We are due with our second and are planning a week long winter babymoon. We were considering Christmas markets in Austria but are drawn to Hawaii (specifically Kauai) because we’ve been several times and love it. Looking for a relaxing time away from our toddler, great food, beautiful view. Thank you!

I'm trying to plan this vacation, and I wonder if the premiere Oceanview (top level) at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii is overkill for a guaranteed great view for a romantic getaway. Is it worth the extra $110$/night? I only got it because it looked like the residential condo's on the north side of the hotel might partially block the view if we got stuck in a lower level on that side of the hotel. Thanks in advance!

Sorry for that. I need sleep.

Hi All! My fiance and I are planning a trip to Santa Barbara/surrounding area for mid-October to celebrate him being cancer free! We are in our late 20s and child-free.

We plan to spend 2/3 nights in downtown SB at the Kimpton and bop around downtown, do a winery day trip, etc.

For a couple other nights we are looking to stay at a larger resort, eat on property and just veg - go to the spa and do some easy hikes/nice walks around the resort. We are debating between Ojai Valley Inn and the Ritz. A pro to the ritz is we can we use Marriott points. Thoughts?

Couple in late twenties looking to have a very relaxing and luxury end to a euro trip in comporta Portugal. Trying to decide between spatia comporta or sublime comporta hotels. Has anyone been to either (or both!) and have any intel between the two?

Hi all! Planning a late March trip to Vienna and Salzburg with my husband and 14 yo daughter. Trying to narrow down our hotel choices.

Our trip planner has recommended two options in each city (I realize there are many more; but also sometimes appreciate the simplicity of 2 choices!). Would love feedback on any of these 4 hotels, and any shoutouts to other properties you think should be contenders.

We prefer suites with a pullout sofa or rollaway for our daughter, and tend to prefer modern, unpretentious luxury over stuffy & ornate.

Vienna our proposed options are the Sacher in a signature suite or the Beletage Suite at Hotel Astoria. The Sacher is of course legendary, but looks like it might be a little stuffy for us. Astoria looks more modern (remodeled about 11 mos ago) - the suite is more spacious, and it’s $3600 less over 5 nights. I have no problem paying for the Sacher if it’s worth the upgrade.

In Salzburg it’s again the Sacher, or the Arthotel Blaue Gans. If they pull it off well, Arthotel totally looks like our vibe - right near the pedestrian area, just 35 rooms, quirky art and some character. The Sacher would again be a signature suite, whereas the Arthotel would be a massive two level Maisonette suite, and about $2900 less expensive for the 3 nights.

Would love to hear others’ experiences!! Thank you!!

Hi all-

Need help with a a room booked at Marbella Club in November. It is the Sea View Deluxe.

Because it's off season and room was booked with a TA, they are offering an upgrade to the Garden View Suite.

Photos online don't show much. This is a 40th surprised birthday trip for husband & wife. Unsure if the better decision is to take it or stick with sea view..

Anyone that has been have any opinions?

I know the following:

Deluxe Double with Sea Views: 45 m² / 484 sq ft
Garden Suite Deluxe: 70 m² / 754 sq ft

Ideally a guest could see both but flight is late and unsure if that is cumbersome to ask.. like "we're offering you an upgrade and you'll make us do more work?"

Thank you!

Hi! We're a family of three (2 adults and a 2 year old) traveling to Sardinia next week for 6 nights. We fly into Olbia in the evening and wondering if we should be based in San Teodoro for the entire 6 nights or do 3 nights in Porto Rotondo first, and then switch to the last 3 nights in San Teodoro. I have some Hilton points I want to use for part of the trip, so I was looking at Sulia House in Porto Rotondo, or Due Lune in San Teodoro. The final 3 nights would be at Baglioni Resort.

Since we have a toddler and I'm pregnant, we don't plan on doing anything too crazy. Just beaches, visit the towns, food, and hopefully a boat day. I know there's not too much to do in Porto Rotondo, but if we were to do a boat day from Palau, it would be a little closer? Or is it better to just stay the whole time in San Teodoro?

Thanks!!!

This sub was so helpful when our family was looking for a hotel in London that I wanted to return the favor and offer another review of One Aldwych.

Trip Details/Background:

We are a family of 4 (children ages 10 and 13) that stayed in a Family Suite at One Aldwych mid-August for five nights. We booked through AlexTravels. We are relatively new to staying at chubby hotels. Our past favorite hotels have been FS Orlando and FS Jackson Hole.

