Rm 1016 Grand Hyatt Denver

My second visit to Denver was for a conference held at the Grand Hyatt Denver, not to be confused with the Hyatt Regency Denver – which my SuperShuttle driver did. Not to worry though if this detour happens to you, the hotels are only two blocks from each other. And to make things even more interesting, the Grand Hyatt Denver is formerly the Hyatt Regency Denver.

Within about a three to four block radius, you will find every major hotel represented. Why? You are that close to the Colorado State Capitol building, the Colorado Convention Center and the University of Colorado at Denver.

The Grand Hyatt is two blocks from the Denver Pavilions entertainment complex and 16th Street Mall.  These both have lots of shops, restaurants and movie theaters.  Since I was in town strictly for the conference, I got to know the insides of the Grand Hyatt quite well. Here are my highlights:

• Two Double Beds were nice. I used one as a workstation and the room still felt large. They were Grand Beds™ featuring ultra-plush pillows.
• Wi-Fi access for my Mac didn’t work. I had to use their wired dataport at my desk.
• Walk-in closest fit my clothes & suitcase easily. I loved the full length mirrors on both the inside of the door and outside on the wall.
• Room service offers a decadent molten chocolate cake with strawberries.
• My room had a decent city view and the church bells on Sunday were a nice touch for my departure.

I didn’t make it to their gym but I heard good things about it from other conference goers. The hotel’s elevators operate using your room key.  The staff was nice especially the maid service. Next to the concierge desk is a kiosk for airline check-in and printing your boarding pass.  SuperShuttle stops by the hotel every 15 minutes for Denver International Airport.

Pet friendly Grand Hyatt Denver - cute!

Grand Hyatt Denver
1750 Welton Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 295-1234

Photos by Sharon Castellanos

Hilton New York

In just a few days, bloggers from all over the world will begin to pour into New York City for BlogHer ’10, a blogging conference targeted towards female bloggers and the brands who want to work with them.  The conference, as well as numerous parties and brand events, is being held at the Hilton New York.

I pity the poor out-of-towner attempting to vacation at the Hilton next weekend.

But if you’re one of the 1,000 or so expected guests attending the conference – here are some tips for your stay!

Make friends with the Hilton New York - @hiltonnewyork is the official Twitter account for this property and they do a great job of responding to questions and concerns.  You can also become friends with Hilton New York on Facebook.

Make sure you have the right Hilton – there is more than one Hilton in New York City.  There’s even more than one Hilton in Manhattan, so be sure you’re headed to the right place.  The BlogHer conference is being held at Hilton New York, which is located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas.  This property is closer to Central Park than Times Square

Bring your laptop - if you booked your room at the Hilton New York under the BlogHer conference rate, free wifi is included.  Wifi will be available in your room and all over the hotel during the conference.

Bring your workout clothes - whether or not you’re participating in the BlogHer 5k on Friday morning (and if you are, wave to me as you jog by my slow butt!), you can still get your exercise in at the hotel’s fitness center.

What about food? There is free food included in the full conference pass, but there is also food available on site.  The hotel offers fine dining at Etrusca or more casual dining at their Marketplace Cafe.  You can also grab a coffee and a scone at the Starbucks located in their lobby.  If you’re looking for food in the middle of the night and a genuine NYC experience, hit up the famous Halal cart right outside.

And remember… bring cash for your tips!