Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood

The Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California is a lovely, historic hotel on Hollywood Blvd where all the sidewalk stars are. It’s a great place to people watch from – I’ve seen two celebrities in this hotel since I’ve been here!

My room is definitely on the smaller side, bu the bed is comfy. However, the bed does have a nasty, sharp wooden corner to it which is very annoying! I’ve managed to walk into that corner about four times since being here, and my shins now look like someone took a baseball bat to them. Other than that, the room is fine. The bathroom is small, and the toilet paper roll is hidden behind the door, so you have to close the door when using the bathroom, which I found amusing. Nice amenities are included in the bathroom.
They do hit you with a lot of charges here. You even have to pay for the coffee in the room. There’s a very funny “Shag Bag” which made me laugh out loud. You can guess what’s in there.

This hotel is a little bit spooky though. It’s older, built in 1927 I believe, and the hallways feel dark and, well – haunted. I’m not kidding. I’m on the twelfth floor, and I get weird chills when I walk from my hotel room to the elevator.

Moving on! If you stay here, you have to check out the historic lobby – it’s absolutely gorgeous. Very high ceilings, dark wood, soft, yellow lighting. Large, very comfortable leather chairs…just lovely.

The pool is open till 11pm, score!

I highly recommend Shelly Cafe, right across the street. Pretty cheap food – basic burgers, sandwiches and salads. But good! And, Million Dollar Baby was filmed there, if you’re into that stuff.

Photo Credit: P Keigan

Sustainable travel is now in the first stages of yet another revolution – moving from eco-friendly green hotels to completely carbon neutral hotels.

The Resort at Paws Up, Greenough, Montana

Airlines already allow passengers to purchase carbon credits equivalent to their share of carbon usage for the flight. Some private air charters include it as part of the service, so that their clients don’t have to do anything. It was only a matter of time before hotels started adopting this system.

The Resort at Paws Up in Greenough, Montana, is being touted as the first carbon neutral property in the United States. The resort implements all the usual green practices – earth-friendly cleaning products, electric vehicles on the grounds, organic food and sustainable produce in the restaurant, energy efficient lights, providing guests the option to re-use linens, and so on.

But in addition to all this, Paws Up also has a partnership with Missoula’s ClearSky Climate Solutions. They did an audit to calculate their energy consumption, and now they’re making sure to leave a ”zero carbon paw-print” by investing in Montana forestry and rangeland projects that are certified carbon offset providers.

But it’s not like this is something completely new. In fact, the US is actually behind on this one. Denmark’s Brochner Hotel chain claims to be the world’s first carbon neutral hotel chain, with 4 carbon neutral hotels in Copenhagen. URBN Hotels in Shanghai boasts of China’s first carbon-neutral hotel. The Mayland Seaside Hotel under construction in Guangzhou is incorporating a fuel cell power generator that would run on clean natural gas, making it the world’s first completely carbon-neutral hotel, which doesn’t have to compensate by buying carbon credits.  

Even Greenland has it’s own carbon neutral hotel under construction, just south of Ilulissat Icefjord, which is to be completely powered by alternative energy. 

Hotels have long been cashing in on eco-friendliness, touting everything from energy-efficient light bulbs to dual-flush toilets. Some of them really do care, and go out of their way to get LEED certification. But that still leaves at least some impact on the environment everytime you stay at a hotel.

Guests should not have to worry about how green a hotel really is – or isn’t. The time has now come for every hotel to start offering a completely carbon neutral experience. And guests shouldn’t have to pay extra for it. Properties like The Resort at Paws Up who are ahead of the curve will benefit from the positive publicity.

The best part of it is that once a hotel goes carbon neutral, it will be forced to become more energy-efficient and implement environmentally friendly practices, in order to reduce the bill for purchasing the required carbon credits. It’s good business, good for the environment and guests enjoy a guilt-free stay.

Kid Friendly Hotels

Picking the right hotel for your vacation is about much more than finding the best price.

When looking for a hotel, it’s a good idea to consider the kind of vacation you’re taking, who is staying with you, and what kind of hotel amenities are best suited for your unique vacation.

In other words, the best hotel for a romantic getaway may not be the best hotel for a family vacation with two small children.

Kid Friendly Hotels – What Amenities to Look For

1.  Continental Breakfast available on-site.

Small children don’t need an elaborate meal three times a day.  They do, however, need something for breakfast.  The more easily accessible, the better.

While a nicer hotel may have a restaurant that offers a full buffet and omelet bar, I much prefer an inexpensive hotel with a simply stocked continental breakfast when I’m traveling with my kids.  It’s generally a lot easier to set little kids up with a bowl of cereal in a small dining area that accepts footie pajamas as part of their dress code.  Traveling with kids means a lot of time spent in restaurants, and any chance to avoid that stress while still getting a decent meal is worth watching out for.

