Author: wnwyatt

Chicago, Illinois, USA ~ The Langham

April 2024

The Langham had been on our list for a long time – in fact, since it opened in 2013 in an iconic Ludwig Mies van der Rohe tower on the Chicago River. The sleek black building in the modernist international style — the former regional headquarters of IBM — has always been a favorite of ours among the dozens of standout skyscrapers in downtown Chicago, and we were excited when we learned that part of it was converted to a hotel. But other travel plans, the pandemic, and life in general kept us away until now when we had a weekend to make a quick run to the Windy City to pick up some wine from a favorite importer.

We shouldn’t have waited so long.

The treat at the end of the tunnel

Arriving to downtown by car, we dropped into Lower Wacker Drive and traversed the bowels of the city, emerging via an exit just a few blocks from The Langham. Although we had been near the building dozens of times, this was our first opportunity to get up close and personal. After leaving our car with the valet, we walked through the ground floor sitting area – pausing to greet a portrait of van der Rohe – and then took the elevator to the second-floor lobby and reception desk.

The peacefulness and somewhat intimate feel of the first floor was replaced with a bustling and lively scene when we emerged into the soaring and light-filled space on the second floor. In addition to encountering a wedding party that had gathered for photos, we saw families heading left to what appeared to be a salon hosting high tea and another group on its way to the bar on the opposite side.

A coherent design story

The Langham Chicago is one of 17 Langham hotels in Asia, Europe, the Pacific, and North America, with more on the way. The Langham London opened in 1865 and was the largest building in London at the time and Europe’s first “grand hotel.” After World War II, it was bought by the BBC but returned to operations as a hotel in 1991 and is the namesake of the Langham Hospitality Group.

The Langham Chicago occupies the lower 13 floors of the van der Rohe tower, which was completed in 1971 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. As of now, The Langham is the only hotel in a van der Rohe building. A professed pillar of the Langham Hospitality Group is design with each hotel “manifesting a unique story through its architecture, design, and one-of-a-kind local art.” We were excited to see how the black tower, built as a corporate headquarters, would be interpreted as a hotel, and the common areas proved to be a great preface to the rest of the story. The skeleton of the building – anodized aluminum and bronze-tinted glass – featured prominently, but the modernist lines were softened and even complemented by curvy patterns in the stone floor, a playful suspended sculpture of blown glass, and plush couches and chairs. With two floors of light bouncing off all of the reflective surfaces, the lobby nearly glowed.

Anticipated refinement with a few surprises

After a friendly and efficient check-in and a promise to return soon for a drink and dinner recommendation, we stepped back in the elevator for a lift up to the tenth floor and our room. The guest room hallways were expansive yet cozy with dark wood paneling, intermittent mirrors, low lighting, and a beautiful runner rug. It felt like yet a third interpretation of the building’s spaces after the intimate ground floor sitting area and the soaring second-floor lobby.

Our room — #1015 – was beautiful. A tiled entry foyer separated the main space from the door; off to one side was the bathroom and a bit further down on the opposite side was a dressing room, closet, and vanity. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with expansive views of nearby skyscrapers and the river let in lots of natural light, and the classic mid-century furnishings and white upholstery and linens felt refined. We loved the piece of furniture that housed the mini-bar and coffee station; it opened up in all kinds of interesting ways and looked a little steam punk. (The Langham calls the custom-designed piece a “cellarette.”) It was a fun addition to an otherwise fairly serious room design.

We also couldn’t get enough of the magic glass that separated the soaking bathtub in the stone and tile bathroom from the bedroom. With the flip of a switch, it changed from opaque to translucent. And the dressing area and vanity was a special indulgence. One of us felt the need to do a bit of primping – even though we had nowhere fancy to go – simply to use the space.

Magic glass separating the soaking tub from the bedroom

A start but not nearly enough

Our time at the Langham went by in a flash. We managed a stop at the hotel bar for a cocktail but didn’t have time to fully explore the hotel’s amenities. The tearoom was lovely and the pool, like the lobby, was also built by removing floor slabs to allow for a view out of two floors of windows. Chicago is such a terrific city, and The Langham matches up. We’ll be back, and next time we’ll stay longer.

Stay Details

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Playa del Carmen, Mexico ~ Thompson Main House

February 2024

We have a pretty good track record with hotels. From five-star properties with big reputations – where we expect exceptional experiences – to more under-the-radar finds, we typically love the hotels we choose, and this makes writing about them a joy.

But either we missed the mark with Thompson House, or it missed the mark with us.

Our choice of the Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House, which is right in the center of this beach town, was driven by a handful of things. First, we wanted a warm vacation and didn’t have time to do something complicated. We’ve had terrific experiences in Mexico – particularly in Mexico City and Valladolid – and the Riviera Maya is indisputably beautiful.

When many vacationers think of the Yucatan Peninsula, they think of beachfront resorts. For us, resorts are perfect for a few days, but beyond that, we tend to feel trapped, particularly in properties far from towns or cities. Our last few vacations involved moves halfway through, which worked out well, but for this trip, we wanted to get someplace and stay put.

For a seven-night stay, we thought being right in a town but near a beach would be ideal. We looked at Tulum but didn’t find anything intriguing, and one of us had been to Playa del Carmen 20 years ago and remembered it fondly. Thompson House showed up on a few of our go-to references, and it seemed like it had potential to be a fun detour from a typical Mexican beach vacation.

Not a great start, but holding out hope

Our hour-long drive to Playa del Carmen from the Cancun airport was smooth, and a driver arranged by the hotel dropped us right at the front door (we’ll admit, by driving down a pedestrianized street). Upon checking in, we were told that the room we had booked was not available because the air conditioning was broken, but it would be ready the next day. The reception staff – in an extended back-and-forth text conversation with someone who was apparently the manager – seemed to be trying to figure out what to do with us. In the end, they said they would put us in another room and waive our resort fee as recognition for the inconvenience. So much for getting to one room and staying put…but we understand that things happen, and sometimes adjustments have to be made.

Our first room – a king room – was a downgrade from the suite we had booked. This occurred to us after our credit card had been charged but before we headed to the room. We noted this to the staff member at reception, and she said she would talk to the manager and get the charge adjusted. By that point, we were more than ready to get up to the room – and the manager didn’t seem accessible – so we said we would check back the next day when we moved rooms.

