WERE YOU BORN IN A TENT

Sunday, 31 August 2014

STEAMSHIP BAR

Grand Pacific Hotel, 584-618 Victoria Parade, Suva, Fiji

Visited: 10th August 2014

Design: Before lunch we headed in to the STEAMSHIP BAR. You enter through the exquisite foyer and reception area with its modern/nostalgic fit out that transports you back to 1920. It had that feel of a lodge one would retreat back to after a day of big game hunting. The natural timber flooring against the white French windows and doors simply could not be faulted. The soft yellow lamps on wooden tripod stands entice you in to the comfortable interior of the bar. I found the three ribbed bands that followed the contours of the room, broke up the pillars and reflected the wooden louvers at the top of the door. The brass handles were of a time long gone but still held an antique beauty that will never pass. You could imagine F. Scott Fitzgerald putting to pen to paper many years ago in this bar plotting out the foundations for The Great Gatzby.

Door resistance: 1.5

Closure mechanism: Manual

Draft: Minimal

Squeak level: 0

Change return time: 43 sec

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PROFESSIONAL DOOR REVIEWER

Searching the world for the perfect door to eat behind.

First impressions are always important, especially for a restaurant or cafe. So many people are focusing on the food these days that I felt there was a hole in the reviews world. No one was looking at the most important thing, THE DOOR! Everyone complains when it is left open, death stares are exchange when the unsuspecting group of friends having a fun night enter the premises from the cold only to walk straight in and go straight to their table totally oblivious they have left the door wide open to allow an arctic strength gale force wind to cut through the previously warm interior. Like a scene from a western film where everyone in the premises stops what they are doing and cuts down the new comers with a deathly stare. Occasionally you will get the confident diner who gets up, walks across the restaurant and closes the door with a BANG! Just to let the new comers know they have done wrong and to NEVER, EVER DO IT AGAIN!!!!! This individual makes their way back to the table staring at the newcomers, just to make sure they got the message. The only problem is, is that 5 minutes later another group come in and do the same thing and he/she feels obliged to continually do this for the rest of the night.

Well hopefully this blog puts a light on the owners of these establishments and encourages them to lift their game and create doors that allow diners to sit and enjoy their meal, to give the diner an experience before they enter the building. It is also a thank you to the makers of quality doors who care about craftsmanship.

I have developed a scoring system based on,

DESIGN:

This is assessed by the materials the door is made from, whether the door is themed, cluttered or minimal and whether there is an element of surprise or not.

DOOR RESISTANCE: 1 to 5

1 = light push

5 = heavy push

CLOSURE MECHANISM: Manual, automatic or

hydraulic arm

DRAFT: Minimal, medium or high

SQUEAK LEVEL: 0 up to 5

0 = No squeak

5 = Ear piercing

Then the last assessment is the,

CHANGE RETURN TIME:

This is the amount of time it takes to get my change once I have given the waiter the money for the bill. Last impressions are always just as important as first.