Guess What? Another Holiday Inn

It's that time of year again, when I stayed at a Holiday Inn, for the 3 Day Novel Writing contest. This year's lucky Hotel was the Holiday Inn Metrotown.

It is attached to the Metrotown Mall, and is very close to fine family style chain restaurants. It wasn't as much fun staying here as I thought it would be, mostly due to me being wrapped up in the contest, but it was convenient. The rooms are not soundproofed to the outside, so I was disturbed by the traffic, and by the Skytrain roaring past my window every 2 minutes. But, if you are looking for a inexpensive stay during your trip to Metro Vancouver, and don't mind being a few miles out of Vancouver, then give this Hotel a try.

Another Year Another Holiday Inn

This post is a few months late but last Labour Day, I entered the 3 Day Novel Writing Contest, and I stayed at another Holiday Inn. This time the Holiday Inn in question was the Holiday Inn North Vancouver.

The Hotel is located, well where else in North Vancouver! Nesting in the bosom of the North Shore Mountains the Holiday Inn North Vancouver is reminiscent of the Lake Louise Chateau in Banff.

I stayed in my room for most of my visit, but I did enjoy the sauna and hot tub, and a meal at the Pantry Restaurant.

The staff were helpful and friendly, and very patient with my questions about their WiFi service.

Next time you are planning a trip to Vancouver, by all means stay at the Holiday Inn North Vancouver.

Mark Spenser Hotel

In early May I stayed at the Mark Spenser Hotel in Portland. The hotel is located in a off beat area near the arts district and the downtown of Portland.

It was my first trip to Portland and I was satisfied with the hotel. It appears to be a converted residence hote, and all the rooms are non-smoking, and offer a full kitchen. The one drawback was that the television selection was slim, but I didn't go to Portland to watch tv, although I did manage to catch American Idol and the Aprrentice. Since the hotel is in a party area, it can get noisy at night, but if you are in a party mood, there is no better place to stay.

The Mark Spenser is close to Powell's Bookstore, and I got lost in there for hours, just bowsing the thousands of books they have on sale, some of the books are very rare, and under glass. I managed to buy some old pulp fiction novels from the 50's but when I got home I discovered that that the pages were so musty I can't read them! When I bought them I had a stuffed up nose so I couldn't even tell how musty they were! It was still fun.

I was in Portland as a stop over on my way home to Vancouver, BC from my trip to Eugene, but I had so much fun I stayed an extra day, and the folks at Mark Spenser, were very accomodating allowing me to stay an extra day even though someone else had booked the same room on the day I was to leave.

So, if you are in Portland, stay at the Mark Spencer, you will save money and have an adventure.

All board to Eugene

Late March and Early April was a special time for me, as I travelled to Eugene Oregon for book indexing conference. What made it especially fun, was it was my first time onboard an Amtrak train.

Even though I was in the midst of a bad Hayfever attack, I was able to enjoy the ride as we travelled through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Pacific Northwest. My only regret was that I forgot to pack a camera!

The service aboard the train was top notch, and the conductor reminded me of Donald Sutherland in his M*A*S*H* days.

If the views weren't enough, we were able to view movies on the train. I saw Zathura and Chicken Little.

I would recomend that everybody take the train!

Holiday Inn Express

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Vancouver, during the Labour Day holiday, as an escape to write my entry in the 3 Day Novel Writing contest.

I enjoyed my stay at the hotel, although I did ask for a room with a fridge, but they didn't have one, but they were kind enough to furnish me with a microwave oven.

The hotel has a fitness area with treadmill and exersize bikes and a sauna, but I was the only guest to use the facilities, at least when I was using them. The sauna is a dry heat sauna on a timer. They also have a TV, so you can watch Bewitched, while exercising.

Every morning, the Holiday Inn Express offered us a free breakfast in their breakfast nook on the first floor. The free breakfast was well attended by the guests, as they offered hot cinnamon buns and fruit, juice, cereal, and other breakfast items.

If you are attending a concert at the Pacific coliseum, you will do well, by staying at the Holiday Inn Express.

The City of Las Vegas is celebrating it's centennial this year, and you can read all about the fun activities that are planned for the celebrations, and learn how this dusty cow town turned into one of the most exciting cities in the world, in my article published by Dreamscapes Magazine.

Welcome

Hello, My name is Albert Giesbrecht, and I welcome you to my Blogger. I will be giving you travel stories and ideas for your next Vacation that I hope you will find useful and entertaining.

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