New Orleans

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The Royal Life in New Orleans

January 12, 2018 in Travel by traveleatlove | No comments

I love hotels. There is just something super special about checking in, turning the doorknob for the first time, and exploring a new, temporary home-away-from-home.

Prior to our stay at Royal Sonesta New Orleans, I’d heard SO many amazing things about the hotel, and I was positively buzzing with excitement as we arrived and took it all in. The hotel was ready for the holidays, and it was simply gorgeous, halls decked for the season. Read my post on the Lighting of the Balconies for photos. 

Every aspect of our (hosted) stay at Royal Sonesta New Orleans lived up to our expectations and beyond, from our extremely comfortable room, to our lush courtyard views, to the incredible food and hospitality. I love this hotel!

Where to stay in New Orleans

Having a room overlooking the courtyard meant that we heard just about no noise. We could have been miles from Bourbon Street, even though it was just on the other side of the building. We heard some noise in our hallway one of the nights; unfortunately that can happen in any hotel. You can’t control other peoples’ behavior!

Royal Sonesta New Orleans

The courtyard and pool were probably my favorite hotel features because the whole space just felt like a big sigh. . ahhhhh. The vibe was so relaxing, and if I had more time, I could have spent hours reading and relaxing out there.

Royal Sonesta New Orleans

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R Club Concierge Guest Rooms offer R Club Lounge privileges, which include some great views of the city, as well as complimentary breakfast, snacks, a happy hour and more.

Royal Sonesta New Orleans

It was often hard to tear myself away from the beautiful outdoor areas, but the grand indoor spaces of Royal Sonesta New Orleans are too impressive to miss. The lobby will make you stop in your tracks in the best way. If you visit, take time to enjoy every beautiful turn and corner. I did this every time when we were coming and going, and I noticed new, beautiful detail each time.

In addition to the beauty and comfort of the hotel, the location was really key to making the most of our three days in New Orleans. We were able to walk just about everywhere, only taking an Uber when we were in a rush or super tired, as I was on our last night. Otherwise, exploring the city on foot was the perfect way to go. I want to go back right now!

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Our stay was hosted by Royal Sonesta New Orleans. Be sure to visit the Sonesta Hotels blog for posts on New Orleans and other great destinations.

More blog posts from our stay in New Orleans:

http://traveleatlove.me/2017/12/restaurant-revolution-new-orleans/

http://traveleatlove.me/2017/12/caf-amelieone-of-our-new-orleans-favorites/

http://traveleatlove.me/2018/01/brunch-at-brennans-new-orleans/

http://traveleatlove.me/2017/12/brass-a-holics-at-the-jazz-playhouse-new-orleans-more-nola-food/

Tags: hotels, New Orleans, Travel, travel blog, travel blogging

Brunch at Brennan’s New Orleans

January 5, 2018 in Cocktails, Food, Travel by traveleatlove | No comments

Pink and green and Champagne all day. . . and a lush courtyard to top it all off. . .

On this arctic day in Boston, I am dreaming of New Orleans and our recent stay at Royal Sonesta New Orleans. Be sure to read about our food and incredible music experience if you’re planning your own NOLA trip!

We could have easily stayed at our hotel for all of our meals, but since New Orleans has so many amazing restaurants, we of course ventured out and explored. And while I was working the entire trip, I also really wanted to feel like we were away, so I did a ton of research on weekday brunch. Brennan’s kept popping up in my searches, and on our first day when we discovered it was just a few blocks from our hotel, we decided it would be a definite brunch spot for us.

Brennan’s is beyond elegant and charming, and the service was top notch. I think we had seven different people assisting us throughout our visit. While the inside was lovely, a courtyard brunch in December won us over.

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The courtyard at Brennan’s is decked out in pink and green, a favorite color combination of mine, and I loved every detail, down to the jingle bells on pink ribbons for guests to take home.

What I really wanted to take him is this table. How beautiful is it?!

New Orleans brunchNew Orleans brunch

A French press full of chicory coffee was freshly pressed at our table, and we soaked up some of the sun and green while we decided on our brunch.

This little oasis was vacation perfection, and the coffee hit the spot for my insomniac self.

IMG_7288New Orleans brunch

Brennan’s offered a Champagne menu, and being a huge lover of bubbles, I had to go with a Champagne cocktail. It may have been early, but what’s brunch without bubbles?

This drink was delicious, and I loved the coupe glass it was served in, adding to the elegant and historic feel of the restaurant.

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The brunch menu had some truly decadent offerings, and we decided to split two of the most luxurious looking items on the menu.

New Orleans brunch

I was all about the seafood and went straight in for the Eggs Cardinal: Crispy Shrimp Boudin, Spinach, Lobster Cardinal, Black Truffle Hollandaise. I mean, lobster and truffle on the same plate, paired with a Champagne cocktail? Truly this was my definition of dining heaven.

