When I stepped into the historic room I was immediately transported to another time and place. The Starlight Roof at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City was an institution; a legend; the site of celebrities and debutantes, where romance oozed from the corners and love at first sight started from the moment the retractable roof opened to the stars.

The Starlight Roof Ballroom opened in 1931 on the 19th floor of the iconic New York hotel. With unprecedented views of New York City stretching all the way to the Hudson River in the early 1900s, the Starlight Roof was the grande dame of the city. Today, the Starlight Roof still sits on the top floor of the hotel, which now overlooks Park Avenue. The hotel’s ballroom, the largest ballroom in the city, is four stories high with several adjoining smaller ballrooms and endless reminders of what once was, including chandeliers, gold-plated grates and of course, the views of New York City. While the view has changed slightly thanks to new buildings that arose over the years, the Starlight Roof maintains its passionate decadence as the Pièce de résistance of the hotel.

The Waldorf Astoria was the world’s first skyscraper hotel and today still exudes the glamour and grandeur of a luxury hotel. When the hotel first opened in 1893 at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street it captured the hearts of not only New Yorkers, but travelers from around the world. People flocked to walk the marble hallways, feel the gold-plated banisters and marvel at the crystal chandeliers that decorated the various rooms in the hotel.

In 1929, the hotel was torn down to make way for the next New York landmark—The Empire State Building. In true Waldorf fashion, however, plans were drawn for an even bigger, better Waldorf-Astoria at its present location on Park Avenue. Over the years, the Waldorf Astoria has become a fixture of New York attractions and stands as a landmark building on the famous Park Avenue. While the hotel has been renovated, updated and rejuvenated over the decades, it remains a constant companion to those who call it home during their travels.

The current Waldorf Astoria is combination of history and modern design. From the Clock Tower (which was originally part of the Chicago World’s Fair) to the prominent displays of Art Deco style paintings, sculptures and decor, the hotel is a masterpiece of elegance at every turn. But the 19th floor holds the gem of this hotel.

When you step out of the elevators you’re immediately welcomed by photos of the past. Walk the halls and gaze at the black-and-white pictures that tell the story of ‘the good old days’ as you walk toward the grand Starlight Roof ballroom.

The Starlight Roof was the first supper club to have a retractable roof. It welcomed everyone from diplomats to presidents, sheiks to princes, and celebrities of all generations. From 1931, when the hotel opened, until well into the 1950s, the 6,000-square-foot Art Deco Starlight Roof had been the talk of the town.

In its prime, the Starlight Roof reigned as the nightclub where the see-and-be-seen spent their evenings, where high-society dined, drank and partied to the music of the era including Glenn Miller, Eddie Duchin, Guy Lombardo, Lester Lanin, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Xavier Cugat. The hotel’s policy of utter discretion and privacy was what made it so popular among the city’s elite. If you listen closely you can still see Gene Kelly dance across the ballroom floor or hear Lena Horne croon a sultry song for the guests who are mingling among the star-lit roof. It’s hard not to imagine Ginger Rogers in a ball gown walking the room or Lana Turner sipping martinis at the bar.

The Starlight Roof ballroom still speaks to the glamour and prestige that it’s always adorned, but today serves as a more modern venue for the masses who want to dine, dance and see the city in style. Somewhere inside the walls of this great room are love stories and romances that long to be remembered, and within one step into the room and one glance up at the roof, it’s hard to believe in the magic of the Starlight Roof.

