lodging - Blogs - Tripatini
2024-03-28T22:22:55Z
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The Andaru Collection Niseko: An Extraordinary Villa Stay in the Wilderness of Niseko, Japan
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/andaru-collection-niseko-japan
2024-02-26T19:15:11.000Z
2024-02-26T19:15:11.000Z
Marian Goldberg
https://tripatini.com/members/MarianGoldberg
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12386326085,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12386326085,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="750" alt="12386326085?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a><br />The <a href="https://andaru.jp/en/" target="_blank">Andaru Collection Niseko</a> features only six private villas. Each villa unit has two exclusive-use floors, with personalized service to all guests from across the world. The sight of these villas standing side-by-side, like a kamakura, Japan's traditional snow hut, evokes the feeling of a fairy tale village.</p>
<p>They are located in <a href="https://www.niseko.ne.jp/en/" target="_blank">Niseko,</a> the most prominent ski resort region of Hokkaido, Japan's northern-most main island. It is a 2-hour drive Southwest from Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital and largest city. Surrounded by national parks, Niseko is an ideal location to enjoy crisp air and pristine, natural scenery. In summer, visitors come from all over the world to enjoy the cool, dry climate and various mountain and river activities. In winter, they come to experience the premier powder snow, among the best in the world. This is a one-of-a-kind resort where you can experience nature with all your senses.<a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12386327052,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12386327052,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12386327052?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p>Each villa unit at the Andaru Collection features two exclusive-use floors, with personalized service to all guests. Guests can also spend time relaxing at the Club House or enjoying a meal at restaurant Ultimo, with its unique farm to table dining experience. The menu changes daily, in accordance with the fresh ingredients of the day. The Andaru Collection Niseko offers a superlative luxurious experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the city.</p>
<p><strong>Contact info:</strong> <a href="https://andaru.jp/en/" target="_blank">https://andaru.jp/en/</a><br /> 217-8, Aza Kabayama, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 044-0078</p>
<p><br /> <strong>Reservations in the USA</strong>: Tel: 1-800-42 TOKYU (86598)<br /> Email: <a href="mailto:reservation@tokyuhotelsjapan.com" target="_blank">reservation@tokyuhotelsjapan.com; </a><a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/index.html" target="_blank">https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/index.html</a><a href="mailto:reservation@tokyuhotelsjapan.com" target="_blank"> </a></p>
<p><strong>Reservations in Japan: </strong><a href="mailto:reservation@tokyuhotelsjapan.com" target="_blank">Tel: +81-136-22-1816; Email: </a><a href="mailto:reservation.jp@andaru.com" target="_blank">reservation.jp@andaru.com; </a><a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/" target="_blank">www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com</a></p>
<p><strong>Access</strong><br /> From New Chitose Airport<br /> By shuttle bus to Hirafu Welcome Center (2 ½ hours)<br /> By complimentary shuttle bus from the Welcome Center to Andaru Collection Niseko (10 min.)</p></div>
Shaping the Future : A Look at the Rising Stars in the Hospitality Industry Awards
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/hospitality-industry-awards
2024-02-10T06:39:48.000Z
2024-02-10T06:39:48.000Z
Hospitality Awards
https://tripatini.com/members/HospitalityAwards
<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12378061097?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>The <a href="http://hospitalityawards.org/">Hospitality Industry</a> is evolving, and it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve. In this blog post, we'll explore the emerging trends and rising stars that are shaping the future of hospitality. From innovative technology to changing consumer preferences, we'll delve into the forces driving this dynamic industry forward. Join us as we uncover the key players and strategies that are redefining the landscape of hospitality.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>The Evolution of Hospitality Industry</strong></span></h2>
<p>The hospitality industry has a long and vibrant history, with its roots dating back to ancient times. Over the years, it has evolved and adapted to changing societal, technological, and economic landscapes. This section will explore the key milestones and transformations that have shaped the hospitality industry into what it is today.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Rising Trends in Hospitality</strong></span></h2>
<h3><strong>Wellness and Health-focused Offerings</strong></h3>
<p>With an increasing focus on health and wellness, hotels are incorporating specialized amenities such as fitness centers, yoga classes, and healthy dining options. Some establishments are even offering in-room wellness features like aromatherapy, meditation guides, and wellness-focused mini-bars. This trend aligns with the growing demand for travel experiences that promote physical and mental well-being.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>The International Spa Awards</strong></span></h2>
<h3><strong>Explore the Growing Trend of Spa and Wellness Offerings in the Hospitality Sector</strong></h3>
<p>In recent years, there has been a remarkable surge in the integration of spa and wellness offerings within the hospitality industry. The global trend toward holistic well-being has prompted hotels and resorts to enhance their amenities by incorporating luxurious spa facilities and wellness programs. This evolution reflects the heightened consumer demand for rejuvenating experiences during their travels, leading to the emergence of the International Spa Awards as a platform that recognizes and celebrates excellence in spa and wellness services within the hospitality sector.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>World Titan Club</strong></span></p>
<p>World Titan Club is an exclusive community for CEOs, GMs, Marketing Heads, and Directors to connect and collaborate. It serves as an entrepreneur club that provides a platform for top-level professionals to share insights, network, and foster growth. With specialized segments like the CEO Club, GM Club, and <a href="https://worldtitanclub.com"><strong>Entrepreneur Club</strong></a>, members can engage in tailored discussions and events that cater to their specific roles and interests. Joining this dynamic network can be a pivotal move for your career, offering unique opportunities for learning, mentorship, and strategic alliances.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>International Travel Awards: Recognizing Excellence in the Hospitality Industry</strong></span></h3>
<p>The International Travel Awards hold significant value in the hospitality industry as they serve as a beacon for recognizing excellence and innovation. These awards not only acknowledge outstanding contributions but also inspire organizations to continuously improve and elevate their standards, ultimately enhancing the overall guest experience. The accolades garnered from the International Travel Awards propel hospitality establishments to strive for unparalleled service, thus shaping the future of the industry with a focus on exceptional guest satisfaction and unparalleled experiences.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>International Dining Awards: Shaping the Future of Hospitality</strong></span></h3>
<p>Exceptional dining experiences play a pivotal role in shaping the future of hospitality, as they have evolved into a defining factor for guests seeking memorable stays. The International Dining Awards highlight the significance of extraordinary culinary offerings in influencing guests' perceptions and experiences. As the hospitality industry continues to elevate its dining standards, these awards serve as a catalyst for establishments to innovate, create, and deliver exceptional gastronomic adventures, thereby shaping the future landscape of hospitality through the art of fine dining.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>International GM Awards</strong></span></h2>
<p>Hospitality industry thrives on effective leadership that sets the tone for exceptional guest experiences and operational excellence. The International GM Awards stand as a testament to the pivotal role of leadership in shaping the future of hospitality.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Importance of Effective Leadership</strong></span></h3>
<p>Effective leadership in the hospitality industry goes beyond traditional management responsibilities. It encompasses the ability to inspire, innovate, and adapt to ever-evolving guest expectations. A skilled general manager (GM) can steer their team towards delivering unparalleled service, fostering a culture of warmth and professionalism.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Impact on Properties</strong></span></h3>
<p>The International GM Awards celebrate the exemplary leadership of general managers and their profound impact on their respective properties. Recognizing their efforts not only boosts morale within the organization but also sets a benchmark for others to emulate. It contributes to elevating service standards, employee satisfaction, and overall guest satisfaction, thereby shaping the future of the industry.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Hotel Awards</strong></span></h2>
<p>In the competitive landscape of the hospitality industry, hotel awards play a significant role in recognizing and celebrating excellence. Hotels strive to excel in various categories to earn prestigious accolades that signify their commitment to providing exceptional experiences for their guests. Let's delve into the various categories of hotel awards and their significance in defining excellence in the industry.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Distinction in Service Excellence</strong></span></h3>
<p>Hotels that prioritize delivering outstanding service often vie for awards that recognize excellence in customer service. These accolades not only honor the dedication of hotel staff but also serve as a testament to the hotel's commitment to creating memorable guest experiences. This focus on service excellence elevates the standard for the entire industry, inspiring other establishments to prioritize exceptional hospitality.</p>
<h3><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Culinary Innovation and Dining Experience</strong></span></h3>
<p>Awards celebrating culinary excellence and the overall dining experience hold substantial significance in the hospitality sector. Hotels competing for these accolades showcase their devotion to providing guests with extraordinary gastronomic journeys. Such recognition not only spotlights the culinary talents within the hotel but also contributes to the overall reputation and desirability of the establishment.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Golden Entrepreneur Awards </strong></span></p>
<p>Golden Entrepreneur Awards is a prestigious recognition that celebrates outstanding achievements in entrepreneurship across various industries. It honors the resilience, innovation, and leadership of business owners and management teams, serving as a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence. As an entrepreneur, this award signifies the pinnacle of success and recognition for your dedication and hard work in driving your business forward. The <a href="https://goldenentrepreneurawards.com/">Entrepreneurship Awards</a> encompass a diverse range of industries, providing a platform for all entrepreneurs to showcase their remarkable contributions and accomplishments. This distinction serves as a catalyst for further growth and development, propelling recipients to new heights of success and influence within their respective sectors.</p>
<h2><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span></h2>
<p>The future of hospitality is undoubtedly being shaped by the rising stars in the industry. With their innovative approaches, commitment to sustainability, and focus on creating exceptional guest experiences, these emerging leaders are paving the way for the next generation of hospitality. As technology continues to play a pivotal role in reshaping the industry, these rising stars are poised to leverage its power to drive growth and transformation. By embracing diversity, fostering creativity, and staying attuned to evolving consumer preferences, these trailblazers are setting new standards and redefining the very essence of hospitality. As they continue to make their mark, their influence will undoubtedly shape the future landscape of the industry for years to come.</p></div>
A Guide to the Best Riad Townhouse Hotels in Fez, Morocco for Next Trip
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/fez-morocco-riads-hotels
2024-01-04T18:03:18.000Z
2024-01-04T18:03:18.000Z
rohny jones
https://tripatini.com/members/rohnyjones
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12345436285,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12345436285,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="750" alt="12345436285?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a></p>
<p>Because they provide an authentic Moroccan experience, <strong><a href="https://moroccoroamer.com/top-riads-in-fez/">best riads in Fez Morocco</a></strong> are fantastic. Traditional Moroccan riads are world-renowned for their ornate design and craftsmanship. The exquisite, hand-laid tile work commonly associated with Morocco is visible everywhere. Traditional designs of riads offer a lively yet peaceful ambience, perfect for unwinding. You won't find better service or cuisine than this at any hotel you've stayed at. A riad is where you have your favorite Moroccan dinner while there! Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of Moroccan culture as locals show you around in their traditional riad style.</p>
<p><strong>They offer beautiful central courtyard with a high, open ceiling</strong></p>
<p>A central courtyard with an open ceiling is a vital feature of most riads. A modest riad may have one or two fountains. Plus, most of the larger riads offer swimming pools to their visitors. You may also count on the presence of verdant trees, plants, and flowers to adorn the area. The garden aims to achieve a haven of greenery in the middle of the city. Well, the riads are designed with this central region in mind because it is so beautiful. The windows and balconies face inwards instead of the outside world. Each room's window will face the courtyard rather than the street outside.</p>
<p>During the day, the entire house feels like a sunroom because of the abundance of natural light. Two distinct contexts have made use of this design. This spacious home with a central courtyard can be a welcome refuge from the heat in the sweltering Moroccan summers. This function ensures that riads remain pleasant throughout the summer, even during the warmest parts of the day.</p>
<p><strong>Accommodations: A limited selection of tastefully furnished suites</strong></p>
<p>Size is a defining characteristic of riads as opposed to hotels. With fewer rooms to decorate, each one can be given its distinct personality. Every detail of the room is meticulously designed. Instead of having a uniform design, each area will showcase its unique personality and characteristics. Your room's exquisite woodwork and artwork will astound you.</p>
<p><strong>It is centrally located within the Medina</strong></p>
<p>You will appreciate the uniqueness of this place once you come inside. You can find a riad in any of the old towns. These refuges are located on the outdoors, away from the din of everyday life. A riad is a little oasis in the middle of a bustling city. After venturing into the bustling streets, many travellers have found this tranquil contrast quite appealing.</p>
<p><strong>Drawbacks:</strong><strong> Riads demand a higher price</strong></p>
<p>Staying in a riad does have its drawbacks. Comparison to a hotel, the price for such exquisite service and furnishings will be much higher. Therefore, there may be better options than a riad if cost is your primary concern. You don't need anything fancy if you're only going to spend the day sightseeing or need somewhere to sleep before your flight. The location and signage of a riad make it more or less challenging to locate than a hotel.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion </strong></p>
<p>Despite the price difference compared to hotels, we have personally witnessed people thoroughly enjoying their time in riads. Most guests at a riad leave wishing to return for another unforgettable experience. Visit Morocco Roamer Blog to uncover about <strong><a href="https://moroccoroamer.com/morocco-deserts/">Moroccan Sahara Desert guide</a></strong> and most enchanting destinations.</p></div>
Sweet Solvang, California Is Cool for Both Culture and Nature
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/solvang-california-attractions-tourism-travel
2023-06-13T08:55:00.000Z
2023-06-13T08:55:00.000Z
Simon Hopes
https://tripatini.com/members/SimonHopes
<div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11580776675,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11580776675,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11580776675?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/media/solvang-in-santa-barbara-county-california" target="_blank">Carol Highsmith</a></em></span><strong><br /> <br /> <br /> Great Danes!</strong></span><br /> <br /> Nestled in <strong>Southern California</strong>'s <strong>Santa Ynez Valley</strong>, a 45-minute drive north of <strong>Santa Barbara</strong> and a bit over two hours from <strong>Los Angeles</strong>, this small town of just over 6,100 offers visitors a unique blend of nature and culture. One of Solvang's top attractions is its unique Danish, which you can explore by strolling its charming streets. Founded in 1911 by Danish immigrants, and its downtown remodeled in the 1940s to reflect that country's architectural heritage, Solvang has a rich cultural heritage delightful to both the eye and stomach. Apart a self-guided walking tour to learn more about local history and architecture - including landmarks like the <strong>Little Mermaid Fountain</strong>, <strong>Round Tower</strong>, a giant red clog, and no fewer than five windmills - visitors can explore the <strong><a href="https://www.elverhoj.org/" target="_blank">Elverhøj Museum of History & Art</a></strong>, which showcases the town's Danish heritage, and the <strong><a href="https://solvangca.com/museum/h1.htm" target="_blank">Hans Christian Andersen Museum</a></strong>, which of course focuses on the 19th-century Danish author most famous for his fairy tales. Other notable local attractions narrated tours on the horse-drawn <strong><a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/directory/solvang-trolley-carriage-company/" target="_blank">Solvang Trolley</a></strong>, the <a href="https://wildlingmuseum.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Wildling Museum of Art and Nature</strong></a>, the <strong><a href="https://www.motosolvang.com/" target="_blank">Vintage Motorcycle Museum</a></strong>, the <strong><a href="https://thecopenhagenhouse.com/solvang-amber-museum/" target="_blank">Amber Museum</a></strong>, and the early-19th-century Spanish <a href="https://missionsantaines.org/" target="_blank"><strong>Old Mission Santa Inés</strong></a>, still a Roman Catholic parish church.<br /> <br /> And when you're ready to sample some of Solvang's delicious Danish and other cuisines, try restaurants like Bit o' Denmark and <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/dining/" target="_blank">more than two dozen other excellent eateries</a> (including at least five Danish bakeries). Top specialties include <em>frikadeller</em> (meatballs in brown gravy with boiled potatoes), rullepolse (a pork cold cut filled with herbs and seasonings, kringle (a pretzel-shaped pastry), and Danish wafflers (a puff pastry baked, rolled in sugar, and stuffed with raspberry jam and buttercream filling).<br /> <br /> And for an extra dose of Scandinavian heritage, come visit during <strong><a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/things-to-do/danish-days/" target="_blank">Danish Days</a></strong> in mid-September and the Christmas season's cheerful <strong><a href="https://solvangjulefest.org/" target="_blank">Julefest</a></strong>. <br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11595421479,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11595421479,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11595421479?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.fessparker.com/gallery" target="_blank">Fess Parker Winery</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Great Outdoors & Wine<br /> </strong></span></p>
<p>The town is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, including rolling hills with some of California's best trails for <a href="https://www.theoutbound.com/united-states/california/solvang/hiking" target="_blank">hiking</a> and <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/things-to-do/cycling/" target="_blank">biking</a>, as well as scenic drives in California (out here the <strong><a href="https://www.alisalranch.com/?NCK=8662211474&msclkid=db8194f4f3b513276215f077ccbe55ad" target="_blank">Alisal Ranch</a> </strong>offers guided horseback rides through the valley's rolling hills and vineyards).</p>
<p>And speaking of vineyards, Solvang is also surrounded by more than 125 wineries producing some of the world's best vintages and many accepting visitors for tours and tasting; among of the most popular are half-century-old <strong><a href="https://www.firestonewine.com/" target="_blank">Firestone Vineyard</a></strong>, <a href="https://www.fessparker.com/fess-parker-wines" target="_blank"><strong>Fess Parker Winery</strong></a> (above, founded in 1988 by the actor famous for playing Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone on TV in the 1950s and 60s), and <strong><a href="https://sunstonewinery.com/" target="_blank">Sunstone Winery</a></strong>, in business since 1990 and with an enphasis on environmental sustainability.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11595503501,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11595503501,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11595503501?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://kingfrederikinn.com/gallery/" target="_blank">King Frederik Inn<br /> </a></em></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Best Places to Stay</strong></span></p>
<p>There are <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/where-to-stay/" target="_blank">some two dozen good-quality hotels</a> to choose from in the area, and here are a pair of prime picks: <strong><br /> <br /> <a href="https://kingfrederikinn.com/" target="_blank">The King Frederik Inn</a></strong><br /> <br /> Named after the king of Denmark when it was founded in 1960, this is a unique and unforgettable downtown Solvang experience (above) for visitors looking to immerse themselves in the area's Danish culture, which extends to its charming architecture, cozy rooms, and warm hospitality. The lobby features traditional Danish décor, including a cozy fireplace and comfortable seating areas, creating a space that is both inviting and relaxing. Each of the rooms is also decorated in the traditional Danish style, with cozy furnishings, warm colors, and unique touches that give each room its own character. Whether you're staying in a standard room or a luxurious suite, you'll feel right at home in the cozy and comfortable surroundings. The courtyard features colorful flowers, winding pathways, charming benches, as well as an outdoor pool. Breakfast included; no pets.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.peasoupandersens.com/" target="_blank">Pea Soup Andersen's Inn</a></strong></p>
<p>Starting out as just a restaurant (hence the name), another great and atmospheric option in the nearby town of <strong>Buellton</strong> offers nearly 100 comfortable rooms and easy access to some of the area's best cultural and natural attractions. Rooms featuring all the amenities you need to feel at home, including flat-screen TVs, excellent beds, and free Wi-Fi (several even have working fireplaces to help keep toastier during those 40⁰ Fahrenheit winter nights). <a href="https://www.peasoupandersens.net/" target="_blank">The famous restaurant is still here</a>, and other amenities include a heated pool and whirlpool.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For more information, check out <a href="https://www.solvangusa.com/" target="_blank">SolvangUSA.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p></div>
Cottages Are a Relaxing Option in Grasmere, in England's Lake District
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/cottages-grasmere-lake-district-england-britain-united-kingdom
2023-05-01T06:17:40.000Z
2023-05-01T06:17:40.000Z
The Lakes Escape
https://tripatini.com/members/TheLakesEscape
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11038406071,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11038406071,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11038406071?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="850" height="566" /></a><br />When planning a visit to the Grasmere Lake District in the United Kingdom, one of the first things you need to address is the place to stay there so that you can spend some relaxing time during your holiday. A <strong><a href="https://www.thelakesescape.co.uk/self-catering-accommodation-lake-district/">self-catering accommodation in Lake District can be just</a></strong> the thing you and your companions need, as it allows you the flexibility to choose what to eat and when.</p>
<p>Choosing a holiday accommodation is not that easy, as you need to think about many things before you zero in on a cottage or other accommodation options. While the first thing that may come to your head is to find a place where you can stay for some time without spending much, you should also consider the infrastructure and the services you can avail yourself of there. You do not want to be in a position where you do everything as that would turn your holiday into a nightmare. This is why, you should consider exploring all the best cottage options when you want to visit the Grasmere Lake District.</p>
<p>Finding some holiday accommodation in Lake District can take some research on your part, but you can find options that suit your budget and your personal traveling requirements. The Lake District of Grasmere regularly receives solo travelers and families from far and wide. Hence, there are plenty of good cottage options out here. Even if you want to come down here with some of your friends and partner, you can find the services and expertise offered by the holiday rental Lake District ideal according to your taste and preference. Hence, getting one of the local cottages here in Grasmere Lake District is a wise idea when you want to enjoy a positive holiday experience that can transform you for the better. After all, peace and relaxation are what you are looking forward to.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11038406464,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11038406464,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11038406464?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="850" height="566" /></a></p>
<p>One of the first things you would notice about the luxury holiday cottages in the Lake District is that they have taken a great deal of effort in creating the perfect ambiance inside the cottage that brings its unique old-world charm. You can find classic rustic décor combined with the log-burning stove, and it can immediately have a calming effect on your senses. You will also see that the <a href="https://www.thelakesescape.co.uk/grasmere-cottages/">holiday cottage Grasmere can provide</a> you with all the modern comforts you can think of. This is a reason why, it is always advisable to stay in a local cottage in Grasmere that can prepare your mind and body when you want to explore the beauty of the region.</p>
<p>The scenic beauty of the Grasmere Lake together with the mountains can have a peaceful effect on your mind. It can also provide you with plenty of scope to explore the sights and sounds of the lake area at your own pace. So make sure that you choose one of the best Lake District cottages near Grasmere Lake when you want to have a nice holiday experience with your loved ones.</p></div>
Sweet Suites at Kelley House, Martha's Vineyard's Historic Inn
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/kelley-house-marthas-vineyard-massachusetts
2016-12-06T17:30:00.000Z
