30 Eylül 2012 Pazar

The Next Chapter of Javier's Holiday Inn Buena Park Reno Blog

To contact us Click HERE
2/22/2012

It’s been a relatively quiet week in terms of renovation activity. We received a second framed mirror for out sample room, but that is not news since we already had one. We also received a piece of artwork that will go over the pull out sofa. I like the way it looks, but we will see what the creative minds think when they come to see it. The coolest thing related to that piece of artwork was our use of available technology in placing it. Our corporate team handling the renovation details is in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since we were dealing with a frame size that required a bit of finesse in placing, we thought of holding it up while somebody took a picture to send to them before we make any holes in the wall vinyl. Instead we had them join us via a video communication application. I held up my phone with the application running and they were able to see it on their computer. That way, they gave us at the property real-time direction as to the placement of the piece. It may be just me, but I really thought that was a good use of what some may term “gadgets”. I am including a photo of the artwork over the sofa. I hope you like it. It is not final yet, but I think we will use it.

We also made progress in a key component of our new rooms. We have been concerned about the feasibility of adding the refrigerator to the rooms since the electrical load would be too much for the circuit in that wall. We have resolved that problem and now have a plan. With limited re-routing of wiring, we will be able to proceed with the addition of refrigerators to all our rooms. This is very good news and I am sure our guests will appreciate the added amenity. Our wiring project is now slotted to begin the first week of March. That will mark the first ‘Renovation” action that will be visible to our guests.

As much as the pre-planning has been going on for a while, I confess that finally getting our hands on a property-wide project makes me feel like we are now making real progress.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we begin to see the long awaited transformation.









In keeping with Inn Keeping,

Javier O. Solis, CHA
General Manager
http://www.hibuenapark.com/
www.facebook.com/hibuenapark
www.twitter.com/hibuenapark

:: I'm back ::

To contact us Click HERE

Well, it sure has been a strange month, this last one. July is and has always been busy and unpredictable for me.
I had a few things to deal with lately, some of which have spilled right into August. But all will be fine again. (fingers crossed).

Even so, I have been getting a little crocheting done, for one, I finally finished that big round colorful thing that I wrote about in my last post.
A cover for a banana leaf storage container. I made this for my daughter Katherine. You see her kitty Frodo, used it for a nail sharpener and almost destroyed the lid completely. So, of course she requested a cover for for it. And voila!! There you have it. Cute huh?

Next is Mr. Sssssslithers. I started this snake back in October to give as a Christmas present, but I got caught up with other things and never got a chance to finish it. So since the little recipient of this snake has recently gone through surgery, I decided that a cuddle toy was in order. So Mr. Ssssssslithers finally got a head, eyes, and tongue. And my grandson Julian got a cuddle toy to see him through his recovery. (I apologize for the bad pic)

Well my darlins, I guess this will be all for now. Hoping to get back to my regular posts real soon.

Take care, and have a fantastic weekend. :)

The Kennel Killer: These Dogs Were Not Man's Best Friend

To contact us Click HERE
Last Tuesday night, March 20th, a man stumbled upon two dog heads in a recycling bin behind the CVS store at the intersection of W. Slauson and S. Vermont Avenue. The man found the two heads, a chocolate Labrador retriever mix and a tan German Shepherd, beheaded in the trash can, with no signs of dog fighting or death by anything other than intentional slaughter. The heads are believed to have been severed by a large, sharp object, at a location other than CVS. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Hector Sanchez, who heads the city's Animal Cruelty Task Force, issued a $20,000 reward on Wednesday for any information leading to the capture and conviction of the individual responsible for the two severed dog heads found in the trash bin in South Los Angeles last week. "This is one of the most heinous crimes against animals in my lifetime," said Councilman Paul Koretz. The reward consists of $10,000 from the city, $2,500 from each Humane Society, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Best Friends Animal Society, and $2,500 from Koretz. Koretz, the chair of the City Council Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee, and Councilwoman Jan Perry, announced the reward Wednesday morning, alongside the Los Angeles Police Department. The goal of Best Friends Animal Society, according to Elizabeth Oreck, a spokeswoman, is to “…increase the reward to incentivize someone to come forward to help with the apprehension and conviction of whoever is responsible of this terrible crime.” The bodies of the dogs have not been found, and no one has come forward as owners of the two missing dogs. "People are paying attention to this case because it's so strange and so there is so much mystery surrounding it," Oreck said. "Two cleanly severed heads, not dog-fighting dogs, obviously these were someone's pets." The largest concern of the Police Department is that the individual who committed this crime is most likely highly violent. Often times, violent individuals get progressively more violent with each crime. Little crimes lead to more and more daring ones, and can eventually lead to crimes extremely dangerous to the community, such as murder. Along with this kind of crime comes the question of mental stability of the individual who committed the crime, which adds even more to the fear of the community and law enforcement. The city of Los Angeles has not found any more evidence leading to the individual or the whereabouts of the dog’s bodies. The city is currently relying on its citizens to take action and come forward with any information concerning the crime. "Somebody who is that unbalanced is a real threat to the community. It may not be just dogs that they can do this to," Oreck said.

