Jetsettersblog

Following the rebranding of the Naples Grande Beach Resort to the new Waldorf Astoria Naples, Hilton Worldwide, the parent company of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, rebranded the Elysian hotel as the Waldorf Astoria Chicago. The hotel, which was recently named the No. 1 hotel in the U.S. by readers of Conde Nast Traveler, was acquired late last year by a joint venture between Hilton Worldwide, an Equity Group Investments affiliate and the Elysian principals.

The Waldorf Astoria Chicago is the 23rd property to become part of Hilton’s luxury hospitality brand, with an additional three properties joining the portfolio in 2012.

The property opened in late 2009 in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, just steps off of Michigan Avenue.

The Waldorf Astoria Chicago comprises the hotel, 51 private residences, restaurants, a spa, and event and meeting rooms. The hotel features 188 guestrooms and suites and two restaurants — Balsan, a contemporary bistro, and RIA, a two-Michelin-star restaurant offering modern, seasonally-driven French cuisine. Bernard’s, the hotel bar, is reminiscent of a plush private club.

WestJet will start daily non-stop service between Chicago and Vancouver and between Chicago and Calgary May 14. It will also market the flights it codeshares with American Airlines from Chicago to Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Introductory fares start at $149 from Calgary and $169 from Vancouver.

Luxury, Landmark Hotel ‘Holds the Phones’ to Offer a Vacation Haven for Couples with Signature Spa Experiences, Intimate Dessert Tasting and More

CHICAGO – At the JW Marriott Chicago (151 W. Adams St), the luxury, landmark hotel encourages couples to unwind and unplug this Valentine’s Day with the ‘Disconnect to Reconnect’ package, available Friday, February 10 through Monday, February 20 to accommodate celebrations on President’s Day weekend.

Reservations for the specialty Valentine’s Day package can be made by calling 312 660 8200 or online with the code ‘LUV’.* Package rates begin at $534 for a savings of over $250.

Upon check-in, guests will have the opportunity to hand over their phones to the front desk for safe keeping before enjoying a weekend without distraction – the hotel will even hold the remote from the room.** After a signature Couples Connection experience at VALEO, the 20,000-square-foot spa and fitness center at the JW Marriott Chicago, guests will return to their luxurious suite for an intimate in-room multi-course dessert bites tasting from Chef Michael Reich and Champagne.

The Couples Connection experience offers a unique 2-hour experience with a combination of connecting rituals and the choice of experiences in the Clarity Chamber or Couples Connection suite.

Couples will first reconnect in VALEO’s hot lounge with wine, Champagne or the beverage of their choice while enjoying a foot massage. After leaving the hot lounge, guests will be guided through a 50-minute individual Clarity Chamber ritual or experience in the Couples Connection suite.

The Clarity Chamber is a modern take on an ancient Roman bathing ritual with a combination of exfoliation and massage experiences. The center of the Clarity Chamber features a heated marble “belly stone” where couples will reunite for closing massage together on the “belly stone.”

In the Couples Chamber, guests can select side-by-side experiences including time a customized bathing ritual in the infinity whirlpool tub, under-lit softly by slowly-changing LED lighting. The Couples Connection experience concludes with a closing connection ritual of Champagne and strawberries in the hot lounge.

All of the details for the ‘Disconnect to Reconnect at the JW Marriott Chicago’ are as follows:

• Luxury suite hotel accommodations
• 2-hour Couples Connection experience at VALEO
• Chef’s In-Room Dessert Bites Tasting with Champagne
• Late check-out at 2 p.m.
• Package rates begin at $534; availability from Friday, February 10 through Monday, February 20
* Package and spa experience time based on availability
**Disconnect options: Cell phone held at the front desk and remote removed from room upon request
About JW Marriott Chicago

JW Marriott Chicago, which opened November 2010, is located in Chicago’s historic landmark, the Daniel Burnham-designed Continental & Commercial National Bank building at 151 West Adams Street in the heart of Chicago’s financial district. This luxurious hotel underwent a $396 million restoration blending Burnham’s famous architectural style with elegant, modern surroundings. The property features 610 oversized guestrooms including 29 luxurious suites, 44,000-square-feet of upscale meeting and event space, 36 breakout rooms, the 8,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom and 6,000-square-foot Burnham Ballroom. In addition, the property features VALEO, a 20,000-square-foot spa and fitness center—an amenity not found in most city center hotels—and The Florentine, a modern Italian, fine dining restaurant. For more information on the JW Marriott Chicago, please call 312 660 8200 or visit www.jwmarriottchicago.com

HARRIS, Mich. — Sweetgrass Golf Club — an award-winning amenity of Island Resort & Casino in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula — has officially opened 2012 tee times and is actively selling golf packages, giving golfers a chance to play the championship site this spring.

The list of April-October offerings is led by the Perfect Foursome package, including a round at Sweetgrass and nearby TimberStone and Greywalls courses, with two nights’ stay, starting at $265. All three courses are Golfweek-ranked courses in the U.S.

“We recognize that value is still the name of the game in regional golf travel, and kept our rates low again this year,” said Tom McChesney, Executive Director of the Island Resort & Casino, which operates the public golf course. “Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois golfers are now including a trip here every year because of the diversity and quality experience we offer.”

