TRAVEL AMERICA 2013: BALTIMORE OFFERS SPECIAL PACKAGES DURING 1ST ANNUAL BALTIMORE HOTEL WEEK FEBRUARY 8-18

MONEY-SAVING PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY AND PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKENDS 

BALTIMORE, home of the SUPER BOWL-bound BALTIMORE RAVENS, is gearing up for its first annual HOTEL WEEK. Sponsored by VISIT BALTIMORE, the event is patterned on the successful Restaurant Weeks events of years past. Many hotels around the city are discounting their rates during the week of February 8-18, including HOTEL MONACO, ADMIRAL FELL INN, HYATT REGENCY and the SHERATON INNER HARBOR HOTEL.

Even better, it’s a chance for you and the missus to get to know each other again. Did you give your wife a toaster oven for Christmas? Can’t remember the last time you went out—anywhere—without the kids? Was your last vacation a trip to your in-laws? And you had a miserable time? If so, it is time to book a couples getaway to Baltimore with special packages starting at $99 a night during the inaugural BALTIMORE HOTEL WEEK FEBRUARY 8-18.

Baltimore’s renowned INNER HARBOR is home to many exciting restaurants, unique shopping, famous museums, live entertainment, local pubs and taverns. Explore the idea of staying in one of the many Inner Harbor Hotels where it’s easy to get in on the action, spirit, and fun of everything Baltimore has to offer.

Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Skyline at night (www.baltimore.org)

HOTELS.COM REVEALS FIVE UNCONVENTIONAL HOTEL OUTINGS TO CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY

“THE BRANGELINA” AND “CHEAP DATE” ARE AMONG A FEW NOTEWORTHY HOTEL DEALS ONLINE BOOKING EXPERT HOTELS.COM® FINDS ALLOWING COUPLES TO SNUGGLE UP THIS VALENTINE’S DAY

FIND YOUR SINGLES OR SWEETHEART GETAWAY WITH THE 2013 Hotels.com Valentine’s Day Sale.

Looking to spice up your romance life a bit this Valentine’s Day? Hotels.com® is encouraging lovers and travelers to take a gamble and add a little more va-va-voom, out of the box excitement to this year’s Valentine’s Day plans with five unusual and distinct deals from properties across the United States.

“Nowadays travelers and couples are seeking romantic experiences beyond flowers, champagne and a nice dinner,” says TAYLOR L. COLE, APR, TRAVEL EXPERT FOR HOTELS.COM. “We are finding that our customers want to incorporate more of their personality and passions into their getaways. Whether couples are gadget enthusiasts or love the luxury life, there’s a destination and a hotel that will fulfill that unique sweet spot.”

FOR THE “CHEAP DATE”

PERSONALITY HOTELS, located in Monterey, San Francisco and Santa Rosa, California, is offering couples looking for a good laugh the “CHEAP DATE” VALENTINE’S DAY PACKAGE. The package includes a bottle of Champagne, a box of conversation hearts, a bear-shaped bottle of honey, Jack in the Box coupons (for the romantic fast-food dinner), a romance kit and two blank Valentine’s Day cards – so you don’t have to run out last minute to grab one!

Acclaimed Soprano RENEE FLEMING and JOHAN BOTHA star in OTELLO, VERDI’s towering tragedy of jealousy and murder, on GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET Sunday, FEBRUARY 24 at 12 Noon on PBS

SEMYON BYCHKOV conducts the Shakespearean drama, which also features FALK STRUCKMANN as Iago and MICHAEL FABIANO as Cassio

 

Renée Fleming as Desdemona and Johan Botha in the title role of Verdi’s “Otello.”
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

RENEE FLEMING

VERDI‘s Shakespearean tragedy Otello starring JOHAN BOTHA in the title role and RENEE FLEMING as Otello’s innocent wife, Desdemona, airs on GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET Sunday, February 24 at 12 noon on PBS (check local listings). SEMYON BYCHKOV, who led an acclaimed run of performances featuring Botha and Fleming in the 2007-08 season, again conducts the opera, regarded by many critics as Verdi’s dramatic masterpiece. FALK STRUCKMANN takes the role of the villain Iago for the first time at The Metropolitan Opera, and rising tenor MICHAEL FABIANO, a winner of the Met’s 2007 NATIONAL COUNCIL AUDITIONS, makes his house role debut as Cassio. Otello will be seen in ELIJAH MOSHINSKY’s production, which premiered at the Met in 1994.

CRYSTAL CRUISES’ SHIPS VOTED #1 AND #2 MEDIUM-SIZE SHIPS IN THE WORLD BY CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER READERS AS BEING AMONG THE TOP “100 BEST CRUISE SHIPS IN THE WORLD” FOR 2013 (Revised)

CRYSTAL CRUISES’ ultra-luxe CRYSTAL SYMPHONY and CRYSTAL SERENITY have been voted the #1 and 2 cruise ships, respectively, in the world (medium size category) by the refined readership of Condé Nast Traveler magazine (http://www.cntraveler.com/cruises/polls/2013/top-100-cruise-ships-in-the-world). With overall scores of 94.5 and 94 for CRYSTAL SYMPHONY and CRYSTAL SERENITY, respectively, the 2013 ratings mark the ships’  highest scores in five years, and are several points ahead of most every ship in the world.

Crystal Serenity at Sea (Courtesy: Crystal Cruises Media)

Crystal Symphony in New York City

Kenneth Cole New York Launches New Limited Edition Watch Benefitting amfAR

Change… Powered By You

KENNETH COLE NEW YORK, through its licensee partner, the GENEVA WATCH GROUP, unveils the KENNETH COLE NEW YORK LIMITED EDITION POWERED BY YOU WATCH, the newest style in its popular automatic watch collection. The limited edition POWERED BY YOU WATCH is designed to inspire individuals to generate change in their global community. Through its partnership with KENNETH COLE NEW YORK and a continuation of both companies’ long standing commitment to giving back, GENEVA WATCH GROUP will donate at least $25,000 from the sale of the watches to amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Kenneth Cole Limited-Edition ‘Powered by You’ Watch. (PRNewsFoto/Geneva Watch Group)

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $340 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.