Blue Bay Inn, NJ

Here’s the deal – You get to stay free for 2 days on Jan 2 & 3, 2010, if you can prove you lost your job in the last 3 months. The stay also includes a reception cocktail party, and a job-seekers workshop.

The hotel’s manager – Robert hilton, has been contacting companies who are looking to hire workers and the hotel is going to put up applicants’ resumes on the hotel website (without the names), hoping that some of the companies will go through the resumes and short-list candidates for interviews.

Here’s what you do, if you’ve been let go, and you’re interested. Prepare a cover letter explaining why you want to be included in the Blue Bay Inn’s free-stay+job event. Mail it the hotel, alongwith your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, a current resume and a notarized copy of proof of unemployment benefits. Send it to Hotel for the Holidays, 51 1st Ave, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716.

Last date for submissions is Dec 1, 2009. Open to all legal residents of the 50 US states aged 18 and above. The rules are explained here. For more information, contact Robert Hilton (General Manager) at 732-708-9600 or check out the hotel’s website.

The Blue Bay Inn is a boutique hotel on the Jersey shore, just minutes from the beaches of Sandy Hook and 40 minutes by ferry to Manhattan. They have 23 suites and 4 apartments for extended-stays.

Photo courtesy Blue Bay Inn

Info: 51 First Avenue Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716; (732) 708-9600; www.bluebayinn.com/

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Montreal, Quebec, Canada Skyline

Just before Toronto, we made a quick stop in Montreal, and even though I was there for a short time, I can tell you that the Opus Hotel one very comfortable hotel.The room was plenty big, and furnished with modern fixings such as a bowl sink and contemporary furniture. The rooms are – well, they’re concrete! The building was constructed in 1914, and it was the first concrete-poured building in North America. This surprised me t first, but it’s amazing what good lighting can do to dress up concrete walls. The room felt surprisingly cozy given the fact that much of the walls were bare concrete – it was an interesting room.

There’s a restaurant/lounge off the lobby which is reputed to be good (read: expensive), and on Saturday nights it turns into a dance club. The waiters there were very kind to my friend and I are pointed us in the right direction for fun that night and gave us suggestions for pubs and clubs to check out.

St. Laurent Blvd. in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The location is fantastic – it’s on the corner of Sherbrooke Street and St. Laurent Blvd., so it’s really close to all of the fun and funky bars, cafes, clubs and restaurants on St. Laurent Blvd. I hit up a pub called Ye Old Orchard Pub with a friend and then continued on to a club, which was an interesting experience because the drinking age in Montreal is 18 – I wasn’t used to seeing all the young kids drinking!

I’d definitely come back and stay at the Opus in Montreal, I hope to return soon to this fun and vibrant city.

Photos: Goodnight London, bopuc

Four Seasons Bora Bora

In my next life, I want to come back as a rich teenager. They get awesome cars for their 16th birthdays, star in hit reality TV shows, and get to indulge in special beauty pampering treatments, designed just for them at luxurious spas like the these Four Seasons properties around the world.

I have to say, even though I’m a bit past my teen years, I would love to try out some of these hip and cool treatments (plus visit some of these Four Seasons properties!) like:

Star Treatment – Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora. The vitamin-C-rich  Star Fruit Manicure atrejuvenation treatment, that moisturizes and protects from the sun, followed by a choice of the hottest nail polish colors.

Where the Wild Things Are – Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. A Wild Lime Hair Care treatment that includes a scalp massage, shampoo, and defrizzing conditioning treatment.

Flawless Youth – Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara. The Teen Corrective Facial helps teens get more perfect skin, with a treatment that addresses excess oil, dead skin cells, acne, bacteria and inflammation.

Sunshine Soother — Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita. Start sun protection early, with the Sunshine Soother Scrub after a day out in the sun. A cooling mix of  yoghurt, fresh garden aloe vera, cucumber, and lavender essence, soothes and nourishes skin.

Kids have to be at least 12 to receive spa services, and a parent or guardian is required to be present throughout the treatment — which sounds like a great excuse for mother-daughter afternoon during a fabulous holiday vacation at a one of these glamorous Four Seasons. And I’m thinking that a spa afternoon (yes, with me!) would make a great holiday gift for a couple of my nieces!

