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May 27, 2008

New summer hours for Dilly Deli

The Dilly Deli is just getting warmed up for the restaurant and bar is hoping will be "the greatest summer ever."

The Deli is announcing new summer hours, which are:

10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday thru Thursday

10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Yes, the Kitchen Remains Open for all Business Hours

The Dilly Deli is still closed on Sundays.

These hours will be in effect through the Labor Day Weekend.

Posted by johnston at 10:38 PM

May 05, 2008

First phase of Mariemont Inn's renovations complete

Phase I of current renovations being conducted on the Best Western Mariemont Inn is complete.

The renovations had been taking place on the Madisonville-side wing of the Inn; renovations will now begin on the Wooster-side wing.

The Madisonville-side wing is open and patrons have been introduced to more spacious and retrofitted rooms with state-of-the-art amenities.

Ownership of the Inn knows quality is more important than quantity, and when the renovations are completed the Mariemont Inn will have reduced the number of available rooms by a few; the result, though, is the remaining rooms will be larger.

The rooms have custom designed solid oak furniture, all fabrics are luxury linen, Tempurpedic beds, the bathrooms are fitted with large rain-shower heads and fogless mirrors, and there are glass-front refrigerators. The rooms are equipped with sound-minimizing materials. The drywall installed in the Inn has a strip of sound resistant fiberglass in the middle. Each room is also fitted with sound resistant windows and concrete sound abatement flooring. The result: a quieter stay at the Inn.

Throughout the halls and rooms, every pipe, wire and fixture has been removed and replaced with more modern equipment.

When completed, the rooms on the Wooster-side wing of the Inn will possess the same amenities.

“We have employed the best experts in the industry to conduct the renovation work and the comments we have received from them is that the Mariemont possesses the best rooms in Cincinnati,” General Manager Bill Spinnenweber said. “Most hotels do not possess half of the amenities that we have installed.”

Stepping outside the Inn, the most visible difference that people may have noticed is an upgraded parking lot at the rear of the building. The lot will be used as exclusive guest parking, where a covered rear entranceway will allow guests to enter the Inn without having to walk around to the front entrance. The rear entrance will immediately lead guests into one of the Inn’s new additions: a new lobby with fireplace.

The new lobby and main lobby will be connected by one of the more intricate additions to the inn, a new inconspicuous hallway which was carved through the existing structure of the Inn. The hallway will give access to a service elevator, a new luggage room, a business center and an all-new fitness room.

“The new first floor hallway is the most dramatic change. Everything has been redesigned to mimic the main lobby,” Spinnenweber said. The owner is also looking for Mariemont memorabilia to display in the historical hall. If there is any item that someone possesses that they wouldn’t mind having displayed, give owner’s representative Bonnie Malone a call at 271-2100.

In order to ensure the integrity of the interior décor throughout the added hallway and lobby, a craftsman was coerced out of retirement to bring his expertise to the design. “We brought in someone who was able to replicate the arches found in the main lobby and utilize the design throughout the hallway. He made a mold from one of the original archways and found the appropriate textures to match the main lobby,” Malone said.

The Best Western Mariemont Inn is a registered national landmark and is considered one of the finest hotels in America. A cornerstone building since Mariemont’s inception in the 1920’s, the Inn has always been integral to the village’s history and maintaining the integrity and character that has made the village so charming to this day. For the past several months renovations to the interior of the Inn have been ongoing and the progress will indelibly make new history.

To see more pictures of the new guestrooms, click here.

Posted by johnston at 07:58 PM

May 04, 2008

Trunk shows abound at the Top Drawer

The Top Drawer has some specials that all needlepointers might be interested in.

The first involves an Easter Basket. On July 19, one of the Top Drawer needleopint experts, Dolores, will be leading a class for $150 that will get people going on their Easter Basket designs. But isn't Easter already past, you ask?

"This is a big project. By the time you stitch the pattern and finish it, it will be Easter ... 2009," owner Sandy McKee said.

The shop is also having a 10 percent off finishing special for all those Halloween patterns that you are working on.

And here's a heads-up for what is upcoming:

There will be a "Needle Deeva" trunk show in July; dates to be announced. There will also be a "Kelly Clark" trunk show and class in August. McKee will teach a Christmas Noel class very soon, dates also to be announced, and there will be a "Mindy" trunk show in September.

Posted by johnston at 08:00 PM