Traveling with the Jones — Sharing Travel Discoveries

A Look Inside the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square Hotel

by Janis on May 31, 2015

In mid-May we enjoyed a weekend visit to our favorite US city, San Francisco. We decided to stay at the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square hotel, using Marriott Rewards points. When we lived in San Francisco, we remember this hotel as the Pan Pacific.

The JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square hotel is located at 515 Mason Street, just a short block and a half walk to Union Square.

You enter the hotel at street level, but take the elevators to the third floor to reach the hotel’s lobby, reception desk and Level III restaurant and bar.

The hotel’s 329 guest rooms are situated around an open lobby that extends to the top of the 21-story hotel.

Many of the rooms feature the distinctive half-dome windows. Surprisingly, these windows open slightly, if you want some fresh air. While our first assigned room was on a high-level executive floor, we asked to be moved as there was an unhappy dog barking non-stop in the connecting room. The hotel does allow pets.

We were moved to room 1222, which had the unexpected bonus of being a PURE allergy-friendly room.

The spacious bathroom was marble with lots of mirrors, seemingly very 1980’s decor.

The bathroom had separate tubs and showers. You can see the closet (and the photographer) reflected from the hallway in the photo above.

We stayed using Marriott Rewards Points. The hotel is a category 9 award property, requiring between 120,000 – 135,000 Marriott Rewards points for a three night stay.

Our bottom line on the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square:

The Union Square location is convenient for exploring most of San Francisco’s prominent attractions
The staff is courteous and well-trained. We enjoyed the bar at Level III for drinks and dinner one evening.
The executive lounge on the 21st floor served an impressive breakfast, and offered coffee and beverages throughout the day.
Our room was spacious and comfortable.
The hotel’s room decor is dated from the 1980’s.
We would not be happy if we were forced to stay next door to a loudly barking dog.
We would stay again, although there are more desirable category 9 Marriott Rewards properties.

Have you stayed at the JW Marriott in San Francisco’s Union Square? What was your impression? Please share in comments below.

Looking for a hotel in San Francisco? Check out these other hotel posts:

10 Questions to Help Determine Where You Should Travel in Europe

by Janis on May 29, 2015

We love reader questions like this one we recently received from Marcy, a college student:

I just received the opportunity to travel to Europe for about 6 weeks this summer! I’m going with a friend and we were hoping to stay in two main places, a base camp of sorts, and then do day trips from there. We really want to experience the cultures instead of just see the tourist attractions. I was wondering if you had any recommendations on where we should go. We want to experience as much as possible, and you travel more than anyone I know!

We can’t tell Marcy where to visit in Europe. There are many destinations we love, but our favorite things in Europe might not be Marcy’s favorites, or your favorites.

What we can offer is a series of questions for Marcy and her traveling companion to ask themselves when planning their trip.

10 Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Choose Where to Travel in Europe

1. Do you or your traveling companions know any foreign languages?

If the answer is yes, you may want to consider going to places where that language is spoken. It’s not required to know a foreign language to travel in Europe (other than a few basis words I don’t speak any language other than English.) But if I often wish that I could speak the local language to get a deeper understanding of the culture and to conserve more easily with locals. For example, if you or someone you are traveling with speaks Spanish, you might want to pick somewhere in Spain to visit.

2. What are your familial and cultural ties to Europe?

Did your ancestor’s emigrate from Europe? My father’s family emigrated from Germany in the 1870’s, and my first trip to Europe was to Germany and Austria. Visiting Germany gave me a better understanding of some of my family’s traditions, even though they are three to four generations later. My mother’s family has ties to Scotland and so it was meaningful to visit Scotland (and to see the family plaid.)

Mr. Jones has family members in England so he enjoys English history and culture, as well as scones with clotted cream.

3. What kind of weather do you find most enjoyable?

Since you will be visiting during the summer, can you tolerate high temperatures? We remember being in Split, Croatia on the beautiful Adriatic coast in July and experiencing temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius (which is 113 degrees Fahrenheit.) We were miserable visiting the cultural sites that we wanted to see, and the oppressive heat zapped our energy.

If you prefer cooler temperatures consider Northern Europe and Scandinavian destinations rather than Mediterranean ones.

4. Would you rather take a mountain hike or swim in the sea?

Think about the kinds of activities and experiences that you want to enjoy in Europe. We loved hiking the well-developed trails around the Dolomites in northern Italy. For beautiful beaches, we’d head to Sicily or the Greek isles.

5. What hobbies or interests do you want to explore?

Are you more interested in Roman history or in the Vikings? Fast cars or the best pizza-making techniques? Impressionist art or The Sound of Music? Think about the things that interest you most, and try to include a visit to a destination that embodies them.

Do not spend your time seeing things that are not exciting to you. For example, don’t spend time in Paris visiting the Louvre if you dislike art, when you could be spending that time exploring something that enthralls you.

