January 1, 2009
The Best Working Vacation
Anantara Phuket Resort and Spa in Thailand, which officially opened its doors in October, is giving guests the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the hotel’s local community. This winter, guests who register for a stay at the resort are offered the opportunity to take part in a day-long excursion to Baan Talay Nok, one of the villages hardest hit by the 2004 tsunami, to work side by side with tsunami survivors in a handicraft cooperative involving soap making, batik painting, and palm weaving. The activities are set up to help create self-sufficiency and autonomy in Thailand’s fishing and farming communities, and proceeds from the day’s efforts will go to a fund for survivors.
After a day of work, guests may look forward to retiring to one of the resort’s 83 private pool suites along Mai Khao Beach, on the north end of the island. Each villa is unique, featuring walled gardens, hardwood decks, and private pools. A traditional Thai spa incorporates five treatment rooms, including a couples’ suite that can be reserved by the day, and a yoga guru roams the grounds of the resort, offering group and private yoga classes. Winter 2009 rates begin at $1,300 per night. (www.anantara.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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December 15, 2008
A Perfect Blend
An apothecary with access to more than 20 native Hawaiian plants and minerals is at the core of the custom healing and relaxing blends of elixirs, lotions and oils available for guests at the newly reopened Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. The five-diamond, 243-room resort on the Big Island’s Kona Coast reopened in mid-December following a $7 million expansion and renovation of the spa. In early 2009, the facility will add the Waiea (Water of Life) Garden; couples’ hale with a private plunge pool; and relaxation salons. Guests who desire something more active than a spa treatment can discover a range of exercise and recreational opportunities from open-air gyms to outrigger canoe paddling. Located within the larger Hualālai Resort at Historic Ka‘ūpūlehu resort community, the Four Seasons also has tennis courts and two 18-hole golf courses—one by Jack Nicklaus, the other by Tom Weiskopf. (808.325.8000, www.fourseasons.com)
—Debra Ryono
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December 2, 2008
Presidential Treatment
Those who fear their invitation to one of the inaugural balls will be lost in the mail are guaranteed to dance in Barack Obama’s presidency with the Red, White, Blue, and Green offering by the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown. Guests will spend four nights in a presidential suite and will receive tickets for the inauguration parade and one of the official balls.
This eco-friendly package (hence the green in the name) begins with pieces from Gucci’s sustainable luggage line delivered to the guests’ homes. TerraPasses will offset carbon emissions from the round-trip, first-class air travel to Washington, D.C. The stay also includes the 24/7 services of a chauffer-driven, hybrid vehicle. Following the hoopla in the frigid D.C. winter, guests will fly to the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman for a four-day stay. Here they can thaw out and ponder the new administration while taking part in organized eco-adventure activities such as snorkeling and kayaking or simply relaxing in the warm sun. The Red, White, Blue, and Green package, which includes airfare, starts at $99,000. (www.ritzcarlton.com)
—Debra Ryono
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November 17, 2008
Private Oasis
Getting away from it all has never been more real than it is at Musha Cay at Copperfield Bay in the Bahamas, where $32,250 a day gives you and up to 12 guests a private island with five homes and access to 11 other small private islands. The five homes range from a 10,000-square-foot space on the crest of Musha Cay’s hill to the romantically secluded one-bedroom thatched-roof cottage on its own stretch of private beach. Visitors can access the 11 islands via a fleet of small boats. All meals and beverages are included; for parties of 13-24, an additional $1,500 per-person, per-day charge is added, although no more than 24 guests can stay at Musha Cay at one time. The resort’s most magnificent attraction emerges for only a few hours each day―a sandbar that extends for more than two miles into the sea with water lapping at both sides. (www.mushacay.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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November 4, 2008
Beverly Hills Montage
Nestled in the heart of Beverly Hills, the new Montage Hotel, which officially opens on November 17, is likely to attract locals as well as out-of-towners to its three dining venues. The intimate Muse restaurant, which seats 44, features a chef’s menu that changes nightly, while the more casual Parq has a chef’s table inside its European-designed kitchen, and the Conservatory Grill has rooftop garden dining for both lunch and dinner.
