Learn to Twerk at Hotel Washington
September 17, 2024
It started in the country.
And ended in the city.
With some Springsteen in between.
The Hotel Washington is our chosen destination in DC, and for obvious reasons—excellent hospitality. We hear rumors that this hotel is aptly run my Steph Vogel, but honestly we have not seen him for years. Anyway, from our base in the middle of nowhere, Washington DC is the big metropolis. This time we came in to see Bruce perform at the Nationals Park. An excellent show.
Back in the country, there were cocktails to be had and plans to be hatched. Somehow we overlooked the twerking in our planning.
We headed into DC in the early afternoon. We were greeted at the hotel with dueling amenities and greetings from Steph in our adjoining rooms 710 and 711.
The shower situation was non-plastic, though shutting the sliding door to the bathroom was nigh on impossible. The sink was in the hall.
After the show, we headed up to Vue to have a Corpse Reviver #2 or 2 and damage our hearing. Who knew that the night would end up with twerking lessons from the large group of (young) 50-turning women?! Much fun was had. All of a sudden it was 2am.
Did we need twerking lessons? Judge for yourself. Here is a before video.
Sadly no video of the after has been made available.
Five showerheads, a big thank you, and a fervent wish to get to the bottom of the Vogel disappearance for Hotel Washington.
Charlottesville Develops an Actual Hotel! The Forum
July 27, 2024
First off, NPS has a special place in its collective heart for Charlottesville, having graduated from UVa in the mid-80s with a degree in the lucrative field of Philosophy. But that is neither here nor there. Trips to c’ville happen every once in a while, and up until now there has been nowhere decent to stay. See here for evidence.
Now there IS a very good hotel, situated fittingly up by the business school and the law school. The Forum is where to stay when you need to be in Charlottesville. And yeah, it’s a Kimpton but not like the real Kimpton used it be. It is actually an IHG property with an echo of Kimpton charm in its chord structure.
We drove in through some very much needed rain that turned into a major thunderstorm delaying the show. Our plans to “grab some dinner” on the walking mall were thwarted by the storm and by the fact that it was restaurant week too (who knew?). So we got a bite at the hotel sports bar that was surprisingly good. The negroni set was excellent. If only the TVs would all just disappear.
We were situated in a terrace king room 345 (maybe). The room was very nice, but the terrace was so wet we couldn’t really use it.
The bathroom is pretty not bad, and the shower is glass.
About the only thing to fix is the “roll up the sidewalk” time which seems to happen around 11pm. When you come in after a show at the Ting Pavilion and would love a nightcap and a midnight snack you are forced to raid the paltry minibar.
The best thing about our trip was the show. Andrew Bird and Nickel Creek all on stage together?! Holy cow. It was a magical evening. Pictures and videos from the show here.
After a nice stop at Greenberry‘s for strip mall breakfast, we drove home the back way through the stunning beauty of Virginia.
Four showerheads for the Forum. Step up the game on the bar and restaurant front, and know your guests! We will be back for sure.
Middle of Nowhere? Try the Smith House Inn
June 21, 2024
It was an ill-fated plan that failed along two predictable dimensions. But it was worth investigating. The investigation involved a trip to the middle of nowhere in Pennsytucky where we were surrounded by bikers—well people on bicycles with ridiculous lycra clothing anyway. It was about as far from dangerous as you can possibly get.
We stayed at the Smith House Inn in Confluence. I mean if you are staying in Confluence, you might as well stay there. You can pretty much walk everywhere else in 4 minutes or less.
We had dinner, a bad negroni, and a ridiculous lighning lashing on the river at River’s Edge.
We had espresso at the Tissue Shop and a laugh about meatballs.
Three showerheads for the fly speck.
An Absolute Gem in Stockholm: Ett Hem
April 23, 2024
Though NPS has been to Sweden a handful of times, this was our first trip to Stockholm, and it probably won’t be the last.
Ett Hem is a tiny luxury hotel that does every single thing right. The staff is so professional that they feel like really particularly helpful friends, the food is absolutely world class, and the grounds (two buildings with a few rooms in each) are gorgeous. Needless to say, the showers are not plastic.
After a delayed arrival (on Swiss Air, whose business class equipment and service did not match United’s standards(!!)), we all met in the second floor common room in the building with the restaurant (that is, the building that includes its own bakery where they mill flour). We had a Negroni from the honor bar and caught up after some years. It’s always fun to introduce good friends who have yet to meet, in this case a Finn and a Norwegian.
Of course there was a mandatory hot shower and checkin in to the rather small but well appointed room 29.
The shower was most excellent.
The fact that the bedroom is small is made up for by the extensive common rooms (like the one where we met) and run of the entire well-groomed property.
We snagged a dinner reservation at Matbaren Mathias Dhalgren, the kind of resraurant designed and executed for foodies. Dinner was excellent and service was just as fun as our furnishings were quirky.
