Destination Guides - Southpoint.com Blog

Underwater hotel planned for Dubai

You know about the underwater housing market as seen the past several years, but what about an underwater hotel? Plans are going forward for an underwater hotel to be built in Dubai, where the 21 guest rooms will be almost 33 feet below the water's surface. Large glass windows will allow for one-of-a-kind wildlife viewing. I can see a future 007 movie set here...

Florida Motel goes nude to promote business

Times are tough in the economy, as noted motel owner Paul Hodge of Fawlty Towers Motel in Cocoa Beach, Florida. He has watched his motel business decline over the years as large hotels received the lion's share of the local business. Starting today, the motel is implementing a rather bold strategy by accepting nude guests, and willl become a "naturist resort". According to the Reuters news report, as long as nude guests are inside and not outside they will not be at risk for a criminal charge of indecent exposure. Fawlty Towers on their website noted that they "will promote family oriented nudism, which shall be wholesome and non-sexual. Single males must qualify to visit according to our singles policy."

Wonder what Basil would have thought about such a stunt...

Hotel Key Cards A Thing of the Past?

A new technology being tested at a Stockholm hotel allow guests to go straight to their rooms without checking in with the hotel front desk.

Developed by Near Field Communication (NFC), a guest's room at the Clarion Hotel Stockholm is unlocked simply by the guest swiping their cell phone in front of their room door. When checking out, the guest swipes their cell phone at a designated point in the lobby before exiting. Don't expect it to become available by next year, as the technology currently requires specialty phones to use. Still, I expect something similar to this to be available in the next few years as hotels experiment with new technologies to further enhance the travel experience.

View a video of the technology in action here -

Natchez Eola Hotel - Feature Accommodation

Natchez has a rich history that few towns in America can match. Overlooking the picturesque Mississippi River, the town offers a glimpse into the past with antebellum mansion tours and antique shops aplenty.

Read more about our recent stay at the elegant Eola Hotel offering panoramic views of the downtown area.
Book a stay at the Natchez Eola Hotel now.

Hotels opening in China

As noted in this recent FoxBusiness article, companies such as Starwood are now opening a new hotel in China at the rapid pace of every two weeks.

As notes Matt Gaghen, vice president of brand management at Starwood, "Both domestic travel and outbound travel are growing really substantially. The market, overall, is booming. It’s not one at the expense of the other.”


It will be interesting to see how this evolves as more Chinese citizens have the capability to travel more both inside and outside of the country and more foreigners travel to China destinations.

Been to China? Let us know about your experiences by joining our Facebook page.

Micro-chipped Hotel Towels & Robes?

Yes, you read that correctly. Linen Tracking is a company specialized in installing RFID chips for hotel clients. I can't imagine someone taking towels or a robe previously used by someone else in a hotel, but it does happen fairly often I understand at certain hotels. What's next, microchipped pillows?

Read the full story here.

New Miami Hotels in revitalized downtown

Many cruises originate from the port of Miami. Developers have been keying on this fact as well as the history of the downtown area and have been actively reclaiming a vibrancy to the downtown Miami area with a crop of new upscale hotels and restaurants. A new train will go online in 2012 to dispatch people from the airport to downtown Miami.

Three of the newest hotels in the downtown area of Miami include:

JW Marriott Marquis

This 313 room hotel offers an indoor basketball court, expansive in-room window views of Biscayne Bay, mirrors with built-in TV, and a posh bistro restaurant (Daniel Boulud's db Bistro Moderne).

Epic Hotel

Part of the Kimpton chain, the Epic Hotel is a boutique hotel offering rooms in subtle colors, with balcony views, a wine happy hour, spa, and the popular ZUMA restaurant, specializing in Japanese tapas.

Tempo Miami

Located in a condo tower near American Airlines Arena, the home of the Miami Heat.

San Antonio Stay near area attractions

Read more in our feature on the Omni at the Colonnade.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 10:15 PM
Edited on: Friday, July 15, 2011 10:19 PM
Categories: Accommodations, Destinations

Thursday, June 16, 2011

9e Ranch B&B - Rustic Cabins & Country Views

On our visit to 9E Ranch Bed & Breakfast in Smithville just 10 miles from the historic town of Bastrop, we were impressed with the log cabins, the horses, donkeys, playful cats, and don't forget Texas longhorns. The owners made us feel right at home. Head with us to the ranch as we discover a great hideaway.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 2:59 PM
Categories: Accommodations, Attractions, Destinations, Videos

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Allergies and Travel

Tis the season for allergies. Here in central Texas we suffer from the effects of cedar fever and other pollens.

Some people are much more sensitive to allergies, as hotels are recognizing via allergy free room according to this USA Today article.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 8:56 PM
Categories: Accommodations

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

The exotic Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas

Situated in the upscale business center of Las Colinas, the Omni Mandalay offers panoramic views of Lake Carolyn and the downtown Dallas skyline. The Omni goes to great lengths to impress. For our feature, we stayed in the Presidential Suite on the 28th floor. To say that the suite is massive is an understatement. At 2,890 square feet, it's larger than our house. I kept wondering what it was like here just the week before as the Green Bay Packers coach and team celebrated their Super Bowl win while staying here at the Omni.

