Will N.'s Profile

I had a "Godfather" sandwich from Sandy's today which was really good.  It's basically a warm sandwich with about five kinds of deli meats along with your typical fixins.  We took our sandwiches with us, but the inside was quite nice... really laid back, quiet, and clean.  The staff was friendly, the prices good, and the food selection was quite broad.

My wife and I had a pretty bad experience here during our honeymoon this last week.  A lot of it can be attributed to unfortunate circumstances.  We were on the third floor, directly next to the elevators on the non-ocean view side (room 323 I think).  The walls are rather thin and the elevator is rather loud, which did not make for peaceful sleeping.  To make matters worse, there was a Pacific Gas & Electric conference of sorts happening that week, which took place on the fourth floor.  It wasn't bad during the day, but it meant that they were cleaning and resetting all the room late at night, so we heard them moving about and vacuuming quite a bit.  They also vacuum the area outside the elevators late at night, which was quite disruptive.  Finally, their internet connection was lousy.  The signal was very weak and inconsistent... we ended up having to sit in the bathroom to get the only somewhat stable signal.  Even the ethernet connection in their business center was abysmally slow.

One of the only positive things I could say is that it is in a very convenient location, only five minutes from Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The beach the hotel sits on isn't too bad either and has a good view of the Monterey Bay.

When they say "seasonal fruit", they basically mean everything that is in season... I had strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, honeydew melon, pineapple, cantaloupe, passion fruit (I think), and kiwi all on my plate.  This was the side for my french toast which was phenomenal... I couldn't quite place it, but it tasted like they use some kind of fruit (lemon or citrus maybe) in their egg batter, which adds a nice flavor.  The service was excellent and food was prepared very quickly.  We were there on a Saturday morning, and it was quite busy, so plan accordingly.

We outfitted our entire wedding party through Belle Mariee - bride, bridesmaids, groomsmen, parents and grandparents, ushers, everyone.  Karolin and Michelle were absolutely unbelievable, going so far above and beyond to make sure every aspect of our wedding attire was perfect.  They are without a doubt the quintessential example all that is wonderful and right about small local businesses.  We would have never received this level of service or quality from some chain bridal shop.  After working with them for close to eight months (order your dress early!), my wife and I now truly count Karolin and Michelle as friends.  We were so pleased to actually have them at our wedding to share in the celebration that they helped make possible.

My wife and I stayed here one night last month and really enjoyed it.  It is an older building, so we did hear our neighbors in the next room a little.  The rooms are a bit small, but since we were only there a single night it didn't bother us too much.  The price was great for the location, and the atmosphere was what truly sold us on it - each room is individually decorated with paintings and California quotes and the walls.  We'll definitely stay here again if we need a room near Nob Hill.

My wife and I both had their fish and chips special, which came with a cup of their clam chowder.  The food was all excellent... the chowder was a little sweet, but not too much so.  The fish had  a really good flavor with great batter and fried just right... not too greasy.  On the negative, the tables were quite small and the service could have been a bit better.

My wife and I recently stayed here for our honeymoon and absolutely loved it.  The atmosphere was very romantic, with dimmers on every light and an oversized jacuzzi tub in the room.  We had cereal with fresh fruit each morning, with pastries delivered from a local bakery.  They had free wifi with good consistent signal, helpful staff, and lots of resources for local wineries and restaurants (including menus for most everywhere in the Sonoma Plaza).

I did one main compaint... we were in the Chapel Suite, which is right along the main hallway, so we heard everyone walking by as they came and went.  We just turned up our music a little louder and were fine.  Even with that, this wonderful little Inn is well deserving of five stars.

I live and work near downtown Los Angeles, so perhaps I'm easy to please when it comes to groceries.  Nevertheless, I find the selection at Stater Bros a joy when I'm in Temecula visiting family.

My once major annoyance is the gradual increase in solicitors outside the store.  A few months ago, there was a young cheerleading team out front with their boombox doing cheers.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you I could hear their music from the deli at the back of the store.  I'm a bit frustrated with the store management for allowing so many solicitors to constantly badger their customers as they are trying to enter the store.

Ate here a lot when I used to work at the University of Memphis.  Great food, good sized portions, and very affordable.  Would definitely go back whenever I'm in town again.

My fiancee and I affectionately refer to this as the "Ghetto Vons", as opposed to the much nicer "Hollywood Vons" at Sunset & Virgil.  If you're just buying a few dry goods or need a gallon of milk in a pinch, this will suffice.  But if you're looking for a deli, bakery, or anything else you'd expect to find in a full-size grocery, you'll need to go elsewhere.