6. What’s your comfort zone?

Is it your first trip to Europe? Places with more tourists and fellow American visitors may be more comfortable. Think about the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Austria or Denmark.

Are you okay with getting a little more off the beaten path? Consider Eastern Europe or the smaller cities and destinations with fewer American visitors. For example, Bologna, Italy; or Krakow, Poland; or Ljubljana, Slovenia.

7. How’s your budget?

It costs more to travel in Switzerland than Spain. Eastern European countries or Turkey can be a bargain. We love Norway, but Oslo is one of the world’s most expensive cities.

8. How will you get around Europe?

Trains, buses, hiking, ferries, or a rail pass? We used cruise ships as our floating hotel during much of our summer in Europe.

9. Where will you stay?

Are you counting on staying in hostels or couch surfing? Do you have friends or extended family members that you can stay with for a few days?

Which places that you are considering have the best accommodations to meet your needs? For example, we have lots of Hilton and Marriott hotel reward points, so we tend to look for cities with hotels were we can use those points. Free hotel nights will stretch your budget significantly.

10. What places and or experiences are on you wish list?

Make a wish list of all of the places that you’d like to visit. Then look at a map or a globe and consider different routes that allow you to hit the most of your priorities — for example, if you want to experience Pamplona’s San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) Festival you have to be in Pamplona, Spain sometime between July 7 through the 14th when the on The Running of the Bulls occurs at 8am each morning.

Many destinations in Europe have local festivals, which you can learn about by visiting a local tourism website for the destination. Consider your preferences and tolerance for crowds. Those who prefer to avoid crowds should also check festival schedules to avoid visiting a destination during an event likely to bring be crowds.

Where ever you decide to go in Europe, be sure to allow time to enjoy the journey.

What advice do you have to add when considering the places to visit in Europe? Please share in comments below.

Other travel tips you might want to check out:

A Better Way to Send Postcards From Your Travels

6 Packing Tips From A Road Warrior

Our #1 Strategy for Staying Healthy When Traveling

Flying Internationally from the U.S. with Diabetic Medications and Supplies

How to Get Your Preferred Dining Seating on a Cruise

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20 Fun Facts About Antwerp, Belgium

by Janis on May 18, 2015

We will be visiting Antwerp, Belgium during an upcoming trip to Europe.

As part of our trip planning research, we learned some interesting facts about Belgium’s most populous city located on the Scheldt River about about 25 miles north of Brussels.

Antwerp, Belgium is located on the Scheldt River. Photo by Jules Grandgagnage.

20 Fun Facts About Antwerp, Belgium

1. While the country of Belgium has three different official languages including Dutch, French and German, the official language of the Antwerp province is Dutch, as in all Flemish provinces.

2. The name Antwerp is Anvers in French and Antwerpen in Dutch.

The Statue of Brabo and the giant’s hand is located in the middle of the ‘Grote Markt.’ The statue was made by sculptor Jef Lambeaux in 1887. Photo by Ph.viny.

3. A statue outside the Antwerp Town Hall celebrates the legend of how the city of got its name. A mythical giant named Antigoon lived by Scheldt river and demanded a toll from all those who crossed the river. If anyone refused to pay, Antigoon would sever one of their hands and throw it into the river. One day, Brabo, a brave young soldier, cut off the giant’s hand and tossed it in the river. Hence the name Antwerpen was derived from Dutch words that mean “to throw a hand.”

4. Another theory was that the name of Antwerp was derived from “anda” (at) and “werpum” (wharf.) The name Antwerp literally means “at the wharf” (aan het werf).

5. Antwerp hosted the 1920 Summer Olympics, the first games after WWI, and the only Olympic games to be hosted in Belgium. The streets of Antwerp were used for the road cycling events, while the boxing and wrestling events were staged at the Antwerp Zoo.

6. Founded in 1843, the Antwerp Zoo is one of the world’s oldest and houses more than 6,000 animals.

7. Between 80 and 90 percent of the world’s rough diamonds, and 50 percent of its cut diamonds are traded in Antwerp each year, earning the city the “The World’s Capital of Diamonds” moniker. The Diamond District covers nearly a mile of city streets. Visitors to DiamondLand, a vast diamond showroom, can watch the stones being cut and polished, and buy their favorites from a 15,000 piece collection.

8. Gin, the juniper-flavored liquor, is said to have evolved from the jenever or “Dutch Courage“ that British soldiers drank to calm their nerves before battle in 1585 when fighting in Antwerp against the Spanish during the Eighty Years’ War. Today in Antwerp, the De Vagant cafe and liquor store serves more than 200 varieties of jenever including sweet raspberry and crisp apple flavors.

Photo by Arminius from nl

9. The port of Antwerp is 50 miles inland from the North Sea at the upper end of the tidal estuary of the Scheldt River. The location of Antwerp’s port makes it easy for goods to move to central Europe via rail, road or river barge connections. As a result, the port of Antwerp has become Europe’s second largest sea port by total freight shipped. Cruise ships and river boats also dock at the port.

