Stay at the top of Nob Hill at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins

San Francisco is classy and quirky, so how do you decide which side to experience on your San Francisco vacation? With the packages offered by the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, you can cover it all.

The Experience the City by the Bay package includes two cable car passes per day, breakfast for two at the hotel’s famous Top of the Mark (except for Sunday, when breakfast will be served in the Nob Hill Restaurant), parking for one vehicle and late checkout at 2:00 p.m.

The Top of the Mark package includes a deluxe room upgrade, two world-famous martinis and preferred seating at the Top of the Mark, where you can enjoy amazing views of San Francisco.

The City Escape package includes a hand-selected room with a view and 2:00 p.m. late checkout (regular checkout time is 12:00 p.m.), breakfast for two at the hotel’s famous Top of the Mark (except for Sunday, when breakfast will be served in the Nob Hill Restaurant), valet parking for one automobile, and consultation with concierge staff for best sites and experiences in San Francisco.

The hotel recently celebrated its 85th anniversary in December 2011, and has completed upgrades to all 380 guestrooms and suites, adding new Pro:Idiom LCD televisions; iHome docking stations for iPads, iPods and iPhones; Keurig coffee brewers; and UNO phones by Bittel, featured exclusively as a part of a luxury vacation package in the InterContinental Mark Hopkins suites.

To reserve any of the above packages, call the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco at 888-424-6835. Room rates vary depending on type of room preferred and time of year. If you’re interested in learning more about luxury vacation packages, visit Zicasso’s luxury tour operators for more information.

InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, 415-392-3434

One Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA 94108

Photo courtesy of the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco

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The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston

Boston is full of rich history, and historical attractions, and any visit here should include a walk on the popular Freedom Trail.  Featuring sixteen historical sites, this 2.5 mile trail is connected by a red brick line that makes it easy to follow.  Celebrate Boston’s and America’s history, and the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Trail with the Freedom Trail Discovery Package at the Fairmont Copley Plaza.

The Freedom Trail Discovery Package includes the following:

• One night in an elegant guestroom at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel
• Two passes to the Walk Into History tour with an 18th-century costumed guide
• Two tickets to the three Freedom Trail historic museums (Old South Meeting House, Old State House and Paul Revere House)
• A copy of The Freedom Trail: An Artist’s View

The Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, MA is located directly across the street from Copley Place, and is a short walk from Newbury Street.  This historical hotel offers 383 guestrooms and suites, all with modern amenities including high-speed internet access, flat-screen televisions, and pillow-top mattresses.  I stayed at the resort several years ago, and was so impressed by the size of the hotel rooms, as well as the modern amenities.

The Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston
138 St. James Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts
(866) 540-4417

Photo credit: The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel

Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach & Marina Hotel is a business class hotel in the small beach town of Redondo Beach west of Los Angeles. You’re unlikely to run into anyone famous in the lobby, but the clown fish in the aquarium by registration bears a striking resemblance to Nemo.

The Crowne Plaza doesn’t quite live up to its advertised “resort” title, but it is a comfortable hotel with spacious rooms and balconies overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Better still, access to that ocean requires just a short walk across the street and down the pier, making the hotel a perfect home base for a Pacific vacation.

Activities within walking distance include:

• Whale watching tours
• Paddle boat rentals
• Surfing
• Shopping on the pier
• Eating fresh caught seafood
• Swimming in a unique sea lagoon

Guests at Crowne Plaza can receive a discount on whale watching tours, as well as bike rentals and day passes to the Gold’s Gym next door. On site, enjoy a heated pool and Jacuzzi tub, perfect for cool spring nights.

Rooms at the Crowne Plaza in Redondo Beach start at $99 a night.

The Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia

Add a little celebration to your Victoria, British Columbia, vacation with a stay at the Fairmont Empress. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the city, and you can join the festivities and save money at the same time.

