Vegas, NYC, HK, Bali, Philippines - (OZ F/J, CX F/J, Amankila, Chedi)
Dec 27, 2015, 7:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
Vegas, NYC, HK, Bali, Philippines - (OZ F/J, CX F/J, Amankila, Chedi)
Hi FT fam,
I'm looking forward to sharing a special report with you. It's been a busy few months and am looking forward to unwinding but wanted to get this trip report started and will continue to update as available.
This is my second long TR and excited to share this with the community. You can view my other TR here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...d-el-nido.html
This TR will consist of the mentionable parts of the bachelor party
, some wedding highlights and hotel stays, and will conclude with our honeymoon to HK, Bali, and the Philippines.
- JFK Terminal 2 - Delta SkyClub
- Delta First JFK-LAS
- The Centurion Lounge - LAS
- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas - 3 Bedroom West End Penthouse
- Las Vegas Food: Lotus of Siam, Dim Sum, Buffet
- Delta First LAS-JFK
- Andaz Wall Street - Buttonwood Suite & XL Suite
- India House - NYC - Wedding
- Viceroy New York for NYE - Park Suite
- Asiana F A380 Suite JFK-ICN
- Asiana A380 J ICN-HKG
- The Mira Hong Kong - Suite 80
- Hong Kong Food highlights
- Cathay Regional Business Class - HKG-DPS
- Chedi Club - Ubud
- Amankila - Manggis
- Cebu Pacific - DPS-MNL-KLO
- Shangri-La Boracay
- Cebu Pacific - MPH-MNL
- Marco Polo Ortigas - Manila
- New Cathay lounge @ MNL
- Cathay Pacific - J/F MNL-HKG-JFK
Flight Map
That should be enough. Let's do this:
Picked up bright and early by an off-duty Uber Black driver that my brother met one night, who happens to live 10 minutes from me.
Precheck at T2 was moving swiftly and was through security in under 5 minutes
Walked into the Delta SkyClub in T2 to find it empty, with limited breakfast options. Grabbed a yogurt and some coffee and found a seat overlooking the boarding gates.
Delta Flight 438
JFK-LAS
Gate C63
Seat 2B
Pillow and blanket waiting on the seat. PDB's were offered and I ordered a bloody Mary to get this trip started off.
Took off to the south and had a nice view of my neighborhood of Rockaway Beach across Jamaica Bay and Floyd Bennett Field directly below, which was NYC's first regional airport.
Hot towels/oshibori were distributed.
Breakfast was an inedible foam omelette and sausage. The bagel it is!
Cabin shot
The Centurion Lounge in LAS is located in Concourse D, across from Gate D1
Check in desk at The Centurion Lounge
Centurion Lounge Bar
Not much in terms of food options and forgot to take a pic but we were just waiting for a few other fellas to land, so we had a few drinks and made moves the Sprinter van waiting to take us to the hotel
Lobby of the Cosmopolitan
We were escorted into the VIP check-in area, where they had fruits, snacks and Champagne waiting.
We headed up the 61st Floor and made a right out of the elevator bank and walked all the way to the end to our 3 bedroom suite, Room 6118.
The room had a wrap around terrace, which provided us with some sun time and gorgeous views of the mountains, the strip and the airport.
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Bar Area
2 minute video of the room - sort of makes me dizzy so view at your own risk
Night View
Took the party bus to Lotus of Siam which is located in a strip mall about 10 minutes from the hotel. This was my first time to Vegas and had heard amazing things about this place. It did not disappoint.
I have no clue but it was amazing
Spicy Chicken Wings
Soft Shell Crab Salad
Short Rib in Curry
[/url]
Garlic Prawns - By far the most epic dish, would go back in a heartbeat for these.
Hungry yet???
After dinner, I was told going to a club is a must for a Vegas bachelor party, so of course we did this. Marquee is located in The Cosmopolitan, so that made for easy access and transport via escorted elevator.
I remember most of this, i think...
What do you do after a long Vegas night? Dim Sum of course...silly kids you are..
