Put some romance into your life this spring. If you head out to St. Martin by the end of May, check out Le Domaine de Lonvilliers. The property’s new “Special Romance Package” will get you a free night when you book four. Along the way, you’ll score a free breakfast every day, a romantic dinner and airport transfers. After spending all that time relaxing the sun, you’ll definitely need the free massage that’s being kicked in. At $390 a night, through May 31, 2010, this is a fantastic deal. The intimate hotel has only 141 rooms, so you won’t need to worry about tripping over the other guests, and dinner at “La Table du Marche” is a must – the craftsmanship of chef Christophe Leroy shouldn’t be missed!
The Alstadt Hotel – unassuming luxury
The Alstadt Hotel is a charming Vienna residence where one feels instantly at home.
Located in historic Spittelberg (Vienna’s 7th district), the accommodations are a strange blend of home and hotel, in that they share a stairway, an elevator and several hallways with actual Vienna apartments. You can see from the photo at right that at first glance, you might not even notice that it’s a hotel, as the reception level and lobby are on the 2nd floor. How often does one walk through their fancy hotel and see people carrying their groceries? I found this juxtaposition welcoming and fun.
When I stayed at The Alstadt last month, I was lucky enough to be put in one of the Matteo Thun rooms. The Alstadt has 8 rooms and one suite created by this Italian design superstar. Mine, “The Leonie,” was decked in blacks, grays, silvers and rich red. Check out the gallery to see the Victorian wallpaper, see-through black tile bathroom and the image of a naked woman on the ceiling above the bed (surprisingly tasteful!).
%Gallery-88597%Breakfast at the Alstadt is a cozy, friendly affair. Guests all gather in the common spaces downstairs to partake in the buffet and free-flowing coffee, orange juice and champagne. The food was a quirky blend of savory and sweet, most of it very light, and eggs could be made to order. One thing I especially liked about the breakfast was that it encouraged guests to make use of the comfortable and welcoming lobby space on the reception level, which can be used all day as a sitting room — and might otherwise not be utilized properly, because you don’t have to pass it to get to your room. The reception level also includes a smoking room with a free internet-enabled computer, so travelers without laptops don’t have to completely disconnect.
If you’re looking for a cool place to stay in Vienna with a little luxury and a lot of character, I would highly recommend The Alstadt. They offer packages for art lovers and honeymooners, and rates start at 119 euros (approximately $161.51) per night.
My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.
Daily Pampering: The Tanning Butler, Ritz-Carlton South Beach
Oh, hellooooo, Mr. Tanning Butler.
Ladies, allow me to introduce you to your favorite beach accessory. He strolls Ritz-Carlton’s South Beach pool and beach area during peak tanning hours with one purpose: to apply sunscreen to those hard-to-reach shoulder and back areas.
You can flag him down every weekend from 12 noon to 4 p.m. and ask him to layer on the Hampton Sun tanning products. The Tanning Butler travels with an Evian spritzer to help you cool down, and will even clean off those spots on your sunglasses. Whether you need SPF 10 or SPF 100, he’s got it and will offer you a complimentary rub-down… err, sunscreen application, while you enjoy your day in the sun.
“This modern twist on the English butler is beyond guests’ expectations,” said Michelle Payer, creator of The Tanning Butler. “It’s a light-hearted service we created to cater to our guests as they sunbathe by providing an unexpected, luxury service they won’t see anywhere else in the world,” she said.
We completely agree, Michelle! (And may I just say, bravo, Ritz-Carlton. You rarely disappoint, but this little luxury certainly tops the list of favorite hotel amenities.)
UPDATE: We just got word that the The Ritz is hiring a new tanning butler!
“We’re looking to fill the position immediately with someone who’s outgoing, positive, energetic and recognizes the role as a brand ambassador,” said Payer.
If you think you fit the bill (Requirement #1: The position is for men only) contact the Ritz-Carlton South Beach for details. It’s a good gig, if you can get it — the last tanning butler is on his way to Italy for an Armani modeling gig. (psst, Ritz-Carlton: If you need help with the interviewing process, you know how to reach me.)
Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.
Label your power cords – Hotel tip
Today’s tech-savvy world requires a lot of equipment to stay “plugged-in.” Cell phones, laptops, and MP3 players all require power cords to recharge. Since these items don’t need to be plugged in all the time, it’s easy to forget your power cords when checking out of a hotel.
Increase your chances of recovery by writing your name and contact information on a piece of masking tape and securing the tape to your power cord. Be sure to write clearly, and use an indelible marker, such as a Sharpie, so the information will not smear or rub off.
Before you check out, simply grab all the cords with your name on them. If you accidentally forget one, you can easily call the hotel and say, “I forgot my cord. Mine is the one with my name and address on it.”
Safeguard the safe – Hotel tip
If the safe inside your hotel room is electronic, follow these procedures to keep your valuables even safer:
- Before and after entering your key code, wipe the touch keys with a damp cloth, then dry the keys.
- After the door is locked, firmly press all numbered keys once. This may set off a small alarm, but it will stop quickly.
Why would you do this? There have been reports that in some hotels the hotel staff was placing a powder or oil residue on the touch keys, which when lit, showed them which numbers on the safe were pressed. Wiping the keys clean and pressing them all throws potential thieves off the trail.