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Marriott Hotel near Salem, MA Prepares Spooky Halloween Deal

Just in time for Halloween, the Boston Marriott Peabody Hotel offers a new hotel deal that lets guests explore the most famous attractions in Salem.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) September 29, 2011

The leaves are turning, the temperature has dropped and Halloween is fast approaching! The Boston Marriott Peabody Hotel has prepared the perfect hotel deal for guests looking to experience Halloween the proper way: with plenty of treats and even more tricks. The Passport to Salem Escape! Package lets guests choose their own adventure and offers two tickets to four Salem attractions.

To book this Peabody hotel deal, visit the Peabody hotel packages page and use promotional code ARN. For guests who cannot make it to this Peabody, MA hotel by Halloween, the Passport to Salem deal is available until December 31, 2011.

Of all the Peabody hotel deals, the Passport to Salem deal might be the best suited for the Halloween season. Guests staying at this Peabody hotel can explore the haunted sites of Salem, including the House of Seven Gables, the Salem Witch Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum*.

The House of Seven Gables, built in 1668, offers visitors a chance to walk back in time to old Salem. This historic house has a long history of owners, including Captain Samuel Ingersoll who died at sea. Who knows? Visitors who travel to the ancient house on Halloween may be able to spy the wandering captain touring his old house.

Particularly around Halloween, visitors to Salem can discover all kinds of exciting haunts to explore. The Salem Witch Museum explores the infamous Salem Witch Trials and tries to explain the zeitgeist of the time period. Another Salem attraction included in this Peabody hotel package is the Salem Trolley. This historic trolley takes visitors all over the town, perfect for those who wish to see more on Halloween.

Guests who have stayed at the Boston Marriott Peabody Hotel will agree that this beloved hotel near Salem, MA is more of a treat than a trick. Spacious hotel rooms and a great location near exceptional attractions make this Peabody hotel the ideal choice to stay for a Halloween getaway. Guests can book their trips today at http://www.marriott.com/BOSPB

*The Passport to Salem! Escape Package is not available at museums from October 1 to October 31, 2011.

About the Boston Marriott Peabody Hotel

Ideally situated on the Boston North Shore, the Boston Marriott Peabody hotel is conveniently located near Gloucester, Rockport, and Salem, Massachusetts. Situated in the Centennial Park business corridor near the intersection of I-95 and Route 128, this Peabody hotel is only 20 minutes from Logan International Airport and downtown Boston, MA. The hotel’s staff is dedicated to making each guest’s stay enjoyable, whether traveling for business, a weekend getaway or leisure. Meeting planners looking for meeting facilities in Peabody will find 11,000 sq ft of event space equipped with high-speed Internet access. All guests will enjoy this Peabody Hotel’s beautifully appointed Salem hotel rooms with free high-speed Internet, the Marriott Revive bed and a host of in-room amenities. Guests can enjoy on-site hotel dining at Sophia’s restaurant, relax at the swimming pool and fitness centers or play golf at any nearby golf courses in the Boston area. To learn more about this Peabody, MA hotel, visit http://www.MarriottPeabody.com

###

Marriott International
Boston Marriott Peabody Hotel
1-978-977-9700
Email Information

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/marriott-hotel-near-salem-ma-prepares-spooky-halloween-140310089.html

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Priceline offers new last-minute hotel deals

Priceline.com is unveiling a new mobile service targeting customers who want a deal on a room at the last minute.

Article source: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/story/2011-09-29/Priceline-offers-new-last-minute-hotel-deals/50598044/1

Loyalty Traveler – Matching Hotel Promotions to Your Travel Style – An update

The column I wrote for InsideFlyer October 2011 is
Matching Hotel Promotions to Your Travel Style. The problem with writing an article about hotel loyalty promotions for a magazine are new offers typically come out between the due date for the article (Sep 8) and the time the article is published and online. My Loyalty Traveler column on InsideFlyer.com is free for nonsubscriber readers.

