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A QUIET RETREAT FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM CRAZY CABO Esperanza | Cabo San Lucas

(Cabo San Lucas) — Cabo is crazy with Spring Breakers, but a few coves over is the luxurious Esperanza resort, far enough away from the maddening crowds, but close enough to benefit from the convenience of getting in/out of town.  Great casita set up, with wide opening doors, a cool hot tub on every deck and awesome pool, beach and grounds.  You never want to leave.  It’s ridiculously expensive, especially for Mexico — $1000/night is the new $500/night — and everything is extra…and extra expensive. (Think Hawaii Prices, not Mexico Prices).  But extremely nice people.  Some decent restaurants. You get your own personal concierge who pretty much looks after to you round the clock and arranges everything for you.  Ask for Fernando, he’s the best.  The good thing about the location is the you get both killer sunrises and sunsets, … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Stay HereApril 2, 2013

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Always something new at Madison Square Park Madison Square Park | New York

(New York) — Each summer there’s a new epic art installation at Madison Square Park that is subtle, but always blows you away.  This year, there’s a new installation by Orly Genger based on thousand and thousands of miles of tied knots of lobster rope, looping around the trees in … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Go HereMay 13, 2013

THE BOWERY HOTEL NEW YORK CITY

A REVISIT TO THE BOWERY HOTEL. STILL GOOD. The Bowery Hotel | New York

(New York) — It’s been a year or two since my last visit, but thought I’d try The Bowery Hotel again.  Still an awesome place to hang out and catch the scene.  You’re in it. All sorts of fun people watching, seeing some famous people…and wondering who everyone else is. … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Stay HereMay 13, 2013

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GET YOUR OWN BOAT Charter Sailing | Cabo San Lucas

  (Cabo San Lucas) — There are lots of ways to get out on the water to tour the rocks and beaches along the tip of the Baja Penninsula — party cruises, whale watching boats, tour groups — you’ve seen a million pictures of them, but I highly recommend you splurge … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Do ThisApril 3, 2013

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Movie Star Treatment Above Sunset Boulevard Sunset Tower Hotel | Los Angeles

  (West Hollywood) — On a quick business trip to Los Angeles, booked a cool hotel I’d always read about and featured often in Vanity Fair: the Sunset Tower hotel. Always loved this building for years, but have never stayed here. Now, like Chateau Marmont,  it’s one of the cool … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Stay HereMarch 26, 2013

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An awesome place for sunset cocktails The Oasis restaurant | Austin

(Lake Travis, Austin) — Seriously, almost every night, perfect sunsets. This is one money-maker, a ginormous restaurant on a hilltop overlooking the leaky Lake Travis outside Austin. The Oasis. Drinks are cold, lots of room, the drinks are better than the food. But well worth the jaw-dropping sunsets and the … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Drink HereJanuary 26, 2013

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A walk along a hip strip of Austin South Congress neighborhood | Austin

(Austin) — Austin keeps going and going. And growing and growing. I know all my local friends bemoan the influx of new people, Californication and other bad elements, but really, there is so much cool stuff going on here, it puts most of the rest of the country to shame. … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Do ThisJanuary 26, 2013

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Still cool after all these years Hotel San Jose | Austin

(Austin) — It’s been many years since I was in Austin and decided to hit back the Hotel San Jose, one of the first DIY boutique hotels in the country, carved out of an old motel. It helped revitalize the whole South Congress hip strip of Austin into one of the … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Stay HereJanuary 26, 2013

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CHRISTMAS IN MADRID Madrid in December

        Click on the pictures to see more.    

