Hotels

The Exterior of the Boston Langham Hotel

This holiday season, take a break for the weekend, and stay at the Langham Hotel in Boston’s Financial District.  The Langham is offering a several holiday promotions that are great for a weekend getaway.

The Golden Ticket package is perfect for chocolate-loving couples or families.   It includes overnight accommodations, valet parking, and the Chocolate Bar for two.  The Chocolate Bar is a culinary adventure, featuring over 85 chocolate desserts.  This season, the Chocolate Bar is themed after the Boston Chocolate Trail, and is inspired from the neighborhoods of Boston.  Some of the specialties include dessert sushi (from Chinatown), homemade Crackerjacks (from Fenway Park), bittersweet chocolate chestnut mousse (from the North End), and Boston cream pie (from Faneuil Hall).

The holiday savory savings package, which starts at $159 per night includes a discounted one night stay, use of fitness facilities and the indoor pool at Chuan Body + Soul,  and a $40 food credit that can be used at Cafe Fleuri, BOND, or in-room dining.  The food credit can be used on the Chocolate Bar,  the Metropolitan Tea at BOND, or on a standard meal.  This package is available November 13, 2009 through January 31, 2010.

The Langham Hotel is conveniently located in Boston’s Financial District, within walking distance of the North End, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, and Downtown Crossing.

The Langham Hotel
250 Franklin Street
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 451-1900

Photo credit: The Langham Hotel

The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, one of the official Yellowstone National Park hotels, is offering a ‘Room without a Bath’ special – $49 rooms for the winter. The normal rate for these rooms is $85. The special starts Jan 3 and ends on March 8.

Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, Yellowstone Nat'l Park

Of course, like the name says, they’re rooms without a bath. Shared bathrooms with private showers are available down the hall. Two double beds are included. If the thought of sharing a bath with other smelly mammoths doesn’t exactly make you want to reach for the plastic, then the hotel has other options for the discerning mammoth.  

A mid-range room (with bath) comes for $115 and filthy rich mammoths looking for the best that mammoth dollars can buy can splurge on the $427 suite. 

They also have three winter getaway packages – Frosty Fun, Nordic Heaven and Trail of the Wolf. Rates for these packages – if you choose to be a smelly mammoth without a bath of your own - vary from $100 to $268, based on occupancy and type of package.

Each package also includes Xanterra’s ‘Snow Card’ good for 10% off on meals, in-park transportation, tours, ski shop services and select retail items.

The Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel, built on the old parade grounds of Fort Yellowstone, is located 5 miles inside the North Entrance at an elevation of approximately 6200 ft, and is the only place to stay inside Yellowstone which is directly accessible by automobile. Opens for the winter Dec 21, 2009 to March 8, 2010.

Photos by puroticorico; More Info and other options: www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/

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The Fireside Kiss Cocktail at the Hyatt Regency Newport

This winter, relax and rejuvenate at the Hyatt Regency in Newport, Rhode Island, located on scenic Goat Island.  The Hyatt Regency has two different getaway packages this winter for anyone looking for a beautiful, relaxing experience at a great price!

The first package, offered from 12/4/2009 to 3/31/2010, is the Winter Getaway Promotion.  Rates are valid for 7 days a week, and start at $119. The package includes: waterview accommodations, a $25 food and beverage credit towards lunch/dinner in the on-site Windward Restaurant or Five33, a Fireside Kiss Cocktail (pictured) for two, 20% off Peppermint Pedicures in the Stillwater Spa, complimentary guestroom internet and complimentary self-parking.

For locals looking for a daytime getaway, consider the Sauna Sundays special at Hyatt Regency Newport’s Stillwater Spa.  If you book any 50 minute spa service on a Sunday in January through April 2010, you’ll receive a $20 voucher for the 50-minute spa treatment of your choice, a $10 voucher toward any additional spa service booked between January 1 – April 30, 2010, complimentary access to Stillwater Spa’s eucalyptus sauna, locker rooms, relaxation room & StayFit@Hyatt™ fitness center and indoor pool, a complimentary spa smoothie, and 10% off any retail products purchased on the day of the service.

The Hyatt Regency in Newport is located on Goat Island, a scenic island that’s accessible via bridge.  The attractions of Newport are located nearby, and the resort offers complimentary shuttle service to downtown.  To learn more, visit the Newport Hyatt Web site.