2016-12-06T17:30:00.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Kelley-House-Exterior-e1481053598395-1024x650.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Kelley-House-Exterior-e1481053598395-1024x650.jpg?width=863" class="align-center" width="863" alt="Kelley-House-Exterior-e1481053598395-1024x650.jpg?width=863" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Steps away from the Chappaquiddick ferry ensconced in the compact and pedestrian friendly village center of Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, <a href="http://www.kelley-house.com/">Kelley House</a> stands as a testament to island life way before tourists dominated the scene with beach umbrellas and sunscreen.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KelleyHouseGallery-1024x323.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KelleyHouseGallery-1024x323.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="KelleyHouseGallery-1024x323.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Near the corner of North Water and Kelley Streets, the main 54-room historic inn was built in 1742 and now features an art gallery in the lobby with rotating exhibits featuring local artists. Onsite <strong>Newes From America Pub</strong> is on the ground floor with rough hewn beams overhead and a gigantic brick fireplace exuding a genuine colonial character.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Newes-From-America.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Newes-From-America.jpg?width=612" class="align-center" width="612" alt="Newes-From-America.jpg?width=612" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Truly like stepping back in time with a crackling fireplace and low ceilings, you can sense the pub rowdiness of sailors and longshoremen of yesteryear as well as escapades of cast and crew hanging out here during the 1975 filming of <em>Jaws</em>. Classic comfort dishes include three-cheese lobster mac & cheese and bangers and mash, accompanied by a wide selection of house brews as well as Vineyard and New England beers on tap. They even make their very own micro brewed root beer.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KelleyHouseBeerRack.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KelleyHouseBeerRack.jpg?width=550" class="align-center" width="550" alt="KelleyHouseBeerRack.jpg?width=550" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">A member of the prestigious <a href="http://www.historichotels.org/">Historic Hotels of America</a>, Kelley House prides itself on an attentive guest experience most tastefully exemplified by complimentary house baked chocolate chip cookies every evening and an assortment of warm muffins and fresh brewed coffee for all guests in the morning. The privilege of reserved parking is particularly handy during summer months when the island's population more than triples and Edgartown becomes the epicenter of activity.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Mizzen-Top-Deck-1024x683.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Mizzen-Top-Deck-1024x683.jpg?width=916" class="align-center" width="916" alt="Mizzen-Top-Deck-1024x683.jpg?width=916" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">But the latest news here is that Kelley House also owns three historic homes next door offering 11 additional more spacious and recently upgraded lodging options to their portfolio perfect for families and longer stays:</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Mizzen-Top-1024x683.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Mizzen-Top-1024x683.jpg?width=692" class="align-center" width="692" alt="Mizzen-Top-1024x683.jpg?width=692" /></a></p><p> </p><ul><li><span class="font-size-3"><em><strong>Chappy House</strong></em>: Six one-bedroom suites with efficiency kitchens and private porches</span></li><li><span class="font-size-3"><em><strong>Court House</strong></em>: Three suites ranging from one to three bedrooms, period furnishings, and private kitchenettes. A traditional wrap-around porch invites lingering in the fresh Vineyard air.</span></li><li><span class="font-size-3"><em><strong>Mizzen Top</strong></em>: Three two-bedroom suites that whimsically blend modern décor with vintage Vineyard. Wood floors throughout except the bedrooms and kitchenettes outfitted with stainless steel appliances make for the ultimate retreat.</span></li></ul><p><br /> <a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Court-House-Guestroom-1024x791.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Court-House-Guestroom-1024x791.jpg?width=681" class="align-center" width="681" alt="Court-House-Guestroom-1024x791.jpg?width=681" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">In addition to being family oriented, Kelley House is also dog friendly with beach walking just down the street perfect for romping in the surf next to the <strong>Edgartown Lighthouse.</strong> During summer, Kelley House's outdoor pool and accompanying Wave Pool Bar is the place to hang out just a block away from the ocean.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KelleyHouseCruiser-1024x768.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/KelleyHouseCruiser-1024x768.jpg?width=743" class="align-center" width="743" alt="KelleyHouseCruiser-1024x768.jpg?width=743" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Exploring the island can be taken to a whole new level on one of their custom three-speed cruiser bicycles. After all, there are other towns on Martha's Vineyard worth exploring that are thankfully interconnected by a flat well paved <a href="http://www.mvy.com/external/wcpages/wcmedia/documents/MV%20MapOutlined%20Typesm.pdf">network of bike paths</a> leading to scenic beaches and country lanes. This where having <a href="http://www.schifferbooks.com/in-my-footsteps-a-travelers-guide-to-marthas-vineyard-5933.html"><em>In My Footsteps: A Traveler's Guide to Martha's Vineyard</em></a> comes in handy to get the lay of the land from an author who is a 12th-generation Cape Codder.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><em>Photos: Kelley House & Steve Mirsky. Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.</em></blockquote></div>
6 of London's Best Located 5-Star Hotels
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-best-located-five-star-hotels-in-london
2016-06-17T14:03:57.000Z
2016-06-17T14:03:57.000Z
mary yohanan
https://tripatini.com/members/maryyohanan
<div><p><img class="align-center" src="https://media.timeout.com/images/102529796/image.jpg" alt="Five Star Hotels in London" height="442" width="697" /></p><h4>Best for a Night Out: The Savoy</h4><p><br /> If you want to book a special hotel for a big night out, you will no doubt need it to be near the West End, where the city's best restaurants, clubs, theatres and pubs are located. Where better to rest your head then than the fabulous Savoy, possibly the most famous hotel in London and located conveniently just a stone's throw from Covent Garden, along The Strand?</p><h4><br /> Best for Museums: The Gore Hotel</h4><p><br /> If your trip to London is all about covering the major museums including the Natural History, the Science Museum and the V&A, the Gore's location is hard to top. Smaller than most <a href="http://thestaffordlondon.com/">famous 5 star hotels in London</a>, it has the feel of a private members club, is full of timeless grandeur, and is just a short walk to the museums and closer still to Hyde Park and Royal Albert Hall.</p><h4><br /> Best for Business: The Andaz</h4><p><br /> Most people visiting London on business will be heading to the City of London, also known as the Square Mile. The Andaz is in an ideal location for those who need to stay the night. Once known as the Great Eastern Hotel, the building dates from the 19th century. Situated right next to Liverpool Street Station, the main train terminal in the Square Mile, this historic hotel is in a perfect spot to go straight onto a meeting and even for a night out afterwards in trendy Shoreditch or Hoxton.</p><h4><br /> Best for Shopping: The Dorchester or Claridges</h4><p><br /> If you're simply heading to the capital for a spot of shopping, you need to be in easy reach of Bond Street, Mayfair, Oxford Street and Harrods. Claridges is located very close to Bond Street in the heart of Mayfair. Be sure to enjoy tea in the main foyer for the ultimate in 1930s opulence. The Dorchester, on the other hand, is slightly closer to Knightsbridge, located on the edge of Hyde Park along Park Lane. It is within walking distance of Bond Street. The Dorchester is home to the famous Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, the only hotel restaurant in the UK with three Michelin stars.</p><h4><br /> Best for London Sights: The Stafford</h4><p><br /> If you want to tick off all the biggest London landmarks in one trip, including Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the London Eye, the National Gallery, Westminster Abbey and the houses of Parliament, the Stafford in St. James Park is in an ideal location for your itinerary. Nestled close to the bustle of Piccadilly but in the relative calm and grandeur of St James Square, this historic five-star hotel offers a quintessentially English experience.<br /> <br /></p><p></p></div>
99 Sea Level at Delaware's Bethany Beach Ocean Suites: Fresh, Creative Franco-Asian-Inspired Cuisine
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/99-sea-level-bethany-beach-ocean-suites-delaware
2015-11-27T00:00:00.000Z
2015-11-27T00:00:00.000Z
Travel Daddy
https://tripatini.com/members/TravelDaddy
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032294,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032294,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="9009032294?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>After arriving at the superb Bethany Beach Ocean Suites by Marriott in Bethany Beach, DE (read about our excellent adventure <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-new-bethany-beach-ocean-suites-by-marriott-stunning" target="_blank">here</a>), the fam (two teen pups + my wife Sue) and I thought that it would be wise to dine in the hotel on our first night rather than venture out to explore the town’s eateries. Not that there weren’t lots of great choices in the area, but after driving for almost four hours from northern New Jersey and then unwinding for the rest of the day in our awesome rooms, we preferred to take the most convenient (and least mileage) route to the dinner table.</p><p><br /> The hotel’s restaurant, 99 Sea Level, is located on the lobby level. According to <a href="http://99sealevel.com/" target="_blank">its website</a>, the restaurant features “choice meats, local seafood, and creative vegetarian selections.” Its chef “sources local fisheries, farms, and gardens for the highest quality ingredients” to create its dining and bar menus.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032084,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032084,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009032084?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032476,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009032476?profile=original" /></a></p><p><br /> While the site’s description sounded appealing, the thumbs up user reviews across the web sealed the deal: </p><ul><li>TripAdvisor - <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g33997-d8463948-Reviews-99_Sea_Level-Bethany_Beach_Delaware.html">4 stars out of 5</a></li><li>Facebook - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/99sealevel/">4.5/5</a></li><li>WeddingWire - <a href="http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/99-sea-level-at-bethany-beach-ocean-suites-bethany-beach/28c70d4fb11492b9.html">4.4/5</a></li><li>Google - <a href="https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=99+sea+level+bethany+beach+reviews&lrd=0x89b8cde3fee257e7:0x5120dfc528f98cb7,1">5/5</a></li><li><a href="http://rehobothfoodie.com/reviews/sneak-peek/99-sea-level-open/">Rehoboth Foodie</a> - “beautiful venue on the boardwalk facing the Atlantic, along with what so far is a great menu and bar”</li><li><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/oc-blog/bal-bs-bs-tr-eats-new-99-sea-level-salad-20150728-photo.html">The Baltimore Sun</a> - “upscale experience not to be missed” with “creative, lively coastal cuisine featuring lots of fish, seafood and farm-sourced ingredients”</li></ul><p> </p><p>Some background details about 99 Sea Level (99SL):</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032884,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032884,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="527" alt="9009032884?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><ul><li>The restaurant’s menu offerings are designed by Chef Danio Somoza, who has been cooking for 14 years. Somoza received his training at two of the area’s premier eateries, Bethany Blues in Bethany Beach and Fins Fish House and Raw Bar in Rehoboth.</li><li>Somoza’s dishes reflect his French and Asian-inspired cooking philosophy.</li><li>Chef Somoza aims to create fresh, flavorful food that’s also visually appealing.</li><li>Along with being a master chef, Somoza is also a trained ice sculptor, and his works are on display each night at 99SL.</li><li>The restaurant has an extensive wine and craft cocktail menu with selections for both casual as well as sophisticated tastes.</li><li>It’s the newest oceanfront restaurant on the DE coast and the only oceanfront restaurant in Bethany Beach.</li></ul><p> </p><p>As for our marvelous meal, here’s the lowdown on the many delectable and eye-pleasing components that comprised the experience:</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032898,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032898,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009032898?profile=original" /></a></b><strong>FRESH BREADSTICKS</strong> <br /> <br />Gorgeous, right? They tasted even better.</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009033461,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009033461,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009033461?profile=original" /></a></b></p><p><b>CHARCUTERIE-CHEESE ASSORTMENT <br /> <br /></b> 99SL’s description: “Selection of cheese from local dairies with coppa duck prosciutto, salmon pâté, rosette de lyon, roasted beet jelly, jalapeño tomato tapenade, fig truffle honey”<br /><br />Our reaction: A fresh, diverse, and beautifully arranged assortment of savory flavors, rich colors, and pleasing textures (our fave: the irresistible fig truffle honey). A fantastic drum roll to the main meal.</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032695,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009032695,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009032695?profile=original" /></a></b></p><p><b>WINTER SQUASH-ROASTED BEETS SALAD <br /> <br /></b> 99SL’s description: “Baby kale, spinach leaves, walnuts, feta cheese, pomegranate vinaigrette”<br /><br />Our reaction: Sue is a HEE-YOOJ fan of both kale and beets, so she found this super fresh melange to be a pleasant and <em>mucho delicioso</em> surprise.</p><p></p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009033861,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009033861,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009033861?profile=original" /></a></b></p><p><b>WHISKEY KOBE BURGER <br /> <br /></b> 99SL’s description: “Caramelized onions, jalapeño pepper, sunny-side-up egg, broiche bun, honey truffle sweet potato frittes”<br /><br />Our reaction: Lots of pop from the onions and pepper, and hearty boom from the egg, smoky burger, and airy bun. The sticky sweet frites were indulgent and highly addictive. </p><p><b> </b></p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009034469,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009034469,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009034469?profile=original" /></a></b></p><p><b>ATLANTIC BLACK GROUPER</b><br /> <br />99SL’s description: “Wilted cauliflower, baby turnips, lentil quinoa, sake miso-carrot-ginger sauce”<br /><br />Our reaction: An ingenious, multi-hued (blue, white, orange), and exquisite melding of meaty (the grouper), hearty and tangy (the sauce), crunchy (the vegetables), and smooth (the lentils).</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009034658,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009034658,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009034658?profile=original" /></a></b></p><p><br /> <b>TOMAHAWK RIB-EYE</b><br /><br />99SL’s description: “Crispy leek, roasted shallot <em>au jus</em>”<br /><br />Our reaction: Massive, meaty (yet tender), and perfectly seasoned with no need for additional salt, pepper, or anything. The crunchy onion straws (aka crispy leeks) on the top were an imaginative and fun extra.</p><p><b> </b></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009034494,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009034494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009034494?profile=original" /></a></p><p><b>BLUE CRAB CAKE</b> (left)<br /> <br />Our reaction: Sue is a crab cake fan, and she thought that 99SL’s version of the dish was the best that she’s ever had. “A nice kick of spice and lots of crab!” she exclaimed, in between joyful mouthfuls.</p><p><br /> <b>ROASTED GARLIC PARMIGIANO BRUSSELS SPROUTS</b> (right)<br /><br />Our reaction: Mild and satisfying, fresh and crunchy, cooked just right.</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009035660,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009035660,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009035660?profile=original" /></a></p><p>We also sampled some of 99SL’s beverage delights, including... </p><p><b>99 MERMAID WATER</b> (left)<br /> <br />99SL’s description: “Parrot Bay coconut rum, Captain Morgan rum, orange simple syrup, pineapple juice, blue curacao drizzle, toasted coconut rim”<br /><br />My/Sue’s reaction: Light, smooth, fruity (without being overly sweet), and pleasantly drinkable. The oceanic hue meshed perfectly with 99SL’s interiors and locale.<br /><br /><b>CIDER MARGARITA</b> (right)<br /><br />99SL’s description: “Mezcal tequila, Cointreau, cider, sprinkle cinnamon”<br /><br />My/Sue’s reaction: Awesome for autumn and a clever combo of flavorful ingredients. Goes down super smooth and packs a velvety punch.</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009035683,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009035683,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009035683?profile=original" /></a></p><p>My daughter had her eye on 99SL’s fresh squeeze mixed berry juice, featuring house-made fruit syrup, fresh fruit, and a splash of soda. It had just the right amount of berryness and she loved its frosty presentation. <br /> <br />With the appetizers, mains, sides, and drinks all in the super slammin’ category, our expectations for dessert were quite high. However, 99SL doesn’t offer a formal dessert menu: Chef Dannio creates new items each night in order to keep things exciting and fresh - and to keep his satisfied diners coming back.<br /><br />Among the various desserts that were available on the night that we dined were...</p><p> </p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009035882,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009035882,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009035882?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><b>CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE CAKE<br /> <br /></b> Pure, over-the-top sin: sinfully dense, sinfully indulgent, sinfully rich. If there’s such a thing as chocolate overshare, this cake is guilty, guilty, guilty - and we loved every crumb, glob, and drop of it.</p><p><b><br /> <br /></b></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009036458,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009036458,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009036458?profile=original" /></a></p><p><b>BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHEESECAKE<br /> <br /></b> Made from fresh squash that was grown in the garden of one of the kitchen staff members, this stunning masterpiece offered a gentle hint of sweetness along with a long finish of flavor that delightfully remained on the palate. We all agreed that this was one of the most sensational desserts we had ever eaten.</p><p><br /> </p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009036895,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009036895,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="542" alt="9009036895?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p><u>Tasty Takeaways<br /></u> </p><ul><li><a href="http://99sealevel.com" target="_blank">99 Sea Level</a>’s teal and aqua accented interiors, combined with lighting that’s bright/natural during the day and soft/relaxing when the sun goes down, provide its guests with a lush, calming vibe that meshes seamlessly with its oceanfront location.</li></ul><ul><li>While its menu items are imaginative, scrumptious, and upscale, 99SL offers a beach casual experience that’s fun, relaxed, and unpretentious.</li></ul><ul><li>99SL’s portions are perfect for sharing.</li></ul><ul><li>Gorgeous ocean views can be enjoyed through the restaurant’s huge windows as well as on its outdoor porch, which get you even closer to the surf and sand.</li></ul><ul><li>The attentive service provided by the energetic and unflappable wait staff was excellent.</li></ul><p></p></div>
The Athenaeum Hotel, Your Luxury Home in London!
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/athenaeum-hotel-london-england-britain
2015-12-06T13:10:59.000Z
2015-12-06T13:10:59.000Z
Denis C Gagnon
https://tripatini.com/members/DenisCGagnon
<div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum8-e1449258509766.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum8-e1449258509766.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum8-e1449258509766.jpg?width=750" /></a></div><div class="gmail_default"></div><div class="gmail_default"></div><div class="gmail_default">According to <em>Forbes</em> and other sources, London has become the most visited city in the world. If you are one of the many planning to travel there, let us recommend a charming boutique hotel which is reputed to be the essence of "Englishness" - discreet, personal, friendly, interesting, lavish, down-to-earth, brilliantly managed and with its own distinct personality - the Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff of the Athenaeum. In the heart of elegant Mayfair, a prime location just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, this hotel wants its guests to consider this property their "home away from home in London". And to that end, the staff is very welcoming and very well trained. </div></div><div class="gmail_default"></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span>Starting with the welcome tea offered us upon arrival followed by the personal escort to our room right on up until our departure, we found service to be consistently friendly and top-notch. For example, breakfast arrived in our room every morning freshly cooked and on time. And the doorman was always there for us -- never did we need to wait more than a minute or two for a cab. The WiFi service is not only complimentary but it works very well, so we did not need to use the <a href="http://bit.ly/1N5MIrC" target="_blank">Skyroam Global Hotspot</a> that we usually rely on for internet service abroad (although we turned it on as soon as we left the hotel). </span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9702" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Athenaeum_Doorman.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Athenaeum_Doorman.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="Athenaeum_Doorman.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>A warm, smiling welcome awaits all at the Athenaeum Hotel</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span>But these examples are just a glimpse into life at "your home away from home in London." The Athenaeum can cater graciously to your every need, whether you are there short term on business or vacation; to kick off your travels around the U.K.; whether you have come for an extended stay; are on your honeymoon; or are traveling with young children.<br /> <br /> This family-owned hotel has a wide range of updated and well-appointed accommodations from the awesome three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom rooftop penthouse suite with glorious views overlooking the heart of London, to spacious and luxurious suites which are well stocked with Tom and Jerry's ice cream and offer an open-plan or separate sitting room design, to the bright and comfortable "park-view" rooms with floor-to-ceiling alcove views of Green Park. One of London's eight Royal Parks, Green Park sits adjacent to Buckingham Palace Gardens and hosts seven annual royal gun salutes performed on its grounds throughout the year. So the very accommodating Athenaeum Hotel not only provides gorgeous views from its windows over Green Park, but it also serves up trail maps and bikes to its guests for their exercising pleasure inside the park and offers distant views of an occasional royal gun salute.</span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9697" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20151102_151010088_iOS-e1449242965797.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20151102_151010088_iOS-e1449242965797.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="20151102_151010088_iOS-e1449242965797.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>Park-view room</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span> </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span>In addition to five categories of suites and rooms, the Athenaeum has a unique offering of 18 fully-serviced luxury apartments, each with its own front door onto Mayfair and discreet internal access into the hotel. Stay for as brief or long a visit as you like. If you are bringing your children with you, the "kids" concierge will get in touch with you to stock the apartment with their favorite foods, books and CDs, and additionally for their eating pleasure, you can count on the hotel's restaurant to have a nutritionally balanced menu designed by children for children. The Athenaeum understands that happy kids are key to adult relaxation and enjoyment. </span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9698" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20151102_151102790_iOS-e1449242919832.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/20151102_151102790_iOS-e1449242919832.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="20151102_151102790_iOS-e1449242919832.jpg?width=750" /></a><em><span class="font-size-1">Mascot Arthur Neum and view of Green Park</span></em></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span> </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span>But don't just think of these apartments as designed for families with children. Not at all. The Athenaeum has had a diverse history which has attracted a wide range of interesting clients, including those who would relish the privacy offered by these very well-serviced and well-located apartments. </span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9723" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum7-e1449259274965.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum7-e1449259274965.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>At an apartment at the Athenaeum (photo: globemousetravels.com)</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span>In 1971, the hotel was purchased by British entertainment conglomerate the Rank Organisation, which encouraged the leading lights of the Hollywood entertainment industry to stay in these "private" apartments while filming in England. Steven Spielberg is known to have installed an edit suite in his adjoining Athenaeum apartment to work on his films. In addition, the hotel has had the pleasure of hosting Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, Lauren Bacall, Liza Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor and many others. In fact, the relationship with the film industry continues to this day, so don't be surprised if you meet up with a producer, director or actor in the lobby or elsewhere in the hotel.</span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9701" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>Dining area of an apartment</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span> </span></div><div class="gmail_default"><span><span>Besides hosting Hollywood celebrities and providing some of the friendliest service in London, The Athenaeum has a long tradition of haute cuisine, including breakfast, an award-winning afternoon tea; elegant and intimate fine dining; 24-hour room service; and a spectacular whisky bar featuring Ivo, one of only two whisky sommeliers in London, plus a unique whisky and cheese pairing! <br /> <br /></span></span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9731" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum11.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum11.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum11.jpg?width=750" /></a><em><span class="font-size-1">Whisky Bar at the Athenaeum (photo drinkmemag.com)</span></em></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span><span>We enjoyed a delicious gourmet "Best of Britain" dinner at the hotel's award-winning dining room, with our food sourced from farm-fresh and local ingredients, complemented by an impressive wine selection. With the restaurant's motto </span><i>"</i></span><i><span>If you don't see what you want on the menu, ask us and we'll cook it for you"</span></i><span>, what more could you ask?</span></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9725" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum9.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum9-e1449259529601.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum9-e1449259529601.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>Best of London award-winning afternoon tea at the Athenaeum (photo hotel-magazine.co.uk)</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default">Breakfast in our room in the glass alcove overlooking the lush Green Park was truly the ideal way to begin the day. And oh, how we missed that impeccably cooked breakfast and fabulous service once we returned home! While the in-room dining selection is extensive, we feasted every morning on our favorite -- the renowned "English breakfast", with perfectly scrambled eggs in butter, home-made sausages, gammon (back bacon), sauteed tomatoes and mushrooms, hash browns, and toast with farm-fresh butter and jam accompanied by fresh fruits and coffee or tea. The waiter brought our food promptly and was always careful to make sure that everything was prepared to our satisfaction.</div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9733" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum12-e1449260498648.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum12-e1449260498648.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum12-e1449260498648.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>Breakfast in a park-view room </em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><span> </span></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><span>Finally, the Athenaeum is more than just a boutique luxury hotel. Thanks to its rich history and the creativity of its management throughout the years, this hotel has developed a distinctive personality. A guest can't help but be a bit awestruck by the hotel's "living wall," a vertical garden on the northeast corner of the hotel featuring yucca, lavender, jasmine, fuschia, rosemary, junipers, mosses, and self-seeded wild flowers. Designed and built in 2009 by award-winning artist and research scientist Patrick Blanc, this garden was created "to echo the fantastic open space of Green Park opposite the hotel - and to bring a fun, striking and intriguing design statement to the hotel for guests and Londoners to enjoy." Taking this notion of intrigue and fun one step further, the living wall features red bird boxes which provide valuable nesting sites for the city's blackbirds, starlings, tits, and robins. They also house little cameras to provide live video feed of the birds making their home at the Athenaeum year-round. How unique is that?</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9705" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum3.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum3.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>The living wall of the Athenaeum Hotel</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"> </div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><span>But there is more. Open the drawer of the night-table by your bed and you will find a red hardback book entitled <i>"Say Hello to Sally For Me"</i> dedicated to <a href="http://bit.ly/1PAmFPl" target="_blank">Sally Bulloch</a>, executive manager of The Athenaeum Hotel for more than 20 years. A superb hostess and innovative manager with a dynamic personality, Sally was at home chatting with famous personalities from Sir Denis Thatcher to the Beatles and Joan Collins as well as many Hollywood celebrities. Sally is largely credited with transforming The Athenaeum Hotel into a magnet for personalities from the world of entertainment. Moreover, Sally was well-known for teddy bear collecting .. so the Hotel's mascot, "Arthur Neum" Teddy Bear, who will greet you at The "Athenaeum" reception desk, and then again in your room, is one of Sally's many legacies.<br /></span></div><div class="gmail_default">.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail_default"><div class="mceTemp"><dl id="attachment_9720" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/athenaeum6.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="athenaeum6.jpg?width=750" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>Sally Bulloch (1948-2008) made the Athenaeum Hotel a magnet for celebrities</em></span></dt></dl></div></div><div class="gmail_default"> </div><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default"><div class="gmail_default"><p><span>If the service, location, well-appointed and comfy rooms with fabulous floor-to-ceiling views or the Whisky Bar don't excite you, then maybe the living wall or Arthur Neum will. Welcome to the Athenaeum, a hotel with a unique and fascinating personality. You will have to come visit to discover more yourself.</span></p><p></p><p><br /><em>The Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments, 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ</em><br /><em>Tel: +44 (0)20 7499 3464</em></p><p><em><a href="https://www.athenaeumhotel.com/" target="_blank">https://www.athenaeumhotel.com/</a></em></p></div><div class="gmail_default"><em><br /> <br />Stay tuned to <a href="http://www.bonvoyageurs.com" target="_blank">BonVoyageurs.com</a> for more countries of the world as we share our joie de vivre from around the world. Luxury escapes, cruises and city breaks to Quebec City, New York, Washington, Buenos Aires. In Europe, places like France's Paris, Nice, Provence and the Cote d'Azur (French Riviera); as well as Tuscany, Florence, Rome, Naples, and the Amalfi Coast in Italy. In Asia, countries like China, India, Nepal and so much more!</em></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><em> </em></div></div>
