Sheraton Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada December 3. 2011


Hotel : Sheraton, Ottawa, Canada
Chain : Starwood
Rewards program : Starwood Preferred Guest (Free)
Breakfast included : No.


Review :


Check in : This is SPG's other flagship hotel in downtown Ottawa with the other being The Westin in the Byward Market area. Check in was simple although parking your vehicle can be pricey - CDN$25/day with valet required. 


Room : I was assigned a room with a King bed on an SPG floor but the windows look into the office building across the alley. Had to keep the blinds closed all the time as I keep seeing people in the office. Don't these people have a life? Bed was super comfy and they had pillow a plenty. Actually supportive pillows that aren't lumpy to sleep on. Wifi is included free and they provide 2 bottles of Nestle spring water everyday. The in room coffee maker brews Starbucks coffee to enjoy while watching SD quality TV. Being in downtown Ottawa though, there's not much in terms of meal choices as everything closes at night and on the weekends. Walking distance to the Byward Market area though, well, when the weather is good. 25 minutes is too far to walk in 0^C weather though :-)


Bottom line : Nice hotel with courteous staff and decent amenities. Could have included breakfast with the room though. That would make it into the worth it status.

Car Rental : Dodge Charger
Rental agency : National
Rewards program : Emerald Club
Review:


Check in : Ottawa airport doesn't have a secure location, so I had to go to the counter to get my car.


Car : Rear wheel drive American muscle car without the muscle or noise. Had to really gun it in order to feel the power of the car but given it is rear wheel drive, handling is pretty good. Chassis was designed well and handles pot holes decently. Lane shifts can be a little unstable because of the overly light power steering. I'm worried I got the wrong car though, as it is quite cold in Ottawa and can snow at any time. Also being a muscle car, I was expecting a lot of growl to be heard, but it is very muted and and doesn't sound menacing at all. Heck a Infinity G35 sounds manlier than this car!


Powertrain : 3.6L Pentastar® V6 with 5-speed AutoStick transmission capable of running E85 fuel. I wouldn't want to use E85 fuel though coz it is weak enough as it is. 3.6L engine and it has little pep unless you gun it - real hard. You would think with the amount of torque, it would easily pick up speed and just crush the tires with wheel spin. Traction control does really well to control the tail from breaking out though. 


Bottom line : Weak engine unless you punch it isn't typical of muscle cars and this is really disappointing. 
Daniel Chee  Saturday, December 3. 2011 @ 13:43
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Marriott Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA and Hyundai Sonata November 11. 2011


Hotel : Marriott Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA
Chain : Marriott 
Rewards program : Marriott Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : No.

Review :

Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. Overall check in experience was easy and efficient. 

Room : Basic 1 King bed room overlooking the channel. Room was comfy and well laid out to do work but unfortunately Wifi was not included. How can Marriott not include Wifi access especially for this location? It's next to one of the most prestigious technology institute in the world - MIT! Being almost on campus, there's a good choice of low cost student fare to eat as well as the hotel's late night dining restaurant. 
Bottom line : Disappointing that a hotel of of this stature does not include Wifi as standard. I would rather stay at the Courtyard a couple of blocks away.

Car Rental : Hyundai Sonata GLS


Rental agency : National

Rewards program : Emerald Club
Review:



Check in : Took the shuttle bus to the National counter and walked up to the Emerald Aisle for a car. Since this trip is part of my MI, IN, MA trip, I decided to pick the Sonata again as I didn't get to really drive the one in MI.


Car : Not bad to look at and not bad to drive. Comes fully loaded with everything you would expect from a Korean car. 


Power train : Car comes with a 2.4L 4cylinder engine. Weak acceleration even with the relatively large capacity engine. 6 spd automatic is fairly responsive so it'll happily kick down when you step on it.


Handling : The suspension is decent and the chassis was surprisingly compliant. I had to do a couple of quick lane changes due to Boston's Logan airport exits. Bad design and with all the overhead passes blocking GPS signal, it's a little hard to navigate unless you're a local. I've been here quite a few times and I still forget the lanes.


Special Feature : XM radio was enabled, so I had a good selection of tunes to drive to.