Hyatt Regency Newport
1 Goat Island, Newport, RI
(401) 851-1234

Photo credit: Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt Regency Waikiki looks all set to spread the holiday cheer with some bottled Aloha Spirit aka bottles of wine, where 50% of the proceeds goes to charity.

Hyatt Regency Waikiki

Each of the ONEHOPE Wine bottles comes decked up with a ribbon of a specific color – pink for breast cancer, green for the environment, multi-colored for autism and yellow for the troops.

Choose your color, and 50% of the proceeds from your bottle of bubbly will end up in the pockets of a charitable organization which does work in the area the color represents. Also, ONEHOPE will be donating an additional $2.00 to the Hawaii Foodbank.

You can buy the ribbonized wino at the hotel’s two restaurants – Colony and Ciao Mein, until the end of the year.

Another special uncorked by the Hyatt Regency Waikiki is the Lokahi Package, offering random acts of Aloha as a hat-tip to the nation’s 44th President, who just happens to be a Kamaaina (local).

Under this package, the hotel will be donating $44 per room, per stay to the local Waikiki Community Center. Includes oceanview accommodations and daily buffet breakfast for two.

Photos courtesy Hyatt Hotels Corp.

Info: 2424 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu HI 96815; (808) 923-1234; http://waikiki.hyatt.com/

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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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Ever dreamed the dream of becoming a famous rockstar or singer? If you have, but never got beyond karaoke and the shower, here’s your big chance. The Mosser Hotel is going where no San Francisco hotels have gone before – free recording sessions for guests at the hotel’s own recording studio.

The Mosser Hotel, San Francisco

Book their Holiday Tunes package and you get luxe accommodations, 1 hour of recording time in the state-of-the-art recording studio (with Engineer), a CD of your recordings, and a box of chocolates upon check-in. Rates from $165.

If you like the sound of your own voice, then you can up the ante and book into the Musicians package, which offers a four hour session at the studio, along with the hotel room.

For other guests worried about the racket caused by amateur musicians and wannabe rock bands, not to worry – Mosser’s rooms are secured with double-double pane windows to ensure a quiet nights sleep.

The Mosser Hotel, located just 4 blocks from Union Square, first opened in 1913 as the Keystone Hotel. In 1981, Charles W. Mosser purchased the hotel and it was renamed as The Mosser after a massive renovation in 2003, and the hotel now offers a modern interior and chic rooms with an eye-catching Victorian exterior.

The Mosser studio is called Studio Paradiso, and is located adjacent to the hotel and Annabelle’s Bar and Bistro. The studio normally charges $60/hour. More details here.

Photo courtesy Mosser Co.

Info: 54 Fourth Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; (415) 986-4400; www.themosser.com/

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The Exterior of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

This holiday season, visitors to Boston can book a great package to stay at the brand-new (opened October 2008) Mandarin Oriental Hotel just steps from some fabulous shopping.  The new Mandarin Oriental Hotel, on famed Boylston Street in Boston, is located right near the Shops at Prudential Center, Copley Place, and Newbury Street.

The limited time ‘Tis the Season to Shop package includes the following:

• Access to concierge recommendations for holiday activities in the city, including the Frog Pond in Boston Common
• A gift card for $250 off a $1,000 purchase at the Gucci boutique
• A 15% discount gift certificate at luxury Italian linen brand Frette
• A 20% discount off any service at MIZU hair salon
• A private shopping appointment at Saks Fifth Avenue, including a savings certificate, and a private makeup session
• Two holiday cocktails
• Breakfast for two in Asana, the hotel’s restaurant, for each morning

The Mandarin Oriental Boston has 136 guestrooms and 12 suites, with the largest average guest room size in Boston.  Each room offers wireless or wired internet access, flat screen televisions, and separate soaking tubs and showers.  The hotel also includes 16,000 plus square foot spa and fitness center for resort guests, as well as extensive business facilities.

Mandarin Oriental Boston
776 Boylston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02199

Package rates from $419 and are valid from November 20th – January 3rd.

Photo credit: Mandarin Oriental Hotel

The New York Jets were routed 31-14 by the New England Patriots in Sunday’s game. But the loss wasn’t just providence. It was the Providence Marriott. A phony fire alarm went off at the Jets team hotel at 1 am the night before the game, forcing the entire team out of the hotel in the middle of the night.

