Monday, July 23, 2012

HISTORIC WEEKAPAUG INN SET TO RE-OPEN IN WEEKAPAUG, RHODE ISLAND AS SISTER HOTEL TO THE FAMED OCEAN HOUSE


The Weekapaug Inn, one of New England's last great family resorts, will re-open its doors in October 2012 after a $20 million transformation. This historic inn now joins the Ocean House as a collection of seaside resorts renowned for their scenic Rhode Island oceanfront setting, sense of tradition, exceptional food and highly personalized service.

Originally built in 1899, the Inn is inspired by classic Cape-Cod style architecture, covered with red cedar shingles and accented by dark brown trim.  The original 67 rooms will become 27 guest rooms, and four two-bedroom Signature Suites, giving the Inn 31 rooms. Other additions include a three-lane 75-foot lap pool connecting to a fitness center, in the area where the tennis courts were located previously. To entice guests to enjoy the romance of winter in New England, rooms will have bathrooms with heated floors and towel racks, and four wood-burning fireplaces in the public spaces. There will be three dining outlets that will offer a modern interpretation of New England Coastal Cuisine, featuring farm-to-table delicacies prepared simply yet elegantly with a nod to the traditional cultures of the region - including Italian, Portuguese and Native American. Executive Chef Jennifer Backman will oversee the inn's dining experiences. 

The inn will also feature an on-site dedicated "Naturalist" to connect guests to the surrounding stunning environment via educational classes such as bird watching, evening constellation sessions, guided kayaking tours, and more.


Located just five miles away, the AAA Five Diamond Property and Relais & Chateâux Ocean House will serve as a sister property and manager, allowing guests of the Inn the use of its facilities, including Rhode Island’s only Forbes Five Star OH! Spa, six restaurant outlets, championship croquet, two squash courts and a 650-foot private white-sand beach. The partnership allows guests at each property to experience the best of both worlds, and enjoy two properties with vastly different styles. 

For more information about the Weekapaug Inn, call 401-322-0301 or visit www.weekapauginn.com.

Bal Harbour announces winner of the first "Unscripted" public art program



The stylish destination of Bal Harbour has selected George Sánchez-Calderón to be the winner of its first public art commission, “Unscripted,” coming to fruition this October.  Created to support and challenge the artistic talents in South Florida, the “Unscripted” project is the first of an ongoing series of commissions geared toward providing artists with a new platform to create an ambitious project and contribute to the growth of Bal Harbour as a creative destination. Due to the quality and ambition of two of the final proposals submitted this summer, Bal Harbour decided to pursue an additional commission for Spring 2013. Sculptor, installation and video artist Christy Gast will be featured as the second “Unscripted” commissioned artist.


George Sánchez-Calderón’s winning public art project, entitled “Pax Americana,” draws inspiration from Bal Harbour Village’s history, by reflecting upon the iconography that has collectively defined the archetype of “the American Dream.” Positioned in front of the new St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, where the Americana Hotel previously stood, Sánchez-Calderón will create a six-foot tall, stainless steel letter installation of the word “Americana,” in reference to this historical site. Many important political events and national conventions were held at the notorious hotel designed by Morris Lapidus, which over the years hosted Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson, Reagan and Clinton—an apt reference leading up to this year’s presidential election.

As his second installation, entitled “Levittown House,” Sánchez-Calderón will build a recreation of a Levittown-style house on Bal Harbour’s Founder circle. Bal Harbour Village was one of the first planned communities in South Florida, as a quiet residential neighborhood with former World War Two army barracks. Bal Harbour was incorporated in 1946, just a year before Levittown, and both communities were developed in response to the United States’ post-war housing needs.  For Sánchez-Calderón, the Levittown house symbolizes the prototype of post-war America, which forever changed the American urban and suburban landscape.


“Unscripted” public art commission is spearheaded by curator Claire Breukel, who has served on various art-related boards and has curated exhibitions in South Africa, New York, Miami, Vienna and El Salvador. To reach the final decision, she consulted with contemporary art and public art experts including Yvonne Force Villareal, President and Co-Founder of the Art Production Fund; Solita Mishaan, a Bal Harbour resident, collector and member of the International Council for TATE London; and celebrated artists Hernan Bas and Hank Willis Thomas.

This project will be supplemented with public programming including art chats, meet-and-greets, artist presentations, studio visits and more. “Unscripted,” is an ongoing Bal Harbour creative program that will support public art projects with commissions throughout the year, aiming to provide meaningful opportunities to artists, celebrate creativity, and enhance the tourism experience.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Partners in Paradise?



Flying JetBlue through JFK Airport in NYC? Be sure to check out the beach scene! Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island is celebrating the resort’s newly minted partnership with JetBlue with a fun lounge and photo booth at JetBlue’s chic flagship Terminal 5.

Stop by JFK’s T5 to snap a photo in the gorgeous booth (wetsuits and inner tubes provided!), grab some great Atlantis swag like sunglasses and beach balls, and enter to win a trip to the family vacation mecca.

