A sensory blitz overtakes me as I shamble (yes, the result of that red-eye, early-morning arrival at Heathrow, so I am a little beleaguered) into the very groovy nhow Hotel lobby in Shoreditch, a London neighborhood that has (to quote Wikipedia) “become synonymous with the concept of contemporary ‘hipsterfication’ of regenerated urban areas.”

Is it too ’50s or ’60s to describe the lobby as very kitsch? The brainchild of James Soane of the very forward-, out-of-the-box-thinking of Project Orange, the hotel’s lobby readily invites countless choices upon entry: Should I have a welcoming limeade and biscuits from the “sweets” buffet? Or go over to the seven-foot-tall, cuddly teddy bear (seated in a peacock-back chair), with a big sign around his neck: “Free Hugs?” Do I go to the funky gumball machine and get a few jawbreakers, or waltz into the screaming-scarlet telephone booth, adrift in the middle of the lobby, pretending I’m Superwoman, about to transform my outfit?

Located in a district marked by an industrial past and a technological future (think Silicon Valley, but across The Pond, in a nabe that is a mix of art and tech galleries, artsy and dot-com businesses, and a bustling gentrification of industrial areas), the nhow embraces traditional design touchstones, metabolizing them with gusto and regurgitating them in an unconventional and disruptive way. Here, tradition and innovation collide.

When I get to my room, I see that the reading lamp above a comfy wing chair (upholstered, it would seem, by Jackson Pollack), is a black-metal bowler hat suspended from the ceiling. Punk graffiti adorns the walls of the 190 unique guest rooms, and towels are emblazoned with “King” and “Queen.” The obligatory amenity slippers are flip-flops, embellished with a design pattern of neon-colored, geometric shapes. In the loo is the pièce de resistance: On the wall, facing the commode is a larger than life portrait of Louis Quatorze, with his entire groin pixilated, as if he were naked, and the artist wanted to spare the hotel guest the shock!

Amenities abound. The nhow has more room amenities and toiletries than a posh, five-star property-bath salts, lip balm, and even little packets of throw-in-your-pocket tissues. And lest I forget: The “Do Not Disturb” door-hanger features a somewhat digitized picture of Queen Elizabeth, and alerts housekeeping: “I’m absolutely cream crackered.” (Yes, it means you’re exhausted, so Do Not Disturb.)

The breakfast buffet in the lobby, at the hotel’s open-plan restaurant, Guilty by Olivier London, is also a treat. There is a picture of Winston Churchill at the juice bar, but he’s wearing cat-eye glasses, also pixilated. The dinner menu suggests “less guilt and more foodporn,” and offers up many traditional items — whether tacos, nachos, or a Zen garden bowl, with a sneaky, tasty twist. You will find the staff helpful, eager, and knowledgeable. Yes, these histrionic décor touches also come with hand-holding. Convenience matters, as well: Tube stops for Angel and Old Street are but a ten-minute walk away. A perfect slice of new age heaven in Shoreditch!

Additional info: nhow-hotels.com/en/nhow-london

The nhow brand is but one of the huge hospitality conglomerate, Minor Hotels, which is a global leader in the hospitality industry with more than four decades in the field, and with over 560 hotels, resorts, and branded residences across 57 countries. The group crafts innovative and insightful experiences through its hotel brands: nhow, Anantara, Elewana Collection, The Wolseley Hotels, Tivoli, Minor Reserve Collection, NH Collection, Avani, Colbert Collection, NH, Oaks and iStay.

© 2026 Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved
All photos courtesy of nhow Hotel and Ruth J. Katz, as noted.

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The property (which is part of a group of eight delightful, luxury hotels in Rome, Venice, and Florence) is owned and operated by the WTB Hotels Collection. (Why The Best, in case you are wondering.) And the head corporate honcho (chief timekeeper?) is a watch aficionado, who has infused each of his three L’Orologio properties with a unique décor that showcases a plethora of impressive watch-related accessories, sprinkled throughout the inspiring and comfortable design. You’ll never be too far from a dazzling timepiece.

The intimate (43 rooms and suites) Rome property sits comfortably in the Sant’ Eustachio neighborhood, not too far from Largo di Torre Argentina, the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona; it is across the Tiber River from Rome’s well-known Trastevere neighborhood (the former Jewish ghetto) and the Villa Farnesina, an impressive mansion built in the very early 16th century and one of the most majestic (remaining) Renaissance buildings in the city.

Upon entering this conveniently-located hotel, you’ll spot the watch theme immediately-large, elegant art works feature classy and classic watches. A lobby coffee table is actually a model of an outsize, imposing Audemars Piguet watch, a yard or more in diameter. So amazing, you may not want to rest your lowly water bottle on the surface.

Several other design elements will not escape you: The illuminated numbers above the elevator glow with back lighting. The black background showcases a white-outlined number, and inside that outline there is a panoply of watch gears and rotary parts. It’s a charming reminder that time marches not only on, but, also, up and down.

When you arrive at your floor, you’ll find the halls lined with stunning, oversize photos of “important” watches. And when you get to your room, you’ll note that the door sports not merely the room number, but a “proper moniker,” referencing a watch movement. In my case, it was room 203, dubbed 2499 Perpetual, honoring a striking Patek Philippe model; between 1950 and 1985, Patek manufactured fewer than ten, and John Lennon owned one of them.

Embedded in the bathroom mirror, there is also a handsome clock, supplying a bit of mechanical counterpoint to the stylishly decorated chamber. As is apparent, the owner and design team put a great deal of thought and heart into this hotel, all aimed to deliver maximum comfort of their guests.

You’ll find the chronometer theme expanded in the fifth-floor dining room, with its outdoor terrace, replete with panoramic views of the city, including the Pantheon.

