· CitizenM Opens in Amsterdam: Tonight is the first night for guests at the CitizenM Hotel near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. We have a spy scoping the place so stay tuned for a full review.
· The Artisan Hotel: This hotel in downtown El Paso is finally set to open on August 1 even though the owner has already put it back on the market.
· Palm Springs To Get a Hyatt Place: The developers of an upcoming Hard Rock Palm Springs is going to put in a Hyatt Place and a Marriott Residence Inn.
· 1 Hotel Set for Vancouver Island: Sternlicht and Co. are going ahead with plans for a 1 Hotel & Residences Vancouver Island at Wyndansea. The place will have 180 condo-units and 95 beach and golf villas.
Entitled "It's Fun to Vacation at Clothing-Optional and Nudist Resorts," the blog is written by owners Tom and Mary Clare and covers all sorts of topics ranging from current issues that affect the nudist community to last-minute cancellations and availability at the Inn.
Since the Inn prides itself on being a friendly, welcoming and supportive place for first-time clothing-optional vacationers, the blog features a ton of content focused on giving first-timers the kind of comfort and encouragement they may need to debut their goodies with confidence.
On our weekend trip to Palm Springs we noticed construction going up on the Ace Hotel Palm Springs on Palm Canyon Drive. And today we found this job listing for a Director of Sales and Marketing for the hotel which spilled some detes on what to expect here.
The hotel will have 180 rooms and that distinct Ace personality.
While keeping the bohemian-modern sensibility of Ace hotels in Seattle and Portland, this desert property will be more laid back and natural, with a folk-modern energy. Rooms will be available for the budget traveler as well as those looking for a more deluxe experience.
We had also heard the Denny's restaurant that was on the lot when it was an old Howard Johnson, will be connected to the hotel. And since it's official name is the Ace Hotel and Swim Club, the pool scene will be important. The hotel is scheduled to open in January 2009.
And good news for bikers. The "Ride Long, Stay Strong" section on the website links to some rambling man talking about motorcycles. We say hog enthusiasts will probably be very welcome.
We're big fans of any hotel review that starts with this:
The Colony Palms Hotel was built in 1936 by the Detroit mobster Al Wertheimer as a front for a brothel and gambling house.
Sadly crime-fueled antics are no longer the norm, after a $16 million renovation completed about 10 months ago. But there are still enough edgy touches to impress your gangsta' id.
In-room, photos of "nearly naked models frolicking on the hotel beds" adorn the walls, and along with a stocked minibar, you'll also find a martini shaker. Coffee is delivered to your room in the morning, eliminating the need to face the world after a long night. And with rates at a relatively cheap $209 a night, you won't need to be a cash-stacked mobster to afford a stay.
La Quinta Resort & Club is one of our favorite desert getaways in Palm Springs. Actually, it's the only desert getaway we've ever taken but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay when we went.
Now the hotel is part of the Waldorf-Astoria Collection from Hilton Hotels and is offering a Discovery package (other hotels in the collection are also offering Discovery packages which are unique to the hotels' location.)
At La Quinta, the package includes a four-night stay for two in a Starlight Casita with a king bed. These rooms all have fireplaces and private patios with mountain views. Recently the resort put all new carpeting and 37" HD flat-screen TVs in all the rooms.
But you better like golf as the package includes two one-hour golf lessons and daily unlimited golf at one of the five championship golf courses.
There will be also spa treatments, a $100 gift certificate to any of the boutique shops on the premises, dinner for two at the Adobe Grill, and daily breakfast for two. Topping it off is an evening Jeep Tour to the San Andreas Fault and two tickets to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway which is a large cable car gondola that takes guests from the desert floor to the top of Mt. San Jacinto.
The package is priced at $3,200. To book, call 1-800-WALDORF or go online. Use the code P8 when making reservations.
We told you earlier this week about the midnight massages at Jumby Bay that give couples a chance to unwind together. Now, it seems like luxury treatment at hotel spas is one of fall's big trends.
The newest (and tastiest) addition? The pumpkin wrap at Estrella Spa at Viceroy Palm Springs. The full-service destination has been offering massages, facials and aromatherapy since it first opened its doors. But the recently added pumpkin wrap seems like the perfect way to celebrate fall.
The 90-minute treatment starts with a cinnamon and sugar exfoliation, which prepares the skin for a moisture-rich slathering of pure pumpkin and a slathering of vanilla coconut oil.
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which is better worth your hard-earned benjamins. The screenshot here was taken on April 17, 2007 and rates are subject to change.]
We've heard lots of good things about the Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Palm Springs, Calif. which boast a Barneys Co-op, Dior, Juicy Couture, Gucci and other high-end designer outlet stores.
So we're hoping we'll have a sweet tax refund to spend on some new clothes. However, we want to save as much money as we can for actual shopping, not a hotel room, thus our hotel has to be relatively cheap but also clean. This is the desert afterall, wouldnt want to stay in a place with snakes, dirt or worse, bed bugs.
If you plan on making a weekend of it, whether it be Friday to Sunday or Saturday through Monday, we highly recommend the Ballatines Original Hotel. For starters, they offer a shopper's package of $109 a night that includes some outlet coupons (The Desert Hills Premium Outlets web site recommends Ballatines.) Second, the place is kitsch to the max and a perfect getaway from the standard business hotels we have been staying in as of late.
The downside is that they do request a two-night minimum on the weekends and the weekends book up fast as the place only has about 12 rooms. Another alternative is the Marquis Villas, where rooms start at $139 a night on the weekend, but again require a two-night minimum. Yet, there's more rooms at this place so your chances of actually getting one for the weekend you want are higher.
The Horizon Hotel in Palm Springs was recently used for three days as a set for a VH1 reality show called "The Bosley Show."
Apparently it's a dating game show that is similar to the "Flavor of Love" show with rapper Flava Flav.
[T]he show revolves around one woman's quest for her Prince Charming. The hotel's grounds and exterior are being used for a portion of the show, which may include a "romantic, private dinner somewhere on the premises," according to the release.
We are guessing that the Bosley mentioned is Tom Bosley, best known as the dad on "Happy Days" but the man is like 80-years-old so a dating show around him seems kind of odd. Then again, this is Palm Springs--old people love it there.
In case you're curious, it cost the production company $270 in permits for three days of filming at the hotel which was designed in 1952 by William F. Cody.
Let's just hope no contestants did #2 anywhere on the premises. That's why man created Depends!
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by juliana
