Historical landmark makes for hip hideaway in San Fran

April 19th, 2013 No Comments

Before I dive into this lovely hotel, can we talk about the fact that San Francisco has a beach? It was COLD as all get out (I sound like my mother), but it’s pretty remarkable. I took this picture so I can attest to that.

Following is my latest review for The Huffington Post. It’s not a masterpiece, but I had to write it because the Inn at The Presidio is such a unique destination, especially considering it’s on main land San Francisco and not in Merin county or The Valley. Usually I have you click through to Huff Po, but I’m going to post the whole thing here because I’m not a fan of their new slideshow feature.

“Historical landmark makes for hip hideaway in San Fran”

Have you ever noticed new hotels don’t spring up often in San Francisco? Come to think of it, there aren’t many good hotel options at all, in my opinion. So when I heard the first new hotel since 2009 had opened in April of last year and won a spot on Fodor’s Top 100 hotels list already, we passed on our St. Regis reservation to stay within the walls of The Presidio, an old military base at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge that turned out to be so much more!

To begin, I think we can all agree this might be the most unique and impressive view you’ll find from a hotel room in San Francisco. What I found I loved most about the Inn was not just the accommodations, but more so the natural landscape and historical preservation.

The lush land at the norther tip of San Francisco has been used for military purposes since the 1770′s. The US Army didn’t regain control of it until 1874 and finally established it as a permanent military base in 1849 during the Gold Rush.

The Inn, formerly the bachelor’s quarters called Pershing Hall, was recently renovated according to LEED standards with a simple, modern aesthetic that honors its history.

Located in the center of the Presidio property, the lodge has 22 rooms total, 17 of which are 3 room suites with views of the bay. Military accessories make reference to an officer’s quarters; you feel as though you could be asked to suit up at 0-six hundred.The living room has a gas fire place where we enjoyed the complimentary artisinal breakfast we brought up from downstairs. While the bathrooms appear suitable, the LEED certified water pressure makes you want to get in and out of there as quickly as possible.

Rates range from $195-$395.

The natural elements are actually the best part about your Presidio experience. You can hike the hills, walk to the beach at the base of the golden gate, play 18 holes on the public course, enjoy a glass of wine by the fire pit, or just take it all in while rocking on the front porch. Houses surrounding the natural preserve can go for as much as 25 million dollars for a reason!

Click here for information and an interactive map to help you plan your day.

If you aren’t staying at the Inn, I still highly suggest a visit while you’re in town.

The Presidio Social Club, located down the road from the Inn, is actually a hip hangout for locals. After our hike through the hills, sitting on the back patio sipping rose, I felt like I was in Napa! The only giveaway was the food; I’d say the dishes are just average. At night the restaurant, decorated like a diner, becomes quite a scene. If you’re want a table, make a reservation in advance.

You’ll find two of my favorite shopping and dining districts: Marina Blvd (top right) and Fillmore Street in Lower Pacific Heights. Great boutiques and local eateries that will blow your little foodie mind! Pop into any of them, you can’t go wrong.

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How To Get More Luxury from Your Vacation Without Spending a Lot – Part 2 of 6 in a series by Gary Leff

April 5th, 2013 No Comments

Gary’s Tip #2 How you book your hotel matters.

Searching for rates on the discount sites (Expedia, Orbitz, etc) is a good way to start your hotel search, but booking through them is not always best. Once you find the hotel you want, go to the hotel’s site to see if they offer a comparable price. If they do, book direct. Hotels can pay 20% or more commissions to those travel agencies, and since you’re a less profitable guest to them, they may put you in less desirable rooms.

Wait, don’t click so fast though. Before you just book on Hilton.com, Marriott.com, or Hyatt.com … see whether booking through one of their preferred partners gets you a better deal.

You’ll often find the same rates for luxury hotels, but with added amenities if your hotel participates in the Visa Signature Hotels Program (any Visa Signature credit card holder qualifies), American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts
(American Express Platinum and Centurion cardholders), Virtuoso (some travel agents belong to their network and can get you their rates), or chain-specific programs like Four Seasons Preferred Partners (again, offered by select travel agents). Booking through these channels often gets you free upgrades, free breakfast, late checkout, and possibly an additional amenity like a free spa treatment or $100 credit to use in the hotel’s restaurants — without paying more.

