hotel review

Westgate Town Center Resort- Resort and Room Review

September 10, 2020

Westgate Town Center in Kissimmee, Florida is a great resort that will keep the whole family busy with activities all day on a beautiful property.

Main entry of Westgate Town Center Resort and VIllas in Kissimmee FL

While my 2-night stay at Westgate Resort was complimentary, all feedback is honest. I always strive to provide everyone with an accurate and complete recap and review so they can consider enjoying the places I visit, restaurants I dine at, and activities I do.

My family enjoyed a hosted 2-night midweek staycation at Westgate Town Center Resort in Kissimmee Florida in August 2020. I was thrilled to be invited to check out a wonderful resort and take a fun break from the normal routine for some fun.

I am thankful for any chance I get to take a trip with my family so I was thrilled to visit one of their Kissimmee hotels.

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Our Tampa Staycation- July 2016

July 22, 2016

I think that you should occasionally practice being a tourist in you hometown. It’s so much fun to see where you live in a different way and get to enjoy it differently that you normally do. Sometimes you just forget how great where you live is.

In this case, we have only been in Tampa a few months so we decided to take the opportunity to get out into Tampa to really enjoy it. You know, aside from just working there or making up a trip from where we live, about 15 miles South of downtown, to get to Trader Joe’s.

A few weeks ago we spent the weekend in Tampa getting to explore. It was so perfect!

We first started out by my office to park and to walk along The Riverwalk, a pedestrian urban trail that runs along the seawall for the Hillsborough River. It connects to parks that are filled with beautiful plantings, fountains, and jungle gyms for kids. But really it’s perfect for everyone, at every age. Walking on there is a beautiful way to stretch your legs.

After a quick walk on The Riverwalk, we focused ourselves on some breakfast… donuts!

We crossed over into the river towards The University of Tampa, which is stunningly beautiful. I just love the amazing history of it going from a hotel to the university. The architecture is incredible.

Anyway, we quickly reached our destination… SOHO Donut Company!

We all enjoyed our donuts that were loaded up with goodies. Autumn picked out a Cereal Killer, that was topped off with Captain Crunch cereal. She munched on all the cereal and the fluffy frosting topped donut. So cute!

We then browsed Oxford Exchange, which might just be the coolest shop and restaurant ever. Everything was so beautifully curated and just so cool. They even have a Warby Parker shop in there too. I am looking forward to going back to check out their brunch.

There is other great shopping in the area but we had decided to walk off our donuts and venture towards the Channelside portion of The Riverwalk to check out the sights and activities. Autumn enjoyed the the playground at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park.

We had to pry her and her rosy cheeks away from the jungle gym to cool off in the fountains outside the nearby Tampa Bay History Center. They were just big enough for her to run around while still being close by while we sat under the canopies enjoying some shade. Plus, there were bathrooms right there so it was super convenient as well.

By then it was time for lunch so we debated on our options- stay near Channelside and eat or head back towards our hotel- for a bite to eat.

Price was interested in trying out Bamboozle Cafe, by my office, as I always boast about how great everything is there. (I previously wrote about it in my Monday Munchies series)

On our way to Bamboozle, we stopped off at Topical Smoothie Cafe so Autumn could get something refreshing (plus a smoothie always is a safe back up for her for a meal). The kiddie sized Strawberry Banana smoothie was perfect for her to enjoy.

The meal was a hit. I ordered my usual noodle salad, price hd a bon mi and we shared a fresh roll. Everyone was happy and full when we were done.

And we have created a new Pho lover!

Autumn dug into her pho with wild abandon. She slurped up the noodles, munched on the bean sprouts and shredded chicken, and gulped down the broth. I even had to ask for a bit more broth since she dominated her bowl. Makes us proud!

By now, it was time to check into our room at Aloft Tampa Downtown, located right along The Riverwalk. It was just a short walk over for us as it was conveniently located near so much downtown.

