Sherman's Travel

With its ritzy shops and well-heeled crowd, Bal Harbour (on the outskirts of Miami) isn’t a place that usually evokes value in people’s minds. Yet lately the community has been rolling out all kinds of amenities that I think will leave any traveler–whether she’s staying at the super-swanky ONE Bal Harbour Resort & Spa or the more modest but still charming Sea View Hotel–feeling like she’s gotten a great deal.  Read more

In honor of New York City’s current heat wave (the temp hit 90 degrees yesterday in Central Park!) and in light of our building’s non-functioning A/C, it seems only appropriate to write about some sub-zero amenities around the world. Read more

You have traveled far, mighty traveler. You are tired. You have checked into your hotel room, dropped your bags, and feel refreshed after a shower. All thats required now is the perfect cocktail to make the world right again.

But the hotel lobby bar is, well, in the lobby. And you are not. 

Luckily, you’ve checked into the newly renovated Surrey Hotel in New York City. Thanks to their new in-room cocktail program, a well-shaken anything is merely a phone call away. Read more

When the winter doll-drums set in, and the grey skies and cold weather become relentless, there are two traditional solutions: You can drink, or go on vacation. At the Fairmont Hotel Scottsdale, in Scottsdale Arizona you can now, conveniently, do both. 

Starting now through March 2010, the Fairmont will begin their Desert Icebreaker Package to teach you the art of the perfect cocktail, while surrounded by the perfect winter weather. 

To become a mix master Read more

Celebrate the arrival of autumn in New York’s Hudson Valley, an area praised for brilliant fall foliage, up-and-coming wineries, and dramatic white stone cliffs. Located on the scenic Shawangunk ridge just 90 miles from New York City, the historic Mohonk Mountain House has over 85 miles of trails tailor-made for hiking or snow-shoeing, along with breathtaking lake views, and a brand-new 30,000-square-foot spa. Choose from two special seasonal packages for an outstanding fall escape with all meals included. The Apple Festival package celebrates the apple harvest with midweek rates as low as $195 per person. Book your stay from September 7-30 for tasty perks like apple pancakes at breakfast and apple cocktails in the evening. Or, visit during the Pumpkin Festival from October 1-November 24 for midweek rates as low as $252 per person. Plus, ShermansTravel readers receive free access to the spa’s heated mineral pools, sauna, and solarium. Visit www.mohonkexclusives.com or call 1-866-666-3146 and mention ShermansTravel to receive free spa access.

When I spent the weekend in Atlantic City last summer, I arrived with a few fairly depressing expectations. I was prepared to hold my breath on the casino floors while overweight seniors in their motorized chairs whizzed by, engulfed in a cloud of smoke. I expected cheesy dance clubs with the usual bachelorette party, Jersey meathead mobs. But, I did not expect the slick scene and cool crowd that I found at The Chelsea Hotel (a chic, beachfront boutique, the first non-gaming hotel in AC since the 60s, which opened last summer). A mix of hipsters, models, and musicians occupied the modern, glitzy spaces, and rooms were retro-glam, many with ocean views (for less expensive digs, the hotel’s motel-style Annex wing also offers simple rooms with balconies). I was so surprised by the seemingly New York crowd, that I asked the front desk if there was some kind of event being held at the hotel. As it turns out, the same minds behind New York’s trendy Beatrice and Smith & Mills formulated the tasty drink menu at the Fifth Floor venues (read on for more on that), and the same peeps that frequent those Manhattan joints are migrating south to this bona fide Jersey hotspot.   Read more

On a recent trip to Argentina, I stayed a night at the lovely Sofitel Buenos Aires. It’s on a quiet, leafy street that’s lined with galleries and antique shops. It provides all the comforts (and great food) that one expects of this luxury French brand but with a distinct sense of place (the landmarked building was the city’s first skyscraper when it was built in 1929 and the handsome rooms are trimmed in biker bar-levels of Argentine leather). The elegant cafe–Cafe Arroyo–off the lobby was modeled after Buenos Aires’ distinguished jockey clubs of the early 1900s. Here, guests can find a singular amenity.
Read more

It sounds almost…dangerous right? But kind of fun, too? Well it turns out that the champagne is doing the zipping, not you, so it’s quite safe after all. This new amenity recently turned up at the luxe Cap Maison on St. Lucia. Unlike most of its fellow Caribbean neighbors, the island of St. Lucia is hugged by craggy cliffs instead of wide, soft beaches. So a stay on the beautiful isle inevitably involves climbing stairs—lots of them. At Cap Maison, the restaurant, the Cliff at Cap, is perched high up on the cliffs; far below sits a wooden platform perched right on the rocks, surrounded on three sides by crashing sea. Rock Maison, as it’s called, is a prime spot for yoga classes, spa treatments and…sunset drinks. But who wants to trek up and down the cliffside in between every round? Read more

Perhaps no other artist has cast such a long shadow across this last century than Paul Cezanne. His far-reaching influence can be traced across five successive generations to artists as diverse and prominent as Jasper Johns, Charles Demuth, Max Beckman and Ellsworth Kelly. Cezanne was for Henri Matisse a “benevolent god of painting” and for Pablo Picasso, “my one and only master.”

Appearing exclusively at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “Cezanne and Beyond” explores the artist’s extraordinary legacy, bringing together more than 150 works by Cezanne and 18 other master artists whose work he profoundly inspired. On view through May 17, the exhibition draws important connections between the iconic artist’s achievements and those of other celebrated artists right up through the present day. Read more

For all the habitual last-minute planners (you know who you are), who may have thought about going on an unforgettable concert cruise to Mexico with John Mayer, but haven’t “gotten around” to booking it, don’t put your party-pants away just yet. American Express has extended the deadline on its special offer for the Mayercraft Carrier 2. In addition to a 5-day cruise featuring top performances from artists like O.A.R, Guster, and more, the deal includes extras that aren’t included with regular cruise rates. The offer also comes with VIP check in, a VIP cocktail party, a souvenir of your celebrity-style treatment, and an exclusive Q & A session with five-time Grammy winner John Mayer, for all those burning questions Rolling Stone and People have left unanswered. Read more