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Win Tickets to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (And a Night at The Affinia)

Where: 371 Seventh Avenue [map], New York, NY, United States, 10001

Another day, another Twitter hotel contest. But this is one that could score you major brownie points with the kids. Tomorrow, Affinia Hotels launches a Twitter promotion where the prize is exclusive access to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parde—and an overnight stay at the Affinia Manhattan on Thanksgiving night.

While a free night in a NYC hotel on a holiday is nothing to scoff at, the seating for the parade is the big deal here. Tickets are not available to the general public—seating is restricted to the folks of NBC, corporate sponsors, Macy’s execs, politicians, and charitable organizations. So win these babies and you’ll be hobnobbing it up, away from the riff-raff with their fold-up chairs.

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Tags: Late Night Hotels / Affinia Hotels / Hotel Deals / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags

Who You Gonna Call When You Need a Late Night Room? Affinia Manhattan

Where: 371 Seventh Avenue [map], New York, NY, United States, 10001

Have you ever landed at JFK at midnight coming in from the West Coast and needed a place in the city for the night before you make your way out to the burbs to visit the family? We have, several of times and we're always thinking in the back of our minds, "God this is an awful lot of money for a hotel room for less than 24 hours." No matter how much we snoop around Hotwire and Priceline, we still have to pay upwards of $200 a night for a decent hotel room in the city.

Fortunately, one hotel has recognized our dilemma--The Affinia Manhattan, located on 7th Avenue near Penn Station. The hotel has just announced their Midnight Rates special.

Patrons who book a room after 10:00 pm, will receive a $100 off the standard, available rate for the same-day, one night stay.

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Laid Back: Affinia Hotels Has Its Mind on Comfort and Comfort on Its Mind

We love to be comfortable in our living room at home, and why shouldn't we get just as comfy while we're away from home? The Affinia Hotels group seems to agree with us and they have declared the month of October Comforthon at their hotels in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

Comforthon means you and a friend can book the Comfort Package, including in-room breakfast, late checkout, a pair of cotton pajamas each (complete with the Affinia Hotels logo) and best of all, two single serves of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Nothing like some comfort food in some comfy clothes to make us feel relaxed, right?

During the Comforthon, each hotel will also provide various "comfort-enhancing activities", such as get-togethers for Sunday night football at the Affinia 50 in New York City, or family movie nights at the Affinia Manhattan.

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Keep Oprah's Season Kickoff Party Going At The Affinia Chicago

Where: 166 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60611

Oprah tickets are harder to score than this season's new Chanel handbag, but the daytime diva is shutting down Michigan Avenue to throw a huge, free block party on Sept. 8 to celebrate the start of her TV show's 24th season.

If you don't want to have to fight crazy book club members to get into the televised event, the Affinia Chicago offers you a strategy: stay at its nearby hotel to be close to the action and you'll get a room for $109 per night.

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Tags: Chicago Hotels / Pet-Friendly Hotels / Affinia Hotels / → All Tags

Affinia Chicago to Offset Fees for Jet-Setting Pets

Where: 166 E. Superior St. [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

As more and more airlines hike up their pet fees—to the point where getting your four-legged creature on board may cost more than a ticket for yourself—Affinia Chicago wants to throw traveling pet owners a bone. The hotel will waive its pet rate to help compensate for the high airline fees as part of its new Jet Set Pets program.

Just show your receipt for pet charges incurred during your travel to Chicago, and the hotel won't charge you its usual $25 Jet Set Pets fee. The offer is good through Dec. 31. But the pet-friendly Affinia goes beyond to help Fido feel at home in the Windy City. Of course, as part of the package he'll get the standard pet perks, like a plush doggie bed, food and water bowls, and walking and sitting services. But the concierges will also arrange for pet taxis and even a pet psychic (paw readings, anyone?).

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Affinia Shelburne Arrives in Murray Hill for $189 a Night

Where: 303 Lexington Avenue [map], New York, NY, United States, 10016

Yeah, yeah, we know, NYC snobs: Murray Hill is a neighborhood at which some folks turn up their noses. The post-college bars and the post-college living (and when we say "post-college," we of course mean "immediately post-college") — but hey, it's close to stuff. Mostly, it's close to Grand Central. So no need to be snobby about the 'hood when you're just staying in NYC for a night or two.

And that's why you should seriously take a look at the just-opened Affinia Shelburne, which was born earlier this month as the new identity of the former Shelburne Murray Hill after a $25 million renovation.

The 268-room property features all the Affinia goodies you're used to: the My Affinia amenities program, a pillow menu, the signature Affinia bed — and right now, you can get your Affinia on with the Shelburne Grand Opening Package, which includes an upgrade to a suite, two signature “New Yorker” burgers from the hotel’s restaurant, two martinis at the hotel's rooftop bar (it's called "Rare View," FYI), a "Neighborhood Access Pass" with cool discounts for the 'hood, and a gift from designer K-Studio. The packaged is offered from June 1 to September 30 and start at just $189; use booking code LIVE.

Tags: Reader Reviews / Chicago Hotels / Affinia Hotels / → All Tags

What You Get for $120 at Affinia Chicago

Where: 166 E Superior St [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

Every so often we feature a hotel review from one of our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? Send it in.

New York-based boutique hotel chain Affinia recently expanded its presence and soft-opened its first hotel outside the Big Apple, Affinia Chicago (at the site of the former Fitzpatrick hotel), back in January '08. Reader M. paid $120 for a room Tuesday night — here's his take.

