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Now visitors to Gateway Canyons, the premier boutique resort on the Western Slope and outdoor outfitter located between Telluride and Grand Junction, Colorado, can loosen up, settle down and just plain relax whether it’s after a day of vigorous exercise, before a big event like a wedding, as an add-on to an on site conference or a fun Girls Day Out for local and regional residents. The Spa at Gateway Canyons has a full menu of services that includes massages, body treatments, facials, and hair and nail services.

In this rugged landscape, The Spa at Gateway Canyons is an oasis – an exceptional, unexpected place that offers visitors a quietly elegant setting in which to rejuvenate, refresh and reinvigorate. “At Gateway Canyons the sense of discovery never ends. Now with the opening of The Spa at Gateway Canyons, our guests can explore even more ways to relax; it’s the perfect complement to our many outdoor adventures,” said Tammy Anderson, Director of Lodging and Guest Experience at Gateway Canyons.

Tucked away in an adobe-style building near a stand of Cottonwood trees with views of the monolithic Palisade rock formation, The Spa at Gateway Canyons is decorated in warm earth tones drawn from the surrounding landscape. With a soothing atmosphere and friendly staff, guests begin the relaxation process the moment they walk through the spa doors. Modern furnishings and finishes contrast with the rustic wooden floors, oriental carpets and mini-chandeliers creating an ambiance that is simultaneously luxurious and comfortable.

Each spacious treatment room at the new spa offers guests access to a private in-room shower. Thick robes and cozy slippers are provided for warmth and comfort. A variety of massage services allows guests to target specific areas for relaxation. Try 30-minute treatments like the Hand, Foot and Scalp massage or the Leg Vitality massage which stimulates the lymphatic flow in the lower extremities. This treatment would be ideal after a day of intensive leg activity like cycling or horseback riding. Longer 60 and 90-minute treatments include a Custom Massage, a Head, Neck and Shoulder massage to alleviate muscle tension in these typically tight areas, and a Muscle Relaxer massage designed to improve range of motion.

Body treatments and facial services are another way to experience restorative touch therapies at Gateway Canyons. The Purity and Protect treatment exfoliates, hydrates and stimulates the skin for a healthy-looking glow. There are two seaweed body wraps on the menu, one to re-mineralize and hydrate, the other to detoxify and eliminate fluid retention. Helping guests look their best, Gateway Canyons’ facials pamper delicate skin. Consult with an experienced aesthetician for a customized facial that zeros in on specific skin issues like dryness, blemishes, redness and more. The facial Just For Men addresses the skincare needs of men combined with a relaxing massage of the face, neck and shoulders.

As a full-service spa and salon, clientele at The Spa at Gateway Canyons can get their hair cut and styled for a special occasion like a wedding, and the salon is ideal for regular cuts and styling for local and regional residents. Manicures and pedicures keep hands and feet looking good and in tip-top condition. The spa uses SpaRituals products, an organic line of nail products that is free of toxic ingredients like formaldehyde. Waxing services keep patrons well-groomed, while makeup applications and lessons are always a fun way to explore something new. Try the spa’s Beauty Addicts line of makeup; an aesthetician can help guests create a look that is casual, flirtatious, professional or downright glamorous.

The Spa at Gateway Canyons is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. To schedule an appointment, please call the Gateway Canyons concierge at 970-931-2646. Massage, body and skin care services are for clients 16 years of age or older. Clients are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their appointments to ensure the best possible experience.

What Napa is to wine, Denver is to micro brews. With Great American Beer Festival fast approaching, the AAA Four Diamond award-winning Hyatt Hotels of Downtown Denver are pleased to return, by popular demand, their Micro Brew Packages. Offered at both Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center and Grand Hyatt Denver Downtown, these packages provide special premiums at five of Denver’s best brewpubs:

* Breckenridge Brewery
* Denver Chop House and Brewery
* Great Divide Brewing Company
* Rock Bottom Brewery
* Wynkoop Brewing Company.

