If you're looking for a vacation that's healthier than the average overindulgent getaway, here's a suggestion: the Hilton Health Retreat which they run four times a year at the Sydney Hilton. The next retreat is coming up soon, from June 12 to 14, so get packing for Oz fast and you'll come away feeling pretty good – or pretty exhausted.

The Hilton Health Retreat is a pretty full-on weekend, led by an expert nutritionist and a fitness pro. You have to undertake a fitness and nutrition assessment before you even get there, so those two experts can set about planning all the right activities for you.]]> amandak 2009-05-28T09:02:29-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/4/9/62027/12262

Down in Australia, the government's decided to prop up the economy by giving most tax-payers a A$900 bonus, and with the money starting to arrive in everyone's accounts, hotels are among those trying to tempt people to spend their bonuses. And in Sydney, the "stimulus package" deals are a-flying freely.

For non-Aussies, the names of the deals probably seem a bit odd. You have to know that the Prime Minister down there, who is (in a sense) the guy who's giving out the money, is named Kevin Rudd; and that in Aussie slang,"ruddy" is kinda like the Brits' "bloody." You following?]]> amandak 2009-04-09T10:01:36-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/3/11/1726/67671

If donuts are the new cupcakes, then cookies are the new turndown mint. It's no secret that we at HotelChatter love cookies. If you didn't, well then see our reaction when someone mentioned taking away our cookies.

Thanks to our sweet tooth, we were delightfully surprised to see that the hip Establishment Hotel in Sydney's Central Business District offers cookies at turndown.

And it might be really strange to hear us say this but it's almost as if Doubletree Hotels knew all along the power of the cookie long before the rest of the hospitality world caught on. Imagine that: Doubletree, the hotel cookie pioneer.]]> juliana 2009-03-11T17:07:00-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/3/5/11131/19288 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/3/sydney_hotel_morning_view.jpg" class="top"> <p><i>More <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/guess%20the%20hotel"><b>Guess the Hotel</b></a> fun!</i><p> Ok this one is easy, especially for any of you <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/city/sydney"><b>Sydneysiders</b></a> out there. Most hotel mavens know the drill but in case you're new, here's how it works. We put up a snapshot of a hotel somewhere in the world, drop a few hints, and you put in your guesses in comments below. And away we go. <p> · This shot is the view from our current room here in Sydney and it was taken shortly after sunrise. <br><br> · The hotel is on the water, but possibly closer to the Cross than the Quay. <p>&#183; The hotel used to have a popular name but now it has a colorful markj 2009-03-05T13:56:15-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/