Renaissance Austin Hotel Offering Incredible Packages at Incredible Rates

The Renaissance Austin Hotel is currently offering package deals that take the stress out of planning and offer a perfect escape for business travelers, shoppers, and couples. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway or a shopping excursion, this charming Austin, Texas hotel has something for you.

Shopping Package: The Renaissance Austin Hotel is conveniently located within the Arboretum Market Shops area, and it’s the perfect place to unwind while enjoying a shopping excursion with family or friends. This package offers an overnight accommodation in a deluxe room, complimentary regular Starbuck’s coffee for two, complimentary valet parking, and a $50 gift card to the arboretum shops. This package is starting at $209 per night, and it has come just in time for the holiday season.

Romance Package: Enjoy a quiet night with your special someone and take some time just enjoying each other’s company. This package includes a deluxe room, complimentary bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, full American breakfast for two in Banderas or room service, complimentary valet parking, and late check-out at 2:00pm. This package is starting at $219 per night.

Wired for Business Package: This package is for the business traveler who is looking to escape the hustle and bustle and get work done. This package includes an overnight accommodation in a deluxe room, internet access in your room, complimentary coffee at Ustinbytes Cyber Café, and complimentary valet parking. This package is starting at $239 per night.

Pick the package that's right for you, and have an adventure!

Calling All Food Lovers in D.C. and New York

If you’re a food connoisseur looking for a true epicurean experience, then check out the East Coast Travel package put on by the Westend Bistro, a Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C. restaurant and Le Bernardin, Chef Ripert’s New York restaurant.

The dine and travel weekend will kick off with a 3-course lunch at Le Bernardin in New York City. After an incredible meal by Chef Ripert, participants will hop on the Acela Express train to D.C. and check into the Ritz-Carlton with accommodations on the hotel’s Club level. For dinner, participants will enjoy dishes at Westend Bistro, which is located in the lobby of the hotel. Guests will savor a 3-course meal with a behind the scenes view into the kitchen to participate in an intimate and stimulating dining experience.

This package is priced from $1,025, and we encourage you to visit www.westendbistrodc.com for more information.

The World's Best Hotels: Announcing the Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards 2011

Looking to get inspired for your next getaway? The savvy editors at Fodor's have just released their first-ever list of the world's best hotels. After careful deliberation, the team of Fodor's editors and writers curated the "Fodor's 100 Hotel Awards 2011" spanning eight hotel categories. Here's a sampling of some of our favorites that made the cut.

New & Noteworthy- The Year's Best New and Reinvented Hotels: Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Mondrian Soho in NYC, Hotel Bel-Air & The Redbury in Los Angeles

Grande Dame- Legendary Hotels with Superlative History and Service: The Carlyle in NYC, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, Hotel du Russie in Rome, The Savoy in London

Casual Chic- Effortlessly Stylish Hotels with Rustic-Modern Appeal: Cavo Tagoo in Mykonos, Bardessono in Napa, The Allison in Oregon

Design- Cutting-Edge Boutique Hotels at All Price Points: Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh, Jia in Hong Kong

Local Flavor- Go-To Hotels for a Truly Authentic Experience: Fairmont Chateau Montebello in Quebec, Evason Ma'in Hot Springs and Six Senses Spa in Jordan

Clubby Atmosphere- Hip Urban Pied-à-Terres: 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, The Liberty in Boston, The Augustine in Prague

Luxurious Retreat- Top Choices for a Complete Escape: Little Palm Island Resort and Spa in the Florida Keys, Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, Inkaterra Machu Picchu

Trusted Brand- World-Class Examples of International Hotel Chains: Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Park Hyatt Paris Vendome, The Peninsula Bangkok

Get Steeped: Fairmont Celebrates Tea Around the World on Nov 12

Fairmont has declared November 12, 2011 an official "tea day"-- celebrating all things tea-- and being tea fans ourselves, we're thrilled about the "tea-rrific" events they have planned at hotels and resorts around the world. From tastings with a tea sommelier at The Fairmont Empress in Victoria to tours of a neighboring tea estate at Kenya's historic Fairmont The Norfolk, the festive events celebrate Fairmont's historic connection to the traditional afternoon ritual. Other fun, noteworthy celebrations: get discounts for wearing fancy hats at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise; imbibe signature "Tea-quila" cocktails at The Fairmont Dallas; try Swiss-style tea at the Fairmont Le Montreux Palace featuring finger sandwiches made with local Gruyère cheese; partake in a multi-cultural tea celebration at The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui. For the full run-down of activities, check out the official website. And if you're in need of a little Tea Etiquette, the experts at The Fairmont Empress have some top tips.

