Seminole Casino & Hotel in Immokalee , Florida 2 nights in Room 421 July 26 and 27

We stayed a few times in the newly build hotel in Immokalee. Probably about 6 times.

On this particular weekend mentioned above we had a two night stay planned yet again.

As always we arrived in the afternoon, just a little bit after the beginning of check in at 4 pm. It all depends on how you booked your hotel room how late your can actually check in. We recommend to always call them if you are running later than the time posted on line or on your reservation.

After a few not so smooth check in experiences, this time it all went pretty fast and without incidents.

Room 421 is a 4th floor room. We like to be close to the stairs which lead to the pool. So towards the end of the building. The hotel is not very big. So it is not a long ways to reach the elevator to the casino and the ice machine which is located on that floor as well.

Note: There is two ice machines. 1st floor and 4th floor. When you make reservations you should consider that if you know that you will need ice.

Once you reach your room I think you will pleasantly surprised. The rooms are large and have very high ceilings. The furnishing is very nice, floors are excellent and as in all other casino hotels this one also has very comfortable beds.

Check out the photos below and read some more comments. Also you can watch a video.

 

Hallway from elevator towards your room. You can see the end of it. Not a long building

 

View entering your room. The rooms have a lot of light if the curtains are open, which they were on this particular day.

 

Bathroom in this lay out is on the right. Some rooms are opposite but look the same. It is all new and was well stocked every single time were at this hotel. Very nice shower.

 

Shower head is pretty high. I love this one. It trickles nicely on you. Very relaxing. Like standing in the rain.

 

Toilets in this hotel are small and low. But they are in order and you have plenty of space.

 

Coming in you saw the TV and desk on the left. This is a nice big space. Great for work, putting your stuff down. Lots of room and I think it is tasteful. On this photo you see a door to the left. That is the refrigerator.

 

It is a small fridge, but it is nice to have it. Bring your own drinks and food and have snacks ready to go.

Remember it is small. So do not bring too much. Couple things to say about it. It is not cooling fast and when you open the door you feel warm air coming out. It seems they did not add an opening in the back to vent the fridge.

 

You will find a Keurig coffee maker. Nice feature. They give you 4 portions, but when you ask you will get more for free. You could also bring your own if you use the same maker. It is nice that they have real cups. Even the Hardrock in Hollywood has plastic cups ( which has advantages as well).

 

This is a nice corner. The large King Bed and a seating area. Very comfortable. Plenty of light. Love the bed. Really good quality. I have a bad back at times and there is absolutely no problem when I sleep on this bed.

 

The view is not exciting, but it is also not bad. you see some green belt behind the parking lot.

 

 

This is the view from the window towards the entrance door.

 

The room is tastefully furnished. Other things you will find is the ice bucket and glasses, table for your suite case ( right at entrance) and a nice radio alarm clock.

 

 

The rooms at the Seminole Immokalee Casino and Hotel seem to be all very similar. At least we found that all of our rooms looked the same. Different paintings on the wall. But all other things are consistent. That is nice. You know what you get.

 

Everything worked great. Lights, TV, fridge , coffee maker and so on. But This is to be expected in a pretty much new hotel.

 

Room services is available. There is a binder with all the info. We did not try any food in the room, so I can not write about it.

 

The girls who service the rooms are all very friendly and do a good job. If you are really nice you get some chocolate on your pillow.

 

 

Wifi is free. They are now writing the info on the card which comes with your room keys. Nice. Not too long ago you had to call them.

 

We had a nice and quite stay. The first morning we woke up to the alarm which told us to get dressed and leave the building. But employees in reasonable time determined that it was a false alarm. I did not think it was a big deal. It can happen.

 

Charging your drinks and food to the room now works without problems. That is also an improvement. I will need to write a Casino review to give you a better overview.

 

For now I can see. This specific room was as good as the other rooms we had. Room 421 is a great room if you want to be close to the pool using the stairs. If you can not walk good, this room will be too far from the elevator.

 

Last: The ice machine here worked excellent. If you read my review about the Roxy Suite at the Hardrock Hollywood you know that the ice machine there was out of order for 24 hours.

 

 

In all, this is a nice place to stay in Immokalee, which otherwise does not offer much in terms of hotel. The room rates are between 109 and 299. Depends on the season and on the day. Best is when you get a comp room. 299 would not be an option for us to pay for this room. 109 is a fair price.

