Destinations that have most exceeded/failed to meet your expectations
Sep 5, 2006, 4:55 pm
#46
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX...Ex MAD Ex SJC Ex ORD
Programs: US Chairmans, AA Lifetime Gold, SPG Platinum
Posts: 845
Exceeded
Paris (super high expectations, exceeded in every way)
Luxembourg
Edinburgh
Cádiz
Salt Lake City (hear so many negatives, but it is a nice place)
Tucson (low expectations, great golf, easy to get around)
Disappointed
Barcelona (not Spanish enough for my taste and too hippie)
Marbella/Puerto Banús and the entire Costa del Sol in general
Reno (what a pit, and most tourists there look so downtrodden)
Disneyland--the LA thug culture has taken over to a shocking degree
Paris (super high expectations, exceeded in every way)
Luxembourg
Edinburgh
Cádiz
Salt Lake City (hear so many negatives, but it is a nice place)
Tucson (low expectations, great golf, easy to get around)
Disappointed
Barcelona (not Spanish enough for my taste and too hippie)
Marbella/Puerto Banús and the entire Costa del Sol in general
Reno (what a pit, and most tourists there look so downtrodden)
Disneyland--the LA thug culture has taken over to a shocking degree
Sep 6, 2006, 4:12 pm
#47
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: XNA
Programs: UA 1P, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plt
Posts: 281
Very interesting thread. To each their own.
Exceeded: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Paris, France
Jackson Hole, WY
Failed: Los Angeles, CA
Singapore, Singapore
Moscow, Russia
Just my 2 cents.
Exceeded: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Paris, France
Jackson Hole, WY
Failed: Los Angeles, CA
Singapore, Singapore
Moscow, Russia
Just my 2 cents.
Sep 6, 2006, 5:41 pm
#48
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: SJC/SFO/OAK
Programs: BD Gold (and future SEN), 0.2MM AA EXP, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 3,107
Originally Posted by mikew99
For me, the "most exceeded" and "most failed" ocurred during the same trip:
Most Exceeded: Hong Kong. My flight on Cathay Pacific had a connection in Hong Kong, so I decided to make it a stopover. My coworker dismissed it as a big city not nearly as interesting as my final destination, but I found it a fascinating city to explore, and I made lifelong friends who have also come to visit me at my home in SJ. Enjoyed the food, sights, and the nightlife, even though HK is relatively expensive.
Most Failed: Bangkok. This was my final destination recommended by my coworker as far more culturally intersting than Hong Kong. But after enduring the stifling heat and humidity to visit Yet Another singing/dancing/golden/wooden/giant/invisible Buddha statue, I couldn't wait to leave! I made no lasting connections and was all but ignored in any clubs I went to. Best thing about it was the cheap, deliciously flavorful food.
Even though I didn't enjoy Bangkok, I will give it another try someday. But HK remains one of my favorite cities in Asia.
Most Exceeded: Hong Kong. My flight on Cathay Pacific had a connection in Hong Kong, so I decided to make it a stopover. My coworker dismissed it as a big city not nearly as interesting as my final destination, but I found it a fascinating city to explore, and I made lifelong friends who have also come to visit me at my home in SJ. Enjoyed the food, sights, and the nightlife, even though HK is relatively expensive.
Most Failed: Bangkok. This was my final destination recommended by my coworker as far more culturally intersting than Hong Kong. But after enduring the stifling heat and humidity to visit Yet Another singing/dancing/golden/wooden/giant/invisible Buddha statue, I couldn't wait to leave! I made no lasting connections and was all but ignored in any clubs I went to. Best thing about it was the cheap, deliciously flavorful food.
Even though I didn't enjoy Bangkok, I will give it another try someday. But HK remains one of my favorite cities in Asia.
Sep 6, 2006, 5:52 pm
#49
Formerly known as rwk32882
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN, FL350
Programs: IHTFP, AS 75k, AA EXP, AC 75k, ex-UA 1K, Ex-BD *G (RIP), SPG Gold
Posts: 504
Exceeded:
Lofoten Islands, Norway
Interior of Iceland
Vilnius, Lithuania
Osaka, Japan
Failed:
Rome, Italy
Bacelona, Spain
Riga, Latvia
Lofoten Islands, Norway
Interior of Iceland
Vilnius, Lithuania
Osaka, Japan
Failed:
Rome, Italy
Bacelona, Spain
Riga, Latvia
Sep 6, 2006, 6:31 pm
#50
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: Frontier Gold, DL estranged 1MMer, Spirit VIP, CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat/comped gold now dust.