The Travel Styles I matched with end-of-year promotions include:

Best Low Spend Bonus — Marriott

Best Luxury or Hotel Suite Bargain — Hotels.com

Best Long Weekend Getaway — Starwood

Best Upscale Hotel Extended Stay Bonus — Hyatt

Best Midscale Hotel Extended Stay Bonus — Choice

Best Miles Bonuses — Marriott

Best Road Warrior Bonus — IHG

Links to all these offers are in the
InsideFlyer.com column.

In the past three weeks there have been additional high value loyalty offers that fit into the mix of best value hotel loyalty promotions for upcoming hotel stays.

Hilton HHonors free night after every four stays or 10 nights is the highest potential value offer for Q4-2011 hotel stays. $2,500 in hotel stays can potentially provide a $4,000 luxury hotel vacation on free nights. Almost all the other non-spend based hotel offers have a limit to the number of bonus points, miles, and free nights that a member can earn during the promotion. The exclusion list is the main impediment to making this Hilton offer a truly outstanding offer for the quarter. San Francisco Bay Area is severely impacted by the nonparticipating Hilton properties list.

I add Hilton’s Fast Ways to Free Stays offer to the Best Road Warrior Bonus and actually would rank this ahead of the IHG 4x points offer listed in my InsideFlyer article.

Other recent loyalty promotion offers:

Club Carlson for a free night after two stays at Country Inns Suites Oct 2- Dec 1 for stays from Sunday to Thursday.

Wyndham Cash back and Double Points Sep 15-Nov 18.

Both of these offers fit well in
Best Low Spend bonus category. But I still favor Marriott as the best low spend offer although Country Inn offers a free night with a two-night midweek stay and might be a better offer than Marriott for the person needing just one hotel stay.

Best Mileage Bonus seekers who fly Southwest can add
Hyatt’s 1,800 Rapid Rewards points per stay October 1-Jan 15, 2012 to the list of high value offers, especially since this offer can be combined with the Gold Passport 5,000 bonus points every three nights.

Best Car Rental Bonus didn’t fit in my InsideFlyer column word limit.
Club Carlson offers 9,000 points for a three day car rental from Avia or Budget for stays through the end of the year. 9,000 points is sufficient for a free hotel night at a Club Carlson category 1 hotel. Or you can exchange 8,000 points for 1,000 airline miles. Not bad for a car rental.

©
Loyalty Traveler, a
BoardingArea Blog

Article source: http://travel.usatoday.com/alliance/flights/boardingarea/post/2011/09/Loyalty-Traveler---Matching-Hotel-Promotions-to-Your-Travel-Style-8211-An-update/549430/1

Hotel developer plans to put up project in Clark

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

CLARK FREEPORT — A famous hotel firm operating in the province of Batangas is planning to duplicate the success of their tourism-related business from Calabarzon inside this Freeport.

In the accomplishment report of CDC President Felipe Antonio B. Remollo, it said that the state-owned firm is currently evaluating the project of Fino Property Ventures Inc. (FPVI).

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FPVI, developer of Ponterino Hotel Residences located in Batangas City, is the newest trailblazer in the real estate industry. The company aims to be an innovative lifestyle property developer in the country by providing stylishly creative and value-based residential solutions to the needs of the upscale market.

In the reports, the group plans to put up hotels, serviced apartments, condo units, townhouses, office spaces, shopping arcades, restaurants, cafés, bars and event counters on the former Duty Free area along CM Recto Highway here.

The hotel firm has a credible track record in the hotel and restaurant industry and it plans to extend its wealth of experience in lifestyle creative expertise in Clark through its quality service and hospitality.

Some of the firm’s successful business ventures include Hotel Pontefino in Batangas, The Glass House, Malate Pensionne, Sidebar, and its well-established chain of fine dining restaurants – Chateau 1771, Portico and Sentro.

It is currently developing new endeavors which include the Trei, a lifestyle membership club for the emerging A market, and the Hotel School of Asia, a teaching hotel positioned to be the best hotel school in the country. FPVI creates its own mark by capitalizing on innovative and unconventional real estate concepts.

