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Summer is coming to a close, but don’t fret if you’re still hankering for a mini getaway. There are still deals out there for those of us in denial of having to go back to school/work.

• Maison 140: Looking for a place to put up your wedding guests? This West Hollywood hotel is offering a wedding package where you pay just shy of $20,000 for a weekend to rent out all 43 rooms for your friends and family. And no, the package doesn’t include actually having your wedding at the hotel. What you do get, in addition to the rooms, includes a glass of champagne on arrival, continental breakfast, private Vin et Fromage tastings in the hotel’s Bar Noir, Wi-Fi and overnight parking. Pricey, yes. But the rooftop pool is pretty darn cool…

• Spa Resort Casino: Through Sept. 30, this Palm Springs hotel and casino is offering a Paradise Nights package that includes a room, dinner for two, a 25-minute spa treatment, $25 in slot machine play and a dip in the hot mineral springs for $164 a night. Sister property Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage also has a package good through the end of the month: a room, $25 in slot play and two-for-one buffet for $89 per night (Sunday through Thursday) or $129 (Friday and Saturday).

• Terranea: If you’ve got kids, I imagine finding a place that’s fancy and kid-friendly is tough. Terranea on the Palos Verdes peninsula is trying to change that with a family fun package.  The deal includes 50 percent off a second room for the kids, use of a private cabana at the pool, admission for one child to the resort’s kids camp with the purchase of an adult spa treatment, and a child’s breakfast with the purchase of an adult entree. The family package starts at $355 per night for the first room, which makes the second room $177.50.

What Talesai's facade will look like "in the near future." Courtesy of Talesai.

West Hollywood’s Talesai recently announced some menu changes, bringing back some items that had been taken off when the Thai restaurant went through a remodel and overhaul last year.

Chef Kris Yenbamroong added some “back by popular demand” dishes to the menu, including spicy duck rolls (“We often sell out as we don’t prep a ton of it to ensure that it’s always fresh”), hidden treasures (“the quintessential Talesai dish” with shrimp, crab and calamari baked in a chili coconut sauce), golden triangle (“a crispy ‘pancake’ made by folding a big wonton skin over spiced and minced shrimp then fried and served with a sweet plum sauce”), heavenly duck (“This was a real popular dish that I pulled cause I always felt it was a bit tough and not too tasty. Now it’s a lot tastier and moister, but still retains the stuff that people like”) and Thai boxing chicken (“street cart chicken they serve in front of boxing stadiums in Thailand eaten with sticky rice”).

The restaurant also recently introduced delivery during lunchtime on weekdays and dinnertime seven days a week.

Last week, I was invited to a rooftop/poolside cocktail party hosted by the Chamberlain West Hollywood hotel. The views were awesome, and with a fire going on mid-pool (see photo), the ambiance was great. I didn’t get to see much of the hotel itself as the elevator zips you up to the roof directly from the valet parking level, so I can’t comment on the decor. I can, however, comment on the food and drink provided at the party.

The food was pretty. The drinks were colorful. But neither impressed me much.

Keep Reading

Just got word (per official flakage) that Philippe Chow is opening a Philippe restaurant “in West Hollywood this September in the space that formerly housed Dolce.” Since Dolce is still up and running, this leads me to believe it’s either closing or moving to another space. Chow’s rep says he finalized the contract last week to take over the space; waiting for official word from the Dolce Group.

[UPDATE: Official flakage from Dolce Group: “They have made us a generous offer and we are considering moving Dolce West Hollywood. Nothing has been finalized just yet.” Who do you believe?]