We still need to sort it out, but you can get a sneak peek. If you are looking for a city, use CTRL-F to search for it on the page for now…

Hotel Deals – Winter 2009

Stay up to 10 days in a Hollywood Hip room for $599 non-refundable, no blackout dates, good through March 15, 2010. Nights need not be consecutive and include NYE, Super Bowl, etc. If you are staying enough peak nights, it’s a good deal. Of course, rooms require availability even though there are no official blackouts.

http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/ags_accommodations_phanatic.php?utm_source=SoMe&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=DPASS

Of course you can book regular discounted rates at Planet Hollywood here

This card won’t be for everyone – but if you buy a lot of airfare and collect Membership Rewards points from Amex, check out the new American Express(R) Premier Rewards Gold Card.  The 3X points on airfare plus no annual fee the first year might make this a winner for you.

Using this link, you’ll also get 15,000 Membership Rewards(R) bonus points when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months of Card membership (be careful where you signup, not all links offer this!!)

Card benefits:

• Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards(R) bonus points when you spend $1,000 in your first 3 months of Card membership
• Earn Membership Rewards points up to three times as fast: You can earn 3X points on airfare, 2X points on gas and groceries, and 1X points on everything else
• Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards bonus points when you spend $30,000 per calendar year.
• No annual fee for your first year, a savings of $175

Click here to signup for the American Express(R) Premier Rewards Gold Card

This one is going out of the ordinary for me, but Jetsetter.com has some great deals. Like the City Club in central Manhattan for $115. It’s Member Only deals at (sometimes) great prices.

Why do I say sometimes? Well, they negotiate the bulk group deals but you should still always check other travel sites, like (of course) HotelMagician.com to make sure you are getting the best deal.

Now you need an invite to get on the site, but I have one for you.  Use the link below for your invite…

http://www.jetsetter.com/

THEHotel at Mandalay Bay

THEHotel - THESuite bedroom

3970 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV US 89119

THEHotel at Mandalay Bay easily met or exceeded my admittedly lofty expectations for a one night stay in September.

Let’s start at the top. THEHotel is Mandalay Bay’s “hotel within a hotel” – the high end sibling of Mandalay Bay. THEHotel is almost entirely suites (although they do have one room type that is not, so be sure to look at what you book!) and they sure are gorgeous! THEHotel is connected to Mandalay Bay and while THEHotel has its own spa and bar/restaurant options, you’ll find most of the amenities are next door at Mandalay Bay (which also, incidentally, houses the Four Seasons Las Vegas).

THEHotel THESuite living room

I stayed in a suite called THESuite which is the base level suite measuring around 700 sq ft with a separate living room with a large flat panel TV and a massive bathroom including a large glass shower and separate soaking tub – with an additional small wall-mounted flat panel TV in case you’d like to watch TV while in the soaking tub. Nice!  I was a bit surprised that the bedroom TV was an older CRT but I think the reason is the wall units they have in the bedroom aren’t made to accommodate such a large TV and it probably didn’t seem worth it to go through the expense of changing out the massive wall units.

I think a lot of the pictures here will speak for themselves. It has the feel of a swank city apartment.

THEHotel THESuite Bathroom w/ soaking tub

In terms of amenities, Mandalay Bay has lots. In the summer season, when the pools are open and in full swing, I’m not sure you can beat what Mandalay offers. The main pool (free for guests) is really two pools (one gigantic wave pool complete with a real sand beach and lounge chairs on the beach and one standard pool) as well as a lazy river (although the inner tube rental is way over priced, in my opinion, at over $20 a tube).

Beach (the pool) at Mandalay Bay

Next door to the pool area is a European (read as topless women are encouraged) pool called Moorea Beach. Admission starts at $40 for guys and $10 for girls and includes a lounge chair except during peak times. This is notable because many other pools in Las Vegas that charge entry do not include anything in the way of a lounge chair. You might also look for hotel packages that include entry to Moorea if you know you’ll be going. My rate included admission for two which is worth $20-$80 right there.

Moorea Beach @ Mandalay Bay

Mandalay Bay also includes some nice eateries – notably a House of Blues, Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, Michael Mina’s StripSteak, Wolfgang Puck’s Lupo, China Grill, and the Brazillian “rumjungle”, as well as the Vegas standard buffet. Two Starbucks Coffee’s are also available.

One downside to Mandalay Bay is its location all the way at the South end of the strip, not far from the airport. It *is* on the strip and is connected to the Luxor and across the street from the MGM Grand (which has a monorail stop – although door to door the walk to it would probably be about 30 minutes!). If you’ll be driving or taking a cab out, it’s no big deal, but you should know you won’t be ideally situated mid-strip.

