Seattle Hotel Nexus Woodland Park Zoo Package

The Hotel Nexus, Seattle, is offering a Woodland Park Zoo package special from $137 - $222 nightly plus tax. Rates dependent on lead time, room type and arrival dates. Package includes one night in a room with two queen beds, two adult tickets to the Woodland Park Zoo and one child ticket, complimentary hot breakfast, free parking, and use of other hotel facilities.

Considering the area attractions, the shopping and the things to do in Seattle, its a good bet that you'll be needing more than a day, but the package is basically aimed at wanderers zipping in and out of North Seattle University District. In fact, the hotel even has an 'extended stay' package, for people who would rather not checkout.

Amenities at the hotel include an outdoor pool, wifi internet throughout the hotel, a lobby which serves out complimentary coffee with a plasma television for guests killing time or waiting for someone, a fitness center and indoor spa, and business center with meeting rooms for upto 200 people. The hotel is pet-friendly and offers free parking, a free shuttle service, and complimentary breakfast to all guests.

In place of the old Berkshire Grill, the hotel has a restaurant slated to open in August 2008 called the Saffron Bar & Grill which will serve fusion cuisine, in addition to the old Berkshire favorites including Prime Rib and Fish & Chips. In spite of the restaurant not being operative as of yet, the Nexus still whips up a darn good free breakast every morning, with the menu changing depending on the day of the week. Served everyday alongwith the breakfast are make-your-own Belgian Waffles, cereal, wheat bread, fresh juice and coffee.

The hotel has 169 guest rooms including 12 two room suites and 6 spa studios featuring in-room Japanese hydrotherapy soaking tubs. There's a refrigirator and microwave in each room, complimentary wireless and high speed internet, television with pay-per-view movies, HBO, ESPN and FOX, and a nintendo for games. The business and premium rooms feature a workdesk with chair, and the standard rooms feature either a desk or a dining table.

Info: 2140 N. Northgate Way Seattle Washington 98133; (206) 365-0700; www.hotelnexusseattle.com/

Hawaii Summer Specials

In a typical year, most of the major hotels in Hawaii are full up, and rarely, if ever, offer any specials or deals or freebies. But this being an atypical year, with a recession hanging over the economy and the price of oil zooming into the stratosphere, there's bargains to be had, with hotels offering everything from free nights to complimentary meals and rebate coupons.

In places like Waikiki, with so many things to do in Honolulu, its a virtual paradise right now, with limited tourists, hotel specials at places like the Hilton Hawaiaan Village and even the local tourism service providers picthing in by offering reduced rates for everything from tours to supplies. Here's a list of hotels offering summer specials in Hawaii.

Halekulani Hotel Honolulu: Experience five heavenly nights and receive the 5th night complimentary. As our guest, you will also receive a $100 leisure credit towards unforgettable Halekulani escapes. Details here.

Hilton Hawaiian Village: Offers Net Direct rates valid until Nov 15th 2008. Rates from $251 onwards. Details here.

Kaanapali Beach Hotel: Maui Super sale special with room and breakfast for two for $179. Plus they also have a great 'Family & friends' deal for 4 people. Details here.

Outrigger Reef on the Beach: Stay 5 nights, get one night free. Valid until Dec 21st 2008. Details here.

Hyatt Regency Maui: Sunshine on Sale promotion package at the Hyatt Regency Maui offers 6th night free and daily breakfast for two. Details here.

Gallery One - A Doubletree Suites Hotel, Fort Lauderdale

I guess I need to find some more things to do in Fort Lauderdale, cause Gallery One, a Doubletree Suites hotel in Fort Lauderdale, is offering a $132.99 per night two room suite with a kitchen.

The hotel is offering a 'Net Direct' $132.99 special until Dec 31st 2008, where you get a "completely renovated contemporary suite features marble entry foyer, living area with wall-mounted Plasma TV and sleeper sofa, dining table for 4, fully equipped stainless kitchen, Sweet Dreams Sleep Experience queen bed, marble bath with walk-in shower with Rainshower water-head with dramatic skyline view."

In-room amenities include a 26 Inch Flat HDTV, air conditioning, bathrobe and Neutrogena(R) bath amenities, LCD flat panel TV, sweet dreams sleep experience, complimentary remote printing, hairdryer, high speed internet access, iron & ironing board and microwave. Full payment in advance, no refunds/changes allowed. More details and online booking here.

The Hotel is situated on the main Intracoastal Waterway, 3 blocks from the beaches and next to the Galleria Mall with its upscale shops. In addition to the 231 guest rooms and suites, Gallery One has a gift shop, news stand, a tropical outdoor pool, fitness center, both coin and valet laundry, concierge desk, and a business center with meeting rooms.

