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HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – NOVEMBER, 2016

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Capture the holiday with a Belvedere Pomegranate Royale at Conrad Miami's Jack Frost Happy Hour

Capture the holiday with a Belvedere Pomegranate Royale at Conrad Miami’s Jack Frost Happy Hour

IT’S ALL ABOUT A NEW EXPERIENCE

With the holidays approaching as rapidly as I could pop the cork on a bottle of champagne (and if you know how badly I open any bottle of alcohol you’d be laughing at this vision), may I be the first to toast you the happiest of days ahead? If I was enjoying a corporate reception at the Conrad Miami (FL) during its Jack Frost Happy Hour, I’d likely be raising one of their special drink options—the Belvedere Pomegranate Royale to my lips. For an extra treat, the resident mixologist offers an exclusive group mixology class. After happy hour, smaller groups can reserve the intimate Wine Room at Atrio restaurant next door for one of Executive Chef Virgile Brandel’s Mediterranean-inspired gourmet meals. Throughout December, the Conrad Miami’s sky high Bar at LvL 25 also opens its Jack Frost Happy Hour December 1-30 to hotel guests and locals. Experience “snowfalls” over the bar every 30 minutes. Sample the menu, Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – SEPTEMBER, 2016

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Halloween approaches and the call came for Natasha, The Psychic Lady to get her spook on!

Halloween approaches and the call came for Natasha, The Psychic Lady to get her spook on!

You know how Christmas trees, wrapping, and twinkling lights crash land in stores these days by August, bypassing all the other approaching holiday celebrations? That’s how I’ve looked at Halloween parties that have already been in full swing in September. For you readers who live in countries that don’t celebrate Halloween, you won’t understand the frenzy of costume parties that has increasingly attracted adults to attire themselves as characters from favorite books, TV or movies, or to parody trending political figures. Halloween used to be about youths dressing up as pirates, princesses, and super heroes one night a year to amass all the candy they could carry from neighbors doling out sweet treats. Halloween has morphed into one of the biggest expensed holidays in the world.
I mention Halloween because many of you who don’t know me personally have asked about the part of my bio that says I am also Natasha, The Psychic Lady. Yes, this is not a joke or just an act. Come October, I am put to the sleep-deprived test of having more work entertaining at corporate and social parties than I can possibly do. I constantly have wished some of this work would spread out to other months, and this year, it appears that wish has been granted. By the end of September, I have already worked several Halloween-flavored parties. At this rate, it won’t be long before I’ll be dressing for an assortment of themed Halloween events in August. Here’s just one of my looks for the “darker, witchier” themes that seem to be trending.
Now, on to the reason you regularly read this column: what exotic destinations are offering discounted deals, events to amuse or educate, and where you can travel either leisurely or with a group.
HOT DEALS FOR INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
Design Hotels offers exceptional international destinations with unique venues and great promotional discounts. Here are just a few of current offerings. Save up to 20% for a stay til December 31 at the 101-room Avalon Hotel (Gothenburg, Sweden). The deal includes Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JUNE 2015

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Meritage vineyards & The Crusher Statue, Napa, CA

Meritage vineyards & The Crusher Statue, Napa, CA


IN THIS ISSUE: sizzling summer savings and CSR is the gift you give
HOT DEALS
Summer deals are sizzling at Wyndham Bay Point Golf Resort & Spa on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Their summer promotion is call Sun-Sational Perks and depending on how many are in your group (50-100, 101-150), you have the choice of two or three of the perks, which can range from complimentary continental breakfast to custom gobo to a Sundae Bar. For bookings up to 200 room nights, the perks can also include an one-hour reception or a 3% credit to the master account on sleeping rooms. The bookings must be new. For full details:
www.baypointresorts.com; (850) 236-6033); sales@baypointresorts.com
The ballroom at Brocket Hall, UK

The ballroom at Brocket Hall, UK


Fancy a cup of tea from your traditional English butler or playing on two championship standard golf courses set among 543 acres of private land just 22 miles from Central London? If you think these amenities sound perfect for your group of at least 20 who need a two day getaway, then Brockett Hall in a 5-star standard Regency stately home has a Two-for-One deal you should give consideration. The promo runs through Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – JANUARY 2015

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Sink your teeth into the delectable Tuna Tartar at Bistro CloClo. photo by Karen Kuzsel

Sink your teeth into the delectable Tuna Tartar at Bistro CloClo. photo by Karen Kuzsel

In This Issue: Visit Florida Grant Applications yours for the asking

CSR: What has your company done lately?

