LA Hotels that Treat You Like a Star

LA Hotels that Treat You Like a Star The Standard Downtown LA LA hotels often host guests who are accustomed to the star treatment, so when it comes to services and amenities, many hotels step it up a notch (or 10). Whether it’s a meditation class for you or a personalized snack for your pet, you’ll feel like a Hollywood star at any of these Los Angeles hotels.

Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows: If the hotel will pamper your pooch with house-made, bone-shaped cookies with his/her name handwritten on each one, just imagine what else awaits your two-legged guest.

Mondrian: Sushi at 3 a.m. (or any hour), an indoor Lucite swing and a mushroom-shaped concierge desk are just a few of the over-the-top features of this Hollywood hotel.

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel: For working out on the road, treadmills and stair machines are great — but yoga, Pilates, water aerobics, spinning, kickboxing, beach power walking, guided hikes, beach boot camp and meditation classes are awesome.

The Standard Downtown LA: The Standard ups the atmosphere ante with its funky red AstroTurf pool deck, complete with a bar, music, panoramic views, a dance floor, a fireplace and, of course, waterbed cabanas.

Sheraton Universal: All over LA, you’ll find hotel rooms decorated in a variety of styles, but there’s only one designed in pure ogre fashion. The Sheraton Universal’s Shrek Suite is decorated in a forest theme with Shrek-friendly amenities such as mud-bath packets and green-hued bedding.

The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey: Nothing says luxury like taking a midnight dip in a pool overlooking the ocean. You can indulge in such watery bliss at the Ritz, whose 25-meter lap pool is open 24 hours a day.

Omni Los Angeles Hotel: Little ones feel like VIPs with the Omni Sensational Kids Package, which includes suitcases filled with books and games, a backpack upon arrival, and a safety kit with a nightlight and electrical outlet covers.

Four Seasons Westlake Village: Like many high-end hotels, the Four Seasons Westlake Village boasts luxurious spa and exercise facilities, but this hotel — home of the world-class California Health & Longevity Institute — also offers access to “science-based lifestyle rejuvenation.”

W Hollywood: The W promises its guests Whatever/Whenever® service — and the posh hotel isn’t kidding. Whatever you can dream of, the W staff will make it happen.

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites: The Westin Bonaventure takes your workout out of the gym (though the hotel’s exercise facility is state of the art) with running groups guided by a Westin Hotel Running Concierge as well as self-guided route maps designed by Runner’s World magazine.

Pacific Palms Resort: With a world-class, on-site spa and fitness center, two golf courses and excellent dining, you might not have a reason to leave the Pacific Palms Resort. But just in case, there’s a fleet of luxurious chauffeured cars and limousines waiting to ferry you around the LA area.

The Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa, Pasadena: To describe all the heavenly amenities and services available at this über-posh hotel would take ages, so we’ll just focus on an interesting recent addition to The Huntington Spa: Chuan Body + Soul, a world-renowned facility offering treatments based on traditional Chinese medicine.

Hotel Amarano: With many rooms including a kitchenette and walk-in closet, this boutique hotel in Burbank promises the comforts of home — that is, assuming your home has a 42-inch plasma TV, an iPod docking station, free Wi-Fi and a rooftop sundeck.

Encounter Krakow With Lonely Planet’s Mini Pocket Guide

Encounter Krakow

Encounter Krakow With Lonely Planet’s Mini Pocket Guide. Seen enough of Prague? Done Budapest? Why not travel a little bit north and visit Krakow, the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. The travel scribes at Lonely Planet can help you plan your trip to this medieval city with their Krakow Encounter mini-guide. It gives you twice the city in half the time, with suggestions on where to go, the best places to eat and what hotels to stay at and maybe even avoid. Written by Mara Vorhees, the guide includes secrets shared by local experts on the Krakow’s contemporary Jewish culture and the city’s unique art scene. There are also excursion suggestions to the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, and a day trip to Kazimierz, a quaint town right outside the city. The quick reference guide provides readers with ready-to-go and need-to-know information such as the price of a pint of beer, useful phrases, country telephone codes and the currency exchange. Additionally, full-color pull-out maps and neighborhood maps are also included in the guide. Whether you are planning a week-long trip or plan to visit Krakow for a short weekend, the Encounter Guide is a must-have for every visitor wanting to explore the city’s mystical attractions including the impressive Wawel Cathedral or simply taking a moment to relax and dine in one of many 700-year-old caverns while witnessing the rebirth of a city that has redefined the meaning of survival. The Krakow Encounter Guide is available at bookstores or online at www.lonelyplanet.com for $12.99.

Hill walking, Rappelling, Camping & Treasure Hunt in Tonga’s.

Hill walking, Rappelling, Camping & Treasure Hunt in Tonga’s. 100 km from Bengaluru, Kuntibetta is near Mysore and very close to Padavpura. Kuntibetta is actually two hills and the one on the right is also called Bhimanabetta. The rocks are oddly enough- also known as the ‘French Rock’ as the French who assisted Tippu Sultan in his fight against the British, who stayed here. An interesting place to explore history! In the countryside, you get to sniff at pungent smell of the jaggery and a warm smile, some polite words and a small request will guarantee unlimited amounts of the fresh sugarcane juice more delicious than anything you’ve ever tasted. From the hilltop, the lake below shimmers in the sun, the twin humps of Chamundi hills at Mysore flirt with languorous clouds while Melkote’s peak beckons in the distance. About 16kms north east of Mysore, on an island in the Cauvery River, stand the ruins of the capital from which Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan ruled much of southern India during the 18th century. The British had to capture the fort twice to get rid of the ‘Tiger of Mysore’.