Friday, June 27, 2014

Family Fun in the Desert at La Quinta Resort & Club



La Quinta Resort and Club, located in La Quinta, CA, offers guests a classic dessert escape to relax and unwind or to be active outdoors while soaking up the sun and being pampered.

The sprawling 45-acre resort, one of Hilton Worldwide’s Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, has been a popular retreat for Hollywood royalty since 1926 and continues its tradition of offering guests accommodation in charming casitas, a multitude of on-property dining, and a full array of amenities.
Guests can lounge by any of the 41 pools and 53 hot spas, get a luxury treatment at Spa La Quinta, or polish their skills at one of the five championship courses, 23 tennis courts, or attend a variety of fitness classes.

A Variety of Rooms at La Quinta Resort and Club













Guests can select to stay in one of 719 guestrooms that include casitas, suites and spa villas to suite their needs.
Most rooms offer the following complimentary amenities:

   Inviting interiors featuring early California-style décor
   Flat-screen televisions
   High speed Internet access; two telephones with dual lines/data port
   Private patios with garden, mountain or pool views in most rooms
   Fireplaces in select rooms
   Luxurious bathrooms with oversized tubs, separate showers, double sink vanities, top quality bath amenities and lighted make-up mirrors
   Plush terry bathrobes
   Refreshment center, wet bars in suites
   In-room safes
   Coffee service, iron, hairdryer

Suites may feature:
·   Hospitality kitchens
   Accommodate up to 14 people with connecting guestrooms
   Wood-burning fireplaces
   Eight suites also showcase private spas
   Five luxury suites include both a private pool and spa

Keep in mind that although guests can request non-smoking rooms, smoking is allowed in the outdoor patios surrounding the pools. Sharing a pool with neighbors could mean swimming with a chain smoker, bachelorette party, or partying college kids.

There is an adult-only pool, which lures the party crowd with music pumping and drinks flowing. This could make the smaller pools more family friendly.

On-Property Dining La Quinta Resort and Club

TWENTY6, named after the year the resort was established, 1926, is a modern bistro that offers causal updated versions of traditional dishes prepared with the freshest seasonal ingredients. Marketed as “vintage comfort food redefined,” the menu includes creative items such as the Pickled Purple Cauliflower ($2.26), Mandarin Orange & Cashew Salad with pea tendrils, crisp won tons, and sweet sesame soy dressing ($13.50), or the Reverse Root Beer Float made with root beer ice cream and vanilla cream soda ($7). The chef might also surprise you with a sample of items that are not on the menu, such as pancakes stuffed with bacon and topped with chocolate sauce or sweet potato tater tots with marshmallow dip. TWENTY6 also offers a breakfast menu that includes hotcakes, waffles, omelets, seasonal fruit and more. A popular dish is the Everything And The Kitchen Sink that includes corned beef, potatoes, peppers, onions, two cheeses and eggs ($17.26).
For authentic Mexican dishes, Adobe Grill offers a menu that features traditional dishes, as well as signature menu items such as table-side guacamole ($12.95), hand-made tortillas, award-wining tamales and more than a dozen hand-crafted margaritas including the Pepino Diablo with Tanteo jalepeno-infused tequila, or the Red Bull Margarita. Specialty dishes include the Camarones with Fideo – large pan-seared Mexican white shrimp sautéed with jalapeno, garlic tomatoes and cilantro served over angel hair pasta and vegetables ($23) or the Drunken Mahi Mahi blacked and glazed with El Jimador 100% agave tequila served with potato hash, fire roasted corn and pineapple jalapeno salsa ($26).
For a glamorous evening out, Morgan’s In the Desert provides a contemporary American cuisine with rustic farm-to-table menu items.
Also available are in-room dining (available poolside too), poolside dining at the Centre Court Café located at the main pool, To-Go menu items at the Coffee Market and a handy frozen margarita and snack cart that cruises the premises.
Family-Friendly Activities at La Quinta Resort and Club

Families will enjoy the many activities the property provides, including many pools (including shallow kiddie pools), bike rentals and nearby bike path, putting green, croquet, playground, nearby hiking trials, and movie nights at the main pool. There is also a candy shop, a kid’s clothing store, and babysitting services available. To really spoil the kids, check out the junior spa treatments for kids 10-17 years old.

