We know people of all faiths travel. And we welcome any and all to the Hotel Murano. So for that reason we like to provide any Good Book of faith, available by calling our front desk staff and requesting any of the following with no late return fees:

•    St. James Bible
•    The New American Bible
•    Bhagavad Gita
•    Book of Mormon
•    Book of Buddhism
•    The Koran
•    Tao Te Ching
•    The Torah

Part of the focus here at Hotel Murano is to meet the need to view and embrace “world class art” and also as many “spiritual needs” as we can.

Enjoy,
Dale

Dale, I loved the “the art of meeting people’s needs” line. It actually got me thinking about our art. So after writing about the Neddy Fellowship the other day I took a little tour of our collection. I’d never done that if you can believe it! I recommend it, especially to any employees like me who really checked it out.

Here are some of my favorites. In case you want to include them in your itinerary.

Grand Corridor
Specimen Block by Steffen Dam: It’s like a puzzle that you could look at for hours.

Lobby
Fish Lures by Rick Beck: They’re just fun. I’m lucky I can seem them all day from reception.

Floor 4, Bite Restaurant
Totem by Costas Varotsos: It’s amazing the way he managed to use both glass and stainless steel.

Floor 24

Iceberg by Peter Bremers: This one is incredible because of all the research he did. See the pictures showing his process.

Visit us and you’re sure to find some favorites of your own!

Have fun,
Danielle

Well, if you’re looking for a good way to celebrate the father in your life, think about taking him to the Tacoma Invaders semi-pro football game on Saturday, June 20. The game takes place at Curtis High School and pits our hometown Invaders against the Olympic Peninsula Eagles.

The Invaders are hovering around .500 in the Cascade League standings. So get out and give them a bit of support, while giving dad a chance to cheer some football while his Seahawks are taking some well-earned time off to gear up for next year!

Dale

There are three Infrared rooms that emit natural materials such as salt or mud and jade. For example, the salt room is quiet with low lighting consisting of a floor of salt that is covered with a thick blanket-like material and the floor is heated! You lie on the floor and it’s like a big hot pad for your body while the salt’s properties help your body in various ways, including improved circulation and metabolism. Another room has mud and jade (seemingly ground up like sand) which helps your body by detoxifying and many other great things. The pool room has a hot Jacuzzi, warm Jacuzzi, mineral baths, cold plunge, dry sauna, wet sauna and a tub of water steeped with mugwort (a herb that helps the body in multiple ways) where you can pour the warm water over your body.

The body scrub was incredible. Korean women scrub every inch of your body and you can physically see dead skin slough off of you while they intermittently pour warm water over you to rinse you off before going back to scrubbing. It was amazing! My skin never felt so soft! The massage was surprisingly typically in a Swedish style.

Then, another bonus…the food. They have a little restaurant that is only for spa members that resembles a kitchen in someone’s home. Two Korean women whip up wonderful homecooked Korean meals – some of the best Korean food that I’ve had! We were there for more than four hours! The spa is open until 10 p.m. all days except Friday and Saturday they are open until midnight! Closed on Sundays. www.olympusspa.net. You have to go!

- Danielle

Anyone who has ever visited us at Hotel Murano knows that we love art. Aside from our incredible collection of glass art, which you can see on every floor of the hotel, there are also all kinds of other creations to feast your eyes on.

But on the off chance you’re still hungry, we happen to be only a couple of blocks from the Tacoma Art Museum. And if you’re here on June 6 (6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.), head over to meet this year’s Neddy Artist Fellowship nominees and see their work.

You’ll see great paintings from a variety of people, including some excellent glass work as well. Highlights include the work of Eric Elliot, this year’s painting fellowship winner, and April Surgent, who was awarded this year’s glass art fellowship.

And the event’s free and includes hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar!

Have fun!
Danielle

One of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest is that we have four distinctive seasons (OK, yes, they all include rain). And one of my favorite ways to celebrate spring is my first annual trip to the Proctor Farmers Market.

Though some events have already started in the market space, the really good stuff ― all the fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, plants ― don’t start showing up until later in May. There are also vendors selling fresh fish, meats, and incredible cheeses. You can find some cool homemade crafts, and even stuff for dogs and for Jaxson (my cat).

If you linger as long as I do, you’ll end up tasting a little bit of a lot of things. When you’re ready to sit and rest, stop at the food booths; maybe a caprese empanada followed by some homemade ice cream. Not a bad way to spend a sunny Saturday…

Have fun!
Danielle

I was leafing through the Sunday paper (I’m making a point these days of reading newspapers while they still exist), and was a little surprised to see who’s coming to the Dome on May 16th. Think of a band with turbulent romances, warring egos, many breakups and many reunions. Right, that doesn’t narrow the field much. In any case, I didn’t know all of the members of this particular one ― Fleetwood Mac ― were even still alive.

What makes this particular concert ― on their “Unleashed” tour ― even more intriguing is an added offering I’ve never seen before: For an extra 60 bucks (or so), you can arrive early, be guaranteed a parking space, and tuck into a dinner buffet with a private bar (drinks are extra, of course). Wow, I don’t know about you, but this is not the concert of my salad days…

Enjoy,
Dale

I’m not sure if we have a clever male or female to thank for this brainstorm, but it takes a keen mind to combine spa treatments and baseball. That’s right; it’s Ladies’ Day at the Ballpark.

Here’s the deal: Tell your man that you’ve made arrangements for the whole family to go see the Rainiers play the Colorado Springs Sky Sox at Cheney Stadium on May 10. You want to get there early, so you can park and so he can study the line-up, pregame. As soon as everyone’s in their seats, you quietly slip away to the private party deck for spa treatments, a buffet, beverages, and autographs from the ball players. And, don’t worry, while you’re being pampered the rest of the family can enjoy batting practice.

The whole shebang is sponsored by Savvy Girls of Summer, so I guess we do have a woman to thank.

Have fun,
Danielle

(photo courtesy of Alki Chick)

Times are pretty tough right now and we know you’re looking for the best possible deals out there, so here’s one for you:  15% off our best available rate!  I’ll let you do the math on that one, but I’m sure you’ll feel good about the savings.  In fact, I might just have to move in myself at these prices, but I guess I can save the available rooms for guests, instead.  So, let your friends and family know and have them come visit you or use the special on yourself to spend a weekend relaxing.
Hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon.
Danielle

Here are a few lines that we just picked up the other day from “Bee Movie” that give our fair city a very tiny nod. I don’t know about you, but it’s kind of cool that we got on someone’s radar down at Dreamworks. A group of bugs have hitched a ride on the windshield of a moving truck and are commiserating on their travels. The conversation goes like this:

Mooseblood, mosquito (Chris Rock):Where are you headed?
Barry B. Benson, bee (Jerry Seinfeld): To Honey Farms.
Mooseblood: I’m going to Alaska. Moose blood. Crazy stuff! Blows your head off.
Ladybug (Sean Bishop): I’m going to Tacoma.

I guess you could say we got a little buzz from that movie!

–Dale

(photo courtesy of Visor Peru)