Daily Pampering: New “Presidential Bungalows” at The Beverly Hills Hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

What’s it like to stay in presidential style? The Beverly Hills Hotel is unveiling two new ultra-luxe, residential-style “Presidential Bungalows,” to give visitors a glimpse of the really good life.

Tucked among 12 landscaped acres of banana leaves, palm trees and perfectly manicured gardens, the new Presidential Bungalows will be the largest, most prestigious suites in Los Angeles with more than 5,500 square feet of living space indoors and out.
The Presidential Bungalows resemble individual homes set in the most prestigious residential neighborhood of Beverly Hills, with indoor living opening to the outdoors while assuring absolute privacy.

Intrigued? Reservations for the $9,000 to $12,000 per night bungalows can be booked now for arrival beginning on February 15, 2011 for the first new Bungalow. The second Bungalow will be available as of March 2011.

What’s makes the new bungalows so “presidential”? Read on…
Inside the bungalows:

  • Fireplace in every room – five in total, including circular outdoor fireplace
  • Great Room with classic cottage raised-beam ceiling, custom walnut wood planked floors, and a dining room with seating for 10 overlooking a waterfall-edge plunge pool
  • Professional chef’s kitchen with Sub-Zero refrigerator, wine cooler, stainless steel appliances, dishwasher, stove, microwave, undermount sink with stainless steel apron, stone counter tops, glassware display shelving and mirror backsplash as well as a butler’s pantry and private entrance for staff
  • Bright interior color palette inspired by the beauty of California outside
  • Wood-clad Art Deco-style Study overlooking gardens and the pool, with custom-designed rolled-edge peninsular desk with innovative swivel lamp and every technology
  • Master Bedroom with unique furnishings and a fireplace facing inside and out before French doors that open onto an individual private garden
  • Sizable walk-in closet with vast luggage space and adjacent makeup room to appease the legendary Hollywood pastime of getting
  • Red Carpet-ready in style Master Bathroom with garden views and a freestanding bathtub for two, stone Deco-inspired vanity, nine-foot counter, separate W.C., and rain shower/steam shower with two showerheads
  • Two spacious Junior Bedrooms with individual private gardens and courtyard access Gallery/Sun Porch with fireplace, sectional sofa, custom tables and high-tech entertainment components. Can be joined to each of three bedrooms to create a privately keyed suite Home-theatre components in virtually every room with Bang & Olufsen flat-screen monitors (65-inch in the Great Room) with BluRay/DVD players and input for game controllers.
  • MP3 player docks with built-in speakers in all rooms and outdoor spaces, including underwater in the swimming pool High-touch technology with a single, easy-to-use remote control for lights, drapes, fireplaces and all media options

Exterior highlights include:

  • Over-sized private gardens landscaped with inspiration from The Beverly Hills Hotel’s legendary tropical paradise
  • Lap pool with waterfall features and underwater speakers
  • Custom-designed lounge furniture for relaxing beneath the stars or in the sunny California climate, with dining area lit by elegant wrought-iron gas lanterns
  • Outdoor fireplace and outdoor design elements unique to each bungalow including circular outdoor banquette seating at Bungalow 23 and a greenwall garden backdrop behind the pool at Bungalow 24
  • Outdoor garden shower for two off the Master Bathroom, with absolute privacy

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.


TripAlertz combines group buying with travel flash sales

by McLean Robbins on

Launching today, TripAlertz aims to do for the travel market what Groupon and LivingSocial have done for restaurants, spas and shops. Part flash sale, part group-buying site, TripAlertz will offer impulse getaway packages with prices that start 30 to 50 percent below the leading public online travel sites.

Destinations to be featured include places like Miami, Orlando, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, and Cancun, just to name a few. To take advantage of the epic savings, members collaborate to book trips within a two-week booking period. The starting price for each deal will offer an average savings of 30 percent off the leading public online travel sites. As more people buy in, a 10 to 20 percent additional discount kicks in, called the “Epic Price.”

The site will also offer added incentives and discounts, including perks called Early Bird Advantages for those who are among the first to book a certain getaway. Incentives for signing up other members include $1 in TripCash for every friend that joins by December 31, 2010.

Once booked, members can opt to meet, share advice, and create friendship with their fellow travelers on a private collaboration page before traveling, a feature that no private or group buying site currently offers.

