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HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – LATE JANUARY, 2014

January 28, 2014/2 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

Rose petals and hearts heat up Valentine’s Day romance at Capella Pedregal in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Is it just me, or is the year already resembling a white water rafting trip, where one hurdles along a swiftly-moving river, past dangerous obstacles, barely allowing enough time to catch your breath? Albeit the weather which has played havoc upon lives across America, I am seeing strong signs that business is rebounding across the globe. Hotels are putting more heads in beds; airport traffic is heavier; and business meetings are rediscovering that face-to-face conferences initiate more business creativity and closed-sales than do virtual conferencing. On a personal note, as an entertainer (when not working as a journalist), I am elated that companies are signing off on contracts for parties and trade shows months ahead instead of waiting until the last moment for fear their attendees may opt not to attend.

As January slips into February, I wish you warmer weather (if you’ve been plagued by the polar vortex), more business, and the time to embrace love (not just work) in your life. For those of us in the hospitality, travel, lodging, meetings & events industries, the approach of Valentine’s Day heralds romantic promotions and the crunch of conference bookings. Here are some grand deals for which you may want to consider.

PUT YOUR HEART INTO THESE PROMOTIONS

Cold weather dashing your warm thoughts of love? You may want to catch a flight to Los Cabos, Mexico, on the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula, where love will indeed be in the air and in the romantic possibilities. The 96-room Capella Pedregal’s “Month of Romance” offers an arrange of activities created especially for lovebirds in mind, such as Movies Under the Stars and Romantic Culinary Delights, which includes a romantically themed five-course dinner. There’s also A Chocolate Love Affair for couples who want to mix up a scrumptious chocolate fondue, or Romancing the Moon, a romantic spa experience based around the cycles of the moon.

Escape to Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood Resort whose Valentine’s Weekend includes everything from the special Hearts and Hands couples massage on the suite’s terrace to private rooftop dining under Los Cabos’ star-filled skies. A weekend isn’t long enough to express your sentiments? Maybe the four-night Passion in Paradise Package is a better fit. There is an option for a 5th night at 50% off. Hurry though. Travel must be booked between February 12th and 18th. The package includes breakfast in bed daily, delivered by your personal butler, as well as Moet rose champagne and strawberries.

If your budget doesn’t quite stretch as far as you’d like, the Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos has a (minimum) three-night option from Feb. 9-21,that won’t break the bank. It includes 15% off a private champagne beach dinner, a bottle of premium wine and cheese platter, an upgrade to a Ziva Ocean View Junior Suite (subject to availability) and free access Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JANUARY, 2014

January 7, 2014/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

Elevate your palate in Elevage, the fine dining restaurant in the new Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, FL. Amy Pezzicara, Pezz Photo/Epicurean

The weather may be putting much of North America in a deep freeze, but across the globe, hotels opening or in transition are heating up the environment. There are so many hotels changing owners or under construction that it’s difficult for me to keep track of property names, but as folks often check out my blog before doing site visits, booking groups, or even booking their own vacations, here are some of the latest of my discoveries.

HOTELS ARE DEFINITELY HAPPENING!

Finally, the long-awaited Epicurean Hotel opened in Tampa in December. The 137-room boutique hotel, with a focus on fine foods and fine arts, is located across from the renowned Bern’s Steakhouse. The new hotel’s 80-seat restaurant, Elevage, is joined by Chocolate Pi (a patisserie, or for those who don’t speak French… a bakery), a Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits shop on the first floor, and the Epicurean Theatre, a culinary classroom I hope to find myself dicing and splicing in very soon in the future. The Grand Awakening Weekend is coming up January 17-19 and stars the hotel’s Chef, Chad Johnson, and celebrity chefs such as Norman Van Aken. Developed by Mainsail Lodging & Development in collaboration with the legendary Bern’s Steak House, Epicurean Hotel is the first newly-constructed property in the United States to join the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc.www.EpicureanHotel.com; (855) 829-

Two new Tampa hotels are slated to open this year. What do you call a former Mercantile Bank building when it’s been converted into a 130-room boutique hotel situated along Tampa’s famed Riverwalk? You get Aloft Tampa Downtown. It’ll feature a terrace pool deck overlooking the Hillsborough River, the picturesque University of Tampa minarets, and downtown Tampa. Aloft won’t be the only boutique hotel to emerge from an historic property. Once a 108-year-old Federal Courthouse building, Le Meridien Hotel gains new life as a 130-room hotel with 4,800 sf of meeting space, including a 2,200-sf ballroom set in the old courtroom with 18-foot ceilings, two breakout rooms, and a board room that seats 12.

