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Hotel Renovations / Hotel Closings / Auberge Resorts / Aspen Hotels / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags

Hotel Jerome in Aspen is Closing for Renovations, Will Still Be 'Totally Jerome'

Where: 330 E Main St [map], Aspen, CO, United States, 81611

The way the rooms used to look at Hotel Jerome.

Come next ski season, the luxe Hotel Jerome on Aspen's Main Street will be sporting a totally new look thanks to an extensive remodel which should begin at the end of this summer.

The Aspen Daily News reports:

All 94 rooms will be refurbished with new carpet, wallpaper and amenities, along with overhauls of the lobby, dining room and ballroom. New offices and a new spa with three treatment rooms will be added to the basement.

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Hotel Sommeliers / Hotel Wine / Napa Valley Hotels / Auberge Resorts / Girl Scout Cookies / Hotel Fun / → All Tags

Auberge Du Soleil Has a Great Idea for All Those Girl Scout Cookies You Had to Buy...

It's the most annoying wonderful time of the year when irresistible little Girl Scouts set up shop everywhere you go selling their delicious Girl Scout cookies. (We confess, we gave into a box of Samoas outside a Bed & Bath last week).)

But now thanks to Kris Margerum, the wine director at Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley, you can make chowing down those cookies a little more "adult"-like thanks to his inventive wine pairings. Yes, Girl Scout cookies and wine. Delightful!

Combing the hotel's extensive 17,000-bottle wine cellar, Margerum came up with the following pairings for these Girl Scout cookies:

· Trefoils-Old Fashioned Shortbread: Margerum recommends pairing the cookies with the 2007 Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine. Tasting Note: "The creamy richness of the shortbread is balanced by the fresh lively notes of the Sparkling Wine."

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Auberge Resorts / Auberge Adventures / Hotel Fun / Luxury Hotels / Hotel Activities / → All Tags

Auberge Resorts Now Offering Awesome Adventures Like Alligator Tracking

Gator tracks!

If you've been finding your recent hotel stays rather boring--check-in, order room service, sleep, repeat--then perhaps you need to stay at an Auberge Resort on your next vacation.

The luxury resort chain has just begun offering Auberge Adventures at several of their properties. These adventures are inspired by individual resort's local culture, natural environment and culinary traditions. And they are a thousand times better than a jogging map.

Take for instance, the adventure on offer at the Inn at Palmetto Bluff in the lowcountry of South Carolina---Alligator Tracking. For two hours, guests can tag along with researcher Kimberly Andrews as she uses radio telemetry to locate American Alligators. The adventure is actually part of on-going research at Palmetto Bluff, studying the uses of local habitat types and the influences of a changing landscape on alligator movement patterns.

Don't worry, the group will keep a safe distance from the alligators but it is recommended that you bring closed-toed walking shoes.

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Hotel Renovations / Hotel Fun / Hotel Events / Sedona Hotels / Auberge Resorts / → All Tags

Do You Look At This Renovation and Think: Opera?

Where: 301 Little Lane [map], Sedona, AZ, United States, 86336

Two years ago, we told you that the $25 million that L'Auberge de Sedona spent on its major renos was a symbolic expense, on account of the resort's 25th anniversary.

But the hotel doesn't stop there with extravagant ways of marking special occasions. Now that the refurb is complete--and to celebrate L'Auberge Sedona being named one of the Top 100 Hotels in the U.S. by our friends at Conde Nast Traveler--the hotel is putting on an opera.

Say what?

Yep, the hotel has teamed up with the Arizona Opera to host 'L’Opéra at L’Auberge' on November 17. The night will include a cocktail reception, fancy dinner and a performance by lead principals of Arizona Opera's production of Charles Gounod's Faust.

We think this new-look Spa Cottage pictured above is extremely pretty, but staging an opera to celebrate it? That's new to us. Although this does mean that you're close to a warm and cozy bed if you happen to nod off during the opera. (Hey, it happens to the best of us...)

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Hotel Yoga / Yoga Hotels / Hotel Fitness / South Carolina Hotels / Auberge Resorts / → All Tags

Do Your Downward Dog Down By The River at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff

Where: 476 Mount Pelia Road [map], Bluffton, SC, United States, 29910

If you can't head to India for a yoga retreat this summer, an alternative could be waiting for you in South Carolina. The Inn at Palmetto Bluff may be more known for its golf course, but it's offering a Lotus on the River wellness weekend that will get yogis all twisted—in a good way—outdoors. The hotel claims that South Carolina's naturally warm air and moisture will detoxify you as you strike a pose alongside the May River.

The three-day yoga getaway will include plenty of time for you to practice your flying crow pose. But the weekend will also include meditation, lectures from guest speakers and a full-moon kayak expedition.

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Hotel Video Tours / Photo Gallery / Napa Valley Hotels / Auberge Resorts / → All Tags

Saying Goodbye To Summer At Solage Calistoga in Napa

Where: 755 Silverado Trail [map], Calistoga, CA, United States, 94515

As summer came to an end last week, we headed up for one last wine country weekend in Napa, and stayed at Solage Calistoga. The newest of Napa’s Auberge Resorts, Solage is aimed at a hipper, younger and more eco-conscious crowd than its sibs, Calistoga Ranch, and Auberge du Soleil.

To see what the average $495 room rate gets you, check the video of our room.

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Hotel Magazines / Auberge Resorts / Luxury Hotels / Hotel Lust / Hotel Amenities / → All Tags

Overcome with Hotel Lust After Reading Auberge's L'Art de Vivre

This week we're taking a look at a dying hotel amenity--The Hotel Magazine. Sure, most hotels stock their guestrooms with the trendy magazines of the day or at least place some localized publication on the desks but there are actually a few hotels out there that still publish their own magazine. We've got our hands on a few copies of these rare breeds and we'll be documenting our finds for you here. Know of a hotel magazine we should see before it goes out of print? Send it to us!

