Archive for the Category »hotels «

Jun
17th		   Hotel of the Week: Laguna Beach Love
2 Comments Category: Beaches, California, Cool Hotels, Luxury Travel, Travel, hotels Tags: , ,

I can’t really think of many more special places than Laguna Beach in Southern California. I visited recently, and every time I go, I appreciate it more. Almost 200 art galleries within 5-10 miles, and some of the most spectacular beaches California has to offer. That being said, I did go BEFORE the summer crowds starting piling up. The road getting into Laguna from the freeway is long and one lane…. you could end up moving very slowly on sunny summer days.

But it’s worth it! We stayed at the beautiful Montage Resort ….

At the Montage Resort, Laguna Beach

Best way to describe it is waaay upscale, but it doesn’t lose it’s beach vibe. Probably because of the Craftsman -style architecture, instead of so many of the overdone new hotels in Orange County.

The hotel itself is located on an oceanfront bluff, so the views are pretty darn nice from practically everywhere.

The hotel has teen and kids programs…. and is offering some specials – one is a night night stay plus breakfast starting at $595.00. www.montagelagunabeach.com. It is not a cheap chain… but a lesser hotel doesn’t have the great cocktail hour with the piano and view at sunset in the main lobby :) That, and the cabanas by the pool, were my favorite elements. There are board games poolside, and your cabana comes with a TV if you just can’t miss that HGTV show.

If you are lucky enough to be part of the Exclusive Resorts program, you will have your own personal concierge, who is fabulous – we lifted the telephone for the most ridiculous reasons, and she was there to help :)

The town of Laguna has plenty to offer – take some time to stroll through the village. The restaurants are plentiful and varied -

But … we visited some  restaurants recommended by the resort.. and were terribly disappointed. One was not what we expected a nice resort to suggest  – it was up the coast a few miles, and the crowd was predominantly overly-coiffed blonds with too much make-up and bad plastic surgery wearing short skirts, leaving with aging men…or pro-athlete types with multiple body piercings. And I LOVE a good time – but I felt like I needed to take a shower after having margaritas here. We should have stayed on campus at any of the Montage’s nice restaurants where I’ve had great meals.

One special “only in Laguna Beach” activity is to get tickets to the “Pageant of the Masters” running in July and August. My words will not do this production justice – it is performed and run by volunteers, and couldn’t be more entertaining. I can’t even describe what these people do – but that photo above is NOT a painting – it is the actors recreating the painting. They basically reproduce a masterpiece painting with live bodies and set decor…all in an outdoor theater. Lovely at night under the stars. www.foapom.com

Laguna is a great destination for the Fourth of July… or anytime to kick off your summer.

Have a great weekend and happy travels!

 
May
27th		   Hotel of the Week: An Unusual Combo of Chic, Elegant, and Family-Friendly
One Comment Category: Beaches, Hawaii, Luxury Travel, Travel, hotels Tags: ,

My new favorite hotel of the moment is the Kahala Resort in Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Not far from Waikiki…. but it feels like a different island itself. The Kahala is not only gorgeous, but peaceful since it is away from the hubbub of Honolulu.

The interior of the main lobby is open and airy – and the beach is picturesque…great for swimming as it doesn’t get too deep fast.

The Kahala Resort is in one of the nicest neighborhoods in Hawaii. We stayed in that neighborhood recently and could ride our bikes to the Kahala – the hotel is notorious for its Sunday brunch which attracts locals from nearby.

The kids love the dolphin quest program.. and the rays who live at the hotel. Even though other hotels I’ve seen with dolphin programs seem a little commercial, the Kahala is able to maintain its authenticity, In fact, it is far from being similar to some of the mega ornate hotels that have spouted up in Hawaii.

There are a few great restaurants – the Plumeria is high on my list even if you don’t stay at the hotel. It is what a meal in Hawaii should be – right on the beach… a very relaxed environment -kids were running around on the grass lot right near the tables… and fairly priced for a nice hotel. The Plumeria is not the highest end restaurant at the hotel, and frankly I think it is the prettiest.

Look how cute the menu and centerpieces are.  It has a kids menu too.

The hotel has a great package for families who want joining rooms – and right now is running a last minute spring deal… as well as a “4th night free” special that we’ve been seeing at a lot of other hotels.

Yes, airfare to Hawaii is costly right now – but it is to many other places too….. so if you are thinking about a summer vacation on this weekend to kick off the sunny season, the Kahala won’t disappoint. Aloha and have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. :)

www.kahalaresort.com

 
Jan
14th		   Hotel of the Week: A New Rosewood off the Beaten Path
Leave a Comment Category: Cool Hotels, Luxury Travel, Mexico, Travel, hotels Tags: ,

Last week I posted about hotels to watch in 2011 – and completely forgot about the Rosewood at San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. It is gorgeous – both the city and the hotel. San Miguel de Allende is maybe not on the first-timer to Mexico’s list of places to visit, but for those seeking out more culture in a picturesque town have for sure discovered it.

