HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – DECEMBER, 2012

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car track5_GMH_0521Here are my holiday wishes for you—at least, those I can immediately come up with. Don’t feel guilty when you can’t find time for friends and partying because you’re crazy busy with work that pays the bills. I’ve been fretting, feeling as if I’m disappointing all you wonderful folks who have filled my inbox with newsy items. My intent has been to get this written, but the truth is, I have been slammed with an incredible amount of work that had to be my priority. Of course, now it’s near to the end of December and I am torn between family obligations, gift buying, limited party going, and fulfilling my obligations to everyone I’ve been ignoring these past two months.
#2. Enjoy what you have with those you care about. My husband is one of the aforementioned people who thinks I haven’t devoted enough waking hours to his care and pampering, but who is simultaneously thrilled that I am getting the work. My perspective is that that the corporate life has settled into post-election let’s-get-back-to-business attitudes and money is loosening and it is imperative and wise to take advantage of every moment. Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – OCTOBER, 2012

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Whimsey meshes with preserved history at QT Sidney in Australia

            If you had an unlimited budget, an adventurous spirit, and the time needed to just explore different parts of the world, would you pick somewhere you’ve never travelled to, or somewhere more comforting in its familiarity? If the former, have I got some thrilling news to share with you.Mention Australia and automatically you might mentally think “Outback.” True enough, but Australia is also rich in culture, history, arts, and fashion. The 200-room QT Sidney capitalizes on history, the arts and cultural by preserving two of Sidney’s most iconic buildings set in the heart of the central business district and then doing a head-to-toe makeover to attract jetsetters. Set within the historic Gowings department store and heritage-listed State Theatre, the QT Sidney honors its past by carefully restoring the original stone cladding, gargoyles, façade detail, and original timber floors on its lower levels. The hotel is in close proximity to Darling Harbour, a tourist and nightlife area, The Rocks, Australia’s finest restored historical district, Circular Quay as well as Chinatown.

Tired of crowds and want something more from your vacation than shopping trips and fighting through mobs of tourists? Then Fabriken Furillen, a lime factory and eco-friendly design masterpiece created by photographer Johan Hellström, may be the destination to remember. Set into the northeastern corner of the Swedish island of Gotland, Furillen was a military area until the early 1990s. Tourists aren’t commonly drawn to its craggy limestone formations, deserted beaches, or sea birds nesting among the ruins of an old gravel quarry. A high-speed ferry or plane from the Swedish mainland drops you off in the medieval city of Visby, Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – SEPTEMBER 2012

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I don’t ski, but I have been to Squaw Valley many times during my life. The last time was a few years ago as my husband and I were travelling from the Sunnyside Lodge on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. We were pre-snow season, so Squaw Valley was a stop to see what the area looked like post-1960 Winter Olympics and what fun we would miss during the upcoming winter. It was also a nostalgic moment. My family lived in Reno, NV at the former Stead AFB. During our sightseeing travels, we often stopped at Squaw Valley. To this day I think of it as the place where we were in shorts and sandals and walking through snowy areas under a warm, shiny sky.

The Squaw Valley I remember just got a $24 million facelift that “those who ski” or “those who lodge” will appreciate. Since last year’s investment of $15 in base area and on-mountain improvements, Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows have added another $24 million in improvements, including a new high-speed, six-passenger chairlift subtly titled Big Blue Express, improved High Camp beginner experience at Squaw Valley, and a mile-long terrain park at Alpine Meadows.

“We are very excited about the significant investment devoted to capital improvements for the upcoming season,” said Andy Wirth, president and CEO of Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows. “Snowmaking improvements, in particular, for this season and in the future, Read more

Hotel Happenings & Program Promos: June – July, 2012

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If you like what you read enough to visit or take advantage of any of the promos, please let them know where you read about the offers and information.

CARTHAY CIRCLE at the Disney California Adventure park os an exciting new event venue. It’s modeled after the site of the 1937 world premiere of €œSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland Resort)

 We don’t usually discuss software and apps, but this one is so specific to the events & meetings industries, we thought it should be mentioned. VenuesOnline, in partnership with imbookin.com, now has a simplified tool for searching more than 10,000 event venues. Planners and marketers can sign up at VenuesOnline.com to search and book events. Venue managers can sign up to sell their spaces. Searches on VenuesOnline can be filtered by date, budget, guest count, location, privacy, amenities, age group, and keywords. There are map-based searches, videos, user profiles and reviews. Check it out at VenuesOnline.com or contact Lee Elman at lelman@red7media.com.

