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Route 53 - Life is A Highway, Travels: The Route 53

Palm’s Place (Vegas)

March 7, 2010 erikhom@aol.com 2 Comments

The Palm’s Place (Las Vegas, NV)

4381 West Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89103
Reservations: L 702-932-7777 | F 702-944-3257 |

http://www.palmsplace.com

The Palm’s Place in Vegas offers the perfect alternative for someone who enjoys the glitz and glamour of the Vegas club scene but likes to retire to the peace and quiet sanctuary that bigger hotels don’t offer, yet keeps the flair and sense of style that made Vegas famous during the Rat Pack years. There is something about driving up to a hotel in Las vegas without seeing any cabs. There is even more when you walk into the lobby of a Vegas hotel and realize there are no slot machines, gambling tables in sight! The peace and quiet was deafening. Oh, and you couldn’t smell a hint of cigarettes or cigars.

Upon a longer stay you will also note there are few chambermaids (not sure if we ever saw one) blocking your hallways or chattering outside your room. The front desk was very helpful with reservations and providing us with amenities into the nightclubs at the Palm’s Casino.

Originally designed as condos only by the Maloof brothers, many went unsold and are used as hotel rooms. Included among the amenities are a beautiful spa, a great restaurant, beautiful pool with cabanas, and a quiet bar. Separated from the Palm’s Casino by a 300 yard indoor moving walkway which protects you from the Winter cold or the Summer heat, one has access to the casino, top concerts, movieplex and 4 top notch clubs (Ghost Bar, the World’s only Playboy Club, Rain, and Moon) without ever needing to step outside, deal with coat checks, valets, or taxis. It should be noted that when makeing a reservation one should also check the Palm’s Place for specials which might get you priotity access to one of the clubs, spa credits, restaurant discounts and/or free drinks. A recent stay in December 2009 netted $50 in restaurant credits, a free entry for two to the spa, and two drinks at the bar (the bartender served us another on the house)

The Simon Lounge Restaurant looks over the pool deck which offers a very open feeling and probably some good people watching during the summer months. The food while good probably isn’t up to par with what you would find at Caesar’s or the bellagio, but it was above average and with a $50 credit, we weren’t being picky.

The Palm’s Place rooms offer private balconies with views of the casino as well as the entire Strip as it sits on Flamingo across the highway (a $10 cab ride to Caesar’s). Each room provides a modern efficiency kitchen, spacious bathroom with jacuzzi bath and walk in rain spout shower. The jacuzzi tub is encased in frosted transluscent glass which seems to be the new architectural feature du jour (see the Thompson LES review) along with the rain spout shower (see Carneros Inn).

As one who believes that cooking while on vacation is not a vacation, I am usually not a fan of condominiums, but this room was very well done. I like full service resorts and hotels with great little amenities, stylistic design and great service. The Palm’s Place is definitely an upgrade over the Palm’s Casino.

Most of the rooms are designed as studio suites. So they might not be large enough for many. A note about a condominium that is designed for a GQ bachelor. The room had two flat screen TVs, a lounging area that you could sleep in, mirrored walls with New Century stone wall accents to make the room feel larger than it is. There still is only one bathroom, one sink, etc. The lighting is subtle and the room might feel like a night club even in the middle of the day.

There is a 2 bedroom option which has a unique feature of a soaking bathtub in the window overlooking the Strip. You can’t get more fabulous that that!

Route 53 - Life is A Highway, Travels: The Route 53

Silverado Resort (Napa, CA)

September 18, 2009 erikhom@aol.com Leave a comment

The Silverado Resort (Napa Valley, CA)

1600 Atlas Peak Road, Napa, CA 94558

Reservations: L 707 757 0200 | T 800 532 0500 |

http://www.silveradoresort.com

One of the great advantages of living in the San Francisco Bay Area is the ability to find a restful world class resort within a short drive for a long weekend. The Silverado Resort has been a place wher I have attended weddings, corporate meetings, and professional golf events. But mostly I have come here to relax and play some golf.

At the center of the Silverado Resort and Country Club is a mansion constructed in the 1870s. While built with Italian and French architectural features, one can’t help but notice a plantation type feel to the main building and the adjoining administrative facilities (conference center, clubhouse, and tennis and recreation buildings). The mansion operates as the concierge and reception area and also houses a restaurant and bar. While the main building might feel stuffy, the accommodations are Napa Valley casual. The only other bit of stuffiness you might feel is that you must not wear short shorts on the golf course and collared shirts are required for those playing.

