Jaime Gottlieb is Manager of Online Communications for the Luxury Brands Group and the lobby.com's expert on all things W.
Where will you be on World AIDS Day? I don't know about you, but mix up exclusive music tracks, cocktail mingling and a meaningful cause, and I'm already in the waiting line. On December 1st in recognition of World AIDS Day, music-loving jetsetters and W loyalists will be mixing it up at W Hotels nationwide for the launch of (RED)s latest project called (RED)WIRE. This digital music magazine subscription service gives members VIP access to exclusive tracks by the hottest musicians and artists around including the likes of U2, John Legend and Sheryl Crow.
In support of the Global Fund, which provides medicine to people who need it in Africa, all are welcome to this one-time W Happening to sip the coolest cocktails and feast their eyes and ears at this online music viewing party in hotels across America. As just one of many ways W Hotels is getting involved with this global cause and exciting new music project, event-goers, including myself, are sure to end the year 2008 with a bang... and a few other beats.
SPG members know it's excellent to use Cash & Points for standard rooms at Starwood hotels and resorts around the world, but when you use Cash & Points for specialty rooms and lavish suites, it's positively delightful. Now through December 21, 2008, you can use Cash & Points for Specialty Rooms with breathtaking views, spacious suites, and Club Level rooms with exclusive access to private amenities -- all within Starwood's hand-picked array of amazing hotels and destinations. There are great experiences waiting to be had at luxurious hotels and resorts in destinations like Hawaii, Phoenix, Los Cabos, Kuala Lumpur, and more. Maybe you're craving a few days of rest and relaxation on Waikiki Beach. Specialty rooms at the Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort Waikiki Beach (pictured), can be had for $110 plus 6,750 Starpoints, while suite rooms are available for $110 plus 15,600 Starpoints. That's a pretty sweet deal for a resort so grand it's known as the "first lady of Waikiki." And remember: SPG offers the Cash & Points redemption option for standard rooms year-round, available worldwide and redeemable online. So see what kind of Specialty Room or Lavish Suite you can get with Cash & Points. You might just come away very happy indeed.
Candice Kraughto is the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's expert on the region.
Lt. Andrew Baldwin, ABC's Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman recently chose to spend his last nights in Hawaii at The Royal Hawaiian. The 31 year-old doctor and world-class tri-athlete gained national famed staring in the tenth season of the show in 2007. Andy came to Hawaii in July 2005 and was assigned as a member of the Navy Medical Corps to serve as Diving Medical Officer for Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One in Pearl Harbor.
During the season finale of the tenth season of The Bachelor in May 2007, ABC filmed Andy at Kaua'i's luxurious Princeville Resort on his dream dates. He was named the best bachelor on a 2008 special episode of The Bachelor last month titled 'Where Are They Now?'
The doctor emailed me last week asking if he could stay at the iconic "Pink Palace of the Pacific" one last time because he was bringing someone special. Who could that be?
How fitting that Andy would choose The Royal Hawaiian for rest and relaxation before shipping off to his new home in Washington D.C. to assume a new post as an advocate for Navy medicine. After Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941, The Royal Hawaiian hotel was closed to the public and leased exclusively to the U.S. Navy as a place for rest and relaxation for the troops. When WWII ended in 1945, The Royal Hawaiian closed for an extensive two-year renovation, re-opening in 1947.
Candice Kraughto, is the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's expert on the region.
Rum aficionados rejoice! No has-been Cosmo cocktails are offered on the premises at Honolulu's newest hotspot RumFire. The "it" drink at Sheraton Waikiki's gorgeous oceanfront "place to be seen" is the "Tradewinds," a fierce and refreshing libation mixed with Matusalem Platino rum from the Dominican Republic, Marie Brizzard Watermelon, fresh sweet and sour and a splash of Soho lychee liqueur. Or sip a Deconstructed Pina Colada with Cruzan single barrel rum served over pineapple ice cubes with a generous dollop of coconut foam.
The centerpiece of RumFire is its sexy rum tower featuring over a selection of over 100 unique offerings - from rare vintages to rum being produced in Hawaii's backyard from local sugar cane. Looking for something different to do on a Friday night? Plan a private rum tasting party at sunset with a group of friends around the outdoor fire pits. On 2nd and 4th Saturday nights, the purveyor's of Hawaii's most stylish parties, Flash and Matty Boy host "Oceanfront at Rumfire." Email vip@flashandmattyboy.com for bottle service reservations.
