Affordable Digs: Holiday Inn Express Frankfurt City Hauptbanhof
Frankfurt Hauptbanhof
Our train pulled into Frankfurt rather late, but luckily we had booked a hotel close to the station. We got a really great deal booking early on the Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Web site – parent company of the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. I was also happy that I would be getting Priority Rewards points for the stay. We booked a night at the Holiday Inn Express Frankfurt City Hauptbanhof, about a 3 blocks away from the train station (Elbestraße 7). Hardly anyone was out at the late hour when we arrived. Walking up Kaiserstraße, you’ll notice immediately the Starbucks on the right-hand side (free Wi-Fi).
Holiday Inn Express - Frankfurt
Check-in at the hotel was very quick. As a Priority Rewards member, I got a really nice letter from the receptionist from the hotel manager greeting me to the hotel. The letter also informed me that I could request a late check-out at 2pm, which I did. Also, my room was on the top floor, facing Elbestraße. To access the hotel’s free Wi-Fi, you will need to get the username and password from the receptionist.
The room itself was lovely, with a refreshing contemporary aesthetic and a color scheme that worked. Many times when requesting a double bed in Europe, the rooms will have two twin beds pushed together to make one bed. The bed at the hotel was in fact just one bed (I would say, a little smaller than a King bed), which was nice. The flat-screen TV was a descent size. I wished the bathroom had a bathtub.
Snowy Frankfurt
It started to snow the following morning, which added a lovely touch to the historic facades of the buildings across the street. For lunch we walked down towards the Starbucks on Kaiserstraße. Very close to the Starbucks I had spotted a Vietnamese restaurant on our walk to the hotel the night before.
Pho!
For whatever reason, the though of having Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup with slices of beef) sounded really good to me, especially on the cold and snowy day we were having. Unfortunately, I failed to jot down the name of the Vietnamese restaurant (bad Jan!), but you can’t miss it walking up Kaiserstraße from the train station. The Pho that I ordered hit the spot! So yummy and affordable!
For a hotel close enough to the train station, I would recommend the Holiday Inn Express. We did not have breakfast since I snoozed a bit too long while Andreas went out to do his personal business in the city. Breakfast was not included in my rate, and it would have run a little over 10 euros. I liked the affordability of the hotel along with how new and modern our room felt. Plus, it was a great way to collect Priority Reward points!
Images shot with Instagram.
A Questionable ‘Choice Seat’ on US Airways to Dublin and a Few Other Thoughts
Now that I’m finally settled in the German countryside visiting my partner’s German parents for the next several days or so, I can finally get around to blogging about the last week of traveling, which officially began my holiday travel. The lovely part about my day job as a teacher is the time-off I get over the various holidays and breaks. Nothing beats the month off I get for the Christmas holidays – I give you permission to hate me, since I would hate myself if I wasn’t in my current situation. But in all honesty, the first week of the break is often devoted to grading the pile of essays and final exams, which can be a bit of a drain, especially when Dublin or Berlin is waiting outside of your hotel door. But with focused attention and perseverance, I managed to not only finish my stack of grading, but I actually found quality time to enjoy the various places I’ve had a chance to visit over the past few days.
Choice Seat on US Airways to Dublin
So to recap a bit. My first official holiday travel day was a flight with US Airways from Chicago to Dublin via Philadelphia. It was questionable whether I was actually going to go to Europe over the holidays for the longest time, but sometime in November I spotted a roundtrip fare on US Airways for $580 for dates that coincided perfectly with my partner’s holiday travel to Germany. I was prepared to fly to anywhere in Europe, as long as the price was good. The flight that I spotted was to Dublin. I couldn’t pass it up. From Dublin, I used 12,500 Continental Onepass miles to Berlin (via Frankfurt) on Lufthansa, which would leave a day after I arrived in Dublin. I had never been to Berlin, and the flight from Dublin fit my schedule well. I’ve often found that flights to Berlin are weirdly expensive – even budget flights – a reason that I opted to use my miles. For the day I wanted to fly out from Dublin, I could not find a reasonably priced fare to get to Berlin .
