Go ice skating at your hotel in Miami

by Melanie Renzulli on


What’s better than ice skating during the holidays? How about ice skating with the knowledge that the sunny beaches of Miami are waiting for you when you’re finished?

Travelers escaping the cold for the balmy climes of South Florida can enjoy a little taste of winter with the Intercontinental Miami’s Holiday Ice Rink. Through January 15, 2012, the full-size rink will be open at Intercontinental’s Bayview Patio, which has views of Biscayne Bay.

While you don’t have to stay at the Intercontinental to enjoy the rink – the ice is open from 10am-10pm daily; admission is $20/hour adults and $10/hour kids, inclusive of ice skate rental and discounted parking – you can pretend that you’re in St. Moritz by taking advantage of some of the hotel’s cool après-skate activities, like spa massages or a dip in the heated outdoor pool. Building on the ritzy Swiss resort theme, the grand lobby of the Intercontinental will feature through January 1, 2012, the photography exhibition “Andy Warhol: ‘The Model Boy’,” the inaugural installation of the Intercontinental Miami Arts Program displayed in conjunction with Art Basel Miami Beach.

For families considering a stay in Miami over the holidays, the Intercontinental is offering the Holiday Ice Rink Package, which includes ice rink passes for a family of four and tickets to the Miami Children’s Museum, starting from $269 per night.

By the way, if you’re planning on New Year’s Eve in Miami, none other than Ludacris performs right in front of the Intercontinental as part of Downtown Miami’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations. Hotel rink by day, rap concert by night? Sounds to me like a well-balanced way to ring in 2012.

Photo Flickr/daveynin

Radisson Blu debuts in Chicago

by Melanie Renzulli on




Radisson has been a familiar name in hospitality in the United States for more than 100 years. But last month marked the first time that a Radisson Blu-branded property opened on U.S. soil. The Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel opened in Chicago on November 1, 2011, promising to be a major player on the Windy City’s design hotel scene.

“The reception has been amazing,” says Fred Khoury, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Radisson Blu Aqua. “The hotel has over $3 million in business booked already. The feedback has been great regarding the hotel and people are very impressed with the design and amenities.”

Radisson Blu Aqua has quite a roster of amenities, owing to the fact that the hotel is located on the lower 18 floors of the the Aqua Tower, an 81-story “Skyscraper of the Year” that doubles as a luxury residential building. There is an 8,000-square-foot fitness center with a basketball half-court and a lap pool, a private art gallery, a roof deck landscaped with gardens and gazebos, an in-hotel movie screening room, and a game room. For dining and socializing, Radisson Blu Aqua has Filini, a contemporary Italian restaurant with a sleek, minimalist look, and a martini bar. Gadling readers will be happy to know that the Blu Aqua also includes complimentary wifi access among the many in-room amenities.

%Gallery-140960%The introduction of Radisson Blu in the United States represents a new direction for Radisson in this country. Blu is Radisson’s “upper upscale” brand, an industry term for the tier that falls right below “luxury” and is one of the best-performing segments in the hotel industry. By comparison, hotels branded simply under the Radisson name, the most common type of Radisson brand in the U.S., are in the “upscale” tier; Radisson Blu’s competition includes brands such as Marriott Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt, and Westin. Until this year, Blu was Radisson’s main imprint in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with 222 properties worldwide. Now Radisson is taking its overseas brand and launching it in the U.S. It’s as if Radisson’s offspring is returning from boarding school abroad, cultured and more glamorous.

Radisson plans to slowly introduce more Blu hotels to the U.S. market. Only one other brand-new Radisson Blu is under construction, to be connected to the Mall of America. That may seem like an odd choice for a new build, especially for a design hotel. However, Carlson, the parent company of Radisson and Radisson Blu, is headquartered in Minnesota, site of the very first Radisson hotel. In addition to the new Blu hotels, Radisson plans to convert two other U.S. hotels into Blu properties. The Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis and the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Philadelphia will be converted into Blu hotels, but dates have yet to be determined.

