Lodging

By: Amie O’Shaughnessy of Ciao Bambino!

Al Gelso Bianco

The idyllic setting of the Al Gelso Bianco, a family-run wine and olive oil estate, is a Tuscan dream come true for families. The recently restored farmhouses have been converted into well-furnished and comfortable apartments. The decor is contemporary, creative, and simple—perfect for young children. Outdoor spaces are phenomenal with ample flat grass for running around and a pool area surrounded by a lovely garden. Although the property is optimized for guest autonomy, the gracious proprietor is available to answer questions and can organize babysitting, local excursions, and private gastronomic tours of the region.

Al Gelso Bianco is situated in Chianti, within the Val d’Elsa valley, a mere 16 miles from Florence and 19 miles from Siena. Roads in and out of the resort are easy to navigate, making this an ideal home-base for day trips. Once you settle into Al Gelso Bianco, however, you may never want to leave!

 Accommodation Options

A one-bedroom apartment at Al Gelso Bianco is suitable for a family of three or four and is comprised of a complete kitchen, living room with a sofa bed, bedroom, bathroom, and a private outdoor seating area. These units have room for a crib as well. The price for one-bedroom units ranges from 720€ to 1,040€ per week.

 Two-bedroom apartments will the same amenities are available for 1,015€ to 1,700€ per week.  Also, it is possible to connect the one and two bedroom apartments to create a larger configuration. 

 There is a one-week minimum stay requirement over the summer months.  Over shoulder season periods—April, May, October, November and December—the minimum stay requirement is just two nights.

Amenities and Services

The Al Gelso Bianco offers its guests private parking, free WiFi, and a swimming pool, as well as a sauna and small gym. Each apartment features air conditioning, satellite television, and weekly housekeeping for an additional fee. Shared laundry facilities are also available. While the resort does not have an onsite restaurant, a local cook can be booked on request to prepare meals. Babysitting is available starting at 15€ per hour. The property hosts weekly wine, cheese, and olive oil tastings.

Families Should Know

Families staying at Al Gelso Bianco should be aware that the swimming pool is unheated—typical in Italy—and is not fenced.  The pool is set away from the majority of the guest apartments, however, concerned parents should inquire about the proximity of their particular unit at the time of booking.

 The apartments do not have private washing machines, but shared facilities are available. While the apartments only have showers, baby tubs can be provided. The nearest hospital is 15 minutes from the resort.

 Read the complete family-friendly hotel review and check availability on Ciao Bambino. 

 Photo Credit: Ciao Bambino!

When you hear the term “Hyatt”, and especially “Hyatt Regency”, you usually think of towering luxury hotels and resorts. However, if you’ve ever been to the southeastern city of Greenville, South Carolina, you’ll notice that the downtown Greenville Hyatt Regency Hotel doesn’t exactly stand above the rest of the downtown buildings. Since I live in Greenville, I’ve walked by the Hyatt Regency dozens of times, but had never taken the time to actually step inside and take a look. I recently took a one night retreat to get a better experience of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Greenville.

Front of the Hyatt Regency Greenville

Like I said, there isn’t anything outstanding that really stands out with this downtown Greenville hotel from the outside. Most locals are familiar with the hotel because there is often jazz music playing in front of it on the weekends during the summer. Once you walk through the front doors, you’ll realize you’re not in one of the many budget hotels spread around Greenville. The lobby features a large, open atrium that provides a 360-degree view of the hotel, offering views of many of the rooms, hotel offices and meeting rooms, restaurant and lounge. The lobby offers a great gathering spot if you’re traveling with a large group, but is also a great spot for enjoying drinks or watching sports in the lounge.

