Daily Pampering: Inside the 4,300 square feet high roller suite at Paris Las Vegas

by Scott Carmichael on

So – you just dropped $100,000 on the tables of Paris in Las Vegas? Well, you may in for a treat. Top tier high rollers at Paris may receive a room key for the Napoleon Suite. Located on the 31st floor of the hotel, this 4,300 square feet suite is a little bit of paradise overlooking the Las Vegas strip.

Five bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a private bar, media/TV room, dining room, walk-in closets, a butler (with his own pantry) and a living room with grand piano. Best of all, two of the bedrooms are located at the end of a long internal hallway, so you can invite some friends over and send them off to their own corner of the suite.

Of course, the luxury doesn’t just end with the number of rooms – the entire place is decorated like a palace. Gold is everywhere (including the master bathroom) and the spa tub overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

The master bedroom features his and hers bathrooms – which are larger than some hotel rooms I’ve stuffed myself into in Europe. Of course, all rooms have their own phones, with instant access to the butler service and in-room massage therapy.

Walk-in shower / steam room.

60″ TV with DVD, VCR and even a cassette player – all controlled by a large AMX touch screen media remote. Sit back, have the butler whip up some cocktails, and enjoy the game.

What better way to start the day than with a nice bath – with a fantastic view of course. Notice the gold plated faucets – polished to perfection every single day!

Only the best gold bidet for the best customers of course – along with a gold plated trash can, gold plated toilet roll holder and a gold plated flusher for the toilet. Doing your morning tinkle never felt so luxurious.

In Vegas, you haven’t really “made it” until you trade in the buffet comp pass for a high roller suite, and a meal served in your own dining room. Of course, you can also request food from one of the many restaurants on property – which includes the amazing $777 burger from the Burger Brasserie.

The Napoleon Suite is not for rent – it is only available to important customers and celebrities at the hotel. And no – even though I begged and pleaded to spend the night in this room, I was politely shown the door. Still, it was quite an experience.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

Opening photo courtesy of Scott Roeben of the Pulse of Vegas Blog.

This trip was hosted by Harrah’s Entertainment. The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are 100% my own.

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Southwest Airlines introduces Florida-themed plane and a Florida fare sale

by Leigh Caldwell on

“Florida One” a new Southwest Airlines plane decked out with an image of the state flag, was unveiled at Tampa International Airport this morning.

It’s now making the rounds at the five other Florida cities Southwest currently serves: Jacksonville, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers.

Southwest is adding service to the new Panama City Beach airport on May 23.

Florida One is the 13th themed plane in Southwest’s fleet, which includes planes that honor the NBA, SeaWorld and several other states.

To keep up the Florida festivities, Southwest announced a fare sale to and from its Florida airports, with fares starting at $49. The discounts are for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between May 11 and June 23.

The fare sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on Monday, April 26.

8 new thrill rides opening in 2010

by Gadling Staff on

Whether you’re an avid thrill seeker or just looking to have a little fun, thrill rides and roller coasters offer riders endless good times and plenty of excitement. With the economy on the forefront of most American’s minds, many amusement parks have scaled back or delayed production of new rides. Luckily, not every park is afraid of the economic downturn, and these eight new rides opening this year offer entertainment that refuses to disappoint. Time to strap in and enjoy the ride!

Wildebeest
The longest water coaster in the world, the Wildebeest, is opening May 14, 2010 at Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN. Riders splash through the 1,710 feet of yellow tubing at 36 feet per second in just 2 minutes, and 30 seconds on a four-person raft. The Wildebeest has a total of 7 drops, the tallest of which is 38 feet, and features 2 underground tunnels. With no access stairs, this family friendly ride is easily accessible to riders.

Shoot the Rapids
Cedar Point Theme Park in Sandusky, OH will show off this new log flume ride in 2010. Shoot the Rapids features an 85-foot first drop, and a 49-foot second drop. Unexpected special effects advance the playful backwoods, moonshine theme. With enough thrills to get the heart racing, but without the speeds that eliminate certain riders, Shoot the Rapids is a family thrill ride.

The Intimidator
Opening in the Spring of 2010 at Carowinds Theme Park in Charlotte, NC, the Intimidator boasts speeds in excess of 75 mph. The red track and checkerboard patterned landing are in honor of legendary Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt, who was the inspiration for the coaster. The tallest coaster in the Southeast, the Intimidator is 232 feet tall with a staggering first drop of 211 feet at a 74 degree angle. Open-air seating, modeled after Earnhardt’s famous Monte Carlo, allows the rider a clear view of the ride’s eight dips along its 5,316 feet of track for the duration of the 3 minute 33 second thrill ride.

Sky Rocket
Accelerating to 50 mph in only 3 seconds, the Sky Rocket is expected to open in May of 2010. The Sky Rocket is the seventh coaster to be erected at Kennywood Theme Park in West Mifflin, PA. The 2100-foot blue track features a 90 degree drop, two separate G-force pullouts, a traditional corkscrew, an inverted top hat, and a barrel roll. The orange flame accented cars reach the end of the track in 65 seconds.

Scorpion’s Tail
Noah Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, WI will set a new standard in water slides in 2010. The Scorpion’s Tail is 10 stories high, and 400 feet long. Shooting a single rider through a blue tube at more than 50 feet per second, this thrill ride “might sting a little.”

— The above was written by Chastity Goddard, Seed contributor.

Intimidator 305:
Kings Dominion in Doswell Virginia will introduce the new giant coaster uses Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt’s nickname Intimidator. The name suits the coaster that towers at the intimidating height of 305 feet at its tallest. The first drop is 300 feet down at a terrifying 85 degree angle (nearly straight down!). The roaring ride hits amazing speeds of 90+ mph and will leaving the rider gripping their seat for the entire three minute journey in the fast lane.