Jaime Gottlieb is the Manager of Online Communications for the Luxury Brands Group and thelobby.com's source on all happenings at W Hotels.
Introducing the latest in Whatever/Whenever® services, W Hotels and Acura have announced an exclusive partnership for W Hotels guests. The 300-horsepower Acura MDX, the preferred vehicle of W Hotels Worldwide, is ready to show you the town from a whole new perspective.
Starting in 2008, W guests can request their ride in select W Hotels. Whether it’s shopping on 5th Avenue, a ride down Rodeo Driveor a swift lift to Bourbon Street, bring your sensory experience along. Just dial the Acura Ambassador or Whatever/Whenever, reserve a complimentary ride and enjoy an SUV stocked with W essentials like Tidy Towels, Wish magazines and signature W music. To help guide you along your way, the MDX is filled with technologically advanced amenities like the Acura Navigation System with on-demand Zagat® reviews. Find where you’re going and the perfect entrée to order once you get there. The Acura Experience is ready to whisk you away at all W Hotels in the U.S., starting April 1, 2008.
Photographer Ramak Fazel made an art project out of a cross-country road trip. Starting in his hometown, Fort Wayne Indiana, he drove a big white van to 49 of the nation's capitol cities. The journey lasted 78 days, and covered 17,345 miles. Along the way he photographed each state's capitol building, and the people he encountered, capturing a snapshot of American life. The project was inspired by his stamp collection as Fazel's mom had been nagging him about the numerous sheets collecting dust in her basement. Anyway, the images on the stamps got Fazel thinking about different US cities, so what he did was, he mailed himself a postcard from one capitol city, to the next capitol city's post office, using the stamps he had stockpiled since childhood. If you're in New York, you can check out the fruits of Fazel's expedition in an exhibition at the Storefront for Art and Architecture, which runs through March 8.
While Fazel spent his slumbering hours in the confines of his cozy van, if you or I went on a similar expedition, we know where we'd be catching our z's now don't we? I'd start in my home state of Rhode Island, and kick off my journey in style at The Westin Providence. From there I'd hightail it south to the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, then head west, stopping in at the Sheraton Austin Hotel before making my way to the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. From there I'd catch a flight to Honolulu where I'd finish up in style at the W Honolulu - Diamond Head, never forgetting to send postcards along the way.
When visiting a new place, one of the best ways to learn about the locals is to eat what they eat. And in Hawaii, nothing summarizes the culinary influences of its unique blend of Japanese and American influences quite like the traditional breakfast item, the loco moco. Two scoops of white rice are topped with a hamburger patty and an overeasy egg, drenched in rich brown gravy. It makes for a thoroughly filling meal to help fuel your day's activities — you may not need to eat again till dinner!
One of the best loco mocos you'll find near the Moana Surfrider resort is at the Like Like Drive Inn. (Pronunciation note: it's "Leekay Leekay.") The gravy is silky and thick and the eggs are cooked to perfection. There are plenty of other options on the menu, and it's open 24 hours — a definite bonus for the jet-lagged. Another option, though not as picturesque, is the I Love Country Cafe. Oddly popular with bodybuilders (the walls feature photos of muscular physiques), this local favorite offers a fine loco moco but also plenty of healthier fare, including near-greaseless veggie stir-fries.
If your loco moco wears off before dinner, try to make it to Leonard's Bakery for one (or more) of their legendary malasadas. It's a Portuguese custard-filled doughnut that's very popular in Hawaii, and nobody makes them better than Leonard's.
Candice Kraughto, is the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's resident expert on romantic travel. Today she previews the upcoming week-long birthday celebration of Princess Kaiulani taking place next month.
A far-off land, a beautiful princess and a poignant story of heartbreak is one of Hawaii's most enduring memories lovingly perpetuated by the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani in Waikiki.
Named for England’s Queen Victoria, a loyal and longtime friend to Hawaiian royalty, Victoria Kaiulani Kalaninuiahilapalapa Kawekiui Lunalilo was born on October 16, 1875. Half Hawaiian and half Scottish, Princess Kaiulani enjoyed an idyllic childhood at her `Ainahau (the land of the cool breezes) estate in Waikiki given to her by Princess Ruth Keelikolani, the last surviving member of the Kamehamehas. Surrounded by lush gardens of trees, her favorite flowers (pikake or jasmine) and her numerous pet peacocks, the princess befriended family friend and poet Robert Louis Stevenson when she was 13, enjoying stories of his travels under the shade of a huge banyan tree.
