Jetsettersblog

Surprisingly, a museum to honor American writers doesn’t exist, but a group of Washington, D.C., literature lovers has banded together to change that.

At the helm of the movement to establish a museum that celebrates our nation’s literary heritage is Malcolm O’Hagan, a former association executive.

O’Hagan intends to establish The American Writers Museum, crediting his inspiration to the Dublin Writers Museum in Dublin, Ireland.

O’Hagan has garnered the support of a high-profile planning committee; gained pro bono legal services and a K Street, Washington, D.C. office from Mayer Brown LLP, a leading global law firm; launched a website, and earned the support of the nation’s leading literary and cultural institutions.

As a show of support, the Smithsonian Institution provided a day-long think-tank session on founding a museum just for O’Hagan and his team.

The museum now needs a major funder, and until the right funder is found, O’Hagan is holding off on decisions about where The American Writers Museum will be located.

Although there are mayors who have dangled the keys to their city for the museum site, O’Hagan wants the funders to have a say in that decision.

More information and a chance to provide suggestions for the museum planners are available at www.americanwritersmuseum.org

The first newsletter distributed by The American Writers Museum Foundation may be seen at www.americanwritersmuseum.org/newsletter.htm

The Doubletree Club Las Vegas Airport has become the first hotel in the city and in Nevada to introduce Pure Allergy Friendly rooms.

The hotel introduced a floor of 10 Pure rooms, which remove up to 98 percent of bacteria and viruses and are aimed at travelers who occasionally suffer from allergies and asthma.

The Pure concept utilizes special purification techniques whereby each room is treated comprehensively to remove allergens and irritants from all surfaces, fabrics and air flow.

For more information, call 800-222-8733 or visit www.lasvegasairport.doubletree.com

Air France is upgrading its Business Class offer for customers by introducing, by the end of the year, a more comfortable seat for working, resting or enjoying time on board; a more varied choice of dishes; and a host of new services throughout the trip.

The Air France Business class seat, whose fixed shell guarantees the passenger’s privacy, offers enhanced comfort thanks to different innovations including a new structure that includes a lie-flat seat bed measuring 6.6 feet long and a new fixed foot-rest, simpler and more practical controls, new storage space, and a 15-inch wide screen in 16:9 format.

More practical to use, these redesigned Business class seats create a subdued and discreet ambience, lending a more light-filled dimension to the cabin and enhancing customers’ comfort.

Starting in the summer 2011, over 20 aircraft will be equipped with these new cabins.

By 2013, some 40 Air France aircraft (Airbus A330, Boeing 777, Airbus A380) will be equipped.

Blue Sky Tours introduced the capacity of creating Hawaii multi-island booking options through VAX VacationAccess, eliminating the need for travel agents to book multiple reservations or call the reservation center for assistance when creating multiple island itineraries.

Blue Sky Tours is part of The Mark Travel Corporation. Travel agents booking Blue Sky Tours through VAX can earn up to 14 percent commission on the hotel portion of the vacation package immediately. Agent commissions are paid when final payment is made on the reservations, not after travel commences.

“Visiting multiple islands is part of what makes a trip to Hawaii so special,” said Kevin Wilmore, vice president and general manager of Blue Sky Tours. “We’re excited to add this capability to an already great booking engine and we will continue to make improvements to ensure the best way to book the best vacation to Hawaii is through Blue Sky Tours with the assistance of a professional travel agent.”

According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii continues to remain one of the top vacation destinations for travelers.

Four out of five visitors from the U.S. use travel agents to make their Hawaii reservations.

For more information, visit www.blueskytours.com

The Santa Catalina Island Company has received government approval for its Sea Trek Undersea Adventure. Sea Trek, which will debut at Descanso Beach in early October, will give visitors an interpretive and environmental education while they walk on the bottom of the ocean.

During the guided undersea adventure, which is open to guests age 8 and older, trekkers wear specially designed diving helmets, which allow them to walk along the ocean floor without dive certification or experience.

