Happy 100th Birthday to the Beverly Hills Hotel!

There isn’t a more famous hotel in Los Angeles than the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. Its pink exterior and distinctive script logo flanked by palm trees is practically synonymous with L.A., and the list of stars that have lounged around the luxurious pool and sipped a drink in the famous Polo Lounge is too long to list here. (But John Lennon, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe are just a few.)

This month this historic icon will celebrate an important milestone – it’s been 100 years since The Beverly Hills Hotel opened its doors on May 12, 1912. In addition to singing Happy Birthday to “The Pink Palace” in your best breathless Marilyn Monroe imitation, the hotel has a few other things you can do to join in on the celebration.

Drink like a celebrity and visit the famed Polo Lounge for a signature birthday cocktail

A friend and I were at an event at the hotel this week and decided to stop by the Polo Lounge for a decadent afternoon cocktail (hey, us busy moms have to fit it in sometime.) There the waiter presented us with their special ‘These Walls Are Talking’ cocktail menu, a celebration of their 100th anniversary. They call them “anecdotal potables,” concoctions dedicated to some of their more famous guests – drinks like Pickfair Punch (in honor of the home of  Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks), The Rat Pack (a homage to Sinatra and his cronies who frequented the hotel in the ‘50’s) and the Norma Jean, simply a glass of Dom Pérignon Champagne to honor Monroe.

While I ordered a standard Bloody Mary (that was excellent, by the way) my friend ordered a Violet Eyes off the special menu – a crazy mixture of black raspberry vodka, elderflower liqueur and agave nectar that was amazing and had me wishing I had  been a bit more adventurous in my ordering. And if only I’d had a bit more change on me, I might just have ordered the 100-year cocktail, priced at $100 and served in an engraved collectible keepsake glass coupe with 100-year design.

We were at the Polo Lounge at around 4pm mid-week, and we had the place to ourselves. Not an easy feat for most people, I know, but it seems like the ideal time to visit the hotel and have a drink and explore the grounds. The staff – especially our bartender – was very friendly and attentive.

This is Hollywood, so make an event of your stay at the hotel

Book one of the hotel’s specialty packages to celebrate in high style. There’s a two-night Centennial Package that features a luxury room, a pair of complimentary cocktails from  the “These Walls Are Talking” cocktail menu, a chocolate truffle box, daily breakfast for two and and a keepsake 100-Year candle to take home with you. (Am wondering if a couple of extra cocktails can be served in lieu of the candle.)

Or, if you want to spoil your kids, check out the decadent (no, really decadent) Little Legends Family Package that will greet your little celebs with a kids’ red carpet arrival complete with photo shoot and an “autograph seeker” to give them the real-life experience of being hounded by the paparazzi. (Before their walk down the carpet they’ll also be fitted with a stylish boa, sunglasses and top hat.) After that your ‘Little Legends’ can take their VIP welcome card and head on over to The Fountain Coffee Shop for a milk shake or ice cream  sundae and a personalized ‘Walk Of Fame’ chocolate star.  After all the excitement they can collapse into bed wearing their “I’m a Little Legend” 100-year tee-shirt. Might not be able to take them back to Chuck E Cheese after a weekend like this.

Be a diva and get a centennial spa treatment

Don’t worry – this doesn’t mean you’ll be massaged by a 100-year-old masseuse. The Celebration Spa Services take place in the famous Beverly Hills Hotel Spa by La Prairie and feature pamperings like The Pink Palace Manicure and Pedicure, Diamond Anniversary Facial, and the Caviar Express Massage. At $100 a pop I’m betting you’ll feel extremely relaxed and in a celebratory mood. Bring on the anecdotal potables!

If you go:

Beverly Hills Hotel
9641 Sunset Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90210
310.276.2251

Post by Marsha Takeda-Morrison. Also find me at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photo: Marsha Takeda-Morrison

Beverly Hills Hotels

The Golf Course at the Westin Kierland Resort Scottsdale

Scottsdale, Arizona is full of luxury resorts, so it’s difficult to know exactly which resorts are the best to stay in.  When I travel alone, or with my family, I’m essentially looking for the same things – deluxe amenities, a comfortable room, and fabulous service.  On our recent family vacation to Scottsdale, Arizona, we stayed at the Westin Kierland Resort, and loved the entire experience.

