Since I don’t frequently stay at Red Lion properties, I thought links to details about the chain, and their frequency program, R & R Club would be helpful.  The R&R Club has three membership levels, Red, Gold, and Platinum, and your points earning abilities increase as your climb up the membership ladder rises.  Red Lion is a Spokane, Washington based company, and all of their properties are located in the western U.S. and Canada.

Check in

I arrived at the hotel via their complimentary airport shuttle a bit before noon on check in day.  At that hour, the lobby was very quiet, but one person was ahead of me to check in.  Of course, they were the one person to have an “issue” the whole day!  It seemed like a long wait, but I’m sure it wasn’t more than 5 minutes or so.  In any event, the desk clerk was quite apologetic, and within a few minutes, I was on my way to room 517 which the clerk noted was “one of our suites.”

The Room

I took the elevator to the 5th floor, and found room 517 just off the elevator and to the left.  I’m typically not a fan of being close to the elevator, but I found the room to be plenty quiet….and best of all, huge!  There was a large sofa, comfortable chair, and work desk in the living area, not to mention huge LCD TV, wet bar, and fridge.  The bedroom area was large as well, and the bed was very comfortable.  The bedroom also had a large LCD TV.  The bath was equipped with a walk in shower, tub, and double vanity.  Not a huge deal since I was traveling alone, but would definitely be a benefit when 2 people need to get dressed.

I took the liberty of making a short iPhone video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Around the Hotel

As I mentioned earlier, I was attending an intensive 2-week management training event and did not accomplish my usual amount of around town exploration.  That said, I did make it to one restaurant that I thought was worth mentioning, The Aurora Summit Steakhouse.  Wow, just wow.  I’m sure there are better steaks somewhere, but I personally found my Ribeye to be of Ruth’s Chris quality for a reasonable price.  If you like steaks, and are in the Aurora area, give The Summit a try.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The hotel’s on Altitude Lounge was a frequent haunt.  Hey, I was there 2 weeks without a car, sue me.    Like the rest of the hotel’s staff I interacted with, the bar staff was friendly, and quick to serve.  I frequently camped out there at night with my laptop to get work done via the hotel’s free wi-fi network.  MJonTravel shoutout to Rico and everyone at Altitude.

Constructive Criticism and The Bottom Line

Nothing bad to say.  The hotel was fine.  There was one morning without hot water at 7am, which the hotel made up to my classmates and I.  Not sure what happened, but I believe the root cause was a mechanical issue that was corrected.  I’ve also seen better wi-fi service, but like I said, it was free, and it mostly worked.  The hotel probably isn’t far from a minor facelift.  Some of the doors, elevator entries, etc, have been beaten up by hapless travelers with their bags, but certainly not to the point of making me wonder if another hotel would be better.  In short, the Red Lion did OK by me for my 2-week stint.  If business takes you to Aurora, consider the Red Lion Denver Southeast.

Did you know MJ on Travel is giving away a $75 dollar Amex gift card?  Click here, and enter the contest.

Getting There

MrsMJonTravel and took a cab from Logan, but the local subway system, “The T” is another good option.  In fact, the Prudential Station is literally right outside the front door of the hotel.  Our cab ride was very expensive, to the point that I think we may have gotten taken.  Granted, the tolls leaving the airport inflate the fare as soon as you get in the tab, but still.  Our cab ride TO the hotel was nearly $40 dollars with tip, while our cab ride to the airport was just under $25 dollars.  You do the math.

Checking In

We arrived at the hotel prior to the standard 3PM check in time, but our room was ready anyway.  Only one person was working the desk, but we were first in line, and within minutes, had been checked into room 805 by the very polite front desk clerk.  Taking the elevator to the 8th floor, we found our room at the very end of the corridor, far from the noise of the elevator and the ice machine.  Yay!

The Room

Room 805 was a standard King room, equipped with what I consider to be a large work area, and fantastic King bed.  There wasn’t a desk per se, but rather a round table with comfortable chairs, and 2 lamps which each had power outlets for plugging in our laptops as well as wired and wireless internet.  I can’t promise that I wasn’t doing something wrong, but I was unable to get the wired internet to work.  Wireless, however, worked fine.  Cost was $13.95 per night.  Overpriced, for sure, but it worked very well.  The room was equipped with a well lit bath area, and the tub even came with a rubber duckie!

