Now that Bloomberg has declared war on cigarettes, you might want to use yourvacation time to start shaping up – instead of lighting up. These days,resorts and destinations are adding “smoking cessation” services to theirpool, tennis, and water-sport offerings. The Duke Diet & Fitness Center inDurham (800-235-3853; from $4,885 per person for two weeks), the Hilton HeadHealth Institute (800-292-2440; from $2,395 per week), and both Canyon Ranchlocations, in the Berkshires and in Tucson (800-742-9000; from $1,864 forfour nights), have tobacco-addict treatments like acupuncture, movementtherapy, and exercise physiology. Not tough enough? Carnival has justlaunched a week-long “Quit Smoking” Caribbean cruise, where you’ll be fined$250 if you’re caught taking a puff; the next ship sets sail from Miami onDecember 1 (866-512-2777; from $619). And the new Spa Atlantis in PompanoBeach, Florida, now offers quitters a seven-day seminar beginning January 10(800-583-3500; from $1,762).
– BETSY GOLDBERG
It’s taken Canada a while to catch on to the boutique-hotel craze, but thiswinter, our northern neighbors are making up for lost time – most recentlywith Opus, a swank 97-room hotel that just opened in Vancouver. Common areasare jazzed up with furnishings by designers ranging from Eames to Starck toNienkämper, and the guest rooms are grouped into five differentdécor schemes, based on the tastes of fictional characters like Susan,a Blahnik addict; Mike the Saab-driving doctor; and Bob and Carol, anoutdoorsy dot-com couple from San Francisco (866-642-6787 or opushotel.com;from $95). And this February, look for Toronto’s first two trendy boutiques:Hotel Le Germain, where guests can buy just about anything they find intheir rooms, from mattresses and duvets to glasses and bathrobes(866-345-9501 or hotelboutique.com; from $144), and the 88-room SohoMetropolitan, which will feature a full-service health club and spa and an over-the-top Chihuly installation in the lobby (416-597-6327 or metropolitan.com; from$189).
Everyone loves a bargain. But to be honest, hotel packages bore us silly:Free breakfast? Yawn. A complimentary bottle of champagne? Whoop-dee-do. Butwhen the toss-in comes with four wheels and a V-8 engine, well, that’sanother story. A few Los Angeles hotels that will put you in the driver’sseat of a ride to match your swank digs: At the Fairmont Miramar Hotel inSanta Monica, $419 a night buys you a deluxe ocean-view room and use of aMercedes SLK or BMW 323; $449 gets you a Porsche Boxter; and for $1,669, youcan tool around in a Bentley (800-441-1414; through the end of 2003). Overin Beverly Hills, a room at Maison 140 comes with a BMW Mini Cooper and freeparking for $259 a night, through the end of this year (800-432-5444); andAvalon’s “Classic Holiday Package” includes accommodations for two,overnight parking, and the use of a T-bird convertible for $298 nightly (from November 28 toDecember 30; 800-535-4715).
The Ocean Key Resort, nestled between Key West’s harbor and its historicdowntown, is offering New York readers 20 percent off an ocean-view room,plus a free dinner for two, if you stay four nights in December(800-328-9815 or oceankey.com; rates from $329 anight, based on availability).
Restaurant News Palm Beach’s historic Brazilian Court hotelis freshening up with new condos, a new pool, a new spa, a new screeningroom, and – the best part – a new Café Boulud, opening in March(doubles from $390; 561-838-4445). Sweet Dreams The Four Seasons Resort Nevis – a longtimeplayground for America’s head honchos – is adding a full-service spa inDecember. The 12,000-square-foot facility will resemble the island’s earlysugar plantations and will incorporate coconut, sugarcane, and rum – allpast Nevis exports – into its treatments (800-332-3442). Tee Time This week, Zagat introduces its first golf survey,a guide to more than 1,000 courses in the United States and the Caribbean.Each property is rated on its course, clubhouse, service, and value($14.95). Small Wonders The skin-conscious set has been lining up forDDF’s anti-sun-damage products for years. Now mini-bottles of the blocks,aloes, and post-sun remedies are available in convenient, Spa on the Gotravel kits ($25 each at DDFskin.com).