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Archive for the 'Spa' Category

Central Calif.: $100 credit or fourth night free at Dolphin Bay Resort

September 6, 2009 5:58am

Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa, Shell Beach

The Central California coast, between Los Angeles and San Francisco, offers a wonderful array of rugged beaches, laid-back towns and eyefuls of beauty, whether you’re on the road, the trail or the waves.

If you’re looking for spacious, upscale and well-equipped accommodations, then Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa, just a couple miles up the coast from Pismo Beach, is the place to find them, according to many happy TripAdvisor travelers. And the resort is offering a couple of appealing deals this fall.

Deals: The oceanfront resort, off of Highway 1 in Shell Beach, is —among its various promotions—offering guests these options: $100 resort credit per night for certain rooms, or a fourth night free for any room type. You can’t do both in one go, unfortunately.

The resort credit is applicable for bookings of ocean-view or oceanfront rooms. You can use your credit at Lido Restaurant or at La Bonne Vie Spa, both on-site.

But if you’re staying at least four nights, you don’t need an ocean-view unit and you aren’t likely to partake of the aforementioned spa and restaurant every day, you’ll save more by taking advantage of the “Fourth Night Free” special. Read the rest of this entry »

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Fitness is just a phone call away at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

September 4, 2009 5:55am

Road warriors who want to stay in shape while they travel won’t have to worry about packing their sneakers and sweats anymore.

The new Fairmont Fit program, sponsored by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, has more than 5,000 pairs of Adidas sneakers, thousands of T-shirts and shorts and complimentary MP3 players loaded with hundreds of brassy exercise tunes. The program is available to members of the chain’s loyalty program, the Fairmont President’s Club.

The President’s Club, which has free membership, keeps members’ workout gear sizes on file, or participants can list their sizes when calling for a hotel reservation. The fee is $10 per stay, or is complimentary for those who stay five times or 10 nights per year.

In addition to having clothing available, the program issues yoga mats and stretch bands for those who prefer exercising in their rooms to a visit to hotel fitness centers. Clothing and footwear are delivered to the room upon a guest’s arrival. Workout gear is available for the duration of the stay and can be replenished at any time.

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St. Regis hotel opens in Mexico City

August 18, 2009 2:54pm

St. Regis Mexico city

Mexico City has a new addition to its skyline, with the opening this month of the St. Regis Mexico City, a striking high-rise on Paseo de la Reforma that offers sweeping city views from floor-to-ceiling windows.

The hotel, which overlooks the iconic Plaza of Diana, is the second St. Regis to open in Mexico in the past year. It is part of a Latin American expansion plan that includes hotels in Buenos Aires and the Riviera Maya in Yucatan, both of which are expected to open within two years.

Last fall, St. Regis Punta Mita Resort opened north of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, featuring tile-roofed Mexican-style casitas along the Pacific Coast. Both new St. Regis hotels have opening specials.

In Mexico City, a weekend rate of $235 per night is available; during the week, rates start at $399 per night, including breakfast. St. Regis Punta Mita offers a Taste of Luxury package, with rates starting at $499 per night and a fourth night free. (Rates do not include taxes and fees.) Info: (800) 598-1863.

— Rosemary McClure, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Photo:  Exterior of St. Regis Hotel in Mexico City. Credit: Courtesy of St. Regis

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Indulge in food, or spa, at the Parker Palm Springs

August 11, 2009 9:19am

The Parker Palm Springs

Palm Springs in August? Absolutely. The Parker Palm Springs, a well-reputed resort with personality, is offering deals that are simply painful to refuse, and, in this very uncrowded low season for tourism, you’ve got your pick of dates.

Besides, we’re not going to let you melt in the desert: all of the package inclusions, besides being stress-reducing, are set in air-conditioned quarters.

Deal: For a stay on any night but Saturday, you can get an estate room for $199 per night (before taxes and fees) with $200 credit toward spa treatments or $200 credit toward on-site food. But you do have to choose one or the other.

If you go the “spa junkie” route, you can use your credit toward any 60-minute spa services, excluding nail and salon services, at the Palm Springs Yacht Club. The “Glutton’s Delight” deal can be used toward food (but not toward beverages, tax or tip) at the Parker’s restaurants and on room-service orders. Read the rest of this entry »

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Calling all sun seekers - a luxe summer spa getaway at Borrego Ranch Resort

June 16, 2009 10:02am

Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa

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.

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L.A. Marathon-worn? Spa getaways for body and mind

May 25, 2009 9:45am

Parker Palm Springs

If you’re one of the 20,000 or so brave folks tackling the Los Angeles Marathon today, or even one of the million alongside the course watching, you may well be in need of some serious spa time soon. Check out the following relaxation-inducing hotel specials available in and just out of town this week:

Elan Hotel, Los Angeles

The “All About Me” package at this hotel near the Beverly Center features the following, for $299 per night (pretax): a stay in a king room, a one-hour, full-body massage for one person at a local day spa, a tote bag with shopping coupons and a $25 gift card.

