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Innovative Leadership at Four Seasons Downtown

Four Seasons Downtown manager Thomas Carreras

Building on the Four Seasons Downtown

WHEN THE FOUR SEASONS ARRIVED Downtown years ago, there was a conscious decision to adapt one of the world’s most luxurious and recognizable brands to its new neighborhood. In July 2019, when Thomas Carreras took the helm as general manager, he continued that mission. “When I arrived I recieved all the things the Four Seasons sent and then I sent it all back. I said, ‘I don’t like the cutlery. I don’t like the linens. I don’t like the dishes or the glasses. I don’t like the spa products.'” Carreras wanted something more distinctly Downtown. He continues, “Downtown has a strong identity. The minibar should look like a speakeasy. Everything inside should say ‘home.’ And this applies to everything we do. If you want pancakes at 8pm you can have them. We started a noodle soup menu—real Asian comfort food. On the second day we had 30 orders. People catch on to what we do because it feels different.”

Hiring the Right People

Carreras took a similar dissenting view towards hiring his staff. When he arrived they did the usual mass recruitment event and saw over 5,000 people. “We signed about 10 people from that event, and some of those had never worked in hotels. Two of our best people at the front desk had been teachers. One told us that it had been his dream to work in hotels but was never given a chance because in New York they are looking for transaction experts. We aren’t. I want people who actually care about other people. The guests feel the difference.”

Supporting the Four Seasons Downtown Community

Carreras’s worldview is a perfect fit for Downtown, where the mood is hip, active, and community-centric, and the demographic is getting younger and more creative every day. And the hotel’s clientele reflects its vibrant neighborhood. Says Michael Law, Director of Marketing, “We get a lot of athletes and celebrities who know the brand, but also who want to be part of this incredible neighborhood.” He continues, “Every guest that walks through our door is Downtown’s guest. We succeed or fail together. There is a great sense of optimism for the future.” Carreras adds, “The people who live and work here really care about Downtown. There is an emotional connection to this place.” That is why, as part of the staff orientation, Carreras takes them to the 9/11 Memorial for a moment of remembrance. “The rebirth of Downtown is not just the buildings, it’s the people. This isn’t just a job. This is about building a community, and it comes with a sense of responsibility.” He continues, “I want our staff to feel part of the rebirth.”

fourseasons.com

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Culture Featured Hotels News NYC Travel

A Gate to Excitement: Westgate Hotel Opens the Way to Fun in NYC 

Westgate New York

Not everything shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While other businesses went into hibernation, Westgate began a metamorphosis. Over the course of the next year, they renovated almost all of their locations, set on a new and improved experience for the eventual re-opening. For Westgate New York Grand Central, that came at the beginning of July, when they re-opened their doors. Renovations complete, Westgate has already become a hub for commuters, traveling businessmen, and tourists ready to explore a re-opened New York. 

 

 

Westgate New York Grand Central was acquired by Westgate in 2018. Before that, it was a Hilton, a Crown Plaza, and originally Tudor City Hotel. Tudor City grew out of the bones of an old tenement building, a true part of NYC history.

 

Don’t worry, though, the rooms are much bigger.

 

Tudor City Tavern & Marketplace

 

Each of Westgate’s rooms is equipped with a flat-screen TV, a comfy bed, and blackout curtains (thank goodness!). Several dozen even have balconies— not original to the tenements. But the quirks make themselves known: the same room types have different layouts on different floors and areas of the building, following the old bones of the original tenement. As of mid-July, the spacious fitness center was still under construction, but the Tudor City Tavern & Marketplace, where you can grab a delicious cocktail, some snacks, or a meal on the go, is still open. 

 

 

 

If you’re heading to the Tudor City Tavern, I recommend the Bodega and the “Rag Gang’s” Smoking Gun. The former is a delicious craft cocktail flavored with agave, cucumber, and jalapeno. The latter is a complicated Old Fashioned served in a cherry wood smoking decanter. Their bar staff are talented, experienced, and watching them make the drinks is part of the fun. 

 

 

 

Of course, no matter how good a hotel is, nobody travels to NYC for the hotels— what matters is where you go after that, and Westgate New York Grand Central is perfectly placed. Located right on 42nd Street, Westgate is a hub for all things Midtown. There are so many things to do in NYC, and that is even before Broadway and other big-name shows open back up. In the meantime, treat yourself to some of the best food spots in the city, and the endless sights. Even the cheesy ones. 

 

 

 

Westgate New York Grand Central is an affordable, luxurious, centrally-located piece of New York history. It is the spot, whether you are a corporate there for business or a family looking to check out the city for the first time.

