Category: North America

Nisswa, Minnesota, USA ~ Nature Link Resort

January 2025

In the days following the new year, most people in our part of the world are on a bit of a holiday hangover and slowly returning to “normal” life. But we have a January 5 birthday in our house, and it’s actually a perfect time to get out of our neighborhood, which suddenly seems very lonely after all of the holiday happenings.

In the cold and dark days of a Minnesota winter, it might make the most sense to head south, but this year, we did the opposite, booking a few nights at Nature Link, a resort in central Minnesota that had been on our list for a few years.

A modern take on classic lake resort

Nature Link is in the Brainerd Lakes area, and although the area is a popular destination and a place where many friends have cabins, we had never spent time there, opting instead typically to head to the North Shore of Lake Superior when we want to get into nature. We can’t even remember exactly how we found Nature Link – it was likely just a Google search of resorts near Nisswa, MN – but what we saw online was intriguing: modern, tastefully finished cabins on a smaller, off-the-beaten-path lake with an aesthetic that emphasizes slowing down and spending time with nature near the water and among the woods.

Summers are clearly the more popular time for resorts like this, but winters draw anglers for ice fishing, cross-country skiers and snowshoers, snowmobilers, and people like us who just want a little escape from the city. On the weekend we visited, there was no snow (a hardship for the local economy), but it was very cold, below zero. We love to get outside in the winter, and we did manage a walk into the town of Nisswa along the Paul Bunyan trail, which adjoins the resort. But the cold temps and lack of snow turned out to be a good excuse to either stay inside by the fire, looking out from our big windows to the forest, or to take the short trek to the newly finished sauna where we watched the sun move across the frozen lake.

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who wanted this kind of weekend. When we first arrived at Nature Link on a Friday afternoon, we thought we might be two of only a few guests, but by the time we headed to dinner on Friday evening, lights were on in nearly all of the resort’s 20 or so cabins and suites.

Treehouse or lakehouse?

When we made our booking, we had a choice between a cabin looking out on Clark Lake or an elevated cabin facing into the forest. The treehouse experience sounded intriguing, so we chose that one, not knowing exactly what to expect. Upon arrival, we were directed to Cedar Cabin #11 – a stand-alone structure and one of two with this particular design – jutting up from ground level with access via an external staircase. Inside, a massive picture window looked out to the woods; it really did feel like a luxurious treehouse.

Inside, we found a gas fireplace, two leather chairs oriented toward the windows, a king-sized bed, and a nicely finished bathroom with a shower and deep soaking tub. The cabin also included a big Nespresso machine and a small refrigerator and microwave, along with some fun features: a deck of cards, tasty chocolates, a few books. There are no TVs in the cabins, which we welcomed, but the solid WiFi made sure we could stay connected with the outside world if needed.

The design and the quality of the furnishings and finishes exceeded our expectations. This is not your typical rustic cabin. We’ll note that Nature Link is only a few years old, and maintaining the standards will surely take constant work. In addition to guests, who can be hard on a property, the outside elements are relentless. On the days we stayed, the difference in the outside and inside temperatures was causing a fair amount of condensation on the window frames, and even though it was winter, we still tracked sand inside whenever we entered (the resort helpfully leaves a broom in the cabin). We hope the simple design and relatively rugged materials of the cabins lead to easier upkeep. In addition, because the resort is new, it’s still under development, and, although it was hard to tell in the winter, the landscape looks to be in recovery from some of that development.

One more note about the Cedar cabins: They are set up like a hotel room, and Nature Link doesn’t have a restaurant, so guests need to venture off property to eat. There are lots of options close by – more than we could explore on our long weekend – so this wasn’t an issue. But visitors to Nature Link who want to cook should book one of the bigger cabins with a full kitchen.

Forced relaxation

Without snow, many winter activities were out of the question, but that turned out to be just fine; it meant we could truly take it slow. Between short bursts of energy to walk around the property, visit the sauna, or explore Nisswa, we mostly just settled down near the fire and gazed out to the forest (or played the classic board game Aggravation). On our second day, we were entranced by a pileated woodpecker knocking away at a nearby tree and later watched as a herd of deer moved slowly across our view, feeding on the nibbles below the brush.

