Cape Pines Motel, Hatteras Island, Outer Banks of North Carolina

“Our rooms are so clean, you would think your MOTHER works here!” claims the Cape Pines Motel. That sounded good to me; cleanliness is always at the top of my list when choosing accommodations. But though the Cape Pines more than lives up to its reputation for being immaculate, I soon discovered that this charming old brick motel had so much more to offer, not the least of which was its gracious owners, Bill and Angie Rapant.

The Rapants purchased the Cape Pines in July of 2006 after years of dreaming of owning their own motel. Both had worked in the hotel industry – Bill most recently as the controller at the Plaza Athenee on Manhattan Island in New York City, which is rated one of America’s finest hotels. With their backgrounds, Bill and Angie know what service and hospitality is all about, and they set out to provide guests with the most enjoyable vacation experience of their lives.

In order to achieve this goal, they gradually remodeled each of the motel’s 29 rooms, upgrading where appropriate, but restoring the original wood floors and classic tongue-in-groove knotty pine walls and ceilings wherever possible. With the addition of custom linens and modern amenities such as mini refrigerators, Read More »

Sheraton Carlsbad

Normally I am a frugal traveler, opting for inexpensive but comfortable lodgings near my destination.  For our family’s trip to Legoland, however, the adjoining Sheraton Carlsbad offered us a significant discount, so we chose to stay there during our visit.  What follows is our true-life experience.

We pulled up to the front door of the Sheraton Carlsbad on a chilly humid evening.  Both of the children were jarred from their sleep, and when I came out to the carport after checking I could hear their screams of dissatisfaction from very far away.  When I turned around, the staff of the hotel had come to the rescue!  They brought out a tiny teddy bear wearing a blue Sheraton robe for each child, calming them down right away.  I nearly swooned with gratitude.

That was my introduction to the hotel, which opened this March.  The lobby is enormous and easy on the eyes with a business center off to the left upon entrance that is hard to miss.  Flower arrangements are made of Legos!  The pool area is a family fun zone, with pool noodles and swim diapers at the ready, and plenty of shallow areas for the little ones.  On the lawns surrounding, outdoor game equipment is laid out for anyone to enjoy.  Bathrooms and showers are close at hand.  It’s incredibly inviting and convenient.

Up in the room, the two big comfy beds gave us plenty of space to spread out.  Unfortunately, the digital television takes a long time to respond to commands, and with two cranky small children who could not wait one more second to be hypnotized by TV, that was frustrating.  Also, there were no surfaces high enough to put forbidden items out of reach of the 2-year-old, so I put those things into the wardrobe, hoping he wouldn’t explore and find them.  I tried unsuccessfully to use the in-room safe, and the climate control never quite worked in our room despite our request for an engineer to come up and lower the temperature.

We appreciated the Starbucks coffee with a single cup brewer that was right there for us to use in the morning.  Now that it was light, we discovered the balcony which was only wide enough to stand or sit, and just the right height of furniture for our children to try and launch themselves overboard, so we didn’t make use of that.

The kids enjoyed making monkey faces in the full-length mirror

The main amenity that attracted us to this location was its proximity to Legoland.  Indeed, there is a special entrance from the Sheraton grounds into the park at the back end that you can get to by walking, but we took advantage of the courtesy shuttle to bring our family and our friends right to the front entrance of the park.  The driver gave us a special card with the number to call to arrange pickup at the end of the day, and off we went for our Legoland adventure.

A little boy looks forward to his big day at Legoland from inside his room at the Sheraton Carlsbad

Traveler beware:  on a Friday night in the summertime (hence the height of the season) at closing time, everyone and their mother (literally) is calling to get a ride back to the Sheraton at the same time.  We called ahead for the shuttle to come in ten minutes.  After several phone calls and 45 minutes of us waiting, trying to decide if we should just walk back instead, Lisa, a concierge at the hotel, grabbed the keys and came and got us herself.  By the time we got back to our room we were tired, dirty, cranky, and starving.  The children were bouncing off the walls and demanding cookies and candy.  The staff took pity on us and sent us dinner at poolside, so at least we were able to relax in the pool and finally get some food.

(Incidentally, the food, while pricey as expected at fancy hotel, was delicious.)

