Eloise just got herself some shining new diamonds – an early Christmas present from the AAA, which just announced the 2010 AAA Five Diamond Award winners, with 113 hotels on the list – including The Plaza Hotel and The Pierre New York-A Taj Hotel.

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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Having to fly unexpectedly to Scottsdale, Arizona recently for a family emergency, I found myself scrambling to locate a hotel with enough amenities to satisfy my parents and my wildly diverse siblings with their extended families.  Not being familiar with the area, but wanting to get a hotel with the basics to satisfy me, I can report that the Wingate by Windham in Scottsdale is where I plan to return to whenever I am back in town.

Plush Beds @ Wingate Scottsdale AZ

The Wingate by Wyndham is part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of hotel brands that includes Ramada, Days Inn, Travelodge, Howard Johnson and more.

This Wingate is targeted to the business traveler, with a 24 hour fitness room that I used daily, and a well stocked breakfast set up every morning from 6:00 until 9:00. I stuck to the cereal and eggs, but my sister raved about the “make your own waffles”. With the heat, my brother skipped the gym and used the pool. He swam every morning, reporting to me how nice and clean the water was.

Great Equipment & Television in the 24 Hour Fitness Room

They offer great deals for seniors and AAA members.  We had nicely appointed queen rooms for $89 a night.  My room had two queen beds and huge flat screen LG television.  With my sister in a room on one side of me and my mother on the other side, how quiet my room was at night was perfect.

Neutrogena Products & Fluffy Towels

We all agreed that the Moen Revolution showerhead was a nice perk and my father loved how new the ironing board and iron were. He likes a a very sharp crease in his pants. Each room has a single-cup coffeemaker with Wolfgang Puck coffee that comes in handy if you stay up late like my niece or get up at the crack of dawn, like my mom.

With members of my family unable to drive but needing to get to the mall and other destinations, we were pleasantly surprised by their free shuttle service. They have a few vans available from 7:00 to 7:00 everyday, that will take you anywhere you want to go within a 5 mile radius of the hotel. Amanda, one of the front desk agents drove us a couple of times and expertly got us to our destination. Given my parents back seat driving and the hundred temperatures, I couldn’t tip her enough.

Make Your Own Waffles!

The Phoenix Airport is too far but the Scottsdale Airport is close enough use their free shuttle.  If you need to print your boarding pass, they have a 24 hour Business Center too with free internet access and printer.  The Wingate by Wyndham in Scottsdale has an amazing staff who offered our family so much warmth. If you travel to Scottsdale for business, a round of golf or maybe a girls spa weekend, this hotel is in a great location off the 101 Loop.

All photos taken by my iPhone.

Kimpton Hotels Earthcare Program

In addition to the (so hilarious, right? Right?) hotel reviews I write here, I’m also a regular contributor to AOL GreenDaily. That means I’m always thinking about the eco-friendly angle, including when I check out hotels.

And let me tell you, in case you don’t spend as much time as I do reading hotel sites, it’s freaking hard to find information about most hotels’ green practices.

With the exception of certain chains like Kimpton, which are loud and proud about their green programs, most hotels bury their sustainability programs at the very bottom of their “about” page — if they even post it all! For the casual, “I just want to compare availability/price/one or two other features and make a reservation already” type of hotel shopper, green hotel info is pretty inaccessible.

At long last, in 2010 AAA will add an eco-designation, indicating that a property is managed sustainably and is eco-friendly. To get the designation, the hotels have to be AAA-approved plus have the stamp of approval from a certified state or national green lodging program. So you will be able to find your green hotel choices fast, and be sure that the green-cred was earned.

Photo: Kimpton Hotels

Renovations in Progress

Whenever I go home for the holidays, I like to get a hotel room near the family. I love the family but I need my space – the mad chaos that ensues requires that I have a nice and quiet retreat (parents + many nieces and nephews + dogs = mayhem!)

I firmly believe that having a little oasis of your own can be the perfect way to keep your sanity. In downtown Monterey, Casa Munras is one of my favorite hotels to choose whenever I return home.

It is centrally located near local shops, a Denny’s across the street, a new Trader Joes and a new Peet’s Coffee around the block. You are just down the street from Del Monte Shopping Center with its stores like Macy’s and other standard mall chains. Fisherman’s Wharf is also within walking distance though a bit further.

Casa Munras has been a part of Monterey since the days when the city was the first capital of California.  The registration desk and business center are located on the property that was the original hacienda of Don Esteban Munras, the last Spanish diplomat to California. His hacienda was built in 1824 and was one of the first built outside the historic Monterey Presidio, which is about a mile away by car.

If you have never stayed here you are in for a treat because over the last few years the owners have been renovating the entire property. Currently a Larkspur Collection Hotel, this wonderful hotel is now boasting a spa called Sano and a beautiful new restaurant, Esteban named after the original owner.

While we were there this time, we didn’t have time to eat at the new restaurant but we cuddled up with our evening nightcaps by the outdoor fire pit and savored the crisp winter air.

The hotel offers a very nice heated swimming pool, a fitness room, free wi-fi, and free off-street parking (this is big because a lot of hotels in the area all charge about $25 a night to park your car).

Heated Pool and Free Off Street Parking

The million dollar renovations are ongoing but many of the rooms are finished. You might want to ask for one of the newly finished ones when you make your reservation. I found the front desk very helpful. If your stay is a special occasion, I can suggest a nice spot for dinner in Pacific Grove.

The rates are reasonable and they often offer AAA discounts – and Larkspur Hotels and Restaurants guarantees that every hotel reservation booked through their websites will have the best rate publicly available on the Internet.