Dining facilities include the Patio Bar overlooking the pool which offers beverages and light snacks, and Vue on the Water restaurant, which contemprary cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Info: 2670 East Sunrise Boulevard Fort Lauderdale Florida 33304; (954) 565-3800

Chancellor Hotel, Union Square, San Francisco

How would you like to spend a weekend in a $155 per night room for two people in a luxury Union Square Hotel in San Francisco? Topped off with $25 worth of free daily credits for beverages and restaurant food? If you think that's a great deal, and you think of some things to do in San Francisco for the weekend, call the Chancellor Hotel, San Francisco, at (800) 428-4748 and ask for the summer dining package.

Package includes deluxe accomodation with one queen or two twin beds, food & beverage credit worth $25 per day per room for the Luques Restaurant. Valid only on weekends, subject to availability and an additional 14% tax on the rate.

Located on Powell Street right on the cable car line to Fisherman's Wharf, the 137 room Cancellor Hotel is a boutique hotel and has been a family owned concern since 1914. It's the best location possible in an area which is one of the most tourist friendly locations in San Francisco, and filled with the best hotels in San Francisco.

Not much to say about the hotel, except that its cheap, offers rooms and two room suites, does not offer air-conditioning and no pets allowed. And even though the hotel is pretty old, its been recently renovated in 2007, so everything works and looks pretty neat. The hotel staff are quite friendly and know what they're doing, and you'll get service fast for things you need, or ask for, like room service. Speaking of which, the room service, and aforementioned free $25 per day credit for food and drinks, is for the Luques Restaurant & Bar, situated just off the hotel lobby, which serves breakfast and lunch with California cuisine.

The guest rooms are furnished with all the usual stuff like free wi-fi internet, hair dryer, in-room safe, iron & ironing board, free local calls, on-demand movies, free HBO and a nintendo for games. Standard room rates are around $200 per night.

Info: 433 Powell Street San Francisco CA 94102; (415) 362-2004; www.chancellorhotel.com/

Hotel Monaco KN Tranquility Suite, Chicago

Whether or not hidebound Field Museum and the other hidebound things to do in Chicago put you to sleep, the Monaco Hotel Chicago, has a KN Tranquility Suite that certainly will. Part of the Kimpton Hotels Group, the four star Hotel Monaco, formely a hat factory in the Loop business district steps from North Michigan Avenue shopping and Millennium Park, offers all kinds of simulations and relaxing room decor.

But that's for ordinary cookie-cutter guests. If you're the budding insomniac who has finished counting all the sheep in the Midwest and you're about to start off with the stars, then you need something special - Like the KN Karen Neuburger® tranquility suite, with a soothing wall sized water fountain and eco-friendly bamboo sheets. Plush window seats offer sweeping views of the city and a cozy corner for reading or meditating. KN Tranquility Suite "Sweet Dreams" Package comes with overnight accommodations in KN Suite, a KN Welcome Bag with keepsakes, cozy breakfast in bed for two ($40.00 value) and 2 p.m. checkout for the late sleeper. $360 per night based on double occupancy.

Guestroom amenities at the 192 guest rooms and suites of the Monaco Hotel include free wi-fi internet throughout the hotel premises, coffee maker, iron and ironing board, bathrobe, hair dryer, solid mahogany writing desks, in room yoga facilities, an essential travel kit, in-room safe, individual climate control, gourmet treats in the stocked honor bar, and some suites with deluxe bathrooms and two-person whirlpool tubs. The hotel is pet friendly. Room rates from $209 plus taxes.

Dining and room service for Monaco Hotel guests is provided by the adjacent South Water Kitchen, which serves up sumptous regional American fare like favorites like macaroni and cheese or falling-off-the-bone short ribs.

Info: 225 North Wabash Chicago IL 60601; (866) 610-0081; www.monaco-chicago.com/

The Pod Hotel - NYC Budget Lodging

You want a hotel room in Manhattan, close to the Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the United Nations and St. Patrick's Cathedral, for less than $150? You need to get a pod. Not literally, but in a manner of speaking - A room at the Pod Hotel, New York, on 230 E 51st St. The hotel labels itself as 'hip, convenient accommodations for the stylish and spendthrifty traveler' and offers rooms for $149 plus. Photo courtesy & copyrights - The Pod Hotel.

Your choice of Pod includes a Queen, Double, single or a bunk. All the pods offer LCD television, iPod docking stations, dimmer controls, free wi-fi internet, closets and in-room safes. The Queen and Double rooms offer private glass encased bathrooms and showers while the single rooms and bunks have shared baths. The bathrooms all have stainless-steel sinks, granite floors, rainhead showers, wall-mounted jets and streaming music. The bunk pod has two bunk beds with tiny LCD televisions for each bunk.



Its a well known fact that any hotel in Manhattan offering rooms below $200 is bound to be crap. But then, in this case, you might have to make an exception because the rooms are quite tiny, even by New York standards, and the amenities offered bare minimum. If that makes it crap, well... Nothing I can do to change your view, but what I look for in a hotel room is cleanliness, comfort and location.