[Photos courtesy of Waldorf Astoria archives]

Read more from my article in Destinations Travel Magazine, November 2011 issue

If Eloise were in her 30s and living at New York’s The Plaza hotel, I suspect her life would be something like this:

The familiar bellman opens her car door as she pulls into the horseshoe drive on Fifth Avenue at Central Park South. She’s probably on her cell phone or thumbing through her iPhone, gabbing about latest socialite du jour who embarrassed herself at last night’s dinner, or consulting on the custom Dior dresses that have been cut and tailored specifically for her to wear to the upcoming party in the trendy Meatpacking District. Her Christian Louboutin’s clap across the marble floor as she races to the elevator on the other side of the hotel from where she grew up, which are now the residences since the hotel closed in 2005 for renovations. Elevator concierges have been replaced with magnetic key cards, which she constantly loses in the black hole of her Chanel bag. The elevators open to the Penthouse level – now just home to Eloise (Nanny, we expect, is living large in an estate on the Upper East Side).

Famished from her day running around making debut appearances at top business meetings, she picks up the phone and orders a light bite of crudités and cucumber sandwiches. “Just charge it!”, she shouts, as she slams down the phone and falls on the plush velvet sofa perfectly positioned in front of her living room windows that overlook Central Park. While some things grow older, some old habits simply never change.

Read more and see photos from the Eloise Suite at the Plaza Hotel New York from my column on The Huffington Post.

Walking into a hotel for the first time is like meeting a blind date — first impressions count and if the hotel (or date, for that matter) doesn’t appeal it’s likely you won’t go back for seconds.

The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta

Hotels hire the best of the best designers to create that unique first impression. Working with space, color, dimensions and textures are just part of the equation – culture, history, art and social elements add to the decor. The end result: a dramatic space that leaves a lasting impression.

Read more and see the photo gallery from my column on Huffington Post…

Maybe the Ritz-Carlton saw the Armani Hotel Dubai in the Burj Khalifa–the current tallest building in the world–as a challenge. Or, maybe the hotel group just wanted to create some local competition with the Park Hyatt Shanghai (to date the highest rooftop observation deck in Asia). Or, maybe still, the pending opening of the tallest hotel in the world was just another way for the legendary hotel group to make an unforgettable impression. Whatever the case, the Ritz-Carlton’s re-entry into Hong Kong is prepped to be one of the biggest and grandest events in hotel history, and we got a sneak peak at what’s to come.

View of Victoria Harbour from The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong

Set to open in December, the 312 guest room hotel will feature an indoor infinity pool, spa, gym, rooftop restaurant and restaurants on lower floors. The hotel’s guest rooms will occupy floors 106-117. The other floors will house the spa (116); the gym, pool and rooftop restaurant (118); additional restaurants (102); and the hotel lobby will be on floor 103. The International Commerce Centre below floor 102 features office and residential space, an Observation Deck on the 100th floor, a shopping mall and is a transport hub to both Mainland China and Hong Kong Island.

Read more from my exclusive article on The Huffington Post

The fog settled heavily on this particular night in Shanghai. I was told the view from the 58th floor of the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong was of The Bund, but the dense fog provided a different view. I thought, this is what heaven must be like — surrounded by clouds, with just a saxophonist, a glass of red wine and a comfortable lounge chair.

A saxophonist played on the rooftop bar

Located across the Huangpu River and offering (on a clear night) spectacular views of the famous Bund, the hotel opens June 21 to the world. I got a sneak peak at the luxury digs, including a cocktail on the open terrace of the tallest rooftop bar in Shanghai.

I stepped into the soon-to-be-open second Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong and felt like I had crossed the threshold into another universe. Flanked on either side by luxury retailers including Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton, the hotel accentuates luxury in a modern Mandarin-style shell. While the exterior of the hotel looks like another Shanghai skyscraper, the interior is a feast for the senses.

Crystal chandeliers set against gold and black walls create the mood as you walk into the lobby. After the guest services member greets you at the lobby-floor level, you’ll head to the 52nd floor for check-in (the hotel occupies the top 14 floors of the building). But there’s something enchanting about the scene as you ascend. Soft lighting against the dark walls of the interior compel you to touch just about anything in your reach. The “old-world glamour” interior in the modern building is enchanting and enticing, and it doesn’t disappoint. With interior designs by Richard Farnell, the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, sets a new standard in hotel decor: sensory enlightenment. If you steal a feel of the walls on your way up, you’ll be surprised at the textures that set the mood – from marble to velvet, the hotel is sleek and sexy (and somehow makes its guests feel the same way).

