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Hotel Marlowe in Boston: NPS Home Away from Home
Not only is the Hotel Marlowe (in Cambridge, MA really) a beautiful property, it is a well-oiled hospitality machine. GM Joe Capalbo always treats NPS as a friend and colleague. One of the highlights...
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Colorful and classy at the Gray Chicago
NPS was in a bad mood because United improperly rejiggered seating into economy from economy plus (how do people stand that kind of travel?) and then an Uber driver pulled a super flaky move doing a...
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NYC and the Eventi
It’s New York City, where this building is. pic.twitter.com/pIr68TRPf6 — noplasticshower (@noplasticshower) November 10, 2016 Sadly our view from 1104 looks like this instead of like that. Eventi 1104...
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San Diego Solamar: Paradise in Paradise
NPS has been to San Diego so many times that the count is lost in the ashes of oblivion. See, that was back before the blog, and that means memory is hazy. This blog is the best prosthetic travel...
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Lafayette Park (Lafayette, CA) Slightly Dated French Style
Lafayette, CA is tucked away in the hills behind Berkeley, CA, through the tunnel and into an HO Railroad time warp. This cute little town is a classic Bay area amalgam of chic and blue collar in only...
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2016 Last Licks at the Lorien: Alexandria
You know that quandry where you’re just below the threshold for Inner Circle status by one night? That. Somehow it happens every year. Why leave this? Fortunately, NPS can always make the best of it by...
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2017: First Blood to the Lorien Alexandria
If the Lorien sounds familiar to you, dear reader, that’s because we stayed here just a few short weeks ago in a last minute mad dash to the Kimpton inner circle finish line. We made it across by the...
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Buchanan Gets it Right in San Francisco
Want to be near the Pacific in a terrific city? San Francisco can do that for you. This visit included a bug free stay at the Buchanan Hotel in Japantown where Emily G and her excellent co-workers...
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Park Plaza Pleasant Surprise in Nuremberg
Late stage relationship Ehekarussell (loosely, the Marriage-Merry-Go-Round) Big chains like the Park Plaza chain are generally something we avoid at NPS. But we neglected to set this trip up far enough...
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Return to Philadelphia Palomar
NPS has not been to the Palomar in Philadelphia for a while—six years! So why not. (Just between us, the Philly Monaco takes the win when it comes to Philly. More about why below.) What’s happened in...
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Twenty-Five Hours and New Pornographers in Philly
The plan was a bit intense and involved a taxi, a train, a plane, a car, and just over 25 hours. We did this to see the New Pornographers. According to twitter, the day went something like this: It'...
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Artmore Hotel Atlanta: Slightly Worn Shabby Chic
The Artmore is generally speaking right down the middle of the Bell curve of what NPS looks for in a hotel. Small. Boutique. Independent. Slightly hip. Art The property is nicely manicured and if it...
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How Fast must a “Quick Stay” be to Justify a Plastic Shower? Renaissance LAX
The quick answer is: there is no stay short enough to justify a plastic shower. NPS set out to prove this aphorism at the truly style-free Renaissance hotel at LAX. Renaissance is a Marriott property,...
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Wine Lunch in LA: NPS Edition Two
Wine luncheon one was so much fun that even in a month of intense travel (three countries and 7 cities so far this May), NPS just had to attend edition two. A great time was had by all. Our gracious...
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Back at the Cowper in Palo Alto
Yep, it’s silicon valley time and that means the Cowper Inn. This place is so much like home that we request rooms by number in a particular order. Fortunately, we usually end up in 31 (the NPS...
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A Quick Pit Stop at Solamar San Diego
It is gray and overcast in San Diego. I’m pretty sure this never happened before Donald Trump became President. We’re back for a quick bit of business in San Diego on our multi-city tour. One of the...
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Heavy Turbulence at the Alexis in Seattle
NPS is not a first-timer at the Alexis, but we sure do miss our guy Keith (once concierge) who is no longer at Kimpton. Because we have no feet on the ground at the hotel, we had to rely on social...
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The Lorien Alexandria During No Fly July
Though NPS does not fly in July or December, there is still stuff to be done. The solution? A working meeting at the Lorien in Old Town Alexandria. We’ve been to the Lorien a couple of times since...
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The Graduate in Charlottesville VA Still ABD
When you’re working on your Ph.D. and you stop just short of the finish line, you get to say you’re “ABD” (which stands for “all but dissertation”). Though the graduate in Charlottesville is way better...
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Oslo and the Hotel Christiania Teater
Hotel Christiania Teater We’ve been here before at the Hotel Christiania Teater, even in this very room (number 620), so we knew what to expect. And it was good. Room 620 is a large suite with an...
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