This is an unusual tale, the kind of tale I rarely tell. But I’m hoping that telling the tale will help you choose to go to this unique and special resort. It’s a one-of-a-kind place where the choices allow you to stay in the lifestyle you prefer and choose from an abundance of on-property and nearby features and benefits including spa, golf nearby, sightseeing and sheer enjoyment of being there. But there is a fly in the ointment.

Let me tell you first that I LOVE the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate resort and hotel. It’s a fun place in a peaceful setting and I enjoyed my first visit enough to go back to expand my knowledge of the place in preparation for including it in my upcoming travel guide, “1001 Reasons to Visit Ireland©.”

But it does have some unique problems which start at the top with its on-site management. In short, it appears that if everything goes smoothly, you will love this place but look out if you run into a snag and expect to find a caring general manager with a heart. Given that you are in Ireland where the “milk of human kindness” is found in abundance and caring and the warmth and hospitality of compassionate people are qualities that travelers both enjoy and quickly come to expect, this property cannot be relied on for compassionate decision-making or for making the kinds of logical decisions one would expect from any hotelier, especially one in Ireland. Maybe what is missing here is a caring on-property owner as you find at so many family owned and operated lodging choices in Ireland and something has gotten lost in the translation to the hired help. (Go Google the story about the pregnant guest on a  breakaway who missed out on one night of her stay and the accompanying spa treatment when she was rushed to the hospital, missing the last night of her stay and offered an upgrade on her next trip and an extension on the validity of her spa treatment coupon instead of being offered a complimentary night on her next visit to make up for the one she missed out on due to her emergency! .WHAT?? I think the general manager would have flunked Customer Care 101 if this story were a case study on a final exam that asked, “How would you handle this situation?” The average general manager in Ireland would have invited the couple back for an “after emergency rejuvenating weekend” as the property’s guests! This so NOT an Irish reaction to a guest situation. I could write volumes on the things Irish hoteliers and Irish people have done to make other people’s lives better! What a horrifying response!  And there’s more to the lack of solidly good management decisions but I’ll leave that for the end because the fact of the matter is that I think this is a marvelous place. . . it just needs some managerial attitude adjustment. Especially as it relates to an interest in travelers from the U.S.! So the schizophrenia relates to the sharp juxtaposition of the old and the new portions of the property as well as the welcoming resort where the general manager boldly makes it clear that his bread is buttered in Ireland by local visitors so there’s no need for him to focus on Americans.  Truly, has he lost his last marble?

Why do I say this about a wonderful place in the most welcoming country in the world as it relates to Americans? Especially in a year when Tourism Ireland is working in over-drive to tell all people with Irish roots and all non-Irish people (like me) who have caught the Irish spirit, that this is 2013, the Year of The Gathering: a time when everyone is encouraged to go to Ireland!

Hold onto your Hanna Hat! (You know Hanna Hats. . . Tip O’Neill always wore a Hanna Hat, made in County Donegal.  . . see me in the factory below). . . the general manager tells me that nearly 100% of his business comes from within Ireland and he has no interest in telling the story of the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate to Americans to which I can only respond: “Hello. This is your wake-up call! Why would the owners/investors of the property jump through the hoops it takes to invest in  and take on the Radisson Blu brand if they weren’t interested in the North American marketing and reservations system of Radisson and the allure of the Radisson Blu brand?? Why would they pay franchise fees for something they wouldn’t need at all if  all they wanted was Irish business as the Irish marketplace couldn’t care a hoot about the flag’s brand flying outside as the locals choose hotels and resorts by their location, their features and benefits, and their value for euros spent.” This kind of lack of insight and disconnect between brain and mouth seems to be typical of top management at this otherwise alluring property where the staff are doing a sensational job. But I have come to realize, and it took decades for me to figure this out, that when people behave in a bizarre fashion with me, I’m not the first person, nor the last, that they will behave badly with and you can find this born out in each of the bad reviews you’ll find online. When people have a stellar experience and everything goes smoothly, the reviews are great but when things go wrong they go all the way wrong and the wisdom of a good general manager seems to be greatly lacking so unhappy people just stay unhappy.  And that’s a shame because this is really a great place! So the fact that the general manager isn’t interested in focusing on business coming from the U.S. I wouldn’t suggest you let stop you from visiting this marvelous place.

You see me standing in the top photo in the large, airy reception area where the furnishings look like the Jetsons decorated the lobby and the contemporary guest rooms are off in the wing behind the reception desk at the right.  The guest bedrooms in the new wing are furnished in comfortable contemporary style and offer every modern amenity.

But if you look carefully just behind me in that top photo, you’ll see two-story tall columns covered in twinkle lights (it was Christmastime) with people sitting to the left of the columns in comfortable “porch chairs.” That porch area has been added on to the entrance to the historic Farnham Estate manor house that this Radisson Blu modern facility has been built onto and around so you feel like you’re sitting on a porch but you’re inside the new building.  This is the part that some critics object to from a point of view that the hotel didn’t know what it wanted to be. I happen to like the choices it gives guests but you can make up your mind for yourself!

If you step up onto the “porch” of the manor house, you can enter what was the front door of the house and  you’ll find inside four  public drawing rooms, comfortably furnished, one with a grand piano, and more than one with a working fireplace. You’ll note, in the photo below, that there is an eclectic mix of 1800’s decor mixed with contemporary modern elements. My favorite of the public lounges in the mansion is the first salon where a roaring fire and a grand piano grab your attention at once. You may play the piano if you like!

