During our trip to Italy, our vacation package included lodging at some pretty decent hotels with adequately sized rooms. However, for those of you who prefer to create you own package, and are looking for a little more space than your average European standard room, there are other lodging option to consider - Apartments and Bed & Breakfasts. For example, if you booked a typical a bed & breakfast in Rome such as Residenza Reginella , it would include: an entry hall, master double bedded room with balcony, an extra double bedded room with single bedded couches, fully equipped kitchenette, and bathroom with shower. The space could accommodate up to five people, also offering air conditioning, satellite colour TV, and ADSL internet.
An apartment in Florence such as Appartamento Stella Firenze would include: a living room with a sofa bed and a king size bed or twin beds, a kitchen that includes a fridge, microwave and dishwasher, and closet space for storage - and could accommodate up to four people. Another option is a cozy family-run hotel in Naples like Hotel Duomo. These alternative types of lodging definitely have benefits for those traveling in groups or just want a new experience.

Welcome to Paradise! There are plans in the making for the Songjiang Hotel in the Songjiang District 17 miles from Shanghai, China. (As posted by Global Construction Watch) The hotel will be set in a rock quarry and its design was inspired by the area’s natural landscape.

It will be a 400-bed, Five-Star Resort! (Not to be confused with the Songjiang Hotel already in existence!)

Other amenities include:
*Underwater Guests Rooms facing an Aquarium
*Underwater Restaurant
*Venue for Extreme Sports such as Rock Climbing and Bungee Jumping
*1,000 person capacity conference hall
*Also restaurants, cafés, sports facilities & a banquet center

The hotel is scheduled to be completed in May 2009! Most importantly this is a Green Project!

Mannnnnn, I want to go…

Ever had an early morning flight out of London? Ever wished you could sleep near your gate without getting a backache from sitting all night in those horrible airport seats? Well, try out a stay at YOTEL.

Conveniently located inside the terminals of both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, YOTEL has all you need for a good night’s rest before your flight or a comfy nap during long layovers. For as low as £25 per hour, you can book a mini-sized “room” which includes a bed, bath, and even amenities such as wifi and flat-screen tvs.

YOTEL is a part of the YO! Company brand. I remember YO!Sushi and it’s conveyor belt concept from my London days back in 2000. Well, its appears that over the years the company expanded its brand in numerous areas, including hospitality. YO! Co. founder, Simon Woodroffe was inspired by the Japanese Capsule Hotel concept during a visit to the country in 2002. After a few years of planning, YOTEL opened in both London airports in 2007, and is scheduled to open this summer in the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.




I sure wish these babies were around when I was stranded at Gatwick for 24 hours. The Le Meridien (now The Sofitel) was connected to the airport, but put a real hurtin’ on this college girl’s wallet. Hey…Divas can’t deal with backaches! Next time…I think I’ll YOTEL it.

Our last day in Rome was truly a sight-seeing marathon. We had to mark off as much as we could on our “Must See” list….Due to our late night salsa partying, we got off to a later start than anticipated. We hopped on the Metro, and headed to Vatican City. The Vatican Museum is another site that is a must for comfortable shoes, as you will be led down hallway after magnificent hallway filled with the most exquisite wall and ceiling paintings that you will ever see. Of course the grand finale is the legendary fresco paintings in the Sistine Chapel illustrated by Michaelangelo.

After grabbing some lunch at a nearby pizzeria, and some ‘frada’ bag shopping, we hopped on the Metro again to the Colosseum. Because we were on a time crunch, we opted for an independent tour of the Colosseum, but guided tours were also available.

The days are shorter in Italy in November. It began getting darker a little after 4pm, and we knew we only had a little more time left one more attraction - the Trevi Fountain. Legend has it, if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, you shall return to Rome. Consider that a done deal!




After some final shopping in Rome, we tucked in to prepare for our train ride to Venice the next morning. We boarded our train, traveled through the beautiful Italian countryside, and five hours later approached the enchanting city of Venice.

