Quail Lodge & Golf Club review, Carmel, California

It’s hard to believe that 26 years ago, my husband and I danced our first dance as husband and wife at Quail Lodge and Golf Club in Carmel, California.

Like any marriage, we’ve had our ups and downs; our hair has a little more gray in it and our bodies could use a little nip and tuck here and there.  Such was the case with Quail Lodge. Thankfully, this gorgeous property, set among 850 acres in Carmel Valley, has recently undergone a $28 million renovation and been lovingly restored from inside out. I am delighted to report that Quail Lodge is looking better than ever.

Relax by Mallard Lake at Quail Lodge in Carmel, CA

Quail Lodge brings nature indoors

Carmel, California is surrounded in natural beauty. We originally selected Quail Lodge and Golf Club for our wedding reception because of the setting, with its lush fairways and gardens. I love how the designers have brought nature into the hotel rooms, public spaces and outdoor patios. The beautiful stone work at the entrance to the lodge is a departure from the heavy dark wood of Quail Lodge pre-remodel.

Carmel’s Quail Lodge brings nature indoors

ADA-accessible lodge

As guests enter the entirely ADA-accessible resort, you’ll notice the guest service desk is composed of a single piece of teak, as is the bar, located off the lobby at Quail Lodge.

From there, your eyes follow to the outdoor patio area, overlooking Mallard Lake.

A restaurant will soon be added to Quail Lodge and Golf Club, (circle back for details.) Until then, Quail Lodge guests enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast buffet served daily in the lobby from 6:30 – 10:00 a.m.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is also served daily at Edgar’s in the Clubhouse of Quail Lodge Golf Club. Edgar’s offers casual fireside dining with a backdrop of the golf course and Carmel’s Santa Lucia Mountains.

ADA accessible pool at Quail Lodge, Carmel, CA

Outdoor activities at Quail Lodge

Carmel Valley offers excellent nearby hiking trails and there is a 2 mile walking trail connecting Quail Lodge & Golf Club to the back of Rancho Canada golf course.

Of course, guests may also lounge by the heated pool (complete with wheelchair accessible ramp and ADA lift) but I’d recommend spending some time at nearby Refuge – America’s first co-ed relaxation spa.

There’s also tennis, bocce and Quail Lodge’s championship 18-hole golf course. The lodge also partners with Land Rover for a driving experience. We’ll have to come back for this and to report on the new restaurant!

Quail Lodge offers a Pampered Package that includes two passes to Refuge, (Quail Lodge doesn’t offer a hot tub on property.) Personally, I like the fact that Quail Lodge doesn’t nickel & dime guests with a daily resort fee. Instead, the lodge offers complimentary Wi-Fi, continental cold breakfast and free overnight parking. At around $200 per night, I’d say that Quail Lodge is the best value to be found on the Monterey Peninsula.

Quail Lodge Garden Suite hotel review

Quail Lodge garden suites & villas

Our room, #153, a King Garden Suite with a small attached patio rented for $195. on this Saturday night.

The spacious suite featured hardwood floors, earth tone decor, high ceilings, a huge bathroom with separate shower and bath tub, gas fireplace and large flat screen tv. There was also a soft bed that converts into a bed, but we didn’t bring the kids on this trip!

There are 14  suites, with six villas opening in June, 2013, to make a total of 91 guest rooms at Quail Lodge in Carmel, California.

Quail Lodge features an 18-hole golf course in Carmel, CA

Insider tip:

Quail Lodge & Golf Club is pet-friendly. There is a one-time fee of $35 to bring your dog along to Quail Lodge. For an additional $15 your pet will receive a nightly amenity of bed and dog bowl. Should we call this place a bed and breakfast for dogs?

For additional insider tips follow Luxury Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown on Twitter and follow Quail Lodge  on Twitter.

If You Go:

Quail Lodge and Golf Club (831) 624-2888

8205 Valley Green Drive

Carmel, California 93923

Article written by and photos courtesy of  Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip, Travels from Northern California. I was a guest of Quail Lodge and Golf Club.

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A review of the Hilton Hotel San Jose in California

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area the majority of my life, I feel that I know the area fairly well. However, I recently had the opportunity to explore San Jose, California for several days and was pleasantly impressed at what this Silicon Valley city had to offer. My home base for city exploration was the Hilton Hotel San Jose.

Hilton Hotel downtown location

Within walking distance to the Center for the Performing Arts, The Tech Center, The California Theater, restaurants and sporting venues, the Hilton Hotel offers and excellent and convenient downtown San Jose location.

Pet-friendly Hilton Hotel

For those who like to travel on vacation with their dogs, The Hilton Hotel San Jose is pet-friendly, offering a $50, one-time, non-refundable pet fee. Large dog owners rejoice; while there is a 75 weight limit on pets, the front desk staff said this is not an issue.

