Sterling Hotel Sacramento

Situated 3 blocks from the State Capitol, Sacramento's Sterling Hotel looks like, and actually was, a Victorian mansion from yesteryear when the amber glow of gas-lit lamps would merge with the pristine white facade and the green lawn with the neatly paved entrance, with a horse drawn carriage awaiting guests, and creating an etherally beautiful landscape of charm and warmth and old southern style hospitality.

Today's Sterling Hotel, from the outside, looks much like the mansion did in the 1890s. Only, the inside is now a modern hotel with 17 impeccable guest rooms, a four star restaurant - the Chanterelle - and all the amenities and little perks which guests expect from an upscale hotel.

The old money atmosphere which the Sterling exudes draws not only visitors looking for things to do in Sacramento, and a storied, comfortable and luxurious place to stay, but also Sacramento residents for whom the combination of the stylish catering from the Chanterelle and the Sterling's magnificient ballroom with chandeliers, beautiful stained glass rotunda and arched beveled mirrors, and the seven-foot ivy laced topiaries offers a perfect setting for weddings, receptions, parties, tea gatherings and holiday events. Simply put, the Sterling is not only a high-class act, its also a status symbol for Sacramento's upper class.

Eeach of the 17 rooms at the Sterling have been exquisitely furnished and designed to recreate a Victorain aura along with the latest amenities, with Italian marble tiled bathrooms and jacuzzis, four poster beds, chandelier lighting, continental breakfast and a reception bar in the lobby, and individual attention and personalized care for each guest.

Info: 1300 H Street Sacramento CA 95814; (800) 365-7660; Photo credit & copyrights - Sterling Hotel

Ayres Hotel Anaheim

There's a certain sameness to all the resorts dotting the lanscape around Disneyland in Anaheim. I understand that the theme park is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, and as such, even hundreds of hotels wouldn't be enough to cater to the never-ending flow of visitors. Even so, at some point, the whole scene becomes one giant tourist trap, catering to kids and families and offering all kinds packages with Disney specials and such.

There's not that many things to do in Ahaneim which are not in some way or the other connected to Disney. Very upscale stuff, all this, and in such lean times (recession and all), what you need is a middle range hotel which offers location, comfort and a homey feel which seperates it from the Hiltons and the Marriotts. Enter the Ayres Hotel Anaheim. First, while all the other resorts and luxury hotels are chain hotels totally in sync with Disney as all American hospitality providers, the Ayres is a distinctly European themed boutique hotel with its own unique identity - a lobby with marble flooring, a central fireplace and Italian oil paintings.

Even though the hotel looks vast from the outside if you include the grounds, it has only a 126 guest rooms and 7 suites. This enhances the perception of the Ayres as an independent hotel offering personalized service to each guest, not to mention the fact that this makes the rooms comparatively large. It doesn't hurt, of course, that the hotel is located minutes away from everything of importance in Anaheim. And that includes the Honda Center, the Grove, Angel Stadium and Knott's Berry Farm. Its about 10 minutes away from Disneyland. Amenities offered include a spacious parking lot, compimentary breakfast and an evening reception, high speed internet, business center with meeting and conference space, a heated pool and a whirlpool spa, fitness center, self-laundry facilities with a washer and dryer, and valet laundry.

The rooms, again, speak of a slightly personal touch, with a view of the city parking lot or poolside area, are equipped with a mini-kitchen with refrigirator, wet bar and microwave and coffee maker, workdesk area, satellite television with HBO, wi-fi and high speed internet, and a full private bathroom with vanity. Much larger than the standard boxes you get at tourist traps, clean and furnished with extremely comfortable beds - Triple sheeted with feather pillows. And the noise level inside the rooms is very low, inspite of the hotel being situated close to train tracks. Room rates start at $129 plus taxes.


Info: Ayres Hotel Anaheim - 2550 E. Katella Ave Anaheim CA 92806; (714) 634-2106; www.ayreshotel.com/anaheim/

Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood

There's a lot worse you could do, as far as places to stay and things to do in Los Angeles are concerned, than book a room at the storied and much ballyhoed Roosevelt Hotel on 7000 Hollywood Blvd. For starters, its got history - Over 80 years of catering to Hollywood and sheltering a roster of stars including Clark Gable (he's got a penthouse named after him) and Marlyn Monroe (she's got a suite in her name), and, to top it off - The first Academy Awards in 1929 was hosted by the Roosevelt. Photo by idogcow via Flickr.

Secondly, the Roosevelt is now a Thompson hotel. What that means is that the hotel, in addition to its heritage, now offers discreet luxury, a choice selection of world class amenities and a unique 'atmosphere' which only a Thompson Hotel can offer. If you look at the Thompsons around North America - The 60 Thompson in Soho, New York, or the Thompson Beverly Hills, for example - you'll find a common thread running through all of them - Exclusivity, solid luxury with heavy and classy furniture (no plastic stuff here), a swanky rooftop bar with a scintillating view open only to select members and hotel guests and other little luxuries which are part and parcel of a Thompson hotel. As the hotel says, the Roosevelt is now a place where old Hollywood meets young Hollywood. Translation - Old moneybags studio head meets 20 something starlet ....

It's location along the Walk of fame and slam-bang in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, is particularly appealing to wide-eyed star struck celeb chasing tourists, and the hotel makes no secret of using its historical past to extract every possible dollar out of these tourists, with a couple of scalding hot and trendy star magnets in the form of the poolside Tropicana bar and the more stately and upscale Teddy's Lounge helping to add to the Roosevelt's aura of being the real Hollywood 'deal'. There's no way the Roosevelt can compete for trendiness and sheer heat with hotels like the Standard Downtown LA Hotel, but it still does have its share of Hollywood glitterati - Enough to keep the tourists and out-of-towners happy.

As far as amenities go, in addition to the bar and the lounge, the Roosevelt offers a steakhouse called Dakota, a burger bar called 25 degrees, an olympic size outdoor swimming pool with an original mural painted by David Hockney and poolside cabanas, a fitness center, spa and jacuzzi, 24 hour room service and concierge, along with the usual laundry and dry cleaning services.

After the massive renovation in 2005, the 12 story hotel offers 302 guest rooms and suites with cutting edge furnishings and the latest gizmos and luxuries like Fresh bath products, a workdesk area, coffee maker & coffee, iron / ironing board, complimentary high-speed wi-fi Internet access, Sferra linens, spacey bathrooms and hair dryer and Plush terry embroidered bathrobes, an in-room safe and a minibar refrigerator. Room rates start from $279 and onwards upto $479 for a suite. The upper level rooms have views of the city skyline, while the cabama rooms down below have private patios with poolside views.

Info: 7000 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles CA 90028; (323) 466-7000; www.hollywoodroosevelt.com/

Sir Francis Drake Hotel, San Francisco

You can use many a platitude to describe the Drake - Classy, elegant, historic, stylish - But the one which describes this hotel best is 'timeless'. There's a certain institutional air about it, like a federal building, which says this is how it was, and this is the way its gonna be, even if you come back a decade later. Photo by amelungc via Flickr.

Take, for instance, the ornate lobby with a high gilded ceiling and the crystal chandeliers, or the ever-present Tom Sweeney (the doorman), and the din of the cable cars. Nutty tourists invariably manage to find idiotic things to do, like taking pictures with the Naked Cowboy on 5th Ave in New York City. Similarly, one of the floopy things to do in San Francisco is to take a picture of yourself with Tom Sweeney, with the Drake in the bacground. Point is, it's like San Francisco has got used to the Drake, and to change it now into a cookie-cutter Union Square chain hotel where you simply check-in and check-out would be sacrilage.