Paradise lost?

When the Thompson House opened in 2015 (we stayed in the “main” house; there is also a “beach” house), it must have been stunning. Its modern, curved façade; hallways and rooms with shiny stone floors and dark wood walls; floor-to-ceiling windows; big balconies; dramatic common areas; and an expansive rooftop pool with a bar and restaurant on either end were indisputably eye-popping.

But nine years had not been kind to Thompson House, and it seemed to us that from the moment the hotel opened, it started to decline. Of course, hotels take constant maintenance and continuous attention to service and amenity standards; we certainly understand this challenge. However, during our weeklong stay, it became clear that Thompson House wasn’t getting the attention it needed or deserved, and this showed up in ways big and small.

#127 to #132

We didn’t take time to settle into our first room because we knew we would be moving, but in some ways, the first room was better than the suite we would occupy for the remainder of our stay. It was in the middle of the semicircle and a little sheltered from the street noise below (more on that later); it had a nice seating area, a big shower, lots of storage, and fresh air conditioning. The room was a little dark, and it looked out onto the faded metal roof of the shopping center that is part of the hotel complex, but the mid-century aesthetic was a fun detour from traditional Mexican or typical beach designs. What’s more, everything in the room seemed to work.

The transition to our second room – the one we originally booked – didn’t go smoothly, and to be honest, midway through day 2 we weren’t sure we would actually make the move, as we got vague responses to our several inquiries. But in the late afternoon, a very kind porter escorted us upstairs to make the key exchange. Room #2, which had a pie-shaped footprint, was light and airy with wrap-around windows; a shower with a sliding door to the balcony, which had a deep soaking tub; and lots of space. Because this room was situated on the end of the semi-circle, we had better views out to the streets below and also a fun canopy created by a giant kapok tree. Just as we thought about the rest of the hotel, we could imagine how the room must have looked when it first opened.

And like the rest of the hotel, the room was showing its wear. The leather headboard of the bed had worn spots; the drapes that stretched the full length of one wall needed to be cleaned, as did the furniture on the balcony, which left black smudges on our clothes; the coffee cups didn’t sit squarely on the mismatched saucers; one of the sinks didn’t properly drain; the toilet ran continuously if we didn’t jiggle the handle just right; the soaking tub had hot water only on request; the room smelled musty whenever we closed the balcony doors and turned on the air conditioning; and each time we took a shower, we had to wipe up loads of water from the bathroom floor. We’ll admit, this list sounds long, but these weren’t fatal flaws. We know things can be worse. With that said, we also didn’t expect these kinds of issues from what seemed to be the premier hotel in town.

Do you want to pet a baby tiger?

In our new room, we soon realized that we were right above an “attraction” where, for a fee, tourists could pet – and get a picture with – a baby tiger. From about 8:30 in the morning to well into the night, we would hear employees calling out to tourists, “Hey guys, do you want to pet a baby tiger?” Add this to the competing mariachi bands on the street and the club music coming from every surrounding restaurant and club, and we felt a little like we were in the middle of a theme park for adults.

Because our room wasn’t exactly an oasis, we sought other spots for relaxing. The rooftop pool, like the rest of the hotel, was surely beautiful at one time and was clearly designed to provide lots of amenities. But most of those were gone or on hiatus, and the pool was so cold that it was impossible to get in without getting chilled to the bone.

Thompson’s sister property – the Thompson Beach House a few blocks away – is available to all Thompson guests. Our afternoon visit there, however, was also disappointing. After looking around a little, we found a lounge chair that wasn’t too dirty (most of them needed a good scrub), but nothing was on offer in terms of services. Instead of hearing the call to “pet the baby tiger,” we got the sounds of drills and saws in the property’s restaurant. At least, we thought, renovations were underway.

As the disappointments with the hotel grew, we decided to lower our expectations, but even then we seemed to be foiled at every turn: Our tickets for the ferry to Cozumel ordered online never arrived; our search for seven art galleries listed on Google maps turned up not a single one (most were places trying to sell a time share); and the tequila we bought to make margaritas in the room ended up all over the floor – along with the bottle that broke into what seemed like a thousand pieces –  when the shelf of the mini fridge collapsed and sent everything nearby crashing down.

We’re the first to admit that had we talked to anyone who has spent time in Playa del Carmen, we likely would have been alerted that central Playa is “party, party, party.” And we’ll also say that plenty of people looked to be having a really good time. The whole thing just wasn’t our cup of tea – or, shall we say, our shot of tequila.

Postscript: What does it mean to be part of a hotel group?

We’ve noted before in hoteling.org that we tend to prefer independent hotels over properties that are part of a chain. That doesn’t mean we won’t choose a chain, and we’ve had some great experiences at branded properties; the St. Regis, Four Seasons, and Mandarin Oriental come to mind. For our visit to Playa del Carmen, we actually thought that choosing a hotel that’s part of the Hyatt group might be a good idea. Even before we arrived, we were a little uncertain about our choice of Thompson House. It was a curveball, for sure, but having the Hyatt name attached gave us a little comfort in thinking that the hotel would meet a certain standard.

Our disappointing experience at Thompson House, which continues a month later as we try to resolve a problem with the bill, has taught us a lot about what it means to be part of hotel group. The answer? In the case of many affiliations, not much. 

One of the most frustrating parts about our stay at Thompson House was its poor management. The hotel had several kind and well-intentioned staffers who were doing their best to make disappointed guests happy, but the person or people in charge – none of whom we ever saw – were only reachable through a QR code that required texting via the What’s Up app.

What does it mean to be part of a hotel group? In the case of many affiliations, not much.

Eventually we gave up trying to resolve our issues while on site and decided to pursue them from home through Hyatt rather than directly with the hotel. Hyatt customer service sent us back to the hotel, so we reached out but haven’t received a response. We’ve now gone back to Hyatt with feedback that the hotel isn’t responding, but the effort this is requiring is starting to outweigh our desire to resolve the bill.

