Hotel and Inn Review: Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/US Capitol (U.S.A.)

Date of Stay: June 30-July 4, 2017

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: *******

Rooms: ********

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: *******

Room Comfort: ********

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: ******

Value for Money: *******

Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/US Capitol 

The non-smoking, 13-storey Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/US Capitol offers 204 extremely clean, good sized rooms furnished with private bath, 32-inch flat-screen, high-definition LCD cable TV (not enough channels though), a Herman Miller ergonomic chair, in-house safe, blackout curtains, a modern work desk with lots of outlets, sitting area, microwave oven, mini-fridge and coffeemaker (with K cups).

Hotel Lobby

The adjustable bed features the cutting-edge Garden Sleep System, bedding of 100% New Zealand virgin wool, a mattress that adjusts to the contours of your body, and a dial that can adjust the firmness of your mattress to suit your sleeping style. 

The room also has complimentary high speed Internet access-both wired and wireless. You have to use your room card key for elevator access to your room.

Room 1113

Its on-site Garden Grille & Bar restaurant serves breakfast (6:30-11 AM, omelettes, pancakes, French toast, etc.), a la carte lunch and dinner, and room service (there is an added 20% fee along with a US$2.50 delivery charge). How I wish that they offered complimentary breakfast.  The hotel is located next to a Harris Teeters convenience store (for grocery, beer wine, hot food), across from a CVS Drugstore, as well a Starbucks and Pot Belly Restaurant. Outside the hotel, there were always homeless people asking for money. 

Garden Grille & Bar

It also has a 24-hour Front Desk (the staff here were friendly and helpful), a heated indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, 24-hour convenience store (Pavilion Pantry Market) and business center (providing complimentary fax, photocopy, color laser printing, high-speed internet access, and various office supplies). 

The fitness room has 2 ellipticals, 2 treadmills, 1 bike, a weight machine, full set of dumb bells (5-50 lbs.), weight benches, and mats  (you can also borrow a Stay Fit Kit from the hotel for an in-room workout). 

View from room

Business Center

They also offer valet parking (US$38/day), luggage storage, daily maid service, bell service, self service laundry (one washer and two dryers), dry cleaning and in-house bike rentals (to make it easy for guests to tour the Capitol on two wheels). 

The Hilton Garden Inn is off Highway 50, one block from the New York Ave/Florida Ave/Gallaudet University red line metro station. Several restaurants and nightclubs are within walking distance.

Front Desk

Elevator lobby

The White House, National Mall and Memorial Parks, and Smithsonian Institute are a bit o a walk from the hotel. Arlington National Cemetery is seven miles away and the National Zoo is four miles away. 

It's also one mile to Union Station (the transportation hub of Washington, DC and home to Amtrak). Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a seven-mile drive.

Cheska and Jandy at hotel entrance

Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/U.S. Capitol:1225 First St. Northeast Washington, D.C. 20002, U.S.A. Tel: +1 202-408-4870

Hotel and Inn Review: Hyatt Place Baltimore Inner Harbor (Baltimore, USA)

Date of Stay: June 28-30, 2017

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ********

Rooms: ********

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: ********

Room Comfort: ********

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: ******

Value for Money: *******

Hyatt Place Baltimore Inner Harbor

The  8-storey, affordable, comfortable and relatively new (just opened last December 2014) Hyatt Place Baltimore/Inner Harbor, located in trendy Harbor East, near the gentrified neighborhoods of Fells Point and Little Italy, is an ideal and refreshing blend of style and innovation in the touristy Baltimore Inner Harbor neighborhood.

This place is alive with cultural attractions, popular shopping destinations (such as The Gallery and the world Famous Lexington Market), amazing local restaurants and family-friendly attractions like the Baltimore Civil War Museum (300 m.),National Aquarium (900 m.), Historic Ships in Baltimore (1 km.), Maryland Science Center (1.9 kms.) and  Walters Art Museum (2 kms.).

Front Desk

The spacious, modern and clean guestroom  we stayed in (Room 505), one of 208 smoke-free rooms, featured two plush and comfortable Hyatt Grand double beds, a 42" HD flat screen cable TV, a cozy corner with sofa or sofa-sleeper, state-of-the-art media and work center, mini fridge, MP3 docking station, coffee/tea maker, iron/ironing board and in-room safe.

Room 505

The well laid out and beautifully tiled private bathroom  with vanity with granite countertop plus hair dryer and complimentary amenities.  However, the sliding door doesn’t have a lock. Water pressure in the shower was wonderful. We got connected with free Wi-Fi (also available throughout the hotel) and remote printing. The view from our room, from double paned, floor to ceiling windows with blackout blinds, was wonderful. Continental breakfast was included with the room.

