Review The Parker Meridien New York

I chose the Parker Meridien for a weekend trip to NYC in March. Its location on West 56th between 6th and 7th Ave. made it ideal for shopping, dining, and theater going. The lobby is stylish; and the surprising burger smell wafting through the lobby was a hit for meat eaters like us. The "hidden" Burger Joint serves up burgers and fries for those-in-the-know all day long.   Norma's has a delicious breakfast with french press coffee I'm still trying to recreate and applewood smoked bacon that's so thick and tasty it rivals my favorite served at the Kimpton hotels. Our bill for breakfast each morning topped the $100 mark, so keep that in mind when you're budgeting.

Our room was spacious and way beyond New York standards. The two oversized twin beds and pull out sofa worked well for our party of four. It was a challenge to find a reasonably priced room with much space at all for four. The Parker Meridian's junior suite had two televisions, an eating area and a reasonably sized bathroom.

The rooftop pool had amazing views of Central Park and is open most of the day giving you a chance to take a dip after a long day of wondering around the city.

The shot glasses in the bathrooms were a nice touch, as were the Peter Thomas Roth products:

I'd recommend a stay at the Parker Meridien mostly for its location and style. My only reservation would be the extra charges like $10 for the toothbrush I forgot (hint: there's a Duane Reade across the street); $6 for each of the wine glasses I asked to be sent to the room (I've always tipped on the service; but haven't been charged for using wine glasses before); and the WiFi charges of $12/hour in the lobby or $16/day in your room is always a pet peeve of ours.

If you're curious to check it out yourself, they're offering specials starting in the $300 range. Happy travels!

On Our Radar: W London

If all this talk about the royal wedding has you thinking about making a trip across the pond, here's another reason: The newly opened W London - Leicester Square Hotel. The hotel is centrally located near the West End theaters (The upcoming Batman is another reason to head to London this summer) and the shopping on Regents and Oxford Streets.

In the Wonderful rooms the sinks are in the middle, a take on the American trend of putting tubs in the center of the room. (The shower is behind closed doors.) The rooms feature Bliss spa products and iPod docs.

When it's time to party, you can hit the Wyld Club or the Lounge Bar. There's a branch of NYC's Spice Market in the hotel for meals that are both delicious, fun and sexy.

Ready to go? When you book two nights, the third is free. Get ready to call in sick that Monday!

Kentucky Derby Tickets on RueLaLa

Annie at the Kentucky Derby with her friend Clint.

Attending the Kentucky Derby is one of the items we've already crossed off our Bucket List--so we can tell you this Hats and Horses package from RueLaLa is definitely worth it! It includes:

• Two First Floor Clubhouse tickets to the horse races at Churchill Downs on May 6 for Oaks Day (3-year old fillies race. Race aficionados often think say it's even more exciting than the Derby.) and May 7 for the Derby.  
• Three nights in a Deluxe Room at the Hyatt Regency, Louisville. 
• Access to an exclusive on-site concierge to assist you with any needs that may arise.
• And more.

The boutique closes on Friday, so act fast!

Viceroy Miami Review

We're just back from our girls' getaway to Miami, where we stayed at the Viceroy in the downtown area.  The best thing about the hotel was the decor--the rooms, lobby and public spaces are light and airy, as befitting the climate, but don't cross the line into austere. The bed was super comfy and the bathroom was enormous.

The pool at the Viceroy is on the 15th floor and while the hotel isn't on the beach, there's plenty of water all around. It's within walking distance from the Epic Hotel and the delicious Zuma, a Japanese restaurant. (We not only saw Lebron James there--turns out our group kept him waiting for his table!) You can see the Mandarin Oriental from the pool.

Our main complaints about the hotel revolve around the pool. While there was plenty of seating, including comfy beds that easily fit our group of three, there are NO umbrellas. While there is plenty of shade, it moves around. So if you want to be in the shade all day, you're going to have to chase it around. Plus, it made hard for all three of us to sit together when one wanted sun and the others didn't.

The other—and—bigger complaint about the Viceroy is that the food, both at the pool and from room service, is really bad. At the pool, it's served to you in a brown paper grocery bag and the food itself comes in flimsy plastic containers. It doesn't taste good either. Sandwiches were dry and salad dressings were bland. On our last day, we went off property to nearby Rosa Mexicana because we all agreed we didn't want to eat our last meal of the trip in Miami at the Viceroy.

