Coast to Coast

Ritz-Carlton San Francisco

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Hotel | "High Tea and Rose Petals"

Ritz Carlton San Francisco bedroom Photo - Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, San Francisco, California

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The first six days of a certain US trip were to be spent in San Francisco. I was looking for somewhere special to stay not least because one of these days was to be my wedding day. There are a handful of five star hotels in San Francisco but the Ritz Carlton is one of the highest rated, has just had a $12.5m refurbishment and I think I was won over by the impressive white façade complete with roman pillars.Booking, prices and pre-stay=============================We did not book the hotel directly ourselves but rather this was part of a Kuoni holiday. I have to admit I am not sure exactly what rate we got but it was somewhere between £200 and £250 per night. I felt that th...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on June 25, 2009

Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
600 Stockton Street
San Francisco, California 94108
(415) 296-7465

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Bellagio

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Hotel | "Dancing Fountains"

Miniature Bellagio within the Bellagio Photo - Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada

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For me only the Bellagio would do once we had decided to visit Las Vegas as part of our honeymoon. The hotel featured in the Oceans’ 11 film which I loved and I was particularly looking forward to seeing the famous water fountain show.The hotel is located roughly half way along the main Strip area and is beautiful to look at from the outside. It is set back from the street and the front of the building gently curves around the imitation Lake Como. Providing it is not too windy, from 3pm in the afternoon the fountain show runs every fifteen minutes making for excellent photo opportunities and selling lots of postcards.We booked via a travel agents a few months in advance, we ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on August 11, 2009

Bellagio
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
(702) 693-7111

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Grafton on Sunset

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Hotel | "Hip and Chic on Sunset Strip"

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I had probably heard more bad things about Los Angeles than good so it was with some trepidation that we decided to spend the final three nights of our honeymoon in the city of angels. Furthermore, after having spent the rest of the trip being pampered and pandered to in some of the best five star hotels in the places we visited, this time we decided to try something a bit different.The Grafton on Sunset is certainly not down-market; in fact it is a boutique four-star hotel. However the other hotels we stayed in on honeymoon were elegant, sophisticated and definitely very grown up, whereas this one came across as being younger, funkier and situated in a location known for its nightlife, ...Read More

I had probably heard more bad things about Los Angeles than good so it was with some trepidation that we decided to spend the final three nights of our honeymoon in the city of angels. Furthermore, after having spent the rest of the trip being pampered and pandered to in some of the best five star hotels in the places we visited, this time we decided to try something a bit different.

The Grafton on Sunset is certainly not down-market; in fact it is a boutique four-star hotel. However the other hotels we stayed in on honeymoon were elegant, sophisticated and definitely very grown up, whereas this one came across as being younger, funkier and situated in a location known for its nightlife, Sunset Boulevard. In the end we decided this could be just the ending to the trip that we wanted.

I first identified the hotel through searches on expedia and octopus, however I then went to the hotel’s own website and booked directly. It was slightly cheaper booking directly and the other advantage was that I could be very specific about the room I wanted. This was of importance to me as I had read some reviews of the hotel and a number of people had mentioned it being quite noisy in the street facing rooms or rooms overlooking the pool. By booking directly, I was able to select a non-street facing, non-pool overlooking corner room, the other advantage of the corner being that these rooms are a tad bigger.

The hotel is located in West Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard. I found the location reasonably convenient. During the daytime we generally had to take a taxi to wherever we were planning to visit that day, this is not the kind of hotel that taxis queue outside but it was usually reasonably easy to find one nearby. In the evening, we thought the location was ideal and we loved strolling down the lively boulevard and having a whole host of bars and restaurants to choose from.

Check in was quick and easy, there was nobody else waiting or at the reception desk when we arrived and we were soon on our way to the exact room I had booked some months earlier. The most popular rooms in the hotel are the ones overlooking the pool and these have a door leading directly out to it, but this was not for me as I prefer peace and quiet once that door is closed.

Our first impressions were very good. The décor was modern and very hip. Not what I would want in my own home but we were impressed and it was in complete contrast to the traditional and fairly grand décor we had seen in all the other hotels we stayed in on honeymoon.

