Adults
3 days
Las Vegas Guide (February 2026)
A short Las Vegas trip for a friend's 40th birthday, built around an Aria stay, a celebratory dinner at Mayfair, and a few hidden-bar stops around the Strip.
Articles
Destination reviews, practical family itineraries, and occasional kid-free weekend plans.
Region:
Type:
45 articles total
Family
4 days
San Francisco Family Guide: Hyatt Regency Base
A short, mostly car-free family San Francisco trip built around the Hyatt Regency, easy Embarcadero access, and a mix of kid-friendly stops, transit, and a few memorable meals.
Family
2 days
Palm Springs Weekend Guide: Renaissance Stay
A Palm Springs weekend guide built around the Renaissance stay, pool time, and the kind of low-effort desert pacing that makes a short trip actually feel restorative.
Guys
5 days
Mexico City Guys Trip Guide
Five days in Mexico City with the guys — lucha libre, world-class museums, incredible food, and a city we are already planning to come back to.
Family
3 days
San Diego Family Travel Guide
A practical San Diego family guide with neighborhood tradeoffs, easy kid-friendly stops, and the right expectations for a short Southern California getaway.
Family
3 days
Lake Como Guide
A Lake Como guide focused on choosing the right base, moving around by ferry, and deciding whether the lake works better as a relaxing finish than a packed itinerary.
Family
3 nights
Hilton Lake Como Hotel Review
A review of Hilton Lake Como as a family base, including the two-bedroom suite upgrade, excellent concierge help, beautiful pool, and the real tradeoffs around taxis, parking, and walkability.
Family
Genoa Guide
A Genoa guide focused on why the city is more worthwhile than people expect, what it does best, and how it fits into a Liguria itinerary.
Family
Santa Margherita Ligure Guide
A Santa Margherita Ligure guide focused on whether to use it as a Portofino-area base, what makes it appealing, and how it compares with nearby Ligurian stops.
Family
Cinque Terre Guide
A realistic Cinque Terre guide covering the train logistics, the physical demands, the Luca connection for kids, and why sunset is the best time to be there.
Family
4 days
Sestri Levante: Charming Ligurian Base Guide
One of the easiest places to base a family Liguria trip: beach time, walkable streets, and simple train access to the rest of the coast.
Family
3 nights
Hotel Review: Albergo Suite Hotel Nettuno
A review of Albergo Suite Hotel Nettuno, including the beachfront setting, easy family setup, and why it worked so well as a Sestri Levante base.
Family
Siena Guide
A Siena day-trip guide focused on the hills, the historic center, and why the city still feels worth the effort even on a shorter Tuscany itinerary.
Family
Pisa Guide
A short Pisa guide focused on whether it is worth the stop, how long you really need, and how to fit it naturally into a broader Italy trip.
Family
Verona Guide
A short Verona guide focused on whether the city is worth a stop, what stands out most, and how it fits into a northern Italy rail itinerary.
Family
5 days
Florence Family Guide
A family guide to Florence focused on walkability, where to stay, and how to keep the city rewarding without turning the trip into an art-history marathon.
Family
4 nights
Il Tornabuoni Florence Hotel Review
A review of Il Tornabuoni in Florence, including the Hyatt points booking strategy, the spacious two-queen suite, and why the location made it one of the easiest city stays of the trip.
Family
3 nights
NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa Review
A review of the NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa, including the quiet Murano setting, private boat logistics, Amex Hotel Collection perks, and the tradeoff of extra water taxi time whenever you head into Venice.
Family
4 days
Venice Family Guide
A Venice family guide built around staying on Murano, using the vaporetto well, and keeping the city magical without letting the logistics overwhelm the trip.
Family
15 days
Italy Trip Overview (May to June 2025)
An Italy route built around four hotel bases in Murano, Florence, Sestri Levante, and Lake Como, with point-to-point Trenitalia bookings connecting the whole trip.
Adults
2 days
Napa Birthday Trip: The French Laundry Celebration
A short Yountville birthday trip built around dinner at The French Laundry, a perfect stay at North Block Hotel, and why this version of Napa is especially good for a celebration weekend.
Family
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina Review
A review of Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, including a two-night points stay, great family-friendly pools, easy trolley access, and the frustrating reality that parking and dining are both overpriced.
Guys
5 days
Miami Guide (December 2024)
A December guys trip to Miami with an overnight LAX flight, a Fort Lauderdale Airbnb base we would not recommend, and a clear takeaway that the city itself was better than the logistics we chose.
Family
2 days
West Hollywood Guide: Sunset Marquis Stay
A true West Hollywood staycation at Sunset Marquis, including a Chase The Edit suite upgrade, the hotel's rock-and-roll personality, and why the property itself was enough reason not to leave.