But a hotel can't survive on past reputation alone. It needs neat, spacious and well equipped rooms, prompt service and a bucketload of amenities which travelers are used to. Luckily enough, the Drake is a Kimpton Brand Hotel, and Kimpton sets high standards across the board, including availability of the Kimpton Kids program, the EarthCare program and the Global Business program, not to mention Kimpton style shopping. And that's in addition to the usual complimentary wi-fi internet, room service and concierge, safety deposit boxes, 16 meeting rooms and a business center with the latest A/V equipment, in room spa services, shuttle service and an inhouse fitness center that opens late 2008 (meantime you can avail of the guest passes the hotel offers for ClubONE fitness, a block away from the Drake).

The hotel offers 416 guest rooms, including five suites and the plush Presidential Suite, with views of the City and the Bay. All rooms come with a cream, sage and a plum colored scheme, with complimentary wi-fi internet, cable television, on-demand movies and complimentary movie channel, a DVD player, a fully stocked honor bar, an essential travel 'kit', hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and Aveda bath products. Room rates start at $242.

For refreshments, dining and entertainment, the Drake offers three winners - Scala's Bistro, Harry Denton's Starlight Room and the Cafe Espresso - which, like the Drake, have gone above and beyond their call of duty in satisfying the needs of hotel guests, and are now very much part of San Francisco's foodie network. Scala's Bistro is the first floor Italian restaurant, a place very much in demand for its Italian cuisine as for the stylish setting. The Cafe Espresso serves up coffee, pastries and sandwiches, not to mention spreading around the delicious aroma of fresh baked bread. For it's part, Harry Denton's Starlight Room on the 21st floor, has made a name for itself as part of the evening cocktail circuit, with dancing, entertainment and a sweeping view of the City.

If you want a hotel room, there are n number of San Francisco hotels which offer all of this and more. But if you want your hotel stay to be part of the San Francisco experience, then there's nothing better on offer than the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.

Info: 450 Powell St. San Francisco CA 94102; (415) 392-7755; http://www.sirfrancisdrake.com/

San Diego Gaslamp Hotels

As far as I'm concerned, the list of things to do in San Diego gets restricted to three places - Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego. Again, further refining this list, I usually filter out the Zoo and SeaWorld, because unless you're traveling with family, there's not much point repeating visits to these kiddie zones. Which leaves the Gaslamp Quarter. Photo by Jim Epler via Flickr.

Now I realize that you could fill a small book if you started listing all the attractions in the Gaslamp Quarter, but again, if you had to drill down further - You come up with one focal point - PETCO Park. The attractions centred around the ballpark are the best, and it's the place to be, if you're an adult - A single adult - in San Diego.

So, assuming that's correct, if you're going to book a hotel in San Diego, you should book one in the vicinity of PETCO Park. There must be more, but offhand I can remember three good hotels which offer rooms and suites with views of PETCO Park - The Omni, Marriott, and Hard Rock Hotel.

Omni Hotel San Diego - 675 L Street San Diego CA 92101; (619) 231-6664
San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter - 660 K St San Diego CA 92101; (619) 696-0234
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego - 207 5th Ave San Diego CA 92101; (619) 702-3000

So, if you're going to be in San Diego in time for a Padres game, or you just want to enjoy the guilty pleasures of the Gaslamp Quarter, one of these three hotels would be the best bet. They not only offer baseball packages which include game tickets, but they also have baseball themed rooms, with memorabilia and artwork celebrating the history of the game and its greats.

Orlando Sans Disney

I say Orlando, you hear Mickey Mouse. Don't believe me? Take a pop quiz. Name a few things to do in Orlando which have nothing to do with Disney or theme parks for kids. Take your time. No, you can't look it up on Google. Time's up. How many you got? 1, 2... Maybe 3? Ok. Let me do this for you. Here's a list of the many and wonderful attractions in and around Orlando, Fla., which have absolutely nothing to do with Disney or theme parks or rides.

Art Galleries:

• The Terrace Gallery - 400 S Orange Ave
• Mayor's 2nd and 3rd Floor Gallery - City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue
• Garden House Gallery - Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 North Forest Avenue
• Atlantic Center for the Arts - 1414 Art Center Avenue New Smyrna Beach
• Artisans Guild of Orlando - 2309 N. Orange Avenue
• Wyland Gallery - The Crossroads 12541 State Rd. # 535

Musuems:

• Orlando Museum of Art - 2416 N Mills Ave
• The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art - 445 N Park Ave, Winter Park
• Orange County Regional History Center - 65 E. Central Blvd
• Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum -

Downtown Orlando:

• Downtown Historic Walking Tour - 2.5 mile tour of Downtown Historic District
• Orlando Farmers Market - At Lake Eola Park every Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
• Greenwood Cemetery - 1603 Greenwood St, with 82 acres of rolling hills
• Loch Haven Park - 900 E Princeton Street
• Downtown Nightlife - Nightlife guide for Orlando's downtown area.

Orlando Guided Tours:

• Greyline City Tour - 6.5 hours, $59
• Go Orlando Card - Admission to over 50 attractions, tours and activities.

Things To Do In Fort Lauderdale

My vacations usually are ill conceived, poorly planned, and chaotic expeditions which, by nature, habit and necessity, morph into an 'off the beaten track' kind of holiday, with stops at quaint hick towns, roadside diners and detours to places which have probably never ever seen a tourist before. I'm not joking either. Last year I was in Bakersfield, CA, and I blogged about it, and someone at the City's tourism portal saw my post, and they were all abuzz on their forum about what exactly a tourist was doing in Bakersfield, how I got there, and how come no one realized I was a tourist. Tell me about it ....

Point is that I like it just this way, because the joy of traveling, and the things you discover on the road, is what I consider the vacation. Visiting a world famous tourist attraction like Miami's South Beach or Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort is just a duty - So I can tell family and friends that, yes, I visited this place or that place and saw this and that.... So, for the record, in between my discoveries and food and drink foraging in and around Fort Lauderdale, I did manage to bump into a few of these well known tourist watering holes, and here's my list of things to do in Fort Lauderdale.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park - A 180 acre park sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Inland Waterway, this island is more of a throwback to the tranquility of undiscovered lands in centuries gone past - Serene beaches, freshwater lagoons, waves crashing on the rocks, mangrove swamps - It all adds up to an idyllic getaway from the ravages wreaked by man on the rest of Florida. Info: 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale FL 33304;(954) 564-4521; www.floridastateparks.org/hughtaylorbirch/

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens - A well preserved and complete house, it was designed by Frederic Clay Bartlett, and has all kinds of murals and art works which double in as furnishings and decor. I'm not terribly fond of museums and houses converted into museums signifying the lives of dead people (isn't it morbid?), but Bonnet House, and the Gardens, are well worth at least one visit, especially if you happen to be in Fort Lauderdale. Info: 900 North Birch Road Fort Lauderdale FL 33304; (954) 563-5393; www.bonnethouse.org

Voodoo Lounge - A cavernous dance club, a bar, DJ's mixing it up with hip-hop and R&B, a hip clientele and a private lounge make this a must-visit watering hole if you're fond of the urban delights a new place has to offer. Info: 111 SW 2nd Ave Fort Lauderdale FL 33301; (954) 522-0733; www.voodooloungeflorida.com/

Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruise - This sightseeing cruise on the Jungle Queen riverboat takes you up the New River to the JungleQueen Indian village, with downtown Fort Lauderdale and the historic yacht basins along the way. Info: Departs daily at 9.30 am and 1.30 pm; Address: Bahai Mar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd Fort Lauderdale FL 33316; Reservations -(954) 462-5596; www.junglequeen.com

Museum of Discovery and Science and IMAX 3D Theater - Featuring over 200 interactive exhibits, this museum is a wondrous place where you can find sharks, pet alligators, iguanas, and bats, take a simulated trip to the Moon or Mars, and best of all, catch a film at the five-story-high screen at AutoNation IMAX ® Theater. Now that's what I call a platinum screen ... Info: 401 SW Second Street Fort Lauderdale FL 33312; (954) 467-6637; www.mods.org/

Poolside at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Miami FL

I'm on a brief escapade in Miami, and its hot. In more ways than one. For starters, the weather is stunning, and when someone says that Florida is full of retirees, well... That's only true if you can label hot young babes in bikinis as retirees. And to top it off, Jennifer Anniston chose the same time to indulge in a poolside tryst with John Mayer (pictures), so the already hot Mandarin Oriental Hotel simply boiled over. I had made plans for the day, with a list of things to do in Miami, but I threw the plans overboard and made my way to aforementioned pool to see what all the fuss was about.


