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HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – MID-MARCH 2016

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Battery Wharf Hotel lobby in Boston is offering great booking deals

Battery Wharf Hotel lobby in Boston is offering great booking deals


PUTTING ON A NEW FACE!
When’s the last time you chartered a boat for up to 45 of your closest friends or business guests? Never? Then now’s the time if you are bringing said-friends or guests to South Florida and want to introduce them to a slice of Florida’s natural heaven. The 80′ Solstice, a private yacht for up to 45 people, has been retrofitted with modern amenities and swank décor. The Solstice now has an iPad-controlled sound-system throughout. Guestrooms have been freshened, a full service bar sits on the refurnished Flybridge. Teak loungers on the top deck, an oversized sun bed and additional seating on the bow provide great views of dolphins frequently swimming alongside.
www.waterfantaseas.com; (305) 531-1480; info@waterfantaseas.com
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront’s Oregon Ballroom got a new “face” and meeting and event Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – NOVEMBER, 2014

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

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 Read more

HOTEL HAPPENINGS & PROGRAM PROMOTIONS – LATE JANUARY, 2014

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

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 – NOVEMBER, 2013

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

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