Earlier this year, I posted about Citizen M, a cool hotel opening this summer at Amsterdam Schipol Airport. The hotel started taking reservations today. As an opening promo, the hotel is offering 100 free nights scattered throughout its reservation calendar. As I was messing around with it today, I found one available Aug. 16, 2008, and I’m sure there are others still left. I thought it was important enough to post about here and over at Kayak.com. You can check out the Kayak.com post below if you want.

Either way, it’s a cool deal at a hotel I’d love to be visiting this summer. Sadly, the ‘dam is not on my itinerary. Hopefully, it will be on one of yours….

Free Rooms at Citizen M Really Do Exist

Here’s an unusual travel-related summer internship: The Four Points by Sheraton Best Brews Summer Intern. Yup, the intern selected will have beer tasting as one of his or her duties for the hotel brand. Says the press release:

This isn’t your frat brother’s job though, the internship will come with the frothy perks of tasting and toasting, but will also include learning the inner workings of the Four Points by Sheraton Best Brews program and the ever expanding craft beer industry and beer business. Like all executive internships, this position will start pouring in June and tap out in August.

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what craft beer has to do with Four Points by Sheraton. While I work on that, anyone who wants to apply should get cracking. The deadline for applications in April 26.

On April 1, the Affinia hotel group re-opens its hotel in the nation’s capitol after extensive renovations. Bearing what might just be one of the most timely hotel names ever, given the recent Spitzer scandal’s connection to the surrounding city, the 343-room Liaison Capitol Hill aims to please with a six-choice pillow menu (um, I’ll take the white fluffy one), in-room spa treatments, Aveda bath amenities and the Travel Smart program, which offers frequent travelers perks like in-room chargers for electronic devices and free toiletries in airline-approved sizes. Inside, over-sized portraits of world leaders balance out the otherwise swanky urban decor. The rendering above depicts the new lobby.

To celebrate its opening, the hotel is offering the Liaison Capitol Hill Grand Opening Special, with rates starting at $110/night for weekend stays through Aug. 31.

How’s this sound for a good time: pack your bags, say your goodbyes and prepare yourself for a hop across the pond without knowing whether you’ll be allowed to board your departing flight or whether you’ll have to schlep yourself and the aforementioned luggage all the way back home before the night is through? It’s something no one in their right mind would do - unless, of course, you’re one of those people who likes a good challenge, a little suspense and a free trip to London.

Such is the premise behind the United Airlines Suitcase Party, to be held on March 30th in Denver at Pints Pub in celebration of the airline’s inaugural flight from Denver to London. But you can’t win the two-day trip to London (we hear they tuck a nice little piece of jet lag under your pillow each night) just by showing up and looking pretty. Oh, no. You’ve got to put your creative skills to work decorating your suitcase. A panel of judges will pick a winning suitcase (and the human attached to it) to board a plane to London that very night. The winner will be allowed to bring one travel companion along for the ride.

Hectic as a two-day trip to London may be in reality, they sure do make it sound like a good time in the press release:

“We are asking Denver to show off its creativity and civic pride at our Suitcase Party, and one lucky winner will hop on that evening’s flight to London,” says Mike Scanlan, United’s general manager at Denver International Airport. “Nothing more than a passport, a decorated suitcase, and an understanding boss will be needed to enjoy a trip to London.”

We predict that you will also need underwear, a toothbrush and twice the amount of money you’d spend over a weekend in the U.S.

May the best suitcase decorator win!

Pack Creatively and Bring Your Passport to Pints Pub

Four Seasons properties in Hawaii are offering different versions of the same Free Night promotion for stays before the end of June 2008.

- Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay: The Resort is offering its
5th Night Free with Breakfast promotion now through June 30, 2008 with
nightly room rates from $495.

- Four Seasons Resort Lana’i, The Lodge at Koele: The Lodge is offering
its 4th Night Free promotion now through June 30, 2008 with nightly room
rates from $345.

- Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka’upulehu (pictured): The Resort is
offering its 5th Night Free promotion from March 27 through June 30, 2008
with nightly room rates from $725.

- Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea: The Resort is offering its 5th
Night Free promotion from April 6 through June 10, 2008 with nightly room
rates from $620.

SmarterTravel.com’s list of 10 Amazing Adventures Under $1,000 is a round-up that’s worth reading. They’ve hunted down some cool ideas for adventurous vacations that hit the inexpensive end of the spectrum. And six of the suggested trips (hiking, rafting, camping, sailing, biking) are outside the good ‘ole US of A (Peru, Canada, Croatia, Tanzania, Laos, New Zealand). Trips range in length from four to 10 days. Most are packages offered by tour operators, and none include airfare in the price.

If you’re as intrigued by the first Citizen M hotel as we are, then we’re guessing you’ll want to try your luck at winning one of the 100 free rooms the hotel is giving away to celebrate its opening. There are two ways to earn a free stay at the hotel, slated to open in the coming weeks at the Amsterdam Schipol Airport. Every 100th person who registers to become a “citizen” on the site will receive a free night at the hotel, as will the author of every 100th post to the Citizen Community forums. There, travelers can post suggestions, reviews and travel tips in categories like shopping, dining, nightlife and romance.

The much-blogged-about hotel has garnered tons of buzz with its pre-fab construction and slick, high design interiors. Following in the footsteps of New York’s Pod Hotel and London’s Yotel Hotels, the newcomer aims to woo travelers seeking uber-chic, yet reasonably priced accommodations in urban areas. Instead of spacious rooms with lots of hotel services, Citizen M concentrates on the basics - a comfy bed, flat screen TVs - but compensates by outfitting its rooms in the ultra mod sort of look that appeals to the iPod generation.

Here’s a great little hotel deal for anyone fancying a midweek getaway to sunny Palm Springs. Relax at the plush Viceroy Palm Springs Resort for 25 percent off - but not just your room. Book the Breathe Easy Package on the hotel’s web site, and you’ll also save 25 percent off spa services, food and drinks. And you’ll receive access to complimentary wellness programs, bicycles and Internet access.

And what a time to head to this famous desert hotel. They’ve recently added the Ice Haus, a D.I.Y., open-air spa treatment room where you can slather yourself with clay mud followed by an ice exfoliation treatment and a spritz in the shower, complete with seaweed scrub bar. The on site spa is also offering evening massages held outdoors under the stars.

I just checked rates for a midweek stay in June and found them starting at $109/night for a king room. A King room with pool view was available for $142/night, while the luxe Sovereign Villa can be had for $389/night.

Traveling techies take note: W Hotels are trying to woo you. Case in point: the W Hotels Wired Package. Through May 30th, the hotel brand is offering a package geared at business travelers willing to pay a premium for hip accommodations paired with some geek-tastic perks:

- Unlimited broadband Internet access

- Unlimited local and toll-free calls

- One-year subscription to Wired magazine

- Trial membership to VONGO, a movie download service, good for 30 days

Rates for the package vary depending the location. The lowest starts at $139/night at the W Atlanta Perimeter. But expect to pay rates starting at $369/night if you book the package at the W New York Union Square.

If you fly Delta often, you may want to keep Delta’s Best Fare Guarantee in mind. The mountain of ifs, ands or buts associated with these kinds of policies usually keep me from taking advantage of them, but I’m not everyone. With a little sleuthing, this might save you some cash and earn you a $100 voucher towards your next flight.

Here’s how it works:

- Book a ticket on Delta.com

- Find an identical itinerary (same flight number, travel dates, cabin class, etc.) on another web site (Orbitz, Travelocity, etc.) that’s going for at least $10 less than what you paid on Delta.

- You can either a) cancel your Delta flight with no questions asked, as long as you do so within 24 hours of your original purchase or b) submit a claim to Delta that, if validated by the airline, will land you the fare difference and a $100 Delta travel voucher.

Like I said, it’s a bit complicated. Especially the “validation” part. But for anyone who regularly books Delta tickets, it might be worth your while to compare Delta.com fares with those on competing sites to see if you can test the policy.