Not that I'm ever going to pay $500 plus for one night in a hotel room, but if you're curious about how A-list celebs spend their down time, all you need to do is land up at this waterfront Brickell Key hotel with it's own private beach, jogging trail, business & fitness centers, the finest restaurants (Azul, Cafe Sambal) and bars (M-Bar, Lobby Lounge) in Miami, a 15000 sq ft spa with floor to ceiling windows offering views of the Bay while you're given masssages by specially flown in Thai masseuses, a 20,000 ft beach club with beach butlers and cabanas, luxury shopping store (Shanghai Tang), and a Concierge who can get you tickets and access to anything you want. You could live here for weeks and not even feel the need to have a look at South Beach.
Anyway, let's get back to the pool. Just a stone's throw from a palm tree lined private beach, and overlooking the water, the beach club, juts out in a large V at a slight elevation above the beach, which makes the view all the more fantastic. Poolside deck chairs, celebs mixing with the local riff-raff, all in a show of flesh which would make even a Vegas stripper seem like a good Christian - All said and done, there's just one word to describe the beach club at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel - It's hot. Photo courtesy & copyrights - Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group


Info: 500 Brickell Key Drive Miami FL 33131; (305) 913 8383; www.mandarinoriental.com/miami

Sheraton Grand Sacramento

The Sheraton Grand Sacramento is offering multiple deals for the Memorial Day weekend. First is the package deal to coincide with the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, from 23rd - 26th May, which includes accommodations for a three-night stay, six drink coupons, six buffet breakfasts in Morgan’s Central Valley Bistro and two all access badges to the festival. The package costs $759, all inclusive for two people. Photo courtesy & copyrights - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

A second deal gives you the 3rd night free if you book for 2 nights, provided you arrive between Thusday and Saturday. Another package, exclusively for California residents, gives you a special weekend rate of $119 per night.

The Sheraton is a Starwood hotel, and as such, has the same quality amenities, brand products and services. All rooms offer high speed internet, coffee maker with Starbucks coffee, 42" plasma television with cable and in-room movies, iron & ironing board, hairdryer, refrigirator, room service, shower bath, workdesk, cribs, in-room video games, branded bathrobes and bath products (some of these amenities may carry an extra charge).

The dinding at the Sheraton Scaramento is provided by the aforementioned Morgan's Central Valley Bistro, with fresh California cuisine. In the morning, guests are provided with an all-you-can-eat buffet with fluffy scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage and bacon, cheese blintz, chef’s specialty item, breakfast pastries, yogurts, and freshly sliced fruit. In addition, teh restaurant also offers a full menu with specialty items such as the Crab Cake Benedict, Banana Stuffed Cinnamon Brioche French Toast, Huevos Rancheros, or Atlantic Smoked Salmon. Plus, there's a Deli called Glides Market and a 'Public Market Bar' for cocktails and snacks.

Ever since the salmon fishing has been on the blink for the last month or so, tourists and visitors have been at a loss for things to do in Sacramento, and a combination of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee 2008 coupled with the Memorial Day weekend and an irresistible hotel package deal offers just that excuse to visit wonderful Sacramento with its historic Old Town area, and take trips along the beautiful and virginal Delta River.

Info: Sheraton Grand Sacramento - 1230 J Street 13th and J Street Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 447-1700; Web link

San Diego L'Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa

Not like there's not enough resorts or things to do in San Diego, but re-opening on June 8th 2008 is one more luxury resort - The L'Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa (www.laubergedelmar.com) - just 20 minutes from San Diego, and this one is a humdinger of a resort, with everything in place now to make it the premier holiday watering hole in Southern California.

For starters, they couldn't have asked for a better location. The historic Hotel Del Mar graced the same location at Camino Del Mar from 1909 to 1969, with Del Mar Plaza across the street offering world class shopping, art galleries, restaurants and entertainment outlets.

Also, the Del Mar race track is just a short drive away, and the L'Auberge Del Mar is the only major resort in the vicinity. And when the San Diego County Fair gets underway, there'll be well over a million people invading this area, and a lot of them will in search of rooms. And a whole lot of these people will be found packed to the rafters in the L'Auberge. And the County Fair is not the only event held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. And if you're a fan of the race, well...Nothing more needs to be said. There's something or the other going on at any given time of the year. Let's just say that if you're looking for a holiday getaway at the L'Auberge, you better make your reservations well in advance.

But that's not all the resort offers. A meandering path leads down from the resort to the Pacific, where you can go for languid strolls and enjoy the joys of the virginal beach. The resort offers a full service restaurant with California cuisine and lobby and pool bars for cocktails. Their spa is equipped and staffed to offer full body treatments, facials, manicures and pedicures. They also arrange priority tee times and special access for golfers at the Del Mar Country Club. The resort grounds feature two lighted tennis courts with trainers, two outdoor swimming pools (one for the kids) and a whirlpool spa.

The 120 guest rooms, including 8 luxury suites, are all exquisitely furnished with art deco mirrors and floor lamps with antique white washed armoires, mahogany desks and wicker chaise lounges, marble bathrooms with signature spa products, hairdryers and bathrobes. In amenities include coffee, high speed internet, a fully stocked refreshment center/honor bar, iron & ironing board. Room rates start at $395.

Info: 1540 Camino Del Mar CA 92104; (800) 245-9757; Photos courtesy and copyrights L'Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa.

Pacifica Suites Hotel, Goleta

Nestled in a tranquil green setting in Goleta, CA, a few miles out of Santa Barbara proper, the Pacifica Suites hotel offers a resort type luxury getaway with all the old world charm of the Wine Country with wide open impeccably maintained grounds, spacious living quarters and all the trappings that come with a modern hotel.

The hotel has only suites, and no single rooms. The onus here is on personalized service to each guest, with an attention to detail unmatched by most Santa Barbara hotels, let alone any of the nearby Goleta hotels and Inns. Every morning, the kitchen prepares a complimentary breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes for each guest, made to order according to your needs and preferences. During Happy Hours, the hotel offers a selection of first class wines for the Fireside Winery, one of the oldest and finest Wineries in the area.

For impromptu meetings in a casual or discreet setting, the hotel offers use of the Fireside room next to the main lobby, and for more formal meetings or conferences, the next door Sexton House, a dated landmark building fully restored for use by the hotel, is made available to guests. Additonally the hotel offers free parking, use of a full service gym, outdoor heated swimming pool with lounge chairs set pool side, and a casual cafe and common patio for dining.

The 87 suites at the Pacifica Suites hotel all feature seperate living rooms and bedrooms with plantation style shutters, and a private patio overlooking the Santa Ynez Mountains, the hotel grounds or a pool side view.

Each suite is equipped with two televisions with cable and a DVD, complimentary wi-fi internet, free local calls, coffee maker, refrigirator with bottled water, in room safe, iron & ironing board, and a private bath with a seperate dressing area and hairdryer. Room rates start at $179. If you book for 4 nights, you can get a special rate of $152 per night, along with complimentary passes to the nearby Spectrum Fitness Center.

Info: 5490 Hollister Avenue Santa Barbara CA 93111; (800) 338-6722; http://www.pacificasuites.com/; Photos courtesy & copyrights - Pacifica Hotel Company

Svendsgaard's Danish Lodge, Solvang

Solvang, CA is a funny place. Originally settled by Danish immigrants, it still feels like you wandered into a countryside nook of Denmark when you enter this California Wine Country town. Photo of Solvang, CA by 5000! via Flickr.