The chic styling continued through to the bedrooms. Nevertheless I thought that the walls, which were a kind of mucky lime green colour, made the room quite dark and I would have liked something a bit brighter and lighter. Other than this is was very attractively furnished but then I have always liked funky animal skin prints. The room was smaller than we had become accustomed to elsewhere on this trip, but it was far from being too small and we were certainly not falling over each other. The king size bed had a feather top mattress and was so comfortable that I subsequently made sure I had one of these when I bought my next bed at home.

The rooms are well equipped with technology, as well as a flat screen TV we had a DVD and CD player and even an I-Pod docking station. To be honest I could have done without the latter, as I was then worried that the people on either side of me would take advantage and play their music very loud; the hotel certainly struck me as one that would appeal to party animals, whereas I like to go to bed at a sensible hour.

The hotel has a restaurant and cocktail bar, we didn’t eat here but we did tend to start our evening with a quick drink in the cocktail lounge before we hit the Sunset Strip. We noted that it attracted non-residents as well as residents and we found the service friendly and the prices reasonable. In-room service is available from 7am until about midnight, we used it for breakfast and we found this to be reasonably priced and the food was high quality. It was a great tart to every day.

The only issue we encountered during this stay was when it came to check out and we had an international flight to catch. We had been told there was no point booking a taxi and they would flag one for us when we needed it, but in the end it was bedlam in reception with lots of people wanting taxis at around the same time. Being somebody who likes to get to the airport early, this did nothing positive for my stress levels.

We paid $209 excluding taxes per night, this was a few years ago, but I have just checked and prices are pretty much unchanged, perhaps a little lower. The Grafton seemed more of a three star hotel than a four star to me, nevertheless it is a stunning, ultra chic property in a good location and I think this represents excellent value for money. I would like to stay here again were I to return to LA (which incidentally I loved, despite those original concerns). The one thing that might make me hesitate is that it seems to be marketed towards a younger, hipper clientele and I would be wary of checking in at the same time as a party crowd.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 11, 2009

Grafton on Sunset
8462 West Sunset Blvd
West Hollywood, California 90069
323-654-4600

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Radisson Hotel Boston

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Down to Earth with a Bump"

Quote:

The Radisson was rated as a 3½ star on Expedia, it had a good feedback rating from past clients both on expedia and on "www.tripadvisor.com", the rate was $192 (GBP 100 approx at the time) a night and so I went ahead and booked.Location and arrival~~~Boston is a small city and one would have to be quite unlucky to find oneself in a hotel in an inconvenient location for this reason. So, we were perfectly happy with the central location of this hotel. Also it was only about a twenty minute taxi ride from the airport and that cost $25 with a tip.The hotel is a rather ugly concrete building, although I would not go so far as to say it created a bad impression as I don’t...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on June 25, 2009

Radisson Hotel Boston
200 Stuart Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02116
(617) 482-1800

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The New York Palace

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Hotel | "Palatial Palace"

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A few years ago, I worked for a Swiss bank and it was necessary for me to make frequent business trips to Zurich and New York. Whenever I as in New York, I tried to get a room in the New York Palace Hotel and fortunately most of the time I was successful. So this is a hotel I have stayed at on many occasions. By and large, my experiences were very similar each time; I always stayed in the same standard of room and I always received the same standard of service from the staff.The New York Palace, or the Palace as I call it, it takes up the entire block between Madison and Park Avenues and 50th and 51st street, i.e. midtown Manhattan. I think this is a perfect location for any visitor as...Read More

A few years ago, I worked for a Swiss bank and it was necessary for me to make frequent business trips to Zurich and New York. Whenever I as in New York, I tried to get a room in the New York Palace Hotel and fortunately most of the time I was successful. So this is a hotel I have stayed at on many occasions. By and large, my experiences were very similar each time; I always stayed in the same standard of room and I always received the same standard of service from the staff.

The New York Palace, or the Palace as I call it, it takes up the entire block between Madison and Park Avenues and 50th and 51st street, i.e. midtown Manhattan. I think this is a perfect location for any visitor as many of the highlights of New York are within easy walking distance. The Rockefeller Plaza is moments away and it is an easy walk to Broadway and Times Square too. When I managed to escape the office, I would sometimes take a stroll north up Madison or 5th Avenue, browsing the shops and it is then not much further to the Frick Collection (5th and 70th) or the Metropolitan Museum of Art (5th and 83rd). Alternatively one can easily head south to the Empire State Building (5th and 34th). I really only ever found I needed a taxi or public transport if I was going right down town.