The cocktail lounge, Santa Cocktail Club Rome, is located here, as well, and you’ll find that the drinks are artfully prepared with house-made reductions and fruity botanicals.

Enjoy a buzzy cocktail at sunset and when you come back in the morning for the plentiful breakfast buffet, you’ll discover the custom-crafted china, again, embellished with the watch theme. Against the snow-white, ceramic background, steel-gray numbers form staccato accents, with an occasional ebony cipher. The dinner plates sport a soft-gray clock face along the rim, inside the large “O” for L’Orologio. The design level is of the highest quality and the attention to detail is unsurpassed, whether in the dinner service or the ministrations of the staff-to organize custom tours for you or to even walk you across the street to the cash machine. Ask about the runners’ walking/jogging workout, an archeology and antiquities guided tour, a fashionista’s shopping extravaganza, or a film-location tour; or create your own guided day out, which the hotel will plan for you.

You will be pampered here, and suffice it to say, you’ll want time to stand still so you can stay forever-eternally cossetted in the Eternal City.

Additional info: hotelorologioroma.com

© 2024 Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved

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Might you need…

• A “traveling bag” that can convert to a stool, just in case you’re weary while you’re on a journey? 
• A hotel/hospital bed that has a built-in ladder in the bed frame, that can be used for a quick get-away in case of a fire emergency?
• A musical keyboard instrument that converts to a bed, for when you are short of space for unexpected guests?

Such is the stuff, to paraphrase Shakespeare, that dreams are made of and these are the fascinating fruits of cornucopic minds that see things not as they are, but as they might be, each conjured up as machinery that can solve problems, improve existing solutions, or, at the very least, simplify life.

The visionaries who fantasized first and later fabricated these inventions into reality are, respectively, one Victor Percheron, who patented his inventive suitcase/stool in 1866; Frederick Swinden and Alfred Buxton, who intuited that hotel guests might need a ladder in case of fire, so they created just such a convertible bed and patented their brainchild in 1879; and John McDonald, who knew that because people’s homes are short on space, a two-fer fantasy piece of furniture could be an ideal solution, for which he received his patent in 1869.

Encouraging ingenuity and origination in a budding America was so important to the nation’s growth that in 1790 President George Washington actually signed the first patent legislation himself, and because the patent process was regarded as critical to economic growth and security, every patent issued was signed by the President until 1836. From 1790 until 1880, the U.S. Patent Office required applicants to submit scale models, detailed descriptions, and drawings for the Patent Office to scrutinize.

This trio of inventions, with their charming mini-models, are but three among some 5,000 models of machinery, gadgets, and gizmos, all in miniature, that are part of the American Patent Model Collection at the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware. The museum is dedicated to inspiring people to be innovative in their own lives. Located on 235 acres along the banks of the Brandywine River, Hagley is the site of the original gunpowder works founded by French emigre Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, who arrived on these shores with his father and brother in 1800. This site would ultimately become the bedrock of today’s DuPont Company. (Who has not heard the company’s original tagline: Better Things for Better Living…Through Chemistry?)  And it is not surprising that the DuPont organization and family legacy punctuate many of the historic sites in Wilmington.

It is an interesting aside to note that du Pont tried his hand at a half dozen businesses that all failed before he returned to the science and business he knew best—gunpowder. Also, noteworthy, is that the fortunes of the company rose dramatically, as DuPont supplied well over 60 percent of the gunpowder used by the Union Army during the Civil War.

I could have spent all day at the Hagley, peering into inventors’ minds as I drank in their remarkable mechanical fantasies. As Christopher M. Cascio, the Alan W. Rothschild Assistant Curator, Patent Models, told me: “They simply see things that we don’t.”

There was, however, so much more to see and do in and around this area, that I had to hurry along to my next stop, the renowned Winterthur Museum, Gardens, and Library.  The home to several generations of du Ponts, it is today considered one of the greatest repositories of American furniture and decorative arts, with a collection of 90,000 objets displayed in the manse’s vast 175 rooms. One butler’s pantry features candlesticks and candelabra only, on shelves floor to ceiling. Situated on close to 1,000 acres, comprising glorious meadowlands, woods, waterways, and woodlands, Winterthur offers a snapshot of a privileged life in early America. It is another place I could have stayed for a day. In addition, there is a modern annex that houses (on rotation) some of the remarkable Campbell Collection of Soup tureens, donated to Winterthur in 1997—charming, whimsical, sturdy, slick; a tureen for every taste. If you’re exhausted after your turn around the house (all 175 rooms are not open to the public), then take the tram around the grounds to experience the superb gardens.

As magnificent as Winterthur is, I loved even more the Nemours Estate, home to Alfred I. du Pont, great-grandson of  E. I. even more. It is a “modest” dwelling with a mere 102 rooms on a scant 100 acres, but with showy grounds modeled after the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, including fountains, mazes, towers, monuments, nature trails, and nooks for hiding. Dual bowling alleys, a billiards room, a room with floor-to-ceiling refrigeration units (Alfred had been a student at M.I.T. and embraced the cutting-edge technology of yesteryear), and a stately garage, which still houses beaucoup de cars.  Among them is a 1960 Rolls Royce Phantom V Town Car, one of just ten that was manufactured in a single year.

