Celebrate Earth Day with an Eco-Massage at Kimpton Hotels (Just $50 More!)

Earth Day is just around the corner (April 22) and to celebrate, Kimpton Hotels is launching EarthCare Week in 23 cities nationwide-- designed to inspire you with eco-events, amenities, earth-friendly cuisine, and more. On the menu at Kimpton restaurants? Organic dishes, showcasing local flavors specific to each Kimpton hotel location, paired with biodynamic and organic wines. You'll also find pop-up Eco Art exhibits, as Kimpton has partnered with local artists to create gorgeous artwork made from recycled materials. Here's another fun way to celebrate Earth Day: Kimpton's Pedometer Contest! Grab a pedometer from hotel reception, pound the pavement, and rack up steps to win prizes. (Pets welcome!) Kimpton's EarthCare Week runs from April 15- April 22, 2011. Take advantage of a special offer at Kimpton Hotels and get a 50-minute in-room Eco-Massage for just $50 more during EarthCare Week, valid until April 30, 2011 at participating Kimpton Hotels including the Hotel Solamar in San Diego; Hotel Monaco, Hotel Palomar, The Argonaut, and Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco; 70 Park Avenue and Eventi in New York; Hotel Palomar Philadelphia; Morrison House in Alexandria, VA; Hotel Vintage Park in Seattle; Nine Zero Hotel in Boston and Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, MA.

Boca Raton Resort Takes the Cake with a Giant, 600-Pound Iced Hotel Replica

It only took Pastry Artist Stephen Day 110 hours to create a a 600-pound hotel replica from hundreds of pounds of sugar, flour, egg, chocolate, butter cream and royal icing. (Don't worry, he wasn't alone in his efforts. Day has a very capable patisserie team!) Check out the video to see the cake version of a La Quinta hotel take shape in time-lapse fashion. Why did the Boca Resort pastry team go to such lengths? La Quinta was celebrating a corporate milestone with a recent event at the Boca Resort. And what a way to celebrate. Looks like the Boca Raton Resort & Club may just take the cake in staging memorable corporate meetings.

Follow Five Star Alliance on Twitter!

A Dose of Art in St. Petersburg: Special with the Renaissance Vinoy Resort

Sun, sand, golf, and tennis... St. Petersburg, Florida has got its bases covered as a resort destination. But with the opening of the Chihuly Collection in summer 2010 and the addition of the new Salvador Dalí Museum in January 2011, St. Petes has become something of a cultural destination, too. To encourage you to discover the art on offer, the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club is inviting guests on an Art Retreat. Priced from $174 per night, the getaway package includes an upgrade to a newly renovated bay view guest room; dinner for two at Marchand’s Bar & Grill from the 1925 Classic Dining Menu; and a choice of two tickets (valued at up to $42) to the Salvador Dalí Museum or the Chihuly Collection and the Morean Arts Center Glass Studio & Hot Shop. Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club is also a work of art, showcasing Mediterranean Revival architecture from the 1920's, and its very own Chihuly sculpture in the Grand Ballroom, comprised of 750 pieces of individually hand-blown glass.

Hope for Japan: The Peninsula Hotels Group Supports Relief Efforts with Fundraising Drive

After the massive earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, the world is looking to help. The Peninsula Hotels Group is proudly supporting "Hope for Japan," a fund-raising drive at each hotel in Asia and the U.S. to support the relief effort with donations going directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society. From Shanghai to Chicago, Peninsula Hotels are contributing a donation for every guest stay. The renowned hotel brand has also launched a new Japanese Afternoon Tea, and for each tea ordered, The Peninsula will donate the entire retail price ($50) to the Red Cross. Before departing the hotel, make a donation and hang an origami crane on "The Tree of 1,000 Cranes" displayed in the Lobby of each Peninsula hotel. In Japanese culture, 1,000 cranes represent hope and healing in challenging times, and so guests are invited to help this worthwhile and meaningful initiative.

A Princely Setting for the Royal Wedding at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York

You've been swept away by Royal Wedding fever, but aren't too keen on navigating London town with the throngs of royal watchers. The Pierre on New York's Central Park has the answer. Book the Rajput Suite, the jewel in the crown of the hotel’s collection of 11 Grand Suites, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience complete with every regal comfort (and a personal butler on call). If you stay April 28-29, you'll be able to gape at the televised royal festivities from the privacy of your very own palace. (The sprawling Rajput Suite is decked out with TVs, so take your pick from the living room, bedroom, even bath tub.) Or stay May 2-4 and you’ll have the privilege of private shopping at the hotel’s pop-up souk featuring artisanal jewelry, fashions and more hand-selected by the lifestyle curators at Indagare.com. Here are the details on what the Pierre Rajput Suite Celebration Romance Menu includes:

