Category Archives: Travels: The Route 53

My thoughts on some of the interesting places I’ve been. Having spent a few years in the luxury travel business as a banker, marketing analyst and management consultant, I have traveled all over the world during which time I took down notes, photos and sketches of my travels. My love of architecture as well as enjoyment of the hospitality industry has inspired many thoughts that I’d love to share. I’m really a homebody so when I’m away from home I’m always looking for something comfortable that helps me get to sleep and also inspires me with an interesting way to decorate my own home so that I can feel like my own life is an exotic luxurious adventure even after a long day at work.

The Luxe Hotel – Sunset Blvd.

03 Wednesday Jun 2009

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The Luxe on Sunset is a luxury hotel located at the corner of the 405 and Sunset Blvd at the edge of Beverly Hills.  Do not be confused as there also is a Luxe Hotel Beverly Hills located on Rodeo Dr.  In fact there are several Luxe Hotels in Los Angeles.
11461 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90049 USA
800-468-3541
The Luxe Swimming Pool

The Luxe Swimming Pool

Cost:$$
Hotel Decor: 89 Typical of a Los Angeles hotel, The Luxe has great outdoor lounging areas .  You feel like you are in your own private garden eventhough you are right next to a highway.  The hotel is older but has very modern decor in the rooms although nothing spectacular.
 
Hotel Amenities: 88 The rooms are spacious and quiet.  There are two levels and the back upper level is probably the quieter although older level.  The rooms are also closer to the pool.  The resort has a great spa thatmany locals seem to use. 
Neighborhood Scene: 91 As you can see in the pool photo, the hotel is situated below and near the Getty museum.  nothing is walkable and taxis are not easy to find.  You are a 10-15 minute drive from Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood and UCLA.  Shopping on trendy Rodeo and Richardson are both very near.
 
Miscellaneous: The closest airport is Burbank and although closer, renting a car is probably the best thing. 
Overall Wow Factor: 89  When I was there, President George W. Bush was staying in the main wing of the hotel.  As I waited around the lobby bar in the morning, Justin Timberlake walked through the hotel lobby as did Tom Brady.  There seemed to be plenty of  classic roadster cars being pulled up to the valet one after another.  There wasn’t a single car in that lot under $45K-$50K . The hotel is not flashy, but definitely had the coolness factor which showed that the hotel had all the class in the world with any of the pomp and circumstance.  This was old school Hollywood and not the Nouveau Hollywood as the conceierge told me. 
Lobby

Lobby 2

Outdoor Lounge
Small bathroom

Small bathroom

The Room
The Room
Double Room

Double Room

Food for Life

27 Monday Apr 2009

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“My wife and I tried to breakfast together, but we had to stop or our marriage would have been wrecked.”
Winston Churchill
Herbie Goes to Brendas

Herbie Goes to Brendas

I’ve been trying to live passionately the last few weeks, but it has been tiring.  So tiring that I’m sitting here sick in bed as I write this.  But that is okay because I’ve rediscovered that passion for life that had escaped my everyday routine for a couple weeks.    Its that same passion that has driven me to drive a VW Beetle made up to look like Herbie the Love Bug.  Its that impulse that drives people to do things that make them happy and allows you to enjoy life.  And for me that helps translate into others being happy.  I’ve always been passionate about travel, hotels, food and discovering new experiences and most of all sharing them with those I love.

I’m not sure what Winston Churchill was referring to in his quote about eating breakfast with his wife.   For me it is totally the opposite.  My latest passion are the breakfast beignets at Brenda’s.  Oh MY!  This isn’t about the swankiest or trendiest places, but little points in our lives where we could just close our eyes and still taste the food, remember the wonderful time we hand and long to relive a great time when we were happy. 

For my wife and I breakfast has always been a highlight.  Sitting down and having breakfast together means we are taking time to be with each other and usually that meants we aren’t rushing off.  It started when we were penniless college students in Pittsburgh and would go to the now defunct Bagel Nosh in Squirrel Hill for a $2 breakfast that included an egg, bagel, and coffee.  Oh did we have lots of refills just to hear this one waitress with a fake British accent (we still laugh about it to this day).  Over our life together there have been numerous places where we have held hands under the table over a hot cup of coffee.  In New York it was The Cupping Room located in SoHo where they served the best Challah Bread French Toast along huge bowls of coffee (yes, you brabbed the mugs with two hands).  That has since been replaced by our new favorite breakfast place in New York, the Clinton St. Baking Company where you will find the most incredible pancakes and muffins.