Pssst. You can also try some tea-infused cocktails from the hotel brand's top mixologists.

Image via Fairmont Hotels/ Everyone's an Original

Four Seasons Chicago Offers Incredible Holiday Services and Events

The Four Seasons Chicago is adding a little holiday cheer to your visit to the windy city. Perfect for families and individuals of varying ages, the following events are sure to brighten your spirits and make your holidays even more enjoyable.

Starting November 25th, the Four Seasons Chicago will have a Hot Chocolate Doc available to deliver specially crafted hot chocolate drinks right to your room. He’ll be available from 4:00 – 6:00pm until December 30th, making a variety of drinks with marshmallow crème and caramel drizzle toppings for kids, and offering a selection of rums and schnapps for adults. The price for these delectable treats is $8 for kids and $14 for the adult varieties with spirits.

The Four Seasons Chicago is also offering a Holiday Movie Room, a Family Gingerbread House Decorating Class, and even personal touches from Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Enjoy holiday classic films and take your kids down to meet Santa while enjoying luxurious accommodations at the Four Seasons Chicago. Don’t delay, and make your holiday reservations early and enjoy a relaxing and stress-free vacation.

Skating in Bryant Park: Special Offer at New York's Cassa Hotel and Residences

It's a winter wonderland out there. Sure, the blizzards blanketed the East Coast a little early, but why not take advantage of the snow and go ice skating in Bryant Park? Cassa Hotel and Residences in Midtown has partnered with Citi Pond at nearby Bryant Park to create a swell package for guests visiting NYC when it's at its best (over the holidays!). Book "Skating in the Park," starting from $329 per night, and you'll get skate rentals for two, VIP admission to the rink so you can skip the line, hot chocolate for two, and 10% off of all food and beverage when presenting your guest room card at Celsius restaurant and bar. Subject to availability.

The luxurious condo-hotel opened in 2010 to much fanfare (in-room Dean and Deluca snack bar! room service on demand! glorious design!). Needless to say, Cassa offers all the services expected at a world-class hotel- like 24 hour concierge, daily turn-down service, express dry-cleaning, babysitting, overnight shoe shine, and limo service. Spa treatments can be arranged off site.

Who Won the 2011 Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize?

We've been waiting with bated breath to find out which talented designer would nab the prestigious Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize. The luxury hotel group-- celebrated for iconic hotels in urban centers in Europe and the U.S.-- launched the Fashion Prize to honor the work of young designers- and it's gotten some serious buzz in the press. Just this past weekend, the prize was bestowed in The Rodeo Ballroom at The Beverly Hills Hotel after a runway presentation featuring models from cycle 18 of America's Next Top Model. (The event was filmed for an upcoming episode to be aired in spring 2012.) After much deliberation, the judges chose the collection by Anndra Neen as best representing “the spirit of individuality, luxury, style and craftsmanship" of The Dorchester Collection's hotels. Anndra Neen received $40,000 and will have the opportunity to display their work at the fabulous Hôtel Plaza Athénée (pictured) during Paris Fashion Week in 2012.

Frommer's List of Top 10 Destinations for 2012

Nothing whets our appetite for travel more than the annual destination lists by top travel guides. Frommer's recently released their "Top Destinations for 2012" after its editors, authors, and experts spent "months bickering" among themselves. They also reached out to readers to find out their travel plans for the coming year, with Turkey the clear winner at 51% of the vote (Paris, Italy, and Hawaii also got high marks). The USA Today has summarized the list, including explanations about each destination from Frommers.com editorial director David Lytle.

