Legoland California Water Park prepares for May 28 opening

by Leigh Caldwell on

The water is flowing to fill up the pools and slides at the Legoland Water Park, which opens May 28 in Carlsbad, California.

Legoland brought in local firefighters for a “bucket brigade” photo op to start filling the park’s lazy river. In Legoland fashion, the river is called the Build-A-Raft River, and kids will be able to build their own raft out of soft Lego building blocks.

The new park is geared for families with kids ages 2 to 12. Attractions include:

  • Jumbo Lego models that splash or spray water
  • Orange Rush, a family tube slide
  • Twin Chasers, side-by-side enclosed tube slides
  • Splash Out, a 240-foot open body slide
  • Joker Soaker, a water play platform with water cannons
  • Duplo Splash Safari, a smaller water play area sized for preschoolers

The 5.5-acre water park is adjacent to Legoland California. Admission to the water section will cost an extra $10 on top of the Legoland admission ticket.

Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Newport, Rhode Island

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s a lot to love about Newport, Rhode Island. The beaches, the boats, the sunsets, the nightlife, the festivals and the quaint downtown district make Newport a New England favorite. Rhode Island’s favorite beach town is hopping in the summer months, so if you plan to take part in the adventures you’ll need to book ahead. Located just a foot-and-car bridge away from the center of town is Goat Island, home of the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel. I hopped over the bridge for a weekend getaway to check out the Hyatt and was pleasantly surprised by the hotel’s ability to shed its chain-status and blend in with the boutique brands in Newport.

The Rooms

Thanks to the recent renovation that replaced a parking lot with green space and opened up the views to Newport Harbor, nearly all the rooms at the Hyatt are ‘waterfront’ rooms, which means no matter what your location you’re bound to have a great view. Each room is designed with a nautical theme, apparent by the white sheets, blue blankets and tan throw pillows. Each room comes with T-Mobile wireless Internet hook-up ($9.95/day), a separate work area, Portico bath products, HBO, HBO family, on-demand programming and delivery of a daily newspaper. My room 3314 was in the Captain’s Quarters of the hotel – a section of the hotel set aside from the main lobby area, and perfect for travelers like me who appreciate the sound of silence. The added bonus to these rooms are the private balconies, which provide perfect views of The Pell Bridge.

One of the best parts of the hotel caters to families: on the same floor as the indoor pool (the perfect place for kids on a rainy day) and the fitness center are rooms big enough to be called suites, but priced as regular hotel rooms due to foot traffic they acquire. I wouldn’t recommend these rooms for a couple wanting some alone-time or a solo traveler needing some privacy, but for a family of four needing a great value and options to cure mid-afternoon boredom, these rooms are a great fit.

The Bathrooms

The bathrooms are a decent size and rooms are a tub/shower combo. Each bathroom features Portico bath products and free toothpaste (a fun bonus from the hotel). As part of the hotel’s eco-friendly initiatives, room service will only supply fresh towels if you ask.

%Gallery-92815%Restaurants & Room Service

The hotel has four different dining options for guests: The Windward Restaurant, Pineapples on the Bay, Five33 Lounge and The Galley – a Coffee Bar. Windward Restaurant is the hotel’s main dining option, offering seating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant hosts a buffet breakfast, complete with omelet station, as well as lunch and dinner options that range from specialty pastas to seafood favorites. Tip: try the clam chowder. It’s packed with clams, onions and potatoes and served with grilled bread that’s great for dipping. A New England favorite!

Pineapples on the Bay is the hotel’s poolside dining and bar option. It wasn’t open on my visit, but I did get a look at the gigantic s’mores pit that is opening at Pineapples Memorial Day weekend, just in time for the summer season. The hotel’s bar, Five33, was recently redone and adds a classic twist on typical bar flare. The dark wood bar and tables are offset by muted red and gold chairs, and a steel-encased fireplace separates the bar from the rest of the hotel. You can order appetizers, dinners and desserts here, and if you’re lucky, you might even be treated to a little live music, thanks to the grand piano that graces the bar area.