Stay details:

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Hastings, Minnesota, USA ~ The Confluence Hotel

January 2024

Living with a view out over the Mississippi River, we’ve always thought that river towns have a unique feel, a spirit that evokes travel and the pull of places beyond the horizon. When we heard of a new hotel just downriver from us in Hastings, Minnesota, we knew we’d have to visit, and Hastings is less than half-an-hour away, so the location was perfect for a quick overnight getaway in midwinter.

Hastings is situated where the St. Croix River, fresh from the eponymous National Scenic Riverway, joins the Mississippi on the long journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Following on the heels of its upriver cousin, Stillwater, Hastings is seeing investment in its historic downtown with restaurants, shops, and, now, the historic reuse of an old manufacturing complex, which has been remade into The Confluence, a boutique hotel just west of where the new Hastings Bridge brings you into downtown.

A factory transformed

The Confluence opened, after many pandemic-related setbacks, in the fall of 2023. The aesthetic is an architecturally fun, industrial-chic treatment that does a great job of retaining and showing off the bones of the original structure, which housed the H.D. Hudson Manufacturing Company.

The hotel has outdoor spaces looking out over the river that will surely be wonderful in warmer weather, a ballroom, and several wings with hallways that showcase the original wood and steel-beamed roof high up above the rooms that have been tucked into the shell of the original factory floorplan. But the highlight of the public spaces is the lobby/bar/restaurant area, which already appeared to function as a kind of living room for Hastings. Even in late January, the space had a pleasant and inviting buzz about it.

Everything but a wall of windows

Our room, a king suite, was large and well-appointed, with little to no wear-and-tear, as expected in an almost-new hotel. Although the room worked well functionally, the layout felt a little odd. Likely as an attempt to create a separate seating area (necessary for the “suite” designation?), the TV and cabinet it sat on were situated in the middle of the room, so either the view from the seating area or from the bed — depending on the TV’s orientation — was a view of the back of the TV. We might be extra sensitive to the intrusion of televisions on the design of a space, but this just felt awkward. Additionally, the room had only one window tucked in a corner and blocked from view when we were on the side of the room with the bed. For a building with fabulous windows, we were disappointed to have only one. With that said, upon check-out, we did learn that our particular suite (#229) is somewhat unique in its floorplan, and all of the other junior suites have a full wall of windows. For our next stay, we’ll be sure to request a different room.

On the positive side, the room had a spacious, high-ceilinged, loft-like feel with original exposed steel beams and pillars. It was fun to see some of the structure of the building carrying through to the rooms. Ours had lots of places to sit — we weren’t there long enough to test them all out — and a wet bar (although the refrigerator and coffee maker were across the room, beneath the TV). We’re guessing some of the hotel’s rooms were designed for special-occasion stays where groups may want to gather. The sliding barn door to the bath was a nice touch, and the bath was large with double sinks and a sparkling, white-tiled shower. The room also had plenty of hooks, which are one of our favorite features and always handy for travelers.

No need to venture out

We really liked the energy of the lobby space, so we decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, Missi’s Sip & Savor. The name may be a stretch as a play on words, but the bar service, drinks, and food well-exceeded our expectations. We sat at the bar, and the bartending team was skilled, friendly, and energetic, and everyone seemed genuinely eager to work with us to create some custom cocktails, which were outstanding and a great paring with our warm smoked walleye dip, chopped salad and ale-braised short ribs. Our experience at the bar made us think the hotel is the place to go for elevated dining in Hastings.

But fun to explore beyond the hotel

The Mississippi River was the primary transportation route into the Upper Midwest before the railroads made their way to Wisconsin and Minnesota, so many of the oldest towns are strung out along the riverways. Hastings has been able to preserve much of its historic main street (actually 2nd Street East) with some wonderful late nineteenth-century buildings. The street is lined with antique shops, and in between those, we found a few gift shops with local goods and a game store with every kind of game you could imagine. Visitors will also find a good selection of places to eat and drink, some with outdoor space looking over the river. And the residential streets clustered around downtown have quite a few houses of historic interest. We’ll surely return in summer to check out what we imagine to be a lively scene.

Stay details:

  • The Confluence Hotel, downtown Hastings, Minnesota
  • 1-night stay: January 20-21, 2024
  • King suite, #229

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Madison, Wisconsin, USA ~ Hotel Indigo

November 2023

Our emerging Thanksgiving tradition involves a two-night stay somewhere away from home but close enough to reach easily by car. We depart in late morning on Thanksgiving Day, spend a quiet holiday close to the hotel at our destination, and then do a little exploring in the area before heading home on Saturday. We’ve celebrated this version of Thanksgiving enough times that we now need to go a little further afield to find something new. This year, we pushed the boundaries on what we consider an easy drive, heading four hours east to Madison, Wisconsin, and to the Hotel Indigo.

Searching for personality

Many friends in the Twin Cities have Madison connections; they grew up there, they attended college at the University of Wisconsin, or they spent time working in Madison before moving to Minnesota. And those friends offered great recommendations for things to see and do during our visit, but no one had a favorite hotel, so we were left to our own devices when it came to choosing a place to stay. We knew we wanted to be close to downtown and the University of Wisconsin campus, so we could walk to the small city’s top sites. Our searches, however, turned up lots of big chains that looked pretty cookie-cutter. The best-rated places were bed & breakfasts, which isn’t typically our thing. Among the lists, one did stand out as potentially interesting. Hotel Indigo is part of the IHG Hotel Group, so it isn’t independent, but the pictures made it look like it had a distinctive character, guest reviews were solid, and the location was intriguing — close enough to the city center but in the redeveloped (well, redeveloping) neighborhood of “East Wash” that formerly housed utilities, factories, warehouses, and other light industrial properties.

New life for an old building

Hotel Indigo’s former life was as a paint factory, and many of the hotel’s rooms, including ours, are located in the factory building (the hotel also has a wing that is new construction). The “indigo” theme carried throughout the property: from a giant Mautz Paint sign hovering above the front desk (it once hung outside the factory) and cocktails in the bar that are coded by their color palette, to artists’ murals in the hallways (ours was Georgia O’Keefe, who was a Wisconsin native and resided briefly in Madison) and painters’ lights in guest rooms. A theme like this — when overdone — can verge on tacky, but the elements mostly contributed to a fun aesthetic and brought warmth to the austere brick and concrete structure. Our room on the fifth floor was bright and cheery. It wasn’t fancy, but functionally, it worked well with everything we needed, including fluffy robes discovered in a roomy closet and one of our favorite features: a wall of pegs for hanging winter coats and hats. We were also intrigued by a shower bar installed diagonally about a foot from the floor, which we guessed was for resting one’s foot upon when lathering up legs and feet.

