On Our Radar: New Orleans Wine and Food Experience

The New Orleans Wine and Food Experience is May 26th through 29th.  It features tastings, speeches and dinners and seminars

Highlights for us would be the Royal Street Stroll on Thursday which combines jazz, art, antiques, wine and food for an evening of tasting and shopping. We're not sure why these ladies were wearing togas at a previous year's stroll; but it looks fun!

The Riedel seminar: we did this on the Oasis cruise a couple of years ago and Max Riedel taught me that size and shape make a difference, in wine glasses that is.

Wine Lovers Musical: we're strangely curious about this audience participation show that combines wine tasting and musical numbers. 

Stay at the Hotel Montelione where Anne stayed for "Tales of the Cocktail" or the W New Orleans, because we always have a fun time at a W.

On Our Radar: Taolloween!

Going to Vegas always involves some sort of dress up: short skirts, gold lame and sequins. But Tao Nightclub at the Venetian has two great parties coming up to celebrate our spookiest--and often naughtiest--national holiday. Saturday night is their Insanity Ball where you can win $5,000 for best costume: easily enough to cover the cost of your trip. Taolloween night on Wednesday promises to be Vegas' sexiest Halloween Bash with Guest DJ Temptress (read porn star) Tera Patrick. Don't show up before midnight and don't come without a costume. It IS the one night (or in this case the two nights) you can get away with looking trampier than Britney Spears--hey that's a good costume idea right there! After all, last time we were there we ran into K-Fed; maybe you'll have better luck!

Check back next week for last minute costume ideas!

Check out Kiki's website for more information at www.myspace.com/sneakykiki

On Our Radar: Colorado

Our twitter friends are buzzing about Colorado's first big snow fall of the year. We couldn't be more excited for them. In fact, this week we started planning a ski trip for January. How did we start?

First asked ourselves, do we feel like flying international? We've skied in France, Switzerland and Austria. The major advantages include getting the Euro experience, skiing on slopes that are more natural, less groomed and eating great food. Once when we were in Davos, we stumbled upon a little chalet that served up the best spaghetti bolognese of our lives. How they got supplies to that place is a mystery since the place was literally buried in snow (only the door was dug out). The disadvantage is the jet lag, it is hard to fly east anyhow and in the winter with less light, you have to be particularly diligent to wake up on time or you'll sleep away the day underneath the unbelievably thick down comforters that all the hotels have there. Also, on one trip to Chamonix we traveled all the way over and they were having a drought. Sadly the skiing was slim.

How about Whistler? We've been to the Olympics before and we're not sure we want to deal with the building out and fussing around that comes with the event. We'd like to head up there next year to take advantage of all that they've done to improve the site; but avoid the crowds this go around.

Utah is always a great choice. Easy direct flights to Salt Lake, a short drive to Park City and easy access to many different cool resorts. Park City has great lodging and a super fun strip for night time carousing. Utah also has the best snow, consistently, that we've ever skied. This was definitely in the running.

East coast skiing, a la Vermont? Sadly, as we get older, we get fussier about the cold weather and we swear it's colder (my dad calls it a wet cold) in Vermont than out west. Plus, our past few trips up there have been on icy slopes.

We ended up choosing Vail/Beaver Creek. The deciding factor was the amazing deal we got on plane tickets: $118 round trip, D.C. to Denver! We go each year with a group of friends, and yes we should probably branch out. At least we're staying somewhere new-- literally new, The Westin Riverfront Beaver Creek just opened last season. We're excited that they have a gondola that runs from the hotel up to the slopes, there's an outdoor lap pool (okay, we may not do laps; but we'll definitely hit the hot tubs), and we're looking forward to the new Anjali spa. If you ski Vail/BC you know how good it feels to take the first trip up the mountain, to find your favorite pit stop for chili and beer, to find a path through the trees and sit for a few minutes on the edge of a slope, saying hi to the familiar view, which is always breath taking. January can't come soon enough.

Need more inspiration? Check out this video:

On Our Radar: S Factor: Pole Dancing Lesson Discount

We were invited to a complimentary pole dancing class at Sheila Kelley's S Factor the other night- our Vegas bachelorette was mere days away, so we couldn't turn it down. We entered the class with a mix of excitement and trepidation, which quadrupled when we saw the 6" stripper heels.

