Recently in W Category

Canada is the second-largest country in the world, which means there's an awful lot of it to explore. Whether you're looking for scenic beaches, snow-capped peaks, or cosmopolitan cities, you're sure to find it in this pristine nation in the great white north. Get started on your own Canadian grand tour this year with Starwood's Canada Day 2008 sale. Book by Canada Day (July 1) and save up to 40% off regular rates for stays at participating Canadian hotels and resorts between June 18 and December 30, 2008. Those fond of the great outdoors might enjoy a few days at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, which offers the best of Vancouver's urban delights along with panoramic vistas of the coastline, distant mountain ranges, and Stanley Park. Would you like to practice your French? Then check into the W Montréal, which is located in the historic Banque du Canada building, just steps from Old Montreal. For those who really want to indulge, the Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler (pictured) is hard to top. This four-season resort has it all, from the Avello Spa & Health Club to four stellar nearby golf courses and the fascinating Aubergine Grill, where diners have a fantastic view of the action in the show kitchen. The seconds are ticking away to lock in great rates for Canadian escapes this year, so visit Starwood's Canada Day 2008 page today and let your northern dreams take flight.

Maxime Francis is the Interactive Marketing Manager of Global Web Services for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

Everything is going up in price and candy and chocolates are no exception! If you are searching for the perfect hostess gift, the most unique wedding favor or just the right surprise for your loved one, look no further than a series of new boutique bakeries, all with excellent websites and extraordinary presents under a hundred dollars.

Indulge in Parisian macaroons, a milk-based snack containing almonds and other nuts that are available in 13 flavors, including apricot, almond, coffee and raspberry at L'Epicerie. ($72 for 48 cookies)

Getting married soon? Consider writing personalized fortunes on the inside of dark or white chocolate coated Giant Wedding Fortune Cookies; they come with white, gold or silver sprinkles. Fortunate Biscuits creates them for $100.

Of course, as a native New Yorker, my favorite place to indulge (and at $75 for a stack, it's quite a rare indulgence) is Eleni's for a gift box of Butterflies in Nature cookies. These big, beautiful hand iced sugar biscuits come in all sorts of colors. Sometimes I feel so guilty for eating them as they look like little works of art. But boy are they good! Eleni's is a little over a mile away from the W New York - Union Square. If you visit after 6 pm each day, enjoy their half off sale on freshly baked treats!

Candice Kraughto is the director of public relations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, and thelobby.com's expert on the region. This week, she reports on dining in San Francisco.

The first time I tasted parsnips was at XYZ restaurant in the very chic, but cozy W San Francisco. I was having dinner with media and some colleagues from Hawaii including Sumithra and Chef Bart from The Westin Maui Resort & Spa. Chef Bart had just completed a live on-air cooking segment earlier on ABC San Francisco KGO-TV's "View from the Bay." We sat around an elegant round table near the window looking out at 3rd Avenue. The parsnips were positively delicious - why had I never eaten parsnips before? I called my husband excitedly later that night, "It had a savory taste between a creamy potato and a carrot," I raved. I dreamed of eating those parsnips again.

Was it just me? Or do most of people who grow up in Hawaii seldom have an opportunity to experience parsnip perfection? Macaroni and cheese is another mystery.

Jaime Gottlieb is the Manager of Online Communications for the Luxury Brands Group and thelobby.com's source on all happenings at W Hotels.

Remember hearing about that pretty in pink Veuve Clicquot Loveseat by Karim Rashid? That design rock star, arm tats and all, has certainly been busy creating everything curvy, bright and groovy in every angle from furniture to fashion to funky spaces. Every magazine has written about him, and everyone has worked with him... even Dirt Devil.
Keeping things fresh is something he excels in, so it's no surprise he's teamed up again with Veuve Clicquot -- and this time with W Hotels -- to create a design item that not only shines but also keeps your bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé super cool.

Rashid's Globalight, a limited-edition piece that's a modern remix on the traditional French chandelier, creates a soft pink halo of LED light and a dream like atmosphere wherever it goes. Globalight is also an isotherm bottle carrier, so your bottle of Veuve Clicquot Rosé will keep its cool up to 4 hours.