Author: wnwyatt

Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway ~ Basecamp Hotel

September 2019

IMG_0975While researching various destinations for our trip to Norway, we learned that it was fairly easy to travel to the city of Longyearbyen in the Svalbard archipelago. Although Svalbard is closer to the North Pole than to much of Norway, it belongs to the latter, and SAS Airlines has regularly-scheduled flights from Oslo. So how could the opportunity be missed? Svalbard is a place that superlatives were made for: otherworldly scenery, one-sixth of the world’s polar bears, prime aurora borealis viewing, whales, and numerous glaciers (for now), not to mention the world’s northernmost commercial airport, the northernmost statue of Lenin, and, importantly, the northernmost craft brewery in the world–Svalbard Bryggeri.

Adventure awaits

img_1023With the exception of a handful of mostly abandoned mining towns, Longyearbyen is the only city on the entire archipelago, and it contains almost all of the lodging options. Fortunately those options are excellent. With a bit of internet research, we chose Basecamp Hotel, a part of the Basecamp Explorer collection of adventure hotels. We also learned that Basecamp Hotel is a good resource for arranging adventures to see more of Svalbard.

Rustic charm with a side of kitsch

Basecamp is kitted out like a trapper’s cabin with furs, rustic woodwork, thick blankets, and a plethora of arctic paraphernalia throughout the property. The hotel is small, and the staff is very welcoming. The overall impression is one of coziness and warmth, which is much appreciated as a contrast to the arctic scenery outside.

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Amenities plus

During our stay, the hotel never struck a wrong note. The room was clean and comfy, with plenty of hooks for jackets and gear. The woolen window coverings were a nice touch, as was the little table-and-chairs ensemble. The good Wi-Fi was an unexpected bonus, and the absence of a television in the room (or anywhere on the property as far as we could tell) was very much appreciated. The breakfast offering was excellent, and the coffee was very good (something we found to be the norm throughout Norway). We even appreciated the hotel’s request that guests remove their shoes at the front door, which is a custom that has carried over from the town’s mining days when miner’s shoes were always covered with coal dust.

 

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Longyearbyen: more than expected

Longyearbyen surprised with its amenities: a post office, a bank with an ATM, a grocery store, a good selection of bars and restaurants to satisfy almost any taste, and a wonderful coffee shop with friendly staff. Notably, Svalbard Museum punches well above its weight; don’t miss it.

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Svalbard Museum

It was particularly fun to watch the local children making their way down the pedestrian lane to school, and we happened to be there on the day of the Global Climate Strike when Longyearbyen’s students marched through town and gave speeches. These were made all the more urgent when we considered that Svalbard is expected to be severely impacted by climate change in coming years.

Plenty to do

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Nordenskiöld glacier

Unless you want to confine your stay to Longyearbyen, it’s important to make reservations for any Svalbard adventures or excursions before you visit. Depending on the length of your stay, you can arrange activities that take up to a full week or more. Because we had only two days, we chose a day-long excursion aboard the MS Polargirl to visit Pyramiden, a mostly-abandoned Russian mining town, and the Nordenskiöld glacier. This excursion — a last-minute choice when our original booking, a hike to the Global Seed Vault, was cancelled — was helpfully arranged by the staff at Basecamp Hotel.

Stay details

  • Basecamp Hotel
  • Location: Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
  • Our stay: 2 nights, September 18 & 19, 2019
  • Room 3

What we ate, what we did

A helpful website

  • The Visit Svalbard website was a very helpful resource for excursions and general information. Highly recommended.

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Oslo, Norway ~ The Thief

September 2019

Our two-night stay at The Thief capped off a 10-day visit to Norway that included — between the two of us — six cities, nine inter-Norway flights, seven hotels, and a whole lot of rain. The Thief was meant to be a little treat at the end, a chance to splurge a bit in Oslo before heading back across the Atlantic and back to work.

It didn’t disappoint.

The marathon dodge

One of the features that led us to The Thief was its location on Tjuvholmen (Thief Island), a part of Oslo formerly known for “its reputation as a place where drunks and thieves lurked and criminals were often taken to be executed.” Those days are clearly gone. The master-planned — and very scrubbed up — district now features restaurants, shops, art galleries, a contemporary art museum, a pebble beach, loads of public art, and a single hotel.

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Tjuvholmen (Thief Island)

The day we checked in to The Thief happened to coincide with the Oslo Marathon, a terrific event but also a not-insignificant disruption to the ways in which one traverses a city that has more waterways than roadways (maybe not exactly true, but….). Our relatively short walk from St. Olav’s plass to Tjuvholmen — what would normally be about 10 minutes — ended up taking the better part of an hour, as we not only had to get across the path of the racers but also negotiate the 100,000 people cheering them on. When we finally arrived at the hotel, all of that work getting there made the news that we had been upgraded to a one-bedroom suite all the better.

