aloft a-go-go - captain's blog

Captains Blog- Want fingers with that?

I am in Maryland or maybe New Jersey, I'm not sure. Anyway, I am on my way back to New York. I just finished eating at Taco Bell. It's one of my regular spots, It's how I keep my physique.

As I was ordering I asked for a small drink. I had been craving a Diet Coke for some reason. At this point I'm kind of grumpy. I tried to eat healthy for lunch and had been hungry ever since. Back to the story, when the girl handed me my drink she completely fisted it! She was two fingers deep into the cup. I immediately thought about asking for another yet I knew she had the power in this situation. She was about to make my food. I thought it wasn't a good idea to insult or embarrass her. So I sucked it up and thought I could handle it. A few germs are good for us, they build immunity...right?

So I sat down as I waited for my food and looked over and she was...I kid you not, chewing on her hand. It was like she had the hang nail of all hang nails and was attempting to bite it off.

I threw up a little inside my mouth.

So, I was really pissed at this point. It was a tough situation. Then it came to me. I wrapped the base of my cup in a napkin and took it to the counter. I told the other girl (as to avoid the same experience happening twice!) that my cup was leaking and ask her if I could have another. They looked at each other as if I was trying to rip them off and gave me a smirk. I smiled and waited patiently. A moment later she handed me another cup without the fingers. Thank goodness.

What would you have done? Would you have ignored it and just dealt with the germs? Am I overacting? Or, would you have confronted her there on the spot?

Captains Blog- Next Stop

So I'm headed back to New York. I will be there for about a week then will be heading down to Austin. I am going to Blues on the Green. This is an outdoor concert series and I am really excited about it. It takes place on June 13th. I am looking for events between now and then around Texas. If you know of anything going on in that area drop me an email. My address is in the "About" margin.

I hope to see all y'all ,Texas, Texas- Yee Haw!

Captains Blog- Jeep an uh oh

So I finished the Charleston groundbreaking and was ready to hit the road and head back to NYC to Aloft headquarters. Unfortunately I am having trouble with my Jeep Commander. I do put a lot of miles on this car quickly so I suppose these things happen. I spent all of Memorial Day at the Jeep dealership as they attempted to find out what was wrong. Everyone in here with me today knows the names of every worker. I thought at first it was weird that these people were waiting practically no time at all to have their repairs done. I think now I have figured out what is going on.
It turns out I have a problem with my power steering pump. They are going to replace it now so I can get on the road tonight. So here's where I spent Monday and this afternoon:

Shockingly (not really) the locals all volunteered to move out of the picture and none of them wanted to be in it. They really think I am some kind of freak.

Did I mention the car is packed and I am ready to go?

This is my "Are you kidding me face."

So I told them to just go ahead and patch the tire which has a nail in it and also to change the oil. With all the miles I put on this car this has become a monthly ritual. Thank goodness for the kind people at Jeep who are considering a type of partnership which will help me out as I take their product around the country to all these large events.

Captains Blog- Charleston, Broken Ground

We had the groundbreaking for the North Charleston Aloft. The groundbreaking went flawlessly. It is going to be in a great location. True to Charleston, there was great food served. We had pulled pork and all the fixings. The ceremony was short and sweet and the weather was HOT. I changed shirts three times from setup to take down. I had to convince myself it was ok to eat BBQ when it felt like 110 degrees and a bit humid. I got over it.

Paul (SVP, Select services hotel div.) and Tracy (Dir. of Marketing, Aloft) grabbed some of that great Southern food. Their plates together still didn't compare to mine.

There was a great turnout for the event. I think everyone was excited to get out of the office after coming back from the long weekend. Here's a picture of the ceremonial groundbreaking. Notice the gigantic truck in the back- truly Southern form.

That's the Mayor in the middle.

Here's a few more pictures from the Charleston North Aloft groundbreaking.

Captains Blog- Memorial Day Weekend

Other cities beware, Charleston is quickly moving to the top of my favorite stops list. This place is truly spectacular. I am so pleasantly surprised by the beauty, grace, friendliness, and fun of this city.

Downtown Charleston is basically a peninsula with the great beaches at both ends. The city feels a lot like New Orleans. If you've ever been lucky to take a stroll through the residential part of the french quarter, New Orleans than you have an idea of what Charleston is like. When walking downtown, one can take any random street and find the most amazing homes. The Historic Society of Charleston really has a grip on downtown.

