I grew up with the Gulf of Mexico as my backyard (down the road, over the inter-coastal, and across the bridge), so the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and subsequent continuous oil spillage into my pristine waters is more than unnerving to me. The Gulf Coast of Florida is known for its sugary-white sand beaches and emerald-green, crystal clear waters.

Yes, it IS THIS beautiful:

Gulf of Mexico, Destin, Florida

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The Florida Hotel Pool, Orlando, Florida

When shopping is your purpose when visiting Orlando, staying at The Florida Hotel at The Florida Mall is as close as you can get to actually sleeping on the floor of the mall. (Which, I don’t even want to think about, except I just did. Sorry.)

Connected to the mall, The Florida Hotel opens up to the south wing of the mall from the lobby. Shop your day away at the mall, enjoy any of the great restaurants, then don’t worry about walking back to your car to drive home to a hotel. Just walk straight up to your hotel room to sleep off your tired legs. On-site spa services are available for massages, pedicures, and facials to help you relax.

Off-season special rates start around $79/night putting the well-appointed hotel at the low end price range of mid-level hotels in the area. Find yourself in the pool in the Florida sunshine as you wait for the shopping crowds to slow down during the weekend. Feel comfort knowing that the hotel is part of the Florida Green Lodging Certification Program and has been deemed A Green Hotel by recycling papers, reusing linens (yours only, just like at home), and digital guest room climate control.

THE FLORIDA HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER
AT THE FLORIDA MALL
1500 SAND LAKE ROAD
ORLANDO, FL 32809
407-859-1500

Photo courtesy: The Florida Hotel

Normally, I travel without reservations and just find a conveniently located hostel upon arrival in a new city, but an eleven-hour bus ride from Chihuahua meant I would arrive in Zacatecas at 11 p.m. Since many hostels literally “roll down the shutters” after a certain hour, in this case I emailed Hostel Villa Colonial to reserve a room. Still, I worried whether they would be open when I arrived. I need not have worried; not only are they open 24 hours, when I arrived their front doorway was crowded with people, as was the small lobby and common kitchen. I fought my way through the crowd of revelers to the front desk and the manager greeted me warmly, explaining that he had received my email and reserved the penthouse for me. At $250 pesos (about $21 USD) per night, it was more expensive than I normally preferred, but since it was their last available room, I didn’t quarrel.

View of illuminated dome of Cathedral from the rooftop terrace at Hostal Villa Colonial

Three and a half flights of narrow stairs later the manager and I alighted on the rooftop terrace. “How do you like the view?” he asked. “Pretty impressive, no?” Indeed, it was the best view in Zacatecas. One direction looked directly at the illuminated dome of the Cathedral, another at the crest of La Bufa Hill, with its historic hilltop chapel, museum, and mausoleum lit up against a pitch black sky.

Rooftop terrace and second common kitchen

Across the terrace and just beyond a second common kitchen, we mounted a few more steps to the penthouse and stepped inside. Its double French doors were thrown wide to the sights and sounds of the city, which was crammed full of visitors for an arts festival. The room’s queen size bed and TV were luxuries for me, as was the ensuite Read More »

The author and her husband with BARRY MANILOW! Photo: Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

I agreed to a press trip to check out the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino before they even finished inviting me.

Vegas is a fun trip, and sure, everyone loves to review luxury properties, but I said yes to Paris Las Vegas for one reason, and one reason alone: Barry Manilow.

I love Barry: his music, his performances, his mentoring on American Idol, his “ageless” appearance. I’ve seen him live twice and I have the t-shirt (it’s silver and black). Call me a Fanilow, and I’ll just giggle. Barry rules. And Barry is the marquee entertainment at Paris Las Vegas.

So yeah, I confirmed us for the trip without even checking first with my husband, Jeff. We were going to see Barry! And stay in a really nice room with a view of the Bellagio! Read More »