Zach's Game Review

To contact us Click HERE
Zach’s 2011 Top Games
Well the year of 2012 is upon us and believe it or not 2011 was a good year of gaming. So to close out 2011, I will have my own little award show here on the BlogSpot. Before I get to the actual games let me just say real quick that although only a few games will win, every game I mention is well worth a try. Every single one deserves to be recognized and should not be looked down upon. Well without further ado here are the games.
First we’ll look at the top fighting games of 2011 and the nominees are:
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
After playing these games it was a hard choice to make between them but the Winner of Fighting Game of the year is……… Mortal Kombat!
Mortal Kombat didn’t have the best series of games after UMK 3 but showed promise after MK vs. DCU. It’s good to see it come back and completely destroying its past history and gives the MK fans what they want: good, bloody, fun. Not to mention the cool X-ray attacks that are a welcome addition to the franchise and are here to stay. If you don’t know what I’m talking about let me inform you. The X-ray attacks are a special move that allows major damage to the opponent and literally let you see the internal damage that is given. Plus the guest characters that are there are perfect for the game which are Kratos from the God of War series and Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street.
Next we’ll look at RPGs, so the nominees here are:
Dues Ex: Human Revolution
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dead Island
L.A. Noire
So the winner for RPG of the year is…… Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Now those of you who know me you’ll already know how much I love creating my own character and with Skyrim I can go above and beyond. The game has multiple ways of creating your own character and you’ll feel new and refreshed. Not to mention the amazing graphics and unique style of duel wielding. Players can wield both a melee weapon and magic at the same time but you can also have two weapons or two magic gloves but it all ends with what you want. And that is basically how you play the game, HOW EVER THE HECK YOU WANT!!!! THAT IS PURE AWSOME RIGHT THERE!!
And now for the best Action game nominees
Batman Arkham City
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
And the best action game of the year was another hard choice but…….. Batman Arkham City!
Batman has always been a fan favorite of practically everybody. It was a close match between this game and Assassin’s Creed but I liked Arkham City just a bit more. You may disagree with me on the choice but you can’t deny that Arkham City is a blast to play and the Dark Knight is the best there is in the DC Universe. The reason I’m not describing the game like I did with the previous games is because I already gave a review on it and you can look at it anytime.
Next category is the FPS (First Person Shooters) and they are:
Battlefield 3
MW3 (Modern Warfare 3)
You should have known this fight was coming but the winner for best FPS game of the year is………Call of Duty MW3!!
So the winner between these two great games has finally been decided, by me anyway. The reason I picked Call of Duty was because the story was more interesting than in Battlefield’s and the online seemed more personal. By now you should know that I love customization and in MW3 the customization is a little more widely open than in Battlefield in my opinion. Plus with Battlefield it’s more realistic than MW3 and I like that but I prefer the feeling of walking into a room and wasting everyone in there like in MW3. It gives me that feeling like I’m invincible.
Next is Horror but there is only one nominee and winner which is…..
Dead Space 2!!!
Those who get frightened easily beware this game. If you can’t take the extreme content of blood and space zombies then read no farther. Dead Space 2 has really upped the scale of the franchise in terms of horror and good story telling. Isaac Clarke, Dead Space’s main protagonist, is becoming insane because of a strange artifact he found on the Ishimura of the first game. A red Marker that creates Necromorphs; a race of aliens that take over the bodies of the dead. And now a second marker has been brought to Titan Station near Saturn and another Necromorph outbreak is on the loose. Being haunted by the death of his girlfriend on the Ishimura, Isaac battles his inner demons while battling the outside ones as well, limb by bloody limb. It’s everything you want in a horror game and your mother is going to hate it!
Last but not the least we have the system exclusives. First for PS3 there is
Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception
Little Big Planet 2
Infamous 2
And the best PS3 game of the year is ……..Infamous 2!!
I don’t know what is it about lighting based powers that is really fun but it just is. In Infamous 2 players will once again take control of Cole McGrath who is destined to defeat a beast that is intending to destroy the whole world. This is one of these games where you can choose to be good or evil but does so in its own way. You can get cool powers that you can use your lighting such as Lighting grenades, shockwaves, levitation, healing, or even rockets. There is plenty of karma moments where you choose on what you would rather do if a situation like that occur and you had lighting based powers. Pretty cool if you ask me!
Next are the Xbox exclusives.
Gears of War 3
Halo CE Anniversary
And the winner for best 360 exclusive is………Gears of War 3!
It was hard to believe that Epic games could top the first Gears with Gears 2 and now they’ve wowed us again with their goodbye game. Gears 3 take place 18 months after the events of Gears 2. People are trying to make a living but a new enemy known as the lambent are killing everyone and only one person knows how to kill them off once and for all, Marcus’ dad Adam Fenix. The whole story is based on getting to Adam and finishing off the lambent but there is still Locust that have survived and determined the finish off Humanity and the Lambent once and for all. There are plenty of new weapons at your disposal and online has improved a lot from the second game but still if you use anything but a shotgun, sniper, or Boomshot you’re not going to last long at all.

