It's been so long! I've been trying to do an online forum for at least three months now, but I was never home longer than a few days at a time and I thought that was too short. I hope you all like our new special -- New York City's Great Hotels. In that show I finally got to bring a guest. Sure, it was a dog, but for once I wasn't alone.

I also got my turn at being a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall. While we were shooting one of the scenes, a tour group went by and I heard someone say, "Look there's a real Rockette." I've never been so proud in my life -- although at 5'4" I hardly fit the height requirement, and therefore could maybe pass for a mascot or something -- possibly, "Stubby the Rockette."

We were also shooting during the Blackout of 2003! Luckily, it didn't affect our schedule because we were done for the day at the time everything went kaput. And the lights came back on pretty early in the morning. Three of my friends were stranded in the city that night, so they joined me. I haven't had a sleepover in a long time.

At the Ritz Carton Battery Park we shot at Ground Zero. It was an overwhelmingly sad and serious departure from the upbeat feel of the show, but we all agreed that we should go.

I am in Key West, Fla. now and have found a coffee shop with a few terminals, so I'm going to open this up today. If I don't answer tonight, it's because the terminals were all taken. I'll try to put the pressure on the other patrons by hovering.

-Samantha

Hey Sam! I love your shows and ive been watching them for about 2 years. Im anxious to see your new season. I think this whole forum thing is great, not many people like you would do such a thing. I (and i think many more) have awaited for your return and are glad youre back for a while. Could I get a picture? Im not sure how I get it but please let me know.

Thanks,
mjn156@aol.com

Samantha, stumbled right onto an open forum at last(!) and couldn't help but tease you with the fact that yes, either AMC or Turner Movie Classics is showing Charade yet again at 8 tonight, unless of course you somehow find a balmy evening in Key West strangely more appealing . In the meantime, I've got to change and get spiffed up and head up the mountain to Monticello as I have indeed semi-unretired and am doing part-time guide work there, doing an after hours affair this evening (it's truly magical in the late day sun with virtually no one else but Jefferson's clocks ticking away). Come up some time, if you can find any Great Hotels in the area. Looking forward to season 3, and the promised Longer Hair.

P.S. Oh, Sam, sadly, it appears that Colonial Williamsburg has really cut back their staff, and I think their period interpreters (whom I personally found kind of annoying, to be honest) have all been let go... Maybe the Travel Channel should show that episode more to drum up more business in these grim-ish times.

Hey Sam! Glad your back on the message boards! Can't wait to see what's in store for the new season. Can you tell us what hotels are comming up and when we can expect them to air? Thanks for the photo you sent last time you were on the message boards, it was great.


- Casey

Sam... I am very excited about the new season. I mean, I don't mind watching reruns, but new episodes are welcome. I am new to posting on these message boards, but I am not a new fan. I have been enjoying your beauty and fun personality, oh, and the great hotels and vacation homes, for two or three years now. I would love it if you could hook me up with a personalized, autographed picture. Is that too much to ask? It would mean alot. Travis Snell 1828 Chasewood Austin, TX 78727.

By the way, thanks for coming to the Driskill. I just wish I had known when you were filming here. I emailed a suggestion a long time ago that you visit the Driskill, but I don't know if that had any impact on you coming here. Anyway, I hope you come to my part of the world again sometime. I would love to come out and meet you, or at least see you in person.

Hey Sam,how the heck are ya,its been a lifetime!You caught me off guard so I didn't have time to think up something intellegent to say I've been checking the forum dilligently so I'll try to make it good while I have the chance! Hope you're not woking too hard down there in Key West,geeesh! Not much new with ol' karld but I will be travelling to Washington DC at the end of next month to run the Marine Corp. marathon so wish me luck Anyway I will anxiously be awaiting new episodes of GH so keep up the good work! Love ya!!

Sam,
couple quick questions.
1. missed the new york 1 hour special- i had the times wrong- do you know if it will air again and when?
2. what other 1 hour programs are you doing this year?
3. can you divulge some or all of the new great hotels this season?
4. do you think you will do a coffee table book sometime- of your great hotels and one of hawaii- with stories and descriptions and pictures and what not?
5. do you think you will ever have the chance to release your great hotels and girl meets hawaii and your 1 hour specials on dvd?? that would help us out who keep missing them..
6. do you think you'll ever go to grand hotel- mackinac island?== there are a few others on the island to see at the same time that would be a good way to economize at the same time.
7. do you think you'll ever do atlantis hotel- bahamas or bermuda- i can't remember which- there are a few others near there as well to economize.
8. will you do the rest of the disney hotels- both florida and california and the rest of the vegas ones?-- that would be cool for those of us- who want to see the different other themes not represented yet.

thats all for now of questions- i hope you can answer some.. thanks.

a big huge fan!!

Hey Sam!! How are you doing? It's Rory, the one who always talks about Disney. This summer I went to Disney World and stayed at the Beach Club resort. It sure is a really great hotel. And guess what!! I met Art. He was there the only there the day I arrived but I met him. He is really a nice guy. It was so funny. I was so nervous. I was like "I saw you on Great Hotels." You know what else. I had the Kitchen Sink sundae in Beaches & Cream. It was the best thing I have ever eaten. I ate it with three other people and we still didn't finish it. We took a before and after picture of it. I didn't even realize how much we ate until I saw the pictures.

