Where's the Heart O' Chicago?

The Heart of Chicago can be found where Hollywood meets Michigan. Huh? That's the Heart O' Chicago motel, which is located in Chicago, IL, one mile from the Hollywood Beach on Lake Michigan. If you're looking for Chicago motels, look no further. The Heart O' Chicago has everything you need, and then some.

A long and colorful history - you got it (built in 1959)
Complimentary continental breakfasts - you got it
Free wireless Internet access - you got it
Multilingual staff - you got it
24-hour front desk - you got it
Free parking - you got it
Air conditioning - you got it

Room options include 1 bed with bath, 2 beds with bath, and 1 King bed with bath. Average rates are around $110 per night. Location is in a friendly residential neighbourhood, but you might need a car or have to use some other mode of transportation (10 minute walk to the nearest subway station) if you wish to go visit the usual tourist attractions in Chicago. Rooms are generally known to be clean and service decent, although you are advised to exercise caution and use your own judgment.

For those who do not have the budget for checking into one of the high-end luxury hotels in Chicago, but dislike the 'seen one, seen them all' quality of the Motel 6 and Super 8 motels, a place like the Heart O' Chicago can really be a blessing.

Save money on accommodations, and spend it on yourself. Go on a shopping spree on the Magnificent Mile, hang out at a jazz club and enjoy the fine cuisine offered by Chicago's restaurants.

Info: 5990 North Ridge Ave Chicago IL 60660; (773) 271-9181; www.heartochicago.com/

$69 Ski Packages from Grand Sierra Resort Reno

Don't tell anyone, but I clicked on an advertisement on a website today. I know, it's shameful. Nobody clicks on advertisements anymore. But this one was just too good to let it go by. It was an ad from a resort in Reno, and the first image said $69 ski package at the Grand Sierra Resort, including a room and ski lift ticket.

The next picture says they'll give you $50 Match Play or $25 Free Play. The third image says you also get $50 dining credit or $50 spa credit. My math is not so good, and it seemed too good to be true, but I had to know the details. So I clicked.

And sure enough, they do offer all this. This season Grand Sierra Resort has the best ski packages available, starting at $69 per person. Take your pick of 11 ski resorts including Squaw Valley USA, Alpine Meadows and Mount Rose. All ski packages include your choice of $50 Match Play or $25 Free Play and a choice of either a $50 Dining credit or $50 Spa credit.

Actually, the reason I found this package was because I was looking for some good indie Reno motels. But the only ones I found were the branded motels (Motel 6 & Super 8). One site had a huge list of motels and budget hotels, and when I looked deeper, most of them had closed down or joined up with the chains.

When you look at the ridiculously cheap prices offered by the ski resorts in Reno, you understand why there are no motels left.

Info: 2500 E. Second Street Reno NV 89595; (775) 789-2000; www.grandsierraresort.com/

Vegas Chalet Motel

The Vegas Chalet Motel in North Las Vegas is a rare breed - A motel which is just a motel and nothing else. More often than not, lodging is a secondary aspect for people who come to Sin City. There's many reasons for this, including the fact that one way or the other, everyone in Vegas - residents and visitors alike - has a very close connection to gambling and the casinos.

If you're a resident, then you work in a casino, or you work for a company or organization which deals with casinos. If you're a visitor, you'll be hard pressed to find a place to stay which does not have an attached casino, or at the very least - One within walking distance. My point is that most hotels in Las Vegas are way cheaper than the brand name motels. Secondly, like I said, most of them have a casino tucked in somewhere.

So you'll be hard pressed to find decent and cheap Las Vegas motels which simply offer a cheap place to stay without the usual Vegas 'experience'. Most of these stand-alones have either closed down or joined up with the lucrative casino business. The Vegas Chalet Motel is one of the last remaining breed of independent stand-alone motels.

It's quite some distance from the Strip, and offers 50 budget rooms with satellite television, complimentary parking, free local calls, daily housekeeping, 24 hour front desk, iron & ironing board, electronic locks, and vending machines. Rooms have heating and air-conditioning, and bathrooms have bathtubs & showers. You have a choice of rooms with single or twin beds.