Overall, I’d definitely stay at THEHotel at Mandalay Bay again and would recommend you give it a try as well! You can also go for a standard room at Mandalay Bay – generally $20-$30 cheaper (or more) a night.

-DG

Tao Beach at the Venetian vs. Rehab at the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas

Daytime partying in Las Vegas has reached new heights. First the nightclubs took over the town as nightlife became more about clubbing than gambling. Now, with all the daytime pool parties, one can party from the morning until the late hours of the night and never gamble a dime – at least in summer.

Over Labor Day Weekend of 2009, we went to two of the hottest pool scenes in Vegas to compare and contrast.

Let’s do a side-by-side comparison:

Tao Beach @ The Venetian - Las Vegas

So – how do you know which is for you?  They are both great pool parties – no question.

Tao Beach has a smaller and more intimate vibe to it. We found it a

Rehab at the Hard Rock Hotel - Las Vegas

bit easier to talk to fellow partiers at Tao Beach – probably because the size kept you in closer quarters. So if you are easily overwhelmed, I’d suggest Tao Beach. Similarly, the lines and cost of Rehab may deter some people. A notable pro to Tao Beach if not staying at the Venetian is you can also use the massive and under crowded regular pool right next to Tao Beach.

On the flip side, Rehab is a far bigger and, therefore, crazier scene. It is probably 8 to 10 times bigger and that gives you a lot of room to roam. The ability to drink in Rehab’s pool will make a big difference to some as well.

If you have the energy, I’d suggest doing what we did… Tao Beach on Saturday and Rehab on Sunday. Try them both and find your groove. Although by the time you finish your weekend of partying at Rehab, you may well need to go to rehab!

-DG

I generally tend to book all of my travel on two airlines – American Airlines and Delta. I am one who, you could say, has been successfully lured by their frequent flier programs – where not only do you build miles that can be redeemed for a great value on international business class travel, but also gain certain benefits when you travel with that one airline (including other airlines in their alliance) 25,000 or more miles in a calendar year. I try to maintain status in at least one program a year to enjoy the perks – 1st class check-in, no baggage fees, and complimentary upgrades to first class when available. But does this make for the best air travel experience?

I wanted to find out. My travels took me to Las Vegas this Labor Day weekend and I decided it was time to choose an airline that appeared to not only be new, but fresh and full of amenities one-way and take one of the legacy carriers home. New York to Las Vegas is a 5 hour flight – nearly as far as Los Angeles and as such, I would expect a transcontinental flight in 1st class to provide certain comforts on par with international travel. After all, this is nearly as far a flight as New York to London.

Virgin America

For the outbound New York to Las Vegas leg of my trip, I chose Virgin America. As my flight was on a business day, I really liked the idea of in-flight WiFi. It allowed me to work nearly the whole day while in-flight and ready to start my vacation when I landed. It also made time absolutely fly by. Compared to past transcon flights, this flight on Virgin America easily passed faster than any I’ve ever been on. But Virgin offers way more than WiFi on every plane. They offer an experience.

Virgin America First Class seat

As you can see, this seat is probably unlike any you’ve seen on an American airline flying a domestic route. Indeed, the seat in 1st was just like many airlines International Business class seat. It was wide, comfortable and offered a wide array of positions all the way to a large recline for sleeping.

The in-flight entertainment also reminded me of an international flight. There was a huge range of movies, music, and even satellite TV. Food was another hit. While in First you appear to be limited to the First Class menu, you can actually order anything they have in coach for free. On my flight – a morning flight – I had a nice brushchetta with proscuitto, salsa, eggs, and an olive tapenade. It wasn’t restaurant amazing, but it was great for a domestic airline. The one disappointment in the food area was that I could not access RED – the online food system – to see exactly what they had in coach. In coach they use this system to order and it’d be fairly easy to allow 1st Class passengers to see it. They didn’t even have a printed menu for the First Class cabin food – and I think a menu is always a nice touch in a premium cabin.

The Flight Attendant was fun and friendly and certainly eager to please. She seemed to actually enjoy her job!

Overall, I’d give the Virgin Flight a solid A. If I had the option to earn miles on a US based alliance, I’d be far more likely to be a true convert, but I can honestly say that I’m questioning my legacy-carrier loyalty.

American Airlines

American Airlines 1st class seat

On to the American Airlines flight back. As you can see, this seat looks *nothing* like the one on Virgin America. In fact, this plane appeared to be from the 1970s. As far as the seat goes, it’s not just the new vs. old look. Seat pitch (the recline) on Virgin is 55 inches with a 21 inch width. The AA flight in First had a seat pitch of 39 inches and the same width of 21 inches. A 16″ difference in recline is pretty huge!

