Archive for the 'Honeymoon, Spa & Romance' Category
Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Silver Anniversay Sale with rooms starting at $205
June 25, 2009 2:15pm
Room rates at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel that are regularly $455 per night have been knocked down to $205 weekdays and $275 on weekends in celebration of their 25th Anniversary. It sounds considerably familiar to their California coastal resort sale that took place in May. The deal is good for garden or pool view rooms with the lowest rate valid Sunday - Wednesday. Make your travel arrangements quickly as you have until June 27 to book for travel through Sept. 30, 2009.
Foreign affairs: Where Gov. Mark Sanford should have been sleeping
June 24, 2009 4:04pm
Memo to: All American elected officials
From: Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times travel writer
Regarding: National and international affairs
And: Where to have them
Hey, stuff happens, and sometimes a fella strays. Sometimes, a governor needs to spend Father’s Day weekend cheating on his wife in Argentina. But as South Carolina Republican Gov. Mark Sanford can now authoritatively say, South America is perhaps a bit too far to stray.
Then again, look at the stateside troubles of U.S. Sen. John Ensign, the Nevada Republican who just admitted a 2008 stateside affair with a campaign aide, or John Edwards, the philandering Democratic presidential hopeful from North Carolina. If you’re going to stray, U.S. territory might not be far enough away.
A prudent elected official seeks middle ground. And no, we don’t mean Las Vegas. Because deep down, don’t you suspect that what happens in Vegas ends up on video somewhere?
But we can help. Whatever your amatory outsourcing needs, gentlemen, we suggest you consider these assignation destinations. Or, you know, be good and stay home.
Guantanamo Bay Press banned and extra beds available soon.
Rome Long flight, but very romantic. And the media is so busy covering Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s high-level appointments of various attractive young women —and subsequent threats of divorce by his wife — that tailing you wouldn’t be worth the trouble.
Darien Gap, Panama Green and steamy. And since there are almost no paved roads, they’d never find you. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellent.
Asuncion, Paraguay Because they put the “para” in “paramour.”
Rio de Janeiro Incumbent mistress getting old? Browse Ipanema Beach for a successor.
Tijuana Lots of hotel vacancies. And prices have never been better for car upholstery, dentistry and cosmetic surgery.
Nuuk, Greenland Taste the reindeer. See the aurora borealis. Enjoy Nuuk nookie.
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada Because once you’ve pulled on those yellow rain slickers, you’ll be just another happy, hooded, damp couple.
The Cayman Islands Between flings, check your offshore accounts.
— Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times staff writer
[Photo: The Spanish Steps in Rome, a very romantic city. Credit: Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times
New hotel review website Oyster sends writers undercover to deliver honest opinions & property photos
June 23, 2009 4:51pm
Do you ever read an online hotel review and question the sincerity of the person who wrote it? Was their glowing review genuine or was it influenced by a comped stay or a PR person with good writing skills? Or maybe you look at hotel photos and wonder how true to life they are? All my second guesses might be a little bit more analytical than they need to be, but I’d be willing to bet I’m not alone in my doubts. So it was with open ears (and eyes) that I took a look at the new Oyster Hotel Reviews website that launched Monday.
The name might be reminiscent of London’s transportation card or even a flip cellphone, but the name actually comes from the shellfish. Chief Executive Elie Seidman said, “The sensual oyster holds in it the potential to discover a beautiful pearl. But not every oyster has a pearl. Finding the right hotel can be a struggle, but at Oyster Hotel Reviews our hotel reviews give you the “raw” truth — independent reporting and honest, undoctored hotel photography — to make it easy to find what you’re really looking for.”
And that’s exactly what’s so appealing about this latest hotel review site to hit the online travelsphere — its transparency. Hotel reviews on Oyster are written by journalists who are undercover, no comps or incentives allowed. They are privately funded and pay for all of the writers’ travel expenses. On top of that, they take hundreds of photos from each property — and don’t airbrush out any power lines — what you see is what you get. (That said, the photos are still stunning and thankfully taken while the beds are made.)
Right now Oyster launched with 450 hotel reviews in Aruba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Miami, with New York and Las Vegas coming soon. Seidman said the Vegas package would be ready by mid-July, “We’ve already done all the reviews/visits and are just putting the finishing touches on it.”
Seidman added that Oyster is expecting Scottsdale/Phoenix, Honolulu, Maui, Los Angeles and San Francisco to be completed either before the end of the year or by early Q1.
I particularly like the website’s easy navigation. When I had a look at Jamaica — a place I’ve never visited before — there were options for the best romantic hotels, best luxury hotels and best family friendly hotels front and center. I was also amazed at how long the reviews are. These are not just two paragraphs with a star rating. The writers go in depth on categories such as Scene, Location, Service, Rooms, Beach (as was the case with Geejam in Jamaica), Cleanliness, Food, Family and more. They also have a Pros and Cons section to get a quick summary of the place.
Luxury Peninsula Shanghai hotel opens for bookings
June 18, 2009 7:15am
The exclusive Peninsula Hotels group, which runs luxury lodgings in just eight cities including Hong Kong and Beverly Hills, has begun taking reservations for its ninth, opening Oct. 19 on the waterfront Bund in Shanghai. Nightly rates start around $470 for a superior room and top out at $12,430 for the 4,305-square-foot Peninsula Suite.