When she was sent away to England to further her education in music, languages, history and culture, Stevenson penned this poem in honor of Princess Kaiulani:
"Forth from her land to mine she goes,
The Island maid, the Island rose;
Light of heart and bright of face:
The daughter of a double race.
Her islands here, in Southern sun,
Shall mourn their Kaiulani gone,
And I, in her dear banyan shade,
Look vainly for my little maid.
But our Scots islands far away
Shall glitter with unwonted day,
And cast for once their tempests by
To smile in Kaiulani's eye."
The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani is located near the former entrance of Kaiulani’s childhood estate. The Princess’ portrait hangs in the lobby of the hotel, a constant reminder of the grace and hospitality, she extended to all who came into contact with her.
Each year in early October, the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani hosts a week of special events in honor of the Princess’ birthday. Hula dance lessons, fresh flower lei making, ukulele lessons, wood crafting are just a few of the activities the hotel shares with visitors. The culmination of this annual week-long celebration is the Princess Kaiulani Keiki Hula Festival showcasing performances by over 200 keiki (children) ages 5 – 12 years old from various halau (hula schools) on the island of Oahu.
During the Princess’ absence, her uncle, King David Kalakaua passed away unexpectedly in 1891. His sister and the Princess’ aunt, Liliuokalani, ascended the throne as queen, naming Kaiulani as heir apparent. A sad time in the islands history however, by the time Princess Kaiulani returned to Hawaii in 1897, the Hawaiian monarchy had been overthrown. Although the princess became very sick one day after horseback riding in the rain and her cold lingered for months before she passed away at age 23 in March 1899, many people believe she died of a broken heart for her kingdom. She is still remembered as one of Hawaii’s most beloved princess’.
Walking through the lobby of the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, the progression of photos of the beautiful young princess is mesmerizing.
Candice Kraughto, the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's resident expert on romantic travel, shares with us a bit about one of Hawaii's passions: falsetto music.
Falsetto music, according to an encyclopedia of Hawaiian music edited by the late George Kanahele, is a combination of pre-European Hawaiian chanting, early missionary hymn song style and popular European 19th century music, and it soared to popularity in the late 1800's. Others attribute falsetto to the paniolo, or Spanish-Indian Vaqueros who came to Hawaii in the 1830's.
The Sheraton Waikiki will be hosting the 13th annual Aloha Festivals Falsetto Contest on Friday, September 28, 2007. An opportunity for amateur falsetto singers to compete for a recording contract with Hawaii-based Hula Records, this annual event continues the tradition of male performers throwing their voices into the upper registers of the musical scale, singing stories of Hawaiian culture. Falsetto was considered an art form to the Hawaiians that was originally forbidden to females. Local radio host Harry B. Soria and Hawaii's songbird Karen Keawehawaii will emcee and assist in the induction of some of Hawaii's falsetto legends into the prestigious Falsetto Hall of Fame. This year's headliner entertainment is the popular Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning musical trio, Holunape. General admission tickets of $25 for the Aloha Festivals Hawaiian Falsetto Contest can be purchased here or after September 21, by calling the hotel's central dining desk directly.
The Hawaii Superferry is almost ready to go. The LA Times got a sneak peak of the mega catamaran that soon will connect the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Kauai, and I've got to say, it looks pretty darn cool. While the Hawaii Superferry might not save time or money compared to flying, traveling by sea can be much more comfortable and fun. The brand new, $85 million vessel Alakai, which was built in an Alabama shipyard, has an advanced stabilization system and plush passenger lounges (pictured) where the amenities are many and the views are always changing. The 349-foot ship can hold up to 866 passengers and 282 cars, and trips between islands each take about three hours. Regular ferry service is scheduled to begin later this summer. Starwood has properties throughout the Hawaiian Islands, such as the Sheraton Waikiki on Oahu, the Princeville Resort on Kauai, and the Sheraton Maui Resort on Maui.
Starwood Preferred Guests can now stay updated on the latest travel trends. A core group of experts – including Starwood employees and SPG members – provide updates on unique and noteworthy travel experiences around the world. Get a behind-the-scenes look at exciting Starwood travel destinations and receive daily articles using TheLobby.com widget for your blog, desktop or web page.
Find out recommendations from our SPG members about what to do and where to go when you're on vacation.
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Candice Kraughto is the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's expert on the region.
Candice Kraughto, is the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's expert on the region.
Jaime Gottlieb is the Manager of Online Communications for the Luxury Brands Group and thelobby.com's source on all happenings at W Hotels.
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