During the month of July, I stayed 10 nights at the Sheraton Parsippany. I blogged about my first week and if you read that post, you know it wasn’t a great stay. I ended that post by saying I hopped I would have better things to say after

Someone once said, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m guessing they never had the displeasure of staying at the Sheraton Parsippany.

The week brought soaring temperatures to New England and once again, the hotel’s air was not working. On Sunday, July 24th the air was out for over 6 hours which resulted in misery.

The staff was miserable, the guests were miserable and the entire week was – yes – miserable.

In addition to the stifling air, the hotel lost my dry cleaning – I had to contact Starwood Customer Service for resolution, people were checked into unclean rooms, people were checked into rooms that contained other peoples luggage and personal belongings and maintenance propped open doors while air conditioners were replaced – with total disregard for the personal items inside.

I could go on and on, but I won’t, I’ll simply say that next time my travels bring me to Parsippany, Whippany, Morristown or the vicinity, I will stay at the Westin Governor.

The Sheraton Parsippany shouldn’t bear the Starwood name.

Le Parker Meridien is located on 56th between 6th and 7th just blocks from central park and every theatre you could possibly want to visit.

The Le Parker Meridien is a modern, luxury hotel in the heart of Manhattan that makes you feel like you’ve entered another world. The staff is impeccable and accommodating. Upon my arrival to NYC, the temperatures had soared past 100 degrees and I was dripping in sweat by the time I got the hotel. The lobby was cool, check-in quick and I was soon in my room – I was upgraded to a junior suite – where I could cool off.

The room was incredibly large by NYC standards. My junior suite had a desk, wet-bar area w/mini-bar (stocked and incredibly expensive!) a lovely living room area with a comfy couch and a TV wall that swiveled 180 degrees so it could be watched in the bedroom or living room. The bathroom was large, with a wonderful shower and Peter Thomas Roth products – which I adore. The Le Meridien touches are everywhere. One bright orange wash cloth, a terry cloth robe with an orange belt, chic bedding & fabulous pillows!

My first night I tried one of the Burger Joint’s famous burgers – it was amazing. I had onion straws, mushrooms and cheddar cheese. As the reviews say – there’s almost always a line for the Burger Joint, hidden behind a curtain in the hotel lobby – so expect to wait a few minutes for their delicious burgers. The second night, I tried room service. They were very fast! Not feeling well, I decided to try some matzo ball soup which was filled with fresh chicken, carrots, onions and celery. The matzo balls were just like my mom makes – light and fluffy. It is true, when you are sick, matzo ball soup is the best remedy. I had a side of cheesy mac-n-cheese which was very, very rich and creamy, hot tea and a milkshake. I think I overdosed on milk! It was all marvelous though!

I used the concierge to book a spa appointment. The hotel’s spa – Gravity – offers massages, but I was in the mood for a manicure/pedicure. They booked me at a local spa about ½ a block away, called Escape. I was fully expecting to pay $150 for the services, but was pleasantly surprised to find very, very reasonable prices ($35 pedicure, $29 manicure) I was so surprised by the prices, I decided to add on 30 minutes of reflexology for $50. The staff was welcoming and the spa was clean. I would definitely return to Escape Day Spa anytime I’m in NYC! Check out my review of Escape Spa NYC.

The location is so convenient – made it easy to work and play! I love the Le Meridien brand, and I was thrilled with my visit to Le Parker Meridien. I would highly recommend a stay anytime you’re in the city.

Living Room

Bedroom

Swivel TV Wall

Best Do Not Disturb Sign EVER!

I had the chance to visit Escape on a recent trip to NYC. The concierge at my hotel – Le Parker Meridien – arranged the manicure, pedicure appointment for me. I was fully expecting a high-priced spa and was very pleasantly surprised to find very reasonable prices.

The spa is located on the ground level at 101 West 55th Street close to 6th Ave and they’re open 7 days a week. It’s very clean and welcoming day spa with a full array of services ranging from nail services, waxing, massage, facials and skin treatments. The staff is very friendly and professional. My pedicure was relaxing and left my feet glowing. I was so amazed by the reasonable prices ($35 pedicure and $29 manicure) that I added on a 30-minute reflexology treatment. While everyone I met was great and the services were wonderful, I was especially thrilled with the reflexology treatment from Georgiana. I was so relaxed and would go back any day of the week to see her!