US Airways Dinner
I decided a few days before my departure to Dublin to pay $35 for a “Choice Seat.” I did so primarily because the seat that I originally had was in the back of the plane, and all other available seats were middle seats. Selecting the Choice Seat option gets you into “Zone 2″ (early boarding) and faster de-boarding. You might even have the option of an exit seat or a bulkhead seat, which would get you extra leg room. I chose a window Choice Seat a row behind one of the exits (which happened to be the door used to board the plane). If anyone has ever been seated in the back of the plane on an international flight (or any flight for that matter), getting off the plane is just a nightmare. Being able to get off even before the first/business class passengers was a huge treat once we landed in Dublin, don’t get me wrong; but the choice seats, in my opinion, should all come with a bit more legroom (especially for the premium price you are paying). I’m usually ok sitting in coach since I don’t take up too much space, but the seat on my US Airways flight was ridiculously small. For a moment the woman sitting in the aisle and I thought our middle seat would be empty, but at the very last minute it was taken by a displaced passenger whose original seat was mysteriously taken by a man who couldn’t or didn’t want to show his boarding ticket to the flight attendants asking him for it … an air marshall, perhaps? So ok, it couldn’t get any worse than feeling like a sardine whilst flying. Au contraire! What’s worse than cramped seats? A screaming baby who wouldn’t stop crying for the whole 6 hour flight sitting right behind me! Not only was this child screaming, he was kicking my seat and hitting my head with his tiny hands, all the while his parents looked on with passivity. Oy. It wasn’t my lucky day.
A few other thoughts about the flight: I hate being “that” nitpicker of a traveler, who we all roll our eyes at whenever s/he finds the most minuscule of faults. I hate that person, I do. I find the scathing reviews on sites like Trip Advisor mostly annoying and often not trustworthy. Though when things are just so blatantly curious or wrong and potentially easily remedied through some sort of workflow change or reallocation of attention and values, I don’t have a problem pointing things out on this blog. I ultimately hope that someone might be listening. So I am going to send this out to the Universe: When did aesthetics and presentation disappear from American travel? Have we all just gotten inured to lousy presentation of meals on flights or tired-and dowdy-looking flight attendants? That might sound harsh, but honestly as ambassadors of sorts for the United States and US Airways, there’s got to be something to be said about looking the part! This, of course, extends to other airlines in the United States. I flew a Lufthansa flight in coach the following day, and was floored by the remarkable difference of the personel and the interior of the cabin: (a) uniforms of flight attendants are designed well, and they looked good on the flight attendents; (b) the flight attendants who ranged from 20-ish to 50-ish looked fresh, put together, hair and make-up styled just right; (c) even the in-flight magazine plastic packaging had some sort of aesthetic logic in their presentation; (d) and the color palette of the interior worked very well. An investment in seating space, in-flight amenities (video screens on the back of the seat for international flights, please!), or even an investment in lighting and color choices might actually make travelers feel better and respond less persnickety (here, I think Virgin America has gotten it right).
Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Hotel Shuttle
Boy was I ready to leave that plane after we landed in very cold and frosty Dublin! I’ve been to Dublin several times before, and I absolutely love it for how easy it is to navigate the city and the surrounding areas. US Airways is in Terminal 2 of the Dublin Airport. It took about 30 minutes to get through immigrations since another flights from the U.S. had arrived before us. But once through immigration, it is quite easy to make your way to buses that will take you the city center: Aircoach or the Dublin Bus #747 are the two that I recommend. This time, however, I had a reservation at the Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport for the night. The Holiday Inn Express provides a free shuttle service every half hour before 11am and on the hour afterwards. I had wanted to spend the day in the city, but the crying and disruptive baby behind me did not let me sleep during the whole flight.
