Sherman's Travel

Far be it from me to decline hotel amenities. I enjoy an ocean view, complimentary chocolates, and plush robes as much as the next traveler, but even I’m baffled by some of the “upgrades” that hotels offer. A television in my hotel bathroom is one such vexing luxury. For all the grousing and moaning about how filthy hotel rooms can be, apparently people have no qualms about lingering in an allegedly clean tub and watching their stories until their fingers get pruney.

When it comes to bathing in hotels, all I ask for is good water pressure. If I can rinse myself off without having to pool water in my cupped hands and splashing it on my torso, I’ve hit the hotel hygiene jackpot. I don’t require a rain faucet directly above my head (it’s an inefficient attack angle for the water), heated bathroom floors, or a television by the tub.

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Pillow mints are old news. At the Duane Street Hotel in New York City, turn-down service includes a much fluffier treat: Handmade marshmallows. Each Thursday through Sunday evening, the lower Manhattan hotel’s “Marshmallier” directs a cart (dubbed the “Marshmallow Trolley”) through the building and makes individual stops at each guestroom to deliver the candies. Campfire confections these are not: Celebrity chef Jehangir Mehta prepares the sweets, infusing them with sophisticated seasonal flavors like lavender, violet, ginger, cardamom, and thyme.

See our New York City Travel Guide for general trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights, hotels, packages, and more travel deals.

Kate Middleton and Prince William have winnowed down their wedding guest list by now, so couples determined to celebrate the duo’s nuptials need to plot an elaborate reception crashing scheme – or fly to San Francisco. Personality Hotels, the brand behind four San Francisco boutique properties, is offering a “Shag Like Royalty” package at its Kensington Park Hotel through May 15. In addition to an overnight stay, lovebirds who book the package will get Union Jack condoms, two mini bottles of gin (for mixing gin and tonics), a can of spotted dick pudding (a traditional British dish made with suet, raisins, and currants), one copy of Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang, a directory to San Fran’s top British pubs, and two sets of disguise glasses (to hide from the paparazzi, natch). Rates start at $189 a night.

See our San Francisco Travel Guide for general trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights, hotels, packages, and more

Shopping in the city is hard work – who wants to carry all those bags? Avoid arm fatigue with Hotel Le Bristol’s (www.lebristolparis.com) fleet of two Smart cars, available as 3-hour rentals for just 10 euros. Though they only seat two passengers, the cute little autos pack plenty of trunk space for an afternoon shopping spree (unless of course you’re on the hunt for an antique armoire at the Paris flea markets). Plus, parking is a cinch. The Smart cars will be especially useful during the next soldes, the biannual sales; the summer soldes typically begin on the third Wednesday of June and last for six weeks. Guests can reserve a car through Le Bristol’s concierge desk.

Le Bristol is well-positioned for no-holds-barred shopping, with all the high-end stores (like Chanel and Hermès) that line the hotel’s Rue du Faubourg St. Honoré. For hip boutiques, head over to the Marais in the 4th Arrondissement. Two of our recent favorites for scoring pieces that would make any Parisian fashionista jealous are Maje (multiple locations, www.maje-paris.fr) and Beija (123 Rue Vieille du Temple, www.beija.fr).

For general trip-planning information, see our Paris Travel Guide.

Now that the Oscar nominees have been announced, where are you planning on watching the Academy Awards on February 27? If you’re traveling during the event, we’ve got you covered. Larger than your flat-screen TV, and more intimate than a movie theater, these hotels are the places to view the red carpet parade and watch your favorite actors up-close and in vivid color.

Hotel deLuxe, Portland, OR

The Hotel deLuxe in downtown Portland, Oregon, is having an Academy Award Tweet-Up (Follow @hotel_deluxe for updates) starting at 3:30pm (PST) in their 1,240-square-foot screening room. Visitors take part in a contest to guess the winners and whoever gets the most correct wins a free night in a suite like the Marlene Dietrich room, with its eight-foot circular bed. Free popcorn and treats will be served and the first 40 guests get a drink on the house. Want to make a night of it even if you don’t win? Rooms go for $99 that day, a 10 percent discount.

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The presence of spas on cruise ships isn’t a new phenomenon. Indeed, several cruise lines are reporting that nearly half of their passengers will have indulged in onboard treatments during 2010. Now it’s all about the spa suites — that is, cabins that fully immerse passengers in the serious work of taking it easy. Here’s a roundup of some of the top options across the cost spectrum, along with the accompanying spa facilities and top treatments.

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Courtyard by Marriott offers an airport oasis for harried travelers in three of the country’s busiest airports: Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, and the Denver International Airport. The new Refreshing Business lobbies (which will remain up until November 14) are promotional tools, marketing the redesigned business-chic lobbies that can be found at 190 Courtyard hotels in the U.S. The promotional airport lobbies are free to use for any ticketed traveler, and offer such gratis amenities as flexible seating options, private media booths with hi-def televisions, ample electrical outlets for charging mobile devices and laptops, and exclusive, interactive GoBoard® technology—a 55-inch LCD touch screen where guests can view news and weather, search for local restaurants and attractions, and print directions. The airport lobbies (and the hotel lobbies they replicate) allow stressed out travelers to relax, refresh, and recharge, whether traveling alone or in a group. Read more

Whether you knew or not, National Yoga Month (September) has come and gone. But fortunately Kimpton is offering a program for downward-doggers all year long.

As we all know, it’s too easy to use travel as an excuse to put off exercise – new place, no gear, fresh distractions, no routine. Yet after spending hours folded into an airplane seat or hunched over a steering wheel, a yoga session offers the perfect chance to stretch out bag-weary shoulders and shake off travel-fatigue mind fog.

Kimpton properties across the country – generally cool, boutique-feeling hotels with artsy interiors and pet-friendly perks – offer the gear, in-room instruction, and even at some locations, free on-site classes. Read more

Whether traveling for business or pleasure during the here-before-you-know-it snowy winter months, Taj Boston will help you unwind and shake off the winter chill via a warm, crackling fire. The hotel’s 42 suites come with wood-burning fireplaces and the complimentary services of a fireplace butler.  To build the perfect fire, guests are invited to choose from a Firewood Menu of five aromatic woods, including quick-burning birch, fragrant cherry wood, delicate oak wood, sweet maple wood, and the delightful Taj-blend. After explaining the different wood varieties, fireplace butlers expertly prepare and light the fire while you sit back and relax.  Read more

The famously luxe Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort has recently rolled out one of those amenities that’s truly out of this world. Spread out over two islands in the Alif Dhall Atoll of the Maldives, the Conrad is known for (among other things) its underwater restaurant, Ithaa. The all-glass dining room is submerged 16 feet under the ocean and was the first of its kind when it opened five years ago. Dining here is an unforgettable experience in itself (everyone must wear sunglasses at lunch because it gets so bright). But to really step it up, the resort is offering a special opportunity in honor of the restaurant’s fifth anniversary.

Who wants to sleep (and wake up) with the fishes?

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