Fun Fact Friday! Hotel Rooms Replace Mood Rings

The Opus Hotel Vancouver, one of the 4-star properties on our site, allows you to pick a room based on your favorite color palette! Six room types, ranging from Standard to Suite, are decorated in 5 different color schemes, so go ahead and book the cranberry red room if you’re feeling fiery or the warm blue room if you’re feeling a relaxing atmosphere. Check out rooms, rates, and availability here. >>

Best Room Type at Hotel Monaco Portland for Family of 3

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We would like to stay at the Hotel Monaco Portland and our family is 2 adults and 1 13 year old child. What room type would be able to accommodate all 3 of us?

Answer: The Monaco King Suite can accommodate 2 adults and 1 child, and there would be no extra person charges. This room option has a king bed in the bedroom area and a pullout sofabed in the living room area. The bedroom and living room are separated by French doors. To make a reservation for this room type, simply visit this website, enter your dates of travel, select the 'Best Available Rate - Monaco King Suite 550 Sq Ft Mini Bar' room type, and fill in the booking form. Please be sure to add 'traveling with a 13 year old child' to the Special Requests field so the hotel can properly prepare for your arrival.

Please be advised that the rates, availability, as well as the extra person charges are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.

Lindsay Lohan Parties a Little Too Hard for the Chateau Marmont

After a 47 day stay in the Chateau Marmont in California, Lindsay Lohan racked up a $46,350.04 hotel bill that went unpaid. The hotel made several attempts to resolve this matter, but their efforts were unsuccessful, resulting in a stern letter addressed to Lindsay from the hotel’s General Manager and a banning from the entire property until her outstanding debt is paid. Lindsay was asked to remove her belongings by 12:00PM on August 1st, 2012. So what, you may ask, does a movie star buy to drop nearly $50,000 on a month and a half stay in a luxurious hotel? Why cigarettes and alcohol, of course! During her stay, minibar charges equaled $3,145.07, and her cigarette’s bill was $686 at a whopping $14 a pack. We certainly hope the Chateau Marmont receives its outstanding payment, but we’re doubtful that they'll be quick to forget and allow Miss Lohan to stay again.

Grab a Beer Float at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort

The Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort in Colorado is taking a new spin on the dessert-drink favorite and serving up Root Beer Floats, minus the Root Beer, plus beer! These Beer Floats are concocted from rare or seasonal beers and an ice cream or sorbet flavor perfectly paired for an ideal flavor. Here are a few Beer Floats on tap this season:

New Belgium 1554 Black Ale 13 paired with rocky mountain road ice cream, raspberry-champagne sorbet

Samuel Adams American Kriek 24 paired with black cherry-nutella swirl ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream & vanilla bean ice cream

New Belgium Lips of Faith-Tart Lychee 24 paired with lemon-thyme sorbet and vanilla bean ice cream, apple cinnamon sorbet, raspberry-champagne sorbet

Explore photos, rates, and availability at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort here >>

Five Star Alliance Favorites: The Post Ranch Inn

We sift through newsletters, promotions, updates, rants, raves, and reviews to find the absolute best luxury hotels in various categories. Our team of luxury travel experts certainly knows a thing or two about what’s considered to be an exceptional hotel, so we’ve put our top picks together to create a list of Five Star Alliance Favorites!

Courtney, our General Manager here at Five Star Alliance, has voted the Post Ranch Inn in Monterey, California as her dream hotel. The photos below speak for themselves, but if you’re more of a facts person, here’s a little information about this incredible property.

- Nestled on the cliffs of Big Sur, California, the Post Ranch Inn provides the ultimate romantic getaway.

- This hotel only has 30 rooms, and each features either an ocean or mountain view.

- Each room has a king-size bed, wood-burning fireplace, indoor spa tub, private deck, stereo, and a digital music system with forty-five channels.

- Guests can enjoy the complimentary wet bar and mini-bar with snacks, juices, and a half bottle of red and white wine.

- There are no televisions or alarm clocks in the guestrooms which allows guests to fully disconnect, relax, and rejuvinate.

- This is an adult-only hotel, and the minimum age for guests is 18.

- Known for its architecture, the Post Ranch Inn features some rooms that are nestled in the mountain side while others are built on stilts among trees!