Premiums vary by hotel and brewpub and can include anything from a free flight of beer taster to a complimentary micro brew. With Denver renowned for its hand-crafted beers, guests are given an insight and the unique experience of understanding what distinguishes a micro brew and what goes into creating one.

Additionally, Grand Hyatt Denver’s Micro Brew Walking Tour Package includes a $10 discount with the purchase of two lunch or dinner entrees in their 1876 Restaurant while Hyatt Regency Denver’s Mile High Micro Brew Package includes a discount on parking and a complimentary beer at Blake Street Tavern. With either, guests enjoy an overnight stay in an accommodation that is located just one block for the renowned 16th Street Mall and that features the Hyatt Grand Bed. This self-guided walking tour confirms the close proximity of downtown Denver’s best attractions.

The value-packed packages start at $139 per room (plus tax; subject to availability) and are offered on an on-going basis weekdays and weekends. (Must be 21 years of age; restrictions apply.)

“Denver is recognized across the country as a brewers’ capital,” commented Grand Hyatt Denver’s general manager, Greg Leonard. “This tour showcases them as well as some of downtown Denver’s best attractions such as Coors Field, the Denver Center for Performing Arts, Larimer Square, 16th Street Mall and more.”

Grand Hyatt Denver’s Micro Brew Walking Tour Package was the recipient of a Westword “2008 Best of Denver” award and was featured in Budget Travel Magazine as one of the “50 Best Deals”.

The 1,100 room Hyatt Regency Denver is located at 650 Fifteenth Street. Modern and sleek in design, it is one of the newest additions to the Denver skyline while the more intimate Grand Hyatt Denver is at 1750 Welton Street.

Reservations for the Denver micro brewery package at these downtown Denver hotels may be made by calling 1-800-233-1234, by visiting the Special Offers page of granddenver.Hyatt.com, denverregency.Hyatt.com or by contacting a travel planner

Sustainable Travel International (STI) has just announced that the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail has achieved its Luxury Eco Certification Standard (LECS), becoming the first LECS certified hotel in Colorado and the Western U.S., including the first in any ski resort community to pass the intensive on-site inspection and receive this distinction. Designed to educate, as well as help luxury hotels create and implement a measurement framework in their move toward sustainability, LECS is the first and only voluntary, global certification program of its kind. Focusing on Triple Bottom Line (People, Planet and Profit), the comprehensive standard aligns with impending global accreditation through the Tourism Stewardship Council.

With sustainable tourism on the rise, The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. spearheaded a new partnership between STI, the global non-profit leader in sustainable travel solutions, and Leading Quality Assurance (LQA), a joint venture of Leading Hotels that specializes in quality assurance, benchmarking and training to the luxury hospitality industry. Together, they created an innovative program, which carries out evaluations in five areas: policy and documentation; energy conservation; water conservation; recycling; and community.

In order to become LECS certified, hotels must undergo a preliminary desk audit, complimented by an on-site, third-party assessment handled by LQA. The process of becoming a LECS eco-certified hotel is challenging and requires a serious commitment on behalf of the hotel applicant, and the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail displayed a high level of dedication from day one. You can view details about the Sonnenalp Resort’s efforts and policies on their dedicated website www.ecosonnenalp.com. Coming on-line soon will be their Green Meetings program that helps meeting and event planners successfully execute functions with an emphasis on these sustainable practices.

“The main focus of our ‘green initiatives’ is to use sustainable and responsible practices that show our respect and appreciation for our wonderful mountain environment. In order to assure sustainable operations we focus on initiatives such as energy conservation, waste management, programs to keep our properties and community clean and beautiful, and opportunities that effect positive change by seeking partnerships and sharing our message.” said Sonnenalp Resort’s Owner and General Manager, Johannes Faessler.

The ongoing success of the Sonnenalp Resort’s environmental efforts has come from a company-wide focus on making sustainability an important aspect of decision making throughout the hotel such as the establishment of an extensive sustainable purchasing program emphasizing local and organic products to implementation of the Natura filtration system replacing plastic water bottles in guest rooms. Driving these efforts are the formalized environmental, economic and social goals that have been established along with the processes to measure, monitor and improve on an ongoing basis.

