Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums is pleased to welcome the cast and crew of the Phantom of the Opera to Durham and the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC). As one of the hotels closest to the DPAC, we will be the accommodation of choice for many visitors coming to see Phantom from out of town or even locals just looking to get away from it all for an evening.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster The Phantom of the Opera returns to North Carolina with its DPAC premiere on Thanksgiving Day and running for 32 performances, through December 20, 2009. This multi-week engagement of Phantom is the first appearance in the region since 2004.

The US Tour of the production of Phantom, directed by Harold Prince, opened at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle on December 13, 1992. To date, 73 cities in North America have hosted 179 engagements of the show.

With some of the most lavish sets, costumes and special effects ever to have been created for the stage, Phantom traces the tragic love story of a beautiful opera singer and a young composer shamed by his physical appearance into a shadowy existence beneath the majestic Paris Opera House. Adapted from Gaston Leroux’s classic novel of mystery and suspense, this award-winning musical has woven its magical spell over standing-room audiences in more than 100 cities worldwide and is now longest running show in Broadway history. Phantom comes to the Triangle to take your breath away.

The New York production of Phantom got a rave review recently from Bloomberg’s John Simon:

Broadway’s Phantom Still King of Romance, Chills

After 8,984 performances and with no end in sight, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1988 hit The Phantom of the Opera survives into a ripe age that makes it deservedly Broadway’s longest-running musical as well as an international favorite.

Based on a 1911 novel by the French thriller writer Gaston Leroux, Lloyd Webber’s Phantom has spawned many a film and television version, what with its melding of romance, the supernatural and tunefulness, an irresistible trio. By now you hardly need a synopsis of this love triangle involving a masked ghost bedeviling the Paris Opera, the dashing young Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, and Christine Daae, the nascent diva torn between them.

Ghosts are always popular as proof of afterlife and source of pleasurable chills; handsome, amorous aristocrats are perfect vessels of female fantasy, just as ambivalent, pulchritudinous heroines in distress perform the same function for the male equivalent. Add the appeal of a masked protagonist and the pleasure of a hummable exit to the mix, and you can hardly miss.

We are pleased and excited that Phantom has chosen the DPAC for their month-long stay in North Carolina. If you are coming from out of town to see Phantom, we hope you will make make Duke Tower your choice for overnight accommodations. We will be offering a free shuttle service to and from the DPAC for all Phantom performances. We will also drop you off at one of our many nearby excellent restaurants for a pre- or post-performance dinner, then come pick you up. We aim to make your trip to Durham for Phantom a memorable experience that you will pleasantly recall for many years.

And don’t be surprised, while staying with us during that time, if you see a mysterious, partially masked figure lurking around our Tower on a foggy winter night!

Duke Tower will be a stop on Durham ArtWalk 2009

We are pleased to announce that Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums will be a stop along the Durham Art Walk, to be held Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22, 2009, rain or shine.

The Durham Art Walk is a unique art tour featuring artwork by over 400 artists. At Duke Tower, we will feature art by several local artists, including Robert Long, David Sparrow, Emma Godfrey/Tim Shepard and Liz Plonski.

Duke Tower is site number 35 on the map. We are near Claymakers on Foster Street and would be a convenient stop on your way to Brightleaf Square.

Durham Art Walk celebrates the creative energy of Durham’s artists, arts organizations and downtown entrepreneurs by combining downtown spaces and businesses with local artists and performers in a unique showcase weekend. Unlike conventional studio tours, the Durham Art Walk places visual and performing artists in both traditional and unexpected sites throughout downtown Durham. Sites are within easy walking distance through newly renovated streetscapes and plazas.

Started by a group of downtown artists and businesses with support from the Durham Art Guild, the Durham Art Walk remains an un-juried event powered by a zest for transformation, experiment and surprise. From the visionary legacy of historic Parrish Street, to the courage of our newest businesses and youngest artists, Durham is built on innovation. Take a little walk, take a leap of faith and find out what Durham is all about.

The Durham Art Walk is presented and produced by the Durham Arts Council. This year Duke Tower is proud to be a Patron Sponsor of the Durham Art Walk. (Please see our logo at the bottom of the Art Walk website.)

We will be providing food and soft drinks in the Historic Tower Cafe during the Art Walk, as well as having several of our Premium Suites open for visitors to see. We expect that many people will be visiting Duke Tower for the first time and we hope to give them a good first impression of our beautiful landscaped courtyard, our suites (especially the Premium Suites) and our facilities and services.

In addition to seeing Duke Tower, you can come and check out the newest retail spaces, galleries, restaurants and creative downtown businesses. Enjoy musical performances, great local food and fun for the whole family. Free shuttle service is provided, with Duke Tower as one of the stops on the shuttle. The event is free and open to the public.

