Making up for lost time, earlier this summer, me and two of my closest girlfriends decided to take a trip upstate to spend a little 'R and R' time together. We came across this stunning Airbnb listing in Germantown with stunning decor and a beautiful view of the Catskill. Right then and there, we quickly made our reservation and were off to the trip a couple of weeks later.

We booked the property for a 3-days and 2-nights stay, which was just the perfect amount of time. As always, I was the one out of all of us to overpacked for a weekend getaway because I bought 3 different summer dresses and 2 other casual outfits that I totally didn't even get to wear. By now, I'm sure you're all familiar with how much I love linen- so true to myself, I repeated two of these Sleeper dresses back to back.

On the first day, the girls and I spent most of our time making a big lunch, tanning, and we even set up a little picnic by the dock that also was part of the location. I didn't get a good photo of me in this swimsuit I bought specifically for this girl's trip, but I think regardless of where you're going in the summer, packing one never hurts! Later that evening, I threw on this lemon yellow dress for the picnic with the most darling sleeves (they also came in handy for protecting my arms from mosquito bites- we are all city girls after all).

I saved my most versatile dress for the last day. I love how this one easily looks like it could pass for loungewear, but better, and still appropriate for going out. I spent the morning making some coffee for the girls in this lovely kitchen while they were off on a morning run. This kitchen and the view was absolute bliss and I now dream of having one that faces such a view sometime in my life.

The weekend flew by really quickly and though this post is much shorter than my usual travel recaps, it goes to show how disconnected from my phone and camera I was and I was fully present and enjoying my time with my girls in the most beautiful place. For a recap in motion, see this.

Wearing both dresses by Sleeper (yellow linen one) and (white linen one) with a new bag addition from Yuzefi.
Airbnb Listing by Martina's Place (Instagram)

VIEW POST

Staycation in Hudson Valley at The Maker Hotel

A few months overdue but, I finally sorted through all of the beautiful images that I captured at The Maker Hotel when Christina and I took an impromptu staycation there earlier this year. Before coming back to New York, I had already had this gem of a hotel bookmarked on my list-- and of all my friends, I couldn't think of anyone else who would be just as excited as I am to escape there for a couple of nights. Located in the Hudson Valley upstate New York, The Maker Hotel was easily accessible by the Amtrak at Penn Station for the both of us.

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the front desk and got invited right away to the bar for a welcome drink on the house. This eased us into the property and immediately made us feel right at home. It was dark by the time we came into our room, and even in a lowlight and quiet setting, we were blown away by the decor and every little attention to detail.

We were lucky enough to book the 'Artist Studio' which, true to its name, would be every art appreciators' dream room to retreat in. Asides from having one of the fluffiest and most comfortable hotel beds that I've ever slept on, the bathroom of this studio was second to none. The 'Artist Studio's' bathroom is light-filled, decorated with antique limestone and Moorish tiles. Along with the rainfall shower adorn with gold-hardware details, it also comes with an elegant clawfoot tub. The best part of all, heated floors! If the rest of the property was not as equally enjoyable and beautiful, I personally could have spent a good week in this bathroom alone.

The Maker Hotel was high on my list to visit for several reasons. One of it though was how thoughtfully it was created. If you get the chance to visit the actual space, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say that this place feels more of a passion project than an actual for-profit accommodation property. From little things, such as a perfume room on the second floor, which features a small cabinet housing some of the owner's favorite scents for guests to explore and try throughout their stay, to the different wallpaper patterns, some of which are hand-painted and one of a kind, you can bet that every piece of furniture comes with their own story.

Intended to be a space where one can comfortably spend their time relaxing in one place, The Maker Hotel has a cafe and bakery, a bar tucked away in the back that feels like you're going into a speakeasy and plenty of dining tables for the restaurant that flows from the library area all the way to the floor to ceiling glass conservatory. Christina and I visited the property around February so we didn't get to enjoy the outdoor area, but if you are here in the summer months, the pool and patio area look so inviting!

Between snoozing in our comfy robes with breakfast in bed and spending our afternoons making bubble baths for both photos and pleasure, our time quickly flew by. I'll surely miss the pistachio croissant in the morning and the infamous "choco taco" as a nightcap at this wonderful hotel.

Camera Gear Used: Nikon D750 (with kit) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-70mm F3.5 lens.