For other posts in this series and more tips from Gary, click here. If you travel often, follow his blog for regular tips and current deals. The man is an expert at discovering loopholes, online mistakes the airlines and hotels have to honor, and how to manipulate the fine print. You can feel free to tweet him questions @GaryLeff. He’s super sweet so don’t be shy.

(Photo: Mary Rambin, W Resort Koh Samui, see my review of the resort and video tour here.)

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Taxi, take me to the corner of Hipster & Broadway.

February 22nd, 2013 No Comments

That would be the corner of 29th Street and Broadway in New York where cool kid locals sip, savor, sleep, and suit up. Here you’ll find:

For me the attraction is Stumptown Coffee where hipsters pour perfect cappuccinos I can enjoy in the library lobby of the Ace hotel with my laptop. Our guess is that the popularity of The Ace and Stumptown really got this neighborhood back on the map. I’ve never stayed at the Ace; I hear the rooms are small but some of the best priced accommodations in town.

Also in the lobby is The Breslin, a pork-centric gastropub from chef April Bloomfield. Last fall, she opened a new outpost just down the street on the actual corner: John Dory Oyster Bar that boasts a $100/head chef’s table experience. It actually seems like a pretty casual joint with a lot of great beers on tap. If you’re looking for a cheap bite, you can walk next door on Broadway and grab a delicious sandwich at No. 7 Sub. If you can believe it, the Broccoli sub is one of the most popular items. One more door down and you’ll stumble into the overpriced clothier Opening Ceremony. It got its start on the block attached to the Ace, but apparently outgrew the nook. Their style is what I would call hipster prep I suppose….kind of like what Adam Levine is trying to pull off these days.

Finally, The NoMad Hotel, restaurant, and bar, which is actually on 28th street, is one of THE hottest spots on the island right now. The bar scene is dominated by men. Single NYC women you need to go grab a drink and browse the selection. From what I could tell you won’t have any competition! As for the acclaimed restaurant you have to reserve a table at a month in advance, I thought the food was just average. An ex-bf of mine works there and plotted out our selections: seafood tower, pickled cauliflower salad, and the roast chicken for two. Now, I knew going in it was going to be pricey, but a roasted chicken for $80 is ridiculous. Especially when there’s nothing redeeming about it. I’ve heard the same about the rooms in the hotel: pricey and unamusing. The library lounge in the back is a great place to gather a group and hang out. It reminds me of the Bowery Hotel, just smaller. The bottle service is unique in that if you get a bottle, a mixologist will prepare a legit cocktail for you.

I’m not sure I would put this little pocket on a New York City Guide, but should you be in the area, pop over, grab a drink, and take in the flavor of Flatiron. Look at it this way, you can get a dose of “NYC hipster” without having to take a detour to Brooklyn :)

(Top photo left to right, clockwise: Stumptown, Ace Lobby, Opening Ceremony, NoMad bar, No. 7 Sub, John Dory Oyster Bar)

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AirBnB now offers “Experience” to filter housing options

January 11th, 2013 1 Comment

AirBnB, the site that allows you to rent private rooms, apartments, and homes when you travel, has added a new feature called “Neighborhoods” to help you decide where you want to stay based on what kind of experience you’re looking for.

I’ve used AirBnB once on a trip to Austin and was so pleasantly surprised. The casita was cute, clean, and stocked with fruit, juice, and coffee. Our hostess was a delight to chat with. Thankfully I knew the area I wanted to be in, but if I hadn’t, this feature would have been my key to the city.

Right now, AirBnB offers “Neighborhoods” in these seven cities: New York, San Francisco, London, Rio de Janero, Berlin, Washington DC, and Paris. More to come!

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Goodbye TripAdvisor random reviews, Hello Gogobot friend recommendations

October 26th, 2012 1 Comment

It took less than a minute for me to be wildly facinated with Gogobot, a travel website that will make our travel planning SOOO much easier. Apparently it’s been around for 2 years and has now matured into a fully-stocked resource.