A view of the Seaport Hotel from the Boston Harbor

When the Seaport Hotel in Boston opened back in the 90s, it was one of the first hotels on the about-to-be-revived South Boston waterfront.  Now, finally, the waterfront is a Boston hot-spot, with the Boston Convention Center, Institute for Contemporary Art, and the Boston Children’s Museum easily within walking distance.  The Seaport is still one of the best hotels in Boston, with deluxe accommodations, a fabulous restaurant, and family activities nearby.  It is also a “green hotel“, featuring environmentally friendly policies.

This Thanksgiving Holiday season, the Seaport Hotel, in conjunction with their on-site restaurant Aura Boston, is offering a wonderful special with two options.  If you are certain of your plans, you can fully pay for your room in advance, with no option for cancellation, and lock-in the fabulous rate of $99 per night, which includes overnight accommodation, usage of the Wave fitness club and pool, and wireless internet access.

If you need the option of canceling or changing your reservation, you can get the flexible holiday rate of $149 per night. Both rates are available from November 22nd – November 30th, 2009.

To book this special rate, visit the Seaport Boston’s promotions page.

If you do stay over the Thanksgiving holiday, you can also book reservations for Thanksgiving dinner at Aura Boston.  The special Thanksgiving menu includes a kid’s menu.

Photo credit: the Seaport Boston

Hotel Room View from One King West Hotel, Toronto, Canada

One King West Hotel & Residence in Toronto, Canada is a beautiful, centrally located hotel with gorgeous views of Lake Ontario. This hotel’s history is really interesting – it had been a bank from 1889 until the 1990s, and then it was converted into a hotel and condo residence in 1999. “The Sliver,” a narrow addition to the building added 49 stories of hotel rooms and condo residences. The view from the top is spectacular.

My room was amazing. Check it out in the pic below – it was on the bigger side, and it had a fridge, stove, microwave oven and a dishwasher! The bathroom was spacious and the shower was large. I was only on the 19th floor, but the view of Lake Ontario was beautiful.

One King West Hotel in Toronto, Canada

I loved the central location of this hotel. The Hockey Hall of Fame was about 5-6 blocks away, and the CN Tower was about a 15 minute walk. Toronto has many attractions and things to do, and with a subway station located at one end of the hotel lobby, it’s easy to get to them all.

One King West Hotel in Toronto, Canada

Though I didn’t have time to make use of it, there’s also a n ice workout facility with fantastic views of Lake Ontario as well. And, if you’re ever at the hotel for a fancy affair held in the Grand Banking Room, be sure to check out the bar, it’s the longest in Canada – it’s an impressive site in a gorgeous room.

Photos: Jenny Bengen

Mandarin Oriental New York

The New York hotels awarded the 5 star are:-
Mandarin Oriental, New York
Four Seasons Hotel New York
The Peninsula New York
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
The St. Regis Hotel, New York
Trump International Hotel and Tower New York

The Beverly Hills hotels awarded the 5 star are:-
The Beverly Hills Hotel
Montage Beverly Hills
The Penninsula Beverly Hills
Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills

You can see the full list of Forbes Travel Guide’s 2010 Star Award winners here – www.forbestravelguide.com/.

In October 2009, Mobil Travel Guide announced a strategic partnership with Forbes Media LLC, and the prestigious Mobil Star ratings and certifications are from now on being awarded under the name of Forbes Travel Guide.

Photo by George Apostolidis, courtesy Mandarin Oriental

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Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway

Historically speaking, Nobel laureates have always stayed at the Grand Hotel, located on Karl Johans Gate right across the street from the Parliament Building. Svein Petter Haslerud, the Grand Hotel’s General Manager, confirms that they’re in touch with the American Embassy in Oslo, and suggests that President Obama might stay at the hotel’s Millenium Suite.

The Grand, which opened in 1874, is also the venue for the official Nobel Peace Prize banquet every year. They even have special Nobel tableware and Nobel menus for dinners. If you’re a fan of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner aka former VP Al Gore, you can order the Global warming cake – white chocolate filled with raspberries and yuzu lemon.

But the lodging requirements of the American President are vastly different than your ordinary peaceful Nobel laureate, or even other visiting Heads of State. Security needs dictate a complete lockdown of the entire hotel where the President stays. This might not be possible at the Grand, which has 52 suites packed to the rafters with dignitaries, Nobel laureates and celebrities during Nobel Week.