One of my favorite things about Charleston is its connectedness to the sea. Along the water downtown there is a great boardwalk and park. The park has a large fountain which draws the people in on a hot day. This is just one of many great fountains in Charleston. Any town with water taxi's, horse drawn carriages, English taxi cabs, and pedicab's must have something going on. The don't have just one or two carriages here like some cities. They are everywhere. There is a street downtown where they all line up. Here's a shot of them.

These carriages add a really relaxed feeling to Charleston. They somehow don't mess up traffic too badly either.

Charleston also has some great food options. The cuisine is more English than Cajun. They have some really nice restaurants and also some dives, both offer good food. For a nice dinner with great atmosphere checkout  Muse (82 Society St). It is a traditional Charleston home which has been converted. There is also a private balcony for two available for the taking. For a great spot to soak up some sun and enjoy views of Charleston go to the rooftop bar and restaurant at the Library ( 23 Vendue Range). The food is light but the scenery is great.

Charleston has been a great city to spend a few days. Here is a slide show of some of the sights and great people I've met:

Captains Blog- Some links for you

Until I get them in the margin, here are some links you might want to check out:

www.alofthotels.com

www.whotels.com

www.starwoodhotels.com

My email: corbin.kappler@alofthotels.com

Let me know if there are anymore you would like me to post.

Captains Blog- Do Truckers Wear Sunscreen?

Well, once again I have a farmers tan on my left arm. I am sunburned from mid-bicep down. I tried to take a picture but that proved to be harder than it sounds. Anyway, that means I've made another journey.

I am in Charleston, South Carolina. I've never been to South Carolina and it's pretty cool. Charleston is a really quaint town. It reminds me a lot of the French Quarter in New Orleans. There are a lot of parks and the downtown is right on the water. They have a long boardwalk which creates the Southern delineation between land and water for the city.

Charleston was really crowed, as was expected for this weekend. Hotels were all full. I even tried the hostel thinking it would be fun and cheap, they have a waiting list. I've been craving some beach time so I gave up on the city and the $500 hotel rooms. I headed a little out of town to a small island called Isle of Palms. I thought I might be able to find a cheap hotel out here, I was wrong. I did however find a great hotel which I could afford for just Wednesday night. It is right on the beach with great communal balconies and fun looking bars and restaurants on both sides.

Looking for a hotel yesterday after doing the drive was miserable. I am glad to have found this place yet now I am in the same predicament as yesterday. I am sitting here on the balcony trying not to dwell on the fact that i don't have a place to stay for tonight. I used to be much better as this not worrying thing.

If it weren't for the clouds I'd nover get anything done!

Captains Blog- SO Soho

Soho, or south of Houston, is one of the trendiest places in the world. There are really cool shops, galleries, and yes... people. I was invited to take the go-go to an event called gathering on Greene." This was a block party to celebrate the success of the businesses in the area. We teamed up with City Magazine and threw a great party.

We were so busy I didn't get a lot of pictures but here's a few.

Captains Blog- A trip to W Union Square

The day finally came, the one I had been dreading yet knew would happen. I was asked to take the go-go to Manhattan. I was scared to death. Now that I had been driving in the city for a few days I was getting more comfortable but never would I be ready to drive an RV in one of the busiest cities in the country.

I knew it would take a while since I had to take the truck route and it was Friday afternoon. IT TOOK 5 HOURS!! I'm not kidding nor am I exaggerating. It was horrible. Jill took me way out of the way and traffic was horrible. I saw two stalled 18 wheelers, two ambulances and a car fire.

Eventually I made it there and the event went really well. Union Square is a great location and tons of people came by.

Captains Blog- Next Public Events

This just in...

I will be at the W hotel, Union Square, this Thursday. I will be there from 5:30pm to 8:30 pm. I will be on 17th St at Park. Come by and check out the go-go.

ALSO- I am lucky enough to get to go the "Gathering on Greene." I've heard this will be a great event highlighting the success of the businesses in the Soho area. We will spend the evening celebrating style, fashion, and cool design. I'm bringing it baby! We will be there in high fashion with City Magazine. This should be a great event, see you there. Get more info: CITY magazine.