Category Archives: travel

Renaissance Hotel- Times Square, New York

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Last month H and I had the chance to head up to NYC and take in a show and be on one.  Having never been to New York City proper H wanted to stay right smack in the middle of Times Square.  We booked a night at the Renaissance Times Square (a Marriott property) and here is the rundown.

A small, dark wood-paneled lobby awaits you.  The staff is immediately attentive and very helpful everywhere you turn. There are two sets of elevators which might get a bit crowded during peak hours of check-in and check-out times.

What I Loved:  Our room had a king-sized bed and was more than ample in size.  It was quite big for city standards and contained a good-size closet, flat screen television, desk and divan with a small table that could be placed over the divan.  Great for snacks or working on the couch.  The desk also had many outlets and charging areas.  The bathroom had ample counter space, speakers so you could hear the television while in there and a beautiful mosaic tiled shower with a bench.  When you turned off the main bathroom lights and left the shower light on the tiles glowed and shimmered in a really beautiful way that made you just want to hang out in the stall and relax.  The bed, the linens and the pillows were adequate and very comfortable.

What I Missed:  While the room was nicely decorated and the staff attentive while we stayed at the hotel we did find that for such a nice place the room lacked bathrobes.  Robes would be a very welcome addition to the room.  When room service arrived in the morning they forgot our drinks but returned quickly.  Again, a bathrobe as would have been good as I just showered and not dressed yet.

We enjoyed our stay at the Time Square Renaissance hotel.  I would recommend it to anyone that wants to stay in the heart of Time Square.  The hotel bar is all glass and very warm and inviting.  It has a tasty array of snacks and drinks that will tide you over until a post-show meal and is a perfect vantage point for looking out over the square and all that is happening in it.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only.  I stayed here on business.  Opinions are MPR’s only. 

 

 

Open Call for Guest Bloggers

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WANTED:  Guest bloggers who want to share ideas, tips, tricks and advice on products and all things beauty, fashion, travel, cars and green living.  You want to talk about your obsession with lip gloss? Go ahead!  Love the new models rolling out of Detroit?  Tell me about and share with MPR’s readers. 

I’m looking for bloggers who want to submit a post or two and reach a new audience.  Email me at veamason AT gmail DOT com.

Marriott Marquis in Downtown San Diego, CA

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The Marriott Marquis in downtown San Diego, CA is one of the most convenient hotels in the city.  It is located only five minutes from the city’s airport and attached to the convention center.  Right outside the hotel lobby the city by the sea awaits!  Trolley cars go by, the Gaslamp District is within walking distance and the inner harbor is right there to run along, view from your hotel balcony and just soak in.

I stayed at the Marriott Marquis for three days during a very busy conference.  When I arrived I immediately loved the lobby with its light, space and sense of openness and zen. There were more than enough front desk clerks to assist guests and the rather long line went fast.  Fruit-infused water was there while you wait, which after a cross-country plane ride was quite refreshing. 

My room at the Marquis was a good size with a harbor and pool view.  It had all the basics that a two double bed-sized room typically has- desk with chair, flat screen television, ample closet space for two women and a decent amount of bathroom sink counter space.  That last one is something I look for in a hotel room and many places fail.  This 25-story hotel has over 1300 guest rooms that are filled with light.  The linens were white and fluffy and clean.  The whole room and hotel was immaculate and despite the massive number of guests at the time it stayed that way during my entire visit. 

There are a few bars, lounges and restaurants in the Marriott Marquis and here is where I found a weakness.  The service is not up to standard.  On a relatively quiet morning at the pool side bar I was able to enjoy breakfast.  Except the Eco-friendly wooden silverware was flimsy, could not cut my food or even scoop it up to my mouth and looked like something the airlines would try and give you.  My wooden, disposable fork was so tiny it could barely get a teaspoon worth of eggs on to it.  My order came much later than the rest of my table and I had to ask for it twice.  My breakfast burrito was decent but not what one would expect from a Marriott.  I found the same lack luster service and food at DW’s Restaurant inside the hotel.  It was quite disappointing. 

