Bison Caravan

Le Parker Meridien is one of those hotels which has a wry smile. The cheeky way it exudes beauty and class seemingly without trying. The New York hotel is one for fashionable guests which like being pampered but also need an incredibly practical and cool place to stay.

The 731 guest rooms are neatly decorated with thick cherry and cedar wood, soft bed linen and subtle tones. The are perfect for traveling guests or as a business stop over. The 32” TVs, air-conditioning, mini-bars and high speed Internet help you feel at home away from home. The huge desk space and Aeron desk chair allow you to finalize your work before catching an HBO movie.

Continuing the cool outlook of the hotel reaches into the restaurant, Norma’s. The tasty food such as Potato Pancakes, Sashimi Lasagna and Nachos are beautifully presented but the whole room is very relaxed and such a fun place to be.

As New York is all about huge sky-scrapers, boutique shops and iconic landmarks, Le Parker Meridien is perfectly situated to see Central Park, Carnegie Hall and a stone’s throw from the Rockefeller Center. The Broadway Theaters are just a few minutes walk away and for shopaholics, Fifth Avenue is very close.

If you’re a fitness addict or need to unwind, the hotel has its own 25m pool, racquetball or basketball court, free weights and cardio equipment at Gravity, which has been regularly voted one of the Ten Best Gyms.

If you are conducting business meetings, there are three areas which can be used. There are small rooms, expansive boardrooms and the Penthouse, which has floor to ceiling windows which allow an unbelievable view of Central Park. Whatever your needs are, whether it is catering or audio-visual equipment, the concierge team are on hand to help.

It’s a fact that more parents are finding ways to stay home with their young children than in years past.  More often, moms are opting not to work or find work that they can do at home.  Dads, as well, are finding more opportunities to spend more time working from home.  So how do we keep the kids entertained and maintain a somewhat structured environment in which they can spend their early years learning and playing?  Here are a few suggestions for prioritizing your time and enhancing your child’s stay at home experience:

Focus on healthy eating.  With child obesity becoming an epidemic in this country, the focus on nutrition must take top priority if our aim is to rear our children in a healthy manner.  There are two easy ways encourage healthy eating habits:   Only keep healthful foods in the house and model healthful eating habits in front of your children.  As well, there are many activities that can be centered around healthy foods.  Kids can crack eggs safely, spread peanut butter or help put up groceries.  Talking about the health benefits of food is also a great way for parents and children to interact and get the educational process started.
Focus on a healthy lifestyle.  One of the main benefits of choosing to be a stay at home parent is the incredible opportunity that this option provides to bond with your children.  Getting out and exercising with them every day can be so enjoyable and fun that it doesn’t even feel like exercise.  All the while, you are encouraging healthy physical development in your child at the same time that you are building lasting memories and bonding with them emotionally.   Most parks have playgrounds, walking, biking and jogging trails as well as pine trees, water features, picnic tables and baseball fields to play in. 
Focus on a healthy mind.  Weekly trips to the library can be a ritual that children learn to anticipate with enthusiasm.  As well as offering reading and craft programs for young children, libraries can be a wonderful place for socializing with other parents as well as a safe place for your child to meet new friends.  Many public library systems have multiple programs geared toward pre-school aged children as well as many branch locations for convenience. 

While stay at home parenting can be stressful at times, the rewards far exceed the cost, especially for children.  With a little pre-planning and focus, stay at home parenting can be a rewarding experience for both parent and child.

Luxurious spas. Sparkling swimming pools. AAA Four Diamond restaurants. Elegant rooms and suites boasting fine furnishings and the most up-to-date technology. These are just a few of the many amenities you’ll find at premier 4 and 5 star hotels in major cities including New York, Boston and San Francisco. If this already sounds out of your price range, you’re in for a surprise: Accommodations start as low as /night. Kiss the notion that luxury lodging has to be expensive goodbye and read on for a roundup of budget-friendly options in select destinations.

:  This famed hotel at 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues opened in 1902, and though it underwent renovations in 1998 and 2004, it has all but lost its original splendor. Designated a New York City landmark in 1987 and a literary landmark in 1996, the hotel’s Round Table Room is more than your typical New York City restaurant. It is named for the celebrated group of writers, critics and actors – among them were Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley – who convened daily to dine, exchange ideas and play cards. You’ll also step back in time to a more glamorous era while in the Oak Room, which offers dinners and performances seasonally Tuesday through Thursday each week. With its white tablecloths, dark paneled walls and gleaming piano, the room was a launching pad for such noted celebrities as Harry Connick Jr. and Andrea Marcovicci. Guests can also grab a drink at the art-laden Blue Bar, a popular meeting spot among locals and travelers like, or inside the stately Lounge.

: Opening its doors in 1904, this Union Square hotel is imbued with early 20th century charm. Rooms feature ornate woodworking, high ceilings with shimmering chandeliers, and windows opening out onto the city by the bay. Each brings modern comforts including the hotel’s signature Westin Heavenly Beds and Westin Heavenly Baths. Travelers have their choice of several fine restaurants and well-equipped meeting rooms, and the on-site spa is sure to help ease away stress. The St. Francis is considered the center of the city’s literary, social and artistic life, much like the previously mentioned Algonquin Hotel is in New York City.

: A member of Historic Hotels of America, The Lenox Hotel is yet another prime example of a property that fuses old-world charm with modern technology, this time in Boston’s historic Back Bay. What makes this 214-room boutique hotel unique, however, is that it’s among a select few to be named “1 of the 5 Greenest Luxury Hotels in America” by U.S. News & World Report and featured on Conde Nast Traveler’s “Green List.”  So what, you might ask, has earned The Lenox 12 consecutive AAA Four Diamond Awards since 1998? Maybe it’s everything from its opulent ballroom and sophisticated restaurants to its elegantly chic accommodations, bedecked with mahogany furniture, high ceilings with brass chandeliers and Italian marble bathrooms.

: You might be hard-pressed to believe that this 5 star property – rated the number one boutique hotel in Las Vegas – currently offers rooms below 0/night. Its three exclusive towers are non-gaming, making it a good option for travelers wishing to evade bustling casinos. Whether you’re in town for business or leisure, don’t miss the intimate swimming pool, state-of-the-art fitness center, well-equipped business center and spa. A sense of luxury permeates the suites as well, which have designer furnishings, spacious living areas and gleaming marble bathrooms.

:  South Beach is synonymous with vibrant nightlife, ever-present sunshine, fine dining, turquoise waters that lap against pearly white sand, and – you guessed it – scores of chic hotels. Though it’s set in the very heart of the action on South Beach, a much more relaxed and subdued atmosphere awaits on the premises. The hotel’s private courtyard setting makes a great place to unwind after a day of shopping jaunts or meetings. Travelers who need to book or change flights can do so using the uniguest airline system in the lobby. Serving as a popular retreat for renowned celebrities like P Diddy and Heidi Klum, The Metropole also offers ample meeting space, stylish suites with 42″ inch plasma TVs and complimentary shuttle service to Miami International Airport.

No matter what your idea of the perfect luxury hotel is, one thing is for certain: If there’s anything better than enjoying 4 and 5 star luxury, it’s enjoying it a 2 or 3 star price.