Looking for a hotel in Niagara Falls? Sheraton on the Falls – Hotel Review

by Shane McDonald | Sep 20, 2017 | Hotel Reviews, Reviews, Travel

Sheraton on the Falls, Niagara Falls, Hotel Review

If you are planning a trip to Niagara Falls then you are probably searching the web looking for an independent review of hotels, to help make your mind up. You are probably searching for Good Hotels in Niagara Falls or Recommended Hotels near Niagara Falls. When I visited Niagara falls I had no such luxury, my hotel, Sheraton on the Falls, was arranged by my travel agent. I was told it was a great hotel so I took their word. They were right.

Staying in Niagara Falls is something you just have to do once in your life. If you do visit the area, then get a good hotel, one with a good view of the world-famous Niagara Falls. The Sheraton on the Falls is one of these great hotels. The view is something which you will probably have to pay a bit more for but I can guarantee that it is worth it, especially if you only have 1 or 2 nights at Niagara Falls. You get to see the Niagara Falls from your room at sunrise and also when the falls change colours, illuminated with lights in the evening.

Sheraton on the Falls

The Sheraton on the Falls is obviously a Sheraton hotel; a brand of hotels everyone knows. This Sheraton has a clean and fresh appeal about it. The Sheraton on the Falls Hotel has 669 first-class rooms, varying from traditional guest-rooms to the beautiful Falls View suites. These falls-view suits feature floor-to-ceiling windows providing guests with the best hotel view of Niagara Falls. All guestrooms are non-smoking which is ideal as I don’t smoke and I can smell if rooms have been smoked in.

The Rooms at Sheraton on the Falls

After a courteous and detailed check-in, you get a chance to see the view for yourself from the room. Note, the check-in area is one of the busiest I have ever seen but they processed the guests very quickly. I would recommend getting a superior room (or better) on the higher floors, which will afford you a better view of the falls. The noise of the falls when you open your balconette door (not really a balcony but you can open a door protected by a guard rail), is amazing.

You can hear the roar of Niagara falls if you leave that door open. The recommended room to stay in is the Fallsview King Jacuzzi Room. This room offers a King size Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed, floor to ceiling windows, and a fireplace with sitting area, and a 37″ LCD Television. Also included are a phone, desk, in room tea/coffee, wireless internet access (charged), and pay per view movies. The pay for WiFi is something I hate but hopefully, in 2017 this policy might be different (check on booking).

Anyway, the rooms in the Sheraton on the Falls are very nice, well laid out, clean and bright. Good size bathrooms, ideal for a luxury break away. A sound nights sleep is guaranteed!

The Food

Options for food are plentiful. There are restaurants nearby and in the hotel. The best place for casual and fun dining is the Hard Rock Café within the same complex. Buffet Breakfast is available in The Sheraton on the Falls and this is a very large buffet with everything from pancakes, cereals and fried foods to fruit, yoghurts and omlettes / eggs cooked to order. You won’t be hungry! Even though it was a buffet we were still asked to tip the server, a person who came once to us offering coffee – I found that strange as we served our own breakfast. Tipping is strange to me as we don’t really have it in Ireland.

Conclusion

I was very happy with the Sheraton on the Falls, a great base for exploring the area as it is within walking distance of all the main attractions. I would certainly return to this hotel and have no problem in recommending it.

Sheraton on the Falls Location

Sheraton on the Falls, Niagara Falls

Sheraton on the Falls, Niagara Falls, Canada

American Made – Movie Review

by Shane McDonald | Sep 13, 2017 | Film and TV, Reviews

American Made starts way back in 1978. Barry Seal, played by Tom Cruise, a is a young and very bored TWA pilot. Barry plays fast and loose with his job as a pilot – something we have seen Tom Cruise do before in other movies. Barry has a little sideline in smuggling contraband cigars. This does not go unnoticed and a member of the CIA, played by Domhnall Gleeson, approaches him with a proposal.

At one point Barry asks Domhnall Gleeson’s CIA character, “All this is legal?” … “If you’re doing it for the good guys,” was the response. This sets the tone for the film and it’s hard to know who the good guys sometimes. The CIA job is more of an ultimatum than a proposal and he is asked by the CIA to take reconnaissance photos of Soviet-backed insurgents, the contras, in South and Central America. Before he knows it, after only a few years Barry Seal starts drug smuggling for some of the most famous drug lords in Central America.

The thing which makes all this a bit more appealing – American Made is all based on true events.

As the film progresses Barry Seal takes on more and more risks. If caught he could be killed by the contras, a drug lord or imprisoned by any one of the many law enforcement groups he annoys. At one point I thought his wife was going to kill him, as Barry has a growing family to raise. The family gets a lot bigger as Barry becomes more successful. His wife’s brother comes and works for Barry which causes its own issues. The scenario and Barry’s life becomes more and more complex. I’m not going to spoil the final act but all in all, this is a great movie with a great 70/80s soundtrack.