There are also eight suites in the mansion and four additional suites in the new wing so guests have their choice of the experience they prefer to have during their visit. The resort, set in a beautiful park-like landscape, is a popular place for weddings and the bridal party often takes the mansion rooms for the bride and groom, their parents, and other family members. We weren’t able to see those rooms on our first visit to the property in January 2012  because the mansion rooms were all occupied.  And, to attest to the popularity of those accommodations, they were also fully occupied on our second visit in December 2012. We tried to plan a repeat visit mid-week in April on our most recent visit when occupancy at the property was very low and rooms were available to experience and view in the mansion. But that didn’t happen because the general manager stated he wasn’t interested in reaching the American market. Close you mouth! I know what you’re thinking! Hard to believe.

When guests arrive, ,they drive up on the never-ending estate grounds, meander along what seems like forever on the entrance driveway to reach the manor house which first comes into view and then past the side of the manor house where the modern facade comes into view. The nicest doorman ever, William,  welcomes guests with a big smile and a warm Irish welcome, even remembers and recognizes returning guests, helps with luggage and then makes sure your car is valet parked but available if you want to go exploring off the grounds. What a wonderful and cheery beginning to your resort experience!  The man is a treasure!

While there are wonderful places you’ll want to visit in the area, I recommend you visit them on your way to the property or on the day you leave because you’re not going to want to leave the facility and grounds once you are at the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate.

The fabulous executive chef, Philippe Farineau (how do you like a chef’s name that means flour and water!!) was at Farnham Estate when we were there this past December but I’ve learned that he’s gone back to Mount Falcon, a fabulous resort in Foxford, County Mayo, Ireland so I can only hope that the new executive chef is as amazingly capable as Philippe. Certainly, the property has set high standards for food preparation and service so I’d give them a try and hope for the best. The dining room staff is nothing short of superb. They are on top of things and go out of their way to be sure that every guest has a wonderful dining experience even at breakfast!   But I can’t speak to the food itself since I haven’t been back since Chef Philippe left.

If you’re into spas, the reputation of this spa is very good. But, if you are a fan of my nationally syndicated radio shows about travel, you already know that the most I’ll do in a spa is a manicure and pedicure and swim in their pool. (I have to love you before I’ll let you put your hands all over my body!).

But let me tell you about the indoor/outdoor swimming experience!

It was the end of December 2012. The deck area around the indoor pool at the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate was tropically warm as was the temperature of the pool’s water. The massive floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the pool area giving it a secluded but panoramic view were misted with condensation from the contact of the warmth within and the 40 degrees Fahrenheit temperature outside.You could also see steam rising and floating on and above the exterior pool as the contrast in temperatures created a ballet of dancing streamers of steam floating upward.

A small passageway was created by the design of the pool’s wall under the glass window-wall.  A space about 3 feet wide was open in the exterior  wall and, resting at the level of the water, under the glass wall was a sliding acrylic “door” that was 3 feet wide and about a foot tall which allowed those who wanted to walk from the indoor to the outdoor pool area easy egress. You could also swim or duck under the little “Alice in Wonderland-style” doorway.

I prefer to be warm rather than cold and the thought of swimming outside in Ireland in winter had no appeal to me. . . until three women,  friends from Cavan who were at the hotel for a self-indulgent day at the spa, were making their way from indoors to out and encouraged me to come along. I decided to get over my first reaction and join them by stepping through the portal into what was truly a surreal experience. The pool water was bathtub temperature so if you kept your body immersed up to your chin you were quite comfortable.  Observers saw four floating heads on the surface of the outdoor portion of the pool. . . actually, four laughing heads enjoying an incredible moment in time surrounded by ascending wisps of steam rising into the cold wintery air.  And it was glorious to be surrounded by winter grass and the tall stems of plants that were dormant for the winter. Quiet, secluded, and suspended in time, that glorious moment will always be part of my memories of our stay at the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate and I’ll never forget those three women and their hysterical and very Irish sense of humor!

And then a gentle rain began to fall and one of those ladies announced the clearly obvious: “Who can believe we’re swimming outdoors on December 29th in Ireland in the rain?” I not only believed it, I lived it!

Exhilarating! Rejuvenating! Marvelous!

One quirky thing: In Ireland, all swimming pools require that all swimmers wear bathing caps! If you have them at home, pack and bring! Most hotels charge ridiculous fees to buy a swim cap at their spa but the fee at the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate was only 2 euros.  It has the hotel’s name on it so you’ll be a swimming promotion for them wherever you swim in Ireland but it’s worth it as I’ve seen hotels charge 5 to 10 euros for a swim cap. It’s bad enough you need to wear the silly things but it’s worse to get ripped off in the process. Actually, I think we looked cute in these ‘flapper-style’ nylon caps.  You can always bring your own if you still own one!

Do you really think Americans wouldn’t be interested in this place  and it would be a waste of time for the management to focus on informing and motivating the US market to visit this resort? I don’t think so. But what do I know. I’m only a bona fide expert in travel!

If you are a frequent traveler with an account that provides you with free room nights at Radisson properties using your frequent traveler points, you just might want to use them to go to Ireland. There are a number of Radisson and Radisson Blu properties sprinkled around Ireland and this is the year you want to get up and go and use them! And whether you’re looking for the contemporary modern or the historic hotel experience, you can have them both at this unique property.

And when you check into the hotel, make sure the management knows that the Yanks have arrived and settle in with a pint!