In concept, the courtesy shuttle to Legoland is a perfect idea.  Where else would you want to stay if convenience and luxury are your top priorities?  (Those, and an awesome pool.)  All of it is close to the beach, so not only do you get fancy hotel pool and Legoland, you get some local flavor and oceanside exploration as well.  Just be aware that you might have to, well, wait a while, and that it might be worth it just to walk.

Soho Grand site

Soho Grand NYC front entrance

The SoHo district in New York City is one of the major hot-spots to hang out if you’re looking to see the celebs while in the Big Apple. Known for its diverse artistic community, Soho is also the tops when it comes to glamour, shopping, dining, partying…it’s THE place to be seen, and for good reason.

David Boreanaz

Smack dab in the center of Soho is The Soho Grand, located at 310 West Broadway, and if you can’t find celebrities there, your eyes are closed. A favorite luxury hotel for such names as Heidi Klum, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brad Pitt, and Susan Sarandon, the Soho Grand treats them all like kings and queens. And they’ll treat you that way, too. You know, if you can cough up the green.

The Soho Grand boasts eclectic chic throughout the space; in fact, its design is world-renowned. There’s the infamous glass-bottle staircase, lots of cast iron and concrete, warm woods, and the whole thing was designed to be memorable beyond belief by William Sofield.

Soho Grand Stairway

Being located on the very pulse of NYC shopping doesn’t hurt, either. You’ll find Prada, Chanel, Bloomingdale’s, and the Apple store (aka Heaven) all within walking distance. The Soho Grand is surrounded by amazing places and sights, lined with charming cobblestone streets, some of the hottest restaurants in NYC, including the exclusive Nobu. And with the subway withing spitting distance (not that any celebrities spit, mind you), you’re just a heartbeat away from the Theater District, Greenwich Village, and the Museum of Modern Art. LOVE New York’s transit system!

Soho Grand Loft in NYC

Josh Hartnett & Susan Sarandon at Soho Grand

But what specifically about the Soho Grand itself makes it a preferred stay for Jennifer Lopez and David Boreanaz? Every one of the 363 luxury guest rooms are simply amazing, offering stunning views of the NYC skyline.

Lots of neutrals in the decor, with copious amounts of wood, clay, and leather in every room. This, mixed with top-of-the-line tech, make the Soho Grand a must-stay. Flat-screen televisions, wifi, DVD players, even iPods are yours for the asking. And I swear I’m not making this up, you can get a complimentary free pet goldfish. I have no idea what the heck I’d DO with a goldfish if I was visiting New York City and had to carry it around with me all weekend, but still. Clearly, the Soho Grand is on the leading edge of the Free Hotel Goldfish Revolution.

Those are the Guest Rooms. The Superior Queen rooms are cheapest at $355/night, but it’s the penthouse lofts that the stars love. The Lofts start at (gulp) $4,500/night and go over $5,000/night. But one look at these photos and you can see why. Over 1,600 square feet indoors AND a 1,200 square-foot terrace, with some of the most amazing views of NYC you’re going to find. Fireplace, custom furniture, mohair upholstery, “Masai” pillows, glorious chandaliers, THREE plasma TVs with full surround-sound…yeah, I know, I’m drooling, too.

Loft Balcony View at Soho Grand

And the restaurant in the hotel – the Grand Bar and Lounge – is a major draw in its own right. Very intimate environment for gathering with friends, whether it be for drinks or dining AND drinks. Can you tell the drinking is one of my favorite things? Ahem. You can do appetizers or 3-course meals (or maybe just the desserts, which I hear are bloody phenomenal) made by the Grand Bar’s executive chef.

The Loft at Soho Grand

When I win the lottery or land my major book deal, you can be sure I’ll be staying at the Soho Grand myself. If I’m lucky, I’ll run into Will Arnett at the bar and tell him how much I love “Arrested Development.” And maybe his wife.

Love to hear from you if you’ve ever stayed at the Soho Grand. Also, feel free to email me if you have some unwanted lottery money.

NEARBY RESTAURANTS

Nobu

Kredens

Pen Top Bar & Lounge

Fresh Restaurant

Pepolino

I just got back from a whirlwind 10 day road trip that culminated in Chicago, IL, where I attended the BlogHer and TBEX conferences. It was an action packed week and a half, which started with a delightful stay (is there any other kind?) at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, Michigan.

Ritz-Carlton Dearborn, Michigan

You heard me right, yes, there’s a Ritz in Detroit.

