Situated on Wilshire Boulevard, this oceanfront property features manicured grounds, beautiful interior design, and one of the most popular restaurants to dine at, FIG. Not to mention one of the most favorited places to party on the weekends, the Bungalow. Trust me when I say that the line gets long really fast on any given Saturday or Sunday. I opted out of the partying for our stay and chose a more relaxed itinerary for the weekend featuring poolside tanning, beach hangs, and breakfast in the room on our private patio. 

Kia Orana! Welcome to Rarotonga, where the sun is always shining and your worries just automatically float away. 

Located between Broadway and Bryant Park, is The Knickerbocker, a luxury hotel that's known to be the IT spot for New Year's Eve because the ball drops right across the street. With 330 sleek and contemporary style guest rooms and an amazing rooftop, you can bet that The Knickerbocker gets booked up quite often. Luckily for us, we were able to snag a room during our recent trip to NYC. 

San Diego has always been my second home and with each visit, the notion of moving there (in the future) gets stronger. With this last visit, however, I may just rethink getting a house and figure out how I can just live at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar.

Located in San Jose del Cabo, Krystal Grand Los Cabos hotel is made for lovers, families, and anyone looking for a relaxing time. From the drinks to the tacos to the variety of dining options, Krystal Grand Los Cabos is the beachfront resort you'll call your "home away from home." 

Joshua Tree Acres consists of a handful of beautifully decorated airstreams on a plot of land, just 20 minutes from a real human interaction. You have the choice to be social with others who are staying on the property or you can just isolate yourself in your airstream, use the communal areas when no one else is there, and pretend that no one else exists. It’s really up to you. Luckily for us, we had a rad group of people staying while we were there and made some new friends by the end of the trip. By the way, have you ever heard of the card game ‘threes’? It’s quite addicting.

The Fairmont Royal York is located in the center of Downtown Toronto, across the street from Union Station, and is nearby the CN Tower, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, and most importantly, several boba spots (hah). While I didn’t get to personally see most of the big attractions, thanks to the flu, KSOLE was kind enough to wander and snap a few shots for me.

When it comes to traveling, the hardest part isn’t packing, as I’ve become quite the professional in that aspect. It isn’t planning the itinerary or even figuring out the exchange rate. It is the dreadful drive to and from LAX, and it is during those drives that I wished I lived closer to LA. Fortunately, my wish came true with our latest trip and it gave me more than I asked for, including a futuristic butler name Hannah.

Winter in Los Angeles typically consists of 70 to 80-degree temperatures in the daytime, a handful of rainy days where people all of sudden forget how to drive, and occasional low 60’s, when everyone complains that it’s freezing on Facebook. Fortunately, this “cold front” occurred while I was in Park City, Utah, where it was snowing and about 4-degrees, but was one of the best experiences I ever had.

Catalina Island is often underrated and misunderstood, but even after 3 trips, I still find that there's always something new to do. 

Less than an hour away and with ports in Long Beach, San Pedro, and Dana Point, there really isn't a better way to getaway last minute than to the island. Did I mention that Catalina Express is also comfortable, spacious, and sails so smoothly that I fell asleep both ways? True story.

Granted that I’ve only stayed at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth (back in Nov), my first impression and experience at that one was beyond expectations that I fell in love immediately after that stay. So much so that I didn’t hesitate to jump on a plane to Quebec for the 125th Anniversary of the Fairmont Frontenac.  

One of the trendiest boutique hotels in Waikiki, The Laylow is part of the Autograph Collection by the Marriott and is located right across the street from the very popular - Marukame Udon.

Inspired by aloha chic, Alohilani is a blend of indoor and outdoor luxury located right across the beach in Waikiki. With a selection of views to choose from, you're guaranteed to wake up refreshed and inspired. 

The last stay of the year should be at a place that is calm, relaxing, and ultimately filled with views of your preference. In my case, an ocean front hotel room at Malibu Beach Inn was the perfect way to end 2017 and our stay exceed our expectations. 

Whenever I decided upon a place to stay on my trips, the first thing I look at is Instagram. I like to see what the property offers and who's stayed that (that I either follow or know). I also want to make sure the accommodation is picture worthy.

However, with my trip to Cook Islands, I took another route and went off a list of suggestions from the tourism board. I went through the list, went through the websites of the accommodations and chose Ikurangi Eco Retreat for two reasons.

Scroll through Instagram and you'll see a ton of images from Bali, Hawaii, Santorini, and Paris because that's where people typically dream of vacationing. However mention Cook Islands and you'll get 9 out of 10 people asking, "where's that?" This includes our cellphone providers (AT&T and T-Mobile), who had to Google where the country was before telling us that they do not provide coverage there. 

Touchdown – Montreal, the city known for poutine, architecture, and their love for Leonard Cohen.

It was my first time visiting Montreal, second time visiting Canada overall - and I’m already in love. The people are just so damn polite and the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth’s staff was beyond welcoming. 

Located right by the river is the historically popular hotel, Majestic Hotel Saigon. A hotel that my father remembers from his own teenage years in Ho Chi Minh and one that is loved by many tourists for its prime location in District 1.

Vietnamese coffee, you either love it or hate it, depending on if you think it's too strong. I had my first sip at age 8 and have never looked back. However, I don't need coffee to "survive" as I'm pretty much immune to caffeine at this point. Instead, I consider my morning cup, my mid-day coffee breaks, and after dinner lattes a way to relax and unwind. The smell of coffee just makes me happier, which is probably why my boyfriend always asks if I want coffee when I'm being a bitch (hah).