The excursion will take about 90 minutes and cost $89 per person.

For more information, call 800-626-1496 or visit www.visitcatalinaisland.com.

Omni Hotels & Resorts has rebranded the 99-room Watermark Hotel & Spa in San Antonio, Texas, as the Mokara Hotel & Spa, the first of a new collection of luxury boutique properties.

The new brand is named after a rare orchid with healing properties.

The brand features what Omni calls “exceptional included” services and amenities. Prior to a guests’ arrival, they will receive a phone call to note preferences, make spa appointments and dinner reservations and assist with other arrangements.

At the hotel, guests receive complimentary beverages, coffee delivery and Wi-Fi access for the duration of their stay.

The hotel also will start offering an arrival amenity, a choice of bath salts with the option of a bath butler, and nightly turndown with sleep masks, lavender spray for linens, and a daily wellness tip.

New developments will also be implemented in the food and beverage program at Mokara. John Brand, the executive chef at the hotel’s new Ostra restaurant — coming this fall – is planting a rooftop herb garden which will source the culinary venue. Ostra — Spanish for “oyster” — will introduce new tasting menus featuring weekly specials created from the freshest ingredients from Brand’s favorite local sources such as Bluebonnet Farms, Oak Hill Farms, Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard, Texas Quail Farm and more.

Ostra will be the updated concept for the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, currently called Pesca on the River, which has long been known its exceptional fresh seafood.

The Watermark Spa’s transition to the Mokara Spa will be seamless. The spa will offer a new list of signature spa treatments. All therapists are required to have an advanced education in wellness with a minimum of 800 hours of training, well above the industry standard.

The 17,000-square-foot facility offers men’s and women’s steam, sauna and whirlpools as well as dry and wet treatment rooms with Vichy showers.

Separate men’s and women’s relaxation areas and a couples’ relaxation suite are also available.

A new concierge at the rooftop pool will provide cocktails, food and other beverages upon request, in addition to sunscreen, reading materials and iced towels.

Mokara Hotels & Spas will become a member of the Global Hotel Alliance later this year and begin offering the benefits of GHA Discovery, the organization’s guest loyalty program.

For reservations or more information, call 866-605-1212 or visit www.mokarahotelsandspas.com

The Algonquin Hotel, New York City’s landmark property located at 59 W 44th Street famed meeting site for Dorothy Parker’s literary “round table” of authors and writers in the 1920s, has affiliated with the Autograph Collection, a portfolio of upper-upscale, independent hotels and resorts.

The Algonquin is the first New York City property to become a part of the collection.

The Autograph Collection is a new group of hotels within Marriott International, Inc.’s global brand family, which features iconic hotels with distinctive personalities that promise guests unique experiences.

Hotels in the Autograph Collection can fall into the resort, historic, boutique or urban hotel categories.

“We are thrilled that The Algonquin has become a part of the Autograph Collection,” said Ted Darnall, chief operating officer of HEI Hotels & Resorts, owner of The Algonquin.

“We pride ourselves on the singular experience we offer our guests, whether they are here for business or leisure travel. The Algonquin’s unique features, history and extraordinary service are in perfect alignment with the Autograph Collection’s commitment to distinction and elegance.”

“The iconic Algonquin Hotel offers a truly memorable hotel experience in the heart of New York City,” said J.W. (Bill) Marriott Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International.

“We are thrilled to partner with HEI Hotels & Resorts to welcome this landmark property into the Autograph Collection, delivering the power of our world-class sales engines while maintaining The Algonquin’s unique identity in the market.”

As part of the Autograph Collection, The Algonquin will be featured on www.marriott.com and affiliated with Marriott Rewards, Marriott International’s guest loyalty program, where guests can earn points at more than 3,300 hotels in 69 countries. As a member of the Autograph Collection,

The Algonquin Hotel into Marriott’s global reservations system, consumer outreach through its Marriott’s technology, and sales and marketing platforms, which have helped build Marriott into one of the world’s leading hotel operators.

