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 . . .

 

Take home a piece of heaven at the Westin Beijing Financial Street

Happy 10th anniversary Westin Heavenly Bed!

If you happen to be traveling to Beijing extensively through the end of the year, I want to bring your attention to the latest promotion from the Westin Beijing Financial Street.  The hotel is claiming you can “Take a piece of Heaven home” by offering a complimentary Westin Heavenly Bed to guests that accumulate or purchase 10 room nights before December 31, 2009.  That’s right, one of those Heavenly Beds that you just sink oh so comfortably into . . . for free!

To qualify for this offer you’ve got to pay the exclusive package rate for each of the 10 nights.  These rates start at 1800 RMB per night, or just over $250 a night plus tax.  It’s imperative that all the nights you accumulate toward this promotion are under this rate plan.  Here’s the full T&C.  Doing the math quickly, it looks like you’ll spend about $3,000 USD to nab one of these beds.  

 

This promotion falls in line with the 10th anniversary of the Westin Heavenly bed, which was rolled out in 1999 as the most comfortable bed in the history of hotels.  Today, the Heavenly Bed gives you 10 layers of reinvigorating comfort including a custom-designed 13″ pillow top mattress with box spring , five pillows, two feather and down pillows, two hypo-allergenic pillows and one boudoir pillow and cover, duvet cover with overstuffed polyester insert, down blanket, bed skirt, top sheet, middle sheet, bottom sheet, and pillow cases.  No . . . I didn’t know that by heart.

 

To spread the word about this promo to its guests, the Westin Beijing Financial Street’s lobby will have Heavenly Beds set up for guests to come and test-drive them before they buy. 

“We wanted to give our guests a spectacular offer so they too can experience heaven at home. The offer also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Heavenly Bed and with such an exciting offer how can they refuse? Never before has a Westin hotel offered such an extraordinary and unique promotion.” said Mr. Charlie Dang, Area Managing Director of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Northern China and General Manager of The Westin Beijing Financial Street.

 

 

 

Source: Asia Travel Tips

What can I say? The Royal Hawaiian got it right!

In my first trip to Honolulu back in 2005, I took a leisurely stroll down Waikiki beach and somehow found myeslf in a sea of . . . pink.  I saw pink beach towels, pink umbrellas, pink aloha shirts, and a majestic spanish style building painted in a coral pink hue.   Back then, I was fresh out of college working as a business analyst for Deloitte and didn’t have the luxury of staying at the Royal Hawaiian, but that didn’t stop me from exploring the nooks and crannies of this historic hotel.  It was [almost] love at first sight.  

Just two weeks ago I had the luxury of actually staying at the Royal Hawaiian.  The hotel just recently emerged from a massive multi-million dollar renovation and has joined Starwood’s Luxury Collection portfolio of hotels.  Some of the most noticeable differences since my visit in 2005 include a new open-air reception area leading to the garden lanai, updated furniture throughout the hotel that still captures the colorful elegance of the hotel’s past, as well as the revamped pool enclosed by exclusive private cabanas with full food and beverage service.

The Royal is also doing a phenomenal job educating guests about the vibrant history of the hotel.  Opened in 1927, the Royal only housed the wealthiest of guests from the mainland who called this place their home after a week long journey at sea.  While some of the rooms do have breathtaking ocean views, including the Kamehameha suite, the majority face the lush gardens or the mountains (before the new high-rises were built and obstructed those views) simply because guests were tired of looking at water after being at sea for so long.  

Did you also know that the Royal Hawaiian served as a rest and recreation center during World War II?  Yup, in December 1941, after Pearl Harbor was attacked, active duty sailors and officers could catch some rays at the Royal and greet the local girls who would come down for a dance or two.

Whether you like the ocean view or the tropical garden view, the Royal Hawaiian has it all.  Its location directly on Waikiki beach and in the middle of the strip makes it easy to surf and bronze by day and shop and party by night.  Honestly though, one of the best touches at this hotel is the famous and super tasty banana nut bread waiting in your room for you once you check-in.  Aloha!

Back from the vacay and catchin up on Starwood news . . . 1,000 hotels this year!!

Hey everyone, just getting back to the blog after a couple weeks of surf and sand in beautiful Waikiki.  I’ll put up some pictures of the newly renovated Royal Hawaiian and Sheraton Waikiki in the next few days or so.  Both properties look stunning right now!

I’ve finally arrived in Singapore to begin the Cornell MMH program.  In between my 18 hours of flying time, jet lag naps, and trips to the local supermarket, a lot of Starwood news popped up.  I was most excited to read the press release on Starwood’s 1,000th hotel that will be opening this year.  

Contrary to what most people may think based on all the news on W and Le Meridien, Starwood’s newest lifestyle brands, Aloft and Element, will actually be leading the charge to 1,000 this year.   By the end of 2009, the Aloft brand will open its 40th hotel, including one in Abu Dhabi.  Element currently has three open at the moment, though an additional three will open in Denver, Baltimore, and Irving TX.  

The new Four Points prototype in San Antonio

The Four Points brand is also experiencing some of its strongest growth on record.  By the end of 2009, the brand expects to open over 20 hotels in 11 different countries, including its first in India. Already this year, Malaysia and Mexico were new additions to the international expansion of Four Points.  This year will also mark Four Points’ flagship vacation hotel in Punta Gorda, FL, the brand’s new prototype debut in San Antonio, and the tallest (I believe) Four Points to date . . . the 30-story property in Times Square.

I must admit I too was under the impression much of Starwood’s growth would come from Le Meridien and W.  I suppose it makes more sense that the wallet-friendlier brands would thrive in the current economic state of the world.  As Simon Turner, President of Global Development, put it, “Starwood is an established leader in the upper-upscale and luxury segments, and the growth of our high-caliber, moderately priced lifestyle brands allows us to better meet the needs of both developers and guests in key markets around the world.”  

Source: Hotel Interactive