A hotel the size of the Marriott Marquis boasts a gorgeous outdoor pool setting with lounge areas and many food and drink options. Heat lamps surround you in the evening and it is quite pleasant.  A fitness center, lobby bar and hotel store offer up good options that are standard for a city hotel of this size and caliber.

While I enjoyed my stay at the Marriott Marquis and found the staff at the front desk and lobby helpful I was not overly impressed with the property as a whole.  It is in a good location, aesthetically pleasing and very clean however so I might stay again and hope for better food service.

MPR Rating:  Three Stars (out of five).  Trip Advisor review gives it four stars.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post.  My stay was paid for by me while there on business.  Opinions are MPR’s only. 

Mini Kittour by Vonda Just in Case Collection

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If you travel a lot then the mini kittour Just in Case individuals and refillables are something you are going to love.  I really could have used this collection when I was traveling so much in the last few years.  While you can pick up a pill case or travel-sized bottles at many drugstores you won’t find such a high-quality set like the pieces from mini kittour. 

In beautiful chocolate brown and accented with gold each item holds up well and is the right size for air travel.  They are leak-proof, refillable and customizable.  That last one is one of the best parts to this set.  The recyclable, flexible set of bottles ($6-7), sprayers, vitamin case, jars with screw on caps, and 3 piece dual-ended makeup brushes ($35) comes with a memo pad with 80 waterproof labels and a mini-sharpie ($10) to label each one.  I love it!  You can put your conditioner, shampoo, eye cream, lotions and even makeup remover in these bottles without fear of them breaking and leaking all over your other luggage.  I also love that the four well Vitamin case ($5) is square and flat instead of a bulky rectangle.  You can also get a set of 3 of the clear PET bottles (like the sprayer or lotion pump) for $8. 

I also happen to like the mini kittour Daily Kit ($50) for storing things like makeup and brushes inside my gym bag, diaper bag and car.  I don’t have to worry about powers smudging, lip gloss stains or any of those yucky accidents when I carry this.  The outside wipes clean and has a large mirror that many of these cases just don’t have. The three brushes inside are super soft and luxurious.  They are long lasting and won’t scratch your skin like many cheaper versions do.  In addition to holding two bottles and jars you can add other makeup, a cell phone or even your credit cards.  The outside is nice enough to carry as a clutch too.  It’s so perfect!

Created by Vonda Simon a mother, lover of beauty and fashion and business mogul, mini kittour is based on aesthetics, function, portability and convenience.  You can purchase mini kittour items, there are larger cases and so much more, online and stores like Beauty Bar. 

Hyatt Place, Mystic CT

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The Hyatt Place in Mystic, CT is a good size hotel that is set a bit away from all the other off 95 hotels in the Old Towne Mystic Village area.  Hidden directly behind an Exxon gas station and a McDonald’s it feels secluded and is a nice retreat from the noise of the village and tourists. 

When I checked into the Hyatt Place I had no expectations.  I had not visited this type of Hyatt before and it immediately struck me as a competitor for a Hilton Garden Inn.  A spacious, high ceiling lobby and front desk with Starbucks barista bar awaits you.  Numerous unobtrusive televisions screens are tucked into various seating areas in the lobby and near the breakfast nook.  A complimentary continental style breakfast is served each morning.  Free wi-fi is standard. 

My room was on the third floor of a clean looking and smelling hotel.  Quiet was all around and my large king room was a tiny oasis.  I found the room neat, styled nicely in warm browns and khakis.  Dark wood, deep brown leather and granite are all around the room from the wet bar to the bathroom counter.  Long mirrors are on both the bathroom door and closet door, which is a nice touch. Additionally, a mirror is above the wet bar, another great location.  I liked the feel and layout in the room.  You enter a sitting area with a sectional sofa and over sized coffee table/ottoman.  A large flat screen television (that swivels for the couch or bed) is set on the wall in the middle of the room and a wood half wall divides the bed from the sitting area.  It’s a nice touch.  What I didn’t like about this room was the noise of the bathroom fan.  It was incredibly loud, droning and you had no way of shutting if off unless you wanted a dark bathroom.  A light inside the shower would have been an added bonus since the interior shower/toilet light was so dim.  Additionally, the bed while large, clean and fluffy looking had stiff sheets and too soft pillows.  I was not a fan.  I wanted something a bit more upscale feeling as I fell asleep. 

