Americans drive SUVs and motorcycles. Romans get around in Smart Cars and Vespas. Americans eat spaghetti. Romans dine on pasta. Americans like staying at huge US chain hotels like Marriott, Hilton and Westin when traveling in Rome. But my family prefers a charming 23-room boutique called Hotel Modigliani. Owners Marco and Giulia and their friendly,…
Two girlfriend getaways: one in California, the other Canada. Although thousands of miles apart, they both promise a few days of uninterrupted girl time. Montage Laguna Beach is set on 30 acres of oceanfront overlooking the Pacific. Located in the vibrant arts community of Laguna Beach, the 250-room Craftsman-style resort features beach front accommodations; a…
I’m not talking about the “Ding-dong the Witch is Dead” ones, but more the “Bride-to-be” wedding bell variety. If so, you’d better hurry and sign up for the Four Seasons Hotel’s Fifth Annual San Francisco Wedding Fair, “A Five Star Afternoonâ€?. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco and Bridal Network will join forces on Sunday, January…
A few years ago New York’s Plaza Hotel was sold to the Elad development group, who began, in April 2005, a renovation of the historic building back to its 1907 charm and status. They were hoping to get it all completed before the hotel’s 100th anniversary in September 2007, but we’ll have to wait until…
Since 2000, spice heavyweight, McCormick and Company, has issued their Flavor Forecast that tells us what hot trendy flavor combos will rule for the next 12 months. The list is carefully made up by consulting their extensive network of researchers, trend experts, chefs, food technologists and sensory analysts, as well as gouing outside the company…
I can’t wait to see the Iron Horse Hotel when it opens this summer. What could be more perfect than a bad-boy biker hotel located right across the river from the new Harley-Davidson Museum. (Although unfortunately most of today’s upscale bikers are a far cry from James Dean.) From the stunning lobby overlooking downtown to…
I’m trying to write my list of New Year’s resolutions, although who are we kidding? I can basically just forward myself last year’s list and simply change the date cuz they are always more or less the same: 1. I will stop eating when I am full no matter how delish the food is. 2….
Saving the best for last–My hottest travel tip of the year. I don’t know why it took so long for me to discover HotelsCombined.com, but it has rapidly become my #1 go-to travel site since it consistently saves me mucho dollars and countless hours. HotelsCombined.com is a unique search engine dedicated to finding hotel information,…
Both You And Your Doggy Will Have Sweet Dreams::Benjamin Hotel, NYC. I don’t know if the owners of the Benjamin suffer from insomnia, sleep apnea, or just really enjoy a good night’s sleep, but they certainly don’t leave any of it to chance. Their Sleep Concierge (I kid you not) will call you a few…
As exciting as the medina area of Marrakech is, a few days was enough for me, so I simply picked up the phone and called the Dar Ayniwen Villa Hotel and said, “Madamâ€? was ready to be picked up! (I’ll never tire of this phraseï?Š.) Only a short 15 minute ride from all the hustle-bustle…
They put the Alexis Hotel into rehab: Yes, Yes, Yes! That’s my reaction after doing before and after stays at Seattle’s historic Alexis Hotel. The $8.5 million renovation is now complete and it’s sweet. Photos of my before and after stays say it all. The new, improved suite is in the first photo and the…
After my relaxed week in Fez, I was ready to tackle the hustle of Marrakech. (Compares to traveling from San Francisco to New York.) But I couldn’t decide if I wanted to stay right in the medina, the pulsing heart of Marrakech, or in the plush rarified atmosphere of the Palms area, so little piggy…