We stayed at the nice and cozy Hotel Abbazia. This hotel was also conveniently located a few steps away from the Venice train station. This close location was key to a relatively easy transport back to the airport. Because Venice is a city of canals and no roads, this isn’t always the easiest (or cheapest) thing to do…so make sure you’ve looked into ground transportation options with your hotel prior to your departure, especially if you have an early morning flight.

Venice is such a charming place that’s best taken in slowly. Our time in Venice was less fast-paced compared to our visit to Rome. We didn’t have an extensive ‘to do’ list, so we able to leisurely explore the winding walkways and bridges over picturesque canals.

Some our favorite places and things in Venice:
Murano glass
Venetian masks
Fat and greedy pigeons in San Marco Piazza
Gondola ride down the Grand Canal (the more the merrier….and cheaper!)
Gelato, gelato, gelato
Street vendors at Rialto Market
Vaporettos (Waterbuses)

Good Eats in Venice:
Cafe Brek
Great little spot for a cappucino and one of their delicious sandwich wraps.
AeOche
Cute little American-style pizza chain. Good for a quick bite. Ever had a fried olive stuffed with mincemeat? Well here’s your chance.

Italy was an incredible trip. There is definitely so much more to explore in this beautiful country. Our sampler was definitely an appetizer, and can’t wait to come back and experience the full course!
For more details on our Italy vacation check out the discussion board at our JetSet Globetrotter Community

It’s NBA All Star Weekend 2008 and I have personally been waiting for them to bring this to New Orleans since they announced it 4 years ago…and I don’t even live there anymore!

New Orleans is the ultimate party town from the French Quarter Festival, to The Jazz and Hertiage Festival, to the infamous Mardi Gras. However, no other city can do a rotating celebration (Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, NBA All Star) like the Big Easy.
Here’s the skinny on NBA All Star Weekend.

Airline tickets are RIDICULOUS…say it again…RIDICULOUS. So if you havent already made flight arrangements I suggest you take off Friday the 15th and Monday the 18th and prepare for one helluva drive.
*UPDATE* American Airlines has New Orleans on their net fares this weekend. From St. Louis to New Orleans (Feb 16 - Feb. 18) round trip is $199. Check it out!

Hotel Rooms in the coveted French Quarter area are near non-existent. However, if you’ve saved plenty on airfare the brand new Harrah’s Hotel which is about a year old has rooms for $850 per night. HA! (I think Jay-Z and Diddy must be staying up in there or something.) Since thats not the spot for me I searched and searched and found the:

Baronne Plaza Hotel
201 Baronne Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
1-888-756-0083
They are newly renovated (Request the 3rd or 5th floor.) and are one block down and one block over (thats 2 blocks) from Bourbon Street.
Their rooms are going for $169/night. Any other time I would say WHAT? But for this weekend I say that is not too shabby! If you book directly through the hotel the rooms are $189. If you boook through TravelNow, they are $169. Your call!

In a city structured like New Orleans, where the majority of the entertainment is downtown, I don’t suggest getting a rental car. I suggest taking the Airport Shuttle New Orleans. They are $30 round trip or $15 one-way.

Now for the Entertainment….
There are many many affordable and non-affordable…translation…celebrity and regular folk events going on in town. I apologize up front for not listing them all, but that is damn near impossible. I list all the ones I receive and if you have any to add please send them to ebonee@twojetsetdivas.com . A good place to check out the majority of the events all in one place is All Star Weekend New Orleans.

Lil’ Wayne & Friends Friday, Saturday & Sunday night @ Dreams and Ray’s & 360
Gen Admn $50 VIP $100. They have a package deal right now General Admission all 3 nights $100 and VIP all 3 nights $250.

All Star Afternoon with the Kid (YEP, DJ Kid Capri) at Club 360
#2 Canal Street on the 33rd floor directly across from Harrah’s Casino.
3p. - 8p.
Featuring: 2 for 1 Belvedere and FREE Admission if you RSVP to redcarpetevents@bellsouth.net by 10a.m. 2/16/08 <-- Please follow instructions!