There you have it! My Top Games of the year 2011! Hope you enjoyed this little award show and sorry it took so long to be posted but as long as it gets up who cares. Better late than never right? Just a reminder Next review will be on The first majorly anticipated game of 2012, Street Fighter x Tekken! If you remember I did a preview on it earlier in the year but it comes out very soon so look forward to that. And as always Keep Playing, Keep Praying!

Hey Ya'll!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hey Ranchonians!! How many of you are wondering how the Senior Trip went? I know that if I were you, I would be! The trip was great!! We had many adventures! The first of which was finding our camp site. WHOOOOOOOO WEEEEEEEE talk about your high class ladies and gentlemen. We were housed at the ONLY KOA site in Kernville. Yeah. Whats up. We also headed into the heart of Kernville, where we were greated by the lovely inhabitants of Kernville. Many nice gentlemen spend their days in the riverside park, drinking and having merry talk alongside their trusty dog companions. Others like to sunbathe their white legs in flattering pairs of green shorts. Overall, the trip was quite an adventure. We will let you know whats up tomorrow, so tune in again! Tafferdee and Patters out!!!

29 Eylül 2012 Cumartesi

The Next Chapter of Javier's Holiday Inn Buena Park Reno Blog

To contact us Click HERE
2/22/2012

It’s been a relatively quiet week in terms of renovation activity. We received a second framed mirror for out sample room, but that is not news since we already had one. We also received a piece of artwork that will go over the pull out sofa. I like the way it looks, but we will see what the creative minds think when they come to see it. The coolest thing related to that piece of artwork was our use of available technology in placing it. Our corporate team handling the renovation details is in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since we were dealing with a frame size that required a bit of finesse in placing, we thought of holding it up while somebody took a picture to send to them before we make any holes in the wall vinyl. Instead we had them join us via a video communication application. I held up my phone with the application running and they were able to see it on their computer. That way, they gave us at the property real-time direction as to the placement of the piece. It may be just me, but I really thought that was a good use of what some may term “gadgets”. I am including a photo of the artwork over the sofa. I hope you like it. It is not final yet, but I think we will use it.

We also made progress in a key component of our new rooms. We have been concerned about the feasibility of adding the refrigerator to the rooms since the electrical load would be too much for the circuit in that wall. We have resolved that problem and now have a plan. With limited re-routing of wiring, we will be able to proceed with the addition of refrigerators to all our rooms. This is very good news and I am sure our guests will appreciate the added amenity. Our wiring project is now slotted to begin the first week of March. That will mark the first ‘Renovation” action that will be visible to our guests.

As much as the pre-planning has been going on for a while, I confess that finally getting our hands on a property-wide project makes me feel like we are now making real progress.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we begin to see the long awaited transformation.









In keeping with Inn Keeping,

Javier O. Solis, CHA
General Manager
http://www.hibuenapark.com/
www.facebook.com/hibuenapark
www.twitter.com/hibuenapark

:: I'm back ::

To contact us Click HERE

Well, it sure has been a strange month, this last one. July is and has always been busy and unpredictable for me.
I had a few things to deal with lately, some of which have spilled right into August. But all will be fine again. (fingers crossed).

Even so, I have been getting a little crocheting done, for one, I finally finished that big round colorful thing that I wrote about in my last post.
A cover for a banana leaf storage container. I made this for my daughter Katherine. You see her kitty Frodo, used it for a nail sharpener and almost destroyed the lid completely. So, of course she requested a cover for for it. And voila!! There you have it. Cute huh?

Next is Mr. Sssssslithers. I started this snake back in October to give as a Christmas present, but I got caught up with other things and never got a chance to finish it. So since the little recipient of this snake has recently gone through surgery, I decided that a cuddle toy was in order. So Mr. Ssssssslithers finally got a head, eyes, and tongue. And my grandson Julian got a cuddle toy to see him through his recovery. (I apologize for the bad pic)

Well my darlins, I guess this will be all for now. Hoping to get back to my regular posts real soon.

Take care, and have a fantastic weekend. :)