From the moment you drive up, there is personal attention devoted to you. Valet handles your car before you enter. Then you are greeted at the lobby with great service. You even get great service when you request band-aids! (I swear I ALWAYS need band-aids at hotels. So random…)

Autumn was super excited about the bench for her and Owl. And we were super excited about a beautiful King Sized bed. Since we currently have a queen, it feels so luxurious to spread out in a king.

We quickly got set up in the room and headed down to enjoy the pool.

The large infinity pool was beautiful and the water was refreshing. The pool is located right along the Hillsborough so the view of the river is stunning. Plus the energy of the active waterfront is a fun too.

There were a few large groups of people there so the pool experienced a few different waves of busyness, but everyone was polite and gave each other plenty of space.

We decided to get a few appetizers to enjoy for dinner. It gave us a good way at affordably sampling what they have to offer at the W XYZ bar.

At first, we selected the loaded fries and blue cheese sliders since Autumn requested burgers. In typical toddler fashion, she decided she didn’t want it once she saw them (even the plain ones we requested for her) so Price and I enjoyed the burgers. The loaded fries were just as good.

Later, Price went through every menu item with her at the bar until they hit the chicken soup, which she really enjoyed. At the point, Price also ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower, which I think I now like more than wings. I have to give it a try at making it myself since I loved the flavor and the texture.

The best part about all of it was that it was during Happy Hour, so several of the menu options were discounted!

Had I paid attention of the drink part of the Happy Hour menu, I would have noticed that beers were just $3 and wine was $5, but I zero’d in on the cocktails, which were not discounted. Damn!! But I have to say that both our drinks were worth their $10 price tags.

I didn’t mention that we were bringing Autumn when booking the room, but when we arrived the staff geared up for her and prompt brought a duffel to our room that housed an inflatable bed, pillow, sheets, Disney Princess comforter, playing cards, and a puzzle. It was such a great surprise when we arrived to the room. And Autumn really enjoyed her ‘special bed’ as well.

Thankfully, there was a microwave in the lobby in the Re: Fuel area so I was able to warm Autumn’s nightly bottle. And while doing that I made a stop at the W XYZ bar to grab a drink from my new favorite bar tender, Alex. Oh man, he was so fun.

Having a solo moment to walk around the hotel was nice too. It’s a fun, chill space.

The fire pit was going, which would have been fun for us to hang around with some drinks, but all that swimming really wore Autumn out and she crashed early on in the night.

To finish off the night, I grabbed a Molten Lava Cake for Price and me to split while lounging in bed. I would have done room service, but I didn’t want them knocking on the door to wake Autumn. Plus, it gave me another chance to chat with Alex at the bar.

The view of the river and blue skies was a great way to start the day!

Since our normal routine in the morning was thrown off because we were staying in the hotel, Autumn was quite adamant on us leaving ASAP. She was quite upset she could not watch her DVR’d Mickey Mouse Clubhouse shows. But the puzzle that was provided in the Camp Aloft bag did help out as it was a fun activity for her to do while was packed up.

Plus dancing in front of the full height mirror helped smooth things over in the change in routine/place.

We could have stayed and grabbed breakfast at Re:fuel but we decided to enjoy ‘vacation mode’ and go out for breakfast.

Yelp reviews helped us pick The Daily Eats, in the Hyde Park neighborhood, just a quick drive from Aloft.

We dove into a wonderful brunch with great service. Autumn was happy with her crayons and pancake kids meal, and we were happy with our buckets of coffee and great entrees. Brunch bliss.

I am so thankful for the time that we took to explore our new home. We have just scratched the surface of all the things that Tampa has to offer too. So much to see and do!!

I am looking forward to getting to continue to explore the Tampa Bay area. Stayed tuned for more of our adventures!

