Category Archives: California

October 4, 2012

The Parker, Palm Springs – California

By jenn

Out of all the Starwood Hotels I have stayed at so far, I have to admit The Parker – Palm Springs is one of my favorites.  The Parker – Palm Springs was a nice tucked away resort in the heart of Palm Springs, located just about 5 minutes away from the main strip.  The Parker is secluded, if you’re not paying close attention, you may miss the entrance.

*Photo courtesy of theparkerpalmsprings.com

Palm Springs during the summer is definitely hot. Stayed here on July 13th, 2012 and the temperature outside was approx. 98+ degrees farenheit.  But, as soon as Valet whisks your car away, you couldn’t help but notice the huge orange-colored entry door into what you would least expect to be a “perfect” retreat for a weekend getaway.

Entry to The Parker – Palm Springs

A few friends of mine have raved about this hotel, which made me inclined to book a night to see what this hotel was all about.  Of course I had an idea in my mind of what this hotel looked like, the gallery showed the key features of what this hotel had to offer. But, I had much more appreciation being able to stay in such a fabulous Palm Springs retreat. As you open the double orange doors, you immediately walk into a vintage/chic lobby, with an art deco feel.  I was utterly impressed as I walked into the lobby and it was nice to be greeted by the front desk as you’re welcomed in.

As usual, if you are a Starwood Preferred Guest Member, make sure to provide the front desk with your SPG account. We decided to book a one night stay for $269/night.  (Eeeek!!!) I know… $269/night?  What were we thinking?  The package included a $200 Credit Voucher towards their Spa facility, which worked out great because we were both in need of a spa massage!  That left us with the room turning out to be $69 + tax and $30/day resort fee.  Not too shabby after all!! That is if you are really interested in some R&R and needing a spa massage as badly as I did.

Here are some images of the front lobby:

  

This property was like a maze! One thing I would have appreciated, is if they had placed signs all over the property to direct guests where the pool, rooms, spa and other facilities were located.  If the front desk failed to provide you with their animated map, you may get lost.  But, for some visitors, they may not care for signs and actually enjoy venturing the property on their own.  After check-in we were pleasantly surprised by the room and toiletries offered:

After staying here for one night, I decided to book the room for one more night.  What I absolutely appreciated was the fact that there was an “Adult Only” pool and a “Family” pool.  The staff at the adult pool were attentive and the cocktails kept flowing.  Besides the pool, the amazing spa experience and quaint rooms, the resort has so much to offer.  The lawn area had a fire pit for spending QT underneath the stars, while they bring you chocolate and marshmallows to cook s’mores over the open fire.  If you enjoy playing tennis or croquet, they also offer the equipment for you to play a game.  Or, if you prefer to venture out of the resort, they also offer bicycles for rent.  But, if you are not as adventurous or wanting to stay away from the heat, this resort offers video rentals for you to stay cozy inside the room.  Pick your poison, but it appears to me that the paid resort fee is well worth it. This place was FANTASTIC!

  • Hotel Ambience: Art Deco and Dainty
  • Hotel Staff:  Pleasant.
  • Hotel Amenities:  If you read the above message, there is not much more for me to say.  Extremely satisfied.
  • Cleanliness of Hotel:  Spotless, no complaints.
  • Overall Experience:  Can’t wait to return.  Enjoyed all the amenities, especially the adult pool and PSYC (Spa).  Next time I’ll have to try the restaurant and rate their food. To be continued…

Leave a comment | posted in California, Palm Springs

June 2, 2011

W Hotel, San Diego – California

By jenn

Yet another Starwood Hotel stay again! The W Hotel is notoriously known for their “chic and contemporary” ambience.  I haven’t stayed at the other W Hotels, but I have visited the one in San Francisco and what I love is the bar/lounge entrance at night.  In the evening, the hotel lobby becomes the party scene and DJ’s spinning either House or Hip Hop.  This hotel is not recommended for young children or families, I would recommend this to my single ready to mingle friends and to couples only. Interestingly, the entry rug of the elevator changes during the morning, afternoon and evening.  The elevator rug greets with a “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” or “Good Evening,” obviously, dependent on what time of day it is. 

The W Bed

 I was always under the impression that regardless of which Starwood Hotel you stay in, they’ll always supply you with their “Heavenly” bed selection.  I jumped into bed and realized that this bed was not the usual “heavenly” bed, only to realize that the W hotel has their own “W bed” line.  Never seems to amaze me on how much Starwood tries to capitalize on their various room amenities, featured bed linens, mattresses, shower heads, robes, etc. The bed was definitely comfortable, but I didn’t care too much for the pillows.  I enjoy a soft pillow, but it also needs to have a certain firmness.  My head sunk in and it was hard for me to fall asleep easily with the W bedding collection.

What I love about the room is the option to lounge by the window with their cushioned bench.  The reading materials were entertaining and nothing beats a view of other skylines within the vicinity.  Luckily for us, we had beautiful blue skies!