There were nine other bloggers in the class, plus two instructors. Jill, the main teacher, went around and asked all of us our names. To her credit, she remembered them throughout class. She immediately put us at ease, explaining that the class is a safe place, with no mirrors and no boys. She dimmed the lights and we began stretching to candlelight.

The beginning part was similar to yoga and Pilates, with sexier versions of cat and cow stretches, bridges and a super-slow bicycle that left our abs sore for days. Of course, our yoga instructor never told us not to be afraid of touching our vajayjays because, "if you don't, no one else will." The early part of the class is done barefoot.


Once we were warmed up, it was time to learn the "S Walk," a slow and sultry move that we've been practicing all over our apartment. Then it was the time we were all waiting for--our introduction to the pole. Jill taught us that no matter what we do on the pole, it's our dismount that mattered--our butt needed to stick out like "It has eyes and is trying to see across the room" and our boobs needed to stretch in the other direction, like an "S".

With two women to a pole, we began to learn the Firefly spin, where you wrap your legs around the pole and fly. Jill reminded us that we had probably spun around poles when we were 5 years old in a similar manner so had nothing to be afraid of. We have to admit, we had a BLAST twirling, jumping and spinning around the pole--and we have the bruised shins to prove it!

From there, we strapped on those 6" stilettos and learned how to do a sexy wall dance we can do at home, since most of us don't live in fireshouses with easy access to stripper poles. We were a little wobbly simply walking in those towering shoes, but we must have learned something. We did a teaser dance for our fiancé the next morning. Let's just say he was very, very appreciative.

Pole Dancing Lesson Discount
We really loved the class and encourage you to try out Sheila Kelley's S Factor. It was a killer workout, but so much more. It was seriously empowering and made us appreciate our body in a way that we haven't had time to think about in quite a while. To entice you even more, we're offering JSG readers a 50% discount for the intro class. When booking, mention code: JET SET. Good through 12/31/09

On Our Radar: Le Parker Meridien NY

A weekend trip to NYC with my girls will be especially fun with a suite at Le Parker Meridien on West 56th St. We chose it for the Midtown location near Central Park, Times Square, shopping and much more. The enclosed rooftop pool with views of the park is unbeatable, as is breakfast at Norma's, the coffee in the Knave and the TDF burgers at the Burger Joint. If only I didn't give up red meat for lent!

They have a 20% off special when you stay two or more nights (Thursdays to Saturdays) and a Bed and Breakfast package which includes a decadent breakfast at Norma's. Both available on line.

On Our Radar: Tribeca Grand Hotel

For Annie's upcoming nuptials, most of the out of town guests will be staying in style at the Tribeca Grand. She selected the hotel first and foremost for its location (it's within easy walking distance to her reception), but also because it's chic and swank and has a hip New York vibe all without killing her guests' budgets.


The sister property to the Soho Grand, the Tribeca Grand has a soaring lobby, which is sure to wow out of towners. While she was a little nervous about the potential of all-night partying at the hotel's Church Lounge, each room is equipped with a Sony Dream Machine and management did request quieter rooms for Annie's parents and older relatives.

The rooms are modern without being spare and are large by NYC sizes. She loves that the hotel will provide you with a pet goldfish , but is guessing she'll be too busy for a pet, even a low-maintenance one.

The hotel is close to other things besides her reception for guests who want to sight see. Cross Canal Street to hit the shopping in SoHo, head south to get to Ground Zero or hop on one of the nearby subways to zoom up to Times Square and the Theater District. If it's warm enough, her guests can borrow one of the hotel's Electra Townie bikes to ride around NYC. The nearby Westside Highway path is flat and goes along the west perimeter of Manhattan.



She has also been scoping out after-reception options and has her eyes on Macao Trading Company across the street from the Tribeca Grand for tasty cocktails, Warren 77, the bar partly owned by Sean Avery, and Naked Lunch, and oldie but a goodie where she danced away many a night in her past. (Update: We crossed Warren 77 off the list last night when @immaculateinfat tweeted that it smelled of "courgars and doucehbags.") Of course there's always the Tribeca Grand's Church Street Lounge or she could just hit the hay with her new hubby.

On Our Radar: New Orleans Jazz Fest

Jazz Fest kicks off in a month on April 29th, so plan your trip now. We'd love to stay at the new Hotel Le Marais on Conti Street less than a block from Bourbon Street where rooms start at a remarkably low $109! They give you a cocktail at checkin; but if you go, try their purple cocktail at the bar and let us know what you think.

