The Spa, it’s often one of the best parts of the hotel experience; I’m writing this column from the spa at Blantyre Resort in Lenox, Massachusetts. Just outside the treatment rooms of this cozy little carriage house sits a closed-in glass-wall jacuzzi area, complete with lounge chairs and tables for dining, catching up with friends, [...]
Hotels
How Hotels Inspire Travelers
Hotels are on a mission to differentiate themselves; whether it’s creative food and beverage concepts or day camps for kids, the better and more unique the offerings, the more appealing the hotel. Today, hotels are constantly perfecting the “experience”. It’s not just about perfectly decorated rooms or one-of-a-kind art prints; it’s about providing an experience [...]
Luxury Travel
Wanderlusting: Top luxury travel destinations
When Marketwatch reporter Catey Hill called me to ask about the top luxury travel destinations in the world, she put only one limitation on my answers: “Think big,” she said. Hill found a study that showed some of the top dream getaways if money were no object, and I have to admit, the travel bucket [...]
Luxury Travel
Around the World: 2013 Travel Hotspots
It’s a new year. The world is your oyster. If you need some help narrowing down your options, I’ve pulled together some of the top destinations to visit in 2013, based on my own research and travel, and with the help of some of my expert travel friends. Whether you choose to stay stateside or [...]
Lifestyle
Diane Von Furstenberg Dresses Australia’s Luxury Island
Cashmere linings, organic cotton linens, specially-printed drapery, personal art collections — when fashion designers work with luxury hotels, the end result is an experience worth indulging in. “Wearing” a room connects a guest with a designer, allowing a deeper look into how luxury weaves palettes of color into experiential stays. The latest designer suite is [...]
Lifestyle
More Hotels Focusing on Fashion Designers
In my opinion, luxury hotels and fashion houses go hand-in-hand; they both offer the best in elegant and trendy concepts – whether in the form of fabric or bathroom toiletries. So it’s no wonder more luxury hotels are turning to to designers to create one-of-a-kind experiences for their guests. While some designers are called on [...]
Food & Wine
Christie’s Asia Talks Landmark Sales and China’s Burgeoning Wine Market
The wine industry is one of the fastest growing in the world, thanks to renewed interest in the time-honored vineyard market. But it’s not all red and white. Just last year Hong Kong surpassed the United States as the world’s top importer of wine, setting the curve for future sales and bringing a new wave [...]
Lifestyle
How Pinterest is Influencing the Way We Travel
As a travel writer, I’m always inspired by the photographs other travelers take on their trips; I love seeing the world through their eyes — how the ocean looks from their room, how the food looks on their plate, how the luggage looks when it’s packed to the brim and ready to go to the [...]
Food & Wine
Luxury Wine Retreats Around the World
Love wine and travel? Experience them both at one of these upscale wine resorts around the world: 1.K-Club, Ireland: It’s not all Guiness and mash in Ireland. The plush K-Club, located 30 minutes from Dublin, is a 69-bedroom hotel nestled among the rolling green hills. K Club’s wine cellar, originally built by Hugh Barton of [...]
Luxury Travel
Luxury Travel Destinations for 2012
With each year brings new ideas, plans and promises. Resolutions aside, travel is one of the best laid plans in the new year. The question is: will you actually plan that dream trip you’ve been talking about for the past year? As 2012 draws near, luxury travel network Virtuoso® asked its expert travel advisors to [...]
