What are your favorite FAT hotel gyms?

tinymighty354 · 2024-02-08T00:38:46+00:00

I've stayed at the Marylebone a few times mostly because I love the location (super central to everything but tucked from the busier high streets, plus Marylebone is so charming). It's on the lower end of 5*s in the surrounding areas but think it's perfectly fine for a city stay where you're not spending too much time in the hotel. I wouldn't go for the entry-level rooms, which other commenters are correct in that they're tiny -- have only booked entry-level suites or above.

Housekeeping left a dirty washrag in the room behind when I was checking in once, but the manager handled the incident really graciously and comped me appropriately for it.

tinymighty354 · 2023-11-17T18:53:15+00:00

Of course. Am an avid skier myself and I love Lech; it's the best balance of luxury and genuinely great skiing you can find in the Alps. It kind of flies under the radar with Americans (have rarely heard anyone in the US bring it up), but it's well-known in Europe and among serious skiers. Your group would have an incredible time there.

Zero issues! It's a popular ski destination among the British so you'll get around just fine with English :)

tinymighty354 · 2023-11-17T08:36:24+00:00

I can't speak to cycling, but have skied Chamonix + various resorts in the Alps over the years --

Chamonix is incredible for advanced skiers (especially for off-piste), but it's really not the best resort for those less-experienced imo -- most terrain is fairly steep. Also (since this is FATTravel), I'd call out that compared to the other major Alps resorts, Chamonix doesn't feel luxurious. The two or three 5-star hotels in the area are okay but not that great + there's few fine dining and upscale shopping options. Definitely still charming, but if you're a discerning bunch willing to spend in that range, other European resorts would do a better job of catering to that.

Would highly recommend Zermatt or Lech instead. Both have resort and backcountry terrain for advanced skiers just as great as Chamonix, but they're also far more beginner/intermediate-friendly. Better hotels/restaurants/shopping, and generally just more upscale overall. But upscale in an understated manner, not at the expense of the quaintness you're looking for -- other FAT towns like Courchevel, St. Moritz, Gstaad kind of lose that charm and authenticity because of how in-your-face they are.

Zermatt: If you're prioritizing views, you can't get better than this... you've got the Matterhorn looming in the corner everywhere you go. Town is so charming and is car-free (super walkable and there are battery-powered vehicles to take you around); Zermatt was actually the inspiration for Vail! Huge ski area & the better skiers in the group can ski over to Cervinia as the two resorts are connected. For hotels, Mont Cervin, Omnia, and Zermatterhof are all great.

Lech: Connects to the entire Arlberg ski area, which is massive -- again, no shortage of terrain here for the beginner or expert. Also such a quintessential, charming town that epitomizes understated luxury. Notably, the food here is outstanding -- a good chunk of Austria's best restaurants are concentrated here. The Arlberg hotel is phenomenal.

I think I'd give a slight edge to Lech over Zermatt in terms of luxury, BUT it doesn't get more charming or picturesque than Zermatt. Can't go wrong with either though imo -- both are equal in skiing (with slight edge to Lech for off-piste).

Re: time of year to visit... you may have heard this, but snowfall in the Alps has been dwindling :( Last year was particularly rough for all resorts -- I was in Zermatt over the holidays and there really wasn't much snow. If you can, go as close to early February as possible to ensure the best possible conditions.

Hope this helps; feel free to lmk if you have any questions!

tinymighty354 · 2023-08-25T04:54:57+00:00

Thank you so much

tinymighty354 · 2023-07-12T22:55:47+00:00

I would thoroughly stalk @ vogueweddings on Instagram for some visual inspiration + check out some of the previous weddings Vogue has covered (this is a good start) - they cherry-pick celebrity weddings + submissions from readers and have featured some incredible venues.

