Otown Hotel Experience

Travelling anywhere, I find HIGHLY exciting.

And maybe it is because I do not travel that often.

So when the chance comes I get this total giddy feeling...

even if it is to a place I have already been...

I am still beyond excited.

Leading into my next entry...travel for business or is it really pleasure? 

Everything I do is a mix of both. you never know who you are going to meet.

I like that part of it.

I want to share with you just a bleep in my latest

travel adventure with the hotel I stayed at.

Recently I was blessed to be able to attend a conference put on by a organization I belong to,

Meetings Professionals International (MPI) in Tampa Bay.

Every year, a Southeastern Conference (SEC) is held and

I was an honored recipent of a scholarship to attend, a couple days before .

When opening the email to be invited to go, I was so so so happy, like a child in a candystore kind of happy. I had a scholarship for my fees to be waived to the conference.

Oh yeah!

Thank you Tampa Bay MPI!

And now...to pay for mileage and room and oh wait...for that approval from work I could even go!

Well, with the company and boss I have now a days,

my life in the competing world with them is non-existant.

Thank the heavens.

My boss does not see me as a threat and in return,

 I think I am acheiving more then I ever thought I could in my role here.

Totally awesome feeling, I highly recommend.

With that said, my director was more than happy to send me off to learn some new things,

meet some new contacts, and gather some hours for my continuing education.

Sweet deal if I do say so myself.

This particular year, the confernce was being held at the fabulous Gaylord Palms in Orlando.

Just a short hop and a skip over from St. Pete and enter into conference haven.

Buttttt the rates at the Gaylord are so so pricey I did not want my director to have heart attack.... so reasonable me, I priced a Marriott 5 miles down the road at a quarter of the price.

Yes, a quarter of the price.

Hello Orlando and all you lovely tourists.

The hotel went turned out to be some what of a nightmare.

Unloading the car, I had my laptop rolling bag, my vera large duffle bag, my purse and my hanging clothes.

I got this (normally my loving so very helpful deals with the luggage but not on this solo trip)!

Off I head to my room. .

Walking in...Mr. Irragation guy decides oh nows a great time to test the waters (pun intended).

He turns ON the sprinklers. Whattttt? Really dude.

Me, now running through the water like a I am at a water park!!!

Soaked. Perfect.

Full steam ahead I head for the door. Locked. OMG.

Me: Find key in my purse, oh that's right it fell to the bottom of my purse.

Rivals Mary Poppins carpetbag :)

In the meantime of trying to find the key I start to smell this stink.

I looked around thinking...That can't be me? Is it the water from the sprinklers?

Oh no no no. It is not me! Theres a leak in the ceiling ABOVE me!

What's a few more drops over me now right? Wrong. Ugh.

Finally into the door and head to the elevators.

No signs, where O where are you mr elevator?

I'm exhausted just explaining this!

::gasp::

I made it.

Flopped onto my bed and breathe for a mintue.

What an experience.

Onto the conference to mix and mingle with new friends!

Remember I said that my hotel was located just five miles down the road?

The traffic to go 5 miles...took a total of 50 minutes to and from the conference.

You read that correct, fifty minutes in stopped traffic!

Yuck.

Oh well, lesson learned...stay no matter the price at the conference hotel.

Less headache, more rest.

The second night must have been teenager stay up and be as loud as possible night.

I did not get the memo but they sure did.

Knock Knock Knock on every door. On the walls. Probably on each other.

Screaming. Laughing. Phones buzzing and beeping. Music. The whole nine yards.

Oh, and now my ac unit is making some kind of noise...awesome.

To say the least, I was exhausted the next morning.

But hanging out with my new friends one more day brought on energy.

The conference was amazing.

Learned so much.

New ideas. New trends.

Made a lot of great contacts.

Meet new friends.

Overall success.

Hotel bust.

XX

-Tee