Travel Inspiration: NYC's Stylish Streets

From the Travel Editor:

Whether it’s the sunny middle of summer or the snowy depths of winter, there’s really no time we don’t want to explore the vibrant streets, trendy boutiques, and endless number of delicious restaurants of New York City. After all, it’s the city that never sleeps, an ever-changing metropolis where we could return to the same street over and over again and discover something new each time.

Which means that this week’s sale on Madison Avenue’s sleek MAve hotel gives us an excuse to talk about this wonderful city we know and love. We confess to being true New Yorkers, so here are a few of our local, insider tips to help get you inspired for your next trip.

Where to Dine: Balaboosta
New York is home to so many excellent restaurants that you almost have to work to get a mediocre meal. That said, all those options can be overwhelming, particularly when you’re in a neighborhood with such fine dining options as ABC Kitchen and Eleven Madison Park. Head south to the tiny neighborhood of Nolita, packed chock full of super-trendy establishments, and try this stylish Eastern Mediterranean restaurant with a not-uncommon NYC story; gourmet falafel shop and food truck Taïm did so well that the owner was able to open a real restaurant.

Where to Market: Union Square Greenmarket
Sure, it’s right in the midst of bustling Union Square, but where else are you going to put the city’s largest farmers market? It’s the perfect place to spend a couple hours on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday – rain or shine – sampling local wines and artisanal pickles. Pick up a baguette, some fresh ricotta, and organic apples for a picnic lunch. Plan your outfit, though: Bill Cunningham has been known to swing by on Saturdays.

Where to Wander: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Don’t worry, we’re not sending you out of the city. In fact, you’re going to a neighborhood closer than most of Manhattan; go about five minutes east and find yourself on hipster haven Williamsburg’s main drag, Bedford Ave. What started out as a gentrifying warehouse area has since become one of New York’s hippest neighborhoods, lined with vintage shops, trendy boutiques, stylish bars, and organic, farm-to-table restaurants.

Give the Gift of Travel

From the Travel Editor:
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a getaway on your wishlist this holiday season. But since the only thing better than getting presents is giving them, a few nights at one of our hand-picked hotels might be just the thoughtful gift you’ve been trying to come up with.

Whether that’s a quick weekend city break at the super-chic Mondrian SoHo as a treat for your girlfriends, a romantic jaunt to Antigua’s acclaimed Nonsuch Bay Resort, or sending your parents to Orient-Express’ historic Charleston Place Hotel, you can’t go wrong with one of our curated offers.

All you have to do is check the box that says “Give this package as a gift” in our checkout and we’ll send you a card that you can print out and put under the tree. Best of all, you can gift travel through December 21st, so you can still impress everyone even if you wait until the last minute.

Introducing Editor’s Picks from ideeli Travel

From the Travel Editor:

When we choose an Editor’s Pick, the offer goes above and beyond the usual high standards we require of all of our travel deals. While every ideeli travel deal meets most of the following criteria, Editor’s Picks rank exceptionally high in at least five of them:

Value for money: A distinctive offer for the lowest currently available public price
Singular travel experience: Distinguishing factors like perks, service, location, and atmosphere
Accolades: Awards and high ratings from professional and real traveler sources
Prime availability: Wide range of key available dates
Desirable destination: The places you want to go, when you want to go
Accessible: Location is easily reachable from most major US cities

When you see the Editor’s Pick stamp, you can trust that this is one extra-ordinary offer. Click here to check out this week’s travel sales and see what we’re talking about!

Travel Inspiration: Winter in Paris

From the Travel Editor:


Ella Fitzgerald and Cole Porter gush about springtime in Paris, but we have to confess that we’d go to the City of Lights any time of year. Summer is sunny and hot, ideal for lazy days lounging by the river with a Berthillon ice cream cone. Fall is crisp and gorgeous, perfect for sweaters, boots, and long walks on windy streets. Winter brings holiday magic in this most romantic of cities, with fresh baguettes and piping hot mulled wine waiting at every cafe.

You can imagine, then, that we’re pretty excited about this week’s two Paris flight offers - one with hotel, one without - with availability all the way through March. In fact, we’ve already started planning our own trip, so here are a few of our insider Paris tips to help you get inspired.

Where to Dine: Chartier In the chilly Parisian winter, hearty French dishes like duck confit and beef bourguignon hit the spot. Put them in a classic Parisian food hall that’s barely changed since the late 19th century, pair them with a full-bodied red French wine, set prices at about a quarter of anywhere else in the city, and you’ve got the one restaurant that lives up to the hype, even for Parisians.


Where to Wander: Canal St-Martin You already know to wander the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter, but allow us to point you off the beaten path and over to the rapidly-gentrifying northeast quadrant of the city. Paris’ bright young things now congregate around the Canal, and a wander there will reveal outdoor band performances, vintage shops interspersed with designer boutiques, and a vibrant cafe scene. Our favorite stop? L’Atmosphere, with its specialty hot chocolate.

Where to Baguette: Coquelicot in Montmartre This adorable boulangerie-patisserie-cafe on the Place des Abbesses does a mean baguette (and pretty much every other baked good). Grab yours and munch on it as you climb the winding streets and stairs of Montmartre. Don’t forget to always order une baguette tradition at any Parisian boulangerie - this is the baguette you’ve been dreaming of.

Winter Getaway Inspiration

From the Travel Editor:

With fall sneaking up on us, we’re starting to plan our trips for the cold winter months. With appealing options from sunny beach escapes to sweater-worthy city breaks, and even more far-flung adventures, we almost want it to get cold just so that we can escape it.

To get you dreaming of winter travel, we’ve chosen two exceptional Editor’s Picks this week. While all our deals inspire our wanderlust, this week’s offers to the Mansfield in New York City and Antigua’s Galley Bay Resort & Spa captured our imagination for their value, destinations, and distinctive experiences.

New York needs no introduction, and Midtown’s Mansfield Hotel makes the perfect home for a cold-weather visit. Its recent renovation offers luxuries like dark wood floors and marble bathrooms with Aveda products, but its commitment to its history makes it exceptional. Originally built as an early 20th century gentlemen’s club, the Mansfield decorates its walls with original art found in the building. After a day of holiday shopping on nearby 5th and Madison Avenues, what better way to warm up than with a cocktail in front of the wood-paneled Club Room’s fireplace?

We know, though, that we’ll soon be craving a sunnier escape from winter’s chill. Enter Antigua’s Galley Bay Resort & Spa, an all-inclusive Caribbean destination whose quiet beaches, tropical gardens, and gourmet, open-air restaurants make it perfect for a little romance. While starting Christmas morning with a swim in a private pool with our special someone sounds idyllic (try the 7-day sale option for the best Christmas package), we’d settle for a few days of respite from January’s chill. After all, a little island hospitality - think live music cocktail parties and private dinners on the beach - and Vitamin D can work wonders mid-winter.