I arrived on the 52nd floor and was lured into the bright reception area by the sultry sounds of the saxophonist playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. White marble walls offset by deep red sofas and a black marble check-in desk officially welcome guests to the hotel. On the reception level are two restaurants: the Lobby Lounge and an open-kitchen full-service Italian restaurant, designed by the famous Super Potato Group. Both restaurants offer stunning views of Shanghai, but guests would be remiss if they missed an opportunity to sit at the ‘bartender’s table’ – a section of the Lobby Lounge set behind the bar in close proximity to all the action.

See more photos from Shanghai

The Rooms

• The 258 guest rooms offer standard rooms and suites ranging in size from 538-square-feet to 4,413-square-feet. Each deluxe room comes with Club Lounge access on the 49th floor and the amenities you’d expect from a luxury hotel including:
• LCD-TV and Blu-ray disc player
• The Ritz-Carlton signature linens and featherbeds
• Electronic room control touch panels for controlling lighting, air conditioning, curtains and music/alarm clock preferences
• Walk-in closet
• High speed wireless and wired Internet access
• Computer and fax hook-ups and dataport
• iPod docking stations
• In-room safe
• Fully stocked honor bar

If you were tempted to touch the textured surfaces on your way to the room, now’s your chance to indulge in a sensory treat. The multi-textured theme carries on to the rooms, with simple wood furniture accented by geometric print carpet, pillows and throws. Standing wood murals representing old Shanghai are positioned perfectly behind modern chairs or love seats. The pièce de résistance of each bedroom, however, is the bathroom.

The Bathrooms

Each guest room bathroom features a designer copper bath tub built for two, set against a dark mirrored wall and hidden by a thin curtain. While you can grab a quick shower before a day of touring or business, the decadent tubs are worthy of at least one soak during your stay. Each bathroom features premium bath essentials and TV screens (so you can relax while catching up on the day’s events), a lighted makeup mirror, hair dryer and terry robes.

The Restaurants

In addition to the Lobby Lounge and Scena Italian restaurant on the 52nd floor, the hotel also offers Jin Xuan, Cantonese traditional cuisine on level 53. There’s also a cigar lounge, exclusive champagne library, walk-in wine cellar and outdoor seating with grill. On the 58th floor, guests can take in the mesmerizing views or cuddle up near the fire at Flair Rooftop Restaurant and Bar (read on for more on Flair).

The Spa

Located on the 55th floor, the hotel’s spa will offer 11 treatments, and includes a VIP and doubles suite. The treatments range from standard massages to centuries-old healing techniques and relaxation methods. Even if you don’t opt for a treatment, it’s worth taking advantage of the spa’s serenity.

Designed wall-to-wall in shell and marble, the interior of the spa is a world away from the guestrooms. The white and gold walls set a tranquil mood – the most inviting of which is the seashell-shaped shower, which is the perfect hideaway for anyone needing a few moments of peace. A 24-hour fitness studio is adjacent to the spa for those wanting a work-out.

The Thrill

The top floor of the hotel in the IFC Tower is Flair Rooftop Restaurant and Bar. Located on the 58th level, the outside terrace is unequivocally the grande dame of this 58-story prize. On the inside, a restaurant and lounge area dressed in dark lights is accentuated by a fireplace and wine bar. The smaller upper level offers seating and sofas for a more intimate setting, while the main floor is perfect for groups. Take two steps past the bar through the sliding glass doors and you’ll enter an entirely other world.

