I treated Richard to a two night stay in a villa at Grand Champions in Indian Wells, California, for his birthday, complete with spa treatments and a World Series win by the New York Yankees. Well, it just happened that the last game was played on his birthday eve and we ordered room service so we didn’t miss an at bat. Glad we opened a bottle of fine champagne, too, because it was an apt celebration to our team’s victory and the beginning or myhusband’s birthday bash.

I booked him a “Gentlemen’s”  facial and deep tissue  massage at the hotel’s  Aqua Serena Spa (www.aquaserenaspa.com)  and while at it an Anti-aging ritual and deep tissue rub for myself, especially since anyone celebrating a birthday gets a free 50 minute treatment when accompanied by a companion who purchases one (so it’s half price essentially, and all were well worth it.

Took him to dinner at Sirocco Restaurant at the Renaissance Esmeralda, next door to Grand Champions) on his birthday and again we lucked out with a price fixed $35 tasting menu that was superb from appetizers to desserts with a glass of wine each thrown in plus yummy desserts. 

I had proscuitto and melon, we both had pastas, risotto,  Mahi Mahi) and an amazing creamy dessert with fresh fruit .We splurged on a big uttery bottle of Rombauer Chard which made a perfect accompaniment.  Also sat on the fireplace warmed patio prior to dinner where he enjoyed a perfect martini an me a so so glass of wine. The pre-dinner drinks and dinner set  me back  about $200 but he’s worth it.

And what’s more we stopped at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on the way back to LA where I’m a slot machine member and I actually won. The casino gives you credit for play and I had enough for the lunch buffet, which is quite an amazing spread for $11 per person. We rode home happy.

For more info go to www.hyattgrandchampionscom;  www.renaissanceesmeralda.com.

 

My husband Richard and I have stayed at Hilton Waikoloa Village many times and love  the spacious accommodations with their luscious lanais overlooking the blue Pacific.   Your  pamper-pursuing Diva however really digs the spa with a fully-equipped fitness center and salubrious treatments. Once we splurged on romantic seaside rub which took place in a quaint thatched roof hut overlooking the sea.  The sweetly scented plumeria and other tropical blossoms filled the  balmy air and set the mood for the theraputic/relaxing massages. We could hardly walk back to our suite after.  

We also like walking around the  nearby shops and sampling all the fun restaurants like the Water’s Edge,  Imari, Lagoon Grill and Boat Landing Pavilion, Orchid
Marketplace, Roy’s and more.  
As is common with specials  Restrictions Apply:

Illustration by Mona Safer Edwards

The Divaonthego is off to sample the year old Spa Luce at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa. I’ve booked 80 minute couple’s massages for my husband Richard and I. I will be reviewing the spa so come back on Tuesday for a full report.

It does sound devine, 6400 square feet of  luxury with  ”celebrity-inspired”  treatments and top quality creams and elixirs from Sonya Dakar Skincare, Somme Institute and Red Flower. 

They also have a Red Carpet Spa Package designed for you know who..that includes an overnight in deluxe view room, wine and truffles on arrivl, 80 minute anit gravity facial, mani, pedi, two Martinis, breakfast for two and valet parking. 

A la carte pampering possibilities include a 5-part Japan Ritual massage which employs therapeutic flower oils, furit essences and minerals from earth and sea.  Apparently you’re purified with yuzu mimosa sea algae, deeply scrubbed with gingergrass, polished with nutrient rich rice bran and hydrated with rose, camellia and plum. My goodness it sounds exotic and yummy.  The grand finale is a shiats rub with kinmoxei wild lime silk oil that wakens you back up.

If you need cleansing the Hammam Ritual is another 5 part session which starts with a cleansing of Moroccan mint tea nd silt, then a vigorous scrubbing with coffee, oile stones and fresh lemons and a wrap in rich rhassoul clay. Hmmmm. Then you get a Turkish massage of cardamon, jasmine,bergamot, amber and cloves. What will they think of next.  Sound pretty herbacious to me.

