Strip House NYC Restaurant Review AMAZING

Mr. Wandering Albatross took me to New York City for a suprise trip to celebrate our anniversary. He planned it out very carefully as always and we went to see Avenue Q on Broadway which was excellent and ate at Strip House - New York which was phenomenal!!!

The restaurant is located near Union Square which is just a short trip from Times Square. The outside is relatively unassuming but the food is so unbelievably good. The ambiance is interesting as it is decorated with old pin up girl pictures, nothing too risque by today's standards but I'm sure they caused a stir back in the early 1900's when they were taken.


Photo by Shanna Ravindra - http://nymag.com

We started with their Lobster Bisque - out of this world. And for our main course we ordered one of the specials for the day, Bone In Rib Eye for Two, which is the second best beef I've ever eaten and that's saying a lot. (The best is in Argentina) For sides we had their famous black truffle creamed spinach which I could have made a whole meal out of and goose fat potatoes which were great!


Photo by Shanna Ravindra - http://nymag.com

We had to change our reservation twice because we were stuck in traffic and they were very accommodating. And then we were still late and they still held a table for us. Then we only had an hour to eat before the show and they got it all in with such remarkable service that we never felt rushed but we were never waiting either.

All in all the food was great, the ambiance was great, the service was outstanding, and the price was not bad considering, less than what we expected. If you like steak and are in NYC and don't eat here then you're seriously missing out.

Dining at Hotel Stary, Krakow

After a day of meetings in Krakow, my local colleagues treated me to dinner at Hotel Stary, right near the main market square. "Stary" means "old" in Polish, and the hotel is housed in a building likely erected in the 15th century. The hotel opened in 2006 and the interior blends modern style with the building's ancient architecture.

We took the glass elevator up to the roof to begin our visit with wine on the highest terrace (I counted three terraces in total), with a lovely view of the square (see photo on left). We then headed down to the restaurant for a formal dinner. The bread basket was one of the best I've experienced, with a great variety of breads and breadsticks to sample while we waited. Complimentary polenta with what I think was chicken livers (or some other tiny organ, surprisingly tasty) was delivered before the main course. The three of us all ordered the veal in marjoram sauce with pureed vegetables, which was extremely tender and delicious. Prior to dessert, complimentary chocolates were served. My dessert was an amazing chocolate creation with honey sauce and cumin ice cream. Yes, cumin ice cream - sounds weird but tasted very good.

What little I saw of the hotel (mainly the lobby) was a good sign that the rooms and other amenities are probably pretty cool. The hotel boasts two indoor swimming pools, sauna & steam room, gym with classes like Pilates yoga, and more. Not to mention, the location is a great starting point for wandering Krakow's quaint streets and seeing the historic sites.

My overall rating of the Hotel Stary for food, restaurant service, and view: fabulous!

More photos of the hotel, and the very cool rooms, can be found on Expedia. Rates start at 195EUR per night for a single room.

Hotel Stary

Szczepanska 5
Krakow, 31-011

http://www.stary.hotel.com.pl/

Krakow - A Tale of Two Novotels

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, I stayed at two Novotel hotels in Krakow, Poland. I'm pre-disposed to dislike Novotels. I think it's the neon-colored accessories so reminiscent of hideous scrunchies that I wore in the early 1990s combined with the ultra-modern George Jetson-esque bathrooms.

Two years ago I stayed at the Novotel Centrum in Krakow and was so horrified by the dingy rug and quilt that I inspected the whole bed for critters (there weren't any). I vowed to never stay there again and the following year spent the night at the very nice Sheraton down the street. But given the economic times, my company suggested I give the Novotel Centrum another go on this trip.

After many flight delays I finally showed up at the hotel around 2am. I had a confirmation number and my room was "guaranteed" for late arrival. What happened next was frighteningly similar to my all-time favorite scene from "Seinfeld". Bottom line: the hotel deleted my reservation and gave it to a tour group's late arriving guest, and the hotel was fully booked. The night clerk, who I consent wasn't really in a position to do much for me, offered to book me in a room at the Novotel Bronowice, about a fifteen-minute's drive away, and pay for a taxi (which I didn't need, since my kind co-worker had picked me up at the airport). At my request, he made an appointment with the manager with me for the next day so I could air my complaints.

The Novotel Bronowice is cheaper than the Centrum, mostly because it's in an industrial area as opposed the Centrum's location right near Wawel Hill. My room was, fortunately, recently renovated in Novotel's new ultra-modern style. This picture isn't of this particular Novotel, but you get the idea. Note the neon throw-pillows on the bed. I was impressed that there was a terry cloth robe hanging in the bathroom and chocolates on the pillow. The bed was reasonably comfortable, but the sheets' thread count was probably something around 150 (scratchy!). The breakfast room was in sore need of updating, but more importantly no one ever offered me a much-needed cup of coffee and the glasses by the self-serve juice took about 15 minutes to appear.

