Jetsettersblog

Hotel Napa, California’s first Best Western Premier hotel, has opened after a multimillion-dollar renovation that transformed the property into an opulent, avant-garde boutique hotel.

The property offers 115 loft-style guestrooms, as well as a fitness center, onsite dining, a heated swimming pool and hot tub, a 24-hour business center, complimentary continental breakfast, and 7,000 square feet of ballroom space and six meeting facilities.

In-room amenities include flat-screen televisions, pillow-top mattresses, contemporary furnishings, rain dome shower heads, bath robes, and desks with complimentary, wireless, high-speed Internet access.

For more information, call 800-780-7234 or visit www.bestwestern.com/premier

The Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel this winter is offering guests the chance to stay an extra night for free.

Book reservations by Feb. 11 to receive a free night weekend stay, which can be used between Feb. 10 and March 27.

The stay must include three consecutive nights Thursday through Monday, with one night’s stay on a Friday or Saturday night.

The rate range for the Stay Two Nights get the Third Night Free Package is $159 to $199.

The Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel is located at 1 West Wacker Drive in Chicago.

Guests can enjoy such amenities as an on-site spa, fitness center and fine dining at Great Street Restaurant and Bar Novo.

The hotel features Great Street, a contemporary restaurant overlooking the Chicago River, a rejuvenation center offering indulgent spa treatments and state-of-the-art exercise equipment, and Bar Novo, a modern, intimate space with booths and communal seating.

For more information or reservations, call 800-468-3571 and ask for promotional code RR2 or visit

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/chisr-renaissance-chicago-hotel

Grenada’s Spice Island Beach Resort is offering travelers an “Escape to Spice Island” promotion featuring a $100 per-adult credit for quests staying a minimum seven nights.

The offer applies to guests staying seven nights or longer on the resort’s Fully Inclusive plan or Modified American plan (which includes breakfast and dinner) from now through April 15, 2011.

The credit can be redeemed at the resort’s boutique shops as well as the 5,600-square-foot Janissa’s Spa.

Guests who select the Modified American plan can use their resort credit at the Sea & Surf Bar for cocktails or mid-day snacks plus more elaborate lunch options at Oliver’s Restaurant and 24-hour room service (these extras are included at no additional charge for guests on the Fully Inclusive plan).

Unused resort credit will be refunded to guests at check-out, translating to additional savings for guests who do not indulge in shopping or spa treatments.

For more information, call Alexandra Wojcik at 845-628-1701 or visit

www.SpiceIslandBeachResort.com

The recently renovated Hotel Village St-Jean on St. Barths is offering seven-night “Winter Sunny” packages featuring daily continental breakfast, a rental car (gas and insurance extra), a one-hour massage for two, a romantic dinner for two, a welcome cocktail, a bottle of French wine and a gift upon arrival.

The special seven-night rates are $1,777 for a standard cottage and $2,577 for a superior cottage; packages are available through April 15, 2011.

The 28-room property features airy timber-and-stone cottages and villas designed for indoor/outdoor living and located within 10 acres of a sculpture garden.

The area is landscaped with local trees and native gaïacs, bougainvillea and hibiscus, to ensure each terrace’s privacy.

For more information, visit www.villagestjeanhotel.com

On March 27, 1911, Fort Lauderdale was incorporated as a city. On the same date in 2011, an all-day Centennial Riverfest will recognize the 100th birthday of the destination with a year-long party featuring everything from family picnics, cultural exhibitions and walking tours to concerts, sports competitions, beach parties, a time capsule and a gala countdown to the New Year 2012.

Fort Lauderdale’s Centennial celebrations began with the installation of a large, lighted “100” on the city’s beachfront, which has become a favorite “photo op” for visitors and residents alike.

To commemorate the Centennial, Charles Fazzino, the pop artist, was commissioned to create “Ten Decades of Fort Lauderdale,” a 3D painting that captures in the artist’s bright, energetic signature style the past, present and future of the city.