I had the opportunity to meet the owner, Emila. She was very friendly and hospitable. She has built the spa from the ground up and runs an amazing business. I loved my visit to Escape and will definitely be back!! I highly recommend you check it out if you’re looking for something 100 times better than the typical factory style Asian nail salon at prices that can’t be beat!

Norma’s is a NYC classic, James Beard award winning breakfast joint inside the Le Parker Meridien.

With choices like Hot Chestnut Pancakes Topped with Candied Chestnuts and Brown Sugar Sauce or Mango-Papaya Brown Butter Cinnamon Crêpes, Foie Gras Brioche French Toast With Asparagus and Mushrooms or the James Beard Award Winning Potato Pancakes With Homemade Cranberry Apple Sauce and Sweet Carrot Payasam, I decided to go for the Lox & Lox of Bagels piled high and topped with Caviar.

The breakfast started with a complimentary smoothie – today’s smoothie was a blueberry mango smooth that was very refreshing on a hot New York morning (at 9:30am, the thermometer was already reading 90!). The Lox & Bagels lived up to their name and came piled high topped with a massive amount of caviar. A bagel was sliced into thirds, toasted and topped with cream cheese and fresh dill. There was a cucumber in the center of the bagel and mounds and mounds of lox layered throughout. The dish was garnished with fresh red onion and capers (I got mine sans tomato!) There’s no way to eat this without making a mess. But man, it was fun trying. The lox was perfectly sliced and the three types of caviar made a great topping. The amount of food was so enormous that I had plenty to take home for a late lunch!

Norma’s is well known for its signature The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata with1oz of Sevruga Caviar for $100 or 10oz of Sevruga Caviar for $1000 – yep, a Lobster Frittata with Sevruga Caviar for a grand! No one ordered it while I was there today.

Norma’s isn’t going to become your daily breakfast joint – it’s way too pricey – but an amazing Sunday brunch or special occasion spot for breakfast lovers! You can bet next time I’m back in NYC I’ll swing by Norma’s. Tip – reservations are a must! There’s a line every day.

$1,000 Menu Item!

This was a great week for Starwood points and promotions. 7,250 points means 1 free night at a Category 3 hotel ( Cat 3 includes Le Méridien Versailles , The Westin Resort & Spa, Cancun , W Silicon Valley, The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Fiji or Sheraton Fiji plus many more!) or 2-3 free nights at a Cat 1 or Cat 2 hotel (varies for weekend/weeknight stays)

I had 7 nights (5 nights at the Sheraton Parsippany and 2 night at the Le Parker Meridien NYC) so my base earning plus Platinum bonus was 2,500 points.

I earned 1,000 points (500 points each at the Sheraton and Le Meridien) for my welcome amenity

I used the SPG Social Check-in Bonus to earn 1000 points (250 points each for check-ins on Facebook and Foursquare at the Sheraton and Le Meridian)offer ends July 31

I participated in Starwood’s Make the Green Choice program (at select hotels) for 4 nights at the Sheraton to earn 2,000 points

I “liked” the Aloft Austin @ the Domain on Facebook during a promo they offered this morning to earn 250 points

I earned 500 points while booking a hotel stay for week of Aug 1st. The call center was over-flowing with calls and so I was directed to this page – where I earned 500 points just for booking online. this offer is only valid during peak call volume times.

Starwood points are valuable and so anytime I have the chance to earn more, I’ll take advantage of the offer!

On top of the points, I registered for the Free resort night promo (it’s over this week – sorry, it’s too late for you to register) so I earned another free night brining my total free nights during this promotion to 4.

So, with the points this week and free nights I’ve earned this month, I’ll have enough for 5 nights at the Westin in Fiji! And, I still have all the other points I earned in July to spend! I’ll be spending those at the Le Meridien Bangkok.