We look forward to seeing you in downtown Durham on Saturday and Sunday, November 21-22.

RTELP Will Train Executives in Real-World English

“English and Golf” Option Also Available

Durham, North Carolina – October 27, 2009 – The Research Triangle Executive Language Program (RTELP) will launch in January 2010, designed to help international professionals improve their use of real-world English. Based in one of America’s leading high tech regions, the Research Triangle Park area, and near world-class universities, the program’s initial target market will be Asia, where learning English from native speakers is an obsession.

The RTELP program will be total immersion, designed to help students quickly improve their vocabulary, pronunciation and fluency. The program will feature a combination of classroom instruction, daily excursions and nightly seminars. The purpose of the program is to help students become comfortable with English conversation while also teaching business and daily life skills.

“We will be filling a void in English language instruction by offering a total immersion program,” said Lee Richardson, president of RTELP. “Our program will target international executives with at least intermediate English language capabilities who want to take their English to a higher level of fluency quickly.”

“Koreans are very interested in this program,” said Mack Ahn, President of VASS Korea, which will be the exclusive RTELP sales agent in South Korea. “Our sales staff has been talking to young professionals who are eager to improve their English skills by coming to North Carolina and trying this practical approach.”

RTELP has contracted The World Company to provide the English language instruction for the program. The World Company, based in Raleigh, NC, has extensive experience training international professionals in English in the Research Triangle region. Among their clients, they have provided instruction to international incoming MBA students at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and NC State’s Jenkins Graduate School of Management and to employees of some of the most recognized organizations in RTP, including Fujitsu and Lenovo.

Classroom facilities will be provided by Measurement Incorporated, an industry leader in educational testing, professional assessment and program evaluation services, at its historic downtown Durham headquarters.

Accommodations will be provided by Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums, where all students will live.

English increasingly is the international language of business, science and technology. In most non-English-speaking countries, English instruction is overwhelmingly focused on grammar and passing tests. There is a great demand for English instruction that focuses on real-world communications with native speakers.

“We will have several unique aspects to our program that will help students learn to communicate better in the real-world, which is the purpose of language, not grammar and test taking,” said Richardson. “We will offer daily excursions into the community, to stores, malls and offices, with tasks to perform. These interactions with the local community would ordinarily be difficult for a new visitor from overseas to experience.”

The program will also offer an “English and Golf” option that will allow executives to improve their English and enjoy playing golf in the Pinehurst area, one of the world’s top golf regions. Attendees will study English in the morning and play golf in the afternoon. Students will have an opportunity to play some of the top golf courses in the country, including Duke University Golf Course and UNC-Chapel Hill’s Finley Golf Course. One day a week students will travel to Pinehurst to play one of that area’s world famous golf courses.

Evening seminars will provide an introduction to studying, living and working in the USA. Speakers will include business and community leaders, immigration lawyers, real estate brokers, business brokers and representatives from local universities and community colleges.

For additional information, please visit www.RTELP.com.

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In a previous blog, we talked about many of the excellent restaurants in the Brightleaf Square district, which is walking distance or a short drive from Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums. Our free shuttle will also take you there and pick you up at any time you like.

Going in a slightly different direction from Duke Tower towards downtown Durham, many fine restaurants have sprung up in the past few years as part of downtown Durham’s renaissance. Durham is known as a destination for fine restaurants, with many Triangle residences traveling from Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill and beyond to enjoy Durham’s unique culinary offerings. Certainly these five new restaurants listed below have added to that reputation.

These restaurants are all within a 15-minute walk of Duke Tower or are a short drive from our hotel. Our shuttle driver can also take you there and pick you up.

One restaurant that could be considered very easy walking distance from Duke Tower  (0.6 miles) is Piedmont, at 401 Foster Street. Piedmont’s food is inspired by Italian & French cuisine and locally, seasonally available ingredients.  Piedmont has received excellent reviews in the couple of years it has been open. Here’s one:

Piedmont is, without question, my favorite restaurant for a nice quiet meal in Durham. A casually beautiful decor, not too large or noisy, excellent service, and wonderful food mark the dining experience. The menu is Italian with French influences and an emphasis on local/seasonal ingredients. The gnocchi with chanterelles and pancetta is my husband’s all-time favorite. I have enjoyed the spicy candied cashews, tomato soup with basil creme fraiche, and mussels with chorizo.  Early reservations have been easy to get so far. There is ample parking across Foster Street.  Compared to other restarants of similar quality, it is a bargain. My husband and I once enjoyed four courses (no wine) for under $80–and no, we didn’t order the cheapest things on the menu.