About Sonnenalp Resort of Vail

The
Sonnenalp Resort of Vail is a family owned and operated luxury hotel and resort located in Vail, Colorado. A member of Leading Small Hotels of the World, the resort offers 112 suites and 15 guest rooms. The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail’s full-service European spa features a fireside lounge, indoor/outdoor pool, whirlpool tubs, fitness room, private sauna and steam baths for men and women, changing rooms and refreshment bar. The resort’s additional amenities include three award-winning restaurants, a library, game room, piano bar and lounge, first-class meeting and banquet facilities, as well as full-time valet and concierge services. The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail is recognized among the world’s premier resort properties by offering a variety of all-inclusive package options for guests – pampering spa services, golf at the Sonnenalp Golf Club, the resort’s private 18-hole Scottish links-style golf course, private recreation and ski guides, children’s programs and dining at its renowned restaurants – as well as a level of personal attention and service that is unparalleled in the Vail Valley.

Every fall, the small mountain town of Telluride dedicates itself to the flickering silver screen, avid motion picture critiquing, passionate popcorn-eating reviewers, and a lot more movie magic. It’s the one time out of the year when people are actually encouraged to stay indoors. Adventure, love, suspense, horror, beauty… are just a hand full of genres one can experience this fall in Telluride as the local movie theaters gear up for an “unabashed carnival of film: viewing, breathing, eating, and talking cinema”. As a sponsor of both festivals, Telluride Alpine Lodging encourages cinema lovers, who are passionate about the big screen industry, to attend one or both festivals and experience the love of film with people from all around the world.

Every Labor Day weekend, Telluride Film Festival prepares, “The SHOW”, a weekend packed full of films programs shown in eight small, intimate venues. Instead of rolling out the red carpets, Telluride takes a more laid-back, mountain approach giving it its charm and uniqueness – Roger Ebert once said its “…like Cannes died and went to heaven…”. In past years, this tiny town has been blessed with the world premieres of Juno, The Lives of Others, Brokeback Mountain, The Crying Game, Blue Velvet, and other masterpieces which have gone on to win numerous acclaims and accolades.

This year, the 37th Annual Film Festival is please to announce Guest Director, Michael Ondaatje. Best known for this Academy Award-winning film, The English Patient, his collections, novels, and publications have captivated crowds for more than 30 years. Ondaatje will be the board that chooses this year’s films, which remain a mystery to attendees until the start of the festival.

Brand new to the festival season this fall is the Telluride Horror Show, a 3-day horror film festival dedicated to all genres of shocking featured and short films. Ted Wilson, producer of the October 15th-17th festival, is a long time local who has screened and previewed over 30 films to prepare for the 1st annual weekend – A hand full have already been selected, check them out here: http://www.telluridehorrorshow.com/films.html. Telluride is a renowned film and festival town so having the Horror Show premiere in October, just felt right. October is the perfect time of the year to get spooked – leaves begin to change, cool damp weather sets in, and the days grow shorter.

Unlike the Telluride Film Festival, the Telluride Horror Show has already begun announcing the films in their line up. They will include Broken Springs: Shine of the Undead Zombie Bastards, directed by Neeley Lawson; Someone’s Knocking at the Door, directed by Chad Ferrin; Strigoi, directed by Faye Jackson; Attack, directed by Adam White; Cockpit: the Rule of Engagement, directed by Jesse Griffith; and Demiurge Emesis, directed by Aurelio Valtaire.

Telluride Alpine Lodging offers a varied range of vacation rental accommodations throughout Telluride and Mountain Village, Colorado. We feature a large selection of hotel rooms, one, two and three bedroom condominiums and premier homes – each offering a diverse range in location, décor and price. Festival attendees can take advantage of our current special: 15% off stays in hotel rooms, rooms with kitchenettes, or one bedroom condos. For large groups: two bedroom or larger condos are available at 25% off.