22 WEST COAST WOMAN <strong>JANUARY</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
travel news Sleep In A Glass Igloo Frozen Into A Glacial Lagoon in Iceland Available for booking now for dates from mid-January through March <strong>2023</strong>, two new glass igloos frozen into a secluded lagoon will open to guests for their first winter offering the chance to sleep next to a glacier in Iceland. Part of an exclusive, private tour from Northern Lights specialists Off the Map Travel, the “igloo boats” are accessible only by boat or all-terrain vehicles and float during the summer months and freeze into the ice as the temperatures fall. The fully guided five-night/six-day Private Glacier Lagoon Adventure program allows guests to overnight on the lagoon by the Vatnajokull glacier for the first time and has been designed to optimize experiencing the Northern Lights. This program is an exclusive one, designed for the utmost in luxury and adventure, with a guide at your disposal at all times for recommendations and excursions including a private glacier hike and sightseeing. From the Fjallsarlon glacial lagoon on the southern coast of Iceland, the transparent igloos sit in a position where watching the stars and Icelandic Northern Lights becomes the focus of the evening. The experience takes full advantage of this dark Hotel News setting as there is no light pollution and the igloos have panoramic glass walls for uninterrupted views. Isolated from tourists in an uninhabited corner of Iceland, the new igloos encourage connection with nature and the stunning snow-covered wilderness. The igloos measure nine square meters and come equipped with a double bed, bathroom, panoramic windows, Wi-Fi and hot drinks. The igloos are warmed by central heating. The new five-night, six-day Private Glacier Lagoon Adventure includes a night in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik, followed by a guided road trip with driver to Myrdalsjokull with views of the southern coastline. Guests enjoy a privately guided scenic tour and dinner at the Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon before spending a night beneath the sky in a private glass igloo overlooking the Vatnajokull glacier. After the igloo night on the lagoon, guests will continue along the coast to Hotel Ranga for the final night of the program. The private five-night, six-day Glacier Lagoon Adventure trip is priced at $8799 per person at the time of this writing. Visit www. offthemap.travel/ NYC Hotel Week New York City has launched NYC Hotel Week which will run from January 3 through February 12, <strong>2023</strong>, offering 23% savings off standard room rates at more than 140 hotels across all five boroughs, with additional properties expected to join. NYC Hotel Week <strong>2023</strong> participating hotels include Hard Rock Hotel New York; Lotte New York Palace; The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel; The Hoxton, Williamsburg; The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue; New York Marriott Marquis; The William Vale; Radio Hotel; The Opera House Hotel, The Rockaway Hotel; Hilton Garden Inn New York/Staten Island and more. The start of NYC Hotel Week reservations marks the countdown to the return of NYC Winter Outing which celebrates the City’s winter season with offers from NYC & Company’s signature programs: NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, and for the second year, NYC Hotel Week. NYC Winter Outing runs January 17-February 12, <strong>2023</strong> and combines deals across all five boroughs on dining, Broadway shows, attractions, museums, tours, performing arts and hotels. Bookings open on January 10. Visit nycgo.com/hotelweek. After Hurricane Ian, Florida Hoteliers Help Communities Recover It’s now been more than 2 months since the Category 4 Hurricane Ian initially made landfall on Florida’s southwestern coast, causing devastation and destruction to the area. Hotel owners and operators in the area have had to deal with damage to not only their properties, but also their communities. AAHOA members convened in Florida after Hurricane Ian hit to provide aid to affected hotel owners. Hoteliers across Florida have used their resources to crowdsource funds and resources for displaced residents and staff in need. The Pink Shell Beach Resort & Marina on Fort Myers Beach, started a GoFundMe fundraiser for staff members affected by the storm and reached its $120,000 goal. Robert Boykin, owner and operator of the resort, said some employees “lost everything” in the storm. “To have to have the whole island evacuated for search and rescue, that puts things in perspective. A property loss is one thing — nowhere near as devastating as losing your life. It’s going to fundamentally change the place,” he said. Mainsail Lodging & Development, a Tampa-based management and development company, held a “Raise the Roof for Hurricane Ian Relief” night at five of its rooftop bars and raised $12,000 for the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida. Mainsail also hosted a community rally with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where they fed more than 850 people and handed out supplies such as tarps, said President and Founder Joe Collier. Collier said Mainsail’s portfolio had some disruptions due to guests canceling reservations, but it avoided any material damage, even at its downtown Fort Myers property — the Luminary Hotel & Co. — because it’s a new structure that’s built higher. Bharat Patel, national vice chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and a Sarasota, hotel owner, said he drove down to Fort Myers with a few other AAHOA members to deliver generators, flashlights, water and food when the storm hit. The next day, all AAHOA members available in Florida convened with those mostly unaffected to provide warm food, aid and advice. Boykin said he has endured seven hurricanes, and Ian caused more destruction than all of the others combined. The Pink Shell didn’t suffer any structural damage, but the ground level flooded, the roofing was damaged and its marina floated off the piers. The water surge ranged up to 18 feet high, he said. Boykin said as soon as the storm hit, he contacted the company that built its marina and ordered another one. While the newly built marina should be ready to install in January, the necessary power pedestals won’t be ready for another six months due to supply-chain issues. Boykin said the Pink Shell is going to bring back each aspect of the resort as it’s ready, including converting its one food outlet that survived into a three-meal restaurant. As for reopening the resort to guests, he said, “with electricity and water, we can house people, and that’s our plan.” Both Collier and Boykin said Fort Myers Beach, however, still has a lot of work ahead of it. Boykin said he met with a group from Texas who came to the island to help with the restoration work, and they said they’re planning on staying for the next five years due to all the damage that needs repairing. Need a weekend getaway with your loved one? Compass Hotel Anna Maria Sound is a boutique hotel located at the gateway to Anna Maria Island and brings all the easy, breezy fun of Margaritaville resorts. The hotel has 123 rooms overlooking a marina on one side and Neal Preserve on the other. Margaritaville offers a weekend getaway with your loved one. Their Romance Package comes with the following: Bottle of sparkling wine and a fruit plate delivered to room upon arrival; $50 food and beverage credit per day to Compass Bar & Chill and 1p.m. late checkout on day of departure. Full details at www.compasshotel.com. <strong>JANUARY</strong> <strong>2023</strong> WEST COAST WOMAN 23