What the rich love to 'steal' from hotels

According to the August issue of Town & Country magazine, which covers the comings, goings and doings of the rich or wannabe affluent, it's soap.

Not just any old bar, but the name brands found in the sinks and baths of luxury lodgings, such as Acqua di Parma, Bulgari, Hermes and L'Occitane. Now why would people who could buy and sell most of us 10 times over stash those little rectangles and orbs of scented soap into their Louis Vuitton cases instead of just ordering it at home?

Because, writer Vanessa Friedman theorizes, the HSS (Hotel Soap Syndrome) hits guests who think "I deserve it" since they are "paying through the nose to be cosseted." Or there's wanting to take away as much of the pampering experience as possible -- and "toiletries are the portable answer," she writes. Or it simply may be "mere access to a great product that's hard to get."

RELATED:  What happens to used hotel soap?

Let's go from there to the larger issue. Is it "stealing" to take home hotel soap? Some would say the toiletries placed in the room are yours to use or to hoard. It's not as clean-cut as hotel robes, which are clearly not meant to be taken without paying.

Probably nobody would say it's a sin to pack up partly-used bars of fabulous soap, because they can't be used for the next guest. And some would argue that if you get two bars of soap in the room and only use one, you can take the other home. It's interesting that many times when I leave an especially large tip for the housekeeper, she will leave me extra toiletries when there already are enough. Does that say that housekeepers know many people love to take toiletries home?

So let's take a survey to see how readers feel.

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Say 'oui' to Bastille Day and score a Philly hotel deal

Today is Bastille Day, when French celebrate their independence from royalty.

The Sofitel Philadelphia, right downtown, is marking its French heritage and the occasion with a room promotion that's bookable only today. So if you're heading to Philly between now and Sept. 9, you have the chance to get a room at the luxury hotel for two nights for a total of $222, plus state and local taxes. That would bring your total to $255.74.

Yes, it's not cheap, but this is a luxury brand (the one where former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was staying in Manhattan when he made headlines, but that's another story). The Philly Sofitel is No. 4 in popularity on TripAdvisor.

All you have to do is call 215-569-8300 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., ask for reservations and say "Vive Le Sofitel" to get the rate, which is far below the $165 and up nightly you might normally pay. It's not applicable for existing reservations. You also get free Wi-Fi.

Warning: Don't bring your car.

Parking in Philly in notoriously tight, and the hotel charges $41 a night. Is it just me, or does this seem high? My colleague Laura Bly paid $44 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston July 3, which partially negated the joy she felt getting a $144 Hotwire rate over the July Fourth holiday weekend. New York, where space also is at a premium, is famed for skyscraper-high parking rates: Hotel Check-In's Barbara De Lollis found $50 parking (plus a $10 surcharge for SUVs) at the Gansevoort Park Avenue in NYC. What's the highest per-night parking rate you've seen?

P.S.: Just heard from the Philadelphia tourist board and was told of a "Philly Overnight Hotel Package" that involves more than two dozen properties -- including the Sofitel. You get reduced rates on a two-night stay, a teddy bear, and -- more to the point -- free parking. So if you're headed to Philadelphia sometime, click here and see what you can get.

RELATED:  Parking ups the ante at NYC hotel

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Lenny Kravitz tries his hand at hotel design in South Beach

Rocker Lenny Kravitz joins famed hotel designer Philippe Starck to develop a vision for the much-awaited SLS hotel in Miami's South Beach at 17th and Collins Avenue.

SLS is the brainchild of Sam Nazarian, who started as an Los Angeles nightclub operator but with his company "sbe" has been shaking up L.A.'s restaurant and hotel scene. (I'll tell you more about his hotel ambitions when I return from vacation next week.)

The Miami location will mark the second SLS when it opens next March, following the SLS hotel that opened during the recession at the L.A.-Beverly Hills border. Nazarian plans to open a third at some point in Las Vegas on the site of the just-shuttered Sahara.

