Hotel Review: Doubletree Tower of London

I've been a bit backlogged in work, so here is a review of the DoubleTree that's been sitting on my to-do list!

London hotels can be quite expensive, and finding deals can be tricky unless you're willing to burn some points.  Before Hilton decided to devalue their award chart, I got in on the deal for reasonable night stays and chose the Doubletree Tower of London for this trip.  I liked the location close to the Tower and easy access to the Tube.

It was extremely easy to get to the DT from the Tower Hill tube stop - just a quick 5 minute walk out and around the corner and we were there. Check in was a bit of an adventure - the agent didn't remember my Hilton Gold benefits, and I had to ask at least three times for the amenities that were part of it.  He said he was new - I'd recommend always asking if they don't bring it up.

Our room was of medium size and ready to go once we made it up the elevator.  Since it was warm during our stay, the air conditioning was very welcome.  I'm always left with a safe feeling when staying at DT's, and this property also gave me that feeling.  Our calls with questions were always quickly solved, and staff were always welcoming.  Internet speed was adequate.

We even tried the rooftop bar on our first night - there was also a wedding party having fun up there - but our drinks were served quickly and the view was ok.  Pricing is a bit high though - watch out for how much you're paying.

All in all I'd stay again if the price were right - points made it easy for this trip.

Cheers!

Birthday Trip Top 10

Not sure what dad's might be, but these are my top 10 things from the trip:

10.1 Seeing the original "scream" - cardboard and all
10. BusinessFirst seats on United - made the flying easier and sleeping flat was definitely worth the trip
9. Fjord cruise in Oslo - perfect to get out on the water
8. Walking the Crown Jewels at the Tower more than once!
7. Changing of the guard by Karl Johan - caught it just at the right time, and got to see the whole thing
6. The idea to make a run for it across the street outside of the Tower...crazy London driving!
5. People who make abrupt stops for no reason right in front of me - for whatever reason, I was a magnet for these on the trip
4. Managing to get a spot on the fence for the Buckingham Palace guard change - and dodging the kids scaling the fence
3. The 60th birthday homage at the Heathrow Hilton
2. Our Norwegian food choices were excellent - fish dishes included

And #1...

1. Spending time with dad!

Final eve in London

Another spectacular day in London - sunny and warm.  We got out to see the area around the Tower and over to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard - pretty large crowds made navigating a bit interesting, but we managed to find an open spot on the fence near a corner where we could catch all the action.  We certainly timed the arrival well and didn't miss any of it.

Afterwards we tubed back to the hotel, repacked, checked out, and made our way west to Heathrow where we'll spend the night before flying out in the morning early.

It's been a really great trip so far - seems like dad has had a really good time, and I'm sure thankful we were able to make it all work. We weren't able to get to everything, but that's what future trips are for!

I'll be posting more pictures from the trip once I'm back in San Diego...stay tuned!

Warm day of walking...and buzz

No, it's not a buzz related to 'spirits' of any sort, but buzz because Andy Murray won Wimbledon today - first British man to do it in over 70 years.  So naturally there was much rejoicing to be had as we walked around - stopped in for dinner at a pub, and caught the last part of the festivities.  Pretty fun to be in London when it happened.

Our morning/afternoon for about four hours, though, was spent walking at the Tower of London.  Thought that dad might enjoy visiting for the historical part of it, and we were not disappointed.  They've redone the Jewel House since last I was here, and now you can actually view the Crown Jewels multiple times since they put a little walkway in next to the moving sidewalk.  Thought that was a nice addition, especially given the large crowds today due to the warm weather.

I must say though that I don't enjoy one thing related to the crowds - what possesses people in a crowd to just stop abruptly right in front of me (nearly causing an accident)?  Am I a magnet for this sort of thing?  I lost count of how many times it happened throughout the day - dad was laughing by the afternoon.

We also made it to see Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (where we caught the end of a quartet rehearsal).  Was fun to show dad where WLC's choir performed and I recorded (and nearly burnt the piano down). 

We'll be out again tomorrow to see the Palaces and visit my favorite fish and chips place!

