Review of Hotel Indigo in Sarasota, Florida
Posted August 21, 2009 , add a comment
The front desk at Hotel Indigo Sarasota shows off the chain
Guest Post by Leigh Caldwell of ThemeParkMom.
Comfy, casual
Not your daddy’s biz hotel
It’s not stuffy here
So that’s my haiku tribute to the Intercontinental Hotels Group boutique hotel chain, Hotel Indigo.
On a recent stay at the Hotel Indigo Sarasota, I expected to see the color blue (indigo, actually) and the logo’s iconic seashell everywhere, but I was surprised to find a hotel filled with poetry (haiku, actually).
The three-liners are everywhere - on the brochures, in the fitness center and even on the room’s plastic laundry bag. Hotel Indigo says the haiku are designed to surprise, refresh and provide tranquility.
One of the sweetest surprises of my Hotel Indigo stay was a personalized haiku left in my room the evening of my stay, along with a bottle of water and a snack. The front desk staff told me they enjoy writing haiku for the guests, and they often try to base the personalized poems on the industry in which the traveler works.
Location
Hotel Indigo Sarasota sits on Tamiami Trail, across the street from Sarasota
Hotel Indigo Sarasota is just a few minutes’ drive from Sarasota’s downtown and just 10 minutes south of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. It is within walking distance of many of the attractions on Sarasota’s Bayfront and would be the perfect place to stay when visiting the city to attend a performance at Sarasota’ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The city’s Rosemary District, an area undergoing an urban renewal, is also within walking distance and features locally-owned restaurants and unusual shops for browsing.
If you plan on sticking your toes in the sand on your Sarasota trip, Lido Beach is 10 minutes away. And Dr. Beach’s second best beach in the world, Siesta Beach, is just a 15-20 minute drive.
My travel companions and I had a delightful dinner at the Broadway Bar, three blocks north of the hotel. Though not revealed in the restaurant’s name, this is a true red-sauce Italian mom-and-pop joint, complete with the red-and-white checked tablecloths.
Guest rooms
Guest rooms have laminate wood floors and a comfy casual decor.
The guest rooms at Hotel Indigo Sarasota are not the typical cookie-cutter business hotel. They are spacious, with hardwood floors, comfy beds with a sea of white linens and bold, graphic wall murals.
I stayed in a king suite, which was a large, single room that included a sitting area in addition to the bed. The couch in the sitting area has a pull-out bed for extra guests or children.
an efficient workspace and another graphic wall mural
The workspace was furnished with a comfortable desk, lamp and desk chair with wheels. Free wireless Internet also makes it possible to work in the sitting area or on the bed.
The tranquil feeling continued in the bathroom, which had a huge, tiled walk-in shower with glass walls.
The only thing I found missing in my Hotel Indigo Sarasota room was a closet. There is a wardrobe with hanging space, but on short stays such as this one, I prefer not to unpack much of my clothing, opting to set up my suitcase on a luggage rack in the closet. There was a luggage rack in the room, where I was able to put my suitcase in an unused corner, but I generally prefer to conceal it from view.
Public spaces
The lobby stretches into a casual wine bar/lounge/eatery that I found refreshing after eating in many stuffy hotel dining rooms. The hotel’s kitchen serves a small menu, but it provided plenty of variety in my opinion, with a few appetizer choices, sandwiches and entree salads. There is also a counter to buy potato chips, bakery goods and other snack items to consume in the lounge, your room or the pool area. Room service is also available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A hot tub and cold tub replace the traditional hotel pool at Hotel Indigo Sarasota.
There is not a large pool area at the Hotel Indigo Sarasota. A pleasant space outdoors offers a rectangular hot tub and a cold pool. But the pool is the same size at the hot tub and not made for swimming, only for a dip. I did spend some time in the pool area and found comfortable chairs and shaded tables, as well as a great signal for the hotel’s free wireless Internet. I do not swim frequently on my business travels, and I don’t know any other business traveler who does, but you should know this in advance if you are planning a vacation stay.
The hotel also offers a fitness center just off the pool, equipped with treadmills, ellipticals and weight-lifting equipment.
I am definitely adding Hotel Indigo to my list of preferred brands when traveling. The more casual vibe of this hotel really fits my lifestyle and personality, and I encourage weary road warriors to give it a try.
All photos by the author.
