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.

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