1616-12 TRAVEL -SOUTH FL. FOUR HOT NEW HOTELS V
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www.herald.con, SUNDAY, MARCH 71, 2001 _E.,....
TODAY IN OURTRAVEL
INTERNET EDITION
Travel information
offices around
the globe
A LOOK AT FOUR HOT NEW HOTELS
SOUTH FLORIDA SLEEPOVER
Five-star fever has struck , c t' '," "'.`"� -
South Florida. ` Y
More than a decade after ,t ' - / j
an upscale hotel last opened 4 * ��` -:,
in urban South Florida,the ` `t`-' �' 5
Mandarin Oriental has `� , 'm fk
arrived in downtown Miami. � - ' ,}
So has the Marriott. i r P -
TW �s ,
Three—yes,three—Ritz- 74: ,A,'*Vc-T, -""-
Carlton are just months ;,7,4" ?w
away—as are the Diplomat � =_. -..11)`-',.:':' ,$,i;?,:,,: '
in Hallandale and a � `�'^' ''` ,,, ,�+..," !,_�
f` -`
Renaissance in Fort `"' _
Lauderdale.A Four Seasons e � f__
and a W hotel are being . N,� � i
developed in Miami- ' -. # S W
Dade,and Brian McNally's �, --' dp- -,, I �r� �,,
Shore Club and the breezy ' , (' y.,.
Asian-style Setay condo- '
r.
hotel are under construction #: `�, ; 'IIIs4` "°' & `
N.on Miami Beach near 20th Vic, ,i if/' �`
Street. �, i '� c '���
A few years ago,South -
Beach snared all the earn'
our.The gauzy ' '-^" ,
white drapes and i '
Philippe Starck-
' detail of the
Delano tumbled
1
I across page after -. -
JAN page in Vanity
WOOLDRIDGEE Fair in 1995.And
TRAVEL EDITOR when the 790- p H O T 0 5 B Y C H U C K F A DELI / HER ALD STA
room Loews
Miami Beach opened two _
years ago with a chanty
bash,the crowd included ll•
Oliver Stone,James Woods _
ufs
and Oscar de la Hoya. �
Now the boom is spread- - Vim.
ing,to downtown Miami, The luxurySTYLE: , p and
Fort Lauderdale,Key 11 below,STAY AsianIN sparenessAt blends harmoniouslyMiamiwithtoWestern
Biscayne and throughout the hotel boom creature comforts andMandarin splashesOriental of color.Left,Townhouse.
on Miami Beach features rooms with a playful feel.
beaches.More tourists—in is spreading t, ''--;.i.:-:4441,-;',
2000,17 million to Dade and ^, '+�Y_
from South
Broward combined—inter-
� `R
f
ested in culture,fine dining Beach to "%. l ��'^ a
and other sophisticated pur- '' f �""�"*yr 41c
suits have created a need for downtown _
more upscale hotels,says Miami i_" �"
, Fort
Jeanne Sullivan,spokesman 's w Z
for the Greater Miami Lauderdale m' m v -
�PLEASE SEE HOTELS,NJ and beyond. �` `
x t f
a
Zd www.herald.com SUNDAY,MARCH 11,2001
TRAVELS WITH ... NICKI GROSSMAN
For Nicki Grossman,travel Is no
tvacation.It's her Job.As president of
Outtahere Travel news and values K Conventionter&FortLauderdale
&Visitors Bureau,she
knows a thing or two about great
I trips.Who needs the Eiffel Tower,the
IN THE AIR R2D2?GOT2GO amenities,location,cleanliness visually impaired. The new pyramids,the Great Wall when you can
By most accounts,flying has In this galaxy but sort of far and service.Economy hotels suite is priced from$210 to$325 have a cow,a turkey and a lobster?
