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easytravelpw-blog · 5 years

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Full text write on https://easy-travel.pw/hotel-review-fairmont-pittsburgh-usa/hotels/

Hotel Review: Fairmont Pittsburgh, USA

Hotel Lobby (c) Fairmont Pittsburgh

Fairmont Pittsburgh is located in the city’s Golden Triangle, the urban downtown centre of Pittsburgh which forms the central business district. The hotel opened in 2010 and forms part of Three PNC Plaza, one of the largest high-rise constructions built in Pittsburgh this century. It is an impressive structure of glass and steel.

Like many things in the USA, the hotel has gone for the “bigger is better” vibe – 185 guest rooms, 12,000 square feet of meeting space and a 6,000-square-foot Health Club & Spa. Yet despite its size, Fairmont Pittsburgh has a warm and friendly atmosphere and staff who are eager to please.

Pittsburgh prides itself of being a “green” city, ranking among the 15 most sustainable cities in the USA. This hotel honours this tradition with its environmental design and commitment to reduce energy wastage.

Who For

During the week, the business district is a hive of activity, and Fairmont Pittsburgh is ideally located for city slickers to rest for the night.

The hotel’s proximity to many of Pittsburgh’s most famous attractions, including the Andy Warhol Museum, means that it is also a great base for travellers enjoying a short break. Unlike many of America’s mega cities, Pittsburgh is small enough that you can reach most of the museums on foot.

Accommodation

Rooms are spacious (the largest is 466 square feet) with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. There are the usual amenities including 45-inch flat screen TV, coffee machine, iPod station and mini fridge.

Room with King Bed (c) Fairmont Pittsburgh

The décor is tasteful and modern, in hues of grey, brown and orange. Even with all the lights turned on, the room felt a little dark.

Bathrooms are generously proportioned and ours contained both a bath and shower. There’s a decent selection of spa toiletries and you even get a mini bottle of mouthwash.

Tip: Choose a room on the 19th floor for a great view of the PNC Baseball Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Facilities

Fairmont Pittsburgh has an extensive Health Club & Spa, which offers a wide range of treatments including facials, massages and manicures. There is also a large fitness centre containing running machines, cross trainers, weight machines and advanced Precor fitness equipment. The luxury changing area has a relaxing sauna and steam rooms and a wide selection of spa toiletries and large, private showers.

Fitness Centre (c) Fairmont Pittsburgh

As well as the spa, the hotel has a boardroom, three additional meeting rooms, and a 5,500 square foot ballroom where you can book social events and even a wedding.

Food and drink

The newly opened fl.2 restaurant serves modern American cuisine and a vast selection of drinks and cocktails. We tucked into a tender lamb shank and classic striploin with celery root and creamy mash. One of the highlights of the evening was sipping on a “Smoked Pimientos” cocktail: a snappy mix of Patron tequila, Mezcal, pineapple and a spicy jalapeño. During the day the restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, as well as brunch at the weekend (all at an additional cost to the room).

fl.2 Restaurant (c) Fairmont Pittsburgh

Fairmont Pittsburgh also has a sophisticated bar, Andys, named after the city’s most beloved modern artist. Located in the vast, open lobby of the hotel, the bar has a cocktail menu that changes with the seasons and live jazz music every Thursday-Saturday.

Is WiFi available

Yes, at a price. Unfortunately in the US it is standard practice for hotels to charge extra for WiFi.

Room rates

Rooms start from $219 per night. If you’re flush with cash, you can book the ever-so-swanky Presidential Suite, which costs up to $4000 per night.

What’s nearby

Pittsburgh is chock full of interesting museums and art galleries, many of which are walking distance from Fairmont Pittsburgh. Cross over the Roberto Clemente Bridge and walk another 10 minutes to reach the National Aviary. From here, you can also walk to The Mattress Factory, a collection of buildings containing a vast array of modern art. The Andy Warhol Museum and Heinz History Centre are also less than a 15-minute stroll from the hotel.

Make sure you also read: Travel Guide: 48 Hours in Pittsburgh, USA

If you’re feeling peckish, head to Primanti’s, a sandwich shop and Pittsburgh institution that is just minutes from hotel. Their signature sandwich is stuffed with grilled meat, an Italian dressing-based coleslaw, tomato slices, and French fries, and was even featured on Man v Food.

Getting there

If you’re travelling from the airport, the easiest way to reach the hotel is by Uber (it takes about 25 minutes). The nearest metro stop is Steel Plaza Station.