VIBE Hoops and Hip Hop Boat Party $70 + tax
Saturday, February 16th
For More Info: TEXT: VIBE TO: 347-420-7250 OR CALL 615-828-2380.
Once in New Orleans. HOTEL DELIVERY AVAILABLE
comments@whatspoppingcentral.com

American Swagger @ The Chocolate Bar
540 S. Broad St. New Orleans, LA 70119
Gen Admn. $50 VIP $100
Special Guests:
Thursday - Birdman & Ca$h Money All Stars
Friday - Doug E. Fresh and DJ Kid Capri
Saturday - Cassidy and Ruff Ryders
Sunday - Deuce McAllister & DJ Captain Charles
Click Here to Purchase Tickets
For more info call: (504) 914-4903

The Best of Both Worlds - Presented by Prophecy Events
Friday, Febryary 15th @ The Sugar Mills 1021 Convention Center Blvd.
Featuring: Ne-Yo & Rick Ross
Gen. Admn $40 VIP $80
Attire: RED CARPET FLY…don’t get caught tripping!

Coast to Coast All Star Weekend Celebrity Bash w/ A.I. & Dwayne Wade Party at the Sugar Mill
$75 Gen. Admn. $100 VIP
Saturday, February 16th
1021 Convention Center Blvd.

The Final Round - All Star Weekend Finale w/ A.I. & Floyd Mayweather Party at the Sugar Mill
$75 Gen. Admn $100 VIP
Sunday, February 17th
1021 Convention Center Blvd.

2008 Glamour VooDoo
Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12a. 6a.m.
Bourbon Vieux
501 Bourbon St.
Featuring: Premiun Open Bar, Complimentary Gourmet Buffet, DJ’s, Screenings of New Releases, Massage Therapists, Lounge Chairs and more!
$50 per night or $100 for a 3-night pass
For more info contact: 412-GLA-MOUR or vip@glamourlife.com or www.glamourlife.com

MVP 2008 All Star Party w/ Idirs Elba (I LOVE HIM) and Carmelo Anthony
Sunday February 17th @ The Metropolitan
310 Andrew Higgins Dr.
$100 Gen Admn $150 VIP
(**WARNING you can be 18 to ENTER….beware)

Homegrown in the Bayou All-Star Bash @ Club 300
$50 Gen Admn $100 VIP
Friday and Saturday Feb 15th and 16th

NBA All Star Saturday Night @ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center -
Tickets price range from Expensive to Hella
Saturday, February 16th

DEF JAM RECORDS LABEL PARTY @ Creole Quenn River Walk Mall - Mississippi Dock w/ Rick Ross and other Def Jam Artists
Friday Feb 15th 10p-2a $125 Gen Admn

106 and Park Party @ Creole Queen River Boat w/ Terence & Rocsi $100 Gen Admn
Saturday Feb. 16th 10p-6a

Luxury Yacht - (NEVER LEAVES DOCK) ft. Lil Wayne, Chris Paul and Reggie Bush $125 Gen Admn
Sunday Feb. 17th 10p. - 6a.

NFL Players - Ball Till You Fall Blowout @ Club 300 (300 Decatur, New Orleans, LA 70130)
Sunday February 17th
Doors open @ 10p.
Gen. Admn $40 VIP w/ Express Entry $80
For more info call: (504) 329-2342 Ballers Packages Available

Ballin’ Ultra Sundays @ Ray’s over the River and Club 360
Sunday Feb 17th 9p. - 5a.
Special Guests: Corey Webster (NY Giants), Jim Jones, Mike Jones, Glen Davis, DJ Kid Capri and many many more.

You can check out these sites for other party lisitings:
All Star New Orleans
All Star NOLA
What’s Poppin Central
The Chocolate Bar
Social Step
MVP New Orleans
EVIPList
Platinum Enterprise
So So Derrty
Brothers and Sisters Online
New Orleans Jazz Bistro - Club 300
Ray’s Over the River
Club Vibes

If you try to follow me, and find me…say hi and buy me a beignet…shouts out to Cafe DuMonde!

Our 8 hour flight on Air Alitalia (a partner of Delta), was a breeze. Because we were traveling the day after Thanksgiving, the airports were not quite as busy, and our flight was not full at all. We each had a row to ourselves…talk about leg-room!

