Upright & Stowed

Surprise and Delight

As an adventurous traveler, I am as enthralled by a cot in a UN refugee camp compound as I am by a dusty sleeping bag at Burning Man as I am by a pampering 5-star resort.

My recent trip to Kenya was heavier on the spare than the plush, but I was able to squeeze in one blissful night at the amazing Bateleur Camp in the Masai Mara Game Reserve.   Bateleur is one of the most spectacular "tented" camps in Africa.  Gourmet food, attentive staff, spectacular surroundings, and tent-like rooms that are hard to leave, even when a safari calls.  Best of all, Bateleur delivers its luxury experience with wit and imagination.  

I am always on the lookout for lodging experiences that "Surprise and Delight," and Bateleur offered them at every turn.  Here, I offer you photos of the two most surprising and delightful moments of my stay.  Up top is plate of watermelon and gin delivered to my room shortly after arrival.  Down below is one of the two hot water bottles placed at the foot of my bed while I was eating dinner in the main tented lobby.  Talk about sweet dreams.  These are the little moments that we take with us when we've had a great lodging experience.    Have you had a small but sweet moment of lodging "surprise and delight" lately? 

Romantic Weekend Idea

A couple weeks ago I was invited by my friend Sean to spend the night in Milford, PA at the Hotel Fauchere.  Sean has spent the past 5 years renovating this 1880 building, and it is a stunner.  It also makes for an insanely romantic weekend getaway.  This photo is of the Fauchere Family, on the hotel lawn sometime a couple centuries back.

Milford, PA sits at the north entrance of the Delaware Water Gap, a region of spectacular beauty near the PA, NY and NJ borders.  It is a short drive (under two hours) from New York, and slightly closer (or farther) from Philadelphia, DC, Baltimore and many other east coast metropolitan areas.

The point is, if you are looking for an incredible weekend getaway this fall, you should consider this rich and historical region.  Let me know if you decide to go.  I'll tip 'em off to your arrival.

Beignets and King Tut: A Reminiscence

Got New Orleans on your mind?  Me too. 

If you've ever been there, you'll immediately recognize this image.  It's beignets and coffee from the infamous Cafe Du Monde, and no trip to the Crescent City is complete without indulging in this breakfast treat. 

I visited New Orleans for the first time in 1977.  I was a dorky, pimply kid, and my family headed there to see the King Tut exhibit – one of the first true museum blockbusters.

We stayed at the storied Hotel Maison de Ville, we ate creole food, we suffered through having our caricatures drawn and we watched people get drunk.  A lot has changed in New Orleans in the past year, but I have confidence that the generous spirit of the people, the richness of the culture and the indomitable soul will survive and thrive.  I may even have to add Southern Decadence to my upcoming travel plans.

Here's to you Big Easy.  Let the longevity of King Tut inspire you.  Party on.

Photo courtesy Tandaleo on Flickr

Ah, the infinity pool

The current issue of Conde Nast Traveler has a brief spread on the latest in hotel infinity pools.  I enjoyed it because I think infinity pools are one of man's greatest unnecessary inventions.  There is nothing like the pleasure of floating in a sparkling, aquamarine man-made pool that drops off into an even more spectacular background  of aquamarine water, surely created by Mother Nature just for your high-falutin' vacation satisfaction.

The first infinity pool I soaked in was at the Regent Hong Kong (now the Intercontinental) in 1991.  At the time, it was probably one of the most photographed pools of its kind.  That's me in my red one-piece in the photo above.

Oh wait.  That's a hotel publicity shot.  But it IS me in the infinity pool on your right, high above the Pacific Ocean in Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica.  I'm with my friend Steve and it's about 1997.  I've been in many great infinity pools since ... most recently in St. Barts.  I'm curious: What's your greatest infinity pool experience?

Luxury, Ft. Lauderdale Style

Congratulations to Sean, who correctly identified my location from the map on yesterday's post as Ft. Lauderdale.  The "Broward" county wording should have made it clear that it was not Miami (which is in Dade county).  The picture on the left is from my living room, here at the Atlantic Hotel. 

I'm visiting a bunch of luxury-category hotels for a consulting project.  And though I shouldn't reveal much about the project itself, I do want to point out that I experienced a new level of luxury service when I arrived in my suite and was greeted with ...  all the fixin's for making a sour mango margarita!  Yes indeed.  If you look closely at the picture on the left, you'll see the set up when I arrived in my "suite."   A tray with two martini glasses, a shaker full of ice,  mango juice and margarita mix in a blown glass pitcher, and two small bottles of Ketel One vodka.   Now that's what I call a warm welcome.  I only wish one of my faithful blog readers was here to share it with me.  And that I was more of a drinker.

Next stop ... home to the famous Sacher Torte.

Greatest Hotel Stays: Santa Fe

Santa Fe is one of those places people love to say is "over."  No problem.  More room for me.   Though Santa Fe has definitely moved beyond its early days of laidback, southwestern charm, it remains a fantastic destination.  Great food, lots of art, a beautiful setting, proximity to an incredible region of high altitude natural beauty, and culture for days, including the Santa Fe Opera and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.  Oh, and a bit of a gay scene to boot.

There are a lot of great, pricey and worth-the-price hotels here.  But I've stayed at a simple but wonderful B&B called El Paradero, where few rooms will cost you more than $150 a night, including a gourmet breakfast that'll blow you away.  It's built in an 1820's adobe farmhouse, and is just a short walk to the center of town.  Get a room with an adobe fireplace, if available.  Even in the summer.   While you're in Santa Fe, be sure to pay at least one visit to the absolutely sublime Japanese spa called 10,000 Waves.  Oh, and my favorite restaurant (though I haven't been in a few years) is Geronimo.