Daily Pampering: Haulover Towers at ONE Bal Harbour Resort

by Melanie Nayer on

Luxury comes at a price, but it’s easy to forget how much you’ve spent once you get a view of Miami from the 17th floor of the Haulover Towers at ONE Bal Harbour Hotel & Spa in Miami. The hotel, which was originally a condominium complex, recently renovated its suites offering guests the ultimate in luxury accommodations during their stay at ONE.

The most impressive part of these suites – aside from the kitchenettes in every room, balconies that look out onto Miami Beach or the downtown area, and the soaking tubs with views of the Atlantic Ocean – is their privacy. When the hotel took over the condo complex, the designers kept the floors the same, which means only two rooms to a floor in Haulover Tower. Keep to yourself or rent the adjoining room, perfect for a family on vacation.

While you’re here be sure to spend some time on the private beach, or go shopping at the exclusive Bal Harbour Shops. Rumor has it ONE will start a shuttle service from the hotel to the shops so you don’t have to worry about scuffing your Jimmy Choos.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

Travel Trends: Orlando, Las Vegas top summer destinations for 2010

by Gadling Staff on

Perhaps fueled by a sense that the economy is improving, millions of Americans are gearing up to travel this summer. And when it comes to summer travel, Americans are nothing if not decisive about where we want to go.

This summer’s top two destinations – hands down – are Orlando and Las Vegas, according to a recent survey conducted with members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA).

Orlando ranks highest among the trips that agents are booking – 17.7% say the theme-park capital is this summer’s Number One destination. No doubt, that’s due in some part to the buzz building over the June 18 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort.

Las Vegas is Number Two at 16.2%.

“There are a lot of discounts and deals right now for those cities,” explains Melissa Teates, director of research at ASTA in Alexandria, Va. “But, generally, most people just know they’ll have a good time in these cities. Orlando and Vegas really exist as vacation destinations.”Also among the top 10 major destinations this summer are San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.

Another hot spot, New York City, is hotter than it’s been in some time.

It zoomed up the chart from Number Ten in 2009 — with 1.4% of ASTA members saying it was their top booking — to Number Six this year at 2.8%.

Teates says people are eager to travel after having put it off during the recession. But, she notes, many travelers are still holding down expenses. One way to do that is by staying relatively close to home.

“People want to travel more, but they’re being careful with costs,” she says. “A city like New York looks good. If you live on the East Coast, you can take a train. If you’re in the Midwest, it’s a short flight.”

[Data source: ASTA]

See more Travel Trends.

Five travel gift ideas for Mother’s Day

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You need options – fast. Mother’s Day is less than month away, and moms want to travel. They want to get out on the road, be treated like royalty and experience all the luxuries for which they don’t have time day to day. With a whole world at your disposal, how do you choose? Well, I poked around and thought you might be interested in the following deals for Mother’s Day. Here are five ideas that will at least get you started.

1. Residence Inn by Marriott
At all 588 hotels, Residence Inn will be dishing out 50 red roses for moms – that’s 29,400 red roses you don’t need to remember to buy! Also, all guests – kids and dads included – will get free hot breakfast every day, free internet access and plenty of space in the guestrooms.

2. La Posada De Santa Fe Resort & Spa
Art, culture, fine dining and pampering are the norm in Santa Fe, and La Posada does it right. With its Mother’s Day Celebration package, good from May 1, 2010 to July 5, 2010, the resort kicks in a $200 spa credit (good at the RockResorts spa), a pair of specialty turquoise margaritas at the Staab Lounge and a bottle of champagne with chocolate-diped strawberries.3. ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa
Is there a stylish mom you need to take care of next month? ONE Bal Harbour has the answer. Ship her off with her friends for a girls-only getaway, where she can truly get away from the demands of motherhood for a little while. The resort’s “Sun, Stay and Shop” package includes two cocktails at the hotel bar, breakfast every day and a VIP shopping experience that’s got a car service, personal consultation and a special discount at Saks Fifth Avenue’s 5th Avenue Club.

4. Concorde Hotels & Resorts
Get mom off to the City of Lights this Mother’s Day for three night at the century- old, landmark Hotel Lutetia. With the “Centennial Offer,” this Parisian hotel includes a double room, buffet breakfast daily and a 100 euro gift voucher (for a celebration dinner, maybe?).

5. Abercrombie & Kent
Okay, this is top of the line. If you’re a fan of our Daily Pampering column, consider this to be up your alley. Check out an A&K “Journeys for Women” trip, which give moms and daughters the chance to bond while experiencing a foreign culture.

What does your mom prefer this May?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

What does the mom in your life prefer? Whether you’re thinking about your wife or your own mom – not to mention anyone who’s given you a motherly nudge throughout your life – consider the gift of travel this may. The Preferred Hotel Group’s Mother’s Day program, IPrefer, offers a unique set of resort escapes at hotels across the United States. The “IPrefer Resort Escapes are valid until July 31, 2010. Sign up online (it’s free), and your favorite mom will enjoy a $75 daily activity credit, breakfast for two every day, a guaranteed room upgrade, late check-in and check-out and complimentary internet access.

Also, every participating resort will have a special amenity waiting for your favorite mom upon arrival. At The Palms Spa, a luxury Aveda spa at The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami, Florida, discounts are available, and the theme is culinary at The Sanctuary Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

South Florida hotels offer Passover packages

by Melanie Nayer on

What’s a Jewish family to do when Passover falls during Spring Break and all the flights to Florida are packed with college kids eating carbs?

While the debacherous enjoy their binge, some South Florida hotels are offering Passover packages to help families celebrate the ancient Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, while on vacation.

Our friends at the Miami Herald scoured South Beach (and beyond) and found hotels offering “Passover without the hassle” packages. For the thousands of religious families who make their own trek from New York to Miami every year, these hotel offerings are a great way to combine faith and festivity.

The Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach is serving kosher cocktails, gourmet sushi lunches and elaborate dinners perfect for a Passover feast while keeping in the tradition of no leavened bread or grains. Other hotels offering Passover packages include the Biltmore in Coral Gables, which the Herald reports is completely booked for 600 Passover guests; the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure in Weston, which will host 1,000 Passover vacationers; the Doral Golf Resort and Spa; and the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort in Aventura.

Sipping kosher wine never tasted so good.