The first leg of our trip was Roma for 3 days. We discovered in our pre-planning that our hotel was only a few blocks from the main train station in Rome, Termini. So instead of a catching a taxi, took the Express train from the Fiumicino Airport to Termini station. After a 30 minute ride, we were off and on the streets of Rome headed to Hotel Mariano. The hotel was quaint, and our triple room was a surprisingly comfortable for European standards.

After getting settled in our hotel room, we were jetlagged and hungry! It was 4pm and it was time for find food. We we discovered the hard way that Italians generally eat dinner around 7pm. Every restaurant we passed was preparing for dinner…but no one was serving it quite yet. Our growing hunger was saved but a small cafe that was serving light meals. Of course, our first Italian meal wouldn’t be complete without gelato from Ornelli Gelateria.








Our next day began early (6am in Italy, 12am EST). We boarded a chartered tour bus for our day trip to Naples and Pompeii, which was about 3 hours south of Rome. Our visit to Naples was relatively brief. We were led on our walking tour of a portion of this fast-paced city. During our tour, we somehow got in the midst of a massive bread distribution. We still never figured out why free bread was being distributed, but I sure wish we could get free bread here at home! Our tour concluded in front of Castel Dell’Ovo, which translates Castle of the Egg. Interesting, huh?

The remainder of our day was spent in Pompeii, exploring the excavated ruins of this city destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius (which, by the way, is still considered active). A word of advice, Pompeii is not a place for cute shoes. If you want to get through the excavation site with an ounce of feeling left in your feet, make sure you wear extremely comfortable shoes! If you have the chance to visit Pompeii, definitely do so. It is truly amazing to view a city that has been literally preserved for thousands of years.






Although our day trip left us weary, ‘when in Rome do as the Romans do’….so it was time to find dinner and then a party! The party/club guru, Ebonee, found Caruso Cafe de Oriente, which turned out to be a salsa club. Now, me being a lover of salsa dancing was in heaven. What were the chances that we’d end up salsa dancing the night away in Italy??

Up Next…more Rome and Venice.

Jay-Z and Beyonce yachting near St. Tropez

We see them in the latest celebrity news column…. sun-kissed celebs, looking ever so relaxed on their yachts or on the beach.

Ever wished you could JetSet to a luxurious hotspot for some celebrity treatment? Now we can’t promise you a yacht, but you too can travel to the same locations as the stars, at a fraction of the expense.

Two celebrity-frequented destinations are St. Tropez, France and the island of St. Barths in the Caribbean.

Saint-Tropez
Through their lyrics and online vacation photos, celebrities such as Diddy and Jay-Z, have given us many visuals of the luxury lifestyle that can be had in St. Tropez (or Saint-Tropez). However, they aren’t the only celebrities that make this village along the French Riviera their top vacation spot. Celebs such as Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand, Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Beyonce, and Elton John have visited St. Tropez. The best time to catch celebs like these is in July, prime beach-lounging season. The Hotel Guru has located some inexpensive and mid-priced hotels in St. Tropez, such as Hotel Les Palmiers (with rooms from 86-187 Euros/night)and La Ponche (rooms available for 155 Euros/night).

St. Barth
St. Barth (also known as St. Bart or St. Barthelemy) has also become reknown for its influx of famous visitors. This tiny island is only eight square miles in size. St. Barth, which is located in the eastern Caribbean near St. Martin, has a significant French influence. The best time to go ’star’ gazing is the two-week period starting before Christmas through the New Year.

Penelope Cruz kayaking in St. Barths

The island has attracted celebs such as Denzel Washington, Clive Davis, Usher, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mariah Carey, Penelope Cruz, Kimora Lee Simmons, Enrique Iglesias and his tennis star girlfriend, Anna Kournikova. International models love St. Barths, as it was the location for a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot. Because this island is small, demand for lodging is high. However, The New York Times provides some affordable ways to visit St. Barts.

Woe is me. This Victoria’s Secret photo shoot on this yacht in St. Barths is so not fun.