Month: August 2019

London Sky in Fall

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The London sky in fall is good for travel. We landed in London.  I remember Harrod’s, the famous department store.  I also remember seeing the changing of the guards.  Thirty plus years later, London is so much bigger now.  I think it’s getting close to 10 million people there.  I’ve never seen so many people in my life in one day. 

To get from Heathrow Airport to your staying destination, I recommend a London cab. The cab drivers are “licensed”, take a lot of pride in ownership with their vehicle they purchase, and know all the major sites in London. They have to pass the test.

Why visit London in the fall?

The weather is formidable.  It’s cooler than most south European cities.  It’s also a great place for ragweed pollen sufferers around the world who can get some relief.

New Modern London Hotel

park plaza waterloo london hotel

The Park Plaza Waterloo in London is a convenient hotel next to the London Underground subway system (the Tube).  The hotel also has an Illy coffee café on property (and has tea bags in the room 🫖).  It also is super modern looking in the room.  When I stayed there, there were a lot of light features in the room to create mood of choice in your room.  The hotel has a real modern vibe. 

london sky in fall purple bathroom
london sky in fall mood lit hallway
london sky in fall in mood rooms like this
Mood light control in the room

Every time I hear Waterloo, it makes me think of the snazzy

Abba song “Waterloo.” 

My, my
At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender
Oh yeah
And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way
The history book on the shelf
Is always repeating itself

Waterloo, I was defeated, you won the war
Waterloo, promise to love you forevermore
Waterloo, couldn’t escape if I wanted to
Waterloo, knowing my fate is to be with you
Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Waterloo, finally facing my Waterloo

The area is very close to the famous London Eye (large ferris wheel), that was referred to in the James Bond (Daniel Craig as 007) movie “Skyfall”… the London sky in fall.

And just a hop, skip and a jump from Covent Garden, a beautiful restaurant and shop area where they have free live performances in the square.  Also a great place to go during Christmas season, even though it can be a “mad house” with all the visitors when it’ll feel like one of the most crowded places on this earth.

Covent Garden

Picadilly Circus (like NY’s Times Square) is London’s most famous square and another popular area in London’s West End and Westminster area along the River Thames. You can check out all the hotels in London City Centre where so much is happening!

And the Great British Baking Show is back in fall to enjoy all of London!

2019 DC Restaurant Week: 15 Favorite Insider Picks

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2019 DC Restaurant Week sushi
DC Restaurant Week

Summer 2019 DC Restaurant Week is happening now in August! Some of my favorite restaurants were discovered through Restaurant Week.  Around Washington DC , as a well known mega “foodie” city, I’ve eaten (and worked) in hundreds of amazing restaurants .  It’s always a great experience when you’re an Insider to be able to make recommendations. 

Wharf 2019 DC Restaurant Week
Officina’s Open Kitchen (Waterfront District)

15 Favority 2019 DC Restaurant Week Insider Picks:

Washington DC:

-1789 Restaurant– American (Georgetown), 1226 36th St NW, Washington, DC 20007

-Acqua Al 2 – Italian (Capitol Hill), 212 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

-America Eats Tavern (Chef Jose Andres)– American (Georgetown), 3139 M St NW, Washington, DC 20007

-Birch and Barley – American (14th Street), 1337 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

-BlackSalt – Seafood (Palisades/near Georgtown), 4883 MacArthur Blvd NW, Washington, DC 20007

-DBGB – Modern French (City Center – in between 14th Street and Gallery Place), 931 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001

-Officina – Italian (Waterfront District), 1120 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024

-The Hamilton – Sushi and American, Happy Hour and Downstairs Ticketed Live Music Venue (14th Street/near White House), 600 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

Alexandria and Vicinity (south of DC):

-Bastille – French American and Bar Mixologist (Old Town North neighborhood), 606 N Fayette St, Alexandria, VA 22314

-Brabo – American (Old Town in Lorien Hotel), 1600 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

-Rosa Mexicano – Mexican (National Harbor, MD), 153 Waterfront St, Oxon Hill, MD 20745

-A La Lucia – Italian (North Old Town neighborhood), 315 Madison St, Alexandria, VA 22314

-Blackwall Hitch, 5 Cameron Street, Alexandria (waterfront views and weekend live music!)

Tysons Corner and Vicinity (heart of Northern Virginia):

-Eddie V’s – Seafood/Steakhouse and Live Music & Happy Hour (Tysons Corner Mall on the outdoor Plaza), 7900 Tysons One Pl, McLean, VA 22102

-2941 – French American (Fairview Park – business park), 2941 Fairview Park Dr, Falls Church, VA 22042

-Earls Kitchen + Bar, 7901 Tysons One Plaza

Reston (suburb west of DC):

-Passion Fish – Seafood/Sushi (Reston Town Center), 11960 Democracy Dr, Reston, VA 20190

Coming to Washington DC, and need a good recommendation as to where to stay in DC?

