Comic Bob Saget on His Favorite Hotels and Trips With His Daughters
Comedian, actor and former host of America's Funniest Home Videos Bob Saget loves to travel. Here, the famous Full House (and Fuller House) Dad, currently on a stand-up tour around North America, opens up about some of his favorite trips and offers a friendly suggestion to the people who run airline lounges.
What was the best trip you've ever taken?
That's a tough one. My girlfriend and I had a fantastic time recently in Cabo. We were on a secluded part of the beach and it was so beautiful. So either Cabo or Hawaii is my favorite trip ever. I took my three daughters to the Big Island — we hiked through the crater and went paddle boarding. It was awesome.
Where have you always wanted to go but haven't visited yet?
My girlfriend is Italian. I haven't visited Sicily. I also haven't gone to Spain. Both of those places would be amazing to see.
Any travel horror stories?
Performing in Anchorage, Alaska. I was doing comedy at a strip club when I was 23 and it wasn't pretty. Guns and pot were legal and that's not a good combination. That's not what you want to be around when you're doing stand-up.
What's your secret to a successful trip?
I want to be comfortable. I want to be able to relax and sleep well. That's my secret to a successful trip. So my secret is staying at a nice hotel. When I stay at a great hotel, it feels like a vacation even though I'm on the road working and doing stand-up.
What are some of your favorite hotels?
The Four Seasons in Philly was my favorite, but it closed [Editor's note: a new one will be opening in 2018]. I love staying at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philly. I love the Mandarin Oriental chain. I like Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas — that's a great hotel.
Are you a points guy?
Of course. I'll use points sometimes for flights for myself. But I use them a lot for my daughters to fly wherever. I do the same for my girlfriend — if she needs to fly, I can burn some points.
Window or aisle?
Window, to the right.
TSA pre-approved?
Yes.
Daytime flight or red-eye?
Both. It depends on my situation.
What's the furthest you've ever flown?
I guess to Australia, but the flight to Japan was really long, too. When I was in Japan, it was like being in the movie Lost in Translation. I went to one sushi bar and was at a studio the rest of the time. That was a drag. I also flew from Japan to New York and then to Spokane [Washington]. That was crazy long.
That's a lot of points.
It wasn't just about the points. That trip was about survival.
What items can you not travel without?
My iPhone. The memo pad is indispensable.
Favorite VIP travel perk?
I'm like Danny Tanner (his character from Full House, and nowadays on Netflix, Fuller House) when it comes to travel. I like to be in a place that's neat. I join all the clubs. I indulge in the lounges, but now they're just about the same as hanging in the terminal — the bathrooms are definitely the same. To those who run the airport lounges, please clean those bathrooms up!
Last passport stamp?
Mexico.
Favorite weekend getaway?
From Los Angeles, it's Santa Barbara or Palm Springs.
What was the biggest misconception about you playing Danny Tanner on Full House?
Some people think I was (upset), but I wasn't. I remember one time going home to Philadelphia to pick up an award. At the award ceremony, a gossip columnist said that it must be frustrating doing Full House and I said, 'It's frustrating since I'm really this funny guy, who can do so much more, but it's a gift to be on a show like this.' The part about it being a gift didn't make the paper. I also said, 'I love working with the people on the show.' That didn't make it in there either. The headline was 'Saget Frustrated by Full House,' and it was syndicated in 150 papers.
What do you think of Fuller House?
A: I'm so proud of the girls (Candace Cameron-Bure, Jodie Sweetin and Andrea Barber) for turning the show into something else… Full House lives on. Who would have thought that was possible a generation ago? The show is still going strong in syndication and then you have Fuller House. Amazing.
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