Bottom line : Value for money and basically the best low cost mid sized sedan. This was my recommendation 3 days ago, and I stand by it. It's really good value for money. Buy it, drive the shit out of it and toss it away. For $16K, it's actually cheaper than a Honda Civic!

Daniel Chee  Friday, November 11. 2011 @ 13:34
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Sheraton Indianapolis, IN and Volkswagen Passat November 10. 2011


Hotel : Sheraton, Indianapolis, IN
Chain : Starwood
Rewards program : Starwood Preferred Guest (Free)
Breakfast included : No.


Review :


Check in : I had to wait for the guests in front of me to check in before I was able to check in. The staff was being helpful to the guest by signing them up for SPG membership on the spot, but was having issue with his address. Apparently he lived in the outskirts unincorporated area in Wisconsin and the address checker didn't like it. Wasted 15 minutes of my time, can't people just sign up online on their own or the staff should have just taken that part offline to do after the regular guests have been checked in! The hotel is nice and located near a large mall, so you have a good choice of restaurants around the area.

Room : I was assigned a room with a Queen bed as they were out of King bedrooms when I asked for a different room. The housekeeping team had to move a tray of snacks from my original room over to this one. Nice touch from the Director of Sales for important corporate clients. I had a very nice city view out of my room and it was gorgeous at night. TV had good channel selection but I didn't watch much as I was too busy with work. Internet access is a little hokey, requiring a wired connection. They are in the process of remodeling and putting up Wifi access points on each floor. Luckily though on the 53rd floor, I am able to catch the Wifi signal from the Premier lounge up on the 54th floor. That lounge is reserved for premier guests for cocktails at night and breakfast in the morning. 

Bottom line : Up to the standard Sheraton standard and free Wifi included. They even provide printing services for guests, so you can print your documents in the business office. 

Car Rental : VW Passat
Rental agency : National
Rewards program : Emerald Club
Review:



Car : This is a typically well engineered German car. Build quality is very good and sounds very solid. Standard radio though but it does come with iPod capability but lacked the actual connection cable. It needed the USB cable and an AUX output to function, so you actually can't use that functionality unless you buy the custom connection cable :-(


Power train : The engine is a 4 cylinder 2.0L engine pushing a paltry 115hp. It was actually feels powerful and responsive, easily rev'ed to get up to highway speeds. Not too bad coupled with the 6 speed automatic transmission. I suppose the gear ratios are really short to give it the extra shove from the weak engine.


Handling : Chassis is based on an elongated Golf chassis which is in itself a well designed chassis. It handled well and steering was responsive giving good feed back throughout. 


Special Feature : None. 

Bottom line : If you want German engineering in a affordable mid sized sedan, this is the car to get. Well, the only car to get since other German offerings are in the luxury group - Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc...

 
Daniel Chee  Thursday, November 10. 2011 @ 13:17
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Marriott Ypsilanti - Ypsilanti, MI November 9. 2011


Hotel : Marriott, Ypsilanti, MI
Chain : Marriott 
Rewards program : Marriott Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : No.




Review :


Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. Overall check in experience was easy and efficient. Forgot to bring toothpaste, and the front desk supplied it. 



Room : Basic 1 King bed room. Typical of Marriott rooms except this one is actually on the Ypsilanti convention center called Eagle Crest. Very nice place overall though. Didn't use Wifi this time because I got in late and left early in the morning.

Bottom line : Upto the usual Marriott standards.

Car Rental : Hyundai Sonata GLS

Rental agency : National
Rewards program : Emerald Club
Review:


Check in : Took the shuttle bus to the National counter and walked up to the Emerald Aisle for a car. Slim pickings late at night, so ended up with the Sonata.


Car : Not bad to look at and not bad to drive. Comes fully loaded with everything you would expect from a Korean car.

Power train : Car comes with a 2.4L 4cylinder engine. Weak acceleration even with the relatively large capacity engine. 6 spd automatic is fairly responsive so it'll happily kick down when you step on it.


Handling : The suspension is decent but it was raining heavily the 2 days I got to drive the car, so it was kinda hard to really judge it.


