The Coconut Phone: A quirky luxury in Grand Cayman

by Jessica Festa on

Have you ever been on vacation, laying under a palm tree on a white sandy beach with turquoise waters glistening beneath the sun, and thought about how a tropical cocktail would complement the moment perfectly? For those staying at the Ritz Carlton: Grand Cayman, there’s no need to remove yourself from your comfortable paradise as the hotel offers an amenity that will allow you to order drinks, lunch, and whole lot more right from your lounge chair on Seven Mile Beach: The Coconut Phone.

The Coconut Phone is a complimentary service for guests that allows them to type in and click exactly what they want to eat or drink and have it delivered right to their lounge chair. This sweet piece of technology also relieves the burden of having to bring a smartphone, laptop, or tablet to the beach, as the Coconut Phone is internet-capable and can be used to browse hotel services to make reservations for things like golf outings, the spa, and restaurants. And, since it is iPod Touch equipped, you can also enjoy listening to over 1,000 songs that are already stored on the device, which comes with a waterproof armband. Now, there’s no need to worry about ruining your gadgets at the beach.

For more information, visit the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman website.

New York hotel suite up for auction for an entire year

by Jessica Festa on

This year, Affinia Manhattan plans to make Sunday nights special for one lucky winner. From January 19-Feruary 2, 2012, the hotel will be auctioning off an entire year’s worth of Sunday night stays in a newly revamped one-bedroom suite. The package is worth $20,000 and is perfect for business travelers and those in the outer boroughs or nearby suburbs who come into the city often.

Along with the suite itself, the winner will also get added perks, such as:

  • A virtual closet to store clothing and belongings
  • Late check out at 5PM
  • Free high-speed internet access
  • Sunday “tips” like free parking and free comedy shows

And to make the event even better, a portion of the proceeds will go to help The New York Restoration Project.

Interested in bidding? Visit charitybuzz from January 19-February 2.

Four Seasons relaunches hotel websites in $15 million brand initiative

by McLean Robbins on




Four Seasons has today launched the latest upgrades to their brands hotel websites, a $15 million corporate initiative that places a greater emphasis on images, social media, special offers and destination “experiences”.

Looking almost Tumblr-esque in layout, the sites use real-time social media data from Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor to show reviews from visitors, both positive and negative.

Such a bold move could be risky for hotels, but, as we’ve noted before, Four Seasons as a brand excels at social media,training hotels and staffers in how to respond properly to individual messages.

Hotel expert Barb De Lollis of USA Today quoted the brand’s marketing chief Susan Helstab, who said that “there’s no room for smoke and mirrors in today’s socially networked world.” She cited a brand survey saying that 33% of guests rely heavily on TripAdvisor when making booking decisions, but that one person’s “bad” may be another person’s value-add.

“If you find that not every experience is equally positive, you will understand the framework for that experience. Maybe it was from a traveler who wasn’t quite like you,” she says. “Maybe you want an active kids’ pool with lots of amenities (unlike the writer of a particular review that complains about the pool scene).”

We’re happy to see the new website playing up the destination as much as the property – lush, vivid photos and an extensive “Destination” and “Highlights” page play up what there is to do in the area. Meetings and Weddings, while extensively built out, take a back seat in the main navigation for tiny, top-level tabs, indicating that this is a site that is speaking to the leisure consumer rather than the corporate one that forms much of the brand’s base. UGC content from sites like Flickr also gives a more personal touch, and fully-functioning mobile sites allow on-the-go travelers to book.

While there are still a few kinks to work out (not all room types load with images and we caught a few typos) the site looks impressive and modern, more like what we’d expect from a boutique chain rather than a big brand with 86 hotels under their belt.

We’re excited to see if other hotels follow suit.

Luxury Vacation Guide 2012: Baku, Azerbaijan

by Jessica Marati on

Alternately called the Paris of the East and the Next Dubai, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is poised to become the Middle East’s next big luxury travel destination.

Once the busiest harbor on the ancient Silk Road, Baku is the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. A recent flood of oil money has led to massive development in anticipation of a 2020 Olympics bid, and early 2012 will mark the opening of the Flame Towers, an iconic complex which will significantly alter the Baku skyline. With a design inspired by the natural gas-fueled fires that once sprung spontaneously from the Azerbaijan landscape, the towers will house offices, high-end apartments, and a new luxury property from Fairmont.

As a country, Azerbaijan is no stranger to progress, having been the first Muslim country to build operas, theatres, and a democratic republic. Baku’s walled inner city, which contains Shirvanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower, was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, and the city’s cultural agenda includes world-class ballet performances and philharmonic concerts. To boot, Lonely Planet recently ranked Baku one of the world’s top destinations for urban nightlife, alongside Buenos Aires, Dubai, and Cape Town.

[flickr image via teuchterlad]

Trump International celebrates 15th anniversary with $15,000 hotel package

by McLean Robbins on
Trump International Hotel & Tower New York (the only Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond Hotel with a Five-Star, Five-Diamond restaurant in New York) is celebrating their upcoming 15th anniversary in lavish and traditional Trump style, with a $15,000 Crystal Anniversary Package.

While normally we’d make fun of such a package, the price of the accommodations and jewelry alone make this a pretty good “deal,” if you can call anything that’s $15k a deal. The package includes:

· Two nights in a one-bedroom Central Park-view suite (normally $1,000 plus per night)
· A 750ml bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Brut Champagne
· Rock Crystal Jewelry from Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, including the 16″ Rose Gold Chain With Rock Crystal Center Stone, Long Rose Gold Rock Crystal and Diamond Drop Earring on Diamond French Wire, and 7.5″ Rock Crystal and Diamond Chain Bracelet
· A Shonbek Crystal Chandelier (so you can glitter like Trump at your own home)
· A pair of Christian Louboutin “Fifi” pumps, cloaked in crystals, with a 100mm heel (want to send us your pair if you don’t like them?)
· Dinner for two at Jean Georges, the hotel’s three-Michelin-Star restaurant, including a bottle of premier Champagne
· Breakfast for two daily at Nougatine

“Crystal is the traditional 15th anniversary gift, and we certainly have our share of it here at Trump International,” said General Manager Suzie Mills, who has worked at the hotel since its 1997 opening.


The Crystal Anniversary Package will be available as of the 15th anniversary of the hotel’s opening – Jan. 15, 2012 – through Jan. 15, 2013.