“I think it looks bigger than it really is,” my son commented as we sat in the front lobby of the Doubletree Guest Suites in Nashville, waiting to check out.

We were nestled into modern sofas inches away from the automatic front doors and a few feet from the hotel restaurant where we’d had a breakfast buffet.  I looked up at the three floors rising above me and reflected on the past night’s stay.

“Yeah,” I nodded my head at him.  “I think you’re right.  It sure feels like a big, fancy hotel, doesn’t it?”

In reality, the Doubletree Guest Suites on Atrium Way in Nashville, Tennesse offers only 138 suites on three easy to navigate floors.  There’s one front door and one back door, accessible by room key, and you can get to any place in the hotel quickly and easily.  But at first glance, you almost expect a sprawling property with winding corridors and banquet rooms.

The Doubletree does an excellent job with the space they have, especially considering their rooms start at just $85 per night.

This is an all suite hotel, meaning each room comes with a bedroom and a well appointed sitting room.  My family of four plus two grandparents spent a night on the sofas and chairs in one of the living rooms, and there was ample space for the two kids under 10 who insisted on running around.  The bedrooms themselves offer comfortable beds in spacious rooms with oversized bathrooms attached.

The bed was fantastically comfortable, right down to the numerous fluffy pillows for both the bed and the pullout couch.

I love a hotel that doesn’t skimp on pillows.

The Doubletree also features an indoor and outdoor pool.  The indoor pool was reserved for a party during our stay, so we were limited to splashing around in the outdoor pool.  The pool ran from 3 feet to 5 feet with wide stairs for my four year old to lounge on in the shallow end.  The pool itself was surrounded by cushioned chaise lounges and umbrella’ed tables.  And while it did takes us three trips to the front desk to convince them that there were, in fact, no towels available poolside – when the hotel employee finally arrived, we were pleased with the large, soft towels we were given.

My only complaint about the hotel was the breakfast situation.  When we booked online, it said that breakfast was included.  However, when we made our way downstairs in the morning, all we saw was an open hot and cold buffet with a gold plaque announcing “$9.95 per person”.  There was no wait staff to question, so we sat down to eat.  Upon finishing our meal, an employee who seemed to be a bartender asked if we had meal coupons – which we did not.  Insist on breakfast coupons when you check in. As far as free breakfast buffet goes, it wasn’t bad – but it’s barely a $10 per person breakfast.

The hotel is located near the airport, and it would make a great pit stop before or after a Nashville flight.  I would also recommend this hotel for family vacations with kids.

Birthday

Destination Hotels & Resorts apparently knows this, so they’re offering a Birthday Credit promotion to soften the blow. Guests receive hotel credit equal to their age, so the older you are, more credit to you. You also get a complimentary breakfast and a special celebratory birthday welcome amenity.

All you need to do is book a 2-night stay (or more) to celebrate your birthday at one of Destination’s 30 hotels. And sign up for destination’s customer loyalty program – Destination Delivers.

If you think Southern California makes for a good birthday destination, you might want to combine Destination’s Birthday Credit offer with the free birthday admission offer from Disneyland. 

Destination has two Los Angeles area hotels – The Sheraton Universal Hotel next to Universal Studios in Hollywood, and the new Terranea Resort which recently opened along the Palos Verdes Peninsula just 20 miles south of Los Angeles.

Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes, CA

Another Southern California favorite in the collection is the seaside L’Auberge Del Mar in San Diego, which recently completed a $25 million renovation featuring a new restaurant and spa.

L'Auberge Del Mar, San Diego, CA

Other great Destination properties to choose from include Royal Palms Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Sunriver in Oregon, Vail Cascade in Colorado or East Coast locations such as Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont, Wild Dunes in South Carolina or The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla.

Dalmatian photo credit – hassan abdel-rahman; Cake photo credit – atp_tyreseus; Terranea & L’Auberge Del mar photos courtesy Destination Hotels & Resorts.

Kimpton Hotels Earthcare Program

In addition to the (so hilarious, right? Right?) hotel reviews I write here, I’m also a regular contributor to AOL GreenDaily. That means I’m always thinking about the eco-friendly angle, including when I check out hotels.

And let me tell you, in case you don’t spend as much time as I do reading hotel sites, it’s freaking hard to find information about most hotels’ green practices.

With the exception of certain chains like Kimpton, which are loud and proud about their green programs, most hotels bury their sustainability programs at the very bottom of their “about” page — if they even post it all! For the casual, “I just want to compare availability/price/one or two other features and make a reservation already” type of hotel shopper, green hotel info is pretty inaccessible.

At long last, in 2010 AAA will add an eco-designation, indicating that a property is managed sustainably and is eco-friendly. To get the designation, the hotels have to be AAA-approved plus have the stamp of approval from a certified state or national green lodging program. So you will be able to find your green hotel choices fast, and be sure that the green-cred was earned.

Photo: Kimpton Hotels

Southernmost on the Beach

So, Key West, Florida isn’t exactly known for its beaches. But, what if you could stay at a hotel that had its own private beach ? I say, who cares if sand isn’t perfect or if the water isn’t crystal clear? Key West, Florida’s Southernmost Hotel on the Beach is a relaxing, luxurious retreat that has nice sand just for its guests. It’s a really beautiful hotel, with very calming surroundings. And, you’ll be within walking distance of famous Duval Street that has many of Key West’s best restaurants, bars, cafes and boutique shops.

There are many things to like about Southernmost Hotel on the Beach. There’s free parking (really surprising to me considering this hotel is a little pricey.) You don’t actually need a car at all – you can walk to everything. Free Internet. A lovely pool. A private beach. The staff is really nice and well-trained. Free chairs to sit on the beach with. A great poolside bar.

What’s not to like? Not too much! Again, the beach is nice, but you’re not in the Bahamas. The “cheapest” rooms are not as large as so might like, but I saw absolutely not problem with them, they were beautiful.

If you’re looking for a luxurious stay in Key West, and don’t mind working out your credit card a bit, definitely check this hotel out. I think you’ll be happy as a hippo, like I was.

Photo Credit: Southernmost on the Beach website