They are open for lunch and dinner six days a week, closed on Tuesdays. Phone: 919-683-1213. From Duke Tower, turn right on Trinity Avenue, then right again on Foster Street. Here is a map.

Moving into downtown Durham proper, another popular restaurant is Revolution, 107 West Main Street, phone 919-596-9999. Revolution won “Best New Restaurant in Durham 2009″ in a recent competition.

Here is some information about their Executive Chef, Jim Anile.  Anile’s career has been with four-star and five-star luxury hotels and resorts, including the Melrose Hotel and Crescent Club, both in Dallas, and the Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara, California. He was Executive Chef at the prestigious five-star Ahwahnee Hotel in California’s Yosemite National Park. On the international scene, Chef Anile lent his culinary talents to restaurants and hotels in Asia as well as London’s Lanesborough Hotel. His use of Asian preparation techniques is but one of the international influences subtly manifested in Chef Anile’s delivery of modern Italian cuisine. Chef Anile has been featured in such publications as; Bon Appétit Magazine, Southern Living, Texas Monthly, Coastal Living, Our State and Cottage Living.

Revolution is open for dinner six nights a week, closed Sundays. Here is a map from Duke Tower to Revolution, which is about 1 mile away, or about 4 minutes by driving.

Another new popular destination in downtown Durham is Toast, a “paninoteca”, or authentic Italian sandwich shop, much like those found in the cities and urban areas of Italy, at 345 West Main Street.

Toast is inspired by the Italian tradition of simple cooking using seasonal local food with the shortest distance from the garden to the table. Toast uses produce from local farmers, artisanal bread made just blocks away, and when possible, house-cured meats and local cheeses. What meats and cheeses we can’t make or procure locally, they  import from Italy.

Toast has received excellent reviews. Here’s a typical one:

I think Toast’s menu shows how tasty simplicity can be. I absolutely love the crostini – a perfect lunch is three different crostini (actually you get two of each type you order, so six total) with a little side of mixed greens salad. My favorite is the goat cheese, honey, and black pepper crostini – delicious combination. They have a number of vegetarian options, which my partner and I appreciate, and the price is definitely right.‎

Toast is open on Monday-Friday 11am-8pm and on Saturday 11am-3pm, closed Sunday. Phone: (919) 683-2183. Here is a walking map from Duke Tower to Toast, which is less than one mile away, or about a 15 minute walk.

Another restaurant with a French accent is Rue Cler, a Parisian-style restaurant, bakery and café in downtown Durham, located at 401 E Chapel Hill Street. Phone: (919) 682-8844.

Since October of 2006, Rue Cler has served the downtown Durham with a focus is on bringing the freshest of southeastern ingredients to guests, prepared simply in the style of a Parisian neighborhood restaurant.

Rue Cler’s food is inspired by French tradition and seasonal, local produce.  The wines all made by vignerons who love food, and who craft their biodynamic wine to harmonize with it, while at the same time imparting the unique taste of their particular terroir to the meal. Their prix fixe dinner is an incredible deal and showcases the freshest ingredients. They also have bistro and brasserie-style classic dishes available in the a la carte portion of the menu.  Lunch and brunch services feature French-styled sandwiches, crêpes, salads and more.

Like the others, Rue Cler has received ver favorable reviews in their three years since opening. Here’s a typical one:

My husband and I ate at Rue Cler last night and truly enjoyed the experience. My coq au vin, priced very reasonably, fell right off the bone. He ordered the short ribs, which were very tender and paired with a potato side that had such a delicious and unique flavor. The chocolate terrine was rich, complex, and not overbearingly sweet. Their wine is also fairly priced. Service was prompt and our waiter was knowledgeable and unobtrusive. We appreciated the urban, minimalist ambiance.‎

Their restaurant hours are Saturday and Sunday 11:00am – 2pm, Monday through Friday 11:30am – 2pm,
Tuesday through Saturday 5:30pm – until…

Rue Cler is less than one mile and only a short drive or walk from Duke Tower. Here is a map.

Close to Rue Cler is Dos Perros, an upscale Mexican restaurant located at 200 N. Mangum Street, phone 919-956-2750.

The hours at Dos Perros are Monday – Friday 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m,  Monday – Saturday 5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m, closed Sundays.

