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Sleeping By The (Red) Sea in Bir Suwair's Bamboo Shacks
We learned several things from our visit to Egypt last week. First, five star there does not necessarily mean the five star that you would be accustomed to. We stayed in three five star properties in the Sinai peninsula – the Four Seasons and the Concorde in Sharm El Sheikh, and the Intercontinental in Taba Heights, and, unless you count all inclusive buffets and slightly tired decor as desirable five star attributes, only the Four Seasons was up to scratch.
Second, do not trust the buffets. They will make most likely you ill.
Third, you may tire of the resorts after a week of the buffets and the activities and the enforced gaiety and being surrounded by what seems like half the inhabitants of Britain and Russia, comparing sun burn and complaining that the guy at breakfast overfilled the coffee cup.
This is when you need to escape. And this is where you should escape to: Bir Suwair, in northern Sinai, between Nuweiba and Taba. It’s a settlement on a lovely sandy beach (this is important because not all the beaches in Sinai are lovely and sandy; most are rocky and have to import sand that’s a bit chunky and scratchy, although they have awesome coral reefs to make up for this). And by “settlement”, we mean a group of about 30 campsites made up of bamboo and wooden shacks. Robinson Crusoe eat your heart out.
Tags: Hotel Packages / Aruba Hotels / Marriott Hotels / Beach Hotels / → All Tags
Learn to Play Beach Tennis at Marriott Aruba (Jams Shorts Not Required)
Whether or not you’re a tennis fan, beach tennis — featuring tan, chiseled-chested men! — is the sort of spectator sport many of us can get behind. Throw in a trip to Aruba and, well, you’ve got the makings for a pretty fabulous vacation, if you ask us.
If you agree, consider the Aruba Marriott Resort’s Beach Tennis Tournament Package. Coinciding with Aruba’s 8th annual International Beach Tennis Event, to be held Nov. 13-15, the hotel is offering a four-night minimum stay that offers a $700 savings, which includes a free night’s stay and breakfast and other free goodies, like a one-hour beach tennis lesson from a beach tennis pro, use of the resort’s beach tennis court and paddles, and the chance to participate in the round robin tournament. The package also includes access to the opening night festivities, free drink and entertainment included, plus a beach tennis T-shirt and BBQ lunch.
Rates start at $339 a night (remember: the fourth night is free). To book the package, request promo code S3Q. Learn more about beach tennis at Arubabeachtennis.com.
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Tapas and Tagines Dinner at Shorebreak Hotel’s Zimzala
We started the day talking about lunch and now we'll wrap it up talking about dinner. Yeah, we're hungry over here!
Have a hankering for tapas in Huntington Beach? Next Thursday, September 17, Joie De Vivre’s Shorebreak Hotel is hosting a special dinner at its restaurant, the Spanish-Moroccan Zimzala. The dinner is a three-course multi-cultural nod to the cuisine of Mediterranean cookbook author and James Beard Award winner, Chef Joyce Goldstein, who consults with Zimzala’s Executive Chef, Vincent Muraco, and will feature a veritable cornucopia of Spanish and Moroccan specialties.
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Another Hotel Rate Gimmick: Your Room Rate is the Year You Were Born
Tower23 Hotel wants to give you a birthday present. To celebrate your big day, the San Diego hotel offers the three-night "It's My Party" package, in which you get one night discounted according to the year you were born.
The way it works is if you stay at the beachside hotel during your birthday month for two nights, the third night will cost the price of your birth year. For example, if you were born in 1980, you'll pay $80 on the third evening of your stay. So the older you are, the better the deal. The birthday girl or guy also will get a complimentary bottle of bubbly at check-in (so there's also a 21-and-older requirement). It's not a chocolate cake with candles, but we'll take it. The b-day package will be available through July 31.
Tags: Snapshot / Atlantic City Hotels / Beach Hotels / → All Tags
The Chelsea Atlantic City Puts The Focus Back On The Beach
This is what the beach in Atlantic City, NJ looks like, specifically just in front of The Chelsea Hotel. It's been open just barely a year, and as the city's only non-gaming nice hotel on the Boardwalk, we're surprised it's doing so well.