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Featured Hotels Travel

Cancun is Calling with Contactless Check -in

Is it time for a COVID break?

Ready for another snowstorm, below-freezing temperatures, or you just need that long-overdue getaway?

Cancun & Playa Del Carmen reopened in June were Expedia’s number 1 and 2 most searched destinations in 2021. Mexico is in the ORANGE phase and Americans can travel there with no restrictions.  And while there is a lot of buzz about the openings of Margaritaville Resort Riviera-Cancun the majority of visitors are seeking out a more intimate boutique hotel experience with contactless check-in and far less staff and foot traffic.

The Acanto Hotel Trademark Collection by Wyndham Playa Del Carmen comes in with 3 special “No Covid Here” packages.
Just a block from the beach and half a block from the shopping and restaurants on 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen offers Hacienda Style 1-3 Bedroom condos and a grotto-style pool. You will feel right at home and ready for an extended stay with the rooms all equipped with full kitchens, dining tables and chairs, utensils, and chic private terraces for fresh air.
The front desk can arrange for day trips jungles and ruins and expeditions like diving snorkeling and para-sailing. There are a set of more swanky rooftop suites that feature outdoor rooftop kitchens with BBQ and dining tables. Be sure to direct bookly and enjoy an additional 10% off, easy cancelation, lowest rate guarantee, early and late check-in and check out, free calls, free wifi, and even discounts at select local favorite restaurants nearby. There is even free breakfast in the mornings.

Work From Paradise

Acanto keeps it simple with this package to offer the best possible monthly rate for your work/School at home in one of our spacious suites. Complimentary breakfast and weekly maid service are provided as well as daily towel service. Enjoy some rooftop yoga, a swim in the pool, and some sand between your toes for a walk along the beach in between zoom meetings.
Monthly rates start at $1,500 for 2 People. with High-Speed Wifi, Maid Service, Breakfast, Front Desk, and Concierge  Services

Bring Your Pod To Acanto

With fewer bookings allowed hotels will be able to offer a complete buy-out option.  The Acanto Hotel with its’ 19 1, 2 and 3 bedroom  Suites is a perfect option for a group up to. 70 people. Prices have never been lower and this is just for 2021.

Give Back, Get Back at Acanto

If you are willing to give back to the local Playa Del Carmen community by either teaching young children to speak English, the local dog rescue, or at the CEA (Ecological Center of Akumal) to help with Turtle hatching season we will give you 2 free nights when you stay for 2 nights. This is perfect for a long weekend getaway that is feel-good and easy on your wallet.
Well, what are you waiting for, book now, and we’ll see you at the Playa!
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Entertainment Hotels NYC Travel

What Makes These Hotels Special?

What Makes These Hotels Special?
Photo by Michał Ludwiczak from Pexels

A Peek into Some Award-Winning Hotels in NYC

NYC is at the pinnacle of modern civilization. With an all-inclusive society, serene ambiance, and a well-rounded city that never sleeps, NYC never goes missing from a traveler’s bucket list. For the average traveler or visitor, there are a few pillars that make or break the status of the overall experience. While some of them are food, acceptance, warmth, and nightlife, one of the more obvious ones get neglected—in this case, hotels. 

It is About the Experience

As with most other ventures, hotels in NYC exist in one of the widest possible spectrums to cater to all kinds of audiences. For the niche audience, though, a great stay is quintessential. Granted, hotel accolades do not tell the whole story, but they provide an accurate list of the kind of experience one might have in their stay in the bustling city. 

Here are some award-winning hotels that one definitely needs to check out in their stay in NYC. 

The Thayer Hotel

Contrary to the norm, winning awards actually creates more positivity than hubris. The psychology behind it is that the said body starts upping the ante, and The Thayer Hotel is a manifestation of it. 

Bagging TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice or Lux Life’s accolades weren’t enough for The Thayer Hotel, it seemed. As is evident from picturesque bedrooms, Presidential and Executive suites, The Thayer Hotel aims for nothing but perfection. Additionally, its location is such that one gets to appreciate the idyllic Hudson Valley, the charming river towns, and of course, the wineries. 

A hotel is also judged by the quality of the food it provides.  In this sphere too, The Thayer Hotel has etched its position as is apparent from OpenTable Diner’s Choice Award, The Thayer Hotel also has a great deal to offer when it comes to indoor dining and associated luscious delights. 

Additionally, The Thayer Hotel also has a few things to offer for the beverage connoisseur. Having the only rooftop bar between NYC and Albany, The Thayer Hotel has a charm of its own.

In this regard, if there is any other attribute that determines the kind of bar experience one might have, it has to be the state of the furnishing. The Thayer Hotel takes pride in its furnishing being done by restaurantfurniture.net, establishing its presence as a bar meant for the esoteric masses.

