It was an overcast November day with a chill in the air as winter approached Tobacco Dock. The crowd gathered to eat, drink and be merry inside the warm, inviting event space as the holiday merriment had already overtaken the city of London on the buildup to Christmas. With my […]
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 […]
It was my birthday and what better way to celebrate than to visit my favorite London cupcake and chocolate shops in Soho for a day of sugar treats? My travel writer friend, Kristen, who I met at the NY Times Travel Show earlier this year, met me for lunch at […]
I’m not a fan of connecting flights and try my best to book a direct flight as often as possible. Unfortunately, my London deal included connecting in Manchester UK and I had fingers crossed that all would go well as I wasn’t familiar with the airport and had one hour and […]
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 […]
London doesn’t need to be expensive if you do the research and have a sense of humor along the way. You’ve just landed at Heathrow on the overnight flight from the U.S., walked what seems like forever from the gate (if you were lucky to get a gate and not […]
As the holidays approach, the airports will be teeming with people trying to get home to family for dinner, for celebrations, for presents or for escape (Maui sounds nice right now). Many will not be accustomed to the rhythm of holiday travel and the airport experience especially if there are […]
The day started off picture perfect – I slept in, had breakfast and checked out of Hotel Atmospheres in Paris. My Eurostar train from Paris to London was scheduled for 1 p.m. so I had time to leisurely stroll around the city one last time before bidding adieu. The sun […]