When the taxi arrived at the Dorset Square Hotel, I swiped my credit card but the taxi wouldn’t accept my US chip card (chip/sign and not chip/PIN) and I had zero cash (unlike me, I know) so I left my bags in the cab and ran into the hotel to […]
One of the toughest choices I face when traveling is where to stay. I love staying at boutiques hotels but I also “fall in love” that I want to return to favorite properties so that’s the tough call – date a new hotel or go back to one of my […]
Like everyone else, I dream of winning the lottery. I grew up watching the television show “Lifestyles of the Rick & Famous” and while I thought the mansions might be a bit too big, I loved the idea of being able to afford to live wherever I wanted in a […]
At the World Travel Market in London, the speaker spoke about the boutique hotel experience and “how it makes you feel”. He noted that the experience starts the minute you arrive (or often times before that on social media and the hotel website) – the design, smell and people make […]
My last minute weekend in London for my British Airways status qualification trip gave me a great opportunity to try a new hotel, the Hoxton Holborn as I wanted an affordable hotel stay. The Hoxton hotel has been on my radar for a few years now since it first opened […]
Traveling to London for work, I’ve stayed in a variety of hotels throughout the city over the years, it wasn’t until I discovered the Firmdale chain of boutique hotels owned by the UK designer Kit Kemp that I found my home away from home, albeit a much more stylish, luxurious […]
Over the years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel London. I loved the easy availability of SPG redemptions, larger sized rooms (when I could get upgraded) and the quiet location. I’ve hated the rooms, the hallways, the indifferent staff and the blah of it all […]
When I hear “London is so expensive”, I reply “It doesn’t need to be if you know the secret spots”. That’s the key to most destinations – knowing where to find the off the radar, only locals know kind of places. For me, Z Hotel Soho is just one such […]
Calling the luxury Sofitel Heathrow Hotel at Terminal 5 (T5) an “airport hotel” is just cruel and unjust. For me the term “airport hotel” often conjures up a beige hotel which lacks character, is depressing as an in-transit passenger and makes me want to escape as soon as possible. I’ve […]
When it comes to finding the travel deals (and travel hacking) you need to be ready. There have been so many times when I was shut out of a great deal because I wasn’t a member of the frequent flier club of a particular airline, didn’t have this credit card/membership […]