The James Hotel Chicago

It's sleek, sexy and modern...The James Chicago is one of a trilogy of hotels, the others are in Miami & Soho, and it has everything the young business or leisure traveler might want. A quirky mid-century modern theme can be found throughout with designer furnishings for emphasis. Situated minutes from the Magnificent Mile the location is perfect for shoppers!

My Suite had two bedrooms and a living room, a projector TV in one room and the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in! The color palette of beiges and neutral tones really set the mood for a relaxing stay in Chicago. It's a great place to come back after a hectic day and just re-group!

Service was excellent and staff was always eager to help. The hotel offers complimentary use of bicycles for guests but as it was late October and I was told they were no longer available due to the weather- I confess, I was disappointed, I had been looking forward to biking along the Chicago Lakefront. That's alright...there's always next summer!

Here are some pictures to give you a vibe for the place...

The Penthouse Suite...notice the Eames armchair...

Staircase and restaurant on the left...sleek and modern

The uber modern details...

Crisp white bedding...spartan but plush

Quirky modern decor

The Lobby...I sat here for hours as I arrived before check-in time. The gentleman at the desk graciously offered me a coffee while I waited...great service!

Mini-Bar...notice the mid-century decor prevalent throughout

The second bedroom in my Suite...can be used as a lounge or a bedroom...VERY comfortable!

Next time you are in Chicago and you want a comfortable, modern and plush hotel to stay in give The James Chicago a try. It's small enough to give you a real boutique feel but large enough to give you all the anonymous privacy you might want (I find that really important). It's a great alternative to the stuffy grand dame hotels in Chicago..it's young, hip and trendy.

www.jameshotels.com

The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC

Thomas Jefferson and I go way back, so to speak. When I first read about his four year sojourn in Paris on the eve of the French Revolution, we bonded via our love of all things Francophile. When I started to read his works, I began to admire the audacity of his mind. And when I found myself at Monticello, his beloved home in Charlottesville, Virginia on a research fellowship I fell in love with the same green hills he had ridden on, the beautiful vegetable gardens he had planted and the lush countryside he had so admired during his lifetime.

So, when I found myself in Washington, DC staying at "The Jefferson", a unique Relais & Chateaux property that defies the generic definition of hotel, I started to find the Jeffersonian string of coincidences that had brought me there almost uncanny...everything I thought I had once looked up to in this intriguing founding father was nothing compared to my newly found unbounded enthusiasm for the third President of the United States.

Staying at "The Jefferson" is like being personally invited in the great man's home...only better. The sumptuous decor is 1780 meets 2012 with all the intricate detailing of a Classical structure and all the modern amenities to make it worthwhile. Framed letters in the founding father's own hand are elegantly displayed along the walls along with white marble busts of the man himself. Delicate drawings of Monticello are woven into the crisp decor, modern luxury and history at the service of one another.

On any evening, important Washington types sit in luxuriously draped alcoves over a power lunch at Plume, the hotel's critically acclaimed restaurant sipping on Madeira wines dating from as far back as 1810 that Jefferson himself would have undoubtedly approved of. Discreet elegance is the goal throughout the lobby, the library and the many private spaces available to guests for business meetings. But make no mistake, The Jefferson harbors no generic overtones similar to the many conference style hotels...oh no, that is not the vibe here. Au contraire, guests will experience all the glamour of secret service like privacy and all the perks of royal treatment, or perhaps I should say presidential treatment...

The House Car aka a Luxury SUV will take you to dinner or wherever else you need to go, while suited men with earpieces hover over you as if to watch over your safety...take that, Mr. President! But enough talking...a picture is worth a thousand words!

The impressive Lobby

The Greenhouse...Breakfast or High Tea anyone?

Every corner was exquisitely decorated

The Bedrooms...Oh TJ (Short for Thomas Jefferson) how I miss you!

This wasn't my room but it looks pretty damn gorgeous!!!

Check out the drawing of Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's beloved home in Virginia) on the pillowcase...god really is in the details...