The hotel’s common areas are also inviting. In the lobby, guests can play oversized puzzle games or visit a mini bodega with essentials and treats. Seating areas are made for lingering. The hotel opened in 2019 but still looked mostly pristine; we give the staff kudos for keeping up with the inevitable scratches and dents caused by the never-ending churn of guests.

Bustling, even on Thanksgiving

On our Thanksgiving stays, we’re never quite sure what we’ll find in terms of hotel services on the holiday itself. One year — during the height of the pandemic — we enjoyed a terrific evening meal from the hotel restaurant delivered to our room. Another year in a different hotel, we had to settle for dinner from a gas station; everything was closed, not only in the hotel, but in the whole town. (Well, that’s not entirely true; one place was serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but when we called to ask if we could make a booking, the host gave a polite laugh. Apparently, getting a table required booking weeks in advance.)

Our entire stay had that kind of vibe — not crazy busy, but certainly enough activity to feel like we were at a place where things were happening.

All to say, we’ve learned to be prepared for just about anything. When we checked into the Indigo at about 3 pm on Thanksgiving, the staff member at reception let us know that the bar and restaurant were open until 8 pm, after which the hotel staff would gather for their own holiday celebration. We were grateful to have such an easy option and even more pleased when we arrived at the hotel restaurant around 6:30 to find a lively scene with helpful bartenders and servers and a meal that exceeded our expectations. Our entire stay had that kind of vibe — not crazy busy, but certainly enough activity to feel like we were at a place where things were happening. We hope this good energy continues to build for Hotel Indigo; for anyone passing through Madison, it’s well worth checking out.

Stay details:

  • Hotel Indigo, Madison, Wisconsin, East Washington neighborhood
  • 2-night stay: Nov. 23 and 24, 2023
  • King Room, #514
Federico Uribe, Museum of Contemporary Art

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Paris, France ~ Maison Souquet

October 2023

This stay in Paris, our first in 15 years, came after spending four days in Lyon in the modern, light, and airy Villa Maïa. For Paris, where we had four more days, we wanted something that would match the mood of the city and of Montmarte, the neighborhood we would call our home base. Searching for the right hotel in Paris can be overwhelming – there are just so very many choices – but Maison Souquet kept appearing on our go-to lists, so we decided to give it a go. When we made our booking, only two “De Luxe” rooms were available for all four nights, and the team at Maison Souquet sent pictures and helpfully described the features of both: peaceful courtyard view or street view of Paris rooftops; a small balcony four floors up or windows on the first floor; shower or deep bath. They also promised to let us know if a larger junior suite became available for the duration of our visit. With Paris Fashion Week just ending and the World Cup Rugby Championships arriving in the city along with us, we were glad to secure a room.

Sumptuous all around

Maison Souquet is steps from the Blanche metro station down one of the streets that run south from the Moulin Rouge. It’s officially in the 9th arrondissement, right at the bottom of Montmarte. As a former brothel (the hotel is named after its madame) the hotel’s exterior is unassuming, and the two red lights outside the front door were the landmarks we used to find it the first time and on all of our returns. Immediately upon entering on our initial arrival, we felt as if we had entered a secret sanctuary in plain sight of the hustle and bustle – and quite honestly, the tourist spectacle – just outside. The hotel’s sumptuous design embraced us: low lights, dark hues with voluptuous textiles on the furniture and the walls, a candle burning with the hotel’s signature scent, and a warm welcome from two members of the Maison Souquet team. It was so different from our typical tastes, but oh-so beautiful.

As one staff member attended to our registration details, another gave us an introduction to the hotel, walking us through the multiple rooms on the ground floor that the brothel’s “guests” would visit: the reception to meet Madame Souquet, the inner salon (now the hotel’s beautiful bar) to meet the women of the brothel, and the parlor where men could have a pre-departure refreshment. We also got a description of the basement spa, which is available for private use by guests, and an offer to use the lovely backgammon and chess sets displayed on a shelf in the salon. By the time we were done with our tour, our luggage had been delivered to our room, and we were escorted up.

Petite Marguerite

Upon advice of the hotel team, we had chosen the Marguerite room on the fourth floor, a room with Chinese-inspired design. (All of the rooms are named for women who purportedly worked at the brothel and have designs inspired by locations touched by the French empire). Like the common areas on the first floor, our room was decadently beautiful. It was small – not much room for more than a bed and a few beside tables – but the deep red and gold textiles with shiny black lacquer accents created a coziness that made the size feel just right.

The balcony overlooked the buildings across rue de Bruxelles and brought in the sunshine during the day. Even though the room was petite, we found a place for all of our things and even managed to stow our luggage away in the spacious closet. Our first night in the Maison Souquet brought heavy rain overnight, which we could hear and smell through the open window, and a fantastic sleep with dreams of Paris from days gone by.

…And the less petite but equally charming Païva

On our way to coffee on our first full day in Paris, we learned that the hotel had just received a cancellation for a junior suite, and we were offered the upgrade. We had settled into the Marguerite but thought it would be fun to stay in a second room and also enjoy a little more space for our next three nights. La Païva, on the third floor, gave us more breathing room with a chaise lounge and coffee table, a separate toilet room, and two windows that, this time, looked out to the courtyard. The yellow and black textiles and upholstery were an homage to the Far East, and we especially loved the portrait of the goddess-like woman above the chaise.

Pulling off design like this is not easy. For it to work, it has to be impeccable. No scratches, no stains, no smudges (on the many glass surfaces we encountered in both rooms), nothing crooked or wobbly or drippy. And Maison Souquet did pull it off, in every respect but one. In both rooms, a glaze finish on the black tile floor had begun to peel; at first, we thought the uneven surface was by design, but then we noticed the flakes and knew it wasn’t purposeful. But this won’t last. On our last night during turndown service, the hotel left a feedback card and we made a note – the only suggestion amidst our effusive comments. On our flight home, we received an email from the hotel’s general manager who thanked us for the compliments and noted that the floors are scheduled for repair the next month.

