Chill out at Hotel Solamar in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter
Plus video tour of the spa guest room
Hotel Solamar sits on 6th Ave. inside the 16 and a half block radius of the historic Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego. This convenient hotel is blocks away from Petco Park, home of the Padres, and The San Diego Convention Center, home of Comic-Con, the largest comic book convention in the world. Beside the clear-cut landmarks, Solamar is within walking distance of an abundance of bars and restaurants from TV chef Brian Malarkey’s Searsucker to local favorite, Neighborhood, a craft beer-centric American gastropub. The contemporary 235-room hotel aims to provide an urban lifestyle mixed with beach attitude. Read More
Like most trade shows, there are exhibitors who sit there because their bosses make them, and there are those that actually make the experience fun. Sure, this doesn’t automatically make what they’re selling gold, but in this case, I am more open to visiting these 5 countries. Read More
Top 5 list of 2012 travel locations in the world
From Andrew Zimmern, Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer and Patricia Schultz
If you have travel plans for 2012, you might want to change them after reading these recommendations from L.A. Travel & Adventure Show‘s, happening this weekend at the Long Beach Convention Center, star guests. Check out the lists from Andrew Zimmern, Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer and Patricia Schultz. Read More
It’s almost time to get on your planes, and the last thing you want is to be sick for the holidays. You might think the recirculated air is a risk to your health, but it’s actually the very dry cabin air and fatigue that cause most upper respiratory infections. Not to mention germs and bacteria all over the plane. Here are some tips from the LA County Department of Public Health. Feel free to ignore all the tips on your flight back to legitimately call in sick after the holidays. Read More
Escape and decompress at the Mondrian Los Angeles
Plus video tour from the penthouse to the pool
Driving by, you may miss the Mondrian Hotel on the Sunset Strip because it doesn’t boast any obvious signage, and that’s the point. But if you look up, you’ll notice the huge double doors a la Alice In Wonderland. The Mondrian aims to be an oasis of escape from L.A.’s hectic way of life and part of the charm comes from its nondescript exterior. A walk through the doors brings you the two themes the Mondrian is built around, escapism and decompression.
Check out their penthouse, Asian-Cuban fusion restaurant Asia de Cuba, and mojito specialized Skybar in our video tour. Read More
It might be winter, but that won’t stop the Southern California sun from seeping through. Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach is offering a “Girls Just Wanna Have Sun” package.
Starting at for $800 for up to four of your BFFs, the package includes a full day cabana rental, valet parking, 30 minute full body massages, manicure or pedicure, lunch, gift bags, and a cabana host. Gift bags include sunscreen, lip gloss, lotion, waterproof mascara, flip flops and beach towels. Call 949-290-9039 to book or email rpeng@jdvhotels.com.
Photography provided by Pacific Edge Hotel
Where is Marina del Rey?
A day in the Rey + video of chef Daniel Roberts catching and cooking us some fish
Be honest, how many of you know what’s up with Marina Del Rey? Boasting the largest constructed small yacht harbor in the world, isn’t it weird that it doesn’t stand out more to you? We spent half a day in the Rey to check out what exactly was going on over there.
What do you do in MDR?
Here’s a short list.
- Dine at 60 full-service restaurants under a 2 mile radius.
- Parasail with three buddies at 800 feet above the marina.
- A holiday boat parade with fireworks.
- Learn to sail, surf, kayak and more at the UCLA Marina Aquatic Center.
- Take a gondola ride.
- Go for a stroll or hop on a bike.
- Dance the night away at Glow.
- Shop the chic boutique shops at the Waterside At Marina Del Rey and Villa Marina Marketplace.
Or you could do what we did, venture onto a chartered sportfishing boat and catch your dinner. Read More
Pretend to be a Pan Am pilot with Custom Hotel’s ‘Flight Club Package’
Joie de Vivre's newly revamped hotel near LAX now offers private flight lessons for a limited time
You’re not getting a lesson on a plane full of Pan Am stewardesses but at least you won’t have to worry about getting cancelled by ABC. Joie de Vivre’s newly renovated 60′s aviation themed Custom Hotel is offering a hotel package that takes you in the air from the Santa Monica Airport for a private flight lesson. Read More