Atrium of the Hyatt Regency Greenville

Since Greenville, South Carolina is known mainly for their budget hotels, there aren’t many luxury and business hotels that accommodate to large scale conferences. However, the Hyatt Greenville Hotel offers a wide-range of business offerings on both a small and large scale. The Greenville hotel recently under went renovations to upgrade the meeting accommodations. The Hyatt Regency includes 25,000 square feet of meeting space, with the Greenville hotel’s ballroom encompassing 14,000 square feet of that. It offers enough space to accommodate weddings, large conferences, banquets, receptions and many other types of events. The Hyatt’s meeting amenities make it the premier meeting space in Greenville.

The rooms at the Greenville Hyatt Regency Hotel are split into a couple different suites and guest rooms with varying sizes and amenities. Although the standard guest rooms offer the same plush amenities you’ll find at most Hyatts like a wet bar, flat screen TVs and large work areas, I highly recommend the Panorama Suite. This Greenville hotel suite offers a panoramic view of Greenville and the outerlying Blue Ridge mountains. The suite is so spacious that it feels more like an condo. The suite includes a dining area with a wet bar, a sitting area with a couch, a work area and a seperate bedroom with its own flatscreen TV and view of the city.

Despite its location in the heart of downtown Greenville, the hotel offers reasonable rates. The basic one king bed standard guest rooms starts at $135 per night. The panorama suite is normally $269 per night, but for a limited time you can get it for $215 per night.

Hyatt Regency Greenville Hotel
220 Main Street
Greenville, SC 29601
864-235-1234

Photos courtesy of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts on Flickr.

Epic Hotel Miami Pool Deck at Night

Most of the attention lavished on Miami hotels goes to those situated on South Beach or the revamped waterfront openings such as Gansevoort South or Fontainebleau. For those who are in town for financial district business or to soak up the city scene, however, the stylish new Epic Hotel might be a better option.

Epic opened at the very end of 2008, just as the recession was really kicking in bigtime, but it has managed to thrive through a great location and the loyal fans of its parent chain, the Kimpton Hotels group. This is a stylish, brash hotel that takes the best of what its chain is known for and adds on Latin flair and great views.

From various vantage points guests can make out several less interesting neighboring hotels that are a block or two away—a Hyatt, an Intercontinental, and a Courtyard Marriott—plus a few high-rise condo buildings. While those seem to be all business, however, this is definitely a hotel that mixes business with a big scoop of pleasure. The 16th-floor outdoor space is a beguiling deck with two heated swimming pools, outdoor dining area as part of the Area 31 restaurant, and a bar, but it transitions to a glamorous club feel at night. Seductive pool lighting, private cabanas, and twinkling building lights all around create a memorable cityscape panorama.

Junior Suite living room at Epic Miami

While Epic is not perched on the Atlantic, it does have access to the water via 900 feet of docking space right off the lobby. So groups and couples can book a chartered boat for the perfect evening on the ocean or the Intercoastal Waterway.

You can hear elevator music that’s actually interesting on the way to your room, which is outfitted in contemporary Kimpton style with lots of great amenities. All 411 rooms have separate tubs, shower stalls and toilets (with a door), iPod docks, robes, and their own computer. Plus the pet-friendly hotel will bring a pet goldfish to your room upon request. Suites have larger flat TVs that swivel to the sofa or the bed and the club level rooms get access to a concierge and five meal/snack settings plus cocktails in the lounge.

The 24-hour gym here has great new equipment and a personal trainer on staff. A new Exhale spa will open in January, adding space for aerobics and yoga on top of the treatment and relaxation rooms.

This sleek hotel is fashionable without losing a sense of humor and the friendly multi-lingual staff does its best to make sure guests from around the world are having fun. You won’t be as close to Miami Beach nightlife as in many of the more famous waterfront Miami hotels, but there’s a good chance your view will be better and you’ll have more beauty all around you.

If you’re a fan of Kimpton’s suave hotels, you can follow them on Twitter @Kimpton.

Review and photos by Tim Leffel, who was hosted as a guest at Epic for one night by Kimpton Hotels.

The edible, 1,200 pound sugar castle at the Westin St. Francis on San Francisco's Union Square.

You can count on the Westin St. Francis to boost your level of holiday cheer.

