hotels

by Shari Hartford And now for something completely different. There seems to be a plethora of new [and new/old] hotels in New York City these days. And, unfortunately, a great many of them are cookie cutter variations on each other. You know? Take a basic sugar cookie recipe and decorate

By Monique Burns Words like “grand” and “luxurious” rarely describe boutique hotels.  Most are too small for such outsized superlatives.  But they fit The Benjamin, one of New York City’s premier boutique hotels, to a tee. A muscular 25-story Renaissance Revival structure in buff-colored brick, The Benjamin rises majestically in

  By Shari Hartford As I’ve stated time and time again, New York City is chock full of hotels: big ones, small ones, luxurious ones, budget ones and practically one of every chain that there is. And, contrary to the wishes of a certain former mayor, there are still those

By Marc Kristal The tourist’s week I spent recently in Rome was – as it always seems to be in that unusual city – a dream of perfection. The sun came out every day and turned my scarf and gloves unnecessary. The low winter sun made silhouettes of the stone

By Ann Abel If it’s not for everyone, it’s probably for me. That’s one of my favorite travel credos. I was reminded of it when I stepped into the purple-on-purple lobby of the Dorsia Hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden (of all places) last month, was greeted by an attendant wearing a

When Marriott International acquired controlling interest of Ritz-Carlton Hotels 16 years ago, few consumers noticed. Ritz-Carlton remains one of the world’s most venerable luxury brands, especially in the hotel sector, and even today few travelers associate it with its parent company. Marriott hopes to change that. The luxury hospitality sector

By Shari Hartford Sometimes a hotel feels like, well, a hotel and sometimes it feels like home. Home it is for the Affinia 50, a jewel of a boutique property, centrally located in midtown Manhattan, just steps away from Grand Central Station. The Affinia 50 is appealing to both the

Winter will be here any day, but in Europe cold weather just means things are heating up for the traveler. While the coming ski season will not see a single new luxury hotel of note open at a major resort in this country, new openings are coming to the Alps

  By Shari Hartford Back in the day, ladies wore hats…everyday, everywhere and the center for the millinery trade in New York City was 38th Street. Number 63, built in 1912, housed a factory where these hats, and their respective feathers, ribbons and bows (otherwise known as “trim) were manufactured.

By Shari Hartford Take a stroll down quiet tree-lined 13th Street in Greenwich Village and you will come upon…a hotel !?! The Jade NYC, a new boutique property, was designed to mirror a fine European establishment. With only 113 rooms, the elegant ambiance permeates every inch of the townhouse-like setting.