The Galley – a Coffee Shop – serves Starbucks coffee and hotel-made pastries for guests on the go. The venti coffee and fresh-baked croissant was a perfect wake-up call before my morning walk to the hotel’s on-site lighthouse (keep reading).

Room service is available and the hotel makes every effort to deliver within 30 minutes of your call (that’s what they tell you when you order).

The Spa

Stillwater Spa is one of Rhode Island’s award-winning spas and offers a suite of options for guests. There were a few weddings happening the weekend I was there, which meant plenty of up-dos and last-minute makeup touches, but the spa was big enough that it didn’t seem chaotic. On a summer day, the spa’s private deck would be open for guests to lounge and order lunch and cocktails for groups. During the off-season, the spa’s relaxation room plays host to parties and individuals just before their treatments.

The spa prices are comparable to any high-end spa. Manicures and pedicures range from $40-$65; massages range from $75-$300; hair and makeup is based on private consultation but start at $18 for a basic haircut.

The Pool/Outdoors Area

In the summertime, this place is hopping. While the hotel’s indoor pool is a great option for rainy days, the outdoor saltwater pool is a great way to spend a summer day. Located directly outside from the spa and adjacent to Pineapples, the outdoor pool also features great water views. In a few weeks, the outdoor s’mores pit will be complete, which means a lot of late-night sugar snacks.

The Hyatt books a lot of weddings, which means a lot of party space is made available for guests. During my stay at the Hyatt, there were two weddings and one Army Ball. One of the more unique aspects of the hotel was the clambake section, available for private parties adjacent to the hotel’s outdoor wooden-tent space. Note to travelers: If you’re booking this area be advised that the backdrop is the water, and on the water are boats (oftentimes cruise ships). While the staff at the Hyatt do everything they can to make your wedding wonderful, they cannot move the cruise boats from the water in an effort to keep the boats out of your pictures (as requested by one blushing bride).

Additional Amenities

While the Hyatt hasn’t bought into the free WiFi pledge we’re pushing, there is a business center with free Internet for those guests not wanting to pay the $9.95/day charge.

If you’re driving, you can valet the car for $15.00/day or self park for $10/day. Both options come with 24-hour in-and-out privileges.

No worries if you don’t want to drive – the hotel has a free shuttle van that drops guests off in town, and picks back up, every 30 minutes. It’s a great way to familiarize with yourself with the boutiques, restaurants and bars in downtown Newport without the hassle of finding parking.

The Bottom Line
Newport, Rhode Island is full of things to do and see any time of year. If you want something in the middle of town that’s within walking distance to the boutiques and restaurants, try a B&B (and prepare to pay for it during the high season). If you want something a little more private, a stay at the Hyatt is a good choice. It’s a big enough hotel that caters to just about every traveler’s taste, but tucked away so you’ll avoid the raucous Newport evening crowd.

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The Benjamin Hotel hosts matchmaking day for single guests

by Melanie Nayer on

Talk about the proper hotel hook-up (pun intended). The Benjamin Hotel in New York will offer a crash course on how to find “the one” on Sunday, May 16. Armed with a team of life coaches, fashion stylists, makeup artists and photographers, The Benjamin will help singles transform themselves into, well, not-so-single.

Here’s how the hook-up will happen:

The morning is devoted to guest speakers and coaches from The Handel Group, who will advise singles on how become their “best self” in the area of relationships. The afternoon consists of a series of optional 15 minute private sessions with guest experts who will help attendees put their “best self” forward.

Guest experts include:

  • Fashion Stylist: style, presentation, clothing and accessories consultation
  • Makeup Coach: advice and coaching on how to achieve the best looks with makeup (participants should bring their favorite makeup or the whole bag!)
  • Role Play: an effective and fun way to practice the lessons learned in the morning
  • Dating Profile Overhaul: bring online dating profiles and get pointers Photographer: attendees can get photographed by a professional so that their dating profile picture truly flatters them.

