It’s hard for me to leave my room whenever I stay with Omni hotels. As much as I wanted to relax and keep still in my Berkshire room, in a city like New York and during the BlogHer ’12 conference, it was  pretty impossible. Even when I stayed at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C., I fought the urge to stay in my room. The hotels’ central location in these busy cities make wandering about that much easier.

I’m not quite sure what’s in their hotel magic sauce that makes me want to just relax but there’s something! Could it be the fresh scent of the room? Could be.  I’ve heard aromatherapy evokes certain feelings and emotions. When I walked into my room, I felt immediately relaxed, at peace, and as if I was entering a spa. I wish there was a plugin for the site so that I could share that with you.

Could it be the Omni’s plush bedding? Maybe. I’ve talked about this before – how laying in their beds felt like laying on a pool of feathers. I avoided doing this immediately because I knew that once my head hit the pillow, I probably wouldn’t make it to the conference, the main reason for me being in the city.

As with the Omni Shoreham, the Berkshire housed an onsite restaurant. I was running around so much that I didn’t get a chance to munch at Fireside but the drinks were strong and to the point. I had a mojito and caipirinha, two powerful Brazilian drinks of which I should have had one. I loved that I could get a late night drink with a friend and not worry about catching a cab to scurry me home.

Although I traveled without the kids for this trip, I was intrigued by their teen concierge service that they’ve named Teen Connection. In a busy, overwhelming city like New York, this free amenity is invaluable. The point-man for this service is the 18-year old son of the Berkshire’s General Manager. He provides teens with an insider’s perspective on teen-friendly activities in Manhattan, providing them with a list every Friday at the concierge desk. He even has his own business cards – how neat.

All in all, I was happy to be resting my head at the Berkshire while I was in the city. Over the course of the weekend, I stepped inside four different hotels (three of which will remain nameless but if you email me, I’ll tell you). Yes, the Omni sponsored my stay for two nights but of the four hotels I stepped in (and compared), hands-down, the Omni came out on top.  In my evaluation, I looked at size of hotel, hospitality, upkeep, rooms, location, and amenities.  I appreciate the consistency I see with the brand.

 

This is not a paid post – all opinions written are my own.