The spa, however, was one of the most beautiful we've ever seen. Those are the plunge pools and hot tubs below. The gigantic yellow chandelier is the center piece of the room. Entrance to the spa is free for guests. We didn't have time to experience a spa treatment on this trip.

What else? The crowd at the hotel was a mix--lots of Europeans and South Americans (who made for good eye candy), a handful of families and at least one bachelorette party. The scene at the hotel's Club 50 was a bit too young for our tastes--we're guessing 25 and younger. But the views from the 50th floor are certainly worth seeing.

Let us know if you have any questions about our stay!

On Our Radar: The Viceroy Miami

We're headed south this morning, destination: the Viceroy Miami. We couldn't be more excited to spend a couple of nights in such a chic hotel and this time Mother Nature cooperated by dishing us some mighty fine weather. You'll find us poolside in the afternoon and at Club 50 late night. We may never leave the hotel!

Are you in need of some Vitamin D? The Viceroy Miami is currently offering a free night when you stay two nights (it averages to about $265 per night).

On Our Radar: Kimpton Celebrates Its Big 3-0

Happy 30th to one of our very favorite hotel chains: Kimpton Hotels. We hesitate to call Kimpton a chain, since each property has its own style and character, from the original Hotel Monaco in San Francisco with its strips to the Sky Hotel in Aspen with its chic lobby and apres ski-scene to the built from the group up Ink 48 on the edges of Manhattan with a stunning rooftop bar (shown above).

Kimpton won us over years ago with their innovative ideas like hotel wide pet-friendliness, commitment to environmentalism, their humor, the wine hour, the goldfish and much more. They're celebrating their thirtieth birthday since the first hotel opened in San Francisco and sharing the celebration with guests in a number of ways:

Birthday Cheers! On April 1st, Kimpton hotels are extending their daily wine hour and serving cupcakes and special wine selections.

Write Here, Right Now Starting today, Kimpton fans can win a free night by telling the favorite birthday story through a poem, haiku, sonnet or funny rhyme. Voting will be on Facebook and 30 submissions will receive free nights.

Birthday Spa Bonus Kimpton is giving an additional 30 minutes free to a 50 minute in-room massage throughout April (use the code "30th Birthday when you book).

Kimpton Style Savings Wishing you'd brought home one of Kimpton's big puffy animal print robes? From April 1st to the 14th, all purchases on KimptonStyle.com will reflect an automatic 30 percent discount.

On Our Radar: New Orleans Jazz Fest

Jazz Fest kicks off in a month on April 29th, so plan your trip now. We'd love to stay at the new Hotel Le Marais on Conti Street less than a block from Bourbon Street where rooms start at a remarkably low $109! They give you a cocktail at checkin; but if you go, try their purple cocktail at the bar and let us know what you think.

The guestrooms are a cool mix of neutrals and eggplant. Since the hotel opened in November, there's a good chance everything is still fresh. We're digging the free WiFi, complimentary breakfast, granite bathrooms, free bottles of water, and iPod docking stations.

Need more reason to check out Hotel Le Marais? It has the biggest outdoor hot tub in the French Quarter. Happy travels!

On Our Radar: Le Parker Meridien NY

A weekend trip to NYC with my girls will be especially fun with a suite at Le Parker Meridien on West 56th St. We chose it for the Midtown location near Central Park, Times Square, shopping and much more. The enclosed rooftop pool with views of the park is unbeatable, as is breakfast at Norma's, the coffee in the Knave and the TDF burgers at the Burger Joint. If only I didn't give up red meat for lent!

They have a 20% off special when you stay two or more nights (Thursdays to Saturdays) and a Bed and Breakfast package which includes a decadent breakfast at Norma's. Both available on line.

On Our Radar: Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have arrived in New York. The boutique hotel experts with both on-line and 24 hour in-house advisors, lend their advice on over 700 fabulous hotels worldwide. All of their hotspots have been visited and reviewed at least twice- once by a team member and once by a tastemaker (think Stella McCartney, Dita von Teese and Cate Blanchett). Check their site for these in depth and quirky reviews.

You don't have to be a member to book on-line; but members get special perks like money-back and exclusive travel deals. James Lohan and his wife, Tamara, started the company in London in 2003 after an unfortunate travel experience. "We go to extraordinary lengths to select the world’s best boutique hotels, and then we anonymously review all of them so we’re certain it’s the most passionately discerning collection on the planet," said Lohan.

We checked MrandMrsSmith.com for NYC just see to if they're on target with their choices. Sure enough they recommended and insightfully reviewed some of our favorite boutique hotels like the Soho House (pictured above), the Standard NY, the Ace Hotel, the Greenwich Hotel and more.

