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Washington D.C. Prepares For Cherry Blossom Gawking Season

Soon winter's snow and freezing rain will give way to warmer days in Washington D.C. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event in the nation's capital celebrating the blooming of the thousands of cherry trees along the Tidal Basin and elsewhere in the area. The 2011 Festival will commemorate the 99th anniversary of 3,000 Yoshino cherry trees presented by the Mayor of Tokyo to the City of Washington as a "memorial of national friendship between the United States and Japan."

The Fairmont Washington, D.C. is celebrating with its signature Cherry Blossom Package. Available from March 25 through April 15, 2011, the Cherry Blossom Package offers overnight accommodations for two in a luxurious guestroom, complimentary valet parking and a box of assorted note cards featuring scenes of the capital's monuments and cherry blossoms by celebrated Washington, D.C. photographer Jake McGuire. Rates for the Cherry Blossom Package start at $229 per night based on double occupancy and availability. For reservations, call 202-429-2400 or toll free at 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.Fairmont.com/washington.

Tags: fairmont, FairmontHotels, hotel deal, National Cherry Blossom Festival, washington dc hotels

How to Score an Updated Room at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto was the largest and tallest building in the British Empire when it opened in 1929 -- which certainly qualifies it as one of those "grand dame" hotels. This status has both its upsides and its downsides -- while the lobby is impressive for meeting business clients, you certainly want to score a recently updated room.

Like many hotels, the Royal York has been in the process of updating its rooms, and while a more extensive overhaul is happening in the near future, that won't help you if you're checking in over the next few weeks. Here are a few tips that will:

1) Join the President's Club before your stay -- it's free, and you get preferential room selection, plus free wifi and other goodies.

2) Ask for a room with a flat-screen TV. Only the updated rooms have the flat screens. (Psst: this question works well in any hotel in the midst of an update.)

3) Whether you care about an updated room or not: if you're not a smoker, avoid any room on the second floor. It's a smoking floor, and it's also above the hospitality suites which allow smoking.

Tags: canadian travel, fairmont royal york, FairmontHotels, hotels, toronto, toronto hotels

WWF "Earth Hour" Enjoys Continued Support from Luxury Hotel Chains

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Green

The World Wildlife Fund is holding the annual "Earth Hour" climate change initiative on March 27, 2010. The organization urges people to express their concern about climate change with one simple act, turning off their lights at 8:30pm local time. Last year nearly one billion people participated in the event in 4,100 cities world wide.

The Fairmont Hotel Group has been supporting the endeavor since its inception three years ago. The hotel group has come up with some creative ways to make "Earth Hour" an enjoyable experience for their clients who are at their properties spending money on a luxury vacation. Hotel guests at several properties can enjoy amenities such as; complimentary s'mores roasted at an ocean-side fire pit under the stars (The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii), candlelight dinners at various hotel restaurants (Hotel Vier Jahresseiten, Mara Safari Club, Fairmont Turnberry Isle, Fairmont Chateau Laurier) and even themed "Happy Hours" (Fairmont Dallas). Other offerings include the opportunity for guests to learn more about the environment with lectures by naturalists and even an astronomer who will use the opportunity of less ambient lighting to show off the night sky. The corporate side of the Fairmont group will also be dimming their lights and have recently moved into new LEED certified offices in Toronto.

Tags: earth hour, earth hour 2010, EarthHour, EarthHour2010, FairmontHotels, las vegas, LasVegas, lights, wwf

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Apprentice Trips by Fairmont

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Some travelers' idea of the perfect vacation involves complete and total rest, others find that it only takes them a day or two to recuperate from the daily work routine and they'd really like to expand their horizons while on vacation. For those of you who fall into the latter group but don't have a ton of time to research your options and plan a trip Fairmont Hotel Group has come up with a solution.