Last night I got a hand-held tour through the app by founder and CEO Travis Katz. As he explained the features, I was mezmerized as the functionality seem to good to be true. I am going to try to fully explain the facets of Gogobot as Travis did for me, but you’ll need to play with the site or app to really appreciate it.

Gogobot is a travel website that provides trustworthy travel guides and reviews. How do we know they are legit? Because they are written by your friends! Gogobot aggregates all of your friends’ posts from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Four Square so when they take a photo and tag it/check in at destination, restaurant, or activity, it will feed into your Gogobot so you can easily access them. This way, you don’t have to rely on random accounts from people you don’t know and certainly have no reason to trust. They can also easily create city guides to share with anyone (this is going to make my life so much easier!) Travis recently partnered with Travel + Leisure for hotel reviews and I’m sure other publications will follow. To me, GoGobot seems like a great platform for NYTimes 36 hours guides and Luxe guide walking tours. (Fingers crossed.)

I hope Travis will chime in below and complete this overview with the details I unfortunately have forgotten.

In the meantime, sign up and start planning your next vacation, or even night out on the town. You don’t have to go anywhere to reap the benefits of Gogobot.

**Sorry the picture is blurry. Blogging on my ipad. Promise to change it ASAP.

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The new destination for luxury escapes starts with W – UPDATED

August 10th, 2012 6 Comments

You might remember I took some time off in February for a much needed vacation and to celebrate my 30th birthday. I posted this pic to let you know I was still alive :)

For two weeks, we ventured to the other side of the world – a whole 24 hours away – to Vietnam and Thailand. On the trip we visited the central coast of Vietnam (more to come on that), Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon), the island of Koh Samui in Thailand, and Bangkok. What an adventure! Asian culture is quickly becoming one of my favorite to experience, although I’m not so sure it’s my favorite for R&R. There’s just too much to do (and eat) instead of just relaxing by the pool. (Click here to see my advice on exploring Asia.)

That being said, being a world away makes it so much easier to disconnect from work and stress. We chose Koh Samui, an island off the eastern coast of Thailand for it’s remote location and promise to not be like Phuket, which seems to be like the Cancun of Thailand. On this island there are a variety of luxury hotels – Four Seasons, Aman, Conrad, Le Meridian, etc – but we chose to stay at the new W Retreat.

As I wrote in my piece for the Huffington Post, I’m not really a fan of the W cookie cutter formula. However, their resorts have been said to set the bar higher for luxury within the modern decor and still allow for a little fun. I can tell you without a doubt, they absolutely deliver! Check out the video of my room and pics from the trip below. You’ll only find the Retreats in exotic locations so be prepared to plan an escape, not a quick getaway. And just get ready to relax!!!

PLEASE NOTE: Gary Leff’s website is BookYOURAward.com. He is the reason I was able to make it to Asia flying business class using miles.

UPDATE

Gary, who has been quoted and referenced in every publication you can dream of, wrote a glowing article about the quality of the above video and the future of hotel reviews being video for USA Today. I’m honored!

(Full Disclosure: I was provided a media rate for my stay at the W Koh Samui.)

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I say pass on Palm Springs for your city escape.

May 18th, 2012 2 Comments

My friend Emily, who just came back from a girls’ trip to Palm Springs, said before she left she checked my blog to see if I had a guide to the town. I felt terrible because I hadn’t written my thoughts after my 5 day trip there for New Year’s Eve.

To put it bluntly, I’m not a fan. The town is old, the hotels are needlessly expensive, and there isn’t much to actually do there…I love to lounge, but I also like to be active and do things I can’t in the city. As a retreat from LA where you would have your own house, I could see how Palm Springs delivers, but as a visitor, I wouldn’t go back again.

We stayed at The Parker, a Starwood Resort property that is regarded as one of the best hotels in town. It’s like the Chateau Marmont or Soho House – a great place to eat, party, and be seen amongst the celebs, but not a cozy place to hole up and sleep because it’s simply old. Even though the interiors were renovated 2 years ago by Jonathan Adler, the mod rooms still felt musty and lacked 4-star accommodations. The showers were smaller than mine at home; there was no mini bar to grab a late night snack; the old school tv’s produced a picture that looked like a game of tetris. I don’t usually watch tv on vacation, but when you’re there for 5 days, it’s nice to take a night off and watch a movie, ya know. The vintage books and posters were charming, but not enough for me to suspend my discomfort.