Not to be missed: drinks and a swim

Each night at Maison Souquet, we enjoyed fabulous cocktails in the bar. At the beginning of the week, the scene was quiet and relaxed with hotel guests. By the time Thursday and Friday arrived, we were joined by patrons from around Paris, many of whom looked like they had come directly from one of the Paris Fashion Week shows (from the runways of those shows). In every experience, the bartenders were attentive and generous with advice about their favorite drinks and nibbles. We were just visitors from a Midwestern American city, but we always felt like VIPs. 

This feeling was amplified by the time we spent in the hotel’s spa – just the two of us because we had reserved it all for ourselves. For each night of our stay, we were invited to spend an hour of “privatized” time in the spa. At the designated time, a Maison Souquet staff member picked us up in our room and delivered us downstairs where a ten-meter pool and hammam (steam room) awaited. As the staff member was leaving, she pointed to fresh glasses of water, fluffy towels, the post-spa shower, and a phone on the bench, which she said she would ring five minutes before she would pop down to pick us up. Let’s just say, if every spa experience were like this one, we might never get out to explore the cities on our trips.

A beautiful hotel made more wonderful by exceptional staff

Both of our stays in France during this holiday – in Lyon and Paris – were characterized by truly exceptional service. To a person –in email and in-person communications – every exchange we had with the team at Maison Souquet was top-notch. The staff was knowledgeable and helpful but also friendly and never stuffy. They seemed genuinely happy to see us, whether it was during our arrival, on a stop in the middle of the day, or at an early-morning check-out. After our visit, we had a few email exchanges with the hotel manager who had reached out after we left our feedback card. He said he had shared our praises with the team. We hope they all know what good work they do.

Stay details:

  • Maison Souquet, Paris, France, 9th arrondissement bordering Montmarte
  • 4-night stay: October 10-14, 2023
  • De Luxe Room (Marguerite) and Junior Suite (La Païva II)

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Lyon, France ~ Villa Maïa

October 2023

Copenhagen was our intended destination for a fall 2023 holiday, but by the time we got around to making arrangements, flights to that city were very full. For whatever reason, flights to Paris, which are, happily, direct from Minneapolis, had a little more breathing room. We decided to spend the latter part of our holiday in France’s capitol but wanted to visit a new place as well. Lyon is a favorite of some of our friends – the “best city in France” they’ve claimed – and we had only passed through, so we decided to spend the first part of our fall vacation there. From Paris, a two-hour TGV train got us to Lyon, and a 15-minute taxi ride took us to the top of Fourvière Hill and to Villa Maïa.

“Just the hotel Lyon needed”

When we’re choosing a hotel, we typically start with a few go-to sources: The (London) Telegraph, Forbes, The New York Times. A 2017 article in Forbes written a few months after Villa Maïa opened, called it “just the hotel Lyon needed” – a “refreshingly contemporary hotel” in a UNESCO-designated historic city. We tend to prefer modern design, and the pictures showed stunning views of the city from the hotel’s hilltop locale. What’s more, we knew our Paris hotel would be intimate and cozy, so the idea of a light-filled, airy property in Lyon seemed to be a nice contrast.

Upon arrival in the early afternoon, we were greeted by Julien, one of two fabulous concierges who had worked with us prior to our arrival (more on this team below). Our room wasn’t quite ready, so Julien gave us an orientation to Fourvière Hill and sent us to see a few sites and grab a cocktail at Bulle, a bar with a lovely view next to Basilica Notre Dame de Fourvière. When we returned, our bags had already been delivered to our room, and we were introduced to the hotel’s amenities – a breakfast room, library, bar, spa and gym – before being brought to our home for the next four nights, a city-view room on the second floor.

Two floors up, but on top of the city

Upon entering our room, we were both drawn to the balcony and the view of Lyon. A wall of glass separated the room from the balcony, so the balcony truly felt like an extension of the room. And because October had been extraordinarily warm, the balcony was a lovely place to be at all times of day and night. Inside, the spacious, light-filled room was decorated in neutral tones with splashes of color to add some fun. All in all, the room had a minimalist approach to design, which we always appreciate. The exception was the desk/storage unit opposite the bed, the surface of which was nearly covered with a coffee maker and kettle, mugs and espresso cups, glasses and bottles of water (re-filled whenever needed), and hotel information. We used all of these things and appreciated them, but ideally, it would have been nice to have a place to hide them away and de-clutter that part of the room. Generally speaking, though, there was plenty of storage, and we were able to fully unpack and stow our suitcases out of view, which we always appreciate.

The lovely Carrara marble bathroom had a deep soaking tub with a window out to the bedroom, a large shower with a built-in bench, and a separate closet with a Japanese toilet that doubled as a bidet. Fluffy robes and towels, custom bath products and under-sink storage for our own toiletries made the bathroom feel luxurious.

Inviting us out of our room

Some of the best spaces in our favorite hotels are the common spaces, and at Villa Maïa, we found lots of spots to linger: a bar with its own balcony, a library overlooking a lovely garden, a breakfast room with outdoor tables for warm days, and a spa reminiscent of a Roman bath (Fourvière Hill was once a Roman city, and ruins of a theatre, an aqueduct and a bath feature prominently).

On one afternoon, we had the pleasure of being the only guests in the spa and relished having the pool, the hot tub and the steam room (hammam) to ourselves. Breakfast each morning was no less indulgent. French cheeses, croissants and pastries, fruits and yogurts, eggs made to order, wonderful coffee, and freshly squeezed apple juice fueled us for the day; we justified our consumption by noting that the climb up Fourvière Hill from Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon) was a workout, and by promising to take the funicular railway only going down.

An exceptional team

Even before we arrived, the Villa Maïa team went into action to ensure a top-notch visit. Julien and François, the hotel’s concierge duo, helped with train reservations and several bookings at Lyon restaurants (Lyon is recognized as a center of French gastronomy). All of these were outlined on a printed itinerary left in our room. During our stay, the two were always available and helped us tailor our visit to the things we really enjoy. And while the concierge team was terrific, the services didn’t stop with Julien and François. Without exception, everyone we encountered at Villa Maïa was top-notch: from the front desk team (at all hours) and the housekeeping staff to the bar and breakfast staff.

