Brooklyn's Hottest New Hotel

Zach Brose July 10, 2017

Whenever we visit a new city, we look for the cool locals-only area to stay rather than the tourist areas. You get a much more authentic experience, and you steer clear of a lot of the madness that comes with tourist hubs (like Times Square).

Williamsburg, Brooklyn is our favorite neighborhood in NYC- and it would be even if we didn't live there! It's a hotspot for the city's coolest bars, cafes, restaurants, art, music and shopping- and we'd recommend staying here for anyone wanting a real NYC experience.

A few weeks ago we took a little staycation in our own backyard and stayed the night at the Williamsburg Hotel! We were in love with this place from the moment we stepped through the doors. The design is stunning and fresh, but wonderfully comfortable as well. The attention to detail was evident, which is always something that we look for. Beautiful tiling and fixtures, great colors, economical and perfectly functional room with a gorgeous view of the NYC skyline from the balcony- the list goes on and on. We couldn't take enough pictures of this gorgeous hotel!

The area is no joke, either. Your steps away from the hottest bars and clubs in NYC, great coffee every which way, and the restaurant scene Williamsburg is famous for. That is, if you ever leave the hotel (they have their own full service bar and restaurant as well as a rooftop opening this fall)!

Since they aren't fully open, the rooftop and water-tower bar (what?!) aren't ready yet, but we can't wait to see it when it's all done.

Check it out, and book your stay here!

*Our stay was sponsored by The Williamsburg Hotel- but our opinions, as always, are our own!

Our commitment to honesty and our readers will always come first.

League Travels May 2017 Update x Socality NYC

Zach Brose May 3, 2017

Hey all!

We're back this week with our League Travels weekly update after a one-week hiatus. Tara's grandfather passed away last week, so we were in Georgia celebrating his life with her family. Isn't it crazy how the loss of a loved one and a reflection of their life can inspire you to live this fleeting life to the fullest? It was so beautiful to look back on a life that had been filled with love and lived fully alive- and we came home inspired to tackle life with new passion and excitement!

FRESH OFF

On Sunday evening we had the privilege of attending the Socality Excursion | New York City. Tara and I connected with the amazing Paul Tellefsen a few months ago over instagram, and he told us about Socality. We registered for the NYC event not even really knowing what it was, and we were completely blown away. Socality is movement of creative, like-minded individuals aimed at bringing the Love of God to humanity. It's a "SOcial Community for ALl of eterniTY", and it's made up of a rad crew of creatives all around the globe. Scott Bakken launched Socality in 2014, and he was super inspiring to meet. Actually, everyone that joined in the excursion was amazing. It was this really beautiful synergy of creativity and passion and family. It was so refreshing to spend the evening with such generous, kind, talented people making a massive impact in their individual spheres! The event started at Birch Coffee in Manhattan, and from there we walked and shot across the Brooklyn Bridge, down into DUMBO, and ended the night at The Meatball Shop on the Lower East Side. It's been so fun seeing the images that different photographers shot, and we got these stunning images from our new friends Justin Posey and Jared Whitney that we couldn't wait to share! It was our first experience with Socality, but definitely won't be our last. We started as strangers, quickly became friends, and left as family. Check out the photos from Justin and Jared, and don't forget to see the travel deals we found this week in the WHAT'S HOT section below!

Images by Jared Whitney

Images by Justin Posey

WHAT'S HOT

$59 flights from NYC to Savannah, GA (each way) + lots more on Jetblue.com! Buy quick... the sale ends today!
$549 RT flights from NYC to Milan on Emirates! Hurry, expires today!
$86 flights from Newark to Chicago (each way) on Southwest.com. Book by 5/11!
$437 RT flights from NYC to Paris on XL Airways!
$99 flights from Boston to Reykjavik (each way) on WOW air!

Here's to the adventure!

