am in mexico. in the riviera maya. specifically, the iberostar grand hotel paraiso. last-minute trip. so glad to have my friend sandra with me.
impressed by some things but not others. great room. spacious, clean and pretty. the beach is lovely and the staff is very attentive even if some of them can’t speak or understand english. the food is a huge disappointment, especially considering a food writer friend raved about it. the surf and turf restaurant was el horrendo. rubbery lobster, not that i eat the stuff but that’s what was said. the buffet breakfast/lunch is hit or miss. eggs are good but i hear the meat is not.
antonio banderas, he of the two-inch lifts and plastic wife, held a press conference yesterday to announce the new ad campaign for the spanish hotel brand. banderas is featured prominently in it. i may make fun of his self-consciousness with being short but he’s a nice guy. met him a few years ago after he appeared on the cover of cigar aficionado, the magazine at which i was the senior editor. he was launching a new cologne and i dragged my best friend along, albeit happily; banderas is her celebrity crush. the guy was in the VIP section. i walked up to him, introduced myself, explained who my friend was and asked him if i could take a picture of the two of them. he paused and said, “i think i could do that!” the picture is still on her fridge, much to her husband’s dismay…