Rubber Duckie at the Colonnade

Vanity Area

But a highlight no doubt, was the fabulous bed.  Complete with duvet, and duck feather pillows, I can’t say that I’ve slept in a more comfortable bed in any hotel!  It was great.  So good, in fact, that I just couldn’t get MrsMJonTravel to wake up in time for a tour of Boston!  Oh well.

The Fantastic Colonnade Bed

Nice LCD TV and Keurig Coffemaker Too

Around the Hotel

I just can’t say enough good things about Boston, and the area immediately surrounding the hotel.  The Shops at Prudential Center, immediately across the street from the hotel were quite nice, and home to several great stores.  And better yet, the area surrounding the Prudential Center were great restaurants.  Among our favorites were the Atlantic Fish Company, which we visited for lunch.  Great wine, and my lobster roll was simply divine!  MrsMJonTravel enjoyed her entree as well.  Everything on the menu looked great, and I expect that it was!

Not nearby, but a reasonable cab ride away, was America’s oldest restaurant, The Union Oyster House.  We went there for dinner.  While I liked Atlantic Fish more, our food was good, and the bar service while we waited for our table was just great.  I suggest making a reservation via Open Table if you are going on a weekend, and don’t want to wait 2 hours for a table.  Immediately across the street from Union Oyster, you’ll find the Bell in Hand Tavern.  Have no clue how old it is, or if it has any history at all.  But if you’re looking for a place to drink a bit, do stop by.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the hotel’s own restaurant, Brasserie Jo.  MrsMJonTravel and I only enjoyed a couple of cocktails and dessert there, but rumor has it the restaurant serves terrific French cuisine.  Our dessert was fantastic, and of course, our cocktails were good.  Better yet, Brasserie Jo happens to be a member of Rewards Network, so you miles junkies can pick up a couple of extra miles by dining there.

Checking Out

Leaving the hotel was the biggest challenge.  Just our luck to be behind the 2 people in the hotel that had an issue.  Couple that with a patron who thought she shouldn’t have to wait in line with the rest of us, and we were waiting a few minutes to check out of the hotel.  Why was I waiting?  There was one minor ( $4 dollars or so) mini bar item on our bill, and since we didn’t even have a key to the mini bar, I felt it necessary to get that charge removed from our bill.  It was promptly removed, and we were on our way back to the airport.

The Bottom Line

I look forward to visiting The Colonnade again on our next visit to Boston.  What a great hotel!  I didn’t even have time to visit the rooftop pool in this trip, and I look forward to doing so next time.  The staff was great, our room was great, and the stay was great.  What more could one want in a hotel.  Visiting Boston’s Back Bay area soon?  Give The Colonnade Hotel a try.

My day job had selected the Omni Charlotte as the location for our annual manager’s meeting, and I could not be more pleased with the choice.  Downtown Charlotte (OK, they call it uptown) has really come a long way since my days as a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Back in the day, the sidewalks rolled up at 5pm, and there was nothing to do downtown.  Not the case anymore!  While our days were filled with work, the options to entertain ourselves in the evenings in the immediate vicinity of the hotel were many.

From check in to check out the staff was uniformly outgoing and friendly, which I suppose is to be expected in a southern city.  The room itself, a 6th floor King, was big and comfortable.  The big standard TV was a throwback to the 80′s but also an indication that the hotel may be nearing the need for an interior “refresh.”  Wireless internet was available throughout the hotel, and was complimentary due to my Omni Select Guest membership.  I did not utilize the workout facility or pool, so I can’t comment on their condition.  More motivated colleagues reported the gym to be on the smallish side.

There was no lack of dining options near the hotel.  Two favorites of mine for the week were LaVecchia’s Steak and Seafood and the Ri Ra Irish Pub.  I also enjoyed the steaks at Fleming’s, which is located in the Epicenter, and connected to the hotel via pedestrian bridge.  The Epicenter is also home to Whiskey River and Howl at the Moon, two fun spots to unwind after a long day of meetings.

A couple of random notes:  Charlotte has a new light rail transit system, Lynx, which can be useful in moving around certain parts of the city.  Taxi fare from the airport to downtown was a fixed fare of $25.00.

All in all, a good week, a good hotel, and a great stay in Charlotte.  The Omni Charlotte is near everything in downtown, and is worth considering should business or pleasure take you to Charlotte.