10. The massive Antwerpen-Centraal (Antwerp Central) is considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful railway stations. Opened in 1905 and designed by Louis Delacenserie, it has two neo-baroque facades, a large metal and glass dome that’s nearly 200 feet high, and a gilt and marble interior.

Antwerp’s cathedral has a 400 foot spire. Photo by Fuss.

11. Antwerp’s Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral, The Cathedral of Our Lady, features a 400 foot spire and dates back to 1352. The cathedral contains famous paintings of Peter Paul Rubens including The Raising of the Cross, the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and The Descent from the Cross.

12. Rubens is buried in The Church of St. James, with one of his paintings above his tomb.

Antwerp as it looked between 1890 and 1900.

13. Located on the Wapper Street in Antwerp, Rubenshuis was the home and studio of artist Peter Paul Rubens until he died in 1640. Now a museum, you can tour around famous painter’s house and gardens.

14. Located on both sides of the Scheldt River, the city of Antwerp is connected by three tunnels under the river. The Kennedy Tunnel was opened to road traffic in May, 1969, and was named after John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States.

15. Antwerp’s 26-story Boerentoren high rise was built in 1932. Also known as Farmers’ Tower or the KBC Tower, it is Europe’s oldest skyscraper.

16. The world’s first printed newspaper was published in Antwerp nearly 400 years ago.

17. Antwerp is home to world known is the home of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, one of the oldest in Europe that attracts many art scholars for fashion, visual arts and even jewelry design. The art school has a cult status as one of the most important fashion academies in Europe.

18. A Dog of Flanders is a novel about a boy and his dog that is set in Antwerp. The book was written by a British author Marie de la Ramee in 1872. There is a tribute statue of a boy and his dog located in Hoboken, a suburb near Antwerp.

19. Cookies called Antwerpse Handjes, literally “Antwerp Hands” are one of the city’s most famous foods, symbolizing the Antwerp trademark and folklore.

20. Antwerp’s Lotto Arena is the home of the Antwerp Giants professional basketball team, part of the Belgium Basketball League. Brandon Ubel, the team’s tallest player, is from the Kansas City area.

Learn more about Antwerp with these resources:

Antwerp Resized

Antwerp – A Travel Guide of Art and History

Check out these other Fun Facts posts:

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Trying the “Park Here, Stay Here, Fly There” Promo at Kansas City Airport Marriott

by Janis on May 15, 2015

When we made a long weekend trip to Panama City, Panama last month, we had a very early morning departure out of the Kansas City, Missouri airport.

We decided to try the “Park Here, Stay Here, Fly There” promotion at Kansas City Airport Marriott hotel.

By booking a 1-night hotel stay with this promotion prior to our trip, we were able to park our vehicle at the hotel during our trip, for about only $20 extra over the regular room charge. With the Circle Lot parking that we usually use going for $15 per day, this was an easy decision.

We drove to the hotel the night before. When we checked in, we were given a special parking tag to put in our vehicle to show that it was authorized to be parked in the hotel’s lot.

The Kansas City Airport Marriott has a shuttle to the airport that runs every 20 minutes. Since the hotel is located on airport property, it’s only about a 10 minute shuttle ride to be delivered to your airline check-in counter.

As for the stay at the Kansas City Airport Marriott, the hotel shows its age in many ways. Here’s a quick look inside room 730.

Room 730 is spacious but we were not excited to have a connecting room. We generally try to avoid those due to noise concerns, but thankfully that was not an issue during our brief stay.

Another downside for this room: there is no plug for phone charging on one side of the bed. We worked around that by moving unplugging the lamp behind the nightstand to plug in the phone. (Why can’t more hotels simply add an electrical plug on each side of the bed?)

The desk had a swing-out side work space, a nice design if you are trying to get work done on the road and need to spread out papers, computers and other devices.

The bathroom was standard, and on the small side.

We do appreciate the clean, light citrus smell of the Marriott hotels’ Thann brand of shampoo, soaps and lotion. I find the orange and tangerine hand wash is handy for fulfilling our number one strategy for staying healthy when traveling.

Our bottom line on the Kansas City Airport Marriott Hotel:

The hotel is convenient for fly-in meetings for groups of business travelers who can meet on site and not have to make the trek to downtown Kansas City or the Overland Park, Kansas area.
For early morning airport departures, the “Park Here, Stay Here, Fly There” Promo is a deal. You can leave your car for up to 14 days, and the shuttle delivers you to the airport departure gates easily, and then picks you up and returns you to your car upon your return.
The rooms are clean and comfortable, if a little dated.

Have you stayed in a hotel before a flight departure so that you could leave your car at the hotel while you were traveling? If so, please share what hotel and city in the comments below.