“Our goal is for TripAlertz to revolutionize the impulse getaway market by offering a compelling value and experience for travelers who may have less money, vacation time, and want travel advice from people who have a vested interest in the success of the trip,” said Brendan P. Murphy, founder of TripAlertz. “Today’s travel sites make travel a transaction, a robotic process that eliminates the inherent social, cultural, and experiential elements of travel.”

TripAlertz is also committed to partnering with non-profit organizations that reduce suffering or further environmental sustainability, including donating $1 to aHomeinHaiti.org for every new member that joins through November, up to $100,000 total.

We’re curious to see if this model is as successful as other flash sale sites. The concept of “sweetening” the deal certainly encourages social sharing, and travelers more concerned with a destination than a specific property will certainly enjoy the perks. But often part of the enjoyment of a trip is the service — and we worry that if partner hotels grow too overwhelmed with bookings that the treatment of guests will suffer as a result. We’ll just have to wait and see, and please weigh in in the comments section below if you’ve booked a trip!

Daily Pampering: The platinum rare facial at The Beverly Hills Hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

It’s not hard to spot the various levels of platinum in Beverly Hills. Whether you’re looking at someone’s newly colored frocks or admiring the rock placement on a ring finger, platinum knows no boundaries in Beverly Hills. Now, one hotel has taken platinum to a new level.

Relaxation and revitalization will always be the mainstays of the spa industry, but the five-star properties of Dorchester Collection, including The Beverly Hills Hotel, are inviting guests to experience a new kind of pampering.

The new Platinum Rare Facial at The Beverly Hills Hotel is a head-to-toe treatment from The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa by La Prairie. Two therapists using the high performance Platinum Collection, including Cellular Cream Platinum Rare and Cellular Serum Platinum Rare, turn your tired skin into a thing of rare beauty.

The price? $400 for 90 minutes
The result? Red-carpet radiance

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Daily Pampering: Suite rides at The Peninsula Beverly Hills

by McLean Robbins on

Want to live like a celeb? First, you’ll need a “suite” ride. Guests at Beverly Hill’s famed property The Peninsula are finding that proposition even easier.

From now until September 30, 2011, guests who book any of the hotel’s 36 suites are offered complimentary use of their choice of three 2011 Cadillac models or a 2011 Chevrolet Corvette for the length of their stay. The Peninsula’s fleet of six vehicles includes the fastest V8 production sedan in the world (the 2011 Cadillac CST-V) , a hybrid Escalade Platinum Edition with three eight-inch backseat screens and wireless headsets and of course the famed Corvette.

“Los Angeles is all about the car,” says Offer Nissenbaum, managing director of The Peninsula Beverly Hills. “We want our guests to have the most luxurious driving option when making their way from the hotel to wherever they have to go-or want to go.”

Guests booking The Peninsula Beverly Hills’ suites-including the Villa Suites, Superior Suites, California and Deluxe Suites, Grand Deluxe Suites, Patio Suite, Peninsula Suite and Peninsula Villas-must request use of a complimentary automobile when making a reservation; they are based upon availability and guests must provide a copy of their driver’s license and proof of insurance. Tax, insurance and gas are not included.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Travel fitness: al fresco fitness at the Four Seasons Los Angeles

by Melanie Nayer on

Ok, so maybe you weren’t into all the travel fitness options we brought you this week. It’s no problem – we understand everyone is different and not all of you want to use up precious carry-on space for your exercise gear. Totally cool, and the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills agrees with us. Welcome to one of the first outdoor hotel fitness centers in the U.S.

The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills opened its new outdoor workout room, complete with views of Beverly Hills and surrounded by the lush gardens that were part of the hotel’s recent $33 million renovation.

Located on the pool terrace, the fitness center features a newly-constructed open-air venue so you can enjoy the sunshine without ever leaving the hotel. Hop on one of the PRECOR machines, tune into your favorite TV channel or dock your iPod while you get your workout on.

The best part? You can travel fit without leaving the hotel. When you’ve had enough, you just head back to your room for a shower and change and you’re ready to go for the day. Of course, if you’re a true fitness fanatic, you’ll book a massage in the hotel spa to help ease the sore muscles you have from your strenuous workout.