We’re curious how the resort feels in the summer when the whole area is brimming with people; we’ve heard the whole Brainerd Lakes region can be a pretty lively scene. We’re guessing that folks looking for something on the quieter side choose Nature Link; in summer, the resort provides bikes, kayaks, and hammocks for guests. And the resort has a private island that guests are encouraged to explore. All of this sounds terrific and right up our alley. We hope to return during summer to see more of what Nature Link has to offer, but it might just be that the quiet of winter is when the resort really shines.

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Santa Monica, California, USA ~ Shutters on the Beach

July 2024

This weekend trip to Santa Monica served as a condensed re-do for a Southern California vacation we had planned the year before but had to cancel last-minute. For that longer holiday, we had chosen Santa Monica Proper, which is still on our list (it looks terrific), but because we had only one full day in California, we wanted to be closer to the ocean. Shutters on the Beach – as the name implies – is directly on Santa Monica beach and very close to its famous pier, so we figured it would give us the quintessential LA experience. It ended up being a California hotel in Cape-Cod clothing, a combination that worked just right for what we wanted.

From LAX to the beach in no time

Our flight arrived at LAX at 10:30 in the morning, and we were at the hotel by 11:15. (Worth noting: For any visitors to LA trying to fit maximum fun with minimum time in a car, Santa Monica is a good choice.) With such an early arrival, we were prepared to drop our bags and return later for check-in, but the hotel had a “partial ocean view” room ready to go. After getting a helpful explanation from the staff member at the front desk about the difference between “partial ocean view” and “ocean view” – an explanation that included a hand-drawn diagram and his personal assessment of both choices – we decided to go for the room that was ready so we could get settled and get on with our weekend.

There’s a reason it’s called Shutters

The route to our room took us from the street-side lobby – a space we didn’t appreciate right away but later understood why it’s called the “living room” – up one elevator to the pool level on the third floor, down a corridor, into a second elevator, up to the sixth floor, and then around the corner to our room on the opposite side of the horseshoe. Upon exiting the first elevator, we stepped into an inside/outside space with – you guessed it – shutters separating the in from the out. At that time of day, the shutters were wide open, and a cool breeze coming in from the ocean blew through the corridor. When we left the second elevator, we were happy to see that its hallways were the same with guest rooms on one side and shutters to the outside on the other.

It didn’t take long for the shutters in the hotel – literally counting every one we encountered – to become a bit of a game for us. We discovered that navigating through the hotel was best done via stairs whenever possible, and those stairs led to many combinations of spaces divided by shutters. Reading this may lead you to think that the hotel took the shutters theme a little too far, but it seemed to work both from an aesthetic sense and a practical one. The shutters provided multiple options depending on the day’s weather: shade without stuffiness, air flow without wind and heat, and the perfect level of darkness for sleeping in without sleeping all day. It felt as though a member of staff – invisible to guests – was in the background constantly adjusting the shutters to match the current conditions.

Cape Cod on the Pacific

The hotel’s website advertises it as “an acclaimed Santa Monica beach hotel” that “recalls the quintessential cottages of Cape Cod.” We’ve never spent time in one of these cottages, but the guest room and common spaces did make us feel like we were staying at the home of friends…in all the best ways. Shutters features nearly 200 rooms and suites, so it isn’t a small property – certainly not a cottage – but the design and décor were personal and intimate. Our partial ocean view room on the 6th floor had a perfectly lovely view of the ocean from its sliding doors and balcony. (A second note: Santa Monica beach is quite wide; an ocean view room is still a good distance from the ocean even if it’s right on the beach). And while we loved looking out to the beach and ocean, we spent as much time studying the contours of the building – its shingles, balconies, stairs and, yes, shutters.

The room’s interior felt non-corporate with bookshelves holding books we actually took time to peruse; a large round bedside table with a piece of coral, a push-button alarm clock, and a copy of Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea; and a slipcovered wingback chair next to a Chinese ceramic lantern. Some of the furniture had a few scratches and dings, but as we settled into the Shutters vibe, we began to question whether it was purposely distressed – an effort at making us feel like visitors to a friend’s house and not anonymous hotel guests.

When we first arrived in our room, it was set up for an extra guest – a kid – with a rollaway bed and a kid-sized robe and slippers. We’re not sure whether the rubber whale bath toy was for the kid or for all guests, but we appreciated the effort the hotel took to welcome its younger customers even though we were only a party of two. We’re pretty sure our early arrival got in the way of someone else’s request, but after a quick call to the front desk, everything was whisked away to, we assume, another room for the party of three.