Known to some as “the castle”, the Sheraton Parsippany is greatly in need of the some TLC. In 2007 launched a $6 billion renovation project – clearly they’re not quite done here. In the lobby, you can check out the new fabric, paint chips and floor plan for the renovations, but don’t expect to see them anywhere else. The gym, however, just reopened after a major renovation this week.

The week of July 18th brought record heat to the NY/NJ area and as if on queue, the air-conditioning at the Sheraton were on the fritz (though they promised twice it would be fixed next week when I return, that didn’t really help when I woke up dripping in sweat!) Three days, the air-conditioning blew nothing but warm, stale air – I thought I was in a sauna. (Not to mention my three colleagues at the hotel had the same issue and there were about 5 people in line at the front desk complaining about the same thing – so it seemed to be a wide-spread problem. You know what they say – timing is everything and this timing was awful)

The service at the hotel is spotty at best. Some of the staff at the front desk is great – one guy in particular remembered me by face (not name, that’s okay though) and had some great restaurant suggestions. Unfortunately, even though I’m platinum, I didn’t get any type of room upgrade. However, they did offer a coupon for free sliders at the bar and two free breakfast coupons (the concierge lounge was closed a few days).

One of the great things about the trip this week was the # of points I was able to rack up. On top of the base points, this hotel is participating in Starwood’s “Make the Green Choice” program – for every night you skip housekeep you can earn 500 points or get a $5 coupon for F&B; (all nights except night before check-out are eligible). So this week, I earned 2,000 extra points through this program.

In addition, Starwood is offering 250 points for checking in on Facebook and 250 points for checking in on Foursquare (through 7/31 only) so that was an additional 500 points for me.

So, even though my experience wasn’t that great I earned an extra 3000 points (2,000 make the green choice, 500 from social check-ins and 500 welcome amenity).

Hopefully my stay next week will be better and I can update this review. If not, that’s okay – the Westin Governor Morristown is about 5 miles away!

The internet does not do justice to the amazing eateries of Parsippany & Whippany NJ. I thought I was in for my own private episode of diners, drive-ins & dives (I love Guy!), but was very pleasantly surprised by the food I found.

Tabor Road Tavern – don’t miss the turn for this hot-spot! U-turns don’t exist in NJ and it’s hard to find your way back. However, when you do arrive, there’s free valet parking (the lot was full on a Wednesday night) We had a very large group and were forced to eat on the patio in the middle of a NJ heat wave. Despite the heat, we had a great time and so great food! The specials were fresh and offered a variety of choices fit for the season. I ordered sea scallop and risotto entrée. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the risotto was amazing. It melted in my mouth and left me wanting more. Service was great (we had a group of 24 people) and the drinks and food kept flowing. No one in the party was disappointed with their order. The bar was hopping on a Wednesday night and it seemed like a great place for a drink. I would highly recommend a trip to the Tabor Road Tavern next time you’re in the area. I’ll be back.

Eccola Italian bistro is hidden in a strip mall next to an Indian Food Market and fast food chicken joint. The storefront is unassuming, but the restaurant came very highly recommended by a few people. A relatively small restaurant, the seating seemed ample. The open kitchen allowed amazing smells to waft through the dining room. We were seated right next to the kitchen, but I never thought it was overly loud and didn’t notice too much wait staff traffic. We started our meal with some appetizers, Calamari Frutti served with hot sauce, escargot in the shell with a white wine and caper sauce – delish! I am a huge fan of escargot and get them whenever I can. These were very good and perhaps among my top 5 favorite! For the entrée I ordered a treat – Scaloppine di Vitello Picatta auteed in lemon, butter, white wine and capers. It was light and perfectly cooked. So many times veal can be overdone and chewy. It was tender and sumptuous and bursting with flavor. What I particularly liked was that the plate wasn’t overrun with sauce or heavy pasta. It was just perfect. We shared dessert, which was okay. Nothing to write home about, but still filled my crazing for a sweet ending. Eccola Italian Bistro is a don’t miss!

