Bypassing all of the generic action flicks, skipping all of those boring predictable romantic comedies, there’s so many movies that never get watched because they aren’t financed well enough. Movies like Y Tu Mama Tambien, a Spanish movie that is perhaps the best coming-of-age tale ever. Or take El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez’s very first film, and the first of his Mexico trilogy. Both of these were amazingly well-written movies, but since it wasn’t backed by a large company, it had to go the independent route. That’s why it’s a good thing that so many people think the same things I do, because otherwise there would be no Sundance Film Festival.
Summary
One of those movies that kind of flew under the radar, so to speak, is Hotel Sorrento. Adapted from the play by Hannie Rayson, the movie takes the original story and ideas from the script but then branches off into director Richard Franklin’s direction and he runs with it, creating a movie that’s both reflective and poignant. It starts off with one of three sisters, Meg, writing a fictional book about her two sisters and their past. When they all return home, except for the oldest sister, Hillary, who had never left Australia, Hotel Sorrento begins to build up momentum in its insightful thoughts on how the country has changed.
Sounds Like Clerks
Hotel Sorrento reminds me of another great underappreciated movie with lots of pretentious dialogue, and that is Kevin Smith’s Clerks. While Clerks never discussed American past and present and how the country had changed, it instead took a deep dive inside the human soul and showed how a man in his twenties can feel underwhelmed by the world that he has in front of him. Hotel Sorrento, like Clerks, combines the emotional lives of the characters with long, drawn-out discussions that, if not directly, somehow relate to politics or philosophy.
Critical Acclaim
Critics seemed to appreciate Hotel Sorrento, while it was not a big hitter at the box office most of its patrons thought it was a nice movie. However, the biggest criticism by far was the fact that director Richard Franklin strayed too far from the play’s constraints. People complained that it wasn’t as good as the play, but most people who hadn’t ever seen the live action version prefer this Hotel Sorrento over the other. Maybe it’s a difference of taste, maybe it’s because whichever version the critic saw first will always be better, because that’s when it was original. It’s funny how when a movie based on a book comes out, all the readers will like the book better, but when someone who saw the movie first goes and reads the book, usually that person will like the movie better.
Hotel Sorrento: The Movie
Hyatt Hotels Around The World
The Hyatt hotel company was birthed in September of 1957, by way of a simple napkin with the price of 2.2 million dollars written on it. This particular napkin belonged to a man named Jay Pritzker, who was sitting in a coffee shop when he heard that the hotel was going up for sale. This hotel that he purchased was called the Hyatt House, founded by Hyatt R. von Dehn. The Hyatt hotel chain was doing well for the first few years, but what really kicked it into the view of the general public was the opening of the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, which offered the world’s first atrium inside of a hotel. Nearly two years after that, the Hyatt hotel company opened its first hotel overseas, the Hyatt Regency Hong Kong, which was demolished two years ago. With the extravagant opening of the Hyatt Regency Maui in 1980 the company assured visitors that they not only had a good hotel system but also fabulous resorts.
Park Hyatt
Have you ever want to be pampered, fussed over, and just generally taken care of in every way? Apparently there are a good bit of people who feel the same, and they all go to the fabulous Park Hyatt hotels for premium service. Every single Park Hyatt hotel is rated 4 stars or above, meaning you will get the finest food, technology, and services that can be found. Park Hyatt hotels can be found all around the globe, and even on the silver screen. The Park Hyatt in Tokyo was even an important part to the movie Lost in Translation, starring Tom Hanks.
In addition, Park Hyatt Tokyo offers an online shop where you can order anything from oven mitts to ginger cookies to gift baskets of soy sauce. It’s a good way to bring their guests into the whole hotel experience, and with the option to buy almost everything you get at the hotel, you can pretend that you’re in Tokyo from your own house.