Paul Tchen, general manager of the new 235-room hotel, said it will blend high-tech perks borrowed from the Peninsula Tokyo, such as in-room fax/copiers and unlimited VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) calls around the world, with retro touches such as Art Deco design and traditional Sunday tea dances in the lobby.
Calling all sun seekers - a luxe summer spa getaway at Borrego Ranch Resort
June 16, 2009 10:02am
It’s not ridiculous to mention a luxe spa getaway in the middle of the desert and in the dead of summer because there are extreme sun seekers out there. I know a few of them who love the high temperatures. Raise your hands, you know who you are. And if your hand is up, you won’t want to miss this gem of a deal to pamper yourself in the Anza-Borrego desert. The Borrego Ranch Resort, which completed a $50 million renovation last November, is offering a two-day spa deal through September that is perfect for those who want to see the transformation from the historic La Casa del Zorro Desert Resort.
Deal: The Summer Spa Serenity Package includes two nights’ accommodations, two 50-minute spa treatments, a bottle of sparking wine and $100 resort credit starting at $520, pre-tax. A similar package is listed at $590 pre-tax during March when tourists come out to see the wildflowers.
That’s not the only deal available. Check out the specials page for its golf package and the $179 room rate good any time this summer through September.
La Quinta Resort’s all-inclusive summer deal
June 9, 2009 10:18am
For those who appreciate a good rest poolside in the sunshine, now is a great time to head out to Palm Springs and surrounds. With temperatures these days there in the 90s on up to 100 degrees, the desert region is starting to quiet down for the summer.
When the days are hot, it’s hard to go wrong at La Quinta Resort and Club (a 30-minute drive southeast of Palm Springs), whose amenities galore include 41 pools. The next few weeks are ideal for taking advantage of the fun package detailed below, before July and August begin scorching even the lizards among us.
Deal: The “Play It Your Way” package features playing and relaxing, and drinking and dining. For $299 per night (pre-tax), you get a standard room and the following:
> Unlimited golf at one of four resort and PGA West courses
> One spa treatment of choice daily per room per night from a limited spa menu that includes facials and massages. Read the rest of this entry »
All aboard, in-flight flirts: Air New Zealand’s singles trip
May 24, 2009 6:31am
If love is in the air, how will you fare at 30,000-plus feet? Starry-eyed and soon couple-ified, Air New Zealand hopes, if you join the airline for a singles-only flight this fall.
The “matchmaking flight” departs Los Angeles (LAX) for Auckland, New Zealand, on Oct. 13. Festivities will begin with a pre-flight gate party at the airport, and the flight cabin itself should be abuzz with food, beverages and games. Once you’re in Auckland, you’re invited to attend a Matchmaking Ball at Auckland’s SkyTower.
And you don’t have to get on board with this experience completely blind: Air New Zealand’s dedicated social-media website for the flight allows ticketholders to upload a personal profile and start getting to know fellow passengers online.
Cost: Round-trip tickets start at $780 per person (pretax); this includes admittance to the aforementioned singles-only party. Read the rest of this entry »
Ritz-Carlton’s $199 sale at two California coastal resorts
May 18, 2009 8:52am
Ritz-Carlton is selling rooms for $199 during the prime summer season at two luxury California coastal resorts, Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Orange County and and Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco, where nightly rates often start at more than $300. The deal, called the California Coast Summer Special, was put up at 7 a.m. today and is scheduled to last 72 hours.
Jennifer Chiesa, spokeswoman for the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, said, “We have great availability, especially during the weekdays,” when the $199 rate applies. In a quick check online around 7:30 a.m., I found the deal at both hotels for a weekday stay that I checked, June 23-24 (Tuesday and Wednesday).
The deal: You must reserve by May 20, and the deal is supposed to be good for weekday stays Memorial Day through Labor Day, according to a Ritz-Carlton news release. But exact travel dates may vary. Half Moon’s website listed the deal as good for stays May 21 to Sept. 7; Laguna Niguel’s said May 18 to Sept. 30.
Las Vegas, Cancun, Caribbean: 4-5-star hotel rooms on sale for $99 on Bookit.com
March 23, 2009 7:03pm
BookIt just launched a sale featuring four-star hotels for $99 per night. These low-priced hotels and all-inclusive resort deals should match up nicely with the summer airfare war going on. Go ahead, spend all night trying to find the best summer travel holiday.
Sample room rates:
Las Vegas | Annoyed with taxes? Get them done early and spend April 15 in Vegas. I checked the rate for April 14-16 at the five-star Trump Las Vegas and it was $99/night on average including late check-out and a $50 spa credit. (April 14 was $89 and April 15 was $109). However, I did find other midweek rates for $89/night midweek and they had promo rates as low as $62/night midweek if you can find the dates through Aug 31, 2009.
Touring Mariner of the Seas cruise ship in Los Angeles
February 24, 2009 1:28pm
What has 16 decks, room for more than 3,800 passengers and everything from a climbing wall to an ice-skating rink? It’s Mariner of the Seas, which has just started sailing year-round from Los Angeles to Mexico on seven-night round trips.
I toured the cruise ship when it arrived here last week. Royal Caribbean International says it is the largest to have its home port on the West Coast. My impression? Think Las Vegas on the sea.
[Click here to see photos of the ship's features and click here to see a video tour of the ship.]
Some highlights:
Ice-skating rink: Yes, really. When I was there, red-costumed skaters swirled to the dizzying Russian song “Kalinka” before a packed house. If wheels are your thing, head for Deck 13, which sports an inline skating track near a cute nine-hole miniature golf course.
