Monday, May 4, 2009

Some Like It Room Temperature...


Just a few short weeks ago we headed south to San Diego for the weekend. I was very excited. We stayed in the gaslight district and had dinner at the Marble Room. They were having a special tasting menu that night of Tapas sized portions for two. Since we watch so much FoodTV we felt like we were professionals when we ordered all the right things. Not only did our room have a view of the hotel's pool and happening club area, it also had a view of the San Diego Padres baseball diamond. I felt like I was right in the middle of things...for once. The hotel also had one feature that stunned me. Because it is owned by a European company, it has European rules about pets. The rules are simple: all pets are welcome. They even had a special room service and spa menu for pets. I was down in the spacious living room area before dinner at the free wine-tasting, when the front doors of the hotel opened and in marched the most regal golden retriever I've ever seen. He acted like he owned the joint. Who knows? Maybe he does...

On Sunday after a big breakfast, we drove across the bridge to Coronado island. This was the part of the trip that I was really looking forward to...we were going to visit the legendary Hotel Del Coronado, or as it's known to the locals, 'the hotel del.' The Del was a co-star in my all-time favorite film, "Some Like It Hot," starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. There is a thirteen minute-long train sequence in the film (I know how long it is because I timed it. I tell everyone it was a project in film school.) that is the funniest sequence I've ever watched. There is an intermission at the end of the train sequence and then the cast arrives at the Hotel Del Coronado -- which is set in Florida in the film. As they say in the movie bidness, after that hilarity ensues.

So there I was visiting Mecca for my movie madness. It was the most beautiful hotel I've ever visited. And it owns its heritage with "Some Like It Hot" posters and behind-the-scenes photographs throughout the basement shopping area and upstairs lobby. I had delusions of Marilyn Monroe, so I asked the handsomest man alive to take a photo of me on the beach cavorting. Turns out...I'm Jack Lemmon. See photographic evidence above...

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