Read about the Omni Mandalay in our new in-depth feature, and also Trevi's Restaurant (Psst, if you love seafood order the Cioppino. You will thank me.)

Omni Mandalay

With an exotic interior Burmese charm, spacious rooms, highly rated spa and restaurant, free covered self parking, overlooking Lake Carolyn, and near most Dallas attractions, the Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas in Irving offers an attractive choice when visiting Dallas.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 1:06 AM
Edited on: Tuesday, March 08, 2011 1:09 AM
Categories: Accommodations, Destinations, Videos

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Omni Mandalay Sneak Peek Video

View our sneak peak video of the Omni Mandalay in Irving, Texas, and watch for our new feature coming soon.

In 2009, Travel and Leisure Magazine added the Omni Mandalay to their World's Best Hotels for Families listing (one of three Omnis to receive the honor).
Omni Mandalay

With an exotic interior Burmese charm, spacious rooms, highly rated spa and restaurant, free self parking, and overlooking Lake Carolyn, the Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas in Irving offers an attractive choice when visiting Dallas.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 12:36 PM
Edited on: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 12:44 PM
Categories: Accommodations, Videos

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Omni Mandalay Home of Super Bowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers

The Omni Mandalay in Irving, Texas had a big welcome for the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers as they stayed at the hotel for Super Bowl XLV. Large images of Green Bay Packers players and NFL logos were added around the hotel to welcome the players and other guests. The weather forecast got better for Super Bowl weekend when the Green Bay Packers played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV.

Coming up later this month, we will visit the Omni Mandalay for a new feature, and will be highlighting the many unique aspects of the hotel. In 2009, Travel and Leisure Magazine added the Omni Mandalay to their World's Best Hotels for Families listing (one of three Omnis to receive the honor).
Omni Mandalay

With an exotic interior Burmese charm, spacious rooms, highly rated spa and restaurant, free self parking, and overlooking Lake Carolyn, the Omni Mandalay at Las Colinas in Irving offers an attractive choice when visiting Dallas.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 10:40 PM
Edited on: Sunday, February 06, 2011 10:35 PM
Categories: Accommodations, Destinations

Friday, January 21, 2011

The French Room in Dallas receives AAA Five Diamond Award for 2011

AAA has recently awarded 179 establishments the AAA/CAA Five Diamond Award® for 2011. The AAA award listing accounts for only 0.3 percent of the total 59,000 AAA listed lodgings and restaurants that receive the prestigious honor. “It is encouraging to see an increase in the number of AAA Five Diamond establishments this year,” said Michael Petrone, director of AAA Tourism Information Development. “The recent economic downturn has presented many challenges for the travel industry including increased closures and fewer new restaurant openings."

Executive Chef Jason Weaver of The French Room
Congratulations go to The French Room restaurant located in The Adolphus in Dallas and featured here at Southpoint.

The Adolphus Hotel
The Adolphus is a museum unto itself, and includes a rare 1893 Steinway piano which was destined for the R.M.S. Titanic. The piano was owned by the millionaire Benjamin Guggenheim, who died after refusing to get into one of the few available lifeboats just before the Titanic sank in 1912.

Watch in February as we visit The French Room in a new expanded feature.

View here for a full listing of the AAA Five Diamond Award list for 2011.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 3:47 PM
Edited on: Wednesday, January 26, 2011 9:10 PM
Categories: Accommodations, Restaurants, Travel News

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Dallas Abuzz for Super Bowl XLV

Excitement is building around the Dallas area for the upcoming Super Bowl XLV where the NFC and AFC Champions will play in the new Arlington stadium February 6th which will be televised on the FOX network.

Serving as hosts for the NFC and AFC Champion teams, the honor goes to two area Omni hotels, the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas and the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth. The two Omni hotels were picked by the NFL after a thorough review process. The Omni Dallas at Park West also operates in the area.

We will be highlighting the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas in a special feature in the near future so stay tuned. Scheduled for opening in 2012, a fourth area Omni Hotel is in the works to be built at the Dallas Convention Center.

We are always impressed with the warm interior designs at Omni Hotels and the very friendly staff. Read more about in our recent Omni Hotel destination features:
Atlanta | Corpus Christi | San Antonio

Going to Dallas for the game? Let us know, and post photos on our new Southpoint Facebook page!

Posted by Carl Burnham at 9:16 PM
Edited on: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 1:52 AM
Categories: Accommodations, Attractions, Destinations

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Hotel ICON in Houston to be rebranded

The Hotel ICON has recently been purchased by Magic Johnson's joint venture company Canyon Johnson Urban Funds, with plans to have it become a part of a hotel chain to be announced. We wish the acquisition well and hope that the 135 room Houston hotel retains the special charm that we found throughout.
Built in 1911 as a bank, many historic reminders remain including a huge bank vault at the hotel check-in desk.
Read our Hotel ICON feature and watch our video: