Soaring palm trees and the distinctive shape of Camelback mountain greet you when pulling into the Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix. That and a warm, hospitable welcome along with glasses of bubbly. From the moment you check in to this villa-like hotel, worries melt and you feel completely immersed in an oasis. Champagne in hand, […]
Thanks to a last minute decision, we had the great experience of dining at Harumi Sushi and Sake in downtown Phoenix. Our original dinner plan included reservations for Mexican cuisine—then we heard rave reviews about Harumi at the hotel desk. A quick glance at some glowing online reviews (and having had a delicious Mexican-inspired meal […]
We recently spent a week in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. A last minute trip, we decided to use the week to explore different areas of the region and three different hotel/resort properties. Our first three days were at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, a sprawling property that really is a world unto itself, complete with its legendary […]
Notch8 Restaurant and Bar is a stylish space located on the main floor of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. It’s the hotel’s main restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s also open for happy hour, brunch on weekends and like so many Fairmont locations also offers afternoon tea. Our stay at the hotel was short—three nights […]
We recently dined at The Albert, a lively, contemporary restaurant and bar located on the main floor of the Hotel EMC2 in downtown Chicago. We were staying at the hotel, so we’d made the choice partly out of convenience on the first night of our trip. Both hotel and non-hotel guests alike were streaming in […]
We dined early at the popular Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House in downtown Vancouver, BC prior to taking in the much-anticipated Pearl Jam concert at Rogers Arena (the first show of their phenomenal Dark Matter Tour). At Pearl Jam “Dark Matter” show – Rogers Arena, Vancouver (May 2024) We weren’t […]
We capped off a great trip to Chicago this past summer with a wonderful meal at The Capital Grille. An upscale steakhouse near the Magnificent Mile, it was also conveniently located steps away from our hotel, the Hotel EMC2. Right off the top, I’d like to mention the excellent service. The atmosphere was comfortable yet […]
We kicked off the first night of our recent, relatively short three-night stay in Vancouver with a fabulous dinner at Black + Blue, a high-end steakhouse with a modern, downtown Vancouver vibe. With its upscale menu, lovely wine list, terrific service (and great background music playlist), dinner was delicious, relaxing, and “feel good” all around. […]
Chicago’s Hotel EMC2 is a boutique hotel in Marriott’s highly creative line of Autograph Collection of properties. This collection is all about creating thematic statements that capture something important about the vibe or sensibility of a location. In this spirit, Hotel EMC2’s theme combines science and art, with a nod to Chicago’s blend of […]
We had the pleasure of visiting Vancouver, Canada this past May. Our primary purpose was to take in Pearl Jam’s kickoff concert for their 2024 Dark Matter tour. The show was fantastic, complemented by a great stay at the historic “Castle in the City”, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Fairmont Hotel Vancouver Review – Stepping Back […]