Curacao – This often overlooked Caribbean island has affordable rentals, "as opposed to traditional flop-and-drop all-inclusives."

Chongqing, China – An alternative to the usual Chinese destinations (Beijing, Shanghai), it's a 19th-century town that has undergone rapid modernization, thanks, in part, to its position as the last stop on the Three Gorges river tour.

Fukuoka Japan – This feudal Japanese town on the north shore of Kyushu province is a place to go after you've done Tokyo and Kyoto. Plus, its inclusion on the list is a reminder that not all of Japan was affected by the earthquake.

Beirut – The city has experienced a renaissance in recent years, as many European travelers know. "It's an urban hotspot full of smartly dressed people who have intelligent conversation," Lytle says.

Ghana – Unlike some other African nations, this country has enjoyed long-time stability. As a former center of the slave trade, it's also on the heritage trail for African Americans.

London's Greenwich neighborhood – Just 20 minutes from Central London, this Thames-side town has undergone a renaissance. And post-Olympics is a good time to visit London, since it's bound to be gussied up for the event, with bargains after the party's over.

Girona, Spain – This Costa Brava town is popular among Brits, but is largely undiscovered by Americans. It's also an easy-to-get-to beach getaway from Barcelona.

Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia – It's a quiet, charming area, perfect for recharging your batteries.

Kansas City, Mo. – Its food and music scenes are lively. It sports a number of really good museums. Plus, it's central locale makes it relatively close to a lot of Americans.

Yucatan Peninsula – There's more to this region than Cancun. Moreover, it's been relatively free of drug-related violence that has touched border towns and the some of the Mexico's western reaches.

Spa Trends: The Kids Get Pampered at Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

One of the latest trends in luxury travel? Tykes and teens are getting pampered with specialized spa treatments. We've seen teen acne facials and little princess manicures at hotels like Stowe's Topnotch Resort, Loews Coronado Bay Hotel in San Diego, and The Homestead in Virginia. The latest resort to create a customized menu for its youngest guests? The Four Seasons Resort in Chiang Mai, Thailand's northern culture capital in the beautiful Mae Rim Valley. For "little angels," the resort recently unveiled a menu of new treatments using organic, chemical-free products. Here's the menu:

Angel Bliss Massage – A relaxing, soothing treatment perfect for energetic kids, the Angel Bliss Massage improves the quality of children’s sleep, soothes the nervous system, and helps to strengthen the immune system through a gentle pressure oil massage applied to the scalp, legs and feet.  60 minutes.

Look At Me Facial - Formulated especially to suit young and teenage skin, and to leave a little one looking her very best, this is a very gentle facial incorporating an exhilarating face massage to hydrate and purify the skin.  50 minutes.

Gorgeous Skin Glow – The perfect treatment to bring a glow to young skin, the Skin Glow is a gentle scrub using natural red rice to exfoliate dead skin cells and revitalise the skin.  50 minutes.

Soothing Wrap for Sun-Kissed Skin – The perfect after-sun treatment for those kids who’ve been enjoying the great outdoors, this soothing body wrap uses the healing power of aloe vera to cool, moisturise and heal the skin.  50 minutes.

Hotel News Round-Up: Sleep in Buckingham Palace; Virgin Hotels Heads to Chicago

There's so much fun and excitement happening the hospitality world these days (beer-themed spa treatments? Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh?) that you can't possibly be expected to keep up with it all. So we're helping out with a wrap-up of some of our favorite tidbits (and gossip) this week. First up: Rumor has it that Buckingham Palace might open as a hotel for tourists when when Prince Charles moves his home to Windsor Castle upon taking the throne. If this does indeed come to pass, expect to pay a "princely sum" to sleep there, says The Boston Globe's Melanie Nayer. Another fun news item: Sir Richard Branson has signed the first deal for his highly anticipated Virgin Hotels brand... in Chicago. The 27-storey Dearborn Bank Building at 203 N. Wabash-- just a block off Michigan Avenue and the river-- will get a makeover and open as a hotel in fall 2013.

Pictured: Another newsworthy item, the lebua New Delhi, opening in December.