Introduction: Good Morning Milan, Goodnight Moon

Greatl. You made it finally to Villa Rothschild.
And for those wondering: it’s a 25 minute drive from the airport (FRA).

Oh, Villa Rothschild. I loved my stay, and there is so much history within these walls as well.
It was closed for a long time after Covid.
Looking forward to your review and to the review of Falkenstein Grand. Had the same problem and stayed at both properties as well.

I love the impulsiveness to go with whatever works.

Looks like a great use of a week.

Ben, you found great premium redemptions, enjoyed quality time with your family, and that’s honestly the best we can hope for. Hope you and everyone have nice holidays and good new year. Japan and Morocco will still be there for next time.

That Goodnight Moon suite is so freaking cool. I wish more hotels would do stuff like that.

Lived in Königsteinfor seven years when I was a kid. Great place to live.

Love this! Hope you enjoyed.

@Ben - I'm curious about how many clothes you typically pack for a trip like this? It sounds like you were away from home for over a week, so do you bring enough of everything to last you one per day, or do you do laundry on your trip or something else? I was just curious.

Longtime reader here. Glad you are able to spend time traveling with your loved ones. I missed seeing the coverage of your dad (but totally understand why). I recall seeing that video of your dad in EK suites a while ago - what a nice blast from the past.

Any chance you have footage of your dad speaking German? I used to live there and your dad's accent is classic German 😀

@Ben were you able to check ITA's new lounge at Milan LIN? that's the new lounge for all Lufthansa Group flights, including Air Dolomiti

@ Alex -- No, frustratingly! There was no business class award space and I don't have Star Alliance Gold status, so we could only use the Priority Pass lounge. I was bummed about that, because I would've loved to check it out.

@ Bravo -- Thank you! Hah, it's a good idea for a future trip, maybe we can make a video in English and German

@ JB -- Fair question! On trips of this length, I generally don't do laundry. So I always make sure I have enough underwear and socks to have at least one fresh pair per day.

I'm typically an athleisure guy in terms of what I wear (when it's acceptable), so I also typically pack one workout-type shirt per day. Meanwhile I bring a lot fewer pairs of pants and dressy clothes, so I do reuse those throughout the trip, since I have to limit my packing somewhere.

Honestly, I find it pretty easy when traveling to cold climates (since I don't sweat), while I find it harder to manage clothing to warm climates, where I often feel like I need multiple sets of clothes per day.

@Ben - Thank you for your reply, that's very interesting!

I'm the same as you, except I struggle being carry-on only in colder climates, while it is easy for me in warmer climates. Being a Floridian, when I travel to colder climates, I struggle to be carry-on only because of all of the bulky warm clothing I need to bring (and I sweat a bit because I typically walk a lot, so I need multiple fresh layers of clothes per day just for peace of mind). I also bring one pair of undergarments and socks per day along with a shirt (athleisure as well), and reuse pants/jeans on my trip. I typically pack for maximum 8-9 days in my carry-on, and then do laundry as needed on longer trips.

Lately, I've been checking bags when traveling abroad when possible because I like to bring stuff back (typically food).

Sounds like a lovely trip with your dad and family! We stayed at the Falkenstein Grand before and I thought it was lovely given the discounted cash rate we got. You’re right, it does feel like it’s a little past its prime but still a good option for a short stay. We thought the restaurant was pretty decent and the heated indoor to outdoor pool was nice. The only major issue was WiFi cutting off for half the day.

If such a specialty suite is a hit with the guests, I am wondering why it's just a temporary set-up... I think these quirky theme rooms should become a fixed feature, based on the guests' feedback, that is.

Tim, wanted to share the good news: Made it to the BOS D1 lounge; wow! Maybe even better food than JFK and LAX. Very impressive. Excellent SkyClub in the new terminal, too.

Ben that sounds great. Can’t wait to hear about it. Especially LH F service. That’s nice you have a big family. Grandpa looks proud.

No EK trip reports?

At least tell us your dad fully recline his seat, even once.

Your dad couldn’t possibly look like any more of a quintessential cute German senior in that photo. 🙂

Further, the Goodnight Moon suite looks like a great/terrible place to do a green screen movie or zoom call. What a cute idea; I wish more hotels would offer some special or themed suites appropriate to their city.

Can’t wait to read the various reviews, and I love the “let’s see where we end up” travel mentality.

I spent decades doing 7-10 day business trips to Europe. I had to do roll on only because of the many short flights and transfers involved. My method was leaving the US with my worst quality underwear and discarding as I picked up better quality in Germany. There were then certain department stores that sold decent quality store label.

I stated at the Falkenstein Grand two years ago for a few nights. I especially enjoyed the outdoor lap pool. And the spa connected by tunnels is a treat. But my favorite part is the massive park nearby with several long hiking trails. Hotel is a bit dated but quiet comfortable and pleasant to be outside the city.