Taylor’s Ultimate Hotel Destination Picks

MILLIKEN CREEK SPA AND RESORT — NAPA VALLEY

Wow did I love this resort. I think after having been kicked out of my hotel room in San Francisco (mind you, I was vacationing with my mom — we got written up for noise violations but that’s besides the point), a relaxing quiet getaway was much needed. No, I don’t think you’d go here with a friend — either you go with someone you’re dating or you go with your wine loving counterpart mom. They too offer a wine/cheese happy hour which to be honest? Isn’t the smartest idea …. you are spending 9-4pm tasting variations of wine and will continue on drinking wine with dinner and bars following, the LAST THING you’d like at 4pm is wine. JUST an FYI. The resort itself was gorgeous and wonderfully groomed/maintained. I’d recommend a relationship getaway here.

RITZ CARLTON — FORT LAUDERDALE

Sometimes, my family and I just want to get the HELL OUT OF SOUTH BEACH. This destination spot, worked perfectly for our needs. Is it relaxed environment? Um. no…. I felt like in order to walk to the pool or to go to the gym I should have put on some heels, but other than that? Great hotel. GORGEOUS views from the balcony of our suite and great poolside/beachside accomodations. The only downside to the hotel is the meals — I felt like our breakfast every morning was straight out of a Royal Carribean cruise. I’ll make my own toast next time around, thanks.

THE STANDARD — SOUTH BEACH, MIAMI

To say that The Standard in South Beach is a home away from home? Is extremely spot on– to the point that my family just finished building our 2nd home right next door, kid you not. They have become close as family and are extremely accomodating to my family and I. The hotel is totally hipster and bare boned but it is a gorgeous setting and a “communal 60’ish” experience.

MALLIOUHANA RESORT– ANGUILLA

Breathtaking views, miserable and underpaid work staff, overpriced but you just can’t help yourself from returning. Anguilla, if you have never been, is one of those places you just feel so — free. You don’t know anyone, you will never know anyone and that’s the luxury of it. If you pop over to Key West instead, let’s give a hypothetical here, the likelihood you won’t run into an old gym teacher on a trip with her “partner”? Is slim to none. When you fly to Never Never Land you are totally isolated. Sure you’re spending more than you can afford on meals and transportation, but hey, at least you don’t have to conjure up gym teacher talk?

THE WAUWINET — NANTUCKET

The absolutely no cell phone rule may be a detterant for some, but in reality, it IS kind of extremely liberating to be incognito for a week and change. The hotel is gorgeous — you feel like you were invited to an uber classy friend’s house for the weekend. Awesome set up outside with white lawnchairs and a beautiful view. Food isn’t the hotel’s speciality but you have unlimited other options for that in Nantucket.

 

THE EQUINOX HOTEL — MANCHESTER, VERMONT

This IS my childhood in essence. Well… Vermont in the winter, Hamptons in the summer that is. I just adore this hotel. I think for the price they charge at this point? Some major renovations are necessary. The rooms are so not up to par but there is NO COMPARISON in regards to having that “winter wonderland in Vermont” feel, really. We ski at Stratton mountain which is a convenient 30 minute, if that, drive from the hotel. The landscape surrounding the hotel is breathtaking and the spa which is somewhat newly renovated is my mom’s (and mine when I take a lazy day off from skiing) oasis. The live music on the weekends is so outdated but never gets old to me — I think the three member band that plays on Friday nights is the same three member band that played Friday nights when I was barely old enough to walk.

 

ACE HOTEL — NEW YORK CITY

There is just something so swank and refreshing about the Ace. The Breslin, their buzz worthy bar/restaurant only adds to the allure of staying at this hotel. While the location of the hotel, as I mentioned when I originally blogged about the Ace, is somewhat seedy? It’s well worth it. You’re most definitely not going to have a quiet… calming hotel experience at the Ace — quite the opposite to be exact. Photo booths and tartan wallpaper take up most of the hotel lobby. Non-stop foreign techno music and Marc Jacob look alike models run wild throughout the halls all day and night. I dig it, big time.

