After 18 months of research, Hyatt has recently come out with a new array of offerings geared toward the frequent traveler. The new features are tailored to guests’ individual preferences, and include a service providing frequently forgotten items, healthy new menu options, and upgraded bath amenities. Hyatt recently invited me to be their guest at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk so I could check it all out.

Room

The hotel is incredibly beautiful. It had interesting art and chandeliers, plus huge windows overlooking the Riverwalk. Of course, one thing I hadn’t realized was that I was visiting on Saint Patrick’s day, so there were many folks out celebrating. Luckily, once I got up to my room I didn’t hear anything. Although I swear I’ve never seen so much green clothing in all of my life!

The room was really lovely. The bed was very comfortable, with a good amount of pillows. The desk was large, and even after sitting there for over an hour I still felt good. The armchair and ottoman were awesome. In the evening I turned the armchair around so I could appreciate the best part of our room—the view. The Hyatt Regency Riverwalk overlooks the Alamo (hugely famous piece of Texas history, for those of you who are unfamiliar), and from our room we could see it really well. So cool!

The bathroom was nice, with the standard granite countertop and huge mirror. It also had a magnifying makeup mirror, which was an unexpected bonus.

Hyatt Has It service

One of the new Hyatt offerings is an updated version of the standard “Did you forget something? We have it,” service that many hotels offer. Not only do they have the typical razor/toothbrush/etc items that guests can have, they have a huge list of things guests can have, buy, or borrow. For example, while I was getting ready for dinner (at Biga on the Banks—highly, highly recommend!!!) I realized that I had forgotten my curling iron. Normally something like that would end any cute-hair aspirations for the evening, but the Hyatt now even has items like curling irons that guests can borrow or buy! Other examples are makeup wipes, yoga mats, baby products, lint removers, Woolite, a wine opener, computer and phone chargers, and more. They bring it right to your door! This was awesome, and I think will be very useful to travelers moving forward.

Healthy, balanced menu offerings

Another new feature is the healthier, smaller portioned menu offerings. Guests can choose from a variety of dishes that include a protein, grains, and vegetables, available in two sizes. Everything is in season and locally sourced when possible. All of the options sounded very delicious, and I went with the chicken breast, jasmine rice, and grilled veggies. It was so good! It was very tasty, didn’t weigh me down, and it felt like I was doing something good for my body, very different from your typical room service fare. I also tried a mango smoothie, which was fantastic.

Upgraded bath amenities

The toiletries in my room were by KenetMD, and were amazing. These products have a cult-following, and for a good reason. My hair and skin felt so smooth after using them, and I totally have the shampoo and conditioner in my shower at home right now.

Service

The service at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk was incredible. I let them know I was bringing the Mini Warrior, and they had a Pack ‘n’ Play waiting in the room for us, including baby toiletries. Everyone we encountered, from the front desk person to the housekeeper to the room service delivery person was gracious, helpful, and seemed happy to be at work.

During the 18 months of research the Hyatt did to prepare for these new offerings, they talked to hundreds of women travelers to find out what was important to them on the road. I think the new Hyatt experience will make road warriors and warriorettes alike have an easier, healthier time when they’re away from home. My experience was great (as have all of my Hyatt stays), and I recommend the Hyatt hotels to everyone!

Don’t forget about the contest—you can win a free night at any Hyatt Place in the US!! Today is the last day to enter, and the winner will be announced tomorrow.

Road Warriorette was given a night free of charge in order to do this review.

Today is the last day to enter the Plantronics sponsored sweepstakes. All you have to do is answer the following question: How do you bring your business and personal life together during business trips? Click here to enter for a chance to win!

And check out the review I did of the Voyager Legend!

Sponsored Review: Plantronics Voyager Legend

Plantronics Voyager Legend Review

In honor of the new Plantronics Voyager  Legend headset, Road Warriorette will be featuring some sponsored posts on behalf of Plantronics and has been compensated for her contributions.

