Dining Journeys (part 2 of 3)
Denmark
Pølsers in Copenhagen at Tivoli Gardens, where everyone seemed happy
This was our first trip to Europe together, we stayed across from Tivoli Gardens, the whimsical entertainment park enjoyed by young and old alike. It was Walt Disney's inspiration for Disneyland. We had pølsers (the national sausage) and beer and noted that everyone seemed happy. On the Strøget cobblestone shopping promenade, we ate smørrebrod, open-faced sandwiches. We both like Danish
With the internet flooded with travel websites, it's easy to think that no one needs travel agents anymore. But in fact, travel specialists have become more important than ever for personalized service and luxurious touches on trips.
The continued popularity of travel agents was evidenced by the big attendance at Educational Travel Agents Seminars held recently in three major cities in California by members of the Pro Image Costa Rica Group. Hundreds of travel specialists in San Francisco, Los An
High up on a hillside overlooking the waters of a vast silvery blue lake...Montana. Serenity and sweeping views yet minutes away from a bustling historic village...Montana…Hotel Montana, that is, in Lucerne, Switzerland. Embodying art deco magnificence with no expense spared, this grand dame is one of the last of its kind, built in 1910 on a former dairy farm perched in resplendent isolation yet no more than a minute vertical ride via Switzerland’s shortest funicular to the lake shore promenade
Hotels live and die by the number and kinds of reviews they get. Especially on TripAdvisor, because the quantity, quality and frequency of reviews a hotel receives there, determine a hotels all-important ranking.
Very little is said about the authenticity of a review, but regardless, even a small change in TripAdvisor's rankings can send shock waves, and deeply impact a hotel's website and revenue.
Hotelmarketing.com points out that TripAdvisor's rankings are based on a propriety algorithm cal
When naturalist guides Erick Camacho and Jose Garro found the dead toucan below a tree near their staff housing at the Costa Rica eco-lodge where they work, it was an interesting discovery but just another day in the jungle.
However, the deceased toucan – or more importantly, its beak – has given a big boost of hope to saving “Grecia” the injured toucan in Costa Rica that had its beak mutilated by teenagers late last year and has become an international sensation as engineers and veterinarians tr
Did you ever notice how many Manhattan hotel exteriors are often buried in the jumble of surrounding architecture and obfuscated by the frenetic street activity? Without signage, you'd walk right past many of their entrances without noticing.
An exception to this scenario, Sofitel NYC, rises 30 stories above 44th and 45th streets, sheathed in a contemporary pattern of limestone and glass among midtown Manhattan's concrete canyons. Upon stepping through the doorman-attended glass front doors, y
Is it possible for a Courtyard by Marriott to actually be a boutique hotel? Lately, it seems that mainstream chain hotels are strategically inserting themselves into prime urban locations walkable to top amenities rather than buried in the anonymity of suburban strip development.
Marriott's Courtyard Stamford Downtown exemplifies this trend with a sumptuous lobby wrapped with floor-to-ceiling windows affording sweeping views of surrounding architecture and street life. Its 70-minute train rid
Costa Rica's Southern Caribbean Coast has everything could want for a destination wedding and honeymoon.
Imagine your dream wedding exchanging vows with your beloved in a stunning beachside ceremony overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, or under the canopy of a tropical garden with the ocean close by. Picture a romantic honeymoon walking on pristine beaches at sunset, torch-lit tropical gardens and balmy evenings, days full of adventure, personalized service, and Caribbean culture and warmth.
Small hotels offer unforgettable travel experiences. They enrich your journey with something different – history, culture, remarkable architecture, outstanding surroundings, new friends or unusual charm. Instead of an impersonal homogenous chain, small boutique or family-run hotels are places where design is intrinsic to the experience, where hotel staff gives personalized service, where details and quality count, and where charm eases you into relaxing even before you’ve checked in.
Small, out-o
Guanacaste – the northwest province of Costa Rica – is known for its rolling grassy plains, “Gold Coast” beaches, towering mountains and volcanoes, sunny dry climate and unique dry tropical forest. For generations “Guanacastecos,” as the residents here are called, have been dedicated to farming, cattle and horse ranching. The “sabanero” (cowboy) traditions, folklore, music and dance are deeply rooted in the country’s culture.