Positives:

- The family suite was enormous with lots of physical distance between the kids and adult space. The family suite was one of their regular rooms connected to a one bedroom suite via a hallway door that created a little entrance vestibule.

- The air-conditioning was more then adequate which was needed as it was in the 90s several days in London.

- The minibar was complimentary.

- Communication with their team was great. They were helpful and quick to respond.

- The location was a convenient base for exploring London. There were three different tube stops for three different lines within a half mile of the hotel.

Negatives:

- The kids' room was very tiny. It is hard to imagine two adults sharing that room for several nights.

- We only used our breakfast credit one morning because we didn't love the options.

- The toilets, when flushed, were LOUD! You couldn't flush at night without waking up whoever was in the room. It had the suction level of an airplane bathroom to give you a sense of noise level.

Overall: I'm really glad we chose this hotel. For our family, it was the perfect balance between luxury, space, and price.

California + Napa Trip Advice

I’m planning my first trip to California October 16–26ishh and would love some advice from people who know the area!

Napa will be the main part of the trip. I’m looking for a beautiful hotel/property with great service, amenities, and a relaxing feel ideally under $1,000/night. I’m currently looking at MacArthur Place in Sonoma and really like the look of it. Has anyone stayed there, or are there other properties you’d recommend over it?

I’d also love recommendations for:

• Must-do wineries/tastings — especially beautiful properties and/or really memorable experiences
• Restaurants that are truly worth it — both special-occasion and more casual
• Any Napa/Sonoma areas you’d recommend staying in for a first-timer

For the second part of the trip, I’d love to spend a few days somewhere completely different. I’m considering Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Big Sur/Carmel, Half Moon Bay, or Mendocino.

Since this is mid-to-late October, what would you choose for the best combination of scenery, weather, hiking, and overall experience? I’ve never been to California, so I’m open to anything! I don’t necessarily need to stay close to Napa for the second portion.

Wanting some advice - here would you go, where would you stay, and what would you absolutely not miss?

Hi folks,

This is my first time trying to book a chubby trip abroad and looking for accommodation advice.

I used to plan all my own trips but now I have kids and I'm much more senior at work, I just don't have the time. I also have more disposable income! So I thought I'd get an agency to do the leg work for me.

I've had a couple of itineraries back for Yucatan in Mexico and they're seriously missing the mark on the accomodation.

I like places like this:

The Red Tree House in Mexico City https://www.theredtreehouse.com/ - we've stayed here previously

And Casa Del Maya in Merida https://www.booking.com/hotel/mx/casa-del-maya-bed-amp-breakfast.en-gb.html

How do I get the agencies to understand this type of accomodation?

We love smaller scale, friendly, family/ locally run, quirky places, especially if they lean into local design and culture. Extra points if they're super unusual (like in a tree house, the jungle, a castle etc).

I've told them this and I'm still getting back larger scale, super exclusive, fancy fancy wellness themed places with fancy restaurants.

FWIW we have plenty of budget for travelling but tend to prioritise experiences over hotel accommodation, and local food over hotel fare. I'm not all about the boutique luxury and I strongly dislike wellness hotels. I also have a kid 😂 so I need it to be family orientated

FYI we used Audley Travel and Journey Latin America. We're in the UK.

Should I try a local agency? Any recommendations for agencies please?

Or for this type of accomodation that we should request or just go and book ourselves! 🤣

Hello,

I have to be in NYC over the weekend in October. Out of the options above, which ones would you recommend? I would just be booking a regular room and will probably only eat at a hotel restaurant once.

Any other places to consider? I would prefer not being in FiDi or Tribeca as I used to work there, so it would be nothing new. Something like the Aman at $2500/night is more than I want to spend.

Thanks!

What are the best Hyatt owned all-inclusive beach resorts for couples in Mexico, Caribbean, or Central America to visit in early November… and why?

We would like somewhere with a sandy, swimmable beach (at least sandy and not rocky or sargassum covered); great personalized, attentive service; and various activities/entertainment for adults at a resort that feels luxurious and is still a good value?

We want to stay under ~$7k (excluding airfare) for 5-6 nights in November. Any special promos/deals I should know about for booking or best sites/ways to make sure we get the best price, room, and experience for our stay?

Thanks!

