Jetsettersblog

The Boxer, Boston’s newest full service boutique hotel, makes its debut today in the West End neighborhood. Following a multi-million dollar renovation, the 80-room hotel has been completely transformed as a modern and eclectic boutique with echoes of Boston in its design.

The Boxer opens with a new restaurant, Finch, serving American fare with a modern New England twist and some ingeniously crafted cocktails. Inspired by the property’s iconic Flatiron architecture and prime downtown Boston location, Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT) acquired the hotel in May 2012, previously named the Bulfinch Hotel. The Boxer joins the Independent Collection, a growing portfolio of boutique hotels inspired by authentic neighborhoods, local heritage and indigenous travel experiences.

Specialty cruises aboard the Timberwind and Nathaniel Bowditch – something for everyone!

Weekend Getaways!
For guests who are short on time, but big on adventure, the Timberwind offers long weekend cruises all season long. Guests board in Rockport on Thursday evening, set sail on Friday morning and return by noon on Sunday in time to ease back into the work week. These three-night getaways include two full days of sailing, excellent meals including a lobster feast, great sailing, scenery and wildlife…all capped with a final brunch enjoyed undersail on the way back to port. Prices start at $525 per person, all inclusive.

Shorter cruises for the younger set!
If you’ve got little ones, the Nathaniel Bowditch is offering two back-to-back Kids and Family cruises that are geared toward families with kids ages 5 and up (contact their office to discuss younger children). These 3-day adventures (July 14-17 and July 17-20) give kids the opportunity to try out sailing in a completely safe environment with Maine’s Tall ships – gorgeous schooners that are right out of the golden age of sail. So whether your favorite pirate is Long John Silver or Captain Jack Sparrow, these shorter adventures offer a great introduction to uninhabited islands, beachside lobster bakes and days of magnificent sailing.

Parades!
The Bowditch also welcomes guests to the Boothbay Windjammer Days Festival during their June 23-29 Lobster Lovers Cruise. This year marks the 51st annual festival with sailboat races, antique boat parade, concerts and fireworks. This is a unique opportunity to see many of these gorgeous schooners under sail and passengers on the Bowditch will have a front row seat! And if you love lobster, this cruise is for you! Chef Paul will prepare a lobster dish every day on this 6-night cruise!

Races!
If racing is your passion, join the Schooner Timberwind for the annual Great Schooner Race from June 30-July 6. Race Day begins with the boom of a ship’s cannon and then it’s sails up as crew and passengers do everything they can to be the first in their class to cross the finish line at the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. This friendly rivalry has been going on for decades – be ready to cheer your team! The day ends with a festive awards ceremony with live music.

Food Glorious Food!
Finally, in September, the Nathaniel Bowditch is capping her season with a celebration of the fall harvest. Guests will enjoy scrumptious meals prepared by Chef Paul on a traditional woodstove in the galley – all focused on the rich and bountiful harvest. This is the time when squashes are just becoming available, apples are abundant, hearty greens are sweet and the last of the corn adds color to the table. Maine’s landscape is changing over to the reds and golds of autumn while guests enjoy the gorgeous sailing that comes with the steady fall breezes. A perfect time to go sailing!

Fall is a great time to visit Maine and this season, the Bowditch celebrates with a fall harvest cruise.

For more information about all of the vessels in the Maine Windjammer Association fleet, please visit our website or call 800-807-WIND. www.mainewindjammers.com . Read the Jetsetters Magazine feature about Maine Windjammer Grace Bailey.

Lark Hotels will renovate, open and manage 76 Main, a design-oriented 20-room boutique hotel on Massachusetts’ Nantucket. The property’s grand opening is scheduled for June 7.

Guestrooms and suites at 76 Main will be situated within the Main House and Guest House, which are connected by a landscaped courtyard with fire pit. Guestrooms and common areas will feature designs by Boston-based Rachel Reider Interiors. Classic, rich and deep tones will be contrasted by crisp white with the end result bringing guests into what will feel like a comfortably refined yet relaxed

Mohegan Sun Massachusetts entered into a partnership with Finard Properties, a Boston-based commercial real estate investment and development company, to develop an $800 million destination resort casino in Palmer, Massachusetts.

