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Volume 6, Issue 5, February 6, 2008 |
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A recent study by the American Psychological Association revealed that more than half of all Americans feel their stress levels have increased over the past five years. So pity the poor travelers who are also dealing with the stress of flight delays, missing family occasions, scheduling meetings and living out of a suitcase. Fortunately, an increasing number of business hotels are giving them a break.
Hotel spa revenues were up by almost 10 percent last year, according to PKF Hospitality Research, which goes to show that travelers are taking advantage of the extra amenities offered.
The ideal, of course, is to add at least a day of “rejuvenation vacation” to a business trip, but if you can’t, you can still squeeze in spa services tailored for the traveler on the go.
If you have a couple of days to spare on a swing through the south, the Wild Dunes Resort just outside Charleston, S.C. has both a golf course and a “therapeutic package.” The two-night package includes healthy breakfasts, daily yoga, a massage, bike rentals, and a kayaking excursion—enough to refresh mind and body.
Hyatt Hotels offer “balance retreats” at properties around the world, “designed for wellness, renewal and relaxation.” For example, the program at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto includes a $100 credit for use in its Riraku Spa, while the Hyatt Regency Boston includes a massage, a copy of Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul, bubble bath and a Power Bar.
Hotels are making it increasingly easy to fit revival time into your schedule. In London, The Dorchester’s spa has a 55-minute anti-jetlag treatment that involves body brushing; body, face and scalp massage; and aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is also a key component in the hour-long Anti-Stress Body Treatment at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco. The refresh-and-detoxify hydrotherapy treatment at the 12 Apostles Hotel’s Sanctuary Spa in Cape Town takes just 45 minutes. And every month in Global Traveler we bring you a new spa report with more ideas for rejuvenating on the road.
Hotels aren’t the only places keeping the business traveler’s revival needs in mind. Virgin Atlantic found its short meditation audio program was so popular that it has now introduced a 30-minute Imagination Reality relaxation experience using audio effects and video to promote a relaxing “meditation journey” on its long-haul flights. And travelers enjoy the massage chairs in Emirates Airlines’ Singapore lounge so much that the airline is now rolling them out into its Emirates Lounges around the world; they are expected to be in 18 airports by June.
Do you want to give the Transportation Security Administration a piece of your mind? Do you want to give them a chance to explain why they do the things they do? Then visit TSA.gov/blog. The agency promises to give equal time to the “critical or cranky” and to try to answer consumer comments. For another view of government in the making, you can now go to the Stay Smart America site sponsored by Holiday Inn, which keeps a cumulative total of what all the Presidential candidates are spending on lodging during the course of the campaign season.
The date is set: On March 18, Singapore Airlines will begin flying the superjumbo Airbus A380 aircraft on regularly scheduled service between Changi (SIN) and London (LHR). Singapore Airlines currently flies A380s between Sydney (SYD) and Singapore, and is due to receive its third superjumbo from Airbus in early March.
If you’ve left those Valentine’s Day plans until the last minute, private jet charter company Halcyon Jet is ready to help. Its DreamDate package includes a concierge to help you plan your trip; a cabin full of exotic flowers; a giftwrapped Tiffany diamond necklace; a bottle of Imperial Majesty perfume; nine pieces of Louis Vuitton monogrammed luggage; a pair of high-heeled Christian Louboutin shoes; an on-board massage; vintage champagne, and chocolate. The price is a cool $1.5 million ($1.465 million of which is for the necklace and perfume) — plus the cost of the jet charter.
Three new airline routes were announced this week, expanding the options for business travelers heading to Latin America, Asia and Canada. Spirit Airlines began flying via Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to Panama City, Panama (PTY) three times a week, going daily as of May 1. EVA Air will begin flying the Taipei (TPE) to Los Angeles (LAX) route via Osaka (KIX) as of March 30. And effective March 31, a new Canadian airline, Porter Airlines, debuts, flying on weekdays between Newark (EWR) and Toronto’s downtown City Centre Airport (YTZ).