I’ll be honest. I’ve never successfully used a wireless headset before. I had one with my old phone but I could never make it work, and it frustrated me so much that I gave up and reverted back to my standard white iPhones headset. So when Plantronics first sent me the Voyager Legend to review I delayed using it for a while because it made me nervous. What if I hated it? What if it didn’t work right? (I feel pretty dumb for feeling that way now. Live and learn!)

The setup. I was anticipating some hideously complex setup that required a doctorate in technology. I’m so happy I was wrong! Setup was super easy. I literally put the headset on my ear, pressed a button, and had my phone search for Bluetooth devices. Took thirty seconds, done, ready to go.

Using it. Next came the really scary part: actually using it. It felt very comfortable on my ear, even when wearing it for hours. It also felt very secure and didn’t come off at all. To test it, first I had the Home Warrior go into another room and call me. The Legend said, “Incoming call from Home Warrior. Answer or ignore?”  Whichever command I chose, it understood me. The sound was great—crystal clear on both ends.

I wore it around for a couple of days, and it worked really well. I had no dropped calls or issues with it. Although one day I had my curly hair down, and I’m pretty sure the guy at Starbucks thought I was crazy and talking to myself because my hair totally hides it.

Noise canceling. The Legend blocks noise really well. I had my husband wear it and go to some noisy areas so that I could hear for myself how much background noise seeps through. Specific noises, like the Mini Warrior crying, came through some. But general background noise, like crowd noise, couldn’t be heard at all.

Call routing. This was so cool. If I answered a call on my phone, I could switch it to the headset just by putting it on. I didn’t have to push any buttons or anything.

Other stuff.  The Legend has a mute button and a button to end a call. Once I figured out which was which they were a snap to use. I also tried using it to listen to music, although since it’s only in one ear I still prefer my regular headphones for that.

My one minor complaint: I wish it came with some sort of carrying case. I felt really nervous putting it in my purse without anything protecting it, even though it did fine in there. There is a charging case that will not only store it but also charge it, but it comes out next week so I don’t have it yet.

Overall? I freaking love this thing. I can finally get up and refill my coffee without worrying about jerking wires out of my ear because I dropped my phone. I can take calls while traveling without worrying that background noise will distract my caller. I can answer calls while driving without being dangerous. It was so easy that even technologically phobic or dumb people can use it without frustration. I would certainly recommend this as an excellent, easy-to-use device to anyone who works remotely or travels.  Or really anyone who wants to be able to talk on the phone and do something else at the same time.

Available for $99.99 on the Plantronics website.

Don’t forget, we are giving away a Voyager Legend headset! The sweepstakes is open until Monday night, so enter today for a chance to win!

These days, there is no shortage of hotels aimed at the business traveler. But just because a chain says they know what road warriors want doesn’t make it so! One place that gets it right—Hyatt Place. You can tell they know what works for business travelers from the moment you step inside. The nice people at Hyatt Place gave me a room for the night in their Austin location to check out the hotel and new a.m. Kitchen Skillet breakfast.

Room. The room was large and incredibly comfortable. It’s divided into two sections—a sort of living/work space with a kitchenette, and the bedroom/bathroom. In the living area, the sectional sofa had more seating than I have at my own house—it was huge! I sat there for a while working, and really enjoyed it. There was a lot more room to spread out than normal. The king size bed had plenty of pillows (yes!!) and was nice and supportive. The bathroom was nice, with a cool wallpaper and large walk in shower.

Green features. In all new Hyatt Place properties built, there is some type of energy management system in place. In the particular location I visited, you have to put your room key in a slot by the door in order to control the AC. When your key isn’t in there, the AC automatically goes up a few degrees because it knows you’re not in the room. This does two things—it keeps your key in a handy spot by the door so you never forget it, and maintains an efficient temperature in your room. It’s very cool.

