Archive for February, 2009
Gatlinburg hotel on TripAdvisor dirtiest hotels list
The Days Inn & Suites in Gatlinburg has landed on TripAdvisor’s list of the 10 dirtiest hotels in the U.S. The good news is that the Days Inn Vanderbilt, which made the same list in 2008, isn’t ranked this time, but that may be because it rebranded as the West End Lodge. (The hotel is under new management and is no longer a Days Inn location, but it isn’t fairing much better in TripAdvisor member reviews.)
If there had been any chance that I would be staying at a Days Inn anytime soon, I’d say it’s pretty unlikely at this point, especially in Tennessee.
Tags: days inn and suites gatlinburg, days inn vanderbilt, dirtiest hotels, gatlinburg, hospitality, nashville, tennessee, trip advisor, west end lodge
From the Rink blogger in town, polling Preds future
Hockey blogger James Mirtle, formerly of the Toronto Globe and Mail, will be attending Preds games tonight and Saturday here in Nashville. Let’s make James welcome, Preds fans, and be sure to vote in his poll regarding the team’s future in Nashville.
Thanks to Amy and Paul for tipping me off about this news.
Tags: detroit red wings, from the rink, james mirtle, nashville, nashville predators, nhl, phoenix coyotes
Things I learned at the Nashville Geek Breakfast
The Nashville Geek Breakfast has achieved mitosis, at least for today, as our ever-expanding crew tested out a new format featuring separate 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. seatings. I made it just in time for the early bird session, which was still packed, and had a great time as usual. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville this morning:
- Will Perry, much like Walter Payton, did not score a touchdown for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Nashville’s “Fridge,” not to be confused with the NFL player of the same name, is a CPA, a technology consultant and a speaker.
- What happens when the Mac and PC guy inadvertently sit next to each other and share a meal? There were minimal fireworks, despite a brief discussion of the merits of both platforms, when Josh Oakes and Byran Huddleston were side-by-side this morning. Josh works for Mac Authority, and Bryan is a Microsoft sales rep.
- Continuing a longstanding Geek Breakfast tradition, neither John Hodgman nor Justin Long attended today’s event. By the way, did you know that Hodgman, the PC guy in the well-known Mac ad campaign, is a long-time Mac user? That makes sense, since Hodgman is willing to mock Microsoft in the ads, but it is ironic.
- OPC Factor, an antioxidant promising numerous health benefits, is huge among Jamaicans who live in NYC. OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins, which is unpronounceable enough to make OPC one of the best acronmys ever, in my opinion. Dan Cotton is working on ways to spread the word about OPC Factor around the country and across the Web.
- Bill Seaver and Dave Delaney are talking social media on the Nashville Chamber’s weekly Webcast tomorrow. When Bill isn’t talking social media, he’s busy being grateful that his kids are sleeping in. (Since I have a daughter on the way soon, I’m looking forward to less sleep myself. Ha ha.)
- Jim Hitch isn’t the “date doctor,” but he can help you get the most out of your email campaigns using Emma.
If you haven’t made your way to a Geek Breakfast, don’t worry. We’ll find a way to shoehorn you in, so make plans to attend next month’s session. See you there.
Tags: chicago bears, emma, geek breakfast, john hodgman, justin long, mac authority, microsoft, nashville, nashville area chamber of commerce, nashville geek breakfast, networking, nfl, opc factor, super bowl xx, technology, william perry
Good news, bad news for Preds
There’s a symbiotic relationship between how the Preds perform on the ice and off. The good news is that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who attended last night’s home game against the Blues, says the Preds are on solid ground as a franchise. That’s welcome word for a fan base that has seen way too much drama away from the rink the past few years.
The bad news is that the Preds aren’t producing many goals–or points in the standings–of late. Last night’s overtime loss earned the team the only point it’s registered in three games this week, and that won’t fit the bill for what would be the franchise’s fifth-consecutive playoff berth.
There’s never a good time to miss the playoffs, but sitting out the postseason won’t do much to fill seats, either. The Preds are only a few points out of playoff position, but they need goals–and wins–in a hurry.
David Boclair (The City Paper)
Forechecker
Tags: gary bettman, hockey, nashville, nashville predators, nhl, saint louis blues, the city paper, the tennessean
Violetta can’t pass up subtle swipe at Preds’ expense
Steve Violetta, the Detroit Red Wings’ senior vice president of business affairs who once worked for the Preds, couldn’t resist taking a subtle swipe at Nashville as a hockey market in a PR Week story about how sports teams are using social media:
“I think as a franchise, we are in a unique position because of how far the brand extends,” he adds. “When we talk about (Detroit nickname) ‘Hockeytown,’ that’s about the guy in Phoenix or Nashville who wears his Red Wings jersey when he goes to a game there,” he says.
Since many Red Wings fans attend Preds games wearing jerseys, Violetta’s comment is accurate, but I imagine he took a little pleasure in pointing out that his former employer isn’t in the strongest market in the NHL. Though Nashville is favoring a little better these days at the turnstiles, it didn’t gain much ground during Violetta’s watch. I doubt that’s a coincidence.
It’s OK, Steve. We don’t miss you, either.
Tags: detroit red wings, hockey, nashville, nashville predators, nhl, phoenix, phoenix coyotes, steve violetta
