Take advantage of the pain in Vegas – Four Seasons for $149/night

by Scott Carmichael on

One thing is clear in this bad economy – one person’s poorly booked hotel, is another person’s chance to stay in luxury for under $150.

The Las Vegas Four Seasons is clearly feeling the pain more than ever – if you book a room as part of their “Vegas Escape” rate plan, you can snag yourself a “moderate room” for just $149 a night.

This insanely low price is available from February 20th till the 24th, so you only have a couple of days to take advantage of it.

Of course, this kind of luxury is only for people who like a non-gaming hotel, as the Four Seasons prefers to make its money off $700/night rooms, instead of slots and tables.

And don’t think “moderate room” means you are getting that smelly room by the elevator that nobody wants – each moderate room has 500 square feet of living space, a marble bathroom with tub and shower as well as a 42″ Plasma TV with DVD player.

A night at the Four Seasons might also be just what the doctor ordered if you are looking for a nice Valentines surprise for your loved one – it may be a week too late, but once you arrive I’m sure all will be forgiven.

You’ll find the rates overview here, just be sure to select the “Vegas Escape” package from the lineup, and feel free to ignore the “from $239” message.

Also, even though you can’t gamble at the Four Seasons, try your luck at the check-in desk with the old $20 trick when you ask “any upgrades available?”, you’ll be amazed what can happen in Vegas!

Keep busy with 44 travel ideas

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If the entire world is too much from which to choose, take a look at The 44 Places to Go in 2009 suggested by the New York Times. Some are obvious, such as Reykjavik, which was been on everyone’s mind 2008. Others are easy, including Washington D.C. Our nation’s capital has plenty of hotels (including the funky Hotel Helix, photo at right), great public transportation and access via two major airports. Of course, there are a few destinations that probably wouldn’t occur to you otherwise. Here are some highlights:

  1. Beirut, Lebanon: two hotels are expected to open this year (including a Four Seasons), and dining at Al-Ajami is top-notch
  2. Fjallnas, Sweden: this is home to a luxury resort up by the Arctic Circle; rates start at €325 a night, but deals are available
  3. Copenhagen, Denmark: the city’s architecture is headed into the 21st century, particularly with the new zoo and theater
  4. Kazakhstan: no, I’m not joking; the new opera house is not to be missed, and a ski resort is in the works

Need more choices? Not a problem! There are forty more here, and after that an entire world in which to poke around.

Good news for a lucky bride at 30 Rock

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you think you can write about true love — your own, specifically — you have a shot at a honeymoon suite high above Manhattan. Brides magazine is looking to make a lucky couple even luckier, with the winners nabbing a night at the Top of the Rock. In 150 words or less, the mere length of a Gadling blog post, all you have to do is rattle off what makes you and your husband special.

A luxurious night in this rare destination not enough for you? Yeah, I figured. So did the folks over at Brides. Greed is rewarded with a trip to the Four Seasons Bora Bora in Tahiti. On a rate-per-word basis, you’ll never find a gig that pays like this!

Compete for the Brides Mile-High Honeymoon Suite, and take a look at what you could win!

New restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Santa Barbara

by Annie Scott on

‘Tis always the season for exclusivity at a Four Seasons. This season, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara (excessive names much? It’s like having three daddies) has opened a brand new restaurant, Tydes Restaurant and Bar.

Tydes Restaurant and Bar was designed by Peter Marino at the legendary Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. The “Coral Casino” has been through a $65 million restoration and is now an exclusive members-only club to which guests of the Four Seasons have access, and Tydes Restaurant and Bar has opened inside of that. Basically, if you want to go there, you probably can’t.

That picture? Is a sketch. You can’t even see it.

More about what you’re missing:

“Critically acclaimed chef Pilar Sanchez, most recently known for her eponymous Napa restaurant, has crafted a tour de force menu that is authentically Mediterranean – creatively combining French, Italian, Spanish and Moroccan influences to create a harmony with the “Riviera” feel of Tydes’ natural surroundings. Constantly in flux with the seasons, it stars fresh seafood such as loup de mer, turbot and daurade flown in from the Mediterranean daily, along with the best ingredients from that part of the world. Also featured are the local region’s freshest produce and meats sourced from local purveyors, including one-of-a-kind artisan foods like bread and cheeses that have been custom created to Sanchez’s own specifications.”

Not exclusive enough? There’s a private dining room within Tydes Restaurant and Bar which seats just eight guests and has views of the ocean and the mountains. The room also opens out onto a sundeck.

If you find yourself on that sundeck, you’ve probably broken out of the matrix. Watch for agents.

Floating Condos For The Super-Rich: Four Seasons’ Ocean Residences

by Willy Volk on

Though I wouldn’t normally use the words cruising and traveling together, the new Four Seasons Ocean Residences is, indeed, a cruise ship for travelers — very rich travelers. Featuring 112 floating condos — ranging from one-bedroom cabins costing $3.7 million to penthouses costing nearly $40 — the Four Seasons will cruise the globe for several years.

The ship’s itinerary features stops in Antarctica; at the 2012 Olympics; in the Amazon; the Rio Carnival; and the Monaco Grand Prix. Boasting a helipad, its own marina, and a launch for jet skis or sailboats, the Four Seasons is obviously traveling at its most elegant…

…and at it’s most boring. Despite its fancy-shmancy itinerary — I’d prefer traveling via mini-bus with a cracked windshield. What fun is it to spend most of your time hobnobbing with the super-wealthy, tottering around on putting greens, when you could be exploring the places you’re visiting? Personally: it sounds boring.