HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – NOVEMBER, 2014

Skiing just got more exciting at Squaw Valley Mountain Resort in Olympic Valley, California. photo by Trevor Clark.

In this issue: Omni helps planners Escape Their Way”

From snow-capped mountain skiing to tropical Hawaiian island stays

If you could have any wish granted before the New Year’s Ball drops in New York City’s Times Square, what would it be? Would it be to find true love, or to have the money to buy a house or travel first class? Would it be for world peace or to find peace within your heart? Would it be for a job that enables you to safeguard your family’s future or would it be to have a career that suits your personality and capabilities?

I really would like to hear your wish. I’ll even publish it if you respond. Most of all, I want to know how others see the world or see themselves.

I’ll start it off. My wish is to matter… to make a positive difference in someone’s life. My blog posts are just one of the ways I strive to touch someone’s life. If I provide you data on a destination, event, restaurant or resort that guides you on an adventure you might not have otherwise known about, then I feel I have made a contribution to someone’s quality of life. It’s why I enjoy writing this blog. It allows me to connect with you on a wide variety of topics. My wish is that you find something in each one that will make you smile, make you dream, make you plan for better tomorrows.

Hot Deals

The ballroom at Brocket Hall, UK, is alight with holiday cheer.

Book your event for at least 20 people at Brocket Hall in the UK anytime from January through April 2015 and your guests will enjoy half a bottle of house wine per person. The wine is a treat, but the Hertfordshire country estate is a preserved beauty with 30 luxury en-suite bedrooms, 16 more suites in the Melbourne Lodge, and an elegant way to host an incentive group or executive board. Quote BHWINE15 when booking.

Simon or Julie at 01707 368700; events@brocket-hall.co.uk

I’m betting that if winter’s blast has already got you hiding under the blankets, you may be interested in these two s from Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai. Book a stay of 4 consecutive nights and receive your 4th night free or go for big and save 30% if you book a stay of at least five nights. Both offers include complimentary breakfast each day of stay. Details: book by Feb. 23, 2015 and stay anytime between Jan. 4 through Mar. 23, 2015. This resort is jam-packed with family-fun amenities, all included in the package.

http://resorts.disney.go.com/aulani-hawaii-resort/activities/included-with-your-stay; (866) 44-DISNEY; (866) 443-4763

Book any of 24 participating Montréal, Canada hotels and receive 50% off your second night. You also get a coupon booklet worth up to $450 when you check into the hotel. Just ask for the Sweet Deal Package*. The offer is valid through Dec. 31, 2014. This deal is offered you by the Greater Montréal Convention and Tourism Bureau.

www. tourisme-montreal.org

Hawaii blesses the Aulani pool at night with tropical warmth

Omni’s Bonus Strategy for Event and Meeting Planners

Just by mentioning “Escape Your Way” when booking a qualified group meeting or catering event, meeting and event planners can earn complimentary stays at any Omni Resort in the U.S or a credit towards the master account. Here’s just a couple examples of what’s at stake. Spend up to $24,999 and receive a one-night stay at a U.S. Omni Resort of your choice or $200 off the master account. Any booking over $25,000 earns planners double the rewards. All bookings also earn planners a sweepstakes entry to win one of the following:

*Four night stay at any U.S. Omni Resort, including airfare for two and a $2,000 credit

*$3,000 Omni Hotels & Resorts gift card

*$3,000 donation to charity of choice

*$3,000 credit to master account for a meeting consumed by Dec. 31, 2016 (to qualify for this option, the booking must include a room value of $30,000 or more)

Don’t delay. This offer is only valid for contracts executed by Dec. 31, 2014 and must be used by Dec. 31, 2016 for group meetings.

(800) 788-OMNI; www.Facebook.com/OmniHotels; Twitter.com/OmniHotels; Twitter.com/OmniMeetings

Get the Hot Deal While Giving Back to Children in Need!

Caribe Royale in Orlando, 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World Resorts’ gates, has a couple of offers you just won’t be able to refuse. Join their Stash Hotel Rewards program and earn free stays for every dollar you spend. Plan a two-night stay at $150 a night and you earn 1,500 points (5 points for every dollars spent). Even more special is their package valid through Dec. 20, 2014. When you book under this program, with rates for one-bedroom suites beginning at $144+ a night, Caribe Royale will donate $10 per night to Give Kids The World Village. You not only make a difference in a family’s life, but your package will include $25 nightly F&B credit, high-speed internet, guaranteed 1 pm late check-out, and Double stash Hotel Rewards Points.

www.cariberoyale.com

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Ski season in Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows in Olympic Valley, CA has barely begun on the calendar yet the mountains are alive with snow and skiers. Now in the fourth year of a five-year, $70 million renovation to the physical property, the ante has been upped with the first ski resort Google Glass App and guide programs. New this season: take a snowshoe hike to The Chalet at Alpine Meadows, a Swiss-styled mid-mountain lodge for Alps-inspired cuisine such as porter potato cheese soup or apple strudel. Technology to your liking? The Squaw Valley app allows Google Glass wearers to view which trails and lifts are open without having to check a signage board. The app was designed by Lumiplan, a tech company based in the French Alps. Also new this season are the North Face Mountain Guides, an ultra guided tour. The non-instructional tours will be led by the resort’s most experienced guides. Not only do you get access to the best terrain, but you will receive priority lift line access and a complimentary ThermoBall™  Jacket from The North Face or other branded items. Must be at least 13 to enroll. The tours begin Dec. 20 and continue through ski season. Not a skier but love watching the action? Maybe the Audi FIS Skicross World Cup and FIS Snowboard World Cup will be enticing. Mar. 408 will be the first time the International Ski Federation has brought a World Cup event to Squaw Valley since the FIS Alpine World Cup in 1969.

There’s more happening in Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows than I have room to write. Hey, with more than 6,000 skiable acres, 42 lifts and 270 trails, you have to figure this is where the action is.

www.squawalpine.com

Attention all you ski-fanatic Brits! Thomas Cook Airlines’ new partnership with Ski Lake Tahoe has just eased travel from the UK to Nevada ski nirvana. Beginning December 19 of 2015 (yes, next year) and lasting through April of 2016, Brits will be able to embark on the UK’s first non-stop air service from London Gatwick (LGW) to Reno (RNO). The flights are expected to run Wednesdays and Saturdays. Reno-Tahoe International Airport is one the closest airports to major ski resorts in North America. Travel time is roughly an hour from the airport to the ski lifts.

www.thomascookairlines.com; www.thomascook.com

Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries.  She is a Contributing Editor-Writer for Prevue Magazine and is an active member of ISES and MPI. She writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events. A career journalist, Karen has owned magazines, written for newspapers, trade publications, radio and TV. As her alter-ego, Natasha, The Psychic Lady, she is a featured entertainer for corporate and social events. karenkuzsel@earthlink.net; www.ThePsychicLady.com; @karenkuzsel; @thepsychiclady