The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance. Photo Contest: Win a $1000 Four Seasons Gift Card
August 2, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is currently running a photo contest and the prize sounds too good to be true. Simply share a picture on the Four Seasons Summer Memories Photo Contest Flickr page with the tag "FSSummerPics" by August 15 and you could win a $1000 USD Four Seasons Gift Card for use at any Four Seasons hotel worldwide. (We've got our eye on Beirut, the brand spanking new hotel on Park Lane in London (pictured), or the glam resort in Marrakech...) They're looking for the shot that "best captures that unforgettable summer moment." The full contest rules can be found here.
Summer Sun and Shopping Spree: Macy's Gift Cards at Westin Gaslamp Quarter
August 2, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Blue skies, 70 miles of beaches, and a year-round Mediterranean climate... San Diego makes for a sunny summer getaway. The newly renovated Westin Gaslamp Quarter is inviting guests to stay and play with a number of enticing packages. Until September 5, 2011, you can get a third night free. Or if you book the "Summer Sun and Shopping Spree" package, you'll get a $100 Macy’s gift card for each night of your stay! The Washington Post points out that regular rates start at $169, so the package rates of $199 (plus $25 per night in taxes), translates to $70 you get for retail therapy. Another hot deal: AAA members and California residents can score $99 room rates! Located next to San Diego's historic and vibrand Gaslamp Quarter, the hotel offers a heated outdoor pool and whirlpool, WestinWORKOUT Gym, and 450 guest rooms with flat-screen TVs and Heavenly Beds.
August in Paris: Restaurant Credit at Hotel de Crillon
July 29, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Take a bucolic break on the patio at Hotel de Crillon this summer. The grand palace hotel on the Place de la Concorde (the best spot to watch the Tour de France finish every year) has opened a grass-covered patio where you can enjoy delicious food by Chef Christopher Hache. Not only that, when you stay at the Hotel de Crillon in August, you'll get a 50 euro hotel credit to use for your restaurant and bar expenses each day. Summer is a grand time to take a jaunt to the City of Light; you can hit the artificial beach set up on the River Seine for "Paris Plages"-- complete with oversized beach lounges, ice cream shops, and a giant sand castle by Disney.
All-Inclusive Escape to the Westin Resort & Casino, Aruba
July 29, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Looking for a toes-in-the-sand Caribbean getaway without the surprise of hidden resort fees? The Westin Resort & Casino-- facing the sparkling blue sea off Aruba's beautiful Palm Beach-- has all-inclusive packages that are good value for money. Recently unveiled, the new "Modified All-Inclusive Package" allows more flexibility than the Classic All-Inclusive Experience- as dinners are not included so you can explore Aruba's restaurants. You get breakfast at Bon Bini Café, lunch at the Terrace restaurant, unlimited drinks at the resort’s Tambu Bar and Lobby Bar, and non-motorized water sports such as kayaks and surf boards. All for just $399 per room, per night (based on double occupancy). Children can be added to the daily plan for $35 for ages five – 12 and $55 for ages 13 – 17. The package and rates are valid through December 2011.
Name Your Rate Sundays at Ft. Lauderdale's Harbor Beach Marriott Resort
July 28, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
It's not often we see a special hotel offer like this one. You can actually pay what you want with "Name Your Rate Sundays" at Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, located on 16 spectacular acres of private oceanfront property in Fort Lauderdale. Guests with a three-night stay including Sunday night will be able to name their price for Sunday. (There is no minimum so anything goes!) This offer is available through December 22, 2011, including Labor Day weekend, with room rates starting from $229 per night. Get ready to soak up the rays on the largest private beach in South Florida!
Sail Lake Geneva Aboard a 100-Year-Old Steamboat
July 28, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
The Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne is offering guests a unique way to experience Lake Geneva this summer. Hop aboard La Suisse, an 100-year-old steamboat that's been plying the lake's idyllic waters since 1910, for an unforgettable sunset sail. Renovated to modern standards, the boat affords splendid views of Lausanne's vineyards and mountains. (What a setting!) While staying at the illustrious palace, make sure to dine at Anne-Sophie Pic's talked-about restaurant (and hit the Cinq Mondes spa). Book the "Sunset Cruise" package at the Beau-Rivage Palace, and you'll enjoy:
* Two nights' accommodation in a superior or deluxe room with a view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps, or a comfort room with a garden view
* Glass of champagne upon arrival
* Daily full buffet breakfast or in-room continental breakfast
* Complimentary in-room flowers and fruit basket upon arrival
* Dinner cruise aboard La Suisse steamboat
* Complimentary access to the hotel's Cinq Mondes Spa, the fitness center and tennis courts
Based on double occupancy, the offer is priced from CHF590 (approx. US$735) per person, and is available through August 27, 2011.