The region is overflowing with the riches of diverse museums, galleries, historic homes, and seven parks, so you’ll not want for interesting sites and sights to fill your day. I thoroughly enjoyed the Brandywine Museum of Art, which houses a distinguished collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century American art, housed in a renovated nineteenth-century mill with a dramatic steel and glass addition that overlooks the bucolic Brandywine River. The extraordinary site—the intersection of art and nature—emphasizes the Brandywine Conservancy’s commitment to the preservation of the natural, cultural, and scenic resources of the region. Just as an aside, I happened to be there in mid-autumn, and stumbled upon a massive table laden with boxes, each containing a single, charming “little critter,” just inches high, made from the fallen seeds, pinecones, berries, pods, grasses, and other natural botanicals, all scavenged “stuff” that museum volunteers turned into small, imaginative animals—fanciful creatures, gremlins, elves, ready to come home to your house to anoint a table or nestle in the branches of your Christmas tree.

The crowning jewel: On the grounds of the museum’s campus is the house and studio of N. C. Wyeth, that appears to be exactly as the artist might have left it when he nipped out to grab a bite of lunch. It presents a moment frozen in time in a great artist’s life, and you’ll be captivated by all the trappings of such an artistic personage. Wyeth even has a chockablock prop room.  Naturally, the museum holds many works by N.C., Andrew, and Jamie.  

If time permits, head to the Delaware Art Museum, which has 12,000 works, including historical and contemporary American art, British Pre-Raphaelite art, and American illustrations, the centerpiece of which are the works of Howard Pyle. I would run out of room before I ran out of museums and historic homes to share here, for you to visit—but a few are Rockwood Park and Museum, the Sanderson Museum, and the Delaware Children’s Museum, among the many.

A scant forty minutes’ drive away, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, but still in the Brandywine Creek Valley—and as much a de rigueur visit as Winterthur is—is the legendary Longwood Gardens. Originally a Quaker farmstead and arboretum, Longwood was transformed by the future-focused Pierre S. du Pont, who purchased the land in 1906, undertaking the stewardship of the gardens, with the intention of saving it from the proverbial wrecking ball—that is to say, saws, used to cut down the trees. He did not intend to create Longwood Gardens, as we know it today, but by 1921, when he opened the Historic Main Conservatory, visitors were flocking to Longwood, and continue to do so today; a staggering 1.6 million guests arrive yearly and reservations are strongly encouraged for the most popular times, including Longwood Christmas, Spring Blooms, and Festival of Fountains.

Longwood today comprises 1,100 acres of dazzling gardens, woodlands, meadows, fountains, a 10,010-pipe Aeolian organ, and a grand conservatory. In a word, it is majestic, showcasing the efforts of inventive and dedicated renowned landscape designers, horticulturists, and architects. In recent years, Longwood undertook a major revision, called Longwood Reimagined, focused on 17 acres of the property, reconfigured to include another grand conservatory (32,000 square feet), new offices, a revitalized potting shed, and a stunning restaurant, 1906, which, before it even opened in the fall, had registered nearly 10,000 reservations, going forward for months.  With its floor-to-ceiling, arched windows overlooking the imperial Main Fountain Garden, and its soaring ceilings and elegant furnishings (crafted from reclaimed wood from Longwood trees), every detail of this remarkable space is designed to delight and inspire—including the menu of delectable, tempting dishes: You are not likely to find a menu elsewhere that boasts categories headlined as Flora, Funga, Fauna/Ocean, and Fauna/Pasture. Under the whisk of executive chef George Murkowicz, the restaurant is managed by the acclaimed Restaurant Associates.

That, logically, brings us to the fine cuisine elsewhere in the region, that you’ll want to sample on your trip. I had such toothsome meals in the area it’s hard to pick out just a few to mention, but you’ll assuredly want to visit a local legend, Buckley’s Tavern, originally a historic home and blacksmith shop, dating back to 1817. It was converted to a taproom and ice cream shop in the 1930s, and then transformed again when it was purchased by Dennis Buckley some 75 years ago. The menu comprises hardy comfort food, and the atmosphere is always buzzing.

With an entirely different and enticing menu, the imaginative and flavorful cuisine at the downtown fave Bardea (an Italian term for the goddess of food and drink) will assuredly tickle your palate. Partners Scott Stein and Antimo DiMeo, who opened the eatery in 2018, quickly gained renown, when Bardea was named a James Beard New Restaurant semifinalist in 2019; in that same year, DiMeo garnered the Restaurant Industry Rising Star appellation from the Delaware Restaurant Association.

For breakfast, I settled into one of the mix-and-match chairs at Centreville Place: Café + Market, a cozy spot serving breakfast comfort food (good size portions) with a French flair. Wife and husband team, Elizabeth and Vince Moro, set up shop here a few years ago, in the Dalton-Lynch historic home, and were an instant success with their combination of wholesome and inspired cuisine.

If breakfast for you is a grab ‘n go affair, then head to De.CO, a pioneering food hall, under the management of the Bardea team, featuring contemporary offerings in the historic DuPont Building. Seven different restaurant stalls (and one full-service restaurant) are located under one roof. The DuPont Building is also home to the celebrated Hotel du Pont, a member of the Historic Hotels of America, and a grand dame in the city, and frankly, a grand dame in the country. Formerly, the building was home to the corporate offices for the DuPont Company, constructed at the behest of Pierre S. du Pont. In 1913, this dowager featured 150 stately guestrooms, as well as several impressive meeting rooms, a rathskeller, a ballroom (called the Gold Ballroom), and a club room. There was even a separate café for men and a reading room for women. Polished brass beds, imported linens, and extravagant dressing tables were furnished in the guest rooms. Inside the main dining room, handsome oak paneling provided an elegant contrast to the mosaic and terrazzo floor tiles. Six imposing chandeliers hung above the venue, illuminating the burnished-gold embellishments below. It featured rich hues of jade and ivory, as well, and they gave rise to the nickname, the Green Room.

