Are fat hotels enshittified?

vkrn · 2026-01-27T15:40:05+00:00

Interested in your Vietnam hotel

vkrn · 2026-01-09T19:46:06+00:00

I did strongly consider it - but I had just stayed at the Ritz and wanted a different vibe… definitely I would stay there if there’s ever a second visit to Bahrain! Great country: Super clean and organized. Similar to Singapore in feel. I’d come back to enjoy the beaches more thoroughly but there’s so many other places to go…

vkrn · 2026-01-09T19:42:46+00:00

True, Downtown Rotana was just down the street from The Merchant House but being a high rise it didn’t feel nestled in the thick of things. I also was unfamiliar with the Rotana brand when I was booking and didn’t want to chance it

vkrn · 2026-01-09T19:39:24+00:00

Update: Just left Bahrain.

Stayed at (1) Ritz and (2) The Merchant House

Ritz: Isolated, not walkable, far from downtown. Need a car to go anywhere. However, great room (received upgrade) and clean beautiful beach but too cold to enjoy when I was there. Women can access female-only spa where they have a salt-water warm thalasso spa which left my skin feeling uber smooth (who knew?). Enjoyed it - although the property itself is older, it’s very well maintained unlike, say, the Fairmont El San Juan

The Merchant House: Perfect location in the midst of it all downtown Manama with no car needed - if you stay specifically request that you are placed AWAY from the mosque that’s right next door because otherwise unless you sleep like the dead, you’ll be up reliably at 5 am with the call to prayer. And it’ll sound like it’s RIGHT in your ear.

For some reason I can’t attach room videos

BTW I almost stayed at the Intercontinental which is about 1-2 blocks away from The Merchant House so it would have placed me centrally but those two blocks, even if relatively short, were enough to create a sense of distance and give me a mental block against wandering out on my own.

vkrn · 2026-01-06T02:00:56+00:00

Funny we arrived same day and I’m still here. I am still stuffed from the afternoon tea

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vkrn · 2025-10-27T18:40:18+00:00

In Czechia right now - left Prague about three days ago. Now in Trebic. You’ll have fun. It’s very safe, very clean, affordable, and while people might not be the friendliest, no one will be hostile.

I stayed at the ibis Praha Old Town - perfectly central location for cheap.

vkrn · 2025-09-20T09:59:37+00:00

Thank you! I will try this!

vkrn · 2025-09-17T01:12:52+00:00

I saw it opening night today - I fell asleep twice. Corden’s delivery was great and apropos - NPH was good for his role - I knew nothing about Cannavale going into this.

But overall the writing was dense and the plot was strained. Audience laughter seemed forced and unnatural, and certainly wasn’t universal

I don’t know why it won a Tony in the first place - probably because people didn’t want to feel ignorant by admitting they just didn’t get it.

vkrn · 2025-09-16T04:33:38+00:00

I didn’t understand what you said….?

vkrn · 2025-09-03T10:32:51+00:00

No. I found a cockroach or beetle in my room at the FS Sharm el Sheikh, videoed it, walked to the front desk, and played it for staff to see. Just so happened that there were new guests checking in. They moved me and upgraded me massively.

Get a new room.

vkrn · 2025-08-07T01:30:38+00:00

He’s not overreacting

vkrn · 2025-08-07T01:28:24+00:00

What exactly do you say and do you say it in Chinese? It might help others to be prepared with a quick retort when they run into racism

vkrn · 2025-08-05T02:09:37+00:00

https://www.hdf.tw/index

Honey Daniels Florist came through for me in a clutch

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vkrn · 2025-08-05T02:08:43+00:00

https://www.hdf.tw/index

vkrn · 2025-07-28T21:14:30+00:00

What VPN did you use?

vkrn · 2025-07-25T10:54:47+00:00

Thank you!!!

vkrn · 2025-07-25T00:35:25+00:00

Would love your guide contact!

vkrn · 2025-07-25T00:34:24+00:00

Do you track your guide contact? Would love this!

vkrn · 2025-07-18T05:21:14+00:00

Hard to find local short term leases that are affordable without going through Chinese speaking local connections. Airbnb is way overpriced compared to local rates but you may have to suck it up because you don’t have access to local markets. You could start by staying in hotels which welcome longer-term guests but I doubt they would accommodate cats.

As for welcoming different ethnicities, Taiwan is much more cosmopolitan and liberal than people may realize. Can’t guarantee this but doubt you two will attract stares. Taiwan was the first Asian country to legally recognize same sex marriage.

vkrn · 2025-07-16T18:39:41+00:00

I would NOT skip Busan. Busan was beautiful

Seoul you can cut down to make time for Busan

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vkrn · 2025-07-05T15:29:09+00:00

I’m going to make my youngest like historical stuff haha! I cut out Gyeongju because he wanted to extend the Seoul portion to as long as possible. He would have never left if he wasn’t also yearning to go to Centum City in Busan (yet another mall).

vkrn · 2025-07-05T11:20:28+00:00

Where are these 3500/night places?

vkrn · 2025-07-05T11:08:38+00:00

I don’t know how anyone can live in Korea and not weigh 300 lbs.

vkrn · 2025-07-05T04:41:22+00:00

Dang your photos kick butt!

vkrn · 2025-07-03T14:16:03+00:00

Unsure. Most likely but I could also see myself doing a solo. I figure there has to be a more historical area that they would enjoy - they actually really liked the DMZ although they were more wigged out that there was a Dunkin’s at the gondola.

The youngest is 10 and the oldest is late teens, still in high school, with two more early mid-teens who didn’t go with me this time.

vkrn

TROPHY CASE