hotel exterior, copyright Hotel Plaza Athenee

New York City in the summer can be hot, sweltering – and loads of fun. For your next luxury family vacation in New York, plant yourself at The Hotel Plaza Athenee, a member of Leading Hotels of the World and rated one of the world’s best hotels by both Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure. This boutique hotel, with European elegance and excellent service, is on the Upper East Side, offering you and your family a place of respite as well as close proximity to to the action when you’re ready for it. Check out their NYC family vacation package after the jump. (more…)

It’s okay for moms to gripe about how much they do, but dads usually suffer in silence – even those who have stepped up to the plate and share in a lot of the childrearing, housework, and other formerly “female” tasks. This year, ditch the usual tie and cologne he won’t use and give Daddy-o something that shows a little more thought: (more…)

Copyright Hotel El Convento

You may not be the beach nuts we are. You may find that it’s a perfectly wonderful vacation if you hit Puerto Rico and never once set foot on some sand. And it’s true, there’s a lot more to this Caribbean island than hitting the ocean. For one thing, with an estimated 400 historic structures, some of which have been around since the 16th century, Old San Juan is a treasure trove of history and Spanish colonial architecture.

Hotel El Convento is but one of those structures. The hotel began life as a Carmelite convent in 1651 and was home to nuns until 1903, when costly repairs forced the then Archbishop of San Juan to give up the building. The building then went through various incarnations including a dance hall, store and outright ruin, until Robert Woolworth of Woolworth’s fame purchased it in 1959 to turn it into a hotel. Now owned by San Juan businessmen, El Convento is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and features Old World styling with New World comfort (think flat-panel TVs with Bose stereos). (more…)