become perfectly dreadful. away is a tribute to the Star typically earn a single star a night. Information: "We were looking for something not',
Share your horror stories.Let Wars serial,now playing at The while first-class properties get 800-821-3842 or www.hotel- so South Florida,"Grossman says,
'' n us know Museum of Fine Arts,Houston. a four-star embrace. Lodg- delmonico.com explaining her family's trip to a New
,' what hap- Star Wars:The Magic ofMyth ing.com makes more than Hampshire farm for a fortnight.Grossman,her husband,,,
- ag Y MICKEY MOUSE DEALS p g
QRS , pend and- opens today and continues 10,000 hotel reservations a (who's a Broward judge)and three daughters
s , . when, and through June 24.The exhibit month and offers discounted AAA has enhanced its pack- vacationed at Rockhouse Mountain Farm in the White
'(t w h a t comes with the imprimatur of room rates in more than 100 ages for Disney World in Mountains.The family that owns the farm doesn't host ;
' f' response the Smithsonian,having been U.S. cities. Information: Orlando and Disneyland in adventuresome vacationers anymore,but others do.
. �' y o u developed by the National Air -www.lodging.com or Southern California. AAA "I'm talking milking cows,corralling turkeys,
u, „ '-, r e c e i v e d and Space Museum..It exam- 561-989-9330. - offers savings on recreation lobstering,"Grossman says."Milk the cow,bring in the o
*�, a from the ines how filmmakers adapted and merchandise at Disney milk,use the milk in your cereal-that's the kind of farm
x. ' airline when themes from classic mythology. A HOTEL THAT CARES World and savings of up to 10 we were on."
,,,,,,A4,,,,,-1-1-1, you corn- Artwork,costumes,models and .The Hotel Delmonico in percent on rooms as part of -STEPHEN SMITH
U U T T A H E R E plained. props are used to tell the story. New York has begun offering a certain Disneyland packages. sfsmith@herald.com
P 1 e a s e Information:713-639-7300 or suite with special amenities for Deals are offered,too,for Dis-
also share your stories about mfah.org. guests in wheelchairs.The bar- ney cruises. AAA members
good experiences.Send them TgE STAR SYSTEM rier-free suite at the luxury may book by calling or visiting to rent to them.And if they do older drivers who spend at
by e-mail.to travelQa her- hotel features a shower and toi- their regional office. rent,the companies often slap least 17 days in Europe.Drivers
ald.com or by snail mail to In Leery of booking a hotel let accessible by wheelchair, on a surcharge. The rental who are at least 18 and pay with
the Air,Travel Section,The room over the Internet?Afraid lowered countertops and ON THE ROAD AGAIN agencies consider younger and an American Express"senior
Herald,1 Herald Plaza,Miami that"great bargain" really kitchen cabinets and remote It's enough to drive you to older drivers a bigger risk,cit- member card" or "student
33132. means "frightful fleabag"in controls for lights and window distraction if you're younger ing insurance statistics.Renault card"get a 10 percent discount.
Please be sure to include Netspeak? Lodging.com has coverings. This suite was than 25 or older than 70:When wants to put the brakes on the Subcompacts rent for$499 for
your name,city of residence begun using a five-star system prompted in part by the suc- in Europe,those two groups of policy.The carmaker's Euro- 17 days, 800-221-1052 or
and a phone number where you to rate hotels listed on its site. cess of a suite designed to motorists often discover that drive campaign promotes a dis- www.renaultusa.com. .+
can be reached during the day. The scores take into account accommodate the needs of the rental-car companies are loathe count program for younger and —STEPHEN SMITH
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WHAT'S HAPPENING. . . IN NATCHEZ, MISS. }
Mainly what I love about F.. n.® 1*,` Historic Natchez Pageant(for- plaza and a visitors center,is at Pearl and Franklin streets, mouthplantation.com Rates
