Kat's 9 Lives

The best thing about the DoubleTree Hotels are the free cookies!!!! They are best when they are nice and warm, but that is not always the case.  There is no resort fee charge as that is very important these days since most Las Vegas hotels have a hefty fee.  Let's all be honest, who spends time in their hotels and let alone enjoy the amenities?!  It's Las Vegas and it only makes sense to live it up!
Of course you will need a car in order to stay at the DoubleTree as it is a little ways off The Strip.  Once you are off the freeway, the hotel is very close and easy to get back on the 15.  The parking lot is never too crazy busy and a simple lot.
The rooms are comfy and the beds are solid.  I always steal a pillow or two from my bunk mate as I love sleeping on a pillow fortress.
Make sure that you sign up for their rewards points if you travel a lot as it never hurts.  Not sure if it is because of the Hilton Honors status, but we normally get room upgrades and free bottles of water.  Here they are very generous with their waters and often give extra bottles.
If you check in too late to your room, which we often do... they may run out of cookies! =*( One time they only had 3 cookies left and I had to work it to get those 3 cookies! lol  Ironically, someone else checked in later than we did.  I proudly ate my cookies! O=D
 There is your Coffee Bean single serve machine for those who like a cup of Joe in the morning.
 The amenities are from Crabtree & Evelyn, which are only so-so.  At least they smell nice.  As usual, a table for people to work on and use for their laptop if they would like and a TV for entertainment.
The bathroom is small but there is some leg room.  Plenty of space for personal items if you want to lay them out on the counter.  Simple shower area and so-so water pressure.  Nothing too special about the shower/bathtub.
All in all I love staying at the DoubleTree purely for the yummy cookies! So they better keep offering me those tasty treats to tempt me to stay.  It's a decent hotel and the location is not too much out of the way, but like I said earlier... you must have a car to stay here to get around.
DoubleTree By Hilton
7250 Pollock Dr, 
Las Vegas, NV, 89119
(702) 948-4000

Who doesn't love a summer trip to France?  Well, this year there was some weather issues.  Sure, it was gorgeous outside with the sun beating down but don't forget the heat that comes with the intense sunlight.
After a long flight from the US to Lyon, France, we headed straight for the closest public transportation.  Always plan where you are flying into and how you would get to your hotel.  One must choose the hotel carefully as it will be the primary location for you to travel in and out every day.  Don't forget that you will have to depart from this hotel to your next destination.
Ms. Lin Guide and I are very good at planning.  Of course she taught me a lot from her experienced travels.  To get from the airport to Lyon you can take the Rhonexpress, Rue de la Villette Station.  After we arrived, we dragged our luggage across the tracks through the Gare Part-Dieu where newly arrived tourists can see the beautiful ONLY LYON sign.
I thought the sign was very creative.  It almost seems like a palindrome but I like the idea of using their own name to represent their city.  With the beautiful sunset hitting the lion is an eye catcher.  Tons of people resting and sitting around the sign brings out the liveliness of the city.
Across from the station is a large shopping center for most of your shopping needs.  They have a Monoprix and Carrefour for groceries.  The first thing we did is went in to pick up a nice bottle of Oragina.
From the station we could see our hotel, the Radisson Blu Hotel that peaks out above all buildings.  Even though we could see our hotel, we had to figure out how to get to it.
First we thought we could walk through the shopping center as it is a huge mall, but alas there was no direct way out.  So don't make the mistake to cross through the shopping center.  It sent us on a huge loop that we could not really get out of.
Even though we were walking towards a towering Radisson, it was not as simple as one would think.  The hotel is elevated and has a unique entrance way.  You can enter from the bottom and take the elevator up to the 32nd floor to check in.  Little did we know that the simplest way was the most direct way.  On the last day when we left we just walked under the tunnel to get to the train station.  It was pretty simple and quick, especially in the early morning.
The inside of the Radisson was very interesting.  As we were checking in, I sat down at the nearby couch and looked up to check out the entire hotel.  I think the inside looks like a beehive, as if we are all living in our own honeycomb.
There's only two elevators to take guests to their room and floor.  The other two elevators take guests to the ground floor where you can grab a taxi or have them call you one and across the street was the Part-Dieu Servient Tramway stop that is convenient to travel around the city.
As many people know that space in Europe is limited so the hotel rooms are always smaller than what we are use to in most of the US.  We got two beds but as you can see they are set next to each other so there is not much space in the room.  On top of the bed was one pair of slippers for guests to use.  Most king sized beds in Europe are two small beds pushed together as well.  I always keep an eye out because there is a chance that the two beds begin to separate and you will fall through the cracks if you are not careful.  =D
They have a small mini bar station next to the bathroom.  The room was clean and had your usual table/desk plus TV.
Being that the Radisson is so high up, you get a very good view of the city from the window as well.
Their bathroom was very clean and offered a nice blue hue. They offer a robe for guests to use in the room.  There is a wall hair dryer as well.
All in all the hotel was clean.  Their location is convenient to come in and out of the city.  The tram right outside the lower level is convenient too to get in and out of the city.  We were barely in the room.  Most of the time when we were out traveling so it doesn't matter where we slept as long as it was clean and convenient.  The Radisson Blu Hotel would be a good place to stay if you were only staying a few nights.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Lyon
129, Rue Servient
F-69326 Cedex
Lyon France
Tel: +33 (0) 4 78 63 5500
Fax: +33 (0) 4 78 63 5520

