2012 Review: Inspired By The Box

Where do I start travel or television? The good, the bad or the ugly?


The highlight as to be the Olympics and Paralympics for travel and TV, it made a change watching real talent and real stars (note to self - cancel Sky Sports subscription. I’m bored of overpaid arrogant footballers) not wannabees and has-beens on reality TV shows. I loved going to London this summer during the Olympics, and I would argue with Disney over the ‘happiest place on earth’ tag because I’m sure during the summer of 2012 London won that gold medal.

It wasn’t all positives this year,  £800 for 2 nights room only in a London Holiday Inn Express, still chained to my desk and I wasted my time watching a group of one-hit wonders called Alcatraz, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour and the aptly titled Unforgettable – I liked them.  At least Damien Lewis’s Life lasted two seasons.

It was au revoir to Desperate Housewives and Harry’s Law and bonjour to Touch, Elementary and Homeland, even thou I’m still not sure if I enjoyed season 2 it was all over the place.  Guy Pearce’s Jack Irish, Arrow and Person of Interest were all 5 star and American Horror Story: Asylum and Girls (I think I’m getting old) were a dirty 1 star hostel which I walked away from after two episodes.

With foreign TV (meaning non English speaking shows) I was gutted I missed Romanzo Criminale season 2 the first time around on Sky Arts but the series link is now in place for the repeats and Vinicio Marchioni is my first crush of 2013. Then there is the French.  Braquo season 2 was magnifique bring on season 3 and Mansion Close was alright but did drag on a bit. Now for 2013 so far there is Hard on Sky Arts, watching a comedy about a straight-laced widow running a porn business should be interesting especially when I’m watching it with my Mom in the room. Merci it’s in another language.

Vinicio Marchioni

On the travel front apart from London being my top destination for 2012 I only managed two trips abroad.  In April I went to Switzerland for the first time – a long weekend of après-ski in Verbier and an hour running around a windy Geneva trying to see as much as possible.  The other was a beautiful week in Provence, visiting Nimes, Arles, Salon de Provence, Aix en Provence and Istres with Monsieur X as my personal tour guide, host and cook.

Windy Geneva

Hot Salon de Provence

My 'Disneyland' - Olympic Park

But what about 2013? More travelling for starters and until then I have my faithful box in the corner…it’s only the 6^th January and with new seasons of NCIS, Bones, Stella and Silent Witness starting this week and getting closer to the second half of Walking Dead season 3 and Sky’s new Kevin Bacon show the Following (FYI loving the EE Bacon ads) I think it’s going to be a great year.

New Year Resolutions?  Yes!

No more ‘R’s – repeats and reality (massive fail as I’m watching Celebrity Big Brother).
More ‘T’s – Travel and (Quality) TV.

My Travel (& Job) Bucket List: Hotel Secrets

My horoscope for December was: ‘A way of working that involves travel could open up for you’. I hope you were right Mystic Meg and all last month’s hard work on my CV is going to pay off.

Watching Richard E Grant’s Hotel Secrets again over Christmas has relighted my passion for travel and my love of staying in and working with hotels again. Yes all these hotels 'REG' visited are way out of my price range but I can dream, even thou I would give the hotels from episode 2 -‘Living and Dying’ a miss if I could stay anywhere in the world. The Hotel Chelsea in New York which was part of the Sid and Nancy story was too dark and creepy – I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

If money was no object (and I do accept freebies) I would narrow down my list to Caesars Palace, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Savoy London. But I did love the views from U2's Clarence Hotel in Dublin, the very James Bond-style hidden televisions behind paintings in London's Lanesborough, the very witty Paddy the Porter at Ireland's Ashford Castle and the St Regis $9,500 a night Dior Room in New York however I must make sure I don't the same time as Elton John as I wouldn't want to downgrade.

REG finished off his short series in my favourite part of the world – South of France. Of course he didn’t stay in the same areas to me; I stayed in Miramas and a one Star hotel on the outskirts of Avignon he stayed in top hotels in Monaco, Nice, Juan-les-Pins, Cap d’Antibes and St Tropez (they too are on my bucket list) but he did visit Cannes as have I.