Clinton St. Blueberry Pancakes

Clinton St. Blueberry PancakesInside the Clinton St. Baking Company

The food is so good that Martha Stewart has written it up several times.  Beware that seating is limited and when going there we have waited outside in the cold until they opened. When we go to New York, we won’t miss getting a breakfast there. Part of the secret is the fresh Maple syrup which is sickeningly sweet.
Breakfasts in Hawaii also hold a special place for us.  Our honeymoon breakfasts on the Bay Terrace Cafe at the Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island has beautiful views, a fresh outdoor experience, omelettes made to order, fresh fruit, malasadas, and the friendliest service with that Aloha spirit.  Just tell them and they will freeze some grapes beforehand and you can take them out to your cabana chair on the beach.  It is the beautiful way to start a day on the Kohala Coast.
There have been so many others along the way:  Fresh Fields  Market in Durham, NC where you could order your breakfast any way you want it, bringing ingredients from the market to the counter and reading the newspapers and magazines for free and returning them to the rack, the now defunct Cheers in San Francisco where we held so many Sundays in their garden courtyard, Ann Sather’s Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry sauce in Chicago, and the list goes on….. the food always taught us to enjoy life and reminded us about embracing the moment.  We never had a meal at any of these places where we came away without a good plan for the day as well as a desire to return.  I’ll have to come back and edit this entry if I remember any others.
Our new recent find is Brenda’s.  Their beignets are so unique and the location is very tiny and in a very sketchy neighborhood.  The restaurant is only open from 8am -3pm and the flight of beignets (chocolate, plain, Apple and crawfish) and lines form beginning 15 minutes before opening on the weekends.  As we packed up Herbie on a recent  morning, my wife smiled seeing my excitement at showing her my latest find.  The kids were skeptical (crawfish was not as exciting to them as the chocolate) but they definitely enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the cramped little restaurant.  The sweet potato pancakes were wonderful as well as the andouille sausage omelette.  Even if the Crawfish beignet sounded a bit odd, we all agreed it was the marquis menu item and well worth trying even if you didn’t like it.  Everything on the menu is under $10 and affordable.
For me though, the best part was seeing the smile on my wife’s face as she drank her coffee and we smirked as we saw our children with full bellies and chocolate smeared faces.  She was also happy to see me enjoying myself with our brand new “breakfast haunt”.   I’m not sure how long we will continue to frequent this venue (our waistlines will suffer), but I do know we have plans to come back.

Review: Marriott Newport Beach Resort

07 Saturday Mar 2009

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Marriott Newport Beach

Marriott Newport Beach

 Marriott NEWPORT BEACH HOTEL & SPA  

900 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, California 92660
Reservations 866 440 3375  |  T 949 640 4000  |  F 949 640 5055
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxnb-newport-beach-marriott-hotel-and-spa/
Cost:$$
Hotel Decor: 87 Orange County chic with a nautical feel.  Outdoor lounge areas make the resort feel spacious
Hotel Amenities: 83 All rooms have an exterior face.  There are large spaciious rooms in the tower overlooking Fahion Islan Mall or the golf course and Pacific Ocean.  The lower three-story structureshave smaller rooms overlooking the pool areas.
Neighborhood Scene: 80 Fashion Island Mall is a stones throw away and the beaches are a short drive away.
Miscellaneous: The hotel is about 20 miles from the Disneyland resort and is only a $20 cab ride from the Orange County (John Wayne Airport).  The Hotel has a very nice restaurant as well. 
Overall Wow Factor: 85 Service and a relaxing environment are key factors here.  The resort has three pools and is very clean.  There are many oudoor lounge areas with outlets in case you need to work but would at least like to feel like you are getting some R&R in.  There are water stations throughout with orange wedges.  I even went out for a late night swim and when I got to my towel someone had placed a cool glass of water next to my deck chair. 
King Room

King Room

 The rooms in the lower structure are small with glass showers but I found them to be all that I needed to relax while staying there for a conference.  With palm trees all around and beautiful sunsets you might even be able to trick yourself into thinking that you are in Hawaii.  All rooms have a balcony that make the rooms feel larger.

Quiet Swimming Area

Quiet Swimming Area

I found the resort to be fairly quiet, especially in the non-tower rooms.  My room rate was a reasonable $159/nt and I’d especially recommend the resort to Marriott Reward members who are looking for a nice place to spend their weekend.

