Who wants to eat the Westin Heavenly Bed?

How did I miss this one?  Two weeks ago, one of the greatest cakes in the world was created by Duff Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes and the celebrity star of “Ace of Cakes” on the Food Network.  It was a giant Westin Heavenly Bed cake made of white cream and vanilla.  And check this out . . . the pillows were made of rice krispie treats!  Yum.

Apparently the cake was specially made for Sue Brush, one of the senior leaders of the Westin brand, who was celebrating her retirement at the Westin Times Square in New York.

And in further celebration of Westin Heavenly Bed’s 10th anniversary and the 4th of July, the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Hawaii is holding a 4th of July FLOWERWORKS.  The hotel is airlifting 50,000 orchids into the sky by helicopter and dropping them on their hotel pool decks.  Mixed in with the orchid shower will be five roses and special prizes for the guests who manage to find them.

Man, this sounds like a tremendous photo opp.

Getting wet at the W Hong Kong . . . it doesn’t get much better than this!

I want you to forget about the guestrooms of the W Hong Kong.  Forget about the 42″ HDTV with laptop A/V connectivity that’s tucked away behind a sliding mirror.  Forget about the rainforest shower that can be conveniently left exposed to the main guestroom should you choose not to slide the mirror doors shut.  And also forget about the harbor views from the wall to wall windows which you can shut out instantly with the automated blackout shades.  We all knew these things would kick ass anyway.

Forget about all this because the real deal is really up on the 76th level . . . the rooftop pool.  Unlike traditional infinity pools that create a pool water meets ocean water illusion, this one makes you feel as if you’re swimming up to an urban cliff that towers above the Kowloon and Hong Kong cityscapes.  Turn around in the pool and there’s an amazing mosaic wall of dreamy-themed butterflies and clouds.  If you’ve had enough of the pool water, hop on over to the hottub with a killer view of the Hong Kong skyline.  The new ICC tower obstructs part of the view, but at least you can look at the people working at their cubes and be thankful you’re not one of them.

Just three levels below on 73, there is an incredible fitness center with stairmasters and treadmills that overlook the Hong Kong skyline.  This must be one of the highets gyms in the world.  I cut my workout short so I could maximize my time in the sauna and steamroom.  After a good sweat, I showered up (which by the way I have never used so many water jets in a single shower) and soaked my cares away in yet another hottub complete with more massaging jets than any grad student could ask for after his final exams.

Here’s a couple more photos of the pool, and one shot that gives you a really good idea of just how high up this 76th floor rooftop pool is!

A big thank you to Sunny at the W Hong Kong who shared a couple of photos with me.  My poor camera died at the tail end of this trip.

My jaw dropped when I saw the W Hong Kong rooftop pool

Glass doors open up to an ethereal pool overlooking Hong Kong. Oh yeah, don't forget you're on the 76th floor!

I think I’ve died and found the gates to cool heaven.  After a grueling hell week of presentations, papers, and final exams, I decided to check myself into the W Hong Kong . . . will post some more pics up later.  Time to indulge a little in the good life!

Thanks K-Tjen for this sharing

Own an Acura? Get your W Hotels discount!

Did you know that you can reserve a complimentary ride in an Acura MDX (7-passenger SUV) during your stays at W Hotels?  And did you know that if you actually own an Acura, you can get a members’ only discount at W Hotels?

Yup . . . Acura owners are entitled to receive a 50% discount off their second night stay PLUS a room upgrade when available at W Hotels in the USA and Canada.  It looks like this promotion is in celebration of the renewed partnership between Acura and W through 2010.

Escape with an irresistible offer for Acura enthusiasts, only. Experience W Hotels’ insider access, spectacular style and incredible destinations, all with 50% off your every second night stay and an upgrade to the next available room type. Whether you stay 2 nights, 4 nights or more, take your tomorrow to indulge in Whatever/Whenever® and beyond.

Offer is valid for reservations booked and consumed between June 15, 2009 and March 31, 2010 and requires a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday check-in.