Special Feature : XM radio was enabled, so I had a good selection of tunes to drive to.




Bottom line : Value for money and basically the best low cost mid sized sedan.  
Daniel Chee  Wednesday, November 9. 2011 @ 13:04
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Carlton Hotel - Singapore October 10. 2011


Hotel : Carlton Hotel, Singapore
Chain : World Hotels Group
Rewards program : N/a
Breakfast included : Yes. Full buffet of local Singaporean fare as well as Continental breakfast. The food doesn't compare to the fare at Intercontinental Hotel in Singapore though.




Review :


Check in : Check in was painless and efficient. They do run your credit card for advanced hold right at the beginning though, so bring an extra card if you have a low limit on the credit card you are planning on using. 


Room : Suite with a King bed. I was put in the Premier Wing we are preferred clients at this hotel. The room is well laid out with a bit of a kinky side to it. There's a window that sees right into the bathroom shower/tub area! It does of course have a curtain you can draw to block the view. I was hard pressed to figure out why they have this feature until I found the volume knob in the bathroom. They pipe the audio from TV into the bathroom so you can watch TV while soaking in the tub! Nice. Free wifi was included in my rate package but is not available in the dining area so I did not have reception during breakfast. 


Bottom line : Decent hotel for the price. I was expecting better quality breakfast and the room level corridor has a moldy carpet smell to it. The wait staff at the restaurant was also a little over anxious in cleaning up my table. I went to get some drinks only to return to an empty table! They took away my half eaten meal before I completed my meal. One convenient thing about this hotel is there's 2 MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) stations so you can get to anywhere you want quickly and easily.


Daniel Chee  Monday, October 10. 2011 @ 12:50
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Marina Bay Sands - Singapore October 4. 2011

Hotel : Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Chain : Sands Resorts
Rewards program : Premier Advantags (Free)
Breakfast included : Yes. Full buffet of local Singaporean fare as well as Continental breakfast. 




Review :


Check in : I arrived at the hotel via complimentary coach shuttle from Changi International Airport. You have to show the driver your room reservations before boarding. Once I got to the hotel, the building is magnificent! Very similar to the hotels on the Vegas strip - luxurious and very well decorated. The front desk check in was courteous and due to my arrival time, there wasn't a line. Seeing the check in counter the next day around 10AM, there's a long line waiting for check in. Due to being a preferred hotel for my company, I was set up in the premier wing in tower 2. The hotel is split into 3 towers - Tower 1 (I think this is where the sharks and VIPs stay), Tower 2 houses the premier rooms (corporate as well as the steward/stewardesses of Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines I saw) and Tower 3 which is the standard deluxe rooms.


Room : Suite with a King bed. The bed was very comfortable and well supporting yet soft. Expected of a 5 star luxury hotel. Bath room was huge! The main room contains the bath tub to soak in with adjoining stalls for the toilet and shower area. Their in house amenities brand Piazza supplies all the necessities - shower gel, soap, lotions, toothbrush/paste, etc... Wifi signal is available in the room and is included free for my rate package. Unfortunately wifi is not available throughout the hotel, there's lots of dead spots in the building.


Extras : The hotel is connected to the hotel/resort's casino via an underground pathway. That's important given the 90^F and 100% humidity of tropical Singapore. The same pathway also connects to The Shoppes at MBS. This is shopping heaven for hardcore shopping enthusiasts with all the major luxury brands represented here - Louis Vuitton, Omega, Rolex, Tag Heuer, Ferragamo, etc... 


Top of the hotel is the Sky Park. There's swimming pool well, "infinity" pool where you swim to the edge of the building. Don't worry, you won't fall over off the building. There's 4-6 feet of balcony on the side to save you. You do need to be a guest at the hotel to be allowed up to that level though, or you would have to pay a fee.  


Bottom line : Luxury hotel worth staying in at least once in Singapore. You're sure to be pampered and awed by the architecture and beauty of the place. They're also building a botanical garden across the hotel that is supposedly going to house flora and fauna from all over the world.

