Daily Pampering: Souk Seeker at New York City’s Marrakech Hotel

by Melanie Nayer on

Navigating the New York fashion scene can be exhilarating, and downright exhausting. Tribeca, SoHo, Fifth Avenue, Park Avenue – the options are endless and overwhelming – and that’s just for the high-end shoppers. New York is full of deals, sales and bargains, but if you don’t know where to go you’ll end up paying more for you faux item than the real thing. Fear not New York shoppers, Manhattan’s Marrakech Hotel has the solution.

Enter the Marrakech Hotel’s Souk Seeker, a team of personal bargain hunters whose mission is to shell out complimentary tips, suggestions and maps of the fashion capital’s most affordable shopping spots. This exclusive, year-round service is available only to guests of the Moroccan-themed hotel. The Marrakech Hotel‘s retail gurus will offer recommendations to New York City’s top bargain shops and retailers from Canal Street to the Brooklyn Flea.

Launching just in time for the debut of Sex and the City 2, when the girls take on Morocco, the Marrakech Hotel will offer fashionistas-in-training one complimentary Skyy Vodka “Shop ’til You Drop” cocktail* from May 27, 2010 through June 30, 2010 at the hotel’s Kazbar Lounge when presenting their movie stub.

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

Daily Pampering: St. Regis Hotels & Resorts ‘Aficionado Experiences’

by Melanie Nayer on

There’s one way to proclaim your luxury status, and then there’s the St. Regis way of proclaiming your luxury status. The luxury hotel group just rolled out their new events calendar and it’s nothing short of dreamy.

The St. Regis Aficionado Experience calendar hosts some of the most elite experiences, offered exclusively to St. Regis customers. Some of the Aficionado experiences are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, so listen close luxury-lovers:

  • The St. Regis New York introduces the Costume Institute experience celebrating The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition, American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity with a guided tour of the exhibit, a chauffeured and an exclusive shopping experience curated by influential stylist Cameron Silver. Furthermore, with the offer guests will stay in the hotel’s luxurious and fashionable Bottega Veneta Suite.
  • The Lanesborough in London invites guests to experience celebrated polo event, the St. Regis International Cup in Cowdray. With this offer, available in May, guests will have access to a personal stylist and shopper to get dressed for the exciting sporting event and exclusive VIP access and seating at the match.
  • Enjoy a day at the Sport Driving School at The St. Regis Atlanta where guests will receive private driving lessons from a professional instructor and experience firsthand Porches’ newest 911 Turbo model.
  • Throughout the year at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, guests can discover Mexico City’s most tantalizing cuisine with a private tour of the region’s charming San Juan Market led by the resort’s chef and topped off with an intimate four-course dinner.
  • A private tour of Beijing’s world-renowned modern art districts 798 and Caochangdi, where a cross-cultural exchange of cutting-edge contemporary art reflects visions of the future.

Other St. Regis Aficionado Experiences include the rare opportunity to taste the world’s most distinguished private label cognacs at The Lanesborough; a tour of Fendi’s design studios and the opportunity to custom design a coat available at The St. Regis Grand Hotel, Rome; a personalized luxury shopping spree featuring private showings at Prada, Gucci and more at The St. Regis Aspen Resort; a skating lesson with Kristi Yamaguchi at The St. Regis San Francisco; golf on the same course as Vijay Singh at The St. Regis Bali Resort, and so much more.

This is pampering at its best. If you crave a taste of the luxe-life, grab your Louis Vitton vintage, put on your Prada pumps and make a reservation with the St. Regis for a day of ultimate extravagance.

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

Six Flags Great Escape to hold two-hour Sasquatch Ride-a-Thon

by Leigh Caldwell on

How strong is your stomach? That’s the question the folks at Six Flags The Great Escape seem to be asking with their special event this weekend, the Sasquatch “Beat the Beast” Ride-a-Thon.

The theme park in Lake George, New York, is promising a PlayStation 3 to the person who rides Sasquatch the most between 9 and 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 22.

