Lodging

As with most tourist attractions, there are plenty of hotels around the Legoland theme park in San Diego, California. But until now, there hasn’t been an actual hotel at the popular attraction.

Las Vegas' Excalibur Hotel at Legoland

That will all change as Legoland says they are planning on building a Lego-themed resort.

The local Carlsbad City Council gave the approval for the proposed 254-room hotel to be built right next to the park at its October 27 meeting.  According to Legoland, the hotel will reflect the different aspects of the park, and of course, heavily feature Legos in the decor.

Basic rooms will feature bedding, carpets and wallpaper with instructions on how to make different Lego creations. Premium rooms at the hotel will borrow from different popular areas of the park. For instance, there will be a pirate-themed room that continues the fun of the Pirate Shores area of the park.

The hotel itself will reportedly have a serpentine shape around the pool, with a colorful exterior reflective of the way Legos come in many colors. Legoland says their hotel will very much appeal to families with younger children.

There is no time frame attached to the completion of the hotel, yet, but most likely it will be two to three years before the hotel is built, given the current economy.

This sounds like a fun hotel. It’d really be cool if they actually built some of the furniture out of Legos. After all, if a Barbie suite in Vegas can have plastic furniture, why not a Legoland hotel?

What do you think? Would you stay at a Lego-themed hotel?

[Photo courtesy of Legoland]

The Elegant Lobby at The Inn on 5th in Naples Florida

Naples, Florida is one of those old-money type of vacation cities, so it should come as no surprise that when it came time to open a hotel smack in the middle of the chic 5th Ave. shopping district, it would be housed in a former bank.

What’s nice about the Inn on 5th, is that it has retained a lot of the elegance of the bank both inside and out. The lobby was absolutely gorgeous, with marble floors and chandeliers. I would classify this as more of a boutique hotel, since there were only 87 rooms and suites. My room was a king-bed Jr. suite with a private terrace that overlooked 5th Ave at the front of the building.

The room was rather large and the recently renovated bathroom had a shower with more marble everywhere. I was surprised for all the upgrading that the towels were regular bath size and a bit worn, but housekeeping was quick to respond when I called down for extra (though I didn’t get the extra pillows I’d requested). There was also a small sitting area in the room, with a couch. The room decor was definitely more Florida than the hotel’s common areas.

A Jr. Suite at The Inn on 5th in Naples Florida

The room was equipped with free Wi-Fi that I made use of later when I came back to the room with a bottle of Amarula and sat out on the terrace watching the street light up at dusk. Other nice touches were the in-room plush robes and the iPod docking station/alarm clock.

In the morning, I made use of the pool that sits on the second floor rooftop, which was surrounded by short towers of rooms on two sides. The vibe was Italian/Mediterranean, with a walk-down shallow pool with a small waterfall and a neighboring jacuzzi. I felt like I needed a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of big sunglasses to complete the whole look poolside.

The hotel has several restaurants, of which I tried the Irish pub, McCabe’s. The Guinness-battered Brie appetizer was delish, the burgers were cooked to order and a pint of cold Guinness rounded out the meal. Tasty, if a tad high priced.

Deluxe rooms start at $150/night during the off-season, which in Naples is pretty much the warmer summer months. During the winter months, all the snowbirds come down, so expect rates to start around $209, with holidays more.  Self-parking in the back is included, but valet at the front entrance is extra.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Inn on Fifth
699 5th Avenue South
Naples, Florida 34102
1-888-403-8778

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Related Post:

• Naples Municipal Beach, Naples, Florida

Victorian meets Japanese at the Gaige House in Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley, CA.,

My first foray into travel writing was to assist a quirky little British man who had been writing for Insight Guides for decades. The assignment was to research and create a guidebook to the Napa and Sonoma Wine Country for IG.

Sounds glamorous, yes?

He picked me up at my apartment in San Francisco and I knew right away I was in for a bumpy ride. His car looked like a homeless person lived in it. And after the first two intersections, I was positive I’d never make it our alive. He was the worst driver I’ve ever witnessed — to this day. And that was in 1997.

But it gets better.

Our sleeping arrangement for the first night was in a double room at a pleasant Healdsburg inn. It was after we’d arrived and I was uncomfortably claiming my corner of the room when he dropped trou and casually mentioned that he was a nudist. Yup, I’d signed on for two weeks of working closely beside, and traveling with, an old man who likes to hang out naked.

Next morning, I took over the task of booking all of our accommodations.

The zen suites at the Gaige House are the ultimate rejuvenation.