The inclusion of Kravitz in the South Beach hotel's look gives us an idea of the vibe that Nazarian likes to create at his hotels. He already assembled a list of heavy hitters for the first SLS, who are also involved in the South Beach location:

Starck, who helped create the boutique hotel concept in the mid 1980s with Ian SchragerJosé Andrés, the chef behind the L.A. SLS hotel's popular Bazaar restaurant with a growing national reputationKatsuya Uechi, the sushi chef behind the company's growing Katsuya restaurant chain.

Kravitz's seven-year-old firm Kravitz Design Inc. is tasked with creating an exclusive bungalow and penthouse suite, which could be a hit with the sports teams and athletes, celebrities and others who consider South Beach their playground.

"Lenny is a weapon of massive construction. He is an explosion of all talents, an unlimited boiling bucket of culture, a daily firework, a tireless explorer," Starck says of his friend in sbe's press release.

Kravitz is not just a South Beach vacationer. He's a Miami native who stayed loyal to his hometown after his musical career took off. His firm, by the way, helped invent the concept for the Delano's revamped Florida Room lounge.

The SLS hotel - located across from the Delano, the Schrager-Starck creation that helped put South Beach on the map - will open with the original 132 rooms, plus 10 new luxury bungalow suites near the pool. This property will have a white-on-white palate with color accents from carpeting, stone or artwork.

If the L.A. SLS is any indication, expect whimsical decor and dark lighting that some will embrace and others will shun. The look isn't for everyone, which isn't a bad thing if you ask hoteliers who like to target specific, design-loving customers. (Starwood CEO Frits van Paasschen says this all the time about Starwood's trendy, chic W chain.)

The SLS South Beach, in fact, will likely go head to head with the W South Beach for some individual customers, since it's a much smaller hotel. At the W South Beach, the smallest of its 408 black-and-white-themed rooms can go for $800 a night during peak winter season.

Another sign that the SLS will target the W crowd: A couple of months ago, sbe plucked W South Beach GM (general manager) Albert Mertz to run the SLS South Beach. Mertz had joined the W after running the Raleigh Hotel, which was part of Andre Balazs' luxury hotel group, and also had experience working with the luxury Mandarin Oriental and Ritz-Carlton chains.

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Hotel massage robberies in Chicago

Note to travelers: If two men dressed as women approach you and offer a massage in your hotel room, just say no.

Apparently there has been a rash of massage cons in Chicago. Chicago's Sun-Times reported that an incident involving a police decoy who played a hotel guest resulted in the arrest of two men Thursday. They appeared in court Saturday.

Here's what the story said: that two men posing as masseuses were arrested at the ritzy Four Seasons Hotel Chicago Thursday. The decoy said they offered him a full-body massage, according to the story. But after he took off his clothes and was lying on the bed, they reportedly took a photo of him and threatened to put it online if he didn't cough up more money.

RELATED:  'B-girls' lure unsuspecting visitors in Miami

The two men were arrested (the story didn't have more details about how it happened, presumably the disrobed decoy did not make the arrest), charged with one count each of attempted armed robbery and are due in court Thursday.

The story raises a lot of questions, such as how two guys dressing as women could fool a hotel guest (or maybe the guest was supposed to be into cross-dressers). Apparently this sort of thing has been happening a bit, if police are sending out decoys to foil robberies. At least no one was hurt, as in the famous 2009 "Craigslist" killing, in which a woman who offered up her services for a Boston hotel massage was targeted.

Thoughts?

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Santa Fe-area hotel rates fall in July as wildfire scare lingers

Demand and rates for Santa Fe-area hotels fell sharply in July as raging wildfires that are sweeping through New Mexico have prompted travelers to think twice about visiting the state.

Santa Fe-area hotels are charging 16% less in July than a year ago, the steepest pricing drop among major U.S. markets, according to Hotwire.com's monthly hotel rate report released Wednesday. The report publishes the rates booked on Hotwire.com during the second week of each month.

As USA Today's Laura Bly pointed out late last month, smoke drifting from New Mexico's massive Las Conchas wildfire, which had grown to more than 70,000 acres and forced the evacuation of Los Alamos, an hour's drive away, has sporadically impacted Santa Fe and other nearby communities.

Firefighters have made progress in recent days but fires continue to burn in other parts of the state. Campgrounds, hiking trails and other park lands - have been closed.