The Thief Suite

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A few of the places we had stayed in Norway were nice — and one couldn’t be matched for uniqueness — but out rooms at The Thief were certainly higher on the indulgence scale than any of the others. Two balconies, two bathrooms (each with a shower and tub), a sitting room, a bedroom, a Nespresso machine (actually two of those), original artwork, many bed pillows, a mounted bug in a glass cylinder, fresh flowers, and a very high-tech toilet greeted us. It seemed that two nights wouldn’t give us enough time to use all of the suite’s features.

But we would do our best.

Many hits, perhaps a small miss or two

The Thief gets so many things right. We particularly loved the just-right size of the hotel (114 rooms), the views out to Oslo Fjord and back to Tjuvholmen (although the island development project itself was a little too programmed for us), the artwork throughout the hotel (a nice addition to the loads of public art throughout Oso), the breakfast (Norwegian hotel breakfasts rarely disappoint; the one at The Thief was exceptional), the complimentary tickets to the Astrup Fearnley Museum, the turn-down service with hot herbal tea and fresh cookies (we added a little aquavit from the downstairs bar to the mix), and the stand-up service from (almost) all of the staff.

We could offer only a few critiques: Our visit to the rooftop bar didn’t parallel the rest of our experiences at The Thief. The service was — quite honestly — not very good, and the cocktails lacked sophistication, particularly considering the surroundings. Our second critique — the high-tech lighting system — is probably due more to user error than actual functionality, but we didn’t love what seemed to be some kind of sensor  that turned on the bathroom lights in the middle of the night. While we’re sure we could have figured the system out, we didn’t want to take the time to do so.

Opulence over minimalism

After spending 10 days immersed in Scandinavian design — a lot of functional, yet tasteful minimalism — The Thief was almost a sensory overload. But everything was warm and inviting. And while we loved the mid-fall sunshine, we couldn’t help wonder what it would be like to spend a few days at The Thief in the dark of an Oslo winter. Those pillows, deep tubs, hot coffee, and comfy slippers — which guests are invited to take home — all would seem very appealing in December or January.

Stay details

  • The Thief
  • Location: Tjuvholmen Island, Oslo
  • Our stay: 2 nights, September 21 and 22
  • Room: The Thief Suite: Rooms 802 & 804

Where we ate, what we did

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Oslo National Opera and Ballet

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Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA ~ The Oxbow Hotel

August 2019

In the category of places to visit within two hours of the Twin Cities, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was one of the few we hadn’t yet seen. And in the last few years, we had heard the small city was undergoing a bit of a renewal with redevelopment projects in the downtown, including a beautiful arts center and park; a highly acclaimed music festival that draws 20,000 people; and — not new but important — college students, who always lend energy to a town.

A motor lodge reborn

The Oxbow Hotel is one of the city’s new projects. Finished in 2016, it turned what had been the Green Tree Inn — described by an Oxbow staffer as a “rent-by-the-hour kind of place” — into a 21st-century version of a motor lodge. The Oxbow’s vibe tends toward friendliness and fun with nods to mid-century design, to the city’s affinity for music, and to all things Wisconsin. When we stayed, the hotel was full of youngish people, who seem to be the target audience.

The Oxbow has two buildings — the main hotel constructed in 1947 and the motel style annex constructed in 1961. Based on rates, it looked like the rooms in the main hotel might be a little more desirable, but one of us grew up taking road trips with her family and staying in lots of roadside motels, so we couldn’t resist booking a room in the annex. We had visions of parking right in front of our room’s outside entry, but — happily, we suppose, for the Oxbow — the parking lot was full when we arrived, and we had to leave the car across the street.

The architectural renovations of both buildings are tasteful, and the landscaping adds to the hotel’s inviting nature. The original buildings continue to show through, and one of the most prominent features remains the surface parking lot in front of the annex. But design elements featuring wood, tall grasses, and murals soften and warm the space.

We came for the room

IMG_0195When we choose a hotel, we spend at least some time figuring out the kind of room we want to book. As we’ve discovered, the particular room can make a big difference in a stay (see our entry on The Curtain in London). Nostalgia was clearly driving our choice of rooms at the Oxbow, and while our room had been updated with boutiquey features like a craft booze mini bar, a record player (with a curated collection of records available for check-out), and furniture and art from local designers, the bones of the 1961 motel were  intact. It was still a cinder-block cube of a room with the recognizable features of a 1960s motel: air conditioner below the window, sink outside the minimal bathroom, a few shelves and a hanging rod tucked in the corner.