2. A pool is a plus.  A jacuzzi is completely unnecessary.

Little kids love to swim.  Or, at the very least, they love the idea of swimming – even if the reality is sitting on the pool steps for hours in their swimsuits.  But their expectations are low when it comes to a good hotel pool.

Water?  Great.  Shallow end?  Fantastic.  Clean?  If mom says so.  A jacuzzi and sauna room are less than an afterthought and should, in fact, be avoided by small children if possible.

3.  Extra sleeping area available – pullout couches, cots, massive floor space.

I always underestimate how much sleeping room my children are going to need when we travel.

“Oh, the little one can sleep with us.”

“Hey, the two little ones can bunk together.”

And then the little one is jammed between two big people in a double sized bed and the two big people end up with very little sleep.  Or the two little ones decide that this is the night that they cannot stand anymore of her touching me!

I’m all about giving up a little convenience to save a few bucks, but a good night of sleep when you’re on vacation is much more than a convenience.  Check with the hotel before you book to verify the size of the beds and the availability of cots.

4.  A bathtub.  Not just a shower – an actual bathtub.

If your kids are used to showering at home, than this is a non issue.  But if you’re traveling with a toddler, you may not want to introduce showering and water in the eyes on your oh so perfect family vacation.

Some hotels offer stand up showers only in some rooms, but have regular sized bathtubs in other rooms.  If you book your reservation by phone, ask about a room with a tub.  If you book your room online to save money, call the property you’re staying at after you’ve booked and request a room with a tub.

Ironically, you’ll usually find these amenities in a less expensive hotel.  Luxury is, apaprently, reserved for adults.  But when you’re on a family vacation, the best luxury is being able to stay some place where everyone in the family can feel relaxed and at home.

The Claremont Resort & Spa, Berkeley, CA

Some dear friends recently celebrated their 10 year wedding anniversary with a stay at the Claremont Resort and Spa, an old school “Grand Hotel” in Berkeley, California. In addition to being a beautiful and historic property, it’s also where they spent their honeymoon.

Pools, Bars and Chicken Fingers

The Claremont was nice enough to offer me a room at their media rate, so my husband and I decided to join our friends with a one-night staycation of our own!

The scene of chicken fingers and greyhounds!

We spent a delightful afternoon by pools (yes, plural — one for everybody, a second for kids and a third for laps) sipping cocktails while nibbling on chicken fingers and fries, which were delicious and a bargain at $7, don’t miss ‘em!

That was followed by an hors d’oeuvres and wine-filled evening in the Paragon Cafe and Bar, home of amazing San Francisco skyline views and breathtaking sunsets over the Golden Gate Bridge. Oh, and tasty food and drink. After so much decadence, we were more than happy to stumble upstairs to our room with a partial Bay View and extremely comfortable king sized bed.

Secret Agent Hotel Reviewer Financial Services Offsite Meeting Attender

My behind remembers sitting thru 3 day meetings in those chairs

But let me back up: before I could start drinking by the pool, the Claremont’s extremely friendly and funny Senior Sales Manager, Quincy Smith, gave us a tour of the property so I could do a (relatively) informed review of the hotel. Little did he know, I’m sort of a ringer.

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70 Park Avenue Hotel, New York City

I am a Priceline whore.

No.  Wait.

I am a Priceline ninja.

I have been using Priceline for years to book rooms at hotels I otherwise couldn’t afford.  Priceline’s name your own price feature allows me to indulge my champagne appetite on my RC Cola budget.  I’ve stayed in a deluxe room at the 70 Park Avenue hotel in New York City for $170 a night.  I’ve stayed at a 4-star hotel blocks from the Magnificent Mile in Chicago for barely more than $100 per night.

And yet, every time I suggest to a friend that they should try to name their own price on a hotel at Priceline, I get a terrified look of horror in response.

“But you don’t get to choose the hotel!”

“What if I end up in a dive?!”

“What if I have to pay for a room way out by the airport?!?”

Pansies.

Yes, Priceline’s name your own price feature comes with a certain amount of risk.  You have to input your credit card number and agree to pay for whatever room is given to you by whatever hotel accepts your offer.  There is, I admit, potential for disaster.

Unless you know what you’re doing.

How Not To Get Screwed Using Priceline To Book A Hotel

(And still save a ton of money on a fancy hotel)

1.  Research neighborhoods in the city you’ll be staying in.

If you’re booking a hotel in a large metropolitan city like New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles, Priceline gives you the option to choose from various neighborhoods or “areas”.  Head to a site like UpTake.com and research “Things to do” so you have an intelligent idea of where the tourist attractions are that you’ll want to stay near.

Reading reviews of hotels in the neighborhoods you’re considering will give you a good idea of how safe the area is and how convenient it is to major attractions.

