North America, Travel
Alinea, Barneys, Chicago, Cubs, Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue, Park Hyatt Chicago, Pizza, Salsa, Steak, Wrigley Field
Why Go Now? Springtime in Chicago. A perfect 4 day getaway. Travel & Leisure rates Chicago among the top five cities in America for cocktail lounges, dining, theater, music, culture, museums and have rated it # 1 for best sports bars (now men have somewhere to go while we shop.) Fun & unexpected public outdoor art,”The Gold Coast” for shopping, the 2nd largest U.S. museum (The Art Institute) a functioning public Transport System and thousands of restaurants from food trucks, pizza, to the famous 5 star molecular wonder Alinea. Let’s not forget the music scene. Grab your partner or girlfriend. Chicago is a blast.
Does being married or single influence Where2Stay? Location, cost, size & child friendly all play a part. Do you want your hotel, hip & modern with sexy dark lounges, a DJ spinning “singles” on the roof? Or do you prefer a quiet, elegant & romantic hotel? Sometimes you might want to “marry” the two which is the hardest to find. You will see an M (married), S (Single), or an MS (married/single) next to each hotel.
Where2Stay
Dana Hotel & Spa – This luxury boutique’s motto is “come as you are!” Expect cement walls, bamboo floors, balconies or floor to ceiling windows in the room, Vertico indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge year round. Outdoor firepit in winter. Chicago’s only outdoor ice bar. Value find! (S)
Waldorf Astoria Chicago – Stunning, sophisticated, distinctive, gracious, all describe this property… Romantic, w/plush rooms, the smallest room over 615 sq.ft. (M)
Park Hyatt Chicago – One of the 20 World’s Best Hotels located in the Gold Coast on Magnificent Mile, the PH is a perfect stay for both the business & pleasure traveler. Understated and quietly elegant as in all Park Hyatt Hotels.. With its awesome view rooms, concierges to take care of all your needs (forget a toothbrush it will be brought to you gratis) a top floor restaurant & bar plus outdoor garden to dine in warm weather it’s our favorite choice. (MS)
Where2Dine – Never out of style (Gibson & Chicago Cut for steak, Alinea # 6 in the world, RL totally chic, David Burke Primehouse, Pump Room (transforms into a late night supper club.) Next -purchase tickets to dine & see Girl & the Goat, an Anthony Bourdain fav). Our new W2W picks – Maestro’s – Sweet potatoe fries a must, Tavern on Rush, The Boarding House -brand new – 9000 crystal glasses hanging on the ceiling & Bavette. Best Pizza – totally personal, thin or thick crust? Try Coalfire and Great Lake!
Where2Shop – Imagine 5th Avenue and Rodeo Drive combined. That’s Michigan Avenue aptly called the Magnificent Mile. Check out Tom Ford and YSL both new. Vintage Underground (our find) for jewels, Perchance, LuLu for vintage & Intermix. Don’t forget Oak St.
Where2Dance, Listen & Sip – Drake Hotel for Swing, National 27 for Latin Cuisine – gather your strength for salsa afterwards, Alhambra Palace for salsa, Rumba (tropical heatwave) Checkerboard for Blues & Jazz, Pops for Champagne, lobby at the Peninsula Hotel (live music, perfect venue)
Upcoming events – Chicago Blues Festival June 6-9, Taste of Chicago July 10-14, Summer Dance in Grant Park all summer, Jazz Festival August 29-September 1st. & visit the Field Museum for the Maria Pinto Exhibit thru June 16
We love Chicago!
Europe, Travel
Alps, Europe, Food Festival, Park Hyatt, skiing, Switzerland. Bankers, Zurich, Zurich Film Festival, Zurich Street Parade
Why Go Now?
Because Zurich is a perfect blend of old and new. The combination of an avant-garde city mixes w/ the quaint cobblestone streets of Alstadt (old town) A picture perfect city combining medieval churches, modern architecture, a red light district (Kreis 4) & a contemporary industrial art district (Kreis 5). A state of the art transportation system of trains, buses, riverboats & streetcars, (remember things really do run on time) takes you anywhere on one ticket. Balanced by the picturesque Limmat River running through the city and situated against a backdrop of jaw dropping snow covered alps, Zurich is not just efficient, clean & safe but vibrant, trendy & enchanting.
Does being married or single influence Where2Stay? Location, cost, size & child friendly all play a part. Do you want your hotel, hip & modern with sexy dark lounges, a DJ spinning “singles” on the roof? Or do you prefer a quiet, elegant & romantic hotel? Sometimes you might want to “marry” the two which is the hardest to find. You will see an M (married), S (Single), or an MS (married/single) next to each hotel.