Lounge by the Window

 

It all came back to me on the reason why I heart staying at the W Hotel… the bliss branded shampoo, conditioner, soap, face wash, body wash and lotion.  Lemon scented everything!  I used every bit of their amenities and even asked for more.  BLISS could be found at Sephora and their brand is not cheap! So while you stay at the W Hotel, enjoy as much of it as you can because it’s all included with your room deal.

"Ignorance is BLISS"...

Pros: The W Hotel is nicely situated in the more quiet side of town.  Finding parking near the hotel is easy and open meters around the blocks surrounding the hotel.  It’s also a plus to have a bar/lounge setting in your hotel, if you don’t feel like leaving and want to just chill with a drink or two.

Cons:  This hotel is a few blocks away from Gaslamp Quarters, which means a $5 cab ride is much-needed for all the nightlife and excitement.  The pool is very shallow and not very big.  More than likely you are only able to fit a total of 40-50 people around/inside the pool area.  Not sure why they designed the pool/beach bar the way they did because don’t get it twisted, the two are not located in the same area.  The gym is next to the pool, which to me, should’ve been the bar area instead.  Perhaps they could do some remodeling in the near future or rethink the design of their layout. Parking at this hotel is $26/night.  Surrounding lots will charge anywhere from $10-17/day. Parking is free from 6PM Saturday – Sunday.

Room 1020

  • Hotel Ambience: Chic and Contemporary
  • Hotel Staff: Friendly and had no issues with late check-out.
  • Hotel Amenities: Enjoyed the spacious room, contemporary furniture, iPod speakers and bliss branded bathroom supplies.
  • Cleanliness of Hotel:  Clean.
  • Overall Experience:  I highly recommend this hotel for the young/single/couples crowd.  If you are coming with children, this hotel would not be ideal.  Wish they had visioned the pool and beach bar access to be joined together vs. being separate, the whole floor plan didn’t make sense to me. Hotel earned brownie points for having an ACURA complimentary car service from/to the hotel, however, car service is only available during a specified time.  Nice to be able to get picked up/dropped off without a meter running.  Shops/restaurants in Gaslamp Quarters is not too far from the hotel.  I highly recommend trying Nobu at Hard Rock Hotel, their food was absolutely impeccable!

1 comment | posted in California, San Diego

May 23, 2011

Doubletree Fess Parker Resort, Santa Barbara – California

By jenn

Hotel Parking Entry

Doubletree Fess Parker Resort was AMAZING!  Thankfully through my corporate rates, I was able to book this hotel at a cheaper price.  According to the sign in the hotel room, the room I stayed in averaged $500-700/night.  The location and amenities of this hotel speaks the truth about resort living.  However, I’m not sure I would’ve paid that price to stay in a deluxe room, it would be different if that was the price of a suite. 

I was greeted by the front desk receptionist and after checking in for my room, she hands over fresh-baked cookies for being a hotel guest.  After a long drive, that chocolate chip cookie earned this hotel some brownie points in my books.  This resort is huge, their rooms are segmented in different buildings.  The building in which my room was located was the Camelia building.  Another aspect of Santa Barbara that I absolutely love is the Spanish architecture and its influences. 

Camelia

There was nothing very special about our room, but I must admit it was very spacious. If you’re planning a girl’s weekend, this room is ideal because there is a vanity area that is separate from the vanity inside the actual bathroom. There is plenty of space to style your hair or put on your makeup. The nice thing about the room, was the outside patio. Although the view was directly the back parking lot, if you looked up, you could see the pretty blue skies and mountain landscapes. Not too shabby!!! Ideally, you might want to ask for the second floor in which the balcony would give you the same view, but at a higher level. Below are some photos of the inside and outside of the room:

Double Vanities!

 

Sweet Dream - bedding

 

Queen Beds - Guestroom

 

 

Patio

 

 
Wedding ceremonies/receptions are common at this hotel. Upon arrival on Saturday afternoon, a wedding was occurring.  Upon leaving on Sunday afternoon, another wedding was being setup.  Below are some photos of the gorgeous locations this hotel has to offer for such a big event:

Second Level of their Courtyard

 

Beautiful Outside Decor

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Beautiful Ocean View Courtyard!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lastly, the location of this hotel was ideal for local eateries.  The one we encountered down the street was Sambo’s! Highly recommended onYelp and Zagat rated, we decided to go here for brunch on Sunday.  It was a little bit windy outside so we decided to eat inside, but if you go there on a nice sunny day, sitting outside would be ideal. I ordered a typical morning breakfast, but next time I suggest ordering their Crab Cakes Benedict.  Absolutely deelish!!!  To top things off with this fabulous restaurant, their chocolate chip muffins provided after being seated. Prices wer very reasonable! $
 

Sambo's Infamous Menu

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Infamous Chocolate Chip Muffins!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Crab Cakes Benedict!