Since opening in August, 2009, Dos Perros has become known for their regional Mexican cuisine (not your regular tacos and tortillas!)  and had several wine tastings. Reviews have been favorable; here is a typical one:

We ate here tonight for the first time and had a great experience. The decor is subtle and classy (especially the ladies room!), the staff attentive but not pushy. The food was unusual–we had the vegetarian mole and the shrimp, both of which were sufficiently spicy and very tasty. We ’splurged’ and had the churros with Mexican chocolate sauce for dessert, which were crispy and warm, tender on the inside, and more than sufficient for two people. The acoustics are good–there was a nice crowd but no trouble hearing someone across the table. Great old tin ceiling too!‎

Dos Perros  is less than one mile and only a short drive or walk from Duke Tower. Here is a map.

We hope our Duke Tower guests will venture out beyond the typical pizza and burgers restaurants and enjoy the fine dining opportunities available in downtown Durham at these interesting, innovative and affordable restaurants. Expending a little extra energy to go a beyond the ordinary will be well rewarded.

The Duke Center for Living, a short drive from Duke Tower

The Duke Center for Living, at 3475 Erwin Road, is a common destination for many Duke Tower guests, being only a short drive (3.5 miles, about ten minutes) away. Or, put another way, many visitors to the Duke Center for Living find that Duke Tower is their preferred accommodations during their stay in Durham, be it for just a day or two or for several months.

Certainly one reason we are the preferred accommodations is because Duke Tower provides a free 24-hour shuttle service to our guests going to clinics at the Duke Center for Living, or anywhere at Duke Medical Center or on the Duke Campus.

Since we also provide a convenient RDU International Airport shuttle, we find that many visitors do not even need to rent a car during their visit to the Center for Living or other destinations on the Duke Campus.

Nestled in the woods of Duke Forest, the Center for Living Campus at Duke University is the home of a host of health and wellness programs that provide innovative, personalized care:

• Diet & Fitness Center
• Health & Fitness Center
• Integrative Medicine
• Health Navigation Services
• Executive Health Program
• Preventive Cardiology
• Women’s Wellness Clinic

These programs reside within the beautifully designed buildings on the campus.

In particular, we have many guests who are part of the Duke Diet & Fitness Program and also have fitness and other classes at the Duke Center for Living. We are happy to pick up and drop off our guests at either location, 24 hours a day.

Tracy Gaudet. MD

Recently we’ve seen more guests who are going to the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine, which blends advanced medical practice and research with proven complementary therapies. Headed by Dr. Tracey Gaudet, Duke Integrative Medicine is committed to transforming the way health care is delivered in the 21st century. Informed by rigorous academic research and education, their expert providers integrate the best of Western scientific medicine with proven complementary therapies to address the whole person—body, mind, spirit and community. Their innovative model of care—including multi-day health immersions, annual membership and a broad array of clinical services, classes, workshops, and training—is focused on healing and provides personalized, comprehensive support across time.

One  other draw for Duke Tower guests is the program in Executive Health, which provides comprehensive health assessments and personalized health programs to executives. Again, this program is sometimes blended with the Diet & Fitness Program, which also draws many successful business people.

Their programs are designed to reduce stress and teach executives how to stay healthy despite having a demanding lifestyle. They offer comprehensive health assessments to address medical needs and health risks such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. Exercise, nutrition, and stress management assessments are also a part of their preventative approach to medicine.

Relaxing in our courtyard

We at Duke Tower welcome visitors to the Duke Center for Living. At Duke Tower, you will find an “oasis in the heart of the city” that will allow you to relax, recharge and renew your spirit. We promise you attentive, efficient and friendly service, beautiful grounds and a complete condo, all to make you feel right at home.

Regardless of your purpose, we are sure you will find Duke Tower to be the perfect complement for accommodations during your time at the Duke Center for Living.

Welcome to Durham, Diet Capital of the World

Durham is well-known as the “Diet Capital of the World“, with several major diet programs within the city. The city has been featured in many newspapers, magazines and TV shows, including 60 Minutes, where one dieter said, “Durham is Ground Zero for weight loss. If you can’t lose weight in Durham, you can’t lose weight.”

Durham has been known for weight loss ever since the Rice Diet was founded in the 1930s. The city draws about 3,000 dieters a year, from around the country and the world.

Public interest in weight loss is soaring. As anyone who has seen the funnel-cake line at the State Fair knows, America is fattening up. We’ve become a nation devoted to life, liberty and the pursuit of the all-you-can-eat buffet. According to the Centers for Disease Control, two out of three of us are overweight. Nearly a third are obese. In 2004, the agency declared obesity the No. 1 threat to the nation’s health because of its link to diabetes, hypertension and a host of other ailments.

The Rice Diet Solution

Durham’s roots as a diet capital trace to Dr. Walter Kempner, a kidney specialist who fled Nazi Germany and joined Duke’s medical faculty. As he was experimenting with diets to control blood pressure and promote kidney function, he found that an overweight female patient who had eaten rice and fruit while on an extended vacation returned much thinner and with her blood pressure under control. The Rice Diet was born.