Natchez is its fairy-tale quality s,: merly the Confederate Pag- 400 Jefferson Davis Blvd., 601-442-1054,fax 601-442-1374, are$145 to$205 for a double;
of having been suspended in ,. ;'' eant)features local performers southeast of downtown; has 17 comfortable rooms with $175 to$375 for suites. ';
time.Visitors see one of the r., in period costume,the Holy 601-446-6502. private bath. A two-story
oldest settlements on the Mis- +, v """' Family Gospel Choir offers a Now a museum,Jefferson veranda wraps around the front WHERE TO EAT '
sissippi much as it was during s musical tribute to the African- College,some 10 minutes'drive. and sides,and balconies over- The. talk of the town is the
its heyday before the Civil War '''',,4.. tat �° s American struggle and there is northeast of Natchez on High- look an inner courtyard.All recentlyopened Castle Res-
when—thanks to King Cotton 'r V@ 11,:.'„„,,k,„1 a satire of Pilgrimage. way 61 in_ Washington, was rooms$114 off-season;$125 dur- taurant, 84 Homochitto St.,
—Natchez was home to over Pr -,. ,y April 20-22, the Natchez chartered in 1802 as the first ing Pilgrimage. 800-433-2445,in what was once
half the millionaires in the . , R l i jp Bluff Blues Fest will.bring educational institution in Mis- Celebrate Victorian excess the carriage house at Dunleith
United States. - 1" bands from all over the South sissippi. A visitor reception at the Riverside Bed and Plantation.Service is first-rate;
It goes without saying that ' -''` to Memorial Park,next to St. area tells the story of the col- Breakfast, 211 Clifton Ave.; food is upscale.Dinner for two
their vast fortunes were . - MaryMinor Basilica, and 13 lege,and a nature trail winds 601-446-5730.Wine-red tones with wine about$70 to$100.
wrenched from the most hid- -" "` •• - local clubs and restaurants. through the woods and past the are found throughout the home, Another stylish restaurant is
eons injustice,and yet the pals- $ '"" - Information:601-442-2988. college cemetery;601-442-290L which was begun in 1858 and John Martin's,on Silver Street
tial homes and gardens are glo- : The Natchez Opera Festival, The neo-Classical Temple has magnificent views of the in Natchez-Under-the-Hill;
rious to behold. -- b..'.^'^ including performances of B'nai Israel,213 South Com- Mississippi;$85 to$150 includ- 601-445-0605,ext.2116.Dinner
EVENTS PHOTO COURTESY OF NATCHEZ CVB H.M.S.Pinafore,Carmen and La merce St.,opened in 1905,is the ing breakfast. for two with wine:$80.Closed
OLD SOUTH:Four of Natche2'S Boheme, is held throughout oldest functioning synagogue A bluff overlooking the Mis- Monday.
This year's Spring Pilgrim-- May; 800-647-6724 or in Mississippi.It has stained- sissippi is the site of the The Pig Out Inn,116 South
age continues through April 7 antebellum mansions are open www2-bkbank.com\op- glass windows,an ark of Italian Ramada Hilltop Inn,130 John Canal St.,601-442-8050,is,a
(the Fall Pilgrimage will be Oct. tO visitors during spring and fall. era\index - marble and a historic Henry R.Junkin Dr.,800-256-6311,fax down-home barbecue joint
10-27).Tours of four antebel- Pilcher's Sons pipe organ; 601-446-6321;doubles are$80. filled with a yummy aroma.A
lum homes cost$24 a person, grimage Tours,800-647-6742 SIGHTSEEING 601-362-6357. - The queen of luxury inns in meal for two with beers will be
half that for ages 6 to 17,free or www.natchezpilgri- The Grand Village of the WI I Natchez is the seriously lovely less than$25.Closed Sunday,
under 6.There are morning and mage.com Natchez Indians,a prehistoric RE TO STAY ,
Monmouve. Pl0n , 36 except—JEgNIFE Pilgrimage.M -
afternoon tours,eight in all.For The Pilgrimage also includes site that includes three ceremo- The Guest House Historic Melrose Ave.,800-828-4531,fax —JENNIFER MOSES
-- information,call Natchez Pil- nightly entertainments The nial mounds, a ceremonial Inn,an antebellum mansion at 601-446-7762, www.mon- WAY TO GO!Feaniro-.
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