So exciting! Sunday, May 19th, less than an hour away, starts a week blog tour for RUMORS, my first novel (yes, the next one is in the development stage!) which is hosted by TheBookEnthusiast.com. There are 15 book review blog sites participating throughout the week ending on May 25th. The first are expected to post on Sunday at these sites:

MustReadBooksOrDie.blogspot.com,   BlushingReader.com and UpAllNightBookAddict.blogspot.com, who already posted a teaser about how much she loved RUMORS at Amazon.com but didn’t tell too much because she says she’s saving it for her review. As a fist time author you know I am on pins and needles with excitement waiting for their reviews. So far the response to RUMORS has been fantastic and I really “couldn’t ask for anything more!” . . . except maybe lots of book sales and attention. Actually, I’d love to see the book made into a film because there are visuals in the book that would translate so well into film!

Meantime, on the first day of the blog tour for RUMORS, I am going to be snugged in diligently working on making progress towards finishing my unique travel guide to Ireland whose working title is, “1001 Reasons to Visit Ireland!” For such a small country, you’d think it was a contrivance to talk about 1001 anything in the country but the fact is the more I visit, the more new things I find to that need to be shared with travelers. But this is not like any guide book to any destination you’ve ever seen so look out! I can’t wait to get it finished so travelers can use it and so I can move on to the next novel in what I hope will become a series that starts with RUMORS. The next book will be SECRET, and everybody has one! Many of the characters from RUMORS will be in the next book along with some introductions to new faces and the outline is all done. So now comes the challenge to flesh out the skeleton. . . and there is a skeleton in every closet. . . something like the bodyparts in RUMORS!

Meantime, I am still the executive producer of my radio shows with 6 hours of new programming every weekend! Who said things slow down as summer approaches. . . at least I get to work near a lake and in the mountains. If things go right, I’ll win that ridiculously large lottery tonight and buy a castle in Ireland where I can finish my travel guides and novels, produce my radio shows and invite all of you over for afternoon tea. . . or hot chocolate with a shot of Bailey’s in it!

I may be up all night waiting for the first 3 bloggers on the RUMORS blog tour to post their reviews! I hope you read them too. You can read the first 7 chapters of the book on your computer by clicking on the cover at Amazon.com. RUMORS have it that it’s a great read and perfect to take along as your downtime companion for your next trip anywhere! If you read it, post a note for me at Ask Stephanie in the FORUMS at Travelers411.com and at your favorite online book seller!

You are looking at Table #3 and the loveseat that sits behind it in the far left corner of the lobby lounge at the historic Algonquin Hotel located at 59 West 44th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in New York City. If you look closely under the mirror behind the loveseat, you will see that there is a small brass square.

The small brass square is imported from Galway Town in County Galway, Ireland. I know because the gentleman sitting with me on the loveseat, Gary Budge, General Manager of the Algonquin Hotel, asked me to have the brass plaque made so that it could be installed on the wall in the corner of the lobby at the spot where David King and Allison Shapiro, characters in my novel, RUMORS, had their romantic rendezvous. The hotel is also the place chosen by ‘rich kid’ Melanie Cohen in my book who needed a place to stay when her Manhattan meetings ran late and she didn’t want to take the Long Island Railroad to go to her Nassau County home.  So you see me, enjoying the serendipitous moment with Gary, holding a copy of Rumors, at the spot where the rendezvous took place. . . a perfect location for any meeting!

But even the plaque has special memories for me beyond the glorious occasion of its installation in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel! The installation took place on April 18, 2013 and I flew to Ireland via Frankfurt, the best airport in Europe, with Lufthansa on March 24th with a return date of April 16th. So the only way this plaque was going to get made was if I had it made in Ireland.  While we landed in Dublin, grabbed our Dooley Car Rentals vehicle at the airport and took off for Galway, I knew it would be best to have the plaque made there because that city is large enough to have every possible service you’d need. It’s also the reason that, when I make the giant leap and buy my castle in Ireland it will need to be in easy access of Galway, on Ireland gorgeous west coast.

So the search for the place to have a plaque made took me on another unusual adventure in Ireland and lead me to the shop of Richard Quinn Jewelers. While the street level provides a shop with a variety of rings and watches, bracelets and necklaces, the upstairs boasts a shop where trophies and engraved plaques are created.  Phillip was in the shop on a Saturday, helped me get exactly what was needed and told me to come back on Monday afternoon and he’d have it all ready.  He cut the brass to the exact specifications, and using the font he helped me pick out, created the finished piece with 4 small holes in the corners and provided the 4 tiny brass screws for the installation.

So there’s a little piece of Ireland on the wall of the Algonquin Hotel’s lobby lounge that tells the story of two characters in my novel, RUMORS, and that works out just fine as there’s a little piece of Ireland that walks around inside of me! A nice fit!

If you happen to be in New York City, take a walk over to the Algonquin Hotel, just a couple of blocks off of Times Square and have a rest, a drink, a cup of coffee, a sandwich or something sweet and yummy at Table #3. You don’t have to be off on a romantic rendezvous to enjoy that cozy corner of the lobby lounge. But if you have love. . . or lust. . . on your mind, snug into that corner, toast each other or toast yourself and your decision to forge ahead in your relationship, and take a second to toast my first novel that introduced you to this cozy spot.

And before you leave the hotel, take a minute to enjoy the wonderful painting at the back of the lobby that memorializes the members of the Literary Roundtable who met daily for lunch during Prohibition in the lobby restaurant of the Algonquin because, as rumor has it, a little something stronger than water was added to their drinks! And be sure to check out the books written by some of the members of that group like Dorothy Parker, Alexander Wolcott, Robert Benchley and so many more whose books are on the shelves in the glass display case next to the elevator holding court with my novel, RUMORS! Who can believe that! Stephanie Abrams characters are mingling with the words in the covers of the books by the Literary Roundtable group!

But on the subject of covers, not of books but of beds, whether you’re at the Algonquin Hotel, some other hotel or resort, or snugging in under your covers in your own bed, if you keep a book on your night table, I hope RUMORS will find its way there soon.  From the reviews the book is getting, I have full confidence that you are going to love it!

And don’t spread any rumors. . . they ruin people’s lives!  But you knew that.

I am traveling in a whole new world! And, like my terrestrial travels, I’ve met the most incredible people along the way! One of them is the founder of the website, The Book Enthusiast where you will find the itinerary for my Blog Tour. Now for all of you, like me,  who understand what it means to take a  land or sea trip, this is a tad different! The Book Enthusiast is hosting a tour for my book, RUMORS, that takes place online as 15 book review bloggers dig into RUMORS  and post their reviews, thoughts, recommendations and guidance in introducing books to their followers. You can get more details at The Book Enthusiast’s website but here is a list of the websites and book review bloggers who will be participating in the Blog Tour. . . BTW: if you participate in the tour you will be entered to win a signed copy of RUMORS so come along for the ride!

With wonderful and successful Meet the Author Book Signing events for my new novel at Serendipity3 on 60th Street in NYC, at the Algonquin Hotel on W. 44th Street where scenes in “Rumors,” my new novel, take place and with the event at the Barnes & Noble in Pittsfield, MA where the biggest crowd since Christmas filled the store to attend the event, all behind me, there are three Meet the Author Book Signing events on the way! So put the following on your calendar and come and meet me! Here’s the current schedule for personal appearances:

June 15th at the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield Massachusetts’ library in the auditorium starting at 2pm.

Location: 1 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201

June 22nd at The Bookstore, Lenox, Massachusetts starting at 2pm.

Location: 11 Housatonic Street, Lenox, MA 01240

And a second appearance at:

July 13th at Barnes & Noble in Pittsfield, MA starting at 1:30pm

Location: 555 Hubbard Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201

You might find it interesting to note that I’m holding a cover for an e-book reader in the photo above which was taken at my first Barnes & Noble Meet the Author book signing event. The front cover is printed with the cover design of an issue of the New Yorker Magazine.  I found that ironic because the New Yorker Magazine was “born” in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel in NYC during the days when the Literary Roundtable met daily for lunch. Among the members of that elite group of writers, and drinkers, who came to the hotel for lunch daily and also to imbibe in the libations served in what was then a “speakeasy” during Prohibition, were authors and journalists such as Dorothy Parker, Alexander Wolcott, Robert Benchley, and Harold Ross who got the idea for New Yorker Magazine at one of those lunch meetings.  The connection to my novel, Rumors, is that scenes in the book take place at the Algonquin Hotel. It seemed fitting to stumble across the New Yorker cover for e-books at my book signing event!  Since Rumors is available in e-book formats, I hope somebody out there is reading it tucked into a New Yorker Magazine e-book cover!

I hope you’ll come by and visit me at one or more of the events listed above, talk about Rumors and, while you’re there, ask your travel questions!

Looking forward to seeing you. . . .

There are many hotels with great service. There are many resorts with beautiful grounds that offer a variety of outdoor activities. And there are historic hotels with great stories told by the ghosts of inhabitants past through their portraits, books, art and collectibles that beckon to the discerning traveler seeking experiences that are at the level of memorable beyond unforgettable.

Ballyfin Demesne in County Laois, Ireland, amazingly barely an hour from Dublin, is an estate house in a parkland setting that gives the visitor the impression that it is tucked away in a remote region.  Once through the gates to the estate and down the serpentine driveway that seems to meander on for a mile or more before Ballyfin comes into view, you’ll know that there is more to be revealed to you as you enter this storybook experience. The grounds and house are open only to those who have reserved space to reside at Ballyfin and, because there are only 15 bedrooms, it’s a grand place for a retreat to celebrate a special occasion for a family or group of friends to take over the house on an exclusive basis.

The most sophisticated travelers will find their expectations exceeded.  The simplicity and calmness of the classical exterior architectural style sets the visitor up for the great surprise as each public space and sleeping accommodation overpowers the guest with elaborate woodwork, plaster work, antiques, hand-painted wallpapers, marvelously carved fireplace surrounds, inlaid wood floors, and a 2,000 year old ceramic floor in the entry foyer that was imported in the 1800’s from Rome by the home’s owner.

The difficulty in describing the Ballyfin experience is that it is about the experience. You just have to go there!

If you’ve listened to me on radio, as a guest on various talk shows of hosts on a variety of stations and networks on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC, RTE, you name it, you know that staying in 5-star luxury and historic homes, manor house and castles is not a new experience for me and as I begin to write about the features that make up Ballyfin, it sounds like the description of so many historic places that allow you the privilege of staying.  But please note that if I were to make a weighted list of such historic places where the public is invited to overnight, Ballyfin would be at the top.

So what makes Ballyfin better, different and more special than so many castle hotels and historic manor house and estate properties especially in Ireland where there is an abundance of homes that are called castles and palatial fortresses that are bigger than life? Ballyfin is at the intersection of impeccable attention to architectural detail in every room, both public rooms and guest living spaces, from the ceilings to the columns to the woodwork and carvings on the woodwork, including the fabric walls, hand-painted walls, custom designed wallpapers, and cabinetry, antiques, ancestral portraits and wonderful paintings of a variety of artistic periods, so that no matter where you direct your eyes you will find something unique, captivating, inspiring, and uplifting that contributes to making your visit a moment in time that enriches your spirit and sends you on your way enveloped in the glow that is Ballyfin. And on top of all of that, Ballyfin is not the overpowering, intimidating, stuffy place that some luxury historic properties can be where you know you are in a place that once was a castle and now is a hotel. While you are at Ballyfin, you will feel very much at home although it is the rare guest who will live in a home of this caliber.  Ease, comfort, relaxation are the phrases that best describe the lifestyle atmosphere at Ballyfin, a true country house retreat, in easy reach of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, where reminders of master craftsmanship and artistry are richly in evidence from floor to ceiling in every room.

Typically, I’d advise you to stay at Ballyfin on your next trip to Ireland and that would be good advice. In this case, I’m going to advise you to go to Ireland just so you can stay at Ballyfin.  There are so few places where guests overnight where people aspire to stay at and travel from all of the world just to have the potential to stay in a particular hotel. Most people choose the destination and then the hotel to stay at. In the case of places like the Coronado in San Diego, people would go to that hotel to be at that hotel and San Diego is the added bonus.  The category of hotels that people aspire to stay at regardless of their location is quite small.  I have just promoted Ballyfin to that elite category of hotels that you will want to stay at because it is just that kind of iconic place that you’d want to go to the moon to be able to stay at and lucky for you it just happens to be in Ireland which comes along as a bonus!

While there are many beautiful suites at Ballyfin, my personal favorite is a junior suite named for Lady Caroline Coote and decorated in the loveliest shade of blue with hand-painted custom created wallpaper that gives the impression that blue curtains hang all around the spacious bedroom from a brass curtain rod. You’ll look twice to try to convince yourself that the walls are covered in hanging draperies but ultimately you’ll have to accept that it’s wallpaper!  The overall charm of this suite is one of those indescribable ‘must experience’ features of Ballyfin where you know that you can only be happy and joyful in this space which is the overall theme of the feelings that grow within as you move from drawing room to salon, from Porcelain Room to Conservatory, from dining space to dining space to dining space with the options available for breakfast, lunch and dinner depending on your mood and the number of days you’ll be on property so you’ll have variety in your dining choices. And on lovely days, you just might want to take a picnic lunch and bicycle to a perfect place to commune with a companion or a good book somewhere on the estate.

Ballyfin. . . a wonderful historic estate resort complete with bicycles and biking paths, skeet shooting, a pool area that is nautically themed and feels like a slice of the Mediterranean, panoramic sweeping views of its lake, grounds and gardens, whimsical grottoes and a cascading waterfall, a fabulous staff dedicated to pampering guests, that gives guests who stay there the added bonus of being in Ireland.

Ballyfin’s Wow Factor? Over the top!

In a city that is serious about its coffee and coffee blends, I’ve got an even more serious blend for you: Hotel 1000 on Seattle’s 1^st Avenue. Don’t let it’s “just another commercial city building” exterior fool you! This is a Must Visit Knock-Out with attention to details at every turn starting right in the lobby.

Just to the right of the lobby’s entrance in Hotel 1000, there is a lounge area designed to welcome and relax hotel guests. In addition to large windows bringing in the views of Seattle’s most visited areas for travelers, there is comfortable seating and a dining area that mimics what one expects from a piano-bar by wrapping an eating surface around a fireplace pit. This lounge area is so seductive that it makes you want to play hooky from whatever are your plans for the day! And I suggest you give in to that desire!

To the left of the lobby entrance is BOKA where you can dine indoors in sophisticated and chic comfort or on their street-side terrace café, a spot warmed by the overhead infrared heaters to take the chill out of whatever the temperature is while making you feel like you just might be in Paris at the moment! The menu ranges from breakfast to lunch, dinner, and a bar “happy hour” menu with lighter fare. The food is sensational! Try the braised short ribs and the mac and cheese. . . something that did not come out of a box. Their French fries are drizzled with truffle oil and the menu offers a variety of items to please vegetarian and vegan dietary interests without leaving out the choices for the adventurous palate.

Request sea view accommodations if they are available when you book. Ask for Matt, the Magician, when you call the hotel to book your reservation so if you have special requests he can wave his magic wand over their computer system to make wonderful things happen.

The décor, furnishings, linens, yummy bathrobes, grand rainforest shower heads in large shower stalls and bathtubs complete with your own rubber ducky, lighted magnifying make-up mirrors, super comfortable bedding, linens, and pillows available to suite your allergy-free needs as well as Wi-Fi and electrical outlets at desk level  add to the comfort and convenience of your stay at the Hotel 1000.

While you’ll love the downtown location of this hotel which puts you within a block or two of walking to all of the trendy places along Seattle’s waterfront that you’ll want to visit, when your valet-parked car magically appears and you drive out to the right of the hotel’s entrance, you won’t have gone very far before Mount Rainier comes into view. And what a magnificent sight that is!

Take US 5 South to visit Mount Rainier which will be in view most of the trip and looks like it’s only about 5 miles away. Don’t let the huge size of the mountain fool you as it’s about a 90 minute drive to reach the mountain!

If you leave the hotel and find your way to I-90 East, you’ll drive through some amazingly beautiful mountainous areas on your way to explore Mount Summit. Be sure to stop at the Summit Pancake House. The buckwheat pancakes are excellent but the Apple Swedes are very much like crepes buried under apple compote.

When you leave the Summit Pancake House, drive straight ahead and, instead of getting onto I-90 West to return to Seattle and the Hotel 1000, drive past that entry to the freeway and slowly continue straight ahead down that road. You will think you are in Bavaria! The snow must melt at some point in the year but this week is was piled at least 25-30 feet high and touching the eaves of the roof tops of the Bavarian-style chalet homes. That was such a treat! And with all the snow in evidence everywhere, the road surfaces were well tended and bone dry!

So you get to have it all when you visit Seattle: city, countryside, mountains, snow, skiing, and a bit of Bavaria! Consider Seattle for your next trip. . . and stop in at the Hotel 1000. . . I’ll wait for your thank you note!

I stayed at the Aloft at San Francisco International Airport for the second time. You know I have to really love a place to want to make multiple visits as I’m always, like a butterfly, trying to get around to all that blossoms in the places we visit so that I can bring you news and insights about more and more places but I also like to indulge myself in places that are a good fit for travelers.

What makes the Aloft brand special is that it’s not designed as a resort. It’s designed for the traveler on the go. Chances are good that the average stay of a guest at Aloft is about 10 hours. You arrive, you shower, you use the WI-FI, or not if you’re really connected with your own hot-spot, you watch the news and a show to relax with, you sleep, get up and get dressed and you’re gone.  You’ve either arrived late and are flying out the next day or you’re staying the night to be in position for a morning flight and to take the hotel’s free shuttle to your airline’s terminal within in minutes of the hotel’s location. You’re there to get a little more sleep in the morning by beating rush hour traffic. And it’s all about convenience, comfort, and a good night’s sleep.

You can have it all at Aloft brand hotels and, if you are, like me, a Starwood member, you’ll enjoy earning your Starwood points for your stay and maybe buying your room nights with your Starwood points that you’ve earned at St. Regis, Westin, W,  Sheraton, Four Points. . . you get the idea!

You’ll find great bathrooms with terrific rainforest shower heads, a comfortable desk area, flat screen television, comfortable linens and a super comfortable pillow-top mattress. The color scheme and furniture design as well as décor and design elements from the lobby through the hallways to the rooms remind me of something designed by the decorator for television’s Jetson family!

You will find that rates at the Aloft San Francisco International Airport, like rates everywhere, fluctuate greatly depending on supply and demand.  When I stayed there last week, you could have stayed that night for as little as $112 including all taxes but try another night and the rates may be in the high $200’s.  If budget is of utmost importance in your travels, find the nights when the rates suit you and plan your trip around that!

The staff at Aloft SFO is incredibly friendly, helpful, and they all have a sense of humor, a commodity that is not found everywhere! Bravo to them all for delivering a perfect product for the traveler on the go with uncluttered design features, accommodations that put a smile on the face of the traveler, and attention to all of the comforts the sophisticated traveler looks for!  I can’t wait to return! Kudos on a job well done!

If you’ve ever enjoyed walking the grounds of Annapolis Naval Base in Maryland, West Point in New York, or historic US Army bases like Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn or Fort Totten in Bayside, New York, you’ll find a military-crisp style to the buildings and landscaped grounds in the park in the fashionable Presidio area of San Francisco. The red brick buildings that once served as the BOQ, a new term for mean that stands for the Bachelor Officers Quarters, is now the location of chic boutique hotel called The Inn at the Presidio.

A long porch provides great views of this 1500 acre park setting and invites the visitor to sit for a spell, relax with a book or newspaper, inhale the aromatic fragrance of trees and flowers, and become infused with the sense of being far from crowds, traffic, attractions, and the roar of the uproar that is San Francisco. But while you indulge in this time away from everything in the middle of what appears to be a countryside inn, you are, in fact, in the best location you could ask for in the heart of San Francisco surrounded by quickly accessible attractions that every visitor to that city wants to visit because you are literally only minutes away from Golden Gate Park and its museums and attractions, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Union Square District and the trendy SoMa, South of Market Street, area, and in easy reach of San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean beaches that dot the shore line of San Francisco.

There are a few interesting and unusual savings you’ll tap into as a guest of the Inn at the Presidio. Because you are ensconced within this historic park, you’ll find parking for the inn is just behind the property. You will be giving a parking pass at reception when you check in so that your parking is free. This can easily be a $40-$70 a day savings  when you deduct parking fees, valet fees, and tips you would pay if you were parking at an inner city hotel where parking generally becomes a significant expense. You also have the time-saving convenience of having your car right on hand so if you need something from your car or just want to take it out for a spin you have no wait-time for your car’s delivery to the door of the hotel. 

The Inn at the Presidio, because it is a boutique B&B with 17 spacious suites, each with a working gas fireplace adorning a comfortable living room and 5 additional bedroom accommodations, provides the added complimentary service of a more-than-just-bread-and-rolls continental breakfast. If you’ve ever been to Holland, you’ve already experienced the step-above-the-norm that one expects in a continental breakfast. Like inns in Holland, the Inn at the Presidio provides a variety of cheeses, ham, fruit, yoghurt, granola, scones, breads and rolls and hard boiled eggs along with juices, coffee, tea and hot chocolate which will get your day off to an energized start. Additionally, in the early evening, an array of wines and cheeses are provided for guests which creates the right mix of opportunity for guests to get to know one another which extends the sense of warmth, hospitality, and hominess that pervades the atmosphere, starting at the top with its exceptional management team and is felt at every turn.

When you walk along the porch of the historic Inn at the Presidio, you’ll notice that the windows are enormous and each large pane of glass appears to be original.  While the general manager of the property, Terry Haney, explains that the occasional pane of broken glass was replaced with new glass of the same genre as the historic glass which is a bit wavy, rippled and dotted randomly with trapped air bubbles all of which adds to the charm and character of the building.