I mean, what the heck are you going to do if you had an additional 200 sq ft? Dance in it? All you need is a bed, television, internet and a bathroom. If you have this, the rest is just window dressing. Well, the Pod has these things, and its cool and nerdy and comfortable, and has swanky bathrooms. And its cheap. And located slam-bang next to most of the cool things to do in New York everything you might want to visit as a tourist in the Big Apple. Nuf Said.



Info: 230 E 51st St. NYC, NY 10022; (800) 742-5945; www.thepodhotel.com/

Nickelodeon Family Suites 4-D Experience

Seems the Nick Hotel doesn't think there are enough things to do in Orlando, Fla., because the Orlando Sentinel says that Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn has announced the grand opening of its 4-D Experience, a 73-seat theater where hotel guests can see 3-D movies with sensory effects. The theater will show six short films -- including a SpongeBob SquarePants movie -- that include effects such as scents, bubbles and vibrations. Each will end with virtual "sliming," a Nickelodeon signature.

A 4-D experience sounds and feels like just the ticket and added motivation needed to stay inside the resort and never say anything else in Orlando... But for the record, if the hotel seems more attractive than the rest of Orlando, that's not just because of a new theater which will make you think you've lost your marbles. The Nick has fun activities by the bucketload, and even more fun guest suites.

Here's a few of the highlights - Two massive interactive pool complexes with multiple slides, climbing nets, and water jets; Nickelodeon-themed KidSuites®, 777 suites, netted basketball court; mini golf course; shaded kids play area with slides and squirt games, and an arcade with a 3000 sq ft game room. Average nightly rates from $246 onwards..

Info: 14500 Continental Gateway Orlando FL 32821; 407-387-5437; www.nickhotel.com/

Miami Spa Month

Spa vacations aren't just spas and facials and massages and treatments. They're about luxury, pampering, relaxation and locale. If its a spa in the middle of a hectic urban jungle, that takes away a major part of the attraction. On the other hand, if the spa sits adjacent to a beach, with a view of the ocean, lost of sun and natural beauty, that adds up to a lot of relaxation and luxury and pampering.

Plus, if you add in the list of things to do in Miami - The shopping, dining, entertainment, the hot beaches and cool nightlife and happening palces like Lincoln Road - what you have is a spa vacation. Photo by Mr. Usaji via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Which is why a gaggle of the world's best spas are situated in Greater Miami and the beaches. These spas offer opulent luxury, spacious comfort and professional masseuses trained to cater to upscale customers. In short, these are facilities fit for royalty, and you'll be treated like a Queen.

To make the whole concept of taking a Miami spa vacation more worthwhile, Miami is celebrating a 'Spa Month' in July (http://www.miamispamonth.com/). For the whole month, a collection of select spas will be offering special treatments at $99, topped off with an additional 10% discount on add-on spa services.



The list of participating spas include the Aquagene Spa, Doubletree Ocean Point Resort & Spa, Aquanox, Trump International Beach Resort-Miami, The Boutique Spa at The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami, ESPA at Acqualina, Guerlain Spa at The Regent Bal Harbour, Jurlique Spa at the Mayfair Hotel and Spa, Le Spa at the Le Meridien Sunny Isles Beach, mySpa at the InterContinental Miami, The Ritz-Carlton Spa at Key Biscayne, The Ritz-Carlton Spa on South Beach, Spa Chakra at the Conrad Miami , The Spa at Doral at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, The Spa at The Setai, The Spa at The Shore Club, The Spa at Shula's at the Shula's Hotel & Golf Club, Spa Terre at The Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, Spa V at Hotel Victor, Uhma Spa, and Willow Stream Spa at The Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club.

Hotel Gas Rebate Packages

With the price of gas heading south, unpredictable summer weather promising to further increase the pressure on oil prices and hotels already reeling under an overall recession in the general economy, the Hospitality industry is coming out this year with novel inducements and package specials to woo travelers to book in. One of these inducements is a free gas card or rebate. ranging from $20 to $150, these rebates are meant to offset the additional cost of traveling the same distance this year, thus keeping hotels in the competition for long distance travelers. Here's a listing of some of the best offers.

Expedia $50 Gas Card: Get $50 for free gas from Expedia when you book a stay of 3 or more nights at participating U.S. and Canada hotels and pay using your MasterCard® card. More details here.

Hotels.com Gas Package: Book 3 nights or more between May 19, 2008 to July 6, 2008 and travel by Sept. 1, 2008. At booking, use code GAS50 A $50 gas card will be mailed to you after your trip. More details here.

Hilton San Diego Del Mar: Gas and Go package offers a $25 gift card, free self parking and breakfast buffet for two. This could be even more attractive, if rooms are available, considering that the San Diego County Fair is just around the corner. More details here.

