NEW YORK, March 28, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- (PRIMEPAK FEATURE) At the Corporate Travel World Expo this week, held in New York City and sponsored by Business Travel News, travel industry expert Stephanie Abrams noted that The Buckingham Hotel in New York City, a boutique hotel on the best shopping street in New York, the national chain of Woodfin Suite Hotels and Chase Suite Hotels, with locations in such places as Des Moines, Iowa, and Lincoln, Nebraska, and Le Parker Meridien in NYC, part of the international Le Meridien hotel chain, share some basic areas of common ground: providing for the health and fitness needs of their guests. While many hotels provide fitness services, Abrams notes that each of these hotels has a unique approach to meeting travelers' special needs in the area of health and fitness.
The Buckingham Hotel, whose brochure asks the question, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" and answers with, "Stay at The Buckingham and cross the Street!" has a musical approach to providing for the fitness of its clients. A visit to their well-equipped exercise room, complete with cable television programming and sauna, has a special twist. The hotel's musical history as the extended-stay residence for many Carnegie Hall performers, including the great maestro and composer, Paderewski, and other artists and entertainers, forms the philosophic center of the hotel's brand and image as a "music and art" residential style hotel.
"Our musical focus is even evident in our fitness center where we provide private headsets for our guests to choose the music they would like to listen to while they work out!" states Stephen Shapiro, Managing Partner of the property, which has been under the same caring and dedicated family owner-management for over half a century. "While we are in the very heart of New York City, The Buckingham is a restful musical oasis for the traveler. We are convinced that music is an essential part of a healthful environment."
Equally important to a healthy traveling style is the opportunity to feel at ease, at home and well rested. The Buckingham Hotel, Woodfin Suites Hotels and Chase Suites Hotels all offer the comfort of residential living. "The value of spacious suites to relax in and the extra value of having your own fully equipped kitchen are tremendous benefits of staying at these hotels," Abrams states. "While restaurant dining can be lovely, there are times when you really wish you were home and had the luxury of just kicking off your shoes and raiding the refrigerator while you completely unwind from the day. The average hotel room isn't made to meet those desires. But The Buckingham, Woodfin and Chase Suites provide all of the comforts of home combined with all of the hotel services one could wish for," Abrams continues. "And the benefit of having your own en suite kitchen cannot be undervalued as it relates to healthy eating while on the road. When there is no en suite kitchen, the vending machine takes the place of the pantry and the refrigerator!"
Woodfin Suites and Chase Suites have a unique approach to providing fitness facilities for their clients, Abrams notes. While ten of the eighteen hotels in the group provide onsite workout facilities, some operating 24 hours and include a heated pool, others offer their guests complimentary membership at a nearby full service gym for the length of their stay. "The Chase Suite Hotel in Tampa even provides complimentary transportation to and from the gym for the guest who prefers to be chauffeured!" Abrams notes. "And, between The Buckingham in the best location in NYC, and the coast-to-coast array of Woodfin and Chase locations in such states as California, Utah, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland and Florida, travelers can take good care of mind, body, and spirit while traveling across the nation!" Abrams concludes.
"And then, there is Le Parker Meridien, in NYC, for those with a passion for the ultimate in fitness facilities," Abrams states. "In short, Le Parker Meridien is 'Fitness Heaven' for the workout enthusiast providing over 15,000 square feet of fitness equipment and workout facilities and a rooftop glass enclosed swimming pool to literally top it off!"
Best of all, according to Abrams, while these hotels vary dramatically in location and size, all of them share a common philosophy to attain the highest level of service by empowering every staff member with the authority to graciously meet every guest's needs and the responsibility to be certain those needs are met.
What's the best way to plan a trip with special attention to your health and fitness needs? "Start with a travel agent," Abrams suggests. A resource to find an agent can be found on line at www.travelauthority.com.
Stephanie Abrams, with over twenty years in the travel industry, is recognized as an expert having been repeatedly named to "Travel Agent Magazine's" list of the "100 Most Powerful Women in Travel." Abrams has been honored for her work in the travel industry, receiving the prestigious Travel Achievement Awards given by Travel Weekly Magazine for Best Public Relations Campaign, Best Marketing Promotion and Best Radio Advertising. She has served on the Advisory Boards of Dollar Rent a Car, Amadeus Global Distribution System International and Domestic Advisory Boards, Hong Kong Tourism Authority, The American Society of Travel Agents Council of Travel Marketing Organizations, and the International Affairs Committee of the International Franchise Association. Currently, Abrams is heard weekly on Business Talk Radio Network nationwide with her show, "Travel With Stephanie Abrams" and can be contacted through her Website at www.sabrams.com.
For releases related to this and other PrimePaks, or to find out more about PrimePak and to view a calendar of upcoming releases, please click on the following link: http://www.primezone.com/pages/fxpress.mhtml