Hotel Review: Hotel Lorien, Alexandria VA

Price: I booked this room for $109 during Kimpton's annual sale.
 
Location: The hotel is located on King Street, one of the main thoroughfares in old town Alexandria. It is fairly close to the metro station if you want to take a trip into D.C. and there are lots of nice shops and restaurants nearby.  I have been to Washington D.C. several times and wanted something different which is why I chose this location in alexandria.  If you are only staying for a weekend and want to escape the tourist hordes of D.C., there is more than enough to do and see in Old Town without even hopping on the metro.


Room:  As an inner circle member I received an upgrade to a "Hospitality Suite".  The room itself was not a true suite (in that it was just a bedroom and bathroom) but there was a HUGE patio off the bedroom which would be great for entertaining.


Hotel/Facilities: As is always the case with kimpton, there was an evening wine hour.  Unlike the other locations that i have stayed at however, the lobby area wasn't really made for such a wine reception.  There were only 2 small benches near the door where most people sat but other than that no real area to sit back and relax.  That being said they did have a pretty solid red and white wine as well as hot (non alcoholic) cider.  In addition to the wine they had flatbreads from their restaurant- Brabo.


Overview: If you are planning a getaway in the DC area, are looking for a relaxing setting a little bit off the beaten path then I would highly recommend a stay here.

Hotel Exterior

Exterior Courtyard

Exterior courtyard

Hospitality Suite

Hospitality suite



Doors to balcony

Private balcony of the hospitality suite

Improved Chase Hyatt Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus

The Chase Hyatt credit card has in my opinion one of the more lucrative sign-up bonuses of any credit card.  The standard offer for this card is 2 free nights at any Hyatt hotel in the world.  I used my free nights at the Park Hyatt Paris - Vendome where rooms often go for over $1000/night.

The new sign up bonus, which requires a few tricks (see below), now not only includes the 2 free nights but also $50 statement credit and 5,000 Hyatt points which can be used for an additional free night at a category 1 Hyatt property.  If you play your cards right you can get ~$2000 in value from this sign up offer.  Note that this card does come with a 75$ annual fee which is waved the first year.  After the first year you get a free night certificate good for any category 1-4 hotel.

To get this improved offer you must do the following:

-For the 50$ statement credit, go to hyatt.com, act like you are booking a hotel (any hotel for any dates).  At the page where you enter your payment information, you will be presented with a credit card offer with the additional statement credit

-For the 5,000 bonus points you need to add an authorized user and have them make a purchase within 3 months.

Note: Unlike most, I do not receive a commission from Chase.  I simply think this is a great deal.

Trip Report: Arpiau Guest House, Manarola, Cinque Terre

While in Cinque Terre last month we stayed at a small guest house called Arpiau in the town of Manarola.  Our room was Aargan (see website for more information).  Since Cinque terre is made up of 5 small villages there are no large chain hotels here.  Your lodging options include staying several miles away in a traditional hotel or staying in a converted house/guest house.  We chose the town of Manarola to be our base for no other reason other than the fact that I liked the pictures of this guesthouse.  Arpiau has an excellent location, situated right above the water not far from the main street.  It was quiet yet close to everything.  The best thing about this hotel was the patio with sweeping views across the town and sea.  there was only one other couple saying there during the time we were there (march) so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  The room itself was basic but had all necessary amenities.  

In general Cinque terre was very enjoyable.  It was an easy train ride from Milan and there was more than enough to see and do to keep you occupied for a week.  One of the best features was all the hiking trails that wound up and through vineyards clinging to the hillsides.  All 5 of the towns have a different feel and other unique features.  If i ever find myself back in this part of the world, I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again.

Aargan Room

Basic but updated bathroom

Amazing patio (shared with other guests)

Views down the coast

Communal room

View of Manarola from deck

Amazing Deal Alert: New York to Oslo Norway $260

Round trip flights from JFK to Oslo, Norway on Norwegian are currently as low as $260 round trip.  That price includes all taxes.  Keep in mind that Norwegian is a "low cost airline" meaning that there can be lots of added charges for baggage, etc.  However, this could be a great deal if you pack light.

2,097NOK = 260USD.  Note that you must select NOK as the currency to get this price

Tip: Getting from Toronto to Europe for under $350

For those of you living in and around Toronto, you are in luck.  There is a way that you can get to Europe for under $350 round trip.  As a added bonus you can even get to check out a pretty cool and exotic destination on the way.  To get this pricing you need 3 things: be creative, be adventurous, and not mind flying low cost airlines.  SATA airline which is the flagship airline of the Azores Islands currently has flights from Toronto to Ponta Delgada for $255 round trip.  Piece that together with a flight on Ryan Air for $67 round trip to Lisbon or Porto, Portugal or a $130 flight to London Stansted and you have yourself a deal.  Of course, you need to be flexible and creative with your dates to find a combo of flights that will work at that price.

SATA also has good deals from Boston to Ponta Delgada as well.

Azores Islands, Portugal

Porto, Portugal 

Amazing deal alert: New York to California for 64$

Some great prices on flights right now from New York (JFK) to Burbank California for 64$ round trip

Hotel Review: Hotel Monaco Philadelphia

Let me first start off by saying that I'm a huge fan of Kimpton Hotels and their portfolio of properties never fails to impress me.  During my stays, I've come to expect 2 things from Kimpton: 1. Top-notch personalized customer service and 2. stunning rooms with interesting decor.
The Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia was no exception.

Cost: Rates this summer can be found for as low as $162/night but generally are in the $200 range.

Location: For a casual visitor to Philadelphia you really cant get a much better location.  The hotel is literally across the street from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.  In fact, while touring Independence Hall, I could see the hotel out the window of the room where the declaration of independence was signed.

Room: I was booked into a standard king but as an Inner Circle member I was upgraded to a Spa King.  At check in they gave me the option of an Independence hall view room or a Spa room; being a sucker for awesome bathrooms this was an easy choice.  The most interesting thing about the room was the wall paper.  I think in any other environment the wallpaper would have clashed but in this room it felt right at home.  The bed was super comfy and provided an excellent nights sleep.  The highlight of the room was a large soaking tub which I utilized several times throughout my stay.

Facilities: I didn't have a chance to check out the gym, but I did have brunch in the restaurant, Red Owl Tavern.  The food was of the typical american gastro-pub variety and nothing that I had especially stood out.  I opted for a burger which was good but not memorable.  The decor of the restaurant was rustic and very appealing so if staying here again I would probably grab a drink at the bar but eat elsewhere.

The rooftop lounge Stratus was super cool.  One side had a gas fire that extended the entire length of the bar.  There was also some indoor seating for rainy or cold days.

Extras: As an inner circle member i ended up with the above mentioned room upgrade.  In addition my welcome amenity was AMAZING.  I had emailed the front desk prior to arrival saying that I enjoyed beer and cheese.  I ended up with a couple bottles of hard to get brews from Russian River as well as a chunk of aged gouda from a local gourmet food store.  Another amenity that many if not all Kimptons offer is free bike rentals.  This was very handy for getting around town.

Summary:  With its trendy rooftop lounge and amazing customer service (not to mention eye-catching rooms) I think this hotel will see me coming back whenever I am in Philly.  The standard rates are on-par with other luxury hotels around the city but the charm, location and service here makes it the easy winner.

Unique decor

Amazing tub and shower

Exterior and entrance to Red Owl Tavern

Inside the main entrance

Red Owl Tavern

Stratus rooftop lounge

Evening Turndown service, complete with a candy cane heart

Our inner circle welcome amenity

Free bikes to ride around town