The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #2 Charleston Place

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #2 spot is Charleston Place which is located in the heart of the historic district on renowned King Street. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- Evokes the feeling of a grand 17th century residence from the Italian marble lobby with its signature Georgian Open Arm staircase and 12-foot crystal chandelier

- A total of 22,000 square feet of meeting space within the hotel, including the Grand Ballroom (14,000+ square feet), ten more function rooms, six hospitality suites, the Grand Hall, and several other outdoor courtyards

- The spa features a stunning horizon edged swimming pool

- The hotel's spa was voted the "Best City Hotel Spa in North America" by Travel & Leisure Magazine

- Hotel can provide beach accessories and picnics to ensure a pleasant stress free day

- Golfers can select from more than 21 courses

Explore photos, availability, and rates at Charleston Place here >>

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The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #4 Auberge Du Soleil

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #4 spot is the Auberge Du Soleil which is located just off the Silverado Trail, outside of Rutherford, overlooking Napa Valley. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- All accommodations at Auberge du Soleil feature Mediterranean-inspired decor with original contemporary art

- Auberge du Soleil began as a restaurant created by visionary restaurateur Claude Rouas

- Maintained its legacy as a culinary destination, where innovative menus inspired by the bounty of Napa Valley are paired with wine in ways that delight and inspire longtime devotees

- Auberge Spa occupies a 7,000 square feet stucco building, overlooking the Napa Valley

- Napa winery tours can be arranged in advance

Explore photos, availability, and rates at Auberge Du Soleil here >>

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The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #6 Waldorf Astoria Chicago

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #6 spot is the Waldorf Astoria Chicago which is located in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood with exclusive shopping, dining, nightlife and the Windy City's most famed attractions. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- 4,500 square feet of meeting rooms/event space

- Two exceptional restaurants as well as in-room dining and catering

- Indoor lap pool adorned with thousands of mosaic titles is available for leisure or intense swims, as well as for water classes

- Expanding over 14,000 square feet, the Spa and Health Club at Waldorf Astoria Chicago features a wide-ranging menu of personalized services as well as a nail spa, barber suite, and relaxation areas

- Located steps from Michigan Avenue and the famed Oak Street shopping district

- Health club offers specialized Pilates and Gyrotonic classes as well as complete line of cardio and strength equipment

Explore photos, availability, and rates at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago here >>

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12 Days of Hotels: Top 12 Presidential Inauguration Luxury Hotels

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be focusing on a variety of categories. To start us off, we’ll be featuring 12 Presidential Inauguration Luxury Hotels!

1. Fairmont Washington DC

Located in Washington's fashionable West End, The Fairmont Washington, D.C. surrounds you with comfort and luxury.

2. Ritz Carlton Washington DC

This distinctive luxury hotel is located the heart of the District and features convenient access to business districts, theaters, world-class shopping and stunning historical landmarks.

3. The Willard Intercontinental

The Willard is where Abraham Lincoln and his family resided prior to his Inauguration, where Julia Ward Howe wrote the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic', where President Grant coined the term lobbyist, and where Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. finished his 'I Have a Dream Speech'.

4. Park Hyatt Washington

This hotel is ideally situated on the edge of stylish Georgetown, and conveniently located near Embassy Row, the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Museums and National Monuments.

5. The Jefferson Washington DC

Located at the corner of 16th and M Streets, Northwest and four blocks from The White House

6. Sofitel Lafayette Square

Housed in a completely refurbished and updated historic landmark building, and it features 237 guestrooms including 17 suites, all tastefully designed by the renowned French designer, Pierre-Yves Rochon.

7. W Washington DC

Next door to the White House, the oldest hotel in town has been reinvented into W Washington D.C., revitalizing historic traditions into contemporary sophistication.

8. Mandarin Oriental Washington

Ranked by Institutional Investor magazine as one of the top 100 hotels in the world, Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC creates memorable experiences for any traveler to the most powerful city in the world.

9. The Fairfax at Embassy Row

The luxuriously quiet 259 classically appointed rooms and suites within this exquisite hotel in Washington, D.C. offer sweeping views of Embassy Row, the National Cathedral, or the Washington Monument.

10. The Madison Washington DC

Just four blocks from the White House and walking distance to Embassy Row, National Mall, Capitol Hill, the Smithsonian and more, the Madison is the quintessence of political power mingled with genuine hospitality.

11. The St Regis Washington DC

Built in 1926, two blocks from The White House and the Corcoran Gallery, the gracefully reimagined The St. Regis Washington, D.C. presents itself as the most prestigious hotel for royalty, presidents and prime ministers in the nation's capital.