The resort is a full service resort that can accomodate large corporate meetings, weddings, tournaments, or just local tourist visits. Guests have at their disposal two 18 hole championship golf courses that have hosted PGA, LPGA, and Senior PGA events since the 1950s. Additionally, the hotel provides a new state of the art spa facility, a large pool area with whirlpool spa (there are 6 other pool areas), 17 tennis courts, a large conference and banquet facility, complimentary wi-fi, and bar & dining area. All rooms are supplied with Aveda bath products, and the bathrooms are large with a sit in tub shower although some might find the toilet and shower in the same room to be a little cramped. Rooms aren’t lavishly furnished but have a simple winery decor. We were also supplied a complimentary bottle of Chardonnay from the Silverado winery.

Located at the Southern end of Napa one block to the East of the Silverado Trail this resort is easily accessible to downtown Napa, the Silverado Trail wineries, and plenty of restaurants in the Napa Valley. Located on over 1200 acres , the resort is very quiet and is surrounded by vacation homes that are rented out by homeowners as an alternative to staying in the hotel. Miscellaneous: Silverado is constantly having sales depending upon the time of year. There are mid-week specials, lovers packages, golf packages, etc. Sign up for their newsletter on their website for details or at least make sure to follow their website. The best deals are in the Fall when the weather is cooler and the crowds are smaller. The Grill serves a nice Breakfast Buffet that you can enjoy inside or out on the patio overlooking the golf course.

Most of the rooms at the resort are located in 1 or 2 story condos/bungalows located in short walking distance from the main building in well manicured grounds. These bungalows can be configured into studio, one bedroom or two bedroom accommodations. The 1 or 2 bedroom configurations come complete with fully equipped kitchen and living room entertainment area and fireplacefor those cold Napa Valley nights. Ground floor units have an outside sitting area as well as a gated little courtyard. Upper units have a sliding door opeining to a balcony. The rooms aren’t perfectly quiet and we often could hear the couple upstairs or people walking by late at night, but overall the environment is fairly quiet and you’ll hear more crickets than anything else.

One of the older resorts in the Napa Valley, it lacks the chicness and intimacy of the new resorts built in recent years, but the resort still holds as a nice larger resort for conferences and young families. Many other resorts such as the Gage House in Sonoma discourage young children.

If you are a golfer, this resort marks one of the better places to stay and play. When you pull up the main circle driveway and see the mansion and the majestic palm trees, you can ‘t help but feel relaxed. The Silverado Spa is located across the street and although fairly new and seems to get a lot of business.

Walking around in the morning you find guests running the pathways, walking hand in hand in jogging suits or doing yoga by the side of the golf course.

I found it easy to just roll out of bed, walk over to the golf course and hit a bucket of golf balls on the range. Playing golf does require you to take a golf cart as the courses are pretty spread out and can be hilly in some areas especially in the heat of summer.

Part of the beauty of San Francisco is that there are so many beautiful places within easy driving distance from the city. Over the years we have taken advantage of the resort for long weekends. Golf specials have been a favorite of mine with my wife or golf buddies where we could stay and play. We have also taken advantage of romantic weekends where we could enjoy a glass of wine or two and not have to drive all the way home. On this particular occasion we took advantage of a 50% off end of summer package with our kids. The resort is very kid friendly and bringing your tennis rackets and golf clubs is recommended for locals. Playing a twilight round of golf will still cost you aroun$80 (with cart).

Yes, bring your bathing suit too. We ran into many friends who were also up their with their young families to enjoy the good weather and pool (Napa tends to be about 10-20 degrees warmer than San Francisco during the summer). I should note that in all the times I’ve stayed there, other than the corporate BBQs and catering, I have only eaten the brunch at their grill ($18 buffet) and had drinks in their bar. There are so many local chocies in the valley for cuisine from the Red Hen Cantina to Mustard’s Grill to Tra Vigne no matter what budget or experience you are looking for.

