Gadling’s favorite hotels for 2011

Where do your loyal well-traveled Gadling contributors especially love to spend the night? We polled Gadling writers on their favorite hotels in 2010. Think of Gadling’s favorite hotels for 2011 as our version of a hotel tip sheet.

Laurel Miller. The Kirketon in Sydney for its quirkiness, cool bar, small size, helpful staff and retro-mod style, blissfully free of big-city attitude. Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, South Australia as a once-in-a-lifetime indulgence in a staggeringly beautiful, intimate setting hovering over a private beach covered with wallaby tracks. For high-end luxury, Ecuador’s Hacienda Zuleta. It’s historic, in the foothills of Andes in northern Ecuador, a working dairy/horse farm/creamery/condor preserve. It offers an intensely Ecuadorean experience, from the local indigenous culture to hospitality, geography, and food that is worth the trek. And lastly theWit in Chicago with its ideal location on the Loop, across the street from the river.

Mike Barish. The Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming. Located right in the heart of Jackson, a historic hotel steeped in cowboy tradition. Grab a drink at the hotel’s Silver Dollar Bar after a day exploring Grand Teton National Park.

Grant Martin. Favorite hotel of the year was the Elysian, right in downtown Chicago. Beautiful, huge rooms, clean, elegant and sharp appointments, razor-sharp staff and a perfect location make this the best spot to spend a long weekend in the Loop.

Annie Scott. The Capella Hotel in Singapore remains a favorite, as does the Hotel Imperial in Vienna. I’m a sucker for luxury. I also loved staying at Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma, a treehouse hotel in Zambia, despite a harrowing adventure with a giant bug which I eventually captured with a teacup and saucer.

McLean Robbins. CastaDiva Resort, Lake Como. Opened in June, this is the first five-star resort to open on the lake in about 100 years. It’s stunning and unique. Used to be a private home to the muse of Bellini, sat empty for decades before being gutted and re-done. Top-notch service, food and spa.

Don George. This year’s hotel highlights were the following trio in Peru. All combined great style and comfort with a deep sense of immersion in the local place, through their architecture, cuisine, artful decorations, and programs that featured local people to promote local sights and attractions. In Urubamba: Sol & Luna. In Aguas Calientes: Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. In Cusco: Inkaterra La Casona.Tom Johansmeyer: My favorite hotel will always be On the Ave, on W 77th Street, between Amsterdam Ave and Broadway in Manhattan. I once lived there for a few months, and while doing so, I fell in love with the Upper West Side, ultimately moving into the neighborhood. Since my stay in 2004 the rooms have been renovated, but the sixteenth-floor terrace remains. On your next trip to the city, skip the big names, and head up to my neighborhood: it’s worth it to stay a bit out of the way.

Melanie Nayer. Sticking with the Shanghai theme (see yesterday’s favorite destinations post) my favorite hotel this year is the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong.

Karen Walrond. I’m a big fan of the boutique hotel. Recently I stayed at Hotel Lucia in Portland and was blown away by the customer service, and it’s not too expensive. In my homeland of Trinidad, I love the Coblenz Inn, an upscale little boutique place. I also love Acajou, an upscale-yet-very-rustic eco lodge in Grand Riviere, Trinidad. Lovely.

David Farley. The Royal Park Hotel in Tokyo. If you can, get upgraded. Upgrades mean an early-evening cocktail hour with complimentary drinks and snacks every evening.

Kraig Becker. The Chico Hot Spring Resort located in Montana, just north of Yellowstone National Park in the beautiful Absaroka Mountains. Rooms start as low as $49/night and range up to $300/night for luxurious cabins with some of the most spectacular views around. After a gourmet meal in the Chico dining room, guests can soak in the pool, which is drained and refilled each night with water from the local hot springs.

Catherine Bodry. Songtsam hotels in China

Alex Robertson Textor. Buenos Aires cE Hotel de Diseño. I loved the hotel’s location and thorough minimalism (concrete walls and floors) as well as the ample room size and delicious breakfast. The rate, which I found through Tablet Hotels, was also very reasonable, at $109 including taxes.

[Image: Flickr | doug_wertman]

Jackson Lake Lodge: Culinary Surprise in the Grand Tetons

I dashed off to Jackson Hole for a few days not too long ago. Driven by the need to unwind for a bit and a decade-long desire to visit the setting of some of my favorite novels (by Tim Sandlin), I set my sights on the Grand Tetons and didn’t look back. What I found upon my arrival at the Jackson Lake Lodge, one of the three hotels in the area run by the Grand Teton Lodge Company, was an unexpected culinary experience that capture me from the moment I saw the menu.

The mid-tier offering of the Grand Teton Lodge Company – with Jenny Lake Lodge at the upper end and Colter Bay Village the bargain offer – the Jackson Lake Lodge has spacious and comfortable rooms, though they are of course consistent with the price point. This is what made the property’s high-end restaurant, Mural Room, particularly exciting: it was an inspired and local menu at an affordable hotel.

