The little dudes are just eggs, we leave ‘em on a beach to hatch, and then, coo-coo-cachoo, they find their way back to the big ol’ blue. – Crush the Sea Turtle, Finding Nemo

While Crush may be right, sometimes the turtles need a little bit of help. Tomorrow, the recently Green Globe Certified Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa in Bali will release one adult and 50 baby turtles into the wild as part of the resort’s ongoing wildlife conservation initiatives. While they may live for up to 80 years, these creatures are endangered and at high risk for extinction. By protecting the vulnerable eggs from predators until the baby turtles are ready to be released, Anantara is doing their part to make sure the sea turtle will still be surfing the ocean for many years to come.

Looking for something a little different for Halloween? Maybe a ghoulish puppy party or a tasty celebration of Dia de Muertos will do the trick. Go hunting for ghosts or carve a star pumpkin and get in the holiday spirit.

Washington, D.C.

Where: Park Hyatt Washington D.C.

What: Halloween Doggy Happy Hour

When: October 20, 2010

Why: Your tail will be waggin’ at the swanky DC hotel’s Halloween-themed pet costume party. Pooch-loving guests and visitors can strut their dressed dogs down the red carpet before mingling for doggy happy hour. Celebrate Halloween with your four-legged friend in comfort as part of their Paws at the Park package, available year round. (Above are images of Doggy Happy Hour; the first Halloween Doggy Happy Hour is happening October 20 with dressed up pooches.)

London

Where: Metropolitan London

What: Day of the Dead De-Light

When: October 25-November 2, 2010

Why: The London hot-spot is celebrating Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival and offering cocoa nib chocolate cupcakes topped with sugar skull decorations, coffin shaped chili-chocolate mud pies, and traditional Mexican tea cakes filled with dark cherries. For those lacking a sweet-tooth, there are no-bread sandwich pots containing Mexican themed fillings, including a jalapeno foam, crayfish and tequila jelly, and chicken fajita with sour cream and re-fried bean mousse. (None of the confections will hinder that costume-ready waistline.)

Santa Fe

Where: Inn on the Alameda

What: Dia de Muertos

When: October 31, 2010

Why: The charming Santa Fe inn is a great place to celebrate Dia de Muertos. The nearby Museum of International Folk Art is fêting the Latin American holiday with art projects for kids, sweet treats, and music. Grown-ups can celebrate the harvest season by stopping at the famous Santa Fe Farmer’s Market after the kids are satiated on candy.

Albuquerque, NM

Where: Hotel Parq Central

What: Halloween Festivities

When: Halloween weekend

Why: The new Albuquerque hotel is celebrating Halloween in style with a pumpkin carving contest, ghouls throughout the hotel, and special spooky cocktails in the Apothecary Lounge served on the 1930’s coffin carrier. If this isn’t eerie enough for scare-seekers, the hotel has a resident ghost.

Nantucket

Where: White Elephant Hotel Residences and Jared Coffin House

What: Halloween parade

When: October 31, 2010

Why: Every year kids can dress up and go trick-or-treating at the shops and stores lining Main Street. Stay at the White Elephant Hotel Residences, a family-friendly hotel located just a few blocks from the action; rates start at just $500 for a one bedroom for Oct 24-31. Or for a super spooky stay on Nantucket, the Jared Coffin House hotel is said to be haunted by the ghost of the successful 19th century shipowner after which the house was named. Other ghosts are rumored to roam the halls and rooms of this historic property – room rates start at $125 on October 11-31.

San Diego

Where: Park Hyatt Aviara

What: Ghostly Gingerbread Houses

When: These beautiful houses will be on display starting the week before Halloween.

Why: For those who like treats more than tricks, this California hotel is crafting extremely detailed haunted houses made entirely of sweets. Peanut brittle steps lead up to the gingerbread house covered in frosting, candy corn, and other mouthwatering confections.

Beaver Creek

Where: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek

What: Spooky cocktails

When: October 25-31, 2010

Why: In honor of the Halloween holiday, the Colorado ski lodge’s 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill’s bar is adding two eerie libations to its menu: the Swamp Thing (a smooth mint martini) and the Bloody Orange (featuring 8100’s house made blood orange sorbet). Don’t fret – the floating eyes in the Swamp Thing are made of in-house molded white chocolate.

Remember that old, isolated hotel in the 1980’s horror classic The Shining? Hard to forget. While you won’t be alone at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, the panoramic views of the Rockies will take you back to that creepy setting (in a good way). And at 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill their “holiday” special is the $13 Superstitious Shrimp & Marg. A Pikes Place shrimp cocktail, served alongside a chilled house margarita. The perfect way to face your fears!

