I Met A Man Named Sam In DC

Sometimes, one press trip is just like another, regardless of the city. You visit hotels, check out attractions, eat at restaurant after restaurant. But occasionally, you meet people who make the city.

And in the case of DC, with its hustling and bustling, one man stood out--a bartender named Sam. But Sam isn't just any bartender. Sambonn "Sam" Lek is a legend in DC. He mans the drinks at The Town & Country Lounge inside the equally legenadry Mayflower Hotel. Sam will tell you his story in a sec. He came to the U.S. in 1974 from Cambodia. His first job in the States was as a dishwasher at another DC haunt. Deciding he wanted more, he attended school to study the hotel industry.

Two years later he landed at the Mayflower Hotel's Town & Country Lounge. Now, after three decades, he has became famous in a town of Who's Who. His key to success: great drinks, superb service and he makes a stranger feel right at home in this fast-paced networking city. He becomes an instant friend; if you sign his guest book or leave him your businesscard, you'll get a Christmas card from him every year (I did). He sends out more than 3,000 each season, sometimes with cocktail recipes. And he has many.

In fact, the Town & Country drink menu has more than 100 cocktails, most of them are Sam's creations. "If someone suggests a drink, I will try and make one up," says the ever-enthusiastic Sam. I tried his signature concoction--the Sam-I-Am cocktail (Ketel One Citroen, cranberry juice and Amaretto. Besides the drinks, Sam also entertains his customers with magic tricks. But I knew there had to be more behind this master mixologist. He, of course, has a million tales to tell--and probably a million more he doesn't tell, considering his political clientele. But his own story is unique as well. When he is not shaking or stirring martinis, he is raising money for charity.

He founded a charity called Sam Relief (www.samrelief.org/), where he helps those in his native Cambodia. Under the charity, he has built schools (nearly 10) and he visits regularly bringing food and medical supplies. His annual Fund Raising Gala raised $105,800 in 2005, 100% of which, claims Sam's website, goes straight to the neediest in Cambodia.

So next time you're in DC, pull up a bar stool at the Town & Country and say cheers to Sam.


Travel Tips
It's Carnival time in Bonaire (http://www.infobonaire.com/). That means colorful costumes, parades, song and traditional dances highlight Carnival festivities. The 2006 Carnival season opened January 7, and ends with the Farewell Parade with the Burning of King Momo on February 28...Denver just got another hotel. This one is a Hyatt Regency Denver At Colorado Convention Center (denverregency.hyatt.com), which opened December 20, 2005. The 1,100-room, 37-story Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center is the largest hotel built under the Hyatt name in more than two decades. The $285-million hotel is the first downtown Denver high-rise built in 25 years. And at the the top of the hotel is a 10-story beacon of light that hotel owners expect to become a landmark on the city’s skyline...Already off your new diet? Well, the Westin New York at Times Square (888-627-7149; http://www.westinny.com/) is helping guests stick to their New Year’s resolutions, whether it be losing weight, quitting smoking or exercising regularly. The Westin New York at Times Square, named New York’s healthiest hotel, has two New Year’s Resolution packages. The Renewal Resolution package for $2,500 per room, per night including accommodations in the new over-the-top Renewal Suite and luxurious amenities. The 1,200-square-foot oasis includes a “decompression chamber” featuring a wall of water and more. There's a Zen-like home gym with bamboo flooring boasts fitness and yoga equipment. And, the Purification Station mini-bar has healthy snacks. According to the press release, "The hotel will arrange for a session with a nutritionist, personal trainer or even a hypnotist to help battle the bulge, kick the stick, tone up, etc." The package also includes a 50-minute in-room massage, a journal to reflect on the daily milestones and breakfast in bed. When booking, ask for the RENEW1 rate plan. Too steep? The hotel is offering a more affordable option priced at $519 per room, per night for a Spa Inspired Guestroom, which includes an electronic Shiatsu massage chair, nutritional alternatives in the mini-bar, aromatherapy bath amenities and air diffuser and more. The package also includes a 50-minute Swedish massage and breakfast in bed. Both packages are valid through March 31, 2006.

