Jess Moss Travel

Tag: hotels

  • #EmailPost: Hawaii Honeymoon Calendar

    #EmailPost:
    Hawaii Honeymoon Calendar

    From: Jess Moss
    To: Friend asking what to do on his honeymoon on Maui & the Big Island
    Date: June 20, 2017

    Subject: Potential Honeymoon Calendar

    Cool, so here’s roughly what you could do:

    12/27: Land, dinner, crash
     
    12/28: Consider doing Haleakala sunrise (you’re going to be waking up super early cuz of the time difference, so might as well take advantage and do sunset at Haleakala this day since it involves waking up at like 4 am)
     
    12/29 ~ 12/30: One of these days you’ll want to drive the Road to Hana, my favorite road trip in the world (unless you get car sick…). Rent a convertible for it!
     
    12/31: Beach, boat, whatever you want!
     
    1/1: am to HNL. Look into luggage storage at Pearl Harbor – it’s near the airport so if you get tickets beforehand you could time it to go from your flight rather than battling traffic to/from multiple times.
     
    1/2: Oahu ~ Waikiki, Diamond Head climb, sunset sail
     
    1/3: am to Kona.
    Where to stay kind of depends on what you want to do on the big island. Volcanoes is a must, and it’s a long haul from either the kohala or kona coast. so here’s more of the breakdown:
    A) kohala/waikoloa: closer to waimea valley/hamakua coast (hiking), mauna kea (stargazing), waimea (cowboy country). area is sunny and has lots of resorts and beaches/snorkeling.
    B) kona coast/keahou: the sheraton is nice here, otherwise it’s a bit less resorty and more like a town. closer to coffee plantations, artsy enclaves and green & black sand beaches, and a bit closer to volcanoes.
    …I think you’ll probably like the Kohala/ CoastWaikoloa are more, but there are plenty of forums online about choosing between them!
     
    1/4: Celebrate Jess’s bday.
     
    1/5: One of these days you’ll want to do Volcanoes NP. It’s a long drive (~3-4 hrs 1-way from Kohala and ~3 hrs from Kona? ish?) so it can be nice to spend the night out there. I recommend spending the night the day you explore, since seeing the glowing crater and lava at night is amazing when it’s on. There’s a place in the park called Volcano House, otherwise the town of Volcano has some b&bs or Hilo is kind of dumpy but is a shorter drive.
     
    1/6: pm flight home
    ****
     
  • #EmailPost: Where to Stay on Maui

    #EmailPost:
    Where to Stay on Maui

    From: Jess Moss
    To: Friend asking which hotel to stay at on his honeymoon on Maui & the Big Island
    Date: June 19, 2017

    Subject: Re: Places to Stay on Maui

    Asking about these hotels:

    • Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club – Molokai, Maui & Lanai Towers
    • The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka’anapali
    • Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
    • Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort

    Those are all good!

    For the first three, Marriott, Westin, Hyatt, honestly I doubt there’s much difference between them since they’re all on the same beachfront and look like pretty similar hotels. There’s a beach path that connects all of them so you can walk between them all. The Westin is a bit closer to Whaler’s Village, a little shopping center, but again, I think they’re all pretty comparable.

     
    I haven’t seen the Andaz but I’ve heard good things – it’s newer than the others.
     
    Overall Kaanapali (where the first three are) is going to be a bit more happening than Wailea. I think of Wailea as being a little older and more upscale. Both are little beach communities, but I think Kaanapali has more going on, and it’s easier to reach Lahaina. That might be me though, I’ve always gravitated toward staying in West Maui vs the South Shore.
     
    Also, both are pretty resort-heavy areas. That means there will be plenty to do but it won’t feel as secluded/private. If you want a bit of privacy I’d recommend looking at Travaasa Hana for 1 night. It’s an all-inclusive on the other side of the island, so you drive the famous Road to Hana to get there, and then rather than turning around and coming back in a day, you spend the night in a little cottage and make your way back the next day.
     
    ****
     
  • Traveling for Work? 7 Hotel Amenities You Didn’t Realize You Need

    Traveling for Work? 7 Hotel Amenities You Didn’t Realize You Need

    February 18, 2016 on Creator by WeWork || Travelers who checked into certain Holiday Inn Express, Hilton, and Marriott rooms have been noticing something different recently. The desk in their rooms is missing.

    Well, “missing” depends on whom you ask. The furniture choice was intentional, as many hotels have introduced desk-free rooms and more communal working space. The thinking is, millennial travelers don’t want clunky desks.

    But sportswriter Dan Wetzel wasn’t pleased by the lack of a traditional desk-and-chair setup when he checked in. He blogged his frustrations, and the post, Who Took the Desk from My Hotel Room, went viral, sparking a passionate outcry in defense of the hotel desk.

    Okay, so it wasn’t “The Dress” level Internet drama, but it showed that travelers feel pretty passionate about what hotels are offering. On the flip side, lodging companies are constantly tweaking their amenities to keep up with what they think we want. Minibars are now stocked with locally sourced products, concierges chat with travelers via text message, and some rooms even have a discrete stash of condoms.

    Some of these features may seem over the top, but others can really fix the pain points of being away from home. If you’re hitting the road soon, here are seven hotel features you probably never asked for, but could really start to love.

    Read full story>>

  • Perfect Girlfriend Getaway to Nashville

    Perfect Girlfriend Getaway to Nashville

    Cowboy boot store in Nashville

    Published on February 26, 2013 on Fodors.com || Music City is hot right now, and it’s not just because of the beauties in ABC’s hit show Nashville. And while everyone can find fun here, Nashville is becoming an increasingly popular choice for girls’ getaway weekends. Read more…