Algonquin Hotel, NYC: Provided you drive into the City, the Ahistoric Algonquin offers a 15% discount on best available prices. You'll have to provide proof that you drove in by presenting a parking ticket upon check-in. More details here.

Personality Hotels, San Francisco: Personality Hotels, which runs 7 boutique hotels in San Francisco, is offering the "Bend Over Backwards, But Don't Pass Gas!" package featuring a $10 gas card for each overnight stay, complimentary parking and deluxe overnight accommodations. More details here.

Mayflower Park Hotel, Seattle: I don't really know much about the things to do in Seattle, but if you must go, then stay at the Mayflower Park and take advantage of the Guests Gas It Up Package, which offers classic or deluxe guestroom, $20 shell gas card for each night of stay and complimentary valet parking. More details here.

Sanborn Guest House Los Angeles

The Sanborn Guest House is a charming little Bed & Breakfast nestled in the shrubbery on Sanborn Ave in the Silverlake/Los Feliz neighbourhood in Los Angeles. This B&B is ideally situated just off Sunset Blvd for visitors who want to visit the many attractions and things to do in Los Angeles, including Hollywood, Universal Studios, the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, the J. Paul Getty Center & Museum, Disneyland, Magic Mountain and for trips to and from the beaches.

Inspite of being in the middle of one of the most tourist friendly places in the world, the Sanborn Guest House sits in a quiet residential area, with neat houses and gardens. Run by two caretakers, Jaime and Gary, the Sanborn offers a guest room and a guest suite. Both are well furnished and equipped with centralized aiconditioning, private baths, television and VCR, wi-fi internet, telephone, ceiling fan, and queen size beds. Additionally, the Guest house offers use of a shared kitchen and a living room for guests, along with a gated parking lot. The house is furnished elegantly with a simplicity which one can only say reminds you of home, and so do the clean and comfortable rooms and all the books.

One quirky thing about this B&B is that while they offer you use of a kitchen, the cost of a prepared breakfast is not included in the booking charges. A minimum stay of 2 nights is required and no smoking or pets allowed inside the guest house. The guest room costs $75 or $95, depending on single/double occupancy, and the guest suite costs $89 or $115.

Info: 1005.5 Sanborn Avenue Los Angeles CA 90029; Online reservations; Contact

Los Angeles Marriott Downtown

The Los Angeles Marriott Downtown is a cookie-cutter chain hotel, propped by the brand name, a solid downtown location in the heart of the financial district and close to the Los Angeles Convention Center and the usual amenities and services afforded to guests at a Marriott. For all of that, though, there's precious little personality to speak of, and in an age of fierce competition for filling up hotel rooms, a posh hotel without a personality or a USP is like a not-so-beautiful woman wearing designer threads. Looks good from afar, but once you get up close, the proposition doesn't seem so attractive. Not to belittle a Marriott, because there's many pluses to counter the blandness.

If you inquire a bit more than usual, and select the right room out of the 400 guest rooms and 69 suites spread over 13 floors that the Marriott offers, you can get hold of a spacious room with floor to ceiling windows and a sweeping view of downtown Los Angeles with new and luxurious beds. Some of the rooms are dumps, but if you get the right one (change if you have to), a stay at the LA Marriott Downtown will definitely be a positive experience. But then, this applies to just about everything. If you do a little research about the attractions and things to do in Los Angeles, you can make teh entire trip an unforgettable experience. Point is, when you book a hotel room, make sure you get the best value for money.

In-room amenities at this Marriott include coffee maker, Web TV/internet browser, iron & ironing board, a seperate bath and shower with hairdryer, and bottled water, rollaway beds and cribs available upon request. Hotel services and amenities include an outdoor heated pool, business center with copying, fax and parcel services, car rental, vending machines, ATM, concierge desk, 24 hour room service, valet dry cleaning, 25,000 sq ft of meeting space with 23 meeting rooms, on-site fitness center, and valet parking for a fee.

Dining facilities on-site at the hotel include the Back Porch Restaurant with continental cuisine open for breakfast and lunch, the Lobby Bar and Lounge offering sandwiches and appetizers, and Moody's Bar and Grille for dinner.

Info: 333 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles CA 90071; (213) 617-1133; www.marriott.com

Sterling Hotel Sacramento

Situated 3 blocks from the State Capitol, Sacramento's Sterling Hotel looks like, and actually was, a Victorian mansion from yesteryear when the amber glow of gas-lit lamps would merge with the pristine white facade and the green lawn with the neatly paved entrance, with a horse drawn carriage awaiting guests, and creating an etherally beautiful landscape of charm and warmth and old southern style hospitality.

Today's Sterling Hotel, from the outside, looks much like the mansion did in the 1890s. Only, the inside is now a modern hotel with 17 impeccable guest rooms, a four star restaurant - the Chanterelle - and all the amenities and little perks which guests expect from an upscale hotel.