There’s a “No Strings Attached” policy being offered by The Langham Huntington Pasadena, located nine miles north of Los Angeles for groups who book before March 31 and arrive through December 31 of 2015. The historic property can accommodate up to 350-person conferences. Lots of indoor and outdoor space, a resort style setting, no resort fees, no attrition and no F&B minimums. Industry specific offers are available for Pharmaceutical, Financial, Insurance, and Associations. www.alhi.com/LanghamHuntington

Omni Hotels & Resorts just bought its 6^th property from KSL Capital Partners, LLC, a leading private equity firm. The reflagging of the Montelucia Resort & Spa as theOmni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia extends the Omni’s Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – DECEMBER, 2013

December 2, 2013/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

You’re never too young to learn to ski at Squaw Valley or Alpine Meadows, CA.

I smell the cookies baking. It must be December. Not that I don’t bake cookies all year, but from the time I was young, baking for the holidays began early in the month. My Mom, sister, and then my daughter and I would begin our ritual of selecting which favorites and which new recipes would warm our kitchen. They were meant to be sampled and mostly, meant to be shared. In the last two years I had last minute writing assignments and performing gigs that made my life too hectic to spend casual time listening to holiday music while I kneaded, mixed, and decorated an assortment of goodies. Cooking and baking are cathartic. They feed my soul, not just my belly. I already “sense” this December will be different. We have one trip planned to visit relatives, parties to enjoy, and two cookie exchanges for which to prep. I’m feeling merrier already.
May you have the holiday you either remember or one you wish to have. Here are some possibilities that may stoke your imagination or get you to pack your bags for a new adventure.
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
Even I, a complete chicken when it comes to anything involving heights and the possibility of me hitting the bottom in an unintended splat, might consider taking advantage of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows’$49 Learn to Ski and Ride Weekend, December 14-15. The package includes lift tickets, a half-day lesson and full rental packages for first time skiers and riders. Reservations are required for kids’ lessons (ages 12 and under). 13 and over can register online. Walk-ins Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – NOVEMBER, 2013

November 7, 2013/2 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

Expanded Ka Maka Landing, a popular Waikolohe Valley water play area at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii

You don’t have to go over the rainbow to find otherworldly adventures. Somewhere in our world, hotel resorts are renovating or building, meetings are occurring and families are gathering to create memories. In America, we’ve begun the holiday crush that begins with Halloween and rushes past New Year’s Eve. Elsewhere, other holidays occupy heart, mind and wallets (as if you expected someone else to pick up the tab?) For many businesses, this is an opportune time to regroup, fill out next year’s RFPs, or scope out destinations for next year’s conferences. For the leisure industry, the next two months are make-it-or-break-it for sales, promotions, or capturing imaginations that live on past packing one’s bag to head back home. With that in mind, here are some destinations, resorts, events, and opportunities that you may want to consider.

Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, knows that even adults need time to play, so the imaginative folks at Disney have expanded Ka Maka Landing, a popular Waikolohe Valley water play area. There’s an infinity pool with a realistic grotto, a dynamic fun splash zone for smaller kids, and a new dining location for poolside and beachside dining. No worries, meeting plannners, the new Hālāwai Lawn provides a 16,000-sf lushly landscaped environment for outdoor events. The new lawn is part of the resort’s total 36,000 sf of function space, including a 14,000-sf conference center. “With Aulani, we’ve introduced an entirely new Disney experience for incentives and meetings,” said Anne Hamilton, vice president, Resort Sales and Services, Disney Destinations. “In keeping with the rest of the resort, events on the new Hālāwai Lawn will immerse Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – SEPTEMBER

September 16, 2013/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

California Grill Dragon Roll with spicy and tataki tuna, shrimp tempura, bell pepper, avocado and chili-soy glaze. California Grill in the Contemporary Hotel at Walt Disney World Resort. (Jimmy DeFlippo, photographer)

September in Florida (where I’m based) is hot, sticky, humid, rainy and for those of us in the hospitality, meetings & events, and entertainment industries—it’s a time of hanging on til convention season reappears. September also means Magical Dining comes to Orlando for the entire month, whereby upscale restaurants host a three-course prix fixee’ meal for $33 and my husband and I celebrate our anniversary by enjoying as many of these meals as we can. Visit Orlando and the participating restaurants partner to both highlight their cuisine to locals during this corporate and leisure shoulder season and to raise money ($1 from each meal) for Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

I know most of you aren’t in Orlando, but for those of you who are, I’ll talk about these restaurants later in this blog. Last year I covered them after the month ended and by then it was too late for you to personally check them out.

So, with food ever-present on my mind, I think I’ll just jump into news about a hotel whose opening I’ve been eagerly awaiting, with dreams of spending a bit of time there.

