Easter in Rome: Live the Dolce Vita at Hotel Hassler

Is a springtime trip to Rome in the cards this year? Before the summer heat (and crowds) descend on the city, jet to Rome to savor la dolce vita: sipping wine on the Campo de' Fiori, picking up the latest fashions, trying every flavor of gelato imaginable. Why not go to Rome for Easter, one of the most anticipated events in the Eternal City? The holiday falls on April 24 this year, meaning a warm spring will already be in full swing. From the procession on Good Friday to the Pope's Easter Sunday mass at St. Peter's Basilica, Easter inspires festive excitement throughout the city. This year, the Hotel Hassler Roma is offering a special Roman pasqua (Easter) for guests looking for an extraordinary Easter in Rome. Perched atop the Spanish Steps with gorgeous views of the city, the Hassler has long been recognized as one of the finest hotels in the world. The package includes:

* Three nights in luxury accommodations

* Daily buffet breakfast at the Hassler's Salone Eva

* Special Easter Sunday Brunch created by Chef Francesco Apreda at the Hassler's panoramic Michelin-starred Imàgo restaurant

* Spumante (Italian sparkling wine) and two bottles of mineral water upon arrival

* Easter surprise from the hotel's pastry chef

* Sauna and steam bath

Guests may also relax with an optional massage in-room or at the hotel's Amorvero SPA (at additional charge). Priced from €1,800 to €2,100 (approximately US$2,430 to US$2,840) based on double occupancy, the package is valid for arrivals on April 22 or 23, 2011.

Morgans Hotel Group Plans to Open Delano Hotels in Mexico and Turkey

Manhattanites have been in a tizzy about the latest hotel to open in New York's SoHo. The Mondrian SoHo is the fourth Manhattan property for Morgans Hotel Group, whose Morgan Hotel-- opened in 1984-- is said to be the country's first true boutique hotel. Premiering today, the Mondrian SoHo promises eye-catching interiors from designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz, inspired by Jean Coucteau’s 1946 film La Belle et le Bête. Now we've just gotten word about more expansion plans for Morgans Hotel Group. Three new hotels are in the pipeline, two of which will carry the Delano brand. Slated for 2013, the Delano resorts will open in Cabo San Lucas and on the Aegean Sea in Turkey. The third property will open in 2014 in Manhattan near the High Line park.

Check out some other properties from Morgans Hotel Group:

Mondrian in West Hollywood

Delano, Mondrian (pictured) and Shore Club in South Beach

Sanderson in London

Clift in San Francisco

Easter in Greece at Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas

Nafplion could be the most beautiful town on the Greek mainland (or so the locals like to think). It's chock full of historic sites (and loads of charm): Ottoman buildings, Venetian fortresses, twisting labyrinthine streets and white-washed houses adorned with colorful bougainvillea blossoms. And it feels a million miles away from the tourist crowds. Jet to Greece in April to experience Greek Easter,* the country's most important religious holiday, and discover the only hotel in Europe built within an archeological site. Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas is located in an acropolis dating from the 3rd Century BC. All 33 villas are individually designed with heartstopping views of the bay and old city. While bedding down in style at Nafplia Palace Hotel & Villas, partake in the hotel's traditional Easter lunch with live music. Outside the town will be witness to numerous processions on Good Friday, where epitaphs- symbolizing the coffin of Jesus- are draped in flowers and carried from the town's churches to Syntagma Square.

*This year Catholic and Orthodox Easter share the same dates, so the Catholic Church of Transfiguration will be open for the entire week: Resurrection night and Easter Sunday. The church has a small museum and an underground crypt in which can be found sculptural work commemorating the defeat of the Turks at the hands of the Greeks and philhellenes.

