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FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MEXICO DF: THE PERFECT BALANCE OF CONTRAST

4/24/2016

34 Comments

 
"Such places exist among the endless abodes of every major city,
places that seem to be sanctuaries from the present,
immune to the hustle and bustle..."
- James Rozoff
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We always wanted to see Mexico but not the usual tourist spots. We wanted something different but quick and easy vacation; where we could eat good food and just stroll around. That's when Mexico City popped into our heads. We did a little research, saw the colorful and artsy neighborhoods, the colonial architectures and realized that Mexico City is a great gastronomic destination - we got hooked and booked our flights! After our plans were set, we read that the New York Times ranked Mexico City as the number 1 place to visit in 2016. What a coincidence! 

Right in the center of it all, Four Seasons Mexico DF offers an oasis in the city.
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The hotel

Harmony of charm and character. The design of the hotel is Spanish colonial hacienda-style nestled amongst the new high-risers of the Reforma neighborhood of Mexico City D.F.  While the façade hangs on to the old world, the interior was recently catapulted into the new, with modern sophisticated furnishings. The renovation provides guests with elegant-chic retreat in one of the busiest cities in the world. 
Excellent location. The hotel is conveniently located in the boulevard of Paseo de la Reforma, very near Mexico's pride - Chapultepec Castle, as well as the artsy and food trendy neighborhoods of Polanco and Condesa.  The hotel is nearby 75 museums and archeological zones. 
Rightfully 5 star in its class. As soon as you step inside the hotel, the ambiance radiates luxury. The lobby is a daisy-chain of urbane sitting and meeting spaces filled with bold colors and interesting fabrics.  The polished atmosphere is perfect for informal business get-togethers or just relaxing with friends. The interior courtyard is a picture-perfect green-space that insulates guests from the bustle of the city. Manicured gardens, a Moorish fountain, a secret garden and aesthetically pleasing colonial style architecture surrounds you with elegance while sitting down at the courtyard.
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THE ROOMS

The hotel boasts 240 rooms including 40 luxury suites. ​The rooms can be described as spacious, light, and refined. The color tones that they used in the room gives a very relaxing and calm atmosphere. The bathrooms are elegantly designed with marble and features a separate soaking tub.
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Of course you cannot forget to mention the beds.  All rooms contain the signature Four Seasons beds, and we can attest our sleep was perfect.  Another nice treat are the high-end L’ Occitane toiletries. Despite the luxury, sometimes it’s the simple things that make your trip.  In our case it was the windows that actually opened! (Note: This hotel is the only hotel in Mexico City that offers this!) Our room faced the courtyard and to have our window open and see the lights at night from our room was just amazing. 

P.S. The room also has iPod docking station as well as USB charging station bedside and at the desk. We definitely love this feature because we had more than ample ports to charge all our gadgets.
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THE AMENITIES

Meeting Rooms. The hotel caters to a lot of corporate and business people. The hotel offers a fully equipped business center, with a multilingual Concierge and fast internet service. It does not matter if you are on a business trip or local seminars, the hotel can definitely cater to your meeting/seminar needs, no matter how big or small it is. 
Health Club and The Spa. The hotel has a fitness area, pool, whirlpool, locker room area and sauna. The Health Club has two treatment rooms wherein guests can enjoy tailored massage, facial treatments and other treatment packages. Sadly, we did not have time to try their spa treatments but Tanj would definitely loved to! The gym is fully functional and the pool is well maintained. 
Gentleman's Tonic. The hotel just had this newly opened upscale British barbershop. The very first location in Latin America! The very sophisticated and stylish barbershop is a pampering haven for men.
Coffee Service.  The hotel offers a complimentary coffee service with newspaper in the morning, upon request.
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Dining