The hotel became an overnight sensation, hosting close to 25,000 people in just the first week. Word traveled fast of du Pont’s spectacular new hotel, attracting scores of people from across the nation. By the late 1920s, some of the most illustrious figures in America were reserving guestrooms at the du Pont, including aviators Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh. A look-back at the guest book illustrates just who came here—from all walks of life: bold-face names including Ingrid Bergman, Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Kissinger, Lucille Ball, Reese Witherspoon, Colin Powell, Jon Bon Jovi, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, and on and on.

Today, after renovation and refurbishment, it remains a truly majestic building, with a lobby and restaurant, Le Cavalier, sporting old-world sophistication and class. Do not pass up an opportunity to dine in the restaurant, which features a modern French approach, influenced by the flavors of North Africa and Provence, with inventive riffs on French staples.

As a final caveat, don’t book your trip for a mere long weekend. There is so much more here in and around Wilmington, that I barely had time to scratch the surface and I am itching to return to see much more of the town’s history, old town, museums, historic homes, shops, and galleries. It is a tribute to the du Pont family that they poured a big chunk of their hearts, souls, and capital into the area, so that we might savor all the bounty the Brandywine Valley has to offer.

For more information:  visitwilmingtonde.com

©  Ruth J. Katz   2025   All Rights Reserved

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“Saratoga Springs was the Disneyland of nineteenth-century America,” quips James D. Parillo, executive director of the Saratoga Springs History Museum, located not coincidentally in the city’s both famous and infamous former Canfield Casino…more about that gaming venue in a minute.

The so-called Gilded Age (roughly from 1865 to the early 20th century), dubbed thusly from a lesser-known Mark Twain tome, The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today (1873), has come to signify a period of extraordinary economic and industrial growth-railroads were constructed and flourished, mechanized and automated factories mushroomed, political corruption was burnished to perfection, and chicanery blossomed: Hooligans and hoodlums rubbed elbows with the elite; politicians and prostitutes (okay, ladies of the night) were brazenly seen side-by-side, and dubious business deals were made over and under the table. In short, it was the Wild West on the East Coast.

During those heady days, it was not uncommon to see the likes of broad-shouldered politicians from Boss Tweed’s Tammany Hall network, with, say, gambling legend Diamond Jim Brady, or impresario Florenz Ziegfeld, or sundry Whitneys, Vanderbilts, Morgans, or Goulds-and throw into that mix, a duo like John Warne “Bet-a-Million” Gates and his quadruple-threat paramour, Lillian Russell, acclaimed for her beauty, style, voice, and stage presence.

Among this gallimaufry of “gilded” gents was former heavyweight boxing champion John Morrissey, who was elected to Congress in 1866, and who was also among the founding members of the renowned Saratoga Race Course, established in 1863, and the oldest in America. Morrissey established the Saratoga Clubhouse in 1870 and in 1874, at the behest of the Congress and Empire Springwater Company, the southern section of adjacent Congress Park benefitted from a “little gardening” by the nascent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

After Morrissey’s untimely death in 1878, ownership of the clubhouse (a casino, really, with the mantra, No ladies, no locals, no credit), was passed on to a business duo, and ultimately, to Richard Albert Canfield, who became the outright single owner in 1884, and thus the Canfield Casino was firmly established.

Today the Canfield Casino is one of the city’s most treasured landmarks (replete with its stained glass, coffered ceiling)-a lovely event venue and the site of the Saratoga Springs History Museum.

This cultural institution (with a wealth of 16,000 artifacts and over 300,000 archival photographs) showcases an in-depth, eclectic, and fascinating mix of memorabilia, from tableware to curiosities-like three-dimensional artwork made of (gasp!) human hair and elaborate scherenschnitte (scissor-cut, silhouetted pictures).

You will find much more to mesmerize you, however, when visiting this charming town, an easy train ride, some 175 miles north of Gotham, and nestled in the Capital-Saratoga Region. The local population, just under 30,000, mushrooms in the summertime, with all that draws tourists here; but even at the height of the season, you will still have room to move around, see the sights, snag restaurant reservations and tickets for the many cultural events, and, in short, enjoy yourself in this appealing “Disneyland” of yesteryear. I spent a mere three days there and was sorry I didn’t have more time-make sure to plan your trip so you can take in everything, including toothsome culinary experiences, gambling glee, singular and sinful shopping, compelling culture, and wellness indulgences.

Not the least of which is the famous waters. To the Mohawks and other indigenous peoples, the area was known as Serachtague, or “place of swift water,” the result of fissures in the earth’s surface, that produced waters rich in minerals-ideal for “the cure.” Thus, did Saratoga Springs become known as the Queen of the Spas. Today, you can still go to the legendary Mineral Baths at the Roosevelt Baths & Spa, located in the Saratoga Spa State Park, itself worth your time to explore. Within the State Park, which is a National Historic Landmark of nearly 2,400 acres, you’ll find two golf courses, two swimming pools, the Hall of Springs, the Spa Little Theater, the Saratoga Museum, the celebrated Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and the baths. Allow time for the Roosevelt Baths, as it’s worth it-it’s an absolute throw back in time to its earliest days (established ca. 1935); it clings to its décor and ambience of yesteryear, and offers a combination of politesse, pampering, and procedures that are homey and comfy; after a 40-minute soak in a giant porcelain tub, I felt both relaxed and reinvigorated. A word to the wise: Wintertime is also wonderful here, as when the snow blankets the Park, there are approximately 12 miles of cross-country skiing trails and snowshoeing trails, as well. For 26 years, Saratoga has been staging a winter Chowderfest, so keep your eyes peeled for the 27th next year.