The hotel's Free Gallery Kitchen Breakfast features daily, customizable breakfast (waffles, bacon, scrambled and hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal, French toast, Nutella, almond milk, baked potatoes, sausages, bagels, bread, fresh fruit, etc.) with a selection of specialty beverages made with Starbucks espresso roast. At all times, there were several employees tending to the food area and tables.

Free Gallery Kitchen Breakfast

The 24/7 Gallery Market offers freshly packaged grab n’ go items.  You can order a hot, made-to-order appetizer or sandwich from their 24/7 Gallery Menu or enjoy a refreshing beverage from their Coffee to Cocktails Bar (open till midnight). You can work up a sweat at the 24-hour StayFit Gym which features Life Fitness® cardio equipment and free weights.

Coffee to Cocktails Bar

Business Center

The hotel also has than 2,200 sq. ft. of flexible meeting, wedding and event space with state-of-the-art audio /visual equipment; 24-hour Front Desk; 24-hour business center plus a small indoor swimming pool. 

Connecting/adjoining rooms are available. They also offer daily maid service, valet parking (surcharge), dry cleaning, laundry and luggage storage. Restaurants (Dinosaur BBQ, etc.) were around the corner and a convenience store (Whole Foods) was nearby. Everything in the hotel was terrific.  

Elevator Lobby

Restaurants (Dinosaur BBQ, etc.) were around the corner and a convenience store (Whole Foods) was nearby. Everything in the hotel was terrific.  The location was great, check in/ out was very quick and the staff was professional, very friendly and accommodating.  Truly, one of Baltimore's hidden gem hotels. 

Jandy, Kyle and Cheska

Hyatt Place Baltimore/Inner Harbor: 511 South Central Ave., Little Italy, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, U.S.A.  Tel: +1 410-558-1840. Fax: +1 410 929 7885. Website: www.baltimoreinnerharbor.place.hyatt.com.

The “Witness: Reality and Imagination in the Prints of Francisco Goya” Exhibit (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

 

The “Witness: Reality and Imagination in the Prints of Francisco Goya” Exhibit, opened last April 22, 2017 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, presents visions of Spanish life from Francisco Goya, one of the greatest graphic artists of all time who, as court painter to four successive rulers of Spain, witnessed decades of political turmoil and social upheaval.  The show runs until September 6, 2017.

 

The “Witness: Reality and Imagination in the Prints of Francisco Goya” Exhibit

Unlike Goya’s commissioned paintings, his graphic works allowed him the freedom to explore a broad variety of themes such as the chaos of war to the spectacle of the bullfight as well as provocative subjects deemed unsuitable for his commissioned paintings such as superstition, prostitution, anticlerical satire, witchcraft, and political corruption. 

Among his greatest achievements were four series of etchings that chronicle the transformation of Spanish society and his own personal visions. Due to their eventual popularity and widespread impact, all four were published numerous times after his death and the museum is owns complete first-edition sets of each etching series as well as the Bulls of Bordeaux, his final suite of lithographs, selections of which are displayed in the exhibition.

 

Los Caprichos (The Caprices, 1799), Goya’s first major print series, critiques Spanish society by satirizing human folly and exposing institutional corruption.  The strikingly modern Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War, 1810-1820) depicts the Napoleonic invasion and occupation of Spain (1808–14) and the repressive rule that followed the French defeat. 

La Tauromaquia (Bullfighting, 1816), capturing Goya’s passion for the art of bullfighting, recounts the history of bullfighting, from ancient Spaniards hunting wild bulls to professional matadors in the bullring. The prints also expose the brutality of this quintessentially Spanish sport, controversial even during the artist’s lifetime.

 

The surreal fantasies and unsettling scenes of the grotesque in the series Los Disparates (The Follies, ca. 1815-1823) offer a glimpse into Goya’s imagination. Here, Goya displays his interest in technical innovation, combining etched lines and gradations of aquatint tone to create surreal compositions that continue to fascinate viewers and scholars. Goya’s intentions for producing the series and the meaning of the dreamlike scenes remain a mystery. 

Goya was among the first to exploit the spontaneity and painterly qualities of lithography to full effect and, in series Bulls of Bordeaux, a magnificent suite of four grand lithographs produced in 1825, near the end of his life, Goya masterfully brings together technique and subject matter to capture the drama of the bullring.