1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, Handsome and New in Upstate New York
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/1000-islands-harbor-hotel-new-york
2015-11-04T13:26:50.000Z
2015-11-04T13:26:50.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1000IslandsHotelExterior2.jpg"><img width="760" height="428" class="aligncenter wp-image-5303" alt="1000IslandsHotelExterior2" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1000IslandsHotelExterior2-1024x576.jpg" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">The village of Clayton is situated on the St. Lawrence River where it begins converging with Lake Ontario in central New York State's <a href="http://www.visit1000islands.com/"><strong>Thousand Islands region</strong></a>. Seemingly untouched by time - not a chain outlet to be found among local shops in historically preserved storefronts along with grand Victorians in a walkable street grid - it's in this setting that an adjacent, long waterfront lot underutilized as a fuel depot was recently transformed into <a href="http://www.1000islandsharborhotel.com/"><strong>1000 Islands Harbor Hotel</strong></a>, a spendid, full-service, AAA 4-Diamond resort.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1000IslandsHotelLobby.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="620" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1000IslandsHotelLobby.jpg?width=620" alt="1000IslandsHotelLobby.jpg?width=620" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><span>Checking into the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel begins in a rustically furnished grand entry <span>vaulted ceiling and </span>leading to </span>hallways lined with vintage photos depicting Clayton's historical ties with the river. Artistic lighting, intricately patterned carpeting, and water view windows wherever possible provide a distinctive ambiance to the common areas while rooms feature hardwood composite flooring, bay windows overlooking the St. Lawrence, and floor to ceiling tiled showers. The hotel's six suites include spa tubs, lavishly outfitted wet bars, and at least one balcony.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1000IslandsQueenRiverView.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="647" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/1000IslandsQueenRiverView-1024x768.jpg?width=647" alt="1000IslandsQueenRiverView-1024x768.jpg?width=647" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/seawaygrilledishes.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="422" class="align-left" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/seawaygrilledishes-e1446562516454.jpg?width=422" alt="seawaygrilledishes-e1446562516454.jpg?width=422" /></a><span class="font-size-3">The onsite <a href="http://www.1000islandsharborhotel.com/thousand-islands-hotel-dining.php"><strong>Seaway Grille</strong></a> has grown into a local dining hotspot with just as many outside patrons as guests savoring freshly prepared dishes like curried barley, frenched pork chops, and a tender house made gnocchi served with sage butter, asparagus, prosciutto and pumpkin seeds topped with feta. Executive chef Patrick Leibacher also regularly schedules culinary experiences like a "Wild Game Dinner Series" and a "Seven Continents Dinner" of dishes paired with wines from across the globe. This culinary inspiration spills over into the adjoining <strong>1000 Islands Bar</strong> with local <strong>Wood Boat Brewery</strong> on tap, accompanied by small plates like sunflower seed dusted scallops and a regionally inspired North Country charcuterie board.<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:12pt;">With over 6,000 square feet of conference and banquet space including a grand ballroom, you can bet that plenty of weddings are booked here overlooking the river with fire pits interspersed throughout their extensive riverside patio. Partnering with two local spas, the hotel's in-house spa</span> <span style="font-size:12pt;">packages include sparkling wine and strawberries upon arrival, in-room massages by <strong>Creative Edge Salon</strong>, and breakfast in bed. A "Romantic Getaway" </span><span style="font-size:12pt;">package bumps it up a notch with a bottle of Champagne and rose-petal turndown.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MuskieDeck.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="636" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/MuskieDeck-1024x768.jpg?width=636" alt="MuskieDeck-1024x768.jpg?width=636" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br /> Next door to the hotel, step down onto the 49-slip municipal floating dock and look clear to the bottom. You'll see why the St. Lawrence River is a fishing and recreational boater's paradise as well as a key shipping route a.k.a the Seaway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Dotted with actually 1,864 islands, many of the Thousand Islands are private and large enough to only accommodate a small cottage while others grandly display Gilded Age mansions like Boldt and Singer Castles, regularly open for tours.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BoldtCastle.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="643" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BoldtCastle-1024x768.jpg?width=643" alt="BoldtCastle-1024x768.jpg?width=643" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br /> As part of the hotel's Island Cruise Package, you can board the <i>Muskie,</i> <span>of </span><a href="http://www.classicislandcruises.com/"><strong>Classic Island Cruises</strong></a><span>' </span>1953 wooden cruiser for three-hour river excursions. Instead of large double decked tour boats narrated by an unseen guide over an intercom, c<span>aptain Jeff Garnsey </span>describes what you're seeing right from his wheel on a deck accommodating no more than six passengers. Garnsey customizes his voyages to include local wine and cheese pairings; stop off at Boldt Castle; provide close up views of storied homes on Millionaires Row; and follow a route bootleggers used back in the 1930’s. Garnsey also incorporates a "<strong><a href="https://youtu.be/a8K7suF7d08">Shore Dinner Experience</a>"</strong> into his cruises, featuring traditional ingredients and techniques developed over more than a century as a St. Lawrence River tradition.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AntiqueBoatMuseum.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="672" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/AntiqueBoatMuseum-1024x768.jpg?width=672" alt="AntiqueBoatMuseum-1024x768.jpg?width=672" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><span lang="en" xml:lang="en"><br /> Other can't-miss 1000 Island attractions include <a href="http://www.abm.org/"><strong>Clayton's Antique Boat Museum</strong></a>, with 4 1/2 acres worth of exhibits depict the</span> evolution of recreational boating from sleek wooden cruisers of the 1930s up through the roaring 50's & 60's when speed boats were built for the masses. <strong><a href="http://tiswinetrail.com/">T</a></strong><span lang="en" xml:lang="en"><a href="http://tiswinetrail.com/"><strong>he Seaway Wine Trail</strong></a>, winding through 78 miles of the scenic byways includes Clayton and rewards wine enthusiasts with local award-winning Coyote Moon and Thousand Islands wineries with pairing possibilities made all the more authentic with local <a href="http://www.riverratcheese.net/"><strong>River Rat Cheeses</strong></a>.</span></span></p><blockquote><span class="font-size-3"><em><br /> <br /> <br /> <span class="font-size-1">Photos:1000 Islands Harbor Hotel & Steve Mirsky. Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored visit.</span></em></span></blockquote></div>
A Tale of Two Marriotts (Boutique Florida Gold-Coast Hotels)
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/marriott-hotels-gold-coast-florida
2015-08-17T14:39:37.000Z
2015-08-17T14:39:37.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandexterior2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-5225 aligncenter" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandexterior2.jpg" alt="singerislandexterior2" width="676" height="469" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">When exploring Florida's coastline, there are definitive contrasts between the sugar-soft sands of Clearwater Beach; historic streets of St. Augustine; and the ever hip South Beach, shaped by Art Deco architecture, galleries, and clubbing. <a href="http://myflacoast.com/gold_coast/">Florida's Gold Coast</a>, a special stretch from Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale is defined as much by waterfront mega mansions as by small walk able towns anchored by beach front parks perfect for pickup volleyball and reveling in the wide open Atlantic. <br /> <br /> In recent years, <a href="http://www.marriott.com/marriott-hotels-resorts/travel.mi">Marriott</a> has successfully captured the best of this region by developing boutique hotel experiences on Palm Beach's Singer Island and Pompano Beach.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandroom.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandroom.jpg?width=610" width="610" class="align-center" alt="singerislandroom.jpg?width=610" /></a></p><h3><a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pbisg-palm-beach-marriott-singer-island-beach-resort-and-spa/"><br /> Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island</a></h3><p><br /> <span class="font-size-3">Separated from the mainland by a narrow stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway, Singer Island is at the apex of the Palm Beaches' renowned exclusivity. Here you get protected dunes flanking wide ultra swimmable beaches remarkably free of tourist oriented commercial development. Built in 2007 overlooking a private beach complete with a snorkeling reef just offshore and copious sandbars at low tide, this 21-floor 193 room all-suite Marriott has Vegas stature and attentiveness all tucked into nature preserve tranquility. <br /> <br /> The lobby's vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and large plate glass windows flood the space with sunlight and palm-studded views. Doorways throughout lead to two vastly different pools - one an Infinity lap-style and the other a grotto lagoon complete with water slide, two-story waterfall, and zero entry "beach" access. Big screen "dive-in movies" are shown here every Friday night.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandbathroom.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandbathroom.jpg?width=610" width="610" class="align-center" alt="singerislandbathroom.jpg?width=610" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Suites range from 800 to 2,100 square feet, with living rooms at the center opening onto private balconies, most with ocean views. Marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and separate showers are perfect for luxuriating upon reaching your surf and sun limit. In-room washer/dryers seal the deal for extended stays and families. They're also outfitted with fully equipped kitchens, complete with dishwashers, to complement three popular on-site dining options - so you really don't need to summon the valet for off-property excursions when it's time to eat. Choices span an exclusive five-seat "Kitchen Table" experience at <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotel-restaurants/pbisg-palm-beach-marriott-singer-island-beach-resort-and-spa/3800-ocean/5011550/home-page.mi">3800 Ocean</a> to fresh-made margaritas and Mexican specialties at Lagoon Cantina.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislanddining.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislanddining.jpg?width=610" width="610" class="align-center" alt="singerislanddining.jpg?width=610" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">3800 Ocean is where prime oceanfront views are only matched by the dishes coming out of the “collective kitchen” helmed by executive chef Dean Max. Inspired by the personal influences and cultural backgrounds of each chef, their combined talents are unleashed on the area's rich bounty, creating a daily-changing menu featuring dishes like Florida orange-soy-glazed grilled cobia and grapefruit-roasted half chicken. The bar at 3800 Ocean's Lounge, fondly known as "artisan cocktail central," is lined with jars of fresh garnishes, limes, and other fruits just waiting for the blender</span>.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandtikibarandgrill.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/singerislandtikibarandgrill.jpg?width=610" width="610" class="align-center" alt="singerislandtikibarandgrill.jpg?width=610" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">After paddle boarding, kayaking, or snorkeling courtesy of on site rentals, Caribbean beach shack-style Reef Tiki Bar serves up Pacific Rim-inspired eats and drinks like the resort’s signature Coconut Island Breeze, which comes in a fresh cracked coconut. Listed among <em>Condé Nast Traveler</em>’s "Top 100 U.S. Resort Spas," <a href="http://www.marriott.com/spas/pbisg-palm-beach-marriott-singer-island-beach-resort-and-spa/si-spa/5137725/home-page.mi">SiSpa</a><span> offers treatments inspired by </span>the ocean's natural healing powers, like "Voyage of the Si Chakra Experience" and "Replenishing Sargasso Seaweed Experience." Heated marble beds and a private outdoor Jacuzzi kick up the relaxation factor to heavenly.<br /> <br /></span></p><h3><a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/fllpm-fort-lauderdale-marriott-pompano-beach-resort-and-spa/">Marriott Pompano Beach Resort and Spa</a></h3><p><br /> <span class="font-size-3">Named after the Florida pompano, a small fish frequenting local coastal waters, the town of Pompano Beach is also well known for its Isle Casino & Racing at Pompano Park, fishing off Pompano Pier and eateries like <a href="http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/restaurants/the-fish-shack-a-locals-only-seafood-spot-in-pompano-beach-6919063" target="_blank">Fish Shack</a> and <a href="http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/location/blue-willys-barbecue-6376445" target="_blank">Blue Willie's BBQ</a>.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pompanopool.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pompanopool.jpg?width=679" width="679" class="align-center" alt="pompanopool.jpg?width=679" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">It is here that Marriott constructed two hotel towers in 2013, one from the ground up, the other a complete renovation of a former condominium complex. Beyond maintaining the site's stunning views and beach front access, Marriott was able to avoid current zoning restrictions that no longer allow such close proximity to the ocean. The resulting 219 rooms (194 guest rooms + 25 suites) are situated on a mile-long sandy stretch between Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse and Pompano Pier. One- bedrooms, 16 Executive Oceanfront Suites, and the 750-square-foot Presidential Suite <span>with a king bedroom and separate living room, all feature...</span></span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/marriottpompanobeachbedroom.jpg"><img class="wp-image-5221 aligncenter" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/marriottpompanobeachbedroom.jpg" alt="marriottpompanobeachbedroom" width="687" height="477" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">...modern art using driftwood and photos of local scenes, as well as private balconies, marble baths, free in-room WiFi, and no-fee valet parking. Upon settling in, you'll feel the magnetic pull of the ocean, two heated outdoor pools, hot tub, and beach cabanas along with jet skis and surf boards awaiting your thrill-seeking proclivities.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pompanobeachactivities.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pompanobeachactivities.jpg?width=610" width="610" class="align-center" alt="pompanobeachactivities.jpg?width=610" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Paying homage to Prohibition-era legend William Frederick McCoy, an in-depth photo exhibit of Roy and his partner Gertrude Lythgoe on a wall inside <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotel-restaurants/fllpm-fort-lauderdale-marriott-pompano-beach-resort-and-spa/mccoy's-oceanfront/5409243/home-page.mi">McCoy’s Oceanfront</a> offers a mini history lesson showing these rum-runners bootlegging cases of rum just offshore from Bimini. The drinks menu extends this<a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pompanofish.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/pompanofish.jpg?width=324" width="324" class="align-right" alt="pompanofish.jpg?width=324" /></a> speakeasy mileau into your glass with cocktails like "Giggle Water" (Crop organic cucumber vodka mixed with fresh lemonade). Seasonally inventive dishes include fresh breaded Florida pompano or house made gnocchi with Florida rock shrimp and saffron. Outdoor patio seating overlooking the pools adds another dimension of social space under the open sky and swaying palms.</span></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Sister spa to Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island, Marriott Pompano Beach's SiSpa is configured a bit differently, with four treatment rooms connected to a relaxation lounge with private curtained-off recliners overlooking floor to ceiling dune and ocean views. It is here you learn that no perk is better than being asked if you would like a glass of champagne after your massage is complete.</span><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sisparelaxationroom.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sisparelaxationroom.jpg?width=610" width="610" class="align-center" alt="sisparelaxationroom.jpg?width=610" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Just in case you're inspired to make it official with your significant other, the resort’s 3,000-square-foot rooftop Ocean Terrace is a wedding favorite outfitted with fire pits and sweeping ocean views.<br /><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><em>Photos courtesy of Marriott International. Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.</em></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
A Summer Getaway at the Saratoga Arms in Upstate New York
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/saratoga-springs-new-york
2015-07-25T19:23:37.000Z
2015-07-25T19:23:37.000Z
Wayne and Judy Bayliff - Photojournalists
https://tripatini.com/members/The2WriterscomPage
<div><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/18-saratoga-race-course.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/18-saratoga-race-course.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="18-saratoga-race-course.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p><br /> Historic Saratoga Springs in upstate New York is a fun place to visit any time of year. However, there’s a special excitement in the air with the approach of another annual opening day at the historic Saratoga Race Course – the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in America.</p><p></p><p><strong>Health, History, Horses</strong></p><p></p><p>That’s Saratoga’s slogan. The earliest recorded history goes back to the mid-1700s, when the area’s Native Americans were said to be using the healing powers of the naturally carbonated mineral springs that dot the area. The springs became even more famous when General George Washington drank from the High Rock Spring in Saratoga in 1783.<br /> <br /> The naturally carbonated springs soon made Saratoga a popular venue in which to be seen. Visits from the likes of JP Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Diamond Jim Brady, made Saratoga famous. Important people from across the globe came to socialize and soak in the bathhouses featuring the healing effervescent mineral waters. However, it soon became evident that horse racing was destined to play an equally important role in the city’s future.<br /> <br /> As untimely as it seems, just one month after the famous Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, the Saratoga Race Course for Thoroughbred racing was opened, and became the first sports venue in America.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/19-saratoga-race-course-copy.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/19-saratoga-race-course-copy.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="19-saratoga-race-course-copy.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p><br /> <strong>Six Weeks of Racing</strong><br /> <br /> <em><strong>Sports Illustrated</strong></em> calls the annual <strong>Saratoga Race Course</strong> summer meet, one of the top ten must-see sports events in America. The track is also considered by many to be the most beautiful racetrack in the United States.<br /> <br /> This year, the world-renowned Saratoga races, began yesterday, July 24 and will conclude on Labor Day, September 7, with racing conducted six days a week, Wednesday through Monday.<br /> <br /> <strong>Iconic Name-Dropping<br /> <br /></strong> Familiar thoroughbreds that have raced at the Saratoga Race Course include <strong>Man O'War</strong>, <strong>Secretariat</strong>, and <strong>Seattle Slew</strong>. Famous movies featuring the race course are <strong><em>Billy Bathgate</em></strong>, <strong><em>Ghost Story</em></strong>, <strong><em>Diamonds Are Forever</em></strong>, <strong><em>Saratoga</em></strong>, <strong><em>Seabiscuit</em></strong>, <strong><em>The Horse Whisperer</em></strong>, and <strong><em>The Way We Were</em></strong>.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/17-36-36-img_6579.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/17-36-36-img_6579.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="17-36-36-img_6579.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p><br /> <strong>Where to Stay<br /> <br /></strong> When it comes to lodging, the choices are many in the Springs. On a recommendation, we stayed at the historic Saratoga Arms – a brilliant choice.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/12-04-04-img_6547.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/12-04-04-img_6547.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="12-04-04-img_6547.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p><br /> Operated as a luxury concierge hotel by the Smith family since 1997, the historic (circa 1870) brick building on downtown Broadway had been a rooming house during the 1950s to the 1990s, when it hit its proverbial bottom. There were pigeons living in the third-floor rooms.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/04-84-img_6506.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/04-84-img_6506.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="04-84-img_6506.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>We love to see such old structures repurposed, refreshed, and preserved. The Smiths restored this old building with loving care and a flair for turn-of-the-century ambiance. It now has every modern comfort, but retains its yesteryear charm.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/08-98-img_6520.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/08-98-img_6520.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="08-98-img_6520.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>In addition to the elevators, there's a beautiful old staircase that leads to the upper floors (see pictures). As we climbed the steps, we reflected on the many thousands of people who had preceded us in climbing these same stairs over the past 145 years – we wondered about their circumstances and lives – all so different from our own.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/03-82-img_6504.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/03-82-img_6504.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="03-82-img_6504.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>The restoration was obviously calibrated to blend a sense of sophistication with informality. It was well done. Urbanity now dominates and permeates throughout.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/01-68-img_6490.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/01-68-img_6490.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="01-68-img_6490.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/02-72-img_6494.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/02-72-img_6494.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="02-72-img_6494.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>Hotel guests have a choice of 31 sleeping rooms that will suit the most discerning of tastes. The entire hotel is lavishly decorated with beautiful antique furnishings and just-right décor.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/05-87-img_6509.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/05-87-img_6509.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="05-87-img_6509.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p><br /><strong>A B&B Hotel</strong><br /><br /></p><p>We had breakfast in one of the hotel’s elegant dining rooms complete with white tablecloths, fine china, and fresh-cut flowers. Very cheerful.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/10-05-03-03-img_6534.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/10-05-03-03-img_6534.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="10-05-03-03-img_6534.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>The buffet breakfast is an occasion full of local farm fresh goodies like honey and homemade muffins and jams, delicious cereals, assorted berries, bagels, yogurt, and freshly squeezed orange juice. The coffee is also extraordinarily robust and flavorful.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/11-19-10-10-img_6543.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/11-19-10-10-img_6543.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="11-19-10-10-img_6543.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>Our main breakfast dish consisted of locally smoked Canadian bacon, and a mushroom-and-gruyere-cheese scramble – accompanied by home-style potatoes. We had never tried the gruyere-and-egg mix before – delicious idea!</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/06-92-img_6514.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/06-92-img_6514.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="06-92-img_6514.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>Care for an afternoon snack?</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/07-94-img_6516.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/07-94-img_6516.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="07-94-img_6516.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>There is an abundance of treats and beverages in the guest services pantry.</p><p></p><p><strong>Our Recommendation</strong></p><p></p><p>The Saratoga Arms is a lodging we wholeheartedly recommend, and we are in good company, because it is also TripAdvisor’s #1 current hotel choice in Saratoga Springs.</p><p></p><p>For more information about the Saratoga Arms look at its website at <a href="http://www.saratogaarms.com">www.SaratogaArms.com</a></p><p></p><p>Planning a trip? Make your reservations now to avoid disappointment.</p><p></p><p><strong>If You Go</strong></p><p></p><p>Saratoga Springs is an easy 45-minute drive from Albany, and less than four hours from New York City or Boston. It is also five hours from Niagara Falls. The closest <a href="http://www.albanyairport.com/">major airport</a> is in Albany, New York.</p><p></p><p><strong>Closing Notes</strong></p><p></p><p>Today, there are 18 mineral springs throughout Saratoga Springs for free public tasting of waters, plus two places to enjoy a mineral bath, the <a href="http://www.gideonputnam.com/roosevelt-baths-and-spa">Roosevelt Baths and Spa</a> and the <a href="http://www.thecrystalspa.net/spa-services/bath-therapy/">Crystal Spa</a>.</p><p></p><p>Probably the most famous, and still active, of the mineral water springs is the Big Red Spring located right at the Saratoga Race Course. This spring is named after Man O’War, and Secretariat, the two famous thoroughbred champions (both horses were chestnut in color, and each in his time was called “Big Red”).</p><p></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/15-29-29-img_6572.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3019" src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/15-29-29-img_6572.jpg" alt="15-29-29-IMG_6572" height="356" width="600" /></a></p><p><a href="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/14-13-13-img_6556.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/14-13-13-img_6556.jpg?width=600" width="600" class="align-center" alt="14-13-13-img_6556.jpg?width=600" /></a></p><p></p><p>In 2014, Yahoo listed Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs (the location of the Saratoga Arms) as one of best main streets in America for its architecture, restaurants, shops, and people-watching.</p><p></p><p>There’s more to enjoy in Saratoga Springs than water and racing. Look *<a href="http://www.saratoga.com/things-to-do/">here</a>* for a list of other activities in this happening area.</p><p></p><p>Happy travels!</p><p></p><p></p><p>"Get out there, but be prepared."</p><p>Whenever we travel, we are protected by <a href="http://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/">Allianz Global Assist</a> travel insurance.</p><p>You can plan your trips with <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a>.</p><p><br /><br /><em>The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.</em></p><p><em><br />Copyright © 2015 <a href="http://is.gd/gyUqn8">Visit</a> great vacation destinations with Wayne and Judy Bayliff</em></p><p><em><a href="http://is.gd/Hk96vS">Photos</a> Copyright © 2015 Judy Bayliff – unauthorized use strictly prohibited.</em></p><p><em>Sports photos courtesy of Saratoga Arms.</em></p><p></p></div>