Monterey, Calif. is also reporting a downturn in business, with the average room rate of hotels in the area falling 9% from a year ago to $110. "This great coastal vacation destination had many pre-bookings earlier in the year for summer, but tourist flow has quickly fallen, especially now that the recent holiday weekends have passed," the report says.

Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Flagstaff, Ariz. are tied for third place, each with a 5% drop. Flagstaff has been dealing with slow traffic since February and hopes for a summer boost haven't materialized, it says.

Myrtle Beach had a busy summer last year and started off this summer strong, but hasn't been able to sustain the momentum.

Lake Tahoe in California, where hotels are charging 4% less on average than a year ago, rounds out the top five list of destinations with the steepest price drops.

Meanwhile, some top resort destinations that have struggled through the recession and the global financial crisis of 2008 are enjoying greater pricing powers.

Las Vegas tops the nation in room rate recovery with a 23% increase. "More convention bookings and leisure travelers are causing rates to increase in Nevada's most visited area," it says.

Grand Rapids, Mich., where hotels are 24% more expensive than a year ago, comes in second among the cities with the highest room rate increases. The city hosts "some of the world's biggest music acts this month," it says.

San Francisco (20%), New Orleans (14%) and Vancouver (18%) also made the list due to strong convention and group business and returning leisure travelers.

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Business travel spending rises 6.3% in second quarter

Business travel spending totaled $62.2 billion in the second quarter, rising 6.3% from a year ago despite headwinds facing the economic recovery, according to the latest estimate from the Global Business Travel Association.

GBTA, a trade group for corporate travel managers, also estimates business travel spending will grow 6.9% for 2011.

The growth forecast is based on its expectation that the U.S. economic recovery will march on and resist a double-dip recession despite rising oil prices, slowing global growth and shaky consumer confidence. Growing demand will also allow hotels and airlines to boost pricing, it says.

"We've now hit a soft patch in the economic revival, but business travel spend levels tell us the recovery should continue," says Michael McCormick, GBTA's executive director. "Now is the time when companies will absolutely call upon their strategic travel programs to help offset rising costs and keep travelers doing business."

Business travelers can expect higher prices for the rest of the year compared to a year ago, but the rate of increase will be more moderate than earlier in the year, GBTA says. With higher airfares and hotel rates, business travel prices are expected to increase by 4.5% to 5% in 2011.

International travel spending is growing much more quickly than domestic spending, GBTA says. Total spending on trips abroad is estimated to hit $31.8 billion in 2011, a 9.1% increase over 2010.

The same market forces that are causing travel prices to rise for transient business travel will also push group travel spending to $107.2 billion for 2011, a 6.8% increase.

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Caribbean resort pitches for gay honeymoons with 'queen' freebie

A resort on the tiny island of Saba, whose tourist board dubs it the "Unspoiled Queen" of the Caribbean, is hoping to cash in on the gay honeymoon business when New York legalizes gay marriage. And the way it's doing it is by offering a wedding present in the form of a free night.

Lots of destinations and hotels have pitched themselves as perfect honeymoon spots for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples. But Saba's Queen's Gardens Resort is pulling out all the stops.

RELATED:  NYC hopes for tourism boost from gay marriage law

Its "Queen of New York Hearts" honeymoon special offers a free night and a free breakfast in bed at the luxury resort to any newlyweds with a New York marriage certificate. The offer is valid through Dec. 15, and certificates must be dated on or after July 24, when the new marriage law is scheduled to take effect. And a couple must stay at least four nights.

No discrimination here: Hetero newlyweds are welcome, too.

Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Sun and Associated Press recently reported that Sin City's Convention and Visitors Authority is looking into whether it will market itself as a gay honeymoon destination.

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Joe Montana wins bid to build hotel next to new 49ers stadium

Joe Montana is reinventing himself as a hotel operator.

The Hall of Fame quarterback won a deal with the city of Santa Clara Tuesday to build a luxury hotel and restaurants on city-owned land next to a future stadium for the San Francisco 49ers, according to The San Jose Mercury News.