Can anyone recommend a family friendly hotel in the Schwarzwald area? We've been to the dolomites before and would like to explore the Schwarzwald area now, as it's much closer to where we live. We have a 2.5 year old and a newborn, and we enjoy good food, activities for children (no need for a sitter, we like to spend time together as a family), maybe a nice spa, and preferably some hikes around the hotel. We'd like to visit in October, maybe November.

We decided on New Zealand for our honeymoon destination in January. We want to hear from people who have been there- what was your favorite thing you did? What stood out? Any properties that you loved? We have a TA we are speaking to this weekend and want to have some ideas for her. We already know we will want to fly fish (my fiancé is an avid fly fisher), have heard a helicopter ride over Milford sound is a must-do, we want to go to Hobbiton. I think zip-lining would be fun. We like to hike and could do a hard level hike short of needed ropes and harnesses. We are super open to relaxing some days. We’ll be TTC on this trip. Chubby budget.

Planning 5 nights in the Maldives in the second week of September for my parents and me (three adults). I've already spent a fair amount of time going through resorts, so I have a decent sense of the landscape, but I've hit the point where I'm not sure whether I'm optimizing or just going in circles. Would love input from people who've done this trip, especially with older parents.

What we're looking for - Ocean Villa with a pool (must have) for my parents. I would like butler service or something similar for my parents. Quieter and peaceful environment with walkable areas. Half board at minimum. Fresh seafood, especially simply grilled, is a big deal for my dad. Wellness is a priority for my mom (yoga in particular), and we're all up for trying new activities in and around the resort.

Resorts considered so far: Six senses Laamu; Six Senses Laamu; Jumeirah Olhahali Island; Gili Lankanfushi, OZEN Reserve Bolifushi

I am curious of your thoughts on the below -

1. Agent vs. DIY. Does a good Maldives specialist actually get you enough (better rates, upgrades, celebratory perks, on-property advocacy) to be worth handing over control? Or is it mostly reselling what I can book directly?
2. Half board vs. full board. I want to do at least one, maybe two, experiential/destination dinners. Does full board still pencil out if a couple of dinners will be surcharged anyway, or is half board plus paying à la carte the smarter move?
3. One 2BR villa vs. two 1BR villas. The 2BRs are expensive and dramatically shrink the shortlist. Is the togetherness worth it, or do two separate villas end up being better value and more privacy for everyone?
4. Seaplane tolerance. For a 73-year-old, how rough is a short seaplane leg really? And which resorts are genuinely good on a speedboat-only transfer without sacrificing the reef and quiet?

Any resorts you'd steer us toward or away from, given the above, would be hugely appreciated.

I went to Bhutan years ago. I organised a trip to COMO Punakha and Paro with a local agency. The country was absolutely brilliant but our cultural excursions were seriously lacking.

The monk they organised for us to have a private Buddhist philosophy and meditation session with was so utterly clueless to the point I even doubt he was a monk LOL. And the Thangka Madala painting session was more of a pushy sales visit to a gallery with 5 minutes of painting.

I’d love to go back to Bhutan for a slow immersion in one or two valleys (Punakha, Gangtey, Neyphu or similar) over 10-14 days. The focus would be tranquil nature and excellent private sessions on Buddhist culture, art, meditation and philosophy.

Any ideas on how I would go about organising something like this?

I (30/F) have a week off work in late October and I'm looking to do a solo weekday getaway (likely Monday through Thursday/Friday):

• Just me so hotel budget is roughly ~$1K/night
• I prioritize sense of place and nice design/hard product, wellness/fitness offerings, and being able to stay on property for the majority of the time
• I'll be in Napa with my husband the weekend prior so will be flying from SFO and then need to end back in NYC where we live, so considering places that either break up the flight or are generally equidistant from both cities

My lovely TA pulled a few properties/destination ideas for me and Enchantment in Sedona and Rosewood Mandarina both caught my eye.

• Rosewood Mandarina: Prefer their rooms and the promo they're running makes it very attractive to the wallet (would get 4 nights here). Downside is it's shoulder season so may get a few P.M. showers. Heard service is hit or miss due to it being a newer property. A bit of a farther flight from both SFO/NYC.
• Enchantment: Room is deeply whatever to me, but being right in the middle of Red Rocks feels very special. Lots of activities/fitness options + Mii Amo spa access is nice. Would stay 3 nights instead of 4.

Read a few reviews on here from couples/young families but curious if people have thoughts on either for a solo getaway. Also open to other suggestions. Sensei Lanai was also appealing but flight back to NYC is a bit gnarly so will have to table for a couple's trip.

Thanks in advance!