You'll find Danish diners offering pastries and bagels, Danish stores and hotels and houses and windmills and just about everything, even the names of all the people and the businesses, are straight out of a Danish telephone book. Solvang is located in the Santa Ynez Valley, just outside Santa Barbara, so it doesn't get too many people who want to stay here more than a day or so. The main attraction in Solvang is the Danish Village, which is more like a Denmark theme park.


Even so, there might be some visitors who don't want to put up in the tourist traps better known as Santa Barbara hotels. For such travelers, hotels in Solvang offer a peaceful enclave or getaway at relatively lower prices than you would pay for a hotel with comparable amenities and services in Santa Barbara. Svendsgaard's Danish Lodge, located at the corner of Mission Drive and Alisal Road, is one of these hotels, which looks like its been picked up out of the Danish countryside and placed in Solvang. The quaint exterior, with sqaure box windows facing out on to the street and the neatly paved pathways are nothing like any other hotel, anywhere in California.

The 48 guest rooms, including 18 suites with gas fireplaces, are well equipped with the usual amenities, including refrigirators, cable TV with HBO, in-room coffee, iron & ironing board and hairdryers. The lodge serves a complimentary breakfast in the lobby for its guests each morning, with an assortment of Danish pastries, bagels, fresh juice and hot coffee. There's also a heated swimming pool and a jacuzzi. The rooms are pretty neat and spacious and comfortable, if not very luxurious. Room rates start at $74 during weekdays and $99 during weekends.

Info: 1711 Mission Drive Solvang CA 93463; (800) 733-875; www.svendsgaardslodge.com

Little Sur Inn, Moonstone Beach, Cambria

The thousands of elephant seals jostling at the Elephant Seal Rookery at Piedras Blancas, 7 miles north of San Simeon, are a treat for the eyes and an amazing spectacle for any city slicker passing along the Pacific Coast Highway to or from LA or San Francisco. The coast here is also very well known for whale watching with schools of dolphins frolicking and cavorting just offshore. Moonstone Beach in Cambria, shrouded in a misty fog and the tang of the fresh and salty ocean wind, is one of the most beautiful and lonesome beaches in California, and it really tugs at your heart strings when you hear the cry of the sea otters. Photo credit - Marinebio.net

The area is also well known for landmarks like the Hearst Castle, Piedras Blancas Lighthouse and Nitt Witt Ridge. All this is in addition to the magnificient surfing, beach front resorts and ocean view diners lined up at Carmel, Big Sur, Monterey and all along Highway 101.

Ok, so now you get that a Pacific Coast Highway road trip to this area would make for a truly refreshing getaway from LA or San Francisco. What about lodging on this leg of your trip? If you want to explore in full the pleasures of San Simeon, Big Sur and Cambria, what you need to do is put up at the Little Sur Inn. It's minutes away from Hearst Castle, and centrally located for an extensive tour of everything in the area. Out of all the San Simeon and Cambria hotels, the best one I found - in terms of price, location and amenities & services provided - was the Little Sur Inn.

Guest rooms and suites at the Little Sur Inn are clean and spacious and equipped with a fireplace, cable television, movie channels and VCR with free videos available on request, refrigerator, bottled water, microwave, private bath and bath tub, shower with marble bathrooms, table with chairs, coffee maker, hairdryer, and iron & ironing board. Photo credit - TripAdvisor

The ocean view rooms additionally have a balcony or patio with a whirlpool jacuzzi tub. Room rates start at $175 plus taxes for a standard room with 2 queen beds and a capacity to accomodate 4 guests. That includes a continental breakfast with fruits and rolls and coffee/tea, and afternoon snacks with cheese and crackers. There's also a neat seafood joint right next door called the Sea Chest Restaurant & Oyster Bar.

If you divvy up the cost of the room as a group of 4, and subtract the cost of breakfast, that makes for heck of a cheap hotel in a central beachfront location with an ocean view and plenty of amenities and services provided. Can't really ask for more.

Info: 6190 Moonstone Beach Dr, Cambria, CA 93428; (805) 927-1329

Chaminade Santa Cruz Hotel

Built high on a mountain ridge, the Chaminade Santa Cruz resort hotel has a sweeping view of Monterey Bay on one hand and the backdrop of the Santa Cruz mountains on the other. There's plenty of upscale Santa Cruz hotels, but the Chaminade tops all that, and sets a very high bar for Santa Cruz luxury hospitality. What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that even for a CA hotel reviewer pampered by five star hotels in LA, San Francisco and San Diego, the absolute decadence and opulence of the Chaminade is stunning. That could be because its so spacious and looks like one of those Spanish palaces you see in the movies, being lived in by a rich Columbian druglord or something like that. Be that as it may, fact remains that the Chaminade knows how to pamper guests.

Its more of a resort than a hotel, with the rooms spread out in multiple buildings all over the grounds, with a full service spa, extensive amenities and services for business travelers and conferences, including a 24 hour business center with 12,000 sq ft of meeting space, 12 meeting rooms, fully catered and hosted indoor and outdoor event organization and management services and a state-of-the-art presentation equipment. There's also an inviting fitness center with free weights, treadmills, rowing machines, yoga classes and a steam, sauna and whirlpool. Additional amenities and services for guests at the Chaminade include a concierge, an ATM machine, a gift shop, safe deposit boxes, dry cleaning services, heated swimming pool, two outdoor jacuzzis, four tennis courts, and additional space and arrangements for volleyball, badminton and croquest, long with hiking trails leading off the grounds.

The Chaminade was recently and extensively renovted at a cost of about $6 million, and all that money shows up in the 156 plush guest rooms and suites with contemporary Spanish decor and the solid granite bathrooms with Aveda bath products, the private patio with a view of Monterey Bay, in-room access to high speed internet, refirigirator, wet bar, a coffee maker, iron and a safe. And the bed and the pillows and cushions are something you can really, literally sink into and enjoy a feeling of being wrapped in a cocoon of luxury. Room rates start at $199 plus taxes, and a junior suite clocks in at $249 plus taxes.

Catering, room service and dining at the Chaminade are in the capable hands of the chefs at the highly regarded Sunset Restaurant and Linwood's Lounge. Sunset whips up one heck of a Sunday Brunch, with slow roasted prime rib, an omelette station and a choice selection of entrees. Usual meals, including breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, and the Sunset's specialties are Texas barbeques and seafood cookouts. Linwood's is the perfect place to unwind after a full day of shopping, sightseeing and visiting the local attractions. In addition to an outdoor firepit and patio seating with a spectacular view of the Bay, Linwood's also has televisions, a sull service bar where you can kickback with some drinks and watch a game, or play some pool.

Info: 1 Chaminade Lane Santa Cruz CA 95065; (800) 283-6569; Images copyrights & courtesy Chaminade

Courtyard by Marriott Solana Beach

More than anything else, the reason I was at Marriott's Courtyard hotel in Solana Beach was that for once, I wanted to forego the clubs and restaurants and shopping malls and just spend a couple of days lazing on the beach. Plans, as per my luck, often go haywire, and this one did too - Cause the beaches are locked down after a shark attacked and killed someone. So what do I have left to do?

Poke around the hotel, taking note of the business center, the outdoor pool and whirlpool, the two spa tubs and the excellent fitness center with its treadmills and the bicycle and the weights, all of which were of absolutely no use to me. Drive up and down Highway 101, but it was Solana Beach I wanted to be in, not the hundreds of miles of beautiful sandy beaches up and down the coast (well, if you can't have it, then that's all you want, or something like that...), so in short order I was back at the Pavilion - the coffee shop in the Courtyard - mulling my options.