I stayed in Monsieur X’s apartment with 10 other Photographers sleeping on a mattress; I can’t imagine REG doing that. I went during the film festival in 2010 and spent most of the time there walking up and down la Croisette star spotting joining the crowds standing outside these hotels so it was good to see what was behind the posh cars, security and doors. The closest I go to a life of a Film Star was walking through the lobby and bar of the Carlton Hotel with Monsieur X to see an Art exhibition, we never made it to the Roman Polanski suite like REG. 

 

Now I want a new job, my current position chained to a desk is driving me mad, my feet are getting itchy and my passport is begging me to use it. Of course Bon Jovi Tour manager or being Richard E Grant would be cool, but back to the real world. 

Four years ago I was working overseas for a holiday company, firstly as an Customer Service Administrator in Spain, sorting out angry guests complaints (again stuck behind a desk) and trust me the customer is NEVER always right and then as a Health and Safety Co -Ordinator staying in amazing (and not so great) hotels in the Caribbean for one year then returning to Europe for another summer of visiting hotels in Italy.  I lived in Ibiza, Orlando, and Sicily but never stayed in any hotels, visiting the Caribbean was a different story and even thou my stays in these hotels were short the majority of them were sweet too.  My favourites (so far) were:

Galley Bay – Antigua.

I only stayed one night there and after a day of auditing two or three hotels I never left my room because I was too busy taking photos of its every angle of the room and the sea views, having the biggest bubble bath ever, my bedroom in Boredville is probably the same size as this bath.

 Galley Bay

 

Divi Little Bay – St Martin

They upgraded me to an apartment and the hotel was very nice and staff very friendly. I think it was all of my stay in St Martin which made this trip memorable. Monsieur X was working on the island at the time, so I had someone to spend my free time with, and someone to enjoy the excursions I had to check with. Monsieur X and my chauffeur for the week were my unofficial tour guides I felt I saw more of this Caribbean island than any of the other islands I spend more time on.

Divi Little Bay is down there somewhere

Tropical Escape, Barbados

A beautiful small clean hotel and the only negatives about my stay there was a minority of vile guests who never read the brochure, and when they found out I worked for a particular travel company, they made my life hell with their pathetic complaints. Sandy Lane it isn't but you get what you pay for and more due to the pleasant and helpful staff.

It’s been five years since my visit (way too long to stay away from the islands) but I would also give a special mention to…..Blue Waters Antigua, when I redecorate my bedroom it will be styled like their rooms and the House hotel in Barbados this quiet small hotel is the perfect chill-pill to escape the rat race for a week or two.

My escape from those horrible guests

So note to Sky - If REG goes off sick I would work for free...and travel expenses. But maybe Sky could give me a job visiting the world’s worse hotels (note two to Sky -if Carl Pilkington is ill, see note 1). I have plenty of experience in this field, yes 5 star hotels are amazing and it’s easy to remember my favourites but after I’ve checked out of a truly horrible hotel they are the ones that stay in my memory bank the longest… cue photos

Of course I won’t name these hotels; one was a hotel in Jamaica. It was a clean hotel, beautiful sea and sunset views and no problems with the staff. However staying alone in a hotel full of ageing couples giving me a wink and a smile scared the hell out of me and in my hotel room the only free TV channels I had was CNN and Playboy and there is only so much CNN anyone can watch in one night.

I will name Sandals hotels in Jamaica as not being the best hotels I have stayed in. The staff was very helpful, the hotel and rooms were beautiful and the grounds and beaches were clean and spacious. But again I had to stay in these hotels on my own looking like a jilted bride on her honeymoon.  These guests didn’t scare me, their stares made me paranoid instead. The first few days of stay I would hide in my amazing room making the most of the bathroom freebies and mini bar.

With Italy I will let the photos do the talking, these photos are 4 years old and hopefully the hotel got its act together or its been knocked down.

 The Honeymoon Suite - complete with stains

 The Gym -  where you can swing from the ceiling.

 If you want a room with wallpaper, you will have to pay extra.

 The lounge/ climbing frame for the kids

Can you run to the pool before this rubbish falls on your head

So to all the hotel chains who want someone to test their hotel services and to Sky and all the other TV networks, who need someone to carry any of your stars bags on their next trip. My diary is currently empty and my passport and me are ready to go!

CV and references available on request.