The Sunday People Jan 10, 2016

38 LIFESTYLE
Thai up Valentine’s
You could take your Valentine to Thailand and save £392
on an 11-night city and beach resort trip.
The £900 deal includes three nights at Bangkok’s
Century Park Hotel, followed by eight nights at
the Novotel Samui Resort Chaweng Beach
Kandaburi in Koh Samui on a B&B basis.
Fly from Heathrow on February 10. Visit
hayesandjarvis.com for details.
TAKE
AWAY
top spot: Palomar is well placed
Hollywood
neighbour
Hotel Palomar, Beverly
Hills, Los Angeles
THE WELCOME
The Hotel Palomar is sexy and modern, full
of sumptuous fabrics and prints, and gives a
great first impression. The welcome was
slick – valets were waiting to sweep our car
away (for a price) and we were immediately
checked in.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Los Angeles is a huge sprawling city. With
that in mind the hotel is will placed, sitting
on a strip of luxury accommodation on
bustling Wilshire Boulevard.
The delights of Beverly Hills – the famous
golden triangle shopping area and the
millionaire houses – are a long walk or short
drive away. And trendy West Hollywood and
gorgeous beach suburb Santa Monica are
also quite close by.
THE ROOM
We had a Skyline View
guest room which
offered great views
over LA. The bed was
big and comfy and
the bedroom and
bathroom were both a great size. The decor
was stylish with animal prints and bold
colours complementing the muted walls.
THE FOOD
We sampled a few cocktails at the hotel’s
BLVD 16 restaurant and lounge. My favourite
was the fruity Beverly Hills Freeway. Meals
are available and the menus looked great
but we were too busy exploring the city to
try eating there.
THE SERVICE
First-class all the way. The receptionist and
concierge were friendly and helpful. We
were grateful to be given an early check-in
as our room was ready, which helped make
the most of our stay. The staff advised us to
take an Uber taxi to our night out in West
Hollywood. We used Uber a lot after getting
this advice and it saved us a fortune.
LOVED
This is a big hotel with the personal touch.
They emailed two weeks before our stay
inviting me to send a photo for our room.
When we arrived, a gorgeous framed snap of
our kitten Humphrey was on our bed.
HATED
The pool area was not as good as expected.
BOTTOM LINE
Rooms cost from £124 a night.
CHECK IT OUT
hotelpalomar-beverlyhills.com.
HOTEL
inspector
Travel
SUNDAY People
* JANUARY 10, 2016
Paradise just got cheaper
The tropical paradise of Bali can be
reached for £458 return after airline
Garuda Indonesia launched
discounted air fares for 2016.
Flights from Gatwick to
Australia start from £655
for a return to Perth, £691
for Melbourne and £796
GREAT
break
email [email protected]
for Sydney. The promotion is valid for
travel on selected dates between now
and the end of December.
Flights must be booked before
February 29. Go to www.garudaindonesia.com for details.
Q&A
no-nonsense: A
cheap stay at nyma
If you’re on a budget, January and
February are the best months to take a
bite of the Big Apple when hotel prices
are at their lowest. Here’s how to do
New York without spending a fortune.
Your travel questions
answered.
Hotel Mela
On the doorstep: Times Square
You don’t get much more central than this hotel.
You’re just a tap dance away from the heart of
Broadway, with theatres, restaurants, glorious
neon advertisements and, if you’ve got children
you need to shop for, Toys R Us.
It’s a popular hotel – the rooms might be on
the small side but they deliver plenty of style
and there’s a restaurant, bar, free wi-fi and gym.
How much? Doubles from £110.
More info: 120 West 44th Street,
001 877 452 6352, hotelmela.com.
The Jane
On the doorstep: High Line Park
Full of atmosphere – and history – this hotel
once housed survivors of the Titanic. After a
period as a flophouse it was reinvented as a
chic, distinctly bohemian hotel.
If you don’t mind sharing a bathroom there
are miniscule bargain billets all year round. But
in January and February you can also get its
posher, bigger rooms – captain’s cabins – for
affordable rates.
Bands perform in the ballroom but you can
also inhale the atmosphere at Cafe Gitane, the
hotel’s coffee shop, before heading out to New
York’s newest park, the High Line, built on a
former elevated railway.
How much? Doubles from £100.
More info: 113 Jane Street,
001 212 924 6700, thejanenyc.com.
The Pod Hotel
On the doorstep:
Grand Central Station
This place mixes up bunk beds, singles, doubles
and queen-sized pods, with rooms big enough
to squeeze four of you in – making it a top
choice for a break with mates.
There’s a bar, games area and ping pong table
and, in keeping with the designery-budget feel,
the concierge produces a handy daily tip sheet
on bargain meals, sample sales and exhibitions.
How much? Singles from £70, bunk beds, £85.
More info: 145 East 39th Street,
001 212 865 5700, www.thepodhotel.com.
Send your questions to
[email protected]
UNBEATABLE:
Magic Marlton
We fancy going skiing this
Q
season but haven’t got enough
time to take a whole week off. Is it
GOOD SIGN: Find
a Broadway show
worthwhile going on one of these
weekend trips?
A
The Big
Of course, but you will find it
can be just as expensive as
going for a week – that is the price
you pay for being time poor.
Inghams has an offer for three
nights in a four-star hotel in
Zermatt, Switzerland, at the end of
the season for £543, which includes
a free first-class rail upgrade to the
Swiss resort under the iconic
Matterhorn mountain.
Ski Weekends is cheaper, with
three days skiing and four nights in
a three-star hotel for £349 in
Brides-les-Bains. See inghams.co.uk
and skiweekends.com.
TOWERING: Skyline
over Central Park
bargain
Apple
A really goodie hoodie
CENTRAL: Right in the
action at Hotel Mela
Air Cocoon hoodie
down jacket
£200
odlo.com
★★★★★
This superlight jacket is
perfect for
wearing
under your
gear on the
slopes. It also
works as
an extra layer if you are on
a city break as it packs
down to virtually
nothing and won’t
emerge creased.
Available in a range of
colours including black.
GREAT
gadget
Cosmopolitan
Hotel
MIX: Pod is ideal for
a break with mates
american beauty: Marvel at the
Statue of Liberty on a winter break
On the doorstep: SoHo
The Cosmopolitan doesn’t draw attention to
itself but lives up to its name with rooms to suit
everyone – families, couples or solo travellers.
There are 125 of them, all en suite but bargain
hunters should aim for a mini loft room.
The staff are friendly and efficient and the
location is great – crammed with bars, vintage
shops and general Downtown cool.
How much? Doubles from £80.
More info: 125 Chambers Street,
001 212 566 1900, cosmohotel.com.
posh Frette linen. It is in the trendy NoMad
(North of Madison) district. One reason it’s such
a bargain is that the lobby is still undergoing
renovations and there is no restaurant yet – but
the area is stuffed with great eateries.
How much? Doubles from £110.
More info: 7 East 27th Street,
001 212 545 8000, theevelyn.com.
The Marlton
The Evelyn
On the doorstep:
Greenwich Village
On the doorstep:
Rockefeller Centre
Its former incarnation, The Gershwin, was one
of New York’s best boho hotels, with great art
and iffy plumbing.
Now spiffed up, it’s still a good-value option
in winter with a nice mixture of period details
and up-to-the-minute furnishings, including
LIFESTYLE 39
SAVE
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£2
Guardalavaca in Cuba is
dation at
accommo in Arinsal
half price at £619 flying
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Patagon express
from Manchester on
near the and
May 2. The beach is one
ft
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in
of the best in Cuba. See
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son.co.
cheapflights.co.uk for
Visit neil
uk.
more details and
to book.
WISE: Landmark
is part of the uni
Once a cheap hotel beloved of the beat
generation, the Marlton’s former guest Jack
Kerouac wouldn’t recognise it now.
The new owners describe it as a “baby grand”
hotel – all wood panelling and leather sofas in
the communal area with light airy rooms and
suites above. In peak times you’ll be paying
£300-plus for the privilege of
a rare taste of tranquillity on the Upper
staying here but it becomes
West Side. There are 25 rooms in a
much more affordable in winter.
family-friendly mix of singles, doubles
BUZZING: Check
And the groovy West and
and twins. Continental breakfast is included
out Times Square
Greenwich Villages are nearby.
on weekdays.
How much? Doubles from £130,
How much? Singles from £90.
including continental breakfast.
More info: 3041 Broadway,
001 212 280 1313, uts.columbia.edu.
More info: 5 West 8th Street,
001 212 321 0100, marltonhotel.com.
Landmark
Guest Rooms
On the doorstep: Central Park
Probably some of the best-value accommodation in
Manhattan and all rooms are en suite.
Yes, it’s part of a seminary (itself part of
Columbia University) and not the best place to plan
to party but the early 20th-century building offers
nyma
On the doorstep: Shopping at Macy’s
Step outside this hotel – part of the good-value
Apple Core range – and you’ll see the Empire State
Building rise above you.
Close to Penn Station, this is quintessential New
York, with steaming pavement vents, honking taxis
and gridlock traffic. There are more stylish places
about but there’s a lot to like about this
no-nonsense hotel on top of the central location,
including free wi-fi and breakfast.
How much? Doubles from £60.
More info: 6 West 32nd Street,
001 212 643 7100, applecorehotels.com.
Z Hotel
On the doorstep:
Queensborough Bridge
This hotel is found just across the East River in
Queens and all rooms have great views of
midtown Manhattan – and fantastic
floor-to-ceiling windows.
There’s plenty to explore in the immediate area
too, whether it’s PS1 – the offshoot of the
Museum of Modern Art – and the restaurants are
increasingly hip. Should you want to head across
the river, Manhattan is one subway stop away.
How much? Doubles from £80.
More info: 11-01 43rd Avenue, Long Island City,
001 212 319 700, zhotelny.com.
■ For more on New York, visit nycgo.com.
Ruff guide to the planet
Bring Fido
bringfido.com
Free
★★★★
Anyone who has
struggled to find a
pet-friendly hotel
will be wagging
their proverbials
with this one.
The app brings
the best of the
popular website to
your phone and it
features thousands of
places to stay, visit and play, from
dog parks to country trails and
beaches. You can use search filters to
find hotels that welcome big dogs
and multiple pets, then share
pictures on Facebook and Twitter.
APP
of the
week
For more great holiday
ideas, see page 41
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