Category Archives: new york

December 29, 2013 · 2:53 pm

My Year in Travel – 2013

This year was a great year of travel for me, hitting some brand new destinations and revisiting some of my old favorites. BUT, for me, the VERY BEST thing about this year in travel are all the wonderful people who I met or was reunited with in various locations around the world. My travels wouldn’t be anything without the people on my journey.

January saw me in NYC and meeting friends old and new – who knew how important they’d all become in my life over the course of this year. I count my blessings for you.

In January I also skied in Verbier, Switzerland and absolutely loved my time with the legendary Warren Smith. I truly hope to see him again in 2014.

Rounding out January, I went to Copenhagen for the very first time and got to reconnect with a travel friend, Christoffer. I loved the cool capital city of Denmark.

February saw me catching up with a dear travel buddy, Anita, in Montreal, Canada for the very first time. We had a ball doing all kinds of wintery fun things like staying in an Ice Hotel and going to Igloofest.

March was my month for Barcelona & Costa Brava, Spain. I was thrilled to meet up with a fellow traveler, Brian, in Barcelona and was lucky enough to see him again in London in November.

Going to Costa Brava was an incredible experience. I love that area of Spain and really cannot get enough, especially of the coast. But, the people on this trip really made it the very best. I can’t imagine a more fun press trip.

April found me in back in NYC. I always love my NYC trips because I get to catch up with very special friends like Jeff & Craig – 2 of my favorites!!

May saw me in my favorite, Miami. I cannot get enough of this city. While I had my usual fun of beach, pool, dinner, drinks and dancing, I particularly enjoyed working with the fantastic luxe swimwear company, Orchid Boutique, during this trip. Talk about a great collection as well as a staff of kindred spirits!

June was an incredible month chalked full of fun things. Kicking off in Toronto for a conference with so many of my favorite fellow travelers, I actually wonder if we’ll ever be able to beat our #RWTBEX time here. I love you all so much!

I also got to spend a bit of time with one of my most lovely traveling partners, Mrs. O, Ana. I was able to show her a bit of Americana in the amazing seaside town of Newport, Rhode Island. We had a ball doing Newport the luxe way.

Wrapping up my June, I had an incredible visit to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. What a great girls weekend we had there and our host, the Bahia Hotel and Carlos, made my trip 100% amazing. Cannot wait to return.

July found me back in Euroland – one of Lola’s favorites. Although, this was a “repeat” journey of sorts, I did manage to do a few new things. One of which was going to the Henley Royal Regatta.

Post-UK was a return visit to Prague and Budapest. Two of my favorites that I’ve never visited in the summertime. Absolutely stunning! So was hanging out with friends made on a previous trip. Always nice to share a beer with good people.

August took me back to Montreal once again and NYC. This trip was extra special because of the time well spent with lifelong friends and a last visit with a friend that would soon depart. Anita, Montreal will always make me think of you fondly. I love you and that city so much.

September took me to two cities I wanted to know better. First was Seattle with my newly found soul mate, Erin. There is nowhere I wouldn’t go with this girl. And we both wanted to celebrate happy moments, like our dear friends, Captain & Clark’s wedding!

Toward the end of September, Erin and I were reunited again in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. I like to think of it as the city of sisterly love! We had a blast discovering different neighborhoods of Philly & laughing with each other all the while.

October I was lucky enough to be reunited with 2 of my favorite traveling partners again, Ana & Mary Anne along with Mary Anne’s BFF Maxine, for a GLAM LA girls weekend.

November was a busy fun month with a visit back to the UK for a conference and reconnecting with so many fun friends from around the world. I’m so glad our paths cross from time to time.

Followed up by a quick jaunt to France and Amsterdam for more girlfriend fun. I wouldn’t choose to travel any other way. Traveling with Ashley, Ana & Mary Anne was the very best.

And I managed to squeeze in a last minute trip back to NYC with my girlfriends and once again be reunited with some of my favorite people.

In December I finished off my year of travel back in Miami to celebrate Erin’s birthday. I cannot think of a better place to end my year. It is my happy spot and it was made so much better being there, laughing and enjoying life, with two of my travel besties, Erin & Esther.