I give up, and go back up to my room, which thankfully has everything you might need to help you forget a disaster of a weekend vacation. Complimentary high speed internet, cable TV with pay per view movies, refrigirator, microwave, coffee and tea maker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board, bottled water, ergonomic chair and workdesk. Having taken two baths in a couple of hours, coming and going, in the admittedly magnificient granite bath with spray jet bathtub and jacuzzi, I spent some time gazing out the patio, fiddled with the climate control settings, had a couple of beers, watched some CNN, got bored with a mind-numbing discussion about superdelegates and switched to ESPN, then fell asleep on the sofa bed.

When I get up, its already late in the evening, and time to take the half hour drive to San Diego and the Gaslamp Quarter, and party away the sad memories of a day spent in absolute luxury at the Courtyard by Marriott Solana Beach doing absolutely nothing, with a closed beach in plain sight.... For which I had to pay $179 plus taxes. At least the parking was free. Solana Beach hotels - Great. Solana Beach sharks - Very bad. Can I file suit against the shark for spoiling my vacation?

Farmers Daughter Hotel, Beverly Hills

If you're in LA and wanna sleep in the warm embrace of the Farmers Daughter and eat with the local TART, then you want to go to 115 S Fairfax. Easy, does it...Farmers Daughter is the name of a hotel, and TART is the restuarant at said hotel. That said, what you first thought might as well be true, because the place isn't the kind of hotel you'd want to take your wife and kids to. They went through an extensive renovation, and its way better now than a few years back, when it was a cheap $40 motel for wannabe actresses working part-time and struggling to pay the bills. Now its a not-so-cheap $210 hotel for people who just don't know better. Photo credit: Monica Almeida/The New York Times

Its across the street from CBS Studios, with the Grove Shopping Center, third street boutiques, the farmers' market and Museum Row all within hailing distance. The surroundings are actually quite rundown, the hotel building looks like an apartment complex in a poor neighbourhood and this is definitely not the LA that a tourist wants to see, or stay in. More like a commercial District with lots of prosperity 'inside' the buildings, but the streets in the area around the hotel are not quite up to expectations. For the price they charge, you can book yourself a comfy room at lots of really decent and upscale Beverly Hills hotels. But lots of people visit CBS for shows and tapings and it is quite convinient for them to stay overnight at Farmers Daughter.

The garishly painted thin walled rooms at Farmers Daughter are as sodden as the hotel itself, with barren floors and bare minimum amenities like a DVD player with a few free DVDs and rain head shower in the bathroom, the pool is tiny and the valet mandatory, even though there's no real necessity. The only redeeming factors for this dumphole are the surprisingly friendly staff, the relatively new and clean beds, sheets and towels, and the numerous restaurants in Beverly Blvd's restaurant row where you can likely expect to get decent food. So, if you're dead tired, have some urgent business to conclude in the Fairfax area, which is likely to run late into the night, you might want to give the Farmers Daughter a test run, but that's just about it. Room rates start at $184 plus taxes.

Info: 115 S Fairfax, Los Angeles CA 90036; (800) 334-1658; www.farmersdaughterhotel.com

Omni Los Angeles Hotel

The Omni Los Angeles Hotel is downtown LA's cultural bunker in more ways than one. For starters, its located like a WWII machine-gun turret on top of South Olive Street's Bunker Hill. Secondly, said bunker is supposed to a strategic location, with a birds-eye view of the surroundings, and easy access to everything important in the neighbourhood - The box-like Omni has a pretty decent view of the entire area and is within walking distance to everything that has anything to do with art or culture in downtown Los Angeles (worth visiting, i.e.).

Speaking metaphorically, the Omni houses an inordinate number of art and theatre lovers at any given time, and these cultural stormtroopers fan out every evening to conquer the nearby enemy forts like the Museum of Contemporary Art, the L.A. Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Having laid these cultural camps to waste with their ponderous opinions and sissy sensibilities, our dashing stormtroopers then return to the Omni base camp late at night for rest and supplies.

Lastly, the Omni is just a short drive from LAX, in case the sissy army has to beat a hasty retreat out of LA because of some percieved slight (You have no idea how competitive the art world is). If all that was Greek to you, just ignore it. Sometimes I get these flights of metaphoritis, and if writing bad metaphors was a crime, I would probably be doing a long stretch as a serial offender. The only things worth any use in all that fancy prose are that the Omni Hotel is centrally located at Bunker Hill and a lot of theatre goers prefer to stay here. Lets move on to an investigation of why aforementioned sissies actually love this place, location notwithstanding.

Its a well known fact that these artsy types have oversized egos and love to be treated like they're God's own gift to the common rifraff, even if their own mothers have problems remembering their names. And the Omni slyly takes full advantage of this weakness, and bends over backwards to make their guests feel like royalty, with a lot of pampering and the staff scurrying about fulfilling your boneheaded demands which would make even your ever-so-loving mother come after you with a meat cleaver, had you perstered her in the same way that the staff at the Omni are subject to.

To boot, the Omni offers services and amenities and spacious well-equipped rooms and can be considered to the standard bearer of Los Angeles family hotels. And then some. The list of amenities include an outdoor heated swimming pool, full service spa, lounge, restaurant, fitness center, concierge, business center, 24 hour room servie and an on-call physician, laundry & dry cleaning services, complimentary car transport for any location within a 3 mile radius, and last, but not least - The Omni Kids Program. The restaurant mentioned above is named Noe, and its become quite a big hit, with an appealing mix of American cuisine tinged with an oriental flavor.

The 453 guest rooms and suites at the Omni are elegantly refined, airy, spacious and pleasing to the eye, designed to appeal to an upscale and urban mindset, with television with on-demand movies, wi-fi, floor to ceiling windows offering sweeping views of Bunker Hill or California Plaza Watercourt, coffee maker, stocked refreshment center, hair dryer, iron & ironing board, in-room refrigirator and a complimentary copy of the Los Angeles Times.

If you book a Club Room (slightly bigger than the other rooms), you also get access to the Club Lounge, a free continental breakfast, evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Room rates start at $269, with the Club Room clocking in at $309. A Business traveler room with special add-ons like a workdesk goes at $289 and a Junior suite which could double as family accomodation at $359.

Info: 251 South Olive Street Los Angeles CA 90012; (213) 617-3300

Arena Hotel San Jose

The Arena hotel in San Jose should be renamed the Milk and Cookies B,B&D, or something like that. The 'B,B&D' is for Bed, Breakfast & Dinner - Since that's what the Arena offers, with the food being complimentary. 'Milk and Cookies' because everything about this hotel is as sweet as apple pie, starting from the cherriness of the front desk to the 'you name it and we'll get it' attitude of their concierge, not to mention the complimentary amenities and friendly tips that the staff have for guests who need directions or some pointers about local attractions and dining facilities.

Point is, regardless of what else the Arena hotel offers, or does not, this kind of excellent service and customer friendly attitude is exactly what makes for a good hotel, and a good stay for guests. Personalized service is also what you cannot expect, and usually do not get, from the big San Jose family hotels with hundreds of rooms like a Hilton.

The Arena is conviniently located within walking distance of downtown San Jose and the HP Pavilion (http://www.hppsj.com/). Amenities provided include free wi-fi internet, laundry and same day dry cleaning, rolloaway beds and cribs on request, complimentary breakfast everyday and complimentary dinners from Monday to Thursday, and a business center with meeting areas.

The 89 guest rooms and suites at the Arena are well furnished and equipped with cable TV, refrigirator, microwave, coffee maker, iron & ironing board, hairdryer and a two person jacuzzi. Some rooms also have a full kitchenette. This is on top of the complimentary breakfast and dinner the hotel offers. Far as I can remember, I haven't seen any other hotel in California which offers free breakfast and dinner. Room rates start at around $99 per night and a suite goes for around $119. Your stay in San Jose is going to cost you between $100 to $120 a day, and that's with family. Which is not a bad deal, anyway you look at it.