Breakfast and snacks are available 24/7 at the Hyatt Place. You can place an order with the front desk or on a kiosk in the breakfast nook.  You can easily charge to your room or on a credit card and food comes out in a relatively quick time frame.  However, my soup the first night was cold. Not lukewarm, but cold.  Having it in my room I did not want to take it back down to the lobby to be heated.  The next morning my potatoes at breakfast were so dry they were hard as rocks.  I think too much microwaving is going on in this kitchen.  When I eat at a hotel I expect better fare than what I receive on an airplane and the Hyatt Place was sadly lacking in this department.  My second breakfast- an egg and sausage el burrito ($6.50) was a bit better but I was not expecting much after my earlier experience.  All that being said you could easily just have the continental breakfast of bagels, toast, muffins, mini-donuts, oatmeal and fruit for free.  I just like some protein to start my day.  The Equinox diner is right down the street and serves food at all hours.  Plenty of other restaurants are right near by that also serve many types of food.

I wanted to like the Hyatt Place a lot after I checked in.  It’s clean, the staff is helpful and very personable. They play a lot of roles while on the clock and do it well.  There is a quiet calm to this Hyatt Place and that can go along way.  Ultimately though I have to give it a lower rating due to the food quality.  Pictures on the website are actually reflective of what the hotel looks like. 

MPR Rating:  Three Stars.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post. Review was conducted while on business travel.  Opinions are MPR’s only. 

*Images from hyatt.com, renalto.com, expedia.com

Maya Water Facial Mist

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The first facial mist from Norway, Maya Water Facial Mist (about $30) is pure, energizing thermal spa water straight from Skogshorn in Hemsedal. 

http://www.youtube.com/get_player

Visit the Maya Water Facial Mist page on Facebook!  Look for their other mists in Organic White Tea and Organic Acai. 

MPR Rating:  Three Stars.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post.  Products received are for review purposes only.  Opinions are MPR’s only. 

Liaison Affinia- Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

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The Liaison, an Affinia hotel is located right near Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and a quick walk to Union Station. The 343-room boutique hotel is designed with a feel for the city. Black and white pictures of a suited man in various Washington locations adorn the hallways. The photos have an espionage feel to them and the darkened lobby gives off a definite secretiveness that is fun.

We stayed at the Liaison as a weekend getaway and it proved to be a quiet, clean and an enjoyable stay. While we did not use the destination restaurant, Art & Soul, created by former chef to Oprah, Art Smith we did hear some good reviews of the establishment. The hotel has a spa, freebies like contact lens solution, which goes beyond the toothpaste as a usual freebie, a universal charger, a fitness kit with a yoga mat, ankle weights, and exercise DVDs. The Liaison also has an extensive pillow menu that includes, among others, a “sound pillow” with built-in speakers and an iPod hookup. If you are looking for something unique, fun and a bit different while in this area of the city then it is a nice hotel.

The rooms are sized accordingly for a city hotel and I loved the decor. It was clean, modern and the whole espionage, “meet me at a secret location” vibe continues in the rooms. Tiny cards on the desk are left like notes with your “mission”, if you choose to accept it. It was perfect for a weekend getaway. Our king bed was comfortable and the room was clean. What I disliked was the bathroom. The golden light was too dark and the space was cramped. The eco-friendly Gilchrist & Soames toiletries are a nice touch, including the ones in pump form in the shower. However, our bathroom had seen better days. The dark wood sink and cabinet was small and chipped. The wallpaper was peeling and the whole bathroom felt shoddy and slapped together. For a hotel that was only opened in October 2008 it shouldn’t look this way.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay. It is a quiet location, the neighborhood is dead at night, and the hotel does offer a special feel. A spa, indoor pool and rooftop pool are available as is a fitness room. A bar in the lobby with stylish couches is a nice touch as well. Service was good, not exceptional, but good. We had no complaints.
MPR Rating: Three Stars.
Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review purposes only. Opinions are the writers at MPR’s only.