Family
2 days
Santa Barbara Guide: Which Hotel Is Actually Worth It
A Santa Barbara hotel comparison built around stays at Mar Monte, Hotel Californian, El Encanto, and Ritz-Carlton Bacara, plus a few reliable family stops like Bouchon, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and Jeannine's.
Family
2 days
Anaheim Guide: Grand Californian Stay
A short Anaheim guide built around Disney's Grand Californian, with honest notes on park access, hotel convenience, and how much really fits into two days.
Family
2 days
Dana Point Guide (July 2024)
A Dana Point hotel comparison built around three points stays at Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach, and Laguna Cliffs Marriott, with clear takes on value, grounds, pool quality, and family fit.
Family
4 days
Park Hyatt Aviara Carlsbad Family Guide
A family Carlsbad stay centered on Park Hyatt Aviara, including why it is our kids' favorite hotel, how the grounds and pool make it such an easy Los Angeles escape, and why we usually book it on points or through Amex FHR.
Family
St. Ermin's Hotel London Review
A review of St. Ermin's Hotel London, including the charming old-world feel, strong family-friendly location, suite booking with points and cash, and the one frustrating room-switch issue during our stay.
Family
1 day
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter
A guide to visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden — what to expect, how to pace it, and why it's worth the trip even for kids who haven't seen all the films yet.
Family
7 days
London Christmas Family Guide
A family Christmas week in London split between Andaz and St. Ermin's, with tube-heavy sightseeing, a Harry Potter Studio Tour day trip, an Arsenal match, and a clear lesson about where to stay during the holidays.
Family
Andaz London Hotel Review
A candid review of Andaz London Liverpool Street, including the strong connecting-room setup, the awkward holiday-week location, and why we ultimately left three nights early despite helpful staff.
Family
1 day
Disneyland Paris Day Trip Guide
A Disneyland Paris day trip from central Paris, including how it compared with Anaheim, why it worked as a day trip instead of a hotel move, and what felt worth knowing before going.
Family
4 nights
Paris Winter Family Guide
Four nights in Paris at the end of a three-week Europe trip, including Hyatt Madeleine room strategy, a rainy Gare de l'Est arrival, a Disneyland Paris day trip, and why the city still felt worth more time with kids.
Family
4 days
French Christmas Markets: Strasbourg and Colmar
Three nights based in Strasbourg with a day trip to Colmar — what it is actually like to do Alsace's Christmas markets with family, and why Strasbourg works better as a base than you might expect.
Family
4 days
Bernese Oberland Winter Guide
A Bernese Oberland winter guide built around Spiez, with easy direct-train day trips, alpine scenery, and a realistic sense of what this region feels like with family.
Family
4 days
Zurich Christmas Guide
A family Christmas guide to Zurich, including festive markets, an easy Lucerne day trip, and why the city works so well as a gentle first stop in Switzerland.
Family
21 days
Europe Christmas Trip Overview (2023)
A three-week Christmas trip built around one-way business-class flights to Zurich, a train route of Zurich > Spiez > Strasbourg > Paris > London, and a final Avios redemption home from London.
Adults
1 night
Conrad Dubai Hotel Review
A one-night Conrad Dubai stay booked on Hilton points, with notes on the great breakfast, family-friendly pool, wedding dinner at Anasa, and whether the business-district location works in the Dubai heat.
Adults
Andaz Abu Dhabi Hotel Review
A review of Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, including the striking architecture, spacious rooms, excellent breakfast, rooftop pool, and why the low points price made it an especially strong value despite the weaker location.
Adults
11 days
Abu Dhabi & Dubai Guide (May 2023)
A parents-only Abu Dhabi and Dubai trip with mosques, museums, malls, a wedding weekend, and the practical lessons that made the trip easier than expected.
Family
1 night
Newport Beach Guide (May 2023)
A one-night Newport Beach stay for Mother's Day, built around Marriott's VEA Resort, lunch at Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, and a candid take on a hotel that was nice enough but not memorable enough to repeat.
Family
Oct 2022
Aulani, A Disney Resort Review
A candid review of Aulani in Ko Olina, including the calm beach, kid-friendly pools, Costco Travel booking, and why we would not recommend it unless you are a serious Disney fan.
Adults
3 days
Napa & Sonoma (December 2021)
A kids-free birthday weekend in Napa and Sonoma, built around Alaska flights into Santa Rosa, two nights at Alila Napa Valley on Hyatt points, and three winery visits balanced with a few great meals.
Adults
9 days
Excellence Playa Mujeres Review
A 9-day honeymoon-style stay at Excellence Playa Mujeres, including the two-story casita, private plunge pool, Isla Mujeres day trip, and why the resort delivered a true five-star experience.