There was a time when I might have wondered why it would be necessary to reserve a spot at an off-airport parking lot instead of just simply showing up. And then, on a recent trip, I literally parked in the last available spot at my favorite lot servicing San Francisco International. The realization that I almost had to go driving around in search of an alternate lot - and could have easily missed my flight - changed my mind prett-ay quickly. As the holiday season gets into full swing, you can expect airport parking lots to be jammed packed - which makes reservations all the more practical.

Here’s an easy way to make reservations at airport parking lots around the country: Airport Parking Reservations.

Celebrity Travel 11.09.07

Things have been relatively quiet in celebrity travel news this week, a few things of note did happen. Just don’t get too excited.

Jen’s Haunted House

Halloween may have already disappeared in the rear-view mirror, but Jennifer Anniston is still acting like it’s in full swing. The actress is reportedly staying at the Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon while filming upcoming movie Management (which also stars Woody Harrelson, whom we absolutely love for being such a certifiable nut and total Hollywood iconoclast).

While the five-star Heathman does not actively promote its designation as a haunted hotel, the current hotel manager acknowledged the hotel’s ghostly goings-on, but said guests shouldn’t be worried. Apparently, the supernatural guests at this Portland lodging option are the friendly sort. Considering the location, they’re probably the ghosts of hippies past.

Nicky On the Block

In news we already knew but lacked the legal documents to prove, it looks like Nicky Hilton’s Nicky O Hotel is dead. But this time, it’s deader than dead. Instead of just not happening, the hotel project now has the embarrassing tarnish that only bankruptcy can bring. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, a judge has ordered the Breakwater hotel that was supposed to become the first Nicky O Hotel property to be sold at auction to make up for some of the bungled project’s $60 million of debt.

High-Energy Holmes

Last weekend, Katie Holmes reportedly treated daughter Suri to a posh tea party at the Carlyle Hotel’s Bemelmans Bar on Saturday. The next day, the star ran in the New York Marathon.

Sheesh, the girl just might qualify for the most energetic woman of the year award. On second thought, I’m starting to think she might be a robot.

Bada Bling

Pockets were getting padded at the El San Juan Hotel and Casino launch party held in Puerto Rico last weekend. Sopranos actor Robert Iler (a.k.a. “AJ”) reportedly won $10,000 playing craps at the resort, which was celebrating the completion of its $100 million renovation project. Other celebs at the party included Nick Lachey, Vanessa Minnillo and Michael Lombardi.

Speaking of the Sopranos, we hear that Lorraine Bracco was hanging out in the VIP lounge at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, FL.

Also last week, the Gramercy Park Hotel was the much-talked-about site of Ashely Olsen and Lance Armstrong’s reported spit-swapping session. This week, the celebrity magnet hosted Duran Duran, Richie Sambora, Roberto Cavalli, Fran Drescher and Donovan Leitch, among others.

Here’s hope the celebs get into some better rumbles next week.

Insider It Gear 11.08.07

Too Cool for Ski School

Looking for a snowboard helmet with as much style as the rest of your gear? The R.E.D. Revolt Snowboard Helmet in the Doze Green Art design is one of the latest items to hit Burton’s online store. This sleek brain-saver comes with removable earpads, a two-position detachable goggle clip and hidden rider-controlled vents to keep your noggin’ at the right temperature. Plus, it looks a helluva lot cooler than your average helmet.

Cost: $90

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Okay, maybe it’s not the sexiest travel book in the world, but travelers who want to geek-out with oodles of practical information will certainly find it within this volume’s pages. The 200t edition of the Airport Transit Guide includes practical information for getting to and from 460 airports around the world. You’ll find current information for each airport’s different ground transportation and public transit options and their corresponding fares, schedules, routes and contact information. Perfect gift for any traveler hitting multiple cities during an extended trip.

Cost: $9.95

Little Red Lifeline

Attention MacGyver wannabes: the candy apple red Portable Power Generator, new from the National Geographic online store, just might knock your burliest hiking socks off. It’s the sort of device that is truly useful for hardcore outdoors folk, but promises just as much fun for gear nerds of all kinds – no matter how far out in the wilderness they actually travel. Check out this unit’s bevy of features:

- 200-watt generator
- 5-LED flashlight
- Fluorescent lantern
- Emergency siren
- 12-volt sealed battery
- AC/DC adapters
- 120-volt AC outlet
- 12-Kelvin DC output
- 7-band AM/FM/NOAA radio
- 250-psi air compressor with hose, gauge and needle
- Thermometer
- Compass
- Clock

Basically, this little machine could seriously save your arse in quite a few sticky situations.

Cost: $119.95

Attention Not-Starving Artists

The Signat Medium Attache A4 DLX from Samsonite Black Label not only has a really long name, but it also has a stand-out design and hipster-friendly features sure to make any jetsetter feel a surge of envy. Outside, the ABS shell with aluminum frame comes in five punchy colors and fits into a woven leather sleeve outfitted with a shoulder strap for easier carrying. Inside, the 1960s-inspired pop-art print lining graces separate cell phone and PDA pockets, as well as a removable, matching portfolio folder, pencil case and internal divider panel. The bottom line: She ain’t cheap, but she sho’ is pretty.