Best Hotel Bars in the Greater Orlando, Florida, Area
Posted , add a commentHotel and resort bars, often serving as epicenters for the properties, allow you to scope out and mingle with your fellow travelers. In the Disney area, you’re guaranteed an international crowd. In downtown Orlando, you’ll meet businessmen from across the country; you may hear accents, but probably not other languages. It adds up to more travel for your money if, with one trip, you meet globetrotting characters with wildly colorful stories. !Salud!
3. Red Fox Lounge in the Best Western Mt. Vernon, Winter Park, Florida
Beloved by hipsters and low-key locals, this bar is perhaps best known for Mark Wayne and Lorna Lambey, the lounge singers who take the stage starting at 8 p.m. every night but Sunday.
What to order Dirty martini
Average drink price $5.50
111 S. Orlando Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-647-1166
2. Todd English’s Blue Zoo Lounge in the Dolphin Hotel, Disney World, Kissimee, Florida
Disney’s Blue Zoo Lounge
Ultra chic, hip and modern, it’s the kind of bar best appreciated if you have a padded expense account.
What to order Zooberry
Average drink price $13
1500 Epcot Resorts Boulevard
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
888-828-8850
1. Bosendorfer Lounge in the Grand Bohemian Hotel, downtown Orlando, Florida
The elements that define a memorable hotel bar—stiff drinks, a steady of supply of suited strangers whose business seems just intriguing enough, and bartenders who know when not to ask your name—converge at this dimly lit, uber classy bar. Like a good cocktail, the Bosendorfer lounge always delivers the right mix of people to keep the night interesting.
What to order The Boheme, Rhapsody in Red
Average drink price $9 (martinis are $12)
325 S. Orange Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801
407-313-9000
Special thanks to MarkHillary for the inviting shot of the Blue Zoo Lounge.
Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast, Gainvesville, Florida
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McKenzie House. Photo by Donna L. Hull
When Marcheta Keefer of the Alachua County Visitor’s Bureau invited me to visit Gainesville to experience “inner” Florida, I had a hard time turning my attention away from the powdery white sands of Florida’s Gulf Coast. But once Marcheta dropped me off at Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast, I succumbed to its Victorian charm.
Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast is actually a collection of Victorian homes. There’s McKenzie House and Cushman-Colson House, plus McKenzie Gardens and four cottages on a lane behind the main houses. Giovanna Holbrook and her daughter, Cornelia, have managed to provide beautiful and comfortable accommodations, while restoring and preserving a part of Gainesville’s Victorian past.
Isadora Room. Photo by Donna L. Hull
The cherub-themed Isadora’s Room ($135 weekday/$170 weekend) on the third floor of McKenzie House provided my headquarters for three days of exploring the Gainesville area. Like all of the rooms at Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast, antique furnishings and gleaming hardwood floors set the scene. Paintings of cherubs floated on the wall above my queen-size wrought iron bed. The large bathroom included a one-person jacuzzi tub. But my favorite element was the adjoining sitting area with decorative fireplace and built-in window seat. In the late afternoon, I’d pull out my laptop and connect to free wireless internet as the sun streamed through the room’s stained glass windows surrounding me in a golden glow.
I was glad my room included a climb up two sets of stairs after enjoying the full breakfast included in the room rate. Guests choose from hot and cold dishes served buffet style in the spacious kitchen of Cushman-Colson House. Cornelia Holbrook’s crepes are a favorite. A formal dining room, breakfast room or outside tables provide the place to put your plate.
My window on the world. Photo by Donna L. Hull
It’s an easy walk from Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breafkast to historic downtown Gainesville. The area offers shopping, dining and stage productions at the Hippodrome State Theatre located in the former Federal Building. A quick drive to the University of Florida campus brought me to the Florida Museum of Natural History where I strolled through the peaceful Butterfly Rainforest. On another day, I ventured the 15 minutes to Paynes Prairie State Preserve for a hike to see alligators.
In the afternoons, guests gather again at Cushman-Colson house to compare their day over complementary wine and appetizers. Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast attracts a mix of tourists, business travelers and parents of University of Florida students, leading to lively discussions on the shaded front porch.
Yes, those Florida beaches are nice. But discovering “inner” Florida introduced me to culture and adventure mixed with Victorian charm. I’d say that’s a good combination.
Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast
625 East University Avenue
Gainesville, Florida 32601
(352) 373-6760
1-800-595-7760
Rates from range from $90 for a single/double room to $245. Prices include full breakfast and a complimentary wine and cheese hour.