These are some one-of-a-kind memorable ones:

This hotel got a massive facelift and has killer sunset water views by the Kennedy Center. This is a hop to Georgetown and the famous “M Street” where you may remember the old warm Brat Pack movie, “St. Elmo’s Fire” that had a pub scene and now a major shopping scene.

Georgetown: Watergate Hotel, 2650 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20037

This is around the corner from The White House on 14th Street: Willard International Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004

Old Town Alexandria is a historic town that has cobblestone charm. A romantic hotel is the Lorien Hotel, 1600 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

2019 DC Restaurant Week

Blackwall & Hitch Alexandria, VA sign

9 Hotel Travel Things To Calm and Center Yourself

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Hotel Travel Things to calm and center when you're away

In your hotel room, you want to have hotel travel things to calm and center yourself by sitting on a chair or on the floor.  And that’s why doing a ‘lil research about the hotel is a good idea (…and that’s what I do and share my finds!).

I like the hotel carpeted floor personally as there is more space. Nicer hotels make me feel less self-conscious… I don’t wonder about how often the floor has been vacuumed or cleaned, and if tired furniture is replaced more often. It’s hard to relax when you’re worrying about cleanliness. Nice hotels are usually less noisy also because they don’t have guests throwing parties and they have staff that have been trained to whisper in the hallways.

Here are 9 Hotel Travel Things to Calm and Center Yourself:

  1. Most hotels these days only provide two body towels per room to conserve on water, so bring your own yoga mat or towel.  If you bring a towel you can always put it to multiple purpose/use as a wrap for delicate gifts you buy or bring 😉
  2. Bring yoga or comfortable pants, and workout top or inspiring Tshirt.  I find that when I’m stretching out, if I have a pedicure I can relax better, when I look at my toes.
  3. I also recommend having a gadget along with you to set reminders as to when to set aside quiet moments to refresh and center yourself.  Use it to set a timer as to how long you will be “centering.” Your smartphone works well for this.  Also, the newer Apple watch has a breathing app to remind you to stop and breathe and appreciate the moment. It’s also useful if you get really relaxed and disoriented, to be able to ‘ping’ your phone if you can’t locate it.  Use the “do not disturb” door hanger when you’re in “silent mode.”  It will calm you to know you won’t be disturbed.
  4. A journal and pen are also good.  It’s nice to write the old-fashioned way.  You end up editing yourself less as you just write authentically.  When you have a keyboard, you can delete easily. It’s also nice to see your own handwriting, as it’s personal to you along with the thoughts you’re adding to paper.
  5. Personal photo or photos.  My photos I carry on my phone, but a printed photo will do the same. It’s nice to see familiar faces and places when you start to have travel “sense overload.” It allows you to appreciate the new place you’re exploring, by being calm that all is well “back home”. Photos can have that calming effect.  Make them available in your hotel room.
  6. Music. That can also set the mood for enjoyment and relaxation. When I’m in the States, I listen to Pandora or streaming internet music. When overseas, I have to go with my downloaded music. Many hotels still have Ipod hookups on their clock alarms.  I know it seems like ancient technology, but I still bring my old iPods with me. They work.
  7. A calming scent or lotion. Lavender is really good for calming.  You can buy a small bottle of essential oil and pack it with you in your carry-on bag. Douse a little on your wrists.  I also like peppermint as it is really good for headaches.  I also use it for opening my nasal passages. It’s really good if you have sinus congestion.  You never know when you can be entering a foreign place and experience allergies.  Also, when you’re in the shower, try to take a hot steamy shower and add a few peppermint drops while standing.  The peppermint fumes will steam up and you will get all the great benefits of opening your sinuses.  I also bring Hall’s mentholyptus cough drops for that very reason.  …What else?
  8. Peppermint tea bags are also good to have. If you have any stomachaches, you can ask the hotel for some hot water or just rinse out and use the hotel room coffee machine to brew hot water and add your peppermint tea. Some hotels even have water kettles to heat the water.  I’m not the only one who uses them.  And besides headaches, peppermint works wonders on stomach ailments. And it’s all natural and caffeine-free so you don’t have to worry about it keeping you up all night.  Just don’t drink too much so you don’t unnecessarily have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Peppermint is aromatherapy.
  9. Apple cider vinegar (with the “mother”) in a small vial with an eyedropper is good to have.  It can also clear up any congestion.  It’s the new “apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Keep in mind, it’s very bad for your teeth so the eyedropper allows you to put a little behind your throat and just swallow.  You can get this at any vitamin store in the States or check with the pharmacia overseas.