Our favorite part of the room was the opportunity it provided to sleep on the ultra-comfortable bed with the shutters only partially shut and the fresh, cool air coming in all night.  We also enjoyed coffee in the morning on the balcony (the first morning, we made it ourselves from the Nespresso machine; the second morning, we went down to the living room where it was already brewed and waiting for us). And the deep tub, also separated from the bedroom by shutters, so accessible to the fresh air, tempted us in. When, by the way, is the last time you’ve seen a hotel supply a real candle and matches next to a tub?

In our room, we encountered a few things we would change in a perfect world. The aforementioned Nespresso machine was tucked away in a cabinet with no obvious place to set it up if we actually wanted to make coffee. With that said, the housekeeping staff noticed we used it on our first morning and made space for it on the desk for day 2.  (Note # 3: The hotel staff was exceedingly attentive and friendly during our stay; a stand-out moment was a staff member noticing us sitting on the balcony in the afternoon and handing us two cans of water across the railing from an adjacent balcony.)

Other small observations: The mini bar and the cabinet near the bath with lotions and potions were secured with a zip tie, which seemed like a mismatch for the clientele the hotel was clearly trying to attract. And the deep tub with the real candle had jets that didn’t work. This didn’t really bother us, and the hotel was quick to respond with a restaurant credit when we reported it upon check-out, but it seems like something that should be on a punch list with each room turnover.

A beach bike ride, time by the pool, and an art scavenger hunt

We didn’t have much time, but the hotel helped us make the most of it. Our first adventure was a bike ride along the Marvin Braude bike trail. The hotel set us up with two cruiser bikes, and we headed south toward Venice. We intended to take another adventure north but didn’t manage to fit it in. 

If you’ve read other blog entries from us, you’ll know that we love the ocean and the beach, but we aren’t avid swimmers and sunbathers (with the exception of time spent in the Caribbean Sea in Puerto Rico). More often than not, on warm-weather vacations, we end up at the pool under the cover of an umbrella, and the Shutters pool was a really nice spot to recline, have a cold beverage, and catch up on some reading. When we were there, it was full of kids – cute kids – so we didn’t actually get in the water. But we loved the energy of the space, the view out to the beach and the ocean, and the big fireplace that made us want to come back when the weather would call for sitting on a lounger in a warm sweater.

On the day we checked out, we made time to do a self-guided tour of the hotel’s art collection. When we first arrived, we noticed a handful of terrific pieces hanging in the lobby but only later came across a booklet with a self-guided tour of 30 prints from the likes of David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Cales Oldenburg, and Alex Katz. (We’re now realizing that there is representation from only one woman: Yayoi Kusama.) We had a lot of fun wandering through the living room, the hallways on the main level, entries to the restaurants, and the meeting rooms to view and read about each pieces. It was like having a semi-private visit to a museum; we could linger as long as we wanted, and the only people we encountered were focused on other things, but they seemed to recognize and appreciate what we were up to. The art tour was the perfect diversion before we checked out and headed back to the airport and back to real life.

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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.

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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.

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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

What we did, where we ate:

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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

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New York City, USA ~ ModernHaus SoHo

December 2022

During our visits to New York City, we’ve come to love SoHo, and we have a favorite place to stay — the Crosby Street Hotel — but an Architectural Digest article on 11 new design-centric hotels in NYC described ModernHaus as “a case study in color and an homage to the postwar Bauhaus movement.” As lovers of all things concrete, we couldn’t resist.

It’s about the building…and the view

One of us grew up in a concrete house — designed by an architect dad — so modernist/brutalist/Bauhaus designs have always held an attraction. When we arrived at ModernHaus we pulled right up to the front door and didn’t get a look at the building itself. It wasn’t until an hour later when we headed out for a walk and saw the structure sitting in juxtaposition to the more classic SoHo cast iron facades and rising decidedly skyward. In fact, the front door of ModernHaus in on the intimate Grand Street, and it adjoins its neighbor on that lane, but two sides of the hotel are surrounded by small parks, big avenues (Canal Street and Sixth Avenue), and an approach to the Holland Tunnel. That makes a view of the whole building possible from the outside and the view looking out from inside just about as “storybook New York” as you can get.