When you enter the inn, you’ll be taken aback by the brightness and gleam created by the sunlight that the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce likes to boast about reflecting off the glossy blond wood floors. The wide entry hallway lines up with the area where the massive breakfast table, also used for the complimentary nightly wine and cheese events, and the lounge area for guests to relax in, if you can pry them out of their spacious suites, combine with the hallway to make a grand impression on the arriving guest. If you’re into photography, be sure to capture an image of the dark wood railing that borders the steps ascending to upper levels.  There look created with the contrast of light floors, white walls and dark banisters is nothing short of eye-candy but the uniqueness of the railing wrapping around-and-around the rising levels of the stairway reminds me of the intersection of something created by Frank Lloyd Wright and reimaged by Alfred Hitchcock.

The beds are super comfortable, there’s free Wi-Fi, the bathrooms are enormous, and there’s a flat-screen television in the living room which also has a sofa bed in the event you’re traveling with family or friends.

Another lovely service of the inn, especially if you’ve arrived by taxi from the airport and plan to taxi/cable car/trolley your way around San Francisco, is their “Presidio’s PresidiGo” which is their free daily shuttle service in the part that also provides guests with transportation to and from downtown San Francisco! The value of the above outlined features should be factored into the room rate to calculate the heavily loaded value-added benefits for hotel guests.

And for those of you traveling with Fido, the Inn at the Presidio offers three special features: firstly, the inn is pet-welcoming; pet owners will love sitting outside by the open fireside conversation pit for a bit of fresh air by the warmth  of the fireplace; and the inn is encircled by the park! After a restful night at the inn, a short walk across the inn’s parking lot delivers you to the lush greenery of Presidio Park and you’re off exploring trails with your furry family member in tow!  You’ll be pleased to note that San Franciscans love their dogs and you’ll find beaches, trails, parks and outdoor cafes in abundance where you can grab a meal or a bit and have Fido along with you! (You’ll note that I rarely mention travel with cats since cat lovers sneak their pets in everywhere unnoticed! It’s a bit tougher to dress your Springer Spaniel or Irish Setter in a bunting  or overalls and hoodie and try to pass it off as your child who has a hairy skin condition!).

While you might be told that the Walt Disney Family Museum, a unique museum of person family memorabilia, home movies, personal insights into the visionary illustrator and cartoonist whose entrepreneurial skills continues to deliver long-reaching entertainment to all age groups far beyond his years on earth, is only about 200 feet away from the Inn at the Presidio, I think the person that came up with that figure is probably also responsible for myths like everything in St. Maarten is 15 minutes drive from where you are right now and that the train station that services Venice, Italy is only a 10-15 minute walk from the port where the cruise ships dock. If you’re not up to a handsome walk, take your car and drive over to the museum. While it’s within the park where the inn is located, the museum is not “2 doors down from the inn. . . about 200 feet away.”  Not.

You can hear an interview I did with the Terry Haney and get in-depth insights into the hotel, its location and the inside track to all the good gossip, click on this link to the full show notes, links to the inn’s website and the link to the segment in which Terry’s interview aired.

Let me start by telling you the end of this story: San Francisco’s Hotel Griffon has it All!

We arrived in San Francisco after 1am PT because of delays caused by weather conditions that kept our plane from arriving to whisk us away from JFK on Sunday, March 24th. JetBlue made a prompt decision to bring in another aircraft which took less time than waiting for our scheduled plane to arrive and, as a reward for passenger patience, rolled out three feature-films channels that one normally would pay for on-board as gift! I watched “The Good Wife”, since JetBlue’s in-flight service includes satellite television so I didn’t have to wait until we get home from this trip to see this week’s episode, and then I watched a film. A good beginning for the trip and lovely ending to a day that started with a great review of my novel, RUMORS, from the press and a wonderful review from Marie Gormalley, a Berkshire County, MA, retired teacher from Lee Elementary School who read my book in one sitting well into the wee hours of the morning and emailed me (see blog below) to tell me how much she loved it!  So, between the reviews and the lovely flight complete with getting to speak French with Parisian flight attendant, Pascal, I thought I had reaped all the joy possible out of the day.

Maybe it’s because there was so much joy in March 24^th that we arrived at the Hotel Giffon at 2am Pacific Time on March 25^th  so even the next day was programmed for success!  In hotel terms, we were checking in on March 24^th because hotel days generally begin at 3pm on the day of the reservation’s check-in regardless of the fact that you may arrive after midnight.

It was dark and I was jetlaggy as we pulled up at the Hotel Griffon at 155 Steuart Street, where the expeditious thing for San Francisco’s city planners was to install, and allow to remain in place, the misspelled ‘Stewart Street’ signs which are in evidence today.  I knew we were in the area of Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf but you couldn’t see that from my vantage point as we arrived at the Hotel Griffon. And then we entered the hotel.

The lobby is welcoming and projects uniqueness that is the trademark of the concept of ‘boutique hotels.’  At 2am, we received a warm welcome from the front desk and bell staff and swiftly moved through the process of arriving at our accommodations. I went ahead to find our room number and after swinging open the door and doing a quick walk-through which included opening the draperies across the whole wall to see where we were, the WOW-factor  overwhelmed me! I left the room, walked down the hall to the elevator and waited for my husband to arrive to deliver my message: “Wait until you see this!”

So let me share my first impressions of the Hotel Griffon with you:

While there are 62 accommodations, we were assigned one of its 5 suites. May I recommend that you invest in a suite  to make your stay even sweeter (or is that suite-er) if they are available to elevate the quality of your experience? That’s good advice no matter where you go. Everyone should know what it’s like to live like the king.