The Perfect Foursome can now be booked by calling 1-877-ISL-GREEN (475-4733). Additional information on other overnight packages and daily greens fees starting at $75 can be found at

http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com.

Discounted greens fee rates are also available for those in the immediate community.

Accommodations are provided at the Island Resort & Casino, with 275 rooms and a 24/7 gaming facility boasting over 1,400 slot machines, active table games and a weekly live entertainment line up, as well as five restaurants.

Headliners on the Island Showroom stage in 2012 include nationally recognized entertainers such as Comedienne Kathy Griffin, Sawyer Brown, The Band Perry, Huey Lewis & The News, and Merle Haggard.

Sweetgrass staffers are readily preparing for the 2012 Island Resort Championship — a Symetra TOUR event formerly known as the LPGA Futures Tour — welcoming 144 LPGA professional female golfers for a 54-hole stroke play tournament June 28-July 1.

Corporate sponsorships are actively being sold and volunteers welcomed to support the event.
For more information or to download a 2012 scorecard, see http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com
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About Sweetgrass and the Island Resort & Casino:

Owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Community, a band of the Potawatomi Nation, Sweetgrass Golf Club and the Island Resort & Casino are located in the unspoiled beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Sweetgrass Golf Club, site of the 2011-13 Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass (a Symetra Tour stop), was designed by Michigan-native Paul Albanese. It was named a Top 20 Courses You Can Play in Michigan by GOLF Magazine in 2010, and Best New Course by Golfweek magazine in 2009.

For more information, see http://www.sweetgrassgolfclub.com  or via Facebook.
Boasting more than 1,400 slot machines and 24/7 Vegas-style gaming, the Island Resort & Casino (www.islandresortandcasino.com)  offers Craps, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker and more. The Island hosts top musical acts from a variety of musical genres. Dining options include the Firekeeper’s Restaurant, Beachcomber Restaurant & Bar, Coral Reef Grille and Bingo Snack Bar. Live music in the lounge, the Club Four One nightclub, a swimming pool and conference center are other popular resort offerings. The property is easily accessible via a pair of regional airports in Escanaba and Marquette.

Two major tour operators are including itineraries for the Great Lakes USA for the first time in 2012. Both North American Travel Service (NATS) and the Vacations Group have joined Virgin Holidays and Complete North America in covering this exciting and diverse area of the mid-west of America.

NATS have included a 14 night fly-drive Great Lakes tour into a two page feature in the new brochure, including a Michigan Lakes and Mackinac Island tour. The tours are being purchased through Tourmappers and Tauck Tours.

The new Vacations Group brochure has an entire section devoted to ‘Great Lakes and Northeast’, with one page covering a Great Lakes fly-drive tour, one for an escorted tour and a six page tailor made section on the area.

These tours are also being purchased through Tourmappers.

Executive Director of the Great Lakes USA, Toby McCarrick, commented: “We are delighted to have major tour operators selling the Great Lakes now. TourMappers produced a number of exciting itineraries for Great Lakes and these are being developed which will enhance the existing product.”

Great Lakes is a popular leisure destination, famous for its many activities in the great outdoors, sightseeing, city life, outdoor activities, water sports and adventurous pursuits. Golfers, anglers, hikers, bikers and sailors are catered for in each state. Plus the latest adventure activities are available including kite-surfing, sky-diving, geo-caching, ice-climbing and kayaking.

Put Your Romance on Ice This Valentine’s at Blue Harbor Resort & Spa

A Romantic Ice Fishing Adventure is the Perfect Way to Warm Up Your Honey!

Sheboygan, WI — Blue Harbor Resort & Spa has the perfect Valentine getaway for the romantic adventurist! Stay in the upscale Blue Harbor Resort and Spa on Lake Michigan in Sheboygan, WI, and enjoy a romantic day on the ice — ice fishing together!

Enjoy a guide provided by Wolf Pack tours and up to six hours of ice fishing.

The Valentine Adventure getaway also includes a lake view guest suite with a fireplace, breakfast, a private luncheon served in your ice hut, and warm-up refreshments.

In the evening enjoy a romantic a seafood dinner of native caught wild Walleye in Latitude’s Restaurant the Resort’s fine dining room.

Your dinner will be specially prepared by the Resort’s Chef, who is an award winning ice fisherman. And as an extra gift, the Chef will provide a selection of his personal recipes to take home.
The Valentine Adventure on Ice getaway is priced at $189* per person (based on double occupancy) for stays Sunday through Thursday evenings and $209* for Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Valentine’s Adventure is available with advanced reservations now through February 28th and is subject to ice conditions and guest suite availability.

For more information visit online at:  THIS LINK.

or by calling 866-701-2583..

About Blue Harbor Resort & Spa

This Classic Lakeside Resort is less than a one hour drive from Milwaukee and a two hour drive from Chicago. The Resort is in the final stages of adding additional sophisticated services and amenities.

All guest suites have been upgraded including flat screen TV’s, plush pillow-top bedding and more open space.

