Interview with the Room 77 Gals!

Posted by: Nara Posted date: May 14, 2012 In: Home, Other Resources, Travel Tips | comment : 1

We Interviewed two lovely gals from Room 77, a great site to find amazing hotels!

We believe that one of the top travel experiences of your vacation, or backpacking trip comes from your accommodation experience. So we wanted Heej Jones, the director of Content and Community and Jessica Skelton, the Marketing Communications Specialist at Room 77 share their expertise and resourceful knowledge about hotels with you!!

For Heej: What languages do you speak? And did you learn any of them while traveling/backpacking or learning in another country?

Other than English, I speak Korean and Japanese. I took Japanese language all throughout college and spent a few months studying in Tokyo. I took German in high school, but I’ve forgotten virtually everything.

Heej Jones

Jess: What hotel(s) would you recommend staying at, if backpacking Paris, France? And why?

It really depends on your personal budget and what’s important to you in a hotel (e.g. close to nightlife, near lots of outdoor activities and so on), but that being said, there are a lot of fun options for backpackers. I personally like Absolute Budget, which is in the Oberkampf district in the 11^th arrondissement, because it’s in a more residential area but still close to a great nightlife scene. Also, the rooms are bright and cheery!

Jessica Skelton

Heej: What hotel in Europe would you recommend staying at, if you wanted an exquisite and romantic honeymoon experience?

–> I’d have to say Perivolas in Santorini (http://www.perivolassuites.gr/?lang=en). The views are said to be absolutely breathtaking, and the hotel itself looks incredibly tranquil, intimate and romantic – a perfect escape for honeymooners!

Jess: Within North America, what hotel would you classified as the most eco-friendly hotel? Would that hotel make the effort to educate their guests about being environmental friendly?

Bardessono in downtown Yountville is definitely very high up on the list – it’s achieved LEED Platinum certification, which is the highest distinction for environmental design. What I love about this hotel is that it totally proves that green can be hip and sexy; I feel like sometimes people think a green hotel equals toilets that don’t flush and a lack of housekeeping – not true! While Bardessono might not teach any classes about environmentalism, they certainly lead by example. From the 940 solar panels on the hotel’s rooftops that provide a large supply of the hotel’s electricity, to recycling and composting programs, the hotel can leave guests with a lot of takeaways on how to live green (stylishly) at home.

Heej: What basic tips can you give OTB’s readers, when staying in a hotel? (What to pack.. etc?)

–> Don’t settle for a bad room. I recommend calling the hotel about 24 hours in advance of your stay, and letting them know your preferences. Most hotels will be more than willing to accommodate your needs.

Jess: What is the best amenity a hotel can provide a guest?

Oh boy—that’s a tough one! Above all else, free Wi-Fi is the single best amenity a hotel can give you. Nothing sours my experience faster than having to go work in the lobby or pony up $12 for a night of Wi-Fi. If we’re talking posh amenities, I think the best would be a butler that’s on call 24 hours a day, which they offer to guests staying in The Peninsula Suite at The Peninsula Hong Kong.

Heej: What are the top upcoming stylish boutique hotels in North America? What’s so unique about them?

- I don’t know if these are “upcoming”, but here are a few of my favorite boutiques:

* Library Hotel in NYC (Terrific boutique in Midtown, with lots of charm. Guest room floors correspond to categories in the the Dewey Decimal System!),

* Ace Hotel in Portland, Oregon (The ultimate hipster hotel. Stumptown Coffee serves phenomenally good coffee, right off the lobby.)

* Maison 140 Beverly Hills (Uber-charming, French-inspired hotel with just 43 rooms.)

* The Betsy in South Beach, Florida (Great location across from the beach, chic rooms, great restaurant).

Jess: If someone offered you a million dollars to spend at single hotel. What hotel in the world would you go to and why?

I get giddy just thinking about the St. Regis Bora Bora, so if I had a million bucks to spend, I’d first and foremost book one of the Royal Overwater Two-Bedroom Pool Villas. They have private terraces, private infinity pools, outdoor showers, gazebos and glass viewing panels throughout the suite that let you look into the water below. With whatever leftover money I had, I would order tons of room service, get a lot of massages and partake in as many adventurous activities as possible.