The old money atmosphere which the Sterling exudes draws not only visitors looking for things to do in Sacramento, and a storied, comfortable and luxurious place to stay, but also Sacramento residents for whom the combination of the stylish catering from the Chanterelle and the Sterling's magnificient ballroom with chandeliers, beautiful stained glass rotunda and arched beveled mirrors, and the seven-foot ivy laced topiaries offers a perfect setting for weddings, receptions, parties, tea gatherings and holiday events. Simply put, the Sterling is not only a high-class act, its also a status symbol for Sacramento's upper class.

Eeach of the 17 rooms at the Sterling have been exquisitely furnished and designed to recreate a Victorain aura along with the latest amenities, with Italian marble tiled bathrooms and jacuzzis, four poster beds, chandelier lighting, continental breakfast and a reception bar in the lobby, and individual attention and personalized care for each guest.

Info: 1300 H Street Sacramento CA 95814; (800) 365-7660; Photo credit & copyrights - Sterling Hotel

Ayres Hotel Anaheim

There's a certain sameness to all the resorts dotting the lanscape around Disneyland in Anaheim. I understand that the theme park is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, and as such, even hundreds of hotels wouldn't be enough to cater to the never-ending flow of visitors. Even so, at some point, the whole scene becomes one giant tourist trap, catering to kids and families and offering all kinds packages with Disney specials and such.

There's not that many things to do in Ahaneim which are not in some way or the other connected to Disney. Very upscale stuff, all this, and in such lean times (recession and all), what you need is a middle range hotel which offers location, comfort and a homey feel which seperates it from the Hiltons and the Marriotts. Enter the Ayres Hotel Anaheim. First, while all the other resorts and luxury hotels are chain hotels totally in sync with Disney as all American hospitality providers, the Ayres is a distinctly European themed boutique hotel with its own unique identity - a lobby with marble flooring, a central fireplace and Italian oil paintings.

Even though the hotel looks vast from the outside if you include the grounds, it has only a 126 guest rooms and 7 suites. This enhances the perception of the Ayres as an independent hotel offering personalized service to each guest, not to mention the fact that this makes the rooms comparatively large. It doesn't hurt, of course, that the hotel is located minutes away from everything of importance in Anaheim. And that includes the Honda Center, the Grove, Angel Stadium and Knott's Berry Farm. Its about 10 minutes away from Disneyland. Amenities offered include a spacious parking lot, compimentary breakfast and an evening reception, high speed internet, business center with meeting and conference space, a heated pool and a whirlpool spa, fitness center, self-laundry facilities with a washer and dryer, and valet laundry.

The rooms, again, speak of a slightly personal touch, with a view of the city parking lot or poolside area, are equipped with a mini-kitchen with refrigirator, wet bar and microwave and coffee maker, workdesk area, satellite television with HBO, wi-fi and high speed internet, and a full private bathroom with vanity. Much larger than the standard boxes you get at tourist traps, clean and furnished with extremely comfortable beds - Triple sheeted with feather pillows. And the noise level inside the rooms is very low, inspite of the hotel being situated close to train tracks. Room rates start at $129 plus taxes.


Info: Ayres Hotel Anaheim - 2550 E. Katella Ave Anaheim CA 92806; (714) 634-2106; www.ayreshotel.com/anaheim/

Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood

There's a lot worse you could do, as far as places to stay and things to do in Los Angeles are concerned, than book a room at the storied and much ballyhoed Roosevelt Hotel on 7000 Hollywood Blvd. For starters, its got history - Over 80 years of catering to Hollywood and sheltering a roster of stars including Clark Gable (he's got a penthouse named after him) and Marlyn Monroe (she's got a suite in her name), and, to top it off - The first Academy Awards in 1929 was hosted by the Roosevelt. Photo by idogcow via Flickr.

Secondly, the Roosevelt is now a Thompson hotel. What that means is that the hotel, in addition to its heritage, now offers discreet luxury, a choice selection of world class amenities and a unique 'atmosphere' which only a Thompson Hotel can offer. If you look at the Thompsons around North America - The 60 Thompson in Soho, New York, or the Thompson Beverly Hills, for example - you'll find a common thread running through all of them - Exclusivity, solid luxury with heavy and classy furniture (no plastic stuff here), a swanky rooftop bar with a scintillating view open only to select members and hotel guests and other little luxuries which are part and parcel of a Thompson hotel. As the hotel says, the Roosevelt is now a place where old Hollywood meets young Hollywood. Translation - Old moneybags studio head meets 20 something starlet ....

