Beatles infest cruise ship, give back

by Chris Owen on

But this is a good thing.

Beatles Tribute Cruise 2011 is on sale now and for fans of the fab four it doesn’t get any better than this. “8 days a week” is exactly how long fans will sail on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas along with pretty much anybody who’s anybody in the world of Beatlemania.

Sailing from Miami with tribute-band The British Are Coming! and other special guests, fans will visit St Maarten, St Thomas, San Juan and Royal Caribbean’s private destination of Labadee in Haiti where Royal Caribbean is still helping, a year after a devastating earthquake rocked the island nation with donations of supplies each week.

Along for the ride is two-time Grammy award winning guitarist Laurence Juber, Beatles artist Shannon, TV and radio personality Tony Perkins, Beatles historian Tony Bramwell and Joe Johnson, the host & creator of the nationally syndicated radio show “BeatleBrunch“.

An annual event, this year’s cruise will be a fundraiser for Thrive/Survive Los Angeles to support young adult cancer survivors. On-board, a raffle will be held with close to 100 Beatles-related items to be given away during the sailing including a special Ultimate Weekend Tickets To Ride package for Abbey Road on the River along with autographed DVD’s from assorted post-Beatles artists.

For donation or ticket information contact Woody Lofton or register online.

Photo: Beatles Tribute Cruise

Woman claims Greyhound denied her travel because of burqa

by Elizabeth Seward on

Jacqueline Pasha attempted to travel by Greyhound to Arkansas in December, but she didn’t succeed. And Greyhound acknowledges this. The story becomes fuzzy, however, in the details.

Pasha was wearing her burqa when she tried to board the bus. According to Pasha, a staff member at the terminal said she looked scary. Pasha then proceeded to request that she be checked in a room separate from the main area, but the employee (the one who allegedly used the word ‘scary’ to describe her appearance) wouldn’t do it, citing security concerns.

Although Greyhound denies any form of discrimination in this case, Pasha is steadfastly seeking justice. She’s lodged a complaint with the Department of Human Rights by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“I am shocked that this happened in Chicago,” Pasha said. “I am not the only Muslim woman wearing a burqa out here.”

I realize that this kind of discrimation is much more widespread than I’d like to believe, but Chicago? Greyhound? Come on! Lets hope this one was a giant miscommunication rather than yet another reason to believe we’re not as openminded, as a whole, as we advertise.

[Thanks, Northwestern.edu]

[photo by Vanessa Brown]

Chicago Kimpton hotels announce last-minute deals for Bears, Packers game

by Melanie Nayer on

Are you ready for some serious football? Chicago is! And Kimpton Hotels is gearing up to give travelers coming in for the historic NFC Championship game a deal they can’t refuse.

The Chicago Bears take on the Green Day Packers this weekend, and the four Kimpton Chicago hotels — Allegro, Burnham, Monaco and Palomar — are offering an “End Zone” package to celebrate the matchup.

Guests who book the “End Zone” package receive deluxe overnight accommodations for two, which reflects a 20 to 60% discount before package elements, Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese, two Chicago-brewed beers and two pretzels.Hotel Allegro: Located at 171 W. Randolph St., Hotel Allegro is proud to be Green Seal™ Silver certified for its sustainable, earth-friendly practices.

Hotel Burnham: The Hotel Burnham, 1 W. Washington St., is one of Chicago’s great architectural jewels. Originally designed by Daniel Burnham and built as the Reliance Building in 1895, this living landmark is the first direct predecessor to Chicago’s modern skyscrapers.

Hotel Monaco: The AAA Four Diamond Property at 225 N. Wabash Ave overlooks the Chicago River and is located just steps from the North Michigan Avenue and State Street shopping districts.

Hotel Palomar: Located in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, Palomar is Kimpton’s newest addition to its Chicago family. The boutique concept features 261 guest rooms and suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a rooftop indoor pool. The hotel is located at 505 North State Street, Chicago, IL, 60654.

Rates start at $129/night and are valid today through Monday, January 24, 2010. For reservations and to check availability, call 1.800.KIMPTON and use the Rate Code “END.”

Arizona restaurant taking prepaid orders for lion tacos

by Scott Carmichael on

An Arizona restaurant has made a name for itself by selling “exotic” tacos every Wednesday.

After python, alligator, elk and turtle, Boca Tacos y Tequila turned to a vendor in California to order up something “different”. The next big thing on their menu lion meat. And at $100 a pound for ground lion, this is definitely not a cheap cut of meat.