San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende is in Central Mexico – not on the beach like other resort towns – but has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The charming cobblestone streets, and stunning Neo-classical-Baroque architecture attract many artists, and the town has been greatly preserved. The historic center is as charming as it gets. Just look at the views from the hotel!

San MIguel de Allende

The hotel helps offers various activities to help you enjoy what San Miguel de Allende has to offer…. For example:

Sightseeing tours: historic walking tours, home and garden tours, guided museum tours
Art, cooking, music and dance classes
Wine tastings, lectures and wellness workshops
Horseback riding, ATV adventures, mountain biking, hiking and golf
Bullfighting exhibitions
Day trips to nearby historic sites, thermal springs and traditional craft centers
Year-round festivals, art shows, musical and theatrical performances, and public events
Family friendly adventures

San Miguel de Allende offers visitors and residents a vibrant and lively community of artists, musicians and writers and a eclectic mix of Mexican folk traditions, fiestas and religious celebrations.

Shopping in San Miguel de Allende is a shop-a-holic’s dream – plenty of interesting Mexican handicrafts, boutiques, art galleries, and furniture and items for your home.

Thousands of people come to San Miguel de Allende every year to learn Spanish, study art, or take Mexican cooking classes.

Maybe you too? You could be enjoying this patio….The resort opens early February – the first availability is Feb. 8. www.rosewoodsanmiguel.com

Have a great weekend.

 
Dec
11th		   Hotel of the Week With Some Holiday Spirit.. and Deals.
Leave a Comment Category: California, Cool Hotels, Luxury Travel, Travel, hotels, southern california Tags: , , ,

Beverly HIlls Hotel

The iconic pink hotel in Los Angeles gets pretty red and green during the holidays. I’m talking of course about the Beverly Hills hotel which is beautifully decorated for Christmas.

Since Beverly Hills is an international destination – especially for shopping I might add, the Beverly Hills Hotel is a nice respite from any holiday purchasing that might take place on Rodeo Dr. (There are more affordable streets in the Beverly Hills flats!) The last time I did a story about Beverly Hills for the Travel Channel, the high end designer stores were filled with more international customers than locals…so if visitors need a place to stay, the hotel is also offering a winter special – stay two nights and get the third free..along with two complimentary cocktails in the Polo Lounge. The hotel is a five-star hotel, so it is still expensive, but cheaper than normal with these specials.

Polo Lounge, Beverly HIlls Hotel

Speaking of the Polo Lounge – a great night time haunt, but also that is where I’d have lunch in between Christmas shopping… I actually had  lunch there recently for a friend’s birthday. There is a lovely patio, with no cost spared on poinsettias to add some holiday spirit. Fun people watching too – I’ve seen both George Michael and Rod Stewart there. The menu is varied… the Kobe burger and pear salad were both delicious. There is an indoor area too in case the Southern California weather doesn’t cooperate. The good news is you don’ t have to stay here to eat like you are :) www.beverlyhillshotel.com

To help you get in the spirit, the city of Beverly Hills hosts a number of fun holiday activities…from Christmas Carolers strolling the streets… to kids’ photo opps with Mr and Mrs. Claus… to a toy workshop. For more holiday fun that may interest you go to http://www.beverlyhillsbehere.com/cvbgeneral.asp?id=618May

Here’s to the holiday spirit…Beverly Hills style!

 
Oct
08th		   Hotel of the Week: Is the Queen Mary Haunted?
Leave a Comment Category: Cool Hotels, Travel, hotels Tags: ,

Well, we know for the month of October it is. This is when one of Southern California’s most elaborate Halloween celebrations takes place on board the legendary ocean-liner the Queen Mary. The very spooky celebration in Long Beach includes hundreds of scary creatures, three on-board mazes, and two onshore mazes, plus food, drink and other entertainment. They really go “overboard” with scary.

What makes this month long event a little spookier than your average haunted house, is that the Queen Mary has been the subject of paranormal investigations for years!

Experts and guests claim to have heard splashing in the old pool, and to have seen bathers in period swimsuits walking around the pool deck. Other freaky claims: hearing screams, and seeing silverware move in the dining room.

The ship has a rich history, so it is no wonder these stories circulate. It’s maiden voyage was in 1936, and the ship was a symbol of luxury and high class at the time. Between 1940 and 1946 it was used in World War II to transport wounded soldiers and even Winston Churchill among other things.

I stayed overnight in the Queen Mary hotel this week for a shoot. I gotta be honest – it kinda gave me the creeps. It was intriguing and scary at the same time. Perhaps it was because the ship is historically maintained- it looks as if nothing has changed since it was built. (Which, honestly, the hotel seems a little tired. It could use a re-do, and I think it would attract even more visitors!)