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Check out all these great places

The Riverwalk

Multiple entries and parks along Hillsborough River

SoHo Donut Company

117 South Hyde Park Avenue

Tampa, FL 33606

Oxford Exchange

420 West Kennedy Boulevard

Tampa, FL 33606

Topical Smoothie Cafe

200 N Tampa St #120

Tampa, FL 33602

Bamboozle Cafe

516 N Tampa Street

Tampa, FL 33602

Aloft Tampa Downtown

100 West Kennedy Boulevard

Tampa, FL, 33602

The Daily Eats

901 South Howard Avenue

Tampa, FL 33606

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Thanks for Aloft Tampa Downtown for a wonderful stay at your property in exchange for a feature on the blog. All views and options are completely my own.

Our Babymoon at Hawks Cay Resort, Duck Key, FL- Review

April 30, 2014

Do you know what happens when you have a baby? You get Mommy Brain (I swear it’s a thing- don’t argue with me!) and forget that you drafted this whole post about your babymoon. Thankfully, when your mom is visiting you, giving you some free time to do some blog housekeeping, you discover the draft (and a few others) sitting there, just waiting to be published. So that is exactly why I am sharing this babymoon recap 5 1/2 months after Autumn was born… derp…

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When Price and I were looking around for places to go for our Babymoon we eyes places where we could get a nice tan since we needed some fun in the sun! Plus my Dr’s advised that we should stay in the U.S. incase anything happened, like pre-term labor. While that would be stressful, dealing with the baby’s omphalocele would make things extra complciated. So we eneded up focusing on Florida, The Sunshine State!

Price then found a great deal through Jet Blue. We like flying Jet Blue so he was checking out their vacation packages and found a great one including our flights, hotel stay, and a car rental. Win!

A silver Mustang convertable… a must!

We flew into Ft Laurderdale on a Thursday morning, grabbed our rental car, and headed south to The Keys. First we stopped off for some lunch and then for some pictures at the Homestead Race Track. We passed through Key Largo, Islamorada, Long Key, and then ended our drive at Duck Key. We pulled up to our hotel, Hawks Cay Resort, in the early evening.

A storm off to our West on our drive down to the keys

There are tons of shops and restaurants to check out on the way to/from the hotel. We did skip the shops since we didn’t want to get touristy T’s and sea shells but they are always fun to browse.

I do suggest stopping off at Robbie’s of Islamorada to feed the tarpons there. There is a restaurant there, where we enjoyed a fantastic, massive breakfast one day. Plus, there is a facility where you can feed the tarpons at the docks there. It is soooo much fun. But be careful since they jump and will get ya!

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The Hawks Cay facility covers a large portion of Duck Key. There are plenty of options for where to stay and what to do, including a kids camp, marina, and plenty of tennis courts.

We stayed in the main area of the Hawks Cay Resort complex that had the hotel rooms and suites. But there are also rental villas in the Sunset Village, Sanctuary Village, and Harbor Village, and Marina Village. They range from attached 2 bedroom villas to detached 3 bedroom villas with private plunge pools.

The large beautiful lobby showcasing big fans and a water feature

We checked into our room to get our stuff put away and to explore the rest of the resort quickly. We had one of their standard rooms with a king size bed that was crafted in West Indies island decor syles. The room had a TV and plenty of outlets, which were great for using out laptop at the desk. There was plenty of room for our bags and for lounging around. The rooms have ceiling fans which was nice to circulate the air and keep things cool without having to blast the AC.

The room came at a great rate but it was extra affordable with the promotion of staying 3 nights and the 4th was free. When booking the room, keep in mind there is a daily $29 fee. The fee local and toll free phone calls, includes wireless Internet access, transportion throughout the resort, self and valet parking, and access to the Indies Club and Calm Waters Finess Center. As well unlimited use of the Putting course, Sports Field, hard and clay Tennis Courts.

Checking out the balcony

Price had requested that we have a water view room but in the end we ending up with a room that was back facing of the property. While at first glance it was disappointing to not get what we requested, we ultimately realized that we put us in that room because while he requested that we have a nice view he made note in the reservation that we have a quiet room. When we were at the pool we realized they put us in the back because the water view rooms were packed and adjacent to the pool.