No question – this seat on American was far less comfortable. In flight entertainment was limited to a movie and a few NBC shows on the ancient overhead monitor. The power port only works if you have a special DC adapter you’ve purchased before the flight (you can’t just plug your power cord in like you can on Virgin). And the food – a breakfast egg and

AA's prehistoric in-flight entertainment

cheese quesadilla with a side of some kind of sausage was edible but not of the same caliber at all.

Happily, the flight attendants on American were very friendly and eager to please. I dozed off right after takeoff and missed breakfast but they were quick to come over when I woke to offer me my breakfast. Service couldn’t be faulted.

American does not yet offer WiFi on this route so that was out as a way to pass the time.

Overall:  Given that the prices in 1st on American and Virgin are similar, it’s really no comparison. The only thing American came close on was service, although I know from experience that is often luck of the draw – and even that was pretty much a draw and not a win for American. The food, entertainment, seat, Internet availability, and overall feel of the plane went to Virgin America no-contest. Sure, you can’t earn AAdvantage miles on Virgin, but the flight is so much more enjoyable. The only other potential downside to Virgin would be their limited network. If a flight was canceled for mechanical reasons (and JFK-LAS runs only once a day) I’m not sure how easily you can be rerouted or if they’d just cancel and refund your money leaving you scrambling whereas AA has a vast network to reroute you on in that event.

American Airlines, and for that matter all US based airlines, really need to step up the service offerings – especially in premium cabins – if they want to compete with airlines like Jet Blue and Virgin America as they grow bigger and pose more of a threat to their most profitable routes.

DG

This is one of the craziest deals I’ve seen on airfare in quite some time. All you can fly, for one whole month, up to one flight a day (3 days notice on each flight leg) for $599 + applicable fees for each place you land.

http://www.jetblue.com/deals/all-you-can-jet/

Unreal!

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa

Fairmont Sonoma guest room

100 Boyles Boulevard
Sonoma, CA US 95416

By: Dave Grossman
HotelMagician.com
June 2009

Nestled in the heart of Sonoma, California – local to all Sonoma wine vineyards – the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa provided one of my more memorable hotel stays in quite some time.  Often times, I check into a hotel, note the amenities, perhaps a notable restaurant, whether the room is modern and comfortable or old and uncomfortable (or a mix of the two), but rarely do I find it to be an “experience.”

The Fairmont Sonoma got things off on the right foot when I phoned from San Francisco the day of my stay. I’d just checked out of the Westin St. Francis in downtown SF and was looking forward to the sun that awaited in Sonoma. The front desk noted that the guests had checked out of my room already and they’d have housekeeping get it ready for my arrival. And it was (it’s one thing to offer an accommodation, but another entirely to follow through). Inside the room was a nice bottle of local red wine – on the house. Unfortunately, I was in town for a weekend-long wedding and wouldn’t have time to drink it. Nevertheless, for a hotel in the heart of wine country, this was a really nice touch.

The room was a touch on the small side, with a queen bed, but I was traveling alone and this was more than sufficient. I don’t think it would have even been an issue for two people – unless perhaps you ordered room service. I’m not sure where you’d eat that except perhaps on the bed!

The decor, as you can see in the pictures, was both modern and classic at once. The room had been renovated 5 years ago, with the flat screen TV mounted on the wall probably a more recent addition. Reception did let me know that only the main house has been fully renovated – they are still getting to the rooms in other buildings – so you may wish to call them directly after booking if you have a preference so they can at least note the request.

Internet is complimentary in the room (Ethernet only) if you are a Fairmont President’s Club member and that membership is completely free – signup at fairmont.com. This is nice given that most luxury brands insist on charging top dollar for in-room Internet while the budget brands give it away gratis. There is also wireless access in the lobby but, sadly, not by the pool.

The pool was nothing extraordinary but sufficient for some sun, a poolside snack, and a dip.

The Spa, however, *was* extraordinary. I was short on time this weekend – again, I was at a wedding both days, for most of the days, so time to explore was short. The spa receptionist suggested a half-hour massage which would leave me 45-60 minutes for the Bathing Ritual. You see, everything you can bathe in, outside of the room, uses water from the underground springs – containing minerals good for your skin not normally found in a pool or spa bath. The Bathing Ritual consists of a dip in a warn pool, followed by a warmer (I believe around 98 degrees) pool, then a quick cold shower, a steam room, a sauna, and a final cleansing cool shower. Breaks for cold water are needed too, to avoid dehydration. The idea is for this to take 45 minutes with 15 minutes at the end in the relaxation room. You follow that with the massage (if you’ve booked one), which was wonderfully relaxing, and then I went outside to the two outdoor pools – both in the upper 90 degrees to get a bit more sun. The bath rituals and hot pools at the spa are $39 for hotel guests, but included if you have a same-day treatment. Now let’s see how my skin responds

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa also offers a complimentary health club (and free classes at the gym except Spinning) and they arrange wine tours for you (for the cost of the tour) via a tour operator – so you can hit several wineries without the worry of driving back.

