Topics Include:
Stephanie is glad to be back broadcasting in Berkshire County. She says that Pittsfield is the “Donegal of Massachusetts” because like the Irish city, it is in the northwest corner. This hour “Travel with Stephanie Abrams” shifts its attention from Ireland to New York City.
Donegal Bay Seals
The General Manager of the historic Algonquin Hotel, Gary Budge, rejoins “Travel with Stephanie Abrams” once again to discuss the new look of the Algonquin Hotel website. The Algonquin opened in 1902 and has been the epitome of a classic New York hotel for over a century. The hotel maintains this style but is also becoming increasingly modernized. In the past year the hotel's lobby, restaurants and 174 guest rooms have all been updated and/or renovated and the hotel's website was given a fresh look to reflect the fresh look of the physical assets at the hotel.
The Algonquin Hotel website is “2010 user friendly” with ease of identification of some of the great values currently offered at the property and easy “bookability”. Several incentives are offered online including a limited time offer of 25% off the best available rate. This applies to all bookings in 2009. Guests who book during that time will also be automatically entered in a drawing for a four night stay at the hotel which includes daily breakfast and one dinner and a show at the world famous Algonquin Oak Room Supper Club.
The Oak Room will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in the fall of 2009. It is an intimate room that seats 80 people and is renowned for its great cabaret acts. Notable musical artists who launched their careers at the Oak Room are Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall. Acts rotate throughout the year with performer Andrea Marcovicci always present in the fall. The hotel is steeped in entertainment and literary history. Its lobby has been referred to as New York City's original living room. Every Sunday from 7 to 10pm a musical and cultural gathering takes place in the lobby called the Algonquin Salon.
The Algonquin Hotel is centrally located in Manhattan on 59 West 44th St. between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Manhattan. It is truly the center of it all. Times Square is one block west of the hotel and the most active part of 5th avenue is one block to the east. Rockefeller Center is four blocks north and Bryant Park and the New York Public Library are two blocks south. For a NYC tourist it is a convenient location for theater, retail and other midtown Manhattan itineraries.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=299
Find more information at http://www.algonquinhotel.com or call 212-419-9331.
AKA Hotels provides luxury hotel residences in fantastic locations. There are a total of eight AKA hotels, four of which are in Manhattan. The other four properties are in White Planes, New York, in Washington D.C. a block and a half from the Whitehouse, in Rittenhouse Square, Pennsylvania and in Arlington Virginia.
Two of AKA's four hotels in New York City hotels are discussed in depth. The United Nations property is just steps away from United Nations Plaza on 234 East 46th Street between 2nd and 3rd avenues. The Sutton Place Hotel is on East 56th between 1st and 2nd Avenue. Both are in fantastic locations and provide quality luxuries in furnished apartments with hotel-like services in a kind of urban oasis. The hotels will accommodate transient guests but more often have more long term visitors. They are great for families in need of a kitchen. Guests received the option of having a customized stocked fridge when they arrive.
The United Nations Hotel is 21 stories and has 95 one-bedroom suites. Each suite comes with a full gourmet kitchen. Many feature balconies with spectacular city views. There is also a large Zen garden on site. Sutton Place has 76 suites which are a combination of one and two-bedroom apartments. Its guestrooms are unique because of the sheer size of their space. One-bedroom units range from 800 to 1100 square feet. Two-bedroom units range from 900 square feet to 2500 square feet.
There are three different pricing tiers at the hotel: nightly, weekly and monthly. The longer you stay the more cost effective it is. Nightly rates range from $250 USD TO $500 USD depending on the unit and on seasonality. Current promotions include a “go green” initiative. Hoteliers will shave off 30 dollars a night if people forgo daily housekeeping. Another standard discount is that the fifth night is free at a property. This includes every fifth night before 130 days. Apartments come fully furnished and fully stocked with culinary, dishware, decorations and electronic devices.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=320
For more information visit http://www.hotelaka.com/
Travel Tip:
Stephanie finds that there are better fares out of New York City because it is a competitive city. She suggests spending a layover there. The money you save on an international flight out of NYC could pay for an overnight stay.
Guests Include:
Gary Budge, General Manager, The Algonquin Hotel.
www.algonquinhotel.com
Noel Hernandez, Vice President of Sales, AKA Luxury Hotel Residences.
www.stayaka.com
Topics Include:
Stephanie was pleasantly surprised by her recent stay at the Lough Eske Castle in Donegal Town, County Donegal Ireland. Structures have stood on the property grounds since the early 1400's. The first true castle was constructed in 1621 and was owned by the O'Donnell family. It has since been taken over by several families and rebuilt several times. In 1939 it burnt down and stayed in ruins for years. Though the outer shell of the building displayed stunning architecture it was in need of complete repair. There was nothing like it in that part of the country and a developer saw great potential in the building. The castle was bought by Solis Hotels and Resorts and has been completely revitalized.
The Lough Eske Castle opened as a resort on December 2007 with half its rooms available for booking. Its spa opened a few months later. It only took 15 months to get the hotel in livable condition. Stephanie says it is modern and lovely but captures all that one could want in a castle stay. Lough Eske was listed one of the hot new hotels in the world by Conde Nast in 2008 and has received great recognition within Ireland.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=321
For more information visit http://www.solislougheskecastle.ie/
Derry Mural Depicting the Conflict in Northern Ireland
Stephanie's airfare to and from Ireland was half what it would have been if she had flown into Shannon. She flew roundtrip from Belfast and suggests others booking travel to Ireland do the same. There are many nearby attractions such as the burial site of the patron saint of Ireland Patrick in Downpatrick. She also suggests that travelers visit the Saint Patrick's Centre, the town of Saul, and Bushmills, the site of the oldest distillery in Ireland. For an overnight accommodation she recommends staying in the Dunadry Hotel and Country Club just outside of Belfast.