Having lived almost all life in Orange County, everyone knows about the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point as a fine hotel establishment with a gorgeous view.  I myself have never been to their infamous Sunday brunch.
It was very nice of them to inform me of the newly added enoSTEAK restaurant and invite me to come down to try it out myself.  If you ever head down to the Ritz-Carlton, be sure to arrive early when there is sunlight out so that you may check out their gorgeous beach as well as take some beautiful photos before dinner!
I have always enjoyed the elegant decor and fresh flowers that are displayed throughout the hotel.  Valet parking is offered for the guests.
enoSTEAK has both a dining area or a large bar area for guests to converse over some great drinks and delicious appetizers.  Ms. Lin and I had dinner inside the main dining area where they have a great collection of wines displayed in the center of the room.
They have many cozy booths for couples or groups that want a more intimate feeling or they have tables in the center that are great for parties or business dinners.  It's a refined environment with very friendly service.
Ms. Lin and I started the night with a glass of Dom Pérignon and one of their Raya inspired drinks, the Yuzu Fresa.  They have a great list of cocktails to try.  The Yuzu Fresa was light and a great way to start of the meal.  If there are any wines that you love, please be sure to inquire with the server as they have a huge wine collection that may not be listed.
I was happy to see that they offered an Asparagus & Gioia Cheese Burrata Mozzarella with Chardonnay smoked salt and lemon basil vinaigrette to start.
It's very hard to find fresh burrata at times and I simply adore the taste.  Everything was very light on the plate and a great way to lead into a nice juicy steak!
A definite must have is the Smoked & Cured Meat and Cowgirl Creamery Cheese Board with dried fruits, nuts, cornichons, radishes, and crostini.  They have a great selection for the charcuterie, which included duck prosciutto.  I would love a full board of just that and the cheeses selected are as always very tasty.  Cowgirl Creamery always has great cheeses and come from the Bay Area.
All the steaks offered are either grain or grass fed from Niman Ranch.  They cut the meats in house and the butcher on site has been with the Ritz-Carlton for over 15 years.
My favorite cut was the Grilled Prime Rib Eye Steak, 14 oz.  The flavor was fabulous and the cut just melted in my mouth.  Definitely one of the best steaks I have had in Orange County and worth a trip! The rib eye was perfectly marbleized and tender.
With the steaks you can choose a Signature Compound Butter to add an extra kick to the steak.  You can choose from Black Summer Truffle, Roasted Heirloom Tomato, Gardens Herb & Garlic, 30i (meaning 30 ingredients) enoSTEAK Butter, and Tarragon Bearnaise Sauce.
Our server was super friendly and sweet as we couldn't make up our mind on which butters to use.  She offered that we could get two different kinds of butter if we would like.  I thought the steaks were very flavorful by themselves and it was fun to try the different flavors mixed in with the nicely prepared steak.  As always, truffle butter is a must for me!
Ms. Lin decided to try something different from me and ordered the Grilled Prime Bone in New York Steak, 16 oz.  This was a nice cut as well but not quite as tender as the rib eye steak.  The definite winner of the night was the rib eye, but for those who don't quite like their steak as fatty would definitely enjoy the leaner New York cut.  Regardless, everything was prepared and seasoned nicely accompanied with different butters to add another level to the flavor.
The steaks do not come with any sides so be sure to order some Enhancements to enjoy with the steak.  There were so many great choices that Ms. Lin and I were tempted to get every single one of them! We decided to try the Petit Basque Cheese & Chive Sour Cream Yukon Gold Potatoes, Smoked Almond & Duck Fat sautéed Five Grain Rice, Fiscalini & Summer Truffle Mac & Cheese, and the French Beans with Apple Smoked Bacon & Toasted Walnuts & Tomato Fondue.  All the choices sounded so delectable!
The tomato fondue was not quite what we thought it would be because there really was no fondue.  Instead it was nicely sautéed French beans.  As many people know, I am not an avid vegetable fan so I kind of wish we got the wild mushrooms or truffle fries.  The mashed potatoes were very creamy and went perfectly with the steaks.  We also loved the truffle mac and cheese.  I always love a crisp texture on top mixed in with the cheesy goodness.
For dessert they offered a Butterscotch Banana Pudding or a Nectarine & Blueberry Fried Pies served with Lemon Custard Ice Cream.  I really enjoyed the layered pudding.  There's a layer of butterscotch pudding, cookies, banana pudding, and chocolate on the bottom.  Be sure to dig that spoon in so that you can get a taste of all the layers together.  It's a great twist to a classic.
As for the fruit pies, they were good but not for me as I don't really like cooked fruits or even fresh fruits.  O=) They were freshly fried empanada-like treats, but much softer and lighter in texture.  This dessert is definitely lighter and would be good for those who are getting close to being full or are full.
We finished off the night a with a nice cup of Cappuccino.  I enjoyed how they served it with a tiny cube of white and brown sugar along with a nice biscotti topped of with a piece of chocolate, which was a nice tasty treat.
All in all I really enjoyed the rib eye and thought it was actually quite wonderful.  The Ritz-Carlton is always a great place to visit and enjoy the fabulous view.