A property that invites a big exhale

Lyon is a bustling city with lots to see and do and, like all cities, can seem frenetic, particularly on lovely fall days when the city happens to be hosting the World Cup of Rugby, and tourists are everywhere. We love that kind of energy but also love having a place to unwind a bit and take a breath. For us, Villa Maïa was just the place. We started each day looking out over a serene garden and ended it, from the calm of our balcony, watching the city very slowly go to sleep. We are already talking about our next visit to Lyon – perhaps coupled with a trip back to the Piemonte region in Italy – and Villa Maïa will certainly be part of that visit.

Stay details:

  • Villa Maïa, Lyon, France, Fourvière Hill
  • 4-night stay: October 5-10, 2023
  • City-view room

What we did, where we ate:

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Sinio, Italy ~ Hotel Castello di Sinio

October 2022

Both of us have been big fans of the wines of Piemonte, particularly those crafted with the Nebbiolo grape, and we were looking for a place to stay in the Barolo wine region from where we could explore all the area had to offer. After much research, we chose Hotel Castello di Sinio, located in the small village of Sinio just outside the official boundary of Barolo proper. We knew we would need a rental car to fully experience the area, and Sinio was well-placed to put us close to all of the beautiful small towns and famous vineyards of Barolo.

A warm welcome to Barolo

Our travel plans had us flying from Amsterdam to Turin, at which point we picked up our rental car and headed south through Piemonte and toward the hills of the Langhe. As we drove deeper into the wine region, the flat agricultural land of the Po Valley gave way to rolling hills and vineyards. The scenery was spectacular, with historic hilltop villages poised above the vineyards cascading down the hillsides below.

We arrived at the hotel and were warmly greeted by the hotel staff. We had no sooner completed the brief check-in process when the proprietor, Denise Pardini, took us under her wing. Denise not only owns and operates the hotel but is also an expert in the culture, food, and wine of the region. She asked us about our plans and spent well over an hour giving us a primer on the wines of Barolo, the geology and soils, the characteristics of the many vineyard areas within Barolo, tips on travel, which towns to visit, where to eat, and much more. Denise and her team were incredibly helpful throughout our stay.

Sleeping close to God

After our introduction to all things Barolo, we were led to our room. On the short walk across the courtyard area, we noted the beautiful hotel grounds, green and refreshing after our journey.

We’ve stayed in many unique places, but even by our standards, the room was a standout. Sleeping in the former chapel of the castello, complete with a stone arched ceiling in the bedroom, was — pun intended — heavenly. The castello’s history permeated our quarters, from our giant door key to the meter-thick walls. We had a spacious bedroom (the chapel), a sitting room with two sofas, and a bathroom, all of which had windows that opened to the autumn Piemontese breeze. The decor was a little over-the-top for our taste, but it felt true to the property, and the theme played out throughout the hotel. It was clear that all of the choices were intentional and showcased the owner’s design sense. One of our favorite touches was the turn-down service with a unique quote for each day.

We had one minor irritation: the hand-held shower head leaked badly, making bathing a challenge. B we reported this at the end of the stay, and we’re confident the problem has been remedied.

A retreat within a wine wonderland

At check-in, when we asked about restaurants, Denise, the hotellier, pointed out that we probably wouldn’t need lunch after enjoying a breakfast at the hotel. She was right. Each morning, we sat outside under a vine-covered arbor and filled up on cappucino, expertly prepared egg goodies that varied by day, local produce, and pastries. If we didn’t have fun adventures ahead of us, it would have been quite hard to leave the table.

The hotel also featured a small pool with amazing views of Sinio and the Barolo hills; more than a few times we imbibed in a glass of Barolo poolside, while watching the hotel cats frolic — or, more often, nap — around the grounds. The weather was beautiful, so we spent most of our time at the hotel outside, but the property also featured a small but inviting lobby full of wine books and a tiny bar, a restaurant that serves up delicious Peimontese specialities, and a breakfast room. The hotel was once the castle — or manor house — for Sinio, standing at the very top of the hilltop village, so we also enjoyed exploring Sineo’s narrow, steep streets, its village church, and the local bocce court where locals congregated each evening.

What we did, where we ate

Stay details:

  • Hotel Castello di Sinio, vicolo del castello, 1, 12050 Sinio CN, Italy
  • 4-night stay: October 5-9, 2022
  • Chapel Suite: Room 16

What we did, where we ate:

Wine-related:

  • Wine Class: Introduction to the wines and terrior of Barolo. This was an excellent intro taught by the Castello proprietor Denise.
  • Wine Class: Intro to Wines of the Langhe. Taught by local wine expert Evan Byrnelah at the Castello.
  • Wine Class: Barolo Master Class. Taught by Stefano Moiso at Enoteca La Vite Turchese in the town of Barolo. Highly recommended.
  • Winery visit to Mazoni Giovanni in Monforte d’Alba. Graciously hosted by Mirella Manzone.

Eating and drinking:

Outings and adventures:

  • Truffle Hunt with Guiseppe, Giacomo and Luna the truffle-sniffing dog. Arranged by the Castello. The hunt took place off of Via Conforso near Valle Talloria. A wonderful experience.
  • Gelato at La Regale Nocciole after a wrong turn.
  • International Alba White Truffle Fair.
  • Visits to the towns of Serralunga, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte, and Serravalle.

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San Juan, Puerto Rico ~ El Convento Hotel

May 2023

For a delayed holiday in the sun, we wanted to try someplace new and, truth be told, Costa Rica was our original choice. Once we started getting into the travel details, however, Costa Rica ended up being a little more challenging to get to with our airline of choice (Delta) on the days we were traveling, so we opted for Puerto Rico instead – also a new destination for us and a direct return flight from Minneapolis. For the second part of our stay, we booked the St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort based on a New York Times article from several years ago. (Read more about the St. Regis in this post.) For the first part of our Puerto Rico visit, we were inspired by a colleague who had recently combined a Mexico City stay with a follow-up visit to a Yucatan beach; following her lead, we spent the first four days of our holiday in Puerto Rico’s capital city of San Juan. And after doing some research on neighborhoods, we chose Old San Juan and the city’s most historic hotel: El Convento.