Every little bit helps… you want to have hotel travel things to calm and center every day on travel. You may even find that the new clear-minded mood you are in, really helps you to soak in the travel adventure you’re on. On another note, I find that Airbnb short-term rentals can be a little tricky for relaxing as they’re all so different from place to place.

They also have a lot of owners “personal touches” that can be distracting. You can make the space work for you, but I’m biased towards hotels where there’s service and consistency, and you know what you’re getting.

Want some Expedia travel ideas? These are some under ￡99 per night deals. And a thermal spa in Bath could be just whaaat you need.

New York Restaurant Week 2019 and Hot Hotel Pick

(New York Restaurant Week in the summertime)

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skyline break from new york restaurant week dining out
NYC Skyline

New York Restaurant Week runs until August 16, 2019.  A good reason to visit The Big Apple this time of year. You can try a James Beard Award Winner, Union Square Café owned by famous pioneer restaurateur Danny Meyer where you can have a chilled melon soup and brook trout “a la plancha” – a 2 course lunch for $31+. Having had dinner there, they simply take customer service to another level by knowing about their guests…and there’s no tipping allowed (read Danny Meyer’s book “Setting the Table”).

And another one to add to the list is the legendary Tavern on the Green in Central Park.  You can have lunch there for $26++ (2-courses) and select an appetizer like refreshing watermelon and feta salad, with plated salmon or chicken kabobs. Dinner for restaurants participating is $42++ (3 courses).   It’s one of those places you want to mention to others you went to.

new york restaurant hotel to stay at
Central Park relaxing vibes
Philippe Starck hotel chairs

Ian Schrager has a boutique-y hotel with sleek lines and cool vibe hotel lighting you can visit and stay at for a very reasonable rate, especially considering central NYC — in the heart of the City near Washington Square, SOHO, West Village, and whatever your NYC visit is about.

ICYMI, Schrager is the OG credited for putting boutique hotels as a new category on the map. And if that doesn’t strike a chord, he was the original co-founder and owner of “Studio 54” 🪩

The Hudson New York Central Park is a great hotel to stay at for many reasons.  It’s a posh and busy hotel (a real see-and-be-seen type hotel), decorated and designed by world-renowned Philippe Starck.  I love his clear stackable acrylic chairs that make the space seem light and airy. The weightless chairs come in fun colors are inspired by the hotel decor (and were in my stay in this Paris posh hotel I stayed at).

The lobby is very cheery with some brick walls and neon color lights and chandeliers, and a dramatic escalator leading to the lobby.  The hotel is a great value in the location that it is, next to Central Park.  It’s so close to Central Park which is one of my favorite parks… so peaceful and beautiful with the horse-drawn carriages lined up.  I’ve taken one of those and it’s romantic.  You can even get a New York-style pretzel right there in Central Park to top off your visit.

The only downside is that the standard room is 150 square feet shoebox size (and really meant for just one person or someone you know intimately, like a spouse or a good friend).  Don’t let that turn you off, because it’s still worth every penny. 

You save money and if you’re in NYC on a mission like trying the trendiest restaurants during NYC restaurant week, shopping, or visiting touristy sites, then you spend very little time in your room other than to sleep and shower.  But yes, in a room this size you’ll probably bump into each other on the way to the closet or the bathroom and shelf space, which is all this room has. 

My sister and I made a great stay of it because we were able to “bond” sitting on the bed and talking about our lives. But there are I think 8 or 9 sizes and styles of room, including a suite option that’s 450 square feet.  Of the two times I’ve stayed there, it has been the best value. August always has good deals for under $200, which is amazing for the great location.

And they make wonderful drinks that you can sit in many areas to enjoy including the Lobby Bar and there’s a lobby library lounge that you can sit at also if you want to work on your laptop or chat on the phone without many others around.  They are run by a group that is known for very modern chic hotels.  I stayed at one in South Beach, Miami, Florida called the Mondrian. 

In Miami, this is cutting edge with avant-garde room artwork with a Japanese cartoon girl’s face on one of the transparent walls separating the living area from the bedroom.  And the pool was amazing along the Biscayne Bay in South Beach.  Just trying to paint a picture of their brand and what it’s like to stay at another property.  You feel very trendy on the trendy side of town but that’s less touristy than some of the Beach Week hotels where word gets around (like the famous 24-hour News Cafe restaurant).

Back in NY vibes, if you want to check out less touristy neighborhoods with a food scene, try Hell’s Kitchen district, but don’t let the name scare you.  Or maybe you are curious because of the Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen food show.  

There you are close to the best shopping in the city.  And just a short subway or cab ride from the busiest Apple store and largest FAO Schwartz I’ve ever been to.  My sister and I like to make a girl’s weekend getaway out of it. You are close to Time Square where all the crowds are.  And you can people watch at the now very popular Bryant Park. 

