Located in Downtown Palm Springs, La Serena Villas is a Spanish colonial—style hotel bursting with charm and personality.

La Serena Villas is the perfect weekend getaway for those looking to relax and refresh in the desert.

A little history about the property.

La Serena Villas was originally established in 1933 and closed for demolition in 2002. The community came together and saved it from the wrecking ball after receiving Historic Status. The hotel reopened 2 months ago as a luxury boutique hotel with all the amenities found in a 5-star hotel.  An intimate bungalow style hotel nestled against the San Jacinto mountains.

Upon entering the lobby, I immediately fell in love with the décor. I was greeted with monochromatic interior and colorful accent pieces. The hotel exterior is dominated with whites and complimented with cool tones like grey and blue—something I truly appreciated because it helped me feel refreshed despite the 100-degree weather.

Our gorgeous bungalow had a swing so cute, it was asking for a photo op. Each room feature patios and free-standing tubs, which was perfect for a more private relaxation outdoors. I took this opportunity to a do rose bath-slash-concept shoot that resulted beautifully.

The hotel offers a complimentary breakfast basket for two that includes 2 croissant pastries (with jam and butter on the side), 2 yogurt cups, a banana, an apple, and a glass of OJ.

Whispers, the hotel spa, offers a list of services where you can unwind and let go of your daily pressures. Check out their spa menu here.

Azucar, the hotel restaurant & bar.

You and a few friends can walk or bike to Palm Canyon Drive, where you can find the best restaurants, boutiques and galleries that Palm Springs has to offer. The hotel has four bikes available to rent upon signing a waiver. 

I had such a wonderful staycation at La Serena Villas and will definitely come back soon!

Photography by Virisa Yong

Here's a glimpse of my recent trip to Miami!

“Nothing matters very much... and few things matter at all.”

— Lord Balfour

This past weekend, Peter and I celebrated our 7-year anniversary in Miami. We were looking forward to this trip for a while now because we rarely get to go on vacation together! We wanted to relax and enjoy the beach, to get away from the bipolar LA winter we’re having lately. And all I can say is, this trip was definitely needed.

Upon arrival to Room Mate Lord Balfour at 9AM, we asked the staff if we can leave our bags until we can check-in at 3pm. And to our surprise, the staff was nice enough to let us check-in our room early! We were completely exhausted coming from a red-eye flight and losing sleep with the time difference, so we were thrilled to get some rest before we got our day started.

Room Mate Lord Balfour is located below Fifth Street, a less commercial stretch where it’s less crowded and a little more peaceful than other areas. The hotel was only a few steps away from the beach, which made it really easy to go in and out of the shore. We went for sunset dips and the skies were absolutely beautiful to watch! It was totally Instagram-worthy with different cotton candy hues each day, and with little to none crowds to photo-bomb your picture. It was one of the highlights of our trip because I really appreciated how we were able to enjoy the beach even at sun down. In regards to the nightlife, Story is only a few blocks away from the hotel where the party goes down until 5AM. You pretty much get the best of both worlds in the area: peaceful enough to relax but with an option to party hard. So if you’re looking to do both, I highly recommend staying at Room Mate Lord Balfour for your upcoming Miami trip. You can use my code DICTADOMATE to save some $$!

• 15% direct discount on the best flexible rate
• Promotion applies to all Room Mate Hotels
• Reservations valid through our Call Center or www.room-matehotels.com only
• Promotion may not be combined with other offers
• Discount applies to room only or bed and breakfast
• Reservations subject to availability of special allotment assigned to this offer
• Offer valid for travel dates between January 24th, 2017 and December 31th, 2017
• Reservations must be booked between January 24th, 2017 and March 31th, 2017

No room service here, but they provide complimentary breakfast, located at the first floor.

The room has big windows for great lighting.

The sunsets were absolutely beautiful.

The weather is perfect this time of year. Not too hot, and not too cold!

I have gone to NYFW a few times and I must say that I mastered the art of packing quite a bit. It can be stressful and tedious, but preparing yourself is key. Thanks to my friends over at CALPAK, packing has always been a breeze, and most importantly, I’m always traveling in style. We’re giving you a chance to win a 3-piece luggage CALPAK set of your own at the end of this post, so don’t miss it!

Here are a few things to consider before you start packing:

• What’s the weather like in the city you’re visiting?  I cannot emphasize how important this is! Make sure to pick pieces according to the weather. You don’t want to be wearing short shorts in 60 degree weather, or wool tops in 80% humidity. It still felt like summertime in New York, so I made sure I brought lightweight pieces to wear.
• How long are you staying? This helps you determine how many outfits you should pack. I always recommend bringing an extra outfit or two just in case—you might need it for any last minute agendas, or a wardrobe malfunction.

• Try to match and color-coordinate your pieces. My closet mostly consists of neutral colors so it’s not much of a problem. However, we often forget that we are limited with what we can bring, and that's why it’s important to plan your outfits accordingly. I usually play it safe and bring a pair of black sneakers and heels because I can pretty much wear them with any outfit. 

• Leave ample room in your luggage, or bring an extra tote bag with you. There’s no reason to over pack because there’s always opportunities to shop! That’s one of the reasons why traveling is fun. I always try to leave room in my luggage because I know for a fact that I’m going to be bringing new goodies with me back home.