Luckily the hotel had a room for me ready when I arrived at 9am, for which I was immensely thankful.
All photos were taken using Instagram.
Best of 2011: Hotel Wailea on Maui
As the year winds to a close, it’s time for me to start thinking about the Best of 2011. Much like a year ago, 2011 for me has been full of travel near and far, and full of great experiences all around.
So with that, the first Best of 2011 would have to be getting to stay at the very chic and amazing Hotel Wailea on the island of Maui. Andreas and I found our way to Maui early in 2011 to celebrate my birthday. Before we left, we had spotted a fantastic deal on Jetsetter to stay at the Hotel Wailea, so we jumped on it. We could not have asked for a better place to stay!
View from the Hotel Wailea on Maui from our Suite
From check-in to check-out, the staff was mind-blowingly attentive and considerate to all our needs. We had tried to check-in a few hours early, but our room was not ready. We were given, however, open access to all the amenities of the hotel. We were told that we could leave our luggage with the front desk, and when our room was ready, we were assured that our bags would be waiting for us in our suite. We opted for the latter, since we wanted to hit the beaches.
Once we returned from our beach excursion, our suite was ready for us. Our suite was in a bungalow-type building, which had four suits altogether on two levels. Ours was on the higher level, fortunately. We were stunned by how roomy the suite was. It felt like a 1-bedroom condo, complete with kitchen, living room area, a spa-like bathroom, and a fairly large bedroom. The bed was heavenly. The main reason why we loved the Hotel Wailea so much was the spectacular panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean from our suite.
Another view from our Suite at the Hotel Waliea on Maui
We kept our patio door open for most of the time there, since we couldn’t get enough of the view from sunrise to sunset. The hotel grounds are sprawling and is located high on a gentle slope. Bungalows dot the grounds, with roomy spacing and pathways in between the buildings. We were lucky to be higher on the hill, as our view looked over the bungalows on the lower side. If anyone has ever been to Maui, you know how touristy and crowded the hotels nearer the beach can get. We, in fact, had lunch at the Grand Wailea Resort, which is at the bottom of the hill on the beach, and couldn’t believe how jam-packed with people the hotel grounds were – the pools were at full capacity! The Hotel Wailea, however, felt very private and luxurious. We sat at the pool and felt very relaxed not to have to compete for a nice spot near the pool or to see throngs of people. While we mostly ate out while we were in Maui, we did try the hotel restaurant called Capische? for noshes and cocktails, which was a bit pricey (what isn’t in Maui?) but very good.
The obvious downside of the hotel is that you need to walk a ways or drive to get to the beaches at the bottom of the hill. This was not a problem for us since we wanted to find beaches that were away from the tourists. To get to those beaches, a car was necessary.
But overall, if you are looking for a restful hotel experience, away from the tourists, and want spectacular views and top-notch service and pampering, then I recommend you check out the Hotel Wailea. We could not have asked for a better way to start 2011.
Sleep Number Says “What”?
The most interesting thing about my recent stay at the Radisson Hotel at the Seattle Airport would be the king-sized Sleep Number Bed, which, honestly, I didn’t quite get. I found myself pushing the buttons, but couldn’t figure out if all my button-pushing was doing anything to the bed. At any rate, I’m hoping that my stay gets me 50,000 Club Carlson points as part of the Radisson Big Night Giveaway promotional – there’s still time to take advantage of it!
You might want to consider the 30% off promotional at a Club Carlson hotel to take advantage of the Big Night Giveaway. You must stay at one of the Club Carlson hotel between December 23, 2011 and March 3, 2012, using the discount code: 30PCTOFF. Book by December 13, 2011.