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Pan Dulce. Definitely, Tanj's favorite. As you all know, she has the sweet tooth in the family! Four Season Mexico DF's pastry chef has already won several awards making this in-house pastry shop top notch. Pan Dulce offers gourmet pastries from Mexico and France. Every day that we stayed, we stopped by here at least once. We highly recommend to try the orange cake, its delicate, simple and perfect with a coffee or expresso.  Be it afternoon tea, or desert cravings, this is the place to go.
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Fifty Mils. The new management have made a concerted effort to make the bar, Fifty Mils, one of the best places in the city to get an excellent cocktail.  The stylish but eclectic bar features a gorgeous white and red marble top, with plush red cushion stools that one could sit on for hours. The mix of old and new adds a distinctive charm to the whole atmosphere of Fifty Mils. Behind the bar, are top notch mixologists who can make you your favorite classic or something new to match your current disposition. We suggest the bourbon based Billy the Kid or the refreshing Fresca Pepino; which is a combination of cucumber and mescal.  We cannot say enough how much we loved hanging out at this bar. Watching the mixologists make drinks is like watching Top Chef making their exquisite meals. Fifty Mils also boasts a gastrobar menu that features traditional Mexican street food prepared the Four Seasons Hotel way with the freshest ingredients.  Definitely order the Grilled Calamari, we absolutely loved it! 

Side Note: Fifty Mils is named after the 50-millimetre size jigger, the classic bartenders’ measuring glass.
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Zanaya (Coming Soon!). The hotel's up and coming restaurant will definitely be a new culinary powerhouse in the city. This restaurant will serve Mexico's Pacific coast cuisines. The restaurant will showcase warm palette and eclectic furnitures matching the hacienda-style elegance of the hotel and it will open in May 2016. 
Il Becco. An upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of Mexico City. This fine dining restaurant showcase gourmet dishes cooked in an open kitchen. The restaurant's colorful tastes compliments the stylish ambiance.  A definite must-try is their Fried Zucchini Flowers filled with Ricotta and Goat Cheese - gastronomic explosion in every bite! 

THE SERVICE

The service was impeccable and exhibits Mexican hospitality at its finest! From the front desk to room service and everyone we encountered in between. The hotel staff was very warm, helpful and unpretentious  We had no problems with language barriers. Everyone we talked to was always ready to help. They gave us tips on where to eat, how to get to places and the feel of the different neighborhoods. We had a great time talking with the mixologists. The hotel staff are the unsung heroes of our stay, they are running the background scene, ensuring every guest's experience is as comfortable as it could be.
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INFORMATION

WEBSITE:  http://www.fourseasons.com/mexico/
ADDRESS: Paseo de la Reforma #500, Colonia Juarez / Mexico, D.F.  Mexico 06600
HOTEL CLASSIFICATION: 5-Star
CHECK IN: 3:00 PM / CHECK OUT: 12:00 PM
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THE VERDICT

Overall, we definitely enjoyed our stay and Four Seasons Hotel Mexico DF more than exceeded our expectations. When you are on a trip, you need to have everything at your fingertips and that is what Four Seasons Hotel Mexico DF offers. From convenient location to quality food, from luxurious setting to a comfortable stay - this is the hotel to stay at in Mexico City. Our hearts cannot stop singing praises for this hotel, most specially the staff. If you are looking for a perfect balance of contrast, this is THE PLACE to stay.

P.S. We would like to thank the whole staff of Four Seaons Hotel Mexico DF for your warm hospitality and making our Mexican getaway memorable. Special thanks to Israel Lara, Michelle Meyer (who's blog was our source of places to eat in Mexico City - Michelle on Bell), Emily Farca, Natalia Gimenez and the friendly mixologists - Axel and Fran plus the whole staff of Fifty Mils. 
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored trip by the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico DF. The content on this post is our personal opinions and views unless otherwise stated. 

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Categories: North America, Mexico, Travel Reviews, Travel Tips
34 Comments

TASTE THE WORLD WITH BONAPPETOUR: A GIVEAWAY

6/30/2015

32 Comments

 
Dine with the locals around the world.
It's a delicious experience like no other.
- BonAppetour
For us, the best way to experience traveling at its finest is doing it the "local way" as much as possible. Whenever we travel, we try to research or ask locals what to do and where to eat. We always try to experience the country as authentic as we can, specially when it comes to food. Luckily, the website BonAppetour makes it easy for everyone to taste local food when you travel. You can now have the most authentic local experience by booking through this website! 

