Lobby lounge at the Red Lion Anaheim

Sometimes vacation pricing can seem a bit perverse. Which would you expect to cost more? A nice hotel room or a theme park ticket?

If you pick the right hotel in Anaheim, it could be less than the park. If you book before the end of this year, Red Lion Anaheim is offering a you a $99 room. That’s already good, but it includes breakfast for two adults (kids under 10 eat free), free parking, and free wireless internet access. That’s before taxes, but a great deal. Here are current prices for Disneyland. If you want to hit the two side-by-side parks, it’s north of $100. » Read more: When Your Hotel is Less Than the Theme Park: Red Lion Anaheim

One of the Cottages at the Wachusett Village Inn

Autumn in New England – it’s one of those quintessential vacations that everyone should experience at some point in their lives.  Crisp air, apple and pumpkin picking, and beautiful fall foliage are just a few of the things to enjoy during these few weeks.  One of the country inns most reminiscent of New England is the Wachusett Village Inn, located in the Wachusett Region of Central Massachusetts.  This true country inn offers 74 guest rooms and suites, including 16 with fireplaces.  Some of the rooms are located in the main building, while others are located in smaller cottages throughout the property.

Enjoy fall at the Inn with the Autumn in New England package.  It starts at just $59 per person, and includes overnight accommodations and a full American breakfast. It’s available any Sunday through Thursday night until the foliage season ends. » Read more: Autumn in New England at the Wachusett Village Inn in Massachusetts

Come play in The Westin Mau’s 87,000 square foot aquatic playground

Heavenly Experience in Hawaii

I have a confession to make. I’m one of those people who like staying in luxury hotels. What’s not to like about having someone make your bed, arrange a massage on your behalf or share a mai tai and sunset by the swimming pool? Better yet, I am able to return to my Heavenly Bed – if I’m staying at a Westin property – and get a good night sleep.

One of my favorite Westin properties is The Westin Maui Resort and Spa, situated along the popular Ka’anapali Beach in Lahaina, Maui. If you have kids, or are a kid at heart, you will love splashing about in the 87,000 square foot aquatic playground. With five swimming pools, this place is a virtual water world of fun. There is an adult only swimming pool and the Jacuzzi is a bit hidden if you want some alone time.

If you are looking for thrills, plunge down the water slide, with its 270- degree turns and 23 foot drop. More thrills can be found riding the waves of the Pacific, or for those looking to relax and chill, grab a lounge chair and simply watch the waves roll in.  If you like snorkeling, I recommend you walk along the beach trail to the Sheraton, where Black Rock of Kaanapali meets the ocean – it’s more protected and turtles hang out there. » Read more: Westin Maui Resort and Spa is Heavenly Hawaiian Experience

The trip to Tokyo can be a fabulous experience when you stay in the Peninsula Hotel.  This is one of the renowned hotels of the country and people often come to stay there for the purpose of making their trip to Japan a memorable one. The hotel is placed in a strategic position as it is near the royal palace and the Hibiya Park. The 5 star hotel is placed beside the shopping capital of Tokyo Ginza and you have to walk just 5 minutes to reach the arcade. Just 10 minutes walking distance will take you to the popular Kabuki-za Theater. The tour in Japan can be lifetime experience if you stay in Peninsula Hotel Tokyo. The hotel has 5 chic restaurants and one among them is Peter that offered a grand view of Tokyo from its 24th floor.

Rooms

The guest rooms of Peninsula Hotel Tokyo are highly spacious and you will be furnished with all possible amenities in it to make your stay convenient. The rooms have high speed internet connection in it. Guests are offered a refrigerator, plasma television, and a fully furnished mini bar. Talk the basis and sophisticated electronic facilities like telephones. The couples can make their evening romantic as the hotel has mood lighting.  The sitting area is separated in the room to give special private to the guest’s bedroom.

Recreation

The Peninsula Hotel is furnished with a well-equipped gym and the health clubs where the guests can work out easily. The health club has 20 meter indoor pool that stays always heated for sauna or steam bath. Guests can get help from personal trainers as expert trainers are always available in Peninsula health club.

Dining

The dining restaurants are fabulous in Peninsula Hotel as there are 5 different restaurants for dining. Hei Fung Terrace, Kyoto Tsuruya, The Peninsula Boutique and Café, and The lobby are the five different places where you can have taste the delicacies of the world. You can taste different cuisines like Cantonese, haute and seasonal fares in the restaurants in Peninsula.

A glimpse of the Gold Rush era at the National Hotel in Nevada City, CA.

On a recent trip to Tahoe with the fam, we made a stop in Nevada City, which despite the name is not in Nevada, but rather in the Sierra foothills of California, close to where gold was discovered to kick off the 1849 Gold Rush.

It’s a delightful little town brimming with Victorian and Edwardian architecture that you’re more likely to find folks eating organic, gluten-free ice cream cones these days then drinking straight shots of whiskey and gambling at the local saloon.

Knowing my penchant for storied hotels, my father-in-law, a self-taught historian recommended we stop by the National Hotel, one of the 10 oldest continuously operated hotels in California

The National Hotel was built in 1882.

The National definitely skews toward the whiskey/poker/saloon days. The rambling two-story building was built in 1852 and looks like it could have been the inspiration for the set of Deadwood.

The original 19th-century redwood bar still stands and unfortunately, the saloon seems to have retained its original booze-soaked smell along with it. Standing there, it’s not hard to imagine the wild days and nights of the Gold Rush, packed with crusty miners, cowboys and Wild West women. Something tells me these walls have seen a brawl or two…

Inside the sprawling hotel are loads of antiques ephemera from yesteryear from antique tools and gadgets to oil portraits in gilded frames to vintage bordello-type furnishings.

The hotel has 42 rooms, an on-premise restaurant, the “soaking room” with an old-fashioned claw foot bathtub for two, and a resident ghost named “Flo.” Rates are $85 to $140 (approximately) and include breakfast.

The National Hotel
211 Broad Street
Nevada City, CA 95959-2501
(530) 265-4551

Photos by Lisa Dion

The Louis Hotel is a Design Hotel and probably the first one of its kind to adorn the city of Munich, Germany. The hotel is located right on one of Munich’s most celebrated sights, Viktualienmarkt. The Louis hotel is also only a few minutes away from many other popular places of the city for instance the Maximilianstrasse, Hofbräuhaus, Glockenspiel etc. If you are coming from the airport, you will only need 45 minutes for reaching Louis Hotel.

The hotel has 72 guestrooms, each of which is designed perfectly for meeting the needs of the people staying here. The hotel authority have made sure that the guests feel comfortable after coming back to the hotel room after a long day’s travel. Guests can also unwind themselves by spending some time at the gym or in the sauna chamber.

The culinary department of this hotel is looked after by chefs trained at Tokyo. The food served in this hotel combine the traditional features of Japanese cuisines and the traits of contemporary European cuisines. If you are at the Emiko restaurant, you will get to dine communally (a tradition in practice in Japan). Adjacent to the Emiko restaurant is Emiko Bar. Here will get to enjoy cocktails mixed specially for matching the flavors of Asian kitchen.

Another highlight of the Louis Hotel is the breathtaking views of Munich that you will be able to enjoy from the terrace of the hotel. You can also spend some relaxing hours at the terrace sipping fresh juices served by the mobile bar.

Louis hotel would also be a perfect choice for people traveling to the city of Munich for business meets. The hotel has 2 meeting rooms equipped with all the necessary devices. Both these rooms can accommodate 20 people each and they can be combined together if a larger meeting area is required.