Then, when you go to “name your own price” on Priceline, you’ll see a map that shows the various areas available – and you’ll know which areas would be a good fit for your vacation.

2.  Research prices.

The first step to getting a good deal on a hotel is to find out what everyone else is paying.  Again, using a site like UpTake or Priceline’s main booking site will give you a good idea of the average price for a hotel in the areas you’re interested in staying in.  Do not plan to pay the average price.

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to start the actual bidding.

3.  Choose a higher star level than you’re willing to settle for.

I assume that a star rating on Priceline is overly generous.  Better to go in expecting a 4-star hotel and get too much luxury, than to find out that “continental breakfast” qualifies a hotel for a 3-star rating.  Just to be safe, I almost always request at least a 4-Star hotel when I’m bidding on hotels in a large city – even though my frugal princess head could surely survive a night on a 3-star pillow.

4.  Start with 1 or 2 areas and give yourself room to negotiate.

The trick to getting a great deal on a great hotel on Priceline is to give yourself room to go up.  If your original offer is rejected, you have to make changes to your request in order to resubmit.  One of the easiest changes to make is to add more areas to your offer.

So have 3 or 4 potential areas in mind that you’d be happy to stay in if you can save hundreds of dollars – but don’t tell them that unless you absolutely have to.  Your first offer should be your dream scenario.

5.  Start the bidding at 50% of the average price of a hotel.

Again, the key to negotiating with a computer is to play your cards close to your vest.  And I might be mixing metaphors here, but you get the idea.

There are times when you’ll get your first offer will be accepted and you can do the “Ha, ha, common folk!  I scored a great deal!” happy dance.

There are also times when your offer will be rejected and Priceline will be all “are you crazy?  You do know the average price of a hotel in this area is two times what you’re asking us to give you, right?”  Ignore these intimidation tactics.  Bid low and hope for the best.  If the best doesn’t happen, you’ll have plenty of room to go up and still walk away with a great deal.

6.  Have a stop loss point.

Remember all that research you did ahead of time?  Let it tell you when you’re no longer getting a screaming deal that’s worth assuming the risk of letting a computer blindly pick your hotel.  Saving $20 a night on a $250 room is not worth it.  Saving $50 per night over a 4 night stay?  Something to think about.

The bottom line is that Priceline’s name your own price feature is essentially a marketing gimmick meant to attract budget travelers.  But there is real potential there, if you book wisely, to save a considerable amount of money on a great hotel.

Shoot for the Ritz and plan to end up saving a little money on the Hilton.

*PRICELINE, PRICELINE.COM and NAME YOUR OWN PRICE are registered service marks of priceline.com Incorporated

Philadelphia Skyline

The Marriott Philadelphia Hotel at the airport is a wonderful hotel. The room was large and clean, and the bed was very comfortable. I made use of the swimming pool which was actually a very narrow lap pool; at first I found this strange, but then I realized that the arrangement of the pool made it less likely that there would be a bunch of kids in it, so that was nice. The exercise room was next door – you could watch people exercise as you swam.

Considering this hotel was practically on a runway, the hotel room was incredibly quiet. I don’t think I heard any planes, really.

I wish I could comment on the food at the hotel, but I didn’t eat anywhere. There was a large room service menu though! I ordered a glass of wine through room service, and it arrived in less than 15 minutes, which I found impressive.

Check-in was very professional and a real breeze, as was check-out. After checking out, I just went to the second floor and walked over to my airport terminal! It was really easy.

I don’t think this hotel is very close to anything touristy, but it’s perfect for business people who are needed a high quality hotel that’s very close to the airport. I would definitely stay here again.

Photo Credit: Payton Chung

The gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA

Last week Addison Schonland of the IAG travel and aviation consultancy interviewed me for my very first podcast.

If you’re curious to hear my insider recommendations for a fun-filled trip to San Francisco, CA, check out the podcast here.

We cover sights, food, going up to Marin and Healdsburg, driving down Rt. 1 to Monterey, hotels — of course! — and the many places to drink wine.

The stuff about San Francisco’s legendary naked people is near the end. Oh, and we sort of make fun of PETA, just a little at the beginning, in the context of needing a fur coat in when you visit here in June.

All the truth, all the time!

Other awesome podcasts in the series include:

• Whit Honea, UpTake Vacations blog editor, giving advice on traveling with kids
• Jennifer Miner from the UpTake Restaurants blog, and a Traveling Mama, on a budget summer trip to Sedona, AZ

Wasington DC Skyline

I loved the Hilton in Rockville, Maryland, not too far from Washington DC. The lobby area is beautiful – there’s a waterfalls, trees with beautiful lights on them, and you can watch the glass elevator go up and down. There’s at least one bar, where the drinks weren’t too expensive, and numerous places to eat.

