Location, location, location! Okay, so how many times have you heard that one? But it is the absolute truth. When visiting or doing business in any city, location is all-important; however, you must pair location with quality as well.

I feel the need to let you know about two of my favorite city jewels in two different locations. First off, I must tell you that I can be easy to please, but I can also be fussy. Especially when I am tired! I often have to stay in the city when I am doing business in Los Angeles as I live in the boondocks, and last week I had the pleasure of staying at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. I wasn’t feeling well, I was tired, and I was cranky, and they seemed to notice that right away despite my best effort to hide it. Sometimes a hotel is a hotel is a hotel, especially after you have been on the road for a while, but that evening they made me feel so relaxed.

First, they got me something to drink when they escorted me to my room. A lovely room, but it was the service that impressed me. I wanted to tip the gentleman, but he refused it! Now, that was amazing to me, in combination with how they had succeeded at making me feel relaxed. Luckily for me, they took away my crankiness in a flash.

My second little jewel is the Triton in San Francisco: a delightfully small boutique hotel that has the distinction of being the only one having rooms designed by the likes of Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana and Kathy Griffin, to name a few. Talk about fun, but it doesn’t end there. The location is outstanding, just outside the Chinatown gates and steps from Union Square. Oh, and it’s across the street from a Starbucks, which is essential for my sanity and survival.

I had arrived very early, and despite having a full house they had a lovely corner room ready for me within a couple of hours. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of the designer suites, but it was a quaint, funky one nonetheless. I had some meetings to attend in the local business district during the day, but after another exhausting day, I had a complementary glass of wine by the warmth of the fireplace in the Triton lobby before heading out to my evening function. Nothing relaxes me more on a chilly winter evening!

Reprinted from my blog at a national travel magazine