holiday hotel specials

The Sugar Palace At The Westin St. Francis

The Westin St. Francis has created a dazzling treat for the holidays, a 12-foot sugar castle. It is created by Executive Pastry Chef, Jean-Francois Houdré and is one of the country's largest sugar castles. The rotating masterpiece is displayed in the Landmark Lobby. It was inspired by a French Chateau from Chef Houdre's hometown of Bordeaux and weighs more than 1200 pounds. The castle has more than 20 grand circular towers, approximately 30 rooms and illuminated windows surrounded by silver sugar trees, stars and snowflakes made out of pastillage, chocolate balls in brilliant colors and elves constructed out of marzipan.

The main lobby is decorated with a 15-foot, glimmering white and silver holiday tree decorated in energy saving LED lights that display changing colors. The Tower Lobby has an 18-foot tall tree and the front desk is decorated with clusters of beautiful metallic apple green and pale gold Christmas trees and an assortment of glittering green boxes surrounded by gold garland, patches of snow and clusters of dripping LED icicles adorning the length of the overhang.

The Sugar Castle will be on display November 24 - January 3. The Westin St. Francis has a variety of holiday packages including discount rates, ice skating on Union Square, Oak Room Holiday afternoon tea and special Christmas Day Dinner and New Year's Eve Dinner menus.

Tags: holiday decorations on sale, holiday hotel, holiday hotel specials, sugar castle, westin, westin st francis

Spend Valentine's Day in Paris

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Holiday Guides

Few would argue that Paris is one of the most romantic cities on earth. It's virtually impossible to avoid falling in love strolling along the Seine with the city lit up at night. So what better place to celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetheart than the City of Lights?

In honor of the holiday, Concorde Hotels & Resorts is offering special Valentine's Day packages from Feb. 5 to Feb. 28 with rates starting at $276 at each of its five Parisian properties - Concorde Opéra Paris, Hotel du Louvre (above), Hotel Concorde Montparnasse, Hotel Concorde La Fayette and Hotel Lutetia.

The packages includes a double room, breakfast buffet for two each day, and surprise gifts, which vary depending on the property but could be Champagne, access to the Baccarat Museum, spa treatments or gourmet chocolates.

Rates fluctuate depending on the hotel but the package is also available at Concorde's other properties in Germany, Switzerland, Prague and elsewhere in France (Cannes, Lyon, Nice, Marseille, Toulouse, Nimes).

Here's to love!

Tags: concorde hotels resorts, ConcordeHotelsResorts, holiday hotel specials, HolidayHotelSpecials, paris, valentines day, ValentinesDay