Sorry for the terrible pic, but this basically represents how I was feeling, slightly hazy with a glaring shine peeking through my cloudy mind.
It wasn't amazing, but this helped
We decided it was a good idea to buy the motley crew at the hotel a cart of pork buns, so yea, that happened. They couldn't have been happier. Nothing like a pork bun with a side of glitter.
The next and last morning there, headed to a much needed breakfast buffett.
Wicked Spoon is located in the Cosmopolitan and featured a wide array of offerings for $35/pp
This is pretty much exactly what I pictured a Vegas buffet to be like and it was a fairly pleasant experience.
The brioche french toast was amazing
Headed out to the airport after breakfast. All in all, a very successful bachelor party, in that we are all heading home with all our limbs, necessary identification, and no facial tattoos. Some of you may question if that actually means it was a successful trip
Delta 1728
LAS-JFK
B737-800
Seat 2B
The couple seated in 1B/C could not have been more annoying. I feel bad for 1D as they proceeded to squeeze into one seat and snuggle, smooch, yippee and lol,lmao the whole trip. Ugh.
Can't tell if she is taking a pic of me taking a pic of them or what
Dinner was an edible short rib and I finished everything.
Up next...Andaz Wall St., Wedding, Asia...
I'm looking forward to sharing a special report with you. It's been a busy few months and am looking forward to unwinding but wanted to get this trip report started and will continue to update as available.
This is my second long TR and excited to share this with the community. You can view my other TR here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...d-el-nido.html
This TR will consist of the mentionable parts of the bachelor party
, some wedding highlights and hotel stays, and will conclude with our honeymoon to HK, Bali, and the Philippines. - JFK Terminal 2 - Delta SkyClub
- Delta First JFK-LAS
- The Centurion Lounge - LAS
- The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas - 3 Bedroom West End Penthouse
- Las Vegas Food: Lotus of Siam, Dim Sum, Buffet
- Delta First LAS-JFK
- Andaz Wall Street - Buttonwood Suite & XL Suite
- India House - NYC - Wedding
- Viceroy New York for NYE - Park Suite
- Asiana F A380 Suite JFK-ICN
- Asiana A380 J ICN-HKG
- The Mira Hong Kong - Suite 80
- Hong Kong Food highlights
- Cathay Regional Business Class - HKG-DPS
- Chedi Club - Ubud
- Amankila - Manggis
- Cebu Pacific - DPS-MNL-KLO
- Shangri-La Boracay
- Cebu Pacific - MPH-MNL
- Marco Polo Ortigas - Manila
- New Cathay lounge @ MNL
- Cathay Pacific - J/F MNL-HKG-JFK
Flight Map
That should be enough. Let's do this:
Picked up bright and early by an off-duty Uber Black driver that my brother met one night, who happens to live 10 minutes from me.
Precheck at T2 was moving swiftly and was through security in under 5 minutes
Walked into the Delta SkyClub in T2 to find it empty, with limited breakfast options. Grabbed a yogurt and some coffee and found a seat overlooking the boarding gates.
Delta Flight 438
JFK-LAS
Gate C63
Seat 2B
Pillow and blanket waiting on the seat. PDB's were offered and I ordered a bloody Mary to get this trip started off.
Took off to the south and had a nice view of my neighborhood of Rockaway Beach across Jamaica Bay and Floyd Bennett Field directly below, which was NYC's first regional airport.
Hot towels/oshibori were distributed.
Breakfast was an inedible foam omelette and sausage. The bagel it is!
Cabin shot
The Centurion Lounge in LAS is located in Concourse D, across from Gate D1
Check in desk at The Centurion Lounge
Centurion Lounge Bar
Not much in terms of food options and forgot to take a pic but we were just waiting for a few other fellas to land, so we had a few drinks and made moves the Sprinter van waiting to take us to the hotel
Lobby of the Cosmopolitan
We were escorted into the VIP check-in area, where they had fruits, snacks and Champagne waiting.
We headed up the 61st Floor and made a right out of the elevator bank and walked all the way to the end to our 3 bedroom suite, Room 6118.
