Michael Nassar

The Pod Hotel is a contradiction & quite possible a harbinger of what the future holds for hotels: a budget, boutique property located smack in the heart of midtown Manhattan; and designed for the new breed of stylish – if insolvent – travelers.

Inspired by the sleek, streamlined approach of old railway sleepers, what the intimate and bijoux accommodation on East 51st Street lacks in negative space it makes up for in mod-designed chic and 21st Century must-haves, like iPod docking stations, free WiFi and LCD flat screen TVs.

Not too shabby for $89 a night.

You read that right: a hotel room in NYC for under $100.

But there’s a service that’s actually more exciting than the fact that the price is right. It’s called the Pod Community Blog. A customized message board designed for people with active reservations at the hotel, it allows guests to interact with one another as well as ask questions or make requests before and during their stay. For example, the Ride With Me feature encourages guests to synch up travel plans and spilt the cost of a cab ride to and from the airport.

Taking the concierge’s role to a new level, the blog also acts as a resource and guide to the city. Users can log on to learn more about the city and the hotel as well as get the most up-to-date information about the latest “happenings” around NYC. Questions posted on the site are monitored and answered directly by the concierge on a daily basis.

“As the online social networking trend continues to grow,” said General Manager David Bernstein, “we designed this unique feature to create a sense of community among our tech-savvy Pod guests and allow them to connect with the hotel in a new way.”

Guests can also access the Survival Guide on the site – “one of the biggest perks of staying at The Pod Hotel,” according to concierge Bryan Raughton. Updated daily, it’s a comprehensive listing of all of the affordable and fun things to do in NYC, such as free events, “cheap eats”, BYOB restaurants, happy hours and sample sales. It also provides honest reviews and suggestions, including tips for shopping, information about restaurants, galleries, museums, clubs, concerts, gyms and internet cafes. The Survival Guide also provides guests with step-by-step directions from the hotel to their desired destination.

As if to prove yesterday’s point,  I opened Thursday’s NY Times – how last century, I know – and found an 8-page supplement of Caribbean deals and discounts.  I love it when I’m right.

But more interestingly, it got me curious about just how much prices have changed in a year. So I did a quick search of deals at the five resorts I had mentioned in 2009 and the results surprised me.  Far from coasting back to normal, it seems like the travel industry continues to take some serious knocks – especially down among the islands.  Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Bermuda are being particularly aggressive in introducing credit and cash-back schemes to encourage travelers.  So too are the huge cruise liners that depend on volume.  Even tiny Anguilla, an upscale island that’s suffering through an expansive development push that coincided with the real estate bust, is reaching out in search of travelers with cash to spare.

I wonder when we’ll hit the proverbial bottom?  Until then, however, nobody can really be faulted for taking advantage of the steals that are there for the taking.

You think the discounts at Marley Resort & Spa were good?  Book your trip through www.bahamas.com and you can get an air credit of up to $400 per person.

Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort has a 5-night package available through American Express Vacations for an unbelievable $515, including a $250 resort credit.

Plan a stay at Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino by April 8 and room rates – good through the end of 2010 – start at just $183.75.

Every third night is free at Radisson St. Martin Resort, Marina & Spa.  Plus they’re also tossing in free daily breakfast and in-room internet.

Surprisingly, Tides Riviera Maya doesn’t seem to be suffering like the rest of the region.  The website lists only a 10% for stays booked 30 days in advance – a far cry from last year’s free airfare.

Today’s blustery winter storm – and the promise that it will rage for days – has got me dreaming of a secluded beach, a fresh papaya or two, and the warm rays of the sun.  And now that I’ve succeeded in torturing myself, I thought I’d share a little story I did for the NY Daily News from this time last year:  5 Will Get You Tan.  The prices might no longer be current – though it would be interesting to see the difference a year has made – yet the fact remains that there are still recession-era bargains to be had across the still-smarting Caribbean and Mexico.  A long warm weather weekend – for under a $1,000 – is still very much a reality.  And that’s why I think I’ll spend my afternoon figuring out how to make my own quick escape!

The Caribbean is a lot closer, and cheaper, than you think. As one of the areas hardest hit by the economic meltdown, the Caribbean is having a serious sale. Even some of the region’s most notoriously exclusive resorts are putting up vacancy signs and making no bones about the deals and discounts being offered to lure timid travelers to the sun — everything from free airfare and free hotel nights to free meals and free spa treatments.

Which means if you’ve been dreaming of a weekend escape, you can make it a reality — and for less than a grand.