The Kennel Killer: These Dogs Were Not Man's Best Friend

To contact us Click HERE
Last Tuesday night, March 20th, a man stumbled upon two dog heads in a recycling bin behind the CVS store at the intersection of W. Slauson and S. Vermont Avenue. The man found the two heads, a chocolate Labrador retriever mix and a tan German Shepherd, beheaded in the trash can, with no signs of dog fighting or death by anything other than intentional slaughter. The heads are believed to have been severed by a large, sharp object, at a location other than CVS. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Hector Sanchez, who heads the city's Animal Cruelty Task Force, issued a $20,000 reward on Wednesday for any information leading to the capture and conviction of the individual responsible for the two severed dog heads found in the trash bin in South Los Angeles last week. "This is one of the most heinous crimes against animals in my lifetime," said Councilman Paul Koretz. The reward consists of $10,000 from the city, $2,500 from each Humane Society, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Best Friends Animal Society, and $2,500 from Koretz. Koretz, the chair of the City Council Personnel and Animal Welfare Committee, and Councilwoman Jan Perry, announced the reward Wednesday morning, alongside the Los Angeles Police Department. The goal of Best Friends Animal Society, according to Elizabeth Oreck, a spokeswoman, is to “…increase the reward to incentivize someone to come forward to help with the apprehension and conviction of whoever is responsible of this terrible crime.” The bodies of the dogs have not been found, and no one has come forward as owners of the two missing dogs. "People are paying attention to this case because it's so strange and so there is so much mystery surrounding it," Oreck said. "Two cleanly severed heads, not dog-fighting dogs, obviously these were someone's pets." The largest concern of the Police Department is that the individual who committed this crime is most likely highly violent. Often times, violent individuals get progressively more violent with each crime. Little crimes lead to more and more daring ones, and can eventually lead to crimes extremely dangerous to the community, such as murder. Along with this kind of crime comes the question of mental stability of the individual who committed the crime, which adds even more to the fear of the community and law enforcement. The city of Los Angeles has not found any more evidence leading to the individual or the whereabouts of the dog’s bodies. The city is currently relying on its citizens to take action and come forward with any information concerning the crime. "Somebody who is that unbalanced is a real threat to the community. It may not be just dogs that they can do this to," Oreck said.

Zach's Game Review

To contact us Click HERE
Zach’s 2011 Top Games
Well the year of 2012 is upon us and believe it or not 2011 was a good year of gaming. So to close out 2011, I will have my own little award show here on the BlogSpot. Before I get to the actual games let me just say real quick that although only a few games will win, every game I mention is well worth a try. Every single one deserves to be recognized and should not be looked down upon. Well without further ado here are the games.
First we’ll look at the top fighting games of 2011 and the nominees are:
Mortal Kombat
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
After playing these games it was a hard choice to make between them but the Winner of Fighting Game of the year is……… Mortal Kombat!
Mortal Kombat didn’t have the best series of games after UMK 3 but showed promise after MK vs. DCU. It’s good to see it come back and completely destroying its past history and gives the MK fans what they want: good, bloody, fun. Not to mention the cool X-ray attacks that are a welcome addition to the franchise and are here to stay. If you don’t know what I’m talking about let me inform you. The X-ray attacks are a special move that allows major damage to the opponent and literally let you see the internal damage that is given. Plus the guest characters that are there are perfect for the game which are Kratos from the God of War series and Freddy Kruger from Nightmare on Elm Street.
Next we’ll look at RPGs, so the nominees here are:
Dues Ex: Human Revolution
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Dead Island
L.A. Noire
So the winner for RPG of the year is…… Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Now those of you who know me you’ll already know how much I love creating my own character and with Skyrim I can go above and beyond. The game has multiple ways of creating your own character and you’ll feel new and refreshed. Not to mention the amazing graphics and unique style of duel wielding. Players can wield both a melee weapon and magic at the same time but you can also have two weapons or two magic gloves but it all ends with what you want. And that is basically how you play the game, HOW EVER THE HECK YOU WANT!!!! THAT IS PURE AWSOME RIGHT THERE!!
And now for the best Action game nominees
Batman Arkham City
Assassin’s Creed Revelations
And the best action game of the year was another hard choice but…….. Batman Arkham City!
Batman has always been a fan favorite of practically everybody. It was a close match between this game and Assassin’s Creed but I liked Arkham City just a bit more. You may disagree with me on the choice but you can’t deny that Arkham City is a blast to play and the Dark Knight is the best there is in the DC Universe. The reason I’m not describing the game like I did with the previous games is because I already gave a review on it and you can look at it anytime.
Next category is the FPS (First Person Shooters) and they are:
Battlefield 3
MW3 (Modern Warfare 3)
You should have known this fight was coming but the winner for best FPS game of the year is………Call of Duty MW3!!
So the winner between these two great games has finally been decided, by me anyway. The reason I picked Call of Duty was because the story was more interesting than in Battlefield’s and the online seemed more personal. By now you should know that I love customization and in MW3 the customization is a little more widely open than in Battlefield in my opinion. Plus with Battlefield it’s more realistic than MW3 and I like that but I prefer the feeling of walking into a room and wasting everyone in there like in MW3. It gives me that feeling like I’m invincible.
Next is Horror but there is only one nominee and winner which is…..
Dead Space 2!!!
Those who get frightened easily beware this game. If you can’t take the extreme content of blood and space zombies then read no farther. Dead Space 2 has really upped the scale of the franchise in terms of horror and good story telling. Isaac Clarke, Dead Space’s main protagonist, is becoming insane because of a strange artifact he found on the Ishimura of the first game. A red Marker that creates Necromorphs; a race of aliens that take over the bodies of the dead. And now a second marker has been brought to Titan Station near Saturn and another Necromorph outbreak is on the loose. Being haunted by the death of his girlfriend on the Ishimura, Isaac battles his inner demons while battling the outside ones as well, limb by bloody limb. It’s everything you want in a horror game and your mother is going to hate it!
Last but not the least we have the system exclusives. First for PS3 there is
Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception
Little Big Planet 2
Infamous 2
And the best PS3 game of the year is ……..Infamous 2!!
I don’t know what is it about lighting based powers that is really fun but it just is. In Infamous 2 players will once again take control of Cole McGrath who is destined to defeat a beast that is intending to destroy the whole world. This is one of these games where you can choose to be good or evil but does so in its own way. You can get cool powers that you can use your lighting such as Lighting grenades, shockwaves, levitation, healing, or even rockets. There is plenty of karma moments where you choose on what you would rather do if a situation like that occur and you had lighting based powers. Pretty cool if you ask me!
Next are the Xbox exclusives.
Gears of War 3
Halo CE Anniversary
And the winner for best 360 exclusive is………Gears of War 3!
It was hard to believe that Epic games could top the first Gears with Gears 2 and now they’ve wowed us again with their goodbye game. Gears 3 take place 18 months after the events of Gears 2. People are trying to make a living but a new enemy known as the lambent are killing everyone and only one person knows how to kill them off once and for all, Marcus’ dad Adam Fenix. The whole story is based on getting to Adam and finishing off the lambent but there is still Locust that have survived and determined the finish off Humanity and the Lambent once and for all. There are plenty of new weapons at your disposal and online has improved a lot from the second game but still if you use anything but a shotgun, sniper, or Boomshot you’re not going to last long at all.

