My visit to the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids started off ominously: I attempted to check in to the hotel across the street after being dropped off there by the service. Fortunately, a short walk with my carry-on luggage was all it took to get me to the bright lobby of the downtown hotel. From there I would begin a two-night stay in a luxury hotel that would surprise and delight me.

Room with a View – and a Chaise

Beautiful photographs above the bed and a wall full of windows overlooking Grand Rapids welcomed me to my standard king guestroom. While the bed itself was outfitted with a pillow top mattress and plenty of pillows, it was the chaise lounge that beckoned to me to take a load off, relax a minute. Unfortunately, I had no time for indulging as I was due downstairs for a lunch meeting.

Six One Six is the hotel’s restaurant adjacent to the lobby and looks at first glance to only be able to accommodate a small group of guests. My concern is not seating, however, but food — and in that regard the restaurant shined. My working lunch took place over a California Reuben and truffle fries (a combination designed to send me back to that chaise in a carbohydrate coma.) The next two mornings I’d enjoy a breakfast bar featuring made-to-order eggs and omelets, fresh fruit, and steel cut oats (along with breakfast meat and potatoes for those with more forgiving metabolisms.) The service at every meal was exceptional.

JW Marriott still subscribes to the idea that luxury is about more than fine linens and marble bathrooms. Service is obviously an essential part of their philosophy and it shows in every encounter, from the turn down service you don’t see to the hospitable front desk staff that greets you each day.

The JW has partnered with ArtPrize to offer visitors a special package during the public art contest. The package starts at $249 per night and includes:

• Overnight accommodations for two
• Self parking in the hotel ramp
• Breakfast for up to 2 adults and children 12 and under
• One ArtPrize Value Bag per reservation (multiple night reservations would still receive one bag) which includes:
  • ArtPrize official map
  • ArtPrize official guidebook with discount coupons
  • Two Metro transportation cards per reservation
  • ArtPrize souvenir recycled bag
  • Two ArtPrize souvenir wristbands

Find out more at http://ilovethejw.com.

Disclosure: I stayed at the JW Marriott as a guest of Experience Grand Rapids.

You don’t really have to go around trick-or-treating, if you’d rather be spooky and enjoy the candy too. That you can, with these Halloween themed hotel packages and parties.

Spooky suite at Loews Hotel NYC

Loews Hotels: R.I.P in a ‘Spooky Suite’ at 13 participating Loews hotels. Package includes a Halloween themed suite, a loot bag with tricks and treats, and a selection of costumes from a catalog for both children and adults (and babies and pets too).

The adult costume choices include Harry Potter themed costumes, Greek warrior/ Olympic goddess and hippie couple. Kids can choose to be a loyal knight, lil sheriff, referee, purple witch, a garden fairy or wear a flight suit.

The offer is valid Oct 25-31, and you have to book five days in advance and choose your costumes at least 3 days before arrival.

Hard Rock Hotel San Diego: If you’re looking for a Halloween party, it won’t get any better than this. The Hard Rock San Diego has a massive Halloween party planned across three floors and multiple venues with some huge DJ talent to rock the place.

Your room package includes two VIP tickets to the most happening party in San Diego on Saturday, October 29.

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO: The most famous haunted hotel in the US has its annual ‘Shining’ ball scheduled for Oct 29. But that’s not all, because there’s a murder mystery dinner on Oct 28.

Not to mention that the “Scarecrows in Estes Park Festival” is on until Oct 31, where you can see 150+ scarecrows every weekend, and enjoy everything from face painting to coloring contests and lots of entertainment.

Universal Orlando: The theme parks in Orlando tend to go overboard with their Halloween events, and Universal Orlando is doing its best to make it the best Halloween ever this year with “Halloween Horror Nights” for 25 days beginning Sept 23.

Universal is promising to scare you out of your wits with fiendish creatures, deceased souls and a Lady Luck who transforms from tempting seductress to bloodthirsty beast. The vacation and hotel package information can be found at www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando.

Hotel Hershey, Hershey, PA: The hotel’s Halloween in Hershey package includes luxe accommodations, breakfast with Hershey’s product characters and one-day admission to Hersheypark In The Dark, in addition to admission to Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story Museum.

Photo – Loews Hotels & Resorts

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Well… actually it was not the real Will and Kate, but their cardboard cutouts that got kidnapped. Also, it was not Windsor Castle where the dastardly deed happened, but in the 5-star Hotel Windsor in Melbourne.

Hotel Windsor, Melbourne, Australia

The 128-year old historic Windsor hotel is offering a royal wedding package to celebrate the April 29  wedding of Britain’s Prince William to fiancée Kate Middleton in London.

As part of the whole royal shindig, they had this cardboard cutout of the royal couple placed in the hotel’s lobby.

The cutout was apparently something of a hit, and not just guests but even the locals would come in to have a look and have their pictures taken with it.

But then it went missing in the middle of the night and the hotel says it has pleaded with guests and staff, but the cutout is still missing.  So now they’re waiting for a replacement cutout to arrive all the way from Britain.

It could be that the unsolved mystery of the royal cutout kidnapping actually involves some low-life scum who now has Will and Kate in his attic. But sometimes, these things are a publicity stunt.

A similar case in question was Milton, the Boca Raton Hotel’s 350 pound clay turtle who went missing from outside the hotel’s lobby.

Anyway, the whole point is that this incident has given a fair amount of publicity to the Hotel Windsor and its Royal Wedding package.

The package includes a stay in one of the hotel’s seven luxurious Victorian suites, with sparkling Rosé on arrival, a full room-service breakfast and a $2,000 voucher for Hardy Brothers Jewelers.

The 180-room Hotel Windsor was built in 1883 and began its life as the Grand Hotel. In 1920, they hosted a luncheon attended by the Prince of Wales. The hotel didn’t take long in latching on to the British royalty and renamed itself as the Windsor.

Photo – Hotel Windsor

More info: 111 Spring Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia; website

Related posts:-
Say ‘I Do’ To These Royal Wedding Hotel Packages
London Hotel Rates Rise for Royal Wedding
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Inn at Lost Creek

Wouldn’t it be great if you could go on vacation without having to deal with the hassle of luggage?  An upscale ski resort and hotel in Telluride, Colorado has come one step closer to making that fantasy a reality with a creative new amenity.

The Inn at Lost Creek, which markets itself as “the little hotel with large amenities”, is offering to handle at least part of the luggage hassle for guests who book the Simply-Ski package.  Although you’ll still need to pack and unpack your own luggage, the Inn at Lost Creek will do the rest of the heavy lifting for you – literally.

The Simply-Ski package for the 2010/2011 ski season includes:

• Four nights ski-in/ski out accommodation
• Up to two free ski rental equipment packages per room/per night
• Daily continental breakfast
• Advance luggage pick-up and delivery between the guest’s home address and hotel for up to two bags
• $75 in groceries pre-ordered and stocked for the guest’s arrival

The hotel will also provide ground transportation from the Telluride Airport or wash your car before you head home.

Nightly rates for the Simply-Ski package start at $357 per room during the early season.  The package is being offered from November 25, 2010 to April 4, 2011.  No word on who will be responsible for tackling the laundry mountain once you’ve returned home.

Photo courtesy of the Inn at Lost Creek