A Pleasant Travel Surprise

As wonderful as visiting family is for the holidays, traveling during these times is difficult and stressful. Flights are expensive and so is boarding Darwin, so we frequently find ourselves making the drive from North Carolina to the Albany, NY and Rhode Island circuit.  Now that we have Rose, it adds another challenge.

For Thanksgiving this year, we decided to start our trip north after work on Friday. We've done the drive straight before, and have said we would never do it again!  I found a reasonable rate at a Westin hotel off I-95 in Delaware, which split the drive almost in half. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the hotel was and it was even better that they allowed dogs for free.  It's really difficult to travel with a dog on a budget. We've stayed at a Red Roof Inn before - which I won't do again - and I find myself tirelessly looking for nice, pet-friendly hotels, that are just off the highway. I just can't justify spending a lot of money on a room that we will only be in for 7-9 hours - to sleep.  The hotel stay in Delaware was pleasant, but we arrived after midnight and Rose had been sleeping in the car all evening, so she did not want to go to bed. We opted to sleep in Saturday morning and get a late checkout so we could swim in the pool for a bit.

Heading north is a little easier than coming south.  Since we can leave after work on the way up, the DC traffic isn't usually too bad. We are almost guaranteed to hit traffic on the way south.  In an effort to beat the insanely horrible south-of-DC traffic, we opted for another Westin Hotel just outside of DC in Tysons Corner.  I found a AAA rate of $59 for the hotel which is pet friendly (and free for pets), had good reviews, was right off the highway, and had an easy cancellation policy.  I knew the pool was going to be out-of-service for repairs, but we didn't plan on using the pool anyway.  We spent the whole day Saturday getting from Rhode Island to DC.  We made great time to New Haven and then stopped to visit with friends for a few hours. Unfortunately, the afternoon travel was not as smooth as the morning and we hit bad traffic out of New Haven, CT and again in northern Maryland.  Instead of arriving at the hotel at my planned 7pm, we didn't get there until closer to 10pm.  I was tired, having left RI at 9:30am, and was grateful that the front desk staff was extremely friendly and quick with the check-in process. Because of Rose's poor sleeping on the trip up, and Darwin's occasion barking at sounds in the hallway, I asked if we could be away from high traffic areas and away from other guests (or they would be mad at a crying baby!).  I was told we were set up in a suite already and that it was somewhat close to the elevator, but gave us a lot of room. The closest guests were 4 rooms away, so I agreed to the suite.  I was not prepared for the room we received!

It had a living area with a dining room table, pull-out couch, treadmill and other exercise equipment - AND - had a separate bedroom/bathroom with another TV, office work station, and lounge area!  I've never been placed in such a large room, especially for $60!  It's too bad we arrived at 10p and had to depart early to beat the DC traffic.  I'm not sure how I got the room, but I was glad we did. It made putting Rose to bed easier (she cries it out a little and settles down to sleep), even if she didn't stay asleep long. And it gave Darwin his own sleeping quarters - which I'm sure he loved! They even supplied us with a doggie bed - which Darwin didn't use because he thinks he's human and wants to be on the couch.

The few winks of sleep we did get were enough to get us through the drive from DC to NC - which only took just over 4 hours with our 8am departure. We were tired, but not nearly as bad as the time we tried driving from NYC straight through the night when Rose was 3 months old.

Every time we do the drive, we say we are going to fly next time. I guess we'll have to wait and see what we do when next time comes.

The living area

The living area with its exercise equipment

The bedroom and the crib the hotel provided

A second look at the bedroom

A Conference at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC

Five days after returning from the Pacific Northwest, I had an opportunity to present at a conference in the western part of North Carolina. Our state hosted 8 other states that comprise the Southeastern Associate of Area Agencies on Aging (SE4A).  The conference was held at renowned Grove Park Inn in Asheville.  This hotel has a long list of awards and accolades from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast, and other popular travel magazines.  It is also listed as a Historic Hotel of America.  People gasped and voiced their surprise and envy that I would be presenting at a conference at the prestigious hotel. After all, I work in state government and we are not known to hold conferences in nice hotels.

Sure enough, to lessen the costs, staff were expected to share rooms (2 people per room). I was very lucky to have a room to myself for the first night since I had to be there early for my presentation.  Sharing a room with my coworker for the other 3 nights was not too bad, but I will admit that it is awkward to sleep in the same room with someone you only know from work.

