Sherman's Travel

Mitt Romney may have to wait till November to find out if he is president, but you can seize power now with SLS Hotel‘s Stately Leaders Stay: The Presidential Package, a $35,000 per night deal that includes the presidential suite with butler and “secret service” detail, a custom suit, and a celebration dinner for 40.

Located in Beverly Hills, SLS’ package lets you celebrate your presidential election with a dinner with 40 guests at SAAM, a Jose Andres tasting menu restaurant, complete with an exclusively created cocktail. After shaking hands and kissing babies, retire to the presidential suite, a 1,900-square-foot space dripping with touches by Phillippe Starck, from one-of-a-kind art pieces to the custom furniture. A Commander-in-Chief, of course, doesn’t sleep with the staff (unless your intern’s last name is Lewinsky), hence the suite’s separate bedroom, bathroom with oversized shower, and full dressing area to try on your custom Neiman Marcus suit worth $5,000. And if it doesn’t fit, the suite’s in-room gym will ensure that you lose those pounds and look like a head of state even on the road.

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No matter how much we travel, it’s still exciting to peek into a hotel room’s bathroom and see what kind of toiletries are on offer. With hotels nickle and diming guests at every turn (for WiFi, bottled water, beach chairs . . .), toiletries sometimes seem like the last sacred freebie a hotel guest can count on, whether at a humble Holiday Inn or a 5-star palace hotel.

The quality and type of toiletries can say a lot about a hotel—I’ll admit a sucker for this method of branding. But who isn’t? Here are some of the top hotel toiletries that I’ve come across. What are your favorites? Read more

The hotel staff may be the ultimate amenity. They are the welcoming faces, the helpful hands to your room, an insider who knows how to get a reservation—basically, they make or break your stay in a new destination. Lately I’ve been reading up on some of these behind-the-scene staffers who have earned more than their share of gold stars in service. Here, some of the notables:

Ali Kasikci, Managing Director, Montage Beverly Hills
Known for his attention to deal, Kasikci keeps tabs on all his guests—literally. Well-known and repeat guests are assigned a note card that specifies preferences, even habits of guests. It’s these extra details that makes for a personalized stay, and ensures the property gets it right each time. What guests may not realize is that Kasikci has a hand in everything, from the closet’s hangers (designed to specifically help fill out men’s suits) to the bathroom’s amenities (they were pop top and prone to spill…now they screw on and off).

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