Daniel Chee  Tuesday, October 4. 2011 @ 12:28
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Residence Inn by Marriott Mishawaka and Ford Focus October 1. 2011


Hotel : Residence Inn by Marriott, Mishawaka, IN
Chain : Marriott 
Rewards program : Marriott Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : Yes, basic American fare.



Review :



Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. Overall check in experience was easy and efficient. I was given an upgrade to a 1 Bedroom suite from a Studio for being a Silver rewards member.


Room : 1 Bedroom suite with a King bed. The living room as a couch and full kitchen to do some cooking if you wish. This was a quick in and out stay for a personal trip so I did not spend anytime checking out the internet connection. I had some friends over while getting ready and they watched some TV. The room was clean and well appointed. No view to speak of but it had a comfortable bed, so that's good.



Bottom line : Upto the usual Marriott standards.




Car Rental : Ford Focus
Rental agency : Enterprise
Rewards program : Not a member
Review:




Check in : I was let off the shuttle bus in front of the Enterprise rental office. Waited about 10 minutes since it was peak hours but the agent was very courteous and offered ice cold water. 



Car : This is the brand new Ford Focus that's supposed to drive younger buyers to the brand and steal from the Honda Civic. Looks wise on the outside is not bad, but very typical Ford. I ended up with the base model, so no Sync or cruise control. The radio was horrible to use and is more of a distraction than entertainment. You HAVE to take your eyes off the road to tune stations. The buttons are not intuitive, hidden menus, etc... Overall it's just a POS radio design. Will the Sync save it? I don't know and don't care to find out. Not having cruise control was also a pain in the rear. Come on Ford! How much can cruise control add to the cost of the car? Throw it in for free! All this cost cutting is just taking value away from the car!

Power train : The engine is a 4 cylinder 2.0L GDI engine with 6 speed automatic transmission. The tranny was well, slow to react and engine has very little oomph from a stop. Once above 2000 rpm, there's more kick to it. Gas consumption is very good, 3 quarter tank to drive from ORD (Chicago O'Hare) -> Mishawaka -> University of Chicago -> MDW (Chicago Midway) -> ORD. 



Handling : The suspension is quite firm and the car handles pretty good. Being in the Mid-West, there's plenty of cross winds and it does catch quite a bit of wind. The car would swerve a little but overall it is not bad at all. I drove this same stretch of road (ORD -> Mishawaka) back in May when there was even more wind in my own BMW 328i coupe and experience about the same amount of swerving. If I were to compare the 2 cars, obviously the BMW is more stable but it is a much bigger car to begin with. Taking the price into account, the Focus is quite a value bargain.



Special Feature : None whatsoever. 



Bottom line : It's alright, handles better than other American compact cars. Build quality is also pretty good with no wind noise but ergonomics is horrible. 
Daniel Chee  Saturday, October 1. 2011 @ 18:52
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83 September 30. 2011


Hotel : Le Meridien, Cambridge, MA
Chain : Starwood
Rewards program : Starwood Preferred Guests (Free)
Breakfast included : No - at this rate, it really should be included.



Review :



Check in : I arrived late at night and the receptionist checked me in with efficiency knowing I just want to go to sleep. No problems here.



Room : The room is very distinctly French in decor. Paintings and furnishing were very French like. It had a comfortable King sized bed but the room is a little cramped. French milled soap and various shower gels were available for your choosing. Overall it was a good comfy room but unfortunately my stay was marred by a stupid guest in one of the floors deciding to smoke in the room. That triggered the smoke detectors and fire alarm waking up all the guests at 5 in the morning. We had to step out into the cold to wait for the fire department to give the all clear.


Bottom line : First time staying at this hotel brand. Given the situation with the stupid guest, I will reserve judgement until the next time I stay at one of these properties.
Daniel Chee  Friday, September 30. 2011 @ 20:00
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Sheraton, Toronto, Canada and Dodge Avenger September 25. 2011


Hotel : Sheraton, Toronto, Canada
Chain : Starwood
Rewards program : Starwood Preferred Guest (Free)
Breakfast included : Yes, full buffet on the top floor of the hotel for Premier members. The spread was quite good!