ABOUT BONAPPETOUR

BonAppetour is an online social platform where a global community of hosts and guests bond over authentic home-cooked food. BonAppetour believes in creating memorable cultural experiences through something that is common across the world - the love for food! Hosts will be able to share their home-cooked dishes, their passion for cooking and culture with guests from all around the globe. Guests will get the taste of home away from home or, perhaps they can even learn a recipe or two!

HOW IT WORKS

BonAppetour can work with guests as well hosts. The explanation on how it works for two audiences is written below. 
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For Guests

Booking for an experience is as easy as ABC. Here are the steps:
STEP 1: Sign up and register
Self explanatory.
STEP 2: Explore unique home restaurants
Discover home restaurants with unique dining experiences like a cosy dinner on the rooftop in Rome, or a paella-making workshop in Barcelona.
STEP 3: Book a dining experience
Connect with hosts, confirm dates, arrange for any dining preferences, and make payment through BonAppetour’s secured services.
STEP 4: Visit and feast! Bon Appetit! 
Indulge yourself in authentic home-cooked food, make friends and have great fun. Bon Appetit!
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For Hosts

Everyone can host on BonAppetour, as long as you’ve got that passion to host and make new friends, hosting will be both fun, and much of a breeze! 
STEP 1: Sign up as a host and register
Wait for someone at BonAppetour to verify your application.
STEP 2: Create your menu
Create your dishes that you find most meaningful to you. Add photos & descriptions into your dining experience. Photos of guests savoring your meals around the dinner table help guests picture themselves feasting at your place.
STEP 3: Respond to request
After your dining experience has been approved, guests who like will book. Be sure to respond to requests by guests. Do seek inquiries of any special dietary requirements from them. Invite friends too so that they can help spread the word!
STEP 4: Welcome your guests! 
Once payment has been made, cook your awesome meal for the day of feasting. Add some love with a decorative table setting, refreshments or sharing of backstories.

WHY WE LOVE BONAPPETOUR

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1. A lot of dining activities plus cooking classes to choose from.
BonAppetour lets you experience and taste local food from different cities and countries across 6 continents. From tasting authentic chilli crab in a cozy Singapore home to seafood paella on a terrace in Barcelona, or even an exquisite Italian feast on board a Tiber River cruise. A plethora of dining experiences to choose from. 
2. Trust and safety is important for BonAppetour.
Host experiences are verified by BonAppetour's staff to ensure that guests will be fully satisfied with experiences booked. Host profiles that are verified are marked with a green icon with a tick, and labelled "BonAppetour Verified Host". The same green icon will appear alongside the title of their experience.

BonAppetour also provides our hosts and guests with certain features on our site to help build a trusted community. Aside from verification, they have a secure messaging system, user reviews, as well as a secure payment system.
3. Most of all, Its affordable! 
Breakfast in Turin, Italy for $6, home-cooked meals in Bangkok, Thailand for $17, a taste of Cape Town's cuisine for $29! Need to say more? They have wide variety of options for different budgets. 

THE GIVEAWAY

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BonAppetour and A Travelogue by Brock and Tanj partnered to give you - our readers a chance to experience a fun twist of dining out while traveling. We are giving away 3 vouchers worth $30 so you can avail a one-of-a-kind dining experience around the world. Since BonAppetour's pricing is reasonable, you can have an unforgettable dining experience for free OR you can also choose higher priced experience with the $30 off voucher. 