When I was putting together the itinerary for this roadtrip, which included picking up a Ford Mustang in Dearborn, my contact at Ford mentioned that the Dearborn Ritz is very close to the corporate offices.

“There’s a Ritz in Detroit?” I said, trying to keep the amazement out of my voice because I’m polite like that.

“Yes! And it’s really affordable, and nice,” she replied.

Since I have a great PR contact for the Ritz, my next call was to her. She confirmed the existence of the property, and even better offered to comp a night there so I could try it out. I’m smart, I immediately said “YES, PLEASE!”

It was a quick visit, but I was able to check out all of the things I care about: room comfort, cashews, mirrors & lighting.

The Room

Pretty room at the Ritz-Carlton Dearborn

The Dearborn Ritz-Carlton seems to be one of the older properties. It was impeccably clean, just a little staid in the decor. We had a room with two double beds, and it was a decent size, not huge, but spacious enough for two adults to be comfortable. It was surprising to see that the TV wasn’t an HD flat screen, but it really didn’t make any difference to us. We watched “Grease” and it was just as Shamalama Ding Dong magical as ever.

The bathroom was good sized, the shower cap thoughtfully came with a little hair tie, and the amenities were these gorgeous smelling Bulgari soaps and lotions. Slathering them on, you totally get that “Yeah, I’m at the Ritz, baby!” feeling of luxury.

The Mini-Bar Situation

The Hospitality Suite, where they keep the free booze & candy

There is no mini-bar at this Ritz … because they don’t need one. Instead there is a Hospitality Suite on the top floor where they have five different “food presentations” through the day. In wedding planning lingo, this translates to “heavy hors d’oeuvres all day, all night.” Over the course of four visits (during a 12 hour stay, yes, we were a little embarrassed, but it was irresistible!) we sampled bruschetta, fresh fruit salad, s’mores, and bagels with smoked salmon. And so much more!

The Hospitality Suite also is stocked with Ritz-Carlton branded bottled waters, sodas, coffee, teas, and bottom-less bowls of Rolos, Reese’s peanut butter cups, cookies, granola bars, and more snacks galore.

There are comfy chairs, a beautiful view, and did I mention the open bar? Red, white and sparkling wine, plus your basic hard liquors in drinkable brands, i.e. Absolute vodka. And there was always a gracious attendant on hand to get you anything else necessary to make you happy.

And Then We Got Room Service

Don’t judge, but yes we also ordered room service (which we paid for — only the room was comp’d.) Maybe because the last place I got room service was in NYC, these prices seemed amazingly affordable to me. The usual litmus test, a pot of coffee, was only $8. I’ve been charged as much $40 for one, to give you some perspective.

There was a nice range of pasta ($13 for penne), salads ($9 for a Caesar) and burgers ($15) on the menu, with a great kids menu that included a PB&J with the crust cut off for just $7. Nice touch with the crust, right? But of course it is the Ritz.

Mirrors & Lighting

The dark and classic lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Dearborn

Light is always my issue in hotels. There is usually a good reading light by the bed, but the rest of the room is in shadows and darkness. Why is it so hard to make the rest of the room bright enough to do stuff like repack your bags that are filled with black clothing? Or put on makeup anywhere besides the bathroom?

Our room at the Dearborn Ritz was tastefully lit, but it wasn’t very bright. I decided to wait until the morning, when I could open the curtains, and let in sunlight, to repack my bags.

Having more mirrors in the room would have helped a lot, both to amplify the lighting, and to make it easier to get ready. Besides the mirror in the bathroom, there was only one other mirror, behind the closet door. It was inconveniently far away from both the lights and the window, so we couldn’t use it to do makeup.

Judgment

Thanks to the doorman for taking this photo!

You stay at a Ritz-Carlton for the service, and the Dearborn property definitely holds up that tradition. I heard “It’s my pleasure” echoing off the walls, and it was always delivered in a sincere, low-key way. After helping us load our bags into our cherry red 2010 Mustang, the doorman spent another ten minutes taking pictures for us and giving us directions to our next stop.

A quick check on the Ritz-Carlton site just pulled up rates starting at $139/night. While you can certainly get a less expensive room in the Dearborn/Detroit area, that’s a pretty amazing rate for a night at a luxury hotel. I’d stay there again just for the Hospitality Suite and the Bulgari amenities!