FVPI recently introduced The PonteFino Residences – the first hotel, leisure and residential townhouse development concept in the country.

The PonteFino Residences is a reflection of how Fino Property Ventures, Inc. integrates clients’ lifestyle values into its development.

Published in the Sun.Star Pampanga newspaper on September 29, 2011.

Article source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/09/28/hotel-developer-plans-put-project-clark-181998

Omni Dallas Hotel Announces New Executive Chef

DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2011 — DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ – The Omni Dallas Hotel welcomes Chef Jason Weaver back to Dallas as he will serve as the executive chef for the luxury property connected to the Dallas Convention Center, opening 11/11/11. As the executive chef at the Omni Dallas Hotel, Weaver will oversee all menu creation and culinary execution at Texas Spice, The Owner’s Box, the Uptown Terrace, the Lobby Lounge, and Morsels as well as in-room dining, banquets and catering.

Chef Weaver has an extensive background in the hospitality industry and Texas roots. Dallas residents will remember Chef Weaver from his days as executive chef at the legendary French Room located in the Adolphus Hotel. Chef Weaver and the renowned restaurant received numerous accolades, including being named as the best hotel restaurant in the country by Zagat in its 2006/2007 survey.

Most recently the executive chef at La Torretta Lake Resort Spa in Montgomery, TX, Chef Weaver’s extensive culinary background in the hospitality industry and acknowledged talent made him a natural choice for the position. His experience also includes serving as opening executive chef for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas and the Mandarin Oriental in Manhattan as well as stints as the chef of Cafe Sambal at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami and The Grill at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, MI. Before Weaver began his life in the culinary world, he was a United States Marine and served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and in Somalia for Operation Restore Hope. Weaver attended Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI.

Texas Spice will capture the true flavor of Texas with an emphasis on local ingredients and southern style. Among the largest farm-to-market concepts in the U.S., the restaurant will create flavorful food in a casual atmosphere with rustic interiors featuring repurposed materials such as red brick walls as well as garage door style doors and wood details. The Owner’s Box will be a sport enthusiasts dream for locals and visitors with state-of-the-art features and the latest technology, including a 16-foot big screen television. The Uptown Terrace is located on the fourth floor of the hotel overlooking downtown Dallas. The outdoor venue offers comfortable lounge seating, cabanas and a full-service bar and grill. The Lobby Lounge, conveniently located across from the front desk and adjacent to main entrance, will offer signature cocktails, coffees and light snacks. Morsels, Omni’s signature coffee bar, will be located in the hotel’s gift shop, Collections.

For more information regarding the Omni Dallas Hotel, please call 214-744-6664 or visit omnidallashotel.com. Follow Omni Hotels Resorts at twitter.com/omnihotels or at twitter.com/omnihotelsPR.

About the Omni Dallas Hotel

Connected to the Dallas Convention Center, the Omni Dallas Hotel offers a luxurious, warm and sophisticated design which reflects the essence of Dallas with a contemporary, reflective glass exterior and native textures, art and other materials enriching the interior. Upon opening, guests and locals alike will have access to five culinary selections, including the celebrated Bob’s Steak Chop House, The Owner’s Box and a farm-to-table restaurant, Texas Spice, for a casual dining experience, as well as retail space, lounges, a signature Mokara Spa, urban pool deck and more. In-room technology will include flat screen TVs as well as TV monitors embedded within the bathroom mirrors. The LEED Silver New Construction project includes utilization of recycled materials, irrigation supplied by recycled water, water-saving fixtures, guest room energy management systems and more. Connected via a skybridge to the Dallas Convention Center, the Omni Dallas Hotel will incorporate over 110,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Included among its 21 meeting rooms are the grand and junior ballrooms, encompassing 32,000 and 15,000 sq. ft. respectively. The hotel will comfortably accommodate groups of more than 3,300 attendees at any given time.