HOTEL HAPPPENINGS

The hotel is called Epicurean and it officially opens in December in Tampa, FL. As you may expect by the name, food will be a central theme of the 137-room boutique hotel. There’ll be cooking classes in the Epicurean Theatre, wine tastings, craft cocktail courses and celebrity appearances. The food-centric Epicurean Hotel, the first newly constructed property in the United States to join the Autograph Collection®, is in collaboration with Bern’s Steak House, a Tampa gastronomic icon since 1956. Epicurean Hotel’s website has launched and is taking reservations for stays, booking meetings or social events in the 2,000 sf Grand Cru Ballroom, the Epicurean Theatre or the second Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – AUGUST, 2013

August 21, 2013/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati opens new restaurant

This has been one of the busiest Augusts I can remember in many years. When I was younger, having a mid-August birthday meant families were taking end-of-summer vacations and not around to celebrate, or we were moving from one Air Force base to another so I could start yet another school without missing any lessons. As I aged, August meant, “Oh no, another birthday is rolling around,” or it meant corporate work for entertainers had nose-dived and thank goodness, the start of “season” was just around the corner. Unlike all those other years, (except for my birthday crash landing with a chronological number that I have yet to comprehend could be mine), this August has flown by like our backyard ducks when a predator bird comes swooping in. I’ve been on several press trips (which you’ll hear more about in next blog post), worked some fun gigs as Natasha, The Psychic Lady, and visited with friends & family. Next week we attend the annual Central Florida Film Festival in Ocoee, FL: 3 days of non-stop independent movies and after-glow events.

September looks like it’s ready to burst onto the scene, so before that occurs, here are some final summer activities, hotel promotions, and planning tips for the fall.

ACTIVITIES

Just in time for a thrilling summer conclusion, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino opens VooDoo Zipline, a ride that will send guests soaring higher than 400 feet in the air at electrifying speeds, offering 360-degree open-air views of the Las Vegas Strip. “Rio has always been known for having some of the best views in Vegas. Now thrill-seeking guests can enjoy the legendary views that VooDoo Steak and VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub are best known for – from an entirely new Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JULY, 2013

July 8, 2013/6 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

Pix Photos © 2013 Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc. LONE RANGER ™ & © Classic Media

Summer is in full swing in many parts of the world. The extreme natures of the weather, with tornadoes, fires, floods, snow and drought has created stress and doubt about planning getaways. Fortunately, there are options available if you just need to get away and remember what it’s like to laugh, enjoy, rest and relax. Hope these discounted vacations put a smile on your face and get you packing.

Just saw “The Lone Ranger”, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer. Totally fun and campy and even though it ran about 2-1/2 hours, it kept my attention. The fact that I happen to be going to Santa Fe, NM soon, where the film was shot, is thrilling, especially now that I know that the New Mexico Tourism office now offers tours of sites where movies and TV shows have been shot. www.newmexico.org/filmtrails is the new travel planning resource created by the state’s tourism department to help groups and individuals plan their itineraries around film history and lore. Filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinski chose New Mexico’s Rio Puerco as an authentic setting for their own version of a Wild West town. The movie’s thrilling train sequence in Cimarron Canyon was filmed near Angel Fire, N.M. For further information and a list of other films made in New Mexico, visit www.newmexico.org/filmtrails.

Fancy a train ride through East Anglia in the United Kingdom? If so, Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JUNE, 2013

June 25, 2013/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

Family fun in the Despicable Me Kids Suite at Portofino Bay Hotel

June: the time of replenishment, relaxation, and revving up for the (hopeful) onslaught of fall corporate business, unless you happen to be immersed in the tourism market or taking an overdue family vacation. For any, and all of the above, here are some deals to be done, places to ponder, and events to excite.

RESORTS AMP UP FUN FACTOR FOR FAMILIES

How cute are the new Despicable Me-themed kid suites at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort? It was a no-brainer to renovate all 18 kid suites in time for occupancy on October 1. Holidays will fast approach. The Despicable Me 2 will have opened July 3, and Universal’s Despicable Me Minion Mayhem attraction has already proven to be a hit for the family. What fan of the animated movie wouldn’t love to sleep in missile beds on Minion-inspired bedding just like Gru’s three adopted girls: Margo, Edith and Agnes? The two-room suites keep the parents happy with a luxurious Italian design. Save 30% with the Stay More, Save More promotion. On-site hotel guests receive early park admission and free Universal Express Unlimited ride access. http://universalorlando.com/portofinobay; (888) 273-1311.