The outdoor terrace is poised to become, in my opinion, one of the best rooftop bars in the world. As you walk toward the bar you’re surrounded by tall trees and ivy lit through soft lighting set inside the pathway. The white and taupe sofas in wicker and bamboo provide an elegant touch to an outdoor affair. Electric candles provide the ambiance on a dark night and in the midst of the fog, which was the scene on the night I was there, there’s a certain mystery in the air. You can’t see out or over the terrace, but you know somewhere past the dense condensation that hovers there is an entire city buzzing around you.

I settled back into my chair and sipped my Merlot as I watched the fog move around the bar. Even with a slight fear of heights, I felt perfectly content on top of the world. Just as I came to grip with my senses and the reality of sitting in the clouds, the fog started to dissipate and the iconic Pearl Tower glowed in the distance. For a few seconds the city’s color and life showed through, and then, just as quickly, the fog reappeared – a sign, I suspected, that my journey in the clouds wasn’t quite over.

This article originally appeared in Gadling in 2010 Gadling.com

The town of Bedford Springs has a significant place in Pennsylvania history. Numerous U.S. presidents and dignitaries, including Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, and Zachary Taylor, have an association with Bedford Springs. In fact, James Buchanan called Bedford Springs his summer home for 25 years.

However, before the presidents settled into the area there were the travelers. Tucked in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania lies a luxury resort that at one time was the stopping point for hundreds of settlers looking for a miracle.

Historic view of Omni Bedford Springs

In 1796, Dr. John Anderson (with the help of the Native Americans in the area) discovered the mineral springs of Bedford, which were hailed as “healing waters.” People came from all over New England, then from around the country, to try the water for medicinal purposes. By 1802, patients of Dr. Anderson began singing the springs’ praises.

“Dr. Anderson essentially started the hotel – he had a very large farm and he would put up some of the patients there in tents,” explained Bill Defibaugh, a local Bedford Springs historian. Defibaugh family owns what is now the Defibaugh Tavern, but was once a housing depot for travelers seeking a drink of the miracle water.

Read the rest of this column on Gadling.com

Art in Lobby

It’s hard to focus when you first enter the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common. The walls are decorated with paintings, portraits and sketches that each tell a unique story, surrounded by sculptures of blown glass and clay that stand at attention at various desks and tables in the lobby. The art – like the hotel – makes a statement: luxury extends all forms and figures.

The $1 million art collection at the Boston hotel blends with the sophistication and class the Ritz-Carlton is famous for, and no detail is left unturned on the walls of this hotel. The best part? The art tour is narrated by Ritz-Carlton Boston Common staff, who each picked their favorite piece to detail in the hotel’s iPod art tour.

Art in foyer at Ritz-Carlton Boston

I started my art tour in the foyer gazing at black-and-white abstract prints that resembled something of blobs on white paper with shapes of frogs, lizards and fish weaved in between the circular shapes. I was confused, but intrigued. I moved on to the charcoal painting over the fireplace and then admired the blown-glass sculpture on the concierge desk. (My full art review will appear on Gadling.com later this week). The art tour ended within 30 minutes and I made my way back to my room, where I found a new angle to the art in the building.

The hotel features 193 guestrooms, including 43 suites, most with spectacular views of Boston Common and the Boston Gardens. Some rooms have views of the copper-domed State House, but my room hosted a different kind of art: a poetic view of Boston from an angle I had never seen before.

A New Yorker at heart, I’ve always had a fondness for Central Park, but looking out the window in room 1072 at the Ritz-Carlton Boston, I saw in the Boston Common what I’ve always known in Central Park: pure beauty.  The Ritz is perfectly poised at the top of a 10-story building (the rooms are on floors 10-12), allowing perfect aerial views of Boston.

I sipped my glass of Merlot (which I poured from the hotel’s Club Lounge) and watched the sky turn colors over the green park as the sun set behind the hotel. People moved fast to get where they needed to be, but some were parked on benches in the park just watching the people walk by. I’ve been on those benches watching the world walk by many times, but seeing the hustle-and-bustle of the city from atop the Ritz-Carlton provided a new view of my home city.