The Hilton Hotel Standard Double room in San Jose, California

Clean rooms at Hilton Hotel

What can business and leisure travelers expect in a room at the Hilton Hotel San Jose? My room, #814, was a standard double with two Hilton-branded Serenity Beds, down pillows and 250 thread-count sheets. In addition, it offered an in-room refrigerator and coffee-maker. It rented for $229, plus tax, during a week day. Check the website for further details.

My standard hotel room offered a view of the freeway, and I did hear planes fly overhead,(the San Jose International Airports is nearby) but the rooms are well insulated and the hills of San Jose, California may be seen in the distance. I liked the fact that the large window in my room could actually be opened, yet it was child-safe.

Bathroom cleansing amenities were from PeterThomasRoth clinical skin care and a hair dryer was supplied. While water is a precious resource in California, I confess that I am not a fan of the reduced water flow shower heads in some hotels. I’m pleased to report that the water pressure on the combination shower bathtub in my hotel room was excellent.

Palm trees lined the street below and there are parks nearby (one offering the largest Monopoly board in the world) but keep in mind that we are in Silicon Valley – this part of San Jose, California is not about open space.

Hilton Hotel San Jose lobby

Extras at Hilton Hotel

For those who like to stay in shape while they travel, the Hilton Hotel San Jose offers a gym, jacuzzi and small outdoor, heated swimming pool on the third floor.

There is a full restaurant and bar on the lobby level, in addition to a business center that is open 24 hours. If you don’t want to pay $9.95 each day for internet access, there is complimentary WiFi in the lobby and on the second floor.

Parking will cost you at the Hilton Hotel – $21 daily with unlimited in and out privileges.

View of San Jose, California from the Hilton Hotel

Hilton Honors

Hilton Honors has its privileges and is certainly worth signing up. In addition to a complimentary bottle of water upon check in, Gold and Diamond level Hilton Honors members receive complimentary hotel room upgrades when available. Members have access to the Executive Lounge on the 18th floor (with key code) for complimentary hot breakfast, honor bar and evening hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

Check in: 3:00 p.m.

Check out: 12:00 p.m.

If You Go:

Hilton Hotel San Jose (408) 287-2100

300 Almaden Blvd.

San Jose, CA 95110

Article written by and photos courtesy of  Travel Writer Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip, Travels from Northern California. I was a guest of Hilton Hotel San Jose.

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The Kids’ Suite at Hotel Union Square.

Last week during Spring Break, my family was invited to spend a night at the Kids’ Suite at the Union Square Hotel. We packed our overnight bags, hopped on the 21 Hayes toward downtown San Francisco, and checked in just in time for wine/live music hour.

The California hotel was built in 1913 and combines classic San Francisco style with an Art Deco aesthetic. In true SF character, there was once a speakeasy during Prohibition on the lower level, and outside the cable car still lurches and clangs its way up and down Powell Street as it has for much of the past century.

Springtime shopping at H&M in Union Square.

After listening to acoustic guitar in the lobby, we stepped out for dinner. I had my heart set on Katana-ya, having heard great things about this little ramen house around the corner. We were not disappointed. There was a wait out the door and eventually the four of us crammed into a tiny corner table for three, but it was well worth it. We slurped the excellent soup and nibbled on gyoza and poke. Highly recommend.

After, we did a little shopping in San Francisco’s Union Square — H&M, Rasputin, Uniqlo, and Urban Outfitters are all on the hotel’s block, plus big department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom are just beyond. Roman was smitten with a white button down with a tie and after he put it on referred to himself as a “rich boy.” Someday, baby…

We bought the shirt and tie plus a cute waist-length jacket for Parker and went home to our suite — a colorful corner room with high ceilings and games that range from a toddler’s rocking chair to Twister, Scrabble and a Nintendo Wii.  A trundle bed is separated from a king-sized bed with a partition filled with books. We enjoyed reading a book about Gustuv Klimpt’s life enhanced with shimmery gold images of his work. There is also a writing desk, computer, and an honor bar that reflects children’s tastes. On the walls are cute mixed media collages of iconic San Francisco scenes.

Dan had to check out early the next morning and catch a plane to Los Angeles, but due to the highly civilized checkout time of noon, the kids and I lounged around for a few hours playing Wii bowling, people watching above the corner of Powell and Ells, and sharing a room service omelet (prepared by Tad’s Steaks next door).

A great start to Spring Break 2013!

Insider Tip

Katana-ya
430 Geary St
(at Mason St)

Do yourself a solid and stop here for affordable sushi, sashimi, and ramen.

Hotel Union Square
114 Powell Street, San Francisco, California 94102
415.397.3000
hotelunionsquare.com

Contributed by Lisa Dion of Friscomama

Photos by Dan Dion and Lisa Dion