When I arrived at the hotel, or rather "resort," I was impressed with the enormity of it all. Everything just seemed massive! From the golf course, to the buildings, and even fireplaces on either side of the lobby were enormous.  I was most impressed with the brick facade and stonework inside the building, until I experienced the spa. I'll share more on the spa experience later.

One of the two giant fireplaces in the lobby

The courtyard of The Grove Park Inn from one of the hallways

The outdoor portion of the spa in the foreground, golf course in the background

The view of downtown Asheville (to the left) from the courtyard

on one of the beautiful sunny days

My hotel room was unimpressive. It looked like a room inside any hotel and the double beds were actually very small. I didn't mind since I had the bed to myself, but it would have been very cozy for two people.  I assume they had king beds for couples.  I also had a room without a view. It looked out to a driveway and some bushes.  I did appreciate a K-Cup coffee machine with regular coffee, decaf, and tea. Other than that, there were no exciting amenities in the room.

My hotel room

During the conference, North Carolina had a room that was used as the hospitality suite, which was stocked with snacks and beverages.  The first day of the conference ended with a reception that brought most people to the hospitality suite for an "after party."  The room was packed and there were a few people that definitely had too much to drink!  Other than the first evening, the room was used for people to hang out and relax together.  The theme for the room was the 1950's and the decor was fabulous. It made for a perfect place to get together.  That, and the amazing view of the mountains and downtown Asheville!  My favorite part was the Murphy Bed.  Colin and I talk about getting one someday!

The 1950's room at The Grove Park Inn

The conference itself had some high points and low points. The sessions I attended, and the one I co-lead were all very informative and very good.  It was also nice to see people that I work with from all over the state. There were a few good keynote speakers as well, except for the final speaker at breakfast on the last day.  I did not enjoy the storyteller, Bill Thompson, share his "Front Porch Stories" about traditions in North Carolina and The South.

I could go on a rant about how terrible the food was, but I'll only describe the breakfasts, which were the worst I have ever had at a conference or in a continental breakfast.  On the first morning, the only choices were sausage or ham biscuits. And they put out jelly - for what, I'm not sure. Then there was juice and coffee.  That's it! As a dietitian and someone who strives to eat well, I was appalled.  The second day wasn't much better when they put out 2-3 varieties of pastries. I heard that the food vendor at The Grove Park Inn changed after the conference costs were agreed upon, so the menu had to change and that food was all that could be offered at the approved price.  It angers me that pastries are so much less expensive than real food like fruit!  Thankfully, I did enjoy some good dinners by leaving the hotel and eating downtown.  Asheville is a foodie's paradise with lots of options for local farm-to-fork foods, vegetarian, and vegan options.  You would think that a place like The Grove Park Inn would strive to bring some local foods to it's patrons. But I think that everything about the resort was expensive (to keep with the "enormous" theme).

A conference room in The Grove Park Inn looks just like one in any other hotel

I did take some time for myself to enjoy the highly acclaimed spa one evening.  We had the option to go on a  tour of The Biltmore Estate, but since I have been there twice already, I decided to go to the spa instead.  I debated between the Spa Access Twilight Pass and the 50 minute Classic Massage.  I mainly wanted to spend time in the spa, enjoying the pools, sauna and steam rooms, but I also really wanted a massage.  The pass to the spa for the evening was only $50, while the massage was $129, which included being able to go to the spa all day.  I decided it would be unlikely that I would ever go back to The Grove Park Inn - unless I could convince some girlfriends for a weekend retreat - so I went all out with the massage.  The massage and a couple of hours in the spa was just what I needed after 2 weeks of travel in the Pacific Northwest and 3 days of the conference! I enjoyed the hot and cold contrast pools, steam room, sauna, waterfalls, and swimming pools for an hour before the massage and then went back for another hour after the massage.  I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the spa, but there are a few on the hotel's website.  

In my experience, the hotel is not worth the $300+/night price tag, but the spa is definitely worth a visit.  I know Colin wouldn't enjoy it, and we wouldn't be able to enjoy the steam room or saunas together since they are in female and male-only areas. The spa would be a great experience for a girls getaway.  Maybe I'll convince some ladies to go to Asheville with me some time. We can stay in a less expensive hotel, go to the spa, and eat delicious local food in downtown Asheville!  Any takers??

Have you ever been to a conference where the conference rooms were amazing and the food was delicious? If so, where was it?

In my opinion, conference rooms look the same everywhere I go. They usually have hideous carpets, fluorescent lighting, and dark walls and chairs.