YOU SHOULD Do ThisDecember 28, 2012

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AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE OVERLOOKING MADRID Templo de Debod | Madrid

(Madrid) – Perched high on a hill in Parque del Oeste is a true Egyptian temple given to Spain as the Aswan High Damn was about to swallow it up. Now it sits in a perfect park overlooking the hills of Madrid and the Royal Palace. Go at night when it … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Do ThisDecember 28, 2012

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A perfect hotel, right where you want to be Hotel de las Letras | Madrid

(MADRID) — Extremely nice people at the front desk. Amazingly helpful. The room I had was enormous. Great views. Very quiet. Nice bathrooms. Perfect location, easy to get everywhere walking, Gran Via metro stop just a block away. And the San Anton Market is just a couple of blocks away. … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Stay HereDecember 27, 2012

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A RIVER MAKEOVER IN THE HEART OF MADRID Madrid Rio Redevelopment | Madrid

(Madrid) — I’d read about this redevelopment project a while ago and always wanted to check it out. Long abandoned and gone to seed, several years ago the massive redevelopment transformed the whole river. Over the last several years, it has really come together. What used to be sludgy is now … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Do ThisDecember 27, 2012

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MADRID’S CENTRAL PARK Parque del Retiro | Madrid

(Madrid) — Take time out of eating, drinking and shopping to take a long stroll or do some eating or drinking in Madrid’s Parque del Retiro.  Beautifully laid out, with different sections that beckon you to keep going on to the next site, there’s lots to see, summer or winter. … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Do ThisDecember 27, 2012

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IT’S LIKE A LIFE-SIZE TOY TRAIN SET Estacion de Principe Pio | Madrid

(Madrid) — On the western side of Madrid, just below the royal palace is a typical looking European train station, but inside it’s not.  The Estacion de Principe Pio was remodeled to incorporate all the metro and commuter rail stations, stacked up on top of each other like a toy … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Go HereDecember 27, 2012

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THIS IS THE BEST MARTINI I’VE EVER HAD Dry Cosmopolitan Bar | Madrid

(MADRID) — Dry Cosmopolitan Bar, the cocktail bar from Javier de las Muelas.  I’d read about it when I was in Barcelona last Christmas, put spaced making it there. But this year in Madrid, I saw they’d opened an outpost there and heard it was the bomb for cocktails. It … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Drink HereDecember 26, 2012

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YOU SHOULD EAT HERE My Favorite Restaurants in Madrid

            MERCADO DE SAN MIGUEL — Just like the Boqueria in Barcelona, the Mercado de San Miguel is the perfect place to go back to several times to load up on the best tapas, wine and beer. You just walk from stall to stall, looking … [+] Read More

YOU SHOULD Eat HereDecember 25, 2012

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OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF URUGUAY’S ESTANCIAS, A JEWEL BOX

(Garzon, Uruguay) — About 40 or so miles inland from the surf of Jose Ignacio is a sleepy little town called Garzon.  There, in the middle of gaucho country and home to Uruguay’s famous grass-fed beef, Francis Mallmann (my favorite restauranteur in the world) has created a true destination place, El … [+] Read More

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An amazing terrace and a surprising price

(Positano) – Stayed here years ago, it was like 80 bucks a night, very mom & pop B&B and more like a private guest house. Spartan but super clean. Low services. 186 steep steps up from the beach or down from the road, so have little luggage, although they’ll send a porter. One of … [+] Read More

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Madrid Dec 12 - 68
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CHRISTMAS IN MADRID

        Click on the pictures to see more.    

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POSADA DEL FARO 038
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IN THE PERFECT LITTLE BEACH TOWN, THE PERFECT LITTLE HOTEL

(Jose Ignacio, Uruguay) — Posada del Faro is one of my go-to places. I’ve been four times now and each time it is like coming back home. It’s a small place and one of the few hotels in Jose Ignacio. Just a handful of rooms, it books up early and … [+] Read More

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SENATO06
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WAKE UP TO THE PANTHEON STARING AT YOU

(Roma) — There are fancier places to stay in Rome, but one of my favorites is the Albergo del Senato, directly across from my favorite building in the world, The Pantheon. It is small, Old School, but delightful. You can’t beat the location, smack in the heart of everything good. … [+] Read More

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FERNANDEZ AND WELLS 1
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SIMPLICITY DONE RIGHT

(London) — When you’re out and about in SoHo in London, look for these simple places. Fernandez & Wells. Nothing fancy, just a beautiful little shoebox of restaurants, with simple sandwiches and espresso. Dramatic simplicity at it’s best.