The guestrooms are a cool mix of neutrals and eggplant. Since the hotel opened in November, there's a good chance everything is still fresh. We're digging the free WiFi, complimentary breakfast, granite bathrooms, free bottles of water, and iPod docking stations.

Need more reason to check out Hotel Le Marais? It has the biggest outdoor hot tub in the French Quarter. Happy travels!

On Our Radar: Spa Week

It's that time of the year again, where great spas across the country offer up their popular services for only $50 a pop. Spa Week runs from April 11th through the 17th.  I always take the chance to pamper myself (somehow I can justify it if it's at a discount!). This time around I booked the Stress Melter Ritual (scrub and wrap) and a facial at The Red Door Spa. For $50 each it's like getting two for one and this close to tax day, I'll need some relief. Who wants to join me?

Book your services now, because they fill up quickly! www.spaweek.com

On Our Radar: Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have arrived in New York. The boutique hotel experts with both on-line and 24 hour in-house advisors, lend their advice on over 700 fabulous hotels worldwide. All of their hotspots have been visited and reviewed at least twice- once by a team member and once by a tastemaker (think Stella McCartney, Dita von Teese and Cate Blanchett). Check their site for these in depth and quirky reviews.

You don't have to be a member to book on-line; but members get special perks like money-back and exclusive travel deals. James Lohan and his wife, Tamara, started the company in London in 2003 after an unfortunate travel experience. "We go to extraordinary lengths to select the world’s best boutique hotels, and then we anonymously review all of them so we’re certain it’s the most passionately discerning collection on the planet," said Lohan.

We checked MrandMrsSmith.com for NYC just see to if they're on target with their choices. Sure enough they recommended and insightfully reviewed some of our favorite boutique hotels like the Soho House (pictured above), the Standard NY, the Ace Hotel, the Greenwich Hotel and more.

On Our Radar: Montreal

In case our other Memorial Day Travel Ideas weren't quite European enough in feel for you, here's another idea: Head north across the border to Montreal. With the cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafés and French speaking natives, you'll think you hopped the pond and are in France. We're heading there ourselves next week, so will report back with the full scoop on what's new and not to be missed.

We're most looking forward to the shopping, including the Unicorn Boutique, which houses smaller designers not found frequently in the states, including Eve Gravel (shown), and  Harricana by Mariouche, which features creations made of recycled furs.

We'll be staying at the Opus Hotel, conveniently located at the corner of Rue Sherbrooke and Boulevard Saint-Laurent. We first became a fan of the Opus after touring the equally chic Vancouver property years ago.

We'll be in Montreal May 20-24. Follow our tweets from our trip at JSGAnne.

On Our Radar: The First Armani Hotel

The first Armani Hotel opened his first hotel in Dubai this week. Situated in the world's tallest building, Giorgio Armani designed everything from the furnishings to the menus to the amenities.

“It has long been my dream to have a hotel in which I myself would like to stay and entertain family and friends, where the Armani aesthetic is combined with Italian-style warmth and hospitality. I am thrilled to open the doors of the Armani Hotel Dubai and invite my guests in to experience my world," said Armani. He also told WWD about the hotel's design, "This is a place where you have to find your way. It's an adventure."

When guests check in they're assigned a Lifestyle Manager --a supercharged concierge -- who makes sure every aspect of their stay within the hotel and in Dubai is fulfilling including: business arrangements, shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

Book your stay at http://www.armanihotels.com/.

See where else Mr. Armani is planning on opening hotels.

On Our Radar: Vacations for Women Whose Husbands Cheated

Here's a special from The Reef Resort in Grand Cayman that's tailor made for any woman who has suffered the same fate as Sandra Bullock, Elin Woods and Ginny Barber: The Cheat’en Husbands respite package. Included is a Men Are Pigs’cocktail (we hope that's a fancy name for bottomless tequila shots), a mani and pedi and  a T-shirt painting therapy workshop, where suggested slogans are “men are scum,” “cheat’en is for losers.”

The package includes a four-night stay for four in a two-bedroom beachfront suite and a jeep rental. Prices start at $445 per person during the summer season and $595 per person during the winter season.