For more information about the Omni Dallas Hotel, please visit omnidallashotel.com or call 214-744-6664.

SOURCE Omni Hotels Resorts

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/28/3945124/omni-dallas-hotel-announces-new.html

The Sydney Marriott Hotel’s Ideal Location Ensures Enjoyment in the Centre of the City

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA —
The Sydney Marriott Hotel guests are as close as possible to the area’s most prestigious and sought-after attractions, including the CBD’s arts, retail and business precincts. Overlooking historic Hyde Park, guests can feast their eyes on the breathtaking cityscape and walk to numerous must-see attractions at their leisure. As one of the premier hotels in central Sydney, guests rave about how easy it is to navigate the city from the Sydney Marriott hotel’s vantage point.

At the Oxford Street hotel, Sydney comes to life. All of the fabulous sights of Haymarket and Oxford Street boutiques are nearby. And, the hotel is just 10 km from the Sydney Domestic and International Airport and only 12 km to Bondi Beach. The Sydney Marriott Hotel is just a block from the Australian Museum and two blocks from the Sydney Tower, Westfield’s Sydney and Botanical Gardens. The Central Station is an easy 10-minute walk. Guests can also take a stroll over to Pitt Street and George Street; both are right across the park.

A slightly longer stroll puts guests in easy access of the many other must-see attractions in the heart of the city, including Darling Harbour, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World and much more. For those coming into the city for the games, the Sydney Cricket Group and Football Stadium is a short stroll away. All along the route, guests can also enjoy sensational restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.

The hotel’s weekend packages and special deals ensure that guests have access to not only the finest quality experience in their suites, but also on their trips. Accommodation packages, including discounts to Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World, are available at a discounted rate. The hotel is also an official distributor of the Westfield’s Privilege card, which provides discounts and special offers for guests.

As one of the top Hyde Park Sydney hotels, The Sydney Marriott Hotel is the ideal location for those who wish to be in the centre of the city and enjoy high-class features and secure on-site parking. This world-class city is literally at your fingertips when you book your stay at the Sydney Marriott Hotel.

About the Sydney Marriott Hotel

To ensure guests receive the best service possible, the Sydney Marriott Hotel offers complimentary high-speed Internet access to all guests, along with the “Happy Lappy,” laptops guests can use, which are available through the concierge. Modern technology meets luxurious guest rooms, some 241 in all. There is also a lavish, upscale lounge. The upgraded Executive Level offers added amenities, and the Club Lounge is designed for guests who want exemplary service and get a great Sydney hotel deal.

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Article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44705856

Hotel ICON Celebrates Official Opening with Inspiring Design Conference and Gala Dinner

Many industry leaders, internationally-renowned designers, staff, alumni and friends of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) gathered at Hotel ICON – a unique teaching and research hotel wholly-owned by the university – to celebrate its official opening.

(PRWEB) September 28, 2011

Many industry leaders, internationally-renowned designers, staff, alumni and friends of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) gathered at Hotel ICON – a unique teaching and research hotel wholly-owned by the university – to celebrate its official opening.

The celebration started with the Hospitality Design Conference “Boutique Lifestyle Hotels: Creating a Brand Icon through Design” jointly presented by the Hong Kong Design Centre and PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) on 21 September (Wednesday). Six highly-acclaimed architects and designers shared their insights and visions on hospitality and lifestyle designs, citing their contributions to Hotel ICON as case studies. The speakers included French botanist and landscape artist Patrick Blanc, fashion designer Barney Cheng, Conran Partners’ Managing Director Richard Doone, graphic designer and PolyU alumnus Tommy Li, interior designer William Lim and award-winning architect Rocco Yim. All of them have contributed to different aspects of Hotel ICON, making it an iconic building in the industry.

Mr Richard Hatter, General Manager of Hotel ICON said, “Hotel ICON is the first of its kind in Asia. We are proud of the hotel and its link to local culture, which can be seen through various features of the hotel.” He added, “We are most delighted to learn that Hotel ICON has been shortlisted by the Canadian-based lifestyle magazine Wallpaper for the election of the World’s Best Business Hotels 2011. This year only two Hong Kong hotels have been named in the roll of honour.”