Despite feeling a little claustrophobic in the tight quarters and waking up in the middle of the night to a damp room with a slightly musty smell, we both appreciated what the Oxbow was trying to do with these rooms. They are motel rooms plain and simple, but they are motel rooms with personality, and that personality comes through in all of the room’s features.

IMG_0196One of the Oxbow’s challenges — in fact, a challenge of any hotel — is keeping the rooms looking pristine through cycles of guests. Three years in, our room was showing some wear. The mural on the wall, which looks like a topographic map and was one of our favorite features, had some scratches and dents. The white tile in the bathroom could use a good scrub and some re-grouting, and paint on the ceiling was starting to peel (possibly a result of the damp conditions). For the Oxbow to deliver on its vision will take constant effort.

We’ll come back for the public spaces

For many hotels, it’s as much about the public spaces as it is about the guest rooms. This is certainly the case for the Oxbow. The lobby’s couches are tucked around a fireplace and provide a nice space for reading or having a coffee. The gallery was quiet when we were visiting, but the room is lovely, and we lingered at each of the paintings on show. But the hotel’s spotlight public space is surely its restaurant and bar, The Lakely. We visited in summer and had a quiet dinner on the patio before the evening’s jazz performance started.

Stay details

  • Oxbow Hotel
  • Location: Eau Claire, Wisconsin, near downtown
  • Our stay: 1 night, August 24, 2019
  • Room 6, The Annex

What we ate, what we did

St. Lucia, West Indies ~ Ladera Resort

March 2019

IMG_1372In our travels, we’ve been fortunate enough to visit a few different versions of paradise. St. Lucia and Ladera surely rise to the top of that list. This particular week in late-March was originally scheduled for a work trip to Brazil. When that was delayed, we decided to use the blocked-off time for a holiday instead. Knowing we wanted a warm-weather destination — by March, Minnesotans are well-and-truly done with winter — we took a look at options that are high on relaxation and low on hassle. The Caribbean rose to the top, with St. Lucia being our final choice for its geographic, historical and cultural interest. And — yes, we’ll admit — because we could get there via Delta. Some online research led us to Ladera, a smallish resort tucked in the hills 1,100 feet above the sea right between the island’s most famous (and truly breathtaking) mountains: the Gros and Petit Pitons.

A home with three walls

Ladera has many distinguishing features, but our favorite was the open-air design of our two-level suite. The entire southwest elevation — on both levels — is open, and the view looks out to the Pitons, the island forest and the Caribbean Sea below. Perhaps the most apt descriptor for our suite would be luxury treehouse. From nearly every vantage point — the private plunge pool, the chaise lounges on the deck, the shower, the built-in sofa or the giant four-poster bed draped in netting — the view was truly spectacular, quite honestly like nothing we’ve seen.

Showcasing island craftsmanship

At home, we tend to prefer minimalist — almost stark — design. Ladera is not that. But we found ourselves embracing the mosaic tiles; the hand-carved wood furnishings, decor and even structural beams; the bright paintings of island birds and flowers; the ceramic bowls that serve as sinks and fountains; and the baskets for everything from binoculars to beach towels. The entire resort has the mark of local craftspeople, and it feels distinctively St. Lucian. All of these items are also built to withstand the elements — the sun, wind and rain — and the seasoned nature of some of them makes Ladera feel like a place for the ages.

Scenery that changes by the minute

During our week-long stay, the view from our perch must have changed a thousand times. From shifts in the sun throughout the day to weather patterns that arrived and departed almost instantaneously, the sight was never the same twice. We found ourselves often distracted from important business — book reading, nap taking, pool plunging — by yet another “you have to see this” moment.

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The Pitons were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, and we can’t imagine a better view of them than from Ladera. Before arriving, we knew the resort boasted a prime location, but we had no idea how fortunate our choice was until we arrived. For people who typically can’t resist the urge to get out and explore, we found ourselves seduced by the mountains, sea and sky, content to simply gaze out and watch the scenery change. And when we weren’t looking at the mountains, we could take in the tropical flora and fauna. Even at night, the view was hard to resist. The starry sky, with constellations we rarely get to see, was perfect to enjoy from the pool with a glass of local rum.