Word of warning: The hotel also offers romance, honeymoon and wedding packages, so you may be better off sticking with Vegas!

On Our Radar: LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton to Enter Hotel Market

LVMH Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy is planning to build two luxury resorts, one each in Egypt and Oman. LVMH follows in the footsteps of Giorgio Armani whose Dubai hotel was scheduled to open March 28th. We only wish they were a little bit closer. Word has it that Armani's next hotel will open in Milano- a dream destination if you love great clothes, leather goods, and food (who doesn't?). Then Armani is expanding to Marrakech and possibly NYC. We hope to visit one of these exclusive properties so we can report back how they've refected their style in the design, service and hotel experience.

As for Louis Vuitton, we're curious who they'll get to pitch the new hotels. We'd love to see Madge be part of the campaign!

On Our Radar: The Opening of the New Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles

The Ritz-Carlton L.A. opens today and is the cherry-on-top to the L.A. Live development which began with the Staples Center a decade ago.  The Ritz-Carlton is perched on top of its sister property, the JW Marriot, and features:

An exclusive rooftop pool and lounge with private cabanas and seating available day and night

An 8,000 square foot spa with a "Champagne and Shimmer" theme with treatments that include the Glowing Gold Facial and the Champagne and Citrus Scrub

Wolfgang Puck's new WP24 restaurant featuring Asian dishes and floor to ceiling windows with geat views

A 2,000 square foot fitness center 

And, our personal fave, the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge

On Our Radar: Vieques, Puerto Rico

It's on our must-go list for 2010 and now it's time! The W Vieques Retreat and Spa opened yesterday. We still haven't seen any official photos of the property, but the beach and those crystal clear waters, above, are reason enough to go. And the renderings are pretty seductive, too. That's the Living Room bar below.

and a Mega guest room. Even the smaller--and smallest that the W Vieques offers--Wonderful rooms are an impressive 560 square feet.

You can snorkel, dive, surf, kayak and more on the secluded island, that's a short plane flight from San Juan. Just how secluded is the island? Visitors weren't allowed on from World War II until 2003 when it was a U.S. naval base. And only 3 percent of Caribbean travelers had ever even heard of it. So just imagine how pristine those beaches are!

Foodies will love the Alain Ducasse Mix restaurant. Here's hoping it lives up to the hype better than Mr. Chow's did at the W South Beach.

The W Vieques has a special Who's the Ulitmate Insider Package for travel before June 1 that includes a room for $289/night and two cocktails in the W Airport Lounget. For another option, book the  Worldwide Wow Package before 5/1. Included in the WWP package are:

• 2 Welcome Cocktails in W Lounge
 at the airport
• Daily breakfast at miX on the beach

• Sunset Champagne Ritual for 2
• Baba au Rhum – A signature Alain Ducasse dessert

• Exclusive Jane Marvel for W Retreat and Spa ‘Sunshine’ beach bag

• Upgrade to a Mega room

On Our Radar: Spa Week

Pick up the phone now and make your appointment for Spa Week April 12-18 at one of the 800+ spas that are participating in the spa junkies dream. Spa treatments are only $50 each. And we're talking about way more than a polish change or 10-minute neck massage. Among the decadent treats:  

2 Hour Calmquest™ Meditation Session
Agave The Arizona Spa at the Westin Kierland Resort (below)

80 Min 24K Gold Facial with Lunch at Martier Café
Spa Martier, New York City

Titan Eye Tightening Treatment (originally $500)
VITAHL Medical Aesthetics

50 Min Make-Up Lesson with Application
Gurney's Sea Water Spa & Thalasso Center, Long Island

80 Min Plant Essence Aroma Bath Rituals Followed by Full Body Massage
The Woodhouse Day Spa of Franklin

Teeth Whitening
Atlanta Medical Day Spa and Surgery Center - Buckhead

Acoustic Wave Therapy (AWT) for Cellulite Reduction
Advanced Laser and Medical Spa of Rye, NY

90 Min Traditional Thai Massage with Foot Reflexology
Thai Sabai Traditional Thai Massage (below), Los Angeles

60 Min U Glow Package, Including Full Body Micropolish and Airbrush Tanning
U. Boutique & Med Spa, Plano, TX

50 Min Cranberry Body Scrub with Massage, includes Access to Swimming Pool, Whirlpool and Steam
Elmwood Spa, Toronto

45 Min Blueberry Antioxidant Body Scrub and Detoxifying Mud Wrap
WELL Spa at the Platinum Hotel, Las Vegas

90 min Package Including Colon Hydrotherapy and Infrared Sauna 
Balance the Clinic and Day Spa, San Francisco

The Official Spa Week Vajazzling Lineup (Swarovski Crystals on your you-know-what)
Completely Bare
25 Bond Street
New York, NY

For a complete listing, see Spa Week.com.