Where2Stay
Baur Au Lac – The grand dame of Zurich, run by the 6th generation of the family’s founders. Representing a timeless elegance of a bygone era the hotel mixes art deco w/ a French modern decor. Indulgent and expensive so be prepared. But can you put a price on excellence? (MS)
Park Hyatt Zurich– If modern, contemporary & location is your desire the Park Hyatt is perfect. With the largest guest rooms in Zurich ” this boutique hotel on a grand scale” provides luxury with all the creature comforts that all Park Hyatt’s provide. Situated steps away from the fashionable Bahnhofstrasse shopping street, (not sure if that’s good or bad.) From its enticing lobby, fashionable Onyx Bar & restaurants (see pics below) you can’t go wrong. (Book now for their 2013 Masters of Food & Wine Event June 20th & 23rd.) Ideal for both (MS)
Dolder Grand -Old world elegance (think castle fantasies) w/ an impressive art collection, a 4000 sq. ft spa situated between the edge of the city and the green zone. Elegant, refined and fabulous. (M)
25 Hours Zurich West – contemporary hip hotels & Zurich may be something of an oxymoron but this German owned, whimsical & cutting edge hotel is setting a new standard. Located 10 minutes outside city center this industrial area is surrounded by art galleries, bars & restaurants. Rooms named silver, gold & platinum show its humorous side. An affordable ( relatively) value hotel. (S)
B2 Boutique Hotel & Spa – in one word – wow!. Opened in 2012 this former brewery kept the historic outside and gutted the inside into a state of the art boutique hotel. Cool rooms, mosaic glass bathroom floors, the piece de resistance is the bar library w/floor to ceiling lined bookshelves & the rooftop bath. Not pool but actual baths w/ views of the city. (S)
Where2Dine
Aura -THE hip restaurant for fusion food, Nine for Mediterranean food, Kronenhalle – a beer hall turned local institution w/original Chagall, Picasso’s & Miro’s on the wall, book ahead. Terrasse– Zurichs latest hot spot w/ views of the river, Canitetta Antinori – great Italian. Acqua for its unique location jutting out onto a lake. Don’t miss Sprungli Confiserie – best pasteries & chocolate, need I say more? Lets not forget fondue at Chaesalp, La Salle in trendy Zurich West, you dine in an enclosed glass box, Bodega Espanola an underground lunch place & Globus – noodle bar for lunch. And what is a visit to Zurich without experiencing a beer hall? Try Zeughauskeller w/ its communal tables, sausages & huge beer steins.
Where2Shop
Stroll Bahnhofstrasse street for luxury brands, Old Town – local boutiques & Zurich West – furniture & textiles. Try JAP & Claudia Zuber for unique designers, Entre Deux for consignment, Och Sport – ski attire the Swiss way, Monies – one of a kind jewelry, TA-Bou for swimwear, Cold? Shop Grieder/Bongenie for furs. Don’t miss Jelmoli, Zurich’s largest premium department store along with a visit to Globus, Switzerland’s premier store.
What2Do
Day-Kunsthaus Museum or Landesmuseum, the Frauenkirche Church, Burkliplatz Farmers Market, Uetliberg for a view of the city & don’t miss Seebad Enge an open air lakeside bath, in evening turns into a trendy bar
Nighttime – Aura -2nd floor private club. Note the camel video & colored lights. Kaufleuten, the most famous clib in Zurich & Limmatstr & Adajio for salsa dancing. For local color stroll the Kreis 4, the red light district.
Special events not to miss
Spring Festival– April 15th, Festival Tropical Caliente, largest Carnivale outside of Rio July 5-7, Zurich Street Parade – 2nd Saturday in August is the largest street party in all of Europe. Food Festival– June 27th to June 30. Zurich Film Festival September 26th -October 6th.
Warming up for Zurich
North America, Travel
Ame, Bay Fashion Magazine, Jayson Pahlmeyer Winery, Luxury Lifestyle, Remede Spa San Francisco, San Francisco, St. Regis San Francisco, Starwood
Peek thru the keyhole. What emerges on the other side is your home (or room) at the luxurious St Regis Hotel and Residences. When the original St Regis was opened in New York in 1904 by John Jacob Aster IV, a new era of parties and pampering for the “social set” emerged. Purchased by Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 1999, this elegant brand epitomizes the idea that when you stay at a St Regis you are staying in someone’s private home. Imagine having a “residence” in exotic locations like Abu Dhabi, Mauritius, Bangkok & Bali. Be loser to home in Deer Valley and Bal Harbour. Home never felt like this!
Does being married or single influence Where2Stay? Location, cost, size & child friendly all play a part. Do you want your hotel, hip & modern with sexy dark lounges, a DJ spinning “singles” on the roof? Or do you prefer a quiet, elegant & romantic hotel? Sometimes you might want to “marry” the two which is the hardest to find. You will see an M (married), S (Single), or an MS (married/single) next to each hotel.
Wear2Stay
St. Regis San Francisco – located in the heart of SoMa in San Francisco the St. Regis is the #1 ranked hotel for both business & pleasure. Walk in the lobby and you can see why. A newly renovated lobby, leads to a crystal and pale grey bar with a state of the art fireplace will make you want to put on that cocktail dress. Always crowded, buzzy and happening, ideal for cocktails and a light supper. Comfortable modern rooms, great location and service makes this a perfect city hotel. Ideal for (M/S)
Lifestyle at the St Regis Hotel & Residences – Residences enjoyed a cocktail event featuring Pahlmeyer wines, accompanied by hors d’oeuvres furnished by Michelin Star Ame Restaurant with music supplied by Nicolas Bryce strumming flamenco on his 12 string guitar.
Jayson Pahlmeyer not only stole the event with his generous donation of wine from his Pahlmeyer Winery but also with his jacket which everyone coveted. (Men & women alike!) Though the winery is not open to the public you can become a preferred member of his wine club. Sonya Molodetskaya (with friend Rada Katz) looked like they stepped out of Bay Fashion Magazine.
After the party everyone went into the hotel to feast on sushi at Ame and cocktails in the bar. For the overindulged, Remède Spa is only an elevator ride away.
It is so easy to lose your head at the St Regis! What a way to go! Follow Wear2Where for more travel escapes.
