Chicago Marriott and Nickelodeon partner for unforgettable family getaway

by Melanie Nayer on

Your kids have a problem, and it’s in the TV. They squeal with delight at the sight of SpongeBob and lose their minds when Big Time Rush comes on air. Now, Marriott and Nickelodeon are partnering to make your kids’ dreams come to life (and likely give you an extended headache with all the screaming, but it’s not about you, it’s about the kids).

The Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile is located within walking distance to the best shopping, restaurants, and attractions in downtown Chicago. Of course, it’s also near Navy Pier, so you can take your kids (and their SpongeBob dolls) to the famous ferris wheel for an afternoon. Book the “Nickelodeon Your Stay” package and your kids will enjoy:

  • Free Nickelodeon activity book
  • Silicone bracelet with access to a secret game website
  • Nickelodeon bag with sunglasses
  • Build Your Own SpongeBob
  • Splash ball
  • Turndown service with pillowcase and bedtime book

Be sure that promotional code NK6 appears in the Corporate/Promotional code box when making your online reservation.

As for you? We’re happy to report that the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile has a lobby bar with 24 beer taps to choose from and a great top shelf liquor for those who need a something stronger than a beer.

Vegetarian child stranded in airport, fed burgers

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Julien Reid, at only nine years old, is used to air travel. He routinely flies between his parents in Ottawa, and San Francisco, so he’s seen it all … well, he has now. Reid was forgotten in a children’s waiting room in Chicago, where he spent eight hours waiting and hoping to be discovered.

According to the Ottawa Citizen:

He was in a “tiny, little room cramped with kids,” where they played the same video on a loop all day, he said. The only food he’d been given was McDonald’s, a less than satisfactory option for a vegetarian like him. He said he and the other children were yelled at “to stop being kids.”

Meanwhile, the flight left without Reid. How did it happen? Among the many calls made to find out what was happening, Reid’s mother, Genevieve Harte, spoke with the United Airlines attendant tasked with keeping an eye on the kids. According to the Citizen, “It was this frazzled attendant who let it slip, Harte said, that no one had come to fetch Julien to put him on his flight.”

Citing something of an airline “omerta” policy, Harte, who suspects her son was bumped from a crowded flight, told the citizen: “It’s a lot easier to have a kid that’s not going to say anything than an adult who has a business meeting that’s going to scream at you in front of everybody.”

United said it’s going to give Harte “a refund for the childcare fee and an undisclosed goodwill gesture.”

[photo by FHKE via Flickr]

Trump Chicago first hotel to offer certified organic room-service menu

by Melanie Nayer on

Looks like more hotels are helping guests live healthier lifestyles, especially during their travels. Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago just debuted an in-room dining menu that is certified organic by Oregon Tilth, an international organic certification organization.

This will be the first hotel in North America to provide an all-organic menu, created and cooked from local and sustainable farmers. The room-service menu is divided into five categories-breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night snacks and spa dining. The in-room dining menu specifically features 10 certified organic dishes.

Selections from the organic breakfast menu include: Swiss Bircher Mueesli and a “Fight the Fatigue Fitness Breakfast” that includes a choice of fresh juice, plus an egg white omelet, chicken sausage, tropical protein shake, housemade Trump bakery muffin and your choice of Julius Meinl coffee, Harney & Sons tea or Oberweis skim milk.

For lunch or dinner, feast on organic selections including a classic Caesar salad; fusilli pasta with wild mushrooms, asparagus and English peas; wok-fried rice with tofu, beef, chicken or shrimp; wild mushroom risotto with parmigiano reggiano and English peas; organic center-cut pork chop with apricot glaze; sirloin steak frites with maitre d’ butter; and plenty of organic dessert options.

With these healthy options, you have no excuse for ordering late-night burgers and fries.

Hard Rock Hotel Chicago goes to the dogs

by Melanie Nayer on

You want to see the Windy City but you don’t want to leave behind your furry friend. No worry – the Hard Rock Hotel Chicago is going to the dogs, literally, with their new “Party like a Rottweiler” pet package that allows visitors to the hotel to bring along their best friends (of any size!) without worry.

