What’s in a name? A lot, if you win the Roosevelt NYC’s new contest, and end up with a free 2-night stay for two, with your name etched for posterity on a bar stool, where it will face many a posterior.

The Roosevelt is opening a new bar, and they’re running a contest called Name our Bar, where you have to… name their bar. The winner will be a special guest at the grand opening of the new bar and have his/her name permanently etched on one of the bar stools.

According to the hotel, “The name should be creative, catchy, original, bold and fun – most importantly, it needs to fit who we are.” Well, who are we? Here’s a few helpful tid-bits about the hotel and the new bar:-

The Roosevelt Hotel, New York City

1. The Roosevelt Hotel was named after Teddy Roosevelt.
2. Centrally located Midtown Manhattan just blocks away from Grand Central Station.
3. Established in 1924, the Roosevelt Hotel holds 1015 rooms.
4. Located on the corner of 45th and Vanderbilt Street, with a street-level entrance.
5. The bar will be open and fully operational all year long.
6. Primary customer base will be from local, the business community and hotel guests.
7. This bar will take up approximately 2300 sq ft.
8. Big Band great, Guy Lombardo performed at the hotel for over 40 years.
9. The bar will offer everything from beer and wine to mixed drinks with a menu of light fare.

Submit your entry on or before December 14th. All you have to do is fill in the form here.

Photo by Billy Hathorn

Info: 45 East 45th Street, corner of Madison Ave New York, NY 10017; 212-661-9600; www.theroosevelthotel.com/

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The Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans – which had been boarded up since Katrina – reopened this summer after a lengthy $145m renovation. And they’re holding their grand opening bash on the weekend of Oct 23-25, headlined by some of the greatest musical legends in the history of New Orleans – including the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and Allen Toussaint. 

Grand Opening - The Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans

The Neville Brothers kickoff the party on Oct 23 with a performance in the Roosevelt Ballroom at 8 pm. Irma Thomas and composer Allen Toussaint take over the same venue the next day on Oct 24. There’s also a special Sunday Jazz Brunch.

For more information or to make a reservation for The Roosevelt’s ‘Grand Opening Weekend’ package, call (504) 648-1200.

It’s an occasion not to be missed – both historical and a symbolic celebration of the fact that New Orleans is now getting back on its feet after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

The Baronne Street Hotel - named The Fairmont before Katrina, was bought by Hilton Hotels Corp. in 2007 for $15m and is now a part of Hilton’s luxurious Waldorf Astoria Collection. It opened its doors as The Grunewald in 1893, and was named as The Roosevelt in-between 1923 to 1965, and was later named The Fairmont. Now it switches back to being The Roosevelt.

The all-new Roosevelt now offers 504 rooms, of which 135 are luxury suites; the legendary Blue Room; the Sazerac Bar and Restaurant, John Besh’s Domenica Restaurant and Teddy’s Cafe; state-of-the-art meeting and convention rooms; and a 12,000-square-foot, world-class Guerlain Spa and fitness center.

Photo credits:-
Roosevelt Hotel pics by Infrogmation
Irma Thomas photo by Sumori
Allen Toussaint photo by Carl Lender

Hotel Info: 123 Baronne Street New Orleans, LA 70112; (504) 648-1200; www.therooseveltneworleans.com/

4th of July Fireworks

guest post by Sherry Gray

It’s that time of year again, when the sky explodes with Fourth of July fireworks, an exuberant visual celebration equaled only by New Year’s Eve displays. Americans have celebrated their Independence with fireworks every year since 1776, and the stirring sight never fails to impress even the staunchest among us. To celebrate in comfort and style, consider staying at a hotel overlooking the grandest displays in the country.

Known for their lavish celebratory style, Macy’s sponsors New York’s incredible fireworks show over the Hudson River. For an unbeatable view, two hotels stand out:

New York City Fireworks by Macy

New York’s Ritz-Carlton in Battery Park offers a panoramic view of the Hudson and overlooks the Statue of Liberty. Package prices start at $375 per couple, and the luxury is legendary.  Details that make the Harbor View room the best choice in the land include an in-room telescope, the Statue of Liberty captured in handmade chocolate, and a pair of ferry tickets to Ellis Island. Since President Obama has promised that Lady Liberty’s torch will reopen to the public on July 4th for the first time since September of 2001, this year’s celebration will be extra special.

A new contender for the view is the W Hoboken. Across the river on the New Jersey side, the W boasts a spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline from Frank Sinatra’s hometown of Hoboken. With package prices starting at $249, it’s a little easier on the wallet.

Fireworks in Washington DC

Where better to celebrate the nation’s independence than in the Capitol? The most luxury for the best value can be found at the Willard InterContinental Washington. Built in 1850, this elegant colonial style hotel is known as the ‘Crown Jewel of Pennsylvania Avenue’ and is listed with the national registry of historic places. It’s also a prime location for viewing the fireworks over the reflecting pool at the base of the Washington Monument.

Another great Fourth of July destination is the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia.   With room prices starting at just $150 per night, you can soak up the historic ambiance in luxurious style, attend a free concert, visit the Betsey Ross house and check out the Liberty Bell.

Mount Rushmore by day

Few sights are as impressive as the annual fireworks extravaganza over Mount Rushmore. The Roosevelt Inn, located at the base of Mount Rushmore offers close proximity at a very reasonable rate. For the best view, they advise a trip to the Grand Terrace at the visitor center inside the park.

Fireworks in Florida

For fireworks on any given day of the year, the best destination in the U.S. might be the Royal Plaza in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Some of the most technologically advanced fireworks on the planet light up every night, launched from both Disney World and Epcot Center, making Lake Buena Vista the center of the daily celebration. At around $100 per night, the Royal Plaza offers affordable luxury and gets bonus points for being a Green Lodging hotel, one of the first area hotels to undertake environmental initiatives designed to protect Florida’s natural resources.

Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood

The Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California is a lovely, historic hotel on Hollywood Blvd where all the sidewalk stars are. It’s a great place to people watch from – I’ve seen two celebrities in this hotel since I’ve been here!

My room is definitely on the smaller side, bu the bed is comfy. However, the bed does have a nasty, sharp wooden corner to it which is very annoying! I’ve managed to walk into that corner about four times since being here, and my shins now look like someone took a baseball bat to them. Other than that, the room is fine. The bathroom is small, and the toilet paper roll is hidden behind the door, so you have to close the door when using the bathroom, which I found amusing. Nice amenities are included in the bathroom.
They do hit you with a lot of charges here. You even have to pay for the coffee in the room. There’s a very funny “Shag Bag” which made me laugh out loud. You can guess what’s in there.

This hotel is a little bit spooky though. It’s older, built in 1927 I believe, and the hallways feel dark and, well – haunted. I’m not kidding. I’m on the twelfth floor, and I get weird chills when I walk from my hotel room to the elevator.

Moving on! If you stay here, you have to check out the historic lobby – it’s absolutely gorgeous. Very high ceilings, dark wood, soft, yellow lighting. Large, very comfortable leather chairs…just lovely.

The pool is open till 11pm, score!

I highly recommend Shelly Cafe, right across the street. Pretty cheap food – basic burgers, sandwiches and salads. But good! And, Million Dollar Baby was filmed there, if you’re into that stuff.

Photo Credit: P Keigan