HOTELS
Should you take a villa vacation?
Whether it’s at the city or beach, a villa vacation has many appeals over conventional hotels and resorts.
Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel: A good night’s sleep without frills
Originally built in 1976, the four-star Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel has 764 renovated rooms spread over 31 floors, many with views of the Seine River and some even offering a peek at the Eiffel Tower. Contemporary in décor and design, the hotel has a relaxed feel, with a lobby that always seems to be bustling.
Six sunny girlfriend getaway ideas
Many hotels and resorts have special packages to attract women. If they don’t, you can design your own. Whether you’re traveling with one friend, a sister, mother, or daughter, or a group, here are some girlfriend getaway ideas to whet your appetite (Rates vary based on season, room category, and availability; taxes and gratuities may…
Girlfriend Getaways: Sun, sand and sisterhood
Girlfriend getaways allow travelers time away without life’s baggage LOS CABOS, Mexico — Nonstop laughter resounded from the round table of nine seated in the corner of a fine-dining restaurant at an all-inclusive resort. To further pique my curiosity, each woman had a brightly colored silk flower pinned in her hair. I couldn’t resist approaching…
A peek at the Mandarin Oriental Paris on Rue Saint-Honore
Inarguably, the location of the Mandarin Oriental Paris is exceptional. The hotel is situated on Rue Saint-Honoré, one of the oldest streets in the city, which is dotted with 17th and 18th century mansions. The street is home to upscale boutiques and rows of fashion houses with recognizable names: Hermes, Gucci, Longchamps, Chanel, Tom Ford, Jimmy…
The Hotel Arts Barcelona: A room with a view—and much more
With a façade of exposed glass and steel that climbs 44 stories high, the five-star Hotel Arts Barcelona is the tallest building in this capital city of Catalonia.
London Layover: An Oasis of Serenity at Sofitel London Heathrow
For travelers facing early morning departures, late evening arrivals, or long layovers, the Sofitel London Heathrow, located right at the airport, is the perfect place to relax and de-stress. Rooms can be booked for overnight stays or for day stays between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Alternatively, weary travelers can while away a few hours…
Guest Post: A grownup girlfriend getaway to the Beverly Hills Hotel
If you are in the vicinity of Los Angeles/Hollywood, go all out for a night or two at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. Expensive? Yes. But the service and ambience makes it worth every piece of gold you have to sell to get there. Cut corners on dining and forget spa services, but treat yourself to this A-list experience once in your life.
Graffiti art bringing edgy personality to hotels
The term “graffiti” generally brings to mind images of building facades, walls, and subway cars scrawled with spray paint or markers. But hotels across the country are increasingly embracing street art as a design element that brings a unique personality to their properties. “Creating a successful hotel has a lot to do with differentiation,” says…
A sybaritic weekend in Paris: Memorable but costly
When our 30th anniversary was approaching, my husband and I realized we had never been to Paris as a couple. We decided that this milestone was a good as any excuse for planning an over-the-top weekend celebration. Paris is so rich and monumental—in terms of history, cuisine, art and culture—that mapping out an itinerary, particularly…
Nobis Hotel: Captivating Luxury in Stockholm
The 201-room Nobis Hotel, which opened in 2010, is centrally located on Norrmalmstorg Square in downtown Stockholm. Its address has assumed an infamous role in history and culture: The term Stockholm syndrome, coined in 1973, is used to describe a psychological phenomenon that occurred within these walls. The ground floor of the existing structure once…
Upscale hotel toiletries too good to leave behind
Some of the miniature toiletries at upscale hotels and resorts are so beautifully bottled, fabulously scented and downright seductive they seem to dare guests: Try me. See if you can resist taking me home! Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts partnered with Salvatore Ferragamo Parfums to place an exclusive line of Tuscan Soul amenity products in…
The art of tequila tasting
In Los Cabos, tequila tasting is approached much like fine wine Upon entering our elegant guest suite at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, we saw a handcrafted, blue-and-white ceramic decanter of Tequila Clase Azul sitting on the shelf beneath a large mirror in the hallway. Next to the bottle was a welcome note with step-by-step instructions…
The Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern: A Room with a View
This Hudson Valley gem is a perfect weekend base for exploring Saugerties and the surrounding region. One of the most memorable parts of any stay at the Diamond Mill Hotel & Tavern in Saugerties (Ulster County), New York is the breathtaking view from your room. In fact, each of the thirty guest rooms of this…
A summer weekend at the Harbor View Hotel & Resort on Martha’s Vineyard
In June, the stately colonial homes and more modest cottages of Edgartown are equally resplendent with lush green flowering plants and shrubs. The freshly painted white picket fences scream out to passersby that a new season has begun. Of course, low enough to hop over, they are intended for eye-appeal rather than security. The 100-square-mile…
Guess what’s in the hotel minibar now?
Once upon a time, hotel minibars were generic. All the mini-fridges looked the same; typically had the same offerings (soda, beer, liquor miniatures, and some candy and nuts)—and consistently induced a case of acute sticker-shock when guests located the price list. Even as a chocoholic, I had to be desperate to grab a candy bar…
All-Inclusives are coming of age
The design and decor of the Secrets Marquis Los Cabos exude high-end luxury. A dramatic open-air reception lobby, with an arc-shaped roof, frames an expansive view of the Sea of Cortez. Each of the 235 ocean-view suites and casitas has a balcony overlooking three infinity pools and the sandy beach. In addition to a 15,000-square-foot…
Green Luxury: Bardessono Hotel in Yountville (Napa, CA)
If “green luxury” sounds like an oxymoron, a stay at the Bardessono Hotel in Yountville, California, dispels that notion. The hotel is a perfect blend of elegance and energy efficiency. With geothermal heating and solar panels, the ultra-contemporary property, which opened in 2009, uses almost no offsite energy. Remarkably, it is one of only two…
5 great vacations for readers
Reading retreats allow book lovers to unwind and while away the hours as they get lost in their books. If you are a book lover, these five venues would make for a great vacation. Each one is conducive to catching up on the books piled on your nightstand or the ones you’ve downloaded on your…
Rimini: Italy’s duoMo hotel is fit for Fellini
Even its irreverent name, an odd mix of upper and lower case letters, suggests the whimsy of the duoMo hotel. Noted industrial architect Ron Arad headed the design team for this futuristic hotel nestled in Rimini, the hometown of Italian film director Federico Fellini. Rimini served as the backdrop for so many Fellini classics that…
Traveling with multiple cameras, we try not to miss any what-once-were Kodak moments. My husband and travel companion, Jerry, took most of the photos on the site using a 
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