So, how is the shooting of season 3 going? Did you go to any Disney hotels?

I've been wanting to ask you this. How did you get the job on Great Hotels? Everytime I watch it, I say "I wish I had her job". Hope you had a good season of the show. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye.

~Rory (GreatHotelsFan)

Howdy Sam! What did you do on your vacation? Haha. Anyhow, What is your favorte place to go for a drink? Have you ever had a bad expirence with a hotel that you filmed at? And, how do I go about getting a signed photo? Keep up the great work!

Dear Sam,
Hi and best wishes from Maureen & Richard Moore. I just registered with your forum yesterday. My husband is from Staten Island, NYC, originally. His dad is a retired firefighter. They have friends who died in the World Trade Center. I haven't been to the Memorial yet, as we live in Maryland, and haven't made it up yet. I've been watching the New York shows, and my husband knows basically where all the hotels you've been are. They look great... My husband lived in Derry NH, by the way, for 2 years as he attend law school there. His sister lives in Concord at the present.
I really do love your show and look forward to it. I really like your "Girl Meets Hawaii" as well. I would just love to go.
I posted 2 hotels in your forum also. I have to tell you, I liked the little comment about these curtains in a hotel room where you said.."there is enough material here to make the whole Vontrappe family cloths". I've been laughing at that for a week now. Keep up the good work and take care!
Maureen Moore

welcome back sam, you rock! i loved the last show! thanks for taking time out to talk to the fans!

i was wondering have you decided what hotel you're going to feature when you're in vancouver?

~Rob

We missed you like crazy on the forum! Glad to see you're back! A few of us here were discussing how AWESOME it would be if there was Samantha Brown (TM) merchandise! Haha, you're trademarked! Just imagine, shirts, hats, DOLLS!, and the wonderful episodes of Great Hotels, Great Vacation Homes, and Girl Meets Hawaii all on DVD with bonus features! What do you think Sam?

Also, how's Fiona doing? My kitties give her a purrnuzzle!

(Can my fiance and I get an autographed picture? You rule so much and it'd be an awesome honor if we could get one to display in our apartment!)

Keep in touch Sam, we all love you! (Cue Great Hotels theme!)

Your Merchandise-Crazed Fan,
Brittany

Hi Sam!
Love your show!!
Thank you for introducing us to the unique hotels out there. I work in the travel industry and have the opportunity to travel frequently (another "travel goddess"!).
It's nice to know there is life beyond the "cookie-cutter type" hotels.
My mom and I stayed at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel this past April. What a cool hotel!!!
We liked the classy, not tacky, retro decor. It was like staying in an IKEA showroom! We even had a view of the Hollywood sign from our window.
What was especially appealing was that this hotel
was affordable! It's nice to see that you profile
not just the budget-blowing Ritz Carlton-types, but also the more affordable places. That's appreciated in today's economy.
I also had the opportunity to stay at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago, with my two best friends and their two dogs. We loved it! All those added extra touches really makes a difference - everything from the cookies at the check-in desk to the wine hour. To top it all off the dogs were on their best behavior - even with the loaner goldfish.
I look forward to another season of Great Hotels and more vacation ideas! The VCR is standing by!
Take care!

[This message was edited by celotaja on 09-09-03 at 11:28 PM.]

Hi Samantha,

Thank you so much for doing a special episode on your favorite New York hotels. We've lived in New York all of our lives and we are very proud of our city and all that it has to offer. Of course the tragedy of two years ago will never be forgotten, and it's great to see that you all still had the passion to show off the fine Ritz Carlton. One of the bad things about living in the city sometimes is never really needing to stay in a great hotel like the Ritz, but since your profile of it, we'll make it a point to check it out!
Keep up the great work and we're still waiting for the profile of Bora Bora, our honeymoon spot! I'm sure you wouldn't mind that episode!
Best regards,
Edwin and Jean

NY Hotels is a Terrific piece. I really enjoyed watching it, especially The Library Hotel for it's uniqueness and all the opulent hotels.

BUT, when you did the the hamburger near the City Club hotel , I missed the name of the restaurant.
Could you or someone on the message board tell me the name of the $29 hamburger restaurant?

Thanks

Hey Samantha...

Just finished watching the New York City's Great Hotels special. I think you've got great potential as a Rockette...perhaps they should reconsider that height requirement. The Library Hotel was my favorite, as the book nerd in me just couldn't resist. I've already visited the website and now have to decide which room to choose...oh the pressure!

I look forward to Great Hotels each afternoon and enjoy watching the "reruns" just as much as the episodes I haven't had the pleasure of seeing before. I know you have already visited Savannah as part of the Great Vacation Homes series. As I recall, you got to work for your dinner at Mrs. Wilkes Boardinghouse. She passed away recently. The city really misses her.