Posts: 38,394
Originally Posted by mikew99
Most Failed: Bangkok. This was my final destination recommended by my coworker as far more culturally intersting than Hong Kong. But after enduring the stifling heat and humidity to visit Yet Another singing/dancing/golden/wooden/giant/invisible Buddha statue, I couldn't wait to leave! I made no lasting connections and was all but ignored in any clubs I went to. Best thing about it was the cheap, deliciously flavorful food.
Sep 6, 2006, 6:55 pm
#51
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: ORD, MKE
Programs: UA, AA, Hilton and regular member of everything else
Posts: 1,336
Here's a quick one:
Exceeded:
Amsterdam (when indulging in what it has to offer)
Disappointed:
Amsterdam (when visiting with family and sober the whole time)
Exceeded:
Amsterdam (when indulging in what it has to offer)
Disappointed:
Amsterdam (when visiting with family and sober the whole time)
Sep 7, 2006, 2:30 pm
#53
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Programs: Frontier Gold, DL estranged 1MMer, Spirit VIP, CO/NW/UA/AA once gold/plat/comped gold now dust.
Posts: 38,394
Exceeded: Cook Islands (Rarotonga and Aitutaki)
Kuala Lumpur
Perhentian Islands (Malaysia)
Disappointed: San Francisco
Kuala Lumpur
Perhentian Islands (Malaysia)
Disappointed: San Francisco
Sep 7, 2006, 9:44 pm
#56
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: BOS
Programs: UAL 1P, NWA
Posts: 179
exceeded
Most of New Zealand
Nova Scotia
Cotswolds
Philadelphia
Blue Mountains NSW
Barcelona
Kennedy Space Center
Fiji (go native)
disappointing or worse
LA (where am I?)
Orlando (wafer thin simulation of reality)
Vegas (wafer thin simulation of unreality + sleaze galore)
Southern West Virginia (the classy folks throw their trash in their neighbor's yard)
Most of New Zealand
Nova Scotia
Cotswolds
Philadelphia
Blue Mountains NSW
Barcelona
Kennedy Space Center
Fiji (go native)
disappointing or worse
LA (where am I?)
Orlando (wafer thin simulation of reality)
Vegas (wafer thin simulation of unreality + sleaze galore)
Southern West Virginia (the classy folks throw their trash in their neighbor's yard)
Sep 8, 2006, 7:38 am
#58
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: FRA
Programs: LH SEN, ME Cedar Miles Prestige
Posts: 405
Exceeded:
Beirut (über-trendy and traditional, western and oriental, über-hospitable people, watching saudi tourist doing all the "forbidden" things in their playground)
London ( watching these drunk english women in winter wearing mini-skirts is most of the fun)
Odessa (great morbide architecture, good clubs, very few western tourists)
Disappointed
Sydney ( maybe my expectation were too high, but I didnt really "get warm" with the Sydneysiders)
Dubai ( as I am not a shopper in particular- i got bored easily)
Brussels (somehow it has no real identity to me, besides the grand place, lot of it is early 70 architecture)
Beirut (über-trendy and traditional, western and oriental, über-hospitable people, watching saudi tourist doing all the "forbidden" things in their playground)
London ( watching these drunk english women in winter wearing mini-skirts is most of the fun)
Odessa (great morbide architecture, good clubs, very few western tourists)
Disappointed
Sydney ( maybe my expectation were too high, but I didnt really "get warm" with the Sydneysiders)
Dubai ( as I am not a shopper in particular- i got bored easily)
Brussels (somehow it has no real identity to me, besides the grand place, lot of it is early 70 architecture)
Sep 8, 2006, 8:18 am
#60
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago and Bangkok
Programs: UA 2p/Starwood/AA/TG
Posts: 107
Originally Posted by izzik
I think the biggest turnoff in Miami was the fact that almost every restaurant automatically charges gratuity, regardless of # of ppl eating. In a way, this became a mixed blessing as I found a superb Puerto Rican coffee shop that was 'normal' (aka, no auto-gratuity charge).