We have definitely admired Kimpton's new Lorien Hotel and Spa since it opened up earlier this year. But their new special package is one we're finding a little bit confronting – although we suspect it's our fault, not the hotel's.

The thing is, the Lorien Hotel and Spa wants us to relax, and is worried that our addiction to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook (we do mention them occasionally) might be bordering on a social dysfunction (they even found therapists who agree). So they are offering a Social Media Detox Program for the rest of this year.

Earlier this month we found ourselves on King St. in Alexandria, Virginia and decided to stay the night at the Hotel Monaco Alexandria . Not only did this Hotel Monaco offer a great location and the usual Kimpton chic rooms but staffers also saw to it that our vehicle, which at the time had a U-Haul attached to it, was given premiere parking on the street right outside the hotel. Nice touch.

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We've been anticipating the opening of Kimpton's Lorien Hotel & Spa in Old Town Alexandria, VA (right outside of D.C.) for a while now, and it looks like the dreamy-looking "crown jewel" of the D.C. area is set to open up on February 12th (long after the smoke has cleared from all the inauguration chaos).

To celebrate, the 107-room Lorien will feature Old Town Alexandria's first full-service spa, as well as a classic-meets-modern theme in all the rooms (which are decorated in robin's egg blue, gray, and white). The place is supposed to "celebrate the story of dreams" — which, in practice, means goodies like concierges who help dreams come true, and a "Dream Service

The AP brings us news today of a promising new trend in spa technology: garra rufa fish. Of course, we've covered these so-called doctor fish before, and YouTube is, uh, stocked with videos of the critters.

The flesh-eating fish first popped up in Turkey, where they'd nibble the dead skin off the feet of spa-goers. The trend then spread to Asia and even Croatia. Yvonne Hair and Nail in Alexandria, Virginia claims to be the only place you can take the plunge in the US.

Related Stories:
· Fish Pedicures: Carp Rid Feet of Scaly Skin [AP, via Google]
· Yvonne Hair and Nail [Official Site]
· Asian Spa Fish Feast on Flesh [Jaunted]
· Former ANTM Contestant's First-Person Review [Elyse Sewell]
· Discover For Yourself If Piranhas Get a Bad Rap [Jaunted]

The Yellow Arrow project is currently featuring two very different approaches to a capital-city tour. ‘Capitol of Punk’ goes local in America’s most bureaucratic city, tracing the dives and clubs that gave rise to the to the D.C. hardcore/punk scene, and featuring video interviews with creators like Ians MacKaye and Svenonious. ‘Connecting Berlin,’ on the other hand, maps a global, dispersed city, asking YA users from all over to submit sites in their own cities that put them in a “Berlin” frame of mind, or places actually in Berlin that seem to belong elsewhere. If you’re not already familiar with the concept, Yellow Arrow makes it possible for anyone to landmark things they like about their particular point in space, from the dumpster next to their building, to monuments already famous for less personal reasons. All users have to do is flag a location with a yellow arrow from the website, printed with a code, and then anyone who happens upon it can text that code to retrieve their voice or text message about the secret history of that spot. The arrows can also be grouped into tours that you can follow on downloadable maps and podcasts. A capital idea, indeed.

Despite a freak snowstorm in NY yesterday – it’s finally spring. And if you live in DC, spring means hordes of people gawping at the cherry blossoms, which are in bloom until April 9th. Thanks to the Post, the deskbound can partake as well.