Durham residents can reel off a list of overweight celebrities over the years who have left some of themselves in Durham. Harland Sanders, the fried-chicken king, came. So did actor Lorne Greene, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stanley Reed and Hee Haw star Roy Clark. Crooner Frank Sinatra sent his mom. Comedian Buddy Hackett was a repeat customer.

Diet experts in Durham say the people who come to the centers in the Bull City tend to lose more weight and lose it more consistently than people who diet on their own. One reason is because of the motivation that brings them to town in the first place. But it is also the network of doctors, medical staff, diet-friendly accommodations and fellow dieters.

The Duke Diet

The diet programs, including the Rice Diet Program and the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, among others, are major contributors to Durham’s economy and have been a fixture in Durham since the 1950s.

Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums is proud to be part of that network and ecosystem of support as the accommodation of choice for many dieters in Durham for over 25 years.  We provide the perfect dieter-friendly environment so that dieters can focus on improving their overall health and getting lifestyle, exercise and dietary needs in alignment.

Why has Duke Tower been the choice of dieters for so many years?

First, we offer much more than a single hotel room. All of our suites are a full condo with a separate living room, kitchen and bedroom. Most dieters come to Durham for longer periods, generally at least two weeks or longer. Staying in a single hotel room can become quite confining and feel claustrophobic after a few days. Having a real condo makes you feel like you are at home.

Second, we do not have a full-service restaurant on premises. Our lack of a full-service restaurant helps dieters avoid temptation and stay on the program. We have recently starting serving breakfast in the Historic Tower Cafe, but it is $5/person and not part of the room fee. The venue is somewhat removed from the suites themselves, being located in the middle of the courtyard in the historic tower. It is a little different walking past the smells of the complementary buffet breakfast in the lobby area of many local hotels every morning.

After breakfast hours, we offer complementary coffee and tea in the Historic Tower Cafe to all guests. We include three different types of non-calorie sweetener to help dieters stay on the program. We play relaxing classical music and have a complementary copy of the New York Times for our guests to enjoy.

We have one vending machine for drinks in the laundry room. We made sure it has zero-calorie drinks and bottled water for dieters to enjoy.

The pool and tower by night

Third, we provide a healthful environment that encourages socializing around our large outdoor pool or doing laps around our covered walking track. We find many of our guests doing their laps at night (5 laps=1 mile) in small groups, talking and enjoying themselves. After their walks, they may go for a refreshing swim in the pool and then lounge around the pool area under the stars. We are three blocks from Duke’s East Campus, which has a great 1.7 mile walking/jogging trail around the interior perimeter of the campus wall. We have bicycle rentals, including helmet and locks, and maps for the American Tobacco Trail, a 22+ mile network of trails through Durham that is just across the street from Duke Tower.

A happy premium suite pet

Fourth, we are pet friendly and welcome our four legged friends to Duke Tower. We have been welcoming pets for many years and will continue to do so. When you will be away from home for an extended period, it’s wonderful to come back home to your best friend. We have a dedicated pet relief area in the back left corner of the property (the southwest corner) so that guests do not have to leave our grounds.

We have recently added pet-friendly premium suites to our inventory. Duke Tower premium suites include wide-screen HDTVs in both the living room and bedroom, DVD players in both rooms, Pergo flooring, new furniture in the dining area, upgraded upholstery on the remaining furniture and, in many suites, upgraded bathrooms featuring walk-in showers and updated kitchens. As you can see in the picture at right, showing a premium suite, our four-legged friends love staying at Duke Tower.

Premium suites are only $10 more per night than our regular suites. Our premium suites (especially premium pet suites) are in high demand as most guests agree it is well worth the additional money.

Our free 24-hour shuttle to Durham diet programs

Fifth, Duke Tower is the only hotel in Durham to offer a 24-hour free shuttle service to both the Duke Diet & Fitness Center and to the Rice Diet. Many guests are able to come to Durham to lose weight and not have to rent a car, incur that expense and worry about driving around a new town. We also offer an airport shuttle for $35 person/$5 each additional person.

In short, dieters can focus on their weight loss and fitness program and leave the driving to us.

Sixth, our rates are very reasonable. We offer rates that benefit longer term stays, which is typical of dieters. Our rates start at $69/night for dieters for a regular suite and $85/night for a premium suite. Rates go as low as $55/night for a three month stay for a regular suite. Please call our reservations desk at 919-687-4444 or toll-free at 866-385-3869 for more information and to book your stay.