Maybe you see some common themes in my travels. Repeat places, repeat friends, repeated silliness and smiles. Traveling is my lifeline and a huge part of my heart as are all the people I meet along the way. My world is better for all of you. Here’s to many more reunions on the road and good times ahead in 2014! Happy travels…

XO – Lola

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Filed under amsterdam, barcelona, budapest, cabo san lucas, copenhagen, costa brava, henley-on-thames, london, los angeles, miami, montreal, new york, newport, philadelphia, prague, seattle, toronto, travel, verbier

Tagged as friendship, places to go in 2013, year in travel

December 20, 2013 · 2:30 pm

New York City – One of My Favorite City Breaks

I’m super fortunate to live close enough to New York City to dash off for a quick overnight or two and get my fill of a BIG city break. I love Boston but there’s nothing like New York. A few weeks ago, mid-week, I popped down there with a couple of my girlfriends. We had a great time be-bopping around the city and catching up with a few Big Apple friends.

Some highlights were getting into the holiday spirit by watching people ice skate at the Bryant Park rink and grabbing a cocktail and some laughs at Celsius, the pop up bar located right off the rink! I can’t even remember the last time I watched people ice skate and outside in the crisp air to boot! Celsius is heated, of course, and if this place can’t get you toasting to the holidays, I’m not sure what would!

The girls and I also enjoyed touring a bit around the Lower East Side. It was fun to learn more about this once “better stay away” hood and discover a few other famous places in that neighborhood besides Katz’s Deli. My favorites were the Doughnut Plant and The Pickle Guys. I tried a seasonal special at Doughnut Plant, the pumpkin doughnut, and a VERY delicious pickled okra at The Pickle Guys. Seriously, listen to me now, BOTH of these places are not to be missed. Get down to the LES and take some of both to go!

But one of my favorite things to do whenever I have a New York city break is to go out dancing. It’s a fun way to blow off steam and meet new people. There are tons of spots in the city to go, but somehow, we always seem to end up down in the Meatpacking District. Gaslight, repeatedly, is one of our favorite “get down on it” spots. Again, meeting up with NYC pals, we had a blast shaking our groove thang. Naturally, Lola, found herself a dancing sandwich, because, why not?! 😉

But in all seriousness, I love NYC. You just never what zany thing is going to happen in that city! I know it’s a big destination for a lot of people but I really think it’s also the perfect place for a quick getaway too. New York City break with Thomas Cook is a great way to find your next city break deal for NYC, whether it’s a hotel or flights or both. Go get yourself a bite of the BIG APPLE soon.

11 Comments

Filed under new york, travel

Tagged as New York, New York city breaks, NYC

July 9, 2013 · 7:46 am

One Day Stay: New York, New York

NYC you were once home to me. And now I adore visiting you and seeing how you have grown, changed and become even more oh-so-fabulous. When I lived in the ‘Big Apple’ I resided on the Upper West Side. Now I enjoy discovering other neighborhoods like the Meatpacking District and another one of my faves – the artsy, trendy & chic SoHo (South of Houston). Gotham, don’t stop improving…you continue to be one of my favorite ‘One Day Stay’ getaways!!

DROP YOUR BAG

New York is an easy getaway and one I never tire of. I try to stay somewhere different every visit and with all the amazing properties in NYC, it’s not difficult to do. This quick escape I rested my head at the absolutely dreamy Mondrian SoHo. Opening its doors just over two years ago, Mondrian SoHo is a breath of fresh air with its simple & clean yet playful decor. Drawing inspiration from Jean Cocteau’s “La Belle et la Bete” or “Beauty and the Beast”, there is a distinct sense of mystery and fantasy which is quite charming. Even with over 250 rooms, somehow this world of blue & white feels very intimate. There is also edginess to the property with its fresh and funky art installations. The permanent collection by Sol LeWitt, who was known for his minimalist drawings and photographs from his old neighborhood of the Lower East Side, is outside the Lafayette Street entrance of Mondrian SoHo. Inside you can find awesome lobby wall paper graphically designed by New Yorker Marilyn Minter. The nod to local New York artists is so tres cool – especially in an artsy neighborhood like SoHo. Totally LOLA APPROVED! Some of my other favorite details about this property are the smokey blue mirrors, the stunning chandelier in the bar lounge, the hidden room behind the bookshelf AND “the tunnel of love” where you transition from the world outside to the new world that is so lovely, Mondrian SoHo.

PS – Mondrian SoHo’s rooftop deck Soaked is now open! A perfect place to take in the Manhattan skyline while enjoying a nice cold cocktail!

DO

Mondrian SoHo is conveniently located in the SoHo neighborhood of New York where there are SO MANY fabulous boutique shops & galleries within steps of the property. Living outside Boston where you virtually need a car to accomplish anything, I particularly love being able to walk the nearby streets to hit some of my favorite shops. Anthopologie, I’m looking at you! SoHo is also dotted with some amazing art galleries that could fill your free time and inspire your inner artist. BEST of all, to me, is the people watching in SoHo.