Review :



Check in : This is SPG's flagship hotel in downtown Toronto as well as the place to stay for visiting dignitaries so what can you expect other than the best service available up front? I was given a King sized room on the 52nd floor but later I came back down to swap it for a Queen up on the 53rd floor (also the location of the Royal Suite) because there was a party going on across the hall from my room. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of royal glamour but unfortunately the royals were not in town.



Room : I was assigned a room with a Queen bed as they were out of King bedrooms when I asked for a different room. The housekeeping team had to move a tray of snacks from my original room over to this one. Nice touch from the Director of Sales for important corporate clients. I had a very nice city view out of my room and it was gorgeous at night. TV had good channel selection but I didn't watch much as I was too busy with work. Internet access is a little hokey, requiring a wired connection. They are in the process of remodeling and putting up Wifi access points on each floor. Luckily though on the 53rd floor, I am able to catch the Wifi signal from the Premier lounge up on the 54th floor. That lounge is reserved for premier guests for cocktails at night and breakfast in the morning. 



Bottom line : Top notch hotel in the heart of Toronto. The city needs to have better roads as congestion is horrendous but the hotel is top notch. Parking is either by valet or self parking across the street in the City Hall parking garage. There's a connecting underground walkway between the 2 places.



Car Rental : Dodge Avenger
Rental agency : National
Rewards program : Admiral
Review:


I've reviewed this vehicle before for my trip to Herndon, VA, so I'm just going to put the bottom line out here. 


Bottom line : Don't own this car even if it's free. Well, if it's free take it, then sell it.
Daniel Chee  Sunday, September 25. 2011 @ 19:49
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Courtyard by Marriott Dulles Town Center September 13. 2011

I was down in the Virginia area again recently and stayed at the Dulles Town Center Courtyard.



Hotel : Courtyard by Marriott, Dulles, Va
Chain : Marriott 
Rewards program : Marriott Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : No - at this rate, it really should be included.



Review :



Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. Overall check in experience was easy and efficient. Nothing special.



Room : King bedroom on the 4th floor of the hotel. The place has the slowest elevator ever! Typical of almost all hotels these days, the room comes with a flat panel LCD TV. Only the local channels are HD though (probably OTA) while cable channels are SD. Room was clean and was kept well during the duration of my stay. I ran out of toothpaste while staying there and when I asked the front desk where the nearest convenience store was, they handed me a travel sized tube of Colgate saving me a trip out! Internet speed was typical hotel speeds - namely slow. Decent enough for light browsing and emails, but definitely not enough for Facebook games :-)



Bottom line : Upto the usual Marriott standards but differs from other Courtyard in that they provide breakfast. It's a little odd though, they gave me a card for complimentary breakfast and I see some guests paying for breakfast, so I'm thinking not everyone gets free breakfast as part of the room rate. 


Daniel Chee  Tuesday, September 13. 2011 @ 19:11
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Staybridge Suites Columbia, MD September 11. 2011


Hotel : Staybridge Suites, Columbia, MD
Chain : ICH
Rewards program : Priority Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : Yes.



Review :



Check in : It was raining cats and dogs when I arrived at the hotel that night. No parking up front so I had to make a mad dash to the front desk. The receptionist immediately handed me a towel to dry off while she processed my check in. Given that it was still raining heavily, I asked if the hotel had an umbrella I could borrow but unfortunately they did not. However, the receptionist was kind enough to loan me her personal umbrella! Got a little wet getting my luggage out of the car to the room but it was not the hotel's fault.



Room : Room came with a comfortable King sized bed. The hotel is a little dated, so the furnishing were slightly worn and carpet had some stains on it. Overall it was an OK room. As a Priority Rewards member, I was given the option of a late check out but I did not partake as I needed to be off fairly early. They also included a little treat bag consisting of peanuts, candy bar, bottled water and chocolate chip cookies. Those came in handy the next day during my drive.



Bottom line : I would stay here again. It is a semi budget suite hotel, it was decent and the front desk was very helpful.