He went with the hearty Eggs Hussarde: A Brennan’s Original – Housemade English Muffins, Coffee Cured Canadian Bacon, Hollandaise, Marchand De Vin Sauce. If you haven’t had coffee cured bacon, I recommend seeking some out ASAP.

We were both completely enamored with our meals and ate every bite as we listened to the fountains and watched the silly turtles slowly get around.

New Orleans brunch

The turtles were a conversation piece for all of the diners, it seemed! Turtle soup was on the menu, and we definitely opted NOT to get it after seeing these guys!

New Orleans brunch

Brunch at Brennan’s was a real treat and a time to relax and slow down before we headed out for a busy day of exploring New Orleans. It’s a spot I would visit again at any time of day but especially during their Bubbles at Brennan’s Happy Hour!

Tags: brunch, cocktails, New Orleans, NOLA, Travel, travel blog

2017 Travel Highlights

December 31, 2017 in Restaurants, Travel by traveleatlove | 2 comments

Well that was quite the year. . .

Personally and professionally, 2017 was a pretty good year for us, and we traveled quite a bit. I started blogging for Sonesta Hotels, which means I get to travel to many of their hotels to gather content and experience everything for myself.

More than ever, this year, I sought the beach and wide open spaces to get away a lot of the time. The political situation in the US made that true even last winter, when we went on many day trips to World’s End in Hingham and to Chatham on Cape Cod.

Aquinnah

Our first overnight trip of the year, however, was to Martha’s Vineyard in February, and if you love beach walks and coziness, I would recommend visiting in winter for a quiet getaway.

March brought the opportunity for my husband to go to an event in San Francisco, one that that fell a week before with an event I had for work there, so I went and explored San Francisco, including a whole day in Golden Gate Park,  before we headed to Mendocino and Sonoma for a blissful, warm, wine getaway.

Golden Gate Park

Heritage House Resort Little River California

The Mendocino Coast is pure magic.

A few weeks later, we experienced our beloved Luquillo, Puerto Rico again for a break from wintry weather

Great food and beach time was what it was all about. Puerto Rico is incredible, and I definitely consider Luquillo to be one of my favorite places in the world.

poke bowl

Luquillo Beach

We were heartbroken to see the hurricane devastation in Puerto Rico and the the severely poor response to it from the US government; they desperately need help still, months later. We likely won’t get to Puerto Rico this year but have been sending aid from Boston with the help of local groups.

April brought us up to Camden, Maine for a weekend with friends at the beautiful, waterfront 16 Bay View. Camden is a beautiful town and one of my New England favorites. The hotel is outstanding, and I definitely recommend checking it out.

Drappier Champagne

In June I celebrated 8 years of blogging and boat season, two exciting things in the life of a seafaring travel blogger!

I also celebrated the launch of patio season and kicked off blogging at Royal Sonesta Boston’s ArtBar patio, a must-visit in Boston.

Boston skyline

Summer travel was incredibly busy, as we traveled to Ireland and then Italy for my sister-in-law’s wedding weekend.

Aer Lingus

villa in Italy

We spent a week in glorious sunshine at a villa in Umbria, swimming, eating, and wine tasting in nearby Tuscany.

I also visited Philadelphia to stay at Sonesta Philly and to discover the amazing food and art that Philadelphia has to offer. I will definitely be back!

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September brought me back to California for a friends trip to Sonoma County, only one of my favorite places in the world. The devastating wildfires happened shortly after our visit, and I still have so much to blog about to share my love for this part of the world with everyone.

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Immediately after coming back from Sonoma, I went to Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore, where I got to spend some time exploring Baltimore and enjoying this grand waterfront hotel.

Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore A fall staycation to Sonesta ES Suites Andover allowed us to check out the extended stay side of Sonesta, and we loved it. We also loved dining in Andover, hiking its trails, and catching up with friends nearby.

In November I ate my way through Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta and discovered the southern charm of downtown Duluth Georgia when I visited for the launch of Sonesta’s dual-brand hotel. . . you can now have two different hotel experiences under one roof!

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In November we also finally got to New Orleans where we stayed at the magnificent Royal Sonesta New Orleans and kicked off the holiday season with their Lighting of the Balconies.

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Royal Sonesta New Orleans is simply incredible, and the holiday spirit and decor made it even more magical.

The food at all of the hotel’s restaurants is also absolutely incredible. I have so many more blog posts to share!

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I got to take plenty of trips to New Jersey over the course of the year to see my family, as well as my annual visit to Cape Cod with friends and a trip into New York City for a work event. It was a full year of many JetBlue flights, and I am looking forward to more adventures in 2018!

Happy travels to all of you!

Tags: Baltimore, California, Ireland, Italy, Martha's Vineyard, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Travel, travel blog

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