But – I had my own bizarre encounter. I had to wake up at 2:10 AM one morning to get ready for some live broadcasts on the East Coast that began at 3:30 AM. I set my alarm clock and went to sleep early. All night I did hear sounds, but it was the last thing I heard right before I woke up that was strange – someone was whispering in my ear ..”the windows…. the windows..” (Although someone needs to tell the would-be ghost that they are called portholes on board :) )

The voice was so real I woke up, and looked at the clock. It was two minutes before I was supposed to wake up at 2AM. That right there strikes me as strange because I usually don’t just wake up for no reason at 2AM!

I don’ t blame you if you never read my blog again. I sound crazy. But is it a coincidence something like this happened on a so-called haunted ship? I did a little research…although I was in room A036, room A025 has been the subject of haunted reports numerous times.

I will never know. But we all can learn more about the paranormal activity by taking some of the behind the scenes tours on the Queen Mary.

There is a Haunted Encounters Tour… and World War II Tour..and a historical tour. Don’t miss the boat – Go to www.queenmary.com for a historic and haunted Halloween.

 
Sep
24th		   Hotel of the Week: This one is Key for Families or Couples..
Leave a Comment Category: Cool Hotels, Family Travel, Travel, hotels Tags: , , ,

Cheeca Lodge, Islamorada, Florida Keys

In the Florida Keys, that is. We had a well-rounded itinerary for our family vacation this past summer. There was something for everyone. Started in the Florida Keys…. drove an hour and  a half to Miami to stay the night and break up the longer trip to our final destination: Disneyworld in Orlando.

But I want to talk about our first stop: The Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, Florida Keys. I had always wanted to go, and the timing was great – they had just spent $30 million on a remodel..and were offering a “stay two nights and get one free” special. That’s because we went in August -  a good time to look for specials in Florida since it is hurricane season. But I have always been a gambler. If you’d like to to go then too, look into travel insurance and get a policy that covers a weather evacuation or disaster.

Beach at Cheeca Lodge

Cheeca Lodge is a special place -although you wouldn’t know by looking at the architecture. I was underwhelmed when we drove up, but the place quickly grew on me. It has a laid back atmosphere, with tropical days and nights, gorgeous cloud-filled skies and sunsets, turquoise blue bath-water beaches, and plenty of fun activities. The weather was a little humid, but not bad. President George H.W. Bush has been coming here for fishing trips for years.

Pool at Cheeca Lodge

I think the best part for families is that the swimming pool is huge, but only gets 4′6″ deep… which meant I put a life vest on my youngest, and could actually semi-relax by the pool,  read my book – looking up every now and then to make sure everything was OK.

KEY for parents who know that a family vacation is not always a vacation.

The pool was nice in between all activities – fishing on the 525 foot long pier that Cheeca is known for was a hit with the kids. The resort provides fishing rods, and you can buy bait for $8 that will last you an afternoon.

Looking back from the pier gives you a good glimpse of the various areas of the lodge.

 
Jul
06th		   Travel Tip Tuesday: Don’t get caught in Harlem
One Comment Category: Staying Safe, Travel, Travel Websites, hotels Tags:

Did I really just publish that photo?

One of the greatest times of my life was traveling through Europe for three months with three of my best friends. As you perhaps can tell by the dated photo, this was our post-college graduation backpacking trip. We were psyched.

We had been planning the trip for months..leaving some room for spontaneity, but definitely hitting certain spots and hostels/cheap hotels.

That experience was brought back to life to me while I was in New York recently. I shared a car from JFK with two young girls from Holland who were traveling across America for the summer. White knuckled in the back seat as the driver weaved in and out of the rush hour traffic, they told me their plans. They were so bright eyed and excited, it pained me to tell them the hostel they booked to spend a week in The Big Apple was in dead center…Harlem.

I realized this easily could happen to anyone, especially young foreign people who just want to find a cheap room. We relied on guide books to plan our trip, but there were still things the guidebooks left out that we tended to learn from locals. Parents – if your kids are old enough to plan a trip abroad, definitely go over their itinerary with them.

Thanks to the internet it is much easier to find any information you need about a location, and you don’t only have to take it from the professionals. There are travel blogs (ahem), and travel websites where locals or other other travelers can chime in about a hotel or location.

One that I find useful is www.virtualtourist.com. In most every city I researched on the website, there is an area to find specifics on “warnings and dangers” of various neighborhoods of your desired vacation spot. Most travel websites tell you where you should go, so it was helpful to find one that tells you where NOT to go.

But what makes this site special is that it gets really specific. For instance, it told me streets to avoid, and boundaries to stay within when walking in a neighborhood. Very useful – you can’t rely on a hotel reservationist to always give you the nitty gritty. Be prepared.