The Auberge Resort Collection is not very big--just six resorts and two affiliated properties--but the size of a hotel collection really doesn't matter when it includes such stunning resorts like Esperanza in Cabo San Lucas and Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley. Nor does a hotel collection have to be wide-reaching to justify having its own magazine.

Auberge's L'Art de Vivre is published bi-annually and placed in the guestrooms of their six resorts--Auberge du Soleil, Calistoga Ranch, Esperanza, Rancho Valencia, the Inn at Palmetto Bluff and Encantado.

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Cute Hotel Animals / Green Hotels / Napa Hotels / Auberge Resorts / → All Tags

Eco-Friendly and Cute: Babydoll Sheep Replace Lawnmowers at Calistoga Ranch

Where: 580 Lommel Road [map], Calistoga, CA, United States, 94515

Everyone all together now, "Awwww...." Yes, these babydoll sheep at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa are so adorable. But they actually serve a very important purpose at the resort. The sheep have replaced lawnmowers as a way to reduce the resort's carbon footprint.

No more lawnmower emissions, noisy machines, or a large carbon footprint--the Babydoll Sheep munch their way through the tall grasses behind the lodges and near the Valley View Trail. They'll be surrounded by a solar-charged electric fence that will protect them during their stay at Calistoga Ranch.

The sheep are less than two feet tall and are extremely docile in nature known to be extremely docile. And um, incredibly cute!

The resort has also replaced water bottles at turndown service with handmade glasses and pitchers made by a local artist and potter and last week on Arbor Day, guests were greeted at check-in with their own individually potted miniature olive tree.

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NYT Reviews / Auberge Resorts / Napa Valley Hotels / → All Tags

NYT Finds Too Many Kinks at Napa Valley's Solage Calistoga

Where: 755 Silverado Trail [map], Calistoga, CA, United States, 94515

Since Solage Calistoga set up shop in Napa Valley more than a year ago, the reviews have been a decidedly mixed bag. Take TA reviews, for starters, where some folks love the relaxing and hip vibe while others still complain of opening kinks that haven't quite worked themselves out yet. This past weekend, the New York Times joined the fray with an official review.

Run by the operators of Napa Valley grande dame Auberge du Soleil, Solage Calistoga is intended for a younger, more design-forward wine-swilling crowd. (NYT points to the Verve Remixed soundtrack in the pool area as proof.) The "New Urbanist's boutique hotel" has simple cottages linked by landscaped paths leading to the mammoth pool, restaurant, spa, and sunken bocce court.

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Eliot Spitzer / Ashley Dupre / Celebrity Scoop / Napa Valley Hotels / Auberge Resorts / Hotel News / → All Tags

Snapshot :: Eliot's Girl Likes Auberge Du Soleil Resort

Where: 180 Rutherford Hill Road [map], Rutherford, CA, United States, 94573

A day before she was spotted taking the bus from NJ to NYC, Eliot Spitzer's call girl Ashley Dupre was frolicking on the beaches of the Jersey Shore.

Normally, this is nothing out of the ordinary for a Jersey Girl. However, we couldn't help but notice the towel that she was sitting on as seen in this pic from the Daily News.

Auberge Du Soleil, a chic resort in Napa Valley also favored by E from Entourage. While the hotel does sell many amenities online including bathrobes, you have to go to the hotel in person to pick up one of those towels yourself.

Napa Valley Hotels / Hotel Pools / Auberge Resorts / → All Tags

A Happening Pool Scene in Napa Valley

Where: 755 Silverado Trail [map], Calistoga, CA, United States, 94515

Napa Valley has a lengthy list of 5 star properties tucked in the hills and throughout the downtown areas that cost major coin. Although most have high design, finely appointed rooms, no one boasts a big, sexy pool like Solage in Calistoga.

Solage, part of the Auberge Resorts collection of properties, located in Calistoga, the Northernmost town in the valley, was completed at the end of summer 2007. They cater to a younger, more aspirational crowd that isn't ready to shell out the big coin for Auberge du Soleil and the pool is a reflection of that.

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Eco-Hotels / Green Hotels / Napa Valley Hotels / Auberge Resorts / Pet-Friendly Hotels / → All Tags

The Newest Napa Getaway for Eco-Conscious Wine Lovers

Where: 755 Silverado Trail [map], Calistoga, CA, United States, 94515

If you saw the Oscar winning film Sideways you might remember the fun loving Miles asking his more soul-searching Jack, "Can't we just... go back...and hang out?" Well, Jack would have said "yes" if they were staying at the comfortably cool Solage Calistoga resort and spa, a new diamond in the Northern Cal-i-forn-i-a rough.

After checking your bags and the locations of the local wineries, you'll discover just how green your Napa Valley experience will be. The charm of the resort and spa is obvious from the get-go, with a choice of 89 cottage-like rooms in five different layouts, from studios to spacious suites.

After a day of wine-tasting you can come back to contemplate the universe on your semi-private patio under the stars. [Ed. Note: Or do what we would probably do--keep drinking.]

Before you're ready to hit the lights, enjoy the flat screen TV, high speed WiFi access, DVD/CD player or the IPod docking station. The next day, wake up and get yourself a private cabana by the pool and just chill. There's also a spa on-site which includes a mud-bar and bathhouse, a fitness center, the Solbar restaurant and Bocce courts. And the place takes pets too.

At the hotel's website the online rates range from $350 to $800 per night, and a number of all-inclusive packages with added luxe value for one or more nights also are available. Also, the hotel has a pair of bikes for you to tool around in. Eco-friendly and fun.

[Photo: Neeta Lind]