The Fairmont Empress, perched in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, is offering plenty of opportunities for you to give your wallet a break while enjoying the resort. The Victoria 150 offer includes a limited-time room rate special of $150 CAD. From May to September, rates start at $150 CAD for room only. From January to April and October to December, rates start at $150 CAD and include express breakfast and parking.

The Fairmont Empress features 477 luxuriously appointed non-smoking guest rooms and suites, with jaw-dropping views of the city, courtyard or Inner Harbour. Make a long detour to the hotel’s Willow Stream Spa to say goodbye to all your worries, and choose from a handful of tasty dining options at The Veranda, The Bengal Lounge, or The Empress Room.

Don’t forget to wish the city a very happy 150. She doesn’t look a day over 100, does she?

Fairmont Empress, 866-540-4429
721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W1W5

Photo courtesy of Fairmont Empress

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The Lobby of the Liberty Hotel

So, perhaps the Superbowl didn’t end in a Patriot’s victory, but baseball season is right around the corner.  Celebrate at the Liberty Hotel, with the YOUUUUUUK! Package – honoring local Red Sox favorite Kevin Youkilis.

The YOUUUUUUK! Package is perfect for every Red Sox fan. You’ll get to celebrate the start of  the baseball season by spending a weekend night or two at The Liberty Hotel and help raise funds for Kevin Youkilis’ charitable organization, Youk’s Kids, as a portion of the proceeds from this package will go to Youk’s charity.

The YOUUUUUUK! package includes the following:

• Overnight accommodations at the Liberty Hotel (one or two weekend nights)
• An original Kevin Youkilis signed baseball
• Breakfast for two at CLINK

Pricing varies depending upon dates.

The Liberty Hotel, a luxury collection hotel, offers 298 hotel rooms right by the Charles River in Boston.  The hotel, the former Charles Street Jail, opened in 2007 as a luxury hotel.  Amenities include complimentary high-speed internet access, evening turndown service, a 24-hour fitness center, valet parking, and 24-hour in-room dining.  The hotel also offers three on-site dining locations, including CLINK, Alibi, and Scamp, as well as a lobby bar and a seasonal outdoor patio.

The Liberty Hotel
215 Charles Street
Boston MA 02114
617.224.4000

Photo credit: The Liberty Hotel

Watch the runway from your room at the Custom Hotel

Before the days of TSA screening, checked luggage fees and bringing your bag lunch along, air travel was considered glamorous. Get a bit of the fun back with a stay at the Custom Hotel, near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Newly renovated guestrooms feature modern design elements, and each floor has its own graphic concept. Rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, 37-inch LCD TVs, stereo with iPod docking station, 300-thread-count linens, on-demand movies and music, and a controllable LED lighting system (so you can adjust the color to your mood). King and queen rooms include work desks.

Elevated rooms (located on floors 9 through 12) also include task lamps and ergonomic chairs, and access to two hotel lounges: the LAX Lounge and Stratosphere relaxation room.

Aside from all the room amenities, the hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to LAX, six social lounges, two fitness centers, a heated outdoor pool and the Deck33 Bar Restaurant—a casual dining space overlooking the pool. Oh, and you can bring your best furry friend along, because the hotel is pet friendly.

When it’s time to travel, the Custom Hotel may be a better experience than the airplane.

Custom Hotel, 310-645-0400
8639 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Photo courtesy of Custom Hotel

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Rates for the Oh, Man-Cation package start at $459.  The package includes the following:

• Your choice of either a bucket of six local microbrews and two dozen Copperleaf signature chicken wings OR a bottle of Hennessey VSOP and two premium cigars

• A $50 credit for brews, burgers and billiards at Copperleaf Bar
• Your pick of 18 holes at Chamber’s Bay for two players including club rentals and use of the driving range or a Road Dogs Seattle Brewery Tour where you’ll stop, view and taste at more than 12 local microbreweries, plus a Road Dogs tee shirt and souvenir pint glass
• Overnight accommodations and valet parking

The Oh Man-cation package is subject to availability through May 31, 2012.