I’m a Disney-phile and proud to admit it. From the many miles I’ve walked through Disney World resorts and parks, the endless numbers of chocolate-covered frozen bananas I’ve devoured, and the thousands of convention parties I’ve performed for (as Natasha, The Psychic Lady), I am continuously surprised by the creative possibilities that exist unbeknownst to me. For instance, I just learned that Disneyland Paris Read more

Hotel Happenings & Program Promos – May 2012

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Whereto take your group and what to do when you get there are intriguing possibilities challenging planners. Looking to add some sizzle to your summer happenings or freshen up your fall offerings?

Scallop scooping at The Plantation at Crystal River

Scallop scooping at The Plantation at Crystal River

 Fast Facts: Fleming’s is already one of Orlando’s premier steakhouses. Like a smooth creamy peppercorn sauce ladled on top of a charred filet, Fleming’s in the Sand Lake Road location adds sizzle to their steaks with a discount designed to encourage large family gatherings, corporate executive boards and rehearsal dinners. Book any event by June 15 for at least 15 guests and get a $50 dining card for every $500 spent on the event. Andrea Chang, Private Dining Director, 407-352-5706, PDSandLake@FlemingsSteakhouse.com

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Hotel Happenings & Program Promos – April, 2012

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Wherever you are in the world, events and destinations are offering incentives. Check out a resort. Attend a restaurant or club. They mostly want your group bookings, but some of these are too delicious to forego exploring with your significant other or your buds. If you’re hearing about these here first, let them know how you found outSeri Chenang Resort & Spa Langkawi.

I just love it when a resort sells me on their 24-hour butler service designed to make me feel at home… if home includes luxurious lodgings in Langkawi, Malaysia newest boutique resort, the Seri Chenang Resort & Spa Langkawi. I am so ready to chill out in villas styled after traditional Malay homes and surrounded by a garden with scenic sea and mountain views. I especially love the part about the healing rituals offered in spa treatments. For a property with only six villas and 13 rooms, this place is perfect for that romantic getaway or an incentive group who enjoys the finer amenities of local cuisine, an infinity pool, art gallery, and a gym without having to vie for the time and space. www.serichenangresort.com

Orlando scored big when The Improv Comedy Club and Fat Fish Blue Restaurant opted in to Point Orlando. Top talents rule the stage. Comedy is supreme and the New Orleans styled cuisine smacks of Southern flavors.  Bring a group in during April and receive $50 off for every Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS: Out with the Old, In with the New

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Maybe it’s the possibility of Spring beckoning. Or perhaps it’s simply that credit cards being sucked dry by rising gas prices have encouraged hoteliers to offer more interesting sounding promotions designed to do their own spending stimulation. Whatever the reason, my inbox is rife with offers that may tempt you into booking now and saving later.
 Exciting news for divers, water sports enthusiasts and marine life conservationists. The TradeWinds Sandpiper Suites on St. Pete Beach is undergoing a $3 million renovation and rebranding. When the 211-room beach-front property is completed in 2013, the TradeWinds will become Florida’s first Guy Harvey Outpost in the U.S. According to Keith Overton, president of TradeWinds Island Resorts, the rebranding project includes incorporating the signature Guy Harvey brand through the public and exterior spaces of the hotel and meetings facilities. Each guestroom will feature a Guy Harvey décor theme and each will receive new carpet, paint, artwork and flat screen HDTVs. Start saving now for the officially licensed Guy Harvey clothing, products and souvenir line. For over 30 years, the Guy Harvey brand has been synonymous with exploration, research and conservation of the oceans. The rebranded Outpost property will remain owned and managed by the TradeWinds Island Resorts and share privileges with its nearby, larger sister property, the TradeWinds Island Grand.  www.GuyHarveyOutpostTampaBay.com
I don’t ski, water or snow, but even someone as klutzy as me can recognize an incredible deal when offered, such as the latest from Vail Resorts. The leading mountain resorts operator has acquired Kirkwood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, CA, Read more