Photo of the Week!
F 8; 1/160; ISO 100; 28mm.
Shot in the fountain at Museumplein Park in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
A Hilton DoubleTree masquerading as a quaint boutique hotel in the heart of Madrid
Hilton as a brand doesn’t have a particularly aspirational reputation. Sure, its hotels are mostly comfortable and are more than serviceable, but the average Hilton usually lacks the glamour or pizzazz or charm that a mid-level Hyatt or a legacy Starwood property (RIP) might have. Hilton’s DoubleTrees are some of the worst offenders when it comes to generic corporateness — they’re typically marketed to business travelers, and utilitarian design doesn’t lend itself well to pleasing aesthetics — but the brand’s sole property in Spain is an obvious outlier. While “DoubleTree” might not evoke images of boutique luxury, the one in Madrid should very well challenge your assumptions.
Photo of the Week!
F 1.8; 1/840; ISO 400; 26mm.
Shot at the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Crozet, Virginia.
Photo of the Week!
F 6.4; 1/100; ISO 400; 48mm.
Shot at Los Angeles International Airport.
Photo of the Week!
F 4.5; 1/60; ISO 1600; 29mm.
Shot in Washington, DC, at the Friendship Archway
Photo of the Week!
F 5.6; 1/1000; ISO 1600; 128mm.
Shot in Washington, DC, at the Capital One Arena.
Photo of the Week!
F 5.6; 1/125; ISO 100; 135mm.
Shot in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Photo of the Week!
F 5.6; 1/160; ISO 100; 74mm.
Shot in Montreal, Canada.
The Higher Flyer 
DoubleTree hotels are nice and boring
A recent review on the The Higher Flyer has prompted a few to ask: “what’s wrong with DoubleTree hotels?” and as a follow up: “why do you hate them?” Well, despite what my review of the DoubleTree in Madrid may imply, the answer is a resounding “nothing.” Nothing is wrong with Hilton’s business-traveler-centric brand and I’d gladly stay in one if presented the opportunity. That said though, these hotels don’t really lend themselves well to scenes of higher flying; they don’t evoke visions of luxury like Waldorf Astorias do, nor do they offer the incredible value that Hampton Inns do. DoubleTrees instead are synonymous with bland-yet-practical accommodations for the well-paid road warriors of the world.
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