sleep

"When you get a chance, go on Tripadvisor and leave me a review" Charlie, the owner of Las Palmas Hotel asked. "Postive, negative, I don't care. Just leave something." I bristled at his audacity, momentarily, but as Charlie began to tell us about the few reviews he did have on the ubiquitous site, I soon understood. "One person, they complained that we were roaming the property at night. Hell, of course we were, we wanted to make sure you were safe." "And then there's another complaining about the hotel not having any hot water," he said. He then went on to explain how he uses solar tanks to heat the water and while it might not be the warmest, it's certainly not cold. I could hear the exasperation in his voice and immediately recognized a kindred spirit, a fellow American that doesn't get our people. Why is it that when we leave home, we expect, dare say demand, to find the comforts of home elsewhere? How quickly do we forget that we're in another country and that despite what chain hotels have led us to believe, not everywhere is the same.

The first stop on our Hawaii trip was Waikiki, where we stayed at the Aqua Waikiki Pearl. I was interested to check out this local chain, who prides itself on their hip, budget-friendly properties that won't break the bank. Before we left, I spotted great promotional deals online for the Pearl. With rates as low as $79 a night, we knew this was the kind of place we'd seek out on our own. (Our stay, however, was complimentary.)

So, you're heading to New York and you've made the difficult decision of what airport to fly into and you're starting to get excited about all the eating, shopping, and sightseeing to be had. The only detail left to figure out is deciding where to stay. I know you're tempted to stay in Midtown, it's just so convenient, you say. Don't get me wrong, Midtown makes sense for a lot of people. At least if you plan on spending your entire trip on Broadway, gawking in Times Square, taking a carriage ride through Central Park or on top of the Empire State Building. But, that's just not New York to me, that's the rest of the world's vision of New York.

Austin and I have talked about this before, we LOVE staying in neighborhoods. (See here or here.) Places where people want to live, eat, and exist. Our usual New York haunt is somewhere between the East Village and Gramercy. We have our favorite breakfast spot, streets to window shop on, and even a favorite late night deli. However, on my latest trip to NYC, I got to try out living in the West Village for a few days while attending the Travel Blog Exchange (or TBEX) and stayed in a sponsored apartment rental from HomeAway.

Apartments are my favorite option when traveling and having the comforts of home always makes for a more pleasant stay. I love having a full kitchen, a communal space to relax in and a closet; those are ALL wonderful things to have when traveling. Our rental from HomeAway was an absolutely lovely apartment, huge by New York standards with two bedrooms, TWO bathrooms and we even had a garden patio, where my roommates and I spent countless hours people watching, relaxing and swapping stories about the day over a glass of wine or a cheese plate from Murray's Cheese. This kind of luxury can come with a high price tag, our West Village digs ran around $600 per night. However, the West Village isn't exactly known for being cheap, and if that's out of your price range, you could easily find an equally vibrant neighborhood to fit any budget. Another point to be made is that said apartment slept up to six people and if you've got a crowd, it's not so far offbase from New York hotel price standards. (Although, pick a crowd you like, cause this apartment was New York City big, but not THAT big.) But, perhaps what I liked best about staying in the apartment was not the apartment and the amenities it offered, but, the ability to stay in an awesome neighborhood and not a Midtown hotel. Getting a taste of living in New York made me fall in love with New York all over again.

If you love vintage Americana, especially in the form of cool, restored trailers from the 1940s and 50s, a night at the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Arizona needs to be added to your to do list. With nine trailers to choose (including an Airstream, a boat, and the Tiki Bus seen above) decorated with vintage mid-century modern decor, you'll feel like you've stepped back in time.