- There is one lap pool, a heated basking pool overlooking the ocean, and an award winning spa facility.

Explore more photos, availability, and rates at the Post Ranch Inn here. >>

Fun Fact Friday! Fashion Week Is Almost Here

New York City’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will be September 6th – 13th, 2012, and it will feature the hotttest Spring 2013 collections. Make your reservations at any of our 97 luxury hotels to make sure you don’t miss out on the fun. For more information on Fashion Week, visit http://www.mbfashionweek.com/home

(Photo of the Surrey)

Best Rooftop Hotspots: The Betsy Hotel

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has gone through its collection of 520 luxury hotels in over 70 countries and put together a list of its top hotels with the best rooftops. Ranging from a rooftop restaurant to a rooftop pool with stunning city views, be sure to check out our newest blog series where we’ll be featuring these happening hotels with rooftops worth exploring.

The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida tops the list with its rooftop solarium and wellness garden which offers incredible views of the ocean and allows guests to take in the soothing environment. The sole surviving example of Florida Georgian architecture on Ocean Drive, the Betsy Hotel is a distinguished historic landmark featuring 61 intimate rooms that are private beachside havens. Be sure to explore the spa facility which is located in the rooftop solarium and features three cabanas providing a personalized treatment experience. Make your reservations at the Betsy Hotel here! Be sure to check in with us again to discover the other luxury hotels with happening rooftops that made the list!

L’Auberge de Sedona Just Got Steamier

L’Auberge de Sedona underwent an extensive, $25 million renovation period that was completed last year, and the new look and feel of this luxury hotel is certainly worth checking out. L’Auberge de Sedona is sporting a newly designed lobby and has completely redesigned Lodge rooms and Creekside and Garden Cottages. Several brand new Spa Cottages and Vista Cottages and Suites have been added, and probably it’s most exciting addition is its private outdoor showers! In case you were looking for a hotel that knows how to kick up the romance, L’Auberge de Sedona definitely just got a little bit steamier. The cottages now have an enclosed, outdoor cedar shower open to the sky, perfect for viewing the sunrise or the night sky. The cottages also feature fireplaces, deep soaking Jacuzzi tubs, and private balconies or patios. A few other noteworthy renovations include a redesign of their award winning spa, a Veranda Bar, and a new saltwater pool with a deck overlooking the Sedona Red Rock formations. Be sure to explore L’Auberge de Sedona for an intimate getaway with your significant other!

The Trump International Beach Resort is the Perfect Vacation Spot

The Trump International Beach Resort is a 32-story, 390-room romantic hotspot and happening family vacation zone. It’s rare that a luxury hotel can embody both categories and provide the perfect vacation for all, but the Trump International Beach Resort is one of those rare and fortunate finds. Pristinely located on the Atlantic Ocean in Sunny Isles Beach, this luxury hotel has four fine dining restaurants and lounges, a full service fitness center, and a Just Us Kids program to offer. Your kids can partake in morning and afternoon activities such as beach and pool games, and arts and craft projects lead by specially trained counselors. One of the best features at the Trump International Beach Resort is that its brand new Bella Beach restaurant and bar is located right on the sandy beach and has a dining area, bar, and luxurious daybeds and lounge chairs. Relax on the sand with the best ocean views by only taking a few steps from the hotel. Return from a day at the beach and lounge by the six million dollar pool complex complete with waterfalls, hot tubs, and lush tropical foliage, and then retire to your oversized room ranging from 550 to 1,773 square feet. Make your reservations at this phenomenal luxury hotel and start packing for the perfect vacation!

Your Questions Answered: Best Room at Stowe Mountain Lodge for a Family

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: I’m traveling with my family and we’d like to stay at the Stowe Mountain Lodge. Can their studio room options accommodate 2 adults and 1 child the age of 4?

Answer: All of the studio units have a king bed and a queen sleeper sofa, so they would be able to accommodate up to four people. The studios also have a fire place, kitchenette, and an outdoor terrace or balcony. To make a reservation, you can either do so online or over the phone, whichever you prefer. To make the reservation online, simply visit this website, enter your dates of travel, select the room type, and fill in the booking form. Please be sure to fill in the Special Request field stating 'traveling with 4 year old child' so the hotel can properly prepare for your arrival.

Please be advised that the rates and availability are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.