Finally, our warm hospitality and attentive, efficient service at Duke Tower will make your stay an enjoyable one. We try hard to make Duke Tower the friendliest place to stay. We are not a chain but are locally owned and operated, meaning we can focus on giving our guests the best possible service. We have many years of serving the diet community in Durham and hope to have many more.

We live by word of mouth and the good online reviews. Please see those online by going to Google or Bing and typing “Duke Tower reviews”. We are sure you will like what you see.

We at Duke Tower welcome dieters to our hotel and to the “Diet Capital of the World”. We look forward to making your time in Durham successful in terms of achieving your dietary, fitness and lifestyle goals. And we hope you leave with a fond feeling for Duke Tower as your home away from home in Durham.

Balzac

The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, close to Duke Tower Hotel and Condominiums,  presents a groundbreaking Picasso exhibition from August 20, 2009, through January 3, 2010.

“Picasso and the Allure of Language” examines Pablo Picasso’s lifelong relationship with writers and the many ways in which language affected his work.

Duke Tower Hotel is pleased to host visitors who have come to see the Picasso exhibit. We offer a free shuttle service to and from our hotel to the Nasher Museum, which is on Campus Drive, only about two miles from Duke Tower, or about 7 minutes by car. It is also within relatively easy walking distance. It would take about 30 minutes to walk from Duke Tower to the Nasher via East Campus and Campus Drive. (Here is a walking map or you can get one in our office.)

"Dog and Cock"

“Picasso and the Allure of Language” comprises some 60 works in all media by Picasso, as well as select examples by fellow artist Georges Braque, and photographs, letters, manuscripts and book projects by a diverse group of artists and writers. Together, these works illuminate Picasso’s deep and multidimensional interest in writing and language, and challenge the notion of what have been considered “highlights” of his lifetime of work.

The exhibition is drawn primarily from the Yale University Art Gallery and the renowned Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, in Dallas, Texas, from which two sculptures are on loan. The works span the years from 1900, when Picasso was 19 years old, to 1969, just four years before his death at the age of 91.

“Picasso and the Allure of Language” was organized by the Yale University Art Gallery with the support of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University.

We welcome all Picasso fans to Duke Tower. In addition to our free shuttle to the Nasher and other points around Duke University and Duke Medical Center, we are sure you will enjoy our reasonable rates and all the many amenities, such as our well-appointed premium suites, beautifully landscaped courtyard and the Historic Tower Cafe. These features, and our warm, efficient personal service,  have made Duke Tower the choice of discriminating visitors to Duke and Durham for many years.

We are always trying to upgrade our facilities and the services we provide to our guests at Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums. And of course we are always looking at our rates to see how more cost-effective pricing can attract additional guests to our property. Here is an overview of some of the changes, upgrades and additions we have made over the past few months:

New Long-Term Rates

For our guests who are interested in long-term stays, we published the following rates on our website:

• $1700/month     Minimum 3 months
• $1600/month     4-5 months
• $1500/month     6 months or more

Guests must book the full period in advance. Early departure may incur higher per-night rates. If you leave before staying 90 days with us, you will incur the addition of sales and hotel taxes.

New Website and Online Reservations

Our new website with online reservations

Our new website, www.duketower.com, and in particular our online reservation system has been a major improvement in convenience for our guests.

We receive between many online reservations per day, particularly at night when our front desk is closed. We urge our guests to take advantage of the convenience of our online reservation system.

If guests have special requirements, we have an area on the reservation form where you can enter that information. You will always receive the lowest possible rate, even if it does not appear on the reservation system.

Additional Premium Pet Suites

Pets are happy at Duke Tower!

We find that more and more people want to travel with their pets. At the same time, we have seen increased demand for our Premium Suites, which rent for $10 more per night. Premium Suites feature wide-screen HDTVs in the living room and bedroom, Pergo flooring, upgraded furniture and, in many cases, upgraded bathrooms with walk-in showers. (We also have Premium Suites with bathtubs for people who prefer a real bath.)

As a result, we have increased our supply of Premium Suites that are also pet-friendly.

We look forward to accommodating our guests and their four-legged friends.

We also have created a dedicated pet relief area on the back left-hand  (southwest) grassy corner of the property. We have plastic bags for picking up pet poop and a trash can where you can put the bags. This grassy area means guests can stay within the confines of Duke Tower to walk and relieve their pet.

Partnership with Tobacco Road Tours (TRT)

Tobacco Road Tours

As mentioned in a previous blog, we have partnered with Tobacco Road Tours (www.tobaccoroadtours.com), a new, local tour company that provides tours of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the Pinehurst area, owned by Brad Kennedy. We issued a joint press release and are working with Brad on local press coverage. Our long-term guests are often looking for some activities on the weekends. TRT will come and pick up guests from Duke Tower and drop them back off at the end of the day. We are the first hotel in Durham to partner with TRT.

RDU Airport Shuttle

Our RDU Shuttle Bus

Our free shuttle to and from Duke has been a huge draw, but our $35/one-way (per person) airport shuttle has also been quite popular. Consequently, we have now registered both our shuttle car and our shuttle bus with the RDU International Airport Authority, meaning we are allowed to pick up and drop off guests at the “Hotel Services” area in front of Terminals 1 and 2. Please arrange the airport shuttle service in advance. You may call our office at 919-687-4444. The shuttle driver’s cell phone is 919-323-1745.

The Historic Tower Café

Guests enjoy breakfast and reading the New York Times

We have added an air conditioner to the the Historic Tower Café since it was getting quite hot in there in the summer time. It continues to be popular. Breakfast hours are expanded–approximately 6:30AM to 10:00AM.

There are regularly many people having breakfast and enjoying themselves in our Café, reading the New York Times and drinking coffee.

The Tower itself has become an attraction. Even if guests do not want breakfast or coffee, they wander in to see the architecture and the historic photographs of the cotton mill. They hang out on the Café Terrace, which provides a nice area to relax and socialize.

After breakfast hours, the Tower Café offers complimentary coffee and tea for guests throughout the day. We have the New York Times there throughout the day and play relaxing classical music. Generally we close the Café between 10:00PM and 11:00PM.

Please come and enjoy our Café!.

Covered Walking Course Lap Signs

We have added “5 Laps = 1 Mile” signs on the first and second floors to encourage our guests to walk under our covered walk course. The covered walking course is one of the attractions of our property. We see walkers daily making their laps.

Colored Umbrellas…

Two guests and their baby enjoy the Cafe Terrace

We have added colorful umbrellas to the tables on the east side of the Tower Terrace to shield guests from the hot summer sun.

We often see guests there reading a book or the newspaper and enjoying a cup of coffee or a drink.

Previously, the Cafe Terrace was relatively underused. We had few guests that would venture up the stairs. Now, with the Tower Cafe, the tables, chairs and umbrellas, we are pleased to see many guests up there enjoying themselves on a regular basis. Come on up, you’ll like it.

… and Rocking Chairs

You can enjoy our rocking chairs and the sunset with your dog and a cool drink

And we have added rocking chairs on the west side Café terrace for people to enjoy the view late in the day as the sun sets.

You can look out over our beautifully landscaped courtyard, watch the birds feed in the bird feeders, see the flowers blooming and watch guests play shuffleboard, chess or checkers.

Our landscaped courtyard on the western side of the Tower has turned into a desired area for reservations and hanging out. Many guests now ask for the “garden side” of the property as opposed to the “pool side.”

After one tour of the property, a guest remarked, “This is like staying at a resort!”

The western side is particularly pleasant at sundown, with the rocking chairs facing the sunset, as you rock back and forth, with a drink in your hand and perhaps your four-legged friend at your feet.

Just think of yourself in Margaritaville…

New Arbor and Courtyard Attractions

Our arbor makes another nice area for relaxing and socializing

We now have a beautiful new large arbor to sit under and enjoy the courtyard. We actually are growing scuppernong grape vines that will wrap around the arbor, although it will be a couple of years before the vines bear any fruit. For those of your from out of state, scuppernong grapes are a native of North Carolina and make a distinctive, sweet wine that you won’t find anywhere else. Talk about terroir!

We have a good WiFi signal available in the courtyard, so guests are welcome to bring their laptops to work under the arbor or anywhere else.

You can see the giant chess/checkerboard and pieces in the background. See more about that below.

A sibling rivalry possibly emerges as the parents look on with amusement

Giant Chess and Checkers

We have added a giant chess and checkerboard in the courtyard.

There are both chess and checker pieces available for your enjoyment. The chess pieces are partially filled with sand, giving them stability without weighing too much.

We have a storage area for peices to either side of the giant board.

We often find families enjoying a game of chess as a delightful way to pass the time, as you see in the photo at right.

Bicycle Rentals

Guests enjoy bicycling around Duke and Durham

We have expanded our bicycle rentals to three bicycles. Our newest bicycle is equipped with a baskets in the front and back to allow guests to carry their shopping, bags or books with them while biking around Durham.

We are close to many good bicycling paths, including biking around the Duke University campus. The best of the bike trails is the American Tobacco Trail. The ATT has an entrance across the street from Duke Tower and another, longer stretch on the other side of downtown, about one mile away.

Bicycle rentals are available for $35/day or $100/week and include a helmet and lock. We also have maps of bicycle routes in the office.