For more information visit http://www.discovernorthernireland.com and http://www.mooneyhotelgroup.com
The Claregalway Hotel is conveniently located just outside Galway City. It is an affordable and comfortable hotel which prides itself in its warm atmosphere. The onsite bar and grill receives a lot of local traffic so it is a great place to experience authentic Irish food and authentic Irish people. There are 48 spacious guestrooms on site, spa suites that offer a variety of treatments, an 18 meter swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzis, free wireless internet, leisure center and a bistro that is open on the weekends.
The hotel has modern decor and a rich use of woods. The standard guestrooms are generally 16 square meters and contain queen sized beds, plasma screen TVs, power showers, and satin quilted bedspreads. The average room rate during a high season weekend is between 80-150 euros. Mid week it is between 60-90 euros.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322
For more information visit http://www.claregalwayhotel.ie or on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Galway/Claregalway-Hotel/42398047344
Fun Facts:
In 1176 the Norman John de Courcy is said to have brought the relics of St Colmcille and St Brigid to Downpatrick to rest with the remains of St Patrick. Many still debate if these were the actual relics of the saints but there began a local rhyme, ‘In Down, three saints one grave do fill, Patrick, Brigid and Colmcille'.
Guests Include:
Andrew Turner, General Manager, Solis Lough Eske Castle.
www.solislougheskecastle.ie
Paul Gill, Managing Director, Claregalway Hotel.
www.claregalwayhotel.ie
Topics Include:
Patsy O'Kane returns to “Travel with Stephanie Abrams” to discuss the family owned and managed Beech Hill Country House outside Derry City and County Donegal. While staying at the hotel Stephanie bumped into John Hume, the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Winner. Stephanie had interviewed the Nobel Laureate multiple times at the hotel. The historic location is the perfect place to hold an intimate fireside discussion. Another recent guest of the Beech Hill Country House generated a great deal of excitement at the hotel. Film actor Will Ferrell stayed for four nights before traveling on to Dublin to receive the James Joyce Award.
The Beech Hill Country House
The Beech Hill Country House has been open for business since April of 1991. It is a classically styled boutique property with 27 guestrooms. In addition to the beautiful inner decor of the hotel the 40 acres of grounds also has a marquee that will accommodate up to 300 guests. In Ireland a marquee refers to a palatial tent that is intended for large events such as weddings. The marquee is hidden behind the house just far enough away to not spoil the view from the hotel. It has amenities such as a full kitchen, several toilets and a beautiful entry way.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324
For more information visit http://www.beech-hill.com/
For more information visit http://www.sabrams.com/people/johnJume
There is no better place to collect yourself than at a beautiful Caribbean location. The Caribbean Tourism Organization represents 33 countries many of which aren't widely recognized. People are most familiar Bahamas, Saint Lucia, Barbados and the Cayman Islands but don't always know about other equally spectacular destinations. There are a variety of Caribbean experiences for the traveler to choose from. The Caribbean contains four language groups and a great deal of diversity in culture, history, and topography.
Exotic and peaceful Caribbean destinations are within just a few hours of reach of the continental US. In order to promote what the area has to offer, the tourism organization is currently sponsoring the annual Caribbean week in New York. Festivities begin Monday June 8, 2009 in Midtown Manhattan. The event features special vacation offers, food from Caribbean celebrity chefs and a variety of entertainers. To find out more about Caribbean week in NYC go to www.onecaribbean.org.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/
For more information visit http://www.caribbeantravel.com/ and http://www.onecaribbean.org/
Grand Cayman Island Sunset
Air Ambulance Card provides a transport service for travelers in need of medical evacuation when they are farther than 150 miles from home. You have to be in a hospital receiving treatment in order to be transported to another hospital of your choosing. Fifty percent of Air Ambulance Card's transports are within the continental United States. The company will transport people to specialty hospitals of their preference or to their hospital at home. Air Ambulance Card does not have a medical necessity clause or a “nearest appropriate facility” restriction. People often enroll when they plan international travel but emergencies happen all the time domestically. It is rare for this kind of coverage to be included in any health insurance.
Members who purchase the insurance for one particular trip will still have that coverage for an entire year. If an unexpected emergency were to happen 150 miles from home at any time they could call upon the service. Coverage costs $295 USD a year for a family and $195 USD for an individual. A family constitutes a husband and wife and children up to the age of 19 or college students up to the age of 23. The insurance offers peace of mind for parents that have college age children living far away from home, either domestically or studying abroad. Emergency evacuation from Europe could cost as much as $50,000 USD. Emergency transport insurance is one of those things you can't afford not to have.
Travelers411 Community Forums - This interview's thread
http://www.travelers411.com/forums/showthread.php?t=323
For more information visit http://www.airambulancecard.com/
Fun Facts:
The Beech Hill Country House was the European headquarters of the United States Navy during the Second World War.
John Hume was also a recipient of the James Joyce Award.
Guests Include:
Patsy O'Kane, Owner, Beech Hill Country House.
www.beech-hill.com
Hugh Riley, Interim Secretary General, Caribbean Tourism Organization.
www.caribbeantravel.com
www.onecaribbean.org
Stan Bradley, Managing Director, Air Ambulance Card.
www.airambulancecard.com
