Thank you for being one of over 6,400 subscribers to our weekly travel newsletter, .  This week we've got the a first look at "last-minute" deals on cruises departing in May, a look at small cruise ships visiting smaller cruise ports and new hotels for Houston and Chicago visitors.

Weekly Cruise Deals from Cruise Guide Network

This week we feature cruises departing in May. Choose from a Mediterranean cruise, a eastern Caribbean cruise or two western Caribbean cruises. They're priced from just $72 per night, so don't miss out:

http://www.cruiseguidenetwork.com/bargains.html

 

 

Westin Houston Memorial City

Memorial City is on Houston's west side, home of the Memorial City Mall and Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center.  Visitors to that part of town now have the option of staying at the new Westin Houston Memorial City. 267 guest rooms provide views of the downtown Houston skyline, Westin's Heavenly Bath and Heavenly Bed and high-speed internet access. Something called the "Westin Sensory Welcome" hits you with soothing scents, music and lighting as you enter the lobby.  Up on the 18th floor they have an infinity pool looking out over the city, plus The WestinWORKOUT fitness/spa center.

 

 

Small-Ship Cruises on the East Coast

American Cruise Line offers unique cruises on protected, calm inland waterways along the east coast. Their ships are modern and comfortable but small enough to get into ports that big ships can't reach. We have information on their cruises from Philadelphia to Washington, Chesapeake Bay cruises out of Baltimore, Charleston to Jacksonville, and Florida river cruises from Jacksonville. Try one of these small ship cruises for an experience completely different from the big ships.

This Week's New (or Improved) Hotels

Also new to Houston's west side is the Holiday Inn Houston Westchase.  It's five stories and 130 rooms of comfort, including 22 suites.  Available for events, they've got 2,700 square feet of meeting space including a ballroom that can hold up to 285.

 

Located on State Street on the north side of downtown Chicago, the Embassy Suites Chicago-Downtown is the beneficiary of a $12.3 million renovation. All 367 of their suites were overhauled with new carpeting, workstations, two HDTVs (32" and 40") and upgraded bathrooms.