The Claremont Hotel Club and Spa – Your Urban Paradise

Claremont Resort

Nestled in Berkeley Hills, but still convenient to the San Francisco business district and the Bay Area lies a “dream come true”.  Whether your needs are personal or for business, you will find superior elegance, sophistication, breathtaking views, deep relaxation, and world-class cuisine.  This “dream come true” is The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa – the ultimate urban paradise.

“Paradise” should have everything you could ask for – wouldn’t you agree?  The Claremont truly fits this definition.  Situated on 22 beautifully landscaped acres, this AAA Four Diamond property offers amenities sure to please everyone, including children.

Luxurious, Comfortable Guestrooms – At The Claremont, your room is truly unique.  None of their 279 guestrooms are exactly alike but each one offers “a touch of old world charm and casual California elegance”.  Choose between six styles – Classic, Memorable, Distinctive, Spa Elite, Studio Suite, or Petite Queen.

On-Site Quality Dining –

• The spacious Meritage dining room presents ever-changing menus created by Executive Chef Josh Thomsen.  Indulge your senses in dishes that are pairings of fine wines with local, fresh cuisine while gazing at panoramic views of San Francisco Bay.
• The Paragon Bar and Café offers a more casual, but lively, dining pleasure.  Featuring American Comfort Food by Chef de Cuisine Charles Crossley, the Paragon lets you relax with outdoor deck seating and live jazz three nights a week.

Spa Claremont- You’ll find it hard to choose between the treatments Spa Claremont offers – nine types of facials, five “Journeys” engulfing your body in a series of aromatic therapies, fourteen massages that include couples and pre-natal massages, detoxifying water therapies, body wraps, polishes & scrubs, acupuncture, Pilates, and yoga.  Pre-spa options like a steam room, Jacuzzi, and lounge insure your complete relaxation from head to toe.

The Club- Recreational amenities easily combine quality family time with any busy schedule.  Spend time with your family in the newly-renovated fitness complex, three pools, ten tennis courts, hiking trails, golf, concerts, art festivals, and yoga.  The Kids’ Club and a day camp insure even the youngest ones’ satisfaction.  The Bayview Café offers salads, sandwiches, hamburgers and other snack favorites poolside for your ultimate convenience.

Business Events – With professional conference managers and 30,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, your every business need is creatively assured.  Whether you desire an indoor or outdoor venue, The Claremont provides custom menus, fitness breaks, structured activities, and six customizable boardroom settings.  Wireless and hard-wired technology plus an in-house IT Department insure seamless presentations and events.

AAA Transportation will superbly complete your experiences at The Claremont.  Offering unsurpassed transportation planning and solutions, our stellar fleet and professional chauffeurs leave you relaxed and carefree from the beginning to the end of your special event.  You may make your reservations either online or by calling one of our friendly operators at 866-558-0222.

Relax – Enjoy – Indulge:  AAA Transportation is at the wheel!

Holidays ~ Magic ~ Pleasanton!

Sssh!  Don’t break the magic spell that’s swirling in Downtown Pleasanton!  It mysteriously begins every year about this time as Santa and his fun-loving elves sneak away from the North Pole just for this special event.  “What is it?” you ask.  It’s Pleasanton’s annual downtown open house named the “Magical Holiday Evening”!

On Friday, November 20, from 6 PM – 9 PM, the streets will come to life as downtown shops, restaurants and businesses begin celebrating the holidays with festive decorations, twinkling lights, beautiful window displays, and holiday treats.

Yes, the magic of the holidays still enchants young and old alike.  It’s the perfect time to do some of your holiday shopping AND tell Santa your dearest wishes too!  Here are some of the highlights of this year’s festivities:

• Santa will personally appear at the Museum on Main to greet children and hear their Christmas wishes, personally collect YOUR holiday wish lists, safely carry all letters addressed to him back to the North Pole for processing, and sprinkle “magic HO-HO-HO’s” over everyone while his elves and helpers hand out scrumptious candies to all good little boys and girls.
• Santa’s favorite elf will be spreading Good Cheer as he wanders around downtown businesses and restaurants looking for GOOD diners and shoppers.  You could win one of many downtown gift cards!
• Gentle miniature holiday horses from Horizons East Stables will greet you throughout the evening.  (Santa had to leave the reindeer at the North Pole to continue their rigorous flight training for December 25th.)
• Bibiane Bakery will build an unbelievable gingerbread house right before your eyes at the Museum on Main.  In addition, they will also provide all the edible materials you need to make your own gingerbread house!
• Crackers the clown will make her way through downtown during the evening handing out her special balloons to all special girls and boys.
• Dana Smith “plays with fire” as he performs amazing fire juggling, acrobatics and circus feats.
• Fantasy Faces, a talented mother-daughter face painting team will “decorate” your cheeks with fun and festive “art” outside Lotus.

Magic and the Holidays aren’t complete without music!

HARMONY FUSION CHORUS will fill the crisp air with wonderful holiday harmonies from 7 PM – 8:30 PM at the Museum on Main.

SILVER WIND FLUTES will perform beautiful holiday music at Pans on Fire between 6 PM and 9 PM.

VALLEY CONCERT CHORALE will stroll through downtown singing your holiday favorites from 7 PM to 9 PM.

DOUG LINMAN presents your favorite carols on the keyboard at Berry Patch.