Over the objection of the city manager, the Santa Clara City Council voted 5-1 to enter exclusive negotiations with Montana, the report says.

Montana, who says he has received interest from international hotel chains, is working with a group of investors - including Eddie DeBartolo, former owner of the 49ers - to build the project.

City Manager Jennifer Sparacino opposed the deal, arguing that the bid should be open to other developers, the paper reported last week. But Montana's star power and his personal appearance at the council meeting Tuesday were enough to convince other members to approve the quarterback's pitch.

"The star power and sheer attraction Joe Montana would bring to this project is just invaluable," said City Councilwoman Lisa Gillmor. "Do Joe Montana and Eddie DeBartolo belong next to a 49ers stadium? I think they do."

Montana and his investor group will start negotiating with the city for a lease and proceed with their plans to build an upscale hotel, sports bar and restaurants on seven acres of land in the city, the report says.

The stadium is scheduled to open in 2015.

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'Biggest Loser' resorts to expand across the USA

The Biggest Loser weight-loss/lifestyle-change resorts are about to gain ground.

Currently there are two successful outposts with ties to the hit NBC TV show of the same name: one in Ivins, Utah, and a newer branch in Malibu. The original Utah resort is pretty much booked till October, a reservationist said Tuesday.

Now, two entrepreneurs have joined up with those behind the original Loser resorts and will expand the concept and take it to other parts of the country.

Larry Bond and David Marshall, whose eclectic backgrounds include music, gaming, philanthropy and hotels, plan to turn the two properties (now with 140 rooms between them) into an empire that will have 2,500 rooms within three years, they told me Tuesday via phone. The third Biggest Loser resort will be located in the Southeast or Mid-Atlantic region and is due "in the first quarter of 2012," says Bond, who is CEO of Fitness Ridge Worldwide, the new entity overseeing development of the chain.

ALSO SEE:  What's it like to stay at a Loser resort?

What's the concept? "David and I were evaluating the obesity epidemic and we were looking at ways to join forces and start attacking the issue," Bond says. Marshall, a managing partner of Fitness Ridge Worldwide whose bio includes founding the legal online gaming company Youbet.com and the ProElite Mixed Martial Arts League, says he is hoping to "bring new technologies to help people" lose weight and change eating habits at the resorts, as well as maintaining new lifestyles at home via monitoring and life coaching.

Adds Bond, "We're expanding on the great work that's been done" on the TV show and at Biggest Loser Resorts, which have a hefty rate of return guests. The two say they plan to create Loser "hotels within hotels" at existing lodgings, with separate dining areas and workout spaces. They also hope to encourage corporate retreats at the new resorts that will train employees in healthier habits to help them live longer and be more productive.

The new resorts will maintain value pricing, Bond says. Currently, stays start at $1,995 a week a person, double, in Utah, including lodging, all meals and classes. Four weeks is $7,200. Malibu is a bit more expensive.

Says Bond, "We're trying to be of the people," rather than a chain of pricey destination spas.

What do you think? Is expansion of Loser resorts a winning concept? Would you go to one?

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Are travel deals from Groupon-Expedia the best you can find?

Groupon's partnership with Expedia started selling travel discounts late Monday, joining an increasingly crowded market of online companies offering discounts on hotels and tour packages.

Like other Groupon deals, Groupon Getaways members can buy a travel voucher that can be redeemed within a certain period - typically a year, but based on availability - without committing to a vacation date. Deals are available for about a week.

"It gives us access to what we think is a new large market, spontaneous travelers," says Scott Durchslag, president of Expedia Worldwide. "Some travel just because they get a great deal."

As of Tuesday morning, the site features a dozen deals, including $89 for a weeknight stay at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Groupon claims a 55% discount for the deal, but the Palms is also selling a $89 deal on its own website.

Other offers include: $79 for a weekday night at The Pointe Hotel in Cavendish, Vt.; $99 for a night at Loews Denver Hotel; and a 4-night stay at The Lotus at Diamond Head in Honolulu.

Groupon Getaways' deals will be mostly for hotels initially, but it plans to offer airline tickets and rental cars in the coming weeks. Expedia already offers discounted deals, called ASAP, but they require customers to lock in a date at the time of purchase.