The Chamberlain – Hollywood, CA

22 Sunday Feb 2009

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CHAMBERLAIN WEST HOLLYWOOD  
1000 Westmount Drive
West Hollywood, California 90069
Reservations 800 201 9652  |  T 310 657 7400  |  F 310 854 6744
www.chamberlainwesthollywood.com
Cost: $ /$$
Hotel Decor: 89 Very Hollywood chic, but not tacky.  Remodeled apartment building.
Hotel Amenities: 85 All rooms are studios with sunken living areas. There is a small bar/restaurant and beuatiful roof pool with sweeping views of Los Angeles
Neighborhood Scene: 90  Located between West Sunset and Santa Monica Blvds. If you are looking for nightlife and are into the club scene, this is a great neighborhood
Miscellaneous: Also convenient to the Beverly Center Mall (15 minute walk), theatres and plenty of restaurants 
Overall Wow Factor: 85 For me I just like the scene.  The hotel room is spacious and comfortable and the roof top pool at sunset on a warm night is a great urban setting.
 
The Chamberlain Hotel

The Chamberlain Hotel

 
The Chamberlain is a unique hotel in West Hollywood a few blocks down from trendy Sunset Strip. It is a converted apartment building and caters mostly to male travelers.  On several occasions I’ve met screenwriters and other entertainment executives looking for a quiet and economical hotel options. Be warned that prices can increase significantly during the holiday season.

 

Since my Southern California office is near this location it tends to be my home away from home.  I do enjoy the friendly service from Angel (yes, she is a struggling actress) who runs the morning breakfast area to the wonderful poolside service at night where I like to rest in one of the cabanas.  it makes me think of starlettes in their white 50s bikinis with big sunglasses and palms trees sipping tropical drinks. 
As this used to be an apartment building, each room is a studio apartment with a balcony and a gas fireplace.  The bathrooms are fairly tight (a couple I know that stayed there complained about the lack of room for two people), but overall there is ample room.  Interesting to note is that there is a beauty bar full of products but most of them are geared toward men which might speak more to the West Hollywood neighborhood .
 
Chamberlain King Bed

Chamberlain King Bed

The king bed option is luxurious and the bed sits in the upper half of the studio and you walk down a few steps down to the living area.  A flat screen television sits between the two levels.  the room also comes equipped with the standard iHome clock radio which I’m starting to see in every hotel so be sure to bring you Ipod nano along.  I personally do not like to put my Nano in the iHome as I don’t want to forget it when rushing out in the morning.
Roof Top At Dawn

Roof Top At Dawn

The studio is comfortable for me and makes me feel like it is a place that I could see myself living in if I were still a bachelor.  This is important to me as it helps me to get to sleep at night.  The brown and blue colors as well as the fabric covered walls bring a nice homey feel to each room which makes it feel less like a hotel.
 
Close by I recommend getting a little lunch at one of the outdoor cafes and do some people watching on Sunset.  If you aren’t from the area, it’ll just make you smile and shake your head.  It is just a good way of checking out Hollywood and being part of the scene.  You’ll know if there are famous people if you see lots of people with cameras snapping away.  Some good places to eat are Caffe Primo at 8538 W. Sunset, Le Petit Four at 8654 W. Sunset and Le Clafoutis at 8630 W. Sunset.

Rio Hotel Las Vegas – Hotel Review

15 Thursday Jan 2009

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View of the Rio from the top of the Palms

View of the Rio from the top of the Palms

Rio All-Suites Hotel ( a Harrah’s Property)

www.riolasvegas.com
3700 W Flamingo Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89103
(702) 777-7634
Cost: $
Hotel Decor:78(feels like an older hotel with sterile and not very tasteful decor.  Floor to ceiling windows was the best asset)
Hotel Amenities: 80 (Like all hotels this one has a casino. All rooms are suites )
Neighborhood Scene: 80  (Not located on the strip but across from the Palms)
Miscellaneous: 80 (Restaurants are not the equal of those on the Strip)
Overall Wow Factor: 77 (Nothing spectacular here.  The hotel is not very glamourous compared to its neighbor, The Palms)
 