The Dragon Challenge:
New roller coaster ride in Universal Studio’s Island’s of Adventure in Orlando Florida. The ride is a part of the parks newest themed section, Wizarding World of Harry Potter and actually two separate coasters. Riders must choose a ‘Dragon’, the red ‘Chinese Fireball’ or the blue ‘Hungarian Horntail’, each ‘Dragon’ offers a unique riding experience. The coasters seem to battle each other with tracks laid closely to one another simulating near hits to thrill passengers along for the battle ride. The mean ‘Hungarian Horntail’ hits top speed at 55 mph while the wicked ‘Chinese Fireball’ reaches 60 mph.

Revolution 360:
Seabreeze theme park located in Rochester New York will open the revolutionary ride in the summer of 2010. Riders board a giant disk and sit on pedestal seats facing outward. The track is 123 feet long and u-shaped, the disk is shot up to a height of 5 stories and rotates the entire time it coasts up and down the half pipe track.

— The above was written by Rikki Dahl, Seed contributor.

Memorable in Manhattan: Package for first-timers

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You’ll never forget your first time. It may have been thrilling or awkward, but it was memorable. Many are still waiting for their first … their first trip to New York City. If you’re only exposure to this city is what you’ve seen on television or the big screen, this is your chance to experience it for yourself. The Crowne Plaza Times Square‘s First Time in New York Package will make it easy to give up your city virginity.

I don’t remember my first time in the city (let’s just say I was young), but I do remember my first stay at the Crowne Plaza Times Square. It was only a few weeks after Y2K – and the world didn’t end, in case you were wondering. I remember the feeling that came with stepping onto the sidewalk: the rush of energy was incredible. And then, I got sick – probably a combination of weekly travel, 80-hour work weeks and a diet that looked strangely like a menu at a baseball stadium. So, I really saw little more than the inside of my room, from which I stumbled when I was finally able to handle travel again, and grabbed the 1/9 train down to Penn Station for the ride back to Boston.Hopefully, your first time will be more pleasant! Doubtless, it will be. While the Crowne Plaza can’t immunize you from the nagging diseases that could screw up your trip, it can be all the protection you need when it comes to boredom. As part of the First Time in New York package, you’ll receive two 48-hour passes for the Classic New York Double Decker Bus Tour; tickets to the Empire State Building’s Observation Deck, ferry to the Statue of Liberty and the Natural history Museum; a detailed New York City sightseeing map; a New York City’s Official Visitor Guide; and a commemorative picture frame. At $598 for two nights, this is an absolute steal.

Your first time should be a memory to cherish and a story to tell. Treat yourself to two nights in Manhattan, and you won’t be stuck wondering what it feels like when you watch it on TV.

Travel Trends: Cruising in Alaska is up, so why are people angry?

by Gadling Staff on

Alaska: The “Last Frontier.”

It’s a trip of a lifetime for many of us. We imagine towering snow covered peaks with flowing glaciers draping down their sides, eagles soaring overhead while brown bears pluck spawning salmon from wild rivers right in front of our camera lenses. In short, we dream of a pure untouched landscape straight from a lost primordial world. And in truth, this beauty and peace is just what most visitors to Alaska find.

Within the state, however, there has been a battle raging. Statewide tourism has seen a steady and substantial increase in the last decade. The recently published Alaska Visitor Statistics Program Report (opens in PDF) sponsored by Alaska’s Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) shows a 25% increase in total visitors to the state between 2001 and 2008. The same report documents a nearly 30% increase in visitation via cruise ship travelers (Fig.1 “Total Visitors to Alaska Vs. Those Visiting via Cruise Ship Tour”). And there-in lies the seeds of debate.

Why?

This level of growth has come at the expense of other forms of travel.The ferry and highway systems have seen a 90% and 50% decrease, respectively, in non-resident use over the same time frame (Fig. 2 “Alaska Visitor Travel Methods”). The impression is that this trend is the result of a concerted effort by the DCCED and the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) to promote cruise ship tourism above others through marketing, infrastructure development, and the creation of a favorable, industry-specific business environment.

Fair or not, arguments against increased cruise ship-based tourism tend to be based around environmental worries — in short, the fear of negatively affecting the pristine environment that visitors come to see in the first place. These concerns came to a head in 2006. A citizen’s led initiative passed state wide elections to impose a $46 head tax on all cruise ship passengers.

This resulted in key industry leaders decreasing the number of tours they run in the Alaskan market. This, in combination with the national economic situation, has caused an estimated loss of nearly 140,000 visitors to the state… with fears of greater losses to come. The Alaska Cruise Association (ACA) simultaneously brought suite against the State of Alaska in federal court on grounds of unfair taxation. The Alaskan legislature responded by passing a bill to lower the head tax if the ACA agreed to drop the suit — which of course they did.

All of which makes for a great case study on the politics of grassroots environmentalism, state government, and big industry, but what does it indicate for the average traveler looking to finally take that once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska?

First, because there are less ships plying the waters than in the last few years, cruise prices have risen back to pre-recession levels — or nearly so — at around $600 from a low of nearly $350 just last year. Waiting lists are also, once again, often a reality. Not good news for the bargain traveler, but once off ship, many of the private tour companies, gift shops, and restaurants are offering deep discounts to attract customers.

However, beyond the monetary disappointments, there is a silver lining. Lower visitor numbers allow for a more intimate experience with the natural landscape — which is the main reason most travelers go to Alaska in the first place.

[Data sources: Alaska Visitor Statistics Program V, Interim Visitor Volume Report, Summer 2008 (Opens in PDF); and Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development]

See more Travel Trends.