Lake Placid, New York's Prime Whiteface Lodge
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/lake-placid-s-premier-whiteface-lodge
2015-04-10T17:33:45.000Z
2015-04-10T17:33:45.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/KANU_Dining_Room.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="490" height="626" class="align-left" style="width:420px;height:528px;" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/KANU_Dining_Room-800x1024.jpg?width=490" alt="KANU_Dining_Room-800x1024.jpg?width=490" /></a>Nestled in the heart of 6-million-acre Adirondack Park yet within walking distance to downtown Lake Placid, <a href="http://www.thewhitefacelodge.com/">Whiteface Lodge</a> looks remarkably historic for being built in 2005. Massive timbers still in the shape of tree trunks stand as support pillars buttressed by open wood beam framing. Much of this wood was milled on site with construction inspired by the Adirondack Great Camp architecture so popular across the region and in national parks throughout the United States during the 19th century.<br /> <br /> One huge advantage of starting from scratch with this design in the 21st century is that 5 star all-suite comforts are built into rustic surroundings. Checking into your room here is like entering your own fully equipped cottage, especially with <em>Superior</em> and <em>Deluxe</em> suites, outfitted with a gas fireplace-equipped living room, full kitchen, and 1.5 bathrooms, one of which features heated floors and an oversize spa tub.<br /> <br /> Venturing outside your door exploring the property makes you realize that even though it would be a mistake to never leave the grounds, it's mighty tempting with their award-winning spa, an indoor/outdoor pool as well as 3 hot tubs, two of which are outside for year round soaking enjoyment. Fun and games are covered with 2-lane reservation-only bowling lanes, vintage game room, and the largest movie theater in town. Kick the wilderness-inspired pampering up a notch with outdoor lean-tos outfitted with cigar and cognac menus for sampling along with s'more roasting around a bonfire every evening from 6 to 9:30. </p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/whitefacepresidentialsuitebedroom.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="476" height="317" class="align-right" style="width:432px;height:298px;" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/whitefacepresidentialsuitebedroom.jpg?width=476" alt="whitefacepresidentialsuitebedroom.jpg?width=476" /></a></p><p><br />All it takes is one day at the lodge and you'll discover that a strict diet simply won't do, thanks to <strong>Executive Pastry Chef Jarek Wysocki.</strong> A large platter of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies magically appears in the lobby each afternoon. And that's only a taste of what's to come for dining during your stay. Under a massive vaulted ceiling framed with bright pine timbers, <strong>Executive Chef David Haick</strong> oversees an open kitchen fueling the menus of both onsite <a href="http://www.thewhitefacelodge.com/dining/kanu-dining-room">Kanu Restaurant and spacious Lounge</a> across the hall.<br /><br />Start your day off with an opulent and freshly prepared breakfast buffet served complimentary under Kanu's multi-storied wood framed Adirondack Great Room atrium. Later in the day, inventive seasonal dishes like potato gnocci gratin, wild mushroom risotto, and seared brook trout rely heavily on quality ingredients from local farms and purveyors.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/KanuBrookTrout.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/KanuBrookTrout.jpg?width=567" width="567" class="align-center" alt="KanuBrookTrout.jpg?width=567" /></a><br />In the lounge you can sink into a leather arm chair overlooking a mountainous backdrop and chow down on wood-fired-oven pizzas, artisan sandwiches, and several local brews always on tap. Cigar fans are in luck with a Sommelier's Cigar Menu that can be paired with a vast variety of scotch and single malts.<br /><br />From late June through Labor Day, their <em>Old Fashion Ice Cream Parlor</em> serves locally made <em>Adirondack Creamery</em> treats like classic cones, bulging sundaes, and genuinely creamy milkshakes.</p><h3><strong>Downtown Lake Placid</strong></h3><p><br /> Best known as 2-time site of the Winter Olympics in 1932 and then again 48 years later in 1980 when the "Miracle on Ice" game between the USA & USSR took place, Lake Placid's Olympic spirit is still palpable when walking along Main Street. A tobaggan chute resembling half of a roller coaster loop runs down to Mirror Lake and dog-sled rides can be scheduled on a daily basis when the snow flies. Beyond the <a href="http://www.whiteface.com/facilities/olympic-center/olympic-museum">Olympic Museum</a>, Lake Placid's most notable homage to its Winter Games heritage, you get tons of shops and can't- miss eateries like <a href="http://www.ubuale.com/">Lake Placid Pub and Brewery</a> and <a href="http://www.smokesignalsq.com/">Smoke Signals</a>.</p><p></p><p></p><p><em> </em></p><blockquote><em>Photos courtesy of Whiteface Lodge. Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit.</em></blockquote></div>
Aegialis Hotel and Spa on Greece's Amorgos Island – A Love Affair in Hospitality
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/aegialis-hotel-and-spa-on-amorgos-island-a-love-affair-in
2014-12-24T12:52:01.000Z
2014-12-24T12:52:01.000Z
Nicholas Kontis
https://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis
<div><p><span style="font-size:13px;">The story of Amorgos Island is a tale of beauty. Folklore has it that adjacent islands in the Cyclades told a tale of a neighboring island where only beautiful women resided. This tale of <em>omorfos</em> (beauty) was folklore about the less traveled Amorgos Island.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Don-Village-Peppers-800-Pixel.jpg"><img width="800" height="578" class="alignnone wp-image-31062 size-full" alt="Don - Village Peppers 800 Pixel" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Don-Village-Peppers-800-Pixel.jpg" /></a></p><p>The Main Port of Amorgos – From The Aegialis Hotel & Spa</p><p></p><p>Amorgos is one of the most alluring Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, yet unfortunately remains undiscovered by most travelers to the islands. This is a shame, as this island sanctuary leaves much to be desired. Located viewing distance from Naxos, Santorini, and Ios, on the southern side of the Cyclades, this breathtaking island stuns visitors with a natural beauty, a slow paced life, traditional architecture, which sends you back 100 years, and is filled with fabulous beaches. Its virgin beauty inspired the filmmaker Luc Besson to shoot scenes from the movie <em>The Big Blue</em> on the beach of Agia Anna. The most famous sight of Amorgos Island is the impressive Monastery of Hozoviotissa, constructed on the slopes of a rock with breathtaking view to the sea. A walk in Chora and the other villages of Amorgos in Greece is a trip back in time. The island is a paradise for hiking enthusiasts who have the possibility of hiking short distances or spending days exploring its diverse paths and abandoned villages.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Church-In-Mountain....jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31071" alt="Amorgos - Don - WEBB Church In Mountain..." src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Church-In-Mountain....jpg" /></a></p><p>High Above the Aegean Sea the Spectacular Byzantine Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa</p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Me-on-rock-800-pixel-for-web.jpg"><img width="800" height="533" class="alignnone wp-image-31063 size-full" alt="Amorgos - Me on rock 800 pixel for web" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Me-on-rock-800-pixel-for-web.jpg" /></a></p><p>The Island is Filled With Hiking Trails For All Skill Levels</p><p></p><p>Perhaps, the island’s matriarch and its most powerful ambassador is Irene Giannakopoulos, owner of the family-run Aegialis Hotel & Spa. The charismatic Giannakopoulos is a skilled hospitality expert since her early childhood, when she helped her parents run the family business, a small hotel in the village of Lakki. Having learned English by the age of 10, the first lady of Amorgos was the island’s pioneer in tourism to the island.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size:13px;">Mrs. Giannakopoulos’s life story would make for an enchanting Hollywood love story. When Irene met Nikitas, her husband to be, at age 14, ten years her senior, little did she know that the handsome Adonis would be the love of her life. Soon after her husband left for America seeking out fortunes in the new world, where many Greeks found success.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">Nikitas left for America when young Irene was a teenager. After a year of long distance correspondence, the young beau wrote to her parents and arranged to come to Greece for the wedding, when she finished high school. It was at the church in Athens where Nikitas met his bride’s parents for the first time. “Arranged marriages were quite common back in those days” says Giannakopoulos. And so the story begins with this powerful and gregarious grand dame of Amorgos Island.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEB-Irene-and-Kalliovi.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31064" alt="Amorgos - Don - WEB Irene and Kalliovi" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEB-Irene-and-Kalliovi.jpg" /></a></p><p>Matriarch – Irene Giannakopoulos with Daughter Kalliovi – Who Runs The Spa</p><p></p><p>Soon moving to America with her new husband, the couple would settle down in New Jersey. Having learned the English language at a young age, the transition to the new world would be painless and swift. Like many Greek immigrants at the time, Irene and her husband arrived in the States with very little. After 20 years of hard work, first as furniture store owners, later owning a delicatessen, the couple purchased a pizzeria next door. Although doing quite well in the new world, the couple decided to return to Amorgos to build a house and spend summers on the island, helping to run the family business, a small hotel, in Lakki Village. Soon, it became apparent, Giannakopoulos would become the vanguard of Amorgos tourism.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size:13px;">Spending summers on Amorgos, the genesis of Aegialis Hotel & Spa was a bit of fortitude and luck. One day, the determined couple found a piece of land overlooking the port of Aegialis and the port town of Ormos. The prophetic couple followed their dream of buying the land after receiving a loan with a skyrocketing 36 percent interest! Says Giannakopoulos “everyone said at the time that this was not a realistic dream and that we would lose this land.” Perseverance paid off, and from a barren hillside with a breathtaking view, a luxury boutique hotel & spa was created.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Aegialis-Room-View-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31066" alt="Aegialis - Room View 2" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Aegialis-Room-View-2.jpg" /></a></p><p>Spacious Rooms with Breathtaking Views at Aegialis Hotel & Spa</p><p><br /> The property was purchased in 1989 and completed in 1992. The final finished product was not even completed when because of coverage from the media, travelers were already lining up to stay at the new resort hotel with a breathtaking view.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:13px;">“The construction was not easy,” continues Giannakopoulos, “Workers had to be brought in from all over Greece to complete the property.” Two years later, the infrastructure for the hotel was in place. The Greek bureaucracy made the project difficult, but hard work paid off, and the infrastructure was completed. It was the power couple combination of Irene in Athens working on red tape and paper work, and Nikitas staying on Amorgos and keeping up with the daily construction project.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">“At the time there was not even electricity on the island,” says Giannakopoulos. She continues with her philosophy as a hospitality icon, “We always believed in the guest coming first. Small touches such as serving coffee in the guests’ rooms were an innovative idea at the time.” Hospitality being instilled at an early age, Irene would travel to the port to greet guests coming off the ferries from Piraeus. Lessons well learned were used to train the team at Aegialis Hotel & Spa.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">Giannakopoulos adds, “The island was completely unknown when we started to build.” Being a visionary, Irene reminds me stating, “Armorgos was not on the travelers’ path the way Santorini or Mykonos were.” Giannakopoulos continues, “Before the hotel could be marketed, Amorgos would need to be promoted as a viable tourist island.”</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Sunset-Windmill.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31068" alt="Amorgos - Don -WEBB Sunset Windmill" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Sunset-Windmill.jpg" /></a></p><p>The Island Boasts Stunning Sunsets</p><p></p><p>The forward-thinking Giannakopoulos was one of the first hoteliers to invite Greek journalists to come to Amorgos Island for a stay at Aegialis. Involving the local ferry companies was a win-win situation, as the success of Amorgos would also be a victory for the shipping companies. Soon, the press and tourist industry took notice. Amorgos was discovered and Aegialis Hotel & Spa was the place to be, the crown jewel of Amorgos. The two were synonymous, Amorgos Island and Aegialis Hotel & Spa. To further market the property, Giannakopoulos began marketing at travel shows. Believing that marketing and mingling with other hospitality experts would further put the hotel on the map.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size:13px;">To get a pulse on why everything seems so seamless at the Aegialis property, I meet with one of Irene’s team leaders, sales manager, Semeli Drymonitis. </span><span style="font-size:13px;">Ms. Drymonitis is a passionate young lady who can talk for hours about the island and hotel. “When I am on this island, I feel no need to think how things are outside of this world.” She’s a true ambassador to Amorgos Island.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Semeli.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31070" alt="Amorgos - Don - WEBB - Semeli" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Semeli.jpg" /></a></p><p>Semeli Drymonitis – Sales Manager and Hotel Ambassador</p><p></p><p>Oddly, not possessing a full background in tourism studies, an architect by trade and later with a degree in geography and with a teaching degree, Semeli made a choice to live in Amorgos. A keen traveler, she lived in Spain for three years, Australia for three years, and half a year in Egypt. As a student, she worked in a restaurant, and later in a dive center. She brings a world of travel experience to Aegialis.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size:13px;">As I probe further, Drymonitis continues speaking like a true ambassador, “When I came to the hotel, I happened to know the family. They were so gracious to give me a chance without a hospitality background. I believe that my life experiences abroad, have made me a better person, and more employable. We are hands on, we truly care about the guests. Here on our small island, we really have the chance to make a difference. Irene is on the municipality board of Amorgos.”<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">“We are constantly looking to improve the guest experience and work on broader projects, like promoting hiking and yoga on the island. We do more than just give keys to people. We provide a local experience. We care about the guests.”<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">“I am in the sales department and work very closely with Irene, and although I have only worked here since April, I use my travel experiences to help the guests have the best possible experience.” She handles promotions, sales, guest relations, event coordination, and more. She continues to do more, especially in low season, as it is important to double on many tasks.<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size:13px;">I take away from my interview with hospitable Drymonitis that some things are better learned by being a traveler and cannot be taught in school. Semeli reminds me, as she so eloquently phrases it “We need to travel more to become better people.” And so goes the mantra of Aegialis Hotel & Spa.</span></p><p> </p><p>Hotel Facts:</p><p>The hotel boasts 55 newly renovated rooms, and includes wheelchair accessibility. The hotel contains an outdoor salt water pool and even a pizza oven.</p><p>Wondering where your delicious meals come from? A sustainable organic garden includes: tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, pumpkin, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, and assorted Greek herbs, all grown on the property.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Aegialis-Outdoor-Pool.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31067" alt="Aegialis - Outdoor Pool" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Aegialis-Outdoor-Pool.jpg" /></a></p><p>Take The Plunge – At The Outdoor “Sea Water” Pool</p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-SPA-WEBB.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31073" alt="Amorgos - SPA WEBB" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-SPA-WEBB.jpg" /></a></p><p>Get rejuvenated at the Indoor Sea Water Pool at Lalon Idor Spa</p><p><br /> Lalon Idor Spa:</p><p>Perhaps Giannakopoulos’s greatest feat is the stunning Lalon Idor Spa. Irene reminds me, “The spa that exists today came to fruition only seven years ago.” The project was daunting, Giannakopoulos continues, “There was no comparison to what we were trying to accomplish in the neighboring Cylades.” Adding, “They used to call a spa a Jacuzzi, at the time,” says Giannakopoulos. With stunning views, Lalon Idor Spa, translated to “talking water,” was inspired by the ancient water oracle. The spa includes a pool with water from the sea, and is complete with a sauna, hamam, and a gym.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size:13px;">There are all kinds of therapies including aromatherapy massages made with essential oils such as rosemary, citron, geranium, and olive oils.</span></p><p><br /> What’s Next?</p><p>“So, what’s in the future?” I ask Irene. “For one, Yoga groups.”</p><p>The growing number of Yoga enthusiasts has prompted the forward thinking Giannakopoulos to create two rooms, the Namaste and the Ananda, specifically for yoga.</p><p>“For 20 years, the Hotel & Spa has been home to many weddings,” says Giannakopoulos. Again, the visionary Irene saw that destination weddings were coming to fruition.</p><p>So where are these travelers coming from? “Mostly, they are Americans, Australians, English, French, Italian and Scandinavians, among others,” Giannakopoulos informs me. As travelers have become food conscious, other activities include wine tasting and cooking demonstrations along with a professional chef preparing authentic meals.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Hiking-back-to-Aegialis-Cool-Sky.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31069" alt="Amorgos - Don - WEBB - Hiking back to Aegialis Cool Sky" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-WEBB-Hiking-back-to-Aegialis-Cool-Sky.jpg" /></a></p><p>The Hike Back to Aegialis Hotel & Spa</p><p></p><p><strong>Catering To Eco-Tourists<br /> <br /></strong> <span style="font-size:13px;">Resident Greek hiking expert Fivos Tsaravopoulos, manager at Paths of Greece says, “The hiking is nothing short of breathtaking. The island is impressive. The heights climb up to 800 meters, 2624 feet straight from the sea.” Fivos continues, “The originality of the trails leads you to places where you cannot explore by car. Strolling through the villages is like traveling back in time. A meeting with the diversity of elements, the earth, the sea, sheer cliffs, the wind, and the changing of the weather is perhaps best viewed from Amorgos Island, from the highest point to the lowland beaches.”</span></p><p><br /> Getting There:</p><p>The island is connected with Athens, port of Piraeus on the mainland and has ferry connections with the islands of, Naxos, Syros, Paros, Koufonissi, Schinoussa, Donoussa and Astypalea. The two ports on Amorgos where the ferries come in are Katapola and Aegiali (changes on even and odd days). The journey from port of Piraeus to one of these ports will last 7.5 hours and costs around 30 euros (economy class, one way) or 43 euros (business class, recommended!) – look for a comfortable place!<br /> <br />Please note: you will arrive at 02:00 am and have to leave at 06:00 am. Make sure your hotel pick-up or taxi service is arranged! This is due to Amorgos being the last stop on a multiple Cyclades ferry journey, and the first boat out of Amorgos in the morning, making stops as it heads to Piraeus, the port of Athens.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-Webb-Donkey.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-31072" alt="Amorgos - Don - Webb Donkey" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Amorgos-Don-Webb-Donkey.jpg" /></a></p><p>Friendly Natives Throughout The Island</p><p></p><p>Amorgos is stunning. Twist my arm, and I just might have to return next year for another round of hiking, and water activities. The next time, I vow to scuba diving, ending the day with a soak at the Lalon Idor Spa, and of course, with all that Greek hospitality, I’ll be prepared to pack on a few pounds, as nobody goes hungry with the scrumptious meals at the Aegialis Hotel & Spa.</p><p></p><p style="margin:0in 0in 0pt;"><font face="Calibri" size="3"> </font></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"></p><p><br /> <em>About the Author: Nicholas Kontis - Travel Expert and Founder of World Travel List</em></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"></p><p><em>Born on one of the most beautiful Islands in the world, Santorini, Greece and raised in America’s culture capital of San Francisco, Nick Kontis started out as a world traveler at an early age, traveling back and forth between California and Greece every summer. It would be a backpacking trip around the world, at age 24 that proved to be a life changing experience. After traveling by car, train, plane, motorcycle, bike, boat and every other conceivable way around the world, Nick returned to San Francisco to lead a life as a travel entrepreneur, starting the first travel agency in the U.S. specializing in discount around the world airfares. Nick has been on both radio and television. Featured on Arthur Frommer’s television show, and referred by Lonely Planet writers as a leader in discount airfare. Frequently mentioned as the “father of around the world airfares.” Arthur Frommer once said, “If Jules Verne were alive today he would use Nick to go around the world in 80 days.” Nick and his various travel companies and agents have sent over 20,000 people around the world. Now, Nick takes his travel marketing expertise, and promotes travel through his World Travel List, a marketing a mingling site for anyone who makes a living in the field of travel. Having traveled to over 80 countries Nick hopes to inspire others to travel the world. Follow Nick's "passion for travel" on the World Travel List.</em></p><p style="line-height:14.25pt;"></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>
Amazing Rome Hotels: Palazzo Manfredi & Gran Meliá Rome
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rome-italy-hotels-palazzo-manfredi-gran-melia-villa-agrippina
2017-06-02T16:02:29.000Z
2017-06-02T16:02:29.000Z
Harvey frommer
https://tripatini.com/members/Harveyfrommer
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009167285,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009167285,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009167285?profile=original" /></a><br /> <br /> It was a few years back on a rainy night that we wended our way to <strong><a href="http://www.palazzomanfredi.com" target="_blank">Palazzo Manfredi</a></strong> and dinner at its Michelin-starred <strong>Aroma</strong> restaurant. A lot of hotel stays and superb dining experiences later, we still had a memory of that time and also of our meeting with the elegant Bruno Papaleo, general manager.<br /> <br /> Now we were back in Rome, guests at the Palazzo Manfredi, a five-star <strong>Relais & Châteaux</strong> property (Via Labicano 125), right near the <strong>Coliseum</strong>. In the 17th century it became a villa of the Evangelisti family, then later passed on to the Venerable Cofraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims and Convalescents. Totally rebuilt in the 18th century, the building then became a hunting lodge.<br /> <br /> Finally, in 2002, <strong>Count Goffredo Manfredi</strong>, a famous Italian businessman and construction magnate, purchased the villa. All thanks to him for the creation of this 16-room gem of a boutique hotel.<br /> <br /> Chef <strong>Giuseppe Di Iorio</strong> has been Aroma’s master head chef since the sublime 40-seat restaurant opened in 2010. It is located on a picturesque outdoor terrace that offers at all times an unparalleled and almost hypnotic view of the Coliseum. <br /> <br /> Perfecting a menu that merges his mastery of traditional <a href="http://www.aromarestaurant.it/en/menu-and-wines/menu/">Italian cooking</a> with his zeal for fresh ingredients and new ideas, the inventive chef Di Iorio was awarded his first Michelin star in 2015. He is a man with zest for good food and a light touch it making it out-of-this-world extraordinary. His cuisine is definitely “not just pasta,” but if it is pasta you crave, there is that too - a delicious mix of inventive and classic Italian dishes. <br /> <br /> We had a bit more time to spend this time around with GM Papaleo, who if anything is more on top of his game than ever. His insights into the hotel’s marvelous chef and the environment around Palazzo Manfredi were succinct and on target.</p><p><br /> The cuisine in Aroma,” he explained, “is Mediterranean with small touches of the regions of and around Rome. Our setting is very historic, and the area is a nice, quiet place, like a small village where everyone knows everyone else. From some of the hotel rooms, you can see the changing rooms of the gladiators. There is a tourist crowd around the Coliseum, but the tourism doesn’t extend into the <strong>Domus</strong>, which is where we are.”<br /> <br /> The 16 individually-created rooms in this elegant property each have their own delightful personalities, and views are everywhere - the Coliseum, the <strong>Colle Oppio</strong> (Nero's gardens), and the picturesque streets of the neighborhood. And within them, Papaleo’s terrific touch is everywhere, from the sublime Palma toiletries to the friendly, attentive, capable staff. It is all of one piece – service with a smile and among the best we have had in years. If you must choose one hotel to stay at in Rome, choose Palazzo Manfredi. It is king of the hill, top of the line. </p><p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009168054,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009168054,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009168054?profile=original" /></a></p><p><br /> <strong>Gran Meliá Rome</strong> is like being in Rome while at the same time in the country. It is actually situated in the heart of the great city, yet apart from it on the quiet <strong>Janiculum</strong> hill (<span>Via del Gianicolo 3)</span>. Incredibly, one has serenity and luxury and everything else including being within walking distance of the <strong>Vatican</strong>, <strong>Piazza Navona</strong>, <strong>Castel Sant'Angelo</strong> and other fabled sites.<br /> <br /> The property is a sprawling and wondrous villa replete with beautiful gardens, many birds, an outdoor and very appealing pool. Once upon a time this over-the-top luxe hotel was a convent constructed on the site of the <strong>Villa Agrippina</strong>, the suburban home of Emperor Nero's mother. Nowadays it's an over-the-top boutique hotel with Balinese beds in all 87 rooms.<br /> <br /> A member of the <strong>Leading Hotels of the World</strong>, Gran Meliá Rome opened in the spring of 2012, a unique and highly luxurious member of the Spanish hotel chain.. During the massive excavation and construction period, relics and other items of archaeological interest turned up, and today these are displayed throughout the hotel.<br /> <br /> Other unusual features include the sleek lobby which houses a bust of Agrippina and a library of art books. Numerous dining options exist, including the gourmet and Michelin two-star <strong>Vivavoce</strong> restaurant, the Liquid Garden, a pool lounge bar in an orange grove. Wherever you chose to dine, the food is divine.<br /> <br /> In the rooms, High-speed Wi-Fi, Nespresso coffee maker, king size bed and a full set of Clarins bathroom amenities add to the total package. There is also the convenience of a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/rome/hotels/Gran-Melia-Rome-hotel/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">shuttle service</span></a> for free transport to downtown. Overall, the feeling of the hotel is light and airy, thanks to the large windows, glass paneling in all areas. There are also accented elegant modern Murano chandeliers and contemporary art pieces.<br /> <br /> A special feature, never seen before by our well-seasoned travel-writing eyes, is what we call the “ladies in red.” Decked out with red dresses, scarves, shoes, part concierges, tour directors, confidantes, attractive, attentive, attuned, these women are a very plus part of the remarkable scene. A big winner! </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong><i><br /></i></strong> <em>The Frommers are a wife and husband team who successfully bridge the worlds of popular culture and traditional scholarship. They are the authors of five six critically-acclaimed oral histories (</em>It Happened in the Catskills; It Happened in Brooklyn; Growing Up Jewish in America; It Happened on Broadway; It Happened in Manhattan; It Happened in Miami and It Happened in Israel, <em>forthcoming in 2018). They are professors at Dartmouth College, going into their third decade, where they teach oral history. Their many articles have appeared in such outlets as </em>The New York Times, Newsday, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times, Redbook, Golf Digest, International Herald Tribune, USA Today, Washington Post, Haaretz, Caribbean Travel and Life, <em>as well as many Internet sites. Harvey Frommer is also a noted sports journalist and oral historian, the author of 43 books on sports including the autobiographies of legends Nolan Ryan, Tony Dorsett, and Red Holzman. His </em>The Ultimate Yankee Book <em>will be published fall 2017.</em></p><p></p></div>
A Stellar Stay at the Commander Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/commander-hotel-ocean-city-maryland