The Tucson restaurant plans to serve the tacos on February 16, but only to patrons that pre-order by 3PM February 7.

Because lion meat is pretty rare here in the U.S. the owner has been asked whether eating lion is legal. According to the FDA, meat like this is indeed perfectly legal, as long as the species is not considered endangered.

If you’d like to try this once-in-a-lifetime taco, you can call Boca Tacos y Tequila at (520) 777-8134 to place your order – each taco costs just $8.75. The tacos will be served “Sonoran style”. Besides the lion meat, you can add cabbage, guacamole, pickled red onions and diced cucumbers, along with any of the six house-made salsas. Roar!

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[Photo: AP]

U.S. hotels donate hotel room rates to charity

by Melanie Nayer on

It feels good to give back, and at Gadling, we’re always eager to showcase hotels that do good. Case in point: Sage Hospitality. During the first two weeks of February 2011, each of the 53 Sage hotels across the country will run “While You Were Sleeping” promotions, which donate overnight rates on randomly selected rooms to the guest’s choice of charity.

From Feb. 1-14, 2011, each Sage property will choose four guests at random, and each guest’s room rate will be donated to a charity. The guest will be offered the opportunity to select a beneficiary from a list of renowned charities compiled by Sage Hospitality including FoodforthePoor.org, Volunteers of America, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, World Vision and UNICEF.
Hotels participating in the promotion include:

Alabama: Courtyard Mobile Spanish Fort/Eastern Shore in Spanish Fort, Ala.; Fairfield Inn & Suites Mobile Spanish Fort/Eastern Shore in Spanish Fort, Ala.

Arizona: Sheraton Airport Hotel Tempe in Tempe, Ariz.; Sheraton Tucson Hotel and Suites in Tucson, Ariz.

California: Courtyard Los Angeles Pasadena/Monrovia in Monrovia, Calif.; Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown in San Diego, Calif.; Homewood Suites by Hilton SFO Airport North in Brisbane, Calif.; Del Mar Hilton San Diego in Del Mar, Calif.

Colorado: The Curtis, a Doubletree Hotel, in Denver, Colo.; Courtyard by Marriott Denver Downtown in Denver, Colo.; Hilton Garden Inn Denver South/Meridian in Englewood, Colo.; JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek in Denver, Colo.; The Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colo.; Pueblo Marriott in Pueblo, Colo.; Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park in Denver, Colo.; Residence Inn by Marriott Denver City Center in Denver, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Boulder Broomfield in Broomfield, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Colorado Springs in Colorado Springs, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Denver Downtown in Denver, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Denver Southeast in Denver, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Littleton Southwest in Littleton, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Denver Tech Center in Englewood, Colo.; TownePlace Suites by Marriott Denver West Federal Center in Golden, Colo.; The Westin Westminster in Westminster, Colo.

Florida: Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at SeaWorld International Center in Orlando, Fla.

Georgia: Doubletree Hotel NE/Northlake in Atlanta, Ga.; Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Perimeter Center in Atlanta, Ga.; Glenn Hotel in Atlanta, Ga.

Illinois: Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel in Chicago, Ill.; Chicago’s Essex Inn in Chicago, Ill.; Hilton Garden Inn Hoffman Estates in Hoffman Estates, Ill.;

Michigan: Courtyard by Marriott in Brighton, Mich.; Courtyard by Marriott in Lansing, Mich.; The Baronette Renaissance in Novi, Mich.

Minnesota: Crown Plaza Hotel Minneapolis North in Minneapolis, Minn.; Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Duluth, Minn.

Mississippi: Courtyard Biloxi North/D’lberville in D’lberville, Miss.

Nevada: Fairfield Inn by Marriott Las Vegas Airport – Las Vegas, N.V.

North Carolina: Charlotte Marriott Executive Park in Charlotte, N.C.

Ohio: Crowne Plaza Cincinnati North in Cincinnati, Ohio;

Oregon: the Nines, The Luxury Collection, Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Portland, Ore.; Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center in Portland, Ore.

Pennsylvania: Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Rhode Island: Renaissance Providence Hotel in Providence, R.I.

Texas: Hilton College Station and Conference Center in College Station, Texas; Hampton Inn Six Flags in San Antonio, Texas; Houston Holiday Inn South Loop in Houston, Texas

Utah: Marriott Ogden Hotel in Ogden, Utah

Washington: Courtyard Seattle in Seattle, Wash.; Hawthorn Suites in Kent, Wash.; Holiday Inn Renton in Renton, Wash.

Wisconsin: Residence Inn by Marriott Milwaukee Downtown in Milwaukee, Wis.

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