In the meantime, Radisson is celebrating the opening of Chicago’s Radisson Blu Aqua with a massive promotion. The Radisson Big Night Giveaway offers 50,000 gold points in Club Carlson, Radisson’s Global Hotel Rewards Program, for anyone who registers for the promotion AND stays one night in any Radisson or Radisson Blu hotel in the U.S., Canada, or the Caribbean by December 30, 2011.

Andaz 5th Avenue offers a tattoo artist in residence, Mister Cartoon

by McLean Robbins on

We all knew that Andaz hotels were cool – after all, this is the hotel brand that brought you king-bedded suites with stripper poles and chic-ly dressed “hosts” in local designers in lieu of frond desk staff, and a mini bar stuffed with gratis snacks. But now they’ve one-upped themselves … with an in-residence tattoo artist at Andaz 5th Avenue.

The only way to skip his year-long waiting list? Book a room at the hotel. Mister Cartoon has inked some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Eminem, Justin Timberlake and Beyonce.

In addition, Mister Cartoon will spend five days creating a mural on the door leading to the bar downstairs as the second artist to participate in the hotel’s tbd Art program, a rotating art series. Apart from living and breathing canvases, Mister Cartoon’s art has also been on display in exhibitions such as MoCA’s seminal Art in the Streets exhibit.

Just FYI, this is only available through December 22, so you’d better start picking out your design.

One luxury and two budget hotels in Amsterdam

by Sean McLachlan on


Visitors to Amsterdam are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels. From flea-bitten junky flophouses all the way up to five-star luxury accommodation, hotels in Amsterdam offer something for everyone. Picking one can be tricky, though. Here are three places I’ve stayed at.

The four-star Hotel Estheréa is a good choice if you want to splash out. Its location on a broad canal in Amsterdam’s historic district is perfect. The immediate neighborhood is packed with restaurants, bookshops, antique stores, the flower market, and a few laid-back coffeeshops. It’s much quieter than the neighborhood closer to Centraal Station but only a short tram ride away.

The interior of the hotel is brightly decorated and there’s a huge (and very trippy) fish tank in the lobby. The rooms are spacious by Amsterdam standards and many offer a beautiful canal view plus lots of amenities like a safe and voice mail. Service is excellent and there’s a hearty breakfast every morning in the dining room shown above. Rates run from 185 euros on up.

My only complaint about this place is that you have to pay for Internet.I don’t mind so much for hotels catering to business travelers since they’re just going to put it on expenses anyway. As far as I could see, though, the Hotel Estheréa mostly caters to tourists. There are two free computers in the lobby, but chances are you’ll have to wait to use them.On the cheaper end is the Hotel Hermitage Amsterdam at Nieuwe Keizersgracht 16. As the name suggests, it’s within sight of the Hermitage Museum Amsterdam, a wonderful art gallery with world-class exhibitions. The hotel–a converted old canal house–offers singles to quadruples and family rooms too. The rooms are on the small side as is common with in Amsterdam and there’s no elevator. Climbing steep Dutch stairs with a heavy suitcase is a bit of a journey! Prices range from 49 euros on up.

A short walk away on Prinsengracht 1051 is the ITC Hotel. This is slightly closer to the center of town and slightly older and more cramped than the Hotel Hermitage. If you’re not looking for luxury accommodation and don’t mind climbing some pretty steep stairs, this is a perfectly good hotel. It’s housed in a historic canal house and has a variety of rooms, not all of them en suite. The free internet is a nice plus. Prices range from 49 euros on up.

All of these hotels are close to tram lines and are on canals. I suggest you get a canal-side room because the views are lovely. If you do this, ask for a room on an upper floor because the canal side is the noisier side.

Don’t miss the rest of my series: Lowdown on the Low Countries.

This trip was partially funded by Amsterdam’s Tourism and Congress Bureau and Cool Capitals. All opinions, however, are my own.

Seven Black Friday and Cyber Monday hotel deals for 2011

by Melanie Renzulli on

As a holiday purist, I lament the day that “Black Friday” and its sister “Cyber Monday” supplanted Thanksgiving as November’s most anticipated event. But as a shopper, in particular a seeker of travel deals, I always look forward to seeing what kinds of discounts I can gobble up.

