This trip report details a recent, largely unplanned adventure taken with my father, born out of shifting priorities and last-minute opportunities. The initial goal was a trip to either Japan or Morocco, but life intervened. With young children briefly ill and a tight five-day window before a pre-booked engagement in Boston, Morocco proved impractical for now. Instead, we embraced spontaneity.
The core of the trip became a celebration of my father’s birthday and an effort to prioritize travel with him following my mother’s recent passing. The approach was simple: find award availability and go. This led to an Emirates first-class flight from New York to Milan, a product my father hadn’t experienced in over a decade. The joy of that flight alone justified the lack of initial ground planning.
From Milan, a quick hop on Air Dolomiti took us to Frankfurt, where we explored two intriguing Marriott Autograph Collection properties in Königstein im Taunus – the Falkenstein Grand and Villa Rothschild. Both hotels had long been on my radar, and they proved to be unique experiences. The Villa Rothschild, in particular, stood out with its intimate size, feeling more like a private estate than a typical hotel.
The journey continued with a Lufthansa first-class flight back to Boston, timed perfectly to coincide with my family’s arrival. A highlight was a stay in the Sheraton Boston’s limited-edition “Goodnight Moon” suite, a whimsical tribute to a beloved children’s book. The final leg included a visit to Philadelphia, where we experienced the acclaimed Four Seasons and sampled the city’s new American Flagship and Chase Sapphire lounges.
Ultimately, the trip reinforced that the best travel experiences often stem from the company you keep, not necessarily the destination itself. Despite shifting plans, we created lasting memories through shared flights, unique hotels, and quality time together. Full flight musings and hotel reviews will follow shortly.
