The Perfect Place For A Business Meeting Is Not A Fast Food Restaurant

The family and I went to a fast food restaurant the other night, and I was surprised to see a meeting being held in the dining room.  It wasn't an employee meeting for the restaurant; it was a sales meeting of some sort.  Of course wanted to be nosy, so we sat close enough that I could hear what was going on.   They were discussing selling something,  and even though they never said what, I got the feeling it was one of those pyramid type deals.  You know, where you sell a product, and then get other people under you who also sell it, and then you get a cut of their profits?  To me, I wouldn't be able to take them seriously if they have to have their meetings in a fast food restaurant.

I would think that if they were serious about getting people to sell their product, they would take their presentations a little more seriously.  In my opinion, it would look better if they had their meetings in an actual board room, or even a Holiday Inn Meetings room.   It's so easy to find a meeting room close to where you live, and I bet the company would have better luck getting people to sign up with them.  I know I would be more inclined to join a company who took pride in their business meetings.

NYE Hotel Packages in LA

This is a sponsored guest post written by Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau on behalf of Hotels in Los Angeles. Post powered by Sponzai.

As we bid farewell to 2009 and welcome a brand new year, celebrate in style at one of the premier hotels in Los Angeles. Hotels across the city are offering several fun-filled options to help ring in the New Year.

Millennium Biltmore Hotel

At the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, guests have the opportunity to choose from two exciting dining options on New Year’s Eve. An elegant four-course menu is featured at the hotel’s Rendezvous Court or head over to Sai Sai where guests can enjoy a lavish tapas buffet of fresh Asian seafood, robata and sushi. Dinner includes tickets to the annual NYE Gala in the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom where there will be live DJ music followed by champagne and a shower of balloons from the ballroom’s ceiling at midnight. After an evening of celebrating, find peace and quiet in one of the Biltmore’s guestrooms. Package includes one night's Classic or Club level accommodations, your choice of NYE Dinner for 2 in the Rendezvous Court or Sai Sai, 2 tickets to the NYE Gala and valet parking. Dinner at the Rendezvous Court is $99 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. For reservations call 213.612.1562. And dinner at Sai Sai is $89 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. For reservations at Sai Sai call 213.624.1100. New Year’s Eve room packages include dinner, the gala celebration and an overnight stay. Prices begin at $379 and are subject to availability. www.millenniumhotels.com; 506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071, 213.624.1011

Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel

At the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel in San Pedro, guests will have an opportunity to ring in the New Year at an elegant New Year’s Eve Gala in the hotel’s San Pedro Ballroom. The gala, beginning at 6 p.m., will include dining, dancing and a live DJ. The evening will conclude at 1 a.m. Guests who attend the gala can stay at the hotel for a rate of $99 plus tax, based on single/double occupancy. For reservations call 310-521-8026. Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Harbor, 601 Palos Verdes St., San Pedro, 90731;

ww.crowneplaza.com/laharbor

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel

Visit Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel’s restaurant, Ocean and Vine, to ring in the New Year above the clouds. Enjoy live entertainment and an exquisite four-course pre fix menu with choices including white asparagus cappuccino, caramelized Mano de Leon sea scallops, and Beaumes venise poached pear. The 6 p.m. seating is $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The 9 p.m. seating is $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity. A special “New Year’s Eve” package includes luxury guestroom accommodations, a Champagne welcome amenity, preferred dinner reservations in Ocean and Vine (a $320 value), complimentary parking and a 2 p.m. late checkout time. Rates starting from $725 per couple. For reservations, please call 310-458-6700. Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, 1700 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, 90401;

www.loewshotels.com/santamonica

The Standard, Downtown LA

The Standard, Downtown LA is hosting a free New Year’s Eve rooftop party. Guests can expect a multi-zone dance party with floor to ceiling lobby and rooftop visuals, a digitally projected countdown at midnight and a multi-level champagne toast. Also at the hotel is a pre-fix 3-coarse New Year’s Eve Dinner menu for $45 per person. For reservations, please call 213-439-3030. The Standard, Downtown LA, 550 S. Flower Street, Los Angeles, 90071;