It's location along the Walk of fame and slam-bang in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, is particularly appealing to wide-eyed star struck celeb chasing tourists, and the hotel makes no secret of using its historical past to extract every possible dollar out of these tourists, with a couple of scalding hot and trendy star magnets in the form of the poolside Tropicana bar and the more stately and upscale Teddy's Lounge helping to add to the Roosevelt's aura of being the real Hollywood 'deal'. There's no way the Roosevelt can compete for trendiness and sheer heat with hotels like the Standard Downtown LA Hotel, but it still does have its share of Hollywood glitterati - Enough to keep the tourists and out-of-towners happy.

As far as amenities go, in addition to the bar and the lounge, the Roosevelt offers a steakhouse called Dakota, a burger bar called 25 degrees, an olympic size outdoor swimming pool with an original mural painted by David Hockney and poolside cabanas, a fitness center, spa and jacuzzi, 24 hour room service and concierge, along with the usual laundry and dry cleaning services.

After the massive renovation in 2005, the 12 story hotel offers 302 guest rooms and suites with cutting edge furnishings and the latest gizmos and luxuries like Fresh bath products, a workdesk area, coffee maker & coffee, iron / ironing board, complimentary high-speed wi-fi Internet access, Sferra linens, spacey bathrooms and hair dryer and Plush terry embroidered bathrobes, an in-room safe and a minibar refrigerator. Room rates start from $279 and onwards upto $479 for a suite. The upper level rooms have views of the city skyline, while the cabama rooms down below have private patios with poolside views.

Info: 7000 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles CA 90028; (323) 466-7000; www.hollywoodroosevelt.com/

Sir Francis Drake Hotel, San Francisco

You can use many a platitude to describe the Drake - Classy, elegant, historic, stylish - But the one which describes this hotel best is 'timeless'. There's a certain institutional air about it, like a federal building, which says this is how it was, and this is the way its gonna be, even if you come back a decade later. Photo by amelungc via Flickr.

Take, for instance, the ornate lobby with a high gilded ceiling and the crystal chandeliers, or the ever-present Tom Sweeney (the doorman), and the din of the cable cars. Nutty tourists invariably manage to find idiotic things to do, like taking pictures with the Naked Cowboy on 5th Ave in New York City. Similarly, one of the floopy things to do in San Francisco is to take a picture of yourself with Tom Sweeney, with the Drake in the bacground. Point is, it's like San Francisco has got used to the Drake, and to change it now into a cookie-cutter Union Square chain hotel where you simply check-in and check-out would be sacrilage.

But a hotel can't survive on past reputation alone. It needs neat, spacious and well equipped rooms, prompt service and a bucketload of amenities which travelers are used to. Luckily enough, the Drake is a Kimpton Brand Hotel, and Kimpton sets high standards across the board, including availability of the Kimpton Kids program, the EarthCare program and the Global Business program, not to mention Kimpton style shopping. And that's in addition to the usual complimentary wi-fi internet, room service and concierge, safety deposit boxes, 16 meeting rooms and a business center with the latest A/V equipment, in room spa services, shuttle service and an inhouse fitness center that opens late 2008 (meantime you can avail of the guest passes the hotel offers for ClubONE fitness, a block away from the Drake).

The hotel offers 416 guest rooms, including five suites and the plush Presidential Suite, with views of the City and the Bay. All rooms come with a cream, sage and a plum colored scheme, with complimentary wi-fi internet, cable television, on-demand movies and complimentary movie channel, a DVD player, a fully stocked honor bar, an essential travel 'kit', hairdryer, iron and ironing board, and Aveda bath products. Room rates start at $242.

For refreshments, dining and entertainment, the Drake offers three winners - Scala's Bistro, Harry Denton's Starlight Room and the Cafe Espresso - which, like the Drake, have gone above and beyond their call of duty in satisfying the needs of hotel guests, and are now very much part of San Francisco's foodie network. Scala's Bistro is the first floor Italian restaurant, a place very much in demand for its Italian cuisine as for the stylish setting. The Cafe Espresso serves up coffee, pastries and sandwiches, not to mention spreading around the delicious aroma of fresh baked bread. For it's part, Harry Denton's Starlight Room on the 21st floor, has made a name for itself as part of the evening cocktail circuit, with dancing, entertainment and a sweeping view of the City.

If you want a hotel room, there are n number of San Francisco hotels which offer all of this and more. But if you want your hotel stay to be part of the San Francisco experience, then there's nothing better on offer than the Sir Francis Drake Hotel.

Info: 450 Powell St. San Francisco CA 94102; (415) 392-7755; http://www.sirfrancisdrake.com/

San Diego Gaslamp Hotels

As far as I'm concerned, the list of things to do in San Diego gets restricted to three places - Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego. Again, further refining this list, I usually filter out the Zoo and SeaWorld, because unless you're traveling with family, there's not much point repeating visits to these kiddie zones. Which leaves the Gaslamp Quarter. Photo by Jim Epler via Flickr.