* Two nights in the royally exotic Rajput Suite

* Your own private Romance Butler

* In-room Couples Massage

* Special floral arrangement by L’Olivier

* Dine at London’s famed Le Caprice, the first US outpost of this British brasserie

* Julien Farel exclusive salon menu

* Picnic in Central Park

* Carriage Ride

* Romance Turndown: with Kama Sutra touches that include body oil, incense, candles; a bubble bath drawn nightly with candles and rose petals, and a late night aphrodisiac menu with selections that include oysters, chocolate and champagne

The price tag for this all-inclusive stay is $14,500, subject to availability, valid through July 1, 2011.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame: Langham Boston Gets into the Swing of Spring

It's official. The Boston Red Sox are swinging into baseball season and The Langham, Boston is inviting you to experience a game at one of America's favorite ballparks. The AAA Four-Diamond hotel provides two baseball package options-- "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Cheer From the Bleachers"-- which include two tickets to the game at Fenway Park with seats either in Right Field within the first 20 rows or in the Bleachers within the first 20 rows. Rates start from $385, a savings of $70. Overlooking the Norman B. Leventhal Park of Post Office Square, The Langham is within walking distance to Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Freedom Trail, the North End, the Financial District, the New England Aquarium and the Boston Harbor waterfront. If you're inspired to get back into shape after winter's long hibernation, you'll want to hit up their excellent fitness center, followed by a massage at Chuan Body + Soul spa. And that means don't go overboad on peanuts and beer at the game!

Book Now: Rosewood Crescent Hotel in Dallas for $100/Night

Sound too good to be true? The ultra-luxe Rosewood Crescent Hotel-- located in the heart of Uptown Dallas-- is celebrating its 25th anniversary by offering guests the original 1986 room rate of $100 per night. Beginning today, a limited amount of rooms will be available for booking on a first-come, first-served basis. (Rates are normally $525 and up, so if you can score one of these rooms, you'll be getting a discount of over 80%!) This deal is available for the weekends of Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day (Friday-Tuesday). While you're at it, take advantage of one of the "25 Exclusive Offers for 25 Years" available at the hotel; discounts abound at the spa and eateries, though not including the on-site Nobu restaurant. A few examples: 25% off wine at lunch at The Conservatory, $25 off the Rosewood Journey Pedicure, and $25 room upgrades.

The New “Apprentice-Trips” Program from Fairmont Hotels

We've just learned about the new "Apprentice-Trips" program at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, a neat experience for travelers seeking out enriching and authentic adventures while on the road. Fairmont has taken this "yearning to learn" movement and created a collection of thoughtful experiences for hotel guests to learn, perfect, or acquire a new skill while on vacay. From surfing in Montreal to art immersion in Dallas, the program offers something for everyone. A smattering of these offerings are outlined below:

How to Pass a Bill in Washington D.C. (learn how to craft your agenda with a federally-registered lobbyist)

Find Your Inner Chi in Beijing (perfect the ancient art of Tai Chi)

Samuel Adams Behind the Scenes Boston Brewery Package at the Fairmont Copley Plaza

Canoes, Coffee and Culture in Hawai'i at the Fairmont Orchid

Cook with the Chef at the Fairmont Algonquin and the Fairmont Southampton

Learn about the Grizzly Bear while hiking from the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Spring Breaks: Bonus Nights at The James Chicago

March 21 has come and gone, which only means one thing: time for a spring break. The strikingly stylish James Chicago is inviting you to turn a business trip into pleasure by extending your stay with bonus nights. Get three nights for the price of two, four nights for the price of three, or seven nights for the price of five. With the extra savings, get out and enjoy Chitown: a show at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art, or shopping on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Though you may be attraction-ed out, in which case, there are plenty of reasons to stay in at The James Chicago. The hotel suggests "a personal training session designed by celebrity trainer Jim Karas, a 60-minute massage from The Spa by ASHA, an award-winning dry-aged steak from David Burke’s Primehouse."

Hot Deals: Family Escape to the Arizona Grand Resort, Phoenix

There's a whole lot to love at the Arizona Grand Resort in Phoenix. Situated on the doorstep of 17,000 acres of South Mountain Preserve (the largest municipal park in the world!), the resort has golf, a colossal water park (seven acres of it!), full-service spa and a 20,000 square foot athletic club (the largest resort spa and fitness center in the state!). And let's not forget the sultry temperatures afforded by Arizona's winning climate... We've just learned about a deal for families looking for some fun in the sun in Phoenix. The new BBC Travel blog is reporting that you can snag rates from $169 per night for two adults and two kids in a Resort Suite through May 9, 2011, and $139 per night from May 22- September 10, 2011. Make that a Deluxe Suite for $20 more. The "Escape Kit" includes your luxurious accommodations, full American breakfast for two at the Lobby Grill, a $50 spa credit towards any 50-minute treatment, andfour passes to the Oasis Water park. So what are you waiting for? The lazy river awaits...