Jonathan Bennett Talks Travel
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By Patrick Batu - AOL Travel
July 29, 2009
Jonathan Bennett is a young actor known for his role as Aaron Samuels (Lindsey Lohan's character's love interest) in the hit movie Mean Girls. You can also catch him playing comedic and WILDER roles as a younger Bo Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning and the soon to debut on network tv Van Wilder: Freshman Year . He's got some big shoes to fill as he plays a younger Van Wilder, previously played by Ryan Reynolds in the original film.
We caught up with Jonathan to get his take on how he prepares for his trips, what his favorite destination is to get away from the ever day and how important customer service is when it comes to a hotel stay .
Is there a destination or travel moment that inspired you, or even changed your life? If so, where and why?
When I was in the Dominican Republic we took a waterfall jungle tour.
I was with Jamie Lynn DeScalla (Sigler?) and a few other friends. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. In the jungles of the Dominican there was a series of 26 waterfalls that lead into one another. You paid a local guide to take you up to the top one that was about 4 miles from the starting point. It took us about 3 hours to hike up all the waterfalls. When we finally got to the top, you were in a serene setting barely touched by human hands. The best most inspiring moment was being at the top of the first waterfall that was 50 feet tall, and jumping from the top off the falls. That moment, being surrounded by untouched nature and having the rush of jumping off the fall, was one of the moments when I have felt most alive.
What's your biggest pet peeve when you travel?
When I travel my biggest pet peeve is bad service. I actually worked at the Mercer Hotel in New York, back in the day before I started acting. And one thing that I found very unique about working at the Mercer , was the attention to detail for every guest that comes through the door. As an employee we did everything humanly possible to make sure the guests got phenomenal service. The word "no" wasn't in our vocabulary. So I have an appreciation for how hard excellent service is to give, and how much of a difference it makes in your hotel.
Where is your favorite place to get it away from it all?
I would have to say, when I'm looking for a quick get away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, I take a quick trip to the Colony Palm Hotel in Palm Springs. It's only a two hour drive from LA, and it's a great place to just relax. The Colony Palm is a newer hotel in Palm Springs and they have the most stunning hotel in the city. When you lay by the pool during the day on these huge mattresses, you look around and can totally picture Franks Sinatra and Maryln Monroe sitting by the pool having a martini. It's a great throw back to "old hollywood" style and reminds me of a swanky spot back in the day. Not to mention their resteraunt "The Purple Palm" has some of the best food I have ever had, I highly recommend the unusual martinis. But mostly it's the atmosphere is what that I really enjoy. It just makes you feel like an old hollywood movie star.
When traveling, what's the very first thing you do when you enter your hotel room?
Shower. Always take a long shower and make sure the water pressure is good.
As a celebrity, you travel a lot for your job. What are some tips and tricks that you've found to make the journey more comfortable?
When I have to travel for films, usually I have to take 3 suitcases with me because we are gone for three months at a time. What I learned over the years is be organized. There's nothing better when traveling than knowing exactly where everything is in your bag. It saves you from misplacing something and tearing apart your entire room frantically looking for it. Also pack your suitcase BEFORE the cast party at the end of filming. At the end of the filming pack all of your stuff for the airport BEFORE you go out and celebrate with the crew. It will save you a lot of pain and tylenol in the morning.
Don't forget to watch Jonathan in "Van Wilder: Freshman Year" as it will be making its network television premiere on Saturday, September 5 at 11:00 pm. Van Wilder is back to his partying ways, with this installment starring Kristin Cavallari (The Hills) as his freshman year's love interest.
July 29, 2009
Jonathan Bennett is a young actor known for his role as Aaron Samuels (Lindsey Lohan's character's love interest) in the hit movie Mean Girls. You can also catch him playing comedic and WILDER roles as a younger Bo Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning and the soon to debut on network tv Van Wilder: Freshman Year . He's got some big shoes to fill as he plays a younger Van Wilder, previously played by Ryan Reynolds in the original film.We caught up with Jonathan to get his take on how he prepares for his trips, what his favorite destination is to get away from the ever day and how important customer service is when it comes to a hotel stay .
Is there a destination or travel moment that inspired you, or even changed your life? If so, where and why?
When I was in the Dominican Republic we took a waterfall jungle tour.
I was with Jamie Lynn DeScalla (Sigler?) and a few other friends. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. In the jungles of the Dominican there was a series of 26 waterfalls that lead into one another. You paid a local guide to take you up to the top one that was about 4 miles from the starting point. It took us about 3 hours to hike up all the waterfalls. When we finally got to the top, you were in a serene setting barely touched by human hands. The best most inspiring moment was being at the top of the first waterfall that was 50 feet tall, and jumping from the top off the falls. That moment, being surrounded by untouched nature and having the rush of jumping off the fall, was one of the moments when I have felt most alive.
What's your biggest pet peeve when you travel?
When I travel my biggest pet peeve is bad service. I actually worked at the Mercer Hotel in New York, back in the day before I started acting. And one thing that I found very unique about working at the Mercer , was the attention to detail for every guest that comes through the door. As an employee we did everything humanly possible to make sure the guests got phenomenal service. The word "no" wasn't in our vocabulary. So I have an appreciation for how hard excellent service is to give, and how much of a difference it makes in your hotel.
Where is your favorite place to get it away from it all?
I would have to say, when I'm looking for a quick get away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, I take a quick trip to the Colony Palm Hotel in Palm Springs. It's only a two hour drive from LA, and it's a great place to just relax. The Colony Palm is a newer hotel in Palm Springs and they have the most stunning hotel in the city. When you lay by the pool during the day on these huge mattresses, you look around and can totally picture Franks Sinatra and Maryln Monroe sitting by the pool having a martini. It's a great throw back to "old hollywood" style and reminds me of a swanky spot back in the day. Not to mention their resteraunt "The Purple Palm" has some of the best food I have ever had, I highly recommend the unusual martinis. But mostly it's the atmosphere is what that I really enjoy. It just makes you feel like an old hollywood movie star.When traveling, what's the very first thing you do when you enter your hotel room?
Shower. Always take a long shower and make sure the water pressure is good.
As a celebrity, you travel a lot for your job. What are some tips and tricks that you've found to make the journey more comfortable?
When I have to travel for films, usually I have to take 3 suitcases with me because we are gone for three months at a time. What I learned over the years is be organized. There's nothing better when traveling than knowing exactly where everything is in your bag. It saves you from misplacing something and tearing apart your entire room frantically looking for it. Also pack your suitcase BEFORE the cast party at the end of filming. At the end of the filming pack all of your stuff for the airport BEFORE you go out and celebrate with the crew. It will save you a lot of pain and tylenol in the morning.
Don't forget to watch Jonathan in "Van Wilder: Freshman Year" as it will be making its network television premiere on Saturday, September 5 at 11:00 pm. Van Wilder is back to his partying ways, with this installment starring Kristin Cavallari (The Hills) as his freshman year's love interest.