17 North is not your typical downtown Charleston, SC restaurant. In fact, it’s nowhere close to downtown historic downtown. Despite that, it doesn’t lack any of the quaint, relaxed southern atmosphere that you come to expect here. 17 North, part of the Roadside Kitchens family is new a Charleston staple. The atmosphere inside is bright and friendly and the outdoor patio, flanked by vegetable gardens is a gem. July 16 is not typically a day you want to sit outside in Charleston, yet we sat at a 20 seat picnic style wood table in the middle peppers, tomatoes and myriad of other veggies. The food is fresh and appealing and the nightly specials are bold and flavorful. The weather was picture perfect and so was the meal!

During our visit, there were several large parties on the patio and the service suffered a bit, we could have walked to the bar 2 or 3 times before our server came by to take drink orders. The manager was even pitching in tonight – and she was very accommodating. The staff is very pleasant and made up for the slowness with their great attitude. (as a side note, on a visit a few weeks ago, we had outstanding service – so I’m giving them a break tonight on account of the huge parties on the patio)

We ordered a few of the appetizers but I always have to go back to my favorite, Fried Chicken Livers and Waffles with Carmel espresso vodka and molasses syrup. OMG! Everything about that sounds great and believe me, it is!!! So many of my friends were scared to try these, but that’s okay – more for me! They are delicious and worth the trip anytime. For dinner, I strayed from my usual Buttermilk Fried Chicken – but several others at my table had it tonight – and instead I had the 17 North Certified Angus Beef Burger with cheddar cheese and truffle pommes frites. At only $13, the burger – 10 oz – and huge pile of fries (see picture below) is a treat! The burger was cooked perfectly, juicy and tender. I was stuffed halfway in – you’ll need a to-go box! The truffle fries were yummy, how can you go wrong with truffle fries! The Fried Chicken was, as it always is, tender and full of great flavor.

During the winter months, the patio’s primary feature is the fire pit and 17 North is well known for its smores cooked over the fire. In mid-July, there’s no fire, and no smores.

No matter what you order, you can’t seem to go to wrong, and if you want a really great southern classic, go for the fried chicken – you won’t be disappointed! Great location, very little competition and really, really amazing food. Next time you’re in Charleston, take a trip up Highway 17 to 17 North in Mt Pleasant, SC.

The 17 North Vegetable Garden

Chicken Livers and Waffles! Yum!

Fried Chicken

Burger and truffle pommes frites (aka damn good french fries!)

This review is just slightly overdue. While making plans for a trip to Boston today, I realized I had never posted this. Sorry Kimpton!

The Onyx is a boutique Kimpton Hotel in downtown Boston. For me, a great locatoin becuase it’s directly across the street from my client’s office.

On my last trip, I got stuck at DCA flying to Boston and had to call the Onyx to let them know that I wouldn’t be arriving until the following morning around 6am. They were sold out, so the very helpful agent checked me in over the phone to ensure I had a room when I arrived. After a very long night with little sleep, I arrived in Boston and made my way to the Onyx. Upon check-in, the desk agent said “I’m very sorry, but we don’t have any deluxe rooms available, since you’re only here for 1 night now, we had to upgrade you to a King Premier Room with an attached Parlor Suite on our Penthouse level”. Sorry? Wow, what a nice surprise!

I headed to the top floor to find my “suite”. A very cool, oversided room with a connecting door to a smaller living room area. I want to know who decorates the Onyx…it fit me to a tee! I loved the black and white floors, the bright red and white bedding and of course, the signature animal print rob in the bathroom.

I had a slight housekeeping issue in the room, and they immediately sent smomeone up to fix it. The housekeeper was very lovely and offered me extra waters and dessert (from the Ruby Room) for the inconvenience. I wasn’t really inconvenienced becuase they were so fast to fix the problem, but it was a lovely gesture and I accepted it.

Becuase I’m a member of the InTouch Loyalty program, I got free internet and a credit for 2 items from the mini-bar. My corporate rate included breakfast (Kimpton is a preferred vendor at my company) and it was a good breakfast (much, much better than those standard continental breakfasts some hotels offer.

I would highly recommend the Onyx on your next trip to Boston (especially if you want to be near the Garden!!)

What are the germiest public places/things? According to Prevention Magainze these are the 7 most germiest things. You better bet I avoid them whenever possible!

