HotelChatter Questions: In which, the intrepid HotelChatter editors and our hotel maven readers answer hotel questions that pop into our inbox. Have a question for us? Send it along. Think you have a better answer than we gave, or better yet, want to give a vote of confidence to our answer? Comment away.
A curious HotelChatter reader is pondering a stay at the Tides Zihuatanejo for his honeymoon and was interested to know which suite would be the best to book: the Lagoon suite or the Beach suite? Here are his questions:
Looking to do a honeymoon at the tides in Zihuatanejo in August of this year and I have a couple of questions:
How does the beach suite compare the lagoon suite? Are there typically small children around? Also, is there some nightlife outside of hotel?
Our first stop in Uruguay during our recent field trip was Colonia, a Unesco World Heritage Site and tourist town par excellence. As it's just a short ferry ride from bustling Buenos Aires, it's a popular spot for stressed out Argentines to mellow out.
Playing a big role in that is the sleepy Posada Plaza Mayor, a smallish guesthouse in the heart of the old quarter. Most rooms surround a leafy courtyard and have that old-hotel-in-a-historic-place vibe. Our room was one of two upstairs that was super quiet and outfitted with slightly more modern furnishings.
If you live here in the Northeast, you woke up to freezing rain and general malaise inducing weather this morning. It is times like these where we thank our lucky stars for Google Earth, which has a habit of transporting us to a far away place like Petit St. Vincent Resort, a island resort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
This maritime, on the edge of kitsch, resort was conceived by Hazen K. Richardson. As we understand it, Hazen was living in New England and made a habit of escaping to the Caribbean every winter. He made a living sailing blue blooded rich dudes around the Windward Islands on his boat during the winter months. In the middle of one voyage, he pointed out an 111 acre island to a particularly wealthy client and made an off handed comment about what a great resort the deserted island would make. The monie-up New Englander almost challenged Hazen, suggesting he put the money up for Hazen to create and run such a resort. Mr. Richardson, not one to let golden opportunities slide by, jumped at the offer, and with the help of architect Arne Hasselquist, created a unique self-contained 22 cottage colony paradise.
The stone cottages are peppered throughout the island, some on hillsides, some tucked behind private beaches, and most with great views. Each cottage has plenty of space, an outdoor deck, and a hammock. Most importantly, every cottage comes equipped with its own flagpole. Raise the red flag and the golf cart traveling staff won't go anywhere near your cottage, raise the yellow flag and the staff will drive up and fulfill most any request. Kind of puts a luxury twist on the old sock on the door policy does it not?
The only way to reach PSV and the resort is by boat, where Mr. Richardson and his wife will personally greet you and hand you a drink when you arrive on the lone island dock. The owners also are likely to invite you up to their gorgeous island home for a drink at some point during your stay.
The resort is all inclusive and each meal can be enjoyed in a common area, up in your stone cottage, or delivered to you on the beach. While the food is not five star, and you aren't going to find any flat screen televisions in the cottages, this is the kind of place where if you fall for it, you will fall hard, wanting to return over and over again. Count us among that set.
The Palmer House in Chicago gives a discount to its return customers. But there's a catch -- you're only shot at nabbing the deal is if you visited back when the hotel housed WWII vets returning home to their sweeties. One-time guests who visited more than 50 years ago can stay for the price of their original visit as long as they can provide the original receipt.
Last week, 81-year-olds Larry and Mariam Orenstein stayed in the hotel's $1,600-a-night suite for $10 -- the price they paid when they honeymooned in the room in 1947. And actually, they didn't even have to pay the $10 as their grandson Ze graciously paid the bill.
The hotel, which first opened in the 1800s, started offering the deal in 1925. But customers have taken advantage of the offer fewer than 10 times over the last 25 years, said hotel spokesman Ken Price.
We're a little behind today so we have an old-school link droppage for ya.
· One instance where it pays to be married to someone for a really long time--a cheap hotel room! [AP] · A deadly business trip to the Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong for two men [AHN] · Jeffrey Katzenberg persona non grata at the Four Seasons in NYC [Page Six] · Armani Hotels launches official website, we'll review this tomorrow [AME Info] · Budget UK chain EasyHotels expanding across Portugal [Easier]
Once again, HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around. He's left Acapulco for Zihuatanejo, Mexico where's he scoping out the burgeoning hotel scene. If you have a question about where to stay in Acapulco or Zihuatanejo, hit us on the tipline, or just comment below, and we will do our best to get you some sort of answer. Enjoy.