 

This exhibition highlights prints from each of these series which show Goya’s remarkable ability to move between documentary realism and expressive invention.  Exploring the imagery and techniques that make Goya one of the greatest graphic artists of all time, it also highlights how Goya pushed the limits of printmaking to heighten the expressive effect of his subjects. 

Curators are Danielle Canter (The Margaret R. Mainwaring Curatorial Fellow in the Prints, Drawings, and Photographs department at the Philadelphia Museum of Art) and Shelley Langdale (Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings). 

Witness: Reality and Imagination in the Prints of Francisco Goya: Korman Galleries (120-123), Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130. Tel: 215-763-8100. Website: www.philamuseum.org. Open Tuesdays- Sundays, 10 AM – 5 PM, Wednesday and Friday evenings until 8:45 PM. Admission: US$20 (adult), US$18 (seniors), US$14 (students with ID and youth 13 to 18). Children below 12 years old enter for free. Discounted tickets are available online. Tickets are valid for two consecutive days and include admission to the Rodin Museum.

The “Wild: Michael Nichols” Exhibit (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

The "Wild: Michael Nichols" Exhibit

The “Wild: Michael Nichols” Exhibit, opened last June 27, 2017 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, explores the work of legendary wildlife photographer, artist and technical innovator Michael “Nick” Nichols, an ardent and zealous advocate of natural habitat and species preservation. The show runs until September 17, 2017.

 

3,200 year old Sequoia Tree in a Blizzard

Before we entered the galleries, we gaped at two 60-foot wall hangings, at the Grand Stair Hall, a 3,200 year old sequoia tree in a blizzard and a 1,500 year old redwood tree being climbed by members of Nichols' crew. The latter image is the result of 84 separate images that created a composite that became a five-page fold out in an issue of National Geographic.

 

1,500 Year Old Coastal Redwood, California (2009)

For more than three decades, Nichols, a renowned, award-winning photographer for National Geographic (he became a staff photographer in 1996 and editor at large for photography in 2008), has ventured to the farthest reaches of the world to document nature’s wildest creatures and landscapes recording, with an unparalleled intensity, animals and habitats in some of the most remote areas of the world.  

The Sharks, Bachelor Gelada Baboons, Simian Mountains, Ethiopia (2002)

He bravely ventured into the world’s most remote, forbidding, and dangerous environments in locations as expansive as the Congo Basin, the Serengeti and the American West.

 

Botanist Take a Core Sample of a 350 year old Redwood Tree, Redwood National Park, California (2008)

He said most of his photographs were the result of diligence and luck.  The split-second magic of images captured by Nichols’s stunning photographs, offer intense confrontations with the power and fragility of the wild and a reflection of our own humanity.

 

Bright Angel Point, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (2008)

This exhibition presents his most important projects, highlighting his artistic accomplishments, technical innovations, and efforts to preserve wild spaces. His photographs are shown with depictions of nature from the museum’s collection, inviting visitors to consider humankind’s complex, and often brutal, relationship with the wild.

 

Fantastic Pit, Ellison's Cave, Georgia (1986)

The exhibit includes information about how challenging it was to rig up ways to capture images for the 30 expansive articles he compiled for National Geographic.  He sat for hours, and sometimes days, for the nature shot and not a single photo displayed was taken from a Range Rover on a tourist safari as most were from “hides,” usually a lean-to kind of setup where the photographer waited endlessly for targets to show up at a watering hole, beach, savanna or forest.

 

From Point Sublime, Grand Canyon National Park (2005)

According to Nichols, lions are a bit social, aren't afraid of humans and hunt at night so he used infrared sensors for those photos. However, he can't get close to tigers even after sitting for 19 days in a hide, a grass structure. In three months, he only got one photo of a tiger (which he dubbed as “Charger”), via a camera robot, from a camera trap.

 

Jane Goodall with Gregoire, Brazzaville Zoo,
Republic of the Congo (1995)

In days before digital cameras, about half of the photos in the exhibit were taken with film. Some of his works are paired with paintings, sculptures and artifacts already in the museum's collection. For example, in one gallery displaying photos of elephants, there is a carved ivory chair and foot stool. Another photo, of a silver back gorilla, is installed near a poster depicting a well-known Tommy Dale Palmore painting “Reclining Nude” of a seductively posing gorilla lying on a Oriental carpet.

 

Northern Spotted Owl in Young Redwood Forest, California, 2008

Other photos in the exhibit were heart breaking, showing the results of elephant poaching to collect ivory. At the end of the exhibit, before you exit into the exhibit gift shop, is the video room where you could watch the looped video that includes crew members who worked with Nichols.