The Algonquin recently underwent a complete renovation that modernized many elements of the hotel experience, while maintaining its famed historic charm through the inspiration of famed designer Alexandra Champalimaud.

All guestrooms feature signature Algonquin beds and bedding, and unique amenities including New Yorker magazines and available eReaders for the enjoyment of our guests looking to “wind down with a download.”

To commemorate its inauguration to the Autograph Collection, The Algonquin Hotel is currently offering 2,500 Marriott Rewards Bonus Points for Marriott Rewards members who stay at the hotel through November 27, 2010.

The Algonquin, recently named to the National Trust Historic Hotels of America, is just steps from Broadway’s theater district.

In the 1920s, it was home to Dorothy Parker’s famous literary “round table” and served as the birthplace of the New Yorker magazine.

The recent $4.5 million renovation effort focused on refreshing the hotel lobby, upgrading all guest rooms, laying new guestroom carpet and introducing new bedding to the 174-guestroom hotel.

The hotel’s Oak Room, which has showcased musical talents such as Harry Connick, Jr., Andrea Marcovicci, Diana Krall and Peter Cincotti, serves dinner and offers cabaret performances Tuesday through Saturday.

The legendary Algonquin Round Table of the 1920s is the inspiration for the current Round Table Room serving traditional American cuisine breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Blue Bar and Lobby also serve cocktails and other beverages throughout the day.

The hotel features a fully-equipped fitness center and five meeting and function rooms, which can accommodate groups from 10 to 175.

For more information, visit
www.algonquinhotel.com
www.heihotels.com
www.AutographCollectionHotels.com
or the banner below.

Best Western International currently has more than 40 new hotels in Asia and the Middle East in various stages of development and, by the end of 2011, the chain expects to have more than 235 Best Western properties open in these regions, the company announced.

The global hotel chain currently has more than 160 properties, representing 8,400 rooms, in various stages of operation, rebranding and development in mainland China, Taiwan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, Japan and the Middle East.

“Local hotel developers across Asia, the Middle East and other emerging regions are attracted to our unique membership model, the global strength of our brand and the marketing support we provide to each of our more than 4,000 hotels worldwide,” said Best Western’s President and CEO David Kong.

Best Western also launched Bhuvana My Spa in Asia in early 2010, the first spa concept for the chain, at several new Best Western Premier hotels in Thailand and Indonesia.

The Bhuvana My Spa concept will expand to the chain’s hotels in Malaysia, India, Oman and Bahrain in 2011.

Bhuvana My Spa properties offer authentic and relaxing treatments by professional therapists in a tranquil and inviting atmosphere. Asia and Middle East development highlights for Best Western in 2010 include 12 new hotels in China, 10 new hotels in India, six new hotels in Japan, one new hotel in South Korea, and 10 new hotels in Southeast Asia.

In India, where the country’s tourism secretary recently cited a need for an additional 150,000 hotel rooms over the next three years due to escalating tourism, the hotel chain recently opened the Best Western Premier Vedic Village Spa Resort within the popular tourist destination of Kolkata.

This 150-acre property is one of the few resorts to offer both Ayurveda and Naturopathy treatments.

Additional Best Western properties in India are expected to open in Bangalore, Goa, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. In addition, Best Western is expanding its presence with new hotels in other emerging markets, including Africa, South America, New Zealand, Ukraine and Russia.

In West Africa, the chain opened its first Premier property, the Best Western Premier Accra Airport Hotel, in Ghana, which is home to one of the largest chocolate producers in the world.

It is a full-service, four-star hotel with 113 rooms, a jazz club and a five-story atrium decorated with African art.

Best Western has also recently opened two new hotels in Nigeria — the Best Western Island Hotel in Lagos and the Best Western Premier Port Harcourt Hotel in Port Harcourt.

South America 2010 development highlights for Best Western include the chain’s goal is to have 14 hotels in Argentina and Uruguay by the end of 2010, making it the largest hotel chain in the region.

