Where to Stay in Paris: Le Narcisse Blanc

I've always felt right at home in Paris, more than any other European city I've been to. Perhaps it's the similar energy to that of NYC's, or the attention to detail in all the beautiful design and surroundings that I love so much. Parisians manage to achieve multiple juxtapositions at once when it comes to design: they're super classic with neutrals, but use pops of color the most sophisticated way; they stay minimal with clean lines and classic silhouettes, yet step out of the box with novel flourishes that blend in seamlessly. And everything oozes romance-- not necessarily in the amorous way, but more so in the romance of the everyday, like a little bit of beauty interwoven throughout in plain sight.

Now taking those notes into account, dream up the most quintessentially Parisian boutique hotel, and Le Narcisse Blanc is exactly that in real life. This boutique hotel is a gem that is nestled right between the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, a mere few blocks from the Pont Alexandre III bridge over the Seine...

LifestyleMinna LeeMay 3, 2017Travel, City Guides, Hotels

Where to Stay in Austin: Archer Hotel

Austin, Texas is known for its great local food, music, art, design, and rapidly expanding city. It's become a destination city for fun weekend getaways and bachelor/bachelorette parties. After all, good food, entertainment, and fun things to explore all make for the perfect weekend getaway, no?

While I'll be sharing an entire Austin city guide with you guys soon, I wanted to share my experience at the Archer Austin first because it just surpassed my expectations on every level.

When looking for the best place to stay in Austin, I discovered that the Archer Austin had newly opened. The newest addition to the boutique hotel scene down in Austin, it is located...

LifestyleMinna LeeDecember 7, 2016Travel, Hotels

Weekend Guide to Beacon + Cold Spring

For all those New Yorkers looking for a quick weekend getaway, Beacon and Cold Spring have become the hotspot destinations in the Hudson Valley. Accessibility, nature, good food, and relaxing activities to do all have the makings of the types of weekend getaways that New Yorkers crave after hectic workweeks.

Per my usual city guide format, I'll be dividing up these differing sections by where to stay, eat, and explore in both Beacon and Cold Spring for the perfect weekend getaway. But I have so many amazing pictures from this trip to share with you, but I'll be formatting this guide a little differently than usual, in the interest of efficiency!

LifestyleMinna LeeNovember 30, 2016City Guides, Travel, Hotels

Where to Stay in Portland, Maine: Black Point Inn

I was starting to put together my weekend guide to Portland, then I realized the post was getting a little too long because I just had too many gorgeous photos to share, just like with the dining experience at Tempo Dulu in Portland. So, I'm breaking it up to do it justice. Today, I'm going to take you guys on a tour of where you should stay if you're looking for a boutique hotel in Portland, Maine.

Boutique hotel is not what I would use to describe Black Point Inn, as it's more of a classic historic New England Inn gone lux, however it does pop up when searching for accommodations in the Portland area.

It just doesn't get more classic than this. If you are looking for a gorgeous historical New England inn...

LifestyleMinna LeeOctober 18, 2016City Guides, Travel, Hotels

Tempo Dulu in Portland, Maine

I knew Portland in Maine was a town full of food fanatics, but I don't think I was quite expecting the level of innovation that I experienced.

That statement might seem ironic, coming from a New Yorker who lives in the epicenter of the home to some of the best restaurants in the world.

But in New York...

LifestyleMinna LeeOctober 5, 2016Travel, City Guides, Hotels

Exploring Carmel-by-the-Sea

After departing San Francisco to begin our California Coast roadtrip, our first major stop on our way down south was Carmel by the Sea and the surrounding Monterey area.

Today I'll be sharing a bit about our short and sweet getaway in this quaintly charming little town, and the beautiful new Hotel Carmel that we got to experience.

Carmel is an adorable little area with the...

LifestyleMinna LeeAugust 17, 2016Travel, City Guides, Hotels

Half Moon Bay California Coast Guide

The experience at Half Moon Bay is one of my most memorable parts of my California Coast roadtrip, and it's one of the parts I've been most looking forward to sharing with you all.

Just 50 minutes outside of San Francisco and 20 miles from the SFO airport, Half Moon Bay marks a great entry point to the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) if you are driving to or from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I highly recommend...

LifestyleMinna LeeJuly 7, 2016Travel, City Guides, Hotels

San Francisco Travel Diary

Everyone ready for a little virtual trip to San Francisco for this #traveltuesday?

Even though I had never been to northern California before, I have had a strange connection to it for years and almost feel like I had already been. Many of my friends are from the Bay area, and I've been repeatedly told how they can just "picture" me in my element there. Which, is...

LifestyleMinna LeeJune 21, 2016Travel, City Guides, Hotels

When in Portland

My wanderlust is kicking up fiercely right now, so I thought it'd be a good time to finally (I'm only three months late, I know) share the highlights of my trip to Portland. I also learned, when in Portland, you donut stop drinking coffee. Yes, donut. Because they, along with coffee, are everywhere and for good reason...

LifestyleMinna LeeMarch 9, 2016Travel, City Guides, Hotels

Hudson Valley Weekend Getaways from NYC: The Stewart House

My first town I covered in this series of Hudson Valley weekend getaways from NYC was the adorable town of Hudson, which is fantastic for antique shopping, artisanal food, and wandering little streets. This week, I want to tell you guys about a hidden gem for a wonderfully quiet and peaceful weekend getaway: The Stewart House in Athens, NY...

LifestyleMinna LeeDecember 14, 2015Travel, City Guides, Hotels

Lugano, Switzerland

After seeing the beauty of Switzerland in the mixture of urban and nature in Zürich, and then the smaller mountainside villages in Malans and Chur, I wasn't sure how much more this stunning country could charm me. Then we arrived in the little town named Lugano...

LifestyleMinna LeeOctober 22, 2015Travel, City Guides, Hotels

1 Day in Florence

When I realized that we were going to have to trim our time in Florence down to just one day, my face looked like the the really sad, depressed emoji. During college, I was supposed to study abroad in this city, but due to life circumstances, I had to drop out of the program last minute. So, Florence always held a special place on my bucket list as a city I couldn't miss.

Only 24 hours in one of the most popular European cities? We were on a mission to do it all, and...

LifestyleMinna LeeSeptember 30, 2015Travel, City Guides, Hotels

A 100 Foot Culinary Journey at White Street

As you all know, I love the culinary arts for all the wonderful elements it brings together- family, culture, love, and food. So naturally, I love all movies with foodie themes such...

RecipesMinna LeeNovember 26, 2014Cooking, Hotels