Hey I’ve been spa trekking for years and pretty much have had everything done to me, tried on me and explained to me.  So I am really looking forward to a simple 80 minutes of salubrious massage side by side with my honey. I think they throw in a Martini and a whirlpool. Not sure. I’ll let you know.

The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel & Spa at Hollywood and Highland Center, 1755 N. Highland Avenue, 323-856-1200, www.renaissancehollywood.com.

Check out my column at:  http://www.examiner.com/x-23074-LA-Insider-Travel-Examiner~y2009m10d2-Halloween-WeHo-Stylethink-stilettos-boas-men-in-drag

The Divaonthego’s Hawaiian Discoveries

Deals, News & More about the Islands

What’s new on Oahu– The Island of Oahu, known as the Heart of HawaiiÒ, sets the rhythm of the islands and leads by example with new improvements, changes and additions on an ongoing basis. Below is a glimpse of what’s new on Oahu: Hotels & Resorts The island of Oahu has fabulous hotels and resorts for people of all ages and budgets. Oahu’s hotels are constantly updating and adding an array of activities and packages that are sure to make any trip to Oahu unforgettable.

The Divaonthego’s Hawaiian Discoveries

Deals, News & More about the Islands

 Amazing package from  OHANA Hotels & Resorts’ “OHANA Room & Meals Deal” – $149  at any of  four Waikiki properties includes  daily breakfast and dinner (with tax and tip included) for two at seven participating Waikiki eateries: Jimmy Buffett’s at the Beachcomber,  Keoni by Keo’s, Round Table Pizza and Giovanni Pastrami , American IHOP, the Shore Bird; and Kani Ka Pila Grille.

Rates:    start at an amazing  $149 per night plus tax   now through December 21, 2010. 

Stay at any  OHANA Hotel & Resort and enjoy a wealth of amenities such as:

• Free Internet access, which includes free wi-fi in the lobby and most common areas of all OHANA hotels in Waikiki. Additionally, wired access is available in OHANA Waikiki East, OHANA Waikiki West and OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber guestrooms.
• Free local phone calls
• Free U.S. and Canada phone calls (for the first 15 minutes)
• Free use of the in-room safe
• Free in-room coffee and tea
• Free daily local newspaper at the reception desk
• A free OHANA drawstring beach tote (one per room) perfect for toting sunscreen and a towel to Waikiki Beach
• Free rides aboard the Waikiki Trolley’s Pink Line which takes travelers throughout Waikiki and to Waikiki Beach Walk and Ala Moana Center.

Check it out at: www.ohanahotels.com, email: reservations@ohanahotels.com, phone: 800-462-6262. 

Trump International Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk –the 38-story, 462-room hotel is scheduled  to open in early November 2009. Decor  highlights include  Koa wood and granite and marble finishes,with many units sporting  full kitchen with Bosch, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances.  For wining and dining:  BLT Steak, famed chef Laurent Tourondel’s first restaurant in Hawaii, as well as The Lobby Bar and an outdoor café. The Spa at Trump will offer signature and island-inspired services and treatments, and the Trump Attache will offer personalized guest services, including a Beach Attache to attend to guests’ needs while they enjoy ocean activities and Baby Attache who will address the wants and needs of younger guests. Additional amenities include a library, waterfall and infinity plunge pool, and fitness center.