I then headed back to the Novotel Centrum to check in and have it out with the manager. There was no way I was going to pay for my night at the hotel. The manager on duty was pleasant and of course didn't offer the free night up front - first, it was a room on the executive floor with a river view, and free breakfast. Given that I'd be in meetings all day and would check out before breakfast was even served, I suggested a free night instead. After conferring with her manager, she agreed.

My room ended up being on the executive floor after all, and was renovated since the last time I stayed there. No neon pillows, better linens, bathrobe and slippers, but no chocolates. The bathroom wasn't the nice updated version as in the other Novotel. If Novotel combined the best features of both hotels, the result would be a decent economical room.

Rating: Both were "Forgettable". Spend a few extra dollars and stay at the Sheraton down the street for a more comfortable room, better food, and better service.

World's Most Unique Hotel

Granted this is just my humble opinion but I think that Woodlyn Park near the Waitomo Caves on the North Island of New Zealand has to qualify for the World's Most Unique Hotel. Woodlyn Park has recently added a BOAT to the choices of accommodation locations you can choose from when staying at their lovely facility.



When Mr. Albatross and I were planning our trip to New Zealand we definitely wanted to go explore the Waitomo Caves on the North Island. They are famous for their Black Water Rafting tours and glowworm caves. I was just popping around the internet looking for a place to stay when we found Woodlyn Park and right then I decided that I had to stay there.



We were able to book the front part of the Bristol Freighter plane that they offer as an option. And it was super cool. We slept in the cockpit of the plane and all the gadgets and gizmos were still there to admire and play with.



Other sleeping options on the property include a train, a Hobbit motel, and now a boat. The whole place was very clean if more than a little unusual. We woke up in the morning to explore some and got to see all the animals they have on the property. We went on an off time of the year so only the tail unit on the plane was occupied and we got a peek at the hobbit motel and train unit, very cool.



This is not for someone looking for a luxury hotel but if you want a nice clean bed in an unusual place then this is the place for you!

Hotel Review: Katikies in Santorini - Fabulous!

The Katikies Hotel in Oia, Santorini has the appearance of marshmallow fluff dripping down the side of the volcano's cliff, painted all in white and reflecting the sun's rays almost blindingly. When we arrived, I got out of the car and looked around for the hotel. Instead, I found a tall, tan, attractive guy dressed in white linen who deftly swung my huge suitcase over his shoulder, grabbed my husband's bag in his free hand, and disappeared down a white staircase seemingly into the caldera's depths.

The Katikies, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is carved into the cliffside below street level. We came to figure out that the reason all the staff was young and tan was not that they had some age or looks discrimination policy, but that you simply must be extremely fit to hike the stairs all day in the bright sun.

We were served champagne upon arrival, greeted by the general manager, and given a guided tour of the property before being dropped off at our junior suite, with an amazing view of the caldera from our terrace. The spacious room decorated in cool blues and antiques was split into an eating and sitting area and bedroom, with an arched wall separating a small table and antique bench from the bed and bathroom. Although the bathroom was significantly smaller than the one we experienced at the Elounda Mare, it was equipped with a jacuzzi tub (this time with a shower curtain and shower hose at normal height) and luxurious Bvlgari bath products. The closet was a good size, but only had a small set of drawers in it that wouldn't be enough for a longer stay. The tv was super-tiny, but there was a CD player equipped with a disc of relaxing music. Breakfast was room-service, served daily on our private terrace.

Some of the Katikies' celebrity-style perks that aren't mentioned on the web site:

- Greek new-age music not your bag? There are more CD's for the in-room player, at your request.

- Forgot your iPOD? Not a problem, they'll loan you one.

- Finished your book already? Leave it in their library and swap it for another one to read during your stay.

- Can't stay away from your e-mail but don't have your laptop? There's one in the library with free wireless internet (and there's free wireless throughout the hotel if you're silly enough to bring your computer on vacation).

The property boasts three pools, and we spent our time at the main infinity pool which clings to the cliffside. Below it is a jacuzzi with a large canopy bed for lounging (ahem). Another smaller infinity pool and a freezing cold one cut into a cave were only seen on our tour. We were also told about a semi-private indoor jacuzzi with a DND sign you could hang on the door. Something about that just wasn't very appealing to us...

While I appreciate a door being held open for me, I can pull my chair up to the table and open up my own napkin, thanks. So I was a bit thrown off by the extremely attentive service at the Katikies. I felt they had our eyes on us and the second our lunch was finished, it was wisked away. At the pool, we simply headed towards a chair and a towel was fluffed and umbrella put up. No sooner did my husband have a quizzical look on his face as he tried to lower the lounge chair than a pool staff member was on hand to do it for him. If you're not used to this amount of attention, it takes getting used to.

As we expected, dinner at the hotel was extremely expensive, but we splurged one night and ate at the formal, outdoor Katikies Restaurant. The food was delicious but we had to eat fast because it was so cold outside. Walk up and out of the hotel and you'll find many less expensive meal options.

Overall, our four nights at the Katikies were fabulous! It was definitely a celeb-style experience very appropriate for a honeymoon or super-special vacation.