The exterior of ModernHaus
Two walls of windows
Looking downtown from our room

Almost everything in ModernHaus is oriented vertically. The small lobby is all that occupies the first floor. Up a handful of steps in the restaurant, Veranda, and then the hotel’s lobby and bar occupy the second floor. Up top on the 18th floor, is the rooftop bar and long-time neighborhood staple, Jimmy’s. Even with its relatively small footprint, the hotel features more outdoor space per room than any other hotel in downtown Manhattan, according to a Forbes article on ModernHaus. We’ll admit that we didn’t take time to thoroughly explore these spaces, even though the New York City weather was amazingly mild for late-December.

Our room, a skyline king studio on the 11th floor, had stunning views of the financial district to the south (including the World Trade Center buildings), but also west toward the New Jersey skyline. The only thing obstructing the two walls of windows in our corner room was a TV mounted to the concrete pillar. While it did interrupt the scene, we understand that hotel guests expect a TV, and all the glass in the room really didn’t allow for another spot.

Nice touches but a few distractions

We arrived in our room to a bottle of chilled Cava, a cream puff (which was delicious even two days later when we finally got around to eating it), and a welcome note from the guest services manager. (As an aside, we’ll say that the staff was attentive and helpful and got us an on-the-spot booking at a restaurant where we could satisfy our paella craving.) When we managed to pull ourselves away from the view, we found a room that was well-designed and functional, and it offered more breathing room than many NYC hotels. The wrap-around windows, the high-ceilings and glass wall into the bathroom (with a mechanical blind) made the room airy and light-filled. We also appreciated that we could open the windows each night to allow in the fresh air; that — in combination with the Beautyrest “Black” mattress and Frette linens — made for a very good night’s sleep.

While we have much good to say about ModernHaus, there were a few misses. Perhaps because we’ve stayed in some truly exceptional properties, we were disappointed to see the wear-and-tear on the room and its furnishings, particularly considering the hotel opened as the ModernHaus fewer than two years ago (it was formerly the James Hotel but went through an extensive reimagining after being acquired by urban-development firm Thor Equities in 2017). The nicks and dings were visible reminders that many people had come and gone in the room, and then when we found both a pillowcase and a towel with stains, a sink that didn’t drain properly, and white duct tape securing something around one of the windows, the illusion of luxury faded. We know how hard it must be to keep hotels in pristine condition — and we know how carelessly guests can treat things that aren’t their own — but we’ve seen high standards maintained. Modern design leaves little room for scratches and dents; anything short of perfect detracts from the aesthetic.

All in all, the bones of ModernHaus are solid; a property with so much going for it deserves the constant attention a top-notch hotel requires.

Stay details

  • Modernhaus, Grand and Sixth in SoHo,
  • 3-night stay: December 28-31, 2022
  • Skyline King Studio, 11th floor

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Minneapolis, MN, USA ~ Four Seasons

August 2022

We’ve had some great hotel experiences in our hometown(s) of Minneapolis/St. Paul but none that we would call “five-star.” Therefore, when ground broke on the Minneapolis Four Seasons a few years ago, we immediately added it to a list of places we’d like to stay. The property opened in early summer 2022, but based on a few opening reviews, we thought it would be best to give it a handful of weeks for the team to work out some bugs. We’re glad we did. While we won’t say the hotel rises to our list of all-time favorites, it was enough to make us see our home city through fresh eyes.

Solid execution from start to finish

Because we wanted the full tourist experience, we decided to take the train from our home in downtown St. Paul to the Four Seasons in downtown Minneapolis. As we approached the front doors of the hotel with roller bags in tow, a valet greeted us and asked – in a playful and friendly way – where we were coming from and if we had walked from there. We told him we were arriving from across the river and then had a nice but quick chat about being from the same city. We would learn later that this is a Four Seasons thing – making personal connections with guests – but we have to say that it felt totally authentic.

During our two-night stay, this first experience with the valet was representative of our encounters at the hotel. From the reception staff and housekeepers to the servers and bartenders at the hotel’s two restaurants, we felt like we were dealing with pros. And we’ll admit, it had been some time since we had experienced that. The pandemic and its aftermath had understandably thrown the hospitality industry for a loop, and for the last few years we have calibrated our expectations. But with the exception of a few small things – and things we didn’t really need such as the clothes pressing serving – the Four Seasons seemed be operating on all cylinders, and we embraced it.