Route 53 - Life is A Highway, Travels: The Route 53

The Chamberlain – Hollywood, CA

February 22, 2009 erikhom@aol.com 1 Comment

CHAMBERLAIN WEST HOLLYWOOD

1000 Westmount Drive

West Hollywood, California 90069
Reservations 800 201 9652 | T 310 657 7400 | F 310 854 6744

www.chamberlainwesthollywood.com

Cost: $ /$$

Hotel Decor: 89 Very Hollywood chic, but not tacky. Remodeled apartment building.

Hotel Amenities: 85 All rooms are studios with sunken living areas. There is a small bar/restaurant and beuatiful roof pool with sweeping views of Los Angeles

Neighborhood Scene: 90 Located between West Sunset and Santa Monica Blvds. If you are looking for nightlife and are into the club scene, this is a great neighborhood

Miscellaneous: Also convenient to the Beverly Center Mall (15 minute walk), theatres and plenty of restaurants

Overall Wow Factor: 85 For me I just like the scene. The hotel room is spacious and comfortable and the roof top pool at sunset on a warm night is a great urban setting.

The Chamberlain is a unique hotel in West Hollywood a few blocks down from trendy Sunset Strip. It is a converted apartment building and caters mostly to male travelers. On several occasions I’ve met screenwriters and other entertainment executives looking for a quiet and economical hotel options. Be warned that prices can increase significantly during the holiday season.

Since my Southern California office is near this location it tends to be my home away from home. I do enjoy the friendly service from Angel (yes, she is a struggling actress) who runs the morning breakfast area to the wonderful poolside service at night where I like to rest in one of the cabanas. it makes me think of starlettes in their white 50s bikinis with big sunglasses and palms trees sipping tropical drinks.

As this used to be an apartment building, each room is a studio apartment with a balcony and a gas fireplace. The bathrooms are fairly tight (a couple I know that stayed there complained about the lack of room for two people), but overall there is ample room. Interesting to note is that there is a beauty bar full of products but most of them are geared toward men which might speak more to the West Hollywood neighborhood .

The king bed option is luxurious and the bed sits in the upper half of the studio and you walk down a few steps down to the living area. A flat screen television sits between the two levels. the room also comes equipped with the standard iHome clock radio which I’m starting to see in every hotel so be sure to bring you Ipod nano along. I personally do not like to put my Nano in the iHome as I don’t want to forget it when rushing out in the morning.

The studio is comfortable for me and makes me feel like it is a place that I could see myself living in if I were still a bachelor. This is important to me as it helps me to get to sleep at night. The brown and blue colors as well as the fabric covered walls bring a nice homey feel to each room which makes it feel less like a hotel.

Close by I recommend getting a little lunch at one of the outdoor cafes and do some people watching on Sunset. If you aren’t from the area, it’ll just make you smile and shake your head. It is just a good way of checking out Hollywood and being part of the scene. You’ll know if there are famous people if you see lots of people with cameras snapping away. Some good places to eat are Caffe Primo at 8538 W. Sunset, Le Petit Four at 8654 W. Sunset and Le Clafoutis at 8630 W. Sunset.

Route 53 - Life is A Highway, Travels: The Route 53

Rio Hotel Las Vegas – Hotel Review

January 15, 2009 erikhom@aol.com 1 Comment

View of the Rio from the top of the Palms

Rio All-Suites Hotel ( a Harrah’s Property)

www.riolasvegas.com
3700 W Flamingo Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89103
(702) 777-7634

Cost: $

Hotel Decor:78(feels like an older hotel with sterile and not very tasteful decor. Floor to ceiling windows was the best asset)

Hotel Amenities: 80 (Like all hotels this one has a casino. All rooms are suites )

Neighborhood Scene: 80 (Not located on the strip but across from the Palms)

Miscellaneous: 80 (Restaurants are not the equal of those on the Strip)

Overall Wow Factor: 77 (Nothing spectacular here. The hotel is not very glamourous compared to its neighbor, The Palms)

I recently stayed at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas for a convention. The room rate was $129. Next door the Gold Coast rate was $29. The best part about the Rio is that people love the spacious rooms, the floor to ceiling windows and the views of the Strip. The main performer at he Rio is the longtime Vegas act of Penn and Teller. The hotel is also the home of the World Series of Poker

Obviously if you don’t like gambling or can’t deal with all the smoke, you wouldn’t be in Vegas. This is definitely a hotel for conventioneers. The one interesting amenity in the room is a strange looking frame next to the bed that turns out to be a window from the bathroom to the bedroom. Yes you can actually watch someone in the shower or watch your bedroom from the shower. It supposed to let light into the bathroom, but it just seemed odd to me. The hotel’s amenities were not that great. They charge you another $20 to use their gym.