www.thestandardhotels.com

Beverly Hilton Hotel

At the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Trader Vic’s Lounge, located poolside, will feature a special offer on New Year’s Eve. Beginning at 5 p.m., guests can enjoy an appetizer buffet with one Mai Tai for $45 per person. A live DJ will play music until 1 a.m. For more information and reservations, please call 310-285-1300. Beverly Hilton Hotel, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 90210;

www.beverlyhilton.com

Omni Los Angeles Hotel

Also Downtown, the Omni Los Angeles Hotel is offering a “Standing Ovation” package for New Year’s Eve along with a three- or six-course dinner at the hotel’s elegant Noé Restaurant. For those guests celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Music Center, STAPLES Center or the NOKIA Theatre, the Omni Los Angeles Hotel will provide sedan transportation to the destination along with deluxe accommodations, a $100 credit to Noé Restaurant, overnight valet parking and breakfast for two in Grand Café. In addition, guests will receive a choice of opera glasses or a wine amenity during their stay. Guests not attending the theater can spend the evening dining at Noé and enjoying a live jazz trio, along with a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. If restaurant patrons wear a masquerade mask, they will receive a complimentary half-bottle of champagne. The three-course dinner is $60 per person while the six-course dinner is $100 per person or $160 per person when paired with wine. www.omnihotels.com; 251 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213.617.3300

SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills

Across town at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills guests can dance until dawn and take the elevator home to one of the hotel’s luxurious room accommodations. New Year’s Eve Packages include tickets for two to the SLS New Year’s Eve Gala and room accommodations at special rates. Additional evening packages are available for those who don’t need a hotel room and just want to enjoy a dinner at The Bazaar by José Andrés, then head over to the SLS New Year’s Eve Gala for dancing with a live DJ in Bar Centro and the Albert Ballroom. New Year’s Eve gala packages begin at $500 and the Star Lit Soiree - dine, dance & indulge packages begin at $600. To reserve, please call 1.866.716.8149 and don’t forget to mention the promo codes; SOIREE or GALAPKG.

www.starwoodhotels.com; 465 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310.247.0400

Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

At the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel , guests can ring in the New Year at the hotel’s world-class restaurant, The Blvd. An early seating will be available from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will offer a three-course tasting menu. There will also be a Gala Dinner beginning at 8:00 p.m. that will offer a five-course tasting menu along with a champagne toast at midnight. Talented musician David Sparkman will entertain the room all evening. The early seating tasting menu will cost $75 per person while the gala dinner will be $250 per person.

www.fourseasons.com; 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212, 310.275.5200

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Over in Hollywood, guests can check out the 5th Annual New Year’s Eve Bash at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel which will be celebrated throughout the hotel in the historic lobby, the Blossom Ballroom and Tropicana Pool.

www.hollywoodroosevelt.com; 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323.466.7000.

Mondrian

At the Mondrian guests can celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Skybar Speakeasy with open bar and champagne toast at midnight or dine at the popular Asia de Cuba with a four-course meal and champagne toast at midnight. An early seating will be available from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for $75 per person, tax and gratuity not included and the last seating from 8 p.m. until sold out will be $100 per person. Admission to the Skybar Speakeasy is $150 per person or $125 for hotel guests and Asia de Cuba patrons. Room rates begin at $395.

www.mondrianhotel.com; 8440 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069, 323.650.8999 or for reservations call 800.606.6090.

Terranea Resort

For those looking to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the city’s newest destination, guests can join in the festivities at Terranea Resort, located just 30 minutes south of Downtown Los Angeles on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The VIP Velvet Rope Experience includes overnight accommodations for two, along with admission to the hotel’s New Year’s Eve Celebration and Countdown featuring sumptuous foods, desserts and a hosted bar. Rates starting from $635 per night.

www.terranea.com

; 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275, 310.265.2800.

Christmas In Branson

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Two weeks from today is Christmas Eve. I can not believe it. Every year on Christmas Eve we see my dad, and this year we are going to his house. As a child, I remember going to my Aunt's house every Christmas Eve, and we always left after dark. My siblings and I would spend the entire ride home searching the sky for Santa and his sleigh. I think this year I will start that tradition with my kids, but it won't be the same since only Brandi still believes in Santa's existence.