The hotel, as the name implies, is located at the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta.  The south tower is located within CNN Center, and is attached to the north tower via a bridge which is completely climate controlled.  The hotel is easily accessed from the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport via Atlanta’s subway system, MARTA, and the Georgia Dome/Phillips Arena/CNN Center Station. 

Check-in

Check-in was friendly and would’ve been swift were it not for my corporate credit card.  It seems that my purchase of a MARTA roundtrip at the automated fare machine at Hartsfield tripped off JPMorgan-Chase’s fraud sensor.  Nevermind that every trip I’ve ever taken to Atlanta starts with the same purchase after touchdown, and my airplane ticket to Atlanta had been purchased with the same card for travel that day.  Oh well, a phone call and a few questions answered and I was back in business and on my way to my 10th floor room.

The Room

Access to rooms on all floors at the Omni Atlanta requires insertion of your room key in the elevator.  My room, 1021, was located a the very end of the coridor and was a nice Deluxe King.  Equipped with all the furnishings one might expect, the room was comfortable and quiet, just the way I like them.  If I could improve one thing about the room, I would’ve liked a little brigher lighting at the desk.  Otherwise, it was just fine.  I was offered a mini-bar key at check-in which I turned down, but a review of the iventory list revealed that the mini-bar was equipped with your basic sodas, a few beers, liquors and snacks.  Complimentary wi-fi is provided to Omni Select Guest members, and worked fine as far as I could tell.  I thought the bathroom was larger than usual, but that could’ve been due to my corner location.  Granted, it was a corner with a view a large building, but a corner room nonetheless.

Around the Hotel

The hotel is connected to CNN Center which is home to a few restaurants and bars, a Starbucks, and of course,  CNN.  My work schedule typically doesn’t allow for a tour of CNN, but I hear it’s a nice one.  I know I really enjoyed the CNN New York tour I once had the opportunity to take.  The hotel is steps from the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola and Centennial Olympic Park.  You can always catch a Hawks game at the adjacent Phillips Arena.

Several restaurants are within walking distance of the hotel, and a few are located within CNN Center itself.  A favorite of mine is Dantanna’s.  The restaurant markets itself as an upscale sportsbar, and I guess that description fits the bill.  I tried the filet this visit, and while I wouldn’t say it was up to Ruth’s Chris standards, it was VERY good, and a great value.  Ruth’s Chris happens to be located a block away, and that’s another dining option if you’re on the prowl for great steaks.  Another nearby restaurant that I highly recommend is Peasant Bistro, which I’ve written about before.  If you’re looking for a quick drink at the hotel, Latitudes Bar is an excellent, is somewhat crowded, option.  If you can’t find a seat there, Dantanna’s offers a full service bar as does McCormick and Schmicks which is also located within CNN Center.  If you want to work off those calories, the hotel offers a reasonably well equipped fitness center on the 6th floor of the north tower.  There’s also a full-service spa, which is located adjacent to the fitness center.

Omni’s Loyalty Program

Given that this was only my 3rd stay at any Omni property, I thought a quick word on their loyalty program was in order.  Omni Select Guest is not a points based program like Hilton HHonors or Marriott Rewards.  Select Guest is pretty basic, you can either choose to earn 1 free night for every 10 nights stayed, or 500 airline miles per stay.  Select Guest’s domestic airline partners are limited to American AAdvantage and United Mileage Plus.  Amtrak Guest Rewards is also an option.  The list of partners can be viewed here.

Although not in line with your more traditional points schemes, their program does have some unique features which I think make Omni worth considering.  One of my personal favorites, Select Guest members can have fresh brewed coffee delivered to their door each morning.  Not a huge deal, but I still like it.  And yes, in-room coffeemakers are still provided.  Select Guest offers 3 levels of membership, Gold, Platinum and Black, with better perqs coming with each level.  With only 3 stays or 6 nights required, the middle status level (Platinum) is quite attainable for most and offers the added benefit of upgrades and late checkout privileges up to 3pm.

The Bottom Line

I really liked the hotel.  Service was great, and the location, unbeatable for me.  Easy MARTA access, and a location reasonably close to downtown Atlanta make the Omni a compelling option for Atlanta-bound travelers.  I’ll be back.