Articles in Checking In

The May Fair, London – Hotel Review

The May Fair, London – Hotel Review

When it comes to London I’ve stayed in a number of hotels varying from the absolutely horrid (flashbacks to 1970s England from my childhood visit) to the sublime and everything in between, so I was excited at the prospect of staying at the May Fair Hotel on a recent visit.  Situated in the Mayfair district, you couldn’t ask for a better location.  With the Green Park tube station around the …

Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, California – Hotel Review

Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, California – Hotel Review

With a series of speaking engagements for my new book on Information Overload planned in Silicon Valley, a colleague recommended the Rosewood Sand Hill and told me it would be different.  His remark was a tremendous understatement.  I did expect a nice hotel – what I didn’t expect was an amazing resort environment that transported me at the end of each day from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley …

Pet Peeve Survey: Many Hotels Fail to Deliver Quiet Rooms and Working Internet

Pet Peeve Survey: Many Hotels Fail to Deliver Quiet Rooms and Working Internet

Staying in a hotel is a fact of life for our readers, most of whom travel on business and expect to be able to get a good night’s sleep, check e-mail, and do work at their hotels. Based on a survey of our readers conducted over the past few months, it appears that hotels in general get decidedly low marks in these basic areas.
We compiled a list of 18 popular pet peeves with …

Hotel Palma Royal, Bocas Del Toro, Panama – Review

Hotel Palma Royal, Bocas Del Toro, Panama – Review

Despite the fact that I had no reservation, I was able to secure a room at the Hotel Palma Royal upon arrival.  As a matter of fact, check-in was easy.  The front-desk clerk was very pleasant and welcoming and spoke English (much to my relief).
My room, number 403, was on the top floor of the hotel and afforded a great view of the local harbor and my favorite local hangout, …

Westin Chicago Northwest – Hotel Review

Westin Chicago Northwest – Hotel Review

About 20 minutes from O’Hare Airport and 40 minutes from downtown Chicago, the Westin Chicago Northwest is located near the affluent village of Itasca, very close to I-90 as well as the Itasca Metra stop. Given a meeting nearby, as well as its relative proximity to O’Hare, I opted to stay there recently.
Built in the 1970s, the hotel boasts a huge atrium lobby with greenhouse-style roof that bathes the lobby …

The Chattanoogan Hotel, Chattanooga, Tennessee – Review

The Chattanoogan Hotel, Chattanooga, Tennessee – Review

The city of Chattanooga, in southeastern Tennessee, lies in an idyllic valley where the Appalachian Mountains meet the Cumberland Plateau along two lakes that form part of the Tennessee River. Because of its strategic location near a natural opening in the Southern Appalachians, the city has long been known as the “Gateway to the South.”
Once an important railroad hub and manufacturing center, Chattanooga was known in the 1930s as the …