My hometown is Mobile, Alabama. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit and film any of the historic places, hotels, etc... I recommend it highly. Fairhope and surrounding areas are stunning. Enjoy Key West and keep up the terrific work...

A fan always,
Nikki

Hi Sam,I love your show,and I love the travel channel.

I am a new travel agent that specializes in selling cruises,I work with all the major cruiselines.

Have you ever done a show on cruising,and if not would you like to.

I bet you love your job,I know so far I love mine.

I am actually leaving for New York,in five weeks,for my National Conference.

I will be sailing out of New York harbor on one of Norwegians Cruiselines newest ships,the Norwegian Dawn,I am so excited.

I thought since I had never been to New York before I would go a day early.

I really dont know a soul there.

I hope some of the other agents and I can hang out.

I am currently booked at the Millennium Hilton,which is also down at ground zero.

Do you think it will be to sad for me to stay there.

I have a strong need to go and pay my repsects to everyone who lost their lives at ground zero.

I hope to see a new post from you soon.

Keep up the good work.

"YEA!!" So good to have you back in the forum after such a long absence. Since your last appearance, I've spread the word about your shows and you in particular. So much so, in fact, that my boss asks me for the daily "Sam update" when I get into work (because GH ends right when I leave). I also visited one of your old stomping grounds, Syracuse; thoroughly enjoyed my trip to that beautiful college town.
Loved the NYC Great Hotels special this evening; personally, it couldn't have come at a better time. My uncle and I are planning a trip to the Big Apple real soon (he's been before, I haven't), and this show should be a big help. I've shown him the episode featuring the Time, and he was really impressed by how modern and cool it was (or was he mainly impressed by you? Probably, but I don't blame him one bit!) And am I alone in thinking that Sheba is one of the most beautiful dogs on the planet?
I do have a couple of questions for you, though. Have you ever taken piano lessons before? I remember in the Mark Hopkins episode you played a few bars of "Heart and Soul," if I'm not mistaken, and it sure didn't sound like someone whose experience on the ivories was limited to "Chopsticks." Also, will we be seeing the newer NY Great Hotels in their own episodes? The Muse would be fantastic, especially with Sheba and the Rockette training.
Before I split, I have to thank you for the autographed photo I asked for during your last visit. It's very well done and makes you look terrific (like that's tough). Other than that, lots of luck with season three; I know where I'll be spending my lunch hour on September 29-enjoying a brand new season of Great Hotels!

I hope everyone here doesn't mind me replying to alblue34 here but I couldn't figure out how I can reply privately...apologies.
Alblue34, welcome to New York in 5 weeks. As you've mentioned staying at the Millenium Hotel in downtown, I would recommend against it. I hope you don't mind me saying this to you. I'm from the city and I've lived here pretty much all of my life and I know the location of the hotel is great but since 9/11, that area is under major construction. After 9/11, the hotel sustained a good amount of damage and has only recently renovated enough to look presentable. However, once outside of the hotel, there is a LOT of construction going on. It is not as quiet and somber and peaceful as people would like (as a matter of fact, there's a lot of protests from time to time from people wishing they wouldn't build what they are there). If I may make a suggestion, I would stay somewhere closer to midtown or even Times Square if you're into that. If you want, you can e-mail me directly and we can continue this conversation without bothering the other people in the forum (sorry again). Oh, and my parents just came back recently from the Norwegian Dawn and they LOVED it! Hope to hear from you,
A friendly New Yorker,
Edwin@helium-design.com

While i am in Key West I will respond under the name Samalama. For some reason this computer wouldn't take my password to log on to the forum. either that or I forgot my password...but i would much rather think it is the computer's fault. I will return to my birth given name tomorrow.

you most certainly can get a picture. give me an email address where you can be reached, i will email you next week asking for your mailing address. sound good?

Captuttle,

I have never been to Monticello and would certainly make sure you were my guide should I finally make it. That is terrible news about Williamsburg. So you're telling me that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were fired due to financial difficulty? sad times for this country.

hey Casey,

let's see some of the new ones are

The Greenbriar, Sunset Key Cottages (Key West), ST. Regis NYC, St. Regis Monarch Beach CA. Costanoa Coastal Lodge (upscale camping!) Napa Valley Auberge Du Soleil and Meadowood Inn, Ritz Carlton Battery Park City and lots, lots more.

season should start to air sometime in October I believe and then the new episodes will be "peppered" into the existing ones

I want an autogaphed pic too, cshriver@wjxt.com
I live in Jax and am a big fan. I love your show. Whenever we stay at a Disney or Universal property, I just give a tape of your show to my mom and say, hey that was our vacation, how cool was that!

Samantha,

I love the Travel channel! I heard you on the radio earlier this week (102.5 FM Buffalo). Could you let me know of the hotel you were calling from in the island off Key West? I forgot what it was and I don't have cable to watch your show as frequestly as I would like! Thanks!

Justine
Buffalo, NY

You'll get a picture sometime next week. Did you know that I'm a Texan? I was born in Dallas. Boy, did I love Austin! That sure is a great city you live in and what great people. There's just somethin about Texans...

we also did Hotel San Jose which was an absolute blast.