There you have it! My Top Games of the year 2011! Hope you enjoyed this little award show and sorry it took so long to be posted but as long as it gets up who cares. Better late than never right? Just a reminder Next review will be on The first majorly anticipated game of 2012, Street Fighter x Tekken! If you remember I did a preview on it earlier in the year but it comes out very soon so look forward to that. And as always Keep Playing, Keep Praying!

Hey Ya'll!!

To contact us Click HERE
Hey Ranchonians!! How many of you are wondering how the Senior Trip went? I know that if I were you, I would be! The trip was great!! We had many adventures! The first of which was finding our camp site. WHOOOOOOOO WEEEEEEEE talk about your high class ladies and gentlemen. We were housed at the ONLY KOA site in Kernville. Yeah. Whats up. We also headed into the heart of Kernville, where we were greated by the lovely inhabitants of Kernville. Many nice gentlemen spend their days in the riverside park, drinking and having merry talk alongside their trusty dog companions. Others like to sunbathe their white legs in flattering pairs of green shorts. Overall, the trip was quite an adventure. We will let you know whats up tomorrow, so tune in again! Tafferdee and Patters out!!!

28 Eylül 2012 Cuma

Holiday Inn's roll out their new Book With Us Advantage Best Price Guarantee

To contact us Click HERE
Holiday Inns, including Holiday Inn Buena Park Hotel & Conference Center, are replacing their Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee (LIRG) with a Best Price Guarantee, a part of their new Book With Us Advantage program. The end result - the best deal for Holiday Inn guests. Read on....

Effective September 16, 2011, our Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee (LIRG) will be replaced by our new Best Price Guarantee, which is a part of our new Book With Us Advantage program. Best Price Guarantee replaces LIRG as a stronger statement to our customers that we offer the most powerful price guarantee in the industry. With the Best Price Guarantee, customers will find the best price on our branded websites, or their first night is free. The guarantee will drive customers to our brand websites to find the lowest, publicly available rate on the web and increase direct bookings—a real win. We will also be launching an aggressive communications plan to support this new Best Price Guarantee. Beginning with the launch on September 16, 2011, the first night free and lower rate for the rest of the stay portions of the standard will be enforced, but only when a valid claim is found.

It is important to note that the majority of IHG hotels have never had a valid LIRG violation in the past year, so the good news is the majority of our hotels are already in compliance with this standard today.

Delivering Great Hotels Guests Love.
www.hibuenapark.com
www.facebook.com/hibuenapark
www.twitter.com/hibuenapark

The Next Chapter of Javier's Holiday Inn Buena Park Reno Blog

To contact us Click HERE
2/22/2012

It’s been a relatively quiet week in terms of renovation activity. We received a second framed mirror for out sample room, but that is not news since we already had one. We also received a piece of artwork that will go over the pull out sofa. I like the way it looks, but we will see what the creative minds think when they come to see it. The coolest thing related to that piece of artwork was our use of available technology in placing it. Our corporate team handling the renovation details is in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since we were dealing with a frame size that required a bit of finesse in placing, we thought of holding it up while somebody took a picture to send to them before we make any holes in the wall vinyl. Instead we had them join us via a video communication application. I held up my phone with the application running and they were able to see it on their computer. That way, they gave us at the property real-time direction as to the placement of the piece. It may be just me, but I really thought that was a good use of what some may term “gadgets”. I am including a photo of the artwork over the sofa. I hope you like it. It is not final yet, but I think we will use it.