 

Firmdale Hotels—The Whitby Hotel

Located in the heart of upper midtown Manhattan, The Whitby Hotel is an elegant conglomeration of art, aesthetics, design, and pragmatics. The location is as pristine as the hotel itself—after all, a couple of blocks away from Central Park—suffices it to be tagged as an appropriate location. 

Rooms and suites are plentiful. Suffice it to state that the 86 intricately crafted rooms should definitely be visited, if not stayed in altogether. Keeping the idea of having good quality sleep at night, The Whitby Hotel is equipped with equipment in the bedroom that aids in better slumber. 

Additionally, some of these rooms are attached with windows crafted from the bottom to the ceiling itself, adding to its already magnificent design aspect. 

If that did not suffice, private terraces with the prepossessing view of the Manhattan skyline should be enough to render any visitor flabbergasted. The prestigious Best Suite USA, Sleeper Awards Ahead Magazine 2018 that was awarded hence, seems to be justified. 

The Whitby Hotel has another intriguing aspect that perhaps can be comprehended by very few counterparts. It justifies winning the New York Knockout Award, Tatler Travel Awards 2017 with its state-of-the-art New York Film Club. After all, how many hotels can guarantee such a mind-blowing theatre experience? 

 

Lotte New York Palace

located in the heart of Manhattan, Lotte NY Palace is by far one of the most iconic places to stay. As suggestive of the name itself, it is in fact, no less than a palace.

Having one of the most intricately carved accommodations along with its new Royal Suite collection, the NY Palace is a must-stay for the right audience. It fits various other purposes too. Right from important business venture meetings to grand weddings, Lotte NY Palace seems like the most appropriate venue for it all. 

A great stay is judged by the accolades it deserves. Perhaps that is why Lotte NY Palace has been awarded the US Leading Lifestyle Hotel title for seven years in a row now. Not to mention, being awarded the World’s Leading Hotel in 2012 speaks volumes about the stay itself. 

 

To Conclude

NYC is an astonishing, yet enthralling place. Right from the welcomeness of Harlem to the awe-inspiring work of art that Manhattan is, a visit to NYC is bound to leave one fascinated—and a great hotel will act as a catalyst to accentuate this feeling. 

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Entertainment Hotels Travel

Best Rocking Exotic Holiday For You

Best Rocking Exotic Holiday For You

 

One of the world’s greatest exotic places is The Caribbean. However, The Caribbean has many islands and each of them has its own characteristic. In this article, we will talk about one rocking exotic place that offers many amenities and its name is also popular, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana. 

 

This venue can be found in Bavaro, Punta Cana, The Dominican Republic where guests are welcomed by friendly valet attendants. Here the guests will feel a warm welcome even inside their rooms where they can open the door and see a big comfortable bed, and a balcony that overlooks the ocean with a courtyard. 

 

The Hotel

Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana like any Hard Rock hotel it goes around music-theme. In addition, there is no lack of A-list appeals too, which are a huge casino, a first-rate spa, and a room service menu. The whole hotel is all about VIP treatment and the place offers rockstar suites that have big whirlpool tubs and minibars as standard. The cherry on the top is the white-sand beach right at your doorstep. 

 

Best Rocking Exotic Holiday For You
Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana

 

The hotel has such a long list of activities that it needs more than two days in order to get the rocking experience you seek. In addition, besides the long strolling beach the resort has 11 whopping pools. There is a saying that if you spend your time near the sea, you get hungrier. When you need to refuel, you can choose from nine restaurants and 15 bars, or you can choose the 24/7 room service. Each restaurant seems to have its own theme, from the Caribbean culinary to Brazilian dishes, and from pizzeria to a steakhouse. 

 

The Cherry On The Top

Besides sunbathing and relaxing, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana is like a piece of Las Vegas on Caribbean soil. The lobby is a massive atrium-style which leads to everything the hotel can offer, from a giant casino to a classy spa that gives musical therapies. Other activities you can enjoy are tennis, football and golf.  

 

You will notice that the suites you choose to stay in have royalty rocking names, like Rock Royalty Caribbean Junior Suite that come with a balcony or a terrace, depending on your preferences. Each of these suites come with a Whirlpool Bath where you can get a whole load of extras. These suites come with VIP check-in where you have your own personal VIP Beach, an assistant, ironing service, full-size bath products, and others. Not to forget that one of the best parts of these suites is that you can have access to a 24-hour digital service while you’re away. 