The new Apprentice Trips program recently launched by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are targeted at those who'd like to learn something new or delve deeper into an activity that is already a hobby while getting away from it all. With twenty different packages to choose from there should be a package that suits almost everybody. Here is a sampling:

French Immersion Package: At the Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City guests will spend 3 hours a day in private French lessons, go on escorted tours of the city and chateau conducted in French, receive a souvenir French book as well as complementary buffet breakfast and a fruit basket upon arrival.
Behind the Brewery Package: This Boston based trip includes a private tour and tasting at the Sam Adams Brewery, a special beer pairing dinner in the hotel's dining room with a beer expert and an in-room Samuel Adams "Bucket of Cheer".
Heritage Takes Flight: Learn about Falconry and Bedouin beliefs while staying at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in the United Arab Emirates.
Magic of Aromachology Package: based a the Fairmont Monte Carlo a master perfumer will lead guests to Galimard perfumery of Eze for a workshop, receive a 60 minute aromatherapy massage for two and buffet breakfast.

Some of the packages are week long excursions and others only require commitments of a day or two. There are packages that target athletes with hiking, surfing, skiing and golfing given the group's many hotels in more remote locations. There are other companies that offer more in depth learning trips but for those that find themselves heading to one of the Fairmont group hotels these activities might just add needed extra depth to your vacation.

Tags: apprentice, FairmontHotels, hobby, learning, travel, vacation

Twitter-Only Valentine's Day Specials

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Lux Tips

Technology can enhance your love life. Just ask anyone whose ever had text sex. (Phone sex is so old millennium.) Twitter, on the other hand, can do more than excite, it can land you deals on Valentine's Day hotel packages.

In the coming weeks, several hotels and resorts plan to release romance packages and other specials exclusively to the Twittisphere. The savings range from an $800 off three nights at Florida's five-star ONE Bal Harbour resort to a 25 percent reduction at the gorgeous Rock Resorts' The Landings St. Lucia (pictured). Your sweetheart never needs to know.

Here are four Valentine's Day specials and how to track them down on Twitter:

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The Fairmont Offering Ten Days -- and Nights -- of Deals

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It should be more widely known that Canadians are a giving people. The folks in the geographical apartment above ours invented provided the pager, the foghorn, and basketball. We also have them to thank, or perhaps curse, for the Blackberry. As for talent, or something close to it, Canadians Alannis Morissette, Leonard Cohen, Keanu Reeves, and Natasha Henstridge have all come down to borrow our proverbial cups of sugar.

And although the Maple Leafers didn't give us The Fairmont Hotels -- that's a San Francisco invention -- they own them now, and they're offering you ten days of deals. Book a room in a Fairmont between November 10-19, and you can spare your bank account up to 25% off the normal rate or get a night free.

Of course there are terms and conditions, because even honey comes with bees. Still, when The Fairmont Orchid Hawaii can be had for $299, The Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda for $199, The Fairmont Singapore for $195, and for you devil-may-care MI6 types The Fairmont Monte Carlo for $370, well, bees be damned. Should you wish to visit the company's on its home turf, The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City (pictured) is just $165. While you're there, have a Reese's Cup -- they were invented by Pennsylvanian H. B. Reese, but peanut butter and candy bars are yet more Canadian gifts to the world...

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Tags: fairmont, fairmont hotel, fairmont hotels, FairmontHotel, FairmontHotels, hoteldeals, journeys, resort, resorts, the fairmont, TheFairmont

Fairmont Copley Caters To Black Friday Shoppers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

For some people Thanksgiving is just a prelude to Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. For shoppers who want to get started right at midnight, one Boston hotel has a little help. The Fairmont Copley Plaza has partnered with Wrentham Village Premium Outlets for a midnight shopping extravaganza. The Midnight Madness Shopping Adventure includes elegant overnight accommodations and private transportation to and from the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. The hotel will also provide a special midnight picnic featuring turkey sandwiches and energy drinks. After returning to the Fairmont Copley Plaza, guests get a relaxing breakfast before a late check out. Rates start at $279.

For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Deals and other Black Friday 2009 stories today from Walletpop.com.