Serenity Spa Hawaii, located at the newly remodeled Outrigger Reef on the Beach, has re-opened following a multi-month renovation. The 45,000 square-foot spa’s rebirth includes newly decorated treatment rooms, the addition of a men’s changing room, and a new menu of services utilizing the environmentally conscious line of Aveda products. Couples treatments, kids packages and full salon services are also on the menu. Guests at the Sheraton Waikiki can now enjoy Oahu’s first hotel infinity pool, which opened on Sept. 3, 2009. The Infinity Edge Pool is 128 feet in length and features unobstructed views of Waikiki and Diamond Head. The pool will also feature its own bar, the Edge of Waikiki, which will offer live daily and nightly entertainment beginning on Oct. 15. The Infinity Edge Pool is considered an adults-only pool, while Sheraton Waikiki’s other recently opened Helumoa Playground pool is ideal for families with children. The first of its kind in a resort environment, Link @ Sheraton Waikiki combines the functionality of a business center with the activity of an entertainment center to provide guests with a place to interact with each other and connect with their friends and families while on Oahu. Link @ Sheraton Waikiki provides free 24/7 Internet and wi-fi access to its guests in a cozy, at-home setting that encourages guests to relax. Nightly rituals, such as Game Night, provide additional opportunities for guests to interact and have fun with one another while on Oahu.

The Kahala Hotel & Resort recently completed a $52 million renovation to its guestrooms, suites, spa, meeting spaces, and porte cochere. The guestrooms and suites epitomize the resort’s signature “Kahala Chic” design. Amenities include silky heavy thread count Egyptian cotton linens custom designed by Frette of Italy and Floris of London bath amenities with the signature Kahala fragrance. Two newly refreshed signature beachfront sister suites, the Kahala Beach suite and the Kahala Kai suite, are in the most private area of the resort. The Kahala Beach Suite features Nicole Miller furniture and is large enough for formally entertaining up to 50 guests. The second-level Kahala Kai suite has a cozy beach cottage feeling with decor from the Ralph Lauren Polo Collection.

 Aston Waikiki Sunset is set to complete a $13.5 million makeover. Renovations will include: a fresh color palette, redesigned kitchen with granite countertops and new appliances that include refrigerators with ice makers and glass-top stoves, a combination microwave oven/range hood, new furniture including a desk and a taller bedroom dresser, Hawaiian-themed artwork by local artists, and new energy-efficient air conditioning units. Other renovations include a 6th floor hospitality lounge where guests have access to free wi-fi, a 52-inch flat screen TV, private shower and dressing area, retiled pool and resurfaced tennis court. In celebration of its 25th anniversary this fall, the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower, a condominium resort, is conducting improvements to its suites. As part of the renovations, the suites will receive upgraded kitchens, new bedding and new paint. The Wyland Waikiki officially reopened as Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach, the first Courtyard property on Oahu. The hotel is operating under a franchise agreement with Lodging Capital Partners LLC, owner of the property, and will be managed by Outrigger Hotels and Resorts. The 400-room property features two swimming pools, Spa Pure day spa, a 24-hour fitness facility, entertainment room, business center, small boardroom, and dining at Spada Restaurant & Bar and Kimobean Hawaiian Coffee Company. Previously known as Honolulu Prince Hotel, Aqua Waikiki Pearl recently completed a $5 million refurbishment into a boutique hotel. Aqua Waikiki Pearl offers some of the largest rooms in Aqua’s inventory, as well as options for families and extended stay guests. The Ilikai Hotel reopened to guests on July 24. Hotel Management Services, LLC will manage the hotel and receive a variety of support services from Aqua Hotels & Resorts. www.visitoahu.com.

As an  over-the-top Monty Phython fan I couldn’t contain myself when I heard about a new play opening in Hollywood tomorrow night (Wednesday, September 23) called “An Evening Without Monty Python”. I immediately went to www.tix.com to book seats.  I love Monty Phython’s humor and every movie, TV show, play or recording I see or hear proves hilarious.

She show produced by “WestBeth Entertainment” by “kind permission of Monty Python” features Jeff B. Davis, Jane Leeves, Alan Tudyk, Rick Holmes and Jim Piddock–a star-studded cast celebrating 40 years of Monty Python’s  Flying Circus and the publication of “Monty Python Live!” –a book by the Pythons about life on the road. 