Then we had a nightcap at the Grand Hôtel bar. The cocktails were good but not fantastic, and the vibe of the space is pretty much what you would expect from such an old school hotel. Ironically, my two friends decided to get another drink and I left the scene early since my reason for being in town was a breakfast seminar a couple of days later at the ungodly hour of 8am. I guess that’s one way to avoid jetlag…just blow right through it!
After sampling the outstanding Ett Hem breakfast we made a quick visit to the photography museum.
Then we shot some video of our own, but with more clothes. And played some team building company trivia games. After which dinner at Soho House was an excellent experience. Always fun to hit it off with friends of friends. It was taco Tuesday in Sweden, and, well, Swedish tacos are hilarious.
On our way to A Bar Called Gemma we stopped in at Grodan for a cocktail or two.
Gemma was a much better craft cocktail mixology joint than Grodan, but it was also slightly slouchier and grimy.
Then it was up way early to give the talk. We decided to try out the restaurant at Ett Hem for lunch. Outstanding.
Ett Hem is worth a visit to stockholm for all by itself. Magical. Fiver showerheads with no reservations at all.
The Hotel Washington, Washington DC
March 19, 2024
Steph Vogel now runs the Hotel Washington. And you know what that means…an attentive staff, attention to detail, and all around excellence. In fact, you might accidentally find yourself believing you have been transported to a Kimpton of yore. (Trust us, Kimpton used to be excellent…)
We arrived in the late afternoon, just in time for a cocktail at sunset in the rooftop bar.
The staff knew us by sight (due to the wanted poster in the staff room, no doubt). We were given an excellent suite, 820, bumped up three flights by someone paying attention. Sadly, Steph is out of commission with a major skiing injury, so we did not get to see him.
We were greeted with a personal note, a snack (saved for late night) and a bottle of Pinot Noir (much appreciated by Romey). Though it has been a while, all of our preferences were not only noted but met. Attention to detail is so rare.
820 is a beautiful corner suite with lots of room to spread out. We were bummed that our schedule was so tightly packed.
The bathroom is great. Only one quibble with the shower involves water pressure.
The bed room completes the suite.
We dropped our stuff in the room and headed up to the rooftop. After a few sips of our Negroni we were able to score a seat by the open windows.
We watched the sun set over the white house. We saw the President’s motorcade depart as well. Classic DC.
And then it was a fight through the wedding hoards and a quick uber to dinner. Rooster and Owl (recommended by Steph) is outstanding. We shared a bottle of champagne.
Next was the 9:30 club for the late show. Thievery Corporation was a blast.
We were in bed no later than 2:30am. Then up too early for brunch at the Jefferson (which you can skip).
Fiver showerheads but a distinct absence of Steph for this visit. We hope to be back soon.
The Catamaran: The Tired Part of San Diego
February 27, 2024
Back in the mid-’90s we spent a bunch of time in San Diego. One of the first annual trips was a visit to NDSS, a geeky conference always held at the Catamaran hotel. That must have lasted a decade or more. A return in 2024 (some 15 odd years since visiting the Catamaran) shows the toll that time has taken.
You see, the Catamaran has spent more on the common areas (which are very pretty but also just a bit wrong…like, say, a pool area where you are required to wear a wrist band as if you are an untrusted 20 year old) than they have on the rooms. Nobody seems to have considered fixing up the rooms since maybe 1982. Or maybe they spent all of their budget on marketing drones?
So you go from this:
To this:
Hamster cage with no design sensibility and indestructible furnishings. But wait, there’s less. How about the Holiday Inn bathroom console (featuring communal soap)? With a vinyl floor?
But you are here for the shower. Here is a prime example of the worst kind of plastic shower. Oh let us count the ways: lilliputian tub only a foot deep and made of plastic, obesity bar, plastic shower curtain (with a see thru plastic window portal design), and a shower head that does nothing to improve the flaccid water pressure. A big nope.
Here, watch the plastic shower in all of its glorious action…
There are good things about the Catamaran, like friendly staff, a good restaurant, and an espresso bar that knows how to make a real macchiato. And it’s right on the Pacific! But we’re not surfer dudes.
There’s an excellent coffee bar nearby too—pump coffee.
A visit to Ken Sushi Workshop is a great idea. Excellent.
Ultimately, room 218 is so dissatisfying that it was time just to jettison the plan, pack up early (after the morning meeting), and switch hotels. A lowly one showerhead and no more chances for the old Catamaran. It has sprung a fatal leak.
Art in London: Zetter Townhouse
November 6, 2023
The Zetter Townhouse, situated just behind the Zetter Hotel and home to one of the best cocktail bars in London, was the base of operations for some business and a nice pile of art. NPS was put into room 6.
Art included, the Tate, some theater, and a concert.
The shower is not plastic, though climbing in and out of the enormous tub is a thing, Perhaps some short stairs should be installed.
Room 6 could use a better wardrobe, and some updated less shabby furniture. But all in all it is a nice place to spend a few days.
On our way to the Tate, we stopped by Ibérica Farringdon for a bite.
Our visit to the Tate Modern is documented here.
Of course a cocktail at the Zetter Townhouse rounded out the Thursday plan. We keep reminding them what a Liberal is.
