HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – NOVEMBER 2019
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows
HOT DEALS!
Time is running out to book The Village at Squaw Valley Lodging (Olympic Village, CA) winter sale and save 25% for stays from Jan. 6 – May 31, based on availability and only for Sun-Thursday and non-holiday stays. The majority of room have private balconies, fireplaces and kitchens. Standard rooms do not have those amenities.
The Winter Escape Package being offered by Caribe Royale Orlando isn’t the luxury resorts only promotional package being offered. There’s one for Florida and Georgia residents and if you hurry, there’s a Fall program
Caribe Royale Orlando has a Winter Escape package.
available through November that offers up to $300 in food & beverage credits. The Winter Escape package is for those of you who need a bit more time to plan. For this one, buy three nights and get the fourth free. Plus, you get a 1 pm late check-out and 50% off hotel fees. On a more personal level, the Mid-December special promotion includes rates starting as low as $120 for use from Dec. 11-25 and includes complimentary breakfast for four daily.
Gaylord resort hotels deck out for the holidays.
And speaking of having multiple promotional packages available, check out all the ones available through Gaylord Hotels. For instance, Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN has select dates to book their SoundWaves Water Experience package. The exclusive indoor/outdoor resort water attraction keeps the water at 84 degrees and there’s even a unique rooftop terrace for sunbathing indoors. www.soundwavesgo.com. Not to be outdone, the Gaylord Texan Resort (Grapevine, TX) says get your cozy on with their Remember Romance PackageThe offer is valid through March 31, 2020 and includes your choice of complimentary champagne, wine or non-alcoholic beverage with cake balls, daily in-room bottled water, and access to the fitness center at Relache Spa & Salon. www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-deals/details/dalgt-gaylord-texan-resort-and-convention-center. Use code ZJ7 or call (817) 778-1000. And don’t forget that all five Gaylord Resorts offer 20% off their individual ICE tickets along with many other amenities. Book your holiday by Nov. 17 and save up to 20% for stays through Jan. 5 at any of the five Gaylord resorts.
Brocket Hall at Christmas
It’s not too late to book a Christmas party package at Brocket Hall in the United Kingdom. You can choose from three highly-decorated venues for small gatherings or larger group events. The luxury private estate has 30 rooms for overnight stays and amenities that trigger memories of vintage days of yore.
www.brocket-hall.co.uk; Events@brocket-hall.co.uk; 01707368700
Event planners won’t want to miss Hilton Hotels’ celebration for being in business a full century. The 100 years, 100,000 points promotion is a part of the Hilton Honors Event Planner Program, earning bonus points for meetings, conferences, family reunions, weddings and other special events held at participating hotels within the Hilton Portfolio worldwide. Earn 10,000 points for every event or room block through Jan. 31, 2020. Earn another 100 points per attendee or occupied room, whichever is higher. This is additional to the one point per dollar earned per contract.
WALLETHUB DENOTES BEST WINTER TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Personal finance website WalletHub’s latest survey touts the best winter holiday travel destinations in America. Focusing on cost and convenience rather than scenic beauty, WalletHub compared nearly 70 of the largest U.S. metro areas grouped by warm and cold weather. Each destination was analyzed based on 37 key metrics, primarily the expense and hassle of traveling to each location but also on other indicators, such as weather forecasts, safety and variety of activities. One of the aspects I enjoy most about WalletHub’s surveys is the analysis provided. It isn’t just a list of the results. For instance, they say if you’re looking to bundle up, Albuquerque, NM, has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $52, which is two times lower than Worcester, MA, the city with the highest at $104. For warmer climates, Pensacola, FL, has the lowest price for a three-star hotel room, $40, which is 4.5 times lower than Honolulu, HI, the city with the highest at $178. Eating great food is one of my favorite aspects of travel. Unsurprisingly, New York, NY has the most per capita of cold destinations and San Francisco, CA has the most for warmer destinations. The reading is fascinating. Meanwhile, from 1 to 10, here are the top cold destinations: Chicago, IL; Washington DC; Atlanta, GA; Philadelphia, PA; Denver, CO; Boston, MA; St. Louis, MO; Cincinnati, OH; New York, NY; and Portland, OR. For warmer destinations: Austin, TX; Dallas, TX; San Diego, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Tampa, FL; Houston, TX; San Antonio, TX; Charleston, SC; Phoenix, AZ and Orlando, FL.
www.wallethub.com/edu/best-winter-holiday-destinations/7930/
SPRING INTO THE YEAR WITH SAILING
Pensacola will host sailing regatta competitions.
