Travel, of course, is about the joy of discovery. Vacation, though, is best spent re-discovering. I was reminded of that fact this week when I returned to New York, where I lived for 10 years. When you travel to places for the first time your time is often spent running from one tourist spot to the next, taking tours, and exercising your brain. Sometimes, however, you just want to feel the comfort that only comes when you know a place well.

A couple of weeks before I check in at the Hazelton Hotel, Biebermania strikes -- screaming fans everywhere. While Bieber is probably the celebrity who causes the greatest commotion on the planet, such encounters with fandom are hardly unusual for the Hazelton Hotel. Its staff knows what to do. It opened in 2007 to cater to attendees of the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF and are gearing up for this season's festival, and their star-studded guest list.