editor’s PICkS
Topflight Tips for the Discerning Traveler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
the virtual voyager By Griffin Miller
Breakfast During The Royal Wedding: An Invitation
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Prince William and Kate Middleton may be taking their vows in Great Brit-
ain, but two of Manhattan’s most majestic hotels are making it possible for
un-commoners like ourselves to celebrate the nuptials live amongst fellow
Anglophiles via giant-screen TVs while dining on five-star breakfast cuisine.
On the East Side, the aristocratic backdrop is the New York Palace
Hotel, sister property to The Dorchester in London where Prince Philip
held his bachelor party prior to marrying William’s grandmum, Queen
Elizabeth II.
Six-plus decades later – on April 29, 2011, to be exact – guests of the
The Royal Collection (c) 2010, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Palace will gather in The Drawing Room, housed in the hotel’s historic
Villard Mansion, for a traditional British breakfast of scones with marma-
lade, kippers, fried eggs and bangers. (Service begins at 6am to correspond
with the wedding’s 11am London start time. The festivities will end with a
champagne toast at 8am.)
The $150-per-person price includes a commemorative wedding favor:
a scented glass candle embossed with a crown logo. And, to ensure guests
are suitably cozy throughout, pillows, blankets and slippers will be available
upon arrival. newyorkpalace.com.
The Speakers Corner
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Across town, New York’s other palatial breakfast comes wrapped in
a brilliant single-night package: The Trump Royal Wedding Experience.
Barely the size of a book, this sleek Portable
Hosted by Trump International Hotel and Tower New York (Central
Speaker System rates high among travelers who
Park & Columbus Circle), it includes a luxurious night in a guest room
prize technology that’s a) compact and b) can
designed by Ivanka Trump followed by breakfast (starting at 5am) at the
multi-task. This particular docking device
internationally acclaimed Jean Georges restaurant. While watching William
for iPods and iPhones definitely fits the bill
and Kate exchange rings, guests will toast the happy couple with sparkling
with two powerful built-in speakers and
mimosas as they dine on scrambled eggs with caviar, mini-French toast, and
dual-alarm and snooze functions allow-
pains au chocolat.
ing you to kick back and listen – or wake up to –
The package, priced at $1,075 for a City-view suite and $1,425 for
your favorite music tracks. Adding to its allure is the way the
an executive Park-view suite, comes with a most coveted take-home keep-
speaker system folds down for easy packing. A top-of-the-line Sharper
sake: a piece of official Royal Wedding china commissioned by The Royal
Image product, this compact must-have is $79.99. sharperimage.com
Collection. trumpnewyorkhotel.com.
The Gold Standard for In-Room Pets
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While hotel perks for pampered pets are growing in popularity, most vacation-
ers find themselves unable to share their travels with their feathered, finned or
furry friends. Thinking outside the box (and inside the fishbowl), the upscale
Kimpton Hotel Group has come up with a charming and sophisticated solution:
in-room goldfish.
Fifty-one of Kimpton’s 55 boutique hotels across the U.S. offer Guppy
Love, a unique and whimsical program allowing guests to request a live gold-
fish to share their suite throughout their stay. (Hotel staff takes care of feedings
and daily upkeep.) Kimpton – already known for its hosPETality, designat-
ing all pets welcome in their hotels regardless of size, weight, kind or breed
– embraced goldfish companionship after research was released indicating
“watching colorful fish swim gracefully to and fro actually calms nerves, re-
duces anxiety and lowers blood pressure.” A fish story with a happy ending.
fourseasons.com/lanai/
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