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GAS SAVING GETAWAY TO SAN FRANCISCO!

03.17.11

By Joanne Tucker

Think it’s too costly for a getaway or vacation to San Francisco?

Not when you book the Get Pumped Package, which offers overnight accommodations at a choice of three Personality Hotels in San Francisco for $169 per night, complimentary valet parking (a $36-40 per night savings), free wireless and a $10 gas card. (The package is valid through Dec. 30, 2011, but reservations must be received by Apr. 16).

Within easy walking distance to Union Square and boutique shops, art galleries, theatres and restaurants, a stay at one of three tech-savvy Personality Hotels is a real gas saver so pack your sneakers and head to San Francisco for a fun-filled getaway.

Avant garde Hotel Diva is located in Union Square and just steps from San Francisco’s famed Cable Car service, which can take you almost anywhere in the city without a drop of gas.

With 116 ultra-modern guestrooms, Hotel Diva features a cutting-edge style of cobalt blue carpeting, stainless steel fixtures, and sophisticated furnishings in each room. Luxe linens and sculptured steel headboards that are fashioned after a wave give each room an upscale sensibility.

This hotel offers complimentary tea and coffee in the mornings as well as use of designer internet lounges and a fitness room. Located directly across the street from Hotel Diva are two of San Francisco’s performing arts theatres, the American Conservatory Theatre and the Curran Theatre.

Hotel Union Square recently completed a modern makeover, but retained its Art Deco history by infusing contemporary and classic décor of brick walls, mosaic murals, signature staircases and opulent moldings.

Designed with a sophisticated urban apartment ambiance, the guest rooms arecustom furnished with platform beds and tufted leather headboards, sleek dark wood desks, velvety chaise lounges, and expansive capsule-shaped mirrors.

This hotel offers complimentary morning coffee and tea in the lobby and evening wine reception. A fitness center with walking distance of the hotel is complimentary and also discounted day passes to hip full-service gym, Club One.

Kensington Park Hotel, which has spectacular Nob Hill and Union Square views, is often referred to as the best address on Union Square because this boutique hotel is just steps from designer shopping at Macy’s, Saks and Louis Vuitton and Chinatown too.

Truly a boutique hotel with just 90 guestrooms, Kensington Park is furnished from head to toe in stately Queen Anne antiques. For romantic getaways, the Royal Suite features a canopy queen bed, fine linens, two fireplaces and a whirlpool bath.

This hotel also offers complimentary evening tea and sherry in the grand lobby. A complimentary fitness center is within walking distance of the hotel.

Personality Hotels, www.personalityhotels.com.

Joanne Tucker is a freelance travel and dining writer based in Costa Mesa, California.

LA QUINTA RESORT FOR SPRING ROMANCE AND FAMILY GETAWAYS

03.13.11

Review by Sheryll Alexander

The most historic and luxurious resort in Palm Springs is not located near downtown at all, but 19 miles southeast in the charming desert village of La Quinta and its living gem of a destination, La Quinta Resort & Club.

First opened at the height of the roaring 20s era in 1926, La Quinta Resort & Club has hosted Hollywood legends, English royalty, world leaders, sports super stars and those who just have good taste on where to spend a relaxing getaway.

What you first notice about La Quinta is the rugged Santa Rosa Mountains, which seems to rise right up to greet you with their dramatic rocky outcrops and eerie purple-and-gray colors. In fact, this 45-acre resort is surrounded on three sides by these awe-inspiring mountains.

And if you think the mountains are pretty, then the verdant grounds at La Quinta Resort will take your breath away. With each step, you notice Mother Nature peeking out to greet you via colorful flowers, hanging baskets, singing waterfalls, inviting courtyards, towering palms, green grass, bright bougainvillea and the fragrance of lemon, grapefruit, lemon, orange and tangelo trees everywhere.

La Quinta Resort boasts 496 rooms and villas built in Spanish Mediterranean with white-stuccoed walls, red tile roofs and doors painted a royal azure blue. Every casita village is built around one of 41 pools and 53 whirlpool spas. And if that wasn’t enough, La Quinta is also home to a top notch spa, excellent fitness facilities, championship-caliber tennis and golf, award-winning dining and an energetic plaza area with shopping, dining and music.

Yes, La Quinta Resort is a mini village. Need to get in and out of La Quinta? A Hertz Rent-A-Car office is located in the lobby and you can book all sorts of services from here such as airport transportation, tours, dining reservations, business services and even babysitting.