Another must-see is the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. While the racing season is 49 days (July 10 to September 1), the museum is open all year. By the bye, the racing season this year includes the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, June 4-8, staged here, while Belmont Park is undergoing renovation; and from July 3-6, the July 4th Racing Festival will be staged. At the museum itself, you’ll find a replica of a typical starting gate and stalls, a wall of jockeys’ famed, framed racing silks, iconic saddles from noteworthy thoroughbreds, and even an exhibit of three mixtures of earthy compositions-dirt, turf, and synthetic-that constitute the grounds of various racetracks. (Don’t forget to don your most fabulous hat for the races!)

If you have not tanked up on the plentiful fare at the at the racetrack (there are also fun food trucks at the track), I would suggest a few eateries, each proffering different experiences: For breakfast, do not miss Sweet Mimi’s Café-and go early; natives queue up with the roosters for the pancakes and French toast that cascade off the plate, and the biscuits that melt in your mouth (take home some raspberry almond bread).

For a leisurely meal of down-home cooking, I chose Lago by Druthers, with a peaceful panorama of Saratoga Lake and tasty comfort food. For my “big night out,” I found Prime, with a bucolic view of the Saratoga National Golf Club, absolutely outstanding, and I’m still slavering over my starter (crab tater tots) and my dessert (peanut butter skillet).

Need I say more? And while you’re happily shopping on the main drag, aptly called Broadway, take a half-block detour to Bocage Champagne Bar, an absolute oasis of bubbly. It’s cozy and inviting, and you could easily kill an afternoon here shooting the breeze and imbibing the many sparkling offerings.

A highlight for me was an evening at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. (The season runs from mid-May to the end of September.) SPAC, as it’s known, is the summer home to the New York City Ballet (appearing with the Ballet in individual performances are Renée Flemming and Cynthia Erivo) and the Philadelphia Orchestra, under the expert baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

(Last season, I had the good fortune to get tickets for Richard Strauss’s rarely heard symphonic work, “An Alpine Symphony,” a tone poem that is truly a religious experience. Symphonically chronicling an 11-hour trek, from dawn to dusk, up an Alpine mountain, it creates with equal feeling, tranquility and thunderstorm, with searing emotion.) On tap this summer are celebrated, big-time performers, including Jason Aldean, Avril Lavigne, Bonnie Raitt, and Shania Twain, all part of presentations from Live Nation. With something for everyone, other bold-face names performing this summer include just about everything, from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to Jerry Seinfeld. For additional culture: The Opera Saratoga (formerly Lake George Opera, which began in 1962, playing to an audience of a mere 230), will celebrate its 60th season this summer. The company performs at the Ferndell Pavilion in the Saratoga Spa State Park; its season goes from May 29th to June 29th this year.

Psst: Make time, too, for a visit to The Bottling Plant, dedicated to showcasing the area’s bottled waters (think Saratoga Springs, the only naturally carbonated mineral springs east of the Rocky Mountains) and the Saratoga County History Center, which will mount (starting July 30) the exhibit In the Saratoga Style: Potato Chips and Their Regional Folklore. Seriously.

For more information: discoversaratoga.org

© 2025 Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all photos courtesy of © NYS Dept. of Economic Dev. (NYSDED).

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Perfectly situated in the heart of the Quadrilatero d’Oro (Golden Quadrilateral or Gold District) of Milan, the hotel is a stone’s throw from the glamorous Via Napoleone, known for its luxury boutiques, along with the buzzy, chic streets of Via Manzoni, Via della Spiga, and Corso Venezia. Nearby is the glorious Duomo; the celebrated Peck, one of the world’s grand temples to gastronomy, opened in 1883, as a mere grocery store and today, a sprawling 21,000 square feet of tempting delices, spread out on three floors; the illustrious Teatro alla Scala, home to legendary opera; and the awesome retail emporium, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The latter is Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery, constructed in 1865-77, and consisting of two impressive and imperial-looking, intersecting, glass-vaulted arcades. A classic landmark in the city.

My room was graciously appointed (little touches, like the frosted motifs—swirls, fleurs, flares—on the glass doors and mirrors in the bathroom add to the swank feel) and had a fully stocked bar, the most impressive item being a house-made gin, Verzee, which is also the name of the hotel’s restaurant.

Negroni mix is present, as one could argue that the Negroni has its roots in Italy. (A moot assertion, needless to say, as the Negroni’s origin is a bit murky, its birthplace claimed by many.) But here, with the recipe supplied by the hotel, you can make yourself a nice stiff drink!

Head down to Verzee Restaurant for dinner, and you can feast on an appetizer of cream of Gorgonzola cheese with walnuts, garnished with crispy rice chips and a main course of garganello fresh pasta with pumpkin cream, crispy bacon, and slices of Roman pecorino. I chose an amazing appetizer, special at certain times of the year, when the earth is redolent with funghi. It was a panoply of micro greens, zucchini, and curlicues of celery, all floating in a glass- lidded carafe-bowl, on ice, under an umbrella of smoky wisps of clouds . It was both a sight to see and a symphony to taste.

The buffet breakfast is also a delight with surprising and delicate touches, including honey from a honeycomb!

NH Collection Hotels are under the umbrella of Thailand-based Minor International, a multi-national hospitality conglomerate, the parent of Minor Hotels, which owns or operates a diverse portfolio of over 550 hotels in some 55 countries, across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, and the Americas. Perhaps best known are the luxurious Anantara Hotels and Resorts, less established in the States, but widely known in the Pacific Rim and beyond. Among the company’s hotel brands is NH Hotels, comprised of the illustrious NH Collection properties (each a jewel in its own way, with just under 100 in 13 countries) and the more youthful, edgy nhow properties, in addition to the classic NH hotels. Additionally, Minor oversees Avani Hotels and Resorts; the Elewana Collection; the Oaks Hotels, Resorts, and Suites; and the Tivoli Hotels and Resorts.