Normally, mid-range hotels deliver solid, reliable, basic fare, with a decent steak constituting the top end of the menu and the rest of it being rather pedestrian. Mural Room stands that thinking on its head, with an exciting menu that blends creativity, local favorites and ol’ reliable dishes that you’d expect to be on hand for those who aren’t terribly adventurous. Of course, the local touches on the Mural Room menu are not surprising. When bread is served, it comes in the shape of a carefully sculpted moose – not my scene, but I do understand the appeal in general. Instead, I was drawn to the menu items that took advantage of the area’s local fare, such as hazelnut and ginger buffalo carpaccio and southwest and molasses spiced elk loin. Whether you go for the unique local stuff or stick to the standby dishes (like the prime rib), you’ll walk away satisfied, as the chef clearly has his act together.

What really blew my mind wasn’t the local ingredients or even the entrees. Rather, it was the lobster and brie bisque. Served with chunks of lobster and a creamy soup around it, the dish was an unexpected seafood delight far away from the place these crustaceans call home.

The price points were a bit high for the Jackson Lake Lodge: the restaurant offered entrees at close to $30 or more (in most cases) in the company’s mid-level property. That said, there’s always room to splurge while on vacation, and a bargain vacation often has room for a fantastic meal that defines the trip’s culinary experience. Mural Room delivers this experience – to the point where you’ll probably want to make reservations a week before you arrive.

My trip to Jackson Hole was long anticipated, which of course led to unnecessarily high standards. Mural Room delivered, becoming the defining moment of my trip. Some properties have a culinary surprise buried deep in the website – this is one of them.

Daily Pampering: Learn to ride at Jackson Hole’s Hotel Terra

“The woods are the goods.” That’s the motto of Burton’s Stash Park. With Burton set to unveil the sixth and only Rocky Mountain Stash Park this winter in Jackson Hole, Hotel Terra, the area’s most chic and green address is offering a chance for the wanna-be snowboard bums to “Learn to Ride” at the area traditionally known for its world-class, steep skier terrain.

Burton’s eco-conscious Stashes welcome more experienced riders with its natural features and drops, and with Hotel Terra’s “Suite Stash Learn to Ride” Package, those new to snowboarding can take advantage of all the perks. Based on double occupancy, the offer includes:

  • 3 nights lodging in a one or two bedroom Terra suite
  • Ultimate ‘Suite Stash’ amenities: a state of the art, full furnished kitchen and bar seating area, dining area, living room, one or more extra bathrooms, flat screen TVs, and one or more furnished terraces
  • 1 Day instruction (for two) in the Burton’s Learn to Ride program at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (includes: Boards, boots and bindings specifically designed for beginners will make learning to snowboard easy and fun)
  • Daily Breakfast for two in Terra Cafe
  • Flip Ultra Video Camera for capturing your progress (return at the end of the days and plug it directly into your Hotel Terra flat screen TV for immediate playback)

The Hotel Terra package is available from November 27, 2010 – April 3, 2011.
The cost? Rates start at $1,102.50

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

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort slashes cost of ski pass

While most of us continue to suffer through the hottest summer on record, it is difficult to envision ourselves shredding down a mountain on a fresh base of white powder. Fortunately, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is already looking to the winter ahead, and they’ve received plenty of attention in recent days for actually cutting the prices of their annual ski passes by an unprecedented 25% over last year.

In 2009, a full season pass cost skiers $1970, making it one of the most expensive in the entire country. But during the month of August, JHMR is selling the same pass for the 2010-2011 season for just $1255, a relative bargain in the world of major ski resorts. The price does come with a caveat however, as this early bird discount is good only until August 31st, after that the cost jumps up to $1570, which is still a substantial savings over last year.

Why the reduction in price? Simple economics it seems. The resort took a look at the most common buyers of their annual passes and found that they were most likely to be local skiers who hit the slopes on a very regular basis. Those locals may be a bit strapped for cash considering the current economic climate, so JHMR management wanted to give back to the community and offer up the discounted price. Fortunately, it isn’t just available for the locals.

Located just outside of Jackson, Wyoming, and not far from the Grand Teton Mountains, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort boasts 116 different ski runs, the majority of which are dedicated to the intermediate and expert level skier. With over 2500 acres of inbounds skiable area and a another 3000 acres of backcountry, the resort is amongst the most popular in the western United States.

So far, none of their big name competitors to the south have followed suit with a price reduction this season.

Golfing dads should keep Keystone Resort in mind this summer

Father’s Day is coming, and if you’re old man’s a golfer, you might want to ship him off to Keystone Resort for a weekend. The “Stay and Play” package includes two free rounds of golf at the Ranch Course, and kids 17 and under can join dad (after 5 PM) for no charge, as well. For fathers with kids who are looking for some bonding time, this can be a great way to get together free of distraction (except that pesky white ball) for a few hours).

For the big weekend, rates start at only $144 a night, and they are as low as $125 for the rest of the summer. The “Stay and Play” package is also available at the RockResorts in Vail, Beaver Creek and Jackson Hole.