The location, in the shopping epicenter of San Francisco — Union Square — places you directly across from the massive Christmas tree that towers over the everything, and sparkles with thousands of lights.

For the past four years, the hotel’s pastry chef and his team have concocted a completely edible 12-foot sugar castle that can be viewed in the hotel’s lobby.

This is not your mother’s gingerbread house. The castle, created in the French chateau style, weighs in at more that 1,200 pounds and requires some 60 pounds of flour with icing mad of 300 pounds of sugar and egg whites. It takes 400 hours of work. I wonder whose job it is to crack all of those eggs…

The famous lobby of the St. Francis.

You can drop in to see it when you’re out shopping, visiting Santa, ice skating on Union Square, or just taking in the lights and holiday window displays. But better yet, avail yourself of some of the St. Francis’ holiday promos:

• Holiday Savings Package — one night rates start at $149; two nights at $111; three nights at $104
• Ice Skating on Union Square — enjoy reduced rates of up to 30% plus admission for two with skate rentals to the Union Square ice skating rink
• Macy’s Shopping Package — reduced rates plus a $100 Macy’s gift card

Photos courtesy of the Westin St. Francis

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

AVIA Napa

It’s the beginning of December and I’m in the Napa Valley for a couple of days. Holiday lights twinkle across Napa’s Main Street and the temperature is dropping. As I walk into AVIA Napa, after self-parking my car in the city owned lot behind the property, I spy frosty jugs of Sangria and lemonade offered for guests upon check-in. A nice touch for summer time, but I prefer a cup of steaming hot chocolate from Anette’s Chocolate Factory, located a couple of doors down. By the way, AVIA does offer valet parking. I appreciate that I’m given a choice in parking options.

Greenhaus European Day Spa

My day started with a  Royal Bamboo massage as a guest of  the Greenhaus European Day Spa. Avia doesn’t have a spa on property, but they partner with Greenhaus for in-room massages, or you can go directly to the Day Spa located on Pearl Street. On this foggy morning, I was happy to walk into the candlelit room and relax to the warmth of the dry heat from the bamboo sticks. As I carry my laptop as often as one carries a purse, I now have shoulder issues.  The skilled masseuse left me feeling rejuvenated after a 60 minute massage. Note to self, Greenhaus Day Spa would be a great place for a girl-friend getaway day of pampering.

Greenhaus European Day Spa Bamboo Sticks

My Avia room, #323, is a Master Tub Suite and is handicap accessible. The white marble bathroom boasts a soaking tub for two, over-sized shower and waterfall shower head. Be sure to make time to visit the second floor Terrace, complete with hardwood decking, porch swings and a fire pit.

The Tower Suite, with 12 ft. ceilings and 520 square feet of hickory hard wood floors, gives way to not one, but three step-out balconies, yet bargain seekers should ask for room #208, a Classic King guest room with balcony. While Napa has its share of romantic bed and breakfasts, AVIA Napa offers an urban oasis in downtown Napa.

Currently the property is offering 20% off room rates, but buyer beware, there are no cancellations and no refunds on this pre-pay offer. That means that my Master Tub Suite, which rented for $264 during my stay, could be had for $179.25.

Staycation Special for Californians

Attention California residents, Avia Napa offers a Napa Staycation rate of 25% off best available rates.

Avia Master Tub Suite Room #323

 Executive Chef Chris Aken offers a daily wine and appetizer sample from 5-6 p.m. in the Avia Kitchen & Wine Bar. If your stay falls on a Thursday, local vintners and wineries pour new releases for Avia guests. And if you prefer coffee to hot chocolate, try Avia’s signature blend of 100% organic certified coffee.