Travel Reads
Can't take a vacation? Well, get away through reading. Here are a few travel-type books and books to travel with.

Love L.A., check out WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, GRAND CONCOURSE OF LOS ANGELES (Angel City Press; $40) It's all about the famed street. Sometimes called “Fifth Avenue of the West” and the “Champs Elysees of the Pacific,” Wilshire Boulevard has become one of most renowned and recognized thoroughfares in the world.

New York Changing: Revisiting Berenice Abbott's New York by Douglas Levere, Bonnie Yochelson, Paul Goldberger (Princeton Architectural Press, $40, hardcover) Wonder what NYC used to look like compared to today? This book places photos taken by famed photographer Berenice Abbott in the mid-1930s alongside present-day pics of the same locations by lensman Douglas Levere. In some cases, the new photos are similar to the Depression-era ones with some buildings unchanged by time.

West Virginia 24/7 by Rick Smolan (DK Adult Books, $24.95, paperback) A photo collection of the best of West Virginia.

The Travel Book by Roz Hopkins (Lonely Planet Publications,$39.99, hardcover) This huge book has some amazing photos (120 in all) and covers 230 countries.

Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban: 100 Great Cuban Recipes with a Touch of Miami Spice by Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musibay and Jorge Castillo (Gibbs Smith, Publishers, $29.95, paperback). Can’t get to Cuba, well, bring Cuban cuisine to your own kitchen with these easy-to-follow recipes.

Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood by Donald Bogle (One World/Ballantine Books, $26.95, hardcover) Black entertainment historian covers the fascinating—and frustrating—history of black actors in Hollywood.

Sleeping Around In Toronto

The road can be tiring. What's worse that getting to your hotel room and finding a rock hard or lumpy mattress to sleep on. Well, hotels are finally taking note that when people check in they'd like to get a great night's rest. Having visited--and slept in--some of the best hotels in Toronto, I've been like the main character in Princess and The Pea. Here are some of my bed findings (while these are TO hotels, the chains have similar bedding offerings across the U.S.).

The Crowne Plaza Don Valley (www.cptdv.com), like all Crowne Plazas have the Sleep Advantage Program, developed with the help of sleep expert, Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D. of Sound Sleep, LLC. And it's not just the bedding. They have designated Quiet Zone floors, offered
Sunday through Thursday. What this means is no housekeeping or maintenance activities between 9 PM and 10 AM, unless requested by a guest and children and leisure groups will not be booked on these floors. In the room you get a "sleep" CD with relaxation tips and exercises and "sleep" amenities--Eye Mask and drape clip to block out unwanted light; earplugs; lavender spray to promote relaxation; and a nightlight to provide soft lighting during the night (all of which I used!). And they guarantee your wakeup call, so you don't have to worry about waking up on time. (Personally, I prefer wakeup calls to the alarm clock, which I always set wrong). Lastly, the beds. It has a special pillow-top mattress, seven pillows, comfy duvet, and super soft sheets. And if you fall in love with the bedding--and mattress--Crowne is selling it
all at www.crowneplaza.hotelsathome.com.

Staybridge Suites Markham (www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/sb/1/en/hd/yyzmh) can work on their bedding but with the free breakfast buffet, coffee and tea anytime, kitchen in the room, you feel so at home you sleep soundly. The great pillows--hypoallergenic ones made with man-made fibers to stimulate down or the real deal down--certainly help.

People feel so much at home at the Country Inn & Suites in Oakville (www.countryinns.com/torontoon_oakville), they often walk about in their socks, says sales manager Mina Hanna. Here, too, you can have coffee and tea whenever you like and they have an enhanced Continental breakfast. There are laundry facilities for guests to use. You can also borrow a book to read in the lounge by the fireplace.