A room with a view

The hotel occupies 8 floors in the middle of the tower with offices below and residences above. Our room on the 24th floor delivered views of the Mississippi River and the metropolis from downtown toward the northwest suburbs. We had fun looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows and identifying landmarks we had spent time in on the ground; in fact, from the hotel, many of Minneapolis’s iconic buildings are visible. The room was thoughtfully conceived and well-executed with design-grade furnishings throughout. Everything just worked: The drapes opened upon entering. The integrated technology was advanced but intuitive. The storage allowed us to unpack our admittedly small bags and store them away (although we had a small quibble that the luggage rack couldn’t be stored in the closet without getting in the way of hanging clothes). The coffee/tea bar was well-stocked. And the bathroom was luxurious with an oversized shower and separate toilet closet. The room did, however, still feel like a room in a corporate property, which isn’t necessarily a detractor but worth noting.

The hotel’s amenities, only a few of which we took advantage – those mostly connected with food and drink – were also an appeal. (We will note that our reservation at Mara, the hotel’s restaurant, was only possible because we were staying.) And, of course, the entire property was brand new – not a scratch or dent, which added to the allure. All in all, we felt like we were having a luxurious getaway, even if we didn’t feel anything distinctively “Minneapolis” beyond the view.

Re-inspired by Minneapolis

Perhaps the best part of the Four Seasons stay was that it helped restore our belief in our city as an urban core with things happening. We had the good fortune of being at the Four Seasons on an amazing late-summer weekend, and the city felt alive. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that Minneapolis has had its challenges in the last few years, but all of the people we encountered – from diverse age groups, socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, cultural and religious backgrounds – helped make the city feel energetic, vibrant and inviting. This may have had nothing to do with the Four Seasons, but we’ll always give the hotel credit for a weekend that re-inspired us.

Stay details:

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Taos, NM, USA ~ El Monte Sagrado

July 2022

A one-night stay at El Monte Sagrado is certainly not enough, but that’s all we had. We arrived in Taos — a party of four that included the two of us and two parents — after a terrific four-night stay in Santa Fe at a VRBO. We had two days in Taos and booked two rooms in a small, boutique hotel (Palacio de Marquesa) that, upon our arrival, we discovered was for sale and, quite frankly, felt neglected by its owners, Heritage Hotels and Resorts, Inc. The Marquesa looks to be a special place, and the staff went above and beyond to welcome us for the night we stayed. We do hope the property lands in good hands — someone who will give it the attention it deserves and restore it to its full potential. But…for our short stay, we wanted something with a little more energy and a more robust suite of hotel services. So it happens, El Monte Sagrado is part of the same ownership group, so it was an easy transfer for our second night.

From an 8-room inn to a sizable resort

The first thing we noticed about El Monte Sagrado — and the highlight — was its grounds; they were beautiful — manicured but still respectful of the Taos landscape. Each of our rooms had a patio overlooking a lush pond full of big koi, and we had fun wandering the property to see the gardens surrounding the rooms, suites and casitas. It would have been nice to have a day or two just to really appreciate the property and perhaps visit the pool and spa, but we were on the go most of the time. We did get a few hours in the early evening to enjoy a cocktail and read a book out on the patio.

A spacious, well-appointed suite, but it’s the balcony we’ll remember

Our rooms, two Native American suites, had a living room, separate bedroom and a bath with an oversized (room for plenty) shower. The rooms felt a little dark in the middle of summer, but they honored the architecture of the area where getting out of the sun is important. And we couldn’t help but imagine how cozy they would feel during a Taos winter with the kiva fireplace burning. Each room featured unique art pieces that took away any corporate edge you might otherwise feel.

El Monte Sagrado describes the garden and pond that our rooms overlooked as the “sacred circle” and the “green beating heart” of the property. We felt fortunate to have such a beautiful view and spent almost all of our time while at our room out on the patio.

Lingering pandemic effects

As with everywhere else we’ve traveled since the arrival of COVID-19, it was clear that El Monte Sagrado was dealing with the effects — and after-effects — of the pandemic. Hotels are coming back to life, but it’s hard to plan for guests and for staffing. On the morning we checked in, one very helpful staff person was covering reception and, seemingly, all guest services. During happy hour, one bartender was serving everyone; in the restaurant, we saw the attentive staff juggling more people than they could reasonably handle. And it looked like a few maintenance projects on the grounds may have been deferred simply because staff was short. Still, we couldn’t end this post without thanking three staffers at the valet stand (they referred to themselves as “the boys at El Monte”) for giving us a fabulous green chile cheeseburger recommendation.

Stay details:

  • El Monte Sagrado
  • Our stay: 1 night, July 15, 2022
  • Room: Native American Suite, #16 Shenandoah

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