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Farm-to-table cuisine, secret rooms and a disclaimer or two

Eating in. All-inclusive resorts have never held much appeal for us; we’d rather venture out to find interesting places for cocktails and food. Therefore, even when we saw that Ladera has inclusive options, we didn’t choose one. Next time, however, we might do differently. Dasheene, the resort’s restaurant, serves some of the best food on the island, and each night we were there, visitors from other places arrived for drinks and dinner. Much of the fare is local, and we could have happily been occupied with each day’s fresh catch.

Perfect for two, room for five. Two days into our stay, we discovered that a few doors we thought were housekeeping closets actually disguised another bedroom and full bath. Apparently Ladera isn’t just for couples. This extra en-suite was on top of another small, single bedroom that we joked would be the place one of us would sleep when we got tired of spending all day together. The locked rooms lent an air of mystery to the place, almost as if we were guests in an old mansion that was only partially used.

Good to know. Ladera is not a beach resort on flat ground; rather, it is built into the landscape of the St. Lucian hills. This — its best feature — does, however, make it a challenge from an accessibility standpoint. Most everywhere we went involved climbing and descending stairs. Being 1,100 feet above sea level also means you’re 1,100 feet closer to the sun. And the sun is strong in St. Lucia. Ladera provides lots of potions to ward off insects (those didn’t give us any trouble), but we did overdo it a bit on the sun the first day. For visitors who want at least a semblance of exercise, the mile-long Gross Piton trail, which is accessible at the far end of the property, fits the bill. It’s carefully groomed by Ladera garden staff, provides yet another amazing view of Petit Piton at its summit and — because the property was once a plantation — features dozens of varieties of fruit and spice trees. Finally, although Ladera is only about 2.5 miles from the coastal town of Soufriere, getting there by car is really the only option. We love to walk, but the road into town is curvy and narrow, and it’s frequented by tourists who aren’t used to driving on the left side of the road. Most ventures out of the resort require a taxi arranged in advance, which Ladera staff are happy to accommodate.

Stay details

  • Ladera Resort
  • Location: St. Lucia, 2.5 miles south of Soufriere
  • Our stay: 8 nights, March 23-30, 2019
  • Suite B, Heritage Suite

Where we ate, what we did

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Diamond Falls

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Features To Love

This post isn’t about a particular hotel, but rather about things that some of our favorite hotels share and things that make our stay more comfortable, more functional or just more lovable. Here are some of the the features we love and the hotels that…feature them.

Custom Guidebooks

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Guidemap from Town Hall Hotel

We typically arrive at a destination with a list of restaurants to sample, sites to see and shops or galleries to peek in on. But we’re always open to recommendations, and some of the best recommendations come from hoteliers who are locals (or hoteliers with staff who can discern like locals). In a few cases, we’ve ended up using the guidebooks we find in our room (or in the case of Oak House No. 1, the bespoke guide created for us at breakfast) almost exclusively to plan our days.

Our favorites

Showers That Aren’t Tubs

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Steam shower at The Curtain

We understand the reason for showers that are also tubs, particularly when quarters are tight, but quite honestly, we’d rather have one or the other, not both. And while the idea of a long soak in a hot bath is wonderful — an idea we act on when we have time — what we really appreciate is a good-quality shower. And that kind of shower almost never happens in something that doubles as a bath (shower curtains really are horrible, even if necessary). Some of our best hotel showers have featured double heads, steam functions, hand-held options and beautiful tiles. The very best, which occur only in specific climates, are in the open air.

Our favorites

Windows that Open

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Open window at the Rossi

Even when it’s really hot or really cold, we like to have the option of opening the windows and feeling the air of a new place. Windows let in the sights. Open windows let in the sights, the sounds and, yes, even the smells. For hotels in tropical places, windows that open are a bit of a given, but in other climates, we’re never sure what to expect. Upon arriving at a hotel, one of our first rituals is to check whether the windows opens. If they do, bonus points! We’ll admit that open windows aren’t always preferred by the housekeeping staff; we often return to find everything properly buttoned up again with the climate control cranking away, but we usually manage to settle into an arrangement that keeps everyone happy.

Our favorites (expected category)

Our favorites (non-expected category)

Pegs

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Pegs at The Lora

We can be in and out of a hotel room sometimes dozens of times in a day. And we’re often toting bags, coats, umbrellas, hats. We’ve come to appreciate rooms that provide a handy place for stashing all of the stuff that comes and goes with us and for helping keep tight quarters tidy. Closets are good. Wardrobes serve the purpose. But what we really love is pegs (or hooks) mounted on the wall near the door. You don’t have to fuss with doors or hangers, and you don’t have to worry about putting wet things in a closed space. Utilitarian or adorned, pegs are always a welcome site. Four is the ideal number; two for each of us. We think hotels are catching on to pegs — we see them more often than we used to — but we’re still happy to find a place, quite literally, to hang our hats.