You'll find restaurants (Mariscos Las Islitas) and shopping facilities close by, and of course, there's also some casinos in the vicinity. Or you can just drive or use public transportation to the Strip. Rates from around $60 per night. No pets allowed.

Info: 2401 Las Vegas Blvd N.North Las Vegas NV 89030; (702) 642-2115; www.vegaschaletmotel.com/

Miami Blu Motel

Got the recession blues but still dreaming of the hot and sizzling Miami? No worries. We got something for every budget. There's a bucketload of Miami motels which cater to every kind of traveler. Some are full of transients, some are family friendly, and some even offer the luxury facilities and amenities like big hotels.

The basic concept of settling for a motel is to cut down the cost, so first you need to find motels which are in betwen $50 to $75 max. Second, you ened to make sure said motel offers most, if not all, of the amenities one would expect from a big hotel. If you can do this, you end up saving well over a 100 dollars, while giving up very little comfort and luxury.

One such motel, which offers the best of both worlds, is Motel Blu. In fact, it fits the bill so perfectly that even the management is confused over whether to label themselves as a hotel or a motel. So they call themselves 'Motel Blu - A Miami Hotel in Biscayne.'

The hotel/motel is located within a few minutes of the Miami beaches, Miami downtown and the Interstate 95. Each guest room features high speed Internet access and cable satellite television with HBO®, Showtime and Disney. Hotel amenities include an outdoor pool and a new 5 Star Restaurant. In addition, you get air conditioning, spacious parking facilities and wireless internet.

Unless you're looking for snooty waiters with bow-toes, Motel Blu isn't that big a change from any of the decent Miami hotels you'll find in the vicinity. The kicker, of course, is that rates at Motel Blu start from $65 for an 'efficiency' room. For a room with double beds - $68. Throw in the Air/Cruise Port Shuttle Package for one person, and you have to pay out the grand sum of $89. Two people for the Air/Cruise Port Shuttle Package? $95.

So, you could either wait for a couple of years to get over the recession. Or, you could catch an economy flight right now, and book into Motel Blu. Miami vacations on the cheap like this - including airfare, motel charges, food and other expenses - will probably cost you less than what you'd pay just for a posh suite with an oceanfront view at a luxury hotel on Collins Avenue.

Info: 7700 Biscayne Blvd Miami Florida 33138; (305) 757-8451; www.motelblu.com/

Valentine Fever Strikes Hilton Concord in Oakland

Call pest control. Or the Department of Health! The Ghost Busters! There's a little guy wearing nothing but underwear, armed with a bow and arrow, terrorizing the good folks at the Hilton Concord Hotel in Oakland, CA.

Name tag says he's Cupid something and his stated mission, according to one victim, is to hit everyone he sees with his hi-tech chemical tipped arrows which apparently unleashes your inner romantic. He's doing very well, because he seems to be working in cahoots with some of the hotel staff, and the Hilton Concord finds itself in the shameful situation of becoming one of the most romantic hotels in Oakland and the East Bay.

The capitalist Hilton guys have drummed up three packages which make people more susceptible to the potent arrows from aforementioned tiny terror. Listed below are the three romantic getaways for Valentine's Day at the Hilton Concord.

1. Cupid's Arrow - You will be greeted in your room with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and a chilled bottle of house champagne. Wake up the next morning to have Breakfast in Bed with a select menu. Also included is a late check-out of 3pm. Rates from $174 per night. Valid from Feb 12 - Feb 16, 2009.
2. Be My Valentine - you will be greeted in your room with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and a chilled bottle of house champagne. Have a romantic dinner for two in the on-site restaurant Grissini Trattoria and Wine Bar. Dinner includes an appetizer to share, two House Salads, two entrées, and a Lover's Dessert to share. Wake up the next morning to have Breakfast in Bed with a select menu. Also included is a late check-out of 3pm. Rates from $304 per night. Valid from Feb 12 - Feb 16, 2009.
3. Always and Forever - You will be greeted in your room with a delicious box of See's Candies. Then, have a romantic dinner for two in our on-site restaurant Grissini Trattoria and Wine Bar. Rates from $319 per night. Valid from Feb 12 - Feb 16, 2009.

Hmm... Seems like the Always and Forever package offers less value for more money than the Be My Valentine package. But then, no one ever said that love makes any sense, or is based on any kind of logic.

