Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Complaining DOES Pay Off !!
To my most pleasurable surprise, I found in my email an invoice from the Hyatt Regency with a 50% discount for our room during Lee's graduation! I'm so glad I wrote that letter and aired my unhappiness with that stay. As my mother says in her infinite wisdom - never be afraid to ask...they can't hit you, the worst they can do is say No!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
It wasn't THAT bad, but let's see what we get!
ATT: Management
Hyatt Regency Miami
400 SE 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33131
RE: Unsatisfied Accomodations: Room 527
To Whom It May Concern:
On February 4, 2011 I checked into the Hyatt Regency with my family to witness the graduation of my husband from Kaplan University. We were all very excited to stay at the Hyatt Regency because of the prestigious name and accomodations that go along with the Hyatt. We actually cancelled another hotel to celebrate this weekend in style and comfort but unfortunately those expectations were not met.
My main grievance was with the room itself. Lacking the modern style the lobby had, the room decor was mediocre to say the least. The air conditioning did not seem to be cooling so I lowered the temperature but to no avail. An engineer was sent to the room around 11:00 p.m. who changed the filter and reassured us it would blow cooler. However, that did not help and we spent a very uncomfortable, sleepless night in humid conditions. The television also provided very static channels and it was not enjoyable to watch.
Paying to park at a hotel I spent over $200.00 a night for was also something I did not expect. I was very upset that every time I left the self-parking garage I had to pay. Those costs should be included in the nightly rate and guests should not have to pay to park in a hotel in which they are staying. There was not even any advance notice during booking or check-in that parking was paid hourly and it caught us by surprise.
This weekend was to be one of excitement and luxury but we were sorely dissatisfied with the level of service and accomodations that the Hyatt Regency Miami provided. It took away from our experience and negatively impacted our celebrations.
I hope some sort of concession can be provided to compensate for the unsatisfactory stay I had at the Hyatt. I sacrificed extra money to have a more lavish experience and was unhappy with what I got.
Sincerely,
Danielle Soo Yee
Hyatt Regency Miami
400 SE 2nd Ave.
Miami, FL 33131
RE: Unsatisfied Accomodations: Room 527
To Whom It May Concern:
On February 4, 2011 I checked into the Hyatt Regency with my family to witness the graduation of my husband from Kaplan University. We were all very excited to stay at the Hyatt Regency because of the prestigious name and accomodations that go along with the Hyatt. We actually cancelled another hotel to celebrate this weekend in style and comfort but unfortunately those expectations were not met.
My main grievance was with the room itself. Lacking the modern style the lobby had, the room decor was mediocre to say the least. The air conditioning did not seem to be cooling so I lowered the temperature but to no avail. An engineer was sent to the room around 11:00 p.m. who changed the filter and reassured us it would blow cooler. However, that did not help and we spent a very uncomfortable, sleepless night in humid conditions. The television also provided very static channels and it was not enjoyable to watch.
Paying to park at a hotel I spent over $200.00 a night for was also something I did not expect. I was very upset that every time I left the self-parking garage I had to pay. Those costs should be included in the nightly rate and guests should not have to pay to park in a hotel in which they are staying. There was not even any advance notice during booking or check-in that parking was paid hourly and it caught us by surprise.
This weekend was to be one of excitement and luxury but we were sorely dissatisfied with the level of service and accomodations that the Hyatt Regency Miami provided. It took away from our experience and negatively impacted our celebrations.
I hope some sort of concession can be provided to compensate for the unsatisfactory stay I had at the Hyatt. I sacrificed extra money to have a more lavish experience and was unhappy with what I got.
Sincerely,
Danielle Soo Yee
Weekend In Review
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest here's how the weekend shaped up:
Overall Experience - 8
Hotel - 4 (WE HAD TO PAY TO PARK IN THAT HOTEL every time we left...need I say more?. The room was VERY mediocre and disappointing. Not to mention the a/c didn't work. Shoulda just stayed at Motel 6)
Beach - 8. Water was beautiful minus the jellyfish and freezing temps. People probably thought Lauryn was Canadian the way she frolicked in it.
Weather - 10. Perfect beach weather. Can't wait for summer now!
Graduation Ceremony - 5. It was 3 hours long, and Lee was like the 2nd to last person to be called!
Drive - 4. I don't travel well.
Food - 4. Let's just say we won't be eating Subway in a long time again. We went to South Beach for dinner the first night for Italian and I'm still trying to recover from the cost associated with that B.S.
Mood from 5 pm Saturday after an uncomfortable night sleep, 3 hour ceremony, jaunt in the pool, traffic to South Beach again - Minus 0.
All in all, we had a good time! Being with the girls in a different place, seeing Lee cross the stage, and being with each other was the best and outweighed all the shortcomings. It was a special weekend and one to remember.
Overall Experience - 8
Hotel - 4 (WE HAD TO PAY TO PARK IN THAT HOTEL every time we left...need I say more?. The room was VERY mediocre and disappointing. Not to mention the a/c didn't work. Shoulda just stayed at Motel 6)
Beach - 8. Water was beautiful minus the jellyfish and freezing temps. People probably thought Lauryn was Canadian the way she frolicked in it.