After my stay here, I promised that I would go online and buy the bed sheets. They were so, so soft and comfortable! The room was really big, with two Queen beds, a desk, a TV, and a large bathroom. There were two swimming pools, though I only used the inside heated one because it was raining outside in the morning. It was smallish, but really warm, like bath water. Perfect!

The location is great – it’s not necessarily close to sights like the White House, but if you’re here for business and you need to be close to government offices such as Lockheed Martin or the National Institute of Health, then you’re set! There’s a huge meeting space, if you need it.

Internet was not free, which I don’t get. How can you get free Internet at a cheaper place like Holiday Inn Express, which also has free breakfast, and yet you have to pay for Internet at a place that charges $240/night? I think it was $17.

I’d come back here if I could afford it!

Photo Credit: omniNate

As hotel obsessives (yes, like me) know, the Ritz-Carlton is the gold standard for service. Executives and sales departments from other industries study them to learn how to treat their most valued clients. And guests of the Ritz-Carlton consistently rave about the attention to detail and care they enjoy while staying at the properties.

The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, CA

Seriously, it’s real. For a former job, we’d put our (ridiculously rich) Board of Directors up in the San Francisco Ritz-Carlton, on Nob Hill — they demanded to stay there. I’d go running up there to do whatever gofer stuff they needed, and even then, when I was a totally junior peon, every single staff person was the picture of friendly solicitousness. They greet you at the door with a smile, everything is ready for you in a nanosecond, and if you have to wait someone brings you chilled water. On a silver tray. It’s delightful.

Yes, special tuxedo chocolate strawberries. Note the silver tray!

Like so many wonderful things in life, you have to experience it to really understand it, and it can be a bit pricey — a luxury in the most traditional sense.

Before you sigh in wishful yearning, and decide you’ll never know, check this out: This summer the Ritz-Carlton is placing that luxury (a little more) within reach with special value packages.

Not a sale, not a discount, an added value package.

A room at the SF Ritz-Carlton. Check out the view!

I’m especially impressed by the “Peace of Mind” package, which is all about relaxing and creating memories, in gorgeous locations like San Francisco (of course!), Maui, Key Biscayne, the Virgin Islands, Europe and the Middle East. The package includes:

• deluxe room accommodations
• full American breakfast for two served in the restaurant (and their restaurants are always fabulous)
• daily internet access and local phone calls
• overnight parking
• Ritz Kids special activities program for two kids
• three nights for the price of two; five nights for the price of three; and a week for the price of only four nights

Did you see that last bullet? The one in bold? A week for the price of four nights? You can do this! Make your reservations now!

This package is only available through September 30, 2009 and the rate will depend on which location. Visit the “One Vacation” page of the Ritz-Carlton site to get all the details and check availability. Then prepare to experience the good life!

I’m not sure if Kentucky is technically considered Southern, but my stay at the Doubletree Suites in Lexington, Kentucky sure felt like southern hospitality at its finest.

I was nervous about the accommodations because I was staying with two other girlfriends and we’d chosen this hotel, in part, because it was one of the least expensive options in town.

My concerns were almost immediately put to rest when I walked into the lobby.

The lobby of the Doubletree Suites is a beautiful indoor courtyard, flanked on four sides by the guest rooms rising up above.  A fountain, gazebo, and seating areas that looked like they belonged in a stately library contributed to an elegant and charming ambiance.  I half expected a gentleman in a waistcoat to offer to escort me to the elevator.

Each staff member I met during my stay added to the welcoming feeling.  The receptionist checked us in quickly with both competence and graciousness.  The housekeeping staff beamed each morning when they showed up with extra towels and coffee packets.  The concierge charmed my girlfriends and I with his drawl and his eagerness to guide our daily activities.  The entire staff went above and beyond to take care of a friend of mine who had her luggage lost by the airline.

But the stand out, for me, was the in house tech support who helped us access the wireless internet when we couldn’t get our laptops to play nice with their servers.  The only thing that could have made the stay better would have been free wireless internet.

Aside from the extraordinary customer service, the accommodations I actually paid for far exceeded my expectations.  The suites at the Doubletree are set up with a bedroom and bathroom and a separate, if rather small, living area.  The living area consisted of a mini-fridge, writing desk, arm chair and fold out couch.

Between the two rooms and the generously sized bathroom, three women found ample space to spread out and primp without feeling like we were climbing all over one another.

The Doubletree Suites in Lexington is a great location for a girlfriend getaway or romantic weekend.  It wouldn’t be my first recommendation for business or family travel because of the lack of free internet and continental breakfast.  I would be especially nervous about bringing small children after witnessing a wedding that was held in the hotel lobby on Saturday morning.  However, this hotel is ideal for adults looking for a relaxing vacation at a reasonable price.