Auction Girl Travel ... I'm one of those people who doesn't mind traveling alone. I travel a lot, with and without Mr. Vintage, who can only get away a few times a year.
I have a particular fondness for small hotels with large beds and 800 count sheets. I can recommend hotels in cities large and small, tell you which restaurants deliver at 2 a.m., and fill you in on where locals go to listen to the blues. Although I live in small-town California, bartenders in Chicago, Portland, and Virginia Beach know my name. Knowing bartenders a thousand miles from home is a good thing, and it makes Mr. Vintage smile.
Whenever I can, I stay at Kimpton hotels. I love the Kimpton vibe ... they're young, they're hip, and they have 2 hours of free wine tasting every evening. They name their rooms after vineyards and rock stars, and their hotel in Denver has a separate room service menu just for bubble baths with a martini on the side.
Kimpton goes above and beyond when it comes to the personal touch. Their Hotel Monaco locations will even set you up with a goldfish, so you don't feel foolish for arriving alone. Kimpton guests take "pet friendly" seriously: they travel with the Big Dogs, not the little fluff-and-bows bowsers favored by Parisians and designer purse afficianados. When I arrived sans-pet, the guy checking me in kept looking over my shoulder, as if my dog was certain to show up at any moment. A few yards away, in front of a blazing fireplace surrounded by retro-sleek furnishings, hipsters and their dogs were draped on every surface. This place was so cool that even the dogs wore sunglasses after dark.
The fish bowl arrived while I was out to dinner: day-glo gravel, plastic plants, and one fat fish. He came with no instructions, no net for emergencies, no utensils, and no fish food, all of which attested to his impeccable manners and extremely low expectations for the night. He swam to the far side of the bowl and averted his eyes while I undressed, then swam back and watched me eat the dark chocolates that were waiting on my pillow. At least I didn't have to share them with a dog ...
