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Little Rhody Hotel Week

Nancy J. Friedman, the PR Maven that created Hotel Week NYC™ in 2010 to address the occupancy dip most Manhattan hotels experience after the holiday season, is at it again. This time in Rhode Island, where the state is launching its first-ever Hotel Week Rhode Island January 18-31. Stay at The Dean in Providence or Hotel Viking in Newport for a mere $100 a night or the charming 1661 Inn on Block Island for $200/night. Providence is known for its innovative dining, so you might want to check out Boston Globe food writer Devra First’s recent story on the best restaurants in town. One of those recommended restaurants, North, is located in The Dean, so you don’t have to venture far to get back to your room. Sounds like a perfect date night in late January.  

 

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May Newsletter Now Available at ActiveTravels.com

May marks the first anniversary of ActiveTravels.com, the travel consulting business that my wife and I created. Thanks to all of you, it’s been a great success! Over the course of the first year, we’ve compiled top-notch contacts around the world. So if you want to go on a weeklong safari in Tanzania, a guided 4-day trek from Mumbai to Agra to Jaipur, a half-day walking tour of the Gaudi architecture in Barcelona, or jaguar viewing in the Brazilian Pantanal, we know who to call. The beauty of this business is that as soon as our clients give us the thumb’s up on a certain outfitter, resort, or day guide, upon return from their trip, we pass this precious information along to everyone.
 
We’ve also been busy this past year building our inventory of Dream Day Itineraries, highly detailed daily trip planners for independent travelers. They include recommended lodging, sights, restaurants, outdoor recreation, and, most importantly, how to get from Point A to Point B. Tried and true itineraries have already been created for Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Costa Rica, London and the UK, Paris, Italy, Barcelona and Madrid, the Canadian Rockies, the Atlantic Maritimes, Yellowstone and the Tetons, Utah’s National Parks, Durango and Telluride, Grand Canyon and Joshua Tree National Parks, Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, the Florida Keys, and New England.
 
New this year is we hope to itemize all travel stories from our previous newsletters, so if you’re headed to Kenya, you’ll find our description of the country without having to peruse every issue. Talking about newsletters, in the May issue we go on a driving trip through Canada’s Atlantic Maritimes, review the hotels we love in the Sarapiqui region of Costa Rica, remember our quick escape to Block Island, announce Abercrombie & Kent’s new Connections trips, and comment on how the sequester is going to effect the National Parks this summer. Thanks again for coming along for the ride! 
 

Boston’s Newbury Hotel to Debut in April

The Newbury Hotel to Debut in BostonOne of the first assignments I received after moving to Boston in 1996 was to pen a story for Town & Country magazine on Boston’s grand dame of hospitality, the venerable Ritz-Carlton. Located at the end of Newbury Street, across from the Public Garden, the Ritz occupied one of the most enviable locations in the city and played host to such luminaries as Winston Churchill, Charles Lindbergh, and Rin Tin Tin since its opening in 1927. When it changed ownership to the Taj Boston, I was called back to the property to write a story for Boston Globe Magazine about the new General Manager. Tragically, he had lost his entire family when Pakistani militants stormed the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, where he had worked previously. He now has a beautiful new family and resides in New York.

In other good news, the latest iteration of the Ritz, called The Newbury, will be making its debut next month. Part of the Highgate Hotel Group, which includes both James properties in Manhattan, The Newbury has aligned themselves with master chef Mario Carbone. Carbone runs the Major Food Group, the hospitality company behind such restaurants as Carbone, The Grill and Sadelle’s in New York, Hong Kong and Las Vegas. For the Newbury, he has plans for a fine dining restaurant on the roof and a bar off the lounge called The Street, that will be the perfect place to congregate after shopping Newbury Street or grabbing a Swan Boat ride across the street. With tulips in bloom, the early spring has always been one of my favorite times of year to visit the Public Garden. Now with the opening of The Newbury, I have even more incentive to head downtown.

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Boston’s Lenox Hotel Just Gets Better With Age

There’s a reason why The Lenox is consistently rated one of the top properties in Boston by TripAdvisor. A mere 115 years old, the owners put close to $80 million in renovations the past decade, so the rooms are as modern and stylish as any new build. The staff are exceptional, especially the concierge desk, which personally vets restaurants and sights before making recommendations. Most important to me, they continue to seek out sustainable practices. So don’t expect small plastic bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel to be tossed in the garbage every day. In its place are dispensers carrying Beekman 1802 products. If you’re not familiar with The Beekman Boys, they won The Amazing Race and have their own television show, The Fabulous Beekman Boys. Working out of a Sharon Springs farm, not far from where I grew up in upstate New York, Brent Ridge and his partner Josh Kilmer-Purcell have become purveyors of all things indigenous, including lotions, furniture, a tasty bruschetta, and addictive caramels. They just entered into an agreement with The Lenox this month to supply their products and there are plans for the Beekman Boys to redesign one of the suites. Like a good wine…

 
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The Catskills, An Ideal Retreat From Manhattan

A mere 90 minutes north of Manhattan is New Paltz, New York, and the Catskill Mountains. Avid adventurers know the area for the Gunks, one of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the East. Families venture here in October to take in the fall foliage. Start with a walk around Lake Mohonk and then book a room overlooking that same body of water at one of the finest family resorts in the country, the Mohonk Mountain House. Opened in 1869, this sprawling resort has the perfect vantage point to take in the changing colors. Not to mention, you get to slow down and appreciate the natural splendor on a hike, horseback ride, or paddle. All meals are included in the full American plan.  

Please follow me all next week when I’ll be blogging live from California’s Redwood Coast, otherwise known as Humboldt County! 
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Bermuda’s Pink Sale Offer’s 50% Off Room Rates

Need to get away? If you live on the East Coast corridor and just endured another snowstorm accompanied by temps in the single digits, I would say you’re due. You might want to know about Bermuda’s Pink Sale, where 9 hotels on island are offering a 50% discount. Book from today through February 3rd for hotels stays until April 30th. I just checked the 10-day forecast and highs reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, a helluva lot better than the 9 degrees outside my office window in Boston. Also check Fairmount Southampton for discounts. Flights are direct and only 2 hours from New York, Boston, and DC. If you need suggestions on what to do while you’re there, check out my Boston Globe story. 

 
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Portland’s Copper Goddess

Guest Post and Photo by Amy Perry Basseches

While we had fun in our midway stop of Sacramento, enjoying wonderful coffee at Pachamama, a great breakfast at Orphan and a tour of the memorable California State House, it was Portland we loved. Drinks at Angel Face and at 23 Hoyt, dinners at Harvest at the Bindery and at the Mediterranean Exploration Company, pie at Random Order Coffee House and Bakery, brunches at Kenny and Zuke’s and JAM, and, of course, lots and lots of books at Powell’s Books. We also spent a long time downtown at the Lan Su Chinese Garden, with its tea house, and had massages at the nearby Fei Long Spa. But the unique highlight today was the Portlandia statue (Portland’s very own Greek goddess). Portlandia is the second-largest of its type in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty. Our local friends insisted we stop and stare. You can read Tom Wolfe’s humorous 1986 Newsweek Magazine piece here.
 

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