Avia Napa is a pet-free and smoke-free hotel. Property photo courtesy AVIA Napa, all other photos courtesy Nancy D. Brown

Avia Napa (707) 224-3900

1450 First Street, Napa, CA 94559-2843

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Christmas at Echo Valley Ranch

Being a Northern California girl, it’s not often that I have the opportunity for a white Christmas. Sure, my family and I can fight the maddening crowds at Lake Tahoe. In fact, we are considering a nine hour drive to Sunriver Resort in Bend, Oregon in hopes of snow. However, if someone were to ask me where I’d like to go, I think Christmas at Echo Valley Ranch and Spa sounds quite fabulous. I would happily trade snowboarding for a spa treatment at this luxury lodging property.

I’ve recently launched Writing Horseback, a new blog reviewing dude ranches and places to take a horseback riding vacation. In my quest to find properties to review, I stumbled across Echo Valley Ranch, located in Canada’s British Columbia. when I was searching horse ranches on Twitter.  While I have yet to go horseback riding at Echo Valley Ranch, the promise of serenity, pampering and good food is enough to make this cowgirl pack my saddle bags and giddy up to Canada.

The Christmas package includes:

• 

  Cows in the Meadow at Echo Valley Ranch and Spa

   $1320 per couple

• $756 per person single occupancy
• All prices are in Canadian funds
• 5% GST will be applied to the price. Service charge has been left to your discretion, as a guide, between 10 and 15% is normally paid when our guest have considered the service to be outstanding.
• Add $50 per night to package price for use of the Cabins and $75 for Ranch House. Add $260 per night to package price for the use of the Baan Thai Suite. (This additional charge is not per person)
• Reservations personnel can provide connections options from scheduled Air Canada and Alaska Connector flights to Kamloops with transfers from Kamloops to the ranch; chauffeur driven limousine from Vancouver; and self drive.
• Arrival times at the ranch: 2:30 pm. Check out time 11:00 am.
• To guarantee your spa treatment, it is recommended that you book in advance of your arrival at the ranch. You may pre-schedule your spa treatments with our reservations personnel or email us at info@evranch.com
• Some outdoor activities during the winter months are subject to weather

Photos courtesy of Echo Valley Ranch and Spa

Echo Valley Ranch and Spa (250) 459-2386 or 1 (800) 253-831

PO Box 916, Clinton, Jesmond, British Columbia V0K 1K0 Canada

Some hotels have used the social media site Twitter to either announce deals or give away free nights and other prizes. This month, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), parent company of brands such as Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites and Holiday Inn, will be doing both during its “December Tweet Away” promotion.

Holiday Inn Express at Universal Orlando

Starting December 1, 2009 and running through New Year’s Eve, the hotel company will “Tweet away” nearly one million Priority Club® points redeemable for hotel nights, retail gift cards, electronics and more.

Prizes will be given away either by responding to a trivia question, with the first correct answer being deemed the winner, or by re-tweeting a specified phrase, with the winner being chosen from all those who re-tweeted as requested.

To participate, follow @IHG_Deals on Twitter. One must also be a member of the company’s free Priority Club® Rewards member program.

Potential winners will be contacted on Twitter via a direct message and must respond with the requested information within 72 hours to claim their prize.

Complete rules and details for the Twitter giveaway can be found at the IHG website. Good luck to all who enter.

[Photo: Michelle Snow]

The Orchard Hotel earned certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

San Francisco has long demonstrated dedication to green environmental practices. The conservation efforts of John Muir, who founded the Sierra Club and for whom Muir Woods are named, date back to 1892.

Peace activist and San Francisco resident John McConnell established the United Nations Earth Day in 1969, and Alice Waters pioneered the movement to use sustainable, organic food grown and produced locally, thereby supporting local farming and  lessening the impact on the environment.

In the past two years, San Francisco banned plastic bags and passed a mandatory recycling and composting ordinance.

So, why am I writing about all of this on the Uptake lodging blog?

Because the trickle down effect of this environmental consciousness has resulted in a number of “green” hotel initiatives.

