Here's a bit of hotel trivia for you: The term "presidential suite" came from the European tradition of "royal suites," but, as we don't have royals (no, the Kennedy's don't count), we termed the best room in the house the Presidential Suite.
In other words, it has nothing to do with whether a president has stayed there or not. Yet, while most hotels use the term as misnomer, not proof of political pedigree, the Presidential Suite at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa can use the title quite literally. Every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover has stayed in the Suite while in office.
The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa has launched podcasts for its hotel guests (past, present and future) that detail the amenities and experiences awaiting them at the resort. Six podcasts have been created ranging from a "conversation" with the chef and winemaker of the Frog Leap Restauranta to a history lesson of the hotel to a look at the treatments offered in the spa.
"Through our podcasts, we can connect with the affluent, tech-savvy consumers of today who are looking to enjoy the finer things in life," said General Manager Sean Maddock. "Podcasts allow us to differentiate and personalize the resort, while informing guests of all the wonderful amenities and experiences awaiting them at the Arizona Biltmore."
Wow, what will hotels think of next? If you're interested you can download the podcasts through the hotel website or iTunes and listen to them on your iPod or computer. And we just remembered the Arizona Biltmore is managed by Hilton Hotels and is actually a member of their Waldorf-Astoria Collection. Could the Waldorf blog or podcast be far behind?
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quoted here were captured on April 3, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]
We started poking around looking at Memorial Day weekend deals and found a $169 rate at the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix (this week's Good Rate) on Orbitz. It looked like a few other hotels were dropping their own rates as a result for that weekend, but not the Embassy Suites. In one of those weird twists you see when one company takes longer to blink, it'll cost you more to stay at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix than it will to stay at the Ritz-Carlton a few blocks away.
Now we understand that you'll be able to go downstairs to get breakfast without paying extra at the Embassy Suites, as well as more room to stretch out on a couch, but we get those things at home too and don't get all that excited about them. If you're going to get away somewhere for the weekend, and pay the same price, go for the fine linens and toiletries in a place where everyone is trained to suck up to you instead of leaving you to your own devices.
Our guess is that this rate won't stick, so if you need some extra room in Phoenix over Memorial Day, check back in a week or two and see if the nightly price has dropped. As a bonus, you'll get valet parking for $8 a day, which is one-third what a spot will cost you at the Ritz.
[Ed. Note: Welcome to our Good Rate/Bad Rate feature where we look at hotel prices in the same city and decide which one most deserves your hard-earned benjamins. Rates quotes here were captured April 3, 2007 and are subject to change. Enjoy.]
With hotel occupancy rates at their highest level since 2000, it pays to plan a bit ahead on holiday weekends. Fortunately, that's when a lot of city business hotels are hurting for business, so you can snag a deal if you look around. Take this $169 Memorial Day weekend rate through Orbitz at the Ritz-Carlton Phoenix.
This isn't one of those Scottsdale golf resorts: The R-C is four miles north of downtown Phoenix in the Camelback corridor. Golf is only three blocks away though and it is across from the Biltmore Fashion Park upscale shopping complex. You get a view of either the city skyline or Squaw Peak mountain.
Alas, with Ritz-Carlton the rate quoted is only the beginning of their hand in your pocket. You'll pay $10 a day for Internet access and valet parking is $24 per night. Many of the reviews on TripAdvisor call the place disappointing by Ritz-Carlton standards, especially when it comes to the (lack of) grounds and the service. Hmmm, maybe that's why the reviews on Orbitz are dead links?
But hey, with a lot of the nearby hotels charging similar rates (see this week's Bad Rate) and this one often flirting with $400 mid-week, this is a good deal if you were planning to head to Phoenix.