All Action – Tom Cruise

American Made is very Tom Cruise. Since Top Gun, we all know Tom loves fast cars, bikes and planes. Some of the aircraft sequences are very well done. At one point Tom or Barry (hard to know sometimes) adjusts the aircraft pitch trim in order to keep the aircraft flying level. At this point, he goes back into the small plane to release the drugs he was carrying. This is not a stuntman, he was most probably Tom Cruise. In reality, though Barry Seal was built like a wrestler was not as trim as Tom Cruise. The one thing I did notice was that the aircraft scenes and procedures seemed to be well researched, Tom was probably all over this detail.

The filming is very retro in parts, especially the opening and ending credits which I loved. I thought the credits, graphics, filming and music added a great air of vintage authenticness to the film.

American Made is not a deep or gritty drama. It has the wide cheeky grin of Tom Cruise at the start but you know it will be full of action and will be entertaining. There are a few reviews of the American Made movie who focus on it being cheesy but it is more than that. I think it was highly enjoyable, entertaining and would actually love to see it again.

Official Trailer – American Made

American Made – Overall Movie Rating

American Made Movie Rating

Cathay Pacific Business Class – Hong Kong to Sydney

by Shane McDonald | Jul 14, 2017 | Reviews, Travel

Cathay Pacific Business Class – Review

In a previous Travel Blog post, I mentioned how great Cathay’s Premium Economy was during our flight from London to Hong Kong. It was my intention that I would review the Hong Kong to Sydney leg.

On arrival at gate 71 in HKG our tickets were very unexpectedly upgraded to Business Class. This was a first for me. I was more than happy with the Cathay Pacific Premium Economy service which was excellent. However, I had never been upgraded in over 15 years of worldwide travel. This came after a very bad Tuesday in Hong Kong when my expensive Canon 7D camera died. It also coincided with the fact that this international trip was a milestone birthday trip.

On arrival, I was in awe of the amazing space which would be my abode for the next 11 or so hours during the trip to Sydney. The seat which also turns into a bed is very comfortable and at this point, I was hoping we would be routed into a few holding patterns just to extend this amazing comfort.

As usual, there were drinks on arrival and I chose the signature Cathay drink “Oriental Breeze” with cranberry other juices and a hint of Rosewater. This was a beverage from heaven, a lovely taste and also quite potent … I slept very well after this!

Within 45 minutes food was served – that was a fast turnaround. We were only in the air under and hour and already the food is here. If you thought food in Premium Economy was good then you must experience the Michelin Star influenced food. Fresh Fruit with a hint of ginger, 2 types of hummus and breadsticks (best hummus I ever tasted), fresh bread rolls, and the highlight was the fish with boiled rice with the excellent oriental touch of chopsticks and the refinement of a table cloth and proper cutlery (no foil packets in Business class)

This was an amazing meal and accompanied by a signature cocktail of Cointreau, vodka called “Cloud Nine” – another ‘Must Try’ in Business Class with Cathay Pacific.

I was very well impressed by the food and the level of service which also included you being addressed by name… This attention to detail just blew me away.

The breakfast with fresh fruit compote and yoghurt with granola, croissant, plus really good dim sum was just perfect. Follow that with a lovely coffee – my breakfast experience was complete.

The whole flight spent in Business Class reminded me that if you are travelling a long way and wanted to enjoy the best food, the best service and you wanted to arrive refreshed, then I would certainly recommend Cathay Pacific Business Class. If you cannot afford business class, don’t forget that the Cathay Pacific Premium Economy experience is also very good and probably the best in my experience.

Cathay Pacific Business Class is truly a wonderful way to fly – an even better way to arrive!!

This review is my own experience of the Cathay Pacific Business Class flight, I was not paid or compensated in any way in return for this blog post and it is simply a review of this flight.

Beauty and the Beast – Movie Review

by Shane McDonald | Apr 18, 2017 | Film and TV, Reviews

Beauty and the Beast, the 2017 live action remake of the 1991 animated classic of the same name. Directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Luke Evans as the egotistical and quite funny Gaston, and Josh Gad as LeFou this is a very entertaining movie for all the family.

Set in 18th century France, the movie starts with Belle in the local village as we are introduced to the key characters in the village. The setting and production would remind you somewhat of other classic Disney movies from the 50s/60s while being modern and stunning to watch. This production of a live Beauty and the Beast rendering really wraps the film and music we know from the 90s and brings the whole thing to life.

Emma Watson is perfectly cast as Belle, the beauty of the village and the one girl who has the intellect to go far in life, much to the annoyance of the local learned and scholars (a bit like the know-it-all Hermoine from Happy Potter). Emma Watson also sings 3 songs in the movie, but I thought in the first number there was a slight amount of auto-tune going on (either that or the production on the audio was a bit off)

Beauty and the Beast would be nothing without the beast. We are indeed introduced to the Prince who is turned into the beast after dismissing and insulting an enchantress. He has until the last petal from a rose falls to find true love. We also see Belles father, played by Kevin Kline, and we find out how he ended up at the beasts castle. There are some changes to the original storyline in the film, one being that Belles father was a bit slow but in the live action version the father, Maurice, is quite skilled at making clocks and automated devices.