Providence Marriott Downtown, RI

Jets safety Kerry Rhodes tweeted about it, at 1 am in the night - ”you know we are playing new england when in the middle of the night when u r sleep somebody pulls a fire alarm to wake u up!! wow!!”

So did Dustin Keller – “So much for a good nights sleep..the alarm just went off in our teams hotel hahaha grown men walking around the hallway in their draws haha”

No wonder the Jets were absolutely flat in the first half and down 24-7 at one point. And here’s the kicker – the fire alarm wasn’t just an accident or a co-incidence. This is the second time this has happened.

The Buffalo Bills had a similar phony fire-alarm go off at their hotel in September, in the wee hours of the night before their game against the Patriots.

Here’s what the Marriott Providence Hotel says on its website – “The newly reenergized Providence Marriott Downtown invites guests to recharge, refresh and rediscover the possibilities… luxurious accommodations elegantly appointed with classic furnishings, exquisite REVIVE bedding for a most restful night’s sleep.”

Provided there isn’t a Patriots game the next day…

Photo courtesy Marriott Providence

Info: 1 Orms Street Providence, RI 02904; (401) 272-2400; www.marriottprovidence.com/

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Marriott’s Custom House in Boston, Mass. a Marriott Vacation Club resort

If you’ve ever been to Boston and visited Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, you are probably already familiar with the Marriott Vacation Club’s Custom House.  The clock tower is known as Boston’s first official skyscraper, and is a major fixture in the Boston skyline.

The Marriott Vacation Club’s Custom House is located literally just steps from Boston’s famed Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, the New England Aquarium, the Boston Harbor Waterfront, the North End, and the Freedom Trail, so it’s a great location for a family who wants to stay active during their vacation.  The hotel offers one bedroom/one bathroom family suites that are 450-650 square feet and include kitchenettes and a separate dining and living area.  Its got some other unique features – the 26th floor is an observation deck with views of the city, and the 30th floor is home to a unique nest of birds, the Peregrine Falcons. While the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant on site, there are so many nearby that it’s really not a drawback.

This fall/winter 2009 season, the Custom House is offering a great deal for their 25th anniversary. Guests can save 25 percent off room rates from now through December 20, 2009.  To book the 25th Anniversary Rate, visit the promotional page of the Marriott Web site and use promotional code FSZ or call 1-800-VILLAS-9.

Photo credit: Marriott’s Custom House

The Liberty Hotel on Beacon Hill has a Boston Tea Party Reenactment Package for you. That would be because, on Dec 13, 2009, the Old South Meeting House museum on Boston’s Freedom Trail will be hosting its annual Boston Tea Party Reenactment to honor the 236th anniversary of the historic tea party that was held on Dec. 16, 1773.

The Liberty Hotel in Boston & CLINK

The Liberty Reenactment package includes overnight accommodations on either December 12 or 13, two tickets to the Boston Tea Party Reenactment, and breakfast for two at CLINK – the hotel’s neat restaurant with dining booths that are real jail cells.

The Boston Tea Party reenactment is open to the public ($8 tickets), and audience members are invited to choose sides – Patriot or Loyalist – and lend their support for or against the tariff. You can’t change history, though, and the rebellious riff-raff will win the debate.

In addition to the slammer food inside CLINK, The Liberty hotel also offes other equally dodgy dining options fit for aforementioned rebellious riff-raff, with names like ‘alibi,’ ’scampo’ and ‘the yard.’ Just to be clear, these are restaurants and lounges inside the hotel where people dine.

If you’re wondering what’s with all the prison lingo, The Liberty was previously the Charles Street Jail for the 120 years  leading up to 1990, housing some of Boston’s leading criminals. And now it is a swanky hotel and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World group.

Guest rooms @The Liberty Hotel, Boston

As for the guest rooms – good enough for the discering white-collar criminal. The hotel’s 298 guest rooms range in size from 400 to 800 sq ft, with floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek four-fixture bathrooms.

For the Tea Party Reenactment tickets, visit oldsouthmeetinghouse.org or call (800) 838-3006. And since this is the age of social media, you can also follow the tea party debate via twitter – @BTPReenactment.

Photos courtesy The Leading Hotels of the World

Info: 215 Charles Street, Boston MA 02114; (617) 224-4000; www.libertyhotel.com