The rate also includes continental breakfast and complimentary Wi-Fi. After taxes, the total is $341, and I’m seeing availability online as early as tonight. This hotel is highly rated on TripAdvisor, with reviewers describing it as a hidden gem. Read the rest of this entry »

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Top 10 ways to celebrate Mother’s Day in downtown L.A.

May 1, 2009 3:30pm

Ain’t Misbehavin’

Are you all set to treat your mom to a well-deserved great day on Sunday, May 10? For those of you still racking your brain for ideas, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) has stepped up to help.

On its website, you can find a number of to-dos and deals for Mom’s enjoyment in downtown Los Angeles. For full details on the specials, see the DCBID’s dedicated page, but here’s a handful of the highlights:

1) Dining: Deals include a $20 gift card for Mom thrown in with the three-course brunch at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion. At Ciudad, dine early (at 10 a.m.) with a party of five or more and Mom gets her meal for free.

2) Afternoon tea: Chado Tea Room at the Japanese American National Museum has more than 200 varieties of tea, and you get a potful of your choice, plus sandwiches, with an Afternoon Tea Tier. The Millennium Biltmore is hosting a special afternoon tea event in its flower garden. Read the rest of this entry »

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Financial fallout on the Las Vegas Strip? Four Seasons’ $149 deal

March 10, 2009 7:08pm

Four Seasons Las Vegas

The U.S. economic downturn is not just affecting the Vegas housing market — it’s crashing down on the casinos as well. Financial difficulties on the Strip may be fast approaching. Earlier this week, the Review Journal ran an article that opened our eyes to the fact that MGM Mirage (which owns 10 Strip hotel-casinos including the Bellagio, Mirage, Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand) is doing everything it can to meet its debt obligations.

Last week we wrote about some crazy, cheap Vegas hotel deals starting at $6.25 per night outside of town and many rooms under $50 per night on the Strip. But rates aren’t just dropping at the casino hotels already considered budget accommodations. Luxe hotels like the Four Seasons are beckoning tourists by dropping their prices considerably too.

What’s the best way to get a deal on a Vegas hotel room?

Sign up for their e-mail updates.

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Las Vegas City Center: Vdara and Aria begin accepting reservations for fall and winter

February 21, 2009 8:40am

Las Vegas: Vdara at City Center, exterior

Two hotels in Las Vegas’ new City Center will begin accepting reservations Monday for their expected debuts late this year.

Vdara at City Center

The 57-story Vdara will have 1,495 suites but will not have a casino. It will be smoke-free and also will boast a 16,000-square-foot spa, salon and fitness center.

Rates will begin at $159 a night. For reservations for Oct. 1 and beyond: (866) 745-7767 or www.vdara.com.

Las Vegas: Vdara at City Center, Deluxe King

Las Vegas: Vdara at City Center, lobby lounge bar

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Last-minute: Las Vegas spa specials for Valentine’s Day weekend through February

February 9, 2009 5:57pm

Wet TI

Are you taking your sweetie to Vegas for Valentine’s Day? Why not surprise her with a spa treatment. The resort spas are getting into the spirit by offering holiday-themed facial, scrub and massage specials. But be careful not to blow it, make the reservation before all you spontaneous lovers show up on the Strip. Your thoughtful advanced planning will score as many points with her as the gift.

Caesars | The Kama Sutra with Shirodhara couples treatment is on the menu year-round. “Celebrate the art of love with someone special as you enjoy the Shirodhara and body exfoliation with massage experience side by side in your own private suite. Warm oil anoints the forehead, opening the intuitive mind, while chilled rose petals rest softly over the eyes. Tantric music and pure aphrodisiac massage oils of sandalwood and rose transport couples into romantic bliss.” Cost: $450  (per-couple price) for 75 minutes. Contact: Qua Baths & Spa, (866) 782-0655.

Mandalay Bay | Their rose petal manicure ($45) and pedicure ($80), good through the end of the month, use a rose oil during the process. Contact: Spa Mandalay, (877) 632-7300.

MGM Grand | The MGM has an assortment of seasonal specials at their spa. An organic 50-minute Chocolate Raspberry Facial ($150) and a 50-minute Raspberry Truffle Massage ($125) are just a couple to choose from. Contact: Grand Spa and Health Club, (702) 891-3077.

New York New York | Sweetheart Massage: Swedish and deep-tissue massage with  romantic aromatherapy strawberry & Champagne scents plus a box of chocolate truffles. Cost: 25 minutes for $85, 50 minutes for $115 or 75 minutes for $165; running all month. Contact: the Spa, (702) 740-6955.

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