2017-05-28T14:13:00.000Z
2017-05-28T14:13:00.000Z
Travel Daddy
https://tripatini.com/members/TravelDaddy
<div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159470,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159470,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="306" alt="9009159470?profile=original" /></a></span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><span>Spring break for my ninth-grade daughter Diz was scheduled for the middle of April. Since we had such a fantabulous off-season getaway at the <strong>Maryland</strong> beach resort town of <strong>Ocean City</strong> in November ‘16, a return trip during the week long spring vacation off was a no-brainer - so in February, I researched our options. W</span>e wanted to do our own cooking, so having a kitchen in our room was top priority. We also wanted to find a hotel that had an authentic O.C. feel, and preferably some history as well.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159067,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159067,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="415" alt="9009159067?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /> Courtyard by Marriott Ocean City Oceanfront, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ocean City, Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel - Ocean City Oceanfront, and</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Hampton Inn & Suites Ocean City/Bayfront-Convention Center</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- all of which are on or near the boardwalk - were all solid choices. But upon further examination, each had deal-breaking limitations:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Courtyard by Marriott Ocean City Oceanfront, Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel - Ocean City Oceanfront, and</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Hampton Inn & Suites Ocean City/Bayfront-Convention Center <strong>don’t have kitchens</strong> in their rooms.<br /> <br /></span></p></li></ul><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Ocean City has kitchens, but <strong>only in their pricier rooms</strong>.<br /> <br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">While very nice, the rooms and facilities of these chain hotels are <strong>indistinguishable from one another</strong>.<br /> <br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">There’s little about the hotels’ decor, design, or "feel" that has any connection with Ocean City or Maryland’s iconic Eastern Shore.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">After passing on the branded hotels, we took a look at O.C.’s popular independent properties, and that’s when we discovered the <a href="http://commanderhotel.com/" target="_blank">Commander Hotel & Suites</a>.</span> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159087,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159087,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009159087?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /> Appealing details about the Commander included:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The family-owned hotel has been part of the Ocean City landscape since 1930.<br /> <br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It recently completed a</span> <a href="http://luxurystndrd.com/commander-hotel-ocean-city-md/" target="_blank">$5-million renovation</a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">.<br /> <br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It’s ranked number seven out of 103 hotels in Ocean City by TripAdvisor.<br /> <br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It’s situated right where the lively part of the O.C. boardwalk begins.<br /> <br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It’s a five-minute walk from a</span> <a href="https://www.cvs.com/store-locator/cvs-pharmacy-address/1611+North+Philadelphia+Avenue-Ocean+City-MD-21842/storeid=5909?WT.mc_id=LS_GOOGLE_FS_5909" target="_blank">CVS</a> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">and a two minute drive from Ocean Gateway, which is a key O.C. route that leads to Tanger Outlets, Food Lion supermarket, and other retail locations that are useful to vacationers.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Ratings-wise, the numbers were boomin’ and the reviews were exceptional:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Tripadvisor -</span> <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g41298-d113151-Reviews-The_Commander_Hotel-Ocean_City_Maryland.html" target="_blank">4 out of 5 stars</a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">Booking <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">-</span> <a href="https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/commander.html" target="_blank">8.4 / 10</a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Google -</span> <a href="https://www.google.com/#q=commander+hotel+ocean+city&lrd=0x89b929ebf17e9a95:0x9d6d129505377dfe,1," target="_blank">4.3 / 5</a></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Expedia -</span> <a href="https://www.expedia.com/Ocean-City-Hotels-Commander-Hotel.h9713072.Hotel-Information" target="_blank">4.1 / 5</a></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The Commander seemed to have everything that we were looking for, so once the school day was over on the Thursday before Diz’s break (which marked the official beginning of the vacay week), we (me, Diz, and my wife Sue) finished packing - and on Friday morning, we aimed our Rav4 for the big O.C.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">THE EXTERIOR</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /> The Commander’s renovations include enhanced landscaping, pool improvements, and a gorgeous new side porch - which is perfect for reading, hanging, or catching a cool breeze.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009160070,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009160070,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009160070?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">LOCAL ARTWORK</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /> A local painter has created a beautiful and very creative mural on the hotel’s outside wall. In the Commander’s lobby and main building, additional local artwork celebrates Ocean City’s vibrant history and energy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159677,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159677,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009159677?profile=original" /></a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009160292,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009160292,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009160292?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /> THE LOBBY</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /> Complimentary coffee, tea, and lemon water throughout the day - as well as really comfy chairs in a bright, sunny corner - make the lobby a great place to relax and recharge.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159684,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009159684,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009159684?profile=original" /></a><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">ACCOMMODATIONS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br />The design and layout of our rooms in the Commander's Cabana building was warm and open. The beds had lots of comfy pillows and an incredible mattress (Simmons Beautyrest Meg Luxury Firm) that gave all of us deep, comfortable, and highly satisfying sleeps.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009161475,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009161475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009161475?profile=original" /></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br />The modern kitchen had a full-size refrigerator, lots of counter space, and all the accessories we needed (utensils, cookware, dishes) to prepare and enjoy our meals.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009161284,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009161284,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009161284?profile=original" /></a> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The bathroom was bright and well-ventilated, with a powerful showerhead and dispensers of Olive Branch Natural Body Care products that were <em>AWESOME</em>.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296624271,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296624271,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9296624271?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Additional noteworthy aspects of the unique Commander experience include...</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Indoor and outdoor pools to keep families busy and active</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">On-site washers/dryers</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">A pair of heritage O.C. eateries on premises: the Fractured Prune (featuring fresh doughnuts with indulgent flavor combinations) and Grotto Pizza (a popular local chain)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Complimentary on-site parking</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Complimentary summer activities for kids, such as visits by clowns, pirates, and jugglers as well as outdoor family movie nights (see what’s happening and when on the Commander’s</span> <a href="http://commanderhotel.com/activities/" target="_blank">events calendar</a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Complimentary beach yoga classes</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="http://thecommander.mobi/" target="_blank">A free app</a> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">with discounts and coupons for popular O.C. restaurants, water sports rental companies, bars, clothing stores, and more.</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;">TAKEAWAYS</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.656;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br />Based on our fantastic weeklong experience at The Commander, I highly recommend making it your base of operations during your trip to Ocean City - whether you're solo, a couple, a family, or group in pre-season, on season, or post-season. Here’s why:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"> </p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The Commander offers</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">clean, attractive, and well-maintained</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">rooms.<br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The hotel’s lobby, main building, and grounds are</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">bright and spotless</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">.<br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The customer service of the front desk and housekeeping staff is</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">friendly, attentive, and professional</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">.<br /><br /></span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The Commander delivers</span> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">excellent value</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">, and perfectly captures the lively, welcoming, and unpretentious feel of Ocean City and the Eastern Shore.</span></p></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009162497,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009162497,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009162497?profile=original" /></a></span></p></div>
Baron's Cove: Casual Luxury in Sag Harbor on New York's Long Island
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/baron-s-cove-s-casual-luxury-reconnects-with-sag-harbor
2017-05-16T07:40:51.000Z
2017-05-16T07:40:51.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveexterior.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveexterior.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscoveexterior.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Although only a 15-minute drive north of Long Island's chichi Hamptons, <a href="http://www.baronscove.com/">Baron’s Cove</a> in Sag Harbor feels miles away from the full-court press of high society's playground of the rich and famous.<br /> <br /></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Sag Harbor's rich heritage as a whaling port and later in manufacturing, most visible in the elaborate brick <a href="http://www.watchcasefactory.com/">Watchcase Factory</a> now converted into loft-style town homes, shape the village's vibrant walkable downtown and reflect the community surrounding it.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sagharbor.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/sagharbor.jpg?width=1203" class="align-center" width="1200" alt="sagharbor.jpg?width=1203" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Overlooking the tranquil harbor yet just a five-minute walk from the village's bustling shops and restaurants, <a href="http://www.baronscove.com/">Baron's Cove</a> has been a fixture with a storied past for generations. Luminaries including Jackson Pollock, John Steinbeck, Truman Capote, and Kurt Vonnegut regularly met at the inn's on site restaurant in the 1950s and 1960s, swapping stories and planning for the Old Whaler’s Festival, a precursor to today's <a href="http://sagharborchamber.com/events/harborfest/">Harbor Fest</a>. Over time, the inn's two motel-style Bay and Meadow properties became rundown and dated. The restaurant was eventually razed to make way for condominiums that are now next door.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovefrontaerial.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovefrontaerial.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscovefrontaerial.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Baron's Cove's coveted location made its recent renaissance inevitable. Only the original layouts of the 67 motel-style rooms were preserved reflecting their origins as simple seaside retreats. The rest was torn down to the framing and completely refurbished with nautically inspired furnishings featuring vintage whaling artwork sourced from nearby antique stores, crisp white linens, fresh carpeting, and powder-blue bedside lamps. Marble vanities and sleek door less showers grace the spacious subway tile–lined bathrooms.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveroominterior.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveroominterior.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscoveroominterior.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Outside, entryways to each room also got makeovers elevating them from the typical privacy-starved motel exterior. First-floor rooms have individual fenced-in patios outfitted with furniture and small garden areas while on the second floor, partitions create private seating areas recessed from the common-area walkways.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovelounge.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovelounge.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscovelounge.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Although historic in appearance, Baron's Cove's nautically inspired reception, bar and lounge area, with restaurant upstairs boasting near panoramic, views are brand new. Architectural flairs like window shutters, multi-pane French doors, and a white wraparound front porch lined with wooden rocking chairs greet you upon arrival.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveexterior-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveexterior-1.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscoveexterior-1.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">The <span>sitting area </span>and bar to your right gives off an English-style drawing room aura furnished with wing-back and tufted leather chairs, fireplace against one wall and a piano to the side. Reclaimed timbers and brass Ralph Lauren fixtures accompany artifacts on display like vintage photos, sketches, and whale bones thanks to Baron's Cove's partnership with the <a href="http://www.sagharborwhalingmuseum.org/">Sag Harbor Whaling & Historic Museum</a>.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovereception.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovereception.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscovereception.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">French doors open onto an outdoor patio/porch with another fireplace and Adirondack chairs where live bands play every night during summer.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovepatio.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovepatio.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscovepatio.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Climb a steep wooden staircase leading up to the bright high-ceilinged open beamed restaurant where Executive Chef Matty Boudreau prepares classic fare including surf and turf, expertly grilled burgers, succulent day boat caught fish, and buttery lobster rolls.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoverestaurant2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoverestaurant2.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000" alt="baronscoverestaurant2.jpg?width=1000" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Boudreau's background as a BBQ master and member of national award-winning Salty Rinse BBQ team is on full display especially during summertime oyster and Berkshire pig roasts and seafood festivals. Hand crafted cocktails like "Eternal Sunshine" utilize herbs from an onsite garden during season.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovesteak.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovesteak.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscovesteak.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Breakfasts are equally enticing with fresh brewed coffee and espresso based drinks, buttermilk pancakes, brioche French toast, and Farm Stand Daily Omelets.</span></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BaronsCoveBreakfastPancakes-300x250.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BaronsCoveBreakfastPancakes-300x250.jpg?width=300" class="align-right" width="300" alt="BaronsCoveBreakfastPancakes-300x250.jpg?width=300" /></a></span></p><p></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Remember their <a href="http://www.baronscove.com/special-offers/">special offers</a> when booking, like "Travels with Charley," which includes a stay in one of their dog-friendly Village Garden Rooms, a Baron’s Cove monogrammed dog bed & water bowl, disposable waste bags, Baron’s Cove Frisbee, gourmet dog treats, a map outlining suggested walking routes, and a copy of John Steinbeck’s <i>Travels with Charley.</i></span></p><p><i><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovetravelswithcharlie.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscovetravelswithcharlie.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscovetravelswithcharlie.jpg?width=984" /></a></i></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Beach walking at <a href="http://sagharborchamber.com/vendors/havens-beach/">Haven's Beach</a> and <a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/81070.html">Barcelona Neck in the Linda Gronlund Memorial Nature Preserve</a> is respectively only a five and ten-minute drive away, exuding a wide open end-of-the-world feeling similar to Montauk. But for a more direct hassle free approach, Baron’s Cove offers complimentary shuttle service and passes to all Southampton beaches. That comes with beach chairs, umbrellas, plush towels, and your very own picnic basket customized by you the night before. Families enjoy a beach bag filled with goodies like a Frisbee, beach ball, and sandcastle kit.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveactivities.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/baronscoveactivities.jpg?width=984" class="align-center" width="984" alt="baronscoveactivities.jpg?width=984" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Simply luxuriating on site is equally celebrated with a heated saltwater pool, tennis court, fitness studio, and spa services. But just in case you change your mind, a concierge awaits in the wings to arrange your itinerary.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span class="font-size-3"><em><br /><span class="font-size-1">Photos: Baron's Cove & Steve Mirsky. Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored visit.</span></em></span></blockquote></div>
Hilton Showcases Brooklyn's Rich History
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/hilton-hotel-brooklyn-new-york-city-history
2017-04-14T15:02:54.000Z
2017-04-14T15:02:54.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HiltonBrooklynExterior.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HiltonBrooklynExterior.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000" alt="HiltonBrooklynExterior.jpg?width=1000" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Recently opened at the corner of Smith and Schermerhorn Streets straddling downtown and the Boerum Hill neighborhood, <a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-york/hilton-brooklyn-new-york-NYCBSHH/index.html#">Hilton Brooklyn</a> is the first full-service hotel of its caliber to open here. Situated in a former two-block-long rope onetime factory owned by industrialist Peter Schermerhorn supplying Brooklyn’s shipbuilding industry during the 19th century, Hilton Brooklyn occupies the first six floors of what is now a 19-story commercial, retail and condominium mixed-use redevelopment.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HiltonBrooklynHistoryCollage-1024x449.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HiltonBrooklynHistoryCollage-1024x449.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="HiltonBrooklynHistoryCollage-1024x449.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3">The interior's decor and architectural design reflect the building and neighborhood’s historic significance with exposed brick, vintage neighborhood photographs, carpeting patterned with the image of a massive rope running the full length of corridors, murals of period neighborhood maps lining the corridor walls, and imprints of the factory interior on custom-designed wallpaper in all guest rooms.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BrooklynInteriorRoom.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BrooklynInteriorRoom.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000" alt="BrooklynInteriorRoom.jpg?width=1000" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">It has 196 standard rooms and suites, ranging from 315 to over 650 square feet, each furnished with a Signature Serenity Bed, an ergonomically designed workstation, strong WiFi, and plenty of outlets essential for recharging the pursuits of tourists and road warriors alike. Spa-grade baths feature rainfall showers while others include deep soaking tubs. Business-class perks continue with a round-the-clock fitness center, concierge, and Grab-and-Go pantry.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/blackwalnutcollage-e1491229163871-1024x258.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/blackwalnutcollage-e1491229163871-1024x258.jpg?width=1088" class="align-center" width="1088" alt="blackwalnutcollage-e1491229163871-1024x258.jpg?width=1088" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Helmed by celebrated local chef Rob Newton, onsite restaurant and bar <a href="http://blackwalnutbk.com/">Black Walnut</a> presents a menu inspired by influences as diverse as Asian cookery, Deep South recipes, and Newton's own background as native Arkansan in addition to his years of global travel. Dishes like <em>Pan Roasted Halibut with Forbidden Black Rice, Piquillo Pepper & Chickpea Panisse</em> along with drinks like the <em>Wilma Jean</em> mixed with <em>Rittenhouse Rye, Koval Honey Liqueur, Fennel and Lemon & Bitters</em> give you a flavorful crosscut of Newton's culinary exposure.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/brooklynarchitecturecollage-e1491229711995-1024x384.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/brooklynarchitecturecollage-e1491229711995-1024x384.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="brooklynarchitecturecollage-e1491229711995-1024x384.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-york/hilton-brooklyn-new-york-NYCBSHH/offers/100096228.htm#">Hilton Brooklyn's <i>Knowledge Package</i></a> includes passes to the <a href="http://www.brooklynhistory.org/">Brooklyn Historical Society</a> and <a href="https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/">Brooklyn Museum</a> where you'll gain some additional insights into the history behind the borough's rise to pre-eminence. Once farmland named after the Boerums, a founding colonial-era Dutch family, Boerum Hill rapidly developed as the Industrial Revolution blossomed. Thanks to National Register of Historic Places designation in 1983, the neighborhood's characteristic mid-19th century, three-story Greek Revival and Italianate brownstones are now preserved for antiquity.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/brooklynhistoricalsocietyinterior-1024x683.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/brooklynhistoricalsocietyinterior-1024x683.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="brooklynhistoricalsocietyinterior-1024x683.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">The Historical Society's extensive exhibits document Brooklyn's role in Black America's ongoing struggle for equality and examine the lives of the Mohawk tribal members, who undaunted by extreme heights, lived here from early- to mid-20th century building Manhattan’s iconic skyscrapers. T<span lang="en" xml:lang="en">he Brooklyn Museum reveals an extensive collection of Egyptian artifacts, European paintings, and African art reflecting providing glimpses into the origins of many immigrants who settled here.</span></span></p><p></p><blockquote><span class="font-size-3"><em>Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit. Photos courtesy of Steve Mirsky and nycgo.com</em></span></blockquote></div>
Finding Sanctuary Just a Half Block from Times Square
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/finding-sanctuary-just-a-half-block-from-times-square
2017-02-21T14:12:06.000Z
2017-02-21T14:12:06.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p align="justify"><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/fatherduffysquare.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/fatherduffysquare.jpg?width=714" class="align-center" width="714" alt="fatherduffysquare.jpg?width=714" /></a></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span class="font-size-3">Take a right from <a href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/father-duffy-square/history">Times Square's Father Duffy Square</a> down West 47th Street for a short stroll and to your right, an early-20th-century hotel completely transformed into <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">a four-star boutique hotel</span> rises nine stories above the surrounding chaos. It's clear that father-and-son co-founders Hank and Brandon Freid took their 2010 creation of <a href="http://www.sanctuaryhotelnyc.com/default-en.html">Sanctuary Hotel NYC,</a> a luxury <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">Buddhist-themed retreat</span>, as a challenge and ultimate statement of creating the impossible here.</span></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuaryfrontdoor-1024x682.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuaryfrontdoor-1024x682.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="sanctuaryfrontdoor-1024x682.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span class="font-size-3">Although its original architectural facade remains, modern touches were added to Sanctuary's street level exterior like piped-in music, glass awnings, and opaque glass block windows. The oasis of tranquility concept is readily apparent from the moment you open their intricately massive carved wooden front doors and enter their opulently decorated lobby.</span></p><p align="justify"></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuarylobby1.jpe" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuarylobby1-1024x682.jpe?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="sanctuarylobby1-1024x682.jpe?width=1024" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">An illuminated glass floor guides you to t<span lang="en" xml:lang="en">he lavish lobby lounge featuring a</span> glowing fireplace set with tiger skin travertine tiles. Warm yellow leather cushions grace the couches while deep orange leather wall panels surround the elevator bank and guestroom hallways. Custom made furnishings showcasing a deep brown and cognac color palette are enlivened by surrounding <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">design elements like</span> lavish terrazzo tile with brown glass chips, honey onyx, and shade of brass.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/SanctuaryLobby-1024x481.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/SanctuaryLobby-1024x481.jpg?width=781" class="align-center" width="781" alt="SanctuaryLobby-1024x481.jpg?width=781" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">The ambiance in many ways replicates the allure and comfort of a private living room with inviting nooks for lingering and touching base. <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">A full bar to the front serves up specialty cocktails and tapas</span> while a museum-like display of Buddhist statuettes cluster in the corridor leading to guestroom floors. Pictures that are also Buddhist themed grace walls throughout the property.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuarylobby2-1024x680.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuarylobby2-1024x680.jpg?width=753" class="align-center" width="753" alt="sanctuarylobby2-1024x680.jpg?width=753" /></a> </p><p align="justify"><span class="font-size-3">The Zen-like vibe continues upon checking into rooms richly appointed with plush beds dressed in high thread count European linens framed with chocolate leather headboards. Crystal chandeliers, glass-walled showers, marble counter tops, and leather-printed wall tiles round out the decor while quarried marble window ledges and cream leather curtains maximize brightness and light when you want it. Decor accents of smoked glass, honey onyx, and brushed brass add a chic vibrancy.</span></p><p align="justify"></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuaryroom.jpe" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuaryroom-1024x680.jpe?width=772" class="align-center" width="772" alt="sanctuaryroom-1024x680.jpe?width=772" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">But like any world class property, an extraordinary setting must be matched by stellar service to make it a true 5-star experience. Sanctuary Hotel NYC ensures this crucial formula adds up with their <span lang="en" xml:lang="en"><a href="http://www.sanctuaryhotelnyc.com/concierge-en.html">S.T.A.R.™ Program</a> (Service Tailored to Any Request). I</span>nspired by warm hospitality synonymous with European boutique hotels of the same caliber, S.T.A.R. elevates attentiveness beyond concierge to having a <span lang="en" xml:lang="en">personal assistant that not only helps plan your daily itinerary but arranges for things like warm cookies and hot tea or</span> gluten-free breakfast delivered to your room. S.T.A.R. staff also stand ready as personal shoppers helping you pick an outfit for that no-holds barred night out.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuaryrooftop-1024x682.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuaryrooftop-1024x682.jpg?width=763" class="align-center" width="763" alt="sanctuaryrooftop-1024x682.jpg?width=763" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><span lang="en" xml:lang="en">Enter the card coded elevator to Sanctuary's 9th floor and you've arrived at <a href="http://www.sanctuaryhotelnyc.com/haven-rooftop-en.html">Haven</a></span> <a href="http://www.sanctuaryhotelnyc.com/haven-rooftop-en.html">Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge</a>. Boasting unparalleled views of the Manhattan skyline, Haven's year-round rooftop transforms to accommodate the seasons with a fully retractable roof and year-round furnishings, Chef Madison Belem's French inspired menu along with an innovative and ever changing cocktail menu created by award-winning mixologist Isaac Grillo, make the Rooftop a destination for residents and tourists alike. Indulge in dishes like <em>Mussels & Frites</em> and <em>Filet Mignon</em> accompanied by craft libations like <em>Safe Haven</em> or a <em>Cloudtini</em> as the bright lights of Times Square pulse through the surrounding skyscrapers in the background. Plush seating areas & intimate cabanas complete this perfect escape from the ordinary.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuarytender-1024x682.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/sanctuarytender-1024x682.jpg?width=760" class="align-center" width="760" alt="sanctuarytender-1024x682.jpg?width=760" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Accessible via Sanctuary's lobby and a separate street entrance, <a href="http://www.sanctuaryhotelnyc.com/tender-restaurant-en.html">Tender Bar & Grill</a> offers an upscale sports bar experience, complete with elevated pub-style menu and multiple flat panel TVs broadcasting the latest sports games. You can truly blur the lines here between game and date night dining on black cod, rigatoni bolognese, or world-class sushi while hoisting a cold one and keeping track of the score.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><span class="font-size-1"><em>Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored visit. Photos: Sanctuary NYC, nycgovparks.org, Steve Mirsky</em></span></blockquote></div>
