I’m a bit of a travel-planning junkie.

Of course I like to take all the trips that I plan, but, no surprise, time and money don’t always permit me to travel as much as I’d like. The net result is that I end up spending a lot of time planning trips that may not happen. I pour over travel and hotel websites, magazines, and travel guides to find the right places to stay, eat, drink, sightsee, shop, etc. Ultimately I plot out itineraries using Google Maps — sometimes for an upcoming trip and sometimes just for fun to places I might visit in the future.

So, I guess it’s a hobby of sorts. As such, friends and family often ask for travel recommendations, even to the places I’ve never been — and I’m happy to be able to share them here.

For nearly 30 years, I had been a Company Manager for Broadway shows. In layman’s terms: I managed the day-to-day running of the business side of Broadway shows, and, in some instances over the years, the touring or international companies.  Part of my job was to deal with travel and housing logistics for casts and crews when out of town. Over the years, my job has taken me to Australia, Japan, England, and around most of the continental United States.

After long and fruitful careers, my husband and I both retired (yay!) at the end of 2024 and before we knew it had bought a place in Palm Springs. We moved at top of 2025 and live in Palm Springs with our two black cats, Turbo and…Gimlet. Yup, Gimlet.

So, speaking of gimlets…you may be wondering what the deal is with that. Well, a vodka gimlet has been my drink of choice for decades now — and I’m very particular about how mine is made: a top-shelf vodka and a whisper (yes, “whisper,” which is definitively less than a “splash”) of lime juice; shaken well over ice; and served “up” in a martini glass. It’s become a signature of mine amongst those who know me.

However, in some of the photos you may notice other, more colorful cocktails. While I sometimes diverge from my normal cocktail (I like an espresso martini occasionally, for example), it’s most likely my husband’s drink. He’s a bit more willing to explore other options when it comes to cocktails and definitely a more adventurous eater — which is not to say that I don’t still love a restaurant with great food, ambience, and design.

And that’s similar to what I look for in a hotel — design, ambiance, comfort, and lets face it - a cute bar - as well as character (i.e. we prefer not to stay in a big chain hotel whenever possible). So we try to find something characterful with cool style, a bar, a pool (if possible and seasonally appropriate) and great reviews on multiple platforms. Occasionally we splurge on a lavish stay (usually one per multi-leg trip), which I’ll note in my posts, but try to be more practical in the others (try, but don’t always succeed LOL). Nonetheless, we have found that our hotel choice is the most important element of any stay, especially in international destinations.

One of my policies is that I don’t like to pack up and move more than every fourth night. It’s a vacation, not The Amazing Race (no matter how much my husband wishes it was). I find that if you spend at least three nights in a destination, it feels reasonably relaxing and like you might actually get to know the place.

Also, know that there’s no financial compensation for any of my recommendations on this site (though I’m happy for it to be otherwise!). They’re just places I’ve been or would like to visit. And I’ll keep updating as often as I can.

Hopefully, you’ll find this site helpful and inspiring! Thanks for visiting The Gimlet Traveler!

— Marc