Thankfully, the rest of the property was delightful. The famous Norma’s (from NYC) was creating their standard masterpiece plates for for breakfast and Mr. Parker’s was dark and equally decadent for dinner. The grounds were what you would expect from Palm Springs: lawns lined in palm trees, small sitting and swinging areas to lay out and read, and a big fire pit to keep guests warm at night.

The tiny pool surrounded by greenery took me back to what I believe would be the 70′s. This retro aspect I really enjoyed…as long as I made it there by 8:30 to reserve chairs before my workout.

At night, the lounge centered by a fireplace and the tiny 8-seat bar were good places to hang out while we waited for our table, but not sufficient enough to enjoy a meal there.

Other notable hotels would be The Ace Motel, just like the one that hails from NYC, where the hipsters stay and play. There is a Viceroy that appears luxurious and the contemporary Hotel Zozo that didn’t get much lip service but looks interesting. We chose the Parker for its history and charm, big mistake for the price.

Nearby in Palm Desert is the La Quinta Golf Resort which houses tons of private condos, cute casitas and villas populated with visiting couples and families, and common areas where everyone gathers to either chat, relax, or play games. It’s like a little town inside their compound! We played golf, finished the afternoon by the pool with ritas and pulled pork tacos, got a massage at the spa, and then dined at Morgans, a glorified average steakhouse where the older crowd congregates and the young people come to celebrate. Southerners of all ages seemed to be the majority of the visitors at La Quinta so I fit right in.

As for the town, it’s so far past it’s prime. From what I hear and saw with my own eyes, the gay male community is still loving it. I have no idea where the shopping is people rave about. I found a Crazy Shirt store and the ice cream shop where they made the first date shake. That was about it. Woot.

Golf is a big deal in the area. I opted for La Quinta’s PGA West golf course, which was challenging, but not as pretty as others I’ve played. The critical factor for me was the heat. It was almost unbearable!

If you’re looking for fine dining hit up the hotels. As I said, Mr. Parker’s was exactly what I was looking for: dark atmosphere, trendy people, and delicious food. The Ace has a surprisingly healthy diner for breakfast and a fun bar scene where you can shoot tequila and sip on boutique beer with the cool crowd.

I guess these reasons explain why people spend so much time at the spa in Palm Springs. There just isn’t much to do. Or that I saw anyway. I don’t have a list for you, but they all seem pretty nice to me.

Here’s my bottom line for Palm Springs: We had a nice time. For me it wasn’t about the places as much as the company. That being said, I always take my critical eye with me so I can relate my experience to you. Obviously from this breakdown, I wouldn’t send you there. I can recommend at least 5 places to visit over Palm Springs for a relaxing getaway. In fact I did for the Huffington Post, see the slideshow here. To name a few: Santa Ynez Valley, Northern California, The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, Austin, Charleston, Greenwich, Sedona or even Phoenix!

Now, if I’m crazy and I missed the charm, feel free to write that in the comments. I couldn’t see everything in one trip, especially when I was trying to relax by the pool :) Your thoughts and suggestions are not only welcome, but also encouraged here!

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My 2012 Spring Break Recommendations – They’re all in the US!

February 3rd, 2012 No Comments

The Huffington Post just published my slide show, “Awesome Spring Break Recommendations You Don’t Need A Passport For.”

These 4 Southern destinations feature luxurious resorts that are moderately priced and offer TONS of activities. Golf, beach, biking, hiking, tennis, cooking, yoga, and plenty of R&R.

CLICK HERE to see the slideshow and my review of each. In each, you’ll find links to my videos and photos from my experience.

Here’s the best part: you don’t need some crazy expensive airline ticket to get there! Each of them is 2 hours or less outside of a major city (LA, Houston, Atlanta). You might not even need to get on a plane at all.

If you have any questions about any of the properties, please don’t hesitate to email me. I’d love to help get you there, even if it’s just for a weekend getaway!

(Full disclosure: Media rates provided by hotels.)

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