Cost: $360

The group dinner experience any night in any major city can be challenging. But when the night is Friday and the city is New York, dining out with large group is something best planned in advance and executed with skill and acumen. Luckily, my pal Darren knows a thing or two about three very important subjects: Manhattan, eating and crowd chaos theory. And he has a winning solution for a Friday night group dinner in New York City that won’t break the bank, leave you fighting over the bill or make you choose between a roomy table and good ‘ole cooking.

That solution is Mario Batali’s Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. First of all, it’s hard to please the finicky tastes in any group, much less a large one consisting of both vegetarians and meat eaters. But everyone likes gourmet pizza. And Otto is surprisingly affordable for a large group.

If you’ve got a group of 12 or more, which we did last Friday night, menus start at $40 per person, but for $75 a head, our crowd kicked off the evening with Champagne, an overflowing vegetable antipasti platter, a cheese assortment and several plates of deliciously salty meats, including procsciutto and salume. Next came the bruschetta of the day draped with melted cheese and accompanied by multiple plates of oil, honey and other dipping concoctions. Our main course featured four different varieties of thin-crust pizza, which we snarfed down while enjoying unlimited glasses of red and white wine. We rounded out the meal with coffee and gelato (the restaurant’s has been voted best in NYC numerous times) to fuel up before heading out to neighboring West Village bars.

As anyone who’s tried to dine out in New York on a Friday night knows, $75 a person is an indisputable deal for a unlimited beverages and what amounts to three courses. And there are the added benefits of showing up, not having to deal with the laborious process of determining what to order, having drinks already on the table and eating within five minutes of sitting down. At the end, everyone knew exactly what they owed, paid accordingly, and that was it.

To book a group event at Otto, you can contact the restaurant’s group dining diva Stephanie Goldberg up to three months in advance.

Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
One Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10003
212-995-9559

P.S. Thanks D and the NYC crew!

Over the weekend, I happened to be introduced to a combination of edible items that illustrate how two separate entities can become – as if by some magic – exponentially better once combined. These two items are bagels and lox, but not just any bagels and lox. The special combination to which I was introduced by a collection of folks not only familiar with Manhattan, but also motivated enough to divide and conquer to get the very best on a Sunday morning despite acute headaches caused by the previous night’s activities. And because of their heroic efforts, which took them from Brooklyn to Manhattan twice, I was able, for the first time and certainly not the last, to feast on fresh bagels from Ess-A-Bagel topped intermittently with lox (varieties from two different coasts, no less) from Russ & Daughters.

One can, of course, obtain smoked fish, cream cheese, sable, whitefish salad and New York bagels at both spots - something that could shorten your trip and get you back to brunch and your eagerly waiting cohorts much more quickly. But faster and more convenient does not always mean better. No, the consensus among a mixed roomful of lifelong New Yorkers, transplants, avowed bagels-n-lox fans and admitted skeptics was that one cannot hope to achieve any gastronomic triumph greater than that which comes from Russ & Daughters lox draped over slightly warm, sliced bagels from Ess-a-Bagel.

And my mouth agreed.

Ess-a-Bagel
359 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212-260-2252

831 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-980-1010

Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 465-4880

Hungry in NYC? Here are some great places to eat cheap (sorta) when you’re dining with five or more people:

Since Virgin America launched flights from San Francisco to New York’s JFK International earlier this year, I’ve been dying to experience the new airline’s suite of offerings – all of which have been endlessly described as slicker, hipper and just plain better than those available on the lion’s share of airlines.

After spending just over five hours in a Virgin America A320 aircraft today en route to New York, I have to admit that I’m under the upstart airline’s spell.

Here’s why:

When it’s 6:30 a.m., and you’re boarding a plane, hoping you take off on time, but not quite knowing what lies ahead, there’s something wonderfully relaxing about sinking into a black leather seat bathed in the glow of soft purple and blue hues, which Virgin America describes as “mood-lighting.”

And even though the cabin does look a little bit like a nightclub with wings, I found the clubby lighting much more relaxing than the usual yellow glare on other planes.

Once seated, I immediately began pawing the seatback entertainment screen. Here’s the screen that greets you when you first sit down:

Cable television channels are available via the Dish Network, as are premium shows that you can pay extra to watch (think hit episodes of The Office, Nip & Tuck, etc.) just by sliding your credit card through the remote control device lodged in the armrest.

Not all of the channels were working correctly during my flight, but there were movies (Knocked Up, Casino Royale, many other mainstream flicks and a slew of foreign films) available for $8, as well as some freebie short films.

Instead of watching anything, I busied myself with an in-flight chat session. There’s a keyboard on the flip side of the entertainment console’s remote that you can use to instant message passengers in other seats.