Weather - 10. Perfect beach weather. Can't wait for summer now!
Graduation Ceremony - 5. It was 3 hours long, and Lee was like the 2nd to last person to be called!
Drive - 4. I don't travel well.
Food - 4. Let's just say we won't be eating Subway in a long time again. We went to South Beach for dinner the first night for Italian and I'm still trying to recover from the cost associated with that B.S.
Mood from 5 pm Saturday after an uncomfortable night sleep, 3 hour ceremony, jaunt in the pool, traffic to South Beach again - Minus 0.
All in all, we had a good time! Being with the girls in a different place, seeing Lee cross the stage, and being with each other was the best and outweighed all the shortcomings. It was a special weekend and one to remember.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Keeping the Tradition
I don't know what made me think of this topic, but I thought it blog worthy. One day (if Lee gets his act together) I hope to have children. Minimum 2, maximum 3. I want a girl first and after that, it doesn't matter. But regardless of what or how many I have what's important to me is to keep part of my Trinidadian culture in their lives. I had a great childhood; Lived in the bush, feared my mother's wrath, and still have the same friends. Here are some things I will keep up as tradition in my children's lives:
1. Sticking the cake. I never knew Americans did not stick birthday cakes until I met Lauryn & Leeana. It was one or the other's first birthday I had with them, and they looked at me like I had a third eye when I asked who they wanted to stick the cake with. The birthday person is to hold the knife and have a partner with a fork. After the song, they both cut the cake, feed eachother, and then kiss. Their response...IT'S NOT A WEDDING DANIELLE. After I pitied their American ways, I showed them and made a mental note to make that a part of my children's birthdays.
2. Kiddies Carnival. My kids must at least once play in the Kiddies Carnival. It happens before the actual adult carnival and it's a must for every Trinidadian child. I remember playing as a child like it was yesterday and it was the start of my carnival passion.
3. Playing in the rain. Got another third eye look from the girls on this too when I suggested it. What child has not played in the rain? Oh the memories are flooding back! Obviously it's a life threatening action in the U.S. but back home we played in the rain. Sheer joy.
4. The food. As a food lover myself, it's very important that my children love all types of Trinidadian food. From curry goat to pigtail, they must eat it all. My parents fed me everything as a child and did not tolerate pickyness. Oh, so you don't want to eat dinner? Come here for some licks, then you can go to bed hungry. That's how I grew up. By some divine intervention I have had the patience with Lee's girls. But they've come far from chicken nuggets. Now, Lauryn would eat a turd if it was curried and Leeana doesn't mind her food touching now on the same plate. Their tolerance for spicyness has developed 100 times also! Love it!
I've run out of things now, but I'm sure I'll be adding to the list in the future. Maybe I should ask Lee what kinda traditions he wants to keep but what could he say? Superbowl & Beef Jerky? Me thinks not!
1. Sticking the cake. I never knew Americans did not stick birthday cakes until I met Lauryn & Leeana. It was one or the other's first birthday I had with them, and they looked at me like I had a third eye when I asked who they wanted to stick the cake with. The birthday person is to hold the knife and have a partner with a fork. After the song, they both cut the cake, feed eachother, and then kiss. Their response...IT'S NOT A WEDDING DANIELLE. After I pitied their American ways, I showed them and made a mental note to make that a part of my children's birthdays.
2. Kiddies Carnival. My kids must at least once play in the Kiddies Carnival. It happens before the actual adult carnival and it's a must for every Trinidadian child. I remember playing as a child like it was yesterday and it was the start of my carnival passion.
3. Playing in the rain. Got another third eye look from the girls on this too when I suggested it. What child has not played in the rain? Oh the memories are flooding back! Obviously it's a life threatening action in the U.S. but back home we played in the rain. Sheer joy.
4. The food. As a food lover myself, it's very important that my children love all types of Trinidadian food. From curry goat to pigtail, they must eat it all. My parents fed me everything as a child and did not tolerate pickyness. Oh, so you don't want to eat dinner? Come here for some licks, then you can go to bed hungry. That's how I grew up. By some divine intervention I have had the patience with Lee's girls. But they've come far from chicken nuggets. Now, Lauryn would eat a turd if it was curried and Leeana doesn't mind her food touching now on the same plate. Their tolerance for spicyness has developed 100 times also! Love it!
I've run out of things now, but I'm sure I'll be adding to the list in the future. Maybe I should ask Lee what kinda traditions he wants to keep but what could he say? Superbowl & Beef Jerky? Me thinks not!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Gong Xi Fa Cai
Happy New Year!!! Or should I say Happy Chinese New Year! It's actually tomorrow, February 3rd but what's one day early between friends! To visit Asia is definitely on our bucket list and I would love to be there today to witness the celebrations in the motherland. I've been doing some Googling and there are some interesting traditions that the Chinese do on this auspicious day. For example, they sweep every corner of the house in preparation of the new year and then they say goodbye to the Kitchen God by sweet foods and honey. It's considered improper to tell a lie, curse, or even raise one's voice on the first day of the new year. All food must be prepared prior to New Year's day and all sharp tools like knives and scissors put away so they won't "cut" the luck of the New Year. Very interesting!