Technology. Hyatt Place hotels offer free wifi all around the hotel, including your room. They also have a business center with computers and printers, or you can hook your own system up to a printer if needed.

Outside. There was a gorgeous pool that I (sadly) didn’t have time to enjoy. Next time, though, I will make it a priority! For those with energy to burn, there is a nice workout facility as well.

Breakfast. I loved the new a.m. Kitchen Skillet! A definite, tasty improvement to their breakfast setup.* (Check out my full review here.) There is also a selection of snacks available in the gallery, as well as bar offerings.

Service. All of my interactions with the staff were efficient, quick, and courteous. Just what a tired road warriorette needs after a long day!

*I don’t think the a.m. Kitchen Skillet is available in all locations yet, but should be soon.

All in all, I had a great stay at the Hyatt Place. Plenty of room to spread out in a comfortable, attractive space, free wifi, and delicious food—what more do you need?

When you think of hotels created with the business traveler in mind, one of the chains to immediately come to mind is Courtyard by Marriott. I don’t think I know a single person who travels regularly for work that doesn’t stay at Courtyards at least some of the time. The nice folks at the DFW location invited the Home Warrior and me to stay there for a few days last month so that I could do a review.

During my stay, I kept a particular eye out for things important to road warriors. Here’s what I found:

Lobby/Bistro. The lobbies are so cool now—a real gathering spot. Less formal, more modern, and definitely friendlier. (See a more in depth description with pictures here.) Although I knew that the dining area had been revamped, I was not completely aware of the full extent of it until we ate breakfast. Before, Courtyard hotels had a buffet that was open until around 10am, and that was it in the way of food. But now not only do they have breakfast to order, they are open for dinner and provide room service as well. This was a pleasant surprise! The menu was surprisingly interesting and varied, with everything from salmon to hummus to vegetarian options. And a decent wine list (important!). We tried several things, and they were all very tasty (my favorite—the French Toast with fresh strawberries).

Outdoor area. The courtyard was really lovely. There was the requisite pool (which was closed for the season), but there was a very nice outdoor seating area with couches, tables, and a fireplace. I wish it had been warm enough to actually use!!

Free Wifi. As has been the case in all Courtyards I’ve visited, the wireless internet was free. Logging in was fast and simple, the speed was good, and the service worked with all of our myriad devices (laptops, phones, and iPad).

Room. The room was spacious and serviceable. The bed was large and comfortable, with plenty of pillows. Sitting at the desk working for hours was a great test for the office chair, and it didn’t disappoint. The bathroom had all of the required features, plus an extra we weren’t expecting, but came in handy—a bottle opener. Our window view was of the courtyard, which was much preferable to the parking lot.

Staff. The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and gave great advice. We ate at Campisi’s Egyptian Room (on recommendation of my brother-in-law), and the desk clerk gave perfect directions. When we were looking for a nearby park to take our dog, we were given several options within just a few miles. Courteous, excellent service was all we ever received.

Overall, our stay was great. I highly recommend Courtyard by Marriott to business travelers. They are constantly thinking of ways to make our lives easier, from boarding pass printing stations to delicious, accessible food to comfortable lodgings. They also have a great rewards program, plenty of locations, and reasonable prices. Win!

Mighty Leaf Tea is my most favorite tea, mostly because the flavors are incredible and interesting. I’ve had them on my top ten list for years, but I never knew they did anything besides tea. Turns out they also have a very clever travel mug specifically for tea users, which they were kind enough to send me to review. Putting tea in a normal travel mug isn’t that great—there’s no easy way to get the bag out, so the tea brews too long and ends up tasting bitter. If you do pull the bag out, there’s no easy place to put it and you end up making a mess. The TeaTop Brew Travel Mug is the first travel mug specifically made for tea I’ve ever tried, and it is very cool.

What it is: a travel mug designed for use with tea bags.

The good: It’s so clever! Allows you to pull the bag out of the tea once it’s done brewing, but keeps the bag inside the cup so there’s no mess. It also keeps your beverages warm for a long time.