And now for one of my favorite Virgin America amenities: the innovative food and beverage service. Instead of blocking up the aisles with carts at pre-determined intervals, the flight staff delivers passengers drinks, snacks and light meals upon request. The entire menu is available through the seatback entertainment system. You just navigate to the item you want, press it with your finger and a few minutes later, it appears at your seat on a tray.

Water, coffee and non-alcoholic beverages are free (there’s also a mini-frig with water for the taking in the back of the plane), while snacks like granola bars and chips fell into the $1-$3 range. Sandwiches and special menu items were significantly more. There was a steak sandwich for $9 and a fruit and cheese plate for $12.

Other perks on Virgin America were more subtle, like the adjustable entertainment screens. If the person if front of you reclines, you can change the screen’s angle – very helpful for fighting glare.

I also want to give Virgin America props for the in-seat power outlets (great for the laptop-obsessed), choice of headphones (ear buds or headband style) and Method eco-friendly hand soap in the ultra-clean lavatories.

It’s thoughtful touches like the ones I’ve described here that just might be able to convince passengers that flying can – wait for it – be part of the journey again instead of just a way to get there.

Celebrity Travel News 11.1.07

Love must be in the air, because the biggest news in celebrity travel this week involves two new rumored Hollywood couples. Of course, they might not be couples anymore by the time you finish reading this, but we won’t worry about that.

Hot and Heavy in Hollywood

First, the semi-palatable coupling: The New York Daily News reports that Jessica Simpson and Owen Wilson were spotted dining at the Huntley Hotel Santa Monica on Sunday evening. Perhaps they were chatting about their common origins – both blondes hail from Texas. After the pair dined at Penthouse, the hotel’s slick restaurant from Executive Chef Michael Reidt, they didn’t stay to check out the hotel’s luxurious suites designed by Thomas Schoos, but instead retired to Wilson’s Malibu home.

Grossed Out at the Gramercy

In EW GROSS news, gajillionaire Ashley Olsen reportedly engaged in a snog-fest of Tour de France proportions with Lance Armstrong Monday night at the Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar. Hmm, rob the cradle much? Of course, considering Olsen’s pasts with actor Jared Leto and club owner Scott Sartiano, we know she’s had her fair share of experience with older men. But still, who makes out in the middle of a nice hotel bar? Something about this Hollywood coupling made us throw up in our mouths a little bit.

Even More Celebrity Makeout News

Because we can’t get enough sordid stories about celebrities making out with people who not their spouses in upscale hotels, we’d like you to know that, according to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, singer Pink made out with a female friend at the Viceroy Santa Monica Hotel last week.

Britney’s Topless Spa Day

Perez Hilton also reports that Britney Spears was spotted wandering around the locker room of the Four Seasons Hotel Beverly Hills wearing only her bikini bottoms. But when someone asked her where the hotel’s pool happened to be, she had no idea whether there was even a pool on the premises (there is; it’s on the rooftop terrace).

Saving the Sahara

Good news for Vegas fans. Philippe Starck has reportedly been tapped by SBE Entertainment Group (the folks behind star-studded L.A. nightclubs Hyde and Area, among other hotspots) to turn the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas into a hip, happening place instead of a destination for $1 blackjack tables.

Drop-Kicking the Met

If you’re heading to London and want to be star struck, then you’d do well to pass on a room at the Metropolitan London, reports Saska Graville in the Sydney Morning Herald. You might spot stars like Daniel Craig or Elle Mcpherson at the hotel restaurant Nobu – where both were seen recently – but, despite the hotel’s longstanding reputation as a favorite among celebrities, reporter Graville complains that her accommodations fell short of the rock star experience she expected and, instead, looked more like a room display from IKEA.

Instead of the Metropolitan London, Graville suggests the Haymarket Hotel and Ian Schrager’s St. Martin’ Lane Hotel (and its members-only nightclub Bungalow 8) as the best places to both see the starts and get treated like them (as long as you’re on the list, of course).

Elsewhere

Angelina Jolie was snapped at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Tuesday during the International Women’s Media Foundation’s 18th Annual Courage in Journalism Awards.

Kate Moss was taped leaving John F. Kennedy International airport on Monday. You can watch the riveting footage via this Splash News video.

Matt Damon needed a little extra help getting through security at Los Angeles International Airport this week. Hey, we know it can be confusing:

Perez Hilton offered up his travel tips to MSNBC in this interview. Spoiler: they aren’t that good. For example, he recommends signing up for a mileage program. Thanks. Got it.

Paris Hilton reportedly had to stay in – gasp – a Hyatt during a recent visit to Moscow, as there were no Hilton properties in the area. In town for a fashion show, Hilton – we assume since there’s only one Hyatt in the city – laid her bleached blond, newly reformed and compassionate head upon the pillows at the Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow.

Last and pretty much least, we hear that the boys of CW show Gossip Girls hit the Hotel Gansevoort, though apparently they did more yoga than partying.

And there you have it, folks. More crucial information from the wide world of celebrity travel.