Annie Scott
New York City - http://anniescottexperience.com
Annie Scott is the daughter of a stewardess and an avid traveler. She also writes for Tonic.com and Luxist.com, specializing in product reviews, style, and living the good life.
Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Daily Pampering: Welcome massages in Puerto Vallarta
Villa Premiere Hotel & Spa, a luxury boutique hotel in the paradise that is Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is offering a few extra free perks to make their property stand out from the crowd. Our favorite? Complimentary welcome massages.
"Getting to paradise for a vacation can often be long and frustrating," says a rep for the hotel. That's why when you arrive, they hand you a welcome cocktail and give you a a relaxing anti-stress hand and neck massage. Then, you choose what kind of pillows you'd like in your room and decide whether or not you'd like butler service. The butlers will do everything from unpacking and ironing your clothes to making your dinner reservations and bringing you your morning coffee -- just be sure to tip them well.
Complimentary yoga and meditation classes take place all year on the beach, so if you find yourself having a difficult time unwinding (it's hard to let go of the stress of the work you did to get to your vacation), there's help. The AAA Four Diamond, Bahia de Banderas beachfront Villa Premiere Hotel & Spa has 83 elegantly appointed rooms and suites with Mexican art and furnishings, private terraces, generously sized whirlpool tubs and superb ocean views. Rates start at $270 (based on double occupancy). Click here to book.
Stranded in Washington, DC? Get to The Jefferson
The Jefferson Hotel Washington, DC is offering some special deals for snowed-in travelers, so send this to your needy friends. The Winter Storm Special is taking place tonight and tomorrow night (February 9 & 10), and it features Deluxe rooms which usually go for $380 for just $195. This is a great opportunity to make lemonade out of your lemons and stay in a luxury Relais & Châteaux member hotel on the cheap.
While the snow has shut down the operations of the hotel's main restaurant, Plume, the bar, Quill, is open. They serve comfort food like macaroni and cheese, tasty salads and burgers, and fancy cocktails with herb-infused liquors in an elaborate setting wallpapered with 18th century maps. Nice!
To book this emergency special, call The Jefferson directly at (202) 448-2300.
Travel-sized everything: 3floz.com
3floz.com is a new website featuring the best of what comes in a TSA-approved size.And so, 3floz.com was born, with a brand list including Air Repair, Anthony for Men, The Art of Shaving, Avalon Organics, Go Smile, and Yes to Carrots. The products range from shampoos and moisturizers to teeth whiteners and facial serums for men and women.
As a frequent traveler myself, I'm delighted to see all this great stuff in one place -- I frequently find myself relying on the hotel shampoo and conditioner, even their lotion. Some hotels in Europe don't even offer conditioner. What is up with that?
The 3floz ladies add that these products can also go in your purse, your locker at the gym or school, your work bag and your car (I would add to that your boyfriend's/girlfriend's house). Tiny bottles of your favorite beauty and grooming necessities are helpful. Good thinking, Kate and Alexi.
If you shop at 3floz today or tomorrow (February 9 & 10) and use the code STYLEHOUSE, you'll get 10 percent off your first purchase. Go there.
Daily Pampering - Trump-style proposal in Chicago
If you want to propose to your honey, you want it to be flashy and fabulous and you don't want any of the hassle (and your assistant looked at you like you had three heads when you asked if he or she'd arrange it for you), Trump Hotel Collection has you covered.Donald Trump knows what it's like to be too busy to arrange the ultimate proposal. In the words of the Trumpster himself, "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?"
A coordinated proposal in idyllic conditions on the stunning 89th floor of the Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago includes a night in a Grand Deluxe Lake View Suite, limousine transport to and from the hotel, a welcome bottle of Champagne, an in-suite private chef dinner for two, two dozen red roses, a full day of spa treatments for two, a romantic turndown at night, an in-room American breakfast for two and complimentary 2 p.m. late check-out (if availability allows). A Trump Attaché will take care of timing, flowers and everything else you need. Best of all, the package includes the diamond ring -- your Attaché will help you make your selection from the Ivanka Trump Collection.
Prices for the romantic Once in a Lifetime package at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago start at $20,100. The cost climbs with upgrades and, of course, bigger rings.
Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.