I recently stayed at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas for a convention.  The room rate was $129.  Next door the Gold Coast rate was $29.  The best part about the Rio is that people love the spacious rooms, the floor to ceiling windows and the views of the Strip.  The main performer at he Rio is the longtime Vegas act of Penn and Teller.  The hotel is also the home of the World Series of Poker
Rio Hotel Deluxe Suite

Rio Hotel Deluxe Suite

Obviously if you don’t like gambling or can’t deal with all the smoke, you wouldn’t be in Vegas.  This is definitely a hotel for conventioneers.  The one interesting amenity in the room is a strange looking frame next to the bed that turns out to be a window from the bathroom to the bedroom.  Yes you can actually watch someone in the shower or watch your bedroom from the shower.  It supposed to let light into the bathroom, but it just seemed odd to me.  The hotel’s amenities were not that great.  They charge you another $20 to use their gym.
The Rio is part of the Harrah’s chain so get a Total Rewards card and you will get credit for some of their more upscale properties such as Caesars.  The hotel is only 51 stories high in the Masquerade Tower which has a nightclub and restaurant (VooDoo Steakhouse).  If you are a steak connoisseur I might suggest going somewhere else although the dinner was not that expensive.
For those with kids, once again I suggest that Vegas is not for children.  Reserve a home off the Strip if you are bringing a family
Hotel Room view

Hotel Room view

Hotel Palomar – San Francisco

01 Monday Sep 2008

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Hotel Palomar (A Kimpton Hotel)
www.hotelpalomar-sf.com
12 Fourth Street at Market
San Francisco, CA  94103
Reservations 866.373.4941
Hotel 415.348.1111
Fax 415.348.0302
Cost: $$
Hotel Decor: 95 (warm and sleek contemporary design with silver finishings)
Hotel Amenities: 85 (Work out and business center as well as gourmet restaurant located on 5th Floor.  Don’t miss Happy Hour)
Neighborhood Scene: 90  (Urban touristy.  Not relaxed or perfectly safe at night)
Miscellaneous: 95 (Take a cab or park down the street in the 4th and Mission Garage.  It’s cheaper)
Overall Wow Factor: 87 (You can’t get this quality for this price.  Join the Kimpton newsletter to hear about their specials) 
Much like the Hotel on Rivington, the style of this San Francisco luxury hotel is modern but not too over the top.  The Palomar has picked up an animal (Leopard and Zebra) print theme that has expanded its brand to other Palomar locations in the US.  Unlike the hotel on Rivington, the Palomar successfully hides itself in this nieghborhood and whisks you off the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco.  Located five stories up (located above the 4 story Old Navy flagship store)  the décor invites closer inspection such as the nude drawings outside the 5th Floor restaurant by Sayles.  The lobby is located on the ground floor and is very similar in simplicity and style to the boutique hotels found in Paris.
The Hotel Palomar is centrally located near the SOMA district with easy access to great restaurants, the Moscone Convention Center, the Sony Metron, the MOMA, the Jewish Contemporary Museum and at least half a dozen other museums.  It is also three blocks away from famed Union Square, but just across the street you will find Barney’s, the Apple Store and the Virgin store.  Around the corner you will find the San Francisco Center (formerly Emporium) which houses a gorumet food court, hundreds of high end shops and a cinema multiplex.  The location makes this hotel appealing to those suburbanites looking to get into the city for some action or conventioners looking for an alternative to the Marriott (Jukebox) across the street, the loud and trendy W or the new Intercontinental blue eyesore.
5th Floor Hallway at Hotel Palomar

5th Floor Hallway at Hotel Palomar

Our King size room was quiet despite the traffic down below on Market Street and overlooked the Virgin store and Apple store.  The room offers Leopard and Zebra print robes and the generously sized bathroom offered a jacuzzi soaking tub which is very relaxing after all the walking you will do in San Francisco.  Definitely use it as the shower was lacking in size tucked into the corner when there was lots of room.
What do we reommend for food.  If on a budget, try Coriander (Thai food) in the San Francisco Centre food court.  Two items (Cripy Basil Chicken and Spicy Catfish over rice for just $8 is good for a conventioneer’s budget and don’t miss the Beard Papa Cream puffs ($2) also located in the food court.  If the hotel’s 5th Floor restaurant won’t do, other great restaurants within walking distance include Two (Hawthorne Lane off of Howard between 2nd and 3rd), Roy’s (Mission and 2nd), Lulu’s (4th and Folsom) and XYZ (located in the W on 3rd and Howard) offer great alternatives.  Also try the Samovar Tea House located in the Yerba Buena Gardens where you can sit down with a beautiful view of the area while going through all of your purchases.
If you joing the Kimpton’s newsletter you will see lots of special offers that will save you money so you can go on those shopping sprees.  Our King Size room only cost $159/nt on a holiday weekend making this hotel an easy urban getaway spot.
King Bed-Palomar

King Bed-Palomar

Sleper sofa with Virgin Store out the window

While  I am a local San Franciscan, I do have to add that the Cable Car line on Powell St. is just a block away.  You can catch the cable car all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf and Ghirardelli Square from there.