A gala dinner themed “Vision Unlike Any Other” marked the climax of the celebration. It provided a memorable occasion for the supporters and friends of PolyU and SHTM to celebrate the success of its hospitality and tourism education and research. Officiating at the occasion were: the Honourable Marjorie Yang Mun-tak, PolyU Council Chairman; Mr Victor Lo, Chairman of Hotel ICON Board of Directors and Honorary Chairman of the event; Professor Timothy W. Tong, PolyU President; Professor Kaye Chon, Dean of SHTM; and Mr Richard Hatter, General Manager of Hotel ICON.

Addressing the dinner, Professor Tong thanked all for making the Hotel ICON project a reality and he invited all the guests to witness this important milestone in the history of the School. He said, “SHTM has grown and adapted to the evolving needs of the hospitality industry with a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education. That vision, which is unlike any other, leads to the creation of a new education approach with Hotel ICON at its centre.”

Special programmes have been put up for the dinner, including a live band performance by Professor Tong, PolyU alumni and SHTM students. Their show not only earned loud applause from the audience but also received generous support from sponsors. A fund-raising auction further spiced up the evening with all net proceeds contributed to support the School’s future development.

Nearly everyone who has visited Hotel ICON was attracted by its indoor vertical garden located at the lobby. Its creator Patrick Blanc shared his concept of creating the masterpiece and how it reinforces the uniqueness of Hong Kong and its distinct nature before the dinner came to an end. The hotel is located in a building complex that also houses the SHTM campus, university staff quarters, research, resource centres as well as faculty offices. The complex has become an impressive part of the city’s skyline.

PolyU is determined to establish its SHTM as one of the best hotel and tourism schools in the world. The School has consistently grown and adapted with the needs of the industry since its inception in 1979. SHTM has already revamped more than 30 subjects within its undergraduate curriculum to tie in with the opening of its teaching and research hotel. Its new education approach, with Hotel ICON at its centre, will help to improve hospitality and tourism education locally, regionally and internationally.

PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management is a world-leading provider of hospitality and tourism education. It was ranked No. 2 internationally among hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in November 2009.

Press contact: Ms Mandy Soh

Marketing Communications Manager, Hotel ICON

Tel: (852) 3400 1188

Email: mandy(dot)soh(at)hotel-icon(dot)com

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Mr Wilfred Lai
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
852-2766 5218
Email Information

Article source: http://news.yahoo.com/hotel-icon-celebrates-official-opening-inspiring-design-conference-081212843.html

Analysis: Experts skeptical of Strauss-Kahn immunity claim

By Noeleen Walder

NEW YORK |
Wed Sep 28, 2011 8:53am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) – On the afternoon of May 14, moments after authorities pulled Dominique Strauss-Kahn off an Air France flight on suspicion that he had tried to rape a hotel maid, the former International Monetary Fund chief pulled rank.

“I have diplomatic immunity,” he told police, and asked to speak with the French consulate, according to court papers.

Hours later, as police questioned him about his diplomatic status, and whether he was claiming immunity, Strauss-Kahn did an about-face.

“No, no, no. I am not trying to use that,” he said. “I just want to know if I need a lawyer.”

More than four months on, with the criminal case now behind him, Strauss-Kahn is taking another crack at invoking diplomatic immunity — this time to fend off a civil suit filed by Nafissatou Diallo, the maid who accused him of sexually assaulting her in his suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan.

In court papers filed on Monday, Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers asked a judge to dismiss the civil suit, arguing that as head of the IMF, Strauss-Kahn was entitled to absolute diplomatic immunity, even after he had resigned.

But international law experts and criminal-defense lawyers said convincing a judge to buy the immunity argument will be a formidable task.