Listen: Liverpool's famous Scouse accent
If you've ever been to Liverpool, one thing you surely remember about Liverpudlians (no really, that's what they're called) is their distinctive accent. If you haven't been to Liverpool and you think you know what they sound like there, read on."Scouse," as the accent is called, is an expressive, melodic speech comprised of emphatic vowels punctuated with harsh rasps. Think less of the Beatles (their accents were rather posh by the time we got to know them) and more of ... well, there are surprisingly few good examples of Liverpool accents in mainstream US TV and movies -- odd, because they're very popular in UK television. "Hollyoaks", for example is set in a fictional suburb of nearby Chester and is a goldmine for Scouse, both real and feigned. Dancin' Through the Dark has some proper Scousers, if you can get your hands on it.
The BBC attributes Scouse to Irish and Welsh influences in Liverpool, and calls it a fairly new dialect, noting that it only developed a distinction from the Lancashire accent in the mid 19th century. Today, teenagers speak fairly differently from their grandparents, a sign that the accent is still evolving.
On my recent trip to Liverpool, I happened to meet one particularly choice Scouser -- none other that Erica Dillon from Visit Liverpool. She graciously permitted me to tape her accent, so I got her talking about Liverpool, and here it is, folks.
It's hard to listen to that without reflexively attempting to imitate some of the words. Scouse is fascinating. Thanks, Erica!
This trip was paid for by VisitBritain and VisitLiverpool, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.
This trip was paid for by VisitBritain and VisitLiverpool, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.
Creative enough to win a free trip to Amsterdam?
The Netherlands Board of Tourism is at it again. Last year, they held an artsy contest awarding a free trip to whoever had the cleverest "what I would give up" photo entry. Now, there's a new contest: "Just be. In Holland."
By answering a Holland-themed question correctly on the website (no labor), you could win:
- A monthly delivery of fresh tulips for a year
- An exclusive Gassan 121 diamond made in Amsterdam
- A quintessentially Dutch bicycle
- An iconic piece of Dutch design furniture
If you put in a little effort and create a photo entry "portraying how you might 'Just be. In Holland,'" you could win two roundtrip KLM business class tickets to Amsterdam, as well as a four night stay at Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand (it's grand).While all this is going on, New Yorkers, keep an eye on the S train (Shuttle between Times Square and Grand Central). It's going to look something like the photo at right, and there will be street teams from the Netherlands Board of Tourism distributing Holland-themed giveaways. Dank u wel!
The contest goes live on Holland.com today, February 4, 2010. Send this to all your artsiest friends, as the most "creative" entry will be picked!
Gallery: Top 10 Weird Things to Watch For in Holland
Send food! - What American snacks cost in the UK
Anyone who's ever lived abroad for a long period of time knows that one of the "comforts of home" you miss the most is food. When I went to university in Liverpool, I stuffed my suitcase annually with macaroni and cheese, microwaveable popcorn and Twinkies (not because I liked Twinkies, but because they were mentioned on "The Simpsons" and my roommates wanted to know what they were).
In international cities like London, things are a little easier. Specialty stores carry all manner of American goods -- in fact, you can even find some at Selfridges. But, in case you thought that meant students and expats don't need care packages stuffed with their favorite snacks, get a load of the prices. For example: The jars of Jif you see above are £4.75. That's $7.58 in US dollars (as converted by Google, disclaimer here), which I think we can all agree is some mighty fancy peanut butter! Wait till you see the Lucky Charms.
I snapped all these at Selfridges on January 28, 2010. Send your loved ones a cheap box of their favorite American goodies today.
Gallery: Cheap American snacks and their not-so-cheap British prices
This trip was paid for by VisitBritain, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.
Daily Pampering: Ona Spa's Chocolate & Rose Treatment
LA's beautiful Ona Spa has a decadent Valentine's Day indulgence you don't want to miss: The Chocolate & Rose Treatment.
Chocolate and rose aromas custom-made at the spa will tantalize your olfactory senses as you are scrubbled down with exfoliating cocoa powder and soothing aloe. After that, your body will be snugly wrapped in a jasmine and rose essential oil elixir and -- here's the kicker -- you will be fed an organic truffle as the sensual mixture seeps into your skin. That's pleasure from all sides.
Daniel Krasofski, who created the treatment, tells us that "The healing and normalizing properties of authentic rose oil has been used for centuries. It is used to balance all skin types while being ideal for stressed or mature skin. When the rose oil is applied with the special base oil, the skin can absorb more of the micro nutrients. The organic cocoa powder, when infused into the scrub, assists in exfoliation. It's also believed that there are many antioxidant properties in cocoa."