Tobacco Road Tours

Morrisville, NC, July 1^ST, 2009:  Tobacco Road Tours (TRT), a daily motorized guided tour service business, announces a partnership with Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums in Durham, North Carolina.

The partnership offers Duke Tower guests an opportunity to enjoy the TRT’s professionally guided tour options at significantly reduced rates, conveniently departing from the hotel’s property.

Valerie Blettner, General Manager of Duke Tower Hotel, states, “We are excited to partner with TRT, since many of our guests are with us for extended stays, coming from across the USA and around the world. As such, they are looking for something fun to do during their off hours. TRT’s tour services will let them explore the varied cultural landscapes and historic sites of the Triangle area. TRT’s tours will be offered to Duke Tower guests on a weekly basis, departing from the property’s location.

TRT Managing Partner, Brad Kennedy, said, “Duke Tower’s extended stay guests are exactly the sort of people who will love our tours. We will be able to offer their guests interesting and fun day trips at a very reasonable rate.

Duke Tower is a unique, historic all-condo hotel near Duke University and downtown Durham.  Duke Tower offers an exemplary experience of outstanding facilities, numerous resort-like amenities and warm personal service in a beautiful setting unmatched in the area. Duke Tower can be contacted via their website www.duketower.com, at 919-687-4444 or toll free at 866-385-3869.

Tobacco Road Tours, a daily, motorized guided tour services company, offers packaged tours to Historic Durham, Historic Raleigh, Historic Chapel Hill, Piedmont Wine Country (Haw River & Yadkin Valley), the Sandhills Area (including Southern Pines & Pinehurst) and Tour du Jour options such as African American Culture & Experience, Boutique Shop Hop and Triangle Brewery tours. TRT can be reached at their website www.tobaccoroadtours.com and 919-371-2653 or 2652.

Durham Bulls Athletic Park

With Duke Tower Hotel & Condominiums being near the Durham Bulls’ stadium, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, known as the DBAP, (pronounced dee-BAP), we have many guests who stay with us to attend games and other events there.

Duke Tower is only about one mile from the DBAP. It is an easy drive from Duke Tower to the DBAP and it is certainly walkable. Click here to see a walking map from Duke Tower to the DBAP.

The Durham Bulls are the Triple-A minor league of the American League Tampa Bay Rays, who were the American League Champions in 2008. The Bulls are one of the most successful minor league teams in the USA, drawing large numbers of fans throughout the year.

Evan Longoria, Formerly of the Bulls

As the Triple-A team of the Rays, it is often possible to see many good players who are on their way up to the majors. One such example is Evan Longoria, third baseman, who played for the Durham Bulls during the 2008 season. Longoria is now a star for the Tampa Bay Rays. In a recent interview, Longoria said of playing in Durham and the DBAP, “It’s great. Durham is such a great place to play baseball. It’s great every night. The environment is conducive to good baseball. ” Longoria currently leads in All-Star Game voting  for third base in the American League, slightly ahead of the votes garnered by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

The Bulls are perhaps most famous for the movie, Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.  “Bull Durham” has been described as the greatest baseball movie of all time and was filmed right around the corner from Duke Tower in the old Durham Athletic Park. (More on that park in a future blog.)

We welcome Durham Bulls fans to Duke Tower Hotel. As one of our services to welcome Bulls fans, we provide a free shuttle to and from games.

Recently we had a large contingent of ACC baseball fans who attended the ACC Baseball Tournament at the DBAP. We gave many rides to fan over to the games and then picked them up after the games.

There are several advantages to taking our shuttle over to the game. First, you do not have to pay for parking, which can run between $5 and $10. Second, if you do not know Durham well, you do not have to worry about finding the park and finding parking. Thirdly, you can drink beer or wine and not have to worry about driving home. Just leave the driving to us!

We are fans of the Durham Bulls and really of the whole baseball experience at the DBAP. It’s quite intimate and you feel much closer to the game than in the larger stadiums. There is always entertainment in between innings., such as the race between Wool E. Bull and a kid around the bases. (Somehow the kid always wins.)  The sunset is often beautiful in the evenings and they often having fireworks after the games.

The DBAP also hosts other events, such as Team USA Baseball games last year leading up to the Beijing Olympics. The main one coming up in the near future is the Bob Dylan concert on July 28. Dylan is touring minor league baseball parks in smaller cities, with Willie Nelson and John Mellancamp also appearing.

We look forward to hosting Durham Bulls baseball fans and music fans attending events at the DBAP. We promise you the same warm, personal service that we give all our guests, as well as a full condo and a free shuttle ride to the event. Welcome!