 

Luckily we get invitations for free rooms. That makes it an even better stay !

 

Have you been at the Seminole Casino Hotel in Immokalee? Comments are welcome. Keep it short and to the point. All this info is to help people to get a better idea and make a better decision.

 

 

Video Room 421 Seminole Casino and Hotel Immokalee

 

 

 

 

Hardrock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida - Roxy Suite 622 Photos and short review July 19th and 20th

Whenever I am on a road trip for a golf tournament we try to stay in Casino Hotels if possible. There are several reasons for that, but nothing to be talked about in this little article.

Last weekend I played in Fort Lauderdale yet again. This is one of my favorite areas to play as it is close to the Hollywood Hardrock Casino Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.

I like this place with all the gambling, restaurants, action and especially the pool and bar area.

Although we are not the biggest gamblers in town, we seem to spend enough time in those Casinos eating, drinking and some gambling so we get invited for weekend stays.

This time we got the opportunity to book the "Roxy Suite". It sounded like fun and was a room we never had before at this hotel. So took advantage of the offer.

I was hoping that this room was a) nicely furnished and decorated and b) had a view towards the big water pond in front of the casino with its fountains and lights. After all we were on the 6th floor this time ( we were as high as 13 before) and not on the 3rd from which you literally only see the roof of the casino.

After a quick and smooth check-in we arrived at our home for two days.

Walking in it looked almost the same as the King Bed Room we had a few weeks earlier on the 3 floor. See first two photos:

Entrance looking towards window and seating area.

Prints of some rock legends on the right with dimming lights. Nice touch

 



The lay out and furniture actually looked the same as in the other room. Not even sure it was any different at all. Next photos.

Wardrobe in middle of photo as seen on the left when coming in. On left Keurig Coffee machine.

TV Table with big screen TV ( plenty of channels and options) On right side is the bar which is fully stocked.

Seating area with table. Wine glasses and drink glasses as well as ice bucket provided. Nice glass table.

 

View from seating area to front door

 

Very comfortable chair to the right of seating area and towards bed.

King Size Bed. Excellent mattress. Luggage stand. Radio with alarm provided on the nightstand as well.

Entrance to bathroom

 

 

All what  you saw I found very nicely organized. Clean and in good shape. Bar was stocked ( they told us we can not move anything in it or we will be charged). Coffee was stocked and coffee area was clean.

 

To me the entire area was practical and nice.

 

The bathroom was the difference to the regular room. It was bigger and had not only a separate huge shower and bathtub but also a toilet with it's own door. See following photos:

 

Large Duo Sink area.

Large Tub

Large shower with bench, which I thought is a nice feature.

Separate Toilet

 

 

I have to say that I liked the bathroom. It was much bigger than the other one and certainly it is nice to have separate tub, shower and toilet.

 

Although I did not check everything in terms of craftsmanship I have to say that in the bathroom you could see that it was not very well done. The tiles were not exact and the grout was done very unprofessional. Nothing you would expect in a room which cost between 129 and 750 a night depending on events and season.

 

 

See following photos:

 

Not sure if you can see it , but clearly it was done in a hurry and not well on top of it. But I found over the years, that tile jobs are not done well at all , even in the best hotels and restaurants. Which always raised questions in my mind about the management and owners of establishments.

 

We did have a nice view. Of which I only have a photo at daytime. It was much nicer at night. With the lights and the fountain on. But never the less, it was a view on the water !

You can see the water. At night the buildings have some colored lights and to the right you can see the water fountain. A nice touch and it is nice to sit at night and have a glass of wine or so.

 

 

 

I liked the Roxy Suite. It looked nice, had a view and the bathroom really was very comfortable. As always the mattress was excellent. A nice feature also was the do not disturb button. No more hanging signs.

 

 

 

Over all the Roxy Suite 622 at the Hardrock Casino Hotel in Hollywood, Florida is a nice room. Close to the elevator as well as the ice machine ( which did not work for almost 14 hours though).

 

The view as acceptable and most important. All was clean. Certainly I would not pay 800 dollars for it. Maybe up to 300 . But it is all a question of demand. We did not have to pay for it at all and enjoyed our two day stay very much.

 

If you like a little more comfort and are willing to put out a few more $, the Roxy Suite might be an option.

 

Have you stayed in other suites of this hotel? 