While I did drive for this trip, I used my personal car instead of renting one. My original plan was to fly into town then rent a car, but due to the extra 9/11 security at the airports, I did not want to deal with the hassle of checking in my bag full of work tools, so I drove. 
Daniel Chee  Sunday, September 11. 2011 @ 19:21
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Intercontinental Baltimore, MD and Mazda 6 August 30. 2011

Hurricane Irene was a major PITA for me!!! I had my flights cancelled coming back east from Seattle, trains cancelled and ended up having to drive from DC back to NYC.



Hotel : Intercontinenal, Baltimore, MD
Chain : ICH Group
Rewards program : Priority Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : No - at this rate, it really should be included.



Review :



Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. This is a higher end hotel thus the front desk was extra courteous and professional in making sure I'm taken care of. Although there's no free parking, the hotel did provide a coupon for discount self parking. Check in was easy and I was upgraded to a larger suite for being a Priority Rewards Gold member.



Room : King bed room facing the city. Room was very clean and the furnishing was top notch. Very luxurious design although the bathroom door did not close very well. This was a stop and go visit so I did not use the internet nor TV services. I just crashed immediately following a shower. 



Bottom line : Up to the usual Intercontinental quality and care. Not easily accessible due to road construction out front but will definitely stay here again if I'm in the Baltimore city limits given the lack luster hotel choices.



Car Rental : Mazda 6
Rental agency : National
Rewards program : Admiral
Review:




Check in : I had to take a shuttle to the car rental area to pick up my the car. Since I was in the Admiral club, I walked up to the line of vehicles and surveyed my choices. Irene was wrecking havoc not only in Air travel but it looks like everyone is renting a car! The choices was a mini van or the Mazda 6. The Mazda was 2 classes higher than my intermediate car size allowance but they gave me a free upgrade due to the sheer number of rentals my company does with National. 



Car : The car design is a few years old but still quite elegant. I was a little dissapointed when Mazda went with the US design instead of the sleeker European design for the new 6 but overall it is still a nice looking car. The car had fabric seats and gripped well. Dash was made of softer plastics to give the appearance of higher quality compared to the el cheapo hard knocks. Audio system was easily accessible and intuitive to use. 



Power train : The engine is a 4 cylinder 2.5L non-pzev engine pushing 170hp. It was actually quite powerful and responsive, easily rev'ed to get up to highway speeds and overtake. The 5 speed automatic transmission readily kicked down as long as it's not within 1500 rpm of redline. It's not obtrusively loud but you can hear the grunt a little more than the comparable family sedans like the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. I think this is inline with the sporty vision Mazda has for their cars.



Handling : The suspension is firm yet absorbs uneven road bumps very well. Body roll is controlled and mechanical grip was good. This car is a joy to drive, befitting the Zoom-Zoom image Mazda has cultivated for the brand. Blind spots were minimal and sitting position geared towards driving enjoyment. Point the front, stomp the gas pedal and away it goes, changing directions on whim and steering feedback is almost as good as my 328i. 



Special Feature : None. 


Bottom line : If you want a good handling drivers car on a budget, pass on the Accord and Camry. Get this Mazda. 

Daniel Chee  Tuesday, August 30. 2011 @ 19:29
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Courtyard Marriott and Dodge Avenger review August 11. 2011


Hotel : Courtyard by Marriott, Herndon Va
Chain : Marriott 
Rewards program : Marriott Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : No - at this rate, it really should be included.


Review :


Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. Overall check in experience was easy and efficient. The manager gave me a scratch card as a Marriott Rewards member. Scratching off the card earned me an additional 200 points.


Room : King bed room facing west, so does get a bit of sun towards the end of the day. The room was well kept and clean. Layout is kind of odd though. The bed faces the window and TV and work space is off to the sides. At the foot of the bedroom is where a couch and coffee table was placed. There's a LG 40" flat screen TV for light entertainment covering o HBO, News and local channels. Local channels were in HD, the rest in SD. The mattress was in good shape and was very supportive. 5 pillows were provided - 1 down, 2 regular synthetic fibers and 2 soft synthetic fibers. Bathroom area is split in to 2 parts, a room for the bath tub and toilet and a vanity area for the sink. The bathroom was large enough to actually fit the sink in there comfortably, no idea why they split it out. Internet is kinda slow though - provided by iBahn.


