If you worked in a 16th-century castle on a private island, it might be hard to quit your job. But when Kerry 邓恩 got the chance to move from southeast Ireland to sunny 圣地亚哥她跳了起来.
"I came to 圣地亚哥 on an 18-month management development program with Hilton, but 18 months turned into eight and a half years,邓恩说。, senior event manager at Hilton 圣地亚哥 Bayfront.
Because her job is planning multi-day conferences at the 1,190间客房的酒店, the London-born 32-year-old has become an expert on 圣地亚哥.
"小意大利 is a booming 圣地亚哥 food destination that feels very European. It has a piazza that's closed off to cars where you can sit outside at tables and drink a glass of wine. I tell our guests to go to one restaurant for an appetizer, another for an entrée, and then finish off with a dessert restaurant or ice cream shop,她说. 当地最喜欢的 Extraordinary Desserts, 例如, offers almost-too-pretty-to-eat delights such as the Chocolate Dulce de Leche, a cake lined with chocolate mousse and encrusted with macadamia nuts.
For visitors who want an orientation to the city she loves so much, 邓恩 suggests the 古城电车之旅. "It's a hop-on, hop-off tour that gives a good introduction to the city's different neighborhoods. 你可以跳进去 Old Town 圣地亚哥 State Historic Park, where you can learn about 圣地亚哥's history or eat good Mexican food. 它也适用于 要塞公园, where there's a beautiful view across 圣地亚哥, as well as 科罗拉多岛."
圣地亚哥 is famous for its world-class attractions—like the 海事博物馆's majestic ships and 巴波亚公园's cultural sites—but 邓恩 says visitors should also branch out to the city's lesser-known neighborhoods to see how the locals live.
"South Park is full of historic, Craftsman-style houses, and there are some great vintage shops and clothing and jewelry boutiques. It's pretty to walk around, especially after dark—all the trees are wrapped in twinkle lights. 你可以去 玫瑰, a wine bar that serves a fantastic charcuterie board, or Buona Forchetta 美食披萨."
Working for Hilton means 邓恩 has opportunities to transfer to other cities, but she's not going anywhere. "圣地亚哥 is a hard place to leave,她说. "I really love my job, and I love my leisure time here. I never have to check the weather in the morning. I can just put on my flip-flops and shorts, then go sit in the park and read or sit on the beach and enjoy life."
五个最爱
邓恩, a veritable recommendation machine, is confident that visitors will also love the below experiences:
Instagram黄金: “For people who want cool cityscape photos, I tell them to walk down the boardwalk from our hotel at night. When you get past the 海事博物馆 and walk into the marina, just turn around and there's a great view of the city at night. It's perfect for ‘gram photos.”
很棒的汉堡: “My favorite burger is at 的友好 in 北公园. They have only three burgers on the menu, and I get the OG Dirty Flat Top. Two patties are smashed together with cheese and grilled onions, cooked on a flat-top grill, and served on a soft brioche bun. There are no frills like lettuce or anything. It's just meat and cheese and so tasty. They also have a great garlic aioli you can get with their onion rings or fries.”
最好的啤酒: “You can taste beer almost anywhere in 圣地亚哥, but I really like 赫斯酝酿 在北公园. They have tables and seats inside the space that houses the brewing tanks. If you're hungry, different food trucks show up every day.”
游戏的一天: “Our hotel has a bridge that connects to the entrance gate at 佩公园. On game days, it's really cool to see the crowds making their way over to the baseball stadium. If the team hits a home run, they shoot off fireworks, and we can see them from the hotel.”
风景: “My favorite spot for views in 圣地亚哥 is Cabrillo National Monument. It's out on the very edge of Point Loma and has expansive views across the city, 海湾, 还有大海. There really isn't anything else like it.”