You can always find comfort in food, so save the creepiness for after dinner at Park Hyatt Washington. The Blue Duck Tavern’s famed Roasted Bone Marrow with a Vandouvan Crust is $13, a delicious way to celebrate in the Capital.

 Don’t want to leave your black cat…. Or dog behind? You’re in luck because The Cottages at the Boat Basin on Nantucket has one pet-friendly cottage left for sale this weekend. Cottage number 13! Better still bring your furry-friend along on the Grey Lady and get a rate of $130. (To book, mention reservation number 310421 and “Friday the 13^th”.)

For urbanites looking for an escape but too superstitious to travel far today, Andaz Wall Street in New York is offering 13% off rooms booked on Friday the 13^th! Book the Friday the 13th offer by clicking here. To book via phone, request corporate/group ID# 71274 – Friday the 13th Offer.

Humans benefit from all kinds of perks with hotel loyalty programs, and it’s about time our furry friends receive the same treatment!  The Nantucket waterfront Cottages & Lofts at The Boat Basin is now offering rewards to returning pets staying at the 11 pet-friendly WOOF Cottages with the new “VIPets” program.  Repeat dog and cat customers will receive a customized welcome card, just like their human counterparts, as well as a take-home toy and a photograph of themselves in front of their cottage.  For pets that really enjoy the limelight, the picture can be posted on The Cottages Facebook page.  And finally, all “VIPets” will be entered in a sweepstakes to win a three-night stay at the WOOF Cottages this fall, plus a special pet spa treatment.

Pets in the past have appreciated all the comforts offered at the WOOF Cottages, as “almost 50% of pets are repeat customers,” says general manager Jim Storey.  All pets (even first-timers) are treated extra-special; amenities include a welcome basket of pet treats and play toys, food and water bowls, personalized pet tags, Draper Canine Therapy dog beds  – even Doggie sunscreen (15 SPF). 

The Cottages at the Boat Basin are located in the heart of Nantucket Town, with waterfront or water view locations on the docks of Swain’s Wharf and Old South Wharf.  The newly-refurbished WOOF Cottages feature dedicated one- and two-bedroom accommodation with stunning views of the sea.

Taking a family vacation these days often includes taking the family pet who is, after all, much too important to be left behind. Luxury hotels are taking notice with extensive pet programs dedicated to pampering four-legged loved ones just as they do any other guest.

FOR THE PREPPY PET…
The Cottages at the Boat Basin, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts (www.thecottagesnantucket.com)

Nantucket vacation travelers, who don’t want to leave home without Fido or Fluffy, will find a warm welcome for them in the Woof Cottages, which are part of The Cottages at the Boat Basin. The newly-refurbished pet-friendly cottages feature dedicated one – and two-bedroom accommodations with stunning views of the sea and unique amenities for both dogs and cats.

Special pet amenities:
Draper Canine beds, a new high-tech bed featuring Holofiber material (clinically proven to help relax the capillary bed, which offers relief from soreness, stiffness, and swelling, increases energy, and accelerates muscle recovery after exertion.
Welcome basket of pet treats and play toys
Complimentary bandana
Food and water bowls, litter box and litter
Dog walking services
List of pet-friendly attractions on Nantucket
Directory of veterinary clinics and pet supply stores

Fun pet pick: A Woof Cottage was rented one summer for Ben and Jerry (two cats) for eight weeks while their owners stayed at White Elephant, the sister hotel to The Cottages at the Boat Basin.

FOR THE DESERT DOGS…
Inn on the Alameda, Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.innonthealameda.com)

For the pet and owner who want to enjoy the scenery and the scene, Inn on the Alameda welcomes pets less than 30 pounds.

Special pet amenities:
Welcome bag filled with a toy ball, “poop bag,” and Bone-itos Pet Treats
Current issue of Fido Friendly Magazine
Walking map
Special in-room food bowl

POR LOS PERROS Y GATOS…
Hotel Villa Magna, a Park Hyatt, Madrid, Spain (www.villamagna.park.hyatt.com)

Spanish canines and felines can siesta in the lap of luxury at Hotel Villa Magna, a Park Hyatt.
Special pet amenities:

Special pooch crib with plush cushion
In-room food and water pools
Customized food to suit pet’s (and owner’s) preferences

FOR POLITICO PETS
Park Hyatt Washington (www.parkwashington.hyatt.com)

Park Hyatt Washington‘s VID (Very Important Dog) Program includes:
Brand-new bed and toy, which they are welcome to take home
Bottled Voss water, served in a chic, stainless steel bowl