Our favorites

H2O

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NOT water in St. Petersburg

Water — it’s such a simple thing. And at home, we take it for granted. But when traveling, a supply of bottled water in our hotel room is oh-so-wonderful. First of all, we’re almost always a bit dehydrated after a long journey. And a bottle of good, cool water sure is nice after a day out exploring. Yes, we certainly try to drink tap water wherever possible, but in many places that’s not advisable. And we’re not talking about the Fiji Water the hotel wants $9.50 for. Yes, hotels need to make money when they can, but basic hydration needs are something that all hotels should provide gratis. And it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. We’re perfectly content with whatever the local brand might be. In fact that’s even better.

Our favorites

  • European hotels are quite good at water — still and sparkling.

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Chetek, WI, USA ~ Canoe Bay

January 2019

Nearly a decade ago, we were fortunate to spend five days at a truly fabulous hotel in southern France, Chateau de Rochegude. This visit was our introduction to Relais & Chateaux properties, an association of more than 550 independent hotels and restaurants around the globe. img_1093To earn membership, each property must demonstrate its own particular “art of living” through luxury, top-quality amenities, outstanding dining and a passion for hospitality. But a property must also be a living expression of its particular place, and it must serve to enrich that place, contributing to its culture, its evolving history and its environment.

What does this all mean in the woods of Wisconsin? We were about to find out. Although we had known about Canoe Bay  — the only Relais & Chateaux property in the Midwest — for some time, we had never visited. With a few days free for a weekend away, we decided it was time to make the trip and see what Relais & Chateaux a la Wisconsin had to offer.

Much more than a room at an inn

img_1055We arrived at Canoe Bay late in the afternoon on a very cold (many degrees below zero Fahrenheit) Friday in January. The staff member at reception greeted us with genuine warmth and enthusiasm, letting us know there wasn’t a better place to snuggle in for a cold winter weekend than the cabin we were checking in to. She also told us we had been upgraded to a “treetop” cabin and then invited us to follow her colleague who would escort us to our cabin and give us a brief tour of its features.

On our drive into the property, we caught our first glimpse of what would become a favorite feature: cylindrical bundles of lights that mark the driving and walking paths. It was starting to get dark, but we could still make out the prairie-style architecture that defines most of Canoe Bay’s structures (Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Wisconsin), and we were excited to see that our treetop cabin was one of them. After pulling into the carport, we walked through the door of the cabin just as the sun was setting over the lake right outside the big picture windows that stretched across the living room (and, we would soon see, the bedroom and bathroom). Before proceeding with our tour, we had to pause and take a picture.

 

The cabin was lovely with its two gas fireplaces (one in the living room, one in the bedroom); two decks (even in the cold, great for star gazing); spa-style bathroom with a whirpool tub, steam shower and heated floors (love the heated floors); second half-bath; and tastefully done furnishings, many of which, following authentic prairie-style architecture were built in, including a cantilevered dining table. Quite honestly, the contents of our two modest travel bags did nothing to fill up all of the custom cabinetry.

 

The best kind of service: unobtrusive

Canoe Bay is billed as a couples retreat. All but one of the accommodations are designed for two people (or fewer), and no children or pets are allowed. The idea is to create a peaceful environment but also to make sure guests’ needs are readily met. Upon check-in and on each morning, guests get a short form to fill out that includes the day’s requests. These range from housekeeping needs to the preferred temperature for that evening’s steak dinner. During our stay, we rarely saw the staff, but they materialized whenever we needed something. And on the night we opted for the three-course prix fixe dinner in the dining room at The Inn, the service was spot on (as was the meal). Additionally, everyone we encountered was as friendly and polished as the first person we met at reception. Canoe Bay is certainly not stuffy, but its standards are high.  It could fit easily within the ranks of hotels in more cosmopolitan locales.

Unexplored features

It would have been easy to spend the whole day in front of the fireplace — or just linger in bed for that matter. We had books. We had wine. And we had very little cell service (which allowed for a long, deep exhale). But we can never seem to resist the opportunity to explore, even when it’s frigid, so we bundled up and took a few hours to walk around the property, checking out each of the cabins, hiking one of the trails and stopping at The Lodge to see its enormous fireplace and impressive library with what appeared to be several thousand volumes shelved by category.