The Cedarbrook Lodge in Seattle, rated 17th hotel in the world in TripAdvisors’ Travelers’ Choice Awards, offers 104 guest rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling working windows with views of lawns, patio, pond, lush cedars and natural restored wetlands.

Cedarbrook Lodge
18525 36th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98188-4967
206.901.9268

Photo credit: The Cedarbrook Lodge

The Exterior of the Mountain View Grand

While much of New England doesn’t have very much snow coverage, the mountains of northern New England have plenty of man-made and natural snow. If you are thinking of heading up north to ski, one of my favorite New Hampshire hotels, the Mountain View Grand in the White Mountains, is offering a ski and stay package from now through April 1, 2012.

The ski and stay package at the Mountain View Grand  starts at $198 (double occupancy, tax not included), and includes one night stay in a classic room, ski tickets for Cannon Mountain (good for skiing Monday through Friday), and allowance of $12 per person toward breakfast at the hotel. Additional guests and children may be added to the package for an additional fee.  Guests are able to use the ski tickets the day after arrival.  This package is available mid-week, but blackout dates may apply.  To book, call 866.484.3843 and mention the code “Ski and Stay”.

The Mountain View Grand Resort offers AAA four-diamond accommodations and dining, evening turndown service, complimentary WiFi, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, several restaurants, and an on-site farm.

Mountain View Grand
Mountain View Road
Whitefield, NH 03598
866-484-3843

Photo credit: Jodi Grundig

The Atrium at the Gaylord National

I’ve raved before about how much I love the Gaylord Hotels, and I’m so thrilled that they’ve recently partnered with Dreamworks to create a more family-friendly experience at their hotels. Now, they are offering Family Fun Nights with Shrek and Friends on special nights in February and March 2011.  These nights are the perfect way for kids to really enjoy themselves in a family vacation experience!

The Family Night Nights start at $99 per person, double occupancy, and include the following:

• Accommodations at a Gaylord Hotels resort for a family of up to four
• Admission to DJ dance party with appearances by Shrek, Fiona, and Puss in Boots
• Admission to a DreamWorks movie shown on a big screen
• Puss In Boots Quest for the Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt
• Swamp Juice and Ogre Treats
• A souvenir photo for the families
• A DreamWorks craft activity
• The daily resort fee
• Self parking

The Family Fun Night with Shrek and Friends takes place on Feb. 18, 2012 at both Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, TN., and Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL., and on Feb. 25, 2012 and March 10, 2012 at Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, MD.

The Gaylord National
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745

The Gaylord Opryland
2800 Opryland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214

The Gaylord Palms
6000 W Osceola Parkway
Kissimmee, FL 34746

The Gaylord Texan
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, TX 76051-1945

Photo credit: The Gaylord Hotels

Relax in an AVIA Long Beach Grand King room

Tired of staying in the same big hotels with no personality? On your Long Beach vacation, snag a room at the AVIA Long Beach, and enjoy living well without depleting your bank account.

The boutique hotel’s 138 rooms include crisp linens, Italian-cotton coverlet, McCartan-designed furniture and lighting fixtures, complimentary wired and wireless Internet, MP3 docking station, large bathroom with walk-in shower and waterfall shower head, coffeemaker and flat-panel TV. My room, a Grand King, included a seating area and office space, so I could get my work done.

It may be tempting to lounge in your luxe room, but venture out to the hotel’s handful of restaurant/lounge options. The AVIA Kitchen offers Southern California farm-to-table fare for breakfast and dinner. Right across the lobby, the AVIA Lounge is a swanky bar where you can enjoy drinks and small plates. When the weather is good, head upstairs to the Rooftop 360˚ bar to enjoy the view.

The AVIA Long Beach is just a few steps from The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, located
in the heart of downtown Long Beach’s waterfront dining and entertainment district. It’s also within walking distance of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

AVIA Long Beach, 562-436-1047
285 Bay Street, Long Beach, CA 90802

Photo courtesy of AVIA Long Beach

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