enoSTEAK
1 Ritz-Carlton Dr
Dana Point, CA 92629
(949) 240-2000

So why am I all the way out in Rancho Cucamonga at the Aloft?  Well, Gourmet Pigs invited me to be her plus one to the PR event for Ra Pour.  I arrived early and hung out in the lobby area.  They have a circular check-in station.  When we were checking in they took a while before they figured out what rooms.  What annoyed me was that they weren't sure which room was for which key.  It made me question their staff since it was just two key cards.  They also didn't have the key cards ready for us to take, so when we leave our rooms we really don't have a way to get back in the room until they are finished preparing the key cards.  Hmmm.... what kind of hotel is this?
Even though Aloft belongs to the Starwood Group and has the W Hotel name outside, big let down.  From the outside it only looked okay and the lobby actually had a modern feel to it, but the service was definitely not up to par and the rooms... I didn't take a picture of the popcorn ceiling but later did talk to others who were staying at the hotel too that the ceiling looked very iffy.  They tried to use paint to cover up the old structure of the hotel. 
I was not too concerned about this because what really bothered me was the room's smell.  The hallway didn't smell but once you entered the room, the enclosed space really brought out the smell.  Maybe I have a heightened sense of smell, but I wouldn't like my clothing or my body to carry this smell all day. 
The beds were fine and the room was clean.  It was interesting that they have a frosted glass connecting the shower area to the bedroom.  I don't know if I would really want my companion to see that while I shower nor would I want to see her, but I guess if you were there as a couple then it would be okay?  Hmm....  I did like that they did have Bliss as their bath products like all W Hotels have, but they had them in those containers where you must pump the product out.  My hand got a little tired pushing the button to get the shampoo and shower gel.  The showers water pressure was not very strong.
All in all I wasn't too impressed with this hotel nor would I recommend it.  The good thing was that it was free and it was only for a night.  I am still glad I got to spend some time with Gourmet Pigs to catch up and for inviting me to join her.  =D


Aloft Hotel
10480 4th Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 484-2018