But if total luxury makes you relax, a Four Seasons Hotel is probably the perfect fit for you. At the Four Seasons Toronto (www.fourseasons.com/toronto/) the executive suites feature a
separate living room with a sofa (so if hubby snores, he can sleep here). Some rooms (mine did) have a great furnished balcony that looks out onto the city. The beds are equally as plush, with great sheets and comfortable duvet and pillows. One plus for me that always helps me wind down--a CD player in the room so you can play your favorite CDs.

Talk about customized bedding. The Radisson has introduced something called the Sleep Number Beds in their guest rooms. Sleep Number beds uses air chamber technology which enables the firmness of a queen or king-size bed to be adjusted to each guest's precise comfort level, aka their personal Sleep Number. You basically "pump" up the mattress (on each side) to the firmness you want. Meaning two people can have a different firmness to their side of
the bed. Radisson also added upscale customized bedding, including plush feather and down pillows and a signature duvet. At the Radisson Hotel Admiral Toronto-Harbourfront
(www.radisson.com/torontoca_admiral) in downtown Toronto they are in the process, says the hotel's Margaret Martin, of putting Sleep Number beds in all of the guest rooms. It also helps that this property has a great view of the waterfront through ceiling to floor windows.

Intercontinental Toronto Centre (www.torontocentre.intercontinental.com), in the heart of the city, has, like all Intercontinental hotels, upgraded their bedding with 250-thread count, white Egyptian cotton sheets and down duvets.

You can also buy the Courtyard by Marriott beds, mattress/box springs and bedding at their online store. And after sleeping on one at a property like the Courtyard Downtown Toronto (http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=YYZCY), you might pull out that credit card. The custom comforter and pillows are so soft you nearly fall asleep as soon as you lie down (or at least I did).

But the Sheraton chain is not to be out down. They have launched the Sweet Sleeper Bed (also for personal purchase at 888-3-Sheraton). At select locations around the globe, you can sleep at one for the night, as I did at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel At Toronto International Airport (www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/search/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=692). The Sweet Sleeper Bed includes a custom designed plush top mattress set, a cozy fleece blanket, a plump duvet and five cushy pillows. And if you're traveling with your pet, they have a pet version of the Sweet Sleeper Bed, no kidding!

But if you are looking for more of an apartment setting, try an executive suites property such as the Town Inn Suites (www.towninn.com) in downtown Toronto. Sometimes they are actually much more affordable than a hotel and offer a more like-home vibe. At the Town Inn, they are in the process, says front office manager Robert Francis, of redoing and upgrading the guests rooms (including the beds). I got to stay in one of the newly redone rooms, which all have a separate living room area (you can close the French doors the bedroom), CD player, and either a full-kitchen or kitchenette. The beds have new soft duvets (I hate the polyester comforters some cheaper hotels use), great sheets and pillows.

But probably the best sleep I got while in Toronto had to be at the Wyford Executive Suites (www.wyfordsuites.com) in Mississauga near the Toronto International Airport. They have one-, two-, or three-bedroom condos for rent nightly at very affordable prices. I stayed at the Ovation. Being in a fully furnished condo, with a kitchen, washer & dryer, CD player, super quite floors made me so at home I overslept. It didn't hurt that the building is new and designed like a resort with waterfalls outside; a huge, high-style lobby; security; a secuity key only guests can use to get into the guest floors and garage; a large, fully equipped fitness centre; a pool and whirlpool; a bowling alley; billiards room; virtual golf; and a screening room. Also, since the Ovation is 50-50 temp guests and permanent residences, you see families and locals all the time--which makes you feel a little less like a visitor in a strange town. Wyford has several other locations in the area as well.

For a different experience, a stay at the Gladstone Hotel (www.Gladstonehotel.com) is a must. The guest rooms each have been designed by a different local artist. And, they have art including art exhibits and art spaces throughout the hotel, which is housed in a landmark historic building. Each room has a 20” flat screen television with CD/DVD player; queen or double size bed with hypo-allergenic duvets, hypo-allergenic pillows; hardwood floors; high ceilings; and all natural Canadian, hand-made bath amenities. I stayed in the "Offset" room designed by two female architects, Heather Dubbeldam and Tania Ursomarzo. It is mostly all-white with light wood accents. The concept is a "room within a room." There's also the "ECHAME FLORES" Victorian inspired room, the "Trading Post" room with Western accents combined with modern flourishes and the "Teen Queen" room complete with Teen Beat posters, to name a few.

