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5 Hotel Restaurants Worth Traveling For

By U.S. News & World Report

Long gone are the days when guests dined at hotel restaurants out of necessity. With a growing number of inventive, top-rated dining establishments popping up at high-end properties across the globe, you can easily enjoy first-rate meals at diverse restaurants in nearby and far-off locales. From classic outposts helmed by celebrity chefs to upscale dining rooms with multi-course meals and craft cocktails, these hotel restaurants warrant a visit all on their own.

[See: 15 Best Foodie Destinations in the USA.]

IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar
Sir Albert, Amsterdam

The Sir Albert Boutique Hotel is an upscale property located in the heart of Amsterdam. After exploring the city’s world-renowned museums, shops and cafes, sit down for a memorable meal at IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar. Using an authentic Japanese robata grill, IZAKAYA’s chefs create delectable and boundary-pushing dishes, such as lobster with wasabi pepper sauce and spicy Peruvian tuna on chips. IZAKAYA also stands out with its top-notch beverages. The restaurant offers unique house infused tonics and specialty concoctions filled with natural ingredients like the Jasmine Spark, made with white rum and Japanese shochu, fresh mint and Jasmine tea syrup. What’s more, Sir Albert’s interior design was conceptualized by the internationally recognized Baranowitz + Kronenberg Architecture, and draws inspiration from the five traditional Japanese elements: earth, water, wind, fire and heaven, creating a trendy and lively atmosphere for patrons.

David Burke fabric
Archer Hotel New York

The Archer Hotel‘s acclaimed restaurant, David Burke fabric, was created by notable chef David Burke. Featuring fresh seasonal food in an open kitchen in Midtown Manhattan’s Garment District, the restaurant offers an eclectic globally influenced menu filled with small plates. Broken up into vegetarian, meat, fish and side dishes, the menu boasts scrumptious staples such as three-layer avocado dip, honey glazed pretzels, Hawaiian flatbread and lobster bisque soup dumplings. What’s more, this cherished city hot spot is perched in the center of the buzzing Garment District, a stone’s throw away from iconic New York City sights, such as Rockefeller Plaza, Bryant Park and Radio City Music Hall.

[See: 8 Under-the-Radar Foodie Cities.]

Arnold’s Grill & Garden Restaurant
Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Düsseldorf

Arnold’s Grill & Garden, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Düsseldorf’s on-site restaurant, serves a varied mix of dishes with a focus on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. After taking in the iconic Rhine River and checking out Düsseldorf’s notable art collections, castles and canals, head to Arnold’s Grill & Garden, where you can order from a menu that changes according to the season and includes entrees prepared with fresh ingredients grown in the hotel’s very own garden. The menu offers everything from green thai chicken curry and Viennese veal to grilled salmon steak. And in the summertime, you can enjoy cocktails al fresco along the hotel bar’s outdoor terrace.

JAAN Restaurant
Swissôtel The Stamford

Singapore, with its bounty of Michelin-starred dining spots and flourishing street food scene, beckons to traveling gourmands near and far. And this year, Singapore became the first Southeast Asian country to receive its own Michelin Guide. For a meal to remember, head to JAAN, an award-winning, 40-seat restaurant dishing out French cuisine in an intimate setting. The restaurant’s name, JAAN, stems from the Sanskrit word for “bowl,” and on the menu curated by Kirk Westaway, the recipient of the S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2015 for Southeast Asia award, you’ll find entrees such as crab dressed with caviar and line-caught snapper. Most recently, the restaurant was recognized on the 2016 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.

[See: 10 Bucket-List Destinations That Don’t Cost a Fortune.]

E.B. Green’s Steakhouse
Hyatt Regency Buffalo/ Hotel and Conference Center

E.B. Green’s Steakhouse, an award-winning restaurant in Buffalo, New York, is the epitome of a sophisticated American steakhouse with polished brass fixtures and mahogany walls. Here, you can dig into prime hand-cut steaks and freshly caught seafood. Signature dishes include grilled oysters, charbroiled portobello mushrooms, filet mignon and wild-caught Alaskan black cod. The hotel is located in the heart of downtown Buffalo, and sits within easy reach of top Buffalo attractions, museums, the Buffalo Botanical Gardens and even Niagara Falls.

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5 Hotel Restaurants Worth Traveling For originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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