Among the highlights of special events in 2011 are a parade and outdoor festival on March 12 honoring St. Patrick’s Day; a March 27 concert by Tropical Sinfonia; and the Centennial Riverfest, a day filled with activities, exhibitions, entertainment and food held along the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Also the premier of giant photographic “then and now” video montages projected on the sides of buildings in the downtown area that depict the areas over the course of its 100 years of evolution.

For more information, including a calendar of Centennial events, visit

www.sunny.org/centennial.

West Virginia’s long ski season, high amount of natural snowfall and central location to major metropolitan areas makes it the most attractive location in the U.S.’ mid-Atlantic and southeast for skiing.

West Virginia’s slopes at Canaan Valley, Snowshoe Mountain, Timberline Resort, Winterplace Resort and Oglebay Resort get busier every year. Each resort allows snowboarding on all slopes and has designated snowboarding parks which feature a variety of stunt terrain.

Ski areas and parks throughout the state feature sled and inner tube runs and rope tows for those more inclined to sit while ascending the mountains.

The ski resorts also have snowmobiles, snow-groomer tours, and snow body board sleds.

West Virginia’s pristine snow-covered forests and wilderness areas in the Monongahela National Forest and state parks are increasingly popular destinations for snowshoe trekkers.

Several resorts and outfitters provide guided tours, equipment rentals and lessons for those who wish to explore miles of hiking trails blanketed by snow.

From major commercial resorts with upscale lodging, massive ski lifts, nightlife and restaurants to solitary single-track cross-country paths and secluded cabins in the woods, West Virginia offer its visitors an array of winter options.

The state’s five major resorts include:

Snowshoe Mountain

The resort has opened two new slopes and the Soaring Eagle Express, a detachable quad lift which replaces the old Widomaker lift and allows skiers much more time for turns as it reduces the ride time from more than nine minutes to less than three.

This season newcomers to skiing can receive a free beginner group lesson per day throughout their stay if they purchase a group adult lesson at full price.

This year kids 12 and under ski/ride for free when a 4+ night stay is booked. New features have been added to the five terrain parks at the resort.

The new Soaring Eagle Lodge features 140 spacious homes along with shops, lounge and two restaurant facilities.

www.snowshoemtn.com

Timberline Resort

The Upper White Lightning trail has been widened along most of its length to be confluent with Silver Streak, allowing greater ability to make turns particularly with today’s specially-shaped skis. This complements the South’s longest ski trail Salamander Run, and Twister, Timberline’s newest trail.

This spectacular mid-mountain village overlooks the highest valley east of the Rockies.

www.timberlineresort.com.

Winterplace Resort

Winterplace is renowned for teaching skiing and has expanded its teaching area eight-fold and added two new carpet lifts to transport skiers from the bottom of the teaching area back to the top. For those who really know how to ski,

Winterplace has a demonstration centre where skiers can try the latest high performance equipment.

Two carpet lifts have been added to the snow tubing park, which at 16 lanes is the largest in the state.
www.winterplace.com

Canaan Valley Resort

Celebrating 60 years of skiing in Tucker County, West Virginia, Canaan Valley Resort State Park became the first major commercial downhill ski operation in West Virginia.

Today, it offers a 250-room lodge and additional 23 cabins and cottages, and 20,000-square fee of conference space with 10 meeting rooms, 39 ski slopes, snow tubing park, ice skating, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. Night skiing is offered on Friday and Saturday evenings until 8 p.m.

For the fifth season, the resort will offer Airboarding, also known as snow body boarding, on the mountain.

The resort’s 3rd annual Airboard Race will be held February 5, 2011. (In conjunction with The NSAA & SSAA
Learn to Ski or Board Month, Canaan Valley Resort will provide complimentary beginner lesson with purchase of the Canaan ski and stay package.]

www.canaanresort.com

Canaan Valley Resort and Timberline Resort have partnered to create the Ski the Valley Pass. This two-day lift ticket offers guests the option to ski both mountains when and how they want.