New Champagne Evenings at Le Grand Bar at St. Regis Grand Hotel Rome

When guests check into The St. Regis Rome, they're quickly seduced by the sumptuous surroundings. From the silks and plush velvet fabrics to the Italian marble, this landmark hotel oozes opulence. Now there's another offering sure to set the mood while you're enjoying the Eternal City: Champagne evenings at Le Grand Bar. This watering hole is a favorite spot for Italians to see and be seen, serving up classic cocktails along with local libations (Bellinis, Negronis...) And now, in exclusive partnership with Perrier-Jouet, Le Grand Bar offers the ultimate aperitivo. Every evening starting at 7 pm, enjoy a fine selection of Champagne accompanied by tempting appetizers and live piano music.

Itching to get to Rome? Book the hotel's "A New Year, a new experience" package and receive up to 30% off. You must book by February 28, 2011, for stays through August 31, 2011. Get 20% off a 3-night stay (from 270 euros per room per night) and get 30% off a 4-night stay (from 237 euros per room per night).

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland at The Merrion Hotel, Dublin

Sure, you could check out the St. Patrick's Day parade in your neck of the woods, perhaps while drinking green beer and watching the Chicago River turn an eerie shade of Irish green. But nothing quite compares to the festivities in the homeland. Get thee to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day and revel in the occasion. While you're at it. Make it a five-star St. Patty's Day and stay at Dublin's Merrion Hotel, the beautiful luxury hotel that's housed in four restored Georgian townhouses. The Merrion features a beautiful art collection and Ireland's only Michelin two-starred restaurant. And with the Tethra Spa and in-house pool, you'll be able to decompress in style after all that carousing. The Merrion has two special packages for St. Patrick's Day:

Semi Shamrock - 1 night (between March 14-17, 2011), priced from €117.50 (approximately US$162) per person, based on double occupancy:

* One night accommodation in a Standard Garden Wing room

* Full Irish breakfast

* Black Velvet cocktail per person

Full Shamrock - 2 nights (March 16 & 17), priced from €295 (approximately US$407) per person, based on double occupancy:

* Two nights accommodation in a Standard Garden Wing room

* Full Irish breakfast

* Black Velvet cocktail

* One Grandstand ticket per person for St. Patrick's Day festival

* Small picnic box to bring to parade

G’day Governor: W London — Leicester Square Opens

W Hotels Worldwide has opened its newest flagship hotel, W London — Leicester Square, the impossibly chic and slightly futuristic property set in the epicenter of London’s entertainment scene.

The hotel features 192 guest rooms, including 17 suites, three WOW suites and one Extreme WOW suite headed up by Dutchman Rob Wagemans of Amsterdam-based Concrete Architectural Associates, while the exterior, structural work was helmed by McAleer & Rushe Group and renown London architects at Jestico + Whiles.

Drawing influence from the surrounding streets, Jestico + Whiles – winners of this year’s European Hotel Design Award – have created the hotel in a muted palette of white Portland Stone, stucco and filigree lit up by an extensive system of jewel-bright LED lights, flickering and pulsing as night begins to fall.

Rumor has it the intensity of the lights, their hues, opacity and pattern all depend on the season, the pedestrian traffic and the time of night.

Be sure to check out celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new restaurant, Spice Market, inspired by the "vibrant street life of South East Asia," offering not-for-the-faint-of-heart cuisine, highlighting spicy exotic curries echoing Vietnamese street markets and Thai food stalls.

An Oktoberfest Hotel in Munich: Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski

“In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus: Eins, zwei, g'suffa…” Every now and again, I can’t get this song out of my head. I can’t predict when the words come flooding in, usually when I take a drink of a fine German lager. My taste buds trigger an emotion that is pure happiness. Oktoberfest! Oh how I miss thee!

This year, I’m going back, and I hope you’ll join me. Munich, the beautiful Bavarian city in southern Germany, has more than just the annual beer drinking festival, but there isn’t honestly a better time to visit. The season is just changing, with the weather pleasant and calm, and the warmth of the German people never more evident. This is what makes Oktoberfest so enchanting!