Mint Juleps & Horse-Races with San Diego's Grand Del Mar Resort
July 28, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
The historic Del Mar racetrack-- where the turf meets the surf-- recently opened for its 2011 season. Looking for a little equine fun in the sun? Mint juleps included? The Grand Del Mar resort, San Diego's newest AAA Five Diamond resort, is celebrating the opening of the Del Mar horse-racing season with a fun accommodations package. The Los Angeles Times Daily Deal blog investigated the special and found it to be a good value when you add up all the extras: "two Stretch Run reserved seats at the racetrack (worth $10); a racing form and racing digest ($14); transportation to and from the track (based on availability); two mint juleps in the lobby lounge (worth $30); and valet parking ($25)." Starting from $475, available every day except Tuesdays through September 7, 2011.
Horsing Around in the Wild West at Teton Mountain Lodge And Spa
July 27, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Saddle up! The Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa is inviting guests to horse around this summer outside Jackson Hole, Wyoming. From rodeos to trail riding, your family will get an unforgettable taste of the Wild West in true cowboy style. Here's what's included in the "Horsing Around" package:
*Three nights accommodation in a guest room with separate beds for parents and two kids
*Two hours of private guided horseback trail riding with Teton Village Trail Rides
*Two "Color in Western" backpacks with disposable camera and photo album for the kids
*Dinner for 4 at the Bar T-5 Chuckwagon
*Four tickets to the Jackson Hole Rodeo
From $342 per night; available through September 30, 2011.
Stay Weekends and Save at The Iroquois New York
July 27, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Looking for a place to bed down in Midtown Manhattan this summer? The Iroquois New York-- tucked between Fifth and Sixth Avenues on quiet Club Row-- is rolling out the red carpet with the "Stay Weekends and Save" package. Stay Saturday and Sunday nights and receive a $75 hotel credit to be used during your stay. Or book Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and get a $100 hotel credit to be used during your stay. (Subject to availability, valid through September 5, 2011.) Within walking distance of some of NYC's best loved attractions, The Iroquois spoils guests with a host of creature comforts: free Wifi, a modern fitness center with Finnish sauna, luxurious guest rooms with Frette linens and Molton Brown bath amenities. Be sure to dine at Triomphe Restaurant, helmed by new executive chef Jason Tilmann whose career includes stints at Chatham Bars Inn on Cape Cod; "21" Club, Union Square Café, Daniel and Le Cirque in Manhattan; and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. (He has also appeared on the Food Network shows "Chopped" and "Iron Chef America.") For excellent cocktails, head to Lantern's Keep, styled like a turn-of-the-century salon.
Mancation in Whistler at the Pan Pacific Mountainside
July 26, 2011
By: Mary Winston Nicklin
Get the guys together for some golf and biking and revelrous good times. The Pan Pacific Mountainside-- the luxurious four-season resort located at the base of the gondolas in Whistler Village-- has put together a swell Man-cation package for male bonding in the spectacular Coast Mountain Range. Bike on some 350+ kilometers of trails, go golfing at the Whistler Golf Club, hang poolside with views of the action in the Bike Park, or just kick back over a pint at Dubh Linn Gate Pub. Available until November 23, 2011, the package is priced from $699 CDN in a Two Bedroom Suite Valley View (maximum 6 people) and includes:
* Two nights’ accommodation in a spacious suite
* One Day Valley Trail Bike rental per person from Salomon Store on Lobby level
* A $200 Credit for the Whistler Golf Club
*Dinner in Dubh Linn Gate one night -includes choice of entree and a pint from Whistler's best beer selection
* Complimentary Valet Parking for one vehicle
Subject to availability, black-out dates may apply.
