California |
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Beverly Hills |
Hotel Bel-Air - romantic but pricey. Never has deals. free fruit and juice next to pool. A very nice elegant brunch on sunday. 24 hour swimming pool. The Beverly Hills Hotel - well appointed rooms with poster beds. fax in room. Hallway is retro with green palm trees. L' Hermitage - the business traveller's dream. Great value for price. They provide a well stocked desk with post-its, paper clips, they provide you business cards to hand out while you are in LA with you in room fax and cell phone. They have a cell phone for each room that you can carry around for emergency or business use. Small spa (just 2 treatment rooms). The Peninsula - hotel - very modern, the villas are very romantic with fireplaces. occasionally the hotel has a package with 2 free monogrammed robes and two1/2 hr spa treatments. wonderful! Spa has minimal treatment rooms. the changing room/locker room is well stocked though. Free bottled water in the workout room. Pool is slightly intimidating with cabanas reserved by intimidatiing people who are not there for the pool but more for the sun. |
[ California - Hawaii - Italy - Japan ]
Hawaii |
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Big Island (Hawaii) |
Things To See Aor an event (e.g. wedding). More info at http://www.hotelderussie.it. (July 2002)
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Milan |
Best HotelFour Seasons Milano - converted monastery w/ domed 10ft ceilings. Wonderful restaurant for lunch. Great shopping location. |
Florence |
Best Restaurant (possibly in the world)Enoteca Pinchiorri: Impeccable service without being stuffy. Practically one server per guest. New, different, freshly baked bread every hour. They were able to accommodate our last-minute request for a vegetarian "fantasy tasting menu" for my mom. Although my mom usually doesn't like vegetarian fare, she loved it. The cheese course consisted of three huge platters of cheese, one for each category of cheese (goat's, cow's, sheep's), accompanied with a variety of ingredients to complement the various types of cheeses (honey, almonds, etc.). Cheap glassesFor those of us who are legally blind (prescription > -6.00), bring your prescription when you go to Italy. In Italy they have super-high index glasses for much cheaper and thinner than in the states. The U.S. requires they be a minimum thickness for safety during sports. But for those of us who do not play sports, these glasses are safe for non-sport wear e.g. at home. I got a pair of super-high index glasses in a nice frame for 210 euros. (July 2002) There is probably an eyeglass place in Rome too, but this is the one that I tried. Guidoreni Ottica located at Via Calzaiuloli 14/16r. Phone: 055-268175. They said my glasses would be ready by 11:05 the next morning. They were not ready by 11:20 AM, and I had a train to catch. But they sent it by DHL to my home in S.F. and I got it in about 1 week. (I was worried I would never get them, so was thankful there were no problems). |
[ California - Hawaii - Italy - Japan ]
Japan |
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Kyoto |
Best RyokanTawaraya: definitely try their in-room kaiseki dinner. But do NOT go for the "tempura kaiseki" which they offer at their Ten-you restaurant (which is located about 3.5 blocks from the Tawaraya). (December 2002) |
Tokyo |
Shabu-shabu is a dish in which you boil thinly sliced beef (and vegetables) in a boiling pot at your table. The best place for shabu-shabu in Tokyo is Shabusen in Ginza. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Core Building, 5-8-20 Ginza. The best part is at the end, when the servers bring in fresh udon noodles which you enjoy with the broth generated from boiling all the beef and vegetables. This place is popular. We had to wait 30 minutes before we were seated. There is no non-smoking section. (December 2002) |
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