Here’s our guide to five quick and easy getaways that will have you on the beach before lunch and being treated like a princess or a prince without making you a pauper.

Sophisticated St. Martin

The Radisson St. Martin Resort, Marina & Spa is nestled on Anse Marcel, one of French St. Martin’s best-preserved and most secluded coves. It’s only four hours nonstop from New York City to an oceanfront resort that’s a quintessential island hideaway of brightly colored plantation-style buildings, lush gardens and lazy afternoons under the swaying palms.

Take advantage of the resort’s comprehensive enrichment program, highlighted by cooking classes with executive chef Bruno Brazier, French lessons and evening tastings of local rums and spirits. Or, head into the nearby village of nearby Grand Case, considered by many to be one of the culinary capitals of the Caribbean. Or both.

As part of the inaugural 2009 season, you’ll save up to 36% with a Winter WarmUp Sale. Rates from about $321 per night include daily breakfast at Le Marché. .

Bask in the Bahamas

Music lovers will get together and feel all right at the Marley Resort & Spa, the former family vacation home of Bob, Rita and the whole Marley clan.

Undeniably cool, the resort is an elegant microcosm of African and Caribbean style, located on a private stretch of famed Cable Beach in Nassau, Bahamas.

Generations of Marley music infuse the entire resort, and each of the 16 themed suites centers around Bob Marley’s song titles, including Kinky Reggae, Nice Time and Kaya, among others. With sculptured hand-carved doors, mosaic tiles and intricate stonework, the accommodations and amenities are as beautiful and unusual as the setting.

Tropical rain showers and sumptuous whirlpool tubs come standard, as does unparalleled service that begins the moment you’re greeted at the airport. Take advantage of a 50% savings with the Royal Welcome package — starting at $250 per night in a Deluxe Room — and get treated to an Akwaaba Welcome Touch Foot Ceremony for two. The foot massage with rose petals and Royal Rita bath brew will get every visitor jammin’ to the right vibe.

Awesome Aruba

The Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino contains Aruba’s only private beaches on its exclusive Renaissance Island — a 10-minute boat ride via private launch from inside the hotel’s lobby. Flocked with curious pink flamingos on one side and giant iguanas on the other, the island also has a man-grove-hidden Spa Cove that’s just right for side-by-side massages at sunset.

The Sexy & Sultry Package at Renaissance’s adults-exclusive Marina Hotel, offers a 40% savings — and every third night is free. Also included: a $50 credit at the in-house casino and $50 in cocktail credit, which might come in handy while you watch the sun set at the out-door pool overlooking the harbor.

After dark, the Miami-inspired martini bar lights up to complement the house specialty: blue martinis. Should you accidentally overindulge, a onetime hangover breakfast for two is also part of the package. Rates start at $424 per night.

Seductive St. Lucia

It might be cold outside, but there is one “freeze” you’ll cheer about: the price freeze and rate rollback to be had at the luxury, eco-friendly Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort in luscious St. Lucia. Couple that with “Sun Dollars,” a daily resort credit in effect on all new bookings and the savings climb to 50%.

Spread across 60 acres on an island known for its rainforest preserves and soaring volcanic peaks, Windjammer is celebrated for dramatic sunsets over a crescent-shaped, white-sand beach. Yet it’s also an ideal spot for families, featuring two children’s pools, specially designed menus for smaller guests, and a teen program where teenagers and adults can engage in recreational activities together.

Sun Dollars can be used for food and beverage, spa treatments at Serenity Spa, a sunset sail or zip-lining through the rainforest. Lily Suites, with four-poster beds and private terrace or sun deck, are $260 per night (previously $350) with $130 in resort credit.

Mayan Hideaway

Cocooned on a private beach and entwined in a tropical rainforest, the Tides Riviera Maya inhabits a pocket along the Yucatán Peninsula coast that’s as lush as its name: Playa Xcalacoco, which in the lyrical Mayan tongue means “twin coconut palms.”

With a select number of private villas, hypnotic spa and cuisine, and one of the best stretches of beach in Mexico, this secluded outpost is full of surprises like personal plunge pools, open-air showers, handmade hammocks and lush jungle flora blooming outside your terrace.

As if that’s not enough to seduce you, a Fly Free package will really get you in the mood. Book a minimum four-night visit and get a significant reimbursement on your airfare: up to $500 per person (that’s almost enough for business class!).  Simply present your airline ticket at check-in and the credit will be deducted from your bill at checkout. Limit two people per room. Lagoon suites from $570 per night.