Here’s the full T&C.

One of the best hotel websites out there, and it belongs to Aloft

Check out the new Aloft microsite . . . a place where you can get up close and personal with the new Aloft brand standards and rock out to some cool tunes as well.  With colorful graphics and sharp photos, this my friends is The Aloft Experience.

The new Aloft brand debuted in 2008, so if you haven’t had the chance to visit one just yet, visit the new Aloft microsite to get a guided tour of the hotel.  Throughout the tour there are small captions that describe in greater detail some of the unique features of Aloft.  The new site definitely introduces the flavor of the brand in a new twist, especially since we’ve not seen these microsites for any of the other Starwood brands.  Here’s what Brian McGuinness, SVP Specialty Select Brands, had to say . . .

“Created to inject style and energy into the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, Aloft delivers urban-influenced, open and vibrant design, and a buzzing social atmosphere at an affordable price point,” said Brian McGuinness.

In conjunction with the launch of the new site, Starwood is running the Aloft Explore, Amuse + Win sweepstakes.  This promotion gives you the chance to win a super grand prize of ONE MILLION Starpoints, which is enough for over 25 airline trips or over 140 free nights at Aloft hotels.  There’s also a “Click-to-Win” promo where daily winners can get cutting edge tech and travel gadgets including notebooks, digital cameras, GPS systems, and MP3 players.  Click here for your chance to win big.

So what are you waiting for?  Go check out the new Aloft brand microsite, enter in the contest, and if nothing else jam to some of the tunes or enter the sweepstakes.

What can the new SPG iPhone app do for you?

Screenshot of the new SPG iPhone app

Starwood has entered the world of iPhone applications with the first version of its SPG app.  Members can now access their SPG account on the go!  You can check your current Starpoints balance as well as details pertaining to your upcoming stays.

Here’s some more information thanks to iPhone Download Blog . . .

• Access to SPG account, including Starpoints balance, recent activity, stays needed to reach the next level and more.

• View upcoming stay information including map to hotel from your current location and call hotel directly from your iPhone.

• Search, book and view hotel information and photos for 890+ hotels globally across nine brands.

• Access customer support around the globe.

• Browse TheLobby.com blogs to stay updated on the latest travel trends and insider information.

What about this *wood blog?  Feeling really left out now.  :-(

Anyway, I think the second bullet point above is huge.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to google the name of the hotel I’m staying at, then memorize the street address, and then type it out into the Maps app with my fat fingers.  I have probably a 20% success rate on the first try.  This new SPG app should quickly eradicate this annoyance!

The initial feedback on FlyerTalk is positive for the most part.  Great job SPG!

Read Jaunted? Like Starwood? Enter this Competitours contest!

Summer airfare to Europe is hardly cheap, despite the downturn and the feast of discounted fares that we have been seeing lately.  To make things a bit more economical (i.e. free if you’re lucky), Jaunted is sending two of its readers  to compete in Competitours.  This competition is an “Amazing Race” for the masses, and the two lucky readers will travel to Europe in late July on a secret itinerary while completing unique challenges.  Unlike the Amazing Race, the challenges in Competitours are based on creativity and not necessarily the fastest completion time. 

If that’s not enough fun for you in itself, Starwood is also giving the grand prize winners up to 40 free nights at Starwood Hotels.  

From the Jaunted website . . . 

Teams will document challenges via portable videocam for judging, while vying for a worldwide travel spree grand prize, featuring Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.

Competitours offers an unprecedented pay-AFTER-travel policy of the registration fee which covers international airfare, double occupancy lodging, Eurail Pass and grand prize eligibility of up to 40 Starwood hotel nights, up to airfare for four and up to $6500 spending money. Eight-day trips cost $1999 per person with longer trip options available.

Click on the image below to find out more about how to enter Jaunted’s competition.

Westin Bonaventure back at it on Twitter with more free nights and steak!