Mohegan Sun Massachusetts will include a 300,000 square foot Finard Properties retail development, in addition to world-class casino gaming, a hotel, premier dining and other amenities.

The deal with Finard Properties follows Mohegan Sun’s strategic partnership with Brigade Capital Management, a $12 billion New York investment advisor that gives Mohegan Sun Massachusetts the strongest financial platform of any bidder pursuing the Western Massachusetts gaming license.

Hotel Vermont opened in Burlington, Vt., as the city’s first independent hotel. “Hotel Vermont evokes a true Vermont experience showcasing resources such as locally crafted furniture pieces in the lobby and in Juniper, stone countertops with Vermont marble, granite, and flooring made from local shells and reclaimed antique oak,” said Kim Deetjen, a principal at Smith Buckley Architects and TruexCullins Interiors, the firm responsible for the property’s design. “Building in Vermont means crafting quality materials with integrity.”

Hotel Vermont offers 2,000 square feet of green roof space and four meeting rooms, two of which showcase Lake Champlain views.

Chef de Cuisine Douglas Paine will oversee Juniper, which will serve morning pastries, small producer coffee, and afternoon tea service. In the evening, Juniper will offer limited-production beer, organic and biodynamic wines and small plates.

Opening this summer, Hen of the Wood Restaurant will debut, featuring the farm-to-table cuisine of James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Northeast finalist, Chef Eric Warnstedt.

Hotel Vermont guest rooms boast a Bedtime Menu, including local Lunaroma Aromatherapy offerings, a Vermont Flannel Pajama, a Vermont Teddy Bear to take home, a selection of bedtime stories for kids and a hot toddy list.

In partnership with Massachusetts BMW Centers, the White Elephant, White Elephant Village, and the Wauwinet will provide guests of their top suites with their own set of wheels this season – a 2013 BMW X5 Sport Activity Vehicle.

Guests who book The Loft at the White Elephant, any of the three-bedroom Residences at White Elephant Village, or the Coatue Suite at the Wauwinet will receive the keys to their own BMW for complimentary use during their stay.

Named toCondé Nast Traveler’s 2013 Gold List and Travel + Leisure’s 2013 World’s Best Hotels, the Wauwinet’s Coatue Suite features a private deck with views of Nantucket Bay and direct access to the property’s lush lawns. An adults-only property, it is the only Relais & Châteaux property on Nantucket.

The Loft at the White Elephant, also named to CondéNast Traveler’s 2013 Gold List, is a three-bedroom condo nestled right in the heart of town. Close Main Street, the White Elephant Village Residences offer easy access to the island’s shopping and dining scene and local beaches. Both The Loft and the Residences are ideal for families and groups of friends looking for a vacation home experience with the benefits of a five-star hotel stay.

On May 15, The Boathouse Hotel & Marina will open on a waterfront site on the harbor side of the Kennebunk River in central Kennebunkport. It will comprise 12 guest rooms set above a new 200-seat restaurant, David’s Kennebunkport, headed by Portland chef and restaurateur David Turin.

The Boathouse Hotel & Marina is the newest addition to the Kennebunkport Resort Collection’s portfolio of boutique properties and restaurants in the coastal resort destination.

Summer Meetings in Boston Will Receive Value-Added Concessions as well as
New Culinary and Community-Focused Offerings to Help Plan Smarter Meetings

BOSTON, Mass. – April 25, 2013 – Hilton Boston Logan Airport is approaching meetings from a new angle with the “Go Beyond Tradition” limited-time offer. Meeting planners searching for function space in Boston between June 1, 2013 and August 31, 2013 with 50 total room nights and a minimum $6,500 food and beverage spend will not only receive value-added concessions, including complimentary wireless Internet service in guest rooms; discounted parking; triple Event Planner HHonors Points; and 5% rebate on guest room revenue, but will also have an opportunity to give back to their community as well as think outside-the-box when planning meeting breaks, meals and receptions.