This year, quite a number of hotels are offering flash sales on Black Friday (November 25), Cyber Monday (November 28), or both. Here is a sampling of some of the deals that came across the wire at Gadling Labs. Discounts are not limited to U.S.-based hotels; there are also deals in Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica. All times listed for the deals are Eastern Standard Time (EST) unless otherwise noted.

Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA
This smart hotel a few steps from Harvard University is offering a one-hour flash sale on Cyber Monday. From 11:28am to 12:28pm on November 28, the Charles will offer a 50% discount off all of its room rates, including suites, good for a stay between December 3, 2011, and March 31, 2012. Booking a room during the flash sale will also net you a $50 gift card at the hotel’s new Corbu Spa & Salon. Click here on 11/28 at 11:28am and use the code CYBER11.Kimpton Hotels – DC, Maryland, and Virginia
Twelve Kimpton hotels in the Mid-Atlantic will be on sale during a 72-hour spree beginning at midnight on Cyber Monday. While upgrades last, the boutique hotelier will offer suites at standard room rates at its properties in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. As dates of travel are limited between December 15 and December 30, 2011, Kimpton’s flash sale is a great opportunity for families looking for a place to stay over the holidays. For example, the specialty bunk room at the Hotel Rouge in DC will be on sale for $119 per night, down from its typical rate of $299. Deal-seekers should visit the website www.kimptonhotels.com/cybermonday and use the code SALE72.

Shore Hotel, Santa Monica, CA
Travelers with plans to vist Santa Monica between November 28, 2011, and February 28, 2012, can snag a Cyber Monday deal from the Shore Hotel, Santa Monica’s newest LEED-registered hotel. For 24 hours on November 28, the Shore Hotel will offer 30% off of a partial ocean view room. Note, however, that the hotel takes the “cyber” out of Cyber Monday by offering this deal by phone. Call 310-458-1515 to book.

Shell Vacations – Resorts in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
From midnight on November 25 through 11:59pm on November 28, Shell Vacations Hospitality is offering 50% off resort rates for 25 properties in North America. Travelers who visit www.shellhospitality.com/Black_Friday next weekend will find rock-bottom rates for ski retreats in Canada‘s Horseshoe Valley, golf resorts in Scottsdale, and beach-side inns in Hawaii. A sample Black Friday/Cyber Monday rate from Shell Vacations is a room rate starting at $65 per night at San Francisco’s Inn at the Opera.

Z NYC Hotel, New York
For those with plans to travel to New York City over the first half of next year, the Z NYC Hotel in Long Island City is having a super flash sale centered around the number 28 (Cyber Monday takes place on November 28). Beginning at noon on November 28 and running for 28 minutes until 12:28pm, rooms at the Z NYC Hotel will go for $128 per night. Guests will be able to book stays that take place over the 28th of the month for the first six months of 2012. A two-night minimum stay is required. If this isn’t enough to convince the hoards to check out revitalized Long Island City, Z NYC is also throwing in two-for-one cocktail deal. To book, call 1-877-256-5556 and use the code CYBER.

Monte Azul Luxury Boutique Hotel, Costa Rica
The deal on offer at this Costa Rican eco-resort lives up to the spirit of Black Friday. From midnight to 11:59pm on November 25, Monte Azul is offering guests two nights for the price of one. Travel must take place between January 4 and May 31, 2012. Visit www.monteazulcr.com/en/hotel/reservations and add “Black Friday Deal” in the notes section to take advantage of this discount.

JW Marriott Hotel, Chicago
Marriott’s Cyber Monday-only deal at Chicago’s JW Marriott is a chance to snag significant savings on a hotel room next month. Beginning at 8am CST on November 28 until 7:59am CST on November 29, rooms at the JW Marriott will go for $149 per night for the month of December (excluding Friday, December 2, and Friday, December 31). Visit www.jwmarriottchicago.com or call 312-660-8200 to book.