Centrally located at the corner of Sunrise and East Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs, California, it’s hard to miss the colorful three-story buildings that make up the new Saguaro Hotel.

Painted a rainbow of colors, the hotel is the second property opened as a partnership between The Sydell Group Ltd. and the California-based Joie de Vivre Hotels brand. The first is The Saguaro in Scottsdale, Arizona, which opened in November 2011.

The pet-friendly Palm Springs property features 249 rooms, each with a private patio or balcony, with imported Mexican furniture, stereos with iPod docks and 42″ flat screen HDTVs. Other amenities include wifi and daily yoga (included in resort fee), a fitness center, onsite spa, and an outdoor pool with cabanas, fire pit and two hot tubs.

Onsite dining includes Tinto, a wine and tapas restaurant with cuisine influenced by the Basque region of Northern Spain and Southern France. It’s menu was created by Iron Chef America’s Jose Garces, who is also responsible for the hotel’s El Jefe, a casual Mexican-influenced bar and lounge area.

Not only would this hotel be a great base for exploring Palm Springs and Mt. San Jacinto, but also for the yearly nearby Coachella music festival.

Peak season weekday room rates at The Saguaro Palm Springs start at $189 and weekend rates start at $249. There is, however, a great three-night package deal that starts around $400 for weekday arrivals through April 30, 2012. It includes accommodations, a $100 spa credit and a $50 El Jefe credit per room. Members of Joie de Vivre’s Joy of Life member rewards program also can accrue benefits during stays here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Saguaro Hotel
1800 East Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92264
Phone: 877-808-2439
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[Images courtesy of Joie de Vivre]

Hartstone Inn and Hideway

If Italy seems out of reach for a summer trip, how about Camden, Maine? Pairing culinary excellence with some of  the best scenery in the United States is a win-win to me. The Hartstone Inn and Hideaway is doing exactly that this June.

From June 4-8, Chef Benedetta Vitali from Florence, Italy is setting up a cooking school experience at the inn. Inn guests will be on the inside track to an intensive five-day immersion culinary treat of Tuscan fare. By the end of the school experience, guests will have Vitali’s family recipes and the know-how to make these dishes once they go back home.  

In addition to being an expert at teaching others how to cook, Vitali is an experienced restauranteur, award-winning chef and author of “Soffritto: Tradition & Innovation in Tuscan Cooking,” a James Beard Award finalist.

Vitali’s cooking school experience is only available to Hartstone Inn guests which I imagine will be a perfect bonding opportunity between fellow travelers.  As vacations go, this one seems sort of like a kids summer camp for grown-ups, but way, way  better.

When you’ve cooked and eaten and have some extra time head into Camden and take a lobster boat ride.

The one person price for the loding cooking school experience starts at $1250 for a traditional room.   If another person is added on, that’s an additional $525. Look what’s included:

• Five nights of deluxe accommodations (Sunday – Thursday)
• Private Sunday welcome Maine lobster bake dinner on the beach at the home of Hartstone Inn Owner/Chef Michael Salmon and Wife/Innkeeper Mary Jo Brink
• Hartstone Inn Apron and welcome gift
• Breakfast for two each morning
• Lunch each day
• Six cooking courses and two tastings
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Making class at the nearby State of Maine Cheese Company
• Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar tasting at Fiore Artisan Olive Oils and Vinegars
• Chef-led tour of Camden Farmers Market
• Wine tasting and private tour of the Cellardoor Winery

Arbor Suite Room

By the way, there are only 14 available slots. Don’t hesitate.

Hartstone Inn and Hideaway
41 Elm Street
Camden, ME 04843
Reservations: 800-788-4823
Local Phone: 207-236-4259
Email: info@hartstoneinn.com

Photos courtesty of Hartstone Inn and Hideaway

Related Posts: Rockland, Maine: A Small Town with a Big Flavor; Reid State Park, Maine; The Camden Maine Stay Inn: Where Scenery Inspires Poets

A great place to relax at the end of a long day

If your New Year’s resolution was to loose weigh and get fit, but you’ve already stared to stumble (or perhaps given up already) then here is a place that might be able to help kick start your regime.

Based in Annecy, in Southern France, Adventure in the Alps offers short breaks for people who are looking to keep fit, get started in a particular sport or simply enjoy the stunning surroundings.

There is Running Made Easy if you’re complete beginner, Wellbeing Retreat for all-round fitness, or Fit and Over 50 (which should be self-explanatory). A selection of other fitness based programs; from skiing to Pilates and triathlon running to multi activity holidays are also available throughout the year.

Lodgings vary from luxury mountain retreats to simple chambres d’hôte- depending on where the activity is located- but all properties are well appointed making the most of comfortable, cozy residences that combine local flavor with a high standard of service. The majority of properties also offer sauna, steam rooms or hot tubs, to help you relax after a long day.

Week long programs start from around $1,200 and packages include accommodation, all meals and a fully comprehensive training program.

And who said that getting into shape had to be hard work?

More information: Adventures in the Alps

Photo Credit: Adventures in the Alps

The Exterior of Stoweflake

The Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa, one of my favorite resorts in the Northeast, is offering a special rate this spring.  From April 1, 2012 through May 25, 2012, you can get a deluxe room (with a complimentary upgrade to a luxury room if available) for $189 per night.

Spring is really a great time to visit Vermont.  You can usually still hit the slopes in early April, and also enjoy maple sugaring season.  There are so many great things to do in the Waterbury, Vermont area, including the Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

The Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa is a fabulous place to relax and enjoy the spring in Vermont.  The resort offers a full-service spa – the nicest I’ve ever been to, along with indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, a restaurant, a pub, and a concierge.  The rooms are fairly large, and offer a refrigerator, Keurig coffee pot, and workspace.  Some of the rooms also offer a fireplace.  It’s a great place for a nice spring getaway.

Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa
PO Box 369
1746 Mountain Road
Stowe, Vermont 05672
1.800.253.2232

Disclosure: I received a complimentary two-day stay at Stoweflake (including one dinner and a spa treatment).

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig