Posts Tagged ‘USA’
Good afternoon tea spots are hard to find. Los Angeles has a diverse collection of tea houses that range from traditional English to sleek and modern—you just have to know where to look. All the classics are present, from luxury hotels to Asian-inspired tea rooms. Here are our top 10 favorite spots:
10. Tudor House, Santa Monica
This Santa Monica tea room is classic English, casual, and perfect for tea followed by some beach time or shopping at Third Street Promenade. You won’t be fawned over by white glove waiters, nor hear harpists strum. Instead you can relax, enjoy classic English fare and pastries, then grab a pint at the English pub next door.
Tudor House Santa Monica
1403 2nd Street
Santa Monica, California
310.451.8470
Hotel Max has a great sense of style and a great sense of play. Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, this boutique hotel has its finger directly on the city’s pulse. The hotel features stunning design elements everywhere from the lobby to the hallways, and the rooms boast original artwork by local artists. With its amiable staff and beautiful aesthetics, Hotel Max offers a contemporary vibe for travelers in the Pacific Northwest.
We’ve stayed in some pretty darn stylish hotels this year, from urban city retreats to ultra modern design hotels, to charming B&B’s, sleek boutique luxury hotels, swanky 5-star chains, and countryside manor houses. Out of all of them, here are our top 5 choices from 2012:
#1! Cahernane House Hotel, Killarney, Ireland
Staying in an Irish manor house in Ireland is an absolute must if you’re exploring the Irish countryside. One of the quintessential Irish experiences, they can be found speckled throughout the countryside and offer little pockets of homey luxury. I can’t begin to describe how truly beautiful this place is!
Merry Christmas from all of us at Culture Vixen!
As our plane followed the coastline up from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, the aerial views made my heart skip a beat: it was all sparkling blue Pacific ocean lined with golden sand and white surf, leading up to hills tinged bright pink in the light of the setting sun. Flying over sailboats, palm trees, and the Santa Barbara pier gave me such a sense of happiness. And the views just kept getting sweeter, with the city piled into the hills as a backdrop to the ocean-front cliffs of The Mesa, tumbling right into the sea. California is definitely my kind of paradise. Moreover, I stepped off the plane to a balmy, sunny day—this is why I love California Christmases so much!
If you’re looking for art in Denver, your go-to destination is the Denver Art Museum. Filled with American Indian Art, Western American Art and contemporary sculptures, this museum also has a nice sprinkling of modern art gems, plus great special exhibitions.
Lovers of abstract expressionist art must pay a visit to the Clyfford Still Museum. Opened at the end of 2011 in the heart of Denver’s arts district, the museum represents the most comprehensive collection of Still’s work anywhere.
Inside trendy Hotel Monaco in downtown Denver, award-winning Panzano serves up Northern Italian fusion fare with inventive zest while maintaining a commitment to sustainability. Decorated in hues of plum, mocha and chocolate, pen and ink drawings of Italian landmarks line the walls while the windows overlook busy city streets. Best of all the food here is as artful as the decor.
Seeking a stylish place to sleep in Denver? Then check out Hotel Monaco. With the scent of flowers wafting through the air and the mellow beat of eclectic lounge music filling your ears, this hip retreat in the heart of the city is filled with designer flare. Just steps away from the bustling shopping and dining district of 16th Street Mall, the hotel’s lobby houses shelves of graceful ceramics and is populated with contemporary furniture in bold colors juxtaposed with a western theme (think modern leather chairs with horse stirrups hanging from the arms). All this is set beneath a star-studded ceiling hung with a Moroccan-inspired globe chandelier.