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco
Speaking of movies featuring Hyatt hotels, one cannot forget the hilarious Mel Brooks comedy High Anxiety, and if you’ve seen the movie then you must remember the revolving restaurant. Well, that restaurant is called Equinox, and it’s situated on the top of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. Not only is it the only rooftop bar/restaurant in San Francisco, it’s the only one that revolves in all of California. This is just one of the many interesting attractions that the Hyatt hotels have employed to keep all of their patrons coming back time and time again.
Getting The Best Las Vegas Hotel Deals
Everybody loves a good deal and when it comes to staying in a Las Vegas hotel, getting an amazing deal makes you feel almost as good at hitting big on a slot machine. Las Vegas hotels offer many different pricing packages than those that are advertised and with a little research and perseverance you can get fantastic Las Vegas hotel deals.
Group Rates Make For Great Las Vegas Hotel Deals
If you are planning a family reunion, wedding or other gathering of a large group of friends or relatives in Las Vegas, make sure you shop around for great Las Vegas hotel deals on group rates. It is silly to let your guests make individual hotel arrangements and pay full price for their rooms when you can talk most major Las Vegas hotel chains into giving you great group rate. Amazingly, it doesn’t take an extremely large group to qualify for a group rate. Even booking as few as three rooms can get you a discount. Of course, the more rooms you book, the larger your discount will be.
To get group rates for your friends and family, simply have the hotel set up a code for your family members to use when they register. The code allows your friends and family to acknowledge that they are eligible for the group discount, while allowing them to individually pay for their own rooms.
Understanding The Seasons Make For Great Las Vegas Hotel Deals
If you have the flexibility, you can get great Las Vegas hotel deals by booking a hotel in the off season or even non-peak days. If your job allows, consider taking a family vacation at a time other than in the summer when Las Vegas hotels are at their busiest. Choose to take a trip to Las Vegas during the fall or winter, when desert temperatures are pleasant, instead of the hottest part of summer. When you travel off season, you will find that you also save money on food, show tickets, transportation, and even souvenirs.
If traveling or planning an event in the off season is not possible due to the demands of your work schedule, consider booking quick excursions and weekend type trips on weekdays. Las Vegas Hotels have many more bookings on the weekends, because traditionally that is when most people have the time to travel or visit new places. If you can book a room on a Wednesday instead of on a Friday, you will get the same room for up to half the cost.
When it comes to getting great deals on Las Vegas hotel rooms, don’t be afraid to ask a hotel if they can match a competitor’s price or give you a better deal on your room. You might be surprised at how accommodating a hotel can be.
Finding Las Vegas Hotel Deals
Of course, regardless of where you are traveling to, you are going to want to find the best deals and save the most money that you possibly can, and you should know that there are a number of different options available to help you do just this.
Most people are in too big of a hurry and are not willing to take the small bit of time that it takes to find a great company that can help you to get great discounts and deals, and it is more than worth it in the end when you end up saving yourself a great deal of hassle and money.
Your Options
In terms of Las Vegas in particular, there are quite a few different companies out there that can help you to find great Las Vegas hotel deals, a few in particular which are especially worthwhile.
LasVegas.com
This is one great online company that can help you find fantastic Las Vegas hotel deals, and with them you are able to find extensive information that will help you to plan your trip, and they are actually operated by local Las Vegans, and who else to help you learn about your best options in the city of lights than actual residents?
Trip Advisor
This is a fabulous company that you can find Las Vegas hotel deals through, and they are a company which is operated by Trip Advisor LLC, and which attracts more than 24 million monthly visitors. Their branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 20 million monthly visitors, 6 million registered members and 10 million reviews and opinions.
Expedia
Most people have heard of the name Expedia before, and they are yet another fantastic option that you have when it comes to finding Las Vegas hotel deals. They are a company that always makes sure to deliver to customers everything that they need for researching, planning and purchasing a trip anywhere in the world.
The company even provides direct access to one of the broadest selections of travel products and services in the world, and they provide travelers with the ability to book their comprehensive travel needs easily and without any hassle. Their branded websites feature deals on airline tickets, hotel reservations, car rentals, cruises, and much more, and are definitely worth checking out if you are looking to conserve as much money as possible on your next trip.