The Lady by the Sea: San Diego's Hotel Coronado
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/hotel-del-coronado-san-diego-callifornia
2017-01-23T07:29:29.000Z
2017-01-23T07:29:29.000Z
Linda Milks
https://tripatini.com/members/LindaMilks
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009127484,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009127484,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="283" height="264" class="align-center" alt="9009127484?profile=original" /></a> </p><p></p><p>The Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island, CA, opened its doors in February, 1888. It is known as the second largest wooden structure in the United States and it was at that time the largest resort hotel in the world. The Victorian resort has been listed as one of the Grand Old Hotels in our country. It showcases a beautiful beachfront with a storybook history. It came of age during the “Gilded Era” when America’s rich traveled from resort to resort with servants in tow. Guests used to stay for months; women would sit at the balcony level watching the comings and goings of guests to comment on how well husbands were doing financially based on their wives’ clothing.</p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128077,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128077,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="154" class="align-left" height="283" alt="9009128077?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Guest rooms numbered 3327 and 3519 are quickly booked around Halloween when ghost fans hope to experience flickering lights, swaying curtains, cool blowing air and mysterious voices.</p><p> </p><p>The spirit of Kate Morgan is said to have roamed around the Del for more than 100 years where the TV has switched on and off, pipes rattled, and Kate’s face has even appeared to some on the black TV screen. Some of the staff has reported seeing a beautiful brunette wearing black 1800s garb in the corridor or standing by a window as if waiting for someone. Kate and her card shark estranged husband were traveling West on a train when Tom got off in Los Angeles and promised to meet Kate at the Hotel Del. Kate checked in as Lottie Bernard and Tom never arrived.</p><p> </p><p>The last time Kate was seen alive was in the evening when she was looking out at the ocean from a veranda. She was found the next day on steps leading outside with a bullet in her head. Through the years ghostbusters and parapsychologists have stayed in the room with infrared cameras to track the ghost of Kate.</p><p> </p><p>An employee working in the 1888 Shop in the hotel says that Marilyn Monroe's presence is also felt as well, usually in hallways. The movie, <i>Some Like It Hot</i> was partially filmed at the Hotel Del. Rumor has it that Marilyn and Kate have fought for space in the shop, causing merchandise relating to both to be placed far apart so that the merchandise didn’t mysteriously fall from the shelves.</p><p> </p><p>Whether or not ghost stories intrigue you or simply surrounding yourself with Victorian splendor is your pleasure, there is more to The Del that will delight you.</p><p> </p><p>Bike and boat rentals, a fitness center, boogie boards, volleyballs, wetsuits and surfboards are available. If you are looking for some pampering, those can be found at the full-service spa and services at Salon at The Del as well as the vanishing edge pool.</p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296620473,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="142" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296620473,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9296620473?profile=original" /></a></p><p>On a recent visit, we were invited to try Eno Pizzeria & Wine Bar, the wood-fired artisan pizzeria and wine bar located both outdoors or just inside the building. We loved sitting outdoors because we could see the pizzas being baked in the outdoor oven while watching the Pacific sunset. As we sat down to the high-topped tables, trays of antipasti appeared in front of us to savor with a variety of boutique California wines.</p><p> </p><p>Executive Chef John Shelton and his team have come up with some of the best pizza in Southern California. In addition to trying the traditional Margherita pizza and Funghi (mushroom) Pizza, we tried what can only be a California original called the In-N-Out Pizza, comprised of all those delicious ingredients found in an In-N-Out burger. To accompany slices of pizza, we were brought plates of their Eno Salad—fresh mixed greens, roasted pear, crumbled bleu cheese, and served with an oregano vinaigrette dressing.</p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128100,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128100,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" height="205" alt="9009128100?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Every good meal needs a dessert to complete it, and we were invited to try The Del’s famous S’mores on the Beach. In true Del fashion, these were not simply a couple of marshmallows between graham crackers. Containers of raspberry, vanilla, chocolate and mint marshmallows lined a table to be placed on ginger snaps, mint chocolate cookies, or graham crackers. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, strawberries, carmelized bananas, raspberries, toasted nuts and toasted coconut made our mouths water as we tried to decide what to try first. Of course, work is involved to make the perfectly browned marshmallow, and we had to compare all of ours to see who had the magic touch.</p><p> </p><p>While eating my S’more, I wandered down the beach from the fire pit to enjoy the last glimpses of the sun as it set over the Pacific and couldn’t help but see the sand carving honoring Kate Morgan. Both her legend and The Lady by the Sea, The Del, will continue to delight and woo us.<a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128675,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="168" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009128675,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="9009128675?profile=original" /></a></p></div>
Are Hotel 'Executive Clubs' Worth It? An Example from Saigon
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/executive-clubs-saigon-vietnam
2017-01-17T11:42:06.000Z
2017-01-17T11:42:06.000Z
Sandra & John Scott
https://tripatini.com/members/SandraJohnScott
<div><p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Is Executive Club level worth it? It depends. The first thing to do if you are considering it is to join the hotel’s customer loyalty program. There are certain benefits such as free internet, preferred check-in, late check-out and often “member-only” rates. One of the very best Executive Club Levels I have had the pleasure to enjoyed have been at the Pan Pacific’s Pacific Club and Park Royal’s Orchid Club. Their Executive Club level is well worth it extra cost to upgrade.<br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009125869,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009125869,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009125869?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"> </span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">One of my favorite hotels is the The ParkRoyal in Saigon. It is a great place to stay – actually it is a wonderful place to stay. It is close to the airport with a free airport transportation and free shuttle to city center and E-Town. The atrium-style hotel is warm and welcoming. The staff will happily meet any reasonable demand. The Garden Brasserie restaurant has an extensive array of choices and Lotus Bar is a great place to meet friends and enjoy a libation. The breakfast buffet at the Garden Brasserie is unsurpassable with selections to please any palate. There is a lovely pool and excellent spa making for an even more relaxing stay.<a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009125898,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009125898,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009125898?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Savvy travelers will want to upgrade to the ParkRoyal’s Orchid Club Level. It is well worth it. But first, make sure one should become a member of Discovery Global Hotel Alliance loyalty program for even greater savings when booking a room at ParkRoyal’s Orchid Club. The benefits are outstanding and extensive.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009126270,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009126270,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009126270?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Included in the Orchid Club package is complimentary airport transfer, welcome fruit, daily newspaper, and Internet. Guests may choose to have breakfast in the Orchid Club Lounge where one can pick from a menu or the Garden Brasserie where the buffet choices are amazing. Need a midday break? Tea time is from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. In the evening there are cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. A great place to unwind. The Orchid Club package offers benefits seldom found at hotels: significant discounts at the Garden Brasserie, Business Center, and St. Gregory Spa. And, four pieces of laundry per day! Amazing. As one might expect with club level there are upgraded amenities, priority check-in, and late checkout. Without a doubt an amazing value.</span></p><p> </p></div>
Marriott Opens a Courtyard in Northern New York's Lake George
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/marriott-opens-a-courtyard-in-the-village-of-lake-george
2016-11-16T14:18:55.000Z
2016-11-16T14:18:55.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/marriottexterior-e1479138772269-1024x487.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/marriottexterior-e1479138772269-1024x487.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="marriottexterior-e1479138772269-1024x487.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Newly opened this past August on Canada Street running through the heart of Lake George Village, <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/gflcy-courtyard-lake-george/">Courtyard Lake George</a> represents a community effort to expand this iconic seasonal lakefront retreat into a year round destination.<br /> <br /></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Each year during summer, thousands of visitors stream into this village of 900 full-time residents only to vanish from October through March. 1950s era motels still dominate and are lovingly patronized across generations of summer vacationers but for years, village officials and residents sought to expand their season to year round. They decided that a new destination hotel would be the most effective catalyst if it was built right in the epicenter of village life to attract a more diverse crowd of conference and wedding guests as well as off season tourists.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/LakeGeorgeWaterfront2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/LakeGeorgeWaterfront2.jpg?width=904" class="align-center" width="904" alt="LakeGeorgeWaterfront2.jpg?width=904" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Before architectural renderings could even be drafted, a team of village officials and investors in conjunction with village supporters needed to pass a zoning amendment allowing buildings taller than two stories to be built on the west side of Canada Street. There was predictable opposition to the larger scale design and potential environmental impact considering local protectiveness of its pristine 32-mile-long namesake lake. But Robert M. Blais, mayor of Lake George for nearly 45 years, convinced existing motel owners and residents that attracting more sustained tourism would ultimately provide more benefits than detractions.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/courtyardexteriorentrance-1-e1479087311647-1024x385.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/courtyardexteriorentrance-1-e1479087311647-1024x385.jpg?width=932" class="align-center" width="932" alt="courtyardexteriorentrance-1-e1479087311647-1024x385.jpg?width=932" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">A threeway collaboration of the Kenny family, management company Urgo Hotels & Resorts, and the Marriott brand got shovels in the ground building a 6 story, 119 room, $26 million hotel worthy of <a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/courtyardlobbylivingroom.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/courtyardlobbylivingroom.jpg?width=427" class="align-right" width="427" alt="courtyardlobbylivingroom.jpg?width=427" /></a>their objective. The resulting Courtyard Lake George abandons all notions of a typical suburban Courtyard that's frequently synonymous with an uninspiring exterior surrounded by broad expanses of asphalt parking and few cultural attractions within miles in any direction.</span></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Courtyard Lake George is integrated into the architectural fabric of the surrounding village fronting the sidewalk outfitted with classic Adirondack flairs like balcony railings constructed from wood branches, massive exposed timber support pillars, and thick field stone walls.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/courtyardlobbylivingroomdecor.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/courtyardlobbylivingroomdecor.jpg?width=654" class="align-center" width="654" alt="courtyardlobbylivingroomdecor.jpg?width=654" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Rustic Adirondack adornments like tree stumps as side tables, vintage sketches, photos and memorabilia like a reprinted 1791 letter from Thomas Jefferson to his daughter extolling Lake George's beauty continue throughout the lobby living room evoking a classic lodge rather than the Marriott brand. This welcoming space also artfully combines modern elements into the design with a sleek gas fireplace, large flat panel TVs on the walls, plenty of comfy nooks to socialize over a drink and a game of chess using one of their sets.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/lakeviewking.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/lakeviewking.jpg?width=800" class="align-center" width="800" alt="lakeviewking.jpg?width=800" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Literally every guest room features noteworthy views with odd numbered rooms facing the beauty of Prospect Mountain in the distance while even numbered rooms have Lake George views and walkout balconies outfitted with outdoor furnishings perfect for enjoying your morning cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich freshly made in the Bistro Cafe downstairs. You'll most certainly experience the steamboat <a href="http://lakegeorgesteamboat.com/about/boats/minne-ha-ha/"><em>Minne Ha Ha</em></a> passing by in the distance as an onboard steam powered organ plays renditions of old time tunes.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/minnehaha.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/minnehaha.jpg?width=744" class="align-center" width="744" alt="minnehaha.jpg?width=744" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">As a guest, the fun begins in their spacious indoor pool & fitness center, along with the Lobby Bar serving classic cocktails and local brews on tap and the Bistro menu at your finger tips. Walk out the front door and you have in-town activities that define Lake George's character all a short walk away<span style="color:#222222;">.</span> Despite being surrounded by 6 million acre Adirondack Park, this kitchy village bears a closer resemblance to Coney Island than a quiet Upstate lake community. You have your pick of Dr. Morbid’s Haunted House, House of Frankenstein Wax Museum, t-shirt & ice cream shops, and an arcade complete with bumper cars. Outdoor activities include exploring Fort William Henry overlooking Million Dollar Beach and the steamship cruise docks.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FoodCollage-e1479134539739-1024x365.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FoodCollage-e1479134539739-1024x365.jpg?width=1024" class="align-center" width="1024" alt="FoodCollage-e1479134539739-1024x365.jpg?width=1024" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">A sit down restaurant is planned to open in the coming months at Courtyard Lake George along with two 5,000 square foot ballrooms incorporating natural lighting and lake views to inspire plenty of memorable conferences and magical weddings. In the meantime, a rooftop terrace with a bar accommodating 100 people is already open awaiting your next gathering.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><em><br /> <span class="font-size-1">Photos: Courtyard Marriott Lake George & Steve Mirsky. Coverage made possible by participating in a partially sponsored visit.</span></em></blockquote></div>
Veterans Day At The Historic Thayer Hotel at West Point, New York
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/thayer-hotel-west-point-new-york
2016-11-11T13:18:33.000Z
2016-11-11T13:18:33.000Z
Wayne and Judy Bayliff - Photojournalists
https://tripatini.com/members/The2WriterscomPage
<div><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/l-img_6587-001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/l-img_6587-001.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="l-img_6587-001.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Few public inns in the United States can boast the patriotic pedigree of the Thayer Hotel at West Point, in New York State's Hudson Valley.</strong></p><p></p><p>We paid a visit to the award winning Thayer Hotel during the holiday season, and felt it especially appropriate to write about this unique hotel on Veterans Day, when we honor the members of the military that have gallantly served our country.</p><p><br /> General Douglas MacArthur stayed at the Thayer whenever he visited the military academy. Dwight D. Eisenhower did the same – both as a general and as president of the United States. Four other presidents including John F. Kennedy enjoyed visiting the hotel - you will too.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/c-img_6557.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/c-img_6557.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="c-img_6557.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>The Beautiful Hudson River Valley</strong><br /> <br /> It is little more than a one-hour drive along the Hudson River Valley to reach West Point from New York City. At the entrance to the military academy, you are required to stop at a small stone guardhouse. There you advise the sentry of your intentions to visit the hotel, and he or she will direct you to your destination atop a steep driveway to the right.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/a-img_7286.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/a-img_7286.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="a-img_7286.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>As you slowly drive up the hill, you are drawn to the many leaded glass windows of the fortification like building. You immediately sense that this is a special place, and it is.</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h-img_6558.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/h-img_6558.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="h-img_6558.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>The Thayer Hotel</strong><br /> <br /> Completed in 1926, the hotel is situated on a prominent bluff that offers breathtaking views of the Hudson River far below. As you walk the manicured lawn towards the adjacent woods on the riverside of the hotel, you will see many stone outcroppings – an assurance that the hotel, like the academy, is built on very firm ground.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/k-img_6533.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/k-img_6533.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="k-img_6533.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>There is a short marble staircase leading from the old wooden front door to the grand reception lobby. Flags decorate the overhead between the first and second floor of the hotel. There is a large fireplace directly across the room from the top of the entry stairs.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/m-img_6468.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/m-img_6468.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="m-img_6468.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>The whole picture is that of the interior of a castle or military fortification – yet at the same time, there is an extraordinary warmth about the lobby that is quite inviting.</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/o-img_6525.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/o-img_6525.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="o-img_6525.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Guest Room Dedication Program</strong><br /> <br /> <br /> We were at the Thayer to attend a ceremony where a guestroom is named after a distinguished graduate of West Point Military Academyt. Honorees are selected from academy graduates that have made significant contributions to the United States and the world.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/n-img_6462.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/n-img_6462.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="n-img_6462.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>The dedication program is part of a recent multi-million dollar renovation at the hotel. The program is a work in slow and deliberate progress of the hotel's 151 guestrooms.</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/oo-t-img-6520-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/oo-t-img-6520-1.jpg?width=300" width="300" class="align-left" alt="oo-t-img-6520-1.jpg?width=300" /></a><strong>Honoring outstanding United States Military Academy graduates</strong></p><p><br /> The officer being honored with a dedicated room at the Thayer at the time of our visit was <strong><a href="http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent?file=ML_rrobinson_bkp">General Roscoe Robinson, Jr</a></strong>., a 1951 academy graduate, and the first four-star African-American general in the history of the U.S. Army.</p><p></p><p>General Robinson served in both Korea and Vietnam. He was the recipient of many service awards in his 34 years of service to his country. In April 2000, the USMA named a new auditorium in his honor. General Robinson died at the age of 64 in 1993.</p><p></p><p>We had an opportunity to chat with a few of the cadets that attended the dedication. The experience was refreshing and left us with an appreciation for the caliber of our future military leaders being schooled at West Point. They are bright, dedicated, and most impressively, patriotic.</p><p></p><p>The room we occupied during our stay was dedicated to <strong><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/11/us/thoralf-sundt-62-brain-surgeon-who-operated-on-reagan-is-dead.html">Dr. Thoralf M. Sundt, Jr</a></strong>. of the class of 1952. The walls of this guestroom are filled with great period pictures of Dr. Sundt as the cadet that later became a pre-eminent brain surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. Other photos include Dr. Sundt’s family and one of him with President Ronald Reagan who was a patient in 1989. Dr. Sundt was the subject of a segment on “60 Minutes” before his death in 1992. He was just 62 years old.</p><p></p><p><strong>Great place for conferences and reunions</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/p-img_6497.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/p-img_6497.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="p-img_6497.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>While we were there, we also had an opportunity to talk with several alumni of the 101st Airborne who were attending a reunion at the hotel. It was an honor to meet these retired soldiers and defenders of our American way of life. Humble to a man, they came to celebrate life, but also to remember fallen comrades.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/r-img_7295.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/r-img_7295.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="r-img_7295.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>The Thayer has eight meeting rooms and six boardrooms and has become a favorite location for corporate conferences. What better place to instill team spirit and inspiration!</p><p></p><p><strong>Duty, Honor, Country</strong></p><p></p><p>Walking the Thayer's historic hallways is a lesson in patriotism and heroism. There are pictures and mementos everywhere to remind visitors of the motto of West Point – "Duty, Honor, Country."</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/q-img_6488.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-717" title="q IMG_6488" src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/q-img_6488.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="458" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Dining at the Thayer</strong><br /> <br /> The hotel’s MacArthur’s Restaurant is a stately dining room with leaded glass windows that in daytime cast an oneiric light on the walls and the historic photos of soldiers past, and in evening, add to the rich ambiance of the dining experience.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/qq-img_6479.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/qq-img_6479.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="qq-img_6479.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/qqq-img_6483.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/qqq-img_6483.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="qqq-img_6483.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>Glowing light from the vintage chandeliers enhances the pleasing sensation of a comfortable setting that is equally fit for a romantic rendezvous or an elegant social gathering.</p><p></p><p>There is also a cozy bar/restaurant at the Thayer. It is appropriately named “General Patton’s Tavern.”</p><p></p><p><strong>The U.S. Military Academy at West Point </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We learned some interesting trivia while at the Thayer Hotel:</p><p></p><p>The military academy at West Point dates back to 1802. Since its inception, West Point has been in the center of U.S. history.</p><p></p><p>George Washington paraded his troops on these very grounds.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/vv-img_6661.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/vv-img_6661.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="vv-img_6661.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>The USMA encompasses 25 square miles – a piece of real estate just a bit smaller than the island of Manhattan.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/u-img_6629.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/u-img_6629.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="u-img_6629.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>West Point graduates commanded troops on both sides of 55 of the 60 battles of the U.S. Civil War. Of the remaining five battles of the war, a West Point graduate commanded the troops on one of the sides.</p><p></p><p>Edgar Allen Poe attended one semester at West Point, and General George Armstrong Custer is buried there.</p><p></p><p>Two U.S. Presidents graduated from West Point, as did 18 NASA astronauts, 74 Medal of Honor recipients, and three Heisman Trophy winners – and scores of great statesmen, diplomats, business leaders, doctors, and engineers.</p><p></p><p><strong>A Hotel for All Seasons</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/cc-img_6616.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/cc-img_6616.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="cc-img_6616.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>Our visit to the Thayer Hotel and West Point was in December, and even in the cold of winter, the terrain is magnificent to behold. We plan to return to West Point so we can savor the woodland setting in the green of summer – and the fall when the cool air creates a kaleidoscope of changing colors. This is a truly beautiful part of the eastern United States.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/s-img_6595.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/s-img_6595.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="s-img_6595.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>If You Go</strong><em><br /></em> <br /> When you walk the land at West Point, you walk in the footsteps of many who gave all for their country. If you are an American, you are on hallowed ground.</p><p></p><p><a href="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/f-img_6566.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://the2writers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/f-img_6566.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center" alt="f-img_6566.jpg?width=640" /></a></p><p></p><p>The Thayer Hotel is a Historic Landmark Hotel. Staying at the Thayer is like living inside history.</p><p></p><p>Their website is full of information about the hotel and surroundings. Check it out at <a href="http://www.thethayerhotel.com/">http://www.thethayerhotel.com</a></p><p>Happy travels!<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>The opinions expressed in our articles are the journalists’ alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any entity.</i></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>© Travels with Wayne and Judy Bayliff</em></span></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>Photos © Judy Bayliff. Photo of General Robinson courtesy of U.S. Army</em></span></p></div>