Look for other discounts, specials, give-aways, and festivities at all of the downtown businesses and restaurants throughout this “Magical Holiday Evening to Remember”!

Whenever you need superior transportation in the Tri-Valley and Bay Area, AAA Transportation is your finest choice.  Our fleet of sleek, late-model limousines, vans, and taxis are second-to-none.  Our highly trained chauffeurs have been escorting individuals and business groups since 2001.  You may make your reservation by calling 866-558-0222, or going online at www.aaa-trans.com.

Night At the Opera – Grandeur, Harmony, Rapture!

Aida … Lucia di Lammermoor … Candide … these are just a few of the world’s grandest operatic melodies you can enjoy on Friday, November 13, at 8 PM in the historic Paramount Theatre in Oakland, CA.

The world famous Oakland East Bay Symphony, conducted by Maestro Michael Morgan in his twentieth year as music director, will blend beautiful voices and soul-stirring orchestral playing to fill the Paramount with arias, overtures, and intermezzos especially selected for this moving, unforgettable operatic evening.

Maestro Morgan has also assembled a group of exceptionally talented young singers for your enjoyment, including:

Hope Briggs, soprano
Heidi Moss, soprano
Lori Willis, mezzo-soprano
Kalil Wilson, tenor
Zachary Gordin, baritone
Brian Leerhuber, baritone
Joshua Bloom, bass-baritone
and
Oakland Symphony Chorus
Lynne Morrow, Music Director

Even the most casual opera-goer will recognize and enjoy the wide range of well-known vocal and orchestral selections that will be featured.  Children ages 10 and over will also enjoy this lively concert.

Doors open 60 minutes before show time.

The Oakland East Bay Symphony (OEBS) is a regional orchestra serving the diverse population of Oakland and the East Bay.  The aim of the OEBS is to make classical music accessible to everyone in the region, particularly to those who might otherwise never hear live symphonic harmony.  With outreaches to schools as well, the Symphony has gained regional and national recognition for its unique convergence of artistic excellence and community service.

Completed in late 1931, Oakland’s Paramount Theatre is one of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States.  Suffering three decades of neglect after its initial fame of “movie palace” in the 1930’s, it was restored to its original splendor in 1973.

Since that time, this historic Depression-era building has been meticulously maintained and fully upgraded to modern technical standards to enable the beautiful Paramount to grandly serve all the arts.

In addition to Symphony presentations, The Paramount also features Hollywood classic movies in which you’ll enjoy a newsreel, cartoon, previews, and the Paramount’s prize give-away game “Dec-O-Win”.

Also enjoy the unsurpassed beauty of professional ballet presented by The Oakland Ballet at various times through the year.

AAA Transportation proudly provides first-class, luxury transportation to individuals and businesses in the Tri-valley and the Bay Area.  Since 2001, we have offered a stellar fleet of late model limousines, sedans, and vans. You may make your reservations by calling 866-558-0222 or online at www.aaa-trans.com.

Our professional staff is waiting to guide you in selecting the best ride in town!

Holiday Hugs 2009

Do you have family members or know friends who have loved ones serving our country in the military?  With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, have you wondered how you can reach out to these deserving individuals?  Here is great news!  You can bring a “little bit of home” or say “Thank You” to the thousands of military personnel serving their country, here and abroad through a wonderful organization named the East Bay Blue Star Moms, Chapter 101.

Located in Danville, California, and established in November, 2001, over 150 moms from all over Contra Costa and Alameda Counties have joined together to “share our pride, our devotion and our worries for our sons and daughters currently serving in all branches of the Armed Forces of the United States, and our sons and daughters who are now veterans”.  Since their formation, over 25,000 boxes of “goodwill and love” have brought joy and welcomed surprises to tens of thousands of military personnel.  Chapter 101 is an official chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America that was formed during World War II.

Here’s what YOU and your family and friends can do:

Holiday Hugs 2009 Care Packages are now being assembled and boxed for shipment in early December to service personnel.  Your donations are the ONLY items that will make up these packages.  What a wonderful way to comfort, encourage, and help someone who may not be home for the holidays!  (Please see the Blue Star Moms website for a list of acceptable items.)

Saturday, November 7 – Please bring your donations to the Danville Veterans Hall from 10 AM – 3 PM.  Other upcoming drop zones are:

Saturday, November 14, at the Pleasanton Wal-Mart from 10 AM – 3 PM.

Saturday, November 21, at the Danville Veterans Hall from 10 AM – 3 PM.

You can also assist in writing a note of thanks or appreciation or help with packing and shipping on Saturday, December 5 (location to be announced on their website).

Saturday, November 7 – Conoco Phillips is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Walk Of Honor.  Benefiting the Viet Nam Veterans of Diablo Valley, this event will feature a “WALK” across the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge in Crockett, CA, beginning promptly at 10 AM.  If you would like to participate, check-in is from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM at “The Old Homestead”, 993 Loring Avenue.  Registration is $25.00 and includes a T-shirt and Barbeque after the walk.

AAA Transportation has been successfully serving both individuals and businesses in the Tri-Valley and Bay Area since 2001.  Our fleet of sleek, late-model limousines, sedans, and vans provides luxury transportation for ALL of your personal and corporate events.  With excellence as our standard, you are guaranteed complete satisfaction.  You may make your bookings by calling 866-558-0222 or online at www.aaa-trans.com.