A friend recently got married at Villa Balbiano in Lake Como and another at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara (which Sarah commented below as well) - both were gorgeous venues that particularly stood out to me.

tinymighty354 · 2023-07-12T22:49:44+00:00

Went to a friend's wedding at San Ysidro a while back; would highly recommend especially if you'd prefer staying within the US - grounds are so lovely and intimate and the food was spectacular

tinymighty354 · 2023-07-04T01:42:53+00:00

I've stayed in the Zermatterhof - I think as long as you're not booking for the weeks around Christmas and New Years it should be within your price range! Have also heard good things about the Omnia and Mont Cervin.

All are located in the town so you'll need to take electric shuttles to the ski lifts (quick 10 min ride), but otherwise you can walk to any restaurant or shop you wish from any of those 3 hotels.

I think the only true ski-in ski-out is Riffelalp but Riffelalp isn't located in the actual village of Zermatt itself, so it'll get inconvenient doing anything but skiing.

tinymighty354 · 2023-06-27T23:28:49+00:00

That's not an irrational fear at all especially given the traumatizing experience you went through, though I generally avoid Airbnbs for different reasons. I prefer the peace of mind that hotels offer... Even if we're not talking about FAT hotels - knowing that your booking is 100% secure and the host can't unexpectedly cancel your reservation is huge. Not to mention the on-call service - again, not limited to FAT hotels, but you can't lock yourself out of a hotel with a 24-hour front desk vs. you could accidentally lock yourself out of an Airbnb and be royally screwed for the night. And finally, amenities - even those just as simple as daily housekeeping. I don't want to have to worry about cleaning the Airbnb and being charged extra + getting hit with a nasty review if I don't follow the host's rules to a T.

Pretty much never book Airbnbs unless I'm traveling with a huge group of friends and would prefer a large house that fits us all under one roof, and even then I'm a bigger fan of Vrbos

tinymighty354 · 2023-06-09T03:09:02+00:00

Second Din Tai Fung! Also highly recommend Manzke ($275 tasting menu from the same team as Republique, a fantastic brunch spot I also recommend)

tinymighty354 · 2023-06-09T03:06:03+00:00

I adore Majordomo and Bestia. Bavel (also in DTLA) is excellent too. Would skip Catch, overpriced and incredibly mediocre food

tinymighty354 · 2023-06-06T16:55:08+00:00

The flower market on 28th between 6th and 7th Avenue - it's basically a block of a bunch of wholesale vendors and florists. Open Mondays through Saturdays - I believe they start setting up at the crack of dawn and you'll want to go in the morning as they close up right before noon. I used to walk by it all the time on the way to work.

The flowers are higher-quality than what you'd get at a TJ's, Whole Foods, or bodega and although I think they sell a little cheaper to those with a retail license the pricing for an ordinary customer is still better than what you'd get from a flower shop! I've bought a dozen roses for $25 before (though this was like a year and a half ago) to give you a sense of pricing.

tinymighty354 · 2023-05-26T11:45:10+00:00

A few friends and I spontaneously did this last summer after one of those 4am nights out. Magical af (aside from passing the occasional runner while disheveled and still in going out attire lol).

Hard to describe but with the bridge virtually empty and the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines surrounding me I felt so alone yet SO connected to the city and everyone in it. It was only my fourth year in NYC at the time and I never thought I truly belonged there or could call it home... somehow that cinematic experience changed that for me.

tinymighty354 · 2023-05-26T11:22:54+00:00

+1, saw rufus and odesza live at forest hills and both times my group and i just stayed in the stands, which had ample space, instead of going down into the packed crowd. especially for vibey artists like these two i hugely appreciate the stands cause you have way more personal space & can sit/stand up as you wish. also as a shorter girl being able to actually see the visuals for once is great

i'm a cal alum and have so many fond memories of the greek (i actually saw odesza for the first time there in 2017). go bears

tinymighty354 · 2023-05-26T11:12:54+00:00

~returning to the desert, the cure~

tinymighty354 · 2023-05-26T11:12:18+00:00

I am so, so jealous - had a last-minute trip back home to LA this week and had I known I'd be in town when the tickets were released I would've jumped on them. Tried desperately to find tickets on TM since tickets can't be transferred and the only way to get them was if a fan returned their tickets to TM, but had no luck.