Soaking Jacuzzi Tub

Soaking Jacuzzi Tub

Hotel On Rivington- New York

09 Saturday Aug 2008

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THE HOTEL ON RIVINGTON (THOR)
www.hotelonrivington.com
107 Rivington St.
New York, NY 10002
212-475-2600
Cost: $$$$
Hotel Decor: 95 (some aging, but overall THOR is stunning if you like boutique urban design)
Hotel Amenities: 90 (Don’t miss the summer roof deck parties.  Ask and research with the staff)
Neighborhood Scene: 90 (Cool chic.  Relaxed. Not something for everyone)
Miscellaneous: 98 (So unique in nature you won’t stay in another hotel like it in the US)
Overall Wow Factor: 90 (some aging of the hotel and service) 
The Hotel on Rivington (www.hotelonrivington.com) lived up to all the hype for me.  Located on the Lower East Side, it is a great escape away from all the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan.  The often unexplored LES offers a vibrant nightlife with clubs, restaurants and some unique shopping.  The hotel is a sleek contrast to the rest of the neighborhood and really does stick out like a sore thumb.

Despite all my usual research I was not quite ready for the entrance to the hotel with it’s white modern sculpture entrance which felt like entering the Matterhorn at Disneyland.  Secondly, I wasn’t ready to find that the reception desk was on the 2nd floor.  I was so eager to see my room ( a corner with a glass shower) that I didn’t even bother to check out the lobby until I checked out.  When you get to your floor, the halls are black with no windows and you just follow the glow of the red light to your room.The lack of lighting adds to the shock factor when you enter your room with floor to ceiling windows that offers sweeping views of the LES bridges, with Delancey St. below and Wall Street in the distance.  The room fit the images of the photos on the website except my bathroom was black tiled compared to the yellow one I saw on the site.   For all you exhibitionists out there, it should be noted that the glass shower uses frosted glass so there is really no chance of being seen from the street below.The muted cauliflower blue and brown colors fit well with the design of the room complete with automatic sliding curtains, free wi-fi, balcony and flatscreen TV.  This is definitely a rock and rollers hotel.  For those who like celebrity watching (raising my hand) we spotted Sarah Michelle-Gellar here as she was having a “wrap Party” for her new movie.The Hotel on Rivington towers over the LES.  Once we dropped our items in the closet we explored the great stores for boutique clothing, found a restaurant for the evening (Tre) and scoped out restaurant row (Clinton St.).  Although the hotel has its own restaurant, Thor, we wanted to escape from the touristy feel and have a nice casual dinner in the neighborhood.  Tre is located just around the corner, one block north of the hotel and offers a quiet scene in a shotgun style restaurant with lots of good people watching as well as a great place to eaves-drop on the interesting lives of the people who live in this eclectic neighborhood.  We had the prix fixe meal which was a little salty but that wasn’t why we went there.  The interesting site was the tall British gal in her white hostess dress.

Thor Entrance
The low profile bed

The low profile bed

At one point this striking gal snapped on some rubber gloves, threw a large piece of prosciutto on the table and sliced it right there fresh for the patrons.  It was a scene that you’d have to have seen just to visualize the oddity.  Afterwards, we bar hopped, checked out the “Livingroom” , a small live music joint and then back to Thor for a drink.
Looking toward the Battery

Looking toward the Battery

We left our shades open and got up early the next morning for breakfast at the Clinton St. Bakery.  I’ll discuss that at another time, but located three blocks from the hotel on Clinton and Houston, you will find the best blueberry pancakes (okay Martha Stewart discovered them first) that are just one more reason to stay down in the LES.

I highly recommend the Hotel on Rivington.  We didn’t get to truly experience the hotel, but the small taste that we got was enough to get us to come back to the hotel and its great neighborhood.  The furniture , the interior design and the ambiance were spot on.