Inspired by Groupon's success in selling daily deals, other "flash sale" travel sites have proliferated in the last year. But as this USA TODAY story points out, the discounts found on flash-sale sites often aren't as extraordinary as advertised.

Many flash-sale sites — Jetsetter, HauteLook Getaways, Rue La La, SniqueAway, Vacationist and Voyage Privé, among them — concentrate on high-end options and restrict access to members, though membership is free to anyone with an easy-to-land invitation or code. Others, like Overstock's Vacations, Trippo and Yuupon, cater to more mass-market tastes.

"Because most flash-sale deals require advance payment and can't be changed or canceled, buyers risk losing out on a better (or less restrictive) rate from a different site or the hotel itself," writes Laura Bly of USA TODAY.

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Your awkward family photo could win you a free vacation

In partnership with AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com, Embassy Suites Hotels is giving away a 2-week vacation to the winner of its new online contest for the most embarrassing family vacation photo.

The winner can choose from one of three Embassy properties — Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe, Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk or Embassy Suites Charlotte Concord. The prize package includes 14 nights in a two-room suite and $15,000 cash.

To enter the contest, consumers must submit photos at www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/embassysuites.

Entrants must submit their photo(s) by Aug. 2. The top 20 selections chosen by the sponsors will be displayed on Awkwardfamilyphotos.com for online voting until Aug. 9.

Embassy says submitted photos must not contain material that is "inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, tortuous, defamatory, slanderous or libelous."

Entrants must have permission from all individuals that appear in the photo.

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Popular Atlantis resort launches fall super sale

It's pretty unusual when an upscale resort offers $99 rooms, especially when it's popular Atlantis, which put Paradise Island in the Bahamas on the map for a lot of vacationers. Its marine habitats with sharks, waterpark, casino and multiple other amusements draw Hollywood celebs and star athletes.

Today, Atlantis is announcing a $99-a-night room sale. From Aug. 21-Oct. 31, rooms can be booked for about $150 when taxes, fees and mandatory gratuities are factored in. Booking deadline is July 24, according to the resort. It is not high season, and there is always the chance of a hurricane or tropical storm that time of year. Usual rates for similar rooms start at $280, a spokeswoman says. Other room categories are on sale, too.

Yes, there is fine print. Stays must be Sunday– Wednesday nights (slow times), and only certain rooms are included. Reservations: 800-Atlantis or online at atlantis.com. There's also a summer sale on, with fourth night free, kids' meals free and complimentary breakfast for adults.

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The first 'anti-snoring' hotel rooms

They're on the way from Crowne Plaza.

The chain says the "Snore Absorption Rooms" are a result of research showing that the non-snoring half of a couple can lose one or more hours of sleep a night due to their partner's snuffles or snorts. According to the hotel chain's website, a United Kingdom survey says that three in 10 couples have come close to splitting up because snoring is an issue and that 50% of UK couples complain their partner's snoring can ruin vacations.

Here's what's in the room, according to Crowne Plaza:

•Soundproofing on walls to absorb loud frequencies and reduce noise reverberating in the room.

•A sound-absorbing headboard to help muffle the snoring echo within the room.

•An anti-snoring bed wedge that encourages snorers to sleep on their sides or upright instead of flat on their backs, which worsens snoring.

•An anti-snoring pillow which uses magnets to create a magnetic field that is supposed to open the airways and stiffen the upper palate, so it won't vibrate and encourage snoring.

•A white noise machine to help drown out the snorer.

I have another suggestion: earplugs in the amenity kit for the snorer's partner. I still think it's near impossible to drown out a snorer next to you who is capable of being heard throughout a house. But this will be great news for those who have been put in a hotel room next to a champion snorer.

According to a report in The Seattle Times, the "snore absorption" room is being tested at Crowne Plaza hotels in Europe and the Middle East. A Crowne Plaza spokeswoman tells USA TODAY that there currently are no plans to bring the rooms to the United States.

What do readers think of the "snore absorption room" idea? Want them stateside?