Itty Bitty Hello Kitty Rules the Rooms
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/itty-bitty-kitty-rules-the-rooms
2014-06-16T17:17:32.000Z
2014-06-16T17:17:32.000Z
Bev Malzard
https://tripatini.com/members/BevMalzard
<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rP1t9ES5Lp4/UTWMIFfYsAI/AAAAAAAABIw/ruQa_5r5KHQ/s1600/2013-02-26+00.25.30.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rP1t9ES5Lp4/UTWMIFfYsAI/AAAAAAAABIw/ruQa_5r5KHQ/s320/2013-02-26+00.25.30.jpg?width=240" width="240" class="align-center" alt="2013-02-26+00.25.30.jpg?width=240" /></a></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2818866046091392226"><div style="text-align:left;" dir="ltr"><table align="center" style="width:720px;" border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="370" align="left" valign="top" rowspan="3"><div>I don't get Hello Kitty. Well, I do get Hello Kitty - I get the merchandising, the appeal to pre-adolescent females and the cutesy factor that seems to adorn all young Asian girls and indeed little girls all over the shopping world. I get that it's a character of fiction - I don't get the look (Kitty is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow), I don't get why Kitty doesn't have a mouth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear:both;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear:both;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8GzLbvhjOIo/UTWMcjxPktI/AAAAAAAABI4/wO4KwLIM4Xg/s1600/2013-02-26+00.55.57.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8GzLbvhjOIo/UTWMcjxPktI/AAAAAAAABI4/wO4KwLIM4Xg/s320/2013-02-26+00.55.57.jpg?width=320" width="320" class="align-center" alt="2013-02-26+00.55.57.jpg?width=320" /></a></div><div>Researching the erstwhile feline, I found out she was created by Yuko Shimizu in 1974, and first appeared on a vinyl coin purse, introduced to the Japanese public and then Kitty conquered the US in 1976. <span style="font-size:13px;">The character Hello Kitty is a staple of the</span> <i style="font-size:13px;">kawaii</i> <span style="font-size:13px;">segment of Japanese popular culture. She is a Sanrio character (there are many Kitty family members - now I'm creeping myself out as I'd like to meet them), and Sanrio has groomed Hello Kitty into a global; marketing phenomenon worth $5 billion a year. </span><span style="font-size:13px;">(In 1962, Shintaro Tsuji, founder of Sanrio, sold rubber sandals with flowers painted on them. He noted profits soared with the addition of cute designs on sandals and hired cartoonists to design cuties for his merchandise. )</span></div><div>Anyway chubby kitty cat is all over the world now - and every little girl knows her. And surprisingly (not) many adults have embraced her too . . . I don't get it. But I'm starting to . . .</div><div>The target market for Hello Kitty broadened to include teens and grown-ups as a retro brand - for those who could not get her when they were young. In 1999, 12,000 different products had Kitty appearing on them worldwide. And now it gets silly - in 2009, the Bank of America began offering Hello Kitty-themed cheque accounts, where the account holder can get cheques and a Visa debit card with Kitty's mouthless face on it = MasterCard debit cards have featured Kitty as a design since 2004. <span style="font-size:13px;">(Thanks to Wikipedia for some of this info - hope it's correct.)</span></div><div>And now to the Grand Hai-Lai hotel in Kaohsiung, Taiwan where I stayed last week. A wonderful hotel with elegant rooms and friendly staff AND a Hello Kitty Suite. It features a living room, dining room and a master bedroom, and it offers 50sq.m of space.</div><div> </div><div><table style="width:720px;text-align:center;" border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="350" height="40" valign="middle" style="text-align:left;"><div class="separator" style="text-align:center;clear:both;"><a style="margin-right:1em;margin-left:1em;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2359j0yn4Bo/UTWOfhJ1RSI/AAAAAAAABJY/-6lFg_eZn2I/s1600/2013-02-26+00.56.06.jpg"><img width="320" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2359j0yn4Bo/UTWOfhJ1RSI/AAAAAAAABJY/-6lFg_eZn2I/s320/2013-02-26+00.56.06.jpg" border="0" alt="2013-02-26+00.56.06.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="text-align:center;clear:both;"><a style="margin-right:1em;margin-left:1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GGQFSXZYjYQ/UTWOfP8mcrI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Wb6sHi5yezA/s1600/2013-02-26+01.06.20.jpg"><img width="320" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GGQFSXZYjYQ/UTWOfP8mcrI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Wb6sHi5yezA/s320/2013-02-26+01.06.20.jpg" border="0" alt="2013-02-26+01.06.20.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="text-align:center;clear:both;"><a style="margin-right:1em;margin-left:1em;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CW983rfnFZU/UTWPo98oHZI/AAAAAAAABJo/6Rr8Gx6keqo/s1600/2013-02-26+00.55.25.jpg"><img width="320" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CW983rfnFZU/UTWPo98oHZI/AAAAAAAABJo/6Rr8Gx6keqo/s320/2013-02-26+00.55.25.jpg" border="0" alt="2013-02-26+00.55.25.jpg" /></a></div><div class="title3" style="text-align:justify;"></div></td></tr><tr><td class="t1" valign="top" style="text-align:left;"><div>In the delightfully pink suite, decorated with sweet Hello Kitty miniature vases and paintings, residents will find a Hello Kitty mini-studio and a complete Hello Kitty tea set. The large bathroom has a jumbo sanded Kitty mirror - take your time and enjoy a Kitty bubble bath!</div><div><br /> Grand Hai-Lai and Sanrio Corporation of Japan present the "Hai-Lai Kitty House" situated in the hotel lobby, where Hello Kitty limited editions and gifts are exclusively sold. Enjoy shopping in pink-decorated romance! All Hello Kitty amenities provided in the rooms are available in store. <span style="font-size:13px;">I purchased a Hello Kitty pair of slippers - at the Hello Kitty store in the hotel, and one of my travelling companions, writer Christine Retschlag tried out the Hello Kitty bicycle. There's a Hello Kitty car for bride and groom who come to the hotel to have a Hello Kitty wedding. </span><span style="font-size:13px;">The Hello Kitty breakfast features a Kitty face stamped in the toast and a Kitty moulded sweet. There's even a Hello Kitty face drizzled in tomato sauce on the fried egg.</span></div><div><br /> It was a Hello Kitty overload looking at the HK scene but one can't be cynical or churlish while the young woman showing us with giggles and glee all the hotel has to show of Kitty - they softened all the kitsch blows and were delighted with my slipper purchase - I would go so far to say they were impressed with me - and I got a discount.</div><div>Kitty update:<br /></div><div>I was in Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak, Borneo and found cakes in the window of a mall cake shop: cup cakes, big cakes and faces covering cookies.</div><div><br /> My Hello Kitty fixation continues as friends and family now give me Hello Kitty paraphernalia - this is my latest - a Hello Kitty toothbrush for my birthday.</div><div><br /> It's never ending . . .I was in Vienna two weeks ago and found a Hello Kitty shop in the backstreets . . . .</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div></div></div>
The Colonnade: Boston's Homegrown Luxury Hotel
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-colonnade-hotel-boston-massachusetts
2016-08-14T12:39:22.000Z
2016-08-14T12:39:22.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BackBayNight-1024x681.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BackBayNight-1024x681.jpg?width=606" width="606" class="align-center" alt="BackBayNight-1024x681.jpg?width=606" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">The Back Bay neighborhood is home to so much of what makes Boston a world-class city. You're a quick walk from legendary Fenway Park, the seemingly endless blocks of Newbury Street's boutique shopping, the <a href="http://skywalkboston.com/">Skywalk Observatory atop Prudential Center</a>, stunning emerald ribbons of parkland bordering the Charles River, and inventive dining helmed by a growing community of star chefs.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/backbayboston-1024x682.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/backbayboston-1024x682.jpg?width=595" width="595" class="align-center" alt="backbayboston-1024x682.jpg?width=595" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">It's hard to imagine but fair to say that well into the early 1970s, demolition permits for much of what you now see far outnumbered shoppers and tourists walking the streets. The Charles River was literally an open sewer and skid row living conditions snuffed out blocks of classic brownstones once home to tight knit ethnic enclaves.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonadeexterior-1024x682.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonadeexterior-1024x682.jpg?width=626" width="626" class="align-center" alt="colonadeexterior-1024x682.jpg?width=626" /></a></p><h3><strong> </strong></h3><p><br /> <span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://www.colonnadehotel.com/">The Colonnade Hotel</a> opened in 1971 on the corner of Huntington Ave. and West Newton Street as a definitive catalyst for the neighborhood's renaissance. Sleek towering pillars of concrete girded by floor to ceiling windows designed and built by Bertram Druker rise 12 stories above the surrounding architecture to the back of the property built more than a century earlier. Still owned by the Druker family today, The Colonnade is a distinct rarity in Boston's increasingly chain dominated hotel scene.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonadelobby-1-1024x683.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonadelobby-1-1024x683.jpg?width=635" width="635" class="align-center" alt="colonadelobby-1-1024x683.jpg?width=635" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Walking through the spotless plate-glass front doors attended by congenial door staff, you enter a marble floored lobby outfitted with clusters of plush seating to either side, and straight ahead a circular wooden table inlaid with a detailed and colorful map depicts both historic and present-day Boston.</span></p><p></p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonadefoyer.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonadefoyer.jpg?width=336" width="336" alt="colonadefoyer.jpg?width=336" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Past guests like Whitney Houston, Ronald Reagan, Dean Martin, Harry Connick Jr., Val Kilmer, and Matt Damon are testament to The Colonnade's panache - further enhanced in 2008 by the property's latest $25 million renovation.<br /><br /></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Timeless elegance persists in many amenities like the rooftop pool and onsite <a href="http://www.colonnadehotel.com/brasserie-jo">Brasserie Jo</a>, while perks have been added over time like a courtesy Audi SUV for situations when Uber won't cut it and a “VIPets” package that hooks your fluffy friend up with a pet bed, bowl, selection of three brands of food, and a map outlining dog parks and restaurants where they can stay by your side when it's time for you to eat.</span></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5622" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/colonnaderoom.jpg" alt="colonnaderoom" height="437" width="800" /></span></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">All 285 rooms in this <a href="https://preferredhotels.com/">Preferred Hotels' Lifestyle Collection Hotel</a> start out at a roomy 350 square feet, enhanced by floor-to-ceiling windows that not only flood your living space with natural light but open for fresh air when desired. For more stretch-out space, book one of their 700-sq.-ft. Parlor Suites, outfitted with a single king or two doubles with a separate living/dining room and two bathrooms or their <a href="http://www.colonnadehotel.com/rooms">even larger 950-sq.-ft. Luxe Suite</a>.</span></p><p></p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/chefnick.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/chefnick.jpg?width=338" width="338" alt="chefnick.jpg?width=338" /></a></p><h3><strong>Brasserie Jo</strong></h3><p><br /> <span class="font-size-3">Executive chef Nick Calias is in charge here and strikingly blends the latest culinary techniques with classic French bistro fare at Boston’s first authentic French brasserie, opening in 1998. “Boston’s chef community's strength is rooted in our diverse backgrounds and love of cooking,” says Calias.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BrasserieJoDish-1024x1007.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BrasserieJoDish-1024x1007.jpg?width=542" width="542" class="align-center" alt="BrasserieJoDish-1024x1007.jpg?width=542" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Perfecting his craft in <a href="http://www.colonnadehotel.com/brasserie-jo">Brasserie Jo</a>'s kitchen for nearly a decade now, Calias has a passion for building the finest dishes with the freshest ingredients. Favorites include grilled lemon chicken paillard, chicken coq au vin, mussels Riesling marinière, and Alsace brioche bread pudding.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BrasserieJoInterior-1024x883.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BrasserieJoInterior-1024x883.jpg?width=538" width="538" class="align-center" alt="BrasserieJoInterior-1024x883.jpg?width=538" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Styled after a typical 1940s French bistro, the restaurant's mosaic-tile flooring, dark wood furnishings, and a strikingly eclectic mix of vintage art prints and paintings on the walls invite you to gather either in the dining rooms or at their vintage bar serving up seasonally changing craft made oversized martinis, Alsatian-style beers, and an extensive wine list.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rooftoppool.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rooftoppool.jpg?width=597" width="597" class="align-center" alt="rooftoppool.jpg?width=597" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Twelve stories above the streets of Boston, The Colonnade's rooftop, open Memorial to Labor Day, features the city's only publicly accessible <a href="http://www.colonnadehotel.com/roof-top-pool">rooftop pool</a>. Billowing white cabanas available for private rental and outfitted with plush outdoor sofas and chairs are ensconced along one side of the rooftop railing with spectacular views of historic South Boston. Look across the pool from this vantage point and you get a decidedly more modern backdrop of gleaming skyscrapers.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rooftoppool-1-1024x682.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rooftoppool-1-1024x682.jpg?width=613" width="613" class="align-center" alt="rooftoppool-1-1024x682.jpg?width=613" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Comfortably chic lounge chair seating on the bamboo-floored main deck, lush plantings, and a full service 12-seat bar serves up three types of house-made sangria and seasonal specialty cocktails along with light bites like grilled swordfish tacos, RTP lobster roll, petite pearl hot dogs, and bifteki sliders.</span></p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rooftopyoga.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/rooftopyoga.jpg?width=641" width="641" class="align-center" alt="rooftopyoga.jpg?width=641" /></a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/noodles-768x1024.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/noodles-768x1024.jpg?width=326" width="326" alt="noodles-768x1024.jpg?width=326" /></a></p><p></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Ongoing poolside activities include twice-weekly complimentary pre-breakfast “sunrise salutation” yoga classes with esteemed in house yogi <a href="http://rebeccapacheco.com/">Rebecca Pacheco</a> and a guest chef pop-up series <a href="http://www.colonnadehotel.com/calendar/boston-activites/rooftop-chefs-matt-louis">roofTop Chefs</a> hosted by executive chef Nick Calias.<br /><br /></span></p><p><span class="font-size-3">Debuting this summer, a lineup of the city's top chefs who also happen to be Calias's friends share their latest creations like <a href="http://www.tigermamaboston.com/">Tiger Mama</a>'s Tiffani Faison's crispy curried Singapore street noodles and Malaysian short rib rendang, Southeast Asian delectables normally only available from her restaurant's open kitchen.</span></p><p> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote><em>Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored visit. Photos: The Colonnade and Steve Mirsky</em></blockquote></div>
Award-Winning Fairfield Inn & Suites on Virginia's Chincoteague Island
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/fairfield-inn-suites-chincoteague-island-virginia
2016-08-16T10:53:43.000Z
2016-08-16T10:53:43.000Z
Travel Daddy
https://tripatini.com/members/TravelDaddy
<div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" id="docs-internal-guid-6ef392a4-8a00-fa22-62db-fab85ee4b883"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009075893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009075893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009075893?profile=original" /></a><span class="font-size-1"><em>photo: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-51673p1.html">David Kay</a></em></span><br /><br />Back in April while my two teen kids were enjoying their spring break from school, my wife Sue and I researched destinations for an August family vacation.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The four benchmarks that we used in the vetting process were:</span></p><p></p><ol style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It had to be a beautiful beach site with lots of charm.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It had to be within a reasonable driving distance from our HQ in northern New Jersey.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It had to offer land and water activities that allowed for exploration of the area.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:decimal;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Commercial mayhem needed to be minimal: we wanted no theme parks, casinos, or heavy nightlife activity in proximity to where we’d be staying.</span></p></li></ol><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Searching locales in the mid-Atlantic region, we discovered Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Travelers who are in the know about Chincoteague are fans of its</span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chincoteague,_Virginia" target="_blank">rich and interesting history</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">(including the story of its</span> <a href="http://www.chincoteague.com/ponies.html" target="_blank">famous ponies</a><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">),</span> <a href="http://www.chincoteague-va.gov/visitors/recreation" target="_blank">lush natural location and recreation options</a><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">, and friendly, laid back pace - all of which sounded right up our alley.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009076255,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009076255,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009076255?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br />As we reviewed the accommodations in Chincoteague, we were on the lookout for a hotel that offered suites, which have larger rooms than conventional hotels/inns/B&B’s (with two teen offspring, we definitely need that extra real estate). Our three choices (all located on Main Street, which runs the entire seven-mile length of the island) were the Hampton Inn & Suites, The Comfort Suites, and the Fairfield Inn & Suites, by Marriott, Chincoteague Island.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Scrolling through the photos on its site, the Hampton Inn & Suites Chincoteague-Waterfront seemed very nice. The rooms were fine and the interiors were OK, but there was an overall nondescript vibe to the hotel: it could have been located anywhere, and there didn’t seem to be anything “Chincoteague” or “beach” about it.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The images on Chincoteague Island Comfort Suites Hotel’s site were also pleasant, but the property’s design was somewhat bland and not really stylish or contemporary. Plus, as with the Hampton Inn, the anonymity and non-Chincoteagueness (or would it be Chincotude?) of its atmosphere was kinda</span> <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=meh%20definition" target="_blank">meh</a><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x89b9685a4fedbd9b:0x92c90f7d911425!2m5!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i100!3m1!7e115!4shttps://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname%3D112326366882185535159%26id%3D6172097543620797554%26target%3DPHOTO!5sfairfield+inn+chincoteague+-+Google+Search&imagekey=!1e3!2s-Bp8PRSMQJRc/VaeyA8aUJHI/AAAAAAAAAEg/tP6DXphlN9YalBB_6a78gK3CpwwfGQ6tw&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKxJiD3bXOAhVGXBQKHSnxBGcQoioIhQEwCg" target="_blank">The pics of The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott</a><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">, on the other hand, truly popped: they evoked a lively energy and beachy appeal that the other suite hotels were missing. But the Fairfield Inn didn’t just photograph well, it has also generated scads of wowed reviews:</span></p><p></p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="https://www.google.com/#q=fairfield+inn+chincoteague&lrd=0x89b9685a4fedbd9b:0x92c90f7d911425,1," target="_blank">4.4 out of 5</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- Google</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="https://www.expedia.com/Eastern-Shore-Virginia-Hotels-Fairfield-Inn-Suites-By-Marriott-Chincoteague-Island.h6157368.Hotel-Information" target="_blank">4.5</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- Expedia</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g57602-d4433197-Reviews-Fairfield_Inn_Suites_Chincoteague_Island-Chincoteague_Island_Virginia.html" target="_blank">4.5</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- TripAdvisor</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/fairfield-inn-amp-suites-by-marriott-chincoteague-island.html" target="_blank">9.3 out of 10</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- Booking.com</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="https://www.hotels.com/ho434678/fairfield-inn-suites-by-marriott-chincoteague-island-chincoteague-united-states-of-america/" target="_blank">4.6</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- Hotels.com</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><a href="https://www.orbitz.com/Eastern-Shore-Virginia-Hotels-Fairfield-Inn-Suites-By-Marriott-Chincoteague-Island.h6157368.Hotel-Information" target="_blank">4.5</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">- Orbitz</span></p></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Impressed by its vivid beauty shots and overwhelmingly positive guest ratings, we set out to set up a stay at</span> <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sbyci-fairfield-inn-and-suites-chincoteague-island/?scid=bb1a189a-fec3-4d19-a255-54ba596febe2" target="_blank">Fairfield Inn & Suites, by Marriott, Chincoteague Island</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">during the first week of August.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The journey to Chincoteague from New Jersey was only 4½ hours, and the route was simple and direct, so we weren’t exhausted when we arrived. Location-wise, it’s only 16 minutes from Wallops Island, and 9 minutes to the NASA Flight Facility Visitors Center.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009076096,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009076096,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009076096?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br />The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Chincoteague Island opened in July 2013 and is the newest hotel on the island. Located on the gorgeous Chincoteague Bay, it has 92 guest rooms, including standard king and double queen bedded rooms as well as king and queen suites. The hotel offers a number of free perks to its guests, such as...</span></p><p></p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Daily hot breakfast buffet (6 to 10am)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Wi-Fi throughout the hotel (measured at an impressive</span> <a href="https://www.hotelwifitest.com/hotels/us/chincoteague/fairfield-inn-suites-by-marriott-chincoteague-island/" target="_blank">2.9 Mbps</a><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Outdoor heated pool</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Indoor fitness facility (it’s small, but our Crossfit-loving daughter got a complete workout in the room and was thrilled with its equipment, TVs, a/c, complimentary towels, and water cooler)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Bold Beginnings coffee, which is hot and ready 24/7 (more on this hugely crucial percolating perk below)</span></p></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The Lobby</span></p><p></p><div style="width:480px;text-align:center;"><object width="480" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FFF%2520Inn%2520lobby%2Ffeed.rss" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FFF%2520Inn%2520lobby%2Ffeed.rss" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object> <a target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" alt="btn_geturs.gif" /></a><a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/user/traveldaddyblog/library/FF%20Inn%20lobby" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" alt="traveldaddyblog's FF Inn lobby album on Photobucket" /></a></div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The lobby’s large and colorful breakfast area looks out on Chincoteague Bay, and was a great spot to begin the day. The morning buffet included eggs (scrambled and hard boiled), breakfast meats, biscuits with sausage gravy, fresh fruits, a selection of yogurts, waffles, oatmeal with a choice of toppings (walnuts, brown sugar, raisins), bagels/breads/muffins, and juices.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Also available in the lobby were two beverage stations, which along with caf and decaf coffee, offered hot water, a variety of teas, and a dispenser of cold water.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">While excited at first about having access to free coffee throughout the day, Sue was also wary: she had experienced free servings of weak, old, or just plain nasty hotel coffee in the past, and - because she needs a potent java fix to get her rolling in the morning and mid-afternoon - was forced to leave the premises in search of an acceptable infusion.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Such excursions weren’t necessary at the Fairfield Inn & Suites thanks to the fact that the hotel served a proprietary blend called Bold Beginnings. Sue found Bold Beginnings to be fresh and tasty. This made her quite pleased during our entire stay - and apparently, she</span> <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Coffee/comments/3kbwta/questionphoto_help_finding_bold_beginnings_decaf/" target="_blank">wasn’t the only guest</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">at Fairfield Inn to enjoy the coffee.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">In the late afternoon, the lobby was superb for claiming some private time. Its comfortable seating areas and soft lighting made reading, chilling, or smart phone tapping a delight.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Our Rooms</span></p><p></p><div style="width:480px;text-align:center;"><object width="480" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FFF%2520Inn%2520room%2Ffeed.rss" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FFF%2520Inn%2520room%2Ffeed.rss" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object> <a target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" alt="btn_geturs.gif" /></a><a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/user/traveldaddyblog/library/FF%20Inn%20room" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" alt="traveldaddyblog's FF Inn room album on Photobucket" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Immaculate, airy, and bright, our rooms were ideal for unwinding and achieving quiet, indulgent sleeps.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Unexpected surprises that the rooms delivered:</span></p><p></p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">the spacious desk setup was perfect for getting things done (yup, I had to take care of some biz during our vacay)</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">our son loved our outdoor mini deck for reading, listening to his tunes and catching rays</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">the in-room iron and ironing board allowed us to quickly even out some creased clothing</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">the in-room fridge helped us turn savory leftovers into quick snacks</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">the rooms were impervious to outside noise: even with occasional activity outside, in the halls, and next door, this hubbub didn’t invade our space or ears</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">the easy-to-configure thermostat allowed for cool and consistent comfort</span></p></li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The Pool Deck and Patio</span></p><p></p><div style="width:480px;text-align:center;"><object width="480" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FFF%2520Inn%2520back%2Ffeed.rss" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FFF%2520Inn%2520back%2Ffeed.rss" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object> <a target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" alt="btn_geturs.gif" /></a><a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/user/traveldaddyblog/library/FF%20Inn%20back" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" alt="traveldaddyblog's FF Inn back album on Photobucket" /></a></div><div style="width:480px;text-align:center;"></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">This special place, which spotlights a long, panoramic view of Chincoteague Bay, gave us a lovely way to greet the A.M. sun and cool out in the evenings.