Etihad Airways is investing millions of dollars in its lounge facilities in Abu Dhabi’s (AUH) Terminal 1, and the first phase opens mid-February. At that time, first-class passengers will be able to dine, relax and even get spa treatments in the brand-new first class lounge. The next phase involves remodeling existing lounges into more spacious facilities for the airline’s business-class travelers.
Chap’s Grill and Chophouse
1300 Westhaven Drive
Vail, CO 81657
tel 970 476 7111
www.vailcascade.com/vail-colorado-restaurant.php
Steakhouses are straightforward and simple on the surface: Get great meat, grill it right, hire good waiters and have a good wine list. But the subtleties of flavors and textures are what puts many top steakhouses on the list of the country’s best restaurants — a category to which Chap’s most definitely belongs.
I liked the look of the dining room from the beginning, all earthtones and big windows looking out onto the pool deck and the creek, with chunky wood furniture well-spaced so that you don’t overhear your neighbors’ conversation. When the food started arriving, I liked it even better.
I started with the Chap’s signature soup, with smoked pheasant, roasted corn and scallions; it was terrific. The other appetizers I sampled (thanks to the forbearance of my dining companions) were the peekytoe crab cakes, set off perfectly with mango salsa; the tuna tartare, served with crisp wontons; and the roasted polenta cake with port sauce and wild mushrooms. All were perfect, and in small enough portions not to ruin a diner’s appetite for the main course.
This is certainly the place to come if you have a big appetite, too. The restaurant specializes in mixing in wild game with local meat, and the local Blackfoot buffalo ribeye was a 16-ounce portion that covered the plate. I just had a bite and it was delicious, tender and not gamey. My own entrée was the rack of Colorado lamb chops in a rosemary-garlic marinade, and both the presentation — artistic but not architectural — and the taste were spectacular. A variety of steaks, with a choice of signature sauces, plus pork chops, several different fish, and osso buco round out the menu. I snuck glances at other patrons around me, and they all looked blissful, as was I.
There’s a very good wine list, and knowledgeable staff to recommend appropriate pairings at any budget level, which I appreciated. Our $50 bottle of California Cabernet came from the low end of the list and was excellent.
Chap’s is also open for breakfast and lunch, and it has an outdoor deck that is going to be partially enclosed this year to bring the outdoors in. With such a pretty setting, I’m sure that’s a good idea, but the food at Chap’s is so good that I think you could serve it in a broom closet and still get raves.
Score: ••••• Mary Hunt
Thai Airways is offering a great deal on its Royal Silk business class fares to Bangkok (BKK) from either Los Angeles (LAX) or New York (JFK): Two people traveling together each pay half-price. To qualify, travel must begin by March 31. Travelers must fly together on both the outbound and inbound legs; there is a cancellation fee of $300 per ticket and a change fee of $75 per ticket. Royal Silk cabins now offer five feet of pitch between rows and 170-degree recline.
Here’s a long walk that won’t be spoiled by a little white ball: The Walk on the Wild Side ecology-sensitive package at Scotland’s Fairmont St. Andrews. It includes accommodations, breakfast and dinner made from local and organic ingredients, and a guide for the breathtaking Coastal Path, a 41-mile stretch following the cliffs and coastline. Package cost is $400 a night, midweek. Golf is extra.
You have until March 3 to enter to win a week’s vacation for a family of four to Half Moon Club, Jamaica. The sweepstakes is part of a promotion benefiting Westhaven Children’s Home in Jamaica. The single grand prize, valued at $6,000, includes an oceanfront suite, daily breakfast, scenic tours and airport transfers, to be used between May 15 and Dec. 15, 2008. There’s a limit of one entry per household.
Hilton HHonors has pulled the plug on blackout dates. Now if you want to use HHonors points to reserve a room at more than 2,900 Hilton properties worldwide, as long as qualifying accommodation is available, it’s yours. There are no capacity controls, either.
If you’re heading for Chicago (ORD) or leaving out of South Florida, American Airlines has a fare sale for you. For travel through March 10, fares to and from Chicago are on sale; for example, $84 round-trip Indianapolis (IND)-Chicago, $101 round-trip Kansas City (MCI)-Chicago. And American has established a special site, AA.com/SouthFlorida, with weekly specials for travel from Miami (MIA) and Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
