Entries Tagged as 'hyatt'

Last Dispatch From the Seattle Area

April 6th, 2011 · No Comments

Just a few last tidbits from my trip out to the Seattle area for the Nintendo 3DS Summit.

Nintendo put us up in the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. The rooms were really pretty.

And about double the size of the last New York hotel room I stayed in where the desk was at the end of the bed so close they were almost touching. And the TV was practically on the ceiling, above the desk!!! These rooms in Bellevue were nice and spacious.

I had a handicap-accessible hotel room. The stand-up shower was so huge! Also, how cute that they left some toothpaste out for me. I’ve had to practically beg toothpaste off other hotels.

Even cuter than that? Look at this note housekeeping left for me!

What? I was in Seattle! And I’ve been to the San Juan Islands! This was delicious.

While I was getting ready I had the TV on the local news channel and I kept hearing my name. Turns out one of their local reporter’s name is Rachelle Murcia. I feel kind of bad about this photo. So awkward. Rachelle Murcia really is pretty lady!

On the night that everyone flew into Seattle, Nintendo hosted a reception for us at the Twisted Cork, our hotel bar.

There was ahi and kobe sliders and pulled pork and hours of passed appetizers. Open bar, although I only had 2 glasses of wine.

This DJ was kind of odd. He was playing house music all night and no one was dancing. Then he’d throw on something random like Footloose and everyone would crowd the dance floor. And then after one song he’d go back to his stupid house music and everyone would leave. He really was not reading or catering to his audience.

Later in the night? Cake pops! Along with a nice selection of other desserts.

In the Seattle airport, ridiculous Twilight series coffee by The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. Some of these sounded good, but I couldn’t bring myself to buy it.

Finally, one of my favorite souvenirs: Old-school Nintendo coffee mug for the office.

Disclosure: This was all part of the Nintendo 3DS Summit weekend. For this trip, Nintendo provided the airfare, accommodations, meals, a Nintendo World gift certificate, and Nintendo 3DS. I was not paid, or even asked, to write this post.

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One Good Parfait

March 14th, 2008 · No Comments

Yogurt Parfait
Yogurt Parfait at the Hyatt, Austin, TX

Each day for breakfast I got a yogurt parfait from Perks, the coffee shop in the Hyatt in Austin, and it was bleh. Ok, but not great. Then one day I ordered this yogurt parfait from the hotel restaurant and it was fabulous. And so pretty to photograph.

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Walking Around Austin

March 12th, 2008 · 1 Comment


Manhole, Austin, TX


View of the Hyatt from the Congress Avenue Bridge, Austin, TX


1st Street Bridge, Austin, TX


View of Austin from the 1st Street Bridge, Austin, TX


Fishermen, Austin, TX

I hadn’t planned ahead on Saturday and realized that I had my entire laptop backpack without a smaller bag to carry and that it would be a major pain later in the day when we went to dinner and to parties. After lunch at Las Manitas, I walked back to the Hyatt to drop my bag off. It was a gorgeous day, so I wasn’t in a super huge rush. I stopped and took a few photos along the way.

Btw, I don’t know what the fishermen were trying to catch on the river… er.. lake, but look at these crazy big carp that were caught there last year.

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Arriving in Austin

March 11th, 2008 · 4 Comments

Austin Hyatt Regency
Austin Hyatt Regency, Austin, TX

1st Street Bridge Grafitti
1st Street Bridge, Austin, TX

The Library - Austin
The Library, Austin, TX

Friends - Austin - Lone Star
Friends, Austin, TX

Ahhh, so where to begin? On Friday night we arrived in the Lone Star state. Justin and I were staying in at the Hyatt and John and Matt were staying at another hotel right by the convention center. I checked into the Hyatt*, which is actually across the river and about a 20 minute walk from the convention center, and when Justin got in we met Matt & John to pick up our SXSW registration. While walking across the bridge to the downtown area and seeing the graffiti, we realized that our hotel was actually in East Austin. Jake and his fiance Natalie were also in town so they met up with us too.

After getting our SXSW badges, we went for drinks. We weren’t sure where to go and just wandered into a bar called The Library where they were having a “$2 – You Call It” special. Not to shabby.

After a couple drinks we headed over to Habana for some Cuban dinner. I had the Lechon Asado (Roast Pork) that was overnight and slow roasted. One of the main reasons for John and I ordering this dish was because on the menu it had 5 exclamation points after saying it was incredible and a best seller. I’m glad I did order it, though. Also, we started a trend for the trip where we realized that some of the menu items were NSFW. Like.. banana cups? and gigante breast? I don’t know, but it was a trend through the week.

After dinner we wandered down 6th Street to Friends bar where there was a live band playing. We had a couple more beers and then called it a night.

I hadn’t been to Austin for about 4 years – the last time I was at SXSW – and some things were the same but there were some things that I noticed had changed. There’s a lot of construction and areas that were empty back then were now filled with hotels and stores and residences. Austin is definitely growing. In fact, I just looked on Wikipedia and it says Austin is the “3rd fastest growing large city in the nation.”

* I would like to mention that the Hyatt was a lovely hotel with magical glass elevators where you could see all the way down to the lobby from the 14th floor. When I checked in they gave me a complimentary glass of champagne and were generous with the supplies when Justin and realized we’d forgotten toothbrushes and toothpaste and shaving cream (not me) and deodorant (again, not me). They could have a better coffee shop, though.

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Around Kaua’i's South Shore

July 20th, 2005 · 3 Comments


Kathy :: Grand Hyatt, Poipu, Kaua’i


Koloa Town, Kaua’i


Koloa Town, Kaua’i


Koloa Town, Kaua’i


Rachelle, Koloa, Kaua’i


I thought the gas would be more expensive. These are only a few cents higher than Chicago prices. Kalaheo, Kaua’i


Kalaheo, Kaua’i


The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger :: Gillin’s Beach, Kaua’i


Gillin’s Beach, Kaua’i


Kite Surfing :: Gillin’s Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Dallas Bodysurfing :: Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i.


Dallas Bodysurfing :: Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i.


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Shipwreck Beach, Kaua’i


Hawaiian Treat: Unripe mango .. dip it in the shoyu/sugar sauce.


Brick Oven Pizza, Kalaheo, Kaua’i


Brick Oven Pizza, Kalaheo, Kaua’i


Brick Oven Pizza, Kalaheo, Kaua’i


Brick Oven Pizza


Brick Oven Pizza

The next morning we were back at the Hyatt for our favorite brunch buffet. Except this year they seemed to have slimmed it down. What happened to the meat shaving station? And the tiers of dessert? And the sushi bar? It was still a good brunch but we couldn’t help missing what was there last year.

Afterwards we ran some errands in Koloa Town. Stopped at some stores, stopped by the post office. In the afternoon we went back to Gillin’s Beach. And then spent some time at Shipwreck Beach.

For an afternoon snack we had a local treat. You mix some shoyu (soy sauce) with sugar and a little vinegar, if you have it, then you dip green, unripe mango in it. The mango is bitter and the shoyu mixture is kind of salty/sweat. Not bad, but I think it’s an acquired taste. Then for dinner we had pizza from Brick Oven Pizza in Kalaheo. Everyone had been talking about how good it is and how it was the best on the island so I had to try it. Really good. I liked how the crust was made with either homemade white or wheat dough and was fluted and brushed with garlic butter. YUM.

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