Then some business which included two very nice meals, one at Bocca di Lupo and an incredible lunch at Inko Nito.
A French dinner at Le Café du Marché was very good for London but would never fly in Paris.
Saturday afternoon was meant to start with ramen, but Mohonon was closed (fortunately that was remedied Sunday evening. Suffice it to say that Bone Daddy just does not stack up.
Waiting on line might require a beer.
Some shopping at Varvatos cost everyone a pretty penny, but was surprisingly not awful.
We just had time for a brown meal at Hawksmoor before the theater. Then it was off to see Lyonesse which was enhanced by some sugarless French 75s.
The play was quite good, a medical emergency nothwithstanding.
The next day included a run back to Soho to visit Etro. And then some incredible classical music at the barbican.
Followed by real Ramen. Mohonos is just so good…equal to Japan.
A nightcap at Boccas was not terrible. But no Fernet in an Argentinean bar?! What?! A Pisco Sour (Peru?) would have to do.
All in all, four showerheads and a quick furnishings update required for the Zetter Townhouse.
The Dupont Circle Hotel: Washington DC
October 22, 2023
Generally speaking, we don’t frequent too many DC hotels since DC is so close to home. But sometimes timing is such that a night in a hotel is in order. The Dupont Circle Hotel is centrally located and not an unreasonable place to stay. Nothing to write home about, but good meeting facilities and proximity to plenty of good things to do.
The outside patio is a nice place for a Negroni on a fall evening. Do note that the bar closes down rather early.
A corporate dinner event at the Lafayette (in the Hay-Adams) was very nice but exceptionally old school even by DC standards.
We were assigned hamster cube 804. The view of the construction site (where jackhammers fired up at 7am) was unobstructed.
Though by no means plastic, the shower was still slightly wrong.
Jackhammer guys.
Excellent meeting facilities.
Four showerheads and some more imaginitive fun and games for the Dupont Circle Hotel. We didn’t get that room on the roof from the website. LOL.
Boston: The Verb and Its Wishful Thinking
August 27, 2023
Before the 30th Anniversary Music Party, there was Contessa. Great food with a superb city view and militant eastern european staff. Not sure I would make a habit of it. Dining with two of my favorite women tips the scales radically. But honestly, Contessa thinks too much of itself. It is aptly named.
After the 30th Anniversary Music Party, the pool at The Verb Hotel (right next to Fenway) was bait. Honestly we felt a bit baited (and switched). The Verb is trying so hard to be hip and cool. But they are falling short due to a number of factors mostly involving an actual demographic of families with kids, a terrible breakfast situation, and a very small dingy pool. Oh well. It was a great plan.
We paid for a pool view room. Whatever. We were on the second floor a nice hike from everything past many hallways of refrigerated hamster cages.
This may be one of the only times and actual touring musician has ever stayed at The Verb. Too much veneer and not enough reality makes NPS a grumpy poster.
The Pool. Such a great idea, and so not what it needs to be. We did use it. And we had some great Mai Tais from next door.
At least the shower is not plastic.
The real record player was a nice touch and fun. Many of the records were in terrible shape though.
Mandolin.
It was great to be in Boston for the night. We had fun.
Sunday Jazz at the Mad Monkfish.
All in all, not a plan to repeat but one that was worth doing once. The Verb Hotel earns two showerheads and is summarily dismissed from the target list.
NYC: Intercontinental NY Barclay
August 27, 2023
In the still active quest to find a NY hotel to use as home base, we present the (nope) Intercontinental Barclays hotel. This was a quick, trip up for business and pleasure.
The Barclays is old school. Well, old. Definitely old. Try as they might to upgrade to “hip” or “relevant,” there is too much inertia for the sluggish IHG chain to overcome.
Our arrival was very corporate and our room was nice but hamster cage. All vestiges of Kimpton privilege have been assimilated. And there is only so much that you can do to drag a mid-century hotel into the new millennium. Frankly, I don’t even remember what our room number was or even what floor it was on.
The shower was fine.
A comfortable generic bed. Design by somebody’s grandmother.
Oh, here it is, room 939 on the not at all memorable 9th floor. This is a concierge floor which means only you can share an OK breakfast with other people who think that concierge service is good.
But it was NYC! BTW, the Fasano is a great place for a ridiculously expensive business dinner. Great food and a relaxed atmosphere conducive to conversation.
Also, as always the tucked away Oyster bar in Grand Central is a fun place for a snack. We tried out the back room (new to me). The front is more NY, FWIW.
Meanwhile, the bar back at the Barclays has a reputation far beyond its ’70s reality. Great cocktails served by cynical old school NY barkeeps with a hotel lobby feel that can’t be overcome. Skip it.
The great news is that the trip’s most memorable experience was a great one. The MOMA’s Karl Lagerfeld exhibit was not to be missed. See more here.
Before whizzing back across town and under the river to Newark, we had a great lunch at Blue Willow somewhat on a whim. Outstanding.
All in all, three showerheads and a continued search for a NY home for the Barclays Intercontinental. Too much corporate genericism for us.
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