Four Seasons Atlanta

It's always interesting to me to stay in a hotel in your home town.  The Four Seasons Atlanta is a few short miles from my condo, but I made plans to stay there after attending a party at the hotel.

I checked in a few hours before the party began and headed to the pool.  The pool was the low-point of my stay.  It is an indoor affair, with a small outdoor patio that has a view of only a wall and the sky.  The room was very well appointed, if a little dated.  The bathroom was both comfortable and luxurious.  The bed swallowed you up for a great night's sleep, and every staff member was welcoming and helpful. 

There were a number of small tocuhes that added to the air of luxury about the hotel.  The stationary had a deckle edge.  The amenities were l'Occitane, and the robe in the room was the plushest and most comfortable that I've ever tried on.  If you're coming to Atlanta and spending the majority of your time in midtown, I would highly recommend the Four Seasons Atlanta.

Tsar Restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia

Address:  Sadovaya st., b. 12, St. Petersburg, Russia
Phone:  640-19-00
E-mail: tsar-manager@mail.ru 

I ate at Tsar last night with a group of friends.  Walking into the restaurant, it immeadiately became clear that the name was fitting.  Though hard to tell from the street, inside was a step back in time to the age of the Tsars.  All of the appointments had a royal opulence about them.  It was my first foray into upscale dining in St. Petersburg, and I was not disappointed.

We opened our meal with caprese salad, salmon carpaccio and veal tongue with horseradish appetizers.  The caprese was first among them, but the veal tongue is worth a try if you want to venture into Russian fare.  From there (after some ice cold vodka), I sampled the borsch (beet soup).  I don't normally choose beets, but I was pleasantly surprised by the borsch.  The portion was huge and the flavor very pleasing.  I capped my dinner off with the beef stroganoff.  I was expecting an upscale hamburger helper, but what I recieved was miles from my expecations.  The sirloin was tender, the sour cream based sauce was rich and delicious, and the noodles were absent.  While the potatos that were served alongside my entree looked like hash browns, they were perfectly salted and well-seasonsed with garlic.  Overall, the meal was amazing.

Reservations are definitely warranted.  Though the restaurant never seemed to fill up, I did see some without reservations turned away.  The price tag is steep, the service is lax by western standards, but if you find yourself in St. Petersburg it is definitely worth the stop. 

6-Piece International Adapter Kit from Brookstone

Ever wonder which type of adapter you'll need for your upcoming trip?  I used to rack my brain attempting to remember what plugs would look like in any given desitination, which was rarely successful (don't dedicate a lot of memory space to plug shapes).  Inevitably I would buy an adapter at the airport and leave it behind in the hotel room.  Then a family member put me onto the 6-Piece International Adapter Kit from Brookstone.  It is a little pricey at around $30, but I've never been anywhere that it didn't work, and I never have to think about plugs (other than remembering to throw the kit in my bag).  I will probably pick up another one after this trip.

Essentially, there is a base and onto that base you can slide any number of international plug types.  From there you just plug it into the wall.  The base itself is also capable of accepting various different plug configurations (2-prong, 3-prong, etc.).  It all fits nicely into the case that it comes with, around 5-inches square and 3 inches deep.  Definitely worth the investment.

The American Express Platinum Card

If I'm being completely honest, I struggled with the decision to get an AMEX Platinum Card for quite a while.  The annual membership fee is $450, no small change.  Equally honestly, I wish I had done it sooner.  The travel benefits are a great value.  I will say what finally put me over the top, I saw a special offer for 50,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $1,000 on the card within three months, which I could convert into 75,000 Delta SkyMiles, 25,000 of which were MQMs, essentially paying the fee for almost the first 2 years of membership fees.  Special thanks to the Points Guy for bringing that one to my attention.

Some of the travel benefits that come with being an AMEX Platinum card holder:

• Free lounge access on the airline you are flying the day of your flight
• Free Priority Club Access (allows you into certain airport lounges around the world even if you aren't flying on that airline)
• Automatic Gold Preferred Status in Starwood Preferred Guest Membership (have to call AMEX after you have your card to enroll)
• Room upgrades, breakfast and resort credits at luxury hotels around the world when booked through AMEX travel (usually pretty competitive rates)
• Free companion business class travel on qualified airlines when booked through AMEX travel (often less competitive rates - even at a 2-for-1 deal)
• Fairmont President's Club Platinum Membership after 5 nights instead of 30
• Annual refund of up to $200 in ancillary airline fees (baggage, etc)
• Refund of Global Entry enrollment fee

These aren't all the benefits, and there are benefits beyond travel.  But I would say, even without the points offer that the AMEX Platinum Card ends up paying for itself if you familiarize yourself with all the benefits and take advantage, especially if you are a frequent traveller. 

Corinthia Hotel, St. Petersburg (First Impressions)

It doesn't seem fair to pre-judge, so I'm calling these first impressions.  I'm staying at the Corinthia Hotel in St. Petersburg for ten days.  The Corinthia Hotels have an affiliation with Wyndham Hotels Group, and this is my first time staying at one of the Corinthia properties.  They have 10 or so hotels throughout Europe.

First impressions:

PROs:

• The rooms are large for a European Hotel
• The staff has been friendly and helpful
• The location in St. Petersburg is fantastic

CONs:

• The luxuriousness feels like a facade
• The water in the shower smells like dirty river water
• This time of year it doesn't get dark here at night, and the room isn't well equipped to block out the midnight sun

As I said, definitely first impressions and I wouldn't read more criticism here than is intended.  It is a nice hotel.  I’m only 3 days into my stay.  At this point in my stay though, I feel oversold by the website.  More to come.

UPDATE: Check out my final impressions too.

Third Night Free at Leading Hotels of the World

Dreaming of a long weekend between now and year end?  American Express and the Leading Hotels of the World Group are pairing up to offer a 33% discount for three-night stays (1 night free).  The offer is good at any Leading Hotels of the World property and is good for any American Express card holder until December 31, 2011.  The group has properties spread across the world.  I have stayed at a few in my lifetime and have yet to be disappointed.  They tend to be smaller and very charming hotels. 

Good Value in St. Thomas

Can you go wrong with a Rtiz-Carlton property?  Possibly, the trip was fantastic but I was underwhelmed by the resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico; the property was just screaming for an upgarde.  The same cannot be said for the Ritz Carlton in St. Thomas.  Whether you're looking for great snorkelinig and diving or just a beautiful environment in which to escape for the summar, the Ritz St. Thomas is offering a decent package, they call Resort Reconnect. 

For $359 per night you get:

• Accomodations
• Daily Breakfast for Two
• Daily $100 Credit at the Resort

You cannot apply the credit towards the room, but it also isn't a daily use it or lose it scenario (i.e. if you spend a day off the resort and don't use it, but spend $200 at the resort the following day...you're okay). 

It isn't quite bargain basement shopping, but a decent value for this resort.  The deal is available for travel before October 31, 2011.  If you go, I highly recommend using some of your credit at the resort restaurant Bleuwater, delicious.