One dollar from every actualized room night will be donated to the planner’s charity of choice and they will also be able to discuss food and beverage goals, budgets and review new food and beverage concepts during a personalized menu planning session with the hotel’s Executive Chef, Sean Dutson. Meetings with a contracted food and beverage spend of $25,000 or higher will be eligible for a special bonus offer to experience emerging food trends first-hand with a private Chef’s Table Tasting in the hotel’s main kitchen with Executive Chef Dutson for up to 6 guests.

The 599-room Hilton Boston Logan Airport is the only first class hotel directly connected to Terminals A & E at Logan International Airport via climate-controlled sky bridge – saving guests valuable time and money while eliminating high transportation costs. Each well-appointed guest room offers a variety of services and amenities, such as the Hilton Serenity Collection; wireless Internet access; Peter Thomas Roth bath and body products; in-room safe; HD televisions; in-room coffee maker; work desk with ergonomic chair and alarm clock radio with mp3 connection. A total of 144 Executive Level rooms offer access to the Executive Lounge, which offers a complimentary continental breakfast and evening hors d’oeuvers Sunday evening through Friday morning.

Hotel facilities include 24-hour Bell Desk; a heated 40-foot indoor lap pool and whirlpool; Fitness Center with free weights and Hilton by PrecorÒ equipment; Hilton Connectivity Stations with internet, printing and faxing capabilities; and more than 30,000 square feet of flexible function space. Breakfast is served daily at Berkshires featuring the Breakfast at Hilton Buffet; light fare and Starbucks® Coffee are available at Café Presto for breakfast and lunch, and Connolly’s Publik House offers a traditional New England menu and varied selection of spirits in a laid-back atmosphere.

The hotel is just two miles from downtown Boston and offers complimentary, 24-hour shuttle service to all airport terminals, the subway, car rental agencies and water taxis.

For more information or to book your meeting, call the Hilton Boston Regional Sales Center at (617) 583-1100 or visit www.hiltonfamilyboston.com/meetingsatlogan.

* Subject to availability. Blackout dates apply. Cannot be combined with any other offers and/or special discounts. Offer only valid for new group bookings arriving between June 1 and August 31, 2013 with a minimum of 50 total room nights and a Food & Beverage spend of $6,500 or more. Bonus Chef’s Table Tasting subject to availability, is limited to a maximum of six people, and is only awarded with a contracted $25,000 or higher Food & Beverage minimum. Offer not valid for events previously booked or consumed. Additional restrictions apply. See website for more details.

The Lodge on the Cove, owned and operated by theKennebunkport Resort Collection, is slated to open on June 15 in Kennebunkport, Me. The property is a completely refurbished 30-room motor lodge into an eclectic Maine destination nestled on Chick’s Cove along the Kennebunk River.

Complimentary breakfast daily, free bike rentals and use of kayaks are among the amenities and activities offered. Other activities include kid’s yoga programs, live acoustic guitar by the pool on Sundays and evening bonfires. Poolside ice cream socials with traditional sundaes for kids and icy cocktails for adults round out the activities. The Lodge 30 rooms measure 300 square feet. Many rooms are adjoining and all are outfitted with refrigerators, microwaves and semi-private decks.

JetBlue has announced that flights from Worcester—the airline’s  80th destination—to Florida begin Nov. 7 with daily service to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. From April 3 to April 10, the airline will be putting flights from Worcester to Orlando on sale from $60 one way and from Worcester to Fort Lauderdale from $70 one way for travel between November 8 and December 17, 2013 (blackout dates and other restrictions apply).

The schedule for flights is: ORL to FLL, depart 4:05 p.m., arrive 7:31 p.m.; FLL to ORH, depart 7:15 p.m., arrive 10:17 p.m.; ORH to MCO, depart 7:20 a.m., arrive 10:37 a.m.; MCO to ORH, depart 12:35, arrive 3:22 p.m.