 

Best Rocking Exotic Holiday For You
https://www.hardrockhotelpuntacana.com/photo-gallery.htm

 

Besides, when it comes to entertainment Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana has maybe the hottest casino in the Caribbean. It is also home to the best action in the Dominican Republic with its 45.000-square-foot size. The casino features more than 40 unique tables and more than 450 slot machines. In addition, the casino is known for its Poker Room with Texas Hold’em. Other games that can be played are blackjack, craps, roulette, and many more known table games titles.

 

Last Words

In other words, this 1770 room hotel will delight you with its beach on pristine white sands that stretch for 121-acres along the Macao Beach. The hotel is all about Hard Rock all-inclusive with a Vegas-style casino, which is the largest in the Dominican Republic. The lavish hotel also features a nightclub, the Oro nightclub where you can have the party of your dreams. Guests will be delighted to be welcomed by 11 expansive pools, four swim-up bars, and a lazy river. And let’s not forget about the resort’s nine restaurants that have gourmet dining options. The whole property features more than 65.000 square feet and it also has a meeting space for flexible events.  

 

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Culture Entertainment Events Featured NYC

Revisiting the Past At The McKittrick World’s Fair

credit: Kenny Rodriguez or Jane Kratochvil for The McKittrick Hotel

All photo credit: Kenny Rodriguez or Jane Kratochvil for The McKittrick Hotel

New Year’s Eve at the McKittrick Hotel is an event to be reckoned with. The five-floor “McKittrick World’s Fair” combines spectacle, music, motion, and performance to make one of the best NYE in experiences in NYC–Pretty much what you’d expect from the McKittrick.

For the uninitiated, the McKittrick Hotel is a six-floor performance space best known for their production “Sleep No More,” a choreographed, noir retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, told across six floors of the McKittrick and explored at your own pace. In addition to Sleep No More, they also have the Club Car (dining and performance space), The Lodge at Gallow Green (rooftop drinks and dining), and Manderley Bar (the Sleep No More lounge with an excellent absinthe drink list). 

Throughout the year, the McKittrick hosts events of all kinds, including plays, magic shows, and burlesque. Their New Years’ Eve party is one of their top parties. 2019-2020’s party was McKittrick World’s Fair; an extravaganza themed around bygone eras, the Worlds Fair, and around “explorers.” This latter theme was open to broad interpretation, ranging from British safari to A Trip to the Moon to extraterrestrial travelers. The NYE event featured five floors of concerts, dance parties, soirees, and experiences, through which guests wander as they enjoy the open bars and champagne scattered through the building. 

What sets the McKittrick’s events apart, especially in Sleep No More, is the inventive use of space. They craft each room into a unique experience, and wanderers at Sleep No More often experience the surreal sensation of stumbling onto moments–scenes in progress with their own feel and tone–making each doorway into a teleportation gate to another world. 

The NYE World’s Fair captures this experience. As I wandered from one room to another, I felt transported every time that I passed through a doorway or exited a staircase. One room had a dance floor flooded with red light and shadow as dozens of people danced around a band led by a woman in a spiked halo crown. Just above, a jazz band played in a softly-lit lounge with milling guests and artists in one corner. Instagrammers took pictures with the artists or of themselves posing in a bathtub in the center of the room. Through a pair of glass doors, a gothic ruin was transformed into a misty jungle with catlike performers on the prowl through foliage and over walls. 

The creative approach reached down to the details, especially the spots designed for Instagram. Plasma globes, bathtubs filled with tinsel ice, and short, wide beds drew a dozen picture-takers at a time (myself included) to pose with whatever prop had been set up in that room. That’s pretty standard fare. But, for most of the rooms, these props blended in with the decor and featured other forms of live entertainment, interactivity, or a tableau taken directly from Sleep No More. 

Which brings me to my next point–wherever you go at the World’s Fair, you are still walking through Sleep No More. It makes for an uncanny experience. Some parts, like the central ballroom, are almost unrecognizable from its ballroom and dining room set from Sleep No More, dressed up as it was as a central performance stage and party central. Others, though, like the ruins-turned-jungle, were merely repurposed, leaving SNM veterans seeing double. 

Your base NYE package is a five-floor party from 10:30 pm to 4 am, complete with an open bar. You wander floor to floor, experience, to experience, through dance parties (multiple) and photo ops. The centerpiece was the aforementioned ballroom, with a stage, performances, and an update on the New Year’s Eve countdown. For a little more money, you can purchase tickets to a showing Sleep No More earlier that day, a dinner, and a table reservation all night by the center stage. The tickets for Sleep No More are a plus if you’ve seen it before, but a must if you haven’t yet had the opportunity. 

If you’re interested in any more of The McKittrick Hotel’s events, check them out here. 

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