 



 



 

 



 

 

 

 

Cafe Beignet - New Orleans : Bourbon Street Location , Visit in April 2015 - Food review

We have been to New Orleans a few times now. To me that is one of the most fascinating cities in the US. We did a lot of walking and sight seeing in this town and enjoyed every minute of it.

One of the things I always liked to do , is walk up and down Bourbon Street one time each visit. Just walk it and look at the businesses, hotels and people. While doing that I usually have a beer or two.

Also a regular stop was and will be Café Beignet. Café Beignet sits in the back of a court yard where you can find some live music. Local artists of all kind playing music which at times brings you back into the good all times of this vibrant city.

What we usually did was to walk in, listen to the music and have a beer. Walking into the court yard is like leaving the city. Really interesting feeling. You listen to the music and at times forget that  you are in the middle of a big town.

We never really ate anything there. But this time we came with family including a child. So after walking for over an hour in the heat, all were hungry and thirsty. We decided to try out some of the items on the menu.

We ordered a couple omelette , a sandwich and beignets. Had some beer and coffee with it.

I had the ham and cheese omelette. The other omelette was the crawfish. The sandwich was called Mufalletta.

Took about 10 minutes to get the food. I was disappointed with the presentation of the items. There were just thrown on to some plastic plates and neither garnished or even orderly placed.

The food itself was fresh and hot but of low quality. Not even worth to go into detail of the items. One might think that for the price you pay, you might get some better quality items which are prepared in an appetizing way.

The Beignets were the only item which were OK. Rest of the food was not worth the money. Coffee was good and all other drinks were good as well.

While I liked and like the spot to visit and listen to music, I certainly will never eat there again. The prices are to high for what they offer. Seems like a full blown tourist trap to me. And we stepped right into it although not being real tourists.

If you walk Bourbon Street in New Orleans, I would suggest to stop by this music plaza and enjoy a cold drink while listening to the music and enjoying the atmosphere which reminded me of a little court yard in Paris.

I would not suggest to eat much there. Maybe the bakery items. But you will find better food not far from there.

Who has been to the Café Beignet on Bourbon Street and what was your food experience?

Official Website for Café Beignet

Quality Inn Golf Resort in Naples - Review of 2 day stay - May 1st and 2nd

Is the Quality Inn Golf Resort a good place to stay?

That is exactly what I asked myself just a week ago and here is what I found last weekend.

In connection with a WGAT USA golf tournament in Naples I was in search for a reasonably priced hotel. There seemed to be plenty of options in town. But we decided to go with the Quality Inn Golf Resort at Golden Gate.

A few reasons let us book this hotel. Amongst them the location, price, amenities and OK reviews.

After the first round of my tournament I found the hotel easily. Just a mile and a half from I 75 and right on the main road. When I drove in to the parking lot I immediately thought that this must be an older place. The buildings looked a little dated and the area around the hotel complex was older as well.

I right away noticed that the parking lot was packed. Still I found a spot and went straight to the check in counter. The greeting I received was not too friendly. No smiles and no hello. The girl behind the counter asked briefly if I was checking in and for my name.

The check in process was fast and easy. I liked that, but at this point I did not feel to welcome. However, I was explained where my room was, where I find breakfast and that there is a restaurant and a Tiki Bar.

My room was located in the most right building of the main complex right on the golf course. Again I found that the building was pretty old.  I noticed that the entrance door to our building was not only old, but also that it closed slowly and you were able to actually leave it open. Which raised the question why there was a room key scanner to the right.

Entering the building I noticed that everything was neat and clean. A good sign. This weekend I stayed on the second floor. So in to the elevator. Old my functional and again , clean.

After entering my room I first opened the curtains to get some light in. My first impression of the room was good. The entire room looked very clean and organized. Again I noticed the age of all things. A tube TV ( which worked great), older micro wave, small fridge and a coffee machine ( which was not old).

The main room had everything you need to be there for a longer stay. All equipment was clean and worked good. The bed not only looked good, but also was comfortable.

Moved on into the bathroom , which also was very clean and well stocked. The shower cabin seemed to be new and looked inviting. I liked the shower head, which was the kind you can change settings.

Last I stepped out on my balcony. My room faced the parking lot. So my view was more like city view. Not my favorite, but really not bad at all. I guess the rooms facing the golf course were more expensive. But considering why I was there, a view was not on top of my agenda.

The building I was in was a non smoking building and my non smoking room was exactly that. The entire building had absolutely no cigarette smell.