From Oslo...to London

Bit of a whirlwind day, but we made it safely to London and our hotel.  Here's the recap:

- Got up and took part in a boat tour of the Oslo Fjord - amazing pictures and time out on the water
- Walk by the Town Hall (and location of the Nobel Prize ceremony each year)
- Changing of the guard and pictures at the Slottet (Royal Palace)
- Visit to the Museet to see the Edvard Munch exhibit and original "Scream"
- Afternoon food on Karl Johan's Gate
- Picked up our luggage from the Park Inn and took the quick Flytoget train to OSL
- Made it through security and passport without issue and to our gate to board our British Airways flight
- Landed Heathrow just about on-time and after a quick bus to the terminal, made it through Passport control and to the Tube for our journey
- Our hotel is a 5 minute walk from Tower Hill and the Tower of London!

Looking forward to running around tomorrow!

Happy birthday, London Tube!

I always enjoy taking the Tube in London, for the simple reason that it's so easy to use (especially if you have an Oyster card and top off once you get there).  So that's why I want to wish the tube a very happy 150 years of serving London!

You can find some fun facts about the tube here.

My favorite is the fact that they installed suicide pits in 1926 beneath the tracks...apparently that was the thing to do back then since there were so many?

End of Day 3

No starting plenary today...a nice change that gives everyone a chance to mix it up a little from the past days.  It was a nice cool morning to get to the conference, and my first session was one I was looking forward to...a conversation with Georgia Sorenson, one of the luminaries in our field.  George was the host and moderator, and I was fortunate to have Cheryl introduce me to Georgia before the session began...such an honor!  She talked about her work with James Macgregor Burns, and offered insights into where she believes that leadership is going in the future (did you know she was ordained as a monk in Japan? It helped her reflect on the idea of "invisible" leadership).  Having others like Ron Riggio and Jean Lipman-Blumen in attendance sure set the stage.

For the second session of the day I sat in on a discussion about emerging leadership and what emerging scholars can consider to be successful in the field.  This session was hosted by a friend and colleague from USD, Whitney M Miller who teaches at Northern Kentucky Univ.  What can we do to be more collaborative between our senior scholars and us newbies in the field?

Wanting to bone up on my publishing ideas, I decided to go to the Publishing in Leadership session for the final Concurrent session of the conference.  A panel that included Ron Riggio and Keith Grint gave us their experience and recommendations for emerging scholars to get published in the field, and what are the best tips to get an inside edge.   Can we weather the storm of criticism and feedback that is part of getting into a journal?  Best to hone up on my revising skills!

My afternoon/evening was spent touring with a new friend and colleague, Kelsey, from Virginia Tech before heading back and getting things all packed up.  I'll post a final collective conference summary shortly...hard to believe everything is winding down already...

ILA Day 3

Nearing the end...sad to say ILA is almost over. Another full day of sessions, and then the great wrap up begins.  I also just saw that there is a nor'easter hitting the east coast today and tomorrow and travel waivers have already been issued.  Guess I will be calling United at some point.  Great. I swear I don't plan my travel to coincide with bad weather.

I'll also review my culinary experience at a local Persian restaurant last evening in one of my next posts.  

End of Day 2

Oof...another long day at the conference done, but another day of wonderful presentations and an overall enriching experience.  I'm always excited to go in the morning, and am disappointed when the day is over and I ask myself where the time went.  I guess that's a good thing...better that the time goes by quickly while you're having fun!

Today's opening keynote was by Polly Higgens, an international environmental lawyer speaking on ecocide, and her advocacy efforts to make more people aware of the damage being done to ecosystems.  This particular conference focus of 'one planet, many worlds' brings out many different perspectives - and while the room was full for yesterday's plenary, today's was maybe 40% full.  I'll be curious how the attendance shifts (if at all) tomorrow...could be a topical swing.

My interest in Concurrent Session 4 was around a colleague from my Qatar global study trip, Susan Komives, and the topic of Remapping Leadership Education.  The panel included John Dugan from Loyola (he's leading a trip to Rome over Intercession), and I was very impressed with the small group discussions we had concerning pros and cons behind educating others in leadership.  Will the takeaways hold with us as we go back into our normal work settings?

I was also excited for Session 5 today, as it was a look at Effective Leaders from a Qatari Perspective.  My good friend and colleague Denny Roberts from Qatar Foundation was part of the presentation, along with another colleague from Zayed University, Kate O'Neill.  The idea they're proposing on Khaleeji leadership is one that I believe will take off.  There is such a need for this in the Gulf region that I'm confident more individuals will become interested in being a part of the discovery. 

Session 6 was Dissertation Research Support, and that panel included Cheryl - I thought it best to attend that one as I'm nearing the start of my own research in earnest.  I got some good takeaways regarding publishing and committee work, so I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at so far in my own process.  Soon the research will come.  Soon.