The Tides may be the best place to stay on the beach in Zihuatanejo, but Casa que Canta continually tops readers' polls each year, nabbing the #1 spot for Mexico in both T&L and Conde Nast Traveler in '06. It's a favorite with honeymooners and those looking for a romantic escape that will impress their significant other.
The hotel made an appearance in the Meg Ryan/Andy Garcia movie When a Man Loves a Woman and recently got lots of play as the place hosting Samantha Brown on her Latin America Travel Channel show.
So what's all the fuss about? Dramatic architecture and killer views in every direction for a start, plus waves crashing against the rocks to lull you to sleep at night. Throw in an impressive infinity pool looking out at the bay and another one on the cliffside (pictured here). Then wrap it up with personalized service from a staff used to catering to the rich and picky. If you're celebrating a special occasion, they'll set up a candlelit dinner on one of the many small terraces dotted around the cliffs.
This is not a place for those with mobility issues--expect to be climbing a lot of stairs--but when you get back to your room it's a welcoming place to hang. Each is spacious and has a private furnished balcony or terrace mostly shielded from the view of others. The swanky marble baths have toiletries in clay pots. (As in no plastic to throw into a landfill.) Some suites have a hammock in addition to cushioned chaises and a dining set. The master suites are a bit larger and add a private pool.
None of this comes cheap of course: official rates start at $435 in the rainy season and bump up close to a grand for the largest suite. If you're not staying here, don't expect to be able to just pop by for a drink though. The hotel grounds are restricted to guests except for dinner.
Once again, HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is moving around. He's left Acapulco for Zihuatanejo, Mexico where's he scoping out the burgeoning hotel scene. If you have a question about where to stay in Acapulco or Zihuatanejo, hit us on the tipline, or just comment below, and we will do our best to get you some sort of answer. Enjoy.
We've covered the Kor Hotel Group quite a bit here, but "The Tides" coverage has mostly concerned the ongoing construction at Tides South Beach. In Mexico, it's a different story. They seamlessly took over the Ikal del Mar south of Cancun and the former Villa del Sol in Zihuatanejo.
On our visit, The Tides Zihuatanejo was full of California money looking for a place to be spent, but pretensions aside, it's hard to beat what they have to offer for several hundred miles in either direction on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.
There are only 70 rooms and suites, but they are sprawled out along Playa La Ropa: a long stretch of picture-perfect crescent beach with a view of the hills on each side. Three pools, a spa, a well-equipped gym, and tennis courts are on site, while on the beach you can indulge in parasailing or catamaran sailing.
Most choose to just kick back though, lounging on cushioned chaises with terrycloth neck pillows, sampling one of the dozens of tequilas in the bar, or eating some of the finest food in the region at one of the two restaurants with a view. Hey, where else do waiters ask you what flavoring you would like in your water--presenting ginger, cinnamon, rasberries, and lime?
Since taking over, the Kor group has put most of its effort into upgrading the already attractive rooms and bringing them up a notch. Most beds here are in the center of the room, draped with white gauzy fabric, with a vanity area behind the headboard. Even the standard rooms have a nice sitting area and a terrace or balcony, while marble baths with an array of toiletries leave plenty of space for two.
It's all visually impressive, with plenty of well-placed lighting, but also comfortable and functional. Rates officially start at $330 a night in the low season and if you have kids you'll have to step up to a suite--listed at $670. But if you're looking for luxe amenities and service, Tides Zihuatanejo is the magnet.
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel left Hungary and the Czech Republic and headed for warmer climates in Acapulco, Mexico. For the next few days, we'll be running his hotel reports. If you have a question about where to stay in Acapulco, hit us on the tipline, or just comment below, and we will do our best to get you some sort of answer. Enjoy.
If a killer ocean view is at the top of your priority list and you fantasize about having your own hillside pool with a view outside your bedroom, Las Brisas Acapulco is your place. Billed as a hotel "where children are seldom seen but often made," it has been a favorite of honeymooners and romantic couples for 50 years.
Since it was established so long ago, it sprawls up and down a prime hillside with a view of the bay and ocean. The 231 rooms are actually individual casitas accompanied by 210 swimming pools: obviously having your own pool here is not just a luxury for the presidential suite guests. Many of the 32 master and junior suites have large pool terraces private enough for the elimination of tan lines. (Be advised though that the southern Pacific Coast sun is not to be taken lightly.)
HotelChatter Questions: In which, the intrepid HotelChatter editors and our hotel maven readers answer hotel questions that pop into our inbox. Have a question for us? Send it along. Think you have a better answer than we gave, or better yet, want to give a vote of confidence to our answer? Comment away.
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by juliana