Very nice guestrooms; nothing really dramatic, but very spacious sleeping area. One quirk: The standard rooms are "split level," meaning you enter the room and there is a small vestibule with a bathroom and a tiny (very cramped) desk which overlooks the bedroom. Then you step down 3 steps into the sleeping area.

Very nice bed and lots of reading lamps; no wall decorations, however. There is also a full-size recliner in the room (good for watching the wall-mounted TV), but no place for 2 people to sit or hold a brief meeting.

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Flip BBQ With the Big Guys in May at Affinia Chicago

Where: 166 E. Superior Street [map], Chicago, IL, United States, 60611

You know the weather is getting warmer in the Midwest when Chicago starts dusting off the barbecue tongs. To herald the imminent arrival of summer and all the gently charred kielbasa that comes along with, the Affinia Hotel is pairing up with The James to host a rigorous BBQ Bootcamp.

Lay down several hundred dollars for a two-night stay package at either property, or purchase individual event tickets for $75, and learn the ropes of gourmet BBQ-ing. Sadly you won't be instructed by the dude pictured above. Instead, star chef David Burke of The James' David Burke Primehouse Restaurant and Marcus Samuelsson of Affinia's C-House will share meat and seafood grilling tips and techniques, host a tasting, and raise a glass at a cocktail reception. Here's what you'll be getting yourself into:

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Get a $50 Reward For Picking Out Your Fave Amenities From Affinia

Let us pose a question to you on this lovely recessionary January Monday: if you were given a task and you were offered a $50.00 reward for performing this task, you might consider going for it — well, depending on the nature of the task, right? Right. Now, let's say the task you were given was nothing more than simply selecting your faves from list of free (and free-ish) amenities to enjoy during your next hotel stay. You'd do it, right? And you'd probably do it even if you weren't offered the reward? Possibly.

Thus, it puzzles us a little bit as to why Affinia Hotels feels the need to bribe us to fill out our My Affinia customized profile by promising us a $50.00 activity credit for our next Affinia hotel stay (it can be applied to roomservice, meals, etc.), but we'll take it.

All you have to do is log onto Affinia.com and complete your My Affinia profile, which involves nothing more than clicking and dragging amenities that you like into a little box. Some of the goodies offered: a yoga mat, an Ibanez guitar, laptop and cellphone chargers, cupcakes, rubber duckies, and all sorts of pillow options — make sure you check on the charges for each one, though, as not all are complimentary. The amenities you pick out will be used to enhance your next stay, and you'll get a $50.00 activity credit that's valid until March 29th, 2009.

Tags: Valentine's Day Hotels / Affinia Hotels / → All Tags

Affinia Hotels Want You To Play Out Your "Friskiest Fantasies"

Where: United States

This Valentine’s Day, Affinia’s getting freaky. But in a fun way! At locations in New York, Chicago, and D.C., the boutique hotel chain known for “customized comforts” (rubber duckies, cupcakes) has some sexy amenities that would surely make Charlie Brown blush if he were ever to finally shack up with that elusive little redhead.

Their new “Naughty and Nice” romance package — designed of course for a V-Day escape but available through 2009 — includes a split of Champagne (classy), rose-petal turn-down service (cheesy), a romantic in-room movie (meh), a box of Jacques Torres hand-made chocolates (yes, please), and last but certainly not least, an Agent Provocateur Strip Poker set (oh, lordy). Oh yeah, and late checkout, which is always nice but even more welcome after a particularly, uh, active evening.

Plus, guests have advance access to an e-concierge who can arrange romantic extras, from in-room spa treatments to sight-seeing excursions “and more.” (Is it just us, or does that “and more” seems loaded with all sorts of unspoken intentions?)

But where it really gets freaky is a line from the press release, which says Affinia Hotels “invites guests to play out their friskiest fantasies.” So maybe keep that in mind if you’re planning to stay at an Affinia for a non-XXX getaway. Things could get a little uncomfortable, is all we’re saying.

Prices start at $189 in Washington, D.C., $209 in Chicago, and $289 in New York.

Tags: Affinia Hotels / Hotel Deals / → All Tags

Affinia Shows Its Affinity for Making Us Happy

Where: United States

First rubber duckies, now 35-45 percent reduced room rates? Oh, Affinia Hotels, you're pushing all our right buttons. Yes indeed, the boutique hotel chain has unveiled a nine-day sale that runs January 5-13, offering discounts for stays through March 31 at its NYC, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., hotels.

That means $149 rooms in New York, $109 rooms in D.C., and just $99 rooms in Chicago. This promo makes a lot of sense to us. In early January, we're all broke but desperate for a post-holiday escape. (Though if we're being perfectly honest, somewhere warm and sunny almost always beats out a city covered in piles of snow.)

Book the rate through Affinia.com.

Tags: Hotel Amenities / Affinia Hotels / → All Tags

Affinia Gets Us Excited About Contact Lens Solution

We are total suckers for a rubber ducky in the bathtub and when we got the tip that Affinia Hotels are supplying them, well, we just had to know more.

Turns out that Affinia have put together a whole range of Customized Comforts to fill some of your travelin' needs, rubber duckies being one of them (although they come at a cost of $5).

There's even cooler stuff than bath toys, too. They'll lend you an Ibanez acoustic guitar for $9.95 a day, give you nail polish remover for free and for some additional charge bring you gourmet cup cakes. And as contact lens wearers we're especially impressed that when carry-on restrictions started, Affinia began offering a 3oz bottle of contact lens solution for free.

On their website you can drag and drop the stuff you want, submit it and they'll remember to give you this stuff every time you stay at an Affinia. We probably won't need a rubber ducky each stay but as far as gimmicks go, it's a fun one.