It’s going to be a happening summer in Central Florida. The theme park-aphile in me is ready to check out Busch Gardens’ annual Summer Nights programs, now through Aug. 18. (Hey… that’s my birthday. Wouldn’t that make an awesome birthday gift?) The event includes Cheetah Hunt (which I have yet to brave) with an after-dark twist, Kinetix music and acrobatics show on the Gwazi Park Stage, and the nightly fireworks finale. For a more “natural” adventure, you might want to get in on The Florida Aquarium’s Summer Fun Nights program. The mermaids do what mermaids do in a spectacular show, or you can hop aboard the Wild Dolphin Cruise for a sunset cruise. Love Lowry Park Zoo, especially now that summer hours go til 8 pm. The June 29 Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – (late) MAY, 2013

May 30, 2013/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

WORLDLY ADVENTURES

luxury tented suites at Mahali Mzuri, which opens in August

You’ll need more than driving gloves, a good sense of direction, or a love for speed to compete in the annual off-road race held in the Kenyan bush or the world’s most challenging wheelbarrow race, held at Hell’s Gate National Park, Naivasha. The 25-year-old Rhino Charge, an off-road motorsport competition sponsored by The Rhino Ark Charitable Trust, has been raising money for conversation of Kenya’s Aberdare Ecosystem since 1989. The event is June 1. http://www.rhinocharge.co.ke/ The wheelbarrow race, June 7-8, raises funds for a new Kenya Wildlife Service Education Center. http://www.kws.org/info/events/2013/Details/26mayhellgate2013.html
If you haven’t visited Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, CA in the past couple of years for top-notch winter sports, this may be the year to make it a planned vacation. The resort area is investing nearly $8 million in improvements this winter and next. The investment totals more than $46 million in year three of the resorts’ five-year, $70 million renaissance. Money is being poured into new snow cats for smoother, carve-able slopes, a new Wanderlust yoga studio, Spruce, a new home furnishings store, and comprehensive room renovations at The Village at Squaw Valley, as well as new on-mountain and valley signage for increased way-finding and accessibility. In the past two years, the base village was renovated with restaurants, bars and firepits. Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – EARLY MAY, 2013

May 7, 2013/0 Comments/in • HOTEL HAPPENINGS /by Karen Kuzsel

NEWS UPDATE FROM Orlando that has me so excited I just had to share immediately. Rumors have been flying as steadily as quiddich broomsticks that an expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter would occur inside the Universal Studios Florida theme park. Now it’s official. Universal Orlando Resort and Warner Bros. Entertainment are building Diagon Alley, set to open in 2014. It will earmark the world’s first centrally themed, multi-park experience. If you’re a fan of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series (as I am) and have been to the park (love, love, love it!), then you know the extreme detail and immersive authenticity that has been created. Diagon Alley will be no different. And just like in the movies and books, guests will be able to travel between ‘London’ and Hogsmeade aboard the Hogwarts Express. Now where did I put my cloak and wand?

The magic of Diagon Alley appears at Universal Orlando Florida theme park in 2014.

Summer’s coming to North America and Europe and with its imminent arrival comes the soft season discounts. I’m all for saving some of my stash on the upfront hotel costs so that I feel free to splurge on activities I may not find elsewhere. I’ve heard about some incredible deals, such as book two nights and get one free or book 5 nights and get two nights extra. At least 29 European countries are offering these savings. Here are just a few of the choices I found enticing.25Hours Hotel at MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, Austria: 219 rooms & suites. Located in the 7^th District, a progressive artsy area, the décor embodies a fantastical world of circus, spectacle and extravagance, with just a touch of madness. Hang out in the rooftop lounge or dine in the terraced restaurant that faces Wedhuberpark. There are meeting and convention facilities.

Hospes Palacio de los Patos in Granada, Spain: 32 double rooms, 10 suites including one Presidential Suite. The interfusion of Arabic influence and native Iberian tradition are apparent. Situated almost adjacent to the Puerta Real, Hospes Palacio de los Patos is an urban oasis housed in a reconstructed 19th-Century town palace. Designers retained the architectural beauty of original elements such as the grand staircase.

: Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil stands out from the rest of the city

Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil stands out from the rest of the city

Hotel Unique in São Paulo, Brazil: 85 rooms & 10 suites. Unique’s green copper façade alone makes this hotel stand out even in the upscale residential area of Jardins. Just meters from Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo’s largest green area, the building is dark glass and a desert garden of mini, sand-toned cubes of rock, palms and agaves. The lobby is illuminated with beige marble walls embellished by dramatic geometric themes in the décor, sleek white furnishings and transparent glass tables and fittings. City views from the rooftop terrace fascinate, but ooooh… that crimson red swimming pool is an eye-popper. www.designhotels.com/summerspecials

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service beach-front resort on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, is offering a VIP Passport Package for meeting planners organizing conferences, conventions or tradeshows. Bookings must be actualized August 1 through February 28, 2014. Room nights booked determines bonuses but check out some of the incentives.

* Three (3) percent rebate to the master account for guest rooms posted to the master account; Read more