WHILE WE WERE IN TACOMA

we stayed at Hotel Murano and it was fabulous.  I loved the simple color, modern feel and subtle sense of whimsy the hotel had.  Not to mention, customer service was top notch.
The coolest thing about the hotel, was every floor was a mini art gallery for glass artists.  We went onto every floor to take a look and it was fun to see what impact the art had on the boys.  Some were okay, some were breathtaking and of course there were giggles when he hit an exhibit that was boobies.

PS - Much to our delight, we met up with SteviePoo for dinner and he was able to swing by the Dragon Boat Festival the following day.  Always a fun time when Steve's around.

We would definitely stay here again.  We loved it!

HOTEL MONACO IN PORTLAND

For Larry's birthday weekend, I booked us a room at Hotel Monaco in downtown Portland.  I was so impressed with the customer service from the get go, if I ran a hotel, I would book a room and implement their procedures.  Besides this being a stunningly beautiful hotel, it has amazing staff with excellent communication.

Here is the lobby.  Although very large, it was welcoming, comfortable and had a coziness about it.  In the evenings, the hotel provides drinks and music in there you could come down an mingle if you'd like.

Before I tell you about our room, let me tell you about the valet service.  From the street, you drive down to the parking structure under the hotel.  When I think of parking structures I don't think pretty or classy, but this one is.  They have large green canvas curtains hanging from the pillars, which also have decorative lattice on them and the floor is polished pavers in an overlapping arch pattern.  The valet personnel is very friendly, nice and helpful.  From there, you take an elevator up to the lobby.

When we checked in, the front desk told us we had received a complementary upgrade to a king premier suite on the top floor.  When we walked into the room, we had to pick our chins off the ground.  We had a foyer, a huge bathroom, living room, and the bedroom.  It was so beautiful, fun, unique and eclectic.  Hands down, the coolest hotel room we have ever stayed at!

When we returned to our room later that night, we had sparkling cider on ice waiting for us and Larry had a handwritten birthday card from the front desk.

Isn't this hotel rad?  I know where I'm staying next time we have a weekend getaway in Portland!

HOTEL REVIEW

We stayed at the Red Lion Hotel in Bend.Pros:

1. Very clean.

2. Comfortable beds and comfortable pillows.

3. Easy to find. It's on the main road, so you can't miss it. Although it is on the main road, it is very quiet.

4. The staff were very nice.

5. They have Bath and Body Works shampoo and conditioner.

Cons:

1. Looks like a motel. Nothing wrong with that, but I was surprised. But, looking back at their reservation home page, it shows it is set up like a motel. I just wasn't paying attention to that fact. It was the first Red Lion I've stayed at that looks like a motel.

2. The flow of our room didn't work due to the placement of the desk and office chair. You had to keep your shoes on, or you'd stub your toes. It would be a nit-picky con if there was a way around the toe stubbing situation, but in our room there wasn't.

3. Although the front desk staff were super nice, they couldn't recommend a vegan restaurant.

We would stay there again. The price was very reasonable, it was clean, comfortable, quiet and located only six minutes away from Cafe Yumm!, which serves vegan dishes.

Our rating 3 out of 5 stars.

SAN FRANCISCO

We stayed at the Crescent Hotel just outside of Union Square...
Our view cracked me up and the elevator was a bit hilarious, but we loved it...

The staff was super friendly and I loved the hotel's modern touches mixed with old and new.
There were a few quirks but I think they added to the charm of the hotel.
BUT there was one thing......

Dear Crescent Hotel,

I love and appreciate art but the painting you have in the entry way by the front desk is inappropriate and made me uncomfortable. Art has it's place and the front desk is not the place for that piece. Please keep it away from children's eyes. Maybe you could put it in the lounge or in your office.

Sincerely,
I hope I don't see it when I come back.

Our rating is 3 out of 5 stars.