-Zach + Tara

League Travels April 2018 Update x Gansevoort Hotel

Zach Brose April 18, 2017

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Spring has finally arrived in New York, and oh how glorious it is! The trees are blossoming in Central Park, the restaurant patios are opening, the Wölffer Rosé is flowing and New Yorkers are coming out of hibernation. Nothing tops springtime in New York, and the city really shows off its vibrant colors after a long monochromatic winter. Don't let the head-to-toe black garb fool you- the locals love this time of year as much as the tourists flooding Times Square. From January to late March, you'll be hard-pressed to find us leaving our neighborhood in Brooklyn without good reason, but come late April we're like kids in a candy shop as we explore Manhattan in search of the best rooftops, parks and New York City finds. We'll share some of our favorite spring spots over the next few weeks, but for now- it's League Travels Tuesday!!

We're back with week TWO of our new weekly updates, and have lots to share with you!

FRESH OFF

We're fresh off some really fun stuff that we've started sharing this week! We've been having so much fun editing photos from our trip to the west coast (though admittedly, we are neck deep in raw photos that need editing)! Tara posted a blog a few days ago featuring her wedding dress, which we shot in California's Imperial Sand Dune National Park. The photos turned out so epic, and you can see them now on TaraMichelleBrose.com!

A few weeks ago, we got the incredible opportunity to work with Gansevoort Hotels here in NYC. The Gansevoort brand has two properties in New York and two in the Caribbean, and the NY Meatpacking District property is one of our favorite places for a rooftop drink in the summer. Needless to say, we were so excited to work with them! We got to shoot with the ever-talented photographer Daniela Spector, and the images turned out so fun. We actually loved working with the entire team, and felt so comfortable from the moment we arrived. The shoot was in The Gansevoort Park's duplex penthouse- which basically set the bar for hotels room for the rest of our lives. Throw in a few bottles of Veuve, copious amounts of room service, dozens of rubber duckies, chocolate covered strawberries and the coziest robes you've ever felt, and we were in heaven! Check out some of our favorite photos from the shoot below! *photos by Daniela Spector

WHAT'S HOT

As our old pal St. Augustine once said, "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page". And, well, we have to agree! There is so much to see, and so many people to meet. There's something about stepping into a different culture that helps you understand yourself more and also helps you see humanity in a more beautiful light. It's to equate "different" to "bad" when your world is small- but when your world is big, different is a thing to celebrate and embrace!! Pad Thai tastes so much better in Thailand, Gelato is so much sweeter in Rome, and the ocean is so much bluer in the Caribbean. Don't live through someone else's eyes though- go see it for yourself! Where would you go if money was no option? Start planning it!! With a little research we're sure you can find a way to do it cheaper, cooler, and so much easier than you'd expect. Anyways, in case you need a little inspiration, here are some of the deals we're watching this week!

ROYAL CARIBBEAN // Ok, who is a fan of cruises? If you're looking for a non-intimidating way to see incredible places, eat delicious food, and forgo all the extra work of planning, check out Royal Caribbean's "Royal Refund" sale! They're offering up to $300 dollars back to spend at sea, and every 3rd night free right now. Uh... yes please!! Check it out Here!
ATHENS & SANTORINI // Guys. Travelzoo's Top 20 list this week included an insane deal from Great Value Vacations- 6 nights with flights and high speed ferry in Athens and Santorini from $1,199!! It expires April 21st, so JUMP ON IT! Check it out Here!
EMIRATES AIRLINES // Our favorite airline strikes again! Emirates has a sale on RT flights to Milan, Italy for just $499!! The sale ends on April 20, so no time to waste. Imagine sipping wine at an italian cafe, climbing the Duomo, partying with the Italians along the historic Navigli canals, shopping to your heart's content... or, like we did last October- use Milan as the base for an Italian adventure! The trains are incredible and fast, which means an easy trip to Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Tuscany... you name it! Plus, Emirates economy feels like first class compared to most US airlines!! The deal is for travel between April 25-May 25.. perfect for a last minute italian getaway! Book Here!
JETBLUE // Tax season got you down? JetBlue is trying to help with their #JetBlueTaxReturnFlight sale. If you owed money on your taxes, you can enter to win a free 1-way flight at jetblluetaxreturnflight.com!
AIR CHINA // China may not be your typical destination, but Air China has some great deals from NYC right now to several Chinese cities! We've never flown Air China, so can't attest to their quality, but to fly RT from NYC to GuangZhou in southern China for just $559, it's worth trying! It's close to southeast Asia, so try using this flight as a cheap way to get to that part of the world, and book budget carriers to the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc! Check it out here!