12. The Hay-Adams Hotel

The Hay-Adams, a luxury boutique hotel, is as close as you can get to staying at the White House without a personal invitation from the President.

The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #8 Don CeSar Beach Resort

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #8 spot is the Don CeSar Beach Resort which is a beach front resort that’s located on the island of St. Pete Beach in Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- Features 277 newly renovated guestrooms including 2 penthouses and 40 suites

- Seven-and-a-half miles of beaches

- Two beachside pools

- Kids program with counselors overseeing the activities, allowing parents to rejuvenate at the Pink Palace

- After the sun goes down, romantic lighting sets the ambiance for the new whirlpool accented with a mosaic of tiffany glass, and surrounded by a lush garden and overlooking the Gulf shores

- Famous for their ocean front sunset couples massages in tiki huts on the beach

- 6,349-yard (5,777 m) golf course features narrow, palm-lined fairways, tightly manicured greens and Gulf breezes

Explore photos, availability, and rates at Don CeSar Beach Resort here >>

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The Top 30 Hotels in 2012: #14 The Umstead Hotel and Spa

In the last month of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 30 Luxury Hotels and Resorts worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

Coming in the #14 spot is the Umstead Hotel and Spa which is conveniently located in Cary, North Carolina for those who want to get away or stay near the heart of it all. Here are a few fun facts about this luxury hotel:

- With its surrounding 12 acres of wooded land, gardens, and lake, The Umstead Hotel is a destination in itself with the cultural, corporate and recreational opportunities of the Triangle area moments away

- 24 hour business center available for guest use

- 10,000 square-feet of elegant meeting and event space featuring natural light and original artwork

- Signature Forbes Five Star, AAA Five Diamond restaurant, Herons, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch

- Dogs are allowed with an additional cleaning fee

- Seasonal outdoor pool

- The Umstead Spa, a 14,000 square-foot spa featuring ten treatment rooms, men’s and ladies relaxation lounges including sauna, steam and whirlpool and a coed relaxation lounge and meditation garden

Explore photos, availability, and rates at the Umstead Hotel and Spa here >>

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Fun Fact Friday! Inauguration Weekend in DC

Luxury hotels in Washington DC are filling up fast for Inauguration Weekend which will be January 18th – January 21st, 2013. Lucky for our luxury travelers, the Capella Georgetown is expected to open this January, providing travelers with another option on where to stay. Be sure to check availability and rates at luxury hotels in Washington DC here, and book your stay soon to ensure you’ll be a part of the action this January!

Trump Hotel Plans Progress for the Old Post Office Pavilion in DC

Plans are progressing for the new Trump Hotel to pop up at the Old Office Pavilion in the heart of downtown Washington DC. We’re excited at the idea of having a new luxury hotel in our nation’s capital, but until the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted, we remain optimistically skeptical. The Old Post Office is a historic landmark, and the Trumps have been through various meetings with officials from many agencies governing the building. The most recent rendezvous  with Ivanka Trump and her team revealed the most up-to-date details of the property including the location of the restaurant, parking, and luxury suites. The concern of how these additions will affect the historic structure of the building remains, so it’s likely that not all of the proposals will get approved. The lease is expected to be signed by the Trumps this winter, so construction on the hotel could begin in 2014 and the new hotel could open as early as 2016.

Got travel plans in the foreseeable future? Be sure to explore the other luxury hotels in Washington DC as well as Trump Hotels around the world.

Image of Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto

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Anthony Bourdain Approved Hotels

Anthony Bourdain’s show The Layover is back for another season, and we can’t wait to see what interpretation about a place, its people, and the food he can come up with between his flights. We’re particularly interested in the show since he’ll be featuring the hotels at which he crashes during his layovers, and we assume Mr. Bourdain wouldn’t catch some zzz’s at any old motel.

Just as we expected, Anthony Bourdain proves to stay in style with the first episode featuring the Four Seasons Chicago. According to Anthony Bourdain, “this hotel is swank as all get out. The industry gold standard in big ass, comfortable beds.” We would have to agree with you there, Anthony, and also give our stamp of approval to the Four Seasons Chicago for their luxurious beds, superb downtown location, and the Martini Man with his traveling cart, ready to whip you up any drink in the comfort of your own room.

Explore the Four Seasons Chicago here >>

Your Questions Answered: Smoking Room Option in Atlanta

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: Can you please tell me if there are any 5 star hotels in Atlanta which have smoking rooms ?

Answer: The Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead has 400 square foot smoking rooms available with either 1 king or 2 double beds. To make a reservation for this room type, simply visit this website, enter your dates of travel, select the room type, and fill in the booking form. Be sure to reserve a room that lists ‘smoking’ in its description. Please be advised that rates and availability are subject to change prior to making a reservation.