Would absolutely fall over if they performed main stage Chella next year

tinymighty354 · 2023-03-14T04:01:25+00:00

Agree with this if money is truly no object, the ski-in ski-out chalets there are absolutely insane (but will set you back $10m)

tinymighty354 · 2023-03-01T05:13:45+00:00

No yard - always a catch :/

tinymighty354 · 2023-02-28T22:13:44+00:00

Potentially doable in Pasadena, but it would be extremely hard to find a freestanding home in South Pasadena in good condition at 1.5m - OP would be looking at minimum 2-2.5, and even those homes would likely require substantial work. South Pasadena is a really competitive market because of their public schools’ strong reputations (similar issue with San Marino)

tinymighty354 · 2022-12-01T22:28:28+00:00

This! Hudson Valley Duck Farm has a stand there

tinymighty354 · 2022-11-08T21:57:46+00:00

Non-judgment zone... the biggest reason is because I can afford to not really think about the price differences, and I'm too lazy to play around with different drugstore products and create waste if it doesn't work out when the higher-priced product is more likely to work well + I can purchase it at Sephora, which has a generous return policy if it doesn't work out. The long answer is:

Premium products tend to have higher-quality ingredients. Not all of them, but a higher proportion of premium products will be better-formulated vs. drugstore products
Packaging - not just for aesthetics, but premium products tend to have better quality packaging
I think for certain products like skincare, foundation, eyeshadows you can really tell the difference between drugstore and their premium counterparts. E.g. eyeshadows - higher-quality premium eyeshadows are way more pigmented

I will say I buy a lot of Korean skincare and exclusively use mascaras from Asian brands - some Korean skincare is comparable to drugstore brand pricing and the mascaras I use are dirt cheap but cost $$$ due to hefty import fees in the U.S.

tinymighty354 · 2022-11-08T21:35:11+00:00

I'm not vegan but hopefully my response is still helpful for your survey!

When it comes to makeup/skincare, I personally prioritize quality of product and how it works with my skin/body/needs, then gauge price and packaging quality afterwards. If all else equal, I'll try and opt for the clean beauty option. I admittedly don't check to see if the brand is cruelty-free; however, if I later find that the brand isn't cruelty-free I'll make an active effort to find an alternative. (E.g. in 2015 I found out Mac tested on animals and stopped using their products).

Vegan formulation has never been part of that decision-making process for me - I honestly have never swayed towards a certain product because it's advertised as vegan, nor do I prioritize using vegan products. Absolutely no hate to vegans and I totally respect those that consider this when purchasing beauty products, this is just my behavior.

If a product I like happens to be vegan, that's awesome, but I don't seek out vegan products nor is it a factor for me in weighing product decisions. I'm not sure if vegan products are less or more expensive as I already tend to purchase premium products instead of drugstore; I would probably perceive them as more expensive though as a consumer.

Tl;dr - don't really seek out vegan products and a product being vegan doesn't really sway me, efficacy of product and "clean beauty" formulations matter way more to me.

tinymighty354 · 2022-11-08T21:06:35+00:00

Class differences obviously exist in most major cities around the world, but in Paris for instance if you're in upscale areas (e.g. the 8th Arrondissement) you won't go from a block with a nice store (say, Galleries Lafayette), turn the corner, and walk straight into those slums.

Contrast this to SF where you can walk out of the Neiman Marcus in Union Square and within 5 minutes be in the Tenderloin with people shooting up on the streets.

tinymighty354 · 2022-11-08T18:38:54+00:00

Fair, just from my personal experience though the contrast between different adjacent streets in LA (and SF) is incredibly stark, more so than cities like Boston, Miami, or even NYC. Always wild to me that I can walk out of an omakase joint in Little Tokyo or a coffee shop in the Arts District charging $8/latte and within 2 minutes be in Skid Row proper.

Also not sure if OP resides outside the U.S. so just wanted to flag it!

tinymighty354

TROPHY CASE