I’ve stayed at many places in Germany, from home stays to hostels to ski chalets, but nothing compares to the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski. Can’t pronounce it? Don’t worry, I can’t either. But you won’t need to, because the world class staff at the Hotel Vier will do everything for you, including the speaking!

I do recommend doing one thing on your own though, and that’s drinking a liter of Hofbräu, and singing that famous old song… Prost!

An Inside Look at The Savoy in London (and the Glam Beaufort Bar!)

On a recent trip to London, we stopped by The Savoy to scope out the massive £220 million restoration project that's had tongues wagging on both sides of the pond. We weren't the only ones gaping. There was an actual traffic jam in the lobby (chic patrons and curious passer-bys) gawking at the interiors by designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. We also noticed the queue for the American Bar, the watering hole made famous by legendary bartenders Ada “Coley” Coleman and Harry Craddock, author of The Savoy Cocktail Book. The bar team today is no less impressive; Manager Daniel Baernreuther is joined by a top team of bartenders including Head Bartender, Erik Lorincz (Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 2010) and Stefano Cossio (winner of the UKBG Akvinta National Cocktail Competition).

So how do would-be imbibers bide their time before snagging a coveted seat inside? They visit the adjacent Savoy Museum, where memorabilia from the storied hotel's history is showcased. After all, The Savoy has hosted a slew of famous guests-- like Katharine Hepburn, Coco Chanel, Claude Monet, and Winston Churchill. (Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II danced on the ballroom’s parquet floor.) Indeed, the nine new "personality suites" have been styled after some of these high-profile guests.

We checked out a one-bedroom River View Deluxe Suite, decorated in the traditional Edwardian style, and reveled in the views. A wall of windows framed the city skyline above the river Thames. These views are really what distinguish The Savoy; the setting between Mayfair and the city of London along the river is enviable. In the marble bathroom, we ogled the claw foot bath, separate walk-in shower with rain showerhead, and bath products by Miller Harris.

Pictured at top: The new Beaufort Bar, a glamorous destination for sipping cocktails surrounded by gilded Art Deco opulence (think alcoves adorned in gold-leaf and lots of black-- from black velvet curtains to the custom-designed black chairs). There are 28 Champagnes available by the glass, and a slew of specialty libations.

We didn't try The Winston (Time Out London describes the £50 drink like this: "Inspired by Winston Churchill's habit of wetting his cigar in his Cognac, it has Hennessy XO, blood orange purée and quince liqueur muddled with a Romeo y Julieta cigar (seriously) and served straight up.") But we did relish the Savoy Stutter and The Pink Rooster, served with gourmet bites: olives, caramelized almonds, salmon sushi, and curried chicken wraps.

Harry Potter-esque Hotels

I might be the only one in the world who hasn’t read the Harry Potter books. Does that make me a criminal? Perhaps, but I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t want an excellent book to ruin a good movie, so I’m biding my time. But let me tell you, I love those Harry Potter movies. Love ‘em! And while they may not immerse me in the world of Potter quite as much as reading Lady J.K. Rowling’s words, it will have to do for now.

Yet just as the last book was written, the last movie is nigh on the horizon. In June, the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione will grace the silver screen for the last time. So I started thinking (always dangerous), where can I continue the adventure in real life? Which of the world’s most luxurious hotels are the most Harry Potter-esque, and perhaps can give me a nice place to read those books once and for all?

The first one to come to mind was the easiest. The Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando, a Loews Hotel. While the romantic setting of an Italian fishing village might not bring to mind Hogsmeade in all its glory, it will allow you front of the line access to Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure amusement park, home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. This themed land is torn directly from the pages of the Harry Potter opus, and in fact was personally approved to the last detail by Rowling herself. And with the Loews brand giving world class luxury and service, the Portofino Bay Hotel is worth its weight in Fizzing Whizbees.

