Bellevue, Bundled

[trip style = weekend getaway + urban]

{Editor's Note: A few weeks ago we published some IMG_FRI photos of a small-batch coffee shop in Bellevue, WA hinting there was more to come. Following yesterday's Roam+Board featuring a health hotel in Bellevue, I give you: what's cool in the sub/urban city just outside of Seattle.}

Sometimes you need a trip style = urban + weekend getaway that's easy -- an auto-pilot escape.

For Vancouverites, one such escape is Bellevue, WA. If your goal is to shop, eat out and explore a little on the side, this entertainment destination has got you covered. Everything is close, walkable and bundled into a smart little package.

One of the main reasons people hit up Seattle instead of Bellevue is the city vs. suburb draw. Yet in the last few years, Bellevue has shifted to a city destination of its own. Here are some its indie, urban finds to whet your palate.

Breakfast - Chace's Pancake Corral - Tie up your horse car and gobble a few flapjacks sour cream waffles and hash brown omelets at this wild, wild western breakfast saloon. A Bellevue institution since 1958, this diner has a steady flow of high ratings on Urbanspoon and yelp.

Coffee - Cafe Cesura - If a Yaletown loft, '50s Palm Springs rancher and Intelligentsia Coffeebar had a baby, this is what it would look {and taste} like.

Happy Hour - Lot No. 3 - A dimly lit den where Bellevue's cool cats gather for happy hour or late-night drinks and nibble on {a new take on} comfort food. Try the baked pretzel and homemade mustard dipping sauce paired with a respectable selection of craft beer and cocktails.

Dinner - Monsoon East - Saigon-inspired Vietnamese cuisine with a dash of Pacific Northwest. Perch yourself at the Ocean Bar to marvel at the open-concept kitchen's fresh ingredients and pace.

PS - Don't forget to visit the Bellevue Arts Museum for the famed Gorge Nelson show {on until Feb 12th}. Hailed as "pure furniture porn for mid-century modernists" by Brian Miller, Seattle Weekly.

See more of TS's do/eat/stay Bellevue picks here.

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[photos by @tripstyler & restaurant websites]

Roam+Board :: Hotel Bellevue

[trip style = weekend getaway + luxury + active]

{Editor’s Note: Enter to win a travel set from Shaffali Skincare, inspired by Ayurvedic herbs aromatherapeutic essences including French lavender, Croatian sage, Italian orange blossom, and Egyptian geranium! Contest ends TODAY. Enter NOW!}

What The 67-room Hotel Bellevue is hidden, that's the point. Not a place to be seen or be dazzled, the sub/urban retreat has a secret weapon: Bellevue's most prestigious wellness address. Hotel guests get access to the 200,000-sf Bellevue Club with a state-of-the-art spa, health club, indoor jogging track, gym, three pools {one outdoor}, tennis, racquetball and squash.

Wrapped in a West Coast architecture with a refined contemporary interior, the sub/urban retreat leaves you with a sense of low-key luxury. Above a landscaped garden, one of the rock pillars fronting the property holds a small, gold sign -- Small Luxury Hotels of the World -- which sets the tone for your entire stay. With discreet service and amenities like a Mercedes towncar, this health hotel holds its own, without having to be in the centre of it all.

I recently stayed here and this property is Trip Styler approved. {See my detailed Trip Advisor review here.}

Where Bellevue, Washington. Two minutes outside of downtown Bellevue, 15 minutes from Seattle and 2.5 hours from Vancouver.

When Year-round. Stay and play in the health facilities, walk in nearby parks, or shop at Bellevue Collection or The Bravern. Don't miss our fave restau picks.

Who/Why You're seeking a calm and collected trip style = weekend getaway. Ideal for a girls shopping/wellness weekend, couples health retreat, personal escape or family getaway.

Cost From $135/night including access to sports facilities and fitness classes {incl. yoga and pilates}, wifi and Mercedes S63 AMG towncar service. Valet is $12/night. Dogs are $25/stay.