Hotel Review: Elounda Mare, Crete - Fabulous!

After a brief two-night pitstop in Athens, my new hubby and I headed to Crete to really begin our honeymoon at the lovely Elounda Mare in Elounda, Crete. Set on a calm bay in the Cretan sea, Elounda is in north-eastern Crete near the small city of Agios Nikolaos. The Mare is part of the Relais & Chateaux hotel network, and is connected to its sister properties, the Elounda Beach and Porto Elounda.

We lost four hours of our time on Crete thanks to a transportation strike in Athens that delayed our flight, so the glasses of champagne we received at reception were quite welcomed. I was thoroughly annoyed to learn that our travel agent neglected to inform the hotel that we were on our honeymoon, but the very observant desk clerk noticed how clean and shiny my ring was and in twenty minutes a staff member gave us a tour of the immaculately landscaped property and explained the restaurants as we walked to our room. We were booked in the main hotel, but thanks to the very kind and clever desk clerk we were upgraded to a bungalow with private pool and sea view, where a rose-petal covered bed, candles, wine, and fruit awaited us. Score!

The room featured a couch, coffee table, and small tv (which seemed to be a theme in Greece, even at luxury properties), good-sized armoire, slippers (they even noticed that I'm a foot shorter than my husband and provided a pair of small-size slippers!), and robes. The bathroom was huge, with side-by-side sinks, separate toilet room with a sink, and very large jacuzzi bathtub. Deluxe toiletries were replenished daily.

All of this was wonderful, but the main drawback was that the room appeared to be designed for Hobbits. My 6' husband was always dangerously close to hitting his head on the ceiling and door frames. Also, there wasn't a separate shower stall and the shower hose was too short to properly stand up in the tob - attempting to do so would spray water all over the bathroom. Rather awkward.

Compared to the large beach of its neighbor, the Elounda Beach, the Mare has quite a small beach in a private little cove with crystal clear waters and hot sand dotted with white umbrellas and yellow chairs. There is a beach bar where overpriced cocktails can be ordered but won't arrive for another twenty minutes (I'm convinced the bartender was actually out in the field picking the strawberries for my daquiri). Jet skis, snorkeling and scuba equipment and paddle boats can be rented at the beach. We rented a paddle boat for an hour, and it was a great way to explore the area and take in the amazing view of Crete's mountains surouding us on every side - the water is incredibly calm and there was no boat traffic.

The Mare has very helpful staff who seem to get to knoew their customers. At breakfast on our third morning, I wasn't even asked for our room number since the same matre d' seated us every day.

During our four-night stay we discovered two downsides. First, we seemed to be the youngest people there by a long shot. There were bridge games happening every night, and only once at breakfast did I notice another couple that appeared to be around our age (late twenties, early thirties). The rest of the clientele were clearly eligible for AARP or the French/German/British equivalent (there were very few Americans).

Second, eating at the Mare was extremely expensive and often required "elegant" dress at the resort's three restaurants. Walk a mile down the road into the village of Elounda to find many restaurants at significantly cheaper prices. Case in point: my seafood risotto for dinner at the Mare was around 26EUR. At Zorba's Place in the village, we ate spanikopita, pizza, soda, beer, and chocolate-banana crepes (amazing!) for 22EUR. Although the quality wasn't nearly as good as the Mare's, if your jet-setting doesn't include a celebrity-sized meal budget the village offers plenty of options.

While at the Mare we visited its sister property, the Porto Elounda, for golf and a massage. Mr. TravelSpark wasn't impressed with the 9-hole course (he rated it only "fair"). Our massage at the new, award-winning Six-Senses Spa, was great and the spa itself is quite impressive. If you pay for a service, you can stay and use the other spa facilities such as the hammam, sauna, and indoor/outdoor pool. Note that on the Mare's website it seems that the spa is at the Mare, but it's not. The spa is indeed at the Porto Elounda and is a ten-minute walk away.

In May, Greece - particularly the islands - are still in the off-season, so the village as well as the resort were incredibly peaceful and quiet. Many restaurants were empty or nearly so each night and waiters were begging us to come and eat. The weather was sunny and warm (but not hot), but the ocean was still cool.

Overall rating: Fabulous!

All photos were taken by TravelSpark. Please credit accordingly.

Reviews: The Ratings

As I am about to write my hotel reviews from my honeymoon, I'd like to let you know about the rating system. Going forward, this rating system will be applied to hotels, restaurants, activities, and potentially product reviews.

Fabulous: Excellent service, great products, outstanding views, great location, etc. Whatever makes this place, thing or activity stand out from the crowd. Must do/see/stay/eat/buy.

Fine: Comfortable, good service and quality. Would stay there, eat there, shop there, or buy it - but wouldn't be a must.

Forgettable: Merely acceptable - whatever it is won't kill you or make you miserable, but it won't make any great memories, either.

Foul: Beware! Terrible service, poor quality, unsafe, disgusting - you get the idea.

Articles with reviews will be labeled as fabulous, fine, forgettable or foul so that you can quickly find what you're looking for in each category.