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Hotels in Seattle propose $2-per-night tax for tourism promotion

Hotels in Seattle want to add a $2-per-night room tax to fund a tourism promotion campaign, according to The Seattle Times.

A majority of the 53 hotels that would be included already have signed petitions expressing support and the Seattle City Council could vote on the measure this summer, it says. The new tax would raise about $6 million to be spent next year, mostly for advertising.

The hotels in the city already charge 15.6% in sales taxes and a room tax.

"I think traditional sources of funding tourism in many cities and many states is changing dramatically," Tom Norwalk, CEO of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau, told the paper. "We're really using something that's been adopted widely around the country."

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Aria resort in Las Vegas linked to 6 Legionnaire's cases

Six cases of Legionnaire's disease that appear to be linked to stays at Las Vegas' Aria Resort & Casino have been reported, a spokeswoman for the Southern Nevada Health District said Thursday.

Jennifer Sizemore said sampling was conducted at the 4,000-room CityCenter resort after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified her office of cases found in travelers who all had stayed at Aria. The pneumonia-like disease, which was identified and reached epidemic proportions in 1976 after an American Legion convention in Philadelphia (221 cases resulting in 34 deaths, according to The NewYork Times), is spread by inhaling airborne particles that contain the Legionella bacteria. Contaiminated air conditioning and water sources such as showers can spread the disease.

The Aria press office said Thursday that the resort has sent letters and e-mails to guests who stayed between June 21 to July 4, when tests found elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in several guestrooms. As of Thursday afternoon, no guest nor any of the resort's 7,700 employees had come forward in response to the alert, the Aria press office said. No deaths have been reported, Sizemore said.

Aria has set up a website called ariafacts.com, which contains the letter and details about Legionnaire's, including that it is not spread by person-to-person contact and can be cured with antibiotics.

"Aria has in place a water treatment program and, once the initial tests were received, we immediately implemented a comprehensive abatement effort," Aria says in a statement. "All subsequent tests have come back with no detectable levels of active Legionella. If anyone has further questions, we have representatives standing by at 1-877-326-ARIA (2742)."

Sizemore says the Southern Nevada Health District, which also has an info line at 866-767-5038, "is working with (Aria) on ongoing monitoring. It looks like the situation has been remediated." Sizemore told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the CDC cases dated only to April of this year; that means so far, no one has come forward saying he or she contracted Legionnaire's during the time the samples showing elevated levels of bacteria were taken.

ALSO SEE:  'Death Rays' a past phenomena at the Vdara pool

This has been a bad week for CityCenter. A study found that the unfinished Harmon hotel tower might collapse during an earthquake, leaving its fate uncertain. MGM has not said whether it will make repairs.

And Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria's Eve nightclub in CityCenter's Crystals retail and dining complex just closed temporarily to the public due to financial problems. However, her adjoining Beso restaurant is still open. Here's what the club/restaurant's PR firm just e-mailed me: "Beso Restaurant continues to thrive, and at this time Eve Nightclub will remain open for special occasions and private events during a slight remodel."

Readers, thoughts on multibillion-dollar CityCenter's misfortunes?

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How To Find Good Hotels

The deals are there, but sometimes you have to work to find them. Call the office to book a hotel to accept the quoted price will often result in that paying a dollar. For the best deals you have to do your homework and keep your options open. After a few simple steps can lead to your ability to save up to half the normal rate.

Plan your trip in advance and during non-peak season to get the cheapest prices.

Book a room during the off-season months.

Check online on major online agencies for special discounts, but always call the hotel first to see what the normal rates. Sometimes what may seem like a good deal online turns to cost you more than it would cost if you had called the hotel directly.

Participate in programs of hotel frequent guest and check the first hotels to book your stay. The points earned in the programs of more effort will be made by operators to negotiate their reserve price.

Airline cash for hotel rooms when possible.

Be direct and tell the operator you are looking for reservation in the price and ask about any special deals they can offer rates AARP seniors, students and military discounts and AAA (American Automobile Association) and discounts.

Once the room rate is quoted, ask if there are other rooms available at a lower rate.

Always ask about extra charges such as parking fees, taxes and other hotels charge small fees.