Info: 817 The Alameda San Jose CA 95126; (408) 294-6500; www.pacifichotels.com/arena

Old Town Inn - San Diego CA

The newly renovated Old Town Inn, San Diego, sits plunk at the center of almost every major tourist attraction in San Diego - Across the street from the Trolley transit Station, within walking distance of the historic Old Town State Park with its restaurants and quaint shops and museums, slightly less than 3 miles from both the Seaworld Adventure Park and the San Diego Zoo, 15 minutes to the San Diego International Airport - You get the picture.

You can setup headquarters at the Old Town Inn and plan short sorties to all the major attractions over a fun-filled San Diego weekend getaway with the family, or even an extended vacation with visits to nearby attractions - And there's a huge amount in and around San Diego - like the Legoland theme park in Carlsbad and the magnificient beaches and attractions at La Jolla and and Mission Bay.

I mention family here not only because San Diego has a lot to offer the kiddies, but also because post-renovation, the Old Town Inn is the best of San Diego family hotels. Some of the family friendly amenities and services include free parking, a complimentary continental breakfast, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a barbeque area, arcade games, connecting rooms and extended stay options, cribs and rolloaway beds, fully equipped kitchennetes with microwaves, refrigirators, coffee makers and ice machines, iron with ironing board, guest laundry services and hairdryers.

Inspite of the semi-luxurious accomodations and amenities, a full suite with kitchenette able to accomodate an entire family of four would cost you only about $104 per night during weekdays and $114 on weekends. That comes to about $300 for a 2 night 3 day stay that includes free breakfast, in-room beverages, some add-ons as a family you might need, and something you might want to cook up at night. Throw in lunch for four people, two adults and two children, for 3 days, along with transportation and admission ticket costs to the attractions (you can get a Go San Diego Card which includes admission to all major parks) and that would come to another $500. So you can wrap up a complete 3 day San Diego family vacation for $800.

Info: 4444 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92110; (800) 643-3025; http://www.oldtown-inn.com/

Magic Castle Hotel Los Angeles

No better place to explore the magic make believe world of Hollywood than the Magic Castle Hotel on Franklin Ave, at the base fo Hollywood Hills. Well, what more do you want than budget accomodation a short walk from the walk of fame, an in-hotel private members-only club frequented by stars, a short subway hop to Universal Studios and the Kodak Theatre and all the attractions of Hollywood Blvd at your doorstep?

It's no Hilton, but the hotel is newly refurbished, rooms are large, comfortable and airy with a good view of the hotel's swimming pool area and best of all, you get to keep your wallet, and your shirt on, when you checkout. More to the point, the rooms are highly utilitarian, with an apartment like feel, since the hotel was an apartment building before morphing into a lodging facility. Out of a total of 40 units, 30 of them are 1 or 2 bedroom suites, and come with fully equipped kitchenettes with microwaves and coffee makers.

In addition, the hotel offers grocery shopping services and a continental breakfast with fresh pastries from the Susina Bakery and coffee by Wolfgang Puck. Rooms and suites are furnished with all the usual amenities, including hairdryers, iron & ironing board, safe, wi-fi internet, coin operated laundromat, cable with HBO and a DVD player with free movie rentals.In short, it's a home away from home for groups and families out on a tour of Los Angeles and the nearby attractions. Then there's the outdoor heated swimming pool.

Room rates start at $139 for a double and in between $149 to $239 for a suite. A one-bedroom suite good enough for a full family of four, with a large living room area, seperate televisions and full kitchen clocks in at $214. Good enough for a glorious Los Angeles family vacation without going broke or into debt.

If you're looking to live like a star for a week and then live on food stamps for the rest of the year, go to the Westin Bonaventure or the Sofitel LA or any of the other upscale Los Angeles family hotels you'll find in West Hollywood and downtown LA. But if you want to make sure your family has a good time, see all the attractions, do some shopping and wining and dining, put up at decent lodgings with all the little comforts of home, and still come out of it with your annual budget intact, then you're looking at the Magic Castle Hotel & Suites.

Info: 7025 Franklin Avenue (Between La Brea & Highland) Hollywood CA 90028; (323) 851-0800; http://www.magiccastlehotel.com/

Argonaut Hotel San Francisco

One of the coolest hotels on Fisherman's Wharf, run by KimptonHotels in partnership with the Maritime National Historic Park, and located half a block from the Bay, the Argonaut (http://www.argonauthotel.com/) is the hotel to be in if you're on a tour of San Francisco with the family. Call it the perfect storm, but the Argonaut has everything going for it, if you look at it from a kid friendly angle. First there's the location which, at least for the Golden State, is second best after Anaheim.

Secondly, there's the Kimpton Kids program or bonus or whatever you prefer to call it, which makes each Kimpton hotel a welcome respite for Mom & Pop who're having difficulty remembering just why they wanted to have kids whose sole job seems to be to give parents plenty of experience in crisis management.

Kimpton Kids literally takes the kids off your hands, by providing adult supervision along with all sorts of diversions and attractions to keep the kids occupied, not to mention taking care of all the drudgery of raising children, like laundry and cleaning up the mess and cribs and strollers and stuff. Combine this with the terrific options to spend a day out in San Francisco - Shopping, dining, sight seeing, ocean cruises and simply experiencing the streets and markets - And you have all the makings of a splendid family vacation which will ooze the stress of urban living out of you like a wet sponge being squeezed.

The guest rooms have panaromic views of the Golgen Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. The decor, as befitting a Bay hotel, has a maritime streak running through the entire hotel including the 239 rooms and 13 suites, and the net effect is that the entire building looks like a giant cruise liner which has accidently run aground. The suites even have a telescope and a spa tub, and you can delude yourself into play-acting Captain Jack Sparrow.

The rooms are loaded with all the requisite modernity, including complimentary internet, coffee makers with complimentary Starbucks coffee (that's one thing you cannot escape from in this liberal oasis), Sony Wega flat screen television, on demand movies and a Nintendo for the kids, in roomspa services, gourmet treats in a stocked honor bar, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, complimentary newspaper, spa tubs with seperate and enclosed glass showers, and you have full Concierge services (they're really good, especially if you forgot to book tickets in advance), room service, laundry and valet and the hotel is pet friendly. Room rates start at $212 for a single room and onwards upto $1049 for a Specialty Bay View suite with two rooms and a jetted tub.

Dining options at the Argonaut, in addition to the excellent restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf, include the next door seafood restaurant, the Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar. The restaurant provides a resonably priced menu with attractive options for full family dining, along with a splendid outdoor patio seating so as to be able to enjoy the view.

Info: Argonaut Hotel :- 495 Jefferson Street at Hyde, San Francisco, CA 94109; Reservations: 866-415-0704; Hotel: 415-563-0800

Web links: San Francisco family hotels, restaurants, shopping, visitors, City Pass

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

As you roll to a stop in front of the brilliant blue waters of Monterey Bay, the fresh tang of the salty ocean wind hits your nostrils and your lungs fill with the freshness of the Pacific. The sound of waves breaking against the rocks below beckons you to waters edge where otters slip and slide in a messy tangle of squeaks and grunts, creating a contrast to the peace and harmony of the ocean stretching out into the horizon.

Behind you are the pleasures of Cannery Row and the wonders of the Monterey Bay Acquarium, three blocks from the hotel. Welcome to the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, sitting on a ledge overlooking the Bay.

Once inside, the stately European architecture, the dated decor and the sheer spaciousness of the resort, dripping with luxury, make it obvious why the Monterey Plaza is regarded as one of the premier holiday destination hotels in the Golden State. One might think that with such an unmatchable location and tourist attractions nearby, the hotel would just focus on the rooms, and let the guests enjoy Cannery Row and the Bay and nearby beach towns.

But the Monterey Plaza seems to harbor no such charitable intentions, and aims to keep guests in-house as much as possible with a bevy of superlative services and amenities, including a fell featured Spa on the top floor with a sundeck and a birds-eye view of the Bay, a couple of award winning restaurants - 'The Duck Club Grill' & 'Scooter's Bistro on the Bay' - which dish out superlative cuisine, and other special events organized to keep the guests happy and busy.