 

Had our stay been longer, we would surely have booked dinner in the wine cellar, and we would have taken some time to linger in the library at The Lodge or try our hand at the puzzle in progress at The Inn. And although summer at Canoe Bay sounds enticing as well — canoeing on a quiet lake, having lunch on the patio, exploring all of the trails — winter seemed like the ideal time for a visit.

One small request

The coffee that came with each morning’s breakfast delivery was excellent, and coffee was available all day in The Lodge. But the coffee machine in the cabins was a Keurig. And coffee lovers will attest that Keurig coffee (whatever the brand) just isn’t that good. We’d  have been extra happy to have a Nespresso machine or a French press with fresh  beans at our disposal.

Stay details

  • Canoe Bay: www.canoebay.com
  • Location: 15 minutes east of Chetek, Wisconsin
  • Our stay: 2 nights, Jan 25 and 26, 2019
  • Treetop Signature Cottage

What we saw, what we did

  • Drive through Wisconsin countryside
  • Gilligan’s by the lake in Chetek. Pretty good bar pizza and a fun local scene.
  • Gordy’s Market small town grocery store for Wisconsin cheese and Swiss chocolate
  • Hike through the woods on Canoe Bay trails. Very pretty area with small lakes and rolling img_1096hills. Fun to see various animal tracks in snow.
  • Peek in on Escape Village tiny houses
  • Dinner at The Inn (Canoe Bay). Strong wine list, risotto, NY Strip Steak with Brussels sprouts, cappucino with chocolate crepe cake and sorbet

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Minneapolis, MN, USA ~ Alma Hotel

December 2018

We love the Alma, a Minneapolis treasure that features one of the best restaurants in the city, a cozy seven-room hotel and a casual cafe. When we returned from spending the holidays in Denver with family, we didn’t want to get back to the real world right away — and, conveniently, we both have birthdays right around this time — so we decided to extend our vacation by a night and book a room at the Alma. Upon arriving back in Minneapolis, we went straight from the airport to the hotel, and we’re so glad we chose the Alma for our second stay.

Welcome warmth in the dark and cold winter

IMG_0953Upon checking in, we were taken up to Room #5, our new favorite. The king suite has an outdoor deck, which wasn’t much use in late-December, but we spent a few minutes out there appreciating the view. One of the best things about the room is that it takes up the whole south end of the building, so it has windows on three sides and shares not a single wall with another room.

Each room in the Alma features custom furniture, linens, bath products and accessories, some of which are locally made. Minneapolis-based Spring Finn and Co. designed the hotel, and we haven’t found anything else like it in the Twin Cities. Rooms are fun but tasteful, and the whole place feels cozy, yet airy and light.

The last time we stayed at the Alma, we had a booking at the restaurant, which does dinner only: amazing three-course prix fixe menus with wine pairings. During that stay, it was so nice to finish dinner — fat and happy — and wander only a few steps to our room. On that occasion, the snow was coming down heavily, so we were extra glad not to have to go outside. For this stay, we couldn’t linger too long over a meal; we had tickets to see a favorite band, Guided By Voices, at First Avenue. Luckily, however, we were able to get a table in the cafe for a quick bite before heading to the show. For the record, dinner in the cafe was also terrific.

Appreciating the details

It’s clear that choices made for the rooms were intentional, down to the small details. Our room was like a series of vignettes, and we took time to appreciate each of them. Beyond the aesthetic, we enjoyed the custom-blended lotion, mist, oil, shampoo and soap with a “winter” scent of bergamot, cedar wood, grapefruit and clove. Instructions on the mist, which we duly followed, said “spray everywhere.” The extra-cushy bed was great to crawl into after returning from the concert where the band showed that old guys can still properly rock. And with ringing ears, we opted for a little late-night Apple TV, grateful that with no shared walls, we didn’t have to worry about waking any of our hotel neighbors.

Only one small quibble with our room: The soap in the dispenser was out, so we had to use the bar soap at the sink, but without a soap dish — and not wanting to make a mess — we had to leave the soap in the sink.

Don’t forget breakfast

IMG_0978(1)Each stay at the Alma comes with a complimentary continental breakfast from the bakery. Guests can choose to have juice, coffee and handmade baked goods delivered via tray service to their room, or they can head down to the cafe, which is what we did. The cinnamon rolls, toasted bread with jam and strong coffee were just right. While we would have liked to linger a bit longer, it was time for re-entry to life, but we’ll surely be back, this time sooner rather than later.