Plume, the highly acclaimed restaurant on property. Checkout the mural at the back: it's a drawing of the vegetable garden and beyond at Monticello...to the left is Montalto...

A private alcove at the Plume Restaurant...elegant, discreet...I'm in love with this place!

The Lobby

One of many private rooms...small, intimate and ultra-luxurious. Wood paneled walls, plush leather sofas, state of the art technology...the detailing was fabulous...notice the Native Indian drawings on the walls, Thomas Jefferson also collected Native artifacts, drawings and the like... 

The attention to detail at The Jefferson is incredible. If you want to be pampered in D.C. this is THE address! I don't think I could ever stay at another hotel in this nation's capital...in fact, I would rather stay home than betray my love for The Jefferson, a palatial property that defies description...

www.jeffersondc.com

Hyatt New Orleans: A Modern Twist on a Classic Favorite...

New Orleans: Jazz bands and horse-drawn carriages, Old World Charm and down home Southern cooking...It's tough to reinvent a classic but the team at the newly renovated New Orleans Hyatt has managed to do it with style, panache and a distinctively modern flair.

Located right next to the Superdome, the location sets it apart from the run of the mill French Quarter properties yet within easy access to everything the historic district has to offer. My suite was expansive, modern, luxurious and boasted an incredible view of the Superdome.

If you plan to be in New Orleans on business or otherwise: this is a modern oasis in a city of Old World charm...

The Regency Club for select members...with your room key this luxurious lounge serves breakfasts and snacks (complimentary) all day long. There is also a TV Lounge (not pictured here) which I used a few times.

Deluxe Suite...and sweet it was!

King Room

Queen Room

Presidential Suite

If you're in New Orleans for business, a conference or even just for fun then the newly renovated Hyatt New Orleans will give you a modern, lucurious and crisp experience that is sometimes difficult to find in some of the more quirky hotels in NOLA's French Quarter.

But don't take my workd for it...check it out and let me know what you think!

 http://neworleans.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-neworleans/index.jsp?null

Wequassett Resort & Golf Club

Wequassett: without a doubt one of the top 10 most incredible resorts in the US. The service was exceptional: it's always a good sign when the staff is genuinely excited about their work, it means they are valued by their employers who in turn understand just how important the "little things" are in the hospitality industry. 

From the moment the shuttle car picked me up after a long journey I knew this was going to be a unique experience. My driver was charming, pleasant, professional and accomodating- a tall order and yet he managed! Check-in was a breeze and we were shuttled to the room in a golf cart...

The Suite, overlooking the bay, was incredible. The design was impeccably Cape Cod chic with crisp linens and a fresh color palette. A smart room, everything from the music to the fireplace turned on with a remote control. The two balconies left me speechless (and that doesn't happen very often)...crisp white deck chairs with plush cushions overlooking the water and perfect for stargazing at night were among my favorite features.

The bathroom was the best bathroom I've ever experienced- I could have soaked in the jacuzzi tub for days and the completely modernized sound system made listening to music in there an incredible experience. The suite was absolutely perfect in every way: this is not an ordinary hotel for a run of the mill vacation getaway...this is an amazing place where service is paramount and where your everyday problems will disappear.

The pool

Cabanas...

Hot tub and pool...

Suite overlooking the Bay...

Panoramic view

Amazing balconies

Outdoor fireplace

Everything about Wequassett screams "You have arrived!" It is truly an oasis of calm, beauty and yes, luxury. Coco Chanel believed that true luxury was never about being ostentatious but always about comfort and understatement. She would most definitely have approved of Wequassett...as do I...

www.wequassett.com

The Wauwinet in Nantucket

The Wauwinet in Nantucket...it's New England's version of paradise. The crisp white wicker chairs on the lawn, the perfectly manicured lawns, the casual chic ambience and, most of all, the world-class service all conspire to make this the ultimate Nantucket hotel.