Billed as a “paeanastic laudatory exaltation of the works of John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, “An Evening Without Monty Python” runs just a few nights, a the Ricardo Montalban Theatre, 1615 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, California –through October 4, so if you’re fans, get your tickets NOW. The show opens in New York for 5 performances on October 6-10 at Town Hall, 123 West 43r Street, www.ticketmaster.com.

Come back on Friday for a full review from your divaonthego.

The new suites have great views and a little alcove by the window with TV.

Although I haven’t stayed there yet, I’ve been to the Andaz, West Hollywood, a few times for wonderful dinners at the RH.  I returned recently to see what all the hoopla over the new suites was about. I found out, they are really cool albeit pricey.  But if you got the bucks and want to bed down smack on Sunset Strip within walking distances of trendy, hip spots like the House of Blues, nifty restaurants (Mirabelle) and super shopping (Sunet Plaza), this place is for you.  It also seems to appeal to a young, attractive clientele who gather at the bustling bar before dinner at RH or night clubbing along the Strip.

 The hotel dishes out lots of fun amenities like welcome wine served throughout the day for new arrivals, mini bars stocked with free soft drinks and healthy snacks, free local calls, a great gym, hopping bar and chic, stylish appointments and one of the best restaurants in the city. There are 20 smartly-designed suites from one bedroom kings to King Suites that range from $245-$475 a night.  While there’s a flat screen TV in the bedroom there’s also a tube just by the window where you multi-task–look at  TV or checkk out at the view of Sunset Blvd.

Facts:   257 room, most with a view. Formerly the Hyatt on Sunset, the company recently re-branded the fa,ed 1970s hotel. The name means “personal style” in Hindi which Hyatt translates as meaning the latest in”style, service and high-touch innovation. Location, location, location — smack in the heart of urbane WeHo where you can actually walk to restaurants and hot spots like House of Blues and to the trendy and chic shops at Sunset Plaza. RH, super, hip, happening three meal a day restaurant with great food, atmosphere and pizzaz.. Super staff sans titles–like Michel Morauw, a gracious host who acts like the General Manager without a the moniker. Attractive packages prevail like “Love Goes Around” where couples get $100 hotel credit, welcome gift and daily breakfast. “Sit Back and Relax”, comes with a $200 hotel credit and more, check them out at www.westholywood.andaz.com. Andaz, 8401 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-785-6056.

Not your everyday meeting rooms, the ones here are posh, comfortable and outside the box, with photos of Ozzy Osborne lining the walls…

The Diva on the go highly  recommends Andaz.

Holy canine what will they think up next?  While your Diva on the Go isn’t exactly a fan of hotels that allow dogs in their rooms, I must go with the flow. I still don’t think no matter how well they scrub and clean it ever gets the scents out. Don’t get me wrong I love dogs, but prefer cats, but both belong home.  Those on the opposing side will love this…the new pet-friendly Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, downtown at 509 9th Ave..  is offering  Canine Cocktails  happy hour where guests, locals and their dogs can mix and mingle over cocktails.

Dog-friendly tippling Tuesdays begin on Sept. 8 through Dec. 29,  from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the  hotel lobby adjacent to the Phi Bar and Bistro. It’s  free–no  cover charge for man or dog–and there’s even a  doggie menu  to bark for, including complimentary dog bones, snacks and bottled water.  People  can enjoy tasty gourmet tapas from Phi Bar and Bistro and specialty cocktails like the signature Blue Indigo “Phi” Martini. One dollar of every drink sold will support the San Diego Humane Society (your Diva likes this).