The first Best Western Premier hotel in Chile, the Best Western Premier Marina Las Condes, features a top-floor pool and atrium.

Also opening this year will be a five-star Best Western Premier hotel in Peru with a full-service plastic surgery clinic and recovery spa adjacent to the hotel.

Best Western is also expanding in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, with 10 new hotels expected to be open by the end of 2011.

The three-star Best Western Sevastopol Hotel recently opened in Sevastopol, Ukraine, the first Best Western hotel in the country.

Plans are underway to open five more properties in Ukraine by the end of 2011 and Best Western also plans to open the chain’s first three new Premier properties in Russia, including hotels in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Additionally, five new properties are in the pipeline for New Zealand, including hotels in the popular tourist and historical destinations of Casa Bella and Taipa Bay Resort on North Zealand’s North Island. With more than 4,000 hotels worldwide, Best Western offers travelers more than 308,237 quality guest rooms located in approximately 80 countries and territories.

Throughout Ontario, Canada, there are a number of key growing regions where visitors can enjoy a true farm-to-table experience.

From the Niagara Fruit Belt, a region well known for its abundance of peaches, strawberries, cherries and grapes among other fruits, to the fertile farmland in Prince Edward County. Ontario’s many farms, orchards and country gardens produce an incredible variety of fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products year round.

Foodies fare well in Southern Ontario where due to favourable growing conditions farm-fresh produce is always close at hand. Anna Olson, famed Ontario Pastry Chef and supporter of locally grown fruit and veg commented: “I’m lucky living in Niagara that it’s not only wine country, but the soil and climate is great for tender fruits like peaches, apricots and cherries. Also there’s corn, potatoes, pretty much all produce that you think of as Canadian.”

The Niagara Region is Ontario’s premier wine and culinary centre. Restaurants in the region, including the acclaimed Treadwell’s and the winery restaurants at Peller, Hillebrand and Strewn Estate, benefit from the locally grown produce and wine. Similarly, Niagara cookery schools, such as Good Earth Cooking School and Wine Country Cooking School offer seasonal regional cuisine paired with award-winning local wines.

The region of Prince Edward County, a short 2.5 hour drive east of Toronto, is a culinary destination in its own right, boasting up-and-coming wineries, fertile pick-your-own-produce farmland, and a foodie friendly Taste Trail where visitors can discover wineries, breweries, fisheries, and artisanal cheeses along the way.

The farm-to-table movement is quickly spreading to individual properties in the province as well.

The dining room at Elmhirst Resort, in Eastern Ontario’s Kawarthas region, relies on fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, eggs, poultry and beef grown and raised right on site. Likewise, Ste. Anne’s Country Inn and Spa, just 1.5 hours east of Toronto, prides itself on its very own organic herb, fruit and vegetable garden which supply its restaurant.

Farmers Markets

Ontario is full of fresh flavour with many cities and towns boasting regular farmers’ markets where local farmers and artisan food producers sell the fruits of their labour direct to the public.

Culinary tourism and the “100-Mile Diet,” which focuses on eating local products is a popular trend in Ontario.

“People are flocking to farmers markets in growing numbers to forage for the freshest fruits, vegetables, baking, meats and cheese,” said Lorna Cassone of the popular Woodstock Farmers Market located 2.5 hours southwest of Toronto.

Ontario’s exciting capital cities are home to some of the longest-established farmers’ markets in the province.

In Central Ontario, Ottawa’s ByWard Market is not only its most vibrant neighbourhood, but is also one of the oldest and largest farmers’ markets in Canada.

The farmers’ market at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is also a time-honoured tradition and is housed in the city’s’ first city hall. In addition to selling produce direct from the farm, St. Lawrence Market visitors will find uniquely Canadian products like Carousel Bakery’s popular peameal bacon sandwiches and the Mustard Emporium’s over 80 gourmet mustards.

Also in Toronto is Kensington Market which dates back to British settlement in the 1790s. The market, reflecting Toronto’s multiculturalism, is where locals go to find exotic produce from around the world.