The very large bathroom in our room

This would be such a nice bathroom to have at home! A big mirror, a seperate toilet from the rest of the space, plenty of hooks, and lots of counter space to use as well. Plus, it was well lit, which is always helpful when needing to check if you got your back completely covered with sunblock.

I do suggest being a bit careful in the shower. We found the floor a bit slippery.

The first night there we went to the ocean-fed saltwater lagoon and took dip in the water. It was nice and refreshing but if I am floating around in salt water I want some waves, which this did not have.

The large pool had plenty of chairs around the perimeter giving you the option of sitting in the sun or enjoying the shade with the umberella that is paired between every few chairs.

You have to sign out towels so be sure that you keep track of them. I suggest getting 2-3 per person so you have some to cover up the chair, which gets hot from the dark fabric, and for drying off after dipping in the water.

On our last day there we noticed on the map that there was a separate pool just on the other side of the Beach Grill. Such a bummer since it was the Tranquility Pool, which is reserved for guests 21 years of age or older. This would have eliminated our feelings towards the swarms of kids who though that used drink cups and their parents used metal beer bottles were appropriate toys for the pool although the staff kept telling them otherwise.

Next to the pool is a big fire pit with a lot of loungers around it. It was always nice to relax next to it at night when it was lit up!

While at the pool we often enjoyed food from the Beach Grill. You can either sit there and enjoy lunch (11am-5pm) or dinner (5pm-10pm) or have it served to you at the Resort Pool, Tranquility Pool and outdoor sandy dining area. For it being on site dining we felt it was pretty reasonably priced.

The food and drinks served were always fresh and really tasty. For example the Fish Tacos were realy good as the mahi mahi was marinated in fresh, local citrus juices and then grilled. The tacos were served with a green papaya slaw and chipotle mayo. They have several gluten-free options as well.

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Price enjoyed some of the mixed drinks there including the Rum Punch Bucket from their 32 oz Rum Buckets of Fun menu. I on the other hand suck with water, iced tea, and virgin drinks. I had a virgin pina colada one day as a treat (yikes- lots of calories!) but only had it once because I was a bit bummed that the virgin version was $9 and a regular one is $10.

You do have to be careful when you are enjoying your meal as the sea gulls there are fearless and will try to steal your food if you are not careful. Do not leave it uncovered!

Hey Flipper!!

One day we got to watch the bottlenose dolphins at the Dolphin Connection perform some tricks while they were getting fed. Fonded in 1990, this is the only on-property resort dolphin program in the continental U.S. In 2010 Dolphin Connection became only the 2nd marine mammal facility to be accredited by the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA).

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We didn’t partake in the variety of interactive programs they offered because I was pregnant. But there is a nice selction of things to do that have different levels of involvement with the dolphins from just sitting on the dock feeding them to swimming with them.

Ahh, doesn’t get much better than this!

Hawks Cay was in such a great location because it was midway through the keys giving us easy accessibility to plenty to do on the keys. We drove to Key West for a day trip and didn’t have too much of a drive from the Ft Lauderdale airport to the hotel either.

There are plenty of beaches, resturants, and things to do around Hawks Cay Resort. We suggest grabbing dinner The Wreck and Galley Grill and The Stuffed Pig for breakfast. We enjoyed both places very much. As well, dinner at Lazy Days South and Morada Bay Beach Cafe, which are a bit further away than the other 2 places but worth the drive.

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We loved our vacation at Hawks Cay Resort! We will hold this vacation in a special place in our heart as it was our last vacation before our beautiful daughter arrived. As well, we got engaged after almost 9 years together on the docks at sunrise. We are looking forward to one day traveling back and staying there again!

Hawks Cay Resort

61 Hawks Cay Boulevard

Duck Key, FL 33050

888.395.5539

The Jane Hotel, NYC- Review

February 4, 2014

Way back in June I attended Alt Summit in NYC. I needed an affordable hotel for 2 nights where I could dump my stuff and get on with my day. It’s New York, I don’t need to waste time hanging in a hotel (accept for that nap I had…).