Down the block is The Drake Hotel (www.thedrakehotel.ca). This ultra hip hotel has it all--great beds, hot nightclub/bar, sleek restaurant--but there is one thing that makes sleeping here unique. The hotel offers a "special" room service menu item--sex toys. The Drake pleasure kits start at $35, no questions asked.


TRAVEL TIPS...Jamaica is tauting its family friendly flavor these days by highlighting activities and places for the whole crew to enjoy--even in Kingston. PR reps are hoping families stop believing all they hype about Kingston being dangerous. In fact, say publicists, there are lots of family stuff to do in the city--biking through the countryside, going on safari, horseback
riding or cultural and historical tours in one of the island’s museums. And Chukka Caribbean Adventures (www.chukkacaribbean.com) can arrange it all...Speaking of island news, St. Kitts
(www.stkitts-tourism.com) has some of its own. The destination is boating developments of new hotels and villas as well as golf courses and other venues. There's Beaumont Park Racetrack, being developed to the tune of $17 million; Kittitian Heights, a 390-acre, $140 million project will include an 18-hole championship golf course complete with clubhouse, golf academy and more; and St. Christopher’s Estate luxury townhouses and iniums with a lagoon style swimming pool complex, luxury spa and wellness center, recording studio. Seems like they've been busy in St. Kitts. There's a reason--the island is looking to for other ways to generate captial. “St. Kitts has begun the next chapter in our history with the closure of our 360-year old sugar industry and an increased focus on tourism as a revenue generator for the economy,” commented Richard “Ricky” O. Skerritt, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture for St. Kitts “We are pursuing many new projects that will enhance our tourism product"...Move over Hotels.com, there's another hotel consolidator in town. WhereToStay.com is pledging to match its competition's lowest prices, plus pay 10% difference...One of the hotel's hotels in
Toronto, The Cosmopolitan (yes, like the cocktail), has a new spa, Shizen Spa (www.shizenspa.com). Since the hotel tends to attract Hollywood types in town filming, we're sure the spa will be star-studded as well.

Washed Up In Toronto

I was going around Toronto on assignment in search of the best hotel beds (more on beds next week)—places where even on the road you could get a great night’s sleep. While testing out the best mattresses in town, I came upon the best showerhead in the city—at least for me. It was at Delta Hotel Airport Mississauga (www.DeltaHotels.com).

Having just spent an hour or two on the computer in the hotel’s full-service business center, complimentary to all guests, and having gotten through a short workout in the gym—my shoulders ached. Getting into the shower, I fiddled with the massage dials on the showerhead, settling on a strong pulse setting. The knots in my back soon loosened up with the warm water pulsating against my neck and shoulders. I almost didn’t want to get out. But when I did, all the tension from sitting at the computer was long gone. After that shower, I started to pay more attention to what hotels offer in the shower—and not all showerheads are alike. Showerhead size does matter.

At its sister property, on the other side of town, Delta Toronto East (www.deltahotels.com/hotels/hotels.php?hotelId=25), the hotel, being environmental conscious, had installed new showerheads with restrictions--reducing water flow from 5 gallons per minute (gpm) to 3 gpm, which saves 2 gpm per shower head.

At the Strathcona Hotel (www.thestrathconahotel.com), in the heart of downtown Toronto, the showerhead was well equipped with four head jets. The impressive Renaissance Toronto Hotel Downtown Toronto (marriott.com/property/propertypage/yyzbr?WT_Ref=mi_left), where in 70 of the rooms you have a full view of the Rogers Centre and Blue Jays games or any other event going on in the stadium, also had great guest bathrooms with spray jets showerheads. The Metropolitan Hotel (www.metropolitan.com/toronto) in downtown Toronto also offers whirlpool tubs in their upscale modern marble bathrooms. The new Novation Rooms at the Novotel Toronto Centre (www.novotel.com/novotel/fichehotel/gb/nov/0931/fiche_hotel.shtml) had among other things, a shower with an adjustable handheld showerhead.