The Farmers’ Market in Kingston has peddled local produce since 1801. Located 2.5 hours east of Toronto, the bustling market, situated behind City Hall in Springer Market Square, is where visitors can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables of the region as well as locally baked goods, jams, pickles, honey, and freshly prepared coffee.

For those who appreciate life and food in the slow lane, the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market, located two hours southwest of Toronto, is not to be missed. Visitors to this traditional market, open year round, can pick up summer sausage, pure maple syrup and even a handmade broom sold by Mennonite farmers who travel to market by horse and buggy. Not to be missed are the Wellesley Apple Fritters or try the maple butter!

Foodie Festivals

In the summer there are a multitude of food festivities in the Niagara Region. The Winona Peach Festival, Sudbury’s Blueberry Festival and Leamington Tomato Festival all proudly promote local fruits and offer plenty of opportunities to sample the tender, seasonal produce.

In autumn, Ontario celebrates the harvest season with a variety of festivals that are firmly focused on savouring locally grown crops. The Niagara Wine Region comes alive during the Niagara Wine Festival, and the excitement is all the more palpable when visiting during the grape harvest. Brighton’s Applefest is a celebration of one of Ontario’s most prized crops and Bala’s Cranberry Festival invites visitors to join in and crush the cranberries and sample cranberry wine from the Muskoka Lakes Winery.

Ontario’s sugar maple trees are the focus of foodie festivals in winter. The maple syrup season begins in March and when the sap starts to run, many towns and villages throughout Ontario host festivals in honor of the sweet elixir, with Elmira Maple Syrup Festival being a notable favourite.

Harvest Season Events

Niagara Grape & Wine Festival, (Sept 17-26, 2010) Taking place in the heart of the Niagara Wine Region, the Vintage Harvest is celebrated with more than 100 events including winery tours and tasting, concerts, Niagara cuisine, live entertainment and more.

http://www.niagarawinefestival.com

Brighton Applefest, (Sept 23-26, 2010) Brighton, situated one hour east of Toronto, is surrounded by an abundance of apple orchards which makes it the perfect location for Applefest.

The festival features activities all over Brighton including BBQs, entertainment, children’s activities, dances, a street fair, car show, arts and crafts, and a parade. http://www.applefest.reach.net

Bala Cranberry Festival (Oct 15-17, 2010) The Bala Cranberry Festiv l, situated 160 km north of Toronto is a Muskoka Region institution. The festival features cranberry marsh tours, local arts and crafts and an entertaining street carnival.

This interactive event celebrating the cranberry, also invites visitors to join in on the pressing of the fruit.  http://www.balacranberryfestival.on.ca

The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Hotel Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is known for its unique history – it has been a major city of the famous state of Prussia and the capital of the former German province of East Prussia, partitioned after World War II between the USSR and Poland, and renamed after the Soviet Head of State Mikhail Kalinin.

The Kaliningrad region forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia.

It is surrounded by Lithuania, Poland, and the Baltic Sea.

The Radisson Hotel Kaliningrad is a combination of a city and a leisure hotel and headed by General Manager John Grieg, a Norwegian national.

Besides 178 rooms featuring Radisson signature services such as free high speed Internet access, the property offers a gourmet restaurant and excellent shopping facilities within the hotel complex.

The majority of rooms offer views on the historic city center. Higher room categories also feature extras such as Nespresso machines, bathrobes & -slippers.

The Presidential Suite comprises 130 square meters, four rooms, a Jacuzzi and sauna.

The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant “Verres en Vers” serves a Radisson “Super Breakfast Buffet” as well as an international lunch and dinner menu. The Lobby Lounge Bar offering an extensive drinks menu is tastefully decorated in a modern and contemporary style. The hotel’s nine meeting rooms come equipped with the latest technology. Rounding out the picture is a fully-equipped business centre as well as high speed internet access.

Opening room rates start at 157 euros per room per night (breakfast included).