Guest Services at La Quinta Resort and Club
The following services are offered:
   The full-service Spa La Quinta and state-of-the-art fitness center
   An executive business center and services
   A pet-friendly program, Paws La Quinta
   In-room dining
   24-hour concierge service
   Enterprise Rent-A-Car, located in the main lobby
   Airport and transportation services
   Babysitting, available through the concierge on a reference-only basis
   Complimentary self-parking and valet parking 

Fall Renovation 
This fall/2014 marks the first milestone of a phased multi-million dollar restoration of the 45-acre
bespoke escape, which includes 620 guest casitas and suites plus 98 one-, two- and three-bedroom
villas. Preserving the inspiration and historical significance of the 1926 property, the resort-wide
renovation will encompass enhancements of all guest casitas and villas, a redesign of the main lobby
and public spaces as well as re-imagine the pool experience.

Contact Information
La Quinta Resort & Club
49499 Eisenhower Drive
La Quinta, CA 92253
(760) 564-4111
www.LaQuintaResort.com

Thursday, June 26, 2014

OSEA Adds Blemish Balm to Skin Care Line

OSEA, which stands for Ocean, Sun, Earth, and Atmosphere, has added a Blemish Balm to their line of safe cosmetics. Founder Jenefer Palmer strives to provide customers with the highest quality, naturally-sourced skincare that is vegan, gluten-free and biodegradable.

“I want to leave this planet a cleaner place than when I arrived,” says Palmer. "I also want women to be able to use the safest cosmetics possible. Remember seventy percent of what you put on your body can be absorbed into your bloodstream. I want to raise the consciousness of women so they use safe cosmetics, it's not just about beauty - it's about their health.”

The Blemish Balm is an organic, lightweight, non-greasy, antiseptic moisturizer that helps reduce blemishes, prevent future breakouts, and keeps skin shine-free without clogging pores.

The unique blend includes pure cypress, rosemary, and juniper essential oils in OSEA’s proprietary base of three different seaweeds (including Gigartina seaweed, which is hand-harvested in the pristine waters off the coast of Patagonia). The Balm is loaded with skin-loving multivitamins, anti-aging properties, and mineral peptides that nourish and aid in skin repair. OSEA's seaweed is certified USDA organic.

The Blemish Balm ($42), has become a best seller, along with the Ocean Cleanser, Advanced Protection Cream, Eyes & Lips and Vitamin Sea Serum. OSEA has partnered with luxury destination resorts and day spas worldwide. Their line of products can be found at their spa partners or online at http://oseamalibu.com.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Celebrity Cruises' Land-Based Wine and Food Festival

Celebrity Cruises hosted their first-ever land-based Great Wine Festival on May 31, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Great Park in Irvine, Calif. Attendees were able to sample wine from more than 40 wineries including Kendall Jackson, beers from craft breweries including Stella Artois and unique spirits such as sparkling tequilla from TeQava. Food samples were also available from the Celebrity Cruise Executive Chef John Suley, as well as top Orange County restaurants including Laguna Beach-based Maro Wood Grill.
Celebrity Cruises is know for its gourmet wine and food offering about their ships. Recently 10 of its restaurants received Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence."
Scott Clifton, director of sales, said, “Celebrity’s love affair with the culinary arts continues to flourish. We saw this opportunity to introduce food and wine aficionados to culinary experiences they can enjoy while on a Celebrity ship, as well as restaurants and beverages they have yet to try.”
Ticket prices were up to $100 with proceeds benefiting LegalAid of Orange County, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free and low-cost legal services to individuals of Southern California who might otherwise be denied access to justice.