The 290 guest rooms and suites, with a view of either the Bay or Cannery Row throough large draped windows, aren't so bad either. As with the structure of the building, the rooms and furnishings are awash in a distinctly 19th-century Biedermeier style, with ceiling fans and large marble baths. In-room amenities include a writing desk, coffee maker, iron & ironing board, a wet bar & stocked mini-bar & a refrigerator, and television with on command video systems. Additional itens, such as cribs and rollaway beds are available upon request. Room rates start at $240. $20 extra for a rollaway bed. Cribs are free. Children 17 and under are allowed to stay free if sharing a room with adults.

The hotel also offers specials 'Family Getaway Package' for $515 per night, which covers everything required for a full family Monterey vacation, including deluxe accommodations for two adults and two children in a suite with connecting rooms, passes for the full family to the Monterey Bay Aquarium good for two consecutive days, Breakfast in the Duck Club Grill and lunch or dinner in Schooner's Bistro, complimentary in room family movie, and waiver of the nightly $25 resort fee charged to other guests, which includes 24-hour valet parking, wireless internet access, and use of the spa facilities for guests 18 and older. Simply put, you pay for the hotel, and everything else gets taken care of. It doesn't get better than this, if you're looking for a family hotel in Monterey.

Info: 400 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940; (831) 646-1700 or (800) 334-3999

$80M Clement Monterey Hotel Coming Soon To Monterey

Brian Miller, GlobeSt.com, writes about the first new hotel to open in Monterey in 20 years - The 208 room Clement Monterey hotel will open in May across from the Monterey Bay Acquarium, at an estimated cost of $80M. Located 120 miles south of San Francisco, the hotel is rising on a historic waterfront site once occupied by the Del Mar Canning Co. The street address of the project is 750 Cannery Row. The 208 rooms include 19 suites and 189 guest rooms, most with views of Monterey Bay. All rooms have a king-size bed or two double beds, marble and granite bathrooms with soaking tubs and walk-in showers, flat-screen televisions and high-speed Internet access. Other amenities include a restaurant and bar, a full-service spa and a Kids Club.

In related news, a runaway tour bus crashed into the Monterey Bay Acquarium. The 40-foot Coach USA bus rolled downhill on David Avenue, about a block and a half away from the aquarium. Along the way it knocked down several street signs and hit the front end of a car. The bus also sideswiped an office building before ramming into the aquarium.

And stealing attention from the much ballyhoed whales and bigger fish in Monterey Bay are tiny sardines. Melissa Schilling, Santa Cruz Sentinel, has a detailed article on the re-emergence of the sardines and the benefits for both humans and the environment. Studies by researchers with the Seafood Watch of the Monterey Bay Aquarium suggest it's the topical temperatures of the water itself that dictates whether the giant herds of silver swimmers stay or swim on. Eating sardines is good for you and good for the environment -- because they simply hurdle into local shops as fresh as can be. There's no long, overnight plane ride like fish from Hawaii [mahi mahi], Chile [Chilean seabass] or Alaska [salmon]. Instead, sardines hit fresh fish counters, such as those of The Fish Lady, caught just that morning.

Pepper Tree Inn Palm Springs

The two pepper trees originally planted by Dr. Pepper at the Pepper Tree Inn, Palm Springs are no longer there, and have been replaced by new trees. Same as the Inn, which has been completely renovated and has morphed away from its original 1920 style into a Spanish colonial boutique hotel with intimate and peronsal care for the guests in each of the hotel's 32 rooms.

The Pepper Tree Inn sits sandwiched between the uptown Gallery District and downtown Palm Springs, so guests at the Inn get the best of both worlds, with antique shops, art galleries and boutiques of the uptown side competing with the trendy restaurants, Spa's and designer brand boutiques of the downtown area.

The new version of the Inn is a highly stylised and artistic rendition, with the two stained glass leaf gates at the entrance, worth a whopping $25,000 each, setting the tone for the inside. Hand painted intricate designs and shades on the walls give each room a distinct identity and the rooms themselves are divided into a range of types and sizes, with varying amenities such as jacuzzis, fireplaces and patios, along with a view of the poolside area on one side and the imposing San Jacinto mountains on the other. The shaded glow of the lighting, the solid furnishings, the ceiling fan and the artistically painted walls combine to create a certain rustic charm which you won't find in a chain hotel or big spa resorts dotting the Palm Springs area.

Best to schedule visits during weekdays, since weekends cost upwards of $30 extra over the weekday price. A standard two bedroom suite for a family of four would cost around $329 on weekdays and $359 on weekends. If you're planning for a full week, the hotel offers half a day free on a 4 day booking and 1 full day free on a 5 day booking.

For hotel offers all the usual amenities in-room, including flat screen LCD television, coffee maker, iron/ironing board and a refrigirator, all of which are tastefully tucked into the wodden structure, thus enhancing the apparent size of the rooms. There's a dining area where you can polish off muffins, cereal, fresh juice and coffee for breakfast before you set out for an exploration of Palm Springs. Half a block on either side of the Inn lie the Palm Canyon theatre and Koffi, which serves some really mind-blowing coffee, sandwiches and pastries.

Info: 622 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92262; (760) 318-9850

Web Links: Palm Springs family hotels, attractions, golf courses, spas, shopping, restaurants

Governors Inn Hotel Sacramento CA

Old Town Sacramento is probably one of the most under-rated tourist areas in the US, inspite of having a truckload of historical landmark buildings and a breathtaking natural beauty along the banks of the Sacramento river and the marshes of the Delta. This is because Sacramento is often treated like the poor cousin in a family of rich brats, struggling to divert attention from the world famous attractions of the SoCal coast, the natural splendour and wealth of the Wine Country and the vastness of Palm Springs and the desert parks.

But being the Black Sheep in California's tourist wars has its advantages. For one, less tourists mean lower prices for hotels, restaurants and services for visitors. Secondly, the staff you'll encounter in Sacramento hotels are infinitely more friendly and attentive than their overworked counterparts on the Pacific Coast. What this all means is that Sacramento, with all its history and old town attractions, virginal natural beauty unspoilt by chain resorts and high-rise condos and hordes of garbage dumping tourists, relatively cheap hotels and friendly staff, is perfect for a family vacation.

And perfect among family hotels in Sacramento is the aptly named Governors Inn Hotel, straddling the center between the State Capitol and Sacramento International Airport, minutes away from downtown Sacramento, Railroad Museum, historic Old Town and the upscale Westfield Downtown Plaza.

The hotel offers budget accomodation for the entire family with a lot of freebies thrown in - Complimentary airport & train shuttle service, complimentary breakfast, complimentary parking, complimentary high speed internet, complimentary phone calls...The hotel also offers use of a fitness center, meeting rooms with a business center equipped with audio/video equipment, outdoor swimming pool and spa, room service, housekeeping and same day laundry services. All this in addition to 'service with a smile' - A genuine smile. There's a lot more, but I think that gives you a fair idea of the value that you can get in Sacramento, for much less than what you would pay at a similar size hotel in LA or San Francisco or San Diego.

A stay here is sure to slow down your pace and maximize the benefits of a relaxing holiday poking around the historic landmarks and quaint pleasures of the Old Town and the Delta, topped off with a liberal helping of old world hospitality and tasty California cuisine.

Governor's Inn offers 133 beautifully decorated and furnished spacious rooms and suites, comfortable, oozing old world charm with a leafy view of Sacramento's windy tree-lined streets. The rooms are fully furnished and equipped with all the modern conviniences and gadgets that you might need - Coffee maker, internet access, Cable TV with free HBO, CNN and ESPN, in-room movies, hair dryer, iron/ironing board and a complimentary bowl of fresh fruits. For a family, the hotel offers a two room suitewith a seperate living room and a King size bed, a sofa bed, work desk, two television, microwave and refrigirator. All guests are offered complimentary breakfast and an afternoon managers' reception with tea, along with a free copy of the Sacramento Bee. A single room costs $93 and a double $103, per night.