The room had a wrap around terrace, which provided us with some sun time and gorgeous views of the mountains, the strip and the airport.
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Bar Area
2 minute video of the room - sort of makes me dizzy so view at your own risk
Night View
Took the party bus to Lotus of Siam which is located in a strip mall about 10 minutes from the hotel. This was my first time to Vegas and had heard amazing things about this place. It did not disappoint.
I have no clue but it was amazing
Spicy Chicken Wings
Soft Shell Crab Salad
Short Rib in Curry
[/url]Garlic Prawns - By far the most epic dish, would go back in a heartbeat for these.
Hungry yet???
After dinner, I was told going to a club is a must for a Vegas bachelor party, so of course we did this. Marquee is located in The Cosmopolitan, so that made for easy access and transport via escorted elevator.
I remember most of this, i think...
What do you do after a long Vegas night? Dim Sum of course...silly kids you are..
Sorry for the terrible pic, but this basically represents how I was feeling, slightly hazy with a glaring shine peeking through my cloudy mind.
It wasn't amazing, but this helped
We decided it was a good idea to buy the motley crew at the hotel a cart of pork buns, so yea, that happened. They couldn't have been happier. Nothing like a pork bun with a side of glitter.
The next and last morning there, headed to a much needed breakfast buffett.
Wicked Spoon is located in the Cosmopolitan and featured a wide array of offerings for $35/pp
This is pretty much exactly what I pictured a Vegas buffet to be like and it was a fairly pleasant experience.
The brioche french toast was amazing
Headed out to the airport after breakfast. All in all, a very successful bachelor party, in that we are all heading home with all our limbs, necessary identification, and no facial tattoos. Some of you may question if that actually means it was a successful trip
Delta 1728
LAS-JFK
B737-800
Seat 2B
The couple seated in 1B/C could not have been more annoying. I feel bad for 1D as they proceeded to squeeze into one seat and snuggle, smooch, yippee and lol,lmao the whole trip. Ugh.
Can't tell if she is taking a pic of me taking a pic of them or what
Dinner was an edible short rib and I finished everything.
Up next...Andaz Wall St., Wedding, Asia...
Last edited by benjahman; Mar 22, 2016 at 3:03 pm
Dec 28, 2015, 9:50 am
#4
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
Vegas, NYC, HK, Bali, Philippines - Winter 2015/2016
Your hotel looks beautiful.
I went to Las Vegas as a kid in 1966 and stayed at the Flamingo.
I returned in the mid 1990s and the hotels were already much nicer.
But now they are even nicer than the 1990s.
The improvement in architecture every 20 years or so is unbelievable.
The same for cruise ships.
Somewhat for planes in First / Business, but hardly any positive changes in economy.
I went to Las Vegas as a kid in 1966 and stayed at the Flamingo.
I returned in the mid 1990s and the hotels were already much nicer.
But now they are even nicer than the 1990s.
The improvement in architecture every 20 years or so is unbelievable.
The same for cruise ships.
Somewhat for planes in First / Business, but hardly any positive changes in economy.
Last edited by Moomba; Jan 1, 2016 at 10:48 pm
Jan 3, 2016, 12:29 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
Wedding Day: Andaz Wall St: Buttonwood Suite & India House
So, the big day came and went without a hiccup. However, it was a complete blur. I'm thankful for all of the pictures that were taken as everything happened so quickly, that I didn't have a minute to really soak it all in until after. It was amazing.
The party started the night before at a rehearsal dinner in downtown Manhattan at Harry's on Gold Street. I would highly recommend this place if anyone is looking for casual dining and nice atmosphere.
Earlier in the day, I arrived at the Andaz Wall Street hotel and checked in to an Andaz Large Suite. The room was ready at 1pm and they checked me in early and helped me with my bags. No real bellman here, just the front desk staff who are roaming around with iPads for check in.
The lobby is split with the residences next door, so make sure you enter the doors to the left as you are facing the building. I don't have any pics of the lobby but you can find some online.
Room 1702
Powder room on your right upon entering room.