The next stop on the tour of all things Potter might lead to downtown London, a place teeming with wizards and muggles alike. Therefore staying at 41 might be in order, a place that has the market cornered on quiet charm. You can have your own chamber of secrets at 41, and if you must eat a pumpkin pasty, please use a napkin!

Finally, use a little floo powder and head for the north of England towards Newcastle. While enjoying a Geordies footie match, you can slip out to the beautiful Alnwick Castle. On that very ground is where Harry Potter first learned to fly his broomstick, the filming location for Hogwarts Castle. Here you’ll stay at the delightful White Swan — Bondgate Within Alnwick, just outside of Newcastle. You will be transported, literally, to a place that you’ve imagined a million times.

So while the film adventure might be coming to an end, your Harry Potter adventure is just beginning!

Love on the Banks of the Seine

There are two things I value above all else: Luxury and Romance. Finding each individually is hard enough, but finding them together is nearly impossible. So I did what most people do when they are looking for something. I googled it. I entered simply, “Romantic Luxury Getaways”, and let the computer do the work for me. And I implore you to do the same. Go ahead, I’ll wait right here until you return. Don’t worry, it won’t spoil the ending…

Back yet? Okay, what did we both find? First, it was some of the great hotels of the world. And amongst them, of course, the city that appeared again and again: Paris, France. Not Paris, Texas, nor Paris, Arkansas, both of which I’ve visited and can say are truly unromantic. Paris, France, on the other hand, is, cliché or not, simply the most romantic city in the world. Luckily for us, it also offers some of the most luxurious hotels in the world.

Before I get into that, and therefore before I list which of Paris’ finest are my favorites, I want to tell you why Paris is romantic. You may now be grumbling about your last visit, or maybe your last 5 visits, and how you know very well what is and is not true about la belle ville. I’ve been several times myself in the last few years, and in fact lived two years in Paris on the Left Bank in my marauding early-20s. And yes, while I have the advantage of ordering a Domaine Romanée-Conti in heavily accented French, I’ve learned that in Paris anyone can find romance.

Where? I found it on the terrace of a café in an alley at a hole-in-the-wall Moroccan restaurant that no longer exists. The place was run down, the couscous overcooked, and yet when I raised a glass of Burgundy and toasted with the sweet, brown-eyed girl underneath a canopy of stars illuminating the French summer night, I didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. Months later, a ring tucked deep in my pocket, I strolled down to the banks of the Seine, heard the muted stir of the river below, and found myself on one knee asking her to be with me forever. We returned for our honeymoon, and several trips thereafter, and Paris never let us down. The gray hair on my temples has never kept the romance at bay, and I still raise a toast with the brown-eyed girl on the other side of the table.

Now, though, when I go to the world’s most romantic city, I stay at the world’s most luxurious hotels. And why not? Luxury and romance go hand in hand, just as my hand goes with hers each and every morning when I wake up, and just as our lips come together each evening to say goodnight.

So make romance yours at L’Hotel de Crillon. This hotel is not for the overnight traveler. In fact, the pre-revolutionary construction is in classic Louis XV style, and will tantalize patrons with a stunning location only steps from Les Champs-Elysees, and make a stay of any length too short.

If you’re looking for a taste of the Belle Époque, seek out the Ritz Paris. Erected in 1898, the Ritz underwent a stunning renovation in 2010, and is known for its famous guests, more recently (Elton John) and a few years ago (Marcel Proust).

Finally, if you prefer views of the Eiffel tower from your flower-filled balcony, charm your loved one with a stay at the Hotel Plaza Athenee. Luxury is a given, romance an absolute, and with four restaurants on site overseen by the eminent Alain Ducasse, you’ll have the best of Parisian dining just steps away.

One final note: If you’re thinking of buying her that ring, or perhaps telling him that you love him all the more after all these years, don’t wait! Seize the moment! Paris may endure and always be waiting, but perhaps he or she won’t. Bon voyage!