The less good: It’s not spill proof, so don’t turn it upside down or knock it over. It also doesn’t really work with non-Mighty Leaf bags.

How it works: Fold the tea tag in half and slide it through the slot so the bag is underneath the lid. Drop the bag into the cup full of hot water and close the lid (picture 1). Brew your tea for the specified time, then pull on the tag to get the bag out of the water (picture 2). The tea bag stays in the indention in the lid, keeping you from over brewing your tea (picture 3). Genius!

Don’t forget about our current contest!! Enter and you could win your own TeaTop Brewing Mug, along with a great selection of Mighty Leaf Tea.

You may have seen it around, and I’m the first to admit it looks goofy. I remember seeing the Cabin Cuddler at Bed, Bath, and Beyond several months ago and thinking, What the heck is that thing? Then I was sent one to review. Although I was reluctant at first, I’m a convert. In a nutshell, it is the coziest, easiest to carry travel blanket and pillow combo I have ever used.

What it is:

A travel blanket cut to the contours of your body, with a pocket for your feet. It also comes with a blow up pillow.

The good:

1. It is so, so cozy. Wrapping yourself in it feels like wrapping yourself in pure blissful comfort. This is due to the cut that allows you to cover your entire body, not to mention the pocket for your feet. The material is a very thin fleece that is soft, smooth, and warm against your skin.
2. It’s very easy to carry. It folds up into a very flat package, which is quite convenient to just slip into your bag. If you don’t want to do that, the handle includes a clip to attach it to the outside of your bag.
3.  It includes a pillow. There is a blow up pillow included. That may not sound that awesome, but when you slip it inside the fleece-lined case (which is the carrying case, flipped inside out), it feels great.
4. It’s long enough. I’m fairly tall (5’7”), and traditional travel blankets won’t cover me from toe to neck—especially not those tiny airplane blankets! The longer ones I’ve found have been too bulky to travel practically. But this one actually covered my entire frame.

The less good:

1. It still looks goofy. But you know what? It was so great on the flight home from Manila that I didn’t care.
2. Getting it back into the carrying case is a little tricky. With practice it gets easier to do it nicely, but I’m not sure I would bust it out for a flight less than three hours.

Overall, I recommend this to anyone who flies on long flights in coach. It would make a great holiday gift for the frequent international traveler in your life!

Complimentary fruit from the hotel

A month ago I traveled to Manila for the week. Each time I’ve gone, the hotel service has been really good. But this time, it was stellar, so I wanted to tell everyone about it.

I stayed at the Edsa Sangri-La, in the Garden Wing. My room was beautiful. It wasn’t huge—just normal sized. But the bed was incredibly comfortable and I sat in the desk chair for several hours without needing to move. The bathroom was lovely, with marble floors, great lighting, and every single possible toiletry amenity I could want, including a nail file, cotton swabs, hair band, shower poof, and fabulous smelling products from my favorite L’Occitane.

The food was amazing. AMAZING. I ordered the Beef Steak Tagolog, and if I could cook steak like that I think I would never eat anything else. Because I was working at night, I had to order something from room service when I woke up in the evening as the restaurants were closed. But when I returned back from the office in the mornings, I could go to the Horizon Club. This club was only for Garden Wing guests, and offered complimentary breakfast, tea service, and evening cocktails. The food there was delicious, with a vast array of delicious local breakfast items, as well as European breakfast fare.  I seriously can’t talk enough about how great the food was.

However, as great as the food was, it wasn’t as good as the service. I know that a lot of this is because I was in the Garden Wing, but, hey, I’ll take it. They checked me in at a desk in the Horizon Club so I didn’t have to wait in line. I only ate in there maybe three times, but they recognized me and greeted me by name after the first time. When I requested food to take with me to the airport, they said it wasn’t something they normally did but went off to find me a to-go bag. The room attendants were also incredibly accommodating, and were happy to work around my crazy schedule.