Spring Skiiing at Beaver Creek's Westin Riverfront

We had a memorable trip to the Westin Riverfront last winter and have dreamed of going back ever since. The Westin sits at the base of Beaver Creek with its own gondola that shuttles you up the mountain. The rooms were over-the-top posh with modern furnishings and gorgeous views of the mountain. The Westin also boasts a happening apres-ski scene, good restaurant and decadent spa.The Westin

Ritz-Carlton New Orleans Lundi Gras Ride of a Lifetime

No doubt this package is meant for those with the deepest of pockets; but we can always dream.The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans is offering the Lundi Gras Ride of a Lifetime which includes a ride for two couples on Harry Connick, Jr.'s float in the Krewe of Orpheus parade the night before Mardi Gras (March 7th), a two night stay in the Ritz-Carlton penthouse, breakfast in bed, limo service, tuxes from

On Our Radar: Hotel Theodore in Scottsdale

We stayed at the Mondrian in Scottsdale for our first trip after creating The Jet Set Girls, so we were sad to hear it closed. Opened in its place is the Hotel Theodore and by the looks of it, not a lot changed. The public spaces were open, chic and modern; but the guestrooms were on the small side and the bathrooms were definitely not big enough for our group of four. Your best bet is to come

W Hotels' Global Glam Style

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.We love shopping their gift stores, so it follows that seeing W Global Glam come to life was one of our highlights of fashion week. The W presented looks inspired by three of its hotels—Mexico City, Taipei and Austin, with fashions from Eugenia Kim, Mara Hoffman, Twinkle by Wenlan, Clare Vvier, Deepa Gurnani, Noir, Paola Hernandez, I-Luck, Myne, Posse, Shaesby,

Ritz-Carlton Toronto Opens Today

The Ritz-Carlton is coming to Canada today with the opening of its Toronto hotel near the financial and performing arts districts. While we're looking to head south this month, we're excited to know there's an outpost of the Ritz next time we have an opportunity to go to Toronto. The guestrooms are predictably lux with floor to ceiling windows overlooking either Lake Ontario or the city and the

On Our Radar: $1 Rooms at the JW Marriott LA Live

On Tuesday, February 15th, the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live is celebrating its birthday by giving away 10 packages worth almost $4,000 for just $1. We're hoping to head to LA ourselves so this chance couldn't have come at a better time! There's plenty to do with the Nokia Theatre, the Staples Center, and the Grammy Museum next door and the LA Zoo, the Hollywood sign and more nearby.Here's

Viceroy Decorator Now Designing Clothes

Kelly Wearstler, decorator of the gorge Viceroy hotels (that's the Viceroy Miami, above), is branching out and designing a line of clothes. “So much of my influence in interior design comes from fashion, and everything relating to fashion, from jewelry, which can be reminiscent of sculpture, to the colors and silhouettes that I find in clothing. This feels like a natural evolution,” Wearstler

Beach Week Day 5: Soho Beach House Miami

The recently opened Soho Beach House Miami is everything its sister properties in New York, West Hollywood, Berlin and the originals in Britain are: chic, fun, and exclusive. We never turn down an invite to the members-only club in the Meat Packing District (and neither would we at the Beach House); but the easiest way to get in is to book a room in one of the hotel's fifty bedrooms- then you

Beach Week Day 2: Vegas "Beach" Scene

We know there's no real beach in Las Vegas; but those hoteliers have spent billions recreated beaches at their hotspots. We bet you can drum up at least as much fun at these "beaches" than one of mother nature's.With the biggest beach in town at 11 acres, our first choice would be Mandalay Bay's but unfortunately it's closed this winter. The good news is that it'll be back better (and possibly

Beach Week Day 1: St. Barth

We're in the middle of the snowiest winter in our lifetime (on the east coast, at least) so there's no better time to start our annual beach week. First up is the Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France.This boutique hotel is one of the chicest options on what is arguably the chicest island in all of the Caribbean. Room options include a simple garden or beach rooms, suites and the new 3-bedroom

Special Rates for the Palazzo and Venetian

We had such a great time at the Palazzo for Anne's bachelorette that we're tempted to go back by the special Internet rates starting at only $129/night. Sure there are plenty of new places opening all the time in Vegas; but what we love most about the Palazzo and the Venetian is their location right in the middle of everything on the strip, the Canyon Ranch Spa, the over sized rooms and the great