The heart of the old city

Almost immediately upon our arrival, we could sense that El Convento serves as Old San Juan’s living room. A Thursday afternoon wedding was taking place in the courtyard, a tour group was gathered outside the main doors listening to the story of the hotel’s history, and visitors – maybe hotel guests/maybe not – lingered at the many seating areas on the hotel’s outdoor passageways.

Upon check-in, the reception staffer told us the hotel was fully booked for the length of our stay, although we later learned that many rooms were closed for renovation. Even with that reduced occupancy, the hotel bustled with activity throughout our stay, and although we would have preferred some peace and quiet on one of the nights when dancing from a wedding went well past midnight, it was fun to be someplace that felt like a favorite of Puerto Ricans, not just a choice for tourists.

El Convento isn’t only the social center of Old San Juan; it also happens to be at the geographic center, midway down Calle del Cristo right next to the San Juan Bautista cathedral. This turned out to be really convenient when we needed a brief stop for the restroom, water, or sunscreen on our many city explorations. From anywhere in Old San Juan, we could get back to the hotel in just about ten minutes. For a busy – and, in late May, very hot – city, we appreciated being able to take frequent refreshment breaks.

A nun’s quarters

The hotel’s common spaces were, by far, our favorite places to spend time: the verandas and balconies, the plunge pool, the covered patio, the massive courtyard. Our room on the second floor was a fine example of the building’s Spanish Colonial architecture with its tall ceilings, plaster walls, red tile floors and shuttered balcony doors. It also featured period antique furniture that one of the staff members said was authentic and could only be repaired by a craftsperson in the Dominican Republic (we weren’t entirely sold on this story, but we liked the idea of it).

El Convento is a member of both the “small luxury hotels of the world” and “historic hotels of America” groups. And while the hotel is certainly historic, we wouldn’t call it luxurious. In fact, our room was a little tired. We don’t need lavish but do appreciate rooms that have been well cared for and kept up. In our room, many of the finishes, furnishings, and fixtures needed attention: upholstery with stains, a broken shutter on the patio door, glass that needed a good dose of Windex, missing beams in the ceiling (they were modern replacements), and paint bubbles on the wall (likely the result of high humidity). The bathroom, while very small, was actually the most well-functioning part of the room; it appeared to have gotten a more recent refresh.

We’re sure that keeping up a building originally erected in the 16th century is a constant challenge, and we don’t mind small reminders of the constant churn of people moving in and out of hotel rooms, but our room was definitely due for an update. And we’re hoping it is on the list for upcoming renovations, as it could be stunning.

Service and amenity standards

One of the best things about a hotel is often its staff, and we’ve gotten exceptional service at hotels around the world. Everyone at El Convento was friendly and helpful, and when we checked in, we were given an introduction to the hotel’s services and amenities. Like the renovation, however, this commitment felt like a work in progress. Requests for things like replacement water glasses seemed to fall into a void; the nightly manager’s cocktail reception – introduced in a welcome letter – wasn’t really nightly; and the front-desk staff didn’t seem well versed in helping with things like dinner reservations. We don’t need or expect concierge-level services and can easily fend for ourselves, but when a destination promises a certain standard, we do think it should work hard to deliver on those promises.

Even with these criticisms, we’re glad we stayed at El Convento. It is the “grand dame” of the old city and an important landmark. When we come back to San Juan, we’ll surely return to the old city, maybe next time trying El Convento’s sister hotel, the newly opened Hotel Palacio Provincial, which is right around the corner from El Convento in a building that once served as the Department of State. From our visit to Palacio Provincial for dinner, it looks like a hotel that mixes historic architecture with more modern design, and as of May 2023, everything is sparkling and fresh.

Puerto Rico bonus entry: Because of a cancelled flight on the way back to Minneapolis, we stayed an extra night in Puerto Rico at the Condado Vanderbilt.

Stay details:

  • El Convento Hotel, center of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • 4-night stay, May 25 – 29, 2023
  • Queen Vista room

What we did, where we ate:

Eating and Drinking

Outings and Adventures

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Rio Grande, Puerto Rico ~ The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort

June 2023

Back in August 2018, we were reading the Sunday New York Times and came across an article headlined “10 Travel Writers, 10 Hotels.” We saved the article and marked the St. Regis as a property we’d love to visit someday. The Times article highlighted the property’s status as the first and only certified gold Audubon international signature sanctuary in the Caribbean, and we loved the idea of combining a resort vacation with adventures in nature.

Five years later, we finally managed to book the trip. Because this was our first visit to Puerto Rico and because we tend to like city vacations, we preceded our stay at the St. Regis with five days in Old San Juan at the Hotel El Convento. (Read more about the El Convento in this post.) The combination ended up being terrific: exploring a bustling city and then moving into full relaxation mode on the beach.

Truly spectacular environs

The 2018 Times article described driving through the gates as “feeling like penetrating a secret world: Lush tropical plants and flowers flanked quiet footpaths that snaked around palm trees and low-slung buildings.” We had the same experience; everywhere we looked was green, green, green, punctuated by bright reds, oranges, and yellows of seasonal flowers. During our five-day stay, we spent a lot of time meandering slowly down the paths between the resort’s buildings, keeping our eyes open for lizards, frogs, and birds of all kinds. While the iguanas got the most attention (a favorite memory is watching one swim across the pool among the guests), we loved the smaller lizards and the resident chango birds with their recently hatched chicklets that were just learning to fly.

With 483 acres to explore, we found lots of ways to keep busy. We biked around the entire property, making stops at the organic farm, the dog shelter, the inflatable water park, the bird sanctuary, and the tennis center. We walked along the two-mile beach, finding sand dollars to decorate the roped-off areas where sea turtles had recently laid eggs. And we peeked at the multi-million-dollar vacation homes under construction on either side of the resort. The ocean was calm and warm, so in between adventures, we waded in to watch massive brown pelicans dive for fish. And, of course, we found time for dips in the multi-tiered pool and for lounging poolside under the shade of an umbrella.