In addition, the Resort’s dramatic Lobby is undergoing a renovation to provide a warm welcome and a spectacular view of Lake Michigan. There is also a renovation to upgrade the function space for weddings and other special events.

The 182 all-suite Blue Harbor Resort & Spa is a beautiful Victorian landmark on the shores of Lake Michigan. The resort is located in Harbor Centre District at 725 Blue Harbor Drive in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 53081.

For more information and reservations visit: www.BlueHarborResort.com  or call 866-701-2583 (BLUE).
*Rates based on availability. Reservations are required. Does not include taxes, gratuities or resort fees.

F
airmont Chicago Unveils the Ultimate Way to Say “I Love You”

Do you want to make the ultimate gesture for Valentine’s Day? Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park Hotel is offering a package that every starry-eyed couple will remember for a lifetime.

Their $100,000 Romantic Getaway Package includes everything your heart could desire.

Guests will be transported to and from the airport for a luxurious 2-night stay in the Presidential Suite. Upon arrival at the hotel, guests will be welcomed with a “Charming Rose Petal Red Carpet”, a trail of roses from the foyer to the bed of roses as well as six dozen roses throughout the Presidential Suite.

After getting nestled into the room, the couple may choose to start the weekend with a “Fairy Tale Moments” bubble-bath-for-two, which includes Cristal Champagne and strawberries prior to a lavender-filled bath with rose petals surrounded by romantic candlelight. After a one-of-a-kind bubble bath, slip into cozy personalized robes and soft slippers.

What Chicago trip would be complete without a little retail therapy? Guests will receive a $10,000 gift card to Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago and a VIP personal shopping experience in their exclusive Fifth Avenue Club.

In addition to a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, your lucky lady will receive a stunning 18 karat white diamond and sapphire necklace from Marshall Pierce & Company.

This jaw-dropping piece of jewelry features sixty two oval cut sapphires (22.54 carats) with pave diamond halos around each sapphire weighing at a total of 5.83 carats of diamonds. After roaming the famous shops of Michigan Avenue, the couple will seclude into peace and tranquility by receiving an in-room 90 minute massage-for-two.

Guests will also receive two amazing dining experiences, one of which is a Chef’s Table-for-Two at aria.

A Breakfast Du Jour in Bed is provided each morning as well as full use of your own private butler throughout the entire 2-night stay.

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park Hotel’s One Enchanted Moment is offered at $100,000 (plus tax) and is available February 10-14, 2012.

About Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is a AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel located in downtown Chicago. With 687 guestrooms and 62,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel provides contemporary elegance and gracious hospitality.

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is also home to eno wine room and aria restaurant and bar, taking guests on an “east meets west” culinary experience. In addition to uniquely inspired dining and stylish accommodations, the hotel features an exclusive lifestyle spa. mySpa affords eight treatment rooms and provides the perfect urban sanctuary from the busy and bustling Chicago streets. For more information please visit www.fairmont.com/chicago

Chicago Neighborhood Tours is marking its 15th anniversary with 15 new excursions, including “Pubs & Micro-breweries,” “LGBT Chicago,” “Historic Hotels of Chicago” and “The Great Chicago Fire.” The 2012 season of Chicago Neighborhood Tours extends from February through November and now features 28 excursions. Visitors can choose from two types — the Neighborhood Tours, which travel across the city for unique sightseeing opportunities, and the Taste of the Neighborhoods Tours, a selection of five culinary journeys.

To book a tour, call 312-742-1190.

Amtrak is offering discounts of 20 percent for trips in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri through this winter and early spring. Discounts are available on Amtrak routes between Chicago and downstate Illinois, including on Lincoln Service, Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg and Illini/Saluki.

In addition, savings are available on Wolverine Service, Blue Water and Pere Marquette routes between Chicago and Michigan, and on the Missouri River Runner between Kansas City and St. Louis. Terms and conditions vary, but big savings are possible by visiting Amtrak.com and using information under the “Deals” tab to buy the travel using the “Book Now” feature through April 29 in Illinois and Michigan, and April 28 in Missouri.

For more information, call 800-USA-RAIL.

Frontier Airlines is launching service on three new routes — Kansas City, Mo. (MCI)-Orlando, Fla. (MCO); Grand Rapids, Mich. (GRR)-Washington Reagan (DCA); and Madison, Wis. (MSN)-Washington Reagan (DCA). Nonstop seasonal service between Kansas City and Orlando begins Jan. 5, 2012, and continues through April 15, 2012.

The service will initially operate four days per week, then increase to six days per week beginning Feb. 23.

Additionally, Frontier will launch two new low-fare routes to Washington Reagan, with nonstop service from Grand Rapids beginning Jan. 4, 2012, and from Madison beginning Jan. 5.

Introductory fares begin at $109 each way for the nonstop Kansas City-Orlando service and $79 each way for the nonstop Grand Rapids-Washington Reagan and Madison-Washington Reagan service.

Introductory fares begin at $109 each way for the nonstop Kansas City-Orlando service and $79 each way for the nonstop Grand Rapids-Washington Reagan and Madison-Washington Reagan service.

Travelers who purchase Classic Plus tickets and fly on the routes during the same time period will earn triple miles.