I usually travelled to New York on a late afternoon or evening flight from London which meant arriving at the hotel at around 8pm local time give or take an hour or two. The main hotel entrance and lobby is breath taking, palatial and exquisitely decorated; the entrance is especially beautiful during the December holiday season.

Reception is invariably busy at this hotel but there are plenty of manned desks so never much of a wait, a relief to somebody still on European time. Staff are friendly, charming and would usually refer to my previous visits. Before my very first visit, somebody recommended I ask for a room with a view of St Patrick’s Cathedral next door, the staff are more than happy to oblige and I managed to get a room with a view on more or less every visit and it is indeed a beautiful building and a fantastic view.

I always stayed in the lowest category of room, which is known as the deluxe room and deluxe it is. At 360 square feet these rooms are huge by New York standards and certainly much larger than I found in other hotels on one of my many personal visits to New York. I often had a room with two large double beds although sometimes I would get a king. I had no particular preference as I was by myself anyway.

The décor is traditional; glossy mahogany furniture, heavy curtains and heavy expensive looking cushions scattered around, typically in shades of gold, red or green. The only modern touches in these rooms are the large flat screen TVs. The bathrooms do not let the side down either; above average in size, traditional, marble and with plenty of big white fluffy towels and robes and slippers provided.

As one would expect of a hotel of this calibre, the room has a full service during the day and a turndown and mini service with perfunctory chocolates on pillow in the evenings. I have always found the rooms to be spotlessly clean, I remember there was one occasion when I returned from the office to find my room not serviced, but this was my fault as I had accidentally left the privacy button on. One call to reception and somebody was there within minutes to rectify my mistake. This is so typical of the service in this hotel.

As I was in New York by myself whenever I stayed at the Palace, I would sometimes opt for a room service dinner. The in-room service is available 24 hours a day and there is a wide selection of meals available. I tended to go for salads or sandwiches and even these were served with a flourish; big trays, white linen, iced water, bread rolls and heavy silver cutlery. The price would soon add up though as even these basic meals I went for would be a good $30 and that is before service and delivery. Although I was on expenses, I drew the line at having breakfast in the hotel, I once contemplated ordering a bowl of cornflakes and glass of orange juice but $35 was just silly money and I object to that on principle. With so many delis in New York it was easier and cheaper to grab something to eat on the walk to the office.

Other dining options include a formal restaurant called Gilt, which holds two Michelin stars and looks fantabulous, but sadly I have not tried it myself. I have visited Istana the lobby brasserie, although my most recent experience of this was last year when I was not actually staying at the hotel but wanted to show my husband my favourite NY hotel. Service really let the side down this time and we gave up and walked out in the end without ever getting to place an order, despite our repeated attempts. This is my only experience of bad service in the many times I have visited, but what a let down.

Overall, I look back to the era when I was a regular visitor to the New York Palace with great fondness. I have made several personal visits to New York since then and would have loved to have brought my husband here, but sadly the $700 - $800 price tag for a standard room was a little prohibitive. If you have the budget, then I highly recommend it.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on August 10, 2009

The New York Palace
455 MADISON AVENUE AT 50TH ST
New York, New York 10022
212 888 7000

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Charles Street Inn

Best Of IgoUgo

Hotel | "Vintage B&B"

Quote:

It is a relatively small hop from Bermuda to the US east coast and another bout of "rock fever" as the desire to escape the island is commonly known, led us to Boston for the second time in as many months. On the previous trip we had stayed at one of the large chain hotels and found it to be a wholly unsatisfactory experience and so this time wanted something a little different.We walked past the Charles Street Inn during that last trip and decided there and then that next time we visited Boston this would be the place we would stay. It looked gorgeously quaint and seemed to offer such a different experience to the one available with a large chain hotel. We went inside and picked up a leaf...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on August 10, 2009

Charles Street Inn
94 Charles Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
(877) 772-8900

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