VIEW POST

Staycation at The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon

I had the pleasure of staying at The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon back in November of 2020 with my boyfriend. This was about a couple of months after the hotel opened in September. Even just writing this, I'm reminded of the fresh smell of beautiful wood that greeted us when we first stepped into the forested lobby located on the 31st floor of the Kamiyacho Trust Tower. As it is one of the most exciting new hotel properties anticipated to open last year, I had so much expectation for it. Notably, it is hoped to capture the perfect balance of "east meets west." And as someone who grew up in New York City, I could not have imagined a more perfect resemblance of this idea in this particular EDITION hotel, part of the Marriot International group. By now, if you search up this hotel, you'll be able to find every fact that you need to know about it, so I will continue sharing my stay and thoughts instead.

Upon arrival, we were quickly greeted and checked in (after all of the safety measure requirements of course, due to Covid). Although we were a bit early, our room had already been prepared for us, so it was nice to quickly stop by and leave our things before heading to a couple's massage at the The Spa at The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon. While I have not had too many luxurious hotel spa treatments before, I could still sense that this one would be extremely self-rewarding thanks to all of the pre-spa services that were offered to us; from a quick consultation to make sure what was best for our massages, the welcoming drinks, and even a quick run-through of our private spa room to make sure that we found everything at ease. With all of the working from home as of late, it definitely made the 90-min massages that we got even more satisfying than we could hope for. Something that I did not get to photograph from the couple spa suite was their sauna and steam room, which was something I found to be super luxurious and thoughtful as I have not seen that from any other hotel's massage services.

After a quick refresher, we headed back to our room and were greeted with a sunset view of the Tokyo Tower right outside our window, just about to light up for the evening. We sat cozily on the couch and admired the skyline view outside our massive windows, and just couldn't help but feel a sense of calmness and relaxation even though we were somewhere in the center of one of the busiest cities in the world. (If you followed along with my stories on Instagram, you'd probably remember that my boyfriend actually fell asleep shortly after on this couch because the faux fur throw just made this spot that much comfier for a quick pre-dinner nap).

That night, we were treated to a lovely dinner at The Blue Room (an all-day restaurant that's located behind the Lobby Bar, also with a sweeping view of the Tokyo skyline and even higher glass windows for that up-close and personal seat next to the infamous Tokyo Tower. While the food was truly one of the best western meals I've had in a long time, what made our dinner more special was the knowledgeable sommelier and restaurant service that you usually don't expect to see and get in most hotel dining areas. Overall, I highly recommend the restaurant if you happen to be looking for a taste of New York's fine dining in Tokyo.

Though we ended the night quite early (due to the responsible hotel staff for following city-wide regulations of closing up before 10 pm), we weren't too worried even if we stayed up a little longer for another drink in our room as the hotel's generous check-out time of 12 pm by default meant that we could take our time in the morning and have some breakfast too.

Sticking to the "east meets west" theme, we decided to order some 'Crispy Pork Bacon' (if you're from out of Japan, you'll definitely understand how difficult this is to come by in Tokyo) and a glorious 'Avocado Toast' (also something that you don't get often here either). But if you're in the mood for something more traditional, then the hotel has that covered too.

A quick shower after devouring my breakfast to take advantage of the hotel's special Le Labo "black tea" signature scent that's offered throughout the entire hotel. I spent most of my morning after that in the hotel's La Bottega robe, which I was so close to purchasing one for myself because it is one of the best robes I've ever tried on. One of the things that truly made this hotel one of my favorites, out of all the ones I've experienced, is the design of the rooms. So airy, spacious, and a really delicate mix of Japanese elements but still quite modern. I later found out that the interior was all designed by Kengo Kuma (the same designer of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium) and it all made sense.

Wearing: Joseph ribbed knit sweater, Toteme jeans, Common Project sneakers and Chanel WOC

It all happened so fast and this stay seems to pass by so effortlessly, that the next thing we knew, it was time to check-out. Before leaving, we enjoyed a brief moment in the green lobby. Unlike some of the more upscale, and high-end hotels that I've been to in Tokyo, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon doesn't feel pretentious or stuffy at all. I felt at ease in casual everyday wear, as you can see above. Something like a cozy neutral knits, some classic denim, and clean sneakers will do. I'm such a big fan of beautiful spaces that you can be comfortable and yourself in because, at the end of the day, I think luxury is all about the comfort of feeling like you're home. For my partner and I, our stay here totally satisfy a little bit of our cravings to be back in New York City again. But when I'm back in Tokyo, you can bet that I'll be back here for a night or two again, for sure.

Press/Media Stay. All opinions are my own.
—
Camera Gear Used: Nikon D600 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-70mm F3.5 lens. The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon

VIEW POST