I got settled in and then went on to explore more of the hotel.

First I went to the restaurant. This place has been around for a while. The pattern however continued. All things were old, but clean and well maintained. I went straight to the bar to get something to drink and a dinner.

The server behind the bar, Kaitlyn I believe, was a little shy but very friendly. I ordered a beer and asked for the menu. Both came right away. The menu is simple and the prices are good. I decided to try the Philly Cheese Steak with sweet potato fries.

Did not take very long to get my food as well. The sandwich was OK for the price. The beef was a little dry , but tasted good and  the fries were hot and just as I like them. I sat there for about 40 minutes. Eating and drinking a couple beers.

A few people showed up to eat, but most of the customers came in for a drink. I guess I was a little late of the dinner crowed. I paid my bill, which was much lower than I expected! and went outside to the Tiki Bar.

This place was packed. Karaoke was running and it seemed very popular. I really liked the Tiki Bar. Good size, nice setting and right by the pool. The Karaoke evening seemed to be a very popular event. There were so many people and more arrived throughout the night.

Had another drink and watched and listened for a while. Even could have gone in the pool as it was open until 10 pm. But I did not.

I was a little concerned that it would be too loud to fall asleep once I was in bed. But I was wrong. Once in my room , I did not hear a thing from the Karaoke. Laid down and had a very good night. .

Shower cabin worked great. Love the shower head. Continental breakfast was included. So I went downstairs to check it out. They offered all you would need. Fruit, Yoghurt, cereal, toast and waffles. Orange Juice, Milk. Did not look too bad.

Since I was there to play a tournament I checked out the other breakfast. A buffet with hot foods for an extra 10 $. It was in the same room, just on the other side.

There was bacon, sausage, potatoes, country gravy, toast and fruits. Also you could get all the other stuff. I paid the 10 $ and had a good breakfast. The sausage was the best part of the warm items. I still think that 5 $ would have been more appropriate for an extra charge. After all I paid for the continental with the room. But I liked the food and the services was again friendly.

The second evening I did not have dinner in the hotel. But I saw they offered a Prime Rib Buffet. For 29.99 $ you got Prime Rib , Chicken Masala and some sides. But because I did not eat it, I will not write or comment about it. I only had a beer inside and then went to the Tiki Bar again.

Another Karaoke team was working this time. It was not that busy. Again I liked the setting and had another drink and watched and listened. I really liked how fast the servers were. There was no wait and they constantly were looking around to make sure that everybody had something to drink.

I had another very good night sleep that night. Sunday morning was my check out. This time I tried the continental breakfast. It was sufficient and just what you expect from the offer.

Check out was fast and easy again. This time the girls behind the counter were friendlier and also smiled.

I travel a lot. Stay in 1 star hotels and in 5 star hotels. Resorts, Casinos, Roadside Motels and so on. Not every person can smile and be perfect every day and every moment. So I will not put too much weight on the smiling part. Nobody was unfriendly at any time.

Overall : The Quality Inn Golf Resort would be a place I would stay again. Maybe not my first choice, but for sure it is an option if you are on the road and need a decent room.

The rooms were clean and functional. The entire hotel looked clean and well maintained. The service was overall friendly. The restaurant was old, but the food was good for the price. The pool and the ho tub were in good shape and I liked the Tiki Bar. Nice place to hang out and meet people.

I did not play golf there, so no word on that. If I ever do, I will add some words.

Considering all the reviews I read before staying at the Quality Inn Golf Resort, it exceeded my expectations.

Have you stayed at the The Quality Inn Golf Resort?

The Ole Biloxi Fillin Station - great place for oysters and beer in Biloxi, MS - Dinner April 6th 2015

We visited Biloxi ,MS a lot over the past 6 years. Mostly we stayed at the Beau Rivage and jumped Casinos. If not doing that we took road trips or played golf. Although we read about the historic town a few times, we were under the impression , that there is not much going on. So when we walked, we walked along the beach or the main roads to the casinos.

 

Last weekend, April 5th to April 8th we visited Biloxi yet again. This time with a different plan, which included the exploration of old down town.

 

Last Monday we then decided to  check out historic downtown at last and see what is going on there. Totally forgetting that it was Easter Monday. Naturally all stores and shops were closed. So we walked through this part pretty quickly.

 

 After walking for some time we saw what looked to us like an old gas station which was converted into a bar and restaurant. From the get go I liked the feel of it.

