I’m a sucker for a boutique hotel even more so when it’s new and no one has heard of it yet. It gets to be my secret happy place for a time, usually a short time, until the awards start to come and everyone starts shouting about it. One such […]
I’m not quite the “festival in the field” kinda of girl – it doesn’t matter which field or what festival, chances are if there are porta potties, there’s a high chance that I’ll say no. Festivals all day in the sun just sound exhausting with lots of downtime, too many […]
There is usually one stop on the tour that you think “really? this is a worthwhile place to visit? or wow, just another shopping stop for the tourists” (think that diamond store stop – really, who is buying diamonds on vacation at the tour stop?). When I saw that the […]
I’ve stayed in many London luxury historic hotels, boutique hotels and small rooms but my first visit to the Great Northern Hotel London melded all of my past experiences into one luxury hotel award stay. The original London railway hotel first opened in 1853 and has been restored with such luxury […]
The smell was familiar as I exited the elevator to the lobby, I had arrived at the Westin Philadelphia. The distinctive smell was courtesy of the candles surrounding the floral arrangement on the entry table. I was now instantly relaxed, the hell of the commute quickly recessing from my mind, […]
When I arrived to the boutique Rotterdam hotel, the Mainport Rotterdam Hotel, I was exhausted. It was a very long travel day with the overnight flight from New York, the six hour layover in London, the train from Amsterdam and the taxi from the train station. Luckily, the hotel restaurant […]
If you could design the food hall or farmer’s market of your dreams, what would you include? What experiences do you want locals and tourists to enjoy? The smells, the tastes, the sights and sounds – what senses are key? Now imagine that your dream hall is filled with vendors […]
It’s funny how people will have an opinion on all things solo and often reply “I could never do that alone” or the dreaded “you’re so brave”. While I’ve done so many things solo, going to concerts is always a tricky one for me. If it’s a larger stadium arena, […]
I’m not much of a gambler, to be honest, I tend to lose more than I win and think how I could use the money elsewhere to enjoy (i.e. – shoes or vacation). That said, I do enjoy visiting the casinos for the food and entertainment options. Having grown up […]
A Philly Cheesesteak in London? Call me skeptical, as I’ve argued Philly Cheesesteaks around the world. No…… green peppers are not a topping…mushrooms and green peppers are even worse and don’t get me started on the bread. The Philadelphia Cheesesteak is imbedded in my childhood and those memories of how […]