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TV Critics Pool Party with Penguins at Ritz Carlton

Where: 1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue [map], Pasadena, CA, United States, 91106

We never would have thought that Hallmark Channel, the creator of all things warm and fuzzy and starring Kellie Martin, would be responsible for breathing new life into Penguin Gate.

The first Penguin Gate happened back in 2005 when P.Diddy and the folks at Hotel Victor in South Beach decided having a couple of scared-looking penguins stand in the middle of a hotel party would be cool, much to the dismay of PETA.

This time, Hallmark Channel brought some penguins from either Sea World or the San Diego Zoo to hang around their pool party at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena, as part of the Television Critics Association Press Tour.

A TV critic for the SF Chronicle had this to say about the penguins:

What I did find out was that THE PENGUINS HAD A ROOM ACROSS THE HALL FROM ME. Damn dirty penguins. I knew it...They were the stars of the party. They came down a blue carpet. Yes, they really did. I was late, so I don't know if Morgan Freeman actually introduced them as planned.

Later I met the penguins. There were only two of them. They were cute, and small - surprisingly small, as if you could club the life out of them with a Wiffle bat. Not that I would even think of such a thing, but they were definitely small. Like actors. They certainly looked bigger up on the screen when I slept through "March of the Penguins." But my point is this - I tracked them down and I asked the keeper a question: "Did these penguins have a room at the hotel?" She looked stunned. "Uh, yes." I stared back. "What number?" She looked blank. "First floor, 100s maybe?" I asked. Then she lit up. "Yes, room 110." Ha! J'accuse!

We knew Ritz Carlton had a pet-friendly policy but apparently this now includes penguins. Putting penguins up at the Ritz might cause PETA to look the other way on this one but the only thing the Hallmark Channel forgot was to pay Tara Reid a couple grand to show up and throw up.

Related Stories:
· Penguins in the hotel [Tim Goodman, Bastard Machine]
· P.Diddy's Penguin Party Piques PETA [HotelChatter]
· Ritz Carlton Pasadena reviews [TripAdvisor]