When we popped by last weekend, we noticed that the area of the beach covered with "The Chelsea" umbrellas and chaise loungers was definitely the most populous of all the hotel sand. Our theory? We think that the people who come to stay in The Chelsea in Atlantic City are the ones who are there to enjoy the natural beauty of Atlantic City (the beach, the walking down the boardwalk) rather than the lights and synthetic glamor of the casinos and expensive buffets at the other hotels.
And you know what? We're right there with The Chelsea guests; we can only handle so much Trump.
[Photo: HotelChatter]
Tags: Hotel Restaurants / Santa Monica Hotels / Etc Hotels / Beach Hotels / → All Tags
'Catch' The Ocean Views at Casa Del Mar and Maybe Even Pull in a Celeb Sighting
We often forget about Casa Del Mar, located on the beach in Santa Monica. That's probably because we're too busy focusing on the celebrity sightings at the valet at Shutters on the Beach or the tequila tasting that goes on at the party-centric Viceroy Hotel.
However last Saturday, we remembered just how much we loved the views from Casa Del Mar's lobby bar which has full-frontal views of the Pacific Ocean. And since we hadn't tried dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Catch, we thought that would be the best way to enjoy a low-key Saturday night with friends.
We picked a good day too as the waves in Southern California were hitting record heights, giving us a little more action with our ocean view. The restaurant, just to the left of the lobby bar, is actually quite small and most of the tables are situated near the windows, of course.
We were seated in a small booth which had comfy, neutral-colored cushions with cute little back pillows. We actually sank into the booth which we much prefer over of one of those hard wood booths or one with squeaky leather seating (ladies who wear short dresses you know what we mean.) However, we probably sank a little too low as we felt like a small child sitting at the grown-ups table. Want more rigid seating? Ask for a table directly next to the window.
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High Hotel Drama in Mexico Involving Stolen Sand
One time at a beach on a family vacation, we were building a sandcastle and our brother ran up and snagged a big bucket of that good, wet, sandcastle-building sand that we'd had to walk all the way down to the water to retrieve and we threw a hissy in response to the stolen sand.
So we can sort of relate to this story a little bit: environmental enforcement officers and Mexican navy personnel "closed off hundreds of feet of powder-white coastline in front of a hotel accused of illegally accumulating sand on its beach." Yes, a hotel stole some sand.
Tags: Killer View / Greece Hotels / Beach Hotels / Crete Hotels / → All Tags
Avoid a Lohan Meltdown By Soothing Yourself With This View
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
Have you ever wanted to have a young-celeb-lady freakout? Trash a room, tip off the paps to your crisis, storm the hotel suite of an ex-lover, hotbox yourself in a bathroom and take some scandalous photos that may or may not leak in Star magazine? Maybe engage in a little head-shaving and eyebrow-raising trysts with bodyguards and things?
No? Never wanted that? Okay, let's ask the question a different way: have you ever felt so stressed that you were absolutely certain you were going to have a meltdown of Lohan proportions pretty soon? Okay. Yes.
We ask because we want to help — and because we're pretty sure gazing out the windows of a hotel room at the Petra Mare Hotel in Crete may help soothe your troubled soul.
This shot comes to us from mfoord, and it's a view of the balcony of a room — and, according to the website, most of the 227 "spicy" (hehe) rooms have sea views like this. Nice.
[Photo: mfoord]
Tags: Hotel Deals / Beach Hotels / St. Barts Hotels / → All Tags
Early Birds Get a 15% Discount at Hotel Le Toiny in St. Barts
Speaking for ourselves, we’re more last minute people than plan-aheaders; but the early birds among you might like to check out St Barts, and the Hôtel Le Toiny’s imaginatively-named Early Bird offer for stays this winter.
