catherine
7-19-12, 7:14pm
This is just a plug for Embassy Suites. As many know, I travel a lot for business, and I get to know all kinds of hotels ranging from the OK functional ones to the super-duper Hotels of the Rich and Famous (sometimes the companies I work for get good deals at Ritz Carltons for example).
But right now I'm sitting in the interior courtyard of an Embassy Suites. I've noticed, from the three different ones I've visited recently, that they are similar. I LOVE the greenery that abounds in the center of the hotel. I'm sitting surrounded by several species of palms. There is the sound of a running fountain. The ceiling is constructed with translucent panes so that enough light gets in to keep the plants healthy, but it's light enough to allow me to hear the rain falling on it.
They even create a sense of community.. there's a happy hour from 4-7:30 and there are enough nooks and crannies as you wind through the courtyard that you can find an out-of-the-way corner and enjoy a glass of wine, surrounded by the plants and other hotel guests.
And the price--very reasonable--typically between $100-$200 a night outside of major markets (I'm in Raleigh right now.. the price was $169.
Bottom line, if you want to feel as close to a rain forest that you can while being in a standard hotel chain, this is the one!
But right now I'm sitting in the interior courtyard of an Embassy Suites. I've noticed, from the three different ones I've visited recently, that they are similar. I LOVE the greenery that abounds in the center of the hotel. I'm sitting surrounded by several species of palms. There is the sound of a running fountain. The ceiling is constructed with translucent panes so that enough light gets in to keep the plants healthy, but it's light enough to allow me to hear the rain falling on it.
They even create a sense of community.. there's a happy hour from 4-7:30 and there are enough nooks and crannies as you wind through the courtyard that you can find an out-of-the-way corner and enjoy a glass of wine, surrounded by the plants and other hotel guests.
And the price--very reasonable--typically between $100-$200 a night outside of major markets (I'm in Raleigh right now.. the price was $169.
Bottom line, if you want to feel as close to a rain forest that you can while being in a standard hotel chain, this is the one!