Bottom line : Upto the usual Marriott standards but I think I'll stay at the Residence Inn next time given they supply breakfast so I don't have to stop over somewhere else on the way into work.



Car Rental : Dodge Avenger
Rental agency : National
Rewards program : Admiral
Review:



Check in : I was let off the shuttle bus in front of a line of cars. Being an Admiral club member, I'm given a choice of any mid-size car in the range. I got there late in the day, so the choices were Chevy HHR, Dodge Avenger, Chevy Malibu and a Hyundai Santa Fe. Got in, drove away and did the paperwork at the security station on the way out. Got my GPS and off I go!

Car : Exterior looks is consistent with Dodge's attempt to make things look muscular. It's OK, not bad looking but nothing special either. This car happened to be white and was well washed, no black streaks down the sides. Metal was made like a tin can though, thin and the trunk is really light. Trunk door was hard to close, had to actually slam it so the lock will catch. The inside is typical cheap American car plastics. Fabric seats with synthetic materials that grips pretty well but not very comfortable and hard. The dash is hard plastic but the top of of the dash is made of soft PVC to give it a high quality feel. There's some blind spots mainly because of that atrocious looking piece of plastic towards the rear of the rear passenger window.


Power train : The engine is a 4 cylinder 2.4L Dual-VVT engine. Sounds like a Toyota engine doesn't it? Acceleration is sluggish probably because of the 4 speed automatic transmission that doesn't really want to kick down. You have to really step on it to force it to kick down and even then the RPMs will climb but the car really doesn't have that Ooomph feeling. It is however quite fuel efficient, averaging 24mpg in heavy traffic in 5 days of driving around the DMV area (DC, Maryland, Virginia). 


Handling : The suspension is quite soft and floats. Not very stable and the tires doesn't grip very well. They're Continental ContiContact tires so I'm surprised they are that bad. Steering wheel is overly boosted so it's way too light and have little to no feel. There's buttons on the steering wheel to control the entertainment system. It was horrible, totally un-intuitive and does not make sense at all. Left button to change presets up and the right to change source. There are 2 rocker buttons on each side as well. Left side to tune up and down the frequency and the right side to change volume. 


Special Feature : None whatsoever. 


Bottom line : Don't own this car even if it's free. Well, if it's free take it, then sell it.
Daniel Chee  Thursday, August 11. 2011 @ 15:17
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Travel reviews... July 28. 2011

When I took this job I was told that I would be doing a fair bit of traveling, turns out it's about 40% of the time. It's not bad though, there's months that I'll be in NYC only and then gone for 2-3 days a week the following month. One night while I was laying in a hotel bed comparing it to the one I slept on the week before an idea came to me - blog about it! There's definitely travel blogs of professional journalists reviewing hotels and I'm sure there's a whole slew of sites out there with amateur bloggers like me reviewing hotels they've stayed in.  How many of them are blogging from corporate travel, I don't know and hopefully NONE! One more thing to note, I don't publish rates as YMMV with different discounts sites/reward levels.


Anyways, I plan on reviewing the hotels and the rental cars I've had the opportunity to drive - usually your usual 4 door econo box so if you're expecting luxury vehicles or sports cars, you're outta luck. I will start off my review with this entry and back filling other places I've stayed at in the future.



Hotel : Crowne Plaza Rockville, MD
Chain : ICH (Inter Continental Hotel) Group 
Rewards program : Priority Rewards (Free)
Breakfast included : No - at this rate, it really should be included.


Review :


Check in : The front desk staff was very courteous during check in. Overall check in experience was easy and relaxed. The sales office actually left me a card thanking me for choosing to stay there and my employer is a valued customer of the hotel. In addition, that card entitles me a complimentary coffee/tea (regularly $1) or soup of the day.