All photos by Donna L. Hull
Review by Donna L. Hull, My Itchy Travel Feet
OrlandoTravelHotels.com Helps Travelers Save Money with a 110% Best Rate Guarantee
Posted , add a comment) Orlando, FL - August 12, 2009 - - OrlandoTravelHotels.com is a new destination travel site launched by Xcellimark in partnership with WCT, a division of Travelocity Partner Network. OrlandoTravelHotels.com provides everything visitors need to plan their vacation or travel to the Central Florida Orlando area including information on hotel accommodations.
OrlandoTravelHotels.com is also backed by a 110% Best Rate Guarantee from WCT. What this means for vacation planners is that if they find a lower rate on another website for the same room, at the same hotel, on the same dates, within 24 hours of booking, a price match is guaranteed, plus the traveler gets paid 10% of the difference in price.
“We want OrlandoTravelHotels.com to be a one-stop shop for hotel and travel reservations. The 110% Best Rate Guarantee applies to discount Save Rates at over 60,000 global properties. In fact, we guarantee that our Save Rate Hotels are the best prices available online,” said Nancy Lambert, Xcellimark Vice President.
Once a traveler makes a Save Rate Hotel reservation, and finds a lower rate, for the same room, on the same date, on another website, all they have to do is complete the 110% Best Rate Guarantee Request form with accurate, verifiable information. The request will receive a response within 48 business hours.
“Our Save Rate Hotels are already low - we can guarantee them because we negotiate these rates with hotels and hotel suppliers based on our bulk purchasing capabilities,” said Scott Lambert, Xcellimark President.
Save Rate Hotels are denoted with a special icon next to the property listing. The 110% Best Rate Guarantee is for the Save Rate Hotel room rates only and does not include any taxes, tariffs or fees. The 110% Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to discounted rates for senior citizens (including AARP rates), travel industry rates (e.g. IATA), corporate negotiated rates, Government/Military rates or AAA rates.
About Xcellimark
Xcellimark is an award-winning Internet Marketing firm based in Orlando, Florida with clients throughout the US, Canada, UK, and Barbados. Xcellimark specializes in providing clients with exclusive, qualified sales leads using a skilled online conversion process that includes design, search engine marketing strategies and copywriting. Through their unique approach to internet marketing, Xcellimark has significantly increased their client’s qualified sales inquiries. For more information on how Xcellimark can help you improve your bottom line, contact Scott Lambert or visit www.xcellimark.com
W Hotel South Beach Offers Limited Time Entourage Bungalow
Posted , add a commentThe main characters on HBO’s hit show Entourage are known for living the high life when they travel. Now in a contrived case of life imitates art, HBO has partnered with W Hotels to offer a special bungalow promotion at the chain’s newest property in Miami.
W South Beach Hotel
From now until September 27, 2009, the W South Beach has a special Entourage bungalow promotion for fans of the show.
Want to vacation like Vincent Chase and Co.? For around $5,000 a night (which comes to $5,650 after tax), you get to stay in a two-bedroom poolside bungalow that’s decked out with a poster of the show’s cast, a TV channel that plays the show 24/7, the latest in Playstation gaming equipment, an outdoor plunge pool and a video camera in one of the bedrooms (what you do with it, is completely up to you).
The package also includes:
* Limousine transportation to/from airport
* A day in a WOW Cabana at WET, the hotel’s main pool, including beverage and food
* Complimentary dinner at Sole?, the hotel’s Spanish-influenced fine dining restaurant
* VIP access and bottle service at WALL, the W’s nightclub
* Courtside Coronas and a reservation at Swoosh, W South Beach’s basketball court
* A Bliss bag of goodies
* Private yacht cruise with full crew, lunch and limo to arrive in style
* Use of 2 Entourage-branded Jet Skis
* A foursome reservation at Diplomat Golf Course
There is a two-night minimum stay, so if you can round up 3 buds to share the suite, that only comes out to $1,412.50 per person, per night, to live the high life as seen on TV.
Not in South Beach? The other W Hotels are also participating in the promotion for the show’s new sixth season with a special package that includes a suite upgrade, a bottle of champagne on arrival and an Entourage DVD set.
The W South Beach opened to the public on July 2, 2009. Guest rooms start at $369 a night.
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W South Beach
2201 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, Florida 33139
305-938-3000
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[Photo courtesy Starwood Hotels]