 Hotel Indigo partnered with the San Diego Humane Society earlier this summer, adopting an adorable six-month-old Labrador mix puppy named Sandie – as in San Diego minus the “go.” As the hotel’s mascot and puppy ambassador, guests and locals will get to meet Sandie when Canine Cocktails debuts on Sept. 8. Canine Cocktails is part of Hotel Indigo San Diego’s popular pet-friendly policy. The hotel understands that pets are family too, so there are no additional charges, deposits or size limits for four-legged friends traveling with guests. Since the hotel’s grand opening in July, dozens of guests have checked in with their pet pooches. Canine Cocktails began five years ago at sister property Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown. The pooch happy hour has been a big hit with guests and local dog owners, making headlines in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Similar to San Diego’s Canine Cocktails, the Atlanta property rolls out the puppy carpet every Tuesday during the summer – Memorial Day to Labor Day. Given San Diego’s temperate postcard-perfect climate, Hotel Indigo San Diego is picking up the weekly tradition after Labor Day and hosting Canine Cocktails through December. Please keep in mind socializing dogs must follow a few standard rules of conduct: Wear a leash, stay out of the bar area and keep paws off the tables and chairs. About Hotel Indigo San Diego Hotel Indigo San Diego is located at 509 9th Ave., just one block from PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and less than a mile from the San Diego Convention Center. The 12-story, 210-room property, including five suites, is San Diego’s first sustainably-built, LEED-certified hotel. It features a rooftop terrace bar with a reflection pool, fire pits, lounge seating and panoramic views of the San Diego skyline and baseball games at PETCO Park. Owned and managed by IHG, Hotel Indigo San Diego is a west coast flagship and marks the brand’s second property in California, along with the Hotel Indigo Ontario Rancho Cucamonga. For more information on Hotel Indigo San Diego, or to make reservations, visit www.hotelindigo.com/sandiego. About Hotel Indigo Meeting the desires of today’s business and leisure traveler, Hotel Indigo is an upscale boutique brand that delivers a refreshing and inviting guest experience that is truly reflective of the local community. There are currently 31 Hotel Indigo properties open worldwide and more than 60 hotels under development, either in the pipeline or in final negotiation. By the end of 2009, Hotel Indigo will almost double its footprint in the Americas with properties opening in New York City, Miami Beach, and Baltimore. For more information on Hotel Indigo, or to make reservations, please visit www.hotelindigo.com.

 Hotel Indigo participates in IHG’s guest loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards. With 44 million members worldwide, Priority Club Rewards is the industry’s first and largest guest loyalty program.

 Guests can enroll for free by logging on at priorityclub.com, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of this hotel or any of IHG’s more than 4,300 hotels worldwide.

What a wonderful spot to meet for drinks on a summer’s afternoon–perched on the rooftop of the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel with an awesome view of the city and beyond… I wanted to shoot the pool but the security guys wouldn’t let me photograph lest I might capture one of the “beautiful” people sunbathing or chatting on cell phones in the privacy of their cushy cabanas.  Real eye candy  bronze, toned and self assured men and women enjoying la dolce vida at the Pen, because they still can (reference to the economy if you don’t get it). 

 Anyhow I met my long time friend Karen Murphy for a mighty fine Steel Chard.  We’ve been pals ever since she was the youngest PR person on the block manning the department for the Hyatt in Maui. Now she has her own major PR firm, Murphy O’Brien with her husband, and handles the Pen hotels, too, among many upscale clients.  That’s Karen Murphy,  one of my favorite people and special  friend.  While  the Steel Chard cost $16 a glass, it’s  certainly worth the price considering the quality of the wine and the setting. Food is also served on the Rooftop  during the day and it’s really good, too. 

That’s yours truly, Patti the Diva with Karen at the Rooftop bar.  Non-guests aren’t allowed by the lovely pool, but can sit at tables in front of the guarded gate that leads to the pool/cabana area.

FYI: rooms and suites at this hotel are exceptional. Your Diva has tried each variety from regular room, suite to private bunaglow and we’re talking the lap of luxury with great service and attention for a price of course. But worth it and in these times you might be able to work out a deal.

The Peninsula Hotel, 9882 S. Santa onica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-551-2888 or 800-462-7899. www.pbh@peninsula.com.