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Tags: Deal Or No Deal / Best Western Hotels / Hotel Deals / Rome Hotels / Italy Hotels / Europe Hotels / → All Tags
Best Western's European Deal is Good But Not Great
Winter citybreaks in Europe are our absolute favourite type of shopping-and-culture trips. Hotels are cheap, flights are half empty, the monuments are queue-free and the shops are full of Christmas cheer. Plus, eating loads is obligatory to stave off the demon cold.
So Best Western’s Two Day Promotion really tickled our fancy. The deal is this: 400 BW hotels in Europe and Egypt are offering rates starting at a peasly (for Europe) €49 (£43/$72) up to €79 (£70/$118) over December, January and February (most have backout days around Christmas and New Year, but other than that you have pretty much a free run at it – check the website for individual hotel details). To secure the rates, you need to book on 20 or 21 November on this link.
But then we checked out just how good a deal it was by scoping out the cost of a few days in Rome this December. And we were sorely disappointed.
Tags: Hotel Lust / Italy Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Royal Hotels / → All Tags
This Week In Hotel Lust: Villa D'Este, Lake Como
Views of the lake and villa
If comments made in recent months by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are to be believed, then "the recession is very likely over." Most of us continue to scoff in disbelief, and inversely, there are others that may have missed the memo that the economy was in upheaval at all. We're talking about the well-monied types that have continued to swipe their Black AmEx cards with reckless abandon—on Michelin-rated dinners, sports cars, and certainly pricey vacations and hotel suites.
Even for those of us sans trust funds or Swiss bank accounts, reading about what's luxe in the hotel world proves to be endlessly entertaining. It could inspire fantasies about staying in the $15,000 Imperial Suite at Paris' Park-Hyatt Vendome, or lead to a few "you must be kidding me" laughs.
So, we're going to seek out exclusive resorts and amenities the world over and highlight what the luxury hotel world has to offer. Yes, we'll be confessing our Hotel Lust to you all, starting with the Villa D'Este in Italy.
Tags: Hotel Rooftops / Hotel Restaurants / Florence Hotels / Italy Hotels / → All Tags
The Westin Excelsior in Florence Unveils New Rooftop Terrace With Killer Views
The Westin Excelsior, Florence used to attract a who's-who of the film industry to its Roof Garden, the top-floor terrace, with such VIPs like Franco Zeffirelli, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Orson Welles, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. But it's been a while since some of those folks have stopped by. (Yes, we know a few of them are no longer alive.)
But the hotel is now looking to reclaim its glamorous glory by reopening the rooftop terrace with the (awkward) new moniker SE.STO on Arno in late September.
After a $4 million renovation, the rooftop is reopening as a bar, restaurant and lounge. A curved, upholstered wall marks the entrance to the bar and the restaurant, and a glass-enclosed wine cellar separates the two areas. Outside there are two large terraces; the one adjacent to the restaurant is bordered by a shallow infinity pool that gives the illusion that the water is emptying into the Arno River. The rooftop is supposedly the only in Florence with 360-degree views of the city.
Indeed, the killer view is the major selling point, as the oversized windows overlook the city, the Arno and the surrounding hills.
Tags: Hotel Deals / Hotel Packages / Venice Hotels / Italy Hotels / → All Tags
Fairy-Tale Destination, Fairy-Tale Deal for Italian Getaway
It's no one-cent weekend, but this travel package, which includes stays in both Tuscany and Venice, is one of the most reasonable, all-inclusive deals we've seen in a while. We concede that the base price of $799 (airfare included) is slightly unbelievable—and, if you get into the nitty-gritty fine print, it truly is, depending on where you're flying from and when you travel. Yet it's still a solid deal, and there are ways to stay within a bargain basement range if you're willing to be a little flexible (and isn't that the caveat of similar deals, anyway?).
Tags: Hotel Concerts / Italy Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Celebrity Scoop / → All Tags
Craig David and Donna Summer Bring 'Hot Stuff' To Cala di Volpe
Be still, our beating hearts. You know how Craig David’s been off the scene for what seems like eons? Well he’s coming back in style — by hitting Sardinia to sing his little heart out this summer.
Not just him, either; the posh Hotel Cala di Volpe on the Costa Smeralda is also throwing a concert with Donna Summer on July 25 (Craig’s is on August 13, by the way).
It sounds like a pretty fly setting: around the biggest outdoor seawater pool in Europe, overlooking the sea itself. Starwood, who own the hotel, is calling the summer series “a soundtrack exuding dynamic energy and cool”. Sounds like hot stuff ; we’re telling ourselves we were born to do it (sorry).
Rates here start around 315 EUR (440ish USD) — but they can get pricey; we've seen the same standard room up around 1,110 EUR.
[Photo: Haute Living]
Tags: Fashion Hotels / Venice Hotels / Italy Hotels / Hotel Video Tours / Westin Hotels / → All Tags
Chanel Commandeers the Westins of Venice for a Fashion Show
Yesterday in Venice, on the sands of the beach at the Lido Westin Excelsior Hotel to be more exact, Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld debuted his Cruise collection for the French fashion house.
For something so elaborate as a location-specific runway show, Chanel flies in the most important magazine editors, stylist and international press, and puts them up in the best hotel rooms in the city as part of the whole spectacle. Although they took over the Excelsior's beach for the actual show, we learned from Grazia's blog that the guests were instead bedding down back on San Marco, in the Westin Europa & Regina.