The Westin Kierland Resort offers a conference center and a golf course, but is also extremely family friendly.  The experience starts when kids check in at the Kierland Mining Company to learn all about the wonderful activities available to kids.  They also receive a “passport” which offers a scavenger hunt to be completed around the resort.  My kids were signed up for the kid’s pajama party (while we dined at the onsite deseo) and the Kids in the Kitchen program and they really enjoyed both of them.

Our Room at the Westin Kierland

As you’d probably expect, the rooms at the Westin Kierland Resort are extremely comfortable and feature the Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Shower.  They are also spacious and offer some beautiful views of Scottsdale.  But with all of the wonderful amenities available, you won’t want to spend too much time in your room.  There’s a family pool with a lazy river, as well as an adult pool.  In addition, there’s a spa, a fitness center, and a golf course onsite.

Insider Tip for the Westin Kierland Resort:

The kids activities, especially the Kids in the Kitchen program, fill up in advance so book them before your vacation.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
6902 East Greenway Parkway
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254
(480) 624-1000

This is a guest post by Jodi Grundig of Family Travel Magazine. Photos are courtesy of Jodi Grundig. Follow Jodi on Twitter.  This hotel stay was provided at no cost for purposes of review.

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Walt Disney World's Art Of Animation Resort puts you right into your favorite Disney movie

Attention Disney fans: Have you ever wanted to go under the sea with Ariel, or set about finding Nemo on your own? Then you’re going to love Walt Disney World’s newest offering, the Art Of Animation Resort that puts you into the worlds of your favorite Disney characters and animated films. The property, consisting primarily of whimsically appointed family suites, will consist of four wings with the first – the Finding Nemo wing – set to open on May 31. Other family suite wings will open over the summer; Cars on June 18 and The Lion King planned for Aug. 10. The final phase – The Little Mermaid wing – will consist of standard guest rooms and is set to open on Sept. 15.

I wanted to take all the furniture home. Can you blame me?

I was able to get a sneak peek at the suites in the Finding Nemo wing, and I have two words that had me wanting to reserve one on the spot: TWO BATHROOMS. The mere thought of not having to share a sink with our two teenage girls rendered my husband and I speechless. Not to mention the spacious rooms (three separate sleeping areas that can sleep up to six) and sitting areas filled with hip, colorful furnishings that had an Ikea-goes-underwater vibe. The family suites also feature a kitchenette, and a clever contraption in the living room that starts off as a table and turns into a bed that you’ll have to see to believe. And did I mention TWO BATHROOMS?

But we found it difficult to tear ourselves away from the lobby to even see the rest of the hotel. Cells from all your favorite Disney movies line the walls, and my favorite piece is this stunning, modern light structure consisting of a sunburst of gleaming metal pipes and drawings.

On the walls and up in the sky – it's all in the details

Disney Resorts are known for their over-the-top swimming pools, and the Art Of Animation’s is no exception. Named the “Big Blue” pool, it has the distinction of being the biggest pool at any of the resorts, measuring 11,859 square feet and featuring a colorful reef with a giant-sized Mr. Ray and Crush. If that isn’t enough to keep the kids busy, there’s also a big arcade that my teens couldn’t get enough of (Fruit Ninja and Guitar Hero got a big workout on our visit.)

Rumor has it the pool will feature an underwater sound system. iPool!

Suites at the Art of Animation Resort start at $248 per night and the standard rooms start as low as $94, and like all the Walt Disney World Resorts there are built-in perks: complimentary transportation to and from the airport and between all of the different parks and resorts, and special ‘Extra Magic Hours’ that give resort guests exclusive after-hours access to the parks. On our last night in Orlando we stayed at the Magic Kingdom until 2am – call us crazy but there was something pretty cool about riding The Haunted Mansion along with only ten other people.

If You Go:

Walt Disney World’s Art Of Animation Resort
1850 Century Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
407/W-DISNEY (934-7639)

Post by Marsha Takeda-Morrison. Also find me at Sweatpantsmom.com

Photos: Disney, Marsha Takeda-Morrison