Latest posts from Hotel blog

Chicago

Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, after New York and Los Angeles. Approximately 2,853,000 people live here. In my opinion Chicago is an incredibly delightful city. Here you are close to almost everything.

The cultural options in Chicago are plentiful. If you are interested in music there is an abundance of various clubs and music bars to visit. Chicago is recognized for being a center of Blues Music. A good and traditional blues bar to start the night with (moreover, it’s one of my favourites) is “Blue Chicago”. A visit to a blues bar in Chicago is something one mustn’t miss. It is an amazing experience.

Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre is a marvellous building. In many American movies shot in Chicago, you can watch the well-known “CHICAGO” sign sweep by.

Chicago theatre

The 1,451-foot Willis Tower, or Sears Tower as it is also called, with its 442 metres from ground to roof, is recognized as the tallest building in the United States. Between 1973 and 1998 Willis Tower was ranked as the tallest building in the world, but in 1998 it was surpassed by the Petronas Tower (located in Kuala Lumpur). The view from the top is breathtaking. For the brave ones there is the possibility of stepping out on “The Ledge”, a glass balcony, and enjoy the marvellous view from there.

The Ledge, Willis Tower

Moreover, free Wi-Fi is offered at the top, which allows you to make a Skype call to some friend back in Sweden who is afraid of heights. This tour is worth the whole trip and can be highly recommended.

Willis Tower, Chicago

Cloud gate, or “The Bean” as it is referred to in popular speech, is a work of art found in Millennium Park. It was built of stainless steel by Anish Kapoor in 2004-2006. Anyone fond of taking pictures can play with the camera here and accomplish genuinely amusing and interesting photos. You can walk freely underneath and through this work of art.

Cloud Gate or “The Bean” as it is referred to.

Personally I find Chicago a wonderful summer city. Since one often gets, in my case at least, some jet lag and wakes up early in the US, my advice is to buy a good cup of coffee and walk down to the beach. Then you can have a morning stroll while the city is awakening. You can sit down in a small cafe and watch all morning joggers running along the beach. If you are alert enough you can of course hang on and run, but for me I prefer watching and dreaming away. Watching the sun slowly rising above the horizon and making plans for sequencing the items of my shopping list. I’m slowly realizing that time moves on in Chicago, too. So long for a while, then. I’m off shopping.

Chicago

Popular hotels in Chicago

Four points by Sheraton Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago
Hotel with great location, just one block from the popular Magnificent Mile surrounded by Chicago´s best restaurants and shopping.

Chicago Essex Inn Grant Park, Chicago
Good situation opposite Grant Park and overlooking Lake Michigan.

Silversmith Hotel and Suites, Chicago
Historic landmark hotel in Chicago, with great location in the Financial and Theatre district.

Travelodge Chicago downtown, Chicago
Located 1 km from Millennium Park, 1.5 km from Willis Tower, 1.5 km from Field Museum of Natural History and 6 km from the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Best Western at O´hare Airport, Chicago O´hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago
Hotel located 1,5 km from O´Hare Airport.

Want to came along travelling?

My name is Jenny, and I come from the town of Nora, The Pearl of Bergslagen, Sweden. Since the last 12 years I’m a resident of Malmö, Sweden. In the near future I will let you accompany me on my travelling, here at zleepinghotels.com. In this blog I will write about various places I have been to, various places that have meant something special for me in one way or another. I hope you want to come along with me.

I have studied to be a teacher of Swedish/English, but since 12 years I have been working within the airline business. Since I was a little child I have loved travelling. Every summer my parents packed us, that is 3 sisters and 1 dog, into the car, and away we went. Sometimes we just took a weekend fishing out in the forest, and sometimes we hooked on the caravan and went south in Europe. For me it’s not the length of a journey that is of importance, it’s what you experience travelling.

Since I love skiing I have been seeking ski resorts; for instance I have been working in Nebikon and St Moritz in Switzerland, I have studied for one year in Göttingen, Germany and spent six months in Vancouver, Canada. All this to have a chance to experience and taste new cultures at close quarters.

I am very happy and thankful for my job within the airline business, which all the time gives me the opportunity to discover new places and new food.Happiness for me is to find a new cafe or a hidden away trattoria in Italy. Want to come along travelling with me? Welcome aboard .. here we go.

Liverpool – the mud puddle site

We probably all of us have one city that we have a special place for in our hearts,. a city you like to talk about and let your dreams flow…My city is Liverpool.
In many people’s opinion this is a grey and dull industrial city…. That is exactly the city I have fallen in love with.

I believe it all started in the TV couch in the 1980′s. It was always the same procedure. At five minutes to four my dad occupied the corner of the couch and I jumped down beside him. That’s where we subsequently watched many Premier League games together, and that’s where I started dreaming about Liverpool.