A cool (in many ways) escape from outdoor adventures

Our room – a garden-view king suite – served as a nice retreat when we needed an air-conditioned break from the sun. The welcome foyer with honor bar; the sunny bedroom; the walk-in closet; and the roomy, spa-like bathroom with a deep tub and one of the biggest showers we’ve seen (really, a shower room)…all were functionally just right. The spaces had a focus on rest and revitalization with plenty of life’s little luxuries: Frette linens, polvorones (a Spanish cookie) delivered nightly, Nespresso coffee, Sodashi and Sachajuan bath and body products, a stack of current magazines (Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, Bienvenidos), a well-stocked liquor cabinet, and Bluetooth speakers. Loads of storage made it easy to hide any evidence that we were visitors rather than residents, and the patio with a lovely garden view was sheltered from the sun and featured a cushiony daybed.

The room wasn’t quite pristine – the wallpaper in the separate toilet room buckled a little, and there were a few small scratches in the bedside tables – but it was clear the room received regular attention from not just the housekeepers but from maintenance staff as well. Design-wise, the choices were safe – what we’d call beach neutral – but that approach left more attention to be given to the stunning gardens outside.

Butler service?

The St. Regis makes a big deal of its service. We received several emails in advance of our stay asking for preferences and offering to assist with any of our needs. And when we arrived, we were walked to our room by our “day butler,” who introduced us to all of the room’s features and made arrangements for morning French press coffee, dinner that night and preferred times for daily housekeeping and turndown services. The butler was lovely, and we expected we would be seeing her or a colleague in future days when we had a request. But that didn’t end up being the case, and while we called the butler number on the phone a few times, we never saw our butler again. This isn’t a complaint; we really don’t need someone at our beck and call, but it did seem a little odd. And it also seemed odd that the arrangements we made on that first day seemed to get lost in the system; our coffee never arrived; the housekeeper arrived early; and our dinner reservation was missing. Other service confusions during our stay made us think this is an issue with the system, not with any individual staff member. It may also have been that our last name was quite similar to another guest. On a handful of occasions, we were greeted by that guest’s name, and we think some of our arrangements may have ended up there.

Setting aside these mix-ups, which were really not a problem because they were always quickly remedied, every staff member with whom we dealt, without exception, was delightful, and we had fun conversations with several members of the St. Regis team. It was pretty obvious that all employees were expected to say good morning/afternoon/evening to every guest they encountered, but the friendliness from folks we exchanged more than a greeting with seemed genuine, and we loved getting to know them just a bit. Special thanks go out to everyone who shared their sea turtle stories with us!

Puerto Rico bonus entry: Because of a cancelled flight on the way back to Minneapolis, we stayed an extra night in Puerto Rico at the Condado Vanderbilt.

Stay details:

What we did, where we ate:

  • Pool and beach time — swimming iguanas, diving pelicans, nesting sea turtles, baby birds just learning to fly, sand dollar searching
  • Breakfast and lunches at Seagrapes
  • Dinner at St. Regis Bar
  • Cycling around the resort
  • Dinner at Paros
  • Visit to El Junque Rainforest with guide Ricky
    • coquis, snails and lizards
    • rainbow trees, torch gingers
    • Torre Yokahu tower, CCC Grande Bano, La Coca Falls
  • Dinner at the Beach Club

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Excelsior, MN, USA ~ Hotel Excelsior

January 2023

In January in Minnesota, winter is still fun – a bit of a novelty after a hot, green summer and a cool, orange fall. And this winter has brought lots of snow, which can make parts of the Twin Cities feel like a ski resort town, sans the mountain views. To live happily in the “Bold North,” it’s important to get out in the cold and snow, and there’s more than enough to do. We may not have mountains, but the hiking, cross country skiing, snowperson building, winter beer gardens, ice fishing and snowmobiling (the latter two are not our thing, but still a big part of MN life) can make winter tolerable and even enjoyable.

During this three-day weekend in mid-January, we were determined to do all the winter things we love but also to get out of the house and try something new. The Hotel Excelsior, which we have had our eyes on since it opened in spring 2021, had a vacancy, and we saw it as an opportunity to see Lake Minnetonka in January.

The verdict: charmed.

All we needed and more

Hotel Excelsior is a small hotel – four rooms that sit atop a coffee shop and a Faribault Woolen Mills store  – without traditional guest services. On the day of arrival, guests receive a text (or email) with entry codes, check-in/out information, and a phone number with an offer to help with whatever is needed. We asked for some restaurant recommendations and got a prompt reply. We typically prefer hotels to VRBOs or Airbnbs, and Hotel Excelsior’s approach seemed a little more like a vacation rental than a hotel, but as we relaxed in our room with a cocktail after a seamless “check-in” and before heading out to one of those restaurant recommendations, we reflected on what we really need from a hotel. In this case, a lobby with 24-hour guest assistance and services like daily housekeeping didn’t seem important.

In our estimation, the best feature of our room – the Smithtown Bay Suite – was the six windows that run the length of the space; the view down to Water Street was terrific, and two suites in the hotel – ours and the St. Alban’s suite – have this orientation. (We did hear from another guest that she prefers the other two suites because they have a separate bedroom. To each their own.) Beyond the windows, our room had a full kitchen, a spacious seating area, a king-sized bed and a roomy bathroom with an even roomier shower. One of us described the room’s décor as “lakey.” It did, admittedly, have lots of references to Lake Minnetonka, including a few coffee table books that we had fun paging through. We also appreciated the “Hotel Excelsior” pillow on the bed, which, upon closer inspection, was a reference to Hotel Excelsior in Milan (maybe this one?). After recently returning from northern Italy, it was a welcome déjà vu.

In our short stay, we experienced just a few hiccups. We found only one robe in the room for the two of us. The hot water in the shower was only marginally hot. The kitchen sink was a little slow to drain. And the keyless entry to the room was a little hard to see at night. But these are minor quibbles and easily remedied. All in all, we appreciated the evident care and attention to detail given to the room since the hotel’s opening.

A new weekend getaway

For a getaway that feels much more “away” than it really is, we semi-regularly head east from our house to Stillwater, Minnesota, and stay in either the Lora or the Crosby. We more rarely go west from central Minneapolis, mostly because there seem to be fewer options. And while we’ve stopped by Excelsior on our way to other destinations, before this stay, we had never lingered for more than an hour or two. With Hotel Excelsior, we now have a new go-to when we want a change of scenery and a special treat within our hometown.

Stay details

What we did, where we ate

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