Lauryn's a rabbit because she was born in 1999 and here's her horoscope:
The Rabbit is a symbol for mercy, elegance, and worship of beauty. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are kind, loving persons, and dislike any hostile act. They give others an impression of being frail-looking because of their gentle appearance. But, in fact they are strong-minded and have strong wills. They pursue their ideals all their lives in a precise and orderly way. They do things slowly and deliberately because of their cautious characters.
Interestingly enough, a couple weeks ago, Lauryn found a rabbit in the backyard. It was obviously a pet rabbit because I think it had a collar or something of the sort. They put posters up around the neighborhood and went door to door to try and find the owner. Lo and behold, they did find the owner. It belonged to an Asian family but by that time she was already in love with the creature and the waterworks started when she had to give it back. According to her, the Chinese man said "Why see cry? Why see cry?" (it's hysterical to hear her imitate him) and in the end he gave her the rabbit...cage and all!!! The rabbit went through a dozen names but I think it's finally called Fonzi. Now that I think about it, this story is a little too co-incidental: Lauryn, Year of the Rabbit, Chinese people, Fonzi..hmmm!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
My Lil Graduate
I know, I'm gonna say it again...Oh, how times flies. Fifteen months have come and gone in a flash and we're getting ready to celebrate Lee's scholastic achievement of his Master's Degree. We're all very, very proud of him and his accomplishment. For fifteen months he's stayed up late finishing projects, attending group meetings, and turning in homework. His program was to take two years, but he doubled up his classes to finish early. What's even more mentionable is that he got all A's and has a perfect grade point! Unfortunately, however, he would not be recognized for that at the graduation ceremony because his last class ended less than 8 weeks before the ceremony and the academic audit would not be completed. But in our minds, he's the top of the class/world!
This coming weekend the girls and we are heading to Miami for the graduation ceremony. The girls are skipping school Friday and we're skipping work to head down early and enjoy the area before Saturday when the ceremony is. We're staying at the Hyatt Hotel and that alone has us pumped up. We're La Quinta or Days Inn kinda folk and it's a real treat to stay in a fancy schmancy place. *Very against my ethnic spending, but it's a celebration weekend*
We plan to hit the Miami beaches, do some shopping, sightseeing..the whole tourist thing. We've never taken the girls overnight with us out of town, so it's a first for that too. I'm not worried about them in the least, but what I'm dreading is 1) the 4 hour drive to and from Miami and 2) sharing a hotel room with those Peters' !! If you know me, you know I'm a very (let me bold that word) sensitive sleeper. The stars have to be aligned for me to fall asleep and with one king bed it's going to be rough! I've actually opted to sleep on the blow up mattress which eliminates the need to share my bed with anybody, but then there's the noise...oh those Peters'. Lee snores incessantly, Leeana breathes/snores loudly, and Lauryn talks in her sleep. I'm packing ear plugs. Wish me luck.
But in any case, I'll put aside my neuroticisms and avoid paying for an extra room. We're looking forward to a GREAT time of being together and celebrating Lee's defining moment. I'm so glad he's over with it too...it was stressful on me too when he had homework out the ying yang, when he stayed up all hours of the morning etc. But like we agree, now comes the hard part...finding a job to commensurate his qualifications. Stay tuned for wonderful pictures of our weekend!
This coming weekend the girls and we are heading to Miami for the graduation ceremony. The girls are skipping school Friday and we're skipping work to head down early and enjoy the area before Saturday when the ceremony is. We're staying at the Hyatt Hotel and that alone has us pumped up. We're La Quinta or Days Inn kinda folk and it's a real treat to stay in a fancy schmancy place. *Very against my ethnic spending, but it's a celebration weekend*
We plan to hit the Miami beaches, do some shopping, sightseeing..the whole tourist thing. We've never taken the girls overnight with us out of town, so it's a first for that too. I'm not worried about them in the least, but what I'm dreading is 1) the 4 hour drive to and from Miami and 2) sharing a hotel room with those Peters' !! If you know me, you know I'm a very (let me bold that word) sensitive sleeper. The stars have to be aligned for me to fall asleep and with one king bed it's going to be rough! I've actually opted to sleep on the blow up mattress which eliminates the need to share my bed with anybody, but then there's the noise...oh those Peters'. Lee snores incessantly, Leeana breathes/snores loudly, and Lauryn talks in her sleep. I'm packing ear plugs. Wish me luck.
But in any case, I'll put aside my neuroticisms and avoid paying for an extra room. We're looking forward to a GREAT time of being together and celebrating Lee's defining moment. I'm so glad he's over with it too...it was stressful on me too when he had homework out the ying yang, when he stayed up all hours of the morning etc. But like we agree, now comes the hard part...finding a job to commensurate his qualifications. Stay tuned for wonderful pictures of our weekend!
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