THE BENJAMIN — NEW YORK CITY

The Benjamin, on the contrary, IS the type of place you’d go to get away from the buzz of the city… at least while you’re still in your room that is. The area, Midtown East, pretty much clears out on the weekends so it tends to be less noisy then perhaps, staying in SoHo or the LES for example on a weekend. The hotel accomodations are nice, nothing totally out of the $$$ price tag ordinary, however, their gym is great and the lounge/restaurant “The National” is really fun and THE spot to find hot finance men after work. Not looking, justttt stating an observation of course.  

 LIBRARY HOTEL — NEW YORK CITY

This hotel brings back a lot of memories from last winter. I used to play the role of Eloise, hating to impose on my NYC resident friends, I used to camp out very often here at the Library. I will say, it doesn’t have a lot of ROOM whatsoever. I think if they eliminated HALF of the amount of books they decorate each room with? You’d have a hell of a lot more space to sleep. I get a one bedroom which even for me (and I’m coming in under 110lbs) is a BIT TOO SNUG for my liking. The really sick ass part of staying here is the wine/cheese hour every night from like 5-7 and the unlimited fruit/coffee/tea/sweets available upstairs. TOTALLY my reasoning for going back — I loved it.

…. Are Fanny Packs Still Made? My Questions for Napa Valley

So, I’m back in the Old South Jersey, sitting on my bedroom floor reminiscing about my recent trip to the lovely Wine Country.  I will say this much, Napa is breath taking. The scenery is out of this world, as are the endless amounts of wineries. The drive through the town as well as the bordering towns such as Yountsville and Sonoma are just as impressive. Hundreds of rolling hills, grapevines, and sunlight. Who could ask for more?

While sitting on a very long plane ride last night a question hit me. Why don’t San Francisco residents have second homes in Napa? Think about it…. All well-to-do NYC residents have houses in the Hamptons, all Bostonians have places in the Cape/ Nantucket. Why is it that people who live in either LA or SF don’t have second homes in this breathtaking, serene town? I think I figured out the reasoning after having spent just four short days there. The tourists.

While going to countless wineries, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of culture/style the tourists who were visiting the vineyards had. I am not snooty by any means, but I would say out of a handful of 10 “fellow wine tasters”, at least 8 were featuring the oh-so-attractive Fanny Packs and or were severly over weight. The outfits matched their looks as well; many belly exposing midrifs were found, along side “pedal pushers” which were outdated before they even became fashionable.

You would think in a town such as Napa the clientele for the wineries would match the classy feel of the vineyards/ town as a whole. That’s CLEARLY not the case. I over heard many many people saying how they weren’t willing to pay “10 dollars a head” for a wine tasting. No offense, but going INTO a winery you should know the minimum they will ask for a wine tasting consisting of four (sometimes even three) wines is ten dollars. Come on now!

In addition to the odd tourists, I was so surprised at the LACK of nightlife. Literally, the town shuts down its big bulbs come 9 o clock. No I’m not kidding. The only “bar” if you could even call it that, called Downtown Joe’s, is open late. The scene at Joe’s’ on a Saturday night is straight out of Superbad so it seems. The most diverse group of bar goers can be found in this hole in the wall restaurant that’s converted into a “bar” at night. Me and my mom were surrounded by ALL walks of life:

– SoCal Army men up to Napa for a “good time” – aka on the prowl for drunk women who went wine tasting all day

– Drunk 60+ year old couples who somehow managed to stay up past 9 o clock even after the day full of wine tastings

– The group of attractive SF girls in Napa for a Bachelorette Party who realize they are “too hot” for such a dive bar

– Then there were the townies, one of which was 24 and tried to take both me AND my mother home, that was amusing

– Finally, there was us. The two dressed to go out for a nice night “out on the town” only to find out… Joe’s was our only option

So in conclusion, Napa I ask you this: Why do you have such an ecclectic group of toursits? Why do you have no night life? And why for the love of GOD are fanny packs still produced?