And then shortly thereafter it was time to present my research!  I had a good number of individuals stop by and was able to have many excellent conversations about my research and findings.  Many nods of approval and encouragement to continue forward.  I'm really excited about where this research can take me, and the feedback I keep getting is that this is definitely a growth area to explore.

Another day of fun to come!

ILA Day 2

About to head out on ILA Day 2 - very excited to see what the day holds and the information that will be shared (and maybe my iPad will cooperate and let me post during the day).

I'm also looking forward to sharing my data and results from my research in Qatar this afternoon during the hosted poster sessions...will be nice to hear some feedback and see what people think.  All thoughts are welcome.  Here's the info:

http://www.ila-net.org/Conferences/2011/Program3.asp?ProgramDBID=131

Off I go!

End of Day 1

Finally back to the hotel, and I am wiped...today was a really great day overall, but I'm ready for some sleep.  Before I do that though, a quick recap is in order.

The first concurrent session was Leading the Transition from the Comfort Zone of Traditional Education to the Risky zone of Technology Enhanced learning.  Quite the title.  I was expecting a flutter of all things wonderful about technology, but the presenters did a good job of weaving in the pros and cons, along with a little context of where each had come from in their particular research area.  The Chair of this group was a grad of the U of Phx, so I was curious about what direction she might take.  But she steered clear of UoP advocacy and kept trained on the viability of tools to enhance instruction.  A very interesting discussion.

Session 2 was a packed room - Teaching Student Leaders and Leadership Studies Students.  I'm very proud that one of our own USD 'rockstar's was part of this panel session, Cindy Martinez.  She and the co-panelists talked about three approaches to teaching leadership, and Cindy's was focused on her work at USC in the school of Communications.  I thought each perspective had its own flavor for focusing on the instruction - some direct, some indirect.  Cindy's mentor model was well-received by the attendees, and she had a lot of good questions about development.  Was very proud of how she did.

For session 3 I was torn - I wanted to get to both colleagues from USD that were presenting at the same time (George and Cheryl) but knew I couldn't get all of both.  So I started in at Cheryl's talk - Margins and Mainstreams of PhD Leadership Studies programs in higher ed.  This panel included Eastern University and Lancaster University and each program highlighted the pluses and minuses of what is included in each experience.  I'm proud of where we are as a program, and Cheryl did a nice job of talking through our balance between practitioner and scholar-based focuses (and of course our highlights of 600 and 602).  I think we really are a well-respected program, and the discussion questions were good - including a mini debate about the EdD vs the Phd.  After a bit I quickly left and managed to sit in on the end of George's talk on New Research in Ethics, which was also a packed and SRO.  Many good comments and discussions overhead about it afterwards, so I know that he did a great job.

When this was over, I decided to spend time at the Emerging Scholars Research Consortium area and see various posters that were being discussed by students and selected senior scholars.  I was very impressed by the research being conducted, and look forward to seeing more about each outcome.  I especially enjoyed listening to John Adair give feedback - he is truly a sage in the world of leadership.

Overall a great day - can't wait for tomorrow.  My presentation will be in the afternoon!

ILA Day 1

Good morning from the Park Plaza and Day 1 of ILA!  The opening keynote is about to begin, and the day will be off and running.  I'm very happy to report that I successfully figured out where I was going and how to get here this morning, and had plenty of time to spare, so that bodes well for the rest of the week (other than the two elevator rides to figure out where this room was).  And because my iPad has crashed on me twice while typing this, this is go round #3 for getting this posted.

I'm excited about several sessions today including a discussion on the transitional aspects of moving from traditional education to technology-enhanced learning, a talk about leadership for creativity, and seeing my colleague Cindy from USD present on teaching student leaders and leadership studies students.

The opening session includes a presentation to John Adair, and the keynote will be led by Stef Kranendijk, CEO of Desso.  He will be speaking about the 'cradle to cradle' approach to business and leadership.

Here we go!

Review: North Sea Fish

Here's a more thorough review of North Sea Fish:

Situated in a quiet neighborhood and away from the usual bustle of London, North Sea Fish might not seem to be your typical glamor 'fish 'n chips' establishment in such a well-known city.  But don't let outside looks deceive you - this Zagat-rated restaurant offers one of the best menu experiences for those looking to satisfy their London to-do list of places to eat.

