Valentine’s Day and two chocolate fixes

by Jamie Rhein on

Over at Intelligent Traveler Jeannette Kimmel describes in detail the chocolate covered hotel room experience one couple will win in Godiva Valentine’s Day Promotion. The Bryant Park Hotel in New York City is the site of this Ultimate Chocolate Fantasy weekend that includes a chocolate spa treatment. That reminds me of the scene in The Who’s movie “Tommy” when Ann Margaret, wearing a white outfit, swims in the stuff. Odd. As a person who is satisfied with one square of dark chocolate, the thought of chocolate covered walls paired with chocolate furniture makes me feel a bit ill, but I admit, the idea is fascinating.

For a chance to win this first prize, or one of the 100 second prizes, look inside a specially marked $23 or more Godiva gift box to see if there’s a message in an enveleope that says “Congratulations!” That’s the short version–here are the details.

If the idea of a chocolate bath or any kind of chocolate beauty treatment sounds enticing, there’s more than the contest version. In Hershey, Pennsylvania at The Hotel Hershey, you can get a Whipped Cocoa Bath, Chocolate Hydrotherapy, a Chocolate Bean Polish, a Chocolate Sugar Scrub, a Chocolate Fondue Wrap and/or a Cocoa Massage. Don’t stop with one treatment. There’s a whole menu on the Day Spa package list.

Be part of Improv Everywhere

by Jamie Rhein on

If you thought, “How cool is that?” when reading Jerry’s post on stopping time in Grand Central Station and wish you had been involved, it is possible to get in on some improv action yourself. Improv Everywhere, the New York City-based group that pulls off these clever pranks has spin-off groups in other cities.

Global Improv Everywhere is found across the United States, as well as, Vancouver, Toronto, London and the Netherlands with membership in each chapter ranging from 50+ to over 100. Anyone can join in the creating public “joy” and “chaos” efforts–the aim of Improv Everywhere missions. Currently there is a plan to do a nationwide freeze on February 23. Check out the Web site for details and also to find out how to join up with a chapter in your city if there is one or start one yourself. You can also hook up with the New York City version by registering online. You can also get an Improv Everwhere T-shirt with this logo on it..

Being in an Improve Everywhere stunt seems a bit less intimidating than being in a Spencer Tunick nude photo shoot.

New York businesses now accepting euros

by Anna Brones on

What happens when a large American city starts attracting European tourists by the millions? Stores start taking euros just as easily as US dollars. That’s what is currently taking place in New York City where “Euros Accepted” signs are popping up all over the place. Businesses want to make a buck, and apparently it doesn’t matter what kind of currency that buck is in. Those businesses are doing some smart thinking in taking whatever kind of currency the tourists can fork over; tourism in the city brought in $28 billion in 2007.

If you own your own business, things are even better as pointed out by Billy Leroy of Billy’s Antiques and Props, “I am happy to take 200 euros , because what I do is keep them. So when I go back to Paris I don’t have to go through the nightmare of going to an exchange place.” Smart man, I’d be doing the same thing.

Only a few time zones and a 7 hour flight away from big European cities like London and Paris, New York City is pretty much the new European weekend shopping getaway. Make euros the accepted currency and the Big Apple might even be on its way to joining the EU… I don’t think so, but if you are a European, those dollar prices make the city pretty attractive.

Hotel deals for Leap Year birthday folks and their pals, goldfish included

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’ve looked ahead to February’s calendar page, you may have noticed the extra day tacked on. Yep, this is Leap Year. When I was talking about it with people earlier today, we wondered if that meant one extra day of work. It’s on a Friday this year.

For those folks who happen to have been born on February 29th and have identification to prove it, head to a Kimpton Hotel. There’s a deal with your name on it. Plus, this is the hotel company that provides you with a gold fish for your room. This goldie was hashcOde’s last September when he stayed at the Hotel Monaco in Seattle.

To those of us without this auspicious birthday date, we need to cozy up to someone who has it so we can get the discounts at one of these boutique hotels too. Maybe you’re one of those people whose dearest friend was born on February 29th. I don’t know anyone who was.

Even so, here is an overview of some of the cleverly packaged deals:

The Muse Hotel and 70 park avenue hotel are offering the “Forever Young” package. This includes a $229 per night rate, champagne and birthday cake.

At the Hotel Burnham and Hotel Monaco in Chicago, your February 29th birthday will get you 29% off on a two night minimum stay. (Thurs.-Sat.)

Leap Year folks can check into the Hotel Monaco and Hotel Vintage Plaza in Portland for a $29 for the night room rate on the night of February 29th. (I’m not sure what else this involves.)

For one free night stay, head to Washington D.C. There, at the all seven of the Kimpton Hotels, if you book two nights (Feb. 28 and March. 1) the 29th is free.

And, if someone is planning to propose to someone, the 29th is the day when there’s a deal for this too. In Denver at the Hotel Monaco, there’s the “Dare to Propose” package that includes a Leap Year themed cocktail.

All of the 29 Kimpton Hotels will have some Leap Year special. Here’s the link at the Kimpton Hotels Web site that lists all the properties and links to each one. As of now, I didn’t see all of the the deals I’ve mentioned, but we were tipped off by the company. There are other specials that are offered year ’round no matter what your birthday date. Perusing the Kimpton Web site is one way to imagine living the high-life. There are other deals for other occasions. I have an eye on the Dreams of a Muse at The Muse.

Book events and readings as a travel pursuit

by Jamie Rhein on

As a cheap entertainment option when traveling, head to a book store to catch an author talk or reading. While movies have approached $10 or higher in many cities, book store readings are usually free. If you’re in a college town or major city, your chances of a book reading happening during your trip are pretty high. I also went to book events in Singapore and New Delhi. Anywhere where there are book stores, there will be book events at one time or another.

Tonight, for example, I headed to one of the Barnes and Noble bookstores in Columbus to hear a talk by Washington Post columnist and book critic Michael Dirda. Earlier today I heard him on a local talk show, “Open Line with Fred Anderle,” thought he sounded interesting, didn’t have plans, so there I went. Dirda’s latest book is a collection of essays about the pleasure of reading classics called Classics for Pleasure.

Listening to writers read, talk about their work and answer audience questions stimulates me to think about my own perceptions of life and the world. I bought a cup of tea which cost $1.55 with tax and that was all I spent. I do normally buy one of the author’s books, but I have one of Dirda’s already and yesterday was a day of spending money elsewhere.

If you go on Barnes and Noble’s Web site, there’s a place where you type in a city, town or state, pick from a drop down menu what type of event you are looking for and it will let you know what authors are coming within a 25 mile range up to three months from now. There’s another option where you type in the name of the author and that author’s events will show up. Anne Lamott, one of the funniest, most poignant writers around, for example, has a few readings scheduled —one of them is at the Union Square Barnes and Noble. The store, pictured in the photo, has author events as a regular feature.

The Harvard Book Store also has several authors making appearances through the Author Event Series. If you’re going to be in Cambridge or Boston, head here.