Hailing from Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, England, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA, some  of the artists have been before, others not. Many have never before worked with snow and ice. It is a mix of men and women between thirty and seventy years of age: painters, multimedia designers, art directors and interior designers.  And all of them magicians, to an extent; all of them dreamers.

ICEHOTEL is often referred to as a fairytale world – a Narnia in Swedish Lapland.  Is it a hotel or an art installation?  A fantasy or the ultimate in hard-edged environmental realism?  Created each winter through a combination of wild imagination and  backbreaking work, it melts away under the unforgiving rays of the sun come springtime. All that remains are footprints, memories – and a few hopeful possibilities for the next year.

Label it what you will from a distance- it sounds like a place that needs to be experienced in order to be understood.

Were you looking for love in all the wrong places last weekend?  Well, look again on one of my favorite islands: St. Lucia.  Spectacular beaches, rain-forested peaks, and one-of-a-kind romantic hideaways, mean it’s not your typical Caribbean escape – it’s the kind of island that makes your heart beat faster for all the right reasons.

Celebrating its first anniversary in 2010, Cap Maison is quickly becoming the proposal capital of the Caribbean. The stylish resort has earned a 100% “Yes” response when the ultimate question has been popped at its ocean view villas, private pools or the sands of Smuggler’s Cove Beach. This winter, the hotel even introduced a Proposal Concierge, the ultimate partner in discretion, elegance and creativity, who works discretely behind the scenes to handle all the  details and ensure that every answer is indeed a Yes. Recently, the Proposal Concierge orchestrated a private sail aboard Cap Maison’s luxury yacht. As they plied the smooth waters off St. Lucia, the groom knelt under a full Caribbean moon with a diamond ring while the captain proffered champagne. Another inspired moment took place on Rock Maison, a cocktail deck perched above the surging waves, where a rock of another kind was zipped down the Champagne Zip Line. Winter rates begin at $435 per night through March 31, 2010 in a Gardenview Room at double occupancy.

As one of the few truly classic Caribbean hotels remaining on St. Lucia, East Winds Inn upholds a tradition of understated romance and natural beauty. That makes it the perfect escape for newly or not-so newlyweds, as well as couples who simply want a quiet romantic getaway. With its white sand beach on pristine La Brelotte Bay, 12-acres of lush tropical gardens and old-fashioned Creole charm, it is no wonder  couples find their ultimate escape here. A large part of the carefree charm is because of the hotel’s all-inclusive rate. It takes care of all meals, most beverages including champagne, as well as a variety of water sports.  It’s the not-so-secret that allows couples to focus purely on the most important part of any escape – each other. All-inclusive winter rates begin at $850 through March 31, 2010 per room per night.

Ladera provides the ultimate romantic tropical escape thanks to their signature open-air suites, peaceful aeries that, by design, are without connections to the real world. Sans televisions, phones or computers, the only thing to focus on is each other. The hotel recently unveiled its new Paradise Pavilion, a dramatic open-air destination wedding venue for ceremonies and receptions of up to 100 guests, perfect for newly weds or renewing vows. Perched at 1,100 feet above sea level with stunning views of the Pitons and the Sea, the 1,200 square-foot Pavilion is crafted in Ladera’s signature rainforest style with terracotta flooring, columns milled and richly polished from tropical Greenheart wood, as well as cut stone and tile work crafted by local Saint Lucian masons.  Winter rates begin at $615 per room per night in a Petit Piton Suite at double occupancy.

The Landings St. Lucia, A RockResort, is the most luxurious full-service resort of its size on the island, spanning 19 acres and nearly 800 feet of St. Lucia’s most stunning beachfront. In December, The Landings St. Lucia unveiled 60 new villa suites, each boasting a fully equipped kitchen and two large balconies or landscaped terrace, many with heated, jetted plunge pools. A Romance and Escape package is an authentic Caribbean escapade for adventure-seeking couples. From $431 per night, it includes deluxe accommodations, choice of breakfast or lunch daily, “his” and “her” beach amenities, an exquisite dinner for two in The Beach Club and a selection of excursions, including snorkeling, SCUBA diving, rainforest zip-lining, golf or a lavish spa treatment at the 7,000 square foot RockResorts Spa.

It took two days of soaking, browning, roasting, baking (and more duck fat than I ever could have imagined) but the great cassoulet experiment proved a smashing success – especially when paired with a simple mache salad, a crunchy French baguette, and an earthy bottle of red wine.  I only wish it were a bit colder out; this hearty bean stew is wintry comfort food of the highest order.