Why they chose a Rottweiler we don’t know, but it does add a certain edge to the fun. The hotel is offering the following to four-legged guests:

  • Travel-ready collapsible bowl
  • Natural, grain-free treats and meals from Companion Natural Pet Food
  • Doggy “clean up” bags and dispenser
  • Hard Bark Hotel guitar dog toy
  • Signature Hard Rock Hotel Chicago dog tag

Also, guests staying at Hard Rock Hotel Chicago are permitted to leave their pet in their room, as long as a cell phone number is provided to the hotel’s concierge. Concerned that your precious pup is wreaking havoc in the hotel? No worries if you’re an iPhone or SmartPhone user – borrow Hard Rock’s ‘Pet-Cam’ (free of charge) and keep an eye on your pet while you are out. This camera keeps an eye on your room, and allows guests to access the video feed from anywhere on their laptop or handheld device.

In addition to the above perks, dog-walking, dog sitting and doggie day-care services are also available.

Top spots for mind-body-spirit revival

by Gadling Staff on

Sometimes you just need a little “om.” The daily stresses of life can pile up, the chaos of corporate life can get to be too much or maybe the kids are just getting on your last nerve. You can escape to the gym, or you can escape to a more serene environment where mind, body and spirit are the focus of your journey.

Yogis unite — the following are some of the 10 best spots around the world for a perfect yoga revival.

1. Azeda Beach, Buzios, Brazil
With 21 beaches and an ultra-loose local attitude, the Brazilian resort town/fishing village of Buzios, made famous as a favorite of Brigitte Bardot, is sure to make a more than adequate ashram. Azeda Beach, only accessible via a walking path from Osso Beach or by boat, has great space to spread your mat and relax while you gaze out at the ocean. Azeda rarely gets overcrowded, but if you want privacy, go early in the morning.

2. Cape May Lighthouse Park, Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a spot on the Jersey Shore unlike any other. The historical resort town has a calming vibe that, in part, is created by its award-winning beaches and colorfully painted Victorian homes. But the best place to take in the scenery and the harmony of the sea, as you practice your asanas, is near the Cape May Lighthouse.

3. Battery Park City, New York, New York
You may forget you’re even in New York City while enjoying the parks of this southern Manhattan neighborhood, except for the excellent view of the Statue of Liberty. The best park to practice in is Robert F Wagner Jr. Park. You’ll have plenty of space and a bit of peace while you ashtanga as sailboats breeze by along the Hudson River.

4. Ventura Pier, Ventura, California
Located on the coast of southern California between Santa Monica and Santa Barbara, Ventura is a city that feels more like a small-town. The pier and promenade, located just off Harbor Boulevard, won’t get as crowded as the Los Angeles attractions, and you still get to soak in the ocean atmosphere during sun salutations.

5. MacArthur State Park, Singer Island, Florida
Claim one of the pavilions in this peninsula park where you can breathe in the sea air among the subtropical coastal habitats. Well worth a hike after your practice.
6. North Avenue Beach, Chicago, IL
Ponder the marvel of the great Lake Michigan from a grassy spot in front of one of the best beaches in the city. While a park that ranges in activities from volleyball to bicycling to swimming off the sand, you can find a place along the beach to take in all in and let it all go.

7. National Mall, Washington, DC
Immerse yourself in the powerful vibes of the country’s capital, and a view of the Capitol, as you perfect your downward dog. The lawns of the mall are active with tourists and local employees, but expansive enough for you to maintain some of your own space.

8. Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada
You’d be hard-pressed to not find a spot on this gorgeous island that’s good for meditation. In Victoria‘s Beacon Hill Park, you’ll be surrounded by the colors and scents of the garden scenery, which will make your pranayama all the more powerful.

9. Wrigley Drive, Lake Geneva, WI
Any one of the lake-front inns in this city located across the great lake from Chicago will provide ample atmosphere for reviving your spirit. But you can also grab a grassy spot near the Riviera Ballroom, on the main Lake Geneva strip of Wrigley Drive. For more tranquility than the summer tourist-season might provide, try going in the spring or fall.

10. Parc Guell, Barcelona, Spain
Balance will be your intention at Parc Guell, a garden complex designed by Antoni Gaudi. Pick a high spot overlooking the incredible colors of the structures so you can take in the genius of the artist while you chant your “Om.”

M. Fuchsloch is a Seed.com contributor