Exceeding expectations and keeping costs low in Fort Lauderdale

The stars were in perfect alignment to allow Colin and I the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful 4-day weekend in Ft. Lauderdale this past weekend.  Colin's conference was scheduled to end at the same time my flight was scheduled to arrive, which came a day after I submitted a substantial grant application for the state of North Carolina.

As we always do when we travel without Darwin, we bid for a hotel on Priceline a few weeks leading up to our trip.  I knew that my chances of getting a low price were better as we got closer to the day of arrival, so I didn't stress when we hadn't won a bid a week before my scheduled arrival.  Sure enough, 4-5 days before our trip, my $72 bid was accepted by the four star Hyatt Pier 66. While I did select "beach front" properties, the Hyatt is located about a mile from the beach, so I was slightly disappointed that it was not right on the beach.  I also got very nervous when I read some of the most recent negative hotel reviews, even though the hotel was listed as 4 stars.  The only review that came back consistent was that the pool was really nice.

With low expectations, we checked in. The woman at the front desk was very nice and changed our room reservation from 2 double beds to 1 king (Priceline only asks for the number of people and you can't control the room assignment unless you work with the front desk staff).  She also asked of our preference for proximity to the pool.  When we asked for nice, quiet room, she said we would enjoy our room on the intercoastal waterway, which was also very close to the pool.

Our room was not at all disappointing and the hotel far exceeded my expectations (which, as I said, were pretty low).  I didn't take any pictures of the room, because it was pretty standard for most hotels (king size bed with lots of pillows, tv, dresser, refrigerator, closet, large bathroom). There wasn't any extraordinary furniture worth blogging about.  One of the things I enjoyed the most about the hotel was the balcony.  The boats on the intercoastal were so large, we both dreamed of a day when we could own and use one ourselves!

A relaxing breakfast our first morning

The best part of the hotel was, in fact, the pool.  There were technically 3 pools - a small jacuzzi that could easily fit 8-10 people, a large "S" shaped pool ranging from 3-6' deep, and a smaller "t" shaped pool.  We spent most of our time at the largest pool, which had a waterfall near the deeper end.  The hotel was clearly not crowded, so we did relax at the pool more than we usually do on a beach vacation. I couldn't help but be relaxed while laying in the shade and took a rather long snooze after a filling lunch one afternoon.  We didn't use the jacuzzi because the water was too warm for June in Florida.  But, we did enjoy some night swimming to cool ourselves down before bed one evening.

 Relaxing by the pool

There's the waterfall!

Ending the day with a dip in the nicely lit pool

I would say our hotel was a bargain!  Although it wasn't on the beach, they did provide a complimentary shuttle to and from the beach every hour.  There was no complimentary breakfast, be we prefer our healthier options to most continental breakfasts anyway.  Parking was the major hotel expense, since they charged $21/day.  Our first reaction was to find a place to park near the hotel overnight, but that proved too challenging. Thankfully, we got a great deal on our rental car (also on Priceline) for $26 for 2 days.  Adding $21 for 1 night that we parked in the hotel wasn't too bad.

To break down our expenses, we paid $255 for my flight (Colin's was paid for by work, and I missed an opportunity to get a sub $200 fare), $251 for the hotel (using a Priceline bid of $72/nt + taxes), $26 for a rental car for 2 days, and $21 to park 1 night.  The grand total (minus food and adventures - which will be detailed in another post) came out to $553 for a 4 day/3 night vacation. We are pretty good at keeping food costs low by mixing up buying food in a grocery store and going out too eat.  This is when it's helpful to have a car or be within walking distance of a grocery store.  The estimate of our food costs is $150 for the 10 total meals, which included four meals and a dessert in a restaurant and 4 grocery store meals.  Two of our meals included leftovers we kept in the refrigerator and these were the only meals that were duplicated.  The most outrageous food cost we incurred was the $12 for 1 small and 1 large ice cream from Marble Slab and I will be the first to admit it was not even good!!

Other than the ice cream, I'd say we were able to enjoy a wonderful vacation at minimal cost.  Stay tuned for the next post about exploring the area!

How do you save money when you travel?

A week's residence in NYC

I spent several days and many hours researching hotels for my trip to NYC.  Even though I was going to be in hotel most of the week for work, I had to be mindful of spending the state's resources.  I wanted to be sure I was getting a decent hotel at a good price.  Some of the decisions I had to make included staying in a chain hotel vs a "boutique" hotel, staying near the training vs a more central location for visiting friends, and going with a refundable vs non-refundable rate.  Many of the better deals in NYC require that you pay up front and I wasn't about to do that until my flight was booked and my registration was processed.