The great Paris booty hunt led me through a handful of my favorite shops around Les Halles in search of elusive, yet essential, ingredients as well interesting bits of kitchenalia unavailable back home.

Starting at the mothership, E. Dehillerin, I picked up a covered terrine that will make a great butter dish that’s large enough to hold an oversized brick of European butter.  Somehow I restrained myself from indulging in a cast iron pâte mold and escargot plates; however, at the last minute I did succumb to a neat device for making julienne vegetables in addition to a good, solid chef’s knife.

Around the corner at La Bovida I stocked up on ramekins for myself as well as for cool small gifts.

Next it was on to G. Detou, across the street, where the mustard gods were smiling down upon me and I picked up the last giant pail of Fallot’s – the most authentic of the traditional Dijon mustards out there, I think.

Then something unexpected happened.  While loitering down the block at Mora, I noticed the curved Art Nouveau windows of a shop I’d never seen before:  Comptoir de la Gastronomie.  It was fortuitous; inside I found bags of hard to find haricots Tarbais, vacuum packed duck confit, confiture l’onion, and logs of fresh Toulouse saucisson.

I judiciously passed on the saucisson.  Something told me that I was already sneaking enough contraband into my luggage – I didn’t need fresh garlic sausage to set the dog tails wagging, too.  The rest of the goodies, however, were quickly shoved into a bag.  Together they’ll be making a reappearance this weekend in a cassoulet, as I test the theory that I’m an even better cook than I am smuggler.

As in Quai Branley, that is – Jean Nouvel’s stunning new home for the arts of Africa and Oceania near the Champs des Mars.  The  proper pronunciation of “quai” became a little bone of contention this week, however, since in English both “cay” – as in little island or atoll – and “quay” – as in riverbank – are pronounced similarly, like “key.”  And since the French “quai” has the same meaning as the English “quay,” I naturally assumed they were phonetically similar as well.  Not so.  Quai – despite my insistence to the contrary – is in fact pronounced “kay.”  So mind your p’s and q’s, boys and girls – especially strolling Le Quai.

The Musée de Cluny is one of those curious museums I’ve always intended to visit but never quite got around to checking out.  I say curious because while partially housed in late 1st century Roman baths, it’s actually France’s National Museum of the Middle Ages.   Even more idiosyncratic, its whole raison d’etre comes courtesy of a collection compiled by an enthusiastic 18th century amateur.  This trip, I made a point of visiting and my curiosity, as it were, was amply rewarded.

The sole structure remaining  from the baths is the frigidarium, or cold room, whose recently restored vaulted ceilings reach up some 48 feet.  It  also turns out to be the most important Gallo-Roman monument north of the Loire.  The adjoining 15th century Hotel Cluny is the first example in Paris of a private mansion in the middle of both a courtyard and garden.  And though restored, it remains a prime example of the flamboyant Gothic architectural style.

The collections themselves are a bit of a hodge-podge of 12 century stained glass, sculptures and facings from Saint Germain des Pres and Saint Genevieve, and copious religious goldsmithing on display over two floors.  One of the more interesting rooms contains what I kept calling the “headless chorus”:  a dozen or so large sculptures from Notre Dame -  along with twenty one (unrelated) monumental heads located nearby.

The museum’s piece de resistance, however, is a series of six millefleurs-style Flemish tapestries known as The Lady and the Unicorn. – seen below in very dignified manner on the side of a shopping bag available for purchase in the gift shop.  Each panel represents one of the five senses:  Taste, Sight, Touch, Smell, and Hearing, with the title of the sixth panel alluding to yet another sense – “To My Only Desire.”  The complexity of the allegory makes each panel a universe unto itself.  Displayed together the effect is almost hallucinogenic.  How the complete set survived untouched  in a chateau for almost 500 years seems not only improbable, but downright curious.

The word is Baudelaire’s and it embodies everything I so love about being a man alone in Paris:  “a person who walks the city in order to experience it.”  While a common modern interpretation might mean “loafer,” “stroller,” or even “loiterer,” to Baudelaire  the flâneur played a key double-role in urban life as  both participant and detached observer.  He describes the flâneur as  an artist, a “botanist of the sidewalk.”  I’ve always likened my tendency to loiter with intent as more than just voyeuristic strolling: aimless, unencumbered, I’m a pedestrian able to savor the city like a gourmet – and live to tell the tale.