 

The Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles has been quite the trailblazer in social marketing lately.  In addition to being one of the most active hotels in the Twitter community, they’re now giving away one Diner’s Delight package, exclusively available through the link posted on Twitter, every hour on the hour today between noon and 5pm Pacific time.  The Diner’s Delight package includes overnight guest room accommodations and a three course, pre-fixe dinner for two at the Bonaventure’s LA Prime Steak and Seafood Restaurant. 

 

Follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thebonaventure

 

Getting a taste of what Asia’s top workaholics go through

 

After three weeks of living in Singapore, I think I’m starting to adjust to the relentless heat and humidity . . . slowly but surely.  Thank goodness the urban planning in Singapore includes vast underground walkways that link major attractions and commercial centers together so you don’t even need to step foot outdoors.  I’m so grateful that my dorm and classrooms have air con . . . some don’t.

Speaking of classes, I’ve just wrapped up the first week.  Between the two courses I’m taking, they last roughly6 hours per day and have already given me a relentless onslaught of readings and case studies.  The weekly networking events with hospitality industry leaders here in Asia also involve a good deal of research and time spent shuttling back and forth between campus and downtown.   I admit, I’ve been focusing most of my time on meeting the industry leaders out here.  I am trying to find a job, after all (hint hint).

Remember that post I put up about Asia’s top workaholics?  I was just thinking about that as I was in the middle of a case study.  Well, two winners have emerged from the contest.  Sheraton Asia has awarded two women who probably do a bit more than update their Facebook status and blog about Starwood Hotels . . . not that the latter isn’t time consuming or anything.  ;-)

So China’s Rachel Zhang Yi and Malaysia’s Tee Yan Ven received the greatest number of votes for their blog entries documenting their daily work demands and the accompanying pressures.  Here’s what Ven had to say about her lack of work/life balance . . .

My life is pretty simple; routine in fact. I have 2 jobs, most of us do, some of us even have 3. Besides being a FA (Financial Analyst), I also tutor Language subjects and Math to kids ranging from the age of 5 to 16. I have been tutoring ever since I was in college. Both my jobs take up about 90% of my life. I wake up at about 7am every morning, only to travel 1.5 hours to my office, spend about 9-10 hours there, and then commute 1.5 hours back home later in the evening. When I reach home, my “kid” (the one being tutored) will be there waiting for me. So, I spend the next 1.5 to 2 hours tutoring him/her. By the time it’s done, it would have been about 9pm or 930pm. Then, I have my dinner and start work again (office work). Yes, work never ends. For those who can finish their work at 5 or 6pm everyday, feel thankful. 

You can read all the winning posts on the contest website.  The large number of entries leads me to wonder if they should have actually been sleeping instead of blogging, but as I’ve found out through my coursework and networking routine Asian can be pretty damn hard core.  

Too bad I don’t get a paid vacation to any Sheraton resort in Asia like these two winners get.  

Wine and dine for free when you stay at Bangkok’s Plaza Athénée

Bangkok is welcoming any travelers, business or leisure, with open arms . . . ESPECIALLY the hungry and thirsty ones!  The Plaza Athenee, a Royal Meridien hotel in Bangkok has a special promotion going on now that lets you eat and drink (non alcohol) for free up to the amount of your room rate.  Currently, there are rates as low as 4248 baht per night ($123 USD) for this promo, which basically means you have that much in food and beverage credit to spend on any of the restaurants in the hotel or even on in-room dining.

Click here for the official terms and conditions of the Eat + Drink = Stay Free promotion!  What’s important to note is that for stays exceeding one night, any unused portion of the F&B credit cannot be accumulated for following days.  

During my first trip to Bangkok back in 2007, the Plaza Athenee is where I stayed for nearly a week.  Among many things, I particularly liked the rooftop pool and terrace where I spent almost each afternoon reading a book on the mats underneath that hut on the left side of the banner image up top.  Here’s a couple of photos I took myself that bring back some fond memories of lounging around at this hotel . . .