Info: 210 Richards Boulevard Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 448-7224

Castle Inn & Suites Hotel Anaheim California

What the Castle Inn & Suites Hotel, Anaheim, CA, offers for the ultimate in family vacations is location. And you couldn't ask for a better location - Slam-bang across the street from Disneyland® Resort and minutes from Downtown Disney® District Disneyland® Resort.

That's a lotta Disney's in one sentence, and its all waiting for you, when you take a look out of your Castle Inn & Suites hotel room window.

You really can't ask for much more than this, but they do offer you more - Accomodation for the full family in spacious rooms with queen size double beds starting at $112 for a three night stay for a family of four, including two adults and two kids.

It works out to about $40 for an entire family per night - And you're sleeping with a view of the Disneyland® Resort. If you want to splurge, you could go for a double room family suite, which will set you back $152 for the same terms - 2 adults, 2 children, 3 nights. The family suite has two rooms, one with a single king bed, and one with two queen beds. Both rooms have television, and the room with the King Bed additionally has a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. One bathroom combined for both rooms. This is the most reasonable you can expect in terms of cheap family hotels in Anaheim, CA.

Of course, there are a few downsides to this reasonableness. For starters, there are very few add-ons or luxury amneties or services. What you see is what you get. Secondly, it may look like a fairy tale palace from the outside, but the reality inside is well...a bit different. Let's just say the hotel is a bit rundown and hasn't had a makeover since probably before Mickey was born. Meaning that you're not about to smell the fresh paint or work out exactly what color the room was when it was first painted. Like I said, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Still, the hotel does offer a heated pool, whirlpool and a children’s wading pool, a gift shop, valet laundry and coin-operated laundry facilities, complimentary morning coffee and faxing services. Bottom line - The Castle Inn & Suites hotel offers cheap accomodation for the full family in front of the Disneyland® Resort and that's just about all there is to say about it.

Info: 1734 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, California 92802; (714) 774-8111

Handlery Union Square Hotel San Francisco

The Handlery Union Square Hotel calls itself a family hotel with a European flair. In fact, The Handlery, located at Union Square, San Francisco, between Mason and Powell St., has had its fair share of European travelers, even before it morphed into an EU friendly upscale boutique hotel with a 2002 makeover. Whether or not the English and the French and the Germans like it, the Handlery certainly is way more Mom and Kid friendly, in comparison with other family friendly hotels in San Francisco.

For starters, the hotel is situated slam bang across Macy's (for which the hotel offers discount coupons), with the Westfield San Francisco Centre, the largest shopping center on the West Coast, located minutes away, not to mention the cable car at the corner, and as such the hotel provides an ideal base for quick shopping expeditions for Moms at some of the world's finest brand name shops without having to stray too far from the kids. Also, the hotel frees up parents from daily drudgery, with same day laundry and dry cleaning services, maid service and full room service to take care of everything from in-room dining to cleaning up after a horde of precocious teenagers.

To help parents make a quick getaway without being missed, and to keep the kids occupied, the hotel provides babysitting services via the Concierge and a heated outdoor swimming pool, and a friendly multi-lingual staff well trained to provide service with a smile to customers of all ages, from frisky tiny tots to cranky grandparents. In addition if you are in San Francisco on a business trip, the hotel offers you an oppurtunity to combine a family vacation with your business, with a state-of-the-art business center, a fitness center, gift shop, an ATM and an upscale dining restaurant located next door, ideal for business lunches.

The rooms offer plenty of space, comfort and entertainment for the entire family, with two double beds, cable tv, on demand movies and video games, mini refrigirators, wi-fi internet, coffee and tea makers, hair dryers, iron/ironing board, and individual climate control settings. Rooms in the Club Section offer a few sweet extra specials for the family, including balconies with a view of the city, and overlooking the pool (all the easier to scream at kids who don't want to get out of the pool), complimentary newspaper, electric shoe polishers and a seperate vanity area with a lighted make-up mirror.

But the best is yet to come. For a standard room with two double beds and room for a family of 4, including two adults and two children, the hotel charges a nightly rate of $189 plus tax. If you go for the family getaway package special, the rate drops even further to $179, which includes one complimentary kids funpak, two complimentary ice cream sundaes at the Daily Grill Restaurant and Bar nextdoor, complimentary valet parking with 24 hour in and out privileges, two complimentary cable car passes available from the concierge, Pier 39 Funpak and Macy's Discount Coupons. If you want more than one room, the hotel offers family friendly accomodation with connecting doors between rooms.

Info: 351 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102; (800) 843-4343

California Family Travel Guide

That's what this blog is going to be about from now on - A California family travel guide. I'll be writing about all the places I visit in California, from the SoCal coast to the Sierra Nevada and Palm Springs. I'll be writing reviews of family friendly hotels in San Francisco, as a start. We'll take it from there and see where it goes.

I'll also be writing restaurant reviews and descriptions of the local attractions in each place I visit. And in between maybe some travel tips and suggestions to make your travels safe, comfortable and easy. In short, as of now, this is a travel blog.

My latest scribblings

Been busy lately, writing and researching. Not much time left over to water the plants here on blogspot. A small list of latest literary outpourings :
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College Admissions Explained
The Works of Ayn Rand
The Best President of U.S.Of A.
What is the internet?
Define spammer, hubber and a great hubber.
What are the best websites for news?
Internal Linking Unplugged
Protecting Your Identity from Google
Global Warming Solutions
Iraq Strategy
Drive heavy traffic to your website without spending a fortune
Rep Ron Paul (TX) - Domestic Policy
Adding Search to Your Website
Online Business Tips
How Google Adsense works
Diet Free Weight Loss
What internet browser you prefer to use?
Will Al Gore run for president in 2008?
How To Write A Hub
Book Writing and Publishing Help
Widgets 101
10 Most Useful Sites on The Internet
To see all hubs, visit my hubpages.com profile.

Feast or famine? Half the week I don't have time to focus, with multiple clients emailing and harassing me for getting the work done faster. Then they all dissappear and I'm left twiddling my thumbs and watching reality television and reading the News until the next attack. Memo to my clients - If you're co-ordinating attacks on me, could you please come in one at a time, so I can keep youall happy?

Spence Diamonds Guide to Jewelry and Allergies

I was doing some market research for a client, and I'm simply amazed by the specialization in each sector. I mean, when you talk about selling to women, it's a fine art. And totally different from selling to men. Men want something which works. When you're selling to men, the main aim is to seem genuine, in other words something which is not a con job. All my writing has been targeted for men, including most of the work I do for clients. This one job is slightly different. It's got to do with diamonds and jewelry. So I thought I'd get to know the market, and existing written matter, before I jumped in myself.

There's this one site, DiamondArticles.com, which is just what its name says - Everything about diamonds. There's even an article from Spence Diamonds about how rashes on your skin caused by jewelry are mostly related to nickel allergy.
"The bad news first: Once you’ve become sensitive to nickel, you’re likely to stay that way for the rest of your life. The good news is that over time, you may become less sensitive to nickel allergy."

Notice the format of the article. First there's an explanation that allergies are for real, and selecting the right kind of jewelry does not necessarily mean that it should be costlier than your neighbour's newest purchase. They go on to explain how contact with nickel affects your skin, and then deliver the punch line. That's the line which I quoted above - Good news and bad news. Bad news is that nickel allergy is not curable. Good news is that nickel allergy can be contained,and you can still enjoy the finest jewelry, provided you choose the ones which won't hurt your skin. And the good folks at Spence Diamonds know just what you need. So step right in and check it out today.

Any woman with a nickel allergy problem, after reading this article, will immediately pick up the phone and call the Spence Diamonds showroom, or head over to it. And I now know just how I'm supposed to write copy for selling jewelry to women.