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).

Yelp is a vacationer’s best friend – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

Want to find the best restaurants while on vacation? Not only will Yelp help you find which restaurants are nearby, it also provides user reviews for each restaurant, so you really know what you might be getting into before you arrive at the establishment. The site also includes nifty, useful filtering options, so you can zero in on exactly what you need.

No access to a computer? No worries. Yelp also comes in several mobile flavors, including for the iPhone, Blackberry and Android-based smartphones like the Motorola Droid.

Visit the Yelp website and see for yourself.

Travel startup giving away three nights at the Wynn

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Want to score three nights at the Wynn Las Vegas? Travel startup company Off & Away wants to put you between those luxurious sheets.

Off & Away hasn’t even launched yet, but it’s willing to offer up a spectacular travel package to a lucky winner: three nights at the Wynn, tickets for two to La Reve, $200 a day in dining credits at the hotel, three days of spa access and a round of golf for two. You’ll also pick up access to the Penske Wynn Ferrari Museum, two 50-minute massages and entry to Blush Boutique Nightclub.

So, what is this company all about? It’s a new travel site (or, it will be) that will focus on “exceptional travel experiences.” Details are thin, but we’ll know more in a few weeks. So for now, take advantage of the contest.

“We are excited to offer this amazing experience with one of our key partners as a sneak preview into the types of experiences you can expect from Off & Away when we launch,” said Doug Aley, CEO and Co-Founder of Off & Away.

The contest is open through May 23, 2010 at Off & Away’s website. Spread the word via Facebook or Twitter, and you could score up to 10 extra chances to win. The winner will be announced on June 30, 2010.

UPDATE:

Having seen the comments left by our readers about the viruses, I contacted Off & Away to see what was happening. Following is the company’s reply:

For those who were affected by the virus earlier this morning, please be assured this is something we take very seriously and are taking all necessary precautions to ensure it does not happen again. Off & Away is founded and run by former Amazon.com, Expedia, Alaska Airlines, Orbitz, and Farecast.com employees. We always strive for excellence are committed to providing our customers with the best experiences possible. This was not one of them, and for that, we sincerely apologize.

The site promoting the sweepstakes was compromised. It appears to have started in our hosting environment. We’re still investigating with that firm. Malicious code was entered into our website causing a redirect to the suspicious page people encountered. Since discovering this, we’ve pulled down the sweepstakes on our site, and are rebuilding in a different environment and with a different, more secure host. The new host is the same one we will be using when we launch.

We expect the sweepstakes to be live again in the next few hours once this work is complete. Thanks to our customers for discovering this and for your patience.

Sincerely,

Doug Aley and Michael Walton

Starwood’s scavenger hunt rewards players with free hotel nights

by Melanie Nayer on

You know the game – you love the game – you win the game, especially if it means going home with free travel perks! Scavenger hunts have been used for team building exercises, corporate functions and the bachelorette-parties-gone-bad, but this time, the scavenger hunts takes on a new prize: free nights at a Starwood hotel.

That’s right – Starwood Hotels is hosting a social media scavenger hunt that awards winners with free weekend nights at any Starwood hotel around the world. The best part? There are hundreds of prizes to give away.

The SPG(R) “Passport to Free Weekends” contest kicks off May 12 and will award a total of 200 free nights to 100 winners over the course of 10 business days. The hotel will offer clues via its Facebook and Twitter accounts, and each clue will send followers to one of 920 Starwood hotels around the world. That’s right – you could wind up in Dallas, or your friends in Dubai might win the scavenger hunt.

The winning location will rotate each day and each day, a different Starwood brand will be the object of the scavenger’s affection (Starwood currently has nine brands including W Hotels, Westin, Aloft and Sheraton). When the participant determines the identity of the designated hotel, he or she will approach the front desk to claim their prize. The first 10 winners will get their “passport” photo taken, which will then be posted on SPG’s Facebook and Twitter pages for winners to enjoy fifteen minutes of fame.

To participate in the contest and receive the clues, you must friend Starwood Preferred Guest on Facebook and follow @SPGInsider on Twitter. To learn more about contest terms and conditions, click here.

Free spa experience at the Ritz-Carlton Naples

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Any spa-lover needs to visit the Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, because the Elements treatment at the beach property is nothing short of incredible. Now, the chance to visit the spa free makes this an absolute no-brainer. This is one of my favorite spas, and the deal might be enough to get me to book a flight.

Stay at either the Ritz-Carlton beach or golf resort, with the Spa Escape Package, and you’ll get a $200 spa credit, basically making your treatment free. You may want to have a little extra work done, but to have $200 knocked off the price from the start makes that a lot easier to handle. Rates start at $349 a night for the beach resort and $259 for the golf resort.

Need more incentive? From June 1, 2010, through the end of October, you can take advantage of the spa’s “Me Time” deal. When you book a 50-minute massage or facial, you can have your choice of two complimentary enhancements (a $50 value). On the list are hair masks, back scrubs, collagen masks and lip treatments. This is available every Sunday through Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM (but it can’t be combined with other promotions or discounts).

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