Rome is one of the most memorable cities you will ever visit. Even though most consider Paris to be the most romantic city in the world, I would argue that perhaps that distinction should belong to Rome.

If you are planning to visit Rome, I recommend finding accomodation in a very specific area. First, most of what Rome has to offer to tourists, lies within a 3 mile radius so if you are farther out, you will find yourself cabbing back and forth at least twice a day to and from your hotel. Second, with all the gelatos, the pasta and bread you will be consuming during your stay, staying close to the action means you will be walking to all the sites, hence burning off your intake to allow for more intake later.

On my very first visit to Rome, I stayed at the Eurostars International Palace on Via Nazionale. This proved to be an ideal location and I would recommend it to first time visitors to Rome. If you have been to Rome at least once before, then I think bed and breakfasts might be a better option on your following visits. While B&B’s are cheaper and include breakfast, they also often lack the service and hospitality of some of the larger hotels. The hosts often don’t speak english so that might be an issue.

One of the things I noticed during that stay was that it was amazing how much you can discover when on foot. For example, we walked four blocks west from our hotel and ran into the Vittoriano monument. Most people don’t even have this place on their radar, but it is an amazing looking building. A few blocks south of here are the ruins of ancient rome – the Forum and the Colliseum, while a few blocks north of here lie the most of the other places on your checklist. Indeed, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Campo dei Fiori and even the bridge to cross over to Vatican city, all lie within a few minutes walk of each other. While it might be worth while to get to the Vatican via a cab ride (since its the farthest), all the other sites are best covered on foot. Along the way, there are many popular cafes, gelatarias, restaurants and historic sites to discover. All you need is a map and the right attitude.

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Stay tuned for my List of Things to Do in Rome!

For those who are unfamiliar with the vast array of hotel offerings in the Southern California area, it is often a daunting task to pick the right one. How does one get the best comfort and cool? Well look no further, because The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California is the perfect hotel for the trendy and single.

A single person’s dream, this hotel stands tall, a block away from the warm sandy beach of Santa Monica. The view from this high-rise is nothing short of breath-taking and the crowd here is young professionals including lawyers, actors and entrepreneurs.

A few years ago, The Huntley Hotel was simply the Radisson Huntley. Aside from its great location and its height, the hotel was an embarrassment to the area. Its musty corridors and stale carpeting, along with lack-luster food and service made it a sloppy choice for a place like Santa Monica. In fact, the only reason I ever went to this hotel as a local was to listen to a ZZ-top look-alike perform rock and roll at its roof-top restaurant called Toppers.

When Preferred Hotels bought this property from Radisson (in 2005-06), the $15-million renovation under the direction of designer Thomas Schoos completely changed the look and feel of the hotel.

Now the hotel is a happening place. With its dark wood and white contrast furniture, it boasts a succinct Los Angeles feel. Toppers is now the Penthouse and it is a hot spot for straight and gay singles. The view of Malibu’s beaches as they welcome the gentle waves of the Southern California coastline under a sliding-top open-air restaurant/bar with white furniture and dark trims, a huge fireplace and expensive drinks make the Penthouse an ideal place to meet new people after a hard-day’s work. Of the many celebs that frequent the Penthouse, I have run into Luke Wilson and Dean Cain myself.

I won’t bore you with the amenities and room sizes. You can get that off any decent website. However, I will admit that rooms are pricey, but then it is Santa Monica. Also, the food isn’t the best, but that is not a problem. The hotel is minutes away from the Promenade in Santa Monica and the Santa Monica pier, so there are plenty of alternatives for the hungry traveler.

Book a room at the Huntley Hotel for your next visit to Los Angeles.