The hotel’s program promises you’ll walk away with a better understanding of where past relationships went wrong, and have a clearer picture of relationship ideals and goals.

Intrigued? So is your mother, who has been hounding you for grandchildren so you might want to stop by on Sunday and see who you might meet.

Details:
WHERE: Sunday, May 16, 2010 10am-4pm The Benjamin Hotel 125 East 50th Street, NYC
COST: $200 for Sunday workshop
REGISTER: Call (800) 617-7040 or email coach@handelgroup.com

Bonus: If you happen to meet your soul mate and want to fast-track the hookup, The Benjamin Hotel is offering a rate discount of 15% on a two-night stay (use PROMO CODE: HANDEL).

Grand Ole Opry’s famed circle survives Nashville flooding

by Leigh Caldwell on

For almost seven decades, country music legends have stood on a single piece of oak floor to perform in the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The “Opry Circle” was just the center part of the stage at the Ryman Auditorium when the legendary show moved there in 1943.

When the current Grand Ole Opry House was finished in 1974, a 6-foot circle was cut from the oak stage floor and installed center stage in the new auditorium.

Last week, the circle and the rest of the Opry stage was submerged under two feet of water when the Cumberland River overflowed its banks. But this week, the news is good: The rest of the stage will be replaced, but the Opry Circle can be salvaged.

Yes, it’s just a circle of wood, but to country music fans, it is sacred ground.

Late legends Hank Williams and Johnny Cash have sung in the circle. Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Porter Wagoner and hundreds of others have stood in the same spot when they took the Opry stage.

As our friends at the Boot note, even Elvis Presley sang on this piece of flooring early in his career, during his only Grand Ole Opry appearance in 1954.

(Legend has it that Elvis was practically booed off the stage during his performance, leading Opry officials to suggest he go back to driving a truck.)

%Gallery-92866%I grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio on Saturdays, and then, when cable finally came to my tiny hometown, watching it on TV. I followed all the country music artist’s careers, and I even entertained childhood dreams of singing on the Opry stage myself one day.

As most fans do, I have made a couple of pilgrimages to the Grand Ole Opry myself through the years. Last fall, I finally got a chance to take the backstage tour, and I stood in that Opry Circle for the first time as an adult.

I can’t describe the feeling, except to say that I was moved to tears standing in that sacred spot. Of course I had not idea at the time that the Opry House would be flooded — and that circle would be in jeopardy — in just a few months’ time.

“That circle is the most magical thing when you’re a performer,” says Brad Paisley, “to stand there and get to sing on those same boards that probably still contain dust from Hank Williams’ boots.”

Despite the flood, the Opry will go on, as it has every Saturday night since 1925. Most of the upcoming performances have been moved to the Ryman Auditorium while crews try to remove the muck covering the Opry House and assess the damage.

The show would have gone on without that precious circle.

But I’m glad it doesn’t have to.

Walt Disney World to build new value resort

by Leigh Caldwell on

Walt Disney World says construction will begin this summer on its first new hotel in seven years.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will largely consist of “family suites” that sleep up to six people.

There’s no word on how Disney’s family suites will be configured, but other resorts that offer family suites typically have a larger room that includes a partially walled off space outfitted for children, with bunk beds and a separate television.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will be built on a site that was once planned as a second phase of Disney’s Pop Century Resort, called “The Legendary Years.”

Walt Disney World has two partially built structures on the property. Construction on them was halted when Disney abandoned plans for Pop Century’s second phase several years ago.

The new resort will celebrate animation with themed sections from its movies, including “The Lion King” and “Cars,” according to the Sentinel’s report.

The hotel will be considered a “value” resort, Disney’s term for its lower priced properties, where rooms currently start at $82 per night. It is expected to open in 2012.