Review The Parker Meridien New York

I chose the Parker Meridien for a weekend trip to NYC in March. Its location on West 56th between 6th and 7th Ave. made it ideal for shopping, dining, and theater going. The lobby is stylish; and the surprising burger smell wafting through the lobby was a hit for meat eaters like us. The "hidden" Burger Joint serves up burgers and fries for those-in-the-know all day long.   Norma's has a delicious breakfast with french press coffee I'm still trying to recreate and applewood smoked bacon that's so thick and tasty it rivals my favorite served at the Kimpton hotels. Our bill for breakfast each morning topped the $100 mark, so keep that in mind when you're budgeting.

Our room was spacious and way beyond New York standards. The two oversized twin beds and pull out sofa worked well for our party of four. It was a challenge to find a reasonably priced room with much space at all for four. The Parker Meridian's junior suite had two televisions, an eating area and a reasonably sized bathroom.

The rooftop pool had amazing views of Central Park and is open most of the day giving you a chance to take a dip after a long day of wondering around the city.

The shot glasses in the bathrooms were a nice touch, as were the Peter Thomas Roth products:

I'd recommend a stay at the Parker Meridien mostly for its location and style. My only reservation would be the extra charges like $10 for the toothbrush I forgot (hint: there's a Duane Reade across the street); $6 for each of the wine glasses I asked to be sent to the room (I've always tipped on the service; but haven't been charged for using wine glasses before); and the WiFi charges of $12/hour in the lobby or $16/day in your room is always a pet peeve of ours.

If you're curious to check it out yourself, they're offering specials starting in the $300 range. Happy travels!

On Our Radar: W London

If all this talk about the royal wedding has you thinking about making a trip across the pond, here's another reason: The newly opened W London - Leicester Square Hotel. The hotel is centrally located near the West End theaters (The upcoming Batman is another reason to head to London this summer) and the shopping on Regents and Oxford Streets.

In the Wonderful rooms the sinks are in the middle, a take on the American trend of putting tubs in the center of the room. (The shower is behind closed doors.) The rooms feature Bliss spa products and iPod docs.

When it's time to party, you can hit the Wyld Club or the Lounge Bar. There's a branch of NYC's Spice Market in the hotel for meals that are both delicious, fun and sexy.

Ready to go? When you book two nights, the third is free. Get ready to call in sick that Monday!

Kentucky Derby Tickets on RueLaLa

Annie at the Kentucky Derby with her friend Clint.

Attending the Kentucky Derby is one of the items we've already crossed off our Bucket List--so we can tell you this Hats and Horses package from RueLaLa is definitely worth it! It includes:

• Two First Floor Clubhouse tickets to the horse races at Churchill Downs on May 6 for Oaks Day (3-year old fillies race. Race aficionados often think say it's even more exciting than the Derby.) and May 7 for the Derby.  
• Three nights in a Deluxe Room at the Hyatt Regency, Louisville. 
• Access to an exclusive on-site concierge to assist you with any needs that may arise.
• And more.

The boutique closes on Friday, so act fast!

Viceroy Miami Review

We're just back from our girls' getaway to Miami, where we stayed at the Viceroy in the downtown area.  The best thing about the hotel was the decor--the rooms, lobby and public spaces are light and airy, as befitting the climate, but don't cross the line into austere. The bed was super comfy and the bathroom was enormous.

The pool at the Viceroy is on the 15th floor and while the hotel isn't on the beach, there's plenty of water all around. It's within walking distance from the Epic Hotel and the delicious Zuma, a Japanese restaurant. (We not only saw Lebron James there--turns out our group kept him waiting for his table!) You can see the Mandarin Oriental from the pool.

Our main complaints about the hotel revolve around the pool. While there was plenty of seating, including comfy beds that easily fit our group of three, there are NO umbrellas. While there is plenty of shade, it moves around. So if you want to be in the shade all day, you're going to have to chase it around. Plus, it made hard for all three of us to sit together when one wanted sun and the others didn't.

The other—and—bigger complaint about the Viceroy is that the food, both at the pool and from room service, is really bad. At the pool, it's served to you in a brown paper grocery bag and the food itself comes in flimsy plastic containers. It doesn't taste good either. Sandwiches were dry and salad dressings were bland. On our last day, we went off property to nearby Rosa Mexicana because we all agreed we didn't want to eat our last meal of the trip in Miami at the Viceroy.

The spa, however, was one of the most beautiful we've ever seen. Those are the plunge pools and hot tubs below. The gigantic yellow chandelier is the center piece of the room. Entrance to the spa is free for guests. We didn't have time to experience a spa treatment on this trip.

What else? The crowd at the hotel was a mix--lots of Europeans and South Americans (who made for good eye candy), a handful of families and at least one bachelorette party. The scene at the hotel's Club 50 was a bit too young for our tastes--we're guessing 25 and younger. But the views from the 50th floor are certainly worth seeing.

Let us know if you have any questions about our stay!