“I think (his lawyers) are feeling somewhat emboldened and they are trying anything. But I don’t think it has legs,” said Bradley Simon, a prominent New York criminal-defense lawyer.

Simon said if the immunity defense had any legitimacy, Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers would have raised it early in the criminal case, before he stepped down as head of the IMF. Strauss-Kahn resigned on May 18, saying in a letter to colleagues that he wanted “to protect” the institution.

‘THERE IS NO PRACTICE HERE’

Strauss-Kahn’s lawyer, William Taylor, who also represented him in the criminal case, wrote in an email that his client “chose not to raise immunity in the criminal case in order to defend against the false charges and to clear his name.”

“We have said from the beginning that this matter was an attempt by plaintiff and her lawyers to extort money from Mr. Strauss-Kahn,” Taylor wrote.

Prosecutors dropped all charges against Strauss-Kahn on August 23, weeks after acknowledging that they had grave doubts about Diallo’s credibility.

In arguing that the court should dismiss Diallo’s civil suit, Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers cited a 1947 United Nations convention under which heads of specialized agencies are immune from civil and criminal suits, regardless of whether they were acting in their official capacity when the alleged harm took place.

The United States is not a party to the convention but Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers insisted that its absolute-immunity provision has “achieved the status of what is known as ‘customary international law’” and that it must be honored.

Kurt Taylor Gaubatz, an associate professor in the Graduate Program in International Studies at Old Dominion University, called this argument a stretch.

The convention is a “relatively obscure treaty that hasn’t been tested,” Gaubatz said, adding that he was not aware of any other accusations of criminal acts by agency directors. “Customary law develops through practice. And there is no practice here.”

‘DEATH-BLOW TO THE CASE’

Chimene Keitner, a law professor at the University of California in Hastings, agreed that Strauss-Kahn had a weak argument, noting that neither the IMF nor the State Department asserted the immunity claim on Strauss-Kahn’s behalf after his arrest.

“Customary international law is something that so many states do that we can basically presume that they all consent to, even if they haven’t signed any documents,” she said. “That’s a pretty high bar.”

But Paul Callan, a New York trial lawyer and professor of media law at Seton Hall University, said a motion to dismiss is based strictly on legal arguments and not evidence that may come out during the discovery process of a trial.

In that light, Strauss-Kahn’s “aggressive approach” makes sense, since “there’s always a chance that a sympathetic judge will toss the entire case,” Callan said. In the meantime, he said, Strauss-Kahn had nothing to lose by taking this tack.

“It would deal a death-blow to the case before embarrassing depositions and discovery proceedings are required,” he said.

Douglas Wigdor, one of Diallo’s lawyers, wrote in an email that the motion to dismiss was “nothing more than another attempt to avoid having to answer for the deplorable acts” Strauss-Kahn is accused of committing by Diallo.

NOT A DIPLOMAT

“Mr. Strauss-Kahn did not invoke diplomatic immunity in the criminal case because he was not a diplomat under any applicable treaty or law,” Wigdor wrote. “He was on ‘personal’ business at the time and was acting in his personal capacity when he attacked Ms. Diallo. The IMF, the United States State Department and the New York Police Department all agree that Mr. Strauss-Kahn lacks immunity.”

Even if Strauss-Kahn is able to persuade a judge that international law entitles him to immunity, legal experts say he still could lose the argument, since it is the IMF’s decision whether to support an immunity claim for one of its employees.

“The immunity attaches as the result of the work (he’s) doing for the organization or the country, and the organization or the country retains the right to waive that immunity,” said Paul Cohen, an international law expert with Holland Knight

A spokesman for the IMF declined to comment on whether it would waive diplomatic immunity for Strauss-Kahn.

On September 17, Strauss-Kahn, who returned to France after the charges against him were dropped, gave an interview on French television in which he said the encounter with Diallo was consensual, but added, “It was a moral error and I am not proud of it.”

(Reporting by Noeleen Walder; Additional reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by David Storey)

Article source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/28/us-strausskahn-immunity-idUSTRE78R0LS20110928