Moving on to my NYFW outfits, here's a round-up of all my looks:

NYFW Outfit Day One

Dahli The Label Top + Skirt / Dolce Vita Booties / Sunday Somewhere Sunnies

NYFW Outfit #2 Day One

Lysse Jacket / Blank NYC Tee / Dolce Vita Booties / Sunday Somewhere Sunnies

NYFW Outfit Day Two

Willow & Clay Top + Skirt / Chinese Laundry Shoes / MCM Bag

NYFW Outfit #2 Day Two

Lioness Dress / MCM Bag / Dolce Vita Booties

NYFW Outfit Day Three

Dahli The Label Jacket + Romper / Chanel Purse / Dolce Vita Booties

Now here's YOUR chance to get your very own 3-piece luggage set from CALPAK! Just follow these 3 rules to enter:

• Follow both @paudictado + @calpak on Instagram
• Subscribe to CALPAK’s email list
• Leave a comment below that includes your dream travel destination with a link to your favorite luggage

***Continental U.S. participants only***

Winner will be announced on my blog Friday, October 7, 2016 - GOOD LUCK!

For my summer getaway to the Philippines, I had the chance to partner up with CALPAK to show you my travel diary on their blog! There I talked about visiting Manila, which is the capital city—and Boracay, which is one of their island destinations.

Read about all the places I enjoyed visiting and all the amazing food I ate. I had the best time with all my adventures there and I can’t wait to share with you, so check it out here! :)

“Twenty years from now you’ll be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.” – Mark Twain

This year, I’m definitely planning to travel more. Chicago was on my list, so my boyfriend & I went for our anniversary—a short trip but fun nonetheless. Here's a recap, along with some tips if ever you plan on going to this beautiful city soon!

DAY 1

We arrived the city at 9am on a Friday and it started snowing—my first time seeing snowfall! It was really cold and I’m glad I was prepared and all layered up. Although check-in time is at 3 p.m., we were able to check-in early at The Godfrey and got to rest for a bit. The Godfrey is in the heart of the city and almost everything was walking distance or a $5 uber ride—it was nicely convenient.

A glimpse of our room and the city view from our window! It was a gloomy Friday morning.

First stop, Wildberry Pancakes and Café. I usually prefer waffles over pancakes but reviews say that their signature berry bliss pancakes were a must, so I ordered that instead and I loved it! After brunch, we headed to Millenium Park to check out the bean.

I love museums so we had to stop by and explore The Art Institute of Chicago. We didn’t have much time but I loved their exhibits! 

After a long day of exploring, we were famished. So we went to Giordano's for dinner because we've heard great things about their deep dish pizza, and they were right, it doesn't compare to the BJ’s deep dish that most of us know. All the toppings were inside the pizza, almost like a pie, and the cheese was just complete gooey goodness. This is a definitely a MUST when you’re in Chicago.

DAY 2

We started our day with breakfast at The Eastman Egg Company, which offered a variety of tasteful egg sandwiches. I got The Captain and added avocados—so good! Then, Intelligentsia Coffee for a latte.

My favorite part of the trip was going to Skydeck that features The Ledge, which is a glass balcony extending four feet at the 103rd floor of Willis Tower. It supposedly gives you a view of four states. It was breathtaking (and a bit scary, haha). The regular line takes about an hour to a couple hours so I recommend getting the fastpass!

Dinner and drinks at The Purple Pig, and another breathtaking view of our room view at night.

DAY 3

Our last day in Chicago was pretty short since our flight back home was at 4 p.m. so we made sure our last meal was a good one. And If you knew me well, you know that I love eggs. There was a brunch spot called Yolk that was only a couple blocks from our hotel and I ordered a Tour De France, which was 3 different French toasts in one plate. It was sweet and fruity, just the way I like it! To complete the salty and sweet combo, Peter ordered the pot roast egg’s benedict—which I also recommend.

Our last stop was Café Integral, a cute little café at Freehand Hotel. They offer drinks and bites with a very homey setting!

Other Tips:

• If you’re going to Chicago during the winter time, don’t forget to layer up! Thermals, chunky knits, winter boots, gloves, scarves, beanie, etc.
• Map out all the places you want to go to and choose a hotel that’s in the vicinity. It makes it easy to go from one place to another (especially when in extremely cold or hot weather conditions).
• Try as much restaurants as you can. The food in Chicago is AMAZING. I have nothing bad to say about the places I went to. But WARNING: most good restaurants have about an hour to an hour and a half wait time, so don’t wait to go until you’re extremely hungry. Also, most restaurants have waiting apps where you can put your number down so that you can leave and come back when the table is ready for you.

Lastly, here’s a short clip of our trip—my first video ever, guys! You can check out my channel and subscribe here. Hope you enjoy!

Ready to break hearts with this Valentine's Day look.

Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to dress up and do something fun. Whether you’re going on a romantic date or a girls’ night out, a LBD is always appropriate. This year I’m going for rebel chic: my trusty cropped moto, cut-out bodycon dress and pointy-toe heels to create the look.

Talking about Valentine's Day, my ideal date would be to get out of town—to go to a city I’ve never been to. I live for exploring new places and trying new things! Then later, ending the night with a nice dinner—food is definitely the way to my heart. ;)

This year, I celebrated Valentine’s Day a little early for the reason that I’ll be out of town, attending NYFW. I went to Chicago this past weekend with my boyfriend celebrating our anniversary and it was nothing sort of amazing. I will save the deets for the next blog post so stay tuned!

2020ave Dress / Elly Clay Heels / Nasty Gal Jacket / Daniel Wellington Watch / Burberry Clutch

Photography by Cameron Boyle