Lodge in style at Miami’s EPIC Hotel

by Grant Martin on

Miami is a lavish city. It’s people and beaches are beautiful, the food is tremendous and money and style reign. It takes a special hotel to cater to these traits, a special cut of class that not any old property can fully develop. Kimpton’s EPIC hotel fits this bill perfectly.

Situated on the edge of the Miami river and the Biscane Bay, Kimpton’s EPIC Hotel opened its doors only six months ago and is practically brand spanking new. A sprawling, 54 floor ellipse, the EPIC proudly stands out from the rest of the drab, downtown buildings, glowing white against the sublime Miami skyline.

Each of the 411 rooms is expertly and immaculately appointed, with the nicest sheets on the planet, large, open bathrooms and a private balcony overlooking either the city or the bay.

One of the most useful facets of the rooms is the connectivity. Each is equipped with a desktop computer, where you can log onto the internet, view your current room balance, manage your account or engage in a variety of other activities. You can even select your preferred pillow type for your return trip. If you prefer to work from your bed, you can tune into the free wireless as well, or just relax and watch your giant LCD flat screen TV.
If you’re going to relax though, you should head down to the 16th floor pool deck, where you can currently dock into any of the cabanas circling the pool for free, turn on your personal television and order a few drink as you lounge in the Miami heat. It’s an excellent way to spend the afternoon avoiding work and people watching, but do it soon before the deck gets popular and they start charging for cabanas.

After your swim through one of the two massive swimming pools, you can stop by John Critchely’s Area 31 restaurant for a Mediterranean inspired sea food dish as you gaze out at the sparkling city. Alternatively, the River Lounge on the first floor will cut you a top quality cocktail, as you munch on bar bites and watch patrons pull up to the lounge on their boats from the Miami River.

It’s true – the luxury afforded by the EPIC hotel comes at a price. You’re going to end up paying more for a beautiful room facing the Biscane Bay than you will for a motel on the highway. But the overall experience – the magnificent style, the spacious rooms, the ridiculous pool deck and the wonderful sleep that you’ll get at the EPIC – will be well worth your investment. Check out Kimpton’s website for rates after you go the gallery below.

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Hurricane season is for bargain-hunters

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Hurricane season will not keep travelers from their destinations! A recent survey by TripAdvisor®, which mined the opinions of more than 1,000 U.S. travelers, reports that 43 percent plan to hit a hurricane-prone destination this summer or fall – peak hurricane season. This is up from 36 percent last year. Sixty-five percent of the survey’s respondents are doing this to take advantage of a “significant savings.”

Blame the financial crisis.

An already dismal market for travel companies is likely to be exacerbated by storm risk in areas traditionally visited by hurricanes. To 25 percent of the survey respondents, this is why they’re going. Another 25 percent they could be convinced to enter hurricane neighborhood for discounts of greater than 50 percent on travel and accommodations.

Many of these survey-takers speak from experience. Thirty-two percent of them have been through hurricanes while on vacation … and it would take a lot to get them to leave. Eleven percent would bail when a Category 1 storm hits, and another 18 percent would move for a Category 2. The tipping point is Category 3, which would prompt 26 percent to leave, with a Category 4 storm shedding another 10 percent. Three percent of respondents would leave for a Category 5 storm, and only 2 percent would stick around regardless of hurricane potency. A whopping 29 percent answered, “I don’t know.”

Thirty percent of respondents simply avoid certain destinations because of hurricane risk, with the Caribbean the destination most avoided during storm season. Fifty-five percent would only cancel their plans if a storm was imminent, while 19 percent would cancel on possibility alone. Some hedge their bets – 30 percent said they are likely to buy trip insurance to protect their hard-earned cash from hurricane-related cancelations.

“Despite some reluctance to visit hurricane-susceptible destinations during storm season, a large number of travelers are willing to roll the dice if the price is right,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor readers pick their favorite beaches

by Tom Johansmeyer on

More than 1,800 readers have spoken their minds on TripAdvisor and picked their favorite beaches. This summer, 58 percent of vacationers will be headed for sun, sand and surf – making the spot where ocean meets turf the most popular destination. The only challenge now is picking one. There are thousands of miles of coast in the United States alone … how do you choose one spot?

Well, the best bet is to go to Hawaii or Florida – each of which takes four spots on the TripAdvisor list of top 10 beaches. California and South Carolina round out the list.

The top 10 are after the jump.

1. Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde, Florida

2. Bahia Honda State Park and Beach, Big Pine Key, Florida

3. St. Andrews State Park, Panama City, Florida

4. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii

5. Kailua Beach Park, Oahu, Hawaii

6. La Jolla Cove, La Jolla, California

7. Green Sand Beach, Hawi, Hawaii

8. Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

9. Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin, Florida

10. Edisto Beach State Park, Edisto Island, South Carolina

Disney stops looking for breasts after a decade of trying

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Why do I always miss the good stuff?

Disney has announced that it’s no longer going to scan riders on Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain and California Screamin … for unfettered chests. Apparently, women are known on these rides from time to time to flash for the camera. Though I’ve looked for it on each ride, I’ve never witnessed these public displays of exuberance.

I’m not sure why this warrants an announcement, as Disney does say that such acts are rare. But, every now and then, a bare pair winds up in a souvenir photo. The parks will no longer be looking for this – which means everyone else will be.

The company began looking 10 years ago, unlike the rest of us, who started when we were around 12.

Cincinnati crime-fighter becomes local attraction

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Watch the streets of Cincinnati carefully: you may see a man clad in a mask and cape scouring the city in search of evil deeds and damsels in distress. Shadowhare, who (obviously) prefers to conceal his true identity has volunteered his services to the city’s citizens and civil servants … free of charge.

This is bigger than voting and jury duty combined.

This superhero is 21 years old – and clearly mature beyond his years. After all, who would take on such a daunting task? He leads a group called the “Allegiance of Heroes,” which includes Aclyptico in Pennsylvania, Wall Creeper in Colorado and Master Legend in Florida. “I’ve even teamed up with Mr. Extreme in California – San Diego – and we were trying to track down a rapist,” he says.

Shadowhare (and the Allegiance of Heroes) operates with “legal weapons,” such as handcuffs and pepper spray. When necessary, this crew conducts citizen’s arrests to bring justice to the community.

Here’s the shock: sometimes, Shadowhare and his fellow crime-fighters aren’t taken seriously by the folks in uniform. Imagine that! The Allegiance of Heroes, however, proceeds undeterred.

So, if a trip to Cincinnati is in your future, book your flights knowing that you have nothing to fear.

[Thanks, Dad]