We typically try to take a kid-free trip each Spring and this year that meant 5 days in Tulum.  Sand, surf, sun, some Mayan ruins and lots and lots of good food.  We stayed at the Papaya Playa Project which was the perfect mix of rustic luxury, hip clientele, and home to a kick-ass Saturday night beach party.  I had been wanting to go to Tulum for a couple of years.  Known for it’s burgeoning restaurant scene, yoga and wellness retreats, not to mention the sun and beautiful water it seemed like the perfect place to chill out and get away from it all for a few days.

The peace van at PPP:

We had front row dining seats on a daily basis (order the fish tacos) and an oceanfront casita with beautiful views of the beach.

I spent my days dressed as such:

We kicked off our vacation eating at Posada Margherita which is an adorable Italian spot making homemade pastas and using the most fresh ingredients imaginable.  I probably could have eaten there every night we were in Tulum.

I had heard of Hartwood from a number of friends and attempted, to no avail, to make a reservation three weeks in advance.  There are no phones, only email, which I came to find out they only sparingly respond to.  Forget about a hotel concierge.  The only way in is to know someone or plan months and months in advance!  It looked awesome though!

So what to do when Hartwood won’t take walk-ins?  Eat at arguably the two other restaurants in town that rival, if not surpass the well known…Casa Banana and Cenzontle.  Margaritas, gin drinks, great wine.  Oh and lots of amazing food.  We sampled a lot of plates at Cenzontle including a grilled avocado dish.  It sounded strange but it couldn’t have been more amazing.

The best lunch in town?  Absolutely Charly’s Vegan Tacos.  A taco truck parked in the middle of the palm trees, off the side of the road and some of the best tacos in the world.

The shopping, and outdoor recreation scenes, in Tulum are pretty great.  The boutiques trend toward high-end but are fun to wander through on a lazy afternoon.  While we are divers (mostly in the years preceding kiddos) we were all too happy to spend our time at the beach reading and relaxing but the Cenotes are on the agenda for our next trip to Tulum!

The evenings at Papaya Playa, and pretty much throughout all of Tulum, were the most magical.  These basket pendants light up the entire beachfront of Tulum.  Very Serena & Lilly-esque but locally made.

Until next time, Tulum…perhaps we will bring the kids.  Or not.

I travel a fair amount for my job and typically stay true to my Starwood Loyalty Program (hello, Platinum) but there are times when there are no Starwood hotels available so I have to branch out.  And at times there is a gem to be found.  My last trip to Cincinnati was no exception.  I stumbled upon the 21C Museum hotel right in the heart of the business district.  It’s an art museum/boutique hotel combination that can be found in a couple of smaller cities throughout the US.  Cool restaurant and bar, lots of awesome art, and these giant penguins that they move around each night to ‘surprise’ their guests.  No one ever quite knows where those penguins are going to show up.

Lucky me, I was upgraded to a suite and upon walking in found these awesome pillows on the couch.

Funky lighting especially for a hotel room…

Modern bathroom features blending just the right amount of marble and stone as well as matte black fixtures.

The bedroom wasn’t quite as cool as the bathroom and living room but their beds are so comfortable.  I’ll definitely be returning!

My husband and I were recently in San Diego for his cousin’s wedding and were lucky enough to stay the weekend at Rancho Bernardo Inn.  A hidden gem in the hills of San Diego.  This was our second stay at the hotel and it was really nice to be back!  We spent our short stay enjoying the spa, a workout, and lunch by the pool.

Approaching the spa, and all over the resort, are beautiful lanterns hung in the trees.  Everything is so well done from a design perspective.

Here I am enjoying one of the many fireplaces located throughout the resort…a sister-in-law had come up behind me and said that I actually looked really zen and relaxed.  I suppose being on vacation without my kids will do that!