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fundforteachers · 7 years

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Does a Person’s Past Define Their Present? Dan Hicks, Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy - New Haven, CT

I entered teaching five years ago through Teach for America as a green and idealistic teacher ready to close achievement gaps and provide extended opportunities for my students. Yet, over the past year, it has become clear to me that gaps exist between my students and I that I never imagined having to bridge. Though I am white, I never predicted entering urban public education would challenge my ability to connect with people of another race, let alone twelve-year-old kids from that race. Last year when I found myself at a loss when trying to explain to my students why people whose skin looked like theirs kept dying at the hands of police; why victims were being called thugs on television; and why the reaction to those events was overflowing with rage and violence, I realized my ability to connect had reached its peak. I was failing to relay the gravity of what they were seeing, that these peaceful protests transforming into riots were the result of a long history of oppression and injustice. I was failing to relay this to my students because I was not confident in my own knowledge of that history. In reading the work of Ta-nehisi Coates in The Atlantic following unrest in Baltimore, I was struck by his contention that the history of African Americans is one of plunder, that “In America, it is traditional to destroy the black body—it is heritage.”

Therefore, I designed a Fund for Teachers fellowship to expand my learning on the history of oppression faced by people of color, and particularly how those enslaved violently revolted in response to their condition. I did this by researching in the US Virgin Islands the history of oppression and uprising by the ancestors of African Americans during the slave trade to address with students the question "Does a person/people's past define their present state?"

The experience that I was granted through Fund For Teachers will be something that I look to as a pivotal moment in my career. As soon as I entered urban education, I knew that my past experiences would be different from my students’. As my career progressed, and the social/racial context of our nation saw new rumblings of discord, I came to understand that my past experiences were a product of a long history of white privilege enjoyed by my ancestors, some of whom had lived in the United States since the time of the American Revolution. This privilege that I enjoy is something that my students and their ancestors have never experienced. Through coursework at the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, I was able to study and craft curriculum for my students around the topic of systemic racial oppression in the United States after the Civil War. While I was now equipped with knowledge of much of the history of this oppression, I saw this professional learning in the Virgin Islands as an opportunity to expand on that knowledge, gaining first-hand experience and being able to witness the legacy of slavery and revolution.

As I traveled around the island of St. John and visited ruins and landmarks associated with the island’s history of slavery, I realized that even in this peaceful place there persisted a society of “have’s” and “have not’s” much the same as what my students experience in New Haven, CT. While I knew there would be poverty on the islands, I failed to comprehend that the continued impact would be similar to what my students experience. As a visitor to a place, you often do not hear about the disparities in wealth in a community, particularly in a tourist destination like the Virgin Islands. My learning experiences were profound in the Virgin Islands, but will have a lasting impact on my career is the solidification of my resolve to contribute to a future where the differences between our world’s “have’s” and “have not’s” is diminished.

In addressing with students the question “Does a person/people's past define their present state?" I sought to find a place that had moved beyond a violent and oppressive history to a present state of some semblance of harmony. And while there are pieces of that in the Virgin Islands, I found myself struggling to think of how I would push students to grapple with this question based on my findings. People of color make up a vast majority of those living in poverty on the islands, much like those who constitute the majority of those living in poverty in America’s urban centers. As I work to implement this new learning into my classroom, I hope to challenge students to both understand privilege, its origins, and also to work together to move beyond this issues in order to create a more equal society. While this question necessarily pushes students to consider their past, I hope that by exposing a diverse group of students to a common understanding of that past they will be able to work as future leaders in a community and a society moving towards equality and opportunity.

Experiences such as my Fund for Teachers fellowship push me to reflect not only on what I am teaching my students, but also the very foundation of my beliefs as an educator.

What kind of people do I want my students to become?

What kind of world can they help to shape?

How does my role serve as a vehicle towards that future?

I know that I am not alone in considering these questions, but oftentimes our professional experiences are so far removed from these foundational reflections that our work as educators becomes monotonous and not centered on students. I hope that through my experience I can not only inspire others to pursue similar pursuits, but also help bring about a time when teacher development is grounded in experiences that ignite our passions, challenge our assumptions, and encourage us as life-long learners.

#Fund for Teachers #fundforteachers #FFTFellow #black history month #US Virgin Islands #USVI #race relations #Ta-nehisi Coates #poverty #slavery #teacher grant #teacher fellowship #teacher resources #teacher development

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