The rich dark brown wood floor in the living room area compliments the warm earth tones of the décor. The tans, browns and burnt orange shades in the  Mondrian-inspired area  are tied together with the colors of the  art-glass bowl that adorns the table. Your eyes are drawn  to the lamps that flank the sofa that are made of dark brown wood and are topped with elliptical frosted glass shades topping them off like a Philip Treacy hat.  As you pass through the living room, you walk up 2 steps to enter the bedroom area that is divided from the living room by a 4 foot wall made of frosted glass topped with a dark wood rail mimicking the design features of the living room lamps where you find the first of 2 flat-screen television a  wet bar and mini-fridge you can stock with your own treats.

The bedroom area boasts a super-comfortable pillow-topped mattress, lots of bed pillows and decorative pillows, the softest linens, a chaise lounge, desk area and the second and even bigger television. But, for me, the most exciting part of this suite was opening the drapes to reveal the most incredible view. . . even at 2am!  San Francisco Bay is in clear view of the 10 hotel rooms and suites that parallel the waterfront.  The Bay Bridge has been installed with a new light attraction and this hotel has the most amazing view of the bridge. If you’re not in a waterfront/waterview accommodation, just walk out the front door and turn left for half a block and you are standing on the waterfront.

It wasn’t until morning that I could truly appreciate the view.  Because The Griffon is at the Embarcadero end of waterfront, the honky-tonk that is Fisherman’s Wharf is close enough to walk to and enjoy but far enough away so that there are no buildings obstructing your view of the palm tree-lined street, the bay and the Bay Bridge.  If you’ve ever been to Cannes on the French Riviera, you’ll note the similarity of the view in front of you to the view of the Mediterranean you’ll see when walking along La Crosiette, the road that parallels the Med.

For your convenience, here is my list of some of my favorite features that became quickly noticeable that I appreciate offered at San Francisco’s Hotel Griffon:

1. There are beautiful bathrobes lined with soft terry cloth hanging in the closet where you will also find hangers that are not attached to the rod, making it easy to place and remove clothing in the closet. There’s an ironing board and iron hanging in the closet for those of you who haven’t learned to say, “The style of this fabric includes wrinkles included in the design!” There’s also a zippered plastic sack on the shelf in the closet with an extra bed pillow and an extra blanket. . . and you can always call upon the housekeeping staff if that’s not enough!
2. There is safe in the closet wall that is placed at shoulder level for a person of average height. Bravo to the Griffon for not making guests crawl around the floor to open and close the safe. I’ve carried my valuables with me in busy cities where the hotel’s placement of its safes makes them impossible to use! Thank you, Griffon!
3. The bedroom and the living room, if you have a suite, has a flat-screened television screen.
4. Complimentary wireless and Wi-Fi internet access are provided for guests.
5. The bath soap is oval in shape with the center carved out which gives the soap the look of an elliptical donut which is packaged in a rectangular box that is cut out in the middle giving it the look of a periscope. That bit of creative design not only provides the spark for creative thinking but is ecologically practical. The small, round face soap placed at the sink is clearly made from the soap material that was extracted from the bath bar’s manufacturing process. Don’t you just love attention to detail!?!
6. A magnifying mirror is mounted next to the sink on the bathroom wall and an abundance of towels await the guest.
7. Four large sleeping pillows, not those postage stamp-sized pillows that so many hotels are adopting (what could they be thinking??) adorn the bed which is decorated with a variety of pillows one can use to create just the right comfort spot for reading or checking email in bed while lying on the super comfortable pillow-topped mattress and the soft high-count cotton linens.
8. The lamps on the night tables/ end tables and desk all have electrical outlets at their bases which eliminates the guest’s need to grovel under desks and move furniture to find a place to plug in laptops, mobile phones and recharge a variety of electronic gadgets travelers carry with them.
9. A coffee/hot water maker with packets to make your favorite brew are provided along with the mini-fridge that you can stock with items you’ve picked up at a local shop. In general, you can load the fridge with everything you want to have in-room for the same cost as buying 2 items from a pre-stocked mini-bar at a hotel that offers that service!
10.  My favorite part is the ten million dollar view from the bedroom which is visible from the living room because of the low divider wall between the 2 spaces.
11. And as a special bonus, the ceilings are about 10-12 feet high in the living room and about 10 feet in the bedroom so, for those of you who like the feeling of being in big spaces, this is the place for you!
12.  You’re in San Francisco, a few blocks walk to the busiest part of Fisherman’s Wharf where great seafood in particular and great food in general (and great chocolate) are  found in abundance.  Nonetheless, it was such a convenience to have the Hotel Griffon’s restaurant, Perry’s, on site for those times when you’d just as soon stay where you are for breakfast, lunch, cockatails or dinner!
13.  And how about this. . . a listing of services, features and benefits for guests at the Hotel Griffon includes complimentary town car service for guests from the hotel to the Financial District daily between 7am and 11am!
14. Complimentary coffee, tea, fruit, regional and national newspapers are offered daily to guests.
15.  Once you are at the Hotel Griffon, you really don’t need a car to enjoy so many of the things that people come to San Francisco to enjoy! Out the front door, turn left, walk on one of the few flat areas the city has to offer, walk on the piers that jut out into the bay, one of which is directly in front of the street the hotel is on,  visit the attractions and restaurants, and, if you take the approximately 2 mile walk along the waterfront to where the touristic wharf area ends, you’ll find the cable car that for so little money you can board  for the best sightseeing tour you’ll ever get for that rate and get off along the way at places you’d like to visit or stay on to the end to the Union Square District where you’ll also find more flatlands of San Francisco to explore, shop, dine, and be entertained!

              The Hotel Griffon. . . it’s on my “Must Re-Visit” list!