Obviously, on a macro level, www.travel.state.gov gives official U.S. travel warnings…

Things can change while you are on your trip too…. which is where flexibility comes in. Back on our trip, we were headed for Greece… but we influenced by warnings we heard so at  the last minute we instead went to Ibiza. I am grateful actually…I don’t think I would have ever gone there had we not changed….

Ibiza, Spain

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain.

Travel safely.

 
Jun
17th		   Stay in a presidential suite for the price of a budget hotel…
Leave a Comment Category: Luxury Travel, Travel, Travel Websites, hotels Tags: , , , ,

I recently was in New York for a television shoot. We stayed at the Palace in New York on Madison Ave. and spent much time in its exclusive penthouse suite…which felt more like an apartment. It had a piano…a penthouse balcony….a dining room…and wonderful high ceilings and windows with a view of the Apple. I’ve seen a lot of exclusive suites in my line of work, but this suite had its own elevator to the two other levels and a private concierge.

Here I am in the living room. (Notice the view.)

Here are CBS’s Peter Greenberg and I in the upstairs office…

Nice right? But when I heard the price, my first thought was – what a waste of money.

$27,000 a night.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved being there, but I thought of all the good things that money could do instead of the over-indulgence.

The vistors who stay here obviously don’t dent their checkbooks by reserving a room. An oil magnate family from the Middle East stayed here recently to give you an idea of its former occupants.

BUT  - now the traveler who likes first class travel in four and five star hotels has a chance to stay in a room big enough to house a football team…for a three star price.

Offandaway.com  auctions off available suites at top notch hotels at a fraction of the normal rate.

The website advertises “a presidential suite for the price of a budget hotel room” – which I think might be a stretch…

For example, list price for two nights at the presidential suite in the NY’s Pierre Hotel: $40,ooo. Winning bidder price: $938.25.  (Not exactly budget hotel prices, but a great savings nonetheless…)

The website is a little confusing..needs to explain better…but the idea is this:

1) But a package of bids…… A small investment up front will deter non serious bidders they think.

2) Start bidding on what you want – the auction starts at “0″ and can be increased by 25 cents.

3) The highest bidder at auction closing time wins!

An example of a suite coming up for bid:

2 nights at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, in the King View suite.

An example of a recent winning bid:

3 nights in a junior suite at Casa Dorada in Los Cabos normally prices at $1637 went for $87.

Check it out – and let me know if you get a great deal :)  www.offandaway.com

 
May
07th		   Hotel of the Week: This one has the best service I have ever encountered…
Leave a Comment Category: Hong Kong, Travel, hotels Tags: ,

Indulge me a bit. This week’s pick makes a luxury hotel look like a hostel. It is super high end and swanky….I know, it seems out of step to be talking about a super expensive hotel in this economic climate, but isn’t it fun to look at those anyway?

I am talking about the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. The reason I chose it is because my mother and I were there together once and it is one of her favorite hotels. So in honor of Mother’s Day, enjoy these photos of the oh so chic Peninsula.

It is Hong Kong’s oldest hotel, having opened in 1928. It is world renown for it’s first class treatment of guests, and beautiful, ornate surroundings.

The hotel has it’s own fleet of Rolls Royces to shuttle guests to and from the airport. Remember, indulge me.

High tea and dining are top notch here.

Hong Kong is an exciting city. If you can’t stay at the Peninsula there are other fine hotels…and if you want a really nice surprise for families, try the YMCA also in Kowloon. Totally inexpensive, nice digs, and plenty of activities for kids including a rock climbing wall. Have a great weekend.

www.peninsula.com/hongkong   

 
Apr
23rd		   Earthweek 2010: How one hotel took great strides to go green.
Leave a Comment Category: Travel, eco-friendly, hotels Tags: , ,

My pick for hotel of the week, since it IS the 40th anniversary of Earthweek, is The Nines Hotel in Portland, Oregon. Located in an old department store built in 1908, it has 331 rooms.

It may not surprise you that an eco-friendly hotel exists in one of the greenest cities in our nation…but what may surprise you is what great green strides were taken to build this hotel.

The conservation focused plumbing system will save an estimated 500,000 gallons of water a year. The hotel’s energy comes from renewable sources such as wind power. During the construction process, about 90% of the construcion debris was recycled instead of going into landfills. And, all products used by housekeeping are Green Seal certified. All of these steps earned the Starwood hotel a LEED Silver Certification.

Now let’s talk design! It is luxurious, and chic. The rooms can make you feel like you are in a nice master bedroom – not the typical hotel cookie cutter furniture, drab colors, etc.

It just may be the country’s first high end urban eco-property. www.thenines.com

Have a great weekend.

 
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