The hotel’s terra-cotta roof and tiled floors were inspired by Spanish revival architecture, and the room’s interiors and arched doorways are reminiscent of the Art Deco era. The eight-story hotel has 201 guest rooms, more than a quarter of which are suites, including two, 2,000-square-foot Presidential Suites that can be combined with adjacent, smaller suites to create four-bedroom residences. A 20,000 square-foot spa incorporates a mineral pool, mud room, and herbal steam room, with a yoga studio for personal classes. Rooms start at $595; the Presidential Suite is $6,500. (www.montagebeverlyhills.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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October 21, 2008
South Pacific at Its “Peak”
If you still haven’t decided how to spend New Year’s Eve 2009, consider an intimate dinner in Hong Kong, hosted by an expert in local cuisine, followed by a private cruise in Victoria Harbor, complete with a rooftop pyrotechnic show involving more than 40 buildings on both sides of the harbor. The evening’s festivities are part of the premier stop on Abercrombie and Kent travel company’s private jet trip through Asia and the South Pacific, leaving Seattle on December 27, 2008, and returning to Los Angeles January 19, 2009, with stops in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Siem Reap, Bangkok, Bora Bora, Australia, and Tahiti, feasting on local cuisine along the way. The “Southward from the Peak” trip offers 52 guests a seat on the 757-200ER jet, which flies from city to city. Abercrombie and Kent will tailor activities at each destination, arranging access to ruins from the Khmer Empire, a private botanical garden in Australia’s tropical rainforest, and a performance of classical Apsara dancers during a poolside feast in Cambodia. Accommodations throughout the trip include Hanoi’s Metropole Hotel, the Oriental in Bangkok, the St. Regis in Bora Bora, and the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor. The trip is $91,350 per person, assuming double occupancy. (800.554.7094, www.akprivatejet.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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October 7, 2008
Study Abroad
The International Wine Academy of Rome is offering private wine courses set in the luxurious and historic Il Palazzetto, an estate built in the 1500s that overlooks the Spanish Steps in the heart of Rome. The courses will educate visitors about wines from the more popular Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino varietals to little-known, rare local grape varieties Petit Rouge and Malvasia Puntinata. Following the Friday evening course, the estate’s restaurant will host a dinner prepared to accompany the wines studied―and the teachings continue as the instructor introduces and explains the pairings of each wine and dish. And if all the wine finally goes to your head, you are invited to stay at the Hotel Hassler, just a stumble across the road from the academy. The wine excursion is offered on weekends from October 31 to November 30, 2008, and from January 4 to March 12, 2009. (www.wineacademyroma.com, www.hotelhassler.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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September 23, 2008
Mother Nature’s Gift
The Hotel Casa de Sierra Nevada, a boutique Orient-Express Hotel in the city of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, draws on its natural surroundings to create a distinct experience at its newly unveiled Laja Spa. Named for the river that runs through the city, the Laja Spa offers specialty treatments such as the Detox Herbal Wrap, which uses heated sheets of pure cotton infused with locally grown herbs to draw out toxins from the skin, followed by a honey and salt exfoliation. Each spa treatment utilizes herbs, oils, and natural resources from the area―even stones from the Laja River are heated and used in massages. The spa’s dining room has also fashioned a healthy menu using ingredients grown in San Miguel, so you can continue experiencing the local flavor at your dinner table. (+52.415.152.70.40, www.casadesierranevada.com) —Stephanie Mazursky
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September 2, 2008
Living Like Royalty
The Four Seasons opened its newest location in a former 15th-century palazzo that once housed Florentine nobility. Located in the heart of Florence, the Four Seasons Firenze has maintained its historical heritage while at the same time providing all the modern luxuries expected at a Four Seasons hotel. The Renaissance-art filled hotel features works in bas-relief, stucco, and silk wallpaper dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and each room displays original frescoes. While appealing to the historian in each of us, the Four Seasons possesses luxurious facilities that include the largest private garden in Florence, a spa, outdoor pool, and fitness center. Prices range from approximately $745 to $18,600. (39.055.2626.1, www.fourseasons.com/florence )
—Stephanie Mazursky
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August 26, 2008
Encantado Enchants Santa Fe
Auberge Resorts, whose properties include Auberge du Soleil in Napa and Esperanza Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, brought its signature quiet luxury to the Southwest when it opened Encantado resort outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico, this month. The 57-acre resort is home to 65 casitas, a full-service spa, signature restaurant, and lounge. The 1,125-square-foot one-bedroom casitas, with separate living, dining, and outdoor patio spaces, start at $975 per night. The 10,000-square-foot spa, fitness center, and yoga studio is influenced by the area’s Native American heritage. The signature treatment ―dubbed the Ojo Caliente Purification Ritual―is inspired by the mineral-rich waters from the local Ojo Caliente natural hot springs. Terra, the resort’s restaurant, features seasonal produce and herbs grown in an on-site biodynamic kitchen garden and prepared by chef Charles Dale, whose training includes an apprenticeship at New York’s Le Cirque. (www.encantadoresort.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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August 12, 2008
