel prior to arrival and was told it opens 9-9. At check in, I casually mentioned that 9am is too late because most people would have started their day by then. Patrick the front desk gentleman said that there are rooms surnamed the pool and the guests would not like to hear the kids screaming, that early. He then went on to say, “we’d open it for you.”
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I took it seriously and went to swim (more of walk. The pool is a bathtub size!) at 7:30 on Thursday. There was another woman – which means they do it for others. The lock at the pool doesn’t work well – I’ve never opened it on my own. On the pool desk, the hotel uses left hand area for dirty dishes – are they out of their mind? Or maybe no one uses the pool.

Anyway, Friday (12/12) morning I went down to ‘walk’. Couldn’t open the door as usual and first asked a man who stood by the front desk. He told me to ask someone else. I went back to the pool and there was one in sight. I went to the front desk again, asking the short Asian woman who squirmed her eyes excessively, please to open the door. Her reply?

“Oh, we open 10-10.” Ms. Blinking told me.

“Really? Why was I told it’s 9 to 9?”

“No, it’s 10 to 10.” Ms. Blinking insisted.

“May I speak with your supervisor?” I allotted 20 minutes and really didn’t have time to waste.

“My supervisor isn’t available.”

Am I the only one who feels the same race often trying to inconvenient each other?

“You open the door now.” I ordered. A white woman who was there from the start stepped in and asked what’s the problem. Problem? Open the door. They did open it but I didn’t have much time to enjoy it.

Gosh, sometimes I wish people could just be bit more accommodating. A relative pleasant stay was ruined by one incident by a race of my own.

Btw, what time does the pool open? My room key failed to work the entire Friday since 7am, although I was granted the late 2pm check out the day before. Sucks.

March 2015 stay; on TripAdvisor