We swoon for all things Italian (pasta, leather footwear, gelato, dark wavy hair...) but right now, our pocketbook is feeling more "stay domestic cheap" than "maxxed-out credit card European fabulous."

So, when the Seattle Art Museum opens its Michelangelo Public and Private: Drawings for the Sistine Chapel and other Treasures from the Casa Buonarroti exhibit on October 15th, we're thinking a stay at nearby Alexis Hotel with its "Art of Michelanglo" package will be a whole lot more economical than round-trip fare to Florence. And since SAM is the only place showing this collection in the United States, it looks like you just gotta come to Seattle to see it.]]> globetrotting gourmet 2009-10-12T13:28:36-05:00 47.6050510 -122.33702 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/9/22/16262/7885 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/11725/studio.jpg" class="imgborder"><p>As the temperature cools down in New York, everyone flees the outdoor scenery of Central Park for the scenery inside the city's many museums. And as you can imagine, the museum-focused hotel packages start pouring in. <p> Through the end of November, the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/BUCKINGHAM+HOTEL/local/181"><b>Buckingham Hotel</b></a> is offering a package centered on the Museum of Modern Art's "Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night" exhibit, which features the first-time grouping of over two dozen of the one-eared artist's nighttime and twilight paintings. <p> The package includes two VIP tickets to the museum, which is under a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Rates start at $419 per night and require a minimum two-night stay <i>and</i> the act of jennm 2008-09-24T09:05:33-05:00 40.7643525 -73.977219 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/