Info: 1970 Diamond Blvd Concord CA 94520; (925) 827-2000; www.concordhilton.com/

Be Mine In ’09 Romance Package at Mayflower Park Seattle

The Superbowl is over, the Steelers stole the game, and its time to throw away the beer bottles, and start focusing on things you've been neglecting in football fever. Like that booking for a Valentine's Day celebration for the lady who's been toiling while you were sprawled out on the couch, stuffing chips and swilling beer.

It's the month of Cupid, and he's got his bow and arrow all ready and aimed at you. So you better stick 'em up and hand over everything you have, including your heart and your credit card. If you're looking to make 2009 the year when you made the pitch to that special someone who makes your heart go racing like a ferrari on nitrous boost, then I have the perfect place and package for you - The Be Mine In ’09 Romance Package at the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle.

Valid through February, the package includes:-

• Classic, deluxe or suite accommodations
• Champagne or sparkling cider upon check-in
• Full American breakfast for two
• Valet parking
• Late 2 pm check-out

Under this package, the classic guestroom costs $189, the deluxe guestroom $199, and suite accommodations at $209. More details and online booking here. Romantic getaways don't get any better than this.

The Mayflower park Hotel has plenty of history, having first opened it's doors way back in 1927. It was called as The Bergonian at that time. There aren't that many upscale Seattle hotels which have as much history as the Mayflower Park, and are still in business.

It's location in downtown Seattle, at Fourth Avenue and Olive Way, is also the perfect place for a frenetic day of shopping in Seattle. The Mayflower Park directly connects to Westlake Center, a four level shopping mall. Macy’s Department Store and Nordstrom are both across the street, and the Pacific Place mall is just two blocks away and houses Cartier, Tiffany & Co., the Pottery Barn and other fine shops.

The rooms at the Mayflower Park Hotel feature poster headboards and armoires in traditional Queen Anne styling. And you can make use of the many in-room amenities including hair dryer, iron and ironing board, free high-speed internet, coffee makers, luxury robes, large screen televisions and in-room safes.

Hotel amenities include a fitness studio, valet parking, same day laundry, business services, and in addition to the aforementioned Andaluca restaurant, there's also a lounge (Oliver's Lounge).

Info: 405 Olive Way Seattle WA 98101; (206) 623-8700; www.mayflowerpark.com/

Buy Buy Manhattan Special at Roger Williams NYC

Whether it's business, pleasure or a getaway from it all, there's no hotel which is more tuned into the needs of travelers and New Yorkers alike, than 'The Roger'. Great Murray Hill location on Madison Ave, just blocks from Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building and the other famed New York attractions, a short stroll from SoHo, the Fashion District, Union Square, Park Avenue, and the West Village.

The Roger Williams Hotel offers 193 guest rooms and suites, 15 garden terrace rooms boasting private, landscaped terraces, wireless internet (extra charge), full-service concierge, help-yourself breakfast pantry, with complimentary daily newspapers, signature cocktails and light fare on the Mezzanine Lounge, high-tech meeting space, and a state-of-the-art fitness center with latest-generation cardio fitness equipment.

And inspite of the location and popularity of the hotel amongst tourists enjoying their New York vacations, it's still surprisingly cheap. Rates for the specials start from $289 per night. And that's just the starting point. There's oodles of deals and packages inside, including the Sunday Stays deal, where you get 20% off on the best available rate.

Other notable specials include the Buy Buy Manhattan shopping package, which includes deluxe accommodations, complimentary champagne or valet parking, special welcome discount coupon, and free "I love NY" tote bag. They'll also provide you with all the information you need to enjoy a day out shopping in Manhattan.

There's also a 'Romantic Manhattan' package, and another one called 'Manhattan holidays' which offers 25% off for 3-night stays and 50% off for 4-night stays.

I've seen the insides of plenty of New York hotels, and very few are able to find the correct balance between luxury and affordability, and between discrete privacy and stylish flamboyance. The Roger Williams Hotel neatly straddles this divide, and that's about all you need to know.

Info: 131 Madison Avenue New York NY 10016; (888) 448-7788 / (212) 448-7000; www.hotelrogerwilliams.com/