The Rio is part of the Harrah’s chain so get a Total Rewards card and you will get credit for some of their more upscale properties such as Caesars. The hotel is only 51 stories high in the Masquerade Tower which has a nightclub and restaurant (VooDoo Steakhouse). If you are a steak connoisseur I might suggest going somewhere else although the dinner was not that expensive.

For those with kids, once again I suggest that Vegas is not for children. Reserve a home off the Strip if you are bringing a family

Travels: The Route 53

Hotel On Rivington- New York

August 9, 2008 erikhom@aol.com Leave a comment

THE HOTEL ON RIVINGTON (THOR)

www.hotelonrivington.com

107 Rivington St.

New York, NY 10002

212-475-2600

Cost: $$$$

Hotel Decor: 95 (some aging, but overall THOR is stunning if you like boutique urban design)

Hotel Amenities: 90 (Don’t miss the summer roof deck parties. Ask and research with the staff)

Neighborhood Scene: 90 (Cool chic. Relaxed. Not something for everyone)

Miscellaneous: 98 (So unique in nature you won’t stay in another hotel like it in the US)

Overall Wow Factor: 90 (some aging of the hotel and service)

The Hotel on Rivington (www.hotelonrivington.com) lived up to all the hype for me. Located on the Lower East Side, it is a great escape away from all the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan. The often unexplored LES offers a vibrant nightlife with clubs, restaurants and some unique shopping. The hotel is a sleek contrast to the rest of the neighborhood and really does stick out like a sore thumb.

Despite all my usual research I was not quite ready for the entrance to the hotel with it’s white modern sculpture entrance which felt like entering the Matterhorn at Disneyland. Secondly, I wasn’t ready to find that the reception desk was on the 2nd floor. I was so eager to see my room ( a corner with a glass shower) that I didn’t even bother to check out the lobby until I checked out. When you get to your floor, the halls are black with no windows and you just follow the glow of the red light to your room.The lack of lighting adds to the shock factor when you enter your room with floor to ceiling windows that offers sweeping views of the LES bridges, with Delancey St. below and Wall Street in the distance. The room fit the images of the photos on the website except my bathroom was black tiled compared to the yellow one I saw on the site. For all you exhibitionists out there, it should be noted that the glass shower uses frosted glass so there is really no chance of being seen from the street below.The muted cauliflower blue and brown colors fit well with the design of the room complete with automatic sliding curtains, free wi-fi, balcony and flatscreen TV. This is definitely a rock and rollers hotel. For those who like celebrity watching (raising my hand) we spotted Sarah Michelle-Gellar here as she was having a “wrap Party” for her new movie.The Hotel on Rivington towers over the LES. Once we dropped our items in the closet we explored the great stores for boutique clothing, found a restaurant for the evening (Tre) and scoped out restaurant row (Clinton St.). Although the hotel has its own restaurant, Thor, we wanted to escape from the touristy feel and have a nice casual dinner in the neighborhood. Tre is located just around the corner, one block north of the hotel and offers a quiet scene in a shotgun style restaurant with lots of good people watching as well as a great place to eaves-drop on the interesting lives of the people who live in this eclectic neighborhood. We had the prix fixe meal which was a little salty but that wasn’t why we went there. The interesting site was the tall British gal in her white hostess dress.

The low profile bed At one point this striking gal snapped on some rubber gloves, threw a large piece of prosciutto on the table and sliced it right there fresh for the patrons. It was a scene that you’d have to have seen just to visualize the oddity. Afterwards, we bar hopped, checked out the “Livingroom” , a small live music joint and then back to Thor for a drink. Looking toward the Battery We left our shades open and got up early the next morning for breakfast at the Clinton St. Bakery. I’ll discuss that at another time, but located three blocks from the hotel on Clinton and Houston, you will find the best blueberry pancakes (okay Martha Stewart discovered them first) that are just one more reason to stay down in the LES. I highly recommend the Hotel on Rivington. We didn’t get to truly experience the hotel, but the small taste that we got was enough to get us to come back to the hotel and its great neighborhood. The furniture , the interior design and the ambiance were spot on.