 

Seemed like a great idea to try something new and we needed to find a place for some supper anyhow. Walked under the old gas station canopy and found us a table. We were lucky to find a table as it was pretty busy. Seemed like a lot of locals were eating and drinking there, which always is a good sign.

 

Only took a few minutes for a server to greet us and to take the order for drinks. Alicia was very friendly and took the time to explain the beer selection to me. I ordered a local beer. Some family followed and others had some soft drinks.

 

The menu was pretty interesting. Immediately I noticed that they had three different Oyster Meals. That appealed to me and it seemed a specialty from them. Alicia did not take long to bring out the drinks and took the order while there.

 

Again she answered all questions and the ordering process was a breeze. I had fresh Oysters and hand made fries while other orders were Oysters baked with bacon and Parmesan, the house burger and chicken stripes. Also we ordered one side of coleslaw.

 

The food came within reasonable time and all at once. This is always good. I do not like when meals are brought out with big time gaps. So we all started eating at the same time.

 

My Oysters were excellent. Extremely fresh and of great quality. The cocktail sauce was not too spicy and the horse reddish tasted like in the old world. They were served on an ice bed and with a lemon. Simply loved it. The hand made fries were also excellent. Fresh, nicely seasoned and plenty of it.

 

I tried the baked Oysters with bacon and Parmesan and again was very happy with it. Real Parmesan and the right amount of bacon. Also they were not baked to total dryness.

 

The burger tasted very fresh. Seemed like they make them, but I did not ask , so I will not say they do. The coleslaw also tasted fresh and home made.

 

Only thing I did not try were the chicken strips, but the person who ordered them said they were very good and I will settle for that.

 

Had a different local beer after the first one and it was as good if not better than the other one.

 

While Alicia picked up the dishes , we ordered the check and then enjoyed the atmosphere and the view of the town. Really liked the feel of this old town .

 

Alicia did not take very long to bring the bill. I used the time to check out the bathroom. There is only one of them. One for all. No problem in my mind and it seemed to not bother anyone. It was clean and simple.

 

I then checked out the inside bar area and the second dining room. Both are cozy and also bring over a nice atmosphere.

 

Overall I was excited that we found this place and we will for sure go back there and spend some time trying beer and some more food.

 

The food is very good, service was great, prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is nice. If you come to Biloxi and want to get away from the Casino Buffets and bars, The Ole Biloxi Fillin Station would be a great choice.

 

 

Cooke real estate school 14 hour continuing education course for Florida licensees

I am holding my real estate license for a long time. Had a license in different states and different countries. To be able to do so I took many classes and passed many exams.

Currently living in Florida I have the Florida real estate license for sales associates.

Part of having this license in Florida is to do continuing education every 2 years. Now the particular course I did this time is for licensees who hold there license for at least 4 years. Meaning that it is the second renewal period.

This time I picked an offer from Cooke Real Estate Schools. They started sending me offers for this course long time before my renewal due date. The price was by far the best 14.95$.

I went to their website, found my course, paid with credit card and received 2 emails within minutes. It was very simple to find what I needed and to submit payment. The two emails I received were:

1. Confirmation of my sign up and payment
2. Password and instructions

I signed in right away to make myself familiar with the system.

The page I was directed to was super simple. Showed me links to the ebook for studying, email to instructor ....

Also status of course and a link to the final exam. As a matter of fact you could take the final exam right there.

I decided to go through text book first. Although it is not a problem to fail ( you can take it again right away at no extra charge), I am not a fan of wasting time.

Ebook was a PDF file. Easy to navigate and with all needed information. Not sure if I took 14 hours to read it, but you are not clocked so it does not matter.

Once ready for the exam I clicked on the link and started. You do not have to finish in one sitting and are able to save and finish later. So there is absolutely no pressure.

I answered all questions, but noted the ones which I was not sure about. Then I saved my work and went back to the textbook to check my answers.

Once I was sure about all 29 answers I gave ( multiple choice system) I submitted the form. Few seconds later I got my result. Passed. You need 75% of 29 questions.

You can print out the confirmation  and put it in your file. Cooke school will send the completion certificate to the Department.

Cooke Real Estate School is definitely a great way to go when you need to get the 14 hour continuing education for FL real estate done. I will pick them again next time.

Did you do any exams with them? How did you like it. Always glad to hear about experiences others had.