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Stay details

  • Alma Hotel
  • Location: Minneapolis, near the University of Minnesota East Bank campus
  • Our stay: 1 night, December 30, 2018
  • Room: #5, king suite with deck

Where we ate, what we did

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Shoreditch, London, UK ~ The Curtain Hotel

September 2018

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After three days in the Cotswolds, we were ready for some city fun. Each time we visit London, we try to check out a new neighborhood. A few years ago, we stayed in Bethnal Green and loved East London. For this five-night holiday, we chose Shoreditch. The area is all the rage right now for its creative vibe, and we had several fun hotels from which to choose: The Ace, Nobu, and The Curtain. After almost going with Nobu (its architecture is great), we chose The Curtain, which opened in a newly constructed building in 2017.

Feeling right at home

We live in the old warehouse district of St. Paul, Minnesota, and the look and feel of The Curtain was familiar. The hoteliers have another property in the meatpacking district of Manhattan, and the hotel felt distinctly American, something we wouldn’t usually opt for, but reviews in The Telegraph, Wallpaper* and Forbes convinced us we needed to experience the New York-in-London feel.

We checked in and headed to our room on the second floor. It was well done but very cozy size-wise (not a problem) and quite dark (a little disappointing). Because we were staying five nights, we decided to ask if another room was available. That led to our choosing an upgraded room, which, quite honestly, doubled the price of the stay (gulp), but we decided it was worth it to have a bit more light and some more space.

 

 

Worth the spend

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The Curtain rooftop

A few things made The Curtain worth the price, even if it felt a lot like home. The floor-to-ceiling windows that opened were great for watching and listening to the Shoreditch street life. The steam shower was a treat. The comfortable bed made it hard to climb out in the morning, even with London waiting. The mini bar provided endless cocktail opportunities (although who wants to make their own drink when talented bartenders await both at ground level and on the rooftop). Speaking of the rooftop, we loved getting afternoon drinks at Lido (the rooftop bar) and studying the construction going on all around us. Of course, that experience depends on the weather, and we had the kind of September sunshine and warmth that made everyone in the city cheerful.

Bring on the art

London’s art scene is unmatched. Each time we’re in the city, we make a point of visiting a few favorites (Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Modern, Wallace) but also seeking out new spots. Shoreditch is known for its art scene, and The Curtain makes its own contribution. We had fun taking in art in the hotel’s public spaces, hallways and guest rooms (we got to see three rooms when we decided to upgrade). This visit truly ended up being a feast for our art senses, and the artistic feel of The Curtain was a fitting complement to our gallery and museum visits.

 

Stay details

  • The Curtain Hotel
  • Shoreditch, London
  • Our stay: 5 nights, September 24-29, 2018
  • Room: Junior Suite

What we saw, what we ate

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Minneapolis, MN, USA ~ The W, Foshay Tower

November 2018

Holidays in our neighborhood are a little lonely. Restaurants and shops are closed, streets are empty, and everyone is either away or tucked in at home. Whenever we spend a holiday at home, we vow to go away for the next one. So for Thanksgiving 2018, we decided to head west and trade abandoned downtown St. Paul for slightly less abandoned downtown Minneapolis.

It’s about the building

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The 1929 Foshay Tower

We stayed at the W Minneapolis in the Foshay Tower when the hotel first opened in 2008, and we remembered it being fun, so we decided to return for our Thanksgiving overnight. The highlight of the W is definitely the building itself. It’s fabulous. Finished in 1929 right before the stock market crash, the art deco building is an homage to the Washington Monument, and the opulence of the roaring twenties lives on today throughout the building. Because the tower’s footprint is relatively small, each floor houses only a handful of rooms, and the taper of the building means each floor is slightly smaller than the one below it. We opted for a corner room on the 20th floor, which was probably smaller than rooms on lower floors, but the views were terrific. From our bathroom window, we watched the sun set over the prairie.

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The 27th floor of the hotel features the Prohibition Bar, a wonderful spot for cocktails and 360-degree views. We hoped to make a visit there before venturing off to find dinner, but Prohibition was closed. Even though unpredictable hours align with the speakeasy theme, we were  disappointed not to find the bar open for hotel guests. Instead, we went down to the lobby bar, the Living Room, which was equally moody but not nearly as picturesque.

The aim is decadence

W hotels aim for a certain attitude: classy but also a little cheeky. At the Foshay — well, probably at most W properties — it can seem like the chain is trying a little too hard. All of the clever invitations to indulge in the W’s “unforgettable lifestyle experience” got tiresome, but we will admit that the design elements, heavy on the opulence theme, were a nice fit for the building. Particularly in the grey of winter, the colors were welcome, and the smallish rooms felt cozy and warm.

