A 5 star hotel should include certain things: a lobby is one of these. Down comforters, feather pillows, a window is nice, an iPod docking station, a coffee maker or kettle are things we Americans expect as standard. in a well knows british or American chain, no matter where you are in the world, certain things like these can be counted on, thank God! In Italy, especially in Venice, you can pretty much go ahead and deduct one star from the rating off the bat…

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The Hilton chain wasn’t really on my radar for the longest time, not until I fell in love with the Conrad in NYC. I have to say, that the Conrad Condado which is now a Hilton in San Juan , Puerto Rico is an excellent choice for a weekend getaway also. Well Hilton, you’ve got a big winner in the Molino Stuckey in Guidecca, Venice. The thrill starts from first viewingof the Molino Stuckey, it’s huge and just gorgeous. The long narrow island called Giudecca…

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The gondola ride is one of those things you do once in your life, and of course you do it in Venice, Italy. (Or if you’re really cheesy, you do it in Las Vegas!;)) There just isn’t a better way to experience the city than in an archetypical piece of Venetian history, the gondola. Each gondola is decorated personally with slip-covered cushions on the chairs. A typical gondola will be black with red and gold fabrics and gold painted leaf trim. They are opulent and…

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I wasn’t expecting much from the exterior of this top-rated Venitian hotel…it’s in the Dorsoduro area and others have said: the magic starts when you enter. Because of my low expectations I was pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous awnings and stained glass accents. This place has attention to detail down pat! Another bonus is that we were able to use public transportation to get here. 6 euros each for a very nice and brief drive in a cool and comfortable bus which looked brand new.…

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Two weeks of glamour with a carry on. I’m so proud! I’ve always been a big packer…when I first started traveling I was always concerned with “fitting in” with the locals. Because of this I would bring at least one huge suitcase (the size that airlines no longer allow without an extortionist charge) and of course a Grande carry-on. Even if it was three days, I would have the clothes for three weeks. I would see the “professional” travelers with their one carry-on and large…

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     I’m pretty sure every girl wants to travel to Europe. Hearing the exotic names of all the cities “over there” where the history was made always whet my appetite.  Paris, Rome,  Brussels….they all sound appealing don’t they? If you’re lucky, amd money is no option, then it’s not the most difficult decision; choosing where to start. But say you can only go one place this year, it’s your first time to Europe, and you want it to go off w a bang, where…

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Oh the ultimate of guilty pleasures, cruising- made even more guilty by being of an inappropriate age to love such a thing. Cruising is for old people. No one is shocked when their grandmother goes on a cruise, but when their hip, glamorous, child-free, and well-travelled friend admits to loving it, jaws drop. I didn’t always love cruising, in fact, the first several cruises I went on, in my early twenties, were complete disasters. Two of them resulted in break-ups. (Two seperate boyfriends for the…

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My birthday just passed and two of my favorite gifts were a hand-bound aqua  colored journal  and a tiny mercury glass candle with a honeysuckle aroma. The reason I loved these items so much is they are on my list of things to bring on any trip.      The list…… a well made rollerball pen (cartier and Mont Blanc are favorites but there are many pens worth having and pens could become a side obsession at some point) (black ink in a medium or…

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Travel has always excited me, but I’ve never been the backpacking sort. From the first time I stepped into a 4 star hotel, it was true love. Don’t get me started on the 5 star. Since then I’ve been traveling as much as I could, always w the hotel as an equally important part of the trip, and sometimes the main part,  that’s  right,  I sometimes even plan my trips around the hotels!  I recently went back to Honolulu just to stay in my beloved…

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