For me, the treasures are the NH Collection Hotels, since I never know what to expect architecturally, as the company is a magician at buying a castle, say, and then turning it into a five-star property, so that each guest room is unique. Two wonderful properties that come to mind are the NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa, an astonishing hotel; the property is arguably the first hotel in Italy! It features hand-painted frescoes on the ceiling in some of the rooms/suites! Another is the NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa. The original palace was built for the Earl of Tepa, the last viceroy of Spain in Mexico; it was designed by Juan de Villanueva, the royal architect at the period, who also designed the Prado Museum and the Plaza Mayor.

Of course, I do know that at NH properties I will always get polished, professional, and prompt service, and find toothsome and delicious meals in the diverse hotel restaurants, and an accommodating, knowledgeable staff…but the “look” and feel of the hotel will always surprise, delight, and charm me. Here, in Milan you’ll find service impeccable and the staff eager to please. I look forward to a return visit, all the more so, because within the next year, the hotel will be announcing a surprising update…stay tuned! Additional information: NH Collection Milano President.

© Ruth J. Katz 2025 All rights Reserved

All photos courtesy of NH Collection Hotels, unless otherwise noted.

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According to Wikipedia, “the Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenìssima, was a sovereign state and a maritime republic with its capital in Venice.” If you speak a wee bit of Italian, you’ll know that La Serenissima means the most serene, and if you know a wee bit about Venice, as well, you’ll probably wince, sadly acknowledging how un-serene overly-touristy Venice has become (and thus, that pesky tourist tax)…BUT, as two sojourns to Venice recently underscored to me, not all of Venice’s sestieri (six districts) are crawling with eager Instragrammers, carousing college kids, and cruise ship refugees. A pleasant walk from bustling Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark’s Square, the tourist hub and heartbeat of stunning Venice) is the northernmost section of the city, the Cannaregio region. This is the site of the former Jewish ghetto (a word that comes to us directly from the Italian), and a charming, quiet neighborhood. It is typically molto Venetian, with narrow calli (alleyways), dotting the little slices of the Grand Canal and its many tributaries.

It is here that the noble Rizzo-Patarol Palace, now the stunning NH Collection Grand Hotel Palazzo dei Dogi,* is located, an elegant building that was once a monastery as well as the embassy of France and Savoy. The “backyard” garden, which was Venice’s first garden, is a sumptuous, rambling swatch of verdant exuberance, a segreto giardino, or secret garden, with more than 300 years of history. The garden boasts handsome statuary, a Virgin Mary, a Madonna and Child relief (snugly tucked into a wall), a loggia, an ice cave, a wooden bridge, and, of course, tempting lounge chairs and umbrellas. As you approach the hotel from the lagoon, a seductive pergola comes into view, along with the outdoor dining area — all just waiting for you. At its water’s-edge perimeter, you can catch the hotel’s shuttle to the NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa or to St. Mark’s for shopping, sightseeing, or simply plopping yourself down at a café to do whatever.

Rooms (47 of them) in the hotel are as grand as is the palazzo itself. Papal scarlet and vermillion brocades, damasks, and velvets are everywhere. Glittery ormolu, regal tapestries, and painted Renaissance-ish panels adorn the walls, while the lobby is awash with imposing Murano-glass chandeliers, providing sparkling counterpoint to the burnished marble floors, with geometric inlays. Wooden beams are embellished with painterly touches, and a baby grand stands proudly at attention in the lobby.

Breakfast is plentiful and service, polished and professional. If you’re there in the warmer weather, you’ll want to dine in the quasi-enclosed terrace, and savor a variety of appealing pasta dishes, local specialties, and classics. Although I am a lifelong pasta-fancier, I had paccheri (pasta on steroids) there for the first time, smothered in a rich meat sauce. Breakfast was served in the main lobby, and featured the expected — and then some — massive buffet with all manner of Italian treats.

You’ll find the hotel staff more than helpful for your every whim: I wanted to see all that was related to the illustrious designer Mariano Fortuny and the staff aided me in putting together a little itinerary that included more than just Fortuny’s home-museum. Needless to say, the hotel personnel made my stay so pleasant that I could not wait to return each evening to savor a glass of something bubbly, lounging in the lovely main salon or the courtyard. You’ll feel the same way.

Further information:
NH Collection Hotels

All photos courtesy of NH Hotels

• Thailand-based Minor International is a multi-national hospitality conglomerate, the parent of Minor Hotels, which owns or operates a diverse portfolio of over 550 hotels in some 55 countries, across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, and the Americas. Perhaps best known are the luxurious Anantara Hotels and Resorts, less established in the States, but widely known in the Pacific Rim and beyond. Among the company’s hotel brands is NH Hotels, comprised of the illustrious NH Collection properties (each a jewel in its own way, with just under 100 in 13 countries) and the more youthful, edgy nhow properties, in addition to the classic NH hotels. Additionally, Minor oversees Avani Hotels and Resorts; the Elewana Collection; the Oaks Hotels, Resorts, and Suites; and the Rivoli Hotels and Resorts.

For me, the treasures are the NH Collection Hotels, as I never know what to expect architecturally, as the company is a magician at buying a castle, say, and then turning it into a five-star property, so that each guest room is unique. Two wonderful properties that come to mind are the NH Collection Firenze Porta Rossa, an astonishing hotel; the property was arguably the site of first hotel in Italy! It features hand-painted frescoes on the ceiling in some of the rooms/suites! Another is the NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa. The original palace was built for the Earl of Tepa, the last viceroy of Spain in Mexico; it was designed by Juan de Villanueva, the royal architect at the period, who also designed the Prado Museum and the Plaza Mayor.