On your mark, get set, Sail! Pensacola (FL) will take to the water from January to early April with a series of regattas sponsored by the Premier Sailing League (PSL), the first national sailing league in America. The format requires short windward/leeward races with as many as 20 races a day on courses close to shore. The first PSL Winter exhibition is set for Jan. 3-5 off Plaza de Luna at the base of historic South Palafox Place, adjacent to the Pensacola Marina. Following race (tentative) dates are Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Mar. 6-8 and April 3-5. Teams can charter a boat from the supplied fleet of identical RS21 keelboats. “Having a spectacle sailing league will continue to showcase Pensacola’s maritime opportunities and bring a new wave of travelers to the area,” “Having a spectacle sailing league will continue to showcase Pensacola’s maritime opportunities and bring a new wave of travelers to the area,” said President of Visit Pensacola Steve Hayes. This past summer Escambia County, which includes Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key, hosted Nationals for the U.S Optimist Dinghy Association and the Flying Scot North American Championship. New York Yacht Club’s team has selected Pensacola as their winter training base again. 2020 will be a busy year for sailing competitions. The Melges24 Atlantic and Gulf Coast Championship as well as the U.S sailing Youth National Championships are slated for summer of 2020.
LOUISVILLE TOASTS TO SPIRIT AND COCKTAIL WRITERS
It is rare for me to write about conventions, but as a writer who frequently reviews wines and wineries, I have a personal interest in this topic, and maybe you do as well. Louisville (KY)-based Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. and independent bookseller, Carmichael’s Bookstore, have combined forces to host Bookstock, a gathering of spirits and cocktail writers on Dec.6-7 in the heart of America’s distilling capital. On Friday, Dec. 6, from 6 -10 p.m., an Author’s Salon focuses on guest and author interaction. “Spirited Conversations” between two authors will be hosted by Imbibe Magazine Executive Editor, Paul Clarke. Saturday, there’s a book signing fair, with additional Spirited Conversations. Copper & Kings Co-Founder Joe Heron credits writers who have helped “raise the libations bar and discourse for spirits and cocktails in North America.” Participating authors are Frank Caiafa, Jeff Cioletti, Paul Clarke, Wayne Curtis, Aaron Goldfarb, Davin De Kergommeaux, John McCarthy, Jim Meehan, Fred Minnick, Kara Newman, Robin Robinson, Noah Rothbaum, Amanda Schuster, Robert Simonson and David Wondrich.
LEGOLAND Bricks & Boots salutes the military.
LEGOLAND HONORS MILITARY WITH FREE ENTRY
Throughout the month of November, LEGOLAND® Florida Resort in Winter Haven again honors U.S. veterans and active military personnel with free theme park admission, 50 percent off tickets for up to six guests, and up to 25 percent off overnight stays. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, each U.S service members can receive a free American flag wristband and flyer (describing the discounts and events of the day) at the ticket windows. The wristband entitles that member to 10% discount on food, beverage and retail purchases; a second 6×8 photo free after buying the first one; and two-for-one carnival game buys. U.S. veterans must present valid military ID or proof of veteran status at a theme park ticket window on the day of visit. Active duty U.S. service members receive complimentary admission to LEGOLAND Florida theme park and LEGOLAND Water Park all year long.
DROP BY DROP PROJECTS CHAMPION WATER SOLUTIONS
Clean the World Foundation in partnership with Las Vegas Sands are seeking water projects in Las Vegas, Macao and Singapore, with the end goal of water conservation. Here’s how it works: water savings from partner’s conservation programs are converted into funding for the Drop by Drop Project. That money is then awarded to local water champions to increase local water resiliency, reinvigorate ecosystems, incubate new water solutions, and engage the community.
For the application: https://cleantheworldfoundation.org/dropbydrop/
LEGOLAND FLORIDA opens the Pirate Hotel April 20 in Winter Haven, FL. photo by LOCK + LAND, Chip Litherland)
PIRATE HOTEL OPENS @ LEGOLAND®FLORIDA
You have a year to get your pirate on when the new LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel opens April 17, 2020 in Winter Haven, FL. There will be more themed event days and a new pirate water ski show. The five-story hotel will feature 150-Lego-filled rooms (including four suites), heated pool (with soft bricks for building what immersed), in-room Lego treasure hunts and exclusive character experiences. Each room has two separate spaces; one for kids and one for adults. Inside, the pirate-themed Shipwreck Restaurant will offer family-style dining, while Smuggler’s Bar will cater to adults. Free breakfast for overnight guests and just outside the entrance to the hotel, a pirate shipwreck will offer a unique photo opportunity. The very next day, on April 18, a new pirate themed water ski show debuts with acrobatics, water stunts and pirate humor. Three three-day pirate weekends begin April 18-19, 25-26 and May 2-3.
www.LEGOLAND.com/YearofthePirate
Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries. She is an active member of ILEA and MPI and is now serving on the 2019 – 2020 MPI Global Advisory Board for The Meeting Professional Magazine for the second consecutive year. Karen writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events. A career journalist, she 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.
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