Clik here to view.
Rydges South Bank Brisbane: A Hotel Disaster (part one)
Somehow in this case the word “Rydges” connotes cheap condoms from a gas station vending machine. We’re traveling with a group, and that means little control over situations that NPS usually has a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rydges South Bank Brisbane: Back on Top (part two)
Our first taste of Rydges South Bank Brisbane left a bad taste in the mouth. But a meeting with the GM in the morning cleared things up. While we were off having breakfast, our room was switched to a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pullman Melbourne Albert Park Nails It
Apparently, someone from the three city tour we’re part of has been reading our supposedly secret blog entries (LOL), because when we checked in at the Pullman Melbourne Albert Park this afternoon, we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
No Fly Nöel 2018
2018 was an interesting year for travel. We stayed close to our 20 trip goal (miraculous), but still managed to hit Argentina, Africa, the Bahamas, New Zealand, and Australia, not to mention a bunch of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
R2 Wine Luncheon Take 4
The fourth LA wine luncheon run was excellent and fun as always. This time the highlight of the day was an absolutely top notch menu put together by Bistro 45. (FWIW, Bistrot 45 already held the top...
View ArticleMore Ann Arbor Hospitality
Last time we stayed at “chez fu” in Ann Arbor it was May. And it was 2016. This time it is 16 degrees and 2019 in March. Brrr. The two most important machines in @DrKevinFu's lab @EECSatMI: Steamy and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
One Night at the Kabuki (Japantown, San Francisco)
After a weekend of staying with friends (paul, jim and chloe), we spent one night at the Kabuki before heading out of town early in the morning. 1602 is as nice a room as ever. We have been here...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Grande Colonial Inn La Jolla Gets a Facelift
What a difference a year makes. Last year the Grande Colonial seemed a bit tired and long in the tooth. It has had a facelift. View from 102 Though the architecture of the building has not changed, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lilianfels, Katoomba, Australia: The Blue Mountains Lux
Katoomba is a great place to visit if you are into hiking, spectacular views, and nature. On a previous day trip, we didn’t spend the night (coming in and out by train from Sydney is almost fast enough...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pullman Sydney Hyde Park: Disco Duck Stuck in the ’70s
Business. What you gonna do. The Pullman is not the kind of hotel we would normally choose, but that’s where they stuck us. After a 15 hour flight, an early arrival is somewhat non-trivial in Sydney....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Plaza La Reina, Los Angeles
Plaza La Reina remains an outstanding property. NPS recommended. On our second stay we met one of the owners (Philippe) who of course is friends with a mutual friend. The world is small. The courtyard...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Back to the Excellent Grand Hyatt Tokyo
After a 19 hour trip from Washington, the Tokyo Station was a welcome sight. A quick taxi ride to Rappongi and we arrived at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. NPS is traveling with the progeny. We’ve been here...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Thousand Kyoto
Outside art at The Thousand The brand spanking new hotel called The Thousand in Kyoto is a high design treat. Open, artful, tasteful, and gorgeous. We arrived via Shinkansen from Tokyo and walked the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Lorien for Battery Recharge Through Cocktails, Art, and Conversation
Ah the Lorien, it has been a while! Since NPS last visited, IHG has done all it can to change the Kimpton chain it acquired into something we don’t recognize. The good news is that many excellent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh: Kimpton at its Old Best
Hard to believe it has been five years since the last NPS visit to Pittsburgh! Dang. The great news is that the Hotel Monaco in Pittsburgh is like stepping into a Kimpton time warp—in all the good...
View ArticleClik here to view.
San Francisco Post Pandemic
How exactly do you get back on the horse after a year of not even being in the barn? Or remembering you’re on a farm? Or much of anything? Well, we’re well on our way to finding out. In all honesty the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Portland (of the Oregon variety)
On only the third airplane ride post Covid vaccination, it was across the country to Portland in two hops. Queen Tibia presided at home in our absence. Dulles was mostly empty on a Friday late morning....
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Hotel Van Zandt Austin, Texas
Ah Kimpton, you’ve become so corporate. Such a great hotel chain ground down by middle management cost cutting and the boredom of crank turning. Dang. We remember the old days, yes we do. They are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
NY, NY Still the Best City: Bill and Lisa’s Apartment
We arrived in NY after a long tarmac delay caused by high winds at Newark. Newark was, because of the stoppage, packed to the gills with people, and the wait times for the (awful) restaurants in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Back in New York, The Muse Hotel (IHG)
Our first foray into the city was not that long ago, but was directly impacted by COVID when both stars of Plaza Suite were infected. We went to see Hangman instead, an OK play, but not really all...
View Article