Tags: Parma Hotels / Italy Hotels / Europe Hotels / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
More Italian Bang For Your Buck in Parma
The dismal state of the dollar required drastic budget cuts on a recent trip to Italy, so despite the adage “All roads lead to Rome” (been there, done it, love it), we took a detour, and instead, headed to Parma.
Parma may lack the glitz (and crowds) of the Italian capital, but it still oozes with all the charm that makes Italy one of the world’s most romantic destinations – cathedrals, art galleries, castles, culture, shopping, and killer wine and cuisine.
Since Parma is a fairly affordable destination, it opens up more opportunities for accommodations, than let’s say Rome, Florence or Venice.
Big decision: stay at a swanky five star for five nights or stretch the not-so-almighty buck for a solid one-week stay? The thought of an extended vaca won out, and online, rooms hovered right around a budget-friendly $100 per night rate at Hotel Maria Luigia (booked plenty in advance). The hotel touted four star status, and sì, it delivered.
Tags: Hotel Amenities / Hotel Deals / Italy Hotels / → All Tags
Score One (Yes, Only One) Free Amenity at Palazzo Sasso
On the Amalfi Coast in Italy, the small five-star Palazzo Sasso in Ravello has got a tricky deal on right now. If you book three or more nights, in King Sea View room (or better), you get to pick a "bonus amenity" for free.
The tricky bit is trying to get the best deal. There are ten different amenities to choose from, ranging from fresh fruit and flowers on arrival (sounds like not a great deal to us) to one free spa treatment. Or you could choose free parking during your stay, mini bar usage for free (we presume there are some limitations), as many in room movies as you can watch or a 20% discount on any lunch you eat there.
So, if you're likely to eat enormous lunches, that last bonus might be the best, or if you anticipate bad weather and three days of watching movies, pick that. One amenity we're not going to be happy about picking: free internet access for the entire stay. Because that should really be free already.
Room rates range from €198 ($260) a night right up to €2,200 ($2,900), but always include a buffet breakfast. Palazzo Sasso has won a heap of awards (including for its food) and it's in a gorgeous location. The choose-your-free-amenity deal goes from June through to October 15.
Tags: Killer View / Italy Hotels / → All Tags
Fontanella's View Seems to Shine Like We've Had Too Much Wine
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.
If we were going to do our own live-version of Eat, Pray, Love where we traveled to Italy for a good long time, we would be going here. And we would be waking up to this. And we would be eating lots of Italian food and devouring views like this and we would be whole again — so whole that we could write a whole book about it. Probably.
This is the scene out the window of a hotel room at L'Hotel Fontanella, located in Molveno, Italy. This is Lake Molveno and the Dolomite mountains in the very early morning, snapped by GothPhil.
The website has very little English on it, but from what we gather, the hotel has 27 rooms with great views and rates start at 46 Euro. If your translation skills are good, hit up the site yourself for more info.
[Photo: GothPhil]
Tags: Hotel Openings / Rocce Forte Hotels / Italy Hotels / → All Tags
Verdura Resort Brings a Bit of Swank to Sicily
Ready to open late next month, the Verdura Resort in Sicily will be the first full-blown resort to belong to the Rocce Forte collection, although it's the lucky (?) thirteenth property to be part of the group.
Verdura's got 200 rooms all with ocean views, along with two of its very own golf courses, and the owners are hoping that the launch of this resort will set Sicily up as "the next" luxury destination. Or perhaps it'll just become a hotel that wealthy retired Mafioso dudes head to?
Whoever the guests may be, they'll be enjoying a lot more than the views: along with the golf courses, there's also a thalassotherapy spa, yoga center and six four restaurants to choose from. Access to the Verdura Resort will be best via Palermo Airport, a one-hour drive away. Rooms during their opening month are going for rates starting at €500 ($650) for the most basic room, and it looks like they still have availability for their planned opening night of May 29.
Tags: Hotel Packages / Italy Hotels / Starwood Hotels / → All Tags
Vacation and Vino at the Porto Cervo Wine Festival
Don’t know where Costa Smeralda is? Neither did we...till we looked it up on Google Maps. Turns out this erstwhile jetsetter haven turned-sun-bleached has been is in Sardinia, that unspoiled jewel of Mediterranean leisure. But this continental cougar is about to get her claws back.
The Porto Cervo Wine Festival in Costa Smeralda is taking place Friday-Sunday, April 24-26, this year, and is being presented by the family of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Costa Smeralda. The five-star Sheraton Cervo Hotel will be serving as the main venue, and is offering a deal starting at 1197 euros for a double room.
Tags: Hilton Hotels / Palermo Hotels / Hotel Openings / Italy Hotels / → All Tags
The Excelsior Palace Hotel in Palermo Re-Opening as a Hilton
The Excelsior Palace Hotel in Palermo--the one in Italy, not Argentina--is reopening under the Hilton umbrella. The 230-plus-year-old building was built as part of the Palermo International Expo in the late 1890s and has undergone many permutations over the years.
One thing has always remained, though, and that's the hotel's ornate. Remodelers have taken great pains to maintain the 19th century feel of the place, though it still comes with modern amenities (like WiFi). Hilton says the hotel should be opening anytime the fall, though is still refusing reservations.
Excelsior is located in Palermo's Liberty district, near the neighborhood's various shopping areas, as well as English Garden, Villa Garibaldi, and Villa Trabia.
As per the Hilton's website, the hotel will begin taking reservations later this fall.
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