In that case, we have a few more options. 

Hotel Plaza, Oslo, Norway

Another possibility is the Hotel Plaza. President Clinton, during a visit to Norway, had the entire hotel with its 673 rooms all to himself and his staff. The Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel with its 37 floors offers breathtaking views of Oslo and the Oslo Fjord.

Has to be noted here that Norway’s King Harald V has also offered to put up President Obama at the Royal Palace, if he so desires. Not likely, given the security concerns and the large entourage that follows the President, but a possibility nevertheless.

If you’re planning on being at hand in Oslo, then suitable digs can be found at Grims Grenka, a newish and stylish hotel suitable for romantic getaways, located just a stone’s throw from Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize will be officially awarded to President Obama on Dec 10 at 1 pm.

Grand Hotel photo courtesy the Grand Hotel, Oslo, Norway. Hotel Plaza photo courtesy Rezidor Hotel Group. 

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The exterior of XV Beacon

Boston hasn’t always been known for its luxury boutique hotels, with a few exceptions – one of them being the XV Beacon Hotel on historic Beacon Hill.  XV Beacon, one of Travel + Leisure’s top small city hotels is offering a fabulous vacation special to celebrate it’s 10th anniversary.

The  10th Anniversary package includes overnight accommodations, an automatic upgrade, and a special anniversary remembrance gift.  In addition, 10th Anniversary guests are able to choose an add-on to their package, including:

·         Full American Breakfast
·         Ramos Pinto, a 10-year Tawny
·         A bottle of Champagne
·         A Boston Beer Tasting
·         In-room movie and munchies
·         A bottle of red wine; a bottle of white wine
·         Bottled water and seasonal whole fruit
·         Parking
·         or a return ride to Logan Airport in XV Beacon

XV Beacon is centrally located in Boston, and many of the popular Boston attractions, such as Faneuil Hall, and wonderful restaurants are within walking distance.  XV Beacon also had a wonderful onsite restaurant – Mooo, a modern steakhouse.  This anniversary package is great for a weekday or weekend getaway to Boston, either for the holiday season, or even the spring of next year.  The package is available through year-end 2010, with package rates starting at $410.  To learn more, visit their Web site.

Photo credit: XV Beacon

Here’s what my room looked like – it was a Polynesia-themed room, and I thought the decorations were imaginative and fun:

My Polynesian room at The Fantasyland Hotel

I sailed away to sleep in a really comfy bed, and that shelf just below the bed was handy for drinks and food.

Jacuzzi Tub at Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton, Canada

My favorite part of the room, though, was the jacuzzi tub – it was surrounded by lava rocks and a waterfall. And, it lit up with soft red lights at night, which was kind of sexy.Pretty cool, right? The jacuzzi bubbles worked well, and it was a very relaxing soak. Loved it!

All of the rooms here are  designed and decorated in good fun, if not always in the best of taste. Depending on the type of room you get, you’ll fall asleep in Hollywood, Ancient Rome, Polynesia, Africa, a Truck, The Old West, Arabia, an Igloo and on a Canadian Railroad. I’m not sure what’s up with the Truck theme, that’s the only one that seemed sort of random.

Photos: Jenny Bengen

Eloise at the Plaza

The Plaza re-opened last year after a massive three year renovation. The Pierre, likewise, re-opened earlier this year after a $100 million renovation. In a funny co-incidence, both iconic New York hotels first opened their doors on Oct 1. The Plaza opened on Oct 1, 1907 and The Pierre on Oct 1 , 1930.

Here’s the AAA’s full list of 2010 Five Diamond Lodgings. The list now also features the Mandarin Oriental in Boston; Encantado - An Auberge Resort in Sante Fe, N.M.; and The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas. Florida and Nevada each scored 3 more properties on the list.

Speaking of Eloise, she now has a second home in the Big Apple – the New York Public Libary. The Library  ‘acquired’ a colored-pencil sketch of the Eloise painting that hangs in The Plaza. They got the sketch as part of a donation which included the personal papers of  novelist E. Annie Proulx and Hilary Knight, who drew Eloise for the Kay Thompson books.

No word yet on whether Eloise will be joined at the Public Library by her nanny, her pug Weenie, and Skipperdee – her turtle.

Photo of Eloise at the Plaza painting by susansimon.

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