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Tags: black friday, BlackFriday, boston, fairmont copley, FairmontCopley, fairmonthotels, holiday shopping, HolidayShopping

The Classicist: At the Fairmont Algonquin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, The Classicist

On our way back from a summer sojourn to Nova Scotia a few weeks ago we had to seek refuge from Hurricane Bill, and wound up at a luxurious, historic seaside resort in New Brunswick that turned out to be the highlight of the trip. Built in the 1880s, the Tudor-style Fairmont Algonquin, in picturesque St. Andrews overlooking the Passamaquoddy Bay, is a veritable castle by the sea. A Canadian Maritime tradition in its second century of impeccable hospitality, the hotel has played host to many notable personages over the years including the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, President Theodore Roosevelt and Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The hotel was originally the enterprise of the St. Andrews Land Company, established in 1883 by wealthy American businessmen who found the town to be the ideal vacation spot; a 1902 brochure described it as '"an incomparable resting-place and retreat from the cares of business and the heat and dust and bustle of the city." During this period most guests arrived by train and so it was only fitting that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company took over ownership in 1903. The hotel was sold to local interests in 1970 and the Province of New Brunswick leased the property in 1973. The Province eventually purchased The Fairmont Algonquin along with two golf courses and a private beach in 1984, and it is now run by the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts luxury group.

The hotel now has 234 impeccably-appointed guest rooms and suites retaining the resort's classic style, updated with modern amenities. Many rooms have ocean views and look over the lush gardens, swimming pool and tennis courts. The public spaces are elegant and inviting, with fireplaces for cooler weather and plenty of spots to relax indoors and out, while the charming town of St. Andrews is only a few minutes walk. The nearby Bay of Fundy lays claim to the highest tides in the world with rising and falling water levels nearing 55 ft. in some areas twice daily. That provides the scenic backdrop for the award-winning seaside Algonquin Golf Course and Academy, home to two of the top ten golf tees in Canada, while others may choose to go on whale-watching excursions or explore the scenic surroundings.

Gallery: The Fairmont Algonquin

Tags: Canada, dog friendly hotels, DogFriendlyHotels, dogs, Fairmont, Fairmont Hotels, FairmontHotels, golf, historic hotels, HistoricHotels, hotel, Maritime, New Brunswick, NewBrunswick, Nova Scotia, NovaScotia, pets, resort, seaside, Theodore Roosevelt, TheodoreRoosevelt

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Fairmont Monte Carlo: The Only Way to Watch the Tour de France

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

There are two ways to take in the Tour de France. One is to cram yourself into a spot along some godforsaken stretch of road with all the other riffraff. You can hope to get a look at the action ... as long as they person in front of you isn't tall. Or, you can find your way to Monaco's F1 circuit, where the race departs. Instead of schlepping out to the site, you can stay nearby. Without the hassle of getting to and from, you might actually enjoy the experience!

To help you enjoy the kickoff of the 96th Tour, the Fairmont Monte Carlo has put together a great package. Stay from July 1 to July 5, and you can pick up a room for €529 (around $735) a night, with a buffet breakfast included.

So, if you've ever wanted to witness the greatest cycling spectacle of all time, here's your chance to do it the right way. Once the riders depart, drop some cash on the roulette table, and sip a wine carefully crafted in Provence. Do everything that those dedicated athletes can't. The lucky racers won't be back until next year, but you can take a few more days to play with the wealthy.

Tags: bicycle, bicycles, cycling, cyclist, cyclists, fairmont, fairmont hotel, fairmont hotels, FairmontHotel, FairmontHotels, monaco, monte carlo, MonteCarlo, tour de france, TourDeFrance

Fairmont Hotels Get Windy at Check-In

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Fairmont Hotels and Resorts have found a new way to go green. They have announced that the computers at the check-in desk will now be powered by the wind. The luxury hotel chain has bought Eco-Logo certified wind power for 249 check-in computers. The new initiative is part of Fairmont's Green Partnership program which is focused on energy issues and sustainable energy technology. The Fairmont has long been a supporter of green power. Since 1999, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise has been purchasing green power through an agreement with the Canadian Eco-Logo certified Canadian Hydro Developers. At that hotel 40 percent of the property's electricity needs are met by a blend of wind and run-of-river electricity generation. The Fairmont has agreed to purchase a total of 116 megawatt hours of wind power through the Pembina Institute, a non-profit environmental organization.

[via Breaking Travel News]

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Tags: ecologically friendly, fairmont hotels, FairmontHotels, green issues, green power

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