Now I realize that you could fill a small book if you started listing all the attractions in the Gaslamp Quarter, but again, if you had to drill down further - You come up with one focal point - PETCO Park. The attractions centred around the ballpark are the best, and it's the place to be, if you're an adult - A single adult - in San Diego.

So, assuming that's correct, if you're going to book a hotel in San Diego, you should book one in the vicinity of PETCO Park. There must be more, but offhand I can remember three good hotels which offer rooms and suites with views of PETCO Park - The Omni, Marriott, and Hard Rock Hotel.

Omni Hotel San Diego - 675 L Street San Diego CA 92101; (619) 231-6664
San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter - 660 K St San Diego CA 92101; (619) 696-0234
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego - 207 5th Ave San Diego CA 92101; (619) 702-3000

So, if you're going to be in San Diego in time for a Padres game, or you just want to enjoy the guilty pleasures of the Gaslamp Quarter, one of these three hotels would be the best bet. They not only offer baseball packages which include game tickets, but they also have baseball themed rooms, with memorabilia and artwork celebrating the history of the game and its greats.

Orlando Sans Disney

I say Orlando, you hear Mickey Mouse. Don't believe me? Take a pop quiz. Name a few things to do in Orlando which have nothing to do with Disney or theme parks for kids. Take your time. No, you can't look it up on Google. Time's up. How many you got? 1, 2... Maybe 3? Ok. Let me do this for you. Here's a list of the many and wonderful attractions in and around Orlando, Fla., which have absolutely nothing to do with Disney or theme parks or rides.

Art Galleries:

• The Terrace Gallery - 400 S Orange Ave
• Mayor's 2nd and 3rd Floor Gallery - City Hall, 400 South Orange Avenue
• Garden House Gallery - Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 North Forest Avenue
• Atlantic Center for the Arts - 1414 Art Center Avenue New Smyrna Beach
• Artisans Guild of Orlando - 2309 N. Orange Avenue
• Wyland Gallery - The Crossroads 12541 State Rd. # 535

Musuems:

• Orlando Museum of Art - 2416 N Mills Ave
• The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art - 445 N Park Ave, Winter Park
• Orange County Regional History Center - 65 E. Central Blvd
• Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum -

Downtown Orlando:

• Downtown Historic Walking Tour - 2.5 mile tour of Downtown Historic District
• Orlando Farmers Market - At Lake Eola Park every Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
• Greenwood Cemetery - 1603 Greenwood St, with 82 acres of rolling hills
• Loch Haven Park - 900 E Princeton Street
• Downtown Nightlife - Nightlife guide for Orlando's downtown area.

Orlando Guided Tours:

• Greyline City Tour - 6.5 hours, $59
• Go Orlando Card - Admission to over 50 attractions, tours and activities.

Things To Do In Fort Lauderdale

My vacations usually are ill conceived, poorly planned, and chaotic expeditions which, by nature, habit and necessity, morph into an 'off the beaten track' kind of holiday, with stops at quaint hick towns, roadside diners and detours to places which have probably never ever seen a tourist before. I'm not joking either. Last year I was in Bakersfield, CA, and I blogged about it, and someone at the City's tourism portal saw my post, and they were all abuzz on their forum about what exactly a tourist was doing in Bakersfield, how I got there, and how come no one realized I was a tourist. Tell me about it ....

Point is that I like it just this way, because the joy of traveling, and the things you discover on the road, is what I consider the vacation. Visiting a world famous tourist attraction like Miami's South Beach or Orlando's Walt Disney World Resort is just a duty - So I can tell family and friends that, yes, I visited this place or that place and saw this and that.... So, for the record, in between my discoveries and food and drink foraging in and around Fort Lauderdale, I did manage to bump into a few of these well known tourist watering holes, and here's my list of things to do in Fort Lauderdale.

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park - A 180 acre park sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Inland Waterway, this island is more of a throwback to the tranquility of undiscovered lands in centuries gone past - Serene beaches, freshwater lagoons, waves crashing on the rocks, mangrove swamps - It all adds up to an idyllic getaway from the ravages wreaked by man on the rest of Florida. Info: 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd. Fort Lauderdale FL 33304;(954) 564-4521; www.floridastateparks.org/hughtaylorbirch/

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens - A well preserved and complete house, it was designed by Frederic Clay Bartlett, and has all kinds of murals and art works which double in as furnishings and decor. I'm not terribly fond of museums and houses converted into museums signifying the lives of dead people (isn't it morbid?), but Bonnet House, and the Gardens, are well worth at least one visit, especially if you happen to be in Fort Lauderdale. Info: 900 North Birch Road Fort Lauderdale FL 33304; (954) 563-5393; www.bonnethouse.org

Voodoo Lounge - A cavernous dance club, a bar, DJ's mixing it up with hip-hop and R&B, a hip clientele and a private lounge make this a must-visit watering hole if you're fond of the urban delights a new place has to offer. Info: 111 SW 2nd Ave Fort Lauderdale FL 33301; (954) 522-0733; www.voodooloungeflorida.com/

Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruise - This sightseeing cruise on the Jungle Queen riverboat takes you up the New River to the JungleQueen Indian village, with downtown Fort Lauderdale and the historic yacht basins along the way. Info: Departs daily at 9.30 am and 1.30 pm; Address: Bahai Mar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd Fort Lauderdale FL 33316; Reservations -(954) 462-5596; www.junglequeen.com

Museum of Discovery and Science and IMAX 3D Theater - Featuring over 200 interactive exhibits, this museum is a wondrous place where you can find sharks, pet alligators, iguanas, and bats, take a simulated trip to the Moon or Mars, and best of all, catch a film at the five-story-high screen at AutoNation IMAX ® Theater. Now that's what I call a platinum screen ... Info: 401 SW Second Street Fort Lauderdale FL 33312; (954) 467-6637; www.mods.org/

Poolside at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Miami FL

I'm on a brief escapade in Miami, and its hot. In more ways than one. For starters, the weather is stunning, and when someone says that Florida is full of retirees, well... That's only true if you can label hot young babes in bikinis as retirees. And to top it off, Jennifer Anniston chose the same time to indulge in a poolside tryst with John Mayer (pictures), so the already hot Mandarin Oriental Hotel simply boiled over. I had made plans for the day, with a list of things to do in Miami, but I threw the plans overboard and made my way to aforementioned pool to see what all the fuss was about.


Not that I'm ever going to pay $500 plus for one night in a hotel room, but if you're curious about how A-list celebs spend their down time, all you need to do is land up at this waterfront Brickell Key hotel with it's own private beach, jogging trail, business & fitness centers, the finest restaurants (Azul, Cafe Sambal) and bars (M-Bar, Lobby Lounge) in Miami, a 15000 sq ft spa with floor to ceiling windows offering views of the Bay while you're given masssages by specially flown in Thai masseuses, a 20,000 ft beach club with beach butlers and cabanas, luxury shopping store (Shanghai Tang), and a Concierge who can get you tickets and access to anything you want. You could live here for weeks and not even feel the need to have a look at South Beach.
Anyway, let's get back to the pool. Just a stone's throw from a palm tree lined private beach, and overlooking the water, the beach club, juts out in a large V at a slight elevation above the beach, which makes the view all the more fantastic. Poolside deck chairs, celebs mixing with the local riff-raff, all in a show of flesh which would make even a Vegas stripper seem like a good Christian - All said and done, there's just one word to describe the beach club at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel - It's hot. Photo courtesy & copyrights - Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group


Info: 500 Brickell Key Drive Miami FL 33131; (305) 913 8383; www.mandarinoriental.com/miami

Sheraton Grand Sacramento

The Sheraton Grand Sacramento is offering multiple deals for the Memorial Day weekend. First is the package deal to coincide with the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, from 23rd - 26th May, which includes accommodations for a three-night stay, six drink coupons, six buffet breakfasts in Morgan’s Central Valley Bistro and two all access badges to the festival. The package costs $759, all inclusive for two people. Photo courtesy & copyrights - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

A second deal gives you the 3rd night free if you book for 2 nights, provided you arrive between Thusday and Saturday. Another package, exclusively for California residents, gives you a special weekend rate of $119 per night.

The Sheraton is a Starwood hotel, and as such, has the same quality amenities, brand products and services. All rooms offer high speed internet, coffee maker with Starbucks coffee, 42" plasma television with cable and in-room movies, iron & ironing board, hairdryer, refrigirator, room service, shower bath, workdesk, cribs, in-room video games, branded bathrobes and bath products (some of these amenities may carry an extra charge).

The dinding at the Sheraton Scaramento is provided by the aforementioned Morgan's Central Valley Bistro, with fresh California cuisine. In the morning, guests are provided with an all-you-can-eat buffet with fluffy scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage and bacon, cheese blintz, chef’s specialty item, breakfast pastries, yogurts, and freshly sliced fruit. In addition, teh restaurant also offers a full menu with specialty items such as the Crab Cake Benedict, Banana Stuffed Cinnamon Brioche French Toast, Huevos Rancheros, or Atlantic Smoked Salmon. Plus, there's a Deli called Glides Market and a 'Public Market Bar' for cocktails and snacks.

Ever since the salmon fishing has been on the blink for the last month or so, tourists and visitors have been at a loss for things to do in Sacramento, and a combination of the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee 2008 coupled with the Memorial Day weekend and an irresistible hotel package deal offers just that excuse to visit wonderful Sacramento with its historic Old Town area, and take trips along the beautiful and virginal Delta River.

Info: Sheraton Grand Sacramento - 1230 J Street 13th and J Street Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 447-1700; Web link