PrincessTToo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 11, 2003
After dropping my DH off at the airport, I drove by myself to the PBH. We had such a wonderful time on our cruise that I was worried that the rest of my vacation might be a bit of a let down. PBH to the rescue! The minute I saw the sign for the PBH, I started smiling.
This is my 4th visit to PBH in as many years. Im starting to feel like Im coming home when I pull up to the entrance. I could never get tired of this resort. Its the only hotel in the world that when I leave I feel absolutely certain that I will return some day.
Everyone who works at the PBH is friendly, but the front desk clerk was exceptional. She wasnt able to get me a room that was ready but went out of her way to make sure I had everything I needed while I waited. She directed me to the business center so I could check Email (too expensive to use but it was nice to check it out). And she gave me a day pass to the spa so I could go swimming if I wanted (but my swimsuit was in my suitcase so I didnt use this).
While she was checking me in, she picked up the phone, dialed some number and whispered my last name into the receiver. Shortly after that the hotel manager came out and shook my hand and said that if there was anything they could do to make my stay better to not hesitate to ask . I stood there in shock and didnt know what to say. When the manager left and hadnt greeted any other guests, I asked the clerk was that just for me? She said yes. I was too stunned to ask why. Did I hit some magic number of visits that now requires a personal greeting from the manager? And it wasnt because I had rented the presidential suite. I was getting a regular room with a AAA discount and a free deluxe upgrade. All I can say is WOW, what service!
After checking out the business center, I parked myself in the beautiful lobby, opened up my laptop and started working on my cruise trip report. If I had unlimited resources, I would create a great room in my house just like this lobby. I love the French doors going out to the beautiful terrace and the seemingly infinite seating areas in the lobby area itself. The furniture is beautiful and not too matchy-matchy (Obviously I watch too many decorating shows on TV.)
When I started to feel hungry, I double-checked that my room wasnt ready (nope, the current owner hadnt checked out yet). Then I made my way down to Sals Market. A trip to PBH is not complete without a Sals pizza. As always, it was wonderful. The restaurant was very quiet. I parked myself by the window, opened up my laptop and spent another hour or so eating half of my pizza and working on my trip report. Now this is a vacation!
When I started to yearn for some sun, I had the guy at the counter put the rest of my pizza in a box and then in a big bag and made my way to the villa pool. Once again, if I had unlimited resources .. A girl can dream cant she?
I parked myself in one of those very comfy chaise lounges and read for quite a while. Its very hard to find anything negative about my trip, but there was one little thing. The music. I love the beautiful classical music that they normally play at the villa pool. But since I was there in December, they were playing Christmas carols. It just didnt work for me. After that I noticed that the Christmas music was everywhere. On the boat, all over the parks, everywhere. By the end of my vacation I couldnt handle hearing any more Christmas music. Enough already!
Another tiny little negative thing. The huge live Christmas tree out on the plaza looked like Paul Bunyon had taken a big bite out of the side of it. Or maybe it was his ox, Babe. Either way, it looked pretty weird. I imagine its very hard to get a real tree that big and have it perfectly shaped but I think it would have been fine to display an artificial one.
Back to the story, I finally got tired of the sun (is that possible?) and went back to the lobby to inquire about my room again. This time the desk clerk was tired of making me wait and called housekeeping. She said that they would be done shortly. So I went back to the lobby to read the paper and wait. Finally the clerk came out and told me it was ready. She gave me the room number, etc. and I was on my way.
I had room just down the hall from where I had stayed in January. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the room renovation had turned out. It was very subtle difference but definitely better. And after the tiny cruise cabin, I felt like I was staying in the lobby of the Taj Mahal. And I love the bathrooms in the deluxe rooms. Ive only stayed in one other hotel that had a better bathroom (a suite with 3 bathrooms actually) and I paid 4 times as much for that as what I paid for my PBH room.
I unpacked, got hooked up to the Internet, checked Email, and got my free water/fruit delivered. I always ask for the water/fruit. It lasts me the entire trip (when its not too hot out). Its a great treat when you come back from the parks at the end of the day.
Then I decided that since I was free of lugging around that heavy laptop case that I would just wander around. I wandered around the hotel (and bought the deodorant I had forgotten to pack I had used my DHs on the cruise). Then I wandered along the Garden Walk to the Hard Rock. I say it every time. I love the Garden Walk! It is beautiful, peaceful, and just plain perfect. Even if you dont stay at the PBH or HRH, please check it out.
I had never been to the HRH before so I decided to take a peek. I came in through the boat launch area and really didnt know where to go from there. I finally found the front entrance and checked out the lobby. It just didnt do it for me. Im definitely a PBH girl. But the pool looked fun and there were a lot of people in it.
It was getting dark and I was getting tired. So I strolled back to the PBH and stopped at the Gelateria for my favorite dinner. A hot fudge sundae with nuts. Just the kind of dinner that you only have on vacation. Or you only admit to having on vacation.