Hot Luxury Hotel Deals

I heard on one of those end-the-year news wrap up programs that the word “foodie” was as hot as a skiable mountain during the polar vortex. I am as deeply muddled by that pronouncement as I am worried that snow will bury my Florida home during the summer.

I am a foodie. I say that while aromas of warm cookies, spicy sauces, and savory meats ingested during the recent holidays still linger affectionately in my memory. I’m not snobby about being a foodie, nor would I ever want to challenge Andrew Zimmerman for “who can eat the nastiest morsel.” I simply enjoy well-prepared cuisine that’s sits prettily on the plate and is packed with flavour. I also enjoy sharing some of my favourite meals or restaurants with others, which is why I’m telling you about my husband and my latest go-to restaurant, Bistro CloClo in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando.

You may surmise from the name, it is French in its exquisite renditions of duck a la orange or my hubby’s new fave, steak frites. I actually salivate just thinking about their tuna tartar appetizer, a hefty mound of minced fresh tuna Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – SEPTEMBER, 2014

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The soaring wings of the Milwaukee Art Museum, designed by Santiago Calatrava, actually can move up and down. photo by Karen Kuzsel

The soaring wings of the Milwaukee Art Museum, designed by Santiago Calatrava, actually can move up and down. photo by Karen Kuzsel

in this issue: Hot deals save you hotel fees in luxury properties across globe.

Wine Train celebrates 25 years.

My husband and I were in Milwaukee, WI last week. If you’re like me, going on a mini-vacation to Milwaukee was not on my favored lists of places to see.
It was, however, quite high on his, mostly because he has long wanted to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Johnson Wax Museum structure. The cherry atop the sundae was that not only did he manage to snag the last two open spots (in what is typically a months-long wait) for a free two-hour guided tour of the Johnson Wax building, but two other buildings were just recently included in the tour. I have to admit, I was impressed with both the complex and the detailed history behind SC Johnson and Wright. Just as important, Russ and I were booked into the historic Pfister Hotel, a gem of a classic beauty of architecture. Everything about the hotel, the five-star service and staff, and the culinary delights we ate at its Café were first-class. The hotel’s walkable proximity to famed architect Santiago Calatrava’s soaring addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum was like adding a layer of hot fudge sauce to a banana split.
The moral of my trip recap is that travelling to unknown sites, exotic of domestic, may exceed any expectations and result in memories forged from the surprise of discovery. My wish for you is to discover new destinations in my blog, maybe save some dollars going there by taking advantage of the Hot Deals offered, and to let all of know how it worked out.
Happy travels!
HOT DEALS! MEAN SAVINGS

Governor of the Picuris Pueblo blessed our breakfast at Santa Fe Hotel

Governor of the Picuris Pueblo blessed our breakfast at Santa Fe Hotel. photo by Karen Kuzsel

Hotel Santa Fe The Hacienda & Spa, Santa Fe, NM –  There is simply no other place in Santa Fe, NM where the Governor of the Picuris Pueblo can bless your meeting, you can sup next to an authentic Pueblo tepee, or walk among treasured Indian artifacts and handcrafted furniture. When you consider that if you book your meeting through May 31, 2015, you will not only have the possibility of all that, but you could choose a complimentary morning or afternoon break or even a one-hour welcome reception. I’ve been to this hotel. I’ve been blessed by the Governor. I’ve dined by the tepee and walked the halls. The hotel emanates a spiritually peaceful atmosphere. Be sure to check out Read more