 

On quick glance, the room looked pristine, but after settling in, we noticed some signs that the hotel had passed its first decade: the inevitable scratches and dents that result from guests moving in and out each day. Seeing these can burst the bubble on the decadence fantasy; the luxury seems just a little past its sell-by date. We wondered whether this upkeep would be part of regular maintenance or whether the scratches and dents would continue to grow until the hotel takes on one of those multi-million dollar renovations.

Even with these critiques, the hotel is well worth a visit. You can get a feel for the treasure that is the Foshay Tower by stopping for a drink or even strolling through the lobby, but truly experiencing the structure can only happen through a stay in one of the rooms.

Stay details

  • The W Minneapolis
  • Location: Downtown Minneapolis in the Foshay Tower
  • Our Stay: 1 night, November 22, 2018
  • Room: Cool Corner Guest Room

What we saw, what we ate

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Dessert at Manny’s

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Siem Reap, Cambodia ~ Templation

March 2017

It takes a long time to get to Cambodia from the Twin Cities, and in some ways, that raises the stakes for a visit. More travel time means less holiday time, and so each day on the ground becomes extra precious. We’ll say right away that Templation was worth the trip — all around. Even if the name is a bit precious, this hotel is one of our all-time Top 3, and we can’t wait to get back.

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The lobby at Templation

We arrived at Templation on the recommendation of staff at our hotel in Phnom Penh; Templation is a sister property, so the recommendation wasn’t a surprise. Our plan was to do just an overnight up to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh to see the temples at Angkhor Wat. But once we arrived, we knew we had to extend our stay. Our first task upon arriving was to take a tuk tuk into the city center and buy a new plane ticket back to Phnom Penh a day later than we had originally planned. Our second task was to add another night at Templation.

Private villa

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Our private pool

Yes, perhaps the defining feature of our stay at Templation is that we had our own villa with two structures — one for living and one for sleeping — and a private saltwater pool. We certainly didn’t need our own villa — the more standard rooms at Templation are perfectly lovely, and there’s an amazing and huge pool for all of the guests. But the  sanctuary that the villa provided made the place all the better.

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Looking out from the bedroom

Architecture in alignment with our tastes

All of the low-slung structures at Templation are concrete, native wood and glass with green roofs and space that moves indecipherably between outside and inside. It’s all understated and, in our minds, beautiful. This kind of building would never work in a cold climate — nothing really sealed shut — but it was perfect for the tropics. Our villa’s bedroom and living room had air conditioning, but each of the two bathrooms were open air, and we made friends with a bright green frog that slept on the bathroom wall by day and came out to catch bugs in the night. Both bathrooms had showers open to the stars, and one had a huge concrete soaking tub. The private saltwater pool was small but perfect for soaking and short laps. It was surrounded by our villa’s structures on two sides and greenery on the other two that attracted singing birds. All of this made for a completely private setting.

We’ll say right away that Templation was worth the trip — all around. This hotel is one of our all-time Top 3, and we can’t wait to get back.

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The entrance to our villa

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the breakfasts

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The “local” breakfast

Breakfasts are included with the room, and we took ours in the hotel’s main dining room, which overlooks the massive pool. (We could also have ordered breakfast to be delivered if we wanted to eat in our villa.) For breakfast, there were several choices, but our favorite was the “local” option: amazing French coffee and pastries, spring rolls, fried rice and fresh juices and fruit. It was a breakfast we’re fairly certain we would never tire of. We also had lunch on site, which was equally good, and on our first day there, we were recruited to help judge a staff cocktail contest. We were at Templation during the slow season, so the staff had a little extra time to engage with us and have some fun.

Hopes for a wonderful maturation

Templation was relatively new when we stayed — just a little more than a year old. New is always nice in that properties are fresh and haven’t had to withstand the comings and goings of too many visitors. But it’s also important for properties to grow into themselves a bit; maturity can be a good thing. Perhaps our only critique of Templation is that its grounds were a little young. The gardeners were hard at work the whole time we were there, so we imagine the landscape will grow into something pretty fantastic. But the jungle is thick in Siem Reap, so it looked like the ground was cleared on the property for building, and then the gardens were planted. We still managed to spot lots of jungle critters, including all kinds of lizards, but we’re guessing as the grounds mature, the place will feel even more a part of its environment.

Stay details

  • Templation: https://maads.asia/templation
  • Location: A few miles outside Siem Reap near the temples at Angkor
  • Stay length: 2 night’s stay, March 21-22, 2017
  • Room: Private pool suite

What we saw, what we ate

  • Temples at Angkor
    • Angkor Wat
    • Ta Prohm
    • Preah Neak Poan
    • Preah Khan
    • Bayon
  • Dinner at Sugar Palm

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