The only minor annoyance was the self parking – of which there is not enough. Both nights I returned to find self parking, which is free, full – requiring a drive off to the restaurant parking lot just outside the gates. I don’t know what happens when that fills up but one would hope the valet would assist if that happened.

There’s no food served after 11pm, but if you’re adventurous there is a Mexican food truck setup on weekend nights at the (former?) gas station just out the entrance (quick left and then right). Hard to complain about $1.25 for an authentic taco although I realize not all of the Fairmont’s crowd will be that adventurous, or even up that late…

DG

Le Meridien Piccadilly
21 Piccadilly
London, W1J 0BH, United Kingdom

By: Dave Grossman
HotelMagician.com
May 2009

For a short one night stay in London, I chose the Le Meridien Piccadilly for two primary reasons. 1) it has a perfect central London location – right off Piccadilly Circus, and 2) because I had heard that the hotel had done extensive room renovations and that the staff had stepped up to a new level of service.

The stay went 1 for 2.

The location is indeed spectacular. Arriving in Heathrow, you can either take the tube for about 50 minutes to Piccadilly Circus and exit a 2 minute walk (if that) from the hotel. You could also take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and the Bakerloo Tube line to Piccadilly Circus. Or you could take a taxi. In any event, it’s easy to get to and about as centrally located as you can be. It’s the equivalent of staying just off Times Square in New York City.

Upon arrival, I waited about 10 minutes to check-in. I was finally taken over to a desk to check-in only to be told my room wasn’t ready yet (it was about 2:30). I expressed that I was here for only one day, had work to do, and would appreciate if he could find an available room. And he did – I’m not sure why this wasn’t done automatically. Then some confusion began. The room I’d booked, a Junior Suite with a rate of 569 British Pounds, should have included internet access free of charge. I was told it did not when I checked in. A phone call to reception confirmed it was not included. But in the Club Lounge later, the gent in charge did some checking around for me and found out that it was indeed included. At 30 dollars a night, it wasn’t small change and by this point I’d already spent a couple of hours working on the computer in the lounge when I could have been in my room. I’ve emailed the GM in hopes that communication can be sorted out among staff to avoid this confusion in the future. To add to the confusion, if you try to login from the room, it will tell you that you are being charged – it’s just that the front desk will take it off at checkout. Confusing.

The water in the Club Rooms and Suites are also complimentary, though no signage in the room expresses this. Again, it would be nice if the water were placed on a card that said “With our compliments” or some similar wording. Who wants to phone down to find out if the water if free or not?  The staff overall was hit or miss. The gentleman running the club lounge was wonderful. Many of the other staff seemed indifferent. At a hotel in this price point, I expect a bit of “How are you, sir?” How is your stay, sir?” But there was none of that. Even at checkout, I was not asked about the quality of my stay – a bit surprising.

Anyway, let’s move to the room. Despite many of the regular rooms being freshly renovated this year, the Junior Suites apparently were last renovated 10 years ago and are not part of this recent renovation. You may be better off booking a Club room and asking to be given a recently renovated one. I hear they are quite nice although I didn’t see one myself.

Still, the Junior Suite was very spacious and very nice in a classy way. Each room had a flat panel TV and the room had many classical touches, as you can see in the photos. It had a fairly modern but classic, old world feel to it. The bathrooms were plenty spacious (the suite had two full baths) and, although the lack of a hair dryer was notable, they had plenty of room and the showers worked well.

The air conditioning was a bit old and clunky and a bit difficult to figure out. Part of the classic charm I guess!

The beds were VERY comfortable – so a big thumbs up there.

A huge amenity in this hotel is the Health Club. In fact, for some, it may well be a reason to choose the Le Meridien Piccadilly for your London stay.  In the basement, you’ll find a complete health club with plenty of aerobic machines, a large swimming pool, a hot tub, a steam room, and even a “relaxation room” – all of which I sampled and all of which was quite nice and relaxing. If you are here on business, the health club will certainly provide you some respite from your stress. Bring a pound coin with you for the locker as a deposit then simply go downstairs, sign in with your room number, and you’re all set. I would say this area was the highlight of my stay – in addition to appreciating the wonderful location.

(From left to right, the pool, hot tub, and steam room)

Would I stay again? On a good rate, yes. But there is a lot of competition in the area and I’d be likely to give nearby hotels a try – such as the Ritz-Carlton London or the Hilton London on Park Lane.

-DG