We’ve spent most of our holiday weekends visiting international good hotels more recently, yet there was one hotel in Mystic, Connecticut that I knew I had to visit in-person for myself once I discovered it: The Whaler’s Inn. This coastal-themed hotel located smack in the heart of downtown Mystic is quaint, comfortable and the best place to rest whilst exploring this New England town.

It’s hard to make one post on how wonderful our family trip to the Galápagos Islands were with Pikaia Lodge. We have stayed at and written for many hotels over the years yet Pikaia Lodge was, without doubt, one of our favorites of all-time. From the organized itineraries to the sweet staff to special accommodations for families with young kids to some of the most delicious food we have ever consumed, a traveler can simply not miss a trip to Pikaia Lodge in the Galápagos Islands of Ecuador.

Spending twenty-four hours in Quito, Ecuador showed our family that Quito is way more than a gateway city to the Galápagos Islands; it’s a destination. Our family enjoyed every moment in Quito and at the beautiful Casa Gangotena hotel, with its ideal location in Old Town steps from all of the action of the city. If traveling with a family to Quito whether you are or are not in route to the Galapagos Islands as your final destination, this destination is one not to miss!

#hosted What felt like a Friday night away in France was actually just a trip 45-minutes away in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Hotel Domestique offers a romantic, mountainside escape from the busyness of Greenville but the comforts of being close to home. With Bordeaux-inspired wine offerings, decor and building styles, we left Hotel Domestique full […]

What we thought was just a stop-by visit to Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge on our way home from TAASA Lodge ended up being the discovery of another Good Hotel®. This lodge, located in the busy city of Arusha, Tanzania, provided a haven to rest, play and dine before the long flights back to the U.S. As we entered the lodge after taking a small plane into Arusha airport, we were greeted by friendly staff, lush gardens and the smells of coffee beans. The beautiful facility boasted coffee-colored buildings, a swimming pool, gorgeous wooden suites and dreamy outdoor dining options.

After a wonderful stay at Siringit Villa, we headed to the Arusha airport, a small outdoor airport for regional flights all around Tanzania. Our family had never been on a small 12-seater plane before, so it was quite a thrill to take off and see so much of Tanzania’s landscape below us! The pilot was kind enough to point out sites to us, such as Mount Kilimanjaro and an active volcano, on our way to Serengeti National Park and TAASA Lodge. We landed on Lobo Airstrip, which was a dirt-lined path in the middle of the park. It was so cool to land in such a remote area without a big airport to go through! Our future guide and tracker, Dominick and Loya, were awaiting us alongside our game drive safari vehicle with the biggest smiles on their faces!

We made it to our first-ever destination in Africa! After flying from Greenville, SC to Atlanta, GA to Amsterdam to Mount Kiliminjaro, Tanzania, we were thrilled to have a nearby first stop from the Minute Kilimanjaro airport to Siringit Villa. Siringit is a gorgeous 12-bedroom villa, part of Siringit Collection, a partner of TAASA Lodge and Roane Travel Design. Siringit Villa offered the comforts of home along with amazing hospitality and our first preview of Tanzanian culture.

After a wonderful stay at rugged Evergreen Lodge, we drove 15 minutes down the road to Rush Creek Lodge, a recently-built in 2016 lodge offering amazing amenities and comforts. The bros immediately felt at home with an oversized and well-equipped Game Room, offering an indoor playground, shuffleboard, a pool table and several other forms of entertainment. Across the way, the gorgeous guest lounge had a roaring fireplace, beautiful decor and an Activities Center with staff offering resources at the Lodge and in Yosemite.

We had a wonderful first exposure to Yosemite National Park while staying at Evergreen Lodge, located in a remote, wooded-wonderland not far from the northwest entrance of the park. We had just driven from San Francisco as we went up and down windy, lush roads and Evergreen Lodge impressed us as soon as we arrived.

We made spring break plans to head to the mountains and explore a new to us national park, Yosemite National Park. To fly into Yosemite, one of the best options is to fly to San Francisco from the east coast. We decided to make the best usage of our time there and spend two half days exploring Fog City. The first step was finding a Good Hotel® and I was thrilled to discover Hotel Spero, a downtown boutique hotel offering comfortable accommodations and a great launching pad.

Every now again, the chess pieces are put into place for Logan and I to score a weekend without our bros. Thanks to my awesome parents, this past weekend we chose to take the easy drive to nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee, a city located just under four hours from Greenville, South Carolina. Of course we chose to partner with a Good Hotel® and Read House Hotel exceeded our expectations.

For the last several years, Logan and I have used the Chase Sapphire credit card, a card that we put the majority of our purchases on to gain points. However, bad habits die hard and while I could have reaped the travel benefits from the card, it was easy for me to cash in those points for Amazon purchases instead. In fact, since I can remember, I have checked the “Points toward Amazon Purchases” box, feeling like my Amazon purchases were “free”. While the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does offer many travel benefits, I never used them as I should. Fast-forward to 2022.