I spent the afternoon sitting on one of their plush lawn chairs overlooking the water with a warm fleece blanket and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Drinks were served on the lawn using large elegant trays, ladies wore straw hats, the grass was as green as grass gets, the flowers were in bloom...like I said, heavenly!

But after a few days even the most pristine setting can bcome a little stale without a few fun activities on the program, and the staff at the Wauwinet has thought of it all! From bike riding to tennis my favorite activity was the tour of the island aboard the "woody" a vintage car (the antique Chevy is pictured below). Our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about the area, I especially enjoyed our tour of Sconset village.

Complimentary amenities include: jitney service to and from Nantucket downtown, boat rides into town aboard the Wauwinet lady, continental breakfast, port and cheese in the afternoons (a delightful touch) and bicycles.

It may look like a simple country home from the outside, but I can assure you that this Relais & Chateaux property is extravagant in spite of its comfortably chic allure. No detail is left unattended to and personal touches are everywhere.

I could end my review here, but that just wouldn't be right. Of all the amazing amenities at the property there is one that far outshines the rest and that would be the Concierge: Jordana Fleischut. I've been to a lot of hotels and some very nice ones at that, but I've yet to find somebody as professional, as helpful and as passionate about giving the guests the perfect trip. She went out of her way to help me with arranging transportation back home, no request was too great or too small and she made my stay one of the most enjoyable ever- I was so moved I had to give her a hug before leaving. She is, without a doubt, the crowning jewel of the Wauwinet.

http://www.wauwinet.com/

An aerial view of the property...

Those heavenly lawn chairs...

The grounds at dusk are simply magnificent!

The infamous "woody"

The gounds are spectacular...the perfect place for an afternoon drink

I could gush about The Wauwinet for another five paragraphs but you get the gist...if you are going to Nantucket then stay at the Wauwinet...it is THE hotel on the island...



The National Museum of American Illustration

"La, tout n'est qu'ordre et beaute: luxe, calme et volupte" wrote Charles Baudelaire. This translates loosely from the French as "Here all is symmetry and beauty: luxury, serenity and beauty for the senses." On a recent trip to Newport, R.I. I had the pleasure of visiting a place that embodied all these attributes, a structure that transcended the mere purpose of providing shelter from the elements but provided food for the mind...so just as in Baudelaire's famous poem "L'Invitation au Voyage" I invite you on a little journey to discover the National Museum of American Illustration at Vernon Court...

Located on the renowned Bellevue Avenue in Newport, this Gilded Age mansion was once the summer home of Mrs. Richard van Nest Gambrill. Designed by Carrere & Hastings in 1898 and inspired by the 18th Century Chateaux of France, Vernon Court soon came to be known as one of the most notable houses in the country. Today, its elegant preservation is second to none and the beauty of its salons en enfilade is well; breathtaking. But beyond the exquisite proportions and the French gardens what struck me most was that Vernon Court is not merely a fine tribute to the past but a vibrant homage to the present and future. Unlike many of its contemporaries, this Grande Dame does not wax nostalgic about her glorious past. Instead she is still incredibly beautiful and vibrant but most of all, meaningful and this she owes to the National Museum of American Illustration.

The Museum was founded in 1998 by Judy Goffman Cutler and Laurence. S. Cutler to house their art collection from the "Golden Age of American Illustration". These works are an integral part of the American Heritage and include milestone pieces by artists and illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish, Charles Dana Gibson, Howard Pyle, NC Wyeth, Jessie Willcox Smith, JC Leyendecker, Violet Oakley, and over 150 other luminaries. Originally created to be reproduced in magazines and newspapers, posters and advertisements these illustrations slowly transcended their original purpose and those with a keen eye understood the intrinsic worth of each piece as a work of art unto itself. Moreover, each piece marks the growth of American art and history.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said "Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space." Nowhere does this ring more true than at Vernon Court and yet it magically encompasses the essence of our own era too. The work of the American Imagists on display gives us a flavor of where we have been as a country but also, where we are going. Many museums look to history for the answers, this one reaches into the past in order to get a firmer grip on the future. 

http://www.americanillustration.org/