Rediscover Outdoor Fun

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There is no better time than summer to take your family camping for some good, old-fashioned outdoor fun. What got me thinking about camping this year was the Great American Backyard Campout that happened on Saturday, June 25th. It was a nationwide event meant to bring people together to enjoy nature and each other’s company without the distractions of electronics and the stresses of everyday life. My friends and family enjoyed a great night of outdoor fun! It was quite refreshing to be away from the computer and the TV, even just for a night. It made me want to actually go camping this summer, and I’m definitely looking forward to it! If you are planning on camping this summer, be sure to stock up on all your supplies at REI!
No matter where your adventures take you, travel with a cozy home for your entire family! REI has tents for families of all sizes. Get the REI Camp Dome Tent for four people or for six people! If you need to fit even more people, try out the gigantic REI Kingdom 8 tent! These tents are rugged, built to survive any weather you may encounter while you are on your adventure. They are constructed to be easily set up as well so that you can spend more time having fun and less time wrestling with your tent.

Keep everyone in the family warm and snuggly with their very own sleeping bag. REI has a wide selection of sleeping bags all made from different materials tailored specifically for certain temperatures and weather conditions. If your summer travels take you somewhere warm, try out the REI Travel Sack +55 Sleeping Bag. It’s lightweight and packs to the size of a football, so it takes up almost no room in your luggage and it is light enough to carry long distances. It’s warm enough to keep you cozy and light enough that you won’t be miserable in hotter summer temperatures. This sleeping bag has tons of great reviews already, so you can be sure that this is a quality product!

Bring your home cooked meals into the great outdoors! Keep your family well feed even while you’re out on an adventure. Bring your own camping stove with you for as low as $22.95! That’s a small price to pay for feeding an entire family. Let your kids have fun making food too. Give them the Camper’s Dream Play and Freeze Original Ice Cream Maker – the toy that makes ice cream! Just add cream, sugar, and ice, then roll it around and have fun! After that, you will have homemade ice cream in minutes!

No matter what you need for camping, REI has supplies for your entire family. Become and REI member and you can save even more! REI members get free shipping with online orders over $50. You can get all your summer camping supplies delivered right to your front door hassle free! Want to save even more on your summer fun? Check out all these REI coupon codes and see what money saving deals are in store for you!

Great Wolf Lodge Pocono Mountains, PA

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Great Wolf Lodge located in Pocono Mountains; PA is a family-friendly resort that all ages can enjoy. We visited as part of the Reviewers Retreat in May taking my five, two and ten-month old along for the short visit. For three days, we splashed, swam, rode water slides, played games and had a ball. Inside it was a balmy 84 degrees in the water park. Outside it, was a rainy, grey mess but who cared?

While there my family of five stayed in a family suite (sleeps four, max of six) that had two queen beds, a sofa with a pullout couch (queen-sized) and a small table with a balcony. My girls loved sitting at the tiny two-person table eating their lunch and dinner while my husband and I sat at the larger two-person table inside. A microwave, refrigerator and countertop were also in the room. This was a huge convenience as we packed a cooler full of drinks and snacks and used both appliances during our stay. It is tough to leave the room to eat all the time when you have three little ones. That was why I was so surprised and dismayed that room service was not available at Great Wolf Lodge. There was no room service and actually very little options when it came to dining in general. Just because we are at a family-oriented establishment does not mean I want to eat fried food and pizza all the time. A lack luster buffet and snack shack and ice cream parlor were our only options for each meal and it made us glad that our stay did not go beyond three days. That is a real shame. We are not into specialized foods and none of has have food allergies either but I would have liked more options than sugar-laden foods at breakfast and fast food type items at lunch and dinner. There is a Starbucks and bakery on premises as well.


