Known as the Algonquin Round Table, some of the most influential literary minds of our time met at the Algonquin Hotel to share stories, opinions and meals, thus shaping the American literary landscape. Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Robert E Sherwood were among the regulars (and founders) of the group that called this chic hotel home.

Ideally located in midtown Manhattan, steps from Times Square, theaters, and shopping, the Algonquin Hotel continues to be a classic choice when staying in the city. And now, if you left your favorite book at home or (even worse) on the plane, they have you covered. Staying true to it’s rich literary heritage, and commitment to stay cutting edge, Kindles are offered to all guests loaded with your favorite reads, for you to use during your stay.

Suddenly loosing your book sounds kind of cool. We think Dorothy Parker would approve.

The plummeting Dow. Blundered bailouts. Swine flu. Just when it seems the news can’t get any worse, it thunks us over the head with something new. It’s enough to make you want to hide in a hole somewhere…and wash your hands a lot. In this spirit, we commend the Westin New York at Times Square for their new No News is Good News offer, which illustrates how sometimes the best amenities are the ones you take away. For those who want a real break from the headlines, the hotel will unplug a guest’s television, hide the remote control, and cancel the daily doorstep newspaper delivery. And to top it off? They’ll throw in a complimentary cocktail at the hotel’s laid-back Bar 10. This may be the best news we’ve heard all day. Offer from $299/night including weekends through September 7

It sounds almost…dangerous right? But kind of fun, too? Well it turns out that the champagne is doing the zipping, not you, so it’s quite safe after all. This new amenity recently turned up at the luxe Cap Maison on St. Lucia. Unlike most of its fellow Caribbean neighbors, the island of St. Lucia is hugged by craggy cliffs instead of wide, soft beaches. So a stay on the beautiful isle inevitably involves climbing stairs—lots of them. At Cap Maison, the restaurant, the Cliff at Cap, is perched high up on the cliffs; far below sits a wooden platform perched right on the rocks, surrounded on three sides by crashing sea. Rock Maison, as it’s called, is a prime spot for yoga classes, spa treatments and…sunset drinks. But who wants to trek up and down the cliffside in between every round? Read the rest of this post »

When Copley Square Hotel, Boston’s second oldest continuously operating hotel, announced that it had installed new, cool-sounding registration pods (left) as part of a major renovation, we wondered what other innovative guest services it had come up with over the years. Management obligingly sent us a history of the hotel, which contained a treasure trove of amenities of yesteryear. Below, a look back at the cutting edge of hospitality in the…

1890s Right out of the gate when it opened in 1891, Copley Square Hotel offered what has proven to be one of the most enduringly popular hotel amenities, Private Parlors and Baths.

1920s During Prohibition, the hotel kept ahead of the curve by providing guests with a Speakeasy in the Basement, accessed by a metal ladder hidden in the lobby drug store. (Little did they know that this trend would resurface circa 2007.)
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I was lucky enough to spend a night recently at the Mayflower Inn & Spa in rural northwestern Connecticut. This Relais & Chateaux, five-star, five-diamond inn and its spa—especially its spa—have been lauded by just about every travel publication under the sun and accordingly, they charge sky-high prices. So needless to say, my expectations of the amenities were high. I noticed the first one—or the lack thereof—while we were still in the parking lot: no cell service. Read the rest of this post »