The treatment will hydrate and increase the elasticity of the skin, and the soothing fragrances and calm aura will bring your mind to sweet, sexy peace. You can get or give this 50 minute experience for $110.
Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.
Tourist-friendly Utah drinking establishments on the rise
Utah is not famous for its bar scene. Even non-Mormons have been subjected to half-alcohol beers and strict laws for decades -- but one by one, the Utah's prohibition-like barriers are coming down.
Though the Mormon population in Utah is certainly influential, the majority of Utah's residents are not Mormon, which is part of the reason the laws were changed under Governor Jon Huntsman (who resigned in August of 2009 to become Ambassador to China). Prior to that, drinkers had to be members of a "private club" to imbibe. According to NewsAhead, the Zion Curtain law ("the partition that keeps restaurant servers from passing a drink across the bar") was scrapped last year, as well as a ban which required liquor stores to be closed on election days (makes sense for the voting, but not so much for the celebrating). Abusing these new freedoms will be costly; "From 1 Jul 2010, the liability limit for bars that serve drinks to intoxicated patrons involved in accidents will increase to as much as US $2 million -- the highest in the nation."
Now that less-regulated booze has been added to the the remarkable ski slopes and other tourism draws, the hospitality industry is watching their business pick up. In the ABC video above, you can see a glimpse of one brewery reveling in the new age, Squatter's Pub Brewery in Salt Lake City, as well as the state's first legal distillery since the 1870s, High West in Park City.
It's ski-in ski-out. Click here for more information on visiting!
[via ABC]
Though the Mormon population in Utah is certainly influential, the majority of Utah's residents are not Mormon, which is part of the reason the laws were changed under Governor Jon Huntsman (who resigned in August of 2009 to become Ambassador to China). Prior to that, drinkers had to be members of a "private club" to imbibe. According to NewsAhead, the Zion Curtain law ("the partition that keeps restaurant servers from passing a drink across the bar") was scrapped last year, as well as a ban which required liquor stores to be closed on election days (makes sense for the voting, but not so much for the celebrating). Abusing these new freedoms will be costly; "From 1 Jul 2010, the liability limit for bars that serve drinks to intoxicated patrons involved in accidents will increase to as much as US $2 million -- the highest in the nation."
Now that less-regulated booze has been added to the the remarkable ski slopes and other tourism draws, the hospitality industry is watching their business pick up. In the ABC video above, you can see a glimpse of one brewery reveling in the new age, Squatter's Pub Brewery in Salt Lake City, as well as the state's first legal distillery since the 1870s, High West in Park City.
It's ski-in ski-out. Click here for more information on visiting!
[via ABC]
Four Seasons auctioning off front-row rooms for Olympics
The Four Seasons Whistler has 6 exclusive rooms and suites at their lovely, Vancouver-adjacent mountain resort up for auction on charitybuzz.com to raise funds for The Birds Nest Foundation. The Birds Nest Foundation is "a charitable corporation and visual media production company dedicated to supporting philanthropic efforts. Birds Nest provides multimedia services for fund raising and to increase awareness and understanding of non-profit organizations."
If supporting philanthropic efforts isn't enough of a reason for you to bid, how about a complimentary Sea-to-Sky highway permit for getting to the games? The Four Seasons Whistler also happens to be the Official Host Mountain Resort for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, so you're certain to be surrounded by excitement and celebration -- as well as athletes and officials. All alpine, Nordic and sliding events will be held at the resort. It's going to be that awesome.
Need we mention FS Whistler's gas-burning fireplaces, private bars, guest powder rooms, and deep-soaking tubs? There's also a first-rate spa and the Fifty-Two 80 Bistro, which will be hosting Olympic Buffet Dinners from February 12 through 28 for guests to dine together and watch the day's events on large flat-screen televisions.Bidding for these once-in-a-lifetime mutli-day to week-long experiences starts at $1,000, and the packages are valued at up to $21,600. Some don't even have an opening bid placed, so hurry to charitybuzz and bid!
Want more Olympics coverage?
- Read more Olympics coverage on Gadling.
- Educate yourself about Vancouver.
- Familiarize yourself with Vancouver attractions.
- Get smart about Vancouver accommodations.