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More Roam+Board Rolling Huts - Methow Valley {WA} Golden Rock Inn - Nevis The Ace NYC – New York The Viceroy – Palm Springs Sorobon Beach Resort – Bonaire From ice hotels to Anna Wintour's steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos via Hotel Bellevue]

Tech Tuesday :: The Six-Week Rule

[trip style = any]

{Editor’s Note: Enter to win a travel set from Shaffali Skincare, inspired by Ayurvedic herbs aromatherapeutic essences including French lavender, Croatian sage, Italian orange blossom, and Egyptian geranium! Contest ends TOMORROW. Enter today!}

Today's Tech Tuesday is not so much about new tech, but how to use existing travel tech to show airline tickets who's boss!

It's true, we've written about the best time to buy airline tickets before, but we thought we'd resurrect the topic in light of new data released by Airlines Reporting Corp., a US company that handles ticketing transactions between airlines and travel agents.

The findings are not mind-bending, but serve as a solid reminder of when to ask the flight you're eyeing out on a date.

After crunching almost 144-billion flight ticketing transactions over in 2011, the study found that passengers pay the lowest price, nearly 6% below the average fare, if they buy six weeks before their flight. Other findings include: ticket prices soaring a week before departure, and up to a 40% ticket price hike for day-of tickets.

Note to self, don't buy a same-day flight ticket to Rome like Omar did on Sunday's epidode of Pan Am! He's a Prince, he can handle 40% more.

Next time you're searching for the best flight and fare, consider the above findings, plus a few other commandments we've compiled: - Six Ways To Save On Airfare :: to help you score the lowest airfare for your next trip - How To Book The Best Flight :: without hours of research - The Airfare Dance :: key findings from Kayak.com's Chief Scientist

PS - After a 14-year stint, Priceline's Negotiator has been killed off. Here's the final hurrah: {If you're having trouble seeing video, click here}

[photo by @tristyler taken in Australia at the Gladstone airport]

Conquer & Plan

[trip style = any]

{Editor’s Note: Enter to win a travel set from Shaffali Skincare, inspired by Ayurvedic herbs aromatherapeutic essences including French lavender, Croatian sage, Italian orange blossom, and Egyptian geranium! Contest ends Wednesday, Jan 25th, 2012.}

"Test your fears. Do something you’ve always wanted to do...and you’ll be surprised how quickly all will be illuminated." - Dan Levy

I recently read an article in Flare Magazine {a Canadian fashion mag} by Dan Levy, TV host and son of actor Eugene Levy, about getting out of your comfort zone and conquering fears. Dan's kryptonite was anxiety and after almost becoming blind from the physical stress of his ailment, he made a bold move and moved to London to face and conquer his challenges and gain independence.

Among other things, it made me think of how exploring new frontiers---as simple as trying a new restaurant or as complicated as taking your first multi-leg trip to Rio---relates to travel. Not every trip has to be a soul-searching retreat where you dine on tree bugs and drink spring-fed water, but I can honestly say I've learned something---good or bad---from every trip style I've ever taken, conquering fears in the process.

Since we're still in January---a time where people tend to resolve to make changes and plan ahead---I thought the idea of aligning our goals/resolutions/fears, and of course budget, with travel planning seemed apropos. Perhaps the reason Dan's realizations struck such a chord is because the message is not far from Trip Styler's mission: to inspire different types of travel---from luxe to budget and glamping to urban---and grow from every experience.

The Skinny - take an inventory of your goals, fears and resolutions - dream where these might take you via trip styles or destinations - plan ahead and budget to see what's doable - make it happen and tell the story

[photo by @tripstyler]

IMG_FRI :: Honolulu

{Hilton Hawaiian Village's famous tiled rainbow wall}

[trip style = sun + beach]

{Editor's Note: Enter to win a travel set from Shaffali Skincare, inspired by Ayurvedic herbs aromatherapeutic essences including French lavender, Croatian sage, Italian orange blossom, and Egyptian geranium! Contest ends Wednesday, Jan 25th, 2012.} 

Yesterday we wrote about a more modern Honolulu. Here are some some additional photos from dawn to dusk. See the full gamut on Instagram {@tripstyler}.

{Lagoon at the edge of Waikiki}

{Koi pond at The Hilton Hawaiian Village}

{Pool at The Modern Honolulu}

{View of pools at The Modern Honolulu and lagoon}

{Black and white sky}

{Afternoon sun at The Modern Honolulu's private beach pool}

{Sunset}

[photos by @tripstyler and @nate_fri]