Color Burn

Halloween at Disneyland, Hong Kong

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Hong Kong does not yet have many Halloween traditions.  But as the city becomes a bit more westernized, events take place now that do tend to embrace the creepy and the haunting vibe of this much loved holiday celebration.  The children are still not filling the streets dressed as ghosts and goblins, trick or treating yet…but there are many fun activities that are enjoyable for the young and the old alike.  Many years ago, the artistic mastermind of Walt Disney, created a magical park in Anaheim, California.

Now Disneyland has opened in many cities around the globe, and in Hong Kong this is one of the best places to celebrate the night of Halloween.  Not only are the standard Disney characters roaming the park, Goofy, Mickey Mouse, and Snow White, but they do so “in costume” and the guests of the park do so as well.  This is one of the most authentically celebrated versions of this holiday, and is definitely not one to be missed.

At Disneyland, conveniently located close to many of the 5 star hotels, Hong Kong citizens and visitors have the opportunity to experience this magical, for a month and a half.  A parade, led by Jack the Pumpkin King, will happen each night.  This began on September 18th and will run through to the haunted date of October 31st.  For anyone traveling with children, this is really the only place to be.

This is also a great way for the adults to have just as much fun.  Within the park there are many locations to find food, from small stands to fine dining experiences.  Once one enters, one does not need to leave…the amenities and the fun are all there packed in that one place, noted for years as the ‘happiest place on earth”, and for the following few weeks, also known as one of the spookiest and festive places in Hong Kong.

5 Star Hotels and the History of Inns

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

There is a wonderful sense of freedom when you start to daydream about the next vacation.  Thinking about the people, the culture, the landscape, and the languages you’ll hear, is a splendid way to spend a day.  Planning is certainly part of the fun, and having the new experiences you daydream about is the next part of the equation.  It’s always lovelier when 5 star hotels are involved in the planning.  Knowing that you’ll be spending your nights sleeping in the lap of luxury, in accommodations that meet the highest standards in the hotel business, is reassuring to say the least.  It means that you can count on excellence in service, style, and comfort.

The hotel industry has come a long way since its beginnings.  It’s not only recently that there have been changes to make a stay in a new place more hospitable, and often an event and a vacation in itself.  The industry has been undergoing changes for some time.  It would be virtually impossible to trace history back to a beginning, because the notions of hospitality and kindness seem to come naturally when taking care of travelers.  But it is interesting to look at the origins of what we might recognize as the luxury hotel industry.  In the U.S. in the 18th century, when George Washington was making his Presidential tour of the nation, famous people clamored for the chance to have him stay in their homes.  Washington, being a populist at heart, said he would only stay at inns, so he would not be showing favoritism.

This lead to a tremendous competition among the innkeepers to make their lodgings more alluring, and it was this impulse that lead to the building of the City Hotel in New York City in 1794.  The City Hotel never did host Washington, but was enormously appealing.  At one time the most expensive building in the city, it had nearly 200 rooms, and also a tavern, public parlors, and offices for the business travelers.  It was quite a shift in thinking about lodging, and became a high water mark for other hotels.  This is the kind of sumptuousness and savvy that today’s 5 star hotels can emulate, making the guests feel like the world is indeed your oyster.