View from room 1072, Ritz-Carlton Boston Common

While the art collection in the hotel is one-of-a-kind, the art-in-motion I witnessed from my room was the perfect representation of my city.

The Charles Hotel, Cambridge/Boston

Business travel was one of the first items cut from the company budget when the economy tanked a few years ago. However, as bottom lines start shaping up, more businesses are bringing back the corporate travel card and sending their suited ones out for an important meeting.

In a study by global research firm Oxford Economics, and published by U.S. Travel Association, new research showed a clear link between business travel and business growth. According to the study, for every dollar invested in business travel, businesses experience an average $12.50 in increased revenue and $3.80 in new profits. At the end of the reporting year, business travel in the U.S. was responsible for $246 billion in spending and 2.3 million American jobs; $100 billion of this spending and 1 million American jobs are linked directly to meetings and events. The study found that curbing business travel can have a strong negative impact on corporate profits. The average business in the U.S. would forfeit 17 percent of its profits in the first year of eliminating business travel, and it would take more than three years for profits to recover. As American businesses worked to rebuild the economy and set their 2010 budgets, the one constant on the books was the profit from business travel and thus, the trend was re-born.

As any company will tell you, however, it’s sometimes hard to re-emerge after a hiatus. While business travelers were kept grounded, hotels used this downtime to their advantage and recreated their rooms, waiting areas and amenities to cater to travelers of all types. With this in mind, I traveled to the top three business cities in the Northeast (New York, Boston and Washington, DC) and rounded up the best of the business travel hotels, spanning three price points (budget, moderate, and luxury).

I gave my picks to the New York Daily News on the best business travel hotels in three price points – budget, moderate, luxury. Where should you stay? Read my picks.

Luxury is a lovely accessory but for many, the notion of luxury is non-existent. That’s why the Four Seasons Austin is hosting a “Pay it Forward” program, which allows guests luxury accommodations in return for community service. The non-profit organizations participating in the hotel’s package include the following:

Four Seasons Austin

Caritas of Austin: Established in 1964, this nonprofit organization provides housing, food, education and employment services to those in need. From its primarily volunteer-operated Community Kitchen, Caritas serves 400 lunch meals a day, six days a week. Four Seasons managers and employees have volunteered in the community kitchen for several years, helping prepare and serve more than 4,000 meals annually. Guests would be able to select this opportunity Monday through Friday, with an approximate time commitment of 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Participants must be at least 13 years old.

Keep Austin Beautiful: Established in 1985, Keep Austin Beautiful’s mission is to clean, beautify and protect the Austin environment through physical improvements and hands-on education. Guests selecting this option would primarily focus on downtown litter removal and beautification projects near Lady Bird Lake. This volunteer opportunity is available seven days a week from approximately 9:00 am to noon, although times may vary depending on project.

Get more details on SingleMindedWomen.com

Treetop bedroom, Maui

Who said luxury was limited only inside four walls? In the backyard of hotels and resorts we frequent around the world are miles of lush landscapes just waiting to be explored and slept in. Look up the next time you’re walking through the woods and imagine a space in that tall tree, complete with all the amenities you would find at home.

Treehouses are treasures that embrace our childhood and indulge our adventurous side, and they have a lot more to offer than a bird’s nest and an old carpet from your Mom’s garage. Check out some of the most unique treehouse hotels around the world worth exploring and unleash your inner Tarzan-and-Jane fantasies… are you game?

Tree Houses of Hana, Maui: These tree-top rooms are pretty basic, but if you’re looking for rustic romance they’re worth the climb. The rooms in these trees lack electricity (read: candles set the mood) and when the sun goes down, tiki torches and candles light the way through the wooded path to your secluded treehouse. Treetops, House of the August Moon and Pavillion all provide guests with ocean views and camp-style in-tree kitchens. This cost of this adventure will cost you $120 per night.

Find more treehouse hotels in my column on Gadling