Well, I had remembered reading about The Jane on the Hither and Thither Blog ages ago so I figured I should check it out as an option as I was only looking for a place to crash and not spend too much. Since The Jane has some teeny tiny rooms (50 sf!) the rates are really affordable.

Why are rooms so small? Well, the hotel was built in 1908 and a boarding house for sailors called American Seaman’s Friend Society Sailors’ Home and Institute. William A. Boring, the architect renowned for Ellis Island’s immigrant station, designed cabin like rooms for the sailors to enjoy for their short stays while in port at a charge of 25 cents a night for seamen and 50 cents for others. In 1944, the YMCA took the hotel over and in the 80’s and 90’s the hotel was part of the downtown’s bohemian culture, hosting many rock-n-roll events. And then it was renovated in 2008 to be the lovely hotel it is today by the developers Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode.

You enter a charming lobby. that has beautiful ornate wood moldings and painted tin ceilings. The front desk, which is manned 24-hours a day by costumed staff. The uniforms are as charming as the staff themselves. While you check in be sure to check out the marble accents

After a very tight elevator ride up to your floor you are on your way to your room. They offer three kinds of rooms- The Standard Cabin, Bunk Bed Cabin, and The Captain’s Cabin. Both the Standard Cabin and Bunk Bed Cabin are 50 sf and have flat-screen TV’s with DVD player’s, iPod dock, and an in-room safe. And of course you can’t have a modern hotel without free WiFi. you know… to tell everyone you’re staying at The Jane! The Captain’s Cabin is large at 250 sf and feature the same amenities at the smaller rooms with the addition of full, queen or king beds and private bathrooms. These rooms all have river views and/or terraces.

I stayed in a Standard Cabin and it was just perfect for my 2 day stay. I was able to breeze in and out of the hotel with my room key that also served as my on and off switch for my lights, AC, and TV. The key is a little bulky but it is a really easy to find in your purse! Since the key turns the electricity on/off in your room you have to be patient in the summer with a hot room when you first get in as the AC only kicks on when you turn it on. I thought the room was a bit dry as well so I wished that it had some tissues but for about $90 a night I can’t complain!

The room is really small but the use of space is really efficient. I was standing against the wall when I took the photo of the room’s bed. Below the bed is the safe and storage for your luggage. The TV is mounted on the wall so that you can easily watch it while laying in bed. The ledge below is perfect for your toiletries and holding your electronics. I brought my laptop, cell phone, and cameras so I needed plenty of hook ups and thankfully the rooms had an adequate number plugs for my needs.

The Standard Cabin and Bunk Bed Cabins don’t have bathrooms so they share communal restrooms. The idea of sharing a restroom with some strangers might be a scary concept but trust me when I say that they were exceptionally clean and I didn’t have to deal with much waiting for a restroom. Which at the time was really important as I was 4 months pregnant! These restrooms have beautiful white and black subway tile adorned walls, marble sinks, and the showers have rainfall showerheads. I personally don’t like rainfall showerheads and I don’t wash my hair everyday and these basically force you to do so as you can’t avoid your hair getting wet. While the showers were very clean I still suggest using flip flops so that you can comfortably get to and from your room.

While visiting The Jane be sure to enjoy the amenities that the hotel has to offer, including Cafe Gitane, which is located off the lobby. I didn’t get to enjoy the cafe but the menu looked very tempting. As well, I didn’t get to use their complimentary bicycles, nor their parking that is located across the street, but I saw plenty of people using their bikes as they rode around the neighborhood, which is perfectly located right by The Highline- one of my favorite places in New York!

Thankfully, The Jane worked out perfectly for my needs and budget! I would highly suggest it to anyone who was looking for an affordable, beautiful place in the Lower West Side. Staying at The Jane is a real treat. And I am looking forward to my next visit to New York and staying in The Captain’s Cabin!

The Jane Hotel

113 Jane Street

New York, NY 10014

212.924.6700