Gaston is forever after Belle, thinking of her as his future wife. He is accompanied by Le Fou who some people say is Disneys first openly gay character. Gaston hears that Belle is in trouble and goes to find her, thus encountering the Beast which is vows to kill.

I’m not going to spoil anything, there is a lot of story to go from here, but the films CGI is very entertaining and combined with the musical numbers its something to behold. Beauty and the Beast may not be everyones cup of tea (excuse the pun chip) but overall it is worth the admission fee – if you have kids, it’s a no brainer, they will love it.

If you enjoyed the original Beauty and the Beast, you will love this one too. If you have not seen it, then you will be enthralled by the story, the characters and a few twists in the story.

Recent Recommended Movies – Moonlight, Fences, All is Lost

by Shane McDonald | Apr 1, 2017 | Film and TV, Reviews

Recommended Movies – Moonlight, Fences & All is Lost

I have seen a few great movies in the past few weeks, 2 oscar winning movies and also one which is available for download.

Moonlight

This movie is one which I was in two minds about, both before seeing it and also afterwards. It is done almost in 3 acts as it looks at 3 defining chapters in a boy and ultimately a man’s life. Chiron is a young black man growing up in central Miami and the movie starts with him as a child. He watches his mother played by Naomie Harris become addicted to drugs, and he battles to understand his sexuality. Mahershala Ali is amazing in the first section of this film and very much deserved the oscar win.The film is shot in an unusual style and afterwards it took me a while to digest the movie, but this only help you appreciate what you have seen. Worth a watch!

Fences

Fences was actually a play which was transitioned to the big screen. The movie is the story of a black family who’s son played by Jovan Adepo gets a chance at a scholarship but his father Troy Maxson played by Denzel Washington had that chance but doesn’t want his son to go down that route. Maxson once had that opportunity and dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but he was just too old when all of the baseball major leagues began admitting black athletes. Although the father never admitted it was age, claiming it was racism, he still remained bitter over this missed opportunity. The father removes the son’s chance to meet a college football recruiter and the splits in the family begin to show. This movie has a few plot twists and is very well played by all involved. I would actually rate this higher than Moonlight and it is a very engaging movie.

All is Lost

This movie (available on Netflix or iTunes) is quite unusual in that it has very little dialogue. Infact it can be a few minutes before you hear any utterance from Robert Redford. It is set on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean as a man (unnamed and played by Robert Redford) awakes to find his yacht taking on water. The yacht hit a stray shipping container and water is pouring into the vessel damaging his radio and navigation equipment. He sails into a violent storm and almost dies. He hopes drift into a shipping lane at some point but eventually sees no hope and is faced with his death, to which he has no option but to face head on. A tense and dramatic film, some lulls in action but the end I thought was good.

Moonlight Trailer

Fences Trailer

All is Lost Trailer

What do you think … if you have seen any of these movies, leave a comment with your thoughts…

Loving – Movie Review

by Shane McDonald | Feb 8, 2017 | Film and TV, Reviews

Loving is based on a true story of an interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving. They married in 1958 and although the interracial marriage was illegal in the state of Virginia they married in Washington DC. As they tried to make their family home in the law was against them. They were jailed and tried, only avoiding prison by the state banishing them. The Loving family relocated with their children to the inner city of Washington D.C. This film is the story of their struggle against the legal system and trying to get back to Virginia.

Loving – Review

Obviously, this movie is getting a lot of attention with the recent Oscar nominations. As a result, I wanted to see it, and I was not disappointed. The film sets up the two characters very well. Richard Loving is played by Joel Edgerton and I don’t know why he was not Oscar-nominated. It is a tough role to play and I thought he did a convincing job. Ruth Negga plays Mildred Loving and was nominated.

The movie captures the unfairness of something they felt was hurting no-one. They went and got married and only for they moved back to Virginia they would not have been arrested. Their struggle is long but with the assistance of a civil rights group they are able to get the case heard in court.

There is a real sense in the film that you get to see their life progress, their children grow and their hope sometimes fade. But, they never give up. There are some great performances and my initial view before seeing the film was that it might be rough going – it is not at all. It is simply a good story well told.

There was one section of the movie when the sheriff advises Richard Loving of his opinions on interracial marriage and what he would do to him if he came back. During this sequence, I could not understand one word of the sherries dialogue due to a very heavy, mumbled and ow southern accent, but I don’t think I missed much.

This story if it was shown last year would have been a look back at the way things were in America. Racial conflict, the division between races etc. However this year, with a so-called president in power, all this seems far too real. Sad to see these things raising their heads again.

If you are thinking of going to see this, do, its a really great movie.

Official Trailer – Loving

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