Laps of Luxury
Get a seat trackside at the world’s first-ever twilight Formula One Grand Prix from the rooftop viewing decks of the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. Guests staying in suites will have access to the hotel’s rooftop viewing platform, which offers sweeping views of the Singapore River as well as the entire 61-lap F1 circuit. Other extras include a champagne and cocktail reception on the roof on qualifying and race days, access to the hotel’s full-service spa, limo transportation to and from the hotel to Singapore’s Changi Airport, and a daily champagne buffet breakfast at the hotel’s Town restaurant. Packages from September 25 through the 28―race days―require a minimum stay of four nights, inclusive of both dates, and start at $1,500 per person, per night. (www.fullertonhotel.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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July 29, 2008
Get Ready to Tee Off and Enjoy a Cigar
Cigar-loving golfers mark your calendars for the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Montecristo Cup Charity Pro-Am held at Casa de Campos on the southeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. On December 3-7, about 100 amateur golfers are invited to join Champions Tour pros and play a tournament round on each of Casa de Campos resort’s three Pete Dye-designed courses, including the famed Teeth of the Dog course. Participants will also meet master cigar maker José Seijas, who will lead a tour of Tabacalera de Garcia, where Montecristo and other luxury cigars are made. Other amenities include four nights’ lodging at Casa de Campos, meals (including gourmet dinners), a pairings party, and a gala awards banquet. Perhaps most appealing, however, will be unlimited offers of Montecristo cigars. Proceeds from the event will benefit the victims of hurricanes in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis, and the price is $5,250, not including airfare or a non-playing spouse. (800.210.2783, www.montecristocup.com)
―Jessica Taylor
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July 15, 2008
Turkish Indulgence
No Turkish experience is complete without visiting a traditional bath. While many luxury hotels attempt to provide the Turkish bath experience, the hammams at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Bosphorus are the real thing. The 22,605 square-foot spa blends ancient bath traditions such as the use of attar (essences) of rose, pine, sandalwood, and lemon with modern spa technology like underwater music in a sky-lit, pillared pool. The hotel occupies a former 19th-century Ottoman palace with immaculately landscaped gardens, a heated outdoor pool, and a dock that offers private boat access for guests traveling between the hotel at Bosphorus and its sister location at Sultanahmet. Suites start at $1,000 per night, and its grand Atik Pasha Suite is $18,000 per night. (90.212.381.40.00, www.fourseasons.com/bosphorus)
—Jessica DiMarco
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July 1, 2008
An Oasis Opens in Vegas
Ancient takes a contemporary twist at the Palms Place Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas. Here, the hotel’s 50,000-square-foot Drift Spa offers a modern, lavish—and coed—hammam (a Turkish bathhouse) that contains an oversized heated stone slab at its golden-hue core. Guests can lie or sit while inhaling aromatic, ambient steam for cleansing and renewal. A hot pool with underwater-jetted beds, a cool dip pool with a waterfall, and outdoor garden rinse showers provide in-between and finishing touches. The spa also provides more traditional treatments, such as hot-stone massage, ashiatsu massage, herbology, aromatherapy, and bio-energetic medicine. (866.942.7773, www.palmsplace.com)
—Debra Ryono
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June 17, 2008
Tee Time
The Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire, Scotland, is offering golf lovers the chance to learn from one of the most legendary players in the game, on the course that will play host to the 2014 Ryder Cup. Colin Montgomerie, winner of seven consecutive European Tour of Merit titles, has agreed to conduct a private three-hour clinic this fall. The clinic is part of a hotel package that runs from October 23 to 29 and includes six nights in a Gleneagles classic room, five rounds of golf at any of Gleneagles’ three courses, cocktails and a gala dinner complete with Scottish bagpipers, a whiskey tasting, and a body massage. If guests require more golf, the hotel can arrange for transportation to nearby St. Andrews Old Course, while non-golfers can indulge in the resort’s new luxury spa. The six-night package is $6,295 per person. (800.828.8768) ―Alexandra Foster
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June 3, 2008
Pure Luxury
Groves of bamboo and myriad water walls along an indoor corridor welcome guests at the Ritz-Carlton Spa, Kapalua on Maui. The peaceful and purifying presence of water is the theme of the 17,500-square-foot, 15-room oasis. More specifically, the philosophy of the spa is centered on waihua, or water captured by the leaves of the taro plant, which ancient Hawaiians believed to be the purest form of water. Appropriately, most of the treatment rooms feature outdoor shower gardens, and spa treatments include lomilomi massage, and pineapple/papaya- or kukui/coconut-scented aromatherapy massage Even working out here is calming: The spa’s 24-hour fitness center, which offers yoga and Pilates classes, overlooks the beautiful Pacific. (800.262.8440, www.ritzcarlton.com)
―Debra Ryono
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May 20, 2008
Indulge Your Senses