DRINK

I’ll be honest, I had a difficult time leaving the sanctuary that I found Mondrian SoHo to be. I enjoyed my cocktail time at Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar, the on-property bar & restaurant inspired by the Amalfi Coast. Really, need I say more?! The adorable bartender made me his specialty, a Hemingway Daiquiri, which is a refreshing cold drink with white rum, fresh lime juice, grapefruit juice and a house-made simple syrup. BELLISSIMO!

HONORABLE MENTIONS go to Apotheke, a trendy speakeasy in Chinatown and Mister H, a discretely hidden nightlife spot inside Mondrian SoHo inspired by nearby Chinatown. Both a see & be seen spots in NYC!!

DINE

My New York dining experience was with the fabulous Macao Trading Company. Decor styling inspired by the brothels and opium dens of 1930’s Macao, stepping into Macao Trading Company you feel you’ve left the world behind and entered a different time and place. Serving Eurasian fare, I sampled the Mushroom & Truffle Croquets, Chicken & Pork Belly Dumplings and Macanese Chili Prawns. Who knew Chinese & Portuguese influenced food could be so great?! YUM!

PS – Possibly even better than the food was the divine cocktail I ordered, Mah-johng. A mixture of Chivas Regal, Carpano Antica Formula, vanilla & ginger infused mandarin Napoleon and Macao 5 spice bitters, Mah-johng was very similar to my beloved Negroni but with a twist. A MUST TRY!

20 Comments

Filed under hipster hotels, new york, one day stay, travel

Tagged as hipster hotels in new york, macao trading company, mondrian soho, morgans hotels, new york hotels

May 3, 2013 · 11:10 am

how i traveled to five major cities in 18 hours

and not just 5 cities – five major cities in four countries!

on my way to Spain in March i ran into some trouble. for one, there was a massive overnight snowstorm on the East Coast that waylaid everything. at first, this actually seemed to be a good thing as i underestimated time to clear off my car and drive the snowy roads of Massachusetts. i was terribly relieved to find out my flight was delayed. once i got settled at the airport, however, it became evident it was going to be so delayed that i would miss my connection in NYC direct to Barcelona. (now you see where i’m going with this, right?!)

once in NYC i was told i was being re-routed now through London. GREAT! Heathrow. the roughest security on earth. plus, i brought my €’s not my £’s for the airport. moving on. what about my bag?! i was told some kind of airline mumbo-jumbo term for “we’ll call and tell them you’re changing carriers and to pull your bag”. fingers crossed i ever see that bag again…

what’s this? Lola wasn’t supposed to be over this land mass!!

so off i go from NYC to London. once i land in London and make my to the next security check point (UGH) they won’t let me continue on. WHY? there’s no way i’ll make my next connection. SO…go stand in another airline ticket line. get told there are no more directs on their carrier and you’re switching to another and being routed through Amsterdam!! SERIOUSLY…goodbye luggage.

now faced with extra time at Heathrow and no Pounds to speak of i had to use my credit card. luckily, a while ago i had taken the time to compare credit cards i currently held with others out there and now have one that is accepted worldwide with NO foreign transactions fees. Lola wouldn’t have to go hungry at Heathrow.

i spy wooden shoe key chains & bottle openers. i must be at the Amsterdam airport?!?!

the remainder of the flights were glitch free. i met a nice man on the flight to Amsterdam, made my final leg to Barcelona and arrived there only 8 hours later than anticipated. during this whole debacle i was coming up with a contingency plan for the bag situation. you see, i made a rookie travel mistake and only had the clothes i was wearing with me…no spare set in case of delayed/lost baggage.

cute dress from El Corte Ingles – disaster averted!

well you can be sure, after 3 different carrier changes and flying through all those massive airports that my bag DID NOT arrive with me. CONTINGENCY PLAN springs into action. i had been madly tweeting with Barcelona friends and was tipped off where to go for one-stop shopping. basically, as soon as i claimed my luggage lost i had approximately 2 hours to shop and get ready before heading out for dinner!! i wasn’t about to miss going out on Saturday in Barcelona at a trendy restaurant and cool late night club. Thankfully El Corte Ingles came to my rescue and i could find a cute dress, top for the next day, a pair of sandals for both days & some new underwear pretty efficiently. AND even with my lack of Spanish and the staff’s lack of English, somehow they were able to tell me to go get a discount card so tourists don’t pay the VAT tax. Gracias!

fun top a la El Corte Ingles – gracias!

i still need to claim my purchases with the last carrier so i can be reimbursed! UGH – PAPERWORK. the only thing that makes it all less painful is that i used points from my reward credit card to purchase the flight so it’s not like i’m out TONS of money.

