Category Archives: Travel: United States

Hotel Review: Freehand, Los Angeles

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The Freehand Los Angeles opened last week at the corner of 8th and Olive — across the street from legendary dive bar the Golden Gopher. The 226-room hotel resides in the landmark, 12-story Commercial Exchange building, which has been gutted and completely redesigned with an urban-hipster twist on California Craftsman. 

Hotel Review: LondonHouse, Chicago

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The LondonHouse opened in May and overlooks the Chicago River from the famous corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive. The 22-story historic landmark emerged from a dramatic three-year reconstruction project that saw the addition of a glass and steel annex next door, juxtaposing the original beaux arts structure with an ultra-modernist annex, creating a 452-room hotel…

72 Hours in Chicago, 27 photos

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Forever one of the world’s most significant cities for architecture, Chicago’s skyline has grown even more spectacular in recent years, both around the river and along the lakefront. Here’s a quick look around of the city I used to call home.

Hotel Review: The Robey, Chicago

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After what seemed like the longest delay in hotel-opening history, The Robey finally opened its doors in November in the heart of Chicago’s Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood. A member of Design Hotels, the 69-room, 12-story Robey is the second U.S. property for Mexico City-based Grupo Habita…

Best Thing I Ate This Week: Salade Nicoise

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A lot has changed at the St. Regis Monarch Beach lately. For starters, it’s now just the Monarch Beach Resort, with a brand new, very beachy look throughout. The restaurant formerly known as Motif is now called Aveo, and that’s where I recently enjoyed one of the finest Nicoise salads I can recall.

Where to Eat in Telluride

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Prospectors used to call this old mining town “To Hell You Ride,” a name that still aptly applies, but for different reasons. As a ski resort, the majority of runs here are black diamonds. Although novices are welcome, this is not a beginner’s mountain. Telluride is Colorado ski country at its best. Rugged. Remote. And utterly unpretentious. Here’s where to eat.

20 Best Things I ate in 2015

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As usual, I ate a lot of amazing food this year. I eat in restaurants almost daily – sometimes twice or even three times a day. Not everything ends up being delicious, sadly. But in the end, I always find more good than bad, or else I wouldn’t have continued doing this for the past …

Crystal Symphony: Feast on the High Seas!

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Food dictates where I travel. I book restaurant reservations before I buy plane tickets. I choose hotels based on their proximity to where I will eat. I also like cruise ships. But I’ve learned over the years that my passion for food and my love for cruising are not always compatible. I’ve found myself on …

Hotel Review: Hotel G, San Francisco

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Overview: The Hotel G soft-opened in San Francisco last May, but the adjoining restaurants and fitness center didn’t open until fall. The 13-story building was originally constructed in 1908 as the Fielding Hotel, which faded long ago. After a two-year renovation, the old property is now fully open and operating as a 153-room boutique hotel.

Quick Review: Marriott Courtyard & Residence Inn, LA Live

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Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn, L.A. Live (photos by Brad A Johnson) Overview: In downtown Los Angeles in July, Marriott introduced a co-branded, 24-story Courtyard and Residence Inn hotel. This is Marriott’s first co-branded property on the West Coast. (The first such dual-flagged hotel opened in New York in December.) Although the hotel is branded with …