Let’s start with the Orchard Hotel receiving the prestigious LEED-EB (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design – Existing Building) certification. The Orchard is San Francisco’s only hotel to earn this honor, the second hotel in California, and the fourth in the world with this certification. LEED-EB is the U.S. Green Building Council’s leading edge system for operating buildings dedicated to whole-building cleaning programs, recycling, maintenance, and systems upgrades.

In 2007, the Orchard Hotel’s sister property, the Orchard Garden Hotel, was awarded LEED-NC, the green certification designated for “New Construction.” It was the first hotel in the city to earn this honor, third in the United States, and fourth hotel in the world with this certification. Major props to the Orchard sisters!

Other hotels have followed suit, adopting green practices to help the impact on the environment. These include the Parc 55 Hotel, Hotel Palomar, The Mosser, and the W.

San Francisco continues to be on the cutting edge, embracing practices to make the city cleaner and greener.

Photo credit: Orchard Hotel

For most of the past decade, while the Las Vegas Strip has become more and more upscale, downtown Vegas has been home to the cheap rooms housed in the older hotels. Classic Vegas, as it were.

Golden Nugget Rush Tower Exterior

The one exception has been the Golden Nugget and this month, they have upped the scales even further by opening the new luxe Rush Tower.

This $150-million addition to the hotel adds 500 extra rooms, which are 20 percent larger than the rest of the property’s rooms. It also has four Penthouse Suites and 70 Junior Corner suites. The rooms themselves feature pillow-top mattresses, feather down comforters, plasma screen televisions in both the bedroom and bath area, and oversized deep soaking bathtubs with raintree showers, among other luxe touches.

Other amenities the new tower brings to the Golden Nugget are new upscale boutique stores, a lobby casino and a two-level infinity-edge pool area that adjoins the third level of The Tank, a shark tank water-slide swimming pool that has been voted one of the best pools in America.

The Rush Tower also houses the new Chart House Restaurant, an upscale seafood eatery that offers seating for 200 in a aqua-colored room accented by a 75,000-gallon fish tank that can also been seen in the separate lobby area of the tower.

Rush Tower King Room at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas

Rates for standard Rush Tower rooms start around $129 for midweek stays, though that may drop a little once the newness of the addition wears off.

The Golden Nugget sits right on Fremont Street, so there is easy access to all the fun stuff downtown, including the free nightly entertainment provided by the Fremont Street Experience.

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Golden Nugget Hotel
129 E. Fremont St.
Las Vegas, NV 89101
800-846-5336

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[images courtesy Golden Nugget Las Vegas]

Philadelphia Morris House Hotel

There is often a distinct difference between a true hotel and that of a true bed and breakfast. You don’t often find the two mixing together. However, one particular hotel/bed and breakfast in Philadelphia has seemed to conquer that rare feat. The highly respected and well-known Morris House Hotel in Philadelphia offers guests the hospitality and experience of a bed and breakfast, mixed with the accommodations of a hotel.

This restored 18th-century mansion is rare in how it perfectly blends together the accommodations and experience that you would find at both an inn and a hotel. The Philadelphia hotel has been converted to a boutique hotel, offering the ideal place to vacation in Philadelphia with its location in the city’s historic district. Philadelphia attractions that are within walking distance include South Street, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the theater district and plenty of shopping and restaurants.

Many of the rooms at the Philadelphia Morris House Hotel offer the types of rooms you would typically find at a bed and breakfast, but with the service and added amenities you would find at a luxury hotel. Amenities in standard rooms include private baths, TV, phone, sitting area and turndown service. However, unlike many luxury hotels, the Morris House Hotel offers complimentary Internet access. Included with your stay is complimentary continental breakfast and afternoon tea. Room service is also available upon request. Rooms start at $179 for the standard luxury room and go up to $200 for the suites.

The Philadelphia hotel and bed and breakfast follows in the path of many other hotels in offering a variety of seasonal specials and deals. There current midweek specials consists of getting your third night free when you book two nights at the available rate between Sunday and Thursday.

Morris House Hotel
225 S. 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 922-2446

Photo taken by Spencer.