Of course, I do know that at NH properties I will always get polished, professional, and prompt service, a toothsome and delicious menu in the diverse hotel restaurants, and an accommodating, knowledgeable staff…but the “look” and feel of the hotel will always surprise, delight, and charm me.

© Ruth J. Katz 2024 All Rights Reserved

The post A Venetian Treasure:  NH Collection Grand Hotel Palazzo dei Dogi appeared first on Traveling Boy.

I raise my baton to alert the orchestra that I am ready to conduct. In my best imposture of Gustavo Dudamel, I cue the woodwinds, then coax in the stringed instruments, and finally, I direct the brass-perching on the precipice and at the ready-to chime in. I punctuate my air-piercing baton-swirling, with a jab toward the timpani to elicit an emphatic beat. Smug and sly, I think that Felix Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony never sounded so expressive. As if following my intensity, the surrounding chamber becomes enveloped in a saturated vermillion glow that melts into an intense violet, as I command the orchestra…and we sprint together to the end of the first movement.

Alas, I am conducting nary a human, but rather a dozen or so electronic totems, synced to the digital leger-de-main that is the underpinning of Leipzig’s Mendelssohn House Effektorium, a room for making virtual music. This is 21st-century, sophisticated child’s play: A dozen or so monolithic speakers (labeled appropriately, first violins, double basses, French horns, and so on), populate this symphony hall. You take your position at the lectern and then follow the snaking, red-line guide along the score; press the touchscreen, wield the baton to change tempo and tone, and suddenly you and your crop are Bernstein, Mehta, or, well, Maestro Mendelsson.

The meticulously restored Mendelssohn House in Leipzig is where the musical genius lived from 1845 until his death two years later; he was the Kapellmeister of the city’s renowned Gewandhaus Orchestra from 1835 to 1847. The museum opened in 1997 and is a major draw here, in a city legendary for its musical history. This charming municipality represents, though, merely one reason to visit the northeastern federal state of Saxony, in Germany.

Spread out over 7,000 square miles and bordered snugly to the east by the Czech Republic and Poland, and to the south, Bavaria, it is one of the smallest of the 16 federal states comprising Germany. But it is enviably bursting with compelling sites and sights to make it your next travel destination. Here is but a smattering of things to do and see in this inviting, remarkable region of Germany.

Among other draws, it is home to a veritable cornucopia — more than 150! — of palaces (schlösser), fortresses (festungen), stately mansions (herrenhäuser), and regal parks, such as Muskau Park, a stunningly bucolic UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Some of these edifices are virtual ruins, like the Dahlen Castle; some, a fascinating pile of rocks, as the spellbinding remains of Neurathen Castle (with rooms that had been cut into the stones); some are absolute fortresses, like Mylau Castle; and still others are overwhelmingly regal manses, such as the stately Dresden Castle and Leipzig’s elegant Gohlis Palace. Some are just for visiting, presenting interesting photo ops, while others are luxury hotels, and still others are homes to museums, such as the stately Augustusburg Palace, where I spent several hours in its amazing Motorcycle Museum: Spanning over 120 years of motorcycling history, the exhibits range from funky bicycles to exquisite, burnished-to-perfection Harley Davidsons.

Music is a hallmark of Saxony’s heritage, and the Leipzig Music Trail is a must for anyone who loves music. It is just over three miles long and heralds Telemann, Bach, Schumann, Wagner, Grieg, Janáček, and Mahler, among the many notable composers who worked or lived there. Stainless steel swirls-think the Nike swoosh on steroids-mark the spots (11 of them) in the cobbled pavement where you can stop, listen to recordings, and read about musical history.

Do not pass up a performance at the legendary, glass-facaded Gewandhaus. And, while in Leipzig, be sure to visit the Holocaust Memorial, consisting of 140 vacant bronze chairs — representing the 14,000 Jews who perished — built on the site where the city’s Grand Synagogue once stood.

Despite its devastation in WW II, Dresden, another touchstone in Saxony, has been rebuilt and you’d never know the extent of the destruction 75-plus years ago. No mention of Saxony is complete without an in-depth stay in charming, history-filled Dresden, including a lengthy visit to the world-renowned Green Vault, or the Grünes Gewölbe, comprising the Historic Green Vault (dripping in sumptuous Baroque ormolu and splendor) and the New Green Vault (with more traditional collections). Combined, here is one of the grandest collections of decorative arts, simply put, in all of Europe. Founded by Augustus the Strong in 1723, its exhibits include everything, ranging from Baroque to Classicism. You could drool over the art here for days.

Leave music and art (but not architecture) behind for the moment and enter the razzle-dazzle of Hollywood, when you visit the cinematic epicenter of Eastern Europe-Görliwood, the easternmost city in Germany, properly known as Görlitz. Countless films, including Inglourious Basterds, The Reader, The Book Thief, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, among the many, were all filmed right here.

For architecture buffs, this town is also home to more than 4,000 listed buildings and is considered Germany’s largest heritage area. Some religious sites: The Holy Sepulchre is the most faithful copy of the Jerusalem site. Amazingly, the Art Nouveau-styled Görlitz Synagogue, built at the beginning of the 20th century, survived Kristallnacht. Thereafter, however, with no congregation to tend to it, it fell into tragic disrepair. After a 10-million-Euro restoration, the synagogue reopened; on August 20, 2021, the first service in 80 years was held. Today, it houses modest but highly evocative and meaningful exhibits, showcasing personal artifacts and memorabilia that had once belonged to Jewish residents of Görlitz.

And, parenthetically, while you are in Görlitz, you can actually savor a tiny taste of Poland: Cross the Old Town Bridge, et voila! You are in Polska!