On Our Radar: Vegas Pools

Well at least one place in the country is getting good weather these days--many pools in Vegas have opened, 2 weeks ahead of schedule. Until the much-anticipated Liquid, the adult-only pool lounge and restaurant at Aria and the new Encore Beach Club at the Encore open later this summer, we suggest cooling your heels at the Wet Republic at MGM Grand, which opens today. It features eight pools, DJ's, an underwater sound system, and cabanas with flat screen TV's.

Read more about the new opening to the  Vegas Pool Scene and our past favorites. And find out why Vegas is the place to be for the rest of March.

On Our Radar: Alice In Wonderland at NYC's Dream Hotel

While the movie has gotten mixed reviews, we think the Alice in Wonderland Package at NYC's Dream ( shown below) or Night Hotel still sound like a hoot.

Included in the package are:

• Two tickets to Alice in Wonderland at IMAX theater
• Two tickets to the MoMA Tim Burton exhibition  
• Alice in Wonderland themed playing cards
• Copy of the books Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
• Adult Tea-party turn-down service

Pricing starts at $277 + tax for one night, or $426 + tax for two nights.

On Our Radar: Grand Opening of the Distrikt Hotel NYC

We're excited to check out the Distrikt Hotel which recently opened and honors New York City.  Each of the Distrikt Hotel's floors pays homage to a different neighborhood in Manhattan such as: Chelsea, Soho, the Lower East Side, and Tribeca.  The neighborhoods encompass three floors each starting downtown with the Financial District and ending in Harlam on the top floors.  They are represented by backlit collages from artist Chris Rubino on each floor.  You can even request a neighborhood where you would like to stay.

The hotel's great location Midtown on West 40th between 8th and 9th Avenues is easy walking to shows, shopping and good eats.

 

Chris Rubino's Midtown West

Special guest accomodations include extra thick window glass to keep out the sounds from Broadway below, Frette linens and robes, free WIFI, iPod/iPhone docking stations, a 37" LG flatscreen tv, and free overnight shoeshines.

 

Chris Rubino's Lower East Side

On Our Radar: Mardi Gras- Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!

Fat Tuesday is February 16th and the Bacchus parade, considered the grandest of parades, is Sunday night. If you're thinking of heading to New Orleans this year for Mardi Gras but haven't made hotel reservations yet, you're not alone.  After the Saints big win in Sunday's Superbowl, we bet tons of people are itching to hit the Big Easy. Our recommendation is to call around, because there are bound to be a few free hotel rooms and cancellations.

A couple of tips for Mardi Gras:
Expect to see some crazy in the French Quarter. This isn't stuff of urban legends- our friends still talk about the hunk of a man they saw walking in the Quarter with an outfit made of only 5 leather straps or the Elizabeth Taylor drag queen who was biting off chunks of Velveeta.

Want to join the fun? Expect to see lots of flashing, concentrated but not limited to the parade routes.  Don't be shy, you only live once, we may have done some of this ourselves in college.

Debauchery is intrinsic to the celebration, in fact, Fat Tuesday refers to indulging in rich food before lent which begins the next day.  That of course includes drinking.  We can't stress enough that it's a good idea to party in numbers and keep an eye out for each other.  

Here are our picks for places to stay if you can score a room.  Check out the W Hotel French Quarter (pictured above) with its great location, pet-friendly policy, outdoor courtyard pool and lobby lounge. The Mega Rooms (below) have patios on the courtyard:

Or the Hotel Monteleone where Annie stayed for Tales of the Cocktail last summer. It's rumored to be one of America's premiere haunted hotels, Annie didn't see any, although she did experience plenty of ghosts of cocktails past.  The Monteleone also boasts a long list of literary notables that called its rooms home for a spell including Truman Capote, Wm. Faulkner, Anne Rice and John Grisham.  Ernest Hemingway wrote about the revolving Carousel Bar (pictured below):