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If it weren’t for Bruce and his team at Hawaii Travel, I’d never have been hooked up with the great people at the Sheraton. The hotel itself was excellent, but the view from my room was just amazing. What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to? And, of course, where would you most like to visit if money and time were no object?

I had more fun in Hawaii during this trip than I have in quite awhile. The people I connected with were genuine and fun people, very friendly and caring. Even when we were technically “working”, we still had a great time and much laughter amongst the entire group.

I have to also thank my friend Traci for putting me in touch with Bruce, and everyone I met while in Hawaii. She helped me solidify new connections and friendships, that I know I will take with me into the future.

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Informal though these may be, I thought it was important to share my thoughts not long after staying at two separate hotels in Frankfurt, Germany.

First, the Frankfurt Westin (formerly the Arabella Sheraton):

• Our Bathtub had mold spot in it (Ponzi says it was rather large, but she’s a total mold freak).
• The shower was inside the bathtub, but there wasn’t a full shower door or curtain – only a glass partition that covered half of the tub’s length (which caused water to spray onto the bathroom floor). It was poor engineering, further exacerbated with the shower being a handheld nozzle.
• The toilet was good, but its “button” wasn’t foolproof.
• The Internet connection was ample, but definitely dogged in the evening hours when more people were online. Moreover, we couldn’t switch to a second computer as we were not given some kind of username / password.
• The laundry service messed up and requested that Ponzi help go through a few packages in question to verify that we were not given someone else’s clothes. She was mortified, apparently.
• The thermostat had one temperature: cool.
• The breakfast bar was pretty extensive, although some of the hot plates needed to be refreshed more frequently.
• The bed was overly stiff, and the pillows were without substance.
• The television had few native English channels, but this is par for the course in a foreign country. Moreover, the television cabinet doors did not fully collapse so that BOTH sides of the bed could view the screen without occlusion.
• The view was of a back alleyway – nothing to write home about.
• We had to call room service one evening after being gone most of the afternoon (so that they could make up our room).
• The Location was quite convenient for shopping and walks to museums.
• It was a large-ish room with ample space.

Second, the Frankfurt Hilton:

• There’s a general snack bar open during common meal / after hours on the 11th floor, which proved to be quite convenient on our way in or out of the hotel.
• Internet access was phenomenal. Took me no time at all to upload videos to YouTube. It was also seamless to switch between my computer and Ponzi’s when necessary (as they give you access to WiFi so long as you pay for a wired connection).
• Toilet and shower controls were very well engineered – and I never thought I’d ever bother to point that out.
• The view was amazing from our room.
• Every day, the housekeeper seemed to give us something new – including a nice little tin with dark chocolate coins from around the world. Nice touch.
• Room service wasn’t bad, but we had to laugh when they brought us fried mozzarella sticks when we ordered dim sum from the menu.
• It’s close to shopping and food markets.
• The bed was overly firm, and the pillows were undersized.

I’d definitely choose the Hilton over the Westin in Frankfurt.

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