Boasting a menu of daily fresh fish selections from Sea Bass and Salmon to the traditional 'fish n chips' choices of Cod and Haddock, guests can choose from two helping sizes along with both grilled and fried options.  Specials are typical, and can be found upon arrival.  A contemporary wine list is also available, along with standard bar options.  A special dessert menu accompanies your main menu choice.

For the purposes of this review, the sampled dish of the evening was a Fish N Mash selection off of the Special Menu - made with a boneless white fish embedded within a mashed potato shell accompanied with a bowl of peas.  The potato was soft and well-blended, and the fish accented throughout.  The dish was hot, and a white wine complimented the overall selection.

Apple Crumb was chosen for dessert, with a topping of ice cream that did not disappoint.  Best to go with the smaller main course to make room for this treat.

Don't let this hidden gem pass you by on your next trip to London - it's a short walk from the Russell Square tube stop and you won't be disappointed.  You can be sure this restaurant will remain on my visit list for my next trip!

fish 'n...mash

Greetings from London and ILA!

It's a nice, cool evening here right now...just a little light rain falling and the day is winding down.  Doesn't it always seem like it's supposed to be raining in London?  Hmm.  Good walking weather that's for sure.

Made it here in one piece on an airline I had never tried - Vueling.  I think the announcement they had as we boarded was "welcome to Europe's newest international airline...".  Well, that may be true, but their seats left little to be desired.  The plane was full, and they squeezed every inch they could between seats - as I sat in my aisle seat 21D, if my knees were at 90 degrees, I was about 1/4" from the back of the seat in front of me.  No room.  Whatsoever.  It was cheap though, and it got me here.  I might try them again if the cost is right.

After jaunting through Terminal 3 at Heathrow (where I nearly forgot my poster tube at the underground ticket place and a lady had to catch it for me), I was soon on the Tube and off to Earl's Court, where I needed to transfer to the Olympia stop.  When I looked up this route and location for the hotel, I was a little unsure about how to get here - London's never stopped me before though.  Pleasantly surprised that it's about a 5 minute walk from the train to the Hilton, and is very convenient.  My room winds through the halls and snakes around corners, but is the last room on the floor away from everything.  It's not a huge space, but comfortable and clean.

I got here early enough in the evening to drop my things off and head to dinner (since I didn't have lunch before I left), and I couldn't resist heading to my favorite fish and chips place near Russell Square.  North Sea Fish was hopping tonight - I mean, there were non-stop people in and out.  Large groups of 10, small groups of two...and me.  Now, those who know me best know that I love salmon, and normally I would not resist the temptation to have it fresh.  But one of the menu specials for the evening was 'fish and mash'...potatoes, that is.  How could that be bad?  And it comes with peas.  Time to try something new - and I must say that I was not disappointed.  It was great.

And then I had to have apple crumble after.  Ohhhhhhh yum.

Now I'm in recovery.  Good thing this place has a gym on the second floor, I might need it in the morning.

12 hours

My flight was canceled.
I was put on another flight to a different city.
The ORD connection was oversold...
...so no flight to SD.
My bags never made it.
I have no clothes...or toothbrush.
The hotel ran out of amenity packs.

I'm ordering room service.


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To the gate

So...they just called us to the gate. Here I go!


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It's not raining in London...

Location:Heathrow

And it's not too cold either. I'm writing this post from the Star Alliance Lounge at Heathrow as i sit and wait for my next flight...which just posted up that it is delayed due to a mechanical issue. Lucky me. We'll get another update in 30 minutes. Everything was on time when I landed, so I guess I'll see what happens.

My Qatar Airways flight here was fine, but unimpressive. For being a 'five star' airline, I wasn't too impressed. My headset was broken and I never got a new one even after I asked. They never did a beverage service the entire 7.5 hour flight - I had to get up and go ask for a drink. And the food was mediocre...a mushroom crepe-ish looking thing and a lamb pita thing for a snack. The guy sitting next to me was also interesting. Extremely over-cologned and asked if I would switch seats with him (he had the middle and i had the aisle). Ha. Nice try. Plus, he was almost too big for the seat and was crowding over into my space. I hate that.

But upon landing, my nice gold Star Alliance card got me access to the lounge, and so I'm enjoying free food and drink, free Internet, and shower service if i want. I'm thankful for this, and even more so on a delay.

Will update again in a bit. I think I'll try the veggie samosa next...


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a quick note...

Just a quick note while I'm stopped over in London - made it here this far without any problem, got some good sleep on the plane and took a quick shower, and soon will be departing for Dallas. I will post some pictures and other notes once I'm back in the States.

I hope my bags make it this time.