Large dining/conference table, which had power outlets in the middle of it
Living area
Wet bar/dishwasher/minibar/selfie
Living room
Bedroom looking into the bathroom. No blinds between the tub/shower and bedroom.
Beekman bath products
Buttonwood Suite has the same finishes as this room, with a larger living area and kitchen area.
Room 1715
Kitchen Area
My wife and her girls were getting ready in this room and the hotel provided them with make-up mirrors and some stools.
Large living room area
Bathrooms are clad in black stone tile, very nice, but very dark and moody. They do have some additional lighting behind the mirrors.
The showers were large enough to fit 8-10 people. That didn't happen. This was the wedding hotel, not the bachelor party one
I don't think I'm in a good position to give a thorough review of the Andaz. We were more or less in and out and used it as a prep area. It was convenient as it was down the block from the venue. The hotel presents well, but if you get up close, the finishes are very IKEA-like. The walls had a hollow feeling to them and everything seemed a bit cheap.
After a "final" night with my good friends, dad, and some out of town family members, I woke up with a killer hangover. Perfect way to start the wedding day. I could barely function initially so my brother suggested we head to the shvitz aka the Russian/Turkish bathhouse. A popular one is the Wall St. baths but we went to our usual one, which is on 10th street between 1st Ave. and Ave. A. It's fairly old-school but really hits the spot. It has every type of dry/wet rooms, cold pool, etc.
A bowl of Ramen after the shvitz had me feeling a 100% again.
The wedding venue was the India House in downtown Manhattan. The building is known as 1 Hanover Square. In the 1800s, it was the Hanover Bank and then the New York Cotton Exchange. It is currently a private club and wedding venue. It was spectacular. It was a December wedding so the club was decorated for the holidays, they had the wood burning fire place going during cocktail hour and the overall festive atmosphere was in full swing. Highly recommend it!
Again, the wedding went by so fast, I'm thankful for the pics we have. It was amazing. She's amazing. I'm a very lucky guy.
Up next: Viceroy New York
The party started the night before at a rehearsal dinner in downtown Manhattan at Harry's on Gold Street. I would highly recommend this place if anyone is looking for casual dining and nice atmosphere.
Earlier in the day, I arrived at the Andaz Wall Street hotel and checked in to an Andaz Large Suite. The room was ready at 1pm and they checked me in early and helped me with my bags. No real bellman here, just the front desk staff who are roaming around with iPads for check in.
The lobby is split with the residences next door, so make sure you enter the doors to the left as you are facing the building. I don't have any pics of the lobby but you can find some online.
Room 1702
Powder room on your right upon entering room.
Large dining/conference table, which had power outlets in the middle of it
Living area
Wet bar/dishwasher/minibar/selfie
Living room
Bedroom looking into the bathroom. No blinds between the tub/shower and bedroom.
Beekman bath products
Buttonwood Suite has the same finishes as this room, with a larger living area and kitchen area.
Room 1715
Kitchen Area
My wife and her girls were getting ready in this room and the hotel provided them with make-up mirrors and some stools.
Large living room area
Bathrooms are clad in black stone tile, very nice, but very dark and moody. They do have some additional lighting behind the mirrors.
The showers were large enough to fit 8-10 people. That didn't happen. This was the wedding hotel, not the bachelor party one
I don't think I'm in a good position to give a thorough review of the Andaz. We were more or less in and out and used it as a prep area. It was convenient as it was down the block from the venue. The hotel presents well, but if you get up close, the finishes are very IKEA-like. The walls had a hollow feeling to them and everything seemed a bit cheap.
After a "final" night with my good friends, dad, and some out of town family members, I woke up with a killer hangover. Perfect way to start the wedding day. I could barely function initially so my brother suggested we head to the shvitz aka the Russian/Turkish bathhouse. A popular one is the Wall St. baths but we went to our usual one, which is on 10th street between 1st Ave. and Ave. A. It's fairly old-school but really hits the spot. It has every type of dry/wet rooms, cold pool, etc.
A bowl of Ramen after the shvitz had me feeling a 100% again.