 
 

 

  • Hotel Ambience: Spanish/Vintage/Classic
  • Hotel Staff: Friendly, service with a smile!
  • Hotel Amenities: Spacious room/double vanities a plus and outdoor patio was excellent.
  • Cleanliness of Hotel:  Clean.
  • Overall Experience:  A nice place for a weekend getaway.  Very serene and quiet, maid service didn’t wake you in the AM, shower was good and bed was comfortable for sleeping.  Distance to local eateries:  1/4-1/2 mile for restaurants facing the beach.  Downtown shopping was a mile up State Street.  Lots of tour buses and beach events to keep your afternoon occupied.

Leave a comment | posted in Santa Barbara

May 7, 2011

Westin St. Francis, San Francisco – California

By jenn
 

Front Entrance

 Visited San Francisco a few weekends ago and enjoyed the clear blue skies while it lasted, since it doesn’t happen often in this city.  I always enjoy my trips to San Francisco, especially shopping in Union Square.  I never go home empty-handed and never go home with a dissatisfied meal from one of their amazing restaurants. I truly love this city, but I just wasn’t cut out to stay and live there.  I do miss living in the Bay Area, but truly appreciate my visitation rights much more. 

This weekend I actually visited the “Rock,” also known as, Alcatraz Island.  I truly appreciated the history and stories shared by past wardens and convicts.  It surely was amazing weather because there were no clouds covering up the city view from the Island and both bridges were in sight.  Learning about the families that lived on the island left me wondering how parent’s felt about their family living on the island and not feeling endangered.  It amazed me, to realize how trustworthy we were in the past and realizing how that would never happen in this lifetime.  As far as I know….

Let me share about my stay at the Westin St. Francis!

First impression when I hear about “Westin Hotels,” it’s a Starwood Hotel and that means “heavenly” amenities.  What exactly are “heavenly” amenities?  It includes, the Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Shower.  The Heavenly Bed never fails to allow me to sleep in and sink my body into the fluffy linens.  The Heavenly Shower never fails to make me want to stay in the shower longer, sing a tune or two and scrub my body up & down.  In a nutshell, this would come to my mind when staying at a Starwood Hotel.

Although the Westin St. Francis is indeed a Starwood Hotel, I did not care much for the room or the ambience all that much.  If you enjoy vintage, marble flooring and marble columns, you would enjoy the Westin St. Francis.  Walking into the hotel, you could immediately pick up on the fact that this was a historical landmark or building of some sort.  The dark hallways and walkway to the elevators up to your room, will give you an eerie and dark feeling.  Once you arrive on your floor, the carpeting and old style wallpaper continues to give you an eerie impression.  In fact, it does not help that when you walk towards your room, a discreet smell of oldness or moldy air flow breathes into the hallways.  This was not a good sign for being a 4 star hotel. 

Guest Room

Hoping that as I open the door to my room, I would be impressed with updated furniture or chic carpeting; to my dismay, I was quite disappointed.  I did not care for the chandelier, which seemed to fit with the eerie theme of this hotel.  The Heavenly Bed was there, but the plain white walls with very minimalist artwork, was truly a disappointment.  The bathroom had striped wallpaper and marble flooring, which I did not care for.  All in all, the hotel was missing the spark and 21st century appeal.  I truly did not care for my stay here.  If it wasn’t for the Heavenly Bed & Shower, I would give this hotel 2 stars.  But since this is classified with Starwood, I suppose 3 stars would fit and 4 would just be pushing it. 

Delightfully, I was impressed with the presence of Michael Mina’s restaurant: Bourbon Steak.  Absolutely deeeelish!  Our meal started off with french fries that were cooked in duck fat, accompanied by 3 different sauces.  At first, duck fat strayed me away from trying the french fries, but I am willing to try anything once in my life.  Duck fat fries, it was!  I’m glad I tried it because I was utterly impressed and delighted by the taste.  I moved onto my bone-in rib eye steak, cooked at Medium Rare, accompanied by truffled Mac n’ Cheese.  Loved, loved, loved it….. Cooked to its perfection, I enjoyed every bite.  Even though I split the meal into two, I was completely satisfied and full.  The dessert menu arrived and I had no choice but to look the other way.  Our server was truly amazing and kind, he complimented us with chocolate truffles.  I had no choice but to pop one of them in and completely enjoyed every piece of it. Bourbon Steak restaurant was truly an amazing experience and highly recommend it to those who enjoy a good piece of meat. 

French Fries (Fried in Duck Fat)

 

Complimentary Chocolate Truffles

 

  • Hotel Ambience: Historical/Classic-Vintage
  • Hotel Staff: Friendly
  • Hotel Amenities: Heavenly Bed & Shower = excellent.  Furniture/Artwork = needs to be updated.
  • Cleanliness of Hotel: Mediocre
  • Overall Experience:  I prefer the Le Meridien and plan to continue staying there when visiting SF.  This hotel gave me an eerie feeling and hope the maintenance improves. Location is ideal because it is situated in the heart of  Union Square. 

Leave a comment | posted in California, San Francisco

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