I wish there was a way to make these last few years of her believing special. I hear that the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is doing something great for the kids this Holiday season, and I wish I could take Brandi. Well, I would like to take all the kids, but I think only Brandi would appreciate the magic of it. You see, between now and Christmas, every Friday through Sunday they are offering their Santa's Coming To Town Package. Starting at only $189 a night, kids can join Mrs. Claus for story time in the lobby of the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, and also have Santa himself deliver cookies, milk, and presents to their rooms. How cool is that? This is a great way to make kids feel special, and also keep the spirit of Santa alive.

I know the time of believing is coming to an end at my house. That just means I have to make this year, and maybe next year, extra special. And what better way is there to do that than to let the kids have an awesome experience like this.

Santa Is Coming To Branson

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.
Brandi came home from school the other day and asked me if there really is a Santa Claus. She said some kids on the bus were saying he wasn't a real person, and she was pretty upset about it. I told her that as long as she believed that Santa was real, she didn't need to worry about what the other kids thought. I also told her that the kids who don't believe don't get presents from him.

I know at almost eight that she is going to stop believing soon enough. It makes me sad to think of not having that magic in my house anymore. It also got me to thinking that maybe I need to do something special for her before she realizes the truth. This is where the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing comes in handy.

From now until the end of December, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel every weekend. Mrs. Claus will share stories with the kids, and Santa will deliver presents to your children in their rooms. The kids can even have their picture taken with the Jolly Old Guy. Starting at $209 a night for a family of four, that is a pretty good deal.

I want these last few years that Brandi believes to be special. The kids are growing up so fast, but at least I can now look forward to sharing the magic of Santa with my grandkids...many, many years from now.

hotelicopter.com makes hotel content portable

This is a sponsored guest post written by Carl Schwartz on behalf of hotelicopter. Post powered by Sponzai.

Site publishers and bloggers now have a new content tool at their disposal. If you have travel content on your site, you now can embed detailed hotel information by location or specific hotel. This makes it much more contextual for your readers.

hotelicopter.com launched its latest innovation this week. Going beyond what is currently available, hotelicopter now gives any web site owner the ability to publish detailed, interactive hotel content on their site for free.

hotelicopter, recently named the emerging hotel meta-search site by Piper Jaffray & Co., helps travelers find amazing hotel deals worldwide, including for Las Vegas hotels, Orlando hotels, Chicago hotels, Los Angeles hotels, and New York hotels.

In three easy steps, site publishers can quickly enhance any travel- or event-related content they offer by adding hotel photos, star and user ratings, addresses, and average rates per night.

Here is an example of a specific hotel:

Create a hotel list of your own!

Powered by hotelicopter

In a recent report, Phocuswright discovered that simple booking engine widgets do not add much value on content sites such as destination marketing organizations (DMOs). The report goes on to state that booking engine widgets are not used very much on DMO sites (Phocuswright Destination Marketing: Understanding the Role and Impact of Destination Marketers; June 2009).

This hotel content is perfect for:

- Web sites that publish articles about specific destinations

- Bloggers focused on specific cities and travel topics

- Event organizers who want to offer local hotel choices to attendees

- Sports organizations

- Family sites (weddings, reunions, parties, funerals, etc)

- School web sites

Pretty cool content to offer your readers. To start building your own hotel card widget, visit h2go.hotelicopter.com and follow the very simple instructions.

Hotel Vidoes - See Before You Stay

My son loves YouTube. He can spend hours checking out videos and chatting with his friends. I am usually close at hand to make sure he's not looking at things that I wouldn't approve of. I can see why YouTube is now the second most popular search engine on the Internet.

To be honest, I never thought to search for everyday things, like laterooms. It makes sense from a customers standpoint to see exactly what they will be spending their money on, especially for hotel rooms. Check out this video of the Chester Hotel at carden park. The hotel is beautiful, and seeing the amenities is great. I could see myself swimming in that gorgeous pool. I will be checking out laterooms on YouTube from now on before I book my stay. I want to know what I will be sleeping on.

Family Business

Raised by parents who instilled in him the importance of family, great food, and hospitality, Hector Kabande now sits on the board of directors of Grupo Lucerna. His father started this company with a single upscale hotel in 1966, and his mother, Maria Teresa C. De Kabande also sits on the board. Hector Kabande is also in charge of hotel development and operations for all Lucerna Hotels. Hospitality is a major factor in the Kabande family business.