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Oh well hell, would you look at this beautiful place??

(Stockholm) — I’ve never stayed here, but just read an article about it in my favorite magazine Monocle, check it out here.  Ett Hem in Stockholm’s cool Sodermalm neighborhood. OMG the detail and materials of this place just makes me want to get on a plane and go there. (My hotel … [+] Read More

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CROSBY STREET 1 (1)
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ENGLISH POSH IN A NEW YORK CITY WAY

(New York) — I’d long read about Firmdale Hotels, but never had a chance to experience what it was all about — each time I tried to book something in London, their hotels were always sold out. Which said something. But after seeing the pics of their first US outpost, … [+] Read More

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AMSTERDAM POSTCARDS

(Amsterdam) – I’d never been to Amsterdam before – not that interested in the coffeeshops and sex shops and drunken British lads. But after working like a fiend all year, I decided to make a Mileage Run over Thanksgiving, booking two weeks before and doing very little research. I jumped on a plane and … [+] Read More

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SAO PAULO 6
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WALKING AROUND SAO PAULO

 

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HOUSE OF JASMINES 3
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STAY ON YOUR OWN ESTANCIA

(Salta, Argentina) — A few miles outside of Salta is a perfect hotel and spa in the country. A luxurious estancia-turned-hotel (and the actor Robert Duval’s former place) it’s the perfect base to explore Salta province, easy to connect to the highways into the mountains, yet being away from the … [+] Read More

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Bologna - 005
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A city of reds, ochres, porticos and pork.

(Bologna, Italy) — Bologna was about 237th on my list of places I wanted to visit, but when a Rome school buddy of mine suggested we meet there to eat, I jumped at the chance. Man oh man what a gorgeous city. Almost every block is covered with some sort … [+] Read More

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CIRCUS 010
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Just when you’re having fun, along comes a circus

(Barcelona) — Not much more to report here, just a nice surprise I ran into while walking along the waterfront over Christmas time.  I don’t think Spielberg’s set designers could have come up with a more perfect looking Old School circus.

Madrid Parque del Retiro - 27
Madrid Parque del Retiro - 27
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MADRID’S CENTRAL PARK

(Madrid) — Take time out of eating, drinking and shopping to take a long stroll or do some eating or drinking in Madrid’s Parque del Retiro.  Beautifully laid out, with different sections that beckon you to keep going on to the next site, there’s lots to see, summer or winter. … [+] Read More

Madrid Rio - 15
Madrid Rio - 15
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A RIVER MAKEOVER IN THE HEART OF MADRID

(Madrid) — I’d read about this redevelopment project a while ago and always wanted to check it out. Long abandoned and gone to seed, several years ago the massive redevelopment transformed the whole river. Over the last several years, it has really come together. What used to be sludgy is now … [+] Read More

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ESTRELA DAGUA 32
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400 Thread Count, steps from the beach

(Trancoso, Brazil) — This really is a great hotel, but also one of the most expensive. You can get a bungalow by the beach (but not really on the beach) or they have nice rooms set farther back in the property. (check out the aerial view below).  For about half … [+] Read More

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STOCKHOLM 39
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A COOL GIMMICK FOR A BAR

(Stockholm) — I know, I know, it’s kitschy, but still kinda cool. The Icebar in the Nordic Sea Hotel. A nice place to say “I was there.”  You make reservations, show up, throw on some parkas and get 15-20 minutes in the box.  Not much else to describe.   Last visited: … [+] Read More

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LABOCA 1
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A SMALL POCKET OF COLOR

(Buenos Aires) — La Boca, you’ll read all about it, see pictures of it in your Spanish textbook, but it’s kinda cool. I hear it is a little dicey at night, I was only there during the day. A little too touristy for me, but worth a stop.