Your Own Private Casita

At La Quinta, each room is like having your own private casita. Built low to the ground to beat the desert heat, each room is actually part of a larger casita and then several casitas form an inner courtyard with gardens, palm trees, pools, lounge chairs, jacuzzi and even restrooms.

We stayed in Room 616 and an absolutely gorgeous rectangular pool was just seven steps from our door (yes, I counted!). Inside, the room may not have much architectural interest, but it was comfortable and luxurious with flat screen TVs, free wireless, goose down comforters, gas fireplace, a marble-laden wet bar, sumptuous side chair, DVD players, plush terry robes and the pièce de la resistance: the large tiled bathroom with double sinks, huge tub and glassed-in shower.

Beyond our deluxe guest room, La Quinta Resort also has more than 24 suites (some with private spas), 210 spa villas and nearly 100 spa villa studios, which can be transformed into three-bedroom suites.

Decadent Dining at La Quinta

La Quinta Resort has always been a dining destination since it opened in 1926 as a private getaway for Hollywood’s hungry elite. Today, the resort has no less than eight dining venues.

Morgan’s In The Desert is La Quinta’s most celebrated restaurant. Burned to the ground a few years ago in a devastating fire, Morgan’s has been reborn as a contemporary American cuisine restaurant and bar. Chef Jimmy Schmidt takes the bounty of the Coachella Valley and brings it to the plate in delicious ways. Yes, Chef Schmidt procures the most natural and flavorful ingredients to create rustic and nutritious farm-to-table dishes. At meal’s end, we recommend ordering the scrumptious popcorn ice cream!

La Quinta’s lively and lovely village complex also features several good restaurants. For a more casual breakfast, lunch and dinner, try Twenty6 restaurant. Adobe Grill features live Mariachi music, regional Mexican cuisine and signature oversized margaritas. Other dining venues are located in and around the resort’s golf and tennis clubs.

Spa, Fitness, Golf & Tennis

Spa La Quinta feels like a private sanctuary with gorgeous views of the Santa Rosa Mountain and its own sunny courtyard with gardens, pool and jacuzzi. The spa also features indoor and outdoor massage, facial and wet treatment rooms, seven private whirlpool baths, two steam rooms, two inhalation rooms and four open-air “celestial” showers. The women’s and men’s wings feature decadent locker rooms. A modern salon is also part of the spa complex while the resorts fitness center and movement studio are adjacent.

La Quinta is a world-renowned golf destination that hosts everyone from the beginner to the professional golfer with style and grace. Resort guests have full access to five challenging golf courses (90 holes combined!) including the dramatic Pete Dye-designed La Quinta Resort Mountain and Pete Dye Dunes courses. The resort also features the highly-rated TPC Stadium Golf Course at PGA WEST, Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST and the Greg Norman Course. The highly-acclaimed Jim McLean Golf School is also available to resort guests.

Tennis at La Quinta is also famed the world over. Under the leadership of Tom Gorman, who is indisputably America’s most successful Davis Cup captain and coach, La Quinta Resort’s state-of-the-art tennis facilities feature 23 courts with two different surfaces (hard and clay) and a top-notch USPTA-certified staff. With a sunken center court designed for tournament play, La Quinta Resort is consistently ranked among the “Top 20 Tennis Resorts” by Tennis Magazine.

In addition to spa, fitness, golf and tennis facilities, swimming is huge at La Quinta. It seems everyone takes a dip in the intimate pools that are located throughout the property. Plus, the main pool complex features food service, 12 cabanas and a children’s pool. La Quinta also features a volleyball court, six-hole putting course, a children’s playground are available, a family game room, an on-site theatre and hiking trails along the seven-mile Bear Creek Canyon Trail.

Pets Are Welcome at La Quinta

Need to make your getaway friendly for everyone in the family? Even the dog can have a great time at La Quinta as this pet-friendly resort charges a flat pet fee of just $50. Each furry friend gets a welcome package that includes a dog bone, a resort map with marked doggie relief stations, an oversized pet bed, a pet placement and stainless steel bowls for food and water. For an extra fee, you can purchase the “Material Dog” travel tote that features organic pet treats, biodegradable waste bags, bottle of disinfectant and deodorizer. La Quinta also has on-demand dog grooming.

Ready to discover La Quinta Resort and all of its pleasures? Spring is a wonderful time to stay at La Quinta and relax in the colorful bounty of this most pleasant destination.

La Quinta Resort & Club,49-499 Eisenhower Drive, La Quinta, CA 92253, 760-564-4111, www.laquintaresort.com.

Sheryll Alexander runs a news media agency. Based in coastal Orange County, she is a lifestyles editor and writer. Follow me! @sheryllalexande

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