I'm old. I remember a time before cell phones, cell phones without cameras, and cameras that required film film. Also, a time before the internet. The first hotel I ever found online was for a vacation in New Orleans. That was back when I didn't have a computer/internet at home so I had to do "online things" at work. I booked the hotel and flew in the night before, friends were flying the next day. The driver of the shuttle didn't want to leave me at the hotel. "Are you sure Miss? Well okay then, you be careful, I'll stay right here until you're inside." Inside meant buzzing to have a small window opened and the gated door then unlocked. Hell no I wasn't sure, but what other option did I have? That hotel taught me how careful cropping, and a little Photoshop magic, can make anything look good on the internet. Maybe someday I'll hunt down the printed photos from that vacation and scan them to share here. It was an amazing time, food poisoning, middle of the night hotel fire, and all.
Our hotel for the first two nights of our January trip to Southern California had me thinking back to the dangers of online booking. Oh it was nothing like the New Orleans adventure, but comparing what Andrew thought he had booked, to reality? Well there were a few less than subtle differences. And yes, this was a "name brand" hotel. One that had obviously slipped through their regulatory cracks.
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Still, we were in California, so it wasn't all bad...
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Our room didn't have a pool view, but I could see enough from the lobby that I wandered out to investigate.
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I must have shown up just after the mow-n-blow crew had been through to take care of the landscaping.
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And take care of it they did. Damn plant! It has more than three leaves! Must put a stop to that...
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Ferns are supposed to be trimmed into balls...
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Really, they respond well to this kind of thing.
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Right?![]()
Oh the kittys, there were several feral cats hiding behind pots and under chairs. They looked to be in pretty good shape. Note the reflective surface of the pot, that's water. Standing water.
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Parts of the pool area seemed hugely disconnected from the current style of the hotel. I wonder what it was like in it's prime?
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More standing water. I saw this a lot in my travels. Poor SoCal people aren't used to dealing with downpour after downpour.
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Well that's unexpected!
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And ornate.
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I wonder how often Lily occupied her throne?
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Does that mean the munchkins and the lollipop guild?
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Is that Lily? (cool!)
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Back to the plants...oh to live somewhere that sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) looks like this in January!
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Strelitzia nicolai
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And seeds! Sorry for the blurry photo, but I had to include it, what with that orange goo.
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So Lily's throne had definite 80's overtones to it, where as these all look to be older, with of course a few patch-jobs along the way.
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This has got to be vintage, yes?
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And then it fades into something a little more modern.
![]()
And back to vintage. I was a little self conscious taking these photos, since the windows above are for the breakfast/dining room/bar. I can see now there aren't many people in there but I wasn't sure as I was working my way around outside.
![]()
But heck, I was in the sunshine under blue skies and palms, so really, all was good in my world. Crazy strange hotel or not.
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Weather Diary, March 6th: Hi 46, Low 34/ Precip .08
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
Our hotel for the first two nights of our January trip to Southern California had me thinking back to the dangers of online booking. Oh it was nothing like the New Orleans adventure, but comparing what Andrew thought he had booked, to reality? Well there were a few less than subtle differences. And yes, this was a "name brand" hotel. One that had obviously slipped through their regulatory cracks.
Still, we were in California, so it wasn't all bad...
Our room didn't have a pool view, but I could see enough from the lobby that I wandered out to investigate.
I must have shown up just after the mow-n-blow crew had been through to take care of the landscaping.
And take care of it they did. Damn plant! It has more than three leaves! Must put a stop to that...
Ferns are supposed to be trimmed into balls...
Really, they respond well to this kind of thing.
Right?
Oh the kittys, there were several feral cats hiding behind pots and under chairs. They looked to be in pretty good shape. Note the reflective surface of the pot, that's water. Standing water.
Parts of the pool area seemed hugely disconnected from the current style of the hotel. I wonder what it was like in it's prime?
More standing water. I saw this a lot in my travels. Poor SoCal people aren't used to dealing with downpour after downpour.
Well that's unexpected!
And ornate.
I wonder how often Lily occupied her throne?
Does that mean the munchkins and the lollipop guild?
Is that Lily? (cool!)
Back to the plants...oh to live somewhere that sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) looks like this in January!
Strelitzia nicolai
And seeds! Sorry for the blurry photo, but I had to include it, what with that orange goo.
So Lily's throne had definite 80's overtones to it, where as these all look to be older, with of course a few patch-jobs along the way.
This has got to be vintage, yes?
And then it fades into something a little more modern.
And back to vintage. I was a little self conscious taking these photos, since the windows above are for the breakfast/dining room/bar. I can see now there aren't many people in there but I wasn't sure as I was working my way around outside.
But heck, I was in the sunshine under blue skies and palms, so really, all was good in my world. Crazy strange hotel or not.
Weather Diary, March 6th: Hi 46, Low 34/ Precip .08
All material © 2009-2017 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.