The wedding venue was the India House in downtown Manhattan. The building is known as 1 Hanover Square. In the 1800s, it was the Hanover Bank and then the New York Cotton Exchange. It is currently a private club and wedding venue. It was spectacular. It was a December wedding so the club was decorated for the holidays, they had the wood burning fire place going during cocktail hour and the overall festive atmosphere was in full swing. Highly recommend it!
Again, the wedding went by so fast, I'm thankful for the pics we have. It was amazing. She's amazing. I'm a very lucky guy.
Up next: Viceroy New York
Jan 3, 2016, 12:31 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
Jan 3, 2016, 12:33 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
Jan 3, 2016, 12:36 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
Your hotel looks beautiful.
I went to Las Vegas as a kid in 1966 and stayed at the Flamingo.
I returned in the mid 1990s and the hotels were already much nicer.
But now they are even nicer than the 1990s.
The improvement in architecture every 20 years or so is unbelievable.
The same for cruise ships.
Somewhat for planes in First / Business, but hardly any positive changes in economy.
I went to Las Vegas as a kid in 1966 and stayed at the Flamingo.
I returned in the mid 1990s and the hotels were already much nicer.
But now they are even nicer than the 1990s.
The improvement in architecture every 20 years or so is unbelievable.
The same for cruise ships.
Somewhat for planes in First / Business, but hardly any positive changes in economy.
Jan 10, 2016, 9:16 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: New York, NY
Posts: 343
Viceroy New York - Park Suite
After an amazing wedding and being able to spend some time with my extended family, they all left before the holidays and we had a fairly quiet Christmas weekend.
For New Years eve, we were heading to a party at a friends on 57th Street and I couldn't imagine driving into the city and back that same night. I booked the cheapest room possible at the Viceroy New York on Dec. 30th. I parked my car at my lot in Brooklyn and took the R train to 57th street and checked in at about 2pm on Dec. 31st. To my surprise, the front desk agent remarked "oh, you're lucky, you've been upgraded to a Park Suite! Enjoy the view of the fireworks in Central Park tonight"...well, that was amazing news.
Located on 57th between 6th and 7th avenue, the Viceroy is located next door to Le Parker Meridien and across the street from the Park Hyatt.
Lobby
Front Desk
Room 2104
Quick 2 minute room tour video
Really loved all the stone work used for the wet bar and the bathroom, along with he brass fixtures.
Wet bar
Room with a view..
We spent about 10 hours in total at the hotel and it was a pleasant time. The gym is located in the cellar level, while it has no view, it is fully equipped and I was able to get in a nice workout before a night spent drinking. Kingside is the restaurant located next to the Viceroy (entrance is inside the lobby), and has a nice cafe style menu.
Up next: Asiana F/J JFK-ICN-HKG, Hong Kong, Bali, Philippines
For New Years eve, we were heading to a party at a friends on 57th Street and I couldn't imagine driving into the city and back that same night. I booked the cheapest room possible at the Viceroy New York on Dec. 30th. I parked my car at my lot in Brooklyn and took the R train to 57th street and checked in at about 2pm on Dec. 31st. To my surprise, the front desk agent remarked "oh, you're lucky, you've been upgraded to a Park Suite! Enjoy the view of the fireworks in Central Park tonight"...well, that was amazing news.
Located on 57th between 6th and 7th avenue, the Viceroy is located next door to Le Parker Meridien and across the street from the Park Hyatt.
Lobby
Front Desk
Room 2104
Quick 2 minute room tour video
Really loved all the stone work used for the wet bar and the bathroom, along with he brass fixtures.
Wet bar
Room with a view..
We spent about 10 hours in total at the hotel and it was a pleasant time. The gym is located in the cellar level, while it has no view, it is fully equipped and I was able to get in a nice workout before a night spent drinking. Kingside is the restaurant located next to the Viceroy (entrance is inside the lobby), and has a nice cafe style menu.
Up next: Asiana F/J JFK-ICN-HKG, Hong Kong, Bali, Philippines
Last edited by benjahman; Jan 12, 2016 at 11:59 am