Other than the food issue, we loved staying at Great Wolf Lodge in Pocono Mountains. It was easy to navigate despite being under renovations. The lifeguards on staff are located every five feet it seemed and I always felt that my family and I were safe while using the water park. There are four pools located in the park and that does not include the adult only swim area. The wave pool was a big hit with my kids and so were the water slides. My oldest loved waiting for the big “wooden” bucket to pour our its contents from the sky every few minutes. There are slides and games for all ages and I loved that about the park. No age was discriminated and it made for a great time. Another plus that I adored was the wrist bands. Everyone gets one, except those under three, and you wear them the whole time. You can have them activated for charging purposes effectively eliminating the need to carry your debit or credit card or wallet while at the waterpark or anywhere else on site. That was so wonderful! It makes life so much easier, especially in that that type of environment.

Great Wolf Lodge has accommodations for all sizes of families and groups from large too small. There are suites with bunk beds and bigger eating areas and more. I hope the bathrooms are bigger in those rooms. Our four to six person bathroom was quite tiny with only room for a shower and toilet. It was a surprise to find a family resort with that sort of bathroom. Maybe Great Wolf will consider renovating that portion of their facilities next.

Despite the food choices and small bathroom, Great Wolf is a fun, special place to stay. Your kids will love the story time, water park, arcade and MagiQuest adventures that are programmed throughout the site. The bear hunt my kids went on was a blast for them as was the arts and crafts room. The Gr8 Space for older kids is good too. All ages can enjoy this place and we would go back to another location again in the future.

MPR Rating: Four Stars/Three Stars (Four for fun, three for food)

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post. Products received are for review and test purposes only. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge as part of the Reviewers Retreat. Opinions are MPR’s only.


*Images from stlmommy.com, golflink.com and followatswu.com

Hampton Inn & Suites, Radcliff, KY

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Newly built and right off I-31 W and close to the Fort Knox Army base, the Hampton Inn in Radcliff, KY offers nice rooms at an affordable rate. There are over 70 rooms at this location. There is ample free parking, free Internet access, free hot breakfast and a little store with snacks.

When I entered this Hampton Inn & Suites I was not greeted by staff. After waiting a few minutes the front desk clerk finally greeted me with, “I suppose you need a room key.” My first reaction was to look around and wonder what old movie I had wandered into but no, I was still in the Hampton Inn. After that gruff greeting by the clerk, who I later realized was the manager, I went up to my room. This hotel is new and the rooms and hallways are clean and bright. There are fresh, warm cookies and fruit in the lobby with water or coffee that is all complimentary. It is a wise and appreciated touch.

My room was a nice size and had the Cozy Hampton Bed and Purity Basics Bath Amenities. A coffee and tea maker, 42-inch LCD TV, curved shower rod and Waterpik Shower head are all part of the comfort you find at Hampton Inn & Suites. It was quiet in my room despite being on the highway side. I had no issues with my room or bathroom. It was clean and pleasant both days I stayed there. The sheets are soft and the towels are a decent size.

My free hot breakfast was a bit of a disappointment. I have stayed at a few Hampton Inn’s and this one was not as good as others in the breakfast department. The food was running low at eight in the morning and it took about fifteen to twenty minutes for them to replenish just the eggs. Eggs that were full of cheese and cubed ham. If you are a vegetarian or watching your weight this protein option is not for you. A huge misstep in my book. Meat lovers could have sausage and bacon, why not offer eggs free of meat? It tasted very processed too.

I like staying at Hampton Inn & Suites typically because they are a good deal with newish facilities, close to major attractions and comfortable. The Radcliff, KY one is as well it just needs some minor tweaks in customer service and food.

MPR Rating: Three Stars.

Disclaimer: MPR was not paid for this post. Travel is for review and business purposes only. Opinions are MPR’s only.