Liverpool has a population of approximately 440.000. “Scousers” as the inhabitants are colloquially called. Their accent is very special. It is called “Scouse”. It takes some time before you understand what they say. Scouse is also the name of the traditional dish associated with Liverpool. It a kind of stew made from lamb meat or beef. In my mind it resembles the Swedish “kalops” (collops).

Liverpool is often referred to as the Capital of Pubs. There are so many different pubs to visit that you had better start testing them directly you arrive in the city (to catch up with the task). If you arrive by train you pull into Liverpool Lime Street Station, and all you have to do is to keep rolling your suitcase to The Crown pub, adjacent to the station (also in Lime Street). A good practice is to let The Crown be the first pub one encounters i Liverpool, and likewise the last one to visit before returning home.

One more of my favorite pubs is The Philharmonic (also known as The Phil among the locals) which is also well worth visiting. It is genuinely beautiful with mahogany panels and mosaic floor, and the grandest part of all, the gentlemen’s urinals, constructed in marble. The pub is located in Hope Street. In the summer you can sit outside in the little garden, and if you are lucky catch a glimpse of Liverpool Cathedral from the open-air terrace.

The Philharmonic, Liverpool

In 2008 Liverpool was appointed European Capital of Culture (Liverpool08) and then the Liverpool people grasped their chance to brush up the city. Many buildings were renovated and the big shopping and leisure complex Liverpool One was opened. In Liverpool One you will find more than 140 stores, among them my two favorites; “Superdry” and of course” Liverpool One Superstore”. The last-mentioned is in fact the biggest official club store in Europe. To be found here are also trendy small stores, a great number of restaurants and in addition quite a few hotels.

Shopping, Liverpool

If you want accommodation somewhere else than in the city centre, you can try the Albert Dock, as the waterfront down at Merseyside is called. In case your legs are tired you can try a different guided tour by “The Yellow Duckmarine”, a yellow combined bus and boat vehicle (alluding to the Beatles song Yellow Submarine). It first takes you round downtown and then makes a splashdown into the water at the Albert Dock. It’s a very special experience and it is generally very popular, particularly with families.

Down at the Albert Dock there is also the Beatles museum “The Beatles Story”. There you can follow the Fab Four’s journey from being just ordinary guys playing live music at the Cavern to becoming the famous Beatles all over the world. Extremely interesting, and likewise take the chance to visit the Cavern, the pub that made the Beatles famous (you’ll find it in Mathew Street). Go down to the basement and breathe in The Beatles, listen to the band playing covers and dream yourself back in time.

There are two cathedrals in Liverpool. “Liverpool Cathedral”, centrally located and said to be the largest Anglican cathedral in the world. And also the other one “Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral”, situated in close proximity to “Liverpool Cathedral”. These two magnificent cathedrals, linked by Hope Street, are well worth a visit.

Liverpool is an extremely attractive city. Here you find a rich cultural life with nice restaurants, among them “Jamie’s Italian” (owned and run by Jamie Oliver and Gennaro Contaldo), many gorgeous pubs, lots of music and last but not least the reason of me and many others having fallen in love with the city: Liverpool F.C. The football club was founded in 1892, and I could write columns and columns about it, but that will be another time, in another post in the blog.

Liverpool F.C. is accordingly the main reason of my many trips to this, in many people’s opinion grey and dull industrial city. Liverpool or “the mud puddle site”, as might also call it.

Anfield, Liverpool

(The place mane Liverpool originates from the Welsh Llyr Pwl, meaning”the mud puddle site”)

Book popular hotels in Liverpool:
Jurys Inn, Liverpool
The Liner Hotel, Liverpool
Days Inn Liverpool City Centre, Liverpool
The Park Hotel Liverpool, Liverpool
Suites, Liverpool

How hotel staff get back at rude guests

Former hotel employee Jacob Tomsky reveals how a hotel employee can get back at rude guests in his book Heads in Beds: A reckless Memoir of Hotel, Hustlers and So-Called Hospitality. Here are three ways hotel staff get revenge on rude customers:

Room karma
If you start beeing rude to the people at front desk you’ll probably be downgraded to a lousy room. “You probably could have had a really nice suite, and you’ll never know it”, Tomsky says.  ”I became the master of instant karma.”

Keybombing
If your key card doesnt work correctly it might be because you have upset someone at the front desk.  According to this book, they love to watch with amusement when flustered guests return to get the key re-activated

Minibar raids
Annoyed hotel staff often wander in and steal from mini-bars, or deliberately miscalculate your charges, Tomsky warns.