The hotel is still a sentinel for business conferences and banquets because of its prime location. I stayed in one of Superior Lakeside rooms with a Jacuzzi and a superior view of Marina Park in foreground and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in distance. Sun streams through clouds reflecting off largest of Great Lakes, and with such a breezy day I should have been out on water sailing. I walk along boardwalk circumnavigating marina and I vow to return for summer regatta racing season.

Legend of Sleeping Giant —

Looking East across shores of Lake Superior it requires little imagination to see form of a sleeping body — a giant, arms folded across a massive chest as if in a deep sleep. Outside Thunder Bay, on Isle Royal , a tribe of Ojibway natives kept a loyalty to their Gods and industrious mode of living. Nanabijou, spirit of deep sea water, rewarded them with silver mines, but if mines were ever revealed to white man then Nanabijou would be turned to stone and cover silver mines. The Ojibway became famous for their beautiful silver ornaments, and when upon seeing them, Sioux strove to wrest secret from them. The Ojibway never divulged secret of mines, so their Sioux enemies devised a cunning plan. When a scout entered an Ojibway powwow disguised as one of them, he succeeded in learning secret of silver. The scout found silver and stopped at a white settlement to trade silver for food, and word was out to white man. The Great Spirit lay down across what was once a bay and Sleeping Giant has been guarding Ojibway silver mines ever since. A warning fulfilled.

The Prince Arthur hotel is nearby original train station that serves as HQ now for fine dining restaurants that were unfortunately closed day I was visiting. But city is a melting pot of Italian, Chinese, Greek and French cuisine, and even Finnish fine food. Of course there are steakhouses, because this is after all an agricultural center filled with mom and pop hometown cafés. One of more popular lunch crowd pleasers near hotel is Gargoyles, filled with grotesque statues, begging for a bite of my salad and my hosts' sandwiches. A blues bar is located just across street from hotel, and in fact, one of most vibrant blues festivals is held at Marina Park every July. The town even has a fringe theater festival where performance art rules and I am certain Prince Arthur Hotel is one of venues. There is no better spot to watch Canada Day fireworks blasted off at Marina Park than a lakeside room.

Other services that prop up local economy are antique shops, photography and art galleries and studios, computer services, and a large health care hospital complex. The hotel touts itself as “The Heart of Heart,” and it is certainly true, because I met a computer programmer who was staying in hotel while installing a new system at regional hospital a few blocks away.

To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/hotels/canada/thunderbay/prince/arthur.html

Kriss Hammond, Jetsetters Magazine Editor – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

The hallway that leads to Le Meridien's restaurant is another story. Large black and white photos of Cannes Film Festival, taken between 1970 and 2000 line walls.

This exhibit alone is worth a visit to Le Meridien at Beverly Hills. Entitled "Le Festival," it's a photographic retrospective "celebrating glory days of cinema in Cannes, Sister City of Beverly Hills." Cannes, of course, is Côte d'azur hotspot home of film festival of same name. All of photos are by Traverso, actually four generations of family members who have spent their lives capturing life in Cannes with an unbiased, candid style that has become family trademark.

Above left: Le Festival! is like a modern garden setting, with slate floors, upholstered purple chairs, white cotton café curtains, and a bank of windows facing tree-lined La Cienega.

Above, right: A lavish breakfast buffet offers a variety of pastries, fruit juices, fresh fruit, cereals, scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausages, smoked bacon, roasted potatoes as well as hot and cold beverages.

The restaurant is also called Le Festival! and I can see why as I wander through this bright, airy dining spot perusing more black and white eight-by-tens displayed on walls and posts.

Le Festival!'s hostess is Marta, who as I am seated offers a black napkin "to avoid white lint on clothes." Marta has sparkling dark eyes and a beautiful Spanish smile. She has been with hotel for six years, first introduced to hospitality industry by Nikko. "It's a pleasure to come to work every day," she says. "We have guests from so many different nationalities. I enjoy working with public."

At my request Alfonse, one of chefs, prepares a beautiful parfait, a towering ice cream glass layered with house-made granola, yogurt and fresh berries, and elegantly presented with a smile from my waiter, Jorge. From 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. there is a lavish breakfast buffet, offering a variety of pastries, fruit juices, fresh fruit, cereals, scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausages, smoked bacon, roasted potatoes, as well as hot and cold beverages. Because Le Meridien is international, a Japanese breakfast is also offered, featuring grilled fish, poached egg, dried seaweed, pickles, fruit, miso soup and rice.

Regular breakfast menu items include hearty griddle buttermilk pancakes, crispy Belgian waffles, a cinnamon-dipped raisin brioche French toast, eggs Benedict, Florentine or Ranchero, omelettes, cured ham and smoked salmon.

For lunch Le Festival! serves international cuisine with Mediterranean entrées and daily chef specials. A private dining room for groups up to sixteen may also be reserved.

Le Festival! is like a modern garden setting, with slate floors, upholstered purple chairs, white cotton café curtains, and a bank of windows facing tree-lined La Cienega. Background music is easy listening and vocal ballads. And when you see employees smiling when no one's looking, it can't help but add an extra warmth to your dining experience.

Wiksten says, "We're a family. You're coming to an environment. If we surround ourselves with great associates, bottom line is guests will have a better experience."

Of twelve people voted employee of month this past year, all averaged eight years of employment with hotel. Wiksten says not one has been here less than five years. And all were nominated by fellow "associates."

Wiksten notes that biggest challenge in hospitality industry today is keeping good people.

"We're not reinventing wheel," he says. "People want to be acknowledged for a job well done." To read this entire feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link: http://www.jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/hotels/meridien/lax/lax.html Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Editor – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com