PS – i had a super fun Saturday night out in my new outfit in BARCA & my bag did turn up 24 hours later. it apparently had a great night out in the UK!

18 Comments

Filed under airlines, barcelona, london, new york, travel

Tagged as airlines, luggage, reward credit cards, shopping

May 2, 2013 · 2:08 pm

how to remain a fashionista travelista on the road

Lola’s got your answer right here!

as i wrote about last week in my STYLE Special Edition, Lola has a distinct travel style. i like to think i’m a bit of a fashionista when not wearing costumes! 😉 BUT being a fashionable traveler isn’t always easy. especially when i don’t have limitless funds or even time to really shop. that can’t be an acceptable excuse, however, not to look great when i’m out on the town checking out FAB restaurants and bar scenes. that just won’t cut it when i’m staying in HIP & LUXE hotels. NOPE.

so what’s a girl to do?! well…i think i may have found my solution! it’s called Rent The Runway. yeah, you’ve probably heard of it. maybe even considered renting from them yourself for some big event or something. that’s certainly the way the company positions itself.

BUT wouldn’t you say for most, a trip IS a BIG event? i know it is for me. i pack things i might not wear all that often because i’m doing different things when away. i go out more…restaurants, bars, clubs. and a lot of the places i travel are pretty much on the posh pulse. SO i want to be in good style. this is not to say i’m a hermit when i’m at home but it’s not quite the same. the other thing i like about the Rent The Runway solution is that you can actually pack less. you just need your undergarments, shoes, jewels & a handbag & VOILA you are ready to rock it.

on my last visit to NYC a couple of weeks ago i decided to give Rent The Runway a shot. the hotel i was staying with was doing a little promotion with them and i thought what the hell. PLUS it meant that i could pack less as i just described which was a bonus because i was going from Florida directly to NYC. here’s how the process works…

you preorder your frocks. there are fit guides & customer reviews on the site as well as stylists to assist you in any questions.
the rental terms are for 4 days but you can pay extra & extend to 8 days.
you pay shipping but the return is free and the rental comes with the packing/postage included and all the instructions.
you wear your items and return them. RTR handles the cleaning of the garments.
FYI you can also rent handbags & jewelry accessories to accompany your dresses.

i needed 2 dresses for Friday and Saturday night. when i rented, it was rent one at the full rental fee, get the second one for $25. not too shabby. also, one free second size included in your rental in case you’re not sure about your correct size. i took them up on this!

not only were my garments there at the hotel upon check-in, there were little gifties inside from Rent The Runway. FUN!

i loved both of the dresses i rented. one fit better than the other but both were super fun & perfect for my dinners and drinks out in the big apple.

the only glitch i ran into was with the return. because the hotel was partnering with Rent The Runway, i asked them to facilitate the return of the dresses. everything was included – so no big thing. well, for some reason, it didn’t go completely smoothly and boy was Rent The Runway on me to get their dresses back. really, the fault is with the hotel, not RTR, but i was annoyed since i had to be involved when these two businesses were partners.

BUT not annoyed enough to not repeat this same process for my upcoming Miami trip. i go to Miami so often and see some of the same people. AGAIN, not cool to always be wearing the same dresses over & over. Rent The Runway made this an easy decision, offering me $20 off my next rental if i reviewed the dresses i rented in NYC. ok, sure. no problem. so, i’ve preordered and will turn up in Miami to my hotel with my 2 fun dress rentals waiting for me. hopefully i love them as much as the ones from NYC.

BONUS i got an email from Rent The Runway yesterday saying for an additional $15 would i consider allowing the RTR stylists to throw in ‘mystery bling’ for one of my outfits? i’ll be bringing my own jewels & handbags, you can be sure, but i thought that this sounds fun – so why not?! we’ll see what they come up and if it’s ‘Lola Approved’.

what do you think of my choices? would you rent fun dresses for your fashionista travelista moments on the road? tell me why or why not.

Category Archives: new york

My Year in Travel – 2013

XO – Lola

New York City – One of My Favorite City Breaks

One Day Stay: New York, New York

DROP YOUR BAG

DO

DRINK

DINE

how i traveled to five major cities in 18 hours

and not just 5 cities – five major cities in four countries!

how to remain a fashionista travelista on the road

Lola’s got your answer right here!

XO – Lola

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