Oglebay Resort

Oglebay Resort has state of the art snowmaking facilities along with triple chair lift, accessing a 815ft slope with a 168ft vertical drop.

A terrain park features a variety of rails in different sizes plus exhilarating snow made jumps.

New skis, snowboards, and boots are available to rent.

Special overnight packages are offered for the Wilson Lodge which has just been renovated adding 59 premium rooms and a new spa.
http://ski.oglebay-resort.com/

The Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau has unveiled a new visitor guide for 2011. The 75-page, digest-size guide is the primary printed resource for visitors planning a trip to Amelia Island, and includes a dining guide, accommodations guide, colorful maps, lists of events and attractions and much more.

The guide also offers information about weddings and honeymoons, local golf courses, and fishing. Special features include the history of Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach historic district highlights, a shark tooth guide and a recipe from Beech Street Grill.

A digital version is available instantly at www.ameliaisland.com  and print versions can be ordered online or by calling 800-226-3542.

The guide can also be found at www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ameliaisland/vg2011.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car is working to make all newly constructed and retrofitted Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations sustainable. Over the next five years,

Enterprise will invest more than $150 million in sustainable construction through the use of a newly established set of guidelines called the Enterprise Sustainable Construction Protocol (ESCP).

A comprehensive framework for sustainable features in all future construction projects, the ESCP ensures new and retrofitted facilities are designed, built and managed sustainably.

“The ESCP advances our commitment to environmental stewardship and smart business by exceeding our customers’ expectations for what it means to be a sustainable company, providing a healthy workplace for our employees, and ultimately providing a long-term cost savings for our business,” said Lee Broughton, head of corporate sustainability for Enterprise Holdings, the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

In addition to improving the sustainability profile of Enterprise rental locations, the ESCP is expected to generate significant energy and water utility savings — estimated up to 35 percent — through improved efficiencies and other measures.

In the coming year, sustainable building and retrofit projects are anticipated at more than 1,000 Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations throughout the company.

An example of the new Enterprise Rent-A-Car commitment to sustainable building is its new car rental location at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

The O’Hare facility, which opened in June 2010, recently became the car rental industry’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver-certified independent car rental location.

A significant percentage of the materials used in construction of the facility were from regional sources to reduce the carbon footprint associated with transporting materials.

Other sustainable features of the Enterprise O’Hare location include a “green” roof system that insulates the building and provides a suitable habitat for native plants; storm water detention/retention to reduce discharge into downstream watercourses; energy-efficient lighting; and a system for recycling car wash waste water.

To date, these features have reduced the facility’s water use by 22 percent and energy use by 15 percent.

For a virtual tour of the O’Hare facility, visit Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s new sustainability website at www.drivingfutures.com/innovation/#sustainable-construction

For more information, visit www.drivingfutures.com

WestJet has announced it will begin nonstop service from Vancouver and Calgary to Orange County, Calif., beginning May 2 and June 13, respectively, as part of its summer schedule.

WestJet Vacations offers packages to Orange County for as low as $439 from Vancouver and $459 from Calgary including air and four nights accommodation plus applicable taxes and fees.

WestJet is also increasing service to Honolulu, Maui, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Palm Springs, San Diego, Cancun and other destinations this summer.

For more information on this and other offers, visit www.westjetvacations.com

Air Canada has announced that it is boosting its Calgary-Tokyo nonstop flights in response to strong demand after introducing the new route last summer.

Air Canada will increase its existing schedule to five weekly flights from three effective March 26, 2011, as it takes steps towards continuing the non-stop service on a year-round basis, subject to obtaining the necessary approvals in Japan.

As a result of lower-than-expected demand for planned Vancouver-Tokyo Haneda nonstop flights offering point-to-point service between the two cities, the launch of that route will now be delayed until more convenient arrival and departure times can be obtained that would enable customers to connect to flights at Haneda for onward travel to points within Japan and throughout Asia.