I highly, highly recommend this hotel, even if you can’t stay in the Garden Wing. I can honestly say that this stay was one of the top hotel experiences in my life. Can’t wait to go back and stay there again!! And have some of that Beef Steak Tagolog…..

Puerto Rico is wonderful, and we had an amazing vacation. Here are the highlights.

La Concha. We stayed in San Juan, in the Condado neighborhood, at La Concha. It’s a Renaissance hotel, which is a Marriott brand. There were so many good things about this place. First of all, it is very cool looking, sort of art deco meets modern minimalist meets beach resort.  We were upgraded to a junior suite in the original tower, which was very spacious. The bed was comfy, there was a big TV, and a couple of small couches. We had a fantastic ocean view, and I really enjoyed that. However, the “kitchenette” was actually just a mini-fridge and coffee maker. And the “balcony” was approximately one foot deep, so there was only room for standing. But we opened the balcony door and sat in the chaise lounge right next to it, and that was very pleasant. Although, honestly, I would have liked a real balcony. Oh well.

The beach outside was fantastic. Gorgeous water, sandy, no rocks to step on. The hotel provided umbrellas and chairs free of charge to guests, which was also very nice. The waves are very strong on this part of the beach, with an equally strong undertow. I actually got knocked down by a wave, and then lost my sunglasses to the ocean. I was also constantly worried about losing my top. So the next day, I put on a more secure bathing suit, left my sunglasses on the beach chair, and had a great time playing the waves with Home Warrior. It wasn’t necessarily relaxing, but it was tons of fun.

We ate at two of the restaurants, and the food at both was very good. The service in general at the hotel was also very good. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

Oh and the pina coladas were super at La Concha. Not too sweet, with lots of rum. Another bonus–their toiletries are from Aveda.

Old San Juan. One of the reasons we wanted to come to Puerto Rico was for the history. It was first colonized by the Spanish in the early 1500s, so the history stretches way back. We stayed at the El Morro fort for like two hours–it was so cool. One of the towers is original from the 1500s, and it’s pretty impressive to stand somewhere with that kind of longevity. The streets of Old San Juan are paved with blue-toned cobblestones, are super narrow, and have gorgeous buildings. I could have stayed there, just wandering around looking at things, for days.

Flavors of San Juan. These guys offer a  walking food tour, and it was amazing. We went to four restaurants, had a variety of traditional dishes, and I loved every single one. Some of the places we went were normal sized, and some were so tiny I would never have found them on my own. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and shared a lot of history that we would not have gotten otherwise. If you go to San Juan, I highly highly recommend taking this tour.

The Bio Bay. Oh man, the bio bay. It was just as cool as I hoped it would be, and more amazing to experience than I could have imagined. We did the kayak tour. Now, Home Warrior and I had never actually kayaked before, so this was definitely a learning experience in working together. (BTW kayaking is way harder than I thought it would be.) Let’s just say that we ran into a lot of trees. Anyway. The bio bay is SO COOL. There are tiny little bio luminescent creatures, and when you put your hand or paddle into the water they glow. I wish we could have gotten out and gone swimming with them. Honestly, I want to go back to PR just to experience the Bio Bay again. Highly recommend!

We were sad to come home, but had a great time while we were there. We will definitely be returning, since there are way too many things to cover in one trip. Plus it’s only a five hour flight from Dallas. If you are looking for a place to go for vacation, Puerto Rico has a great combination of beautiful beaches, fascinating natural wonders, cultural history, and fantastic food. A great place to go!

Another indulgence I sampled while in Boston…..the ShotCake. It is a cupcake with ice cream in the middle and fudge on top. Sounds great, and looks great, in theory. Unfortunately my cupcake was a bit dry, so I mostly just enjoyed the ice cream part. My friend got the ShotCake cookie, and that was FREAKING GREAT. I need to bring that to Texas, immediately.