We also made progress in a key component of our new rooms. We have been concerned about the feasibility of adding the refrigerator to the rooms since the electrical load would be too much for the circuit in that wall. We have resolved that problem and now have a plan. With limited re-routing of wiring, we will be able to proceed with the addition of refrigerators to all our rooms. This is very good news and I am sure our guests will appreciate the added amenity. Our wiring project is now slotted to begin the first week of March. That will mark the first ‘Renovation” action that will be visible to our guests.

As much as the pre-planning has been going on for a while, I confess that finally getting our hands on a property-wide project makes me feel like we are now making real progress.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we begin to see the long awaited transformation.









In keeping with Inn Keeping,

Javier O. Solis, CHA
General Manager
http://www.hibuenapark.com/
www.facebook.com/hibuenapark
www.twitter.com/hibuenapark

Behind Closed Doors

To contact us Click HERE

Here it is almost the end of July and the thick of things in terms of summer business. The attractions are bursting at the seams. I heard that on Fourth of July Disneyland was at capacity by ten in the morning! Still, there is an ebb and flow to the level of visitors that grace our area during summer months. Thursdays through Saturdays we see many families with excited children either itching to go in the mornings or returning with various degrees of sugar highs in the afternoons and evenings. Sunday through Wednesday our typical guests tends to be business people rushing out in the morning to that important appointment.

Through all this, we have quietly gone about our business of renovating our hotel rooms. The level of logistics management has required pretty intensive brain power because we still want to keep our rooms occupied and take advantage of the summer demand. To this point we have completed the renovation of roughly half of the rooms while housing hundreds of guests. So…the obvious question is how can that be? We usually associate renovation work: installing carpet, changing beds, installing wall vinyl painting doors, etc. as dusty, noisy work, which would not be appealing to people seeking rest.

I am proud that we have successfully reached this point of the project with nearly zero negative impact on our guests. In fact, we had someone mention in a social media site that the only way they found out about our project was seeing some trucks that were delivering beds. This feat has not been by accident. Our team has strategically been planning their work with our guest in mind. Chuck, our project Manager will save “quiet work” for the morning hours. Any noisy work is done when most of our guests are away during the middle of the day. The same mentality is applied to everything we do. We have been renovating whole floors at a time so we can eliminate access to the floor so guests never walk through a construction zone. I am including a photo of an access point. 
Behind Closed Doors - Renovation Access Door
















At the beginning of each floor, a wall is put in place with a lockable door. Sometimes dozens of crew members from various trades are behind closed doors making our rooms beautiful…but you would not know it by looking, because we are doing it all…behind closed doors.
Behind the 'closed door': Renovation at Work!

New Beds ready for installation

Moving Entry Door - getting ready for the next floor



In keeping with Inn Keeping,
Javier Solis
General Manager
Holiday Inn Buena Park
http://www.hibuenapark.com/
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The Long Hall

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The morning that we entered the penultimate floor for renovation, we stood there and pondered…it has been a long haul. Of the total of eight floors that we will eventually complete, we have finished with six of them. That is nearly 200 rooms, each with its own set of issues. We moved every piece of furniture in those rooms, after the carpet was installed; we swept the corners, and vacuumed it. We replaced electrical outlets, outlet covers and disconnected and reconnected TV’s, lights, etc. We brought in new box springs and mattresses, pulled off the plastic cover and laid them down carefully. I could go on and on describing the process, but suffice to say, that if not for taking it in small bites, it would have felt overwhelming. Throughout that project, we have developed a routine that has gradually become more and more efficient. That well-oiled renovation machine may experience a monkey wrench as we start one of two floors that have the most rooms in them. This batch of rooms also has a greater scope of work because among other things, we are removing crown molding that Holiday Inn dislikes. In preparation for the work this time we have protected the hall carpet with a plastic cover.

 

In the early morning with the sun shining at one end of the hall the resulting image looks ethereal, almost dreamlike and the light limits the ability to see the other end. This stresses to the team just how long this hall is. I heard but have not confirmed that it is 300 feet long. Wait, 300 feet – that equals 100 yards, or the length of a football field…really???



Now I know why kids just can’t’ help themselves when they see the hall, they have to sprint down it. To the renovation crew, the length represented that many more steps that will be needed to move furniture, carpet, tools, etc. Still, here we go….
I’ll let you know when we get to the other side!