Details on the TrueBlue partnership: Guests at Atlantis Resort and The Cove can now earn one point in JetBlue’s customer loyalty rewards program for every dollar spent on the base room rate accommodations at any of Atlantis’ five lodging options.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Scotland the Brave!

Today is the day - Disney-Pixar's "Brave" hits theaters! 

Set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland, Disney-Pixar’s “Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to change her fate, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane), unleashing chaos in the kingdom. To view the trailer, click here

The LDPR team gives it two enthusiastic thumbs up after checking out a sneak preview last night. 

No doubt that you will be inspired to visit the beautiful land of Scotland after seeing the film. Check out a variety of Brave-themed itineraries and travel packages from VisitScotland perfect for a family vacation this summer: 


Follow the conversation and let us know what you think on Twitter: #BraveScotland and become a fan on Facebook:


TODAY IS THE DAY TO BE BRAVE!

Disney•Pixar's new movie Brave hits theaters in the United States and Canada today! If you fancy to see how it inspired the film makers, have a look here! The VisitScotland Brave webpage has a ton of extras, from videos to itineraries that bring the movie to life.   
Check out VisitScotland on Facebook & Twitter for the latest updates!


Monday, June 18, 2012

LDPR DIGITAL DIRECTORY: JUNE 2012 UPDATE

LDPR Digital Directory Categories:
  Steadfast Social Site
★   Mobile Mover
  Newbie Network, App and anything in between
★   Surprising Standouts


★  Shufflr
With Shufflr, spend less searching and more time watching videos? Considering all of the video out there, this could be a helpful app. Download for free and put it to the test.

★  SlideShark
SlideShark is a free app for viewing PowerPoint presentations (the way they should appear) on an iPad. Finally! 

 SocialCam
SocialCam is a mobile social video application for iPhone and Android. It allows users to capture and share video online and on mobile, as well as via Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. The application launched in March 2011.

Storify
Storify is a website that creates and preserves stories or timelines using social media such as Twitter, photos and videos. It was launched in 2010, and has been open to the public since April 2011. Users search multiple social networks from one place, and then drag individual elements into stories. Users can re-order the elements and also add text to help give context to the readers. To download the free iPad app, click here.

  TurboScan
TurboScan turns your iPhone into a multipage scanner for documents, receipts, notes, whiteboards, and other text. With TurboScan, you can quickly scan your documents and store or email them as multipage PDF or JPEG files. Not free, but only $1.99 to download.


To view all digital directory updates, click here.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Just Back From...Morocco!

LDPR's Kelly Brewer and Meghna Patel just returned from a visit to the new luxury boutique hotel, Selman Marrakech! 

We were greeted by the hospitality of Selman Marrakech moments after landing in the capital city of Casablanca. Exiting the plane onto the tarmac, we expected to follow the other travelers to the bus waiting to take us to the terminal. Imagine our surprise to see an airport employee at the bottom of the stairs with our names on a sign and a comfortable car behind him. He quickly drove us to the terminal and directed us to a private airport lounge, where he collected our passports. As we decompressed from the flight, he returned and informed us that we had been processed through customs and a car was waiting to take us to the hotel. The new Audi was a comfortable way to travel from Casablanca to Marrakech. This service is standard for all guests of Selman Marrakech - a stylish preview of what everyone will experience! 

It's always exciting to visit a new client for the first time and Selman more than lived up to our expectations. The property, designed by Jacques Garcia, was filled with authentic Moroccan touches, stylish accents and local handiwork. Our rooms were incredibly spacious and after meetings with our client and time spent exploring the Medina, it was great to relax in the alcove on our balconies sipping Moroccan tea. 

A highlight of the trip was the chance to experience the Espace Vitalite Chenot Spa for the first time. The Spa was developed around a method created by Dr. Henri Chenot and is based on "Biontology" - the understanding of each individual's needs according to age, diet, etc. Treatments address aging, fatigue, toxins and overall health. It's a concept unlike anything else in the US. 


An attribute of Selman Marrakech that sets it apart from other hotels are the Arabian thoroughbred horses. Living in beautifully designed stables from Jacques Garcia, the horses spend their mornings and part of the afternoon running in large open paddocks for all the guests to enjoy. Eating lunch at the hotel's Assil Pavilion restaurant overlooking the paddocks and the horses was a perfect way to spend an afternoon!


Selman Marrakech is currently in its soft-opening and will be celebrating its grand opening this fall.To learn more about the property and to view additional images, please visit www.selman-marrakech.com

LDPR

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For over 20 years LDPR has guided some of the world’s most prestigious travel brands through an evolving media landscape with creativity, professionalism and enthusiasm. We are a highly driven and innovative travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City with a global roster of clients from destinations and tour companies to exclusive private islands, hotels and resorts. Our unique culture is defined by our collaborative and strategic approach to working with clients, media and our staff, leading to a strong partnership with measurable results.