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Refreshing ocean breezes; the sounds of seagulls, passing fishing boats, and laid back tropical music (more on that here); and blankets of warm sunshine were unexpected bonuses that made our stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites even more memorable and relaxing.</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">What Sets The Hotel Apart</span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Chincoteague Island has a number of attributes that distinguish it from the competition:</span></p><p></p><ul style="margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">It’s</span> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:italic;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">the first and only hotel on Chincoteague Island that presents waterfront dining</span>, <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">at the Jackspot, which is located on the property right next door (get all the details of <a href="http://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/waterfront-dining-at-the-jackspot-on-chincoteague-island-fun" target="_blank">our fantabulous Jackspot dinner</a>).</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Along with being an outstanding and fun restaurant with exceptional service, the Jackspot also boasts an</span> <span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">outdoor tiki bar and second floor</span> <a href="http://www.thejackspot.com/the-narrows-ballroom.html" target="_blank">Narrows Ballroom</a> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">that provides glorious 180 degree views of Chincoteague Bay. The ballroom can accommodate 120 people for events/weddings and 130 people for business meetings/retreats, and also hosts free weekly yoga classes for hotel guests.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">We were all blown away by the</span> <span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">ultra high level of attentive customer service</span> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">that was provided by every hotel staff member with whom we interacted. Having experienced this service throughout each day of our stay, it’s not a surprise that the hotel was awarded Marriott’s 2014 National Gold Award for Outstanding Guest Service as well as the company’s 2015 National Platinum Award for Outstanding Guest Service - both based on guest ratings/feedback.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Parents with youngsters will appreciate the hotel’s</span> <span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">free and exclusive kid-friendly seasonal activities</span><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">, such as Swim with the Mermaids, Face Painting with Tootsie the Clown, and Family Movie Night.</span></p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Execs who stay at the hotel during the fall will have access to a</span> <span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;font-weight:400;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;background-color:transparent;">free weekly guest reception</span><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">, featuring homemade soups, appetizers, smoked meats, pizzas, desserts, dips, and chips. Also on the autumn schedule are free hot dogs and snacks during Sunday football games, which are aired on the big screen TV in the breakfast area.</span></p></li></ul><p><br /> <span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Once you’ve unpacked and settled in, it’s impossible to not embrace the relaxed pace, natural beauty, and historic charm of Chincoteague Island. The award-winning customer service, superbly executed features, and impeccable accommodations of Fairfield Inn & Suites are guaranteed to enhance your getaway - and we’ll absolutely, positively be returning to enjoy them again.</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14.666666666666666px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009077278,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009077278,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="679" alt="9009077278?profile=original" /></a></span></p></div>
The Amazing Hilton Tel Aviv
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/hilton-tel-aviv-israel
2016-06-16T10:13:46.000Z
2016-06-16T10:13:46.000Z
Harvey frommer
https://tripatini.com/members/Harveyfrommer
<div><div class="tripHdr"><h1><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Pool-LOBBY.jpg" style="font-size:13px;"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-33586" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Pool-LOBBY-1024x680.jpg" alt="Tel Aviv - Hilton Pool LOBBY" /></a></h1></div><p><em style="font-size:8pt;">by Myrna Katz Frommer and Harvey Frommer</em></p><p><br /> It seems like this hotel has always been there. And in many ways this is a statement closer to the truth than one might imagine. Construction work was launched on September 13, 1962, just a few years after the founding of Israel itself. Three years later, Israel's biggest and most modern hotel was open for business<br /> <br /> There are those who say the Hilton Tel Aviv is still the finest hotel in the city. It is definitely one of the largest in all of Israel. Created by architect James Rechter, in the style of late <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernism">modernism</a><u>,</u> it's situated on a cliff in the heart of Independence Park in the hamlet of Tzafon Jashan. <br /> <br /> Since its opening day, more than 10 million guests have enjoyed the offerings of the Hilton, a hotel that owns bragging rights to hosting more return guests than any other property in Israel. Some of these returning guests are in residence as often as three times a year. The Hilton Tel Aviv also has more business people revisiting than any other hotel in the country - at last count more than 10,000 of them arriving annually from all over the globe and using the facilities of the hotel’s business center.</p><p><br /> As one businessman who returns to the hotel on a regular basis remarked: “The incredible variety of experiences offered by the Hilton Tel Aviv makes it the first logical choice of guests for their home away from home.”</p><p><br /> When people talk about great hotels, part of the conversation always gets around to “location, location, location.” A stay at the Hilton Tel Aviv is in many ways about the convenient and central area where it is situated: in pleasing, beautiful Independence Park, with direct access to the Hilton beach and the Tel Aviv Promenade, a great place to stroll. The hotel is also a little longer but pleasant stroll to Tel Aviv shopping, restaurants, and landmarks, as well as within easy walking distance to the exotic and historic area of Jaffa.</p><p><br /> Its 560 guest rooms boast elegant marble bathrooms, stunning sea views from private balconies, and comgloballymon amenities include an up-to-date and fully equipped gym and rejuvenating Thai-style spa.</p><p><br /> Food is always on most people’s minds when going to a luxury hotel such as this, and there's always plenty of fine food and dining options: buffet breakfast in Café Med, relaxed lunch in Yakimono sushi bar, dinner in the King Solomon Restaurant, for example.</p><p><br /> Though not quite the granddaddy of Tel Aviv hotels, it remains a grand hotel that has been around for quite a while, and has kept itself refreshed and up to date, with several significant renovation projects through the decades including a new lobby with an extended lounge overlooking the Mediterranean and complete refurbishment of all rooms and suites (the top floor rooftop floor of the hotel boasts several superior suites, some named for special guests who have stayed in them, like conductor Zubin Mehta, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and sculptor Yaacov Agam). </p><p><br /> When the Hilton Tel Aviv first opened in 1965, its policy was to reflect the identity of Israel, and so interior design team Dora Gad and Arie Noy - set apart from many other local designers by their distinct Israeli sense of style - incorporated bright local colors as well as biblical and archaeological themes into the carpets, wall hangings, and general design scheme. : the lush greens of the Galilee, golden yellows of the citrus groves, and violet desert hues.</p><p><br /> Stylistic changes since then have evolved from locality to internationality, the bright oranges and blues once so popular giving way to subdued colors that are more globally fashionable.</p><p><br />But all throughout, the Hilton Tel Aviv stands proudly astride the Mediterranean as one of the most famous and legendary hotels in all of Israel.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Pool.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-33584" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Pool-1024x680.jpg" alt="Tel Aviv - Hilton Pool" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>the 25-meter saltwater pool by the sea</em></span></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Room....jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-33585" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Room...-1024x559.jpg" alt="Tel Aviv - Hilton Room..." /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>King room</em></span></p><p><a href="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Room-Living-Room.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-33587" src="http://worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tel-Aviv-Hilton-Room-Living-Room-1024x569.jpg" alt="Tel Aviv - Hilton Room Living Room" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-1"><em>Plaza suite living room</em></span></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p><em>(All images courtesy of Hilton Tel Aviv)</em></p><p></p><p></p></div>
Baltimore’s Hotel RL: Community, Coolness, Incomparable Comfort
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/hotel-rl-baltimore-maryland
2016-04-23T14:30:00.000Z
2016-04-23T14:30:00.000Z
Travel Daddy
https://tripatini.com/members/TravelDaddy
<div><p>As a business owner with clients around the U.S., I occasionally hit the road for face-to-face confabs. So when I needed to meet with a new client in Baltimore, I researched hotels in Charm City where I could stay while taking care of biz.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009059901,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009059901,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="235" alt="9009059901?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>Given my affinity for hip boutique hotels, I checked out two popular properties: Hotel Indigo and Hotel Monaco.</p><p> </p><p>Hotel Indigo had sharp rooms, but the rest of the property looked kinda stiff. And Hotel Monaco’s rooms, lobby, and overall feel - though attractive - were wound WAY too tight for me.</p><p> </p><p>I then discovered <a href="http://www.redlion.com/baltimore">Hotel RL Baltimore</a>, the city’s newest lodging option that has generated exceptional user ratings (Booking.com - <a href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/rl-baltimore-inner-harbor.html">8.9 out of 10 stars</a>, Kayak - <a href="https://www.kayak.com/Baltimore-Hotels-Hotel-Rl-Baltimore-Inner-Harbor.381999.ksp">8.6/10</a>, Hotels.com - <a href="http://www.hotels.com/ho525404/hotel-rl-baltimore-inner-harbor-by-red-lion-baltimore-united-states-of-america/">4.3/5</a>, Expedia - <a href="https://www.expedia.com/Baltimore-Hotels-Hotel-RL-Baltimore-Inner-Harbor-By-Red-Lion.h2179298.Hotel-Information">4.3/5</a>, Travelocity - <a href="https://www.travelocity.com/Baltimore-Hotels-Hotel-RL-Baltimore-Inner-Harbor-By-Red-Lion.h2179298.Hotel-Information">4.3/5</a>, TripAdvisor - <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60811-d8108824-Reviews-Hotel_RL_Baltimore_Inner_Harbor_by_Red_Lion-Baltimore_Maryland.html">4/5</a>). It also turned out to be one of the most fun and unique hotels that I’ve ever experienced.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009060466,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009060466,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="397" alt="9009060466?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>The Hotel RL brand is a new line of properties from the Red Lion Hotels Corporation. It’s targeting tech savvy millennial guests - and while my age demo is in the upper range of Gen X, I nonetheless found Hotel RL Baltimore’s excellently executed offerings to be right in line with my business travel needs.</p><p> </p><p>The hotel, which has ten floors and 130 rooms, is centrally located at 207 East Redwood Street in Baltimore’s busy Inner Harbor district. It’s housed in the majestic Keyser Building, which opened its doors in 1905, and is on the list of the state's historic properties.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009060090,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009060090,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009060090?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>Hotel RL Baltimore is easily accessible by all modes of in-bound transportation:</p><p> </p><ul><li>TRAIN - Baltimore Penn Station is a ten minute cab ride from the hotel</li><li>CAR - <a href="http://www.redlion.com/baltimore/features/valet-hotel-parking">valet parking</a> is available as is <a href="https://www.parkingpanda.com/Search/?location=Baltimore%2C+MD%2C+United+States&place=ChIJt4P01q4DyIkRWOcjQqiWSAQ">hourly parking</a> at two lots on Water Street, which runs parallel to East Redwood Street and is a thirty second walk from the hotel</li><li>AIR - the Shot Tower Metro Subway Station, which runs back and forth from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, is less than a 5 minute walk from the hotel</li></ul><p style="text-align:center;"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296612487,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296612487,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9296612487?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>Notable perks that the Hotel offers to its guests include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel clocks in at a zippy 16.8 mbps.</li><li>Free cups o’ joe from Victrola Coffee Roasters are available in the lobby from 6:30am to 11pm. Guests are also entitled to one complimentary specialty coffee drink on each day that they're staying at the hotel.</li><li>A large, immaculate, state-of-the-art fitness center with plenty of cardio and strength equipment is available for usage 24/7.</li><li>A groovy (and free) VM minibus shuttle is available to bring guests anywhere within a two mile radius of the hotel.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009061479,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009061479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9009061479?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><b>THE LOBBY<br /> <br /></b></p><p>Hotel RL Baltimore’s first floor arrangement is the most innovative lobby layout that I’ve encountered in my many travel adventures. Its bright, unpretentious, and airy communal ambiance makes it easy for guests to mingle, dine, and work (or co-work).</p><p></p><div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><object width="480" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FRL%2520Baltimore%2520lobby%2Ffeed.rss" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FRL%2520Baltimore%2520lobby%2Ffeed.rss" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><a target="_blank"><img style="border:none;" src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" alt="btn_geturs.gif" /></a><a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/user/traveldaddyblog/library/RL%20Baltimore%20lobby" target="_blank"><img style="border:none;" alt="traveldaddyblog's RL Baltimore lobby album on Photobucket" src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" /></a></div><p><span style="text-align:center;"> </span><span style="text-align:center;"> </span></p><p>Key sections of the lobby include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>A <b>game room</b>, which features a selection of old school board games, bean bag and lounge chairs, a 60” flat screen TV, and a large table (with device connectivity capability) for game playing, working, or meeting.</li><li>A <b>bike storage area</b>, with free two wheelers for guests to use to tour the neighborhood.</li><li>Lots of chic and crazy comfortable <b>couch areas</b>,for relaxing, meeting, or dining/imbibing.</li><li>The <a href="http://www.redlion.com/baltimore/living-stage/yearly/2016"><b>Living Stage</b></a>, where local Baltimore performing artists share their stuff, and the hotel’s corporate meeting clients can offer TED-type talks or presentations.</li><li>The <b>Steps</b>, a stacked bleacher-type seating area for enjoying the Living Stage shows or cooling out.</li><li><b>Hotel RL Cafe</b>, featuring gourmet brews from Seattle’s <a href="http://www.redlion.com/baltimore/dining/hotel-rl-cafe">Victrola Coffee Roasters</a>.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Colorful creations from local Baltimore artists adorns the lobby walls, and it’s all beautiful. Check out this impressive ceiling sculpture that was constructed using recycled bicycle parts:</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009061665,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009061665,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="343" alt="9009061665?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>All of the areas that comprise the Hotel’s lobby mesh seamlessly into one another, creating an extended openness and roominess that deliver opportunities for bustling interactivity, or - if needed - privacy, focus, and solitude. </p><p> </p><p>I spent a bunch of hours getting work done in the lobby’s various sectors, and it was invigorating. It represented a highly creative usage of hotel space that emitted vibe, utility, and the opportunity for productive engagement with fellow guests.</p><p> </p><p><b>THE ROOM</b></p><p>Bright. Spacious. Sleek. The pix tell it all:</p><p></p><div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><object width="480" height="360" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" ></param><param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" ></param><param name="movie" value="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" ></param><param name="flashvars" value="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FRL%2520room%2Ffeed.rss" ></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque" ></param><embed wmode="opaque" width="480" height="360" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://pic2.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed280.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fkk177%2Ftraveldaddyblog%2FRL%2520room%2Ffeed.rss" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal"></embed> </object></div><div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><a target="_blank"><img style="border:none;" src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" alt="btn_geturs.gif" /></a><a href="http://s280.photobucket.com/user/traveldaddyblog/library/RL%20room" target="_blank"><img style="border:none;" alt="traveldaddyblog's RL room album on Photobucket" src="http://pic.photobucket.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" /></a></div><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p>Other <a href="http://www.redlion.com/baltimore/guest-rooms">room-related</a> deets:</p><p> </p><ul><li>A wall mural of a turn-of-the-century Baltimore skyline is above the beds in each of the hotel’s 130 rooms.</li><li>The ceiling height for rooms on the second floor is 14 feet; for rooms on the other floors, the ceiling height is 12 feet.</li><li>You don’t realize how many big pillows you need until you sleep in a bed that has as many big pillows as you want. <strong>Awesome</strong>.</li></ul><p> </p><p><b>MORE INFO</b></p><ul><li>Hotel RL Baltimore offers three rooms that are available for <a href="http://www.redlion.com/baltimore/meetings-groups">group meetings and corporate meetings</a> (two small rooms can each fit 15 people and have conference tables; the third is a large room that holds 100 people).</li><li>The hotel can host weddings, rehearsal dinners, post-wedding brunches, birthday parties, company parties/events, etc.</li><li>The Living Stage is available for usage by the Hotel’s corporate event/meeting clients and wedding/celebration clients.</li></ul><p> </p><p><b>THE TAKEAWAY</b></p><p>It’s refreshing when a brand delivers what it promises, and Hotel RL delivered exactly what I needed in my trip to Baltimore - and much more. Its location, accommodations, and energetic atmosphere made it one of the most memorable of my many hotel stopovers.</p><p> </p><p>If my experience at the Baltimore property is representative of what I can expect at other RL’s in markets across the U.S. (there are 80 that are planned to open over the next couple of years), I am <span style="text-decoration:underline;">there</span>, baby. <a href="https://www.redlion.com/hotel-rl">Hotel RL</a> is an innovative concept with superb execution that delivers a stylish and productive stay for business travelers.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009062254,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009062254,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="427" alt="9009062254?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p></div>
Booking.Com’s Fun ‘Booking Epic’ Campaign and Video Raise the Bar for Travelers
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/booking-com-s-fun-booking-epic-campaign-and-video-raise-the-bar
2014-01-20T14:39:58.000Z
2014-01-20T14:39:58.000Z
Kaleel Sakakeeny
https://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny
<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814479,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814479,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008814479?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><br /> <strong>Turning the mundane, frustrating experience of booking a hotel online into a fun moment, is an act of legerdemain that only Booking.com is probably able to pull off.</strong><br /> <br /> Take a look at their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjYUb42X4zE&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">YouTube</a> commercial to see what I mean. It’s wry, funny and self-deprecating.<br /> <br /> It’s a spoof on hotel TV commercials that in and of itself, is a smart TV commercial for Booking.com’s new U.S ad campaign: “Booking Epic.”<br /> <br /> But we have come to expect these sorts of creative approaches from the company that’s the largest brand in the global online accommodation sector.<br /> <br /> Last year it won the coveted Adrian Award bestowed by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) for its first U.S advertising campaign, ‘Booking.yea’, which, Chief Marketing Officer, Paul Hennessy said reflects their commitment to helping travelers experience ‘the delight of the right’ with their accommodations.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814699,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008814699,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="225" alt="9008814699?profile=original" /></a><br /> The new 2014 campaign builds on that success. The “Booking Epic” experience is designed to delighting consumers and “raise the bar for travelers.”<br /> <br /> <strong>The company, with 25 different varieties of accommodations, 400,000 properties in 193 countries, asks travelers to share even the smallest detail that went into making their accommodations epic. Or “Epic.”</strong><br /> <br /> What could that be?</p><p>It could be the cashew nuts.<br /> Or the complimentary breakfast.<br /> How about the minbar, or the incredibly powerful hair dryer?<br /> Or…<br /> <br /> <strong>It’s pretty self-explanatory, but clever, because people don’t book a hotel room, they book an experience</strong>. They book a story.<br /> <br /> The campaign was created by Wieden+ Kennedy Amsterdam Creative, and the theme is simplicity itself: A successful hotel stay is shaped by thousand of little and often weird details that Wieden+Kennedy directors say cause travelers across the globe, to glow.<br /><br /> The video itself is airing from January 14 on across the United States as a compelling component of “Booking Epic” showing people getting in touch with what they really like and want about their hotel stay.<br /><br /></p><p></p></div>
NOMA Social in New Rochelle, New York Adds New Dimension to Dining
https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/noma-social-new-rochelle-new-york
2016-01-08T16:17:33.000Z
2016-01-08T16:17:33.000Z
Steve Mirsky
https://tripatini.com/members/SteveMirsky964
<div><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/NoMaSocialInterior2-1024x694.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="591" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/NoMaSocialInterior2-1024x694.jpg?width=591" alt="NoMaSocialInterior2-1024x694.jpg?width=591" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br /> <br /> Downtown <a href="http://www.radisson.com/new-rochelle-hotel-ny-10801/nyrochel">New Rochelle's Radisson Hotel</a> has been a go-to lodging destination in lower Westchester County since the 1970s. After receiving a well deserved $2 million upgrade in 2011, the property's vibe was transformed from cookie-cutter chain to Manhattan-chic, with boutique-style rooms complemented by <a href="http://www.nomasocial.com/">NoMa (North of Manhattan) Social</a>, a brand new onsite lounge and restaurant that's quickly built a strong following with happening nightlife, craft cocktails, and creative Mediterranean-Spanish small plates.<br /> <br /></span></p><p><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_212156410.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="557" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_212156410.jpg?width=557" alt="IMG_20151110_212156410.jpg?width=557" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br /> NoMa Social's bar and lounge space is outfitted with purple sofas, zebra-striped rugs, houndstooth draperies, white vinyl banquettes, flashy globe lighting, and a digital mural extending across an entire wall of the lounge, showcasing moving images like a crackling fire. Sit down dining along the other side of the room to the right of the bar benefits from natural light shining through windows occupying the walls' upper three feet provide tree top views giving you the impression of being in the woods, even though a nondescript parking lot sits right outside. Clusters of classic novels sit on these window ledges accompanied by antique bookends and other literary inspired memorabilia.</span><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151111_094324861.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="620" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151111_094324861.jpg?width=620" alt="IMG_20151111_094324861.jpg?width=620" /></a></p><p><br /> <span class="font-size-3">While first impressions may suggest that dining takes a back seat to the nightlife scene and drink specials, <a href="http://www.nomasocial.com/our-chef.html">executive chef Bill Rosenberg</a> quickly allays that notion by asserting, "The 'social' part of the restaurant's name reflects my belief that the best dining is sparked by engaging conversation accompanied by remarkable food and drink."<br /> <br /></span> <span style="font-size:12pt;">NOMA Social's creative small plates include some adventurously tasty creations like "Egg in Purgatory,"</span> <span style="font-size:12pt;">a poached egg floating in a fiery, basil-laden tomato brodetto, accompanied with grilled toast; shrimp seasoned with marsala and chili flakes; "Dirty Skirt Steak"</span> <span style="font-size:12pt;">with pico salsa and crisp potato twigs; an assortment of tiny veal, beef, and pork meatballs in a rich tomato ragù; tender bites of grilled octopus; grilled halloumi cheese with a flavor-packed fig jam; breaded baby artichoke crisped in with a basil aoli, and Red Mills polenta, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;">rounded out with wild mushrooms, balsamic, and truffle oil.</span></p><p><br /> <a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_195737345.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="636" class="align-center" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_195737345.jpg?width=636" alt="IMG_20151110_195737345.jpg?width=636" /></a></p><p><span class="font-size-3"><br /> In addition to pitchers of house made sangria served in Mason jars packed with fresh fruit (which also come in <a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_194856309-768x1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="321" height="427" class="align-right" style="width:250px;height:305px;" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_194856309-768x1024.jpg?width=321" alt="IMG_20151110_194856309-768x1024.jpg?width=321" /></a>pitchers that can accompany five tapas for $60), bartender mixologist Mike DeFalco works closely with Chef Rosenberg, guided by what’s available in the kitchen and at local markets mixing up a variety of sexy themed craft cocktails. "Panties Off," Stoli raspberry vodka mixed with triple sec, cranberry juice, 7-Up, and a float of melon liquor and fresh raspberry; "Dirty Skinny Girl," a hundred-calorie martini made of 6x-distilled Tito’s Vodka, lowering the calorie count and dirtied by a dose of olive juice. Heat meets sweet in the dramatic "Feisty Spice," where fresh jalapeño slices counterpoint glistening pineapple chunks in a mix of 1800 Tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, pineapple juice, and simple syrup. with a rim garnish of jalapeños and pineapple.<a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_195217721-768x1024.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="356" height="474" class="align-left" style="width:176px;height:242px;" src="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_195217721-768x1024.jpg?width=356" alt="IMG_20151110_195217721-768x1024.jpg?width=356" /></a><a href="http://www.gastrotraveling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_20151110_195217721-768x1024.jpg" target="_blank"></a></span></p><p><em><br /></em> <span class="font-size-3">"Fig and Pig" is DeFalco's definitive crossover drink from kitchen to bar, based on an infusion from figs soaked in vodka for over three weeks, shaken vigorously, poured into a high martini glass, sprinkled with ice flakes - and just before serving, three olives hand stuffed with Hungarian blue cheese and bits of bacon are skewered on a long toothpick and balanced across the rim.</span></p><blockquote><span class="font-size-3"><em><br /> <span class="font-size-1">Photos: Steve Mirsky, NoMa Social. Coverage made possible by participating in a sponsored tasting.</span></em></span></blockquote></div>