In keeping with Inn-keeping,

Javier Solis




Renovation... By The Numbers

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I am a little late writing this bit for you faithfulreaders.  We finished the last of the rooms a couple of weeks ago. It’s almost anti-climactic because after the last room door was closedwith a room ready to rent, we were still in a ‘go’ mode.  This week, wehave a crew going back through and installing the artwork and mirrors that arrivedlate.  They will be finished Friday.  Sometime in the next couple ofmonths we will enter the rooms again to place lamps because that component wasalso delayed.  And the bathrooms will be handled in quick order sometimein November/December.
Looking back at the process and thinking about how manytimes we moved each television armoire with the heavy granite top, made mestart thinking of the numbers involved.  Here is a sampling of it all:
399 Serta Ultra Plush bed sets9270 Square Yards of carpet and pad6800 yards of wall vinyl for the accent wall247 custom wood valances494 drapery side panels (2 per room)241 custom refrigerator cabinets74 custom sofas, 860 yards custom fabric161 lounge chairs242 ergonomic desk chairs248 refrigerators821 pieces of art236 framed mirrors242 wall sconces,246 desk lamps337 nightstand lamps174floor lamps
Ok, you get the picture, I don’t want to list the number ofGFI outlets, illuminated light switches, door viewers, security latches,evacuation signs, wall plates, black-out and sheer drapes,  door closers,hinges, corner guards, wall protectors, etc.
So it appears that it is time to rest… but Nooooo!  Wewill soon begin work in the public areas…so stay tuned!
In Keeping with Innkeeping
Javier Solis

27 Eylül 2012 Perşembe

:: I'm back ::

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Well, it sure has been a strange month, this last one. July is and has always been busy and unpredictable for me.
I had a few things to deal with lately, some of which have spilled right into August. But all will be fine again. (fingers crossed).

Even so, I have been getting a little crocheting done, for one, I finally finished that big round colorful thing that I wrote about in my last post.
A cover for a banana leaf storage container. I made this for my daughter Katherine. You see her kitty Frodo, used it for a nail sharpener and almost destroyed the lid completely. So, of course she requested a cover for for it. And voila!! There you have it. Cute huh?

Next is Mr. Sssssslithers. I started this snake back in October to give as a Christmas present, but I got caught up with other things and never got a chance to finish it. So since the little recipient of this snake has recently gone through surgery, I decided that a cuddle toy was in order. So Mr. Ssssssslithers finally got a head, eyes, and tongue. And my grandson Julian got a cuddle toy to see him through his recovery. (I apologize for the bad pic)

Well my darlins, I guess this will be all for now. Hoping to get back to my regular posts real soon.

Take care, and have a fantastic weekend. :)

:: More Grannies ::

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Good Monday everyone!!!
Today will be a very hot day in my neck of the woods, about 104 to be more precise, so it will be a day of staying indoors, blasting the AC and trying to get a few crochet projects finished.

This mess of grannies will turn out to be a blanket for a baby boy that will be born in October.
An acquaintance of mine decided to have another baby now that her first is 11 yrs. old. (its finally sinking in) says she. A few weeks ago she told me that she has not yet made any baby purchases or made up a nursery. She works two jobs and hasn't had much time.
So, I thought I'd give her a bit of a jumpstart and some encouragement.
And besides, sometimes it's irresistible
not to make newborn things. Especially when I can make grannies and use up leftovers from my stash.

I hope to be able to share this with you by weeks end. (fingers crossed)

For now, I wish everyone a fantastic week!!!! XOXO

:: My little hero ::

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Good Morning !!!

As I have mentioned in previous posts the month of July was full of all sorts of emotions.

I will begin by briefly telling the story of my grandson Julian. Julian was born with a bilateral cleft lip, and open palate.
His first few months were a bit difficult.
But after his first surgery at four months of age, in which they corrected his lip, feedings went a bit smoother and his breathing improved. A few months later they closed his palate, after which time he was able to suck on a bottle, and feedings were a breeze. He also had a nose revision at that time.
This last surgery was a bit more involved. They took bone fragments from his hip to fuse his gums, he had another palate correction, and another nose revision. It was extensive for a child his age, but this little guy came through it like a trooper. He is the bravest little boy I know.
Today, he is just about fully healed and is back to being his active rambunctious self. Another great thing is that today Julian aka "Luli" turns nine years old!!!!

He has been through so much for such a young boy. But he has always been an inspiration for our family. He always has a smile on his beautiful face, and is always happy to give hugs. Words could never express the love that I feel for this child.

His parents ( my daughter and son in law) are very patient and loving parents.
Dr. Ray, the young surgeon who has been working with him since day one is an artist. The staff at Loma Linda children's hospital is awesome. All true heroes in my eyes.
But my number one hero is Julian, he has taught me that No obstacle is too great to overcome. Happy birthday my little star sweeper!!!

And a great weekend to all!!

:: Last week ::

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Wow! August is almost over, and with that the last few days of summer are going by very quickly. Even so, we have still taken advantage of the warm days to spend some precious time with our grandchildren.
Last Wednesday we took our oldest grandson Oliver to visit his cousins in Dana Point. We spent the afternoon walking with them, running with them, talking and laughing with them, and getting all nice and sticky eating ice cream with them.
While I waited for the slower ones to pick flowers, look for crabs and just take their time, father and daughter got to catch up on whatever it is that fathers and daughters talk about.
And by the end of the day after all the questions were answered, all the little arguments settled, all the running and chasing was done, I was happy, exhausted, but happy to have that very special afternoon with these very special little people.