You can register for the Sasquatch Ride-a-Thon on The Great Escape’s Facebook page or at the park’s main entrance on Saturday morning.

If more than a dozen people take the challenge, a lottery will determine the event’s 12 contestants.

The Great Escape says that those not chosen for the contest will still be granted early ride time on Sasquatch before the park opens for the day. And early risers will get a discount on admission Saturday, as well: Passes to the park will be sold for $19.99 until 9 a.m.

Sasquatch is a drop ride that shoots you up twin 19-story towers in 3 seconds, then drops you down the tower in a series of bounces. The ride debuted at The Great Escape in May 2009, after being relocated from the now-defunct Six Flags New Orleans.

Staybridge Suites Times Square giving one guest a spot on Broadway

by Melanie Nayer on

Admit it, you’ve always wanted to see your name in lights. Well, you just might get the chance to live out your Broadway dreams, thanks to Staybridge Suites.

Staybridge Suites Times Square, New York City, is hosting a “Big Broadway Break” contest that invites wanna-be stars to express their talent for a chance at getting their name in lights.

Aspiring Broadway stars simply need to submit a video of themselves performing one of two classic Broadway songs, “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” to the Staybridge Suites Times Square Facebook page. The entries will be narrowed down to 10 finalists by public vote, and the winner will be selected by a panel of Broadway industry judges including Seth Rudetsky from Sirius/XM Broadway radio; Adam Feldman, the associate theater and cabaret editor from Time Out New York and award winning Broadway casting director, Stephanie Klapper.

The winner will receive:

  • A six-month hotel stay at Staybridge Suites NYC
  • A series of personalized Broadway Classroom workshops from Broadway.com
  • A session with noted Broadway casting director, Stephanie Klapper
  • An interview with Time Out New York theater and cabaret editor Adam Feldman
  • An interview on the weekly show, Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox on broadwayworld.com
  • $5,000 for living expenses and Staybridge Suites’ signature complimentary services and amenities throughout the length of their stay.

Videos can be entered on Staybridge Suites Times Square’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/staybridgesuitestimessquare) from May 10 – June 18, 2010. From June 19 – 25, a public vote will determine the final 10 contestants. The winner will be announced on July 1.

The Benjamin Hotel hosts matchmaking day for single guests

by Melanie Nayer on

Talk about the proper hotel hook-up (pun intended). The Benjamin Hotel in New York will offer a crash course on how to find “the one” on Sunday, May 16. Armed with a team of life coaches, fashion stylists, makeup artists and photographers, The Benjamin will help singles transform themselves into, well, not-so-single.

Here’s how the hook-up will happen:

The morning is devoted to guest speakers and coaches from The Handel Group, who will advise singles on how become their “best self” in the area of relationships. The afternoon consists of a series of optional 15 minute private sessions with guest experts who will help attendees put their “best self” forward.

Guest experts include:

  • Fashion Stylist: style, presentation, clothing and accessories consultation
  • Makeup Coach: advice and coaching on how to achieve the best looks with makeup (participants should bring their favorite makeup or the whole bag!)
  • Role Play: an effective and fun way to practice the lessons learned in the morning
  • Dating Profile Overhaul: bring online dating profiles and get pointers Photographer: attendees can get photographed by a professional so that their dating profile picture truly flatters them.

The hotel’s program promises you’ll walk away with a better understanding of where past relationships went wrong, and have a clearer picture of relationship ideals and goals.

Intrigued? So is your mother, who has been hounding you for grandchildren so you might want to stop by on Sunday and see who you might meet.

Details:
WHERE: Sunday, May 16, 2010 10am-4pm The Benjamin Hotel 125 East 50th Street, NYC
COST: $200 for Sunday workshop
REGISTER: Call (800) 617-7040 or email coach@handelgroup.com

Bonus: If you happen to meet your soul mate and want to fast-track the hookup, The Benjamin Hotel is offering a rate discount of 15% on a two-night stay (use PROMO CODE: HANDEL).