Just before my big birthday (let’s just say that it wasn’t 30, and it certainly wasn’t 50), I zipped down to Tampa, Fla., to spend a long weekend with my mom and dad. I walk into my parents’ home in Hyde Park, and—surprise!— two of my favorite New York friends who surreptitiously buzzed down to take me on a whirl of a weekend popped out of my bathroom … Yeehaw! Let’s have some fun and take a road trip!
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| On the road with the marvelous Mercedes GLK350. |
Juliet pulled together snack food, Stacy packed bottles of water and champagne and John surprised us all with Walt Disney tickets and reservations at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando.
The destination: The Waldorf Astoria Orlando
The mission: To paint the town red at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
The transportation: A few weeks before my Florida trip, I had called a pal at Mercedes-Benz to road test the super-stylish 2010 GLK350 in a fetching, eye-catching Mars Red for my (supposed) parents weekend, and it was the absolute perfect car for our wacky adventures.
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| Here I am pulling up to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando in the Mars Red Mercedes-Benz GLK350. How posh am I? |
The GLK350 rocks. I loved the 3.5 liter, V6 24-valve engine with its amazing pick-up; the 8-speaker sound system perfect for blaring the greatest hits of the 1980s; the trip computer; the 8-way power adjustable front seats; and all of the other bells and whistles in this $45,645 MSRP car. But we also looked damn good in the Mercedes when we arrived at the equally spiffy Waldorf Astoria Orlando for our night of Disney debauchery.
The Waldorf Astoria Orlando channels NYC’s legendary Waldorf hostelry with its sleek Art Deco-driven lines and absolutely comfortable luxury. This is 5-star chic but without pretension and affectation. I am a super-tough hotel critic, as my blog followers know, and I was simply bowled over by the WA. Glamour with a capital “G.” Situated only minutes from the Mouse, the Waldorf is seemingly worlds away from the hustle and bustle, the crowds,
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| A soothing bedroom at the Waldorf Astoria with its dreamy bed and overstuffed furnishings. |
the crush. I lapped up my soothing room with its balcony views over the verdant golf course and the hotel’s 482 rolling acres; the deep tissue massage at the hotel’s stunning Waldorf Astoria Spa by Guerlain; the cool cocktails in the lobby’s elegant Peacock Alley; and dinner of Angus beef cuts within the very posh Bull and Bear Steakhouse. Next morning, before heading to Disney, we relaxed in shaded cabanas poolside and then set off for some Magic Kingdom magic.
But more on Disney another time. As my pal Juliet sighed, “Do we have to check out? And can I drive the Mercedes?”
And, frankly, I could have spent another week at the Waldorf. Pure perfection.