The anticipation grew as the Pilot announced we were preparing to land at the John Wayne Orange County Airport in Irvine, California. It was a sunny Sunday morning, and it had been almost five years since we lasted visited California. After renting our car from Thrifty Car Rentals, we headed toward the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located just a few blocks from the Airport.

We could have taken the hotel's shuttle that offers pick up and drop off service, but we preferred to tour the town since we have never visited Irvine on our past trips. The Crowne Plaza Hotel was easy to find; just turn right on Main St and then it's just a few blocks away at 17941 Von Karman. The location of the Crowne Plaza Hotel is ideal because it is close to everything we wanted to see. Just around the corner are major highways, and it is just a short drive to Newport Beach and Laguna Beach nearby.

Thanks to our courteous and professional host, Gabby, and her fellow staff members we had no problem finding our way around. Since we arrived early a room was not available yet, which was okay because we were ready for lunch. We gave Gabby our number and headed out on the town. Within minutes of leaving Gabby called to say our room would be ready when we returned. It was nice to have someone take the time to keep us informed.

After a long day visiting local sites like Pretend City and shopping at the Irvine Spectrum Center we were ready to relax. We enjoyed hanging around by the pool for a few hours, and tested out the equipment in the well-equipped fitness center, which has personal TVs on each machine so you can keep track of the news or weather.

The room was very spacious and comfortable. There are dataport available at the desk so we could hook into our laptop, and there is voicemail so we would not miss any messages while we were out. If we needed print out a presentation or additional services, the business center was available 24-hour a day, and there wireless high-speed Internet access in lobby so we could stay connected to the office. In the evening we decided to order take out and just put our feet up. With the Crowne Plaza Sleep Advantage® Program you enjoy Quiet Zones, which is great. And, the special Sleep Amenities like Lavender spray for your pillow made us feel right at home since we use lavender at night on a regular basis.

When it came time for breakfast we enjoyed the Breakfast Buffet, which had a great selection of fresh produce as well as common breakfast selections. There is also a Chef on hand to cook a omelet if you prefer. The waitress and waiters were always there to refill our coffee before we asked. There was also a Lounge, and a nice gift shop on site so you can purchase any necessities needed during your trip.

The excellent service we received during our stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel really stood out because the staff anticipated what we would need. From calling us about our room to providing great directions when needed them; everyone who we spoke to was very helpful. This is especially great when planning a conference or business function at the Crowne Plaza Hotel; knowing their professional team is there to assist you takes off the pressure so you can focus on the business at hand. And, they speak several languages; including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, as well as Spanish, which is important when it comes to communicating and understanding your business or personal needs.