Cool Hotels

Shout Out and Link Love

So, the good people at Celebpulp.com made a lovely mention of Cool Hotels, so I am giving them a shout out. Check them out!

Travel Mythbusting!

So, yahoo posted an awesome article debunking some travel myths. I'm not sure which of the debunkings was my favorite - the one that says that recirculated air on a flight won't make you sick or the one that says that it's neither illegal or dangerous to use a cell phone when you fly.

Except for one thing, cell phones are annoying. Can you imagine a planeload of people on an airplane chatting on their phones for the whole flight? It would be worse than a New Jersey transit train. My theory? The airlines keep the bogus rule to keep people from annoying each other or giving out too much information.

Eco-Confession Time

I've been thinking more about greenwashing, and while I can't do much about hotel green exaggeration and outright fraud, I can look at my own behavior and make things better. And I can look back fondly at some stuff I will probably never do again.

1) I will never use all the towels in the room, just because.
2) I will never fill the specially designed bathtub at Loft 523 all the way to my chin. Nor will I request the room with the special double shower heads.
3) I will never turn the in-room thermostat down to 60 degrees, especially in Tuscon.
4) I will never take every shampoo, conditioner, lotion and little soap home, only to have them collect dust in my bathroom drawer.

So, anyone else want to confess something?

Greenwashing Hotels

I love traveling, and I just love a fun, interesting hotel. I wouldn't run this blog if I didn't. I also love my Prius, my canvas shopping bags, my stainless steel reusable coffee mug and my recycle bin. And I know very well that hotels are almost never green enterprises, despite the appearance of eco-friendly shampoo/conditioning products and little placards telling one to reuse towels. Even the most tony eco-resorts have been busted for making sham claims about their greenness - because we all know it sells. Just check out this article.

However, that's doesn't mean I hate hotels or I think that they are all liars or that eco-programs should be scrapped on the basis of hypocrisy alone. But I do think hotel executives and owners need to take a hard look at their claims and what's realistic for them to actually do, and guests need to make themselves more responsible. Drink water in a reusable glass. Reuse the towel. Don't take a three hour shower just because you can. And believe me, I've been guilty of using ten towels in the past...just because I could. Because isn't that part of the pleasure of a hotel? I'm not knocking pleasure, but I am saying shift that pleasure to the lovely "I'm doing the right thing for the earth" feeling that has become so marketable in the last few years. Because you can't be sure those sheets are really organic cotton.

The Sexiest Hotels

Well, we know magazines loves lists. And Forbes Traveler is no different. They've got a list of the sexiest hotels in America, all luxury properties, natch. Nonetheless, I think it's a good list - albeit with some vague criterion. After all, sexy is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe you'd prefer creole sexy or modern sexy or maybe cozy sexy. Who knows? Maybe you think sexy is that suite Clark and Lois had to share in Superman II?

Castle Venlaw

Staying in a castle can fulfill a number of different fantasies. There's the princess fantasy. The extraordinary wealth fantasy. The mead-drinking fantasy. And my personal favorite, the ghost-hunting/mystery-solving fantasy. (If you can think of others send them along.)

Castle Venlaw, not far outside of Edinburgh, fulfills the extraordinary wealth fantasy or perhaps the princess fantasy. Built in 1742, the gorgeous stone castle was never a castle in the practical sense. Built to look like a storybook castle, it always served as a country getaway for the folks lucky enough to own it. Currently it has twelve rooms and a lovely and cozy library bar. The rooms have everything you'd want for a romantic weekend - four poster beds, etc.

Hotel Safety

One of the things I often hear from cool hotel skeptics is "I'd rather stay at a chain because I know they are safe." While it can be true that chains are monitored by a corporate office, this is no guarantee of safety. How often and how rigorous chains are monitored varies from company to company, and sometimes a brand name (especially a ritzy one) can attract criminals. Sometimes small proprietors know their country or region better and have personal investment in guest safety. Sometimes not. It all depends on the situation.

Savvy travelers simply need to keep their wits about them whatever kind of hotel they choose. Crimes against one's body and/or property can happen anywhere. However, there are steps that can be taken to protect oneself. Check out this handy list from Metlife. No one spends more money or time researching safety than insurance companies (sad to say).

Marfa in the spotlight

With No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood both doing well at last night’s Academy Awards, it has drawn attention to the small Texas town where both movies were filmed. Marfa, famous for its lights, art and being the location where the 1950s semi-classic Giant was filmed, was also recently the subject of a flattering wire article.

So now is probably the time to mention that the Hotel Paisano has just completed its series of renovations. According to a recent letter sent to its patrons, this includes the renovation of the pool and the addition of a gym. As if anyone needed an additional reason to visit Marfa. But still, this is a great year for the little town that draws film buffs, filmmakers, paranormal-ists, artists, art collectors and other assorted adventurers.

Lowes Philadelphia

Okay, the general rule on this site is no chains...blah...blah...blah. Rules were meant to be broken, especially when it involves the Lowes Philadelphia , which kindly hosted and sponsored the Good Dog Gala for the PSPCA last night. Not only is Lowes Philadelphia right across from the Convention Center and Reading Terminal Market, located in a historic modern skyscraper and steps away from Old City - it is one of the most pet friendly hotels anywhere. Not only do they happily allow dogs and kitties to stay in their rooms, they hosted a formal gala in their ballroom to which the attendees dogs were invited. Burmese mountain dogs, newfoundlands, italian greyhouds and PSCPA specials (or mutts as they are sometimes called) mixed and mingled with their glamorous humans. The guest of honor was Etara, a boxer-pit mix who was cruelly set on fire last year. She's doing great now and lives happily with her new family.

If you check into Lowes with your pet, expect to be given the proper treatment, including bowls and biscuits.

Chisos Mountain Lodge

I’m not one for camping or RVing or anything too rustic. After all, I wouldn’t be so obsessed with hotels if I had any inclination to sleep or pee outdoors. I do neither. However, I adore nature, sublime vistas and leisurely hikes through the wilderness- just as long as I don’t have to run into thousands of other hikers with the same idea. This is why I adore the Chisos Mountain Lodge inside Big Bend National Park. Tucked away in the park’s gorgeous mountain range, the motel-style Lodge offers a few motel-style rooms and a few cabin-style rooms, as well as a restaurant, rangers’ station and convenience store. Note: the convenience store helpfully sells flashlights, since there is little in the way of artificial illumination. I also prefer the motel rooms since some of them sport views of the spectacular Chisos Canyon. You won’t find anything icky or silly like plasma screen televisions or telephones in your room. Just a comfy bed that feels good after a day of communing with bears, javelina, mountain lions, road runners and coyotes.

By the way, Big Bend National Park remains one of the least visited, largest of America’s national parks. And it is totally worth the trip.