Julian and Amelia started school a week ago, and Oliver will start tomorrow, and so a day like this one will not happen again for a while. But tonight, as I remember last week and my beautiful grandchildren, I am thankful for them, their parents, and the love of family.

Have a great week everyone!!!!!

:: A Boho bag and a Baby blanket ::

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Hello everyone!!!

Yes, I'm still here!!! But lately I've just stayed away from anything having to do with yarn. Why? You ask.
Well, it seems as though summer will never leave Southern Cali. We have had almost two whole months of over 100 degree weather. ��

Last week temps. Reached up to 108 here in the Inland Empire. Yuk!!!!
So, I just kinda sat around inside my air conditioned house and did a lot of reading.
I managed to finish two little things that were almost done anyway. But that's about it.
I had started the baby blanket a while back, so I pushed myself to have it ready before the baby arrives. I chose autumn colors because he will arive in October. The border kinda reminds me of candy corn ��.
And the bag was a fun project which was also just sitting around waiting to be finished. ( my daughter nabbed that one)
All in all, I guess I did get some craftiness done.
My next big thing is.....
Well, I'll save some for next time.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!!
Hugs and more hugs.
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26 Eylül 2012 Çarşamba

New Year's Eve

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We wanted to watch the last sunset of 2011 from the pier.  The fog was so thick, we could only see a short distance in front of us.  It was a different experience than we had expected, but still very cool.

Brittany really wanted to go get a Pizookie from B.J.'s, so we went and treated ourselves to some warm, gooey yumminess before heading home for our New Year's Eve party.

We ordered take-out chinese food for dinner and settled down to watch "Battle L.A." before Hannah's friends showed up.  Then Jonathan headed to the church dance and the rest of us went upstairs to play games while Hannah and her friends partied downstairs.  Matt, Brittany, Brett, Sarah, Caleb and I played a few games while munching on snacks.


Just before midnight, we dressed ourselves in glow sticks, armed ourselves with horn blowers and ran over to the park to dance through the fog.  We came home and watched the ball drop on t.v. Poppers, pop-its and a few small fireworks followed out front in the street.
Sarah, Brittany, Matt and Caleb put all the glowsticks on the trampoline and jumped around. It was a cool visual display in the darkness and fog.


We made our traditional New Year's toast and included Hannah's friends.
 
Last family photo of 2011.  So happy to have Brittany home!

Happy St. Patty's

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In the midst of our Stake Musical Production, we squeezed in this small holiday.  I had hoped to do something really festive this year, but our schedule was just so hectic.  I decided that at least the green eggs, green shamrock pancakes and beautiful flower arrangement made for a nice nod to St. Patty's Day.  My mom emailed me something on this day that I liked and thought was worth posting.
"Grandpa and I were studying about St. Patrick's Day to find out who he was. There is a huge cathredral in New York named after him so we looked him up in several history books. We thought you might like to know about this man and why we celebrate him.When he was 16 years old he was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave for 8 years. He escaped and went back to England where he studied Christianity and had a vision that he was to go back to Ireland and teach the people about Christ. He was one of the first Christian missionaries to teach about Christ in Ireland. He baptized over 12,000 people and built almost 400 churches. He designated the shamrock as the Irish Christian symbol, the three leaves stand for the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost - 3 separate beings of the same branch. He was a great missionary for Christ. The color green for eternal life. This was around 400 A.D. Churches all over Ireland honor him and revere him as a saint.  Cool huh!!!"
Thanks Mom!  I like it!

My daughter the film maker

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This year Hannah was the co-director/co-producer of the Fountain Valley High School "Every Fifteen Minutes" drunk driving video.  This program re-enacts a drunk driving accident.  Last year, Hannah was on the award-winning crew that produced the video for Los Amigos HS.  This year, she again was recognized by the city and the police department for her work on the video for Fountain Valley HS.  The video she created allowed her to film at the jail, ride in an ambulance, film at the ER and film live on scene for the school assembly. We are so proud of her and the great video she produced!










 






Easter with Brittany home

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Brittany came home for Easter before heading back to BYUI for her Spring semester. Of course we upheld all of our family traditions as the kids aren't ready to let any of them go yet.  We dyed Easter eggs, held an egg hunt in the back yard(both on Saturday), hunted for our Easter baskets and went to our favorite hill near Fulton Middle School to race our eggs after church.  Oh and did I mention that my birthday fell on Easter this year AND I was asked to speak in Sacrament meeting?  Needless to say, it was a very full Holiday, but my favorite part was having all my children around me and celebrating the good news of Christ's resurrection.  The preparations for my talk were an excellent way of getting me in the proper Easter spirit.
   

    And of course to finish it off, a little egg toss turned egg fight is always in order. 
This year we noticed our shadows were growing long on the field and it was a perfect opportunity for a little creativity.  Can you tell who is who?  Love these photos!