But Guanacaste wasn’t always a part of Costa Rica. Once belonging to Ni
Costa Rica is celebrating International Surfing Day on June 20 big this year. Costa Rica’s surfing “dream team” made national history on June 7 when they were crowned 2015 World Surfing Champions.
Costa Rica’s team won the overall gold medal in the International Surfing Association (ISA) 2015 World Surfing Games held at Playa Popoyo, Nicaragua, competing against 26 teams from around the world. The medal, along with the Fernando Aguirre World Team Trophy and the International Olympic Committee (I
I’m a huge animal lover, and I’ve been writing about vacation resorts for a few years now. These two facts might at first seem like a non-sequitur, but on my recent visit to Iberostar’s five-resort Playa Paraíso complex on Mexico’s Mayan Riviera below Cancun, they came delightedly together.
Here not a day goes by where you won’t spot a charming critter with feathers, fins, or fur. Strolling from my room to dinner one evening at the Paraíso Maya, I came across a peacock calmly striding around t
When I stay at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, one of my favorite things to do is to swim in the giant tide pool down the beach about five minutes from the hotel.
The larger-than-Olympic-sized shallow sea water swimming pool is one of the best-kept secrets of the area. It is located between Pranamar Villas and “El Peñón,” or the big rock, where Santa Teresa Beach turns into Hermosa Beach – better known as “Playa Hermosa”. Since Santa Teresa and Playa Hermos
It has been some time since we reviewed a Hawaiian vacation property, and the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on the leafy garden island of Kaua‘i is particularly interesting for several reasons.
Mixed Clientele
The Westin Princeville is a village style resort that caters to a number of different types of vacationers. We spoke with Westin Vacation (timeshare) owners, business people using their Starwood Preferred Guest points for a much deserved vacation, and ordinary folks seeking a safe
Coming very soon to Playa Hermosa by Jacó in Costa Rica are the Costa Rica National Surfing Championships for 2015. The annual national event will take place July 17 to 19 on Playa Hermosa in front of the Backyard Bar & Restaurant.
If you are in Costa Rica at this time, don’t miss this fun beach party and exciting Costa Rica surfing competition on the third weekend in July 2015. Newly opened Hotel Tramonto is the best place to stay in Playa Hermosa by Jacó. The modern 76-room hotel is located on
Eco-friendly travel and sustainable tourism are some of the top buzzwords today in the travel and tourism industry worldwide. “Go Green” is the slogan you hear most often nowadays. Planet-conscientious travelers are more frequently seeking out eco-friendly lodging wherever they travel.
In ecotourism hotspot Costa Rica, L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa is a leading eco-friendly hotel in Nosara on the Nicoya Peninsula. The Bali-style Costa Rica luxury hotel is located between the beautiful white sand bea
For the third and final leg of my Southern business trip, I pulled in to charming Charlottesville, Virginia and was eager to sample one of the town’s premier lodging offerings.
While the popular Boar’s Head Inn, Omni Charlottesville Hotel, and Keswick Hall all seemed interesting, each – IMHO - had its downside (too big, way too big, too stodgy, respectively). Digging a bit deeper, I found the elegant Oakhurst Inn, and judging from the ebullient reviews on TripAdvisor (4.5 stars), Yelp (5 stars)
Southport, Connecticut is a picturesque, historic (est. 1639) port town on the Long Island Sound, just an 80-minute Metro North train ride from midtown New York City, And just a quick stroll from the local train station, Delamar Southport's classic white clapboard colonial architecture situated on the Old Post Road looks like it's been a fixture here since the town's 19th-century maritime heyday.
Until walking inside, it's hard to conceive that construction on the property was actually comple
As a part of the ever evolving and highly competitive hospitality industry, the only thing that can make your hotel stand out is how you treat your guests. There are literally million of hotels in the world, be it bed and breakfasts, uber luxury resorts, simple mid range hotels, guest houses, service apartments, or home stay! Whatever type of hotel you own and operate, chances are that even in your own city there are several competitors, some even in proximity to you and there is the probability
Once, Santa Teresa was a small fishing village, home to a handful of families who lived off the sea, along with small-scale agriculture and cattle ranching. Like many of Costa Rica’s top beach destinations along the Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa’s isolation from poor or non-existing roads kept this tropical paradise off the beaten track for decades.
From the hilly interior, the jungle sweeps down the mountains to the Pacific Ocean, hugging the shore and creating some of the most beautiful and hi