I went back to my room with my treat and spent the evening reading, watching TV, surfing the internet and just generally enjoying myself. I eventually also finished my pizza. Yum.
P.S. Sorry it took me so long to get this trip report posted.
This is my 4th visit to PBH in as many years. Im starting to feel like Im coming home when I pull up to the entrance. I could never get tired of this resort. Its the only hotel in the world that when I leave I feel absolutely certain that I will return some day.
Everyone who works at the PBH is friendly, but the front desk clerk was exceptional. She wasnt able to get me a room that was ready but went out of her way to make sure I had everything I needed while I waited. She directed me to the business center so I could check Email (too expensive to use but it was nice to check it out). And she gave me a day pass to the spa so I could go swimming if I wanted (but my swimsuit was in my suitcase so I didnt use this).
While she was checking me in, she picked up the phone, dialed some number and whispered my last name into the receiver. Shortly after that the hotel manager came out and shook my hand and said that if there was anything they could do to make my stay better to not hesitate to ask . I stood there in shock and didnt know what to say. When the manager left and hadnt greeted any other guests, I asked the clerk was that just for me? She said yes. I was too stunned to ask why. Did I hit some magic number of visits that now requires a personal greeting from the manager? And it wasnt because I had rented the presidential suite. I was getting a regular room with a AAA discount and a free deluxe upgrade. All I can say is WOW, what service!
After checking out the business center, I parked myself in the beautiful lobby, opened up my laptop and started working on my cruise trip report. If I had unlimited resources, I would create a great room in my house just like this lobby. I love the French doors going out to the beautiful terrace and the seemingly infinite seating areas in the lobby area itself. The furniture is beautiful and not too matchy-matchy (Obviously I watch too many decorating shows on TV.)
When I started to feel hungry, I double-checked that my room wasnt ready (nope, the current owner hadnt checked out yet). Then I made my way down to Sals Market. A trip to PBH is not complete without a Sals pizza. As always, it was wonderful. The restaurant was very quiet. I parked myself by the window, opened up my laptop and spent another hour or so eating half of my pizza and working on my trip report. Now this is a vacation!
When I started to yearn for some sun, I had the guy at the counter put the rest of my pizza in a box and then in a big bag and made my way to the villa pool. Once again, if I had unlimited resources .. A girl can dream cant she?
I parked myself in one of those very comfy chaise lounges and read for quite a while. Its very hard to find anything negative about my trip, but there was one little thing. The music. I love the beautiful classical music that they normally play at the villa pool. But since I was there in December, they were playing Christmas carols. It just didnt work for me. After that I noticed that the Christmas music was everywhere. On the boat, all over the parks, everywhere. By the end of my vacation I couldnt handle hearing any more Christmas music. Enough already!
Another tiny little negative thing. The huge live Christmas tree out on the plaza looked like Paul Bunyon had taken a big bite out of the side of it. Or maybe it was his ox, Babe. Either way, it looked pretty weird. I imagine its very hard to get a real tree that big and have it perfectly shaped but I think it would have been fine to display an artificial one.
Back to the story, I finally got tired of the sun (is that possible?) and went back to the lobby to inquire about my room again. This time the desk clerk was tired of making me wait and called housekeeping. She said that they would be done shortly. So I went back to the lobby to read the paper and wait. Finally the clerk came out and told me it was ready. She gave me the room number, etc. and I was on my way.
I had room just down the hall from where I had stayed in January. I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the room renovation had turned out. It was very subtle difference but definitely better. And after the tiny cruise cabin, I felt like I was staying in the lobby of the Taj Mahal. And I love the bathrooms in the deluxe rooms. Ive only stayed in one other hotel that had a better bathroom (a suite with 3 bathrooms actually) and I paid 4 times as much for that as what I paid for my PBH room.
I unpacked, got hooked up to the Internet, checked Email, and got my free water/fruit delivered. I always ask for the water/fruit. It lasts me the entire trip (when its not too hot out). Its a great treat when you come back from the parks at the end of the day.
Then I decided that since I was free of lugging around that heavy laptop case that I would just wander around. I wandered around the hotel (and bought the deodorant I had forgotten to pack I had used my DHs on the cruise). Then I wandered along the Garden Walk to the Hard Rock. I say it every time. I love the Garden Walk! It is beautiful, peaceful, and just plain perfect. Even if you dont stay at the PBH or HRH, please check it out.
I had never been to the HRH before so I decided to take a peek. I came in through the boat launch area and really didnt know where to go from there. I finally found the front entrance and checked out the lobby. It just didnt do it for me. Im definitely a PBH girl. But the pool looked fun and there were a lot of people in it.
It was getting dark and I was getting tired. So I strolled back to the PBH and stopped at the Gelateria for my favorite dinner. A hot fudge sundae with nuts. Just the kind of dinner that you only have on vacation. Or you only admit to having on vacation.
I went back to my room with my treat and spent the evening reading, watching TV, surfing the internet and just generally enjoying myself. I eventually also finished my pizza. Yum.
P.S. Sorry it took me so long to get this trip report posted.