Rendez-Vous Hotel and Anuva Wines
Because my flight out of Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile, was scheduled for 6:30am – to coincide with Andreas’ arrival – I decided to spend my last night in Buenos Aires at a hotel. I officially checked out of my lovely studio apartment on calle de Armenia that I’d grown very attached to on my last Friday in Buenos Aires and hopped into a cab for a short ride over to Palermo Hollywood. I had reserved a room two weeks prior to my departure during a fantastic wine tasting with the Portland/Buenos Aires-based wine club Anuva Wines, which was held at the Rendez-Vous Hotel (Bonpland 1484).
Anuva Wine Tasting in Buenos Aires
For those unable to visit Argentina’s wine country, I highly recommend the wine tasting. Our American host Sarah was very knowledgeable with the wines and the food-pairings. Her breadth of information about the different regions in Argentina made me realize that another trip to Argentina is definitely in order. The cost of the tasting for groups of 2 or more is $40USD person, which includes smart food pairings and multiple pours of each of the wines. My favorite wine of the evening: 2005 Mairena Bonarda.
Guess who? Iconic portraits in my room.
I was so taken by the vibrant colors of the chic interior of the boutique hotel during the wine-tasting that I mentioned to our wine host that I was looking to spend my last night at a hotel. She highly recommended the Rendez-Vous Hotel and walked me right over to the front desk to inquire whether a room was available. The friendly woman at the front desk spoke perfect English and informed me that a room was available. For $95USD, I booked myself a standard room in the 11-room boutique hotel, breakfast included. Also offered was a 10% discount if I paid with cash (which I did). The Rendez-Vous Hotel is also in the perfect location, in walking distance to the many amazing restaurants and shop in Palermo Hollywood and Soho.
My room in the Rendez-Vous Hotel.
While I was very sad to leave my apartment, I was looking forward to my last night at the Rendez-Vous Hotel. A little pampering is always a good thing. My room was on the third floor facing calle Bonpland. Each of the rooms in the hotel is unique and was designed by the owner Frédéric DuBois, a former professional dancer in France and Feng-Shui expert. The color green dominated my room, which inspired a calming vibe. The large Victorian-inspired oval windows in the bathroom and bedroom provided the room with plenty of natural light during the day. The room exuded a style and chic-ness without being too overwhelming. I loved it all.
I got to meet the owner Frédéric later in the day after an afternoon of shopping. Over an afternoon cappuccino and croissants, we talked about the overwhelming creative potential of Buenos Aires. The city is brimming with potential, and so it is exceedingly hard for locals to start businesses because cash is king in the city. Those with cash – often foreigners – are the ones buying up real-estate and opening up restaurants and shops in neighborhoods like Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood. Frédéric’s openness about starting his hotel and living in Buenos Aires provided interesting insights into the workings of the city, especially from the prospective of an expatriate. He exudes creative energy that he has put to lovely use in his wonderful hotel. Gay travelers will feel extremely comfortable in the hotel. Maps geared towards gays can be found in the lobby. Frédéric informed me that the hotel will host its first gay-wedding since it became legal to do so in Argentina in the upcoming weeks. Because the hotel only houses 11 rooms, the staff’s attention to each of its patrons is quite apparent. One of the staff members made reservations for me that evening for an ultra-posh restaurant, Tô (more on Tô soon), and Frédéric was extremely accommodating to my needs. When I left at 4am to go to airport, a breakfast was waiting for me in the café area with a freshly brewed café con leche.
Discovering the Rendez-Vous Hotel was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Buenos Aires. You must stay there to experience how a boutique hotel should be run. It is simply wonderful.
Sonoma Part I: Healdsburg
One of many vineyards in Sonoma
Our trip so far to Sonoma wine country continues to be full of surprises. A quick recap of our first night is in order. I would be remiss not to mention the lovely café we stopped in to have a light lunch. Located in Winters, CA, the Putah Creek Café offers breakfast all day as well as reasonably priced lunch options. While the name of the café might inspire some chuckles (especially to Spanish speakers), the food is quite good and the servers very attentive.