How the giveaway works:

  1. Sign up or register at the form below via e-mail or by using your Facebook account. 
  2. Follow the 5 required steps shown below. Each line item will give you 1 entry and you are one step closer in winning a BonAppetour experience.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions of this giveaway:

  1. This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE.
  2. The prize does NOT include any flights or airfare.
  3. This giveaway will start on June 30, 2015 (Eastern Standard Time or GMT -4:00) and will end on July 14, 2015 (Eastern Standard Time or GMT -4:00).
  4. Winners will be picked randomly and will be announced on July 15, 2015 (Eastern Standard Time or GMT -4:00) at A Travelogue by Brock and Tanj's Facebook page. 
  5. This giveaway is hosted by A Travelogue by Brock and Tanj in partnership with BonAppetour; but prize distribution will be the sole responsibility of BonAppetour. 
  6. Terms and conditions of BonAppetour is also applied.
  7. The giveaway is valid till December 31, 2015. 
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE! Please share this awesome giveaway to your friends and family! 

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Categories: Contests and Giveaways, Travel Tips, Travel Reviews
32 Comments

ALL ROADS LEAD TO KYOTO: PART 1 (Kyoto, Japan)

4/29/2015

27 Comments

 
Expect to have hope rekindled. 
Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. 
The dry seasons in life do not last. 
The spring rains will come again. 
- Sarah Ban Breathnach
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A visit to Japan is definitely not complete without visiting its cultural and historic center – Kyoto. We took a bullet train or shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station. Our hotel in Kyoto is conveniently located near the station and it’s just a 10-minute walk.

Kyoto is in Kansai region and was the Imperial Capital of Japan. Due to its historic value, Kyoto’s treasured shrines, temples, numerous gardens and palaces are spared from air raids and atomic bomb during World War II. 

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HOW TO GET AROUND KYOTO?

Depending on how many days you have, you can buy an unlimited bus pass (1 or 2 days). Outside Kyoto Station, there is a kiosk where you can buy the pass to get around the city. We suggest to use the unlimited pass if you are on a budget. Please bare in mind that this pass only covers city bus route and does not include trains or subway.  

Outside Kyoto Station are multiple bus stops that bring you to different tourist sights around Kyoto. Since our hotel is near Kyoto Station, it was very convenient for us to hop on and off to these buses to visit the sights. On the pass itself, you will see timetables on what time the buses come and go plus the bus numbers you will use to go back and forth. The pamphlet they will give you has all the information you need. (Note: After arriving at Kyoto Station, it is always advisable to ask the tourist information for a map so it’s easy for you to visualize and plan your route. The friendliness of the people at the tourist information center in Japan is notable.)

Like Tokyo, we carefully planned what to see and do to maximize our stay. On our first day, we planned to see the spots on the east side of Kyoto Station while on the second day we planned to see the sights west of Kyoto Station. If you have a lot time to kill, walk around Kyoto Station since its a pretty unique and modern looking building. The station has a department store and several restaurants inside. This station has massive steps and escalators. At night, they have a light show on the steps. It was pretty cool! 

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Thankfully, this historic city was spared from bombings and because of that we are lucky to see and appreciate the old Imperial Capital till this very day. We absolutely love our stay in Kyoto.

And, here are the reasons why:

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BECAUSE KIYOMIZU-DERA TEMPLE IS WORTH FIGHTING THE CROWD

This temple is one of the most celebrated temples in Kyoto. At the grounds, there is a lot to see from pagodas, beautiful gardens and Buddhist temples. If you are lucky, you will see Japanese people wearing traditional clothes. To reach Kiyomizu-dera, you have to walk up at Matsubara Dori for at least 15 minutes and you won't get bored checking out the shops and stalls leading to the temple. 

Why is it worth it? First of all, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not only that, when it was built in 1633, not a single nail was used in the process.  You will be really amazed how they did since it juts around a corner on a hill top. Plus, the amazing view from the top is equally amazing as the temple itself. 

Tip: If you have time, eat at Okutan. One of Kyoto's specialty food which is hot tofu. Okutan was founded more than 375 years ago in 1635 and it is near Kiyomizu-dera. 
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We are husband + wife, adventurers + visual storytellers, who love to see the world together. Our goal is to see 100 countries in our lifetime and we are halfway there.

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