Tag: Hotels

It’s Hard Not to Relax at the Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel and Spa

David A. F. SweetLeave a comment

On a pleasant Friday evening in March, we checked in to the Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel and Spa. Right away at the front desk, we were offered free glasses of champagne — a staple every night at the IHG hotel, along with free wine starting at 4 p.m.

Our two-bedroom suite for the three of us — including my wife and 16-year-old son — was ample in size and featured a balcony overlooking the pool with a view of the ocean. As they slept in the morning, I could quietly head downstairs to grab the daily free coffee and then sneak out to the balcony and answer e-mails when not lured away from the screen to watch the waves.

The staff is truly top-notch. It’s hard to imagine a friendly group, from the valets to the pool man who set up our towels on the chaise lounge. Embarrassed that an engineer had to enter our room to check if an issue elsewhere may have affected us, the staff gave us a $50 credit.

The pool was a great spot for my son and I to toss a football. Even better was the hot tub that had water tumbling over rocks onto our heads. It was impossible not to feel refreshed after five minutes in there. Steps away, bodysurfing beckoned. We simply put our towels and shirts on the beach and tried to ride the waves.

The main restaurant, Cobalt, possesses a first-class atmosphere and features excellent seafood and filets. I ate one breakfast outside, and the view is perfect.

This was our second visit to the spot, and we couldn’t recommend it more. For a place to relax and feel at home — where at the end of eight days we felt like we had just arrived — it’s hard to beat the Kimpton.




Fun in Fort Lauderdale

David A. F. SweetLeave a comment

Even having golf star Brooks Koepka bang the Florida Panthers’ massive drum behind their net to rally the crowd didn’t help in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup.

Las Vegas scored less than two minutes into the game and never trailed. Still, our trip to Fort Lauderdale was fun. Among the highlights:

— Our spacious suite at the Atlantic Hotel & Spa meant we were able to stay in comfort. Though the air conditioning was not working in the living room our first night, a technician spent hours putting in a new motor. We were able to use the pool after checking out, a big advantage considering our late-afternoon flight. I tossed the football up in the air in a contest to see which one of my sons would be the first to catch 10.
— For dinner, Steak 954 provided excellent filet mignon — the best my 15-year-old son has ever had — and tasty bernaise sauce. Brunch was superb too; I’d recommend an egg-white omelet with hot sauce on the side and an order of bacon.

32963

David A. F. SweetLeave a comment

A five-digit number for a headline? Yes, that’s pretty strange. But even the town’s newspaper puts that number in large font: it’s the zip code for the barrier island portion of Vero Beach.

It’s hard to imagine a better hotel than the Kimpton Vero Beach Resort and Spa. The staff is ultra-friendly; when the cleaning service didn’t appear one day, we received a $50 food-and-beverage credit. Complimentary wine is poured from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Steps from the ocean is the restaurant Cobalt, whose filet mignon is what you’d expect from a fine steakhouse and whose bearnaise sauce is sensational.

Leave the hotel, and you’ll find plenty of upscale shops on Ocean Drive, such as Happy Girl Wine Co. The Lemon Tree is the perfect (and extremely popular) spot for breakfast. A 45-minute wait is not unusual.

Gotham City

David A. F. SweetLeave a comment

Thoughts during a visit to New York City:

–United has the easiest WiFi to sign up for, though it’s hard to beat Southwest’s price of free.

–The taxi line at LGA is measured by how many baggage claims it passes. Amazing that the planners of the beautiful new Terminal B couldn’t ensure quicker taxi service.

–A hotel without a plastic laundry bag is a substandard hotel. Thankfully, The Lexington delivered.

–Touring the 86th and 102nd floors of the Empire State Building is interesting, but the World Trade Center observatory experience is better.



The Quinquagenarian Traveler: Five Must-Do Items in London

David A. F. SweetLeave a comment

London abounds with choices, from museums to cruises to spots for tea. Here are five must-do items to make your next trip more pleasurable.

  • Tea at Claridge’s. This venerable hotel offers an incredibly gracious tea, including Champagne, finger sandwiches and – if you attend during Wimbledon – pastries shaped like tennis balls.Tennis Ball Pastry
  • The Wallace Collection. Armor and swords mingle with paintings and furniture in an elegant three-story building.
  • Churchill War Rooms. See not only the space where World War II strategy was hatched but learn about arguably the greatest historical figure of the 20th
  • CityCruises. Relax while a witty tour guide shows you buildings both historic and modern along the Thames River
  • Uber. Not as nice as London’s spacious cabs but much cheaper.

The Quinquagenarian Traveler: A Whirlwind L.A. Sports Marathon

David A. F. SweetLeave a comment

Thirty-six hours. Two NHL games. A college football rivalry battle. Two boys dressed in   shorts. One convertible.

Thanksgiving weekend was a sports feast for the males in our family (excluding the dogs). The three of us flew in from Chicago to watch the Blackhawks prevail in Anaheim before falling by a goal in Los Angeles. In between, my alma mater USC and stalwart Adoree’ Jackson dismantled Notre Dame before our eyes.

Standout memories include:

— Watching the Blackhawks pre-game practice from the second row in the Honda Center, surrounded by hundreds of like-minded fans. Ducks backers were as hard to spot as the team’s retired jerseys (grand total: one).

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Blackhawks fans (two fresh out of a convertible) swarmed the plexiglass at Honda Center.

— Sitting not only in a section but a row that actually won a prize announced at a major sports event (chocolate popcorn at the Staples Center).

— Why it’s important to be prepared for potentially bad weather (see: ignore L.A. rain forecasts for events at the uncovered Coliseum at your peril).

When the sun shone, we splashed around the pentagon-shaped pool filled to the brim at the Marina Del Rey Hotel. The three-story white structure, renovated to perfection a year ago, featured patios connecting to artificial grass where the boys played shinny. At the restaurant Salt, kid-friendly menus included awesome hamburgers for dinner, and sitting outside let us watch sailboats rock nearby while the stars danced above. .

On the flight home, live NFL games appeared on our Virgin America TV. We didn’t need the NFL in L.A. (and the NFL didn’t need L.A. for decades), but it was the perfect way to end a whirlwind sports marathon.