Room : King bed room facing interior terrace. The room was well kept and smelled fresh. I'm sure many have checked into hotel rooms that has a musky smell from excessive moisture or just old carpet/flooring. There's a flat screen TV for light entertainment covering old HBO, News and local channels. Given the little amount of time I spent in the room, I didn't bother checking out what is on demand (who actually watches SD on demand movies at $10/movie anyways?). Crowne Plaza says they understand a comfortable bed is essential to a good uninterrupted night's sleep and they have all new beds. Now I don't expect a new mattress for every guest, but I do expect one that doesn't sag. To be fair, the amount of sagging is minimal, consistent with a mattress of about 6 months heavy use so it is still supporting and comfortable. They could use better pillows though or offer different firmness pillows like other ICH group hotels - Holiday Inn and InterContinental. The ones in my room were soft and flatten easily.


Bottom line : Overall it was a good room for a 3 star hotel and I would stay there again.


Car Rental : Ford Escape FlexFuel
Rental agency : Budget
Rewards program : FastBreak
Review:


Check in : Since I am on the FastBreak program, a Budget CSR was at the car when I got there waiting for me when my shuttle bus arrived from IAD. I was surprised they gave me an SUV since I requested an intermediate car which usually end up being a Hyundai Elantra, Nissan Maxima or Chevy Malibu. He said they were out of intermediates, so I got a free upgrade, checked my driver's license, handed me the rental agreement and off I went!


Car : The Escape has grown. A lot! Last time I was in an Escape was an ex-co-worker's 2006 model back in Seattle. That was a compact SUV, but now it has grown into an intermediate SUV. The side mirrors come with wide angle mirrors in the corner which you would definitely need given the amount of blind spots on this large car. You can definitely sit 5 adults in there comfortably without issues. Trunk is fairly large and would fit 4 large check in luggage on their sides. You can stack the carry on bags on top of them and still get a clear view of the rear. 


Power train : Don't know for sure what engine is in there, since I didn't pop the hood on it but it does feel like the 3.0 liter V6 in there. Lots of power and effortlessly picks up speed. The transmission is a 6 speed automatic according to Ford. It's eager to down shift when you punch it to overtake or need to pick up speed. I feel it does lose out on efficiency though. From a standstill you can step on it, hear the engine roar and the car will move, but just not at the pace the engine noise makes you think. Once it gets going though, it'll pick up speed easily.


Handling : It's an SUV, what do you expect??! The steering wheel is very light, in fact it's so light there is almost no feel to it. There's been occasions where I'm taking the roundabout on ramp a little faster than expected but the steering doesn't tell me anything until I feel the unsteadiness of the vehicle. Oh and by faster than expected I mean 30-35 mph which is actually the speed limit on the on ramp! One thing good about this vehicle is the ability to soak up bumps and unevenness on the pavement. Those tall tires and soft suspension really does the job. I hardly feel any of the bumps! Down side of course is the horrible road feel which you will need in an emergency avoidance situation.


Special Feature : Microsoft Sync on this thing was fairly easy to use. Didn't have the manual so I just stumbled along. Plugged my iPhone in and pressed the voice command. Say USB then followed by Play All and it starts to play all my music. Couldn't tell it to go FM though going to CD or back to USB was easy. Didn't have the manual, so I didn't try too hard to figure it out.  


Bottom line : It's ok for an SUV. Personally I wouldn't buy it. I like knowing what the car is doing on the road, this SUV gives no feedback. The light steering is quite easy to over correct and bad things can happen, very quickly. If you're driving in a place where you can take your own sweet time changing lanes or turning, then it's OK but in the north east where people drive fast and aggressive, not so much.

Daniel Chee  Thursday, July 28. 2011 @ 07:02
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Started a new job! September 30. 2010

Today marked another significant chapter in my life. I just moved to a new job after spending almost 6 years at my previous company. As part of this move, I will also be relocating to the other end of the country. Specifically the Big Apple! Woohoo!:-)


Of course the downside would be leaving the Rainy City :-( As much as I dislike the gloomy weather all year round (maybe 3 months of sunshine if we're lucky) Seattle's been a great place to live. Temperate winter (except for the annoying drizzle), easy access to ski slopes, great hiking trails in the summer, so-so beaches and the relatively clean air. I will miss all the great friends here, not to mention all the micro breweries!:'(


Now off to a new chapter in life! 

Daniel Chee  Thursday, September 30. 2010 @ 23:38
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