Knowing I wanted to be on a subway line that was an easy trip to the training, I ended up monitoring the price of the Hilton in Chelsea because I had 4 subway options to choose from. Unfortunately, the prices kept fluctuating from $106-140/nt and I was simultaneously bidding on Priceline hotels daily, hoping to get less than $100/nt deal.  My over analyzing was making the booking process a challenge.

During one of my searches a new hotel popped up on Booking.com for a studio apartment hotel rental for $119/nt + tax.  The location was ideally located 1.5 miles from the training and 2 blocks from Union Square and many subway lines.  I was intrigued by the photos previous guests had taken and I loved the idea of having a small kitchen area for breakfast, snacks, and a place to store and heat up leftovers.  The site indicated there was one 1 room left, so I somewhat hastily booked it (I'm pretty sure that is a ploy because booking.com said the hotel was booked through Saturday but the front desk told me they had room if I wanted to stay another night).

While a hasty reservation is not usually my style, the search was becoming exhausting and I was running out of time.  Thankfully, the hotel turned out to be a great place to stay.  I won't say it was the best place I've ever stayed, but I think it was a good value and had a lot of great things about it. When I arrived at the hotel, I wasn't thrilled about carrying my luggage up 2 flights of stairs to the 3rd floor, but thankfully my parents were in town and helped me "move in."  I had also been warned about this and it was very clear on the website when I reserved the room.

The stairs leading up to my 3rd floor walk-up

Because the hotel isn't a chain or a typical accommodation, I had to work with the staff to get a receipt that reflected my total cost and would be reimbursable by the state.  Thankfully, they were able to do what was necessary to show my costs were paid and once I walked into my room, I was pleasantly surprised at the decor, cleanliness, and size of my "apartment."

My spacious studio apartment 

The kitchen and it's basic necessities

 The small fridge, and "closet" area

The bed

The simple Ikea furniture gave the room a modern look, while the radiators, hardwood floors, and trim reminded me that I was in an old building in NYC.  The apartment provided me with lots of coffee and tea and a coffee pot and hot water kettle to easily prepare these beverages.  I would have liked a few more decaffeinated tea options, but I didn't care so much about it to ask.  The microwave served its purpose in heating up leftovers one night, and the small refrigerator allowed me to keep the few items I wanted from spoiling.

One of the things I take great notice of is the water pressure in the shower.  I would have preferred a better showering experience, with more water pressure and instant hot water, but I was only slightly inconvenienced.  Where I had the biggest challenge was with sleeping.  The sheets were fresh and clean, but were very strongly scented.  I kept trying to "air out" the bed, but it took a few days for the fragrance to dissipate. The pillow was also a bit too soft for my liking and I wished the company took the idea from hotels to offer "soft" and "firm" pillows.  And worse of all, the building next door was under construction, so I was woken up at 7:15am every morning.  In NC I would have been fine getting up that early, but I quickly fell into the "late to bed, late to rise" NYC lifestyle.  Knowing I would be on a major road (5th ave) in NYC, I used earplugs and a mask at night.  The mask was helpful because NYC has a constant glow - especially if your room faces the street.  I don't know if the earplugs were necessary, but they would always fall out sometime during the night, so they didn't help at 7:15am.

One of the best things about the hotel was that I was "in the middle of it all."  I walked the 1.5 miles to and from the training pretty much every day, and walked to dinner in the evenings (even getting up to 46th and 9th was only 2 miles).  My commute was fun because I got to see the change in people and atmosphere from the NYC crowd in Washington Square Park, to the posh shops in Soho, and finally making my way into the more "business" area of Tribeca.  It was also cool to spend my training days in the building right next to where Colin went to law school.

I don't know if the "hotel" will go up in price once there is no longer any construction next door.  But if it remains in the low $100s/night, it is a great deal.  I will certainly look for it the next time I'm in the city and the only thing I will change will be to ask if they can use a hypoallergenic detergent for my sheets.  If you love lavender scented sheets, soft pillows, and don't mind low water pressure, a 3rd floor walkup, and only 1 stovetop burner, this place is definitely like living in a studio apartment for a little more than the cost of NYC rent (wait, you can get a studio apartment in Union Square for less than $3900/month, right?).  Some of you might need to correct me on here if I'm wrong.

Where is the best place you've ever stayed in NYC?