 

Mountain Gorillas, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda (1995)

From June 27 to September 4, 2017, Art Splash, the museum’s popular family program presented by PNC Arts Alive, will explore themes from the exhibition via in-gallery explorations, hands-on workshops, guided tours, performances and festivals.

 

Night, Havasu Falls, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (2004)

Wild: Michael Nichols: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130. Tel: 215-763-8100. Website: www.philamuseum.org. Open Tuesdays- Sundays, 10 AM – 5 PM, Wednesday and Friday evenings until 8:45 PM. Admission: US$20 (adult), US$18 (seniors), US$14 (students with ID and youth 13 to 18). Children below 12 years old enter for free. Discounted tickets are available online. Tickets are valid for two consecutive days and include admission to the Rodin Museum.

Hotel and Inn Review: Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A)

Date of Stay: June 26-28, 2017

RATING (Scale of 1 to 10)

Location: ********

Rooms: ********

Condition and Cleanliness: ********

Staff Performance: ******

Room Comfort: ********

Food and Beverage: *******

Other Amenities: ******

Value for Money: *******

Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia Downtown

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the historic, 18-storey full-service Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown, the largest Courtyard by Marriott in the United States, was designed by renowned architect Phillip H. Johnson. This charming testament to time just underwent a US$16 million renovation in March 2014 which retained the grandeur of its 1926 origins while incorporating state of the art systems throughout. 

When we entered the magnificent open lobby, we were surrounded by sophisticated décor and elegant furnishings reminiscent of the 1920s - elegant bronze work, plaster detailing, striking marble finishes and other unique architectural details. Our check-in was seamless and the staff was friendly and accommodating.

The hotel entrance

The contemporary, stylish guest room (one of 438) we stayed in (Room 612) had two comfortable supportive double beds with plush Revive bedding package; airconditioning with in-room climate control; magnetic key locks (room key is required in elevator to access the floor our room was on); phone; 42-in., flat-screen LCD TV with premium cable channels,  iPod docking station, coffee/tea maker, mini refrigerator,  expansive workstations, iron/ironing board and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi (also available in public areas)

Our private bathroom had a shower/bathtub combination (with free toiletries and hair dryer). We had plenty of room for our luggage and still was able to walk around.  We also loved the comfort and functionality provided in our spacious accommodations.

The magnificent lobby 

The 61 suites have separate living areas with pull-out sofas while upgraded suites have wet bars and microwaves. Connecting/adjoining rooms are also available. 

Its hip, metropolitan Nineteen 26 Restaurant & Bar, the on-site restaurant at the lobby level named after the year of the hotel's establishment, serves breakfast, a la carte  lunch and dinner as well as all-day drinks, including Starbucks coffee to help kick start your morning.

There's also a 24-hour Front Desk, business center with workstations and printers, a 24-hour, full-size fitness center (boasting updated Life Fitness cardio equipment, dumbbells and weight machines) and valet parking (for a fee). They also have over 10,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, including two Grand Ballrooms (3,404 and 2944 sq. ft.) and accommodating up to 250 people, plus 11 meeting rooms.

The elevator lobby

The indoor swimming pool and whirlpool hot tub they advertised was not operational.  They also offer housekeeping, concierge, dry cleaning, laundry and room service (during limited hours). American Express, Diners Club, Discover, JCB International, MasterCard, and Visa credit cards are accepted.

The hotel, ideally located in the “Heart of Center City,” is located across from the City Hall; one block (3-min. walk from) to the Philadelphia Convention Center; and within walking distance of the financial and historic districts, Avenue of the Arts and some of the finest restaurants and shopping the city has to offer. In 2015, it received the Green Leader Bronze Award and  Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.

It is 200 m. from Reading Terminal Market; 300 m. from Fairmount Park; 500 m. from The Art Institute of Philadelphia; 600 m. from The Historical Society of Pennsylvania and The Library Company of Philadelphia; 700 m. from Walnut Street; and 900 m. from the African American Museum and Atwater Kent Museum.

It is also 1.2 km. from Rittenhouse Square and Mütter Museum; 1.3 km. from Barnes Foundation; 1.4 km. from National Liberty Museum; 2.1 kms. from Philadelphia Museum of Art; 3.5 kms. from Philadelphia Zoo; 6.1 kms. from Liberty Bell Center and 10.9 kms. from Philadelphia International Airport.

Room 612

Courtyard by Marriott Philadelphia Downtown: 21 N Juniper St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, U.S.A. Tel:+1 215-496-3200