It’s not that early either: you only need to book a stay of at least five nights by 31 October, and you’ll save just under 15%, and get a car, breakfast, transfers and laundry service thrown in as well. There will even be a “welcome amenity” waiting for you, whatever that is.
Prices start from €1130 normally €1250) for a junior suite, and run up to €2430 for a three bedroom suite (down from €2780). But you’ll need to pay up front, and it’s non-refundable.
It’s available for stays between January 5 to March 31 next year. So you won’t get a Crimbo break out of it, but you can probably postpone your New Year festivities, no?
Tags: Hotel Deals / Hotel Packages / Anguilla Hotels / Beach Hotels / → All Tags
Mix It Up With Extra Day Getaway at CuisinArt Resort & Spa
Seclusion seekers will feel at comfortably at ease on the intimate, yet wildly beautiful island of Anguilla. There’s not much to do here; couples are drawn by more than 30 sugar-sand beaches, ideal for swimming, sunbathing and sucking face. One of the best, Rendezvous Bay, backs up against Anguilla’s first AAA Four Diamond Award-winning property, CuisinArt Resort & Spa.
This summer, CuisinArt sweetens you romantic island getaway with its Smart Summer Stay deal. Book three nights, and the fourth night is free. Book five nights, and shack up for the entire week. We’ll pretty much subscribe to any excuse that extends our precious vacay time, especially when we can hole up at one of our fave foodie destinations. (We swoon for what Executive Chef Daniel Le Guenan does with a tasting menu, as well the onsite Hydroponic Farm and Organic Gardens and pick your own produce/create a three-course, Caribbean-inspired lunch.)
Tags: Costa Rica Hotels / Eco Hotels / Beach Hotels / Green Hotels / → All Tags
Green Costa Rica Hotels Celebrate Their Blue Flag Beach With Deals
Two resorts in Costa Rica have been taking good care of the beach they share — in fact, they've been so environmentally friendly that the Manzanillo Beach, where you'll find the Allegro Papagayo Resort and the Occidental Grand Papagayo Resort, has been awarded an Ecological Blue Flag for 2009.
Blue Flag beaches are not common, and it's a good way to recognize a beach whose caretakers are making sure it's clean, safe and will stay that way in the future. And these two Occidental resorts are celebrating their Blue Flag achievement with a couple of special deals for this summer.
At the Allegro Papagayo, they've reduced the nightly rates to start at $68, and they've also got a special for kids: under-12's can stay for free until December 18. Nearby at the Occidental Grand Papagayo, they've also reduced the nightly rates, so they now start from $122, and their extra special is giving you a fourth night free if you book three nights in Royal Club accommodations. And of course, if you're staying at either of these places you can be sure that the beach is going to be a high quality one — a pretty important factor for a summer vacation.
[Photo: acodring]
Tags: Vietnam Hotels / Hyatt Hotels / Beach Hotels / Hotel Construction / → All Tags
Hyatt Plonks A Resort In The Sand of Vietnam's Famous China Beach
You know what? We don't hear enough about the Vietnam hotel scene, and we know they totally have one because of all the heavily-touristed beaches along that beautiful coast of theirs.
Finally now we have an update on the Vietnam situation from Hyatt Hotels, and it's looking good; they've begun construction on the new Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa, with 174 luxury condominiums and 27 oceanfront pool villas. The tropical property, due to open in early 2010 (so soon!) on 50 acres of land along a half-mile of China Beach, which Forbes named one of the top ten most beautiful world beaches, will be designed in the layout of a Vietnamnese town.
This sprawling plan, from the architectural firm RMJM, will maximize each room's views of sights like Marble Mountain and, of course, the sparkling blue South China Sea.
If this sounds a little too much like your idea of paradise, the complex will also offer a few private residences for sale, starting from one-bedrooms around $180,000, all the way up to private villas for $1,400,000. Those are a little too close to New York prices for us, but hey—they've got one of the world's best beaches and we've got the East River, so perhaps it makes sense.
[Image: Hyatt Regency Danang Resort]
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