While there is much to talk about at the new fun and funky art-inspired and art-driven boutique hotel The Drake (www.thedrakehotel.ca), you can not overlook the showers in what the hotel calls “Crash Pads.” The shower stalls are clear glass enclosures in open view of the room--so your roommate can watch you while you lather up.

Even the Choice Hotel chain is paying attention to showerheads. The hotel group's Comfort brand, like Comfort Hotel Downtown Toronto (www.choicehotels.ca/hotels/hotel?hotel=CN228), now has pulsating showerheads in every guestroom. Over at The Doubletree International Plaza Hotel Toronto Airport (doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=YYZIPDT) they have eight Whirlpool suites each equipped with a Whirlpool as well as a stand up shower. If a whirlpool doesn’t ease your travel aches and pains, I don’t know what else will. Plus, they give you a warm chocolate chip cookie when you check in.

No one wants to step out from a soothing warm bath onto a cold tiled floor. Well, the just outside of Toronto at the Crowne Plaza Don Valley (www.cptdv.com/index.html), the bathrooms have heated floors. You’ll stay warm and cozy as you slip into your fluffy bathrobe (an amenity when you stay on a club floor).

So even a shower on vacation can be an adventure.

Travel Tips…If you’re a spicy food freak, make a trip to Albuquerque’s 18th Annual Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show (www.fiery-foods.com/ffshow; 505-873-8680), March 4-5. It’s the biggest gathering of people and products related to the fiery foods and barbecue industry. At the new Sandia Resort and Casino Events Center. Stay a little longer in town and experience full-on Native American culture at the Annual Gathering of Nations Pow-Wow, (www.gatheringofnations.com; 505-836-2810), April 26-29, when more than 500 tribes from the U.S. and Canada come together for dance and singing competitions, arts and crafts displays and much more…The next time you’re in Los Angeles you might get a little confused about where you’re staying—a few of the city's hotels have changed names--and looks. After a $10-million redo, the Renaissance Hotel LAX renamed itself the Renaissance Montura (www.marriott.com/property/propertypage/LAXRR. Montura is Spanish for "a place where art is mounted," and the new tage reflects the hotel's $14-million contemporary art collection. The Argyle Los Angeles (www.argylehotel.com) is now the Sunset Tower Hotel (its original name in 1929), following a renovation of its suites. The hotel also opened a new, 6,000-square-foot spa…Ever have dreams of exploring Asia? Well it is a little cheaper now. Ritz Tours (800-900-2446; www.ritztours.com) has new tours to China and the rest of Asia at “affordable prices.” “Our new Premiere Series redefines what it means to travel in style,” says Evan Chan, director of Ritz Tours. “We’ve created a masterful selection of gold standard Premiere Series tours, and we’ve kept the prices at hundreds of dollars less than the competition so travelers will enjoy optimum value and premiere inclusions – truly a world-class vacation experience.” Here are a few examples: Majestic Yangtze River, upstream (18 days) – Beijing, Shanghai, Yangtze cruise between Yichang and Chongqing, Xian, Guilin and Hong Kong; prices start at $3,499 per person, double from Los Angeles or San Francisco ($3,649 from JFK in New York); China Panorama (15 days) – Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Suzhou, Guilin and Hong Kong; prices start at $2,899 per person, double from Los Angeles or San Francisco ($3,049 from JFK in New York); Tokyo & China Highlights (18 days) – Tokyo, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Suzhou, Guilin and Hong Kong; prices start at $3,399 per person, double from Los Angeles or San Francisco ($3,549 from JFK in New York). These prices are good for travel March through December 2006 and include roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles, San Francisco or JFK in NY; airfare between cities visited in Asia; hotel accommodations; sightseeing; meals and entertainment.