Another city worth at least a day of your time is the town of Seiffen. While it’s true that the internationally renowned German Christmas markets, in general, are among the most celebrated in the world, it is here in Seiffen that you’ll feel you as if you’ve entered the North Pole and Santa Land.

Seiffen boasts a blindingly festive, year-round Noel. This holiday-themed town, nestled in the Ore Mountains, was once the go-to site for silver- and tin-mining, but as supplies of those metals declined, residents turned to wood-carving and -turning. Dozens of shops vend all manner of traditional ornaments, including the ever-popular pyramids and arches, and, of course, the nutcracker, first created in the 17th century in Germany.

(There is even a nutcracker museum-ErstesNussknacker Museum-in Ergzebirge.) There are workshops where you can watch master woodworkers spin their magic or create your own ornaments.

A must in Seiffen: The traditional Neinerlaa Xmas Eve dinner, with its elaborate, sculpted platter, featuring little niches for, among the nine obligatory foods, bratwurst, dumplings, and sauerkraut.

Seiffen is also home to the Ore Mountain Open-Air Museum, an ethnographic exploration of rural life pre-1900, documenting and showcasing over a dozen types of rural homes from the region. It is adjacent to the Ore Mountain Toy Museum, a must-see. Unique to this area: Artisans turn circular wooden forms against a lathe and create miniature animals, smaller than a dime. This craft is known as Runddreherei, a form of very sophisticated and intricate woodturning and must be seen to be understood.

Not to be outshone by the splendor of Dresden, the musical heritage of Leipzig, the Christmas magic of Seiffen, and the glam of Görlitz, the town of Chemnitz is the third-largest city in Saxony and it, too, offers many sights. The Villa Esche, built by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, was the home of the Herbert Esche family, and features a stunning meld of Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau styles, well worth swooning over. I could have spent all day in the Saxon Museum of Industry, located in a former foundry in Chemnitz. It brings machines and man together in unexpected ways, whether exploring vehicles or textiles.

I could go on about Saxony and its plethora of UNESCO World Heritage sites and parks, the Museum Gunzenhauser (with a collection of nearly 2,500 works of modern art), the fascinating Bach Museum, the Grassi Museum of Ethnology (among the extensive collections, hundreds of teacups!), and-for wristwatch aficionados-the manufactures of A. Lange & Söhne and Glashütte Original, in the south. But, in truth, you just need to pack your bag and go! Willkommen!

For more info go to visitsaxony.com.

All photos courtesy of the author.
© 2024 Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved

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The property (which is part of a group of eight delightful, luxury hotels in Rome, Venice, and Florence) is owned and operated by the WTB Hotels Collection. (Why The Best, in case you are wondering.) And the head corporate honcho (chief timekeeper?) is a watch aficionado, who has infused each of his three L’Orologio properties with a unique décor that showcases a plethora of impressive watch-related accessories, sprinkled throughout the inspiring and comfortable design. You’ll never be too far from a dazzling timepiece.

The intimate (43 rooms and suites) Rome property sits comfortably in the Sant’ Eustachio neighborhood, not too far from Largo di Torre Argentina, the Pantheon, the Piazza Navona; it is across the Tiber River from Rome’s well-known Trastevere neighborhood (the former Jewish ghetto) and the Villa Farnesina, an impressive mansion built in the very early 16th century and one of the most majestic (remaining) Renaissance buildings in the city.

Upon entering this conveniently-located hotel, you’ll spot the watch theme immediately-large, elegant art works feature classy and classic watches. A lobby coffee table is actually a model of an outsize, imposing Audemars Piguet watch, a yard or more in diameter. So amazing, you may not want to rest your lowly water bottle on the surface.

Several other design elements will not escape you: The illuminated numbers above the elevator glow with back lighting. The black background showcases a white-outlined number, and inside that outline there is a panoply of watch gears and rotary parts. It’s a charming reminder that time marches not only on, but, also, up and down.

When you arrive at your floor, you’ll find the halls lined with stunning, oversize photos of “important” watches. And when you get to your room, you’ll note that the door sports not merely the room number, but a “proper moniker,” referencing a watch movement. In my case, it was room 203, dubbed 2499 Perpetual, honoring a striking Patek Philippe model; between 1950 and 1985, Patek manufactured fewer than ten, and John Lennon owned one of them.

Embedded in the bathroom mirror, there is also a handsome clock, supplying a bit of mechanical counterpoint to the stylishly decorated chamber. As is apparent, the owner and design team put a great deal of thought and heart into this hotel, all aimed to deliver maximum comfort of their guests.

You’ll find the chronometer theme expanded in the fifth-floor dining room, with its outdoor terrace, replete with panoramic views of the city, including the Pantheon.

The cocktail lounge, Santa Cocktail Club Rome, is located here, as well, and you’ll find that the drinks are artfully prepared with house-made reductions and fruity botanicals.

Enjoy a buzzy cocktail at sunset and when you come back in the morning for the plentiful breakfast buffet, you’ll discover the custom-crafted china, again, embellished with the watch theme. Against the snow-white, ceramic background, steel-gray numbers form staccato accents, with an occasional ebony cipher. The dinner plates sport a soft-gray clock face along the rim, inside the large “O” for L’Orologio. The design level is of the highest quality and the attention to detail is unsurpassed, whether in the dinner service or the ministrations of the staff-to organize custom tours for you or to even walk you across the street to the cash machine. Ask about the runners’ walking/jogging workout, an archeology and antiquities guided tour, a fashionista’s shopping extravaganza, or a film-location tour; or create your own guided day out, which the hotel will plan for you.

You will be pampered here, and suffice it to say, you’ll want time to stand still so you can stay forever-eternally cossetted in the Eternal City.

Additional info: hotelorologioroma.com

© 2024 Ruth J. Katz All Rights Reserved

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