We took Highway 128, a scenic highway that runs next to the massive and man-made Lake Berryessa to Napa and were shocked and awed by the innumerable vineyards blanketing the expansive landscape. The roads were packed full of holiday weekenders, especially towards St. Helena, but we were lucky to find a back road to Windsor. Oak Grade and Trinity Road proved to be a scenic and forested drive. For a moment, I had forgotten that I was in California.
Our room at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Windsor is refreshingly large, and we are quite pleased by its central location to the wine universe of Sonoma. Our first destination was to Healdsburg, about a 10-minute drive up Highway 101. Foodie folks on Chowhound raved about the restaurants there, so we decided to check it out for ourselves, settling on SCOPA, a favorably-reviewed Italian restaurant.
John and Zekes Bar, Healdsburg
I asked Andreas what he thought of Healdsburg after our leisurely stroll around the center plaza/park. Without hesitation, he answered: “cozy.” I agree. There’s an old-world charm to Healdsburg’s town center. At closer inspection, however, the manicured aesthetic and the shops and dining spots around the plaza seem to cater to those with deep-ish pockets. It was a treat to stumble into John & Zekes Bar, an unpretentious and very loud local dive bar, complete with air hockey table and friendly bartenders, for a pre-dinner cocktail—a complete aberration from its neighbor, SCOPA.
To be very blunt, SCOPA was a disappointment. While the small-ish and darkly-lit space exuded a stylish and clean modernism, the food we ordered did not quite live up to the reviews we had read. We loved the Grilled Calamari antipasti and should have ordered another order of it. The antipasti Sardines “In Saor” was a complete disappointment. My first bite into a sardine felt like I had just bitten into a frozen fish. I asked Andreas, “Did your sardine taste like it just came out of a freezer?” His was also cold, and he thought that it might have just come out of a jar chilled in a very cold refrigerator. I love sardines prepared in all sorts of ways, but the dish we had was not good. Our main dish, the Pizza Del Giorno, was just ok. Andreas thought the pizza was very oily and uninspired; I thought the green peppers were mostly a distraction. We left it feeling let down.
My thoughts on Healdsburg Bar and Grill, Barndiva, wine tastings, and others to come.
Off to Sonoma
In a few minutes my partner Andreas and I will be shuttling off to “wine country” for the long Independence Day weekend. While most of our travel is planned weeks in advanced, he and I dawdled on our plans for this weekend trip. We waited until two days ago to book our hotel, which we discovered really hurt our chances to find a place with any character or charm. We literally spent hours visiting the Web sites of every cabin, inn, lodge, cottage, hotel and B&B in every corner of Sonoma and Napa Valley as well as the North Coast, and most places we liked were either booked or were out of our price range. We had a few considerations. Our main requirements were to find a place centrally located (near wineries and the like), that had some charm and priced under $200 a night, and a place we could be our non-ostentatious queer selves. I had read awhile ago about the queer Russian River destination, around the town of Guerneville, and figured we could start our search there, but quickly realized that “Groinville” was not meant to be – the queers of San Francisco had beat us to it. Getting anything with charm was nearly impossible on short notice, and most non-hotel places with rooms available were put on our “no” list after reading horrible reviews on TripAdvisor. Andreas pushed for the Hampton Inn & Suites Windsor – Sonoma Wine Country, one of the few places with very good reviews, close enough to interesting things, and reasonably priced, especially with my AAA discount, and I agreed. While the hotel might not have the charm of an inn or cabin, it was centrally located and affordable. After booking our room online, we agreed to put more time into our planning on our next trip to the area if decided to return.
Why Sonoma over Napa? Neither of us had ever been, so it boiled down to things we read about each of the places from guidebooks and online. Sonoma seemed to come out ahead for the both of us. For me the Lonely Planet: California quotation sold me (among others from the guidebook – see previous post) to Sonoma:
“Unlike in fancy-pants Napa, nobody cares if you drive a clunker and vote Green” (197).
And so with that, we are off.