We go in the August summer usually when the US Open tennis match is advertised everywhere.  It’s often New York Restaurant Week in the Big Apple.  We’ve tried a few “foodie” New York restaurateur restaurants owned by David Burke (BTW, he has a restaurant that has a great rooftop seating view of One World Trade Center) and Joe Bastianich (aka related to Lidia Bastianich and Eataly) restaurants in great neighborhoods like Greenwich Village. 

5 Best DC Convention Hotels to Checkout (and Check-In)

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The Watergate Hotel is walking distance to the Georgetown Waterfront

The best Washington DC convention hotels and neighborhood areas are just minutes from free museums, the downtown mall, and some of the best restaurants in the nation. I grew up in the area and worked in local DC area hotels. As an insider, I have watched the DC area revitalize.  And some areas in the past that weren’t all that safe are now walkable. 🎉

The northwest area where the White House is, is one of the nicest (the Capitol is on the east side as many get confused). Both the east and northeast areas and growing. And Adams Morgan/U Street areas and surrounding are still hoppin’ busy.

Some hotels have changed names and some are built in the middle of the city where there seemed to be no additional space available to erect another hotel building (like the newest Marriott mega hotel – more below).

Depending on where you want to spend your time in DC most, here are some of my favorites based on long-standing reputation, trying their restaurants, and just being in the area (I don’t usually have to stay in a hotel but I have because I love hotels). 

These are the Best 5 Washington DC hotel areas (I wouldn’t mind staying in or visiting again as a local guest getaway 😊):

Georgetown and Virginia border (4 miles from Ronald Reagan National Airport). One of the coolest hotels after it got its facelift before 2019, is the Watergate Hotel near the Kennedy Center and just minutes walking into Georgetown (mega outdoor shopping streets) that runs along Rock Creek Parkway (nice drive).  The name may sound familiar as that’s where the Watergate Nixon scandal occurred in the early 70s. They’ve remodeled the hotel since.  The hotel now has a really neat vibe inside that you’ll feel right away. 

…And I’m told this renovation comes with a Mid-Century vibe in hotel personnel uniforms, but I was too busy admiring the lobby architecture, restroom design (check it out!), and food in my face in the restaurant to notice! 😅 Oh, and if you take an Uber or cab to the airport, be sure they drive across Arlington Memorial Bridge so you can catch a glimpse of the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery that you definitely don’t wanna miss!

White House and 14th Street. In the heart of DC, you can stay at the beautiful established Willard Hotel near 14th Street (that has a bridge named after it).  The Willard serves a nice afternoon tea comparable to the Ritz Carlton that is known for its tea and scones.  The W is one of the best Washington DC convention hotels with views of the Washington DC “mall” on the rooftop bar terrace (POV Lounge).  If you take a Segway tour you’ll be able to see the best view of the Capitol from Pennsylvania Ave. even during rush hour!

Convention Center.  One of the newest hotels built after 2010 is the Marriott Marquis.  It has an open lobby and a covered connector to enter the Convention Center as one of the most convenient, best Washington DC convention hotels. I stayed there for a convention I was actually working at.  It’s just minutes from DC City Center, a newly revitalized area that has luxury, high-end shopping, and great restaurants… and just minutes from more great restaurants in DC Gallery Place or Chinatown. During Cherry Blossom season, this is where you want to be.

These are happening spots now, but both were areas you did not want to walk around in late at night prior to the 90s.

Dupont Circle area. The Omni Shoreham in Adams Morgan/Woodley Park area is also a grand hotel closer to the Smithsonian National Zoo. The area is great if you want to be a little bit further from all the hustle and bustle of the downtown mall area. I planned parties for a few years at one of the popular restaurants across the street, so I know the scene. 🎉

It’s in the downtown heart of many events, and I remember enjoying working at Zoofari (where all the foodie restaurants come together and display a tasting or tapas), Zoolights (great for kids!), and all the fun Embassy events. You get your cultural fill! 🌎

Southwest Watefront (Wharf). And if you want a really nice lounge area, visit the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  It’s close to the L’Enfant Plaza metro stop and the popular re-vitalized Southwest Waterfront (The Wharf) area.  It’s funny because most of these areas have changed so much… if only you were there! 💭

The Wharf used to be where you bought crabs from the boats on the water to take home, but people didn’t go there as a destination place or to dine at restaurants..  you can now take the water taxi (the bright yellow color of the original taxi cabs) run by The Potomac River Boat Company.  They run regularly by the Wharf, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria, and National Harbor. 

You can even then take the boat from Alexandria to a Nationals baseball game at Navy Yards. And you can check out one of the many restaurants and maybe even a DC restaurant week.

baseball is a great downtime pastime away from washington dc convention hotels and conventions