I managed to get the last two rooms at the Gaige House for the following night. I practically kissed the innkeeper when I arrived. It was a wonderful experience, not the least of which was having my own room down the hall from Naked Guy but because also because it is one of the sweetest finds in the Sonoma Valley.

The Gaige House has evolved considerably since I visited. An expansion and redesign in 2006 included an addition to the main Victorian building, Japanese-style gardens, soaking tubs and a pool. Today there are 23 room accommodations including 13 spacious spa suites.

If you stay, there’s a good chance that you might not want to leave your Zen-inspired room, but Glen Ellen is a sweet Wine Country village worth exploring. Stop for a tram tour of the biodynamic Benziger Winery, hike in Jack London State Park or watch oil being pressed at the Olive Press, but make sure to have a drink at the London Lodge and mingle the locals — winemakers and waitresses, bikers and bon vivants.

I learned a lot that trip — grace under pressure for sure. John Wilcox turned out to be a harmless little man with great stories, and a good teacher to boot. But try as he did, my travel writing mentor never got me to take my clothes off.

Photos by Lisa Dion (top) and courtesy of the Gaige House (below).

OK, anyone can party like a rock star. But how many can say they partied with one?

Guests of San Francisco’s Phoenix Hotel have significantly better odds.

Among the celebrated guests to grace the sheets at this groovy ’50s motor lodge-turned-hipster-hotel are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Keanu Reeves (yup, he’s a rocker, remember Dogstar?), The Killers, Bloc Party, David Bowie, Pearl Jam, Vincent Gallo, Interpol, the Psychedelic Furs, Little Richard, and Moby.

The Phoenix is located in one of San Francisco’s dodgiest neighborhoods — smack in the middle of the Tenderloin at Larkin and Eddy Streets — a location better known for crack deals and streetwalkers than Hollywood celebs. But the folks at Joie de Vivre have created an artsy, tropical vibe with a pastel palette, palm trees, a sculpture garden and a heated pool painted by artist Francis Forlenza.

Rounding out the hipster quotient is the groovy Bambuddha Restaruant and Lounge, serving cocktails and dinner — but mostly cocktails — Tuesday through Saturday.

All rooms face the pool and are decorated in tropical bungalow, with soothing paint palettes and ceiling fans. The “headliner” room is a comfortably spacious suite with a canopied bed and a balcony, but something tells me you either need to be someone or know someone…

The pool area sculpture garden

Continental breakfast is served poolside by the restaurant. Other perks are free parking and WiFi, and in-room massage. Rates are an affordable $149-$169 double; $219-$399 for suites.

This is not the place to come for a restful night’s sleep in fine Italian high-thread-count linens. This is fun lodging for the see-and-be-scene crowd.

Photos by Lisa Dion

My brother got married this past June and as big sister/bridesmaid/travel writer, I was tapped to help find suitable accommodations for the incoming legions of friends and family. The stipulations — affordable, family-friendly and close to the Presidio where the wedding took place.

I set my sites on the lively Marina district of San Francisco adjacent to the Presidio, a former military post which is now one of the most stunning public areas in the city. The Marina is close to the bay as well as restaurants, cafes, the Exploratorium (a hands-on science museum), a great playground and two huge waterfront parks — the Marina Green and Crissy Field. There are several motels/motor lodges on Lombard St. which rambles over Russian Hill (the crooked part) and cuts through the Marina into the Presidio. Among the strip of run-of-the-mill motels, a bright, sunny yellow beacon beckoned — the aptly named, Hotel del Sol.

This vibrant, colorful, former ’50s-style motor lodge, has been renovated into a cheerful boutique hotel with a heated outdoor pool and a Southern California vibe. The interior courtyard is lined with hammocks suspended between palm trees. Amenities for kids include sun visors, sunglasses, beach balls, a free video library and cookie hour from 3-5 p.m. A nice feature for families is that suites are split and have a separate sitting area next to the small bedroom. The “family suite” has bunk beds, kid-sized furnishings, toys and games. Continental breakfast is served poolside and parking is free. We booked it.

One big caveat is that the common outside area is next to the parking lot, so for young children and kids prone to bolting, parents need to be extra vigilant. Suites come with refrigerators and microwaves, but guests need to request them for standard rooms.

The wedding went off without a hitch and most guests were pleased with their lodgings, though one couple complained that the walls were too thin and that the hotel was just an overpriced motor lodge with a paint job — but hey, that’s family, there’s always one, n’est-ce pas?

Photos by Dan Dion