Six Senses Destination Spa in Thailand is premiering a modern immersion into healthy living and complete luxury relaxation this June. Located on the island of Naka Yai, ten minutes from Phuket, the spa features holistic concepts derived from Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, and Thai treatments transformed for the contemporary traveler. Six Senses Phuket is made up of 68 luxury pool villas and suites and offers a range of fitness activities, spa cuisine, and wellness education so guests can truly relax in a natural setting. The sophisticated, refreshing cuisine is based on a combination of local seafood and organically grown produce enhanced by Asian herbs. Six Senses also includes unique edible landscaping. Guests can pick fruits and vegetables from the property for the chef to prepare in the interactive earth kitchen. In addition, the raw food restaurant on the peninsula’s tip offers a phenomenal view of Phang Nga Bay. (+ 66.76.371.418, reservations-naka@sixsenses.com)
―Alyson Gerber
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May 6, 2008
Privacy and Pampering in the Yucatan
The newly opened Mandarin Oriental in Riviera Maya, Mexico is situated on a 26-acre secluded paradise set between white beaches and a tropical jungle with protected mangrove reserves and a deep freshwater reservoir sacred to the ancient Mayans. Within the secluded setting is a 25,000-square-foot holistic spa that combines Mayan philosophy with Asian-rooted healing. The contemporary-style bungalows and two-story villas feature individual terraces or gardens with the option of a private plunge pool. In addition, the Mandarin offers active vacationers beachfront water sports: kayaking, snorkeling, and deep-sea fishing, and a private pier for yachts and sailboats. Ambar, the Mandarin’s signature restaurant, is influenced by refined Mexican and Asian cuisine, and just outside there is a stylish scene at M-bar. For panoramic ocean views and the freshest catch of the day, do not miss beach-club dining at Aguamarina. (800.526.6566, www.mandarinoriental.com)
―Alyson Gerber
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April 22, 2008
Around the World in Luxury
In celebration of its 80th anniversary, the Leading Hotels of the World is offering a $1 million trip around the world in 28 days with stays in the hotel group’s most opulent hotels and resorts, private air transportation, and customized luxury experiences throughout the journey. Starting in London, the “Around the World in 80 Ways” trip follows the journey taken by Phileas Fogg in the Jules Verne classic Around the World in 80 Days. From London, the trip continues on to Paris, Dubai, Mumbai, Jaipur, Udaipur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Honolulu, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. Each private excursion is customized to satisfy the individual desires of the guests throughout the 28-day vacation. Highlights include a camel safari in Dubai (image shown); dinner at Le Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower; and a stay at Rambagh Palace in Jaipur with rejuvenation therapies in the tented spa and a private visit to the Gem Palace to see the jewels of the maharajas. The bonus: 10 percent of the cost of the trip will be donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. (212.515.5704)
―Jill Newman
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April 8, 2008
City Chic and Country Charm
Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco and Meadowood Napa Valley have teamed up to provide the best of the city and country in a four-day getaway replete with customized dining and wine experiences. The package, which starts at $4,600 depending upon room choice, begins with two nights in a suite overlooking the San Francisco Bay at the Mandarin Oriental (shown), where guests are served a chef’s dinner and wine pairing at Silks restaurant. Then it’s off to wine country for two days in a Meadowood Napa Valley suite with a private deck, tranquil views, and fireplace, and a four-course meal with wines expertly paired in the Restaurant at Meadowood. The Town & Country getaway also includes a personal one-hour wine tasting of cabernet sauvignons with Meadowood’s sommelier, spa treatments, and extra amenities at both locales. The package is available through December 22, 2008. (Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco 415.276.9888; Meadowood Napa Valley 707.963.3646)
―Jill Newman
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March 25, 2008
Tee Time at Half Moon
The Half Moon resort in Rose Hall, Jamaica, recently completed a two-year renovation of its renowned golf course, which includes newly aligned, multiple tee complexes, and a repositioned fairway to maximize its majestic views of white sandy beaches and the Caribbean Sea (shown). Renovated by golf architect Roger Rulewich, the course was modernized to satisfy both the avid and casual golfer, and its Golf Academy was also updated. The resort, which has 13 lit tennis courts, an equestrian center, and a Dolphin Lagoon among numerous features, recently opened the $4 million Fern Tree, The Spa at Half Moon, offering hydrotherapy pools, yoga pavilions, and therapeutic and healing spa treatments. (www.halfmoon.com)
―Jill Newman
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March 11, 2008
A Golden Opportunity
The renowned Golden Door Spa, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, has created a new program for time-crunched individuals who want to experience this venue but don’t have seven days to dedicate to treatments. The new Spa Interlude Program offers three- and four-day versions of the spa’s signature package, which will be available exclusively in July, August, and December of 2008. The Golden Door philosophy balances rest and revitalization with the option of mountain hikes, fitness sessions, and Labyrinth meditation classes. Daily massages, Szekely herbal wraps, and beauty treatments―staples of the classic seven-day experience―ensure a pampered retreat. Additionally, the organic garden provides produce to enhance the healthy cuisine. Limited to 40 guests per session, the Spa Interlude Program is $3,626 for three days and $4,725 for four. (800.424.0777, www.GoldenDoor.com)
―Alyson Gerber
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