The Charles Hotel in the Evening

If you anything like me, you prefer to inject a bit of education into your family vacations.  Traveling to Boston already offers loads of educational opportunities, but with the Smarty Pants Family Fun package from the Charles Hotel in Cambridge, you’ll be able to educate your kids even more!

The package includes the following:

- Overnight accommodations in a deluxe guestroom
- An adjoining room may be added for the kids at 25% off the best available rate
-Valet parking – courtesy of Pro Park, Inc.
- Upon arrival, the children will receive a personalized “Kid’s Kit” with activity books and small toys.
- Three kid friendly books about money, provided by Cambridge Savings Bank.
- Children will be provided with bath products from Circle of Friends
- Two admission tickets to the Harvard Museum of Natural History
- Kids ages 12 and under eat breakfast for free when their parents eat breakfast at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Henrietta’s Table or order in-room dining (exclusive of Sunday brunch/holiday brunch).
- Milk and cookies are provided at turndown.

The Smarty Pants Family Fun package at the Charles Hotel starts at $289 per room, per night, based on double occupancy, not including taxes. The package, valid seven nights a week, is based on availability.

Charles Hotel
Harvard Square
One Bennett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
888.650.6710

Photo credit: The Charles Hotel

The Sè San Diego is now officially the Hotel Palomar San Diego, a Kimpton Hotel. The name and brand will hopefully stick after what has been a very rocky start for a very stylish and hip hotel in San Diego near the Gaslamp Quarter.

Hotel Palomar San Diego

The original plan called for a 22-story condo-hotel named The Diegan. This was changed to the Setai San Diego after the developers tied up with the Setai Group.

The Setai name was also dropped after it turned into a legal hot potato, and the hotel ended up as the Sè hotel.

The $150 million Sè San Diego finally opened in late 2008, and the recession promptly forced it into bankruptcy before it could take off properly.

Kimpton purchased it out of bankruptcy for $49 million, and officially gave the hotel its fourth and latest identity as the Hotel Palomar San Diego at a dedication ceremony on Sept 27.

The 5th Avenue hotel has 183 guestrooms, including 17 skyline suites and 20 luxury flats. It has a 19-foot floor-to-ceiling ballroom, a pool deck and infinity pool offering day beds and private cabanas, and more than 20,000 square feet of event space adorned with art created by local artists in San Diego.

Under the Kimpton brand, Hotel Palomar will now offer the chain’s wellness offerings in addition to the existing spa and in-room spa services. There’ll be a daily hosted evening wine hour, and of course – the hotel’s pet friendly policies now include the gold-fish you get to keep in your room under Kimpton’s pet-friend program.

The new 2-story  Saltbox Dining and Drinking restaurant replaces the old Suite and Tender. The restaurant is now an American gastro-lounge, with “social plates” priced under $25 and meant for sharing.

Considering the hotel is still just as good as new, Kimpton hasn’t had to make any other major changes except an increased focus on art, including the giant rendering of the hotel by local artist Grant Pecoff that was unveiled during the dedication ceremony.

All said and done, it’s a sweet deal for new guests under Kimpton, considering that Se started out in 2008 as a luxury resort with rates as high as $500. They’re now offering pretty much the same thing under Hotel Palomar, but with nightly room rates starting at $159.

Hotel Palomar San Diego

Not to mention an artsy location that leads right into the Gaslamp Quarter. Hotel Palomar is also collaborating with several cultural organizations under the “Art in Motion” initiative to offer custom-tailored room packages, including with the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego Youth Symphony and House of Blues.

Photos – Se San Diego

Hotel Palomar San Diego - 1047 5th Avenue San Diego CA 92101; (888) 288-6601

Related posts:
San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Boutique Hotels
Westin Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego Unveils New Renovated Rooms

A Room at the Omni Berkshire Place

When you think of a hotel room in Manhattan, what comes to mind?  Teeny little rooms where it’s hard to even open closets or drawers?  Old buildings in need of a refresh with updated decor?  Zero amenities at a high cost?  None of this is true at the Omni Berkshire Place Hotel, located right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

The Omni Berkshire Place Hotel hosted me for the night of the Time to Play Showcase in NYC, and I couldn’t have been happier with the stay – from the friendly staff to the gorgeous room.  I was greeted by hotel staff right as my cab pulled up to the door, and the doorman kindly brought my small bag right to the check-in desk.  Upon arriving, I discovered that I’d be upgraded to a junior suite – a totally unexpected surprise.

The rooms at the Omni Berkshire are relatively spacious, especially for a NYC room, and have been recently renovated.  The decor is clean and modern – very uncluttered, but still very stylish.  I was most impressed with how absolutely clean the entire hotel is – not a speck of dust or dirty anyway.  Room service, and morning coffee was delivered promptly and with perfect service.  The location of the hotel is perfect for business and leisure travelers.  It’s just a few blocks from Rockefeller Plaza, 5th Avenue, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Times Square.

The Omni Berkshire Place also offers 24-hour room service, LG 37-inch flat-screen televisions, health club, twice-daily housekeeping, and wireless high-speed internet.  I’d highly recommend signing up for the complimentary select guest membership – you’ll get free WiFi, morning beverage delivery service, a free morning newspaper, and complimentary pressing of two items.

Omni Berkshire Place
21 East 52nd Street at Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Phone: (212) 754-5000

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

Disclosure: I received a complimentary one-night stay at the Omni Berkshire Place to facilitate my review

Celebrate wellness and relax at Hyatt Rengency Lake Tahoe

Fall can mean more than back to school and temperatures getting chilly. It’s also time for the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino’s Wellness Weekend. Enjoy yourself at Lake Tahoe while you sample a variety of fitness classes and workshops.

With the Wellness Weekend package, you’ll get two nights’ accommodations (check in October 21 and check out October 23); daily fitness classes including yoga, aerobics, zumba, belly dancing and Aikina ballet fusion and body dynamics;  a welcome reception at Stillwater Spa plus $100 spa credit for a treatment of choice; evening lakeside wine tasting; Wellness Weekend breakfast delivered to your room; and a wellness-themed gift bag.

Rates for the Wellness Weekend package start at $449 per person (single occupancy) or $649 (double occupancy), and include all classes, events and $100 spa credit. Taxes and resort fee are not included. A special day rate (excluding breakfast and accommodations) is $100 per person, per day. For additional information or to book the package, visit the hotel’s website or call the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe at (775) 832-1234.

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino, (775) 832-1234
111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village, NV 89451

Photo courtesy of the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino

Related information:
D.L. Bliss State Park, Lake Tahoe, CA