1. Restaurant menus – Prevention says that cold and flu viruses can survive for 18 hours on hard surfaces. Restaurant menus – rarely washed!

2. Lemon wedges – If you’ve worked in a bar, you already knew this. Researchers ordering drinks at 21 different restaurants found 25 different microorganisms lurking on lemons -including E. coli. Ugh!

3. Condiment dispensers – I always skip the ketchup, I’m allergic…maybe you should skip the ketchup, mustard and salt too. You have no idea what’s on there!

4. Restroom soap dispensers – Gross-out factoid of the day: about 25 percent of public restroom dispensers are contaminated with fecal bacteria, Prevention says. Disgusting!!!

5. Grocery carts – In 2007, a study found that the handles of almost two-thirds of the shopping carts tested were contaminated with fecal bacteria, with bacteria counts exceeding those of your average public restroom. There’s a reason stores put disinfecting wipes next to the carts people!

6. Airplane bathrooms – Your in-flight restroom trip could expose you to E. coli lurking on the surfaces of the faucets and doorknobs, according to a study. Plus, you’re 100 times more likely to catch a cold on an airplane than on the ground, according to a new study. So next time you fly, hold it!

7. Doctor’s office – Prevention says, limit your exposure when visiting your physician by packing your own tissues, hand sanitizers, and magazines. Never, never touch the magainzes!!!

This hotel opened in August 2010, and I visited in December 2010. Yes, this blog is a bit overdue. But I was inspired to write it after beginning my 2011 vacation plans. About a 40 minute ride from the airport (I highly recommend pre-arranged transportation) the Westin Siray Bay is tucked away just past the hubbub of Phuket Town and the Phuket Marina. The Resort sits in the side of a hill (be prepared for some steep walks or a lot of waiting for golf-cart transportation) and is elevated above the bay.

One of the most stunning features is its infinity pool, not the main hotel pool, this quieter and more relaxing pool sits adjacent to Prego by the Beach – an Italian themed restaurant open for lunch and dinner (not every day). The Westin has a total of 6 restaurants, so if you decided not to leave the hotel, you would still have a variety of moderately to high priced food choices. All of them good choices. My favorite was EEST – an Asian Grill and Sushi Bar, EEST had amazing Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and other Asian foods. Breakfast, served daily at Seasonal Treats Restaurant, was an amazing buffet with a variety of foods from all over the world.

The Resort has a spa – The Westin Heavenly Spa and it’s a great retreat for any visitor. I enjoyed a pedicure, a massage – they run specials during slow times and those are a really good deal – and hair treatment, which was very relaxing.

Upon arrival, we were promptly greeted and welcomed by the staff. Our room was upgraded to a Indulge Suite, a large 2 room suite with a king bed and sofa bed, two bathrooms – one overlooking the bay, two patios with lounge chairs and amazing, breath-taking views. As I mentioned before, the hotel sits on a hill and walk to the room was up a pretty steep hill, or a very long staircase. There were also villas – we didn’t inquire about an upgrade – but they each featured 2-floors and a private pool. For me, the hotels 3 public pools were plenty. The room was spotless and stocked with plenty of free water – refreshed every day, had a small refrigerator, and snack basket (compared to US mini-bar prices, this was affordable). Dry cleaning and laundry services were relatively cheap and very reliable.

A hotel shuttle brings guests to Phuket town several times a day and local tuk-tuks are also available. We found this to be a great option at night when looking for dinner options. The trip usually cost about 30-40 Baht, or $3-4 US dollars, each way. The town is busy and crowded, but offers great, authentic Thai food. One of the best restaurants – a local place – was called Raya house (which the hotel recommended) . The food was phenomenal and our total dinner, including appetizers (not common in Thailand), and drinks, cost about $13 US dollars. We also dined at Lemongrass, an outdoor restaurant in a more touristy area of town. The food was very spicy and very reasonably priced. A good choice and great people watching.

The Westin Siray Bay is a great hotel, offers great views and a relaxing retreat from the rest of the world. I highly recommend a visit.

Infinity Pool at the Westin Siray Bay.