Camping at the Marriott (or Mandalay).

A press release for Omni Hotel's "weekend getaway special" got me thinking about a "johnpetersmith" comment on my recent camping post. In that comment he proposed the idea of "urban camping."

Actually, we had done this . . . kind of.

When the children were young, and after multiple attempts at actually enjoying camping, the wife and I decided on one hot summer day to try something more relaxing for the children abd us. I looked for a hotel nearby with a good swimming pool so that the kids could cool off in the water and the wife and I could watch old movies. The DFW Marriott had a weekend special, $55 per night, including breakfast for two ( this was 1990). We signed up for a weekend visit, got a room on the pool and all had a great weekend. The children spent about 50% of the time in the pool and about 50% of the time eating junk food. I even invented a putt-putt golf game that we played in the hallways. The wife and daughter used the breakfast tickets.

Needless to say, after that, I retired the tents and the propane stove.

The special Omni is offering is a little more than urban camping, okay, it's a lot more than urban camping, but for what you get, and if you are planning a birthday or anniversary night out anyway, it's a pretty good deal. As a matter of fact, I'd say it's a great deal. So I thought I would pass it on, directly from their press release,

“Savor the Flavors of France.”

. . . on select weekends this fall, Omni guests will have another opportunity to experience France with “French Toast,” an enticing weekend package offering guests a complete immersion into the magnificent wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux, sparkling wines of the Champagne region and authentic cuisine of France. The package includes luxury accommodations at participating hotels across the country (including the Mandalay), plus a cooking and wine pairing class with an Omni chef to learn authentic French cooking techniques, French dinner and breakfast, and a unique wine tote. Rates start from $339 and vary by property and date.

Cooking class, dinner, great accommodations for around $350. I like it. Now if only the Fort Worth Omni were complete . . .

Here's the link. http://www.omnihotels.com