Recently in New York City Category

Starwood recently teamed up with American Express to offer a special experience for 150 SPG members lucky enough to snatch up a ticket: a private screening of Life in Flight at the Westin New York at Times Square during the Tribeca Film Festival.

Tickets sold out in three hours for the exclusive event, making it one of the hardest tickets to come at this year's festival of independent films. Each guest was given an SPG Amex branded cloth tote bag with customized M&Ms, a Tribeca Film Festival cap and the Zagat 2008 Movie Guide. After the film, a thoughtful relationship drama starring Patrick Wilson and Amy Smart, one of the executive directors of the Tribeca Film Festival did a Q&A session with the audience.

"This event totally fulfilled my expectations," said one attendee. "It was a way to have access to the film festival with an interesting discussion afterwards. As an average person outside the entertainment industry, I felt like I had a look in."

"Aloha" from the SPG party celebrating the launch of Starwood's eighth hotel brand, aloft. Select SPG members got a sneak peak at what the aloft hotels will look like and were treated to a heart-pumping performance by Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child.

Pulling up to the prototype hotel housed in a warehouse in Hawthorne, New York, I was pleasantly surprised to be guided downstairs to what could have been a hot club in any major city in the world, a distinction few equal price-level hotels can claim. The décor was strictly modern without being alienating. Guests mingled, laughed and flirted in the open, airy lobby designed to do just that: promote social interaction. One guest professed her love of the lighting of the WXYZ bar in which, "Everyone looks good!"

When it came time for Michelle Williams to perform, the crowd was a little startled to be taken out of their reverie. But as the performance began, it was clear that Ms. Williams could get even the most eclectic crowd fired up.

Guests were treated to complimentary signature aloft drinks like wild blueberry highballs, cucumber collins and pineapple chipotle margaritas as well as a sampling of hors d'oeuvres. My only regret of the night was having left only having sampled the delicious watermelon martini!

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!

This evening, select SPG members and thelobby.com's own Hanna Kim received a sneak peek inside the newest addition in the Starwood family, a prototype of an aloft hotel. Reporting from the event, Hanna shares with us some first-hand accounts.

In the design desert of generic business/travel hotel, aloft will stand out as an urban oasis. Think staying at your cooler, hipper cousin's (you know the one you always secretly wished you could be) tricked out loft in the city.

Upon entering the lobby, guests are greeted by an open space designed to promote social interaction. There you'll find the sexy w xyz bar, re:fuel, the 24-hour food and beverage area and the spacious re:mix lounge, complete with pool table.

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.

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

The days of heading across the street from your hotel to the Waffle House or downstairs to the lobby for a less than exciting bite from the buffet are long gone. Well, at least for some. In the case of W Hotels' recent partnership with the Food Network's young, up-and-coming Dave Lieberman, those days are a DeLorean ride into the wild west.

This delicious duo will be coming together to offer guests and exclusive menu created by Dave himself. Starting on June 1, 2008, select W Hotels in North America will debut Dave's tWists on the classics, giving guests access to exclusive creations to nibble at W destination bars, Living Rooms and through in-room dining. What's on the menu? Sample the warm balsamic asparagus, pea shoot, & baby arugula salad with shaved pecorino; or Bubby's chicken dumpling soup; or even Moroccan chicken kebabs, harissa ketchup and cucumber yogurt sauce. He'll even be coming by to change things up each season, basing the new menu items on one of W's upcoming global destinations to keep you guessing.

Want to meet the man himself? W will host Dave at three exclusive W Happenings events in May at W San Diego, W Chicago City Center and W New York-The Court.