'Referrer-Policy': 'strict-origin-when-cross-origin' YouTube Embed Relay
best travel blogs

A Site About Being at home in hotels around the world

Let’s Connect

Know where the Ice Machine is in real time by following on BlueSky and Instagram.

Solo Travel Blogs

Subscribe to The Ice Machine

Sign up here for email updates and reader exclusives.

Featured Content

Nomadic Living

” All that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going…” -Jack Kerouac

travel gear

Travel Gear

“He who would travel happily must travel light.– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

luxury travel blogs

Hotel Intel

“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room – and God damn it – died in a hotel room.” -Eugene O’Neill

Recent Posts

  • Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel

    Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel

    If you’re searching for a hotel around Boca Raton you’ve got plenty of choices. But if you’re coming in peak season and not made of money those choices get narrow pretty quickly. In that case you might find yourself looking at the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach as I did recently. Can this Best Western property

    Read Post

  • Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide

    Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide

    Personal day-use coolers have always been a staple of road trip travel. Driving around the Florida coasts as much as I do, mine was getting daily use. Eventually an upgrade was in order and I wanted something with some size and substance. But I was still a bit hesitant to shell out Yeti money for

    Read Post

  • Review of the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport: Hotel Intel

    Review of the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport: Hotel Intel

    If you’re searching for a hotel near FLL or Port Everglades the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport may not be the most obvious choice. I’ve been staying in hotels in this area for two years and still haven’t booked it until now despite being very budget conscious. Was it worth the wait? Let’s find out.

    Read Post

  • Florida’s Best Free Attraction? Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach

    Florida’s Best Free Attraction? Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach

    I’d been aware of West Palm’s Manatee Lagoon for a while and had it on a list of attractions to check out. Manatees are found throughout Florida but Manatee Lagoon is known as the best place to observe wild manatees in Florida. When a post popped up in my Instagram feed recently I clicked through

    Read Post

  • The Cost of Living In Hotels: Update #4 July-December 2025

    The Cost of Living In Hotels: Update #4 July-December 2025

    There’s not a lot of content on the Internet about the cost of living in hotels full time. Most people who adopt a nomadic lifestyle opt for some combination of AirBnb, monthly leases, or extended stays in hostels. The purpose of these updates is to provide a picture of what it actually costs to live

    Read Post

  • How to Fly With Overweight Bags for Free

    How to Fly With Overweight Bags for Free

    After nearly 20 years of going to sea I’ve learned how to pack exactly 49 pounds of gear to avoid being charged for overweight bags. But that was before I threw in the towel on carrying a military type sea bag and capitulated to the practicality of a bag with wheels. I settled on a

    Read Post

  • Review of Bishop Lei International House Hong Kong: Hotel Intel

    There are hundreds of hotels in Hong Kong to choose from in all areas of the city. However if you specifically want to stay in the Mid-Levels section of Hong Kong Island the choices are narrowed down very quickly. Probably the best of those options is Bishop Lei International House. The other choices are Garden

    Read Post

  • Doing Laundry While Traveling: A Complete Guide

    When I decided to give up my apartment and begin living in hotels full time I knew there were going to be two aspects of daily life that could be difficult or inconvenient: Eating without a kitchen and doing laundry while traveling. On balance it hasn’t been that tricky at all. But it can sometimes

    Read Post

  • Review of the Holiday Inn Cebu City: Hotel Intel

    While most visitors to the Philippines likely have tropical beaches in mind, it’s often necessary to transit the cities on your way there. Cebu is situated in a central position in the islands and has many ferry connections in addition to being the best aviation hub in the Philippines. Finding myself in need of a

    Read Post

  • Review of Holiday Inn Express Causeway Bay, Hong Kong: Hotel Intel

    Hong Kong is a huge city With a full range of hotel options. Fortunately for American travelers, US Chains have a strong foothold here with a range of brands at price levels from $50 to over $500 USD per night. If you’re searching for a Hong Kong hotel a US chain brand is the easiest

    Read Post

  • Review of the TRYP Mall of Asia: Hotel Intel

    If you’re planning a trip to Manila there are about three areas of the city where you’ll want to stay. Oddly, none of them are actually in Manila. There’s the city of Makati, the Bonifacio Global City or BGC, and the area around the Mall of Asia in Pasay. I haven’t stayed in BGC. And

    Read Post

  • Review of The Story Panglao: Resort Report

    No one is sitting at home in the US or Europe planning out their vacation to Bohol. But if you’re traveling in Asia generally, and particularly if you find yourself in Manila or Cebu, you’re going to want to get to a beach as soon as possible. The Philippines is known to have some of

    Read Post

Search

cool travel blogs