Tag Archives: hotels

Sean Murphy, Jetsetter editor in chief, in Cordoba, Spain

Inside the Mind of a Hotel Expert: Jetsetter’s Sean Murphy

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Sean Murphy knows how to travel in style. As Editor in Chief of Jetsetter.com, he leads a team that focuses on luxury experiences and gorgeous hotels. In fact, they’ve just released their 2015 Best of the Best hotel awards—which curates the world’s top accommodations by essential categories such as Best for Foodies, Best for Romance, Best Pool Scene, and Best-Looking Guests.

So where does Sean travel himself when he gets out of the office? We had to find out. Here, he shares his most memorable travel moment, his trick for tackling crowded tourist attractions, and the surprising thing he always packs.

Most memorable travel moment:

Years ago, at the urging of a well-traveled friend, I made a summer pilgrimage to the not-so-easy-to-get to Greek Island of Patmos. It’s a ten-hour flight from New York to Athens and another all-day ferry ride from the port of Piraeus. You arrive on island in the middle of the night and as you enter the harbor, your eye is drawn to the illuminated Fortress Monastery of St John. It stands atop one of Patmos’s highest points and dominates the landscape. The house where we were staying was just under the monastery. It had a roof lounge with views stretching to the islands east and west shores. Upon arrival I made my way up to the roof just as the monastery lights were being turned off for the night, revealing the most extraordinary sky of stars I had a ever seen. I discovered too that if you looked hard enough and long enough, you could track satellites with your naked eye as they crossed the heavens. Even though I was exhausted from my journey and certainly in need of sleep, I stayed up most of the night amazed by the simple, but spectacular show overhead and have been madly in love with that island ever since.

Most embarrassing travel moment:

Ask my team at Jetsetter. We have an All Hands meeting each week. At this meeting it is a tradition that every new hire has to reveal their most embarrassing travel story. I’ve heard some frightening, hilarious and honestly worrying tales. But once you tell it, your secret’s safe with us. Mum’s the word.

Name one thing people would be surprised to find in your travel bag:

Guide books. As an Editor in Chief of a digital travel site named Jetsetter you may think I know it all or use some digital device to arm myself with what I don’t, but I still like to carry a quality guide book, one that highlights cultural history and walks me through specifics. It helps me pass the time while on a plane, train boat, or during quiet moments when pulling out my phone seems just wrong. Plus, I don’t worry about the batteries running out and leaving me uniformed.

Touristy spot that’s actually worth it, and the trick to doing it right:

The Louvre, The Uffizi, The Prado, any well-know art museum with must-see art. I make it a point to visit these iconic museums whenever I visit a city despite the crush of tourist. The trick is to go early or late and make advanced reservations online. There is too much to see in the world to waste time in queues. Some guides (search my friends at Viator.com) offer group, after-hour tours of well-known museums for a premium price, but it can be worth it to see a Botticelli without bumping into a sea of selfie sticks.

Non-touristy spot people might not know about but should add to their must-visit list:

The desert, specifically the Sahara. I took a three-day journey into the Sahara once when visiting Morocco and discovered what Paul Bowles already knew. It is a magical place full of stillness and absolute silence. And “then there is the sky, compared to which all other skies seem fainthearted efforts.”

Name two indispensable apps you use when you travel:

I am a visual omnivore, so Instagram is an addiction. Google maps has come to my rescue more than once, especially when driving unfamiliar roads or navigating maze-like towns. And of course, I use Jetsetter’s App to book my hotels.

Choose any two travel-world bloggers and tell us the most important thing you’ve learned from each.

I am a fan of Tiny Atlas and its Travel Log. You get a true sense of place through their visual storytelling. It reminds me that one image, however iconic, should not be burdened with providing the whole picture. As well, I’m obsessed with A Hotel Life, Ben Pendole, who works for Ian Schrager’s Edition Hotels, has put together an impressive look into the world of the fabulously well-traveled. It reminds me that travel is supposed to be fun.

Whose Tweets do you find the most useful and entertaining when you see them in your feed?

I gravitate to more visual feeds and honestly peruse Instagram more than Twitter, but I do appreciate the US Interiors’ twitter feed @Interior for its spectacular imagery. It’s making me rediscover and fall in love with America. Ruth Reichl’s, (former editor in chief of Gourmet) tweets remind me of the exquisiteness of well-crafted words @ruthreichl.

Name one way the travel industry can do better.

Stop commoditizing travel. My travel choices do not always come down to just price. They are mostly driven by the expectation of an exceptional experience, one that will stay with me, transform me in some way and remind me why I love travel. Help me decide by telling me a better story and please, keep it real.

Look into the future and describe one aspect of travel that you think will be different in 20 years:

Already the Internet and especially mobile has transformed travel by putting more information in the hands of the traveler. We can dream, plan, book, navigate and share our experiences in ways that were not possible just a few years ago. When I look toward the future, I see information and experiences melding even more. Whether it’s virtual reality providing a totally immersive preview of where I want to go or information digitally displayed to me in the moment when I need it most, I think future technology will give me the confidence of knowing. I must admit, however, this future causes me just a little angst. Intel is awesome, but I will not want to lose one of the greatest delights of travel: serendipity.

#jamon, jamon, jamon. #Madrid #Spain #travel #traveltransforms #travelinspiration #food #yum #jetsettering

A photo posted by smurphsup2 (@smurphsup2) on

Most effective thing you’ve ever said or done to get an upgrade or a special perk while traveling:

I deeply and sincerely appreciate all your efforts on my behalf. Thank you.

To make friends, I always carry:

My insatiable curiosity.

Overrated:

As a celebrated amenity, TVs in hotel rooms.

Underrated:

Accessible outlets.

If you were in my car during a road trip, you’d hear me singing:

For all those involved, its better I don’t sing. That said, I have been known to hum Beethoven’s Ode to Joy while driving on the open road.

The airplane movie that, unexpectedly, made me bawl was:

Mr. Turner. Mike Leigh’s film about the life the famed British painter J.M.W Turner I watched it on a flight to London (when I should have been sleeping) and found it quietly unsentimental, but also incredibly sad and remarkably sublime. After checking into my hotel, I ran straight to the Tate so I could commune with his work and pay my respects.

When I travel, I’m not afraid of:

The journey.

But I am afraid of:

Forgetting my passport.

 

Follow Sean and Jetsetter.com

Twitter: @smurphsup2 and @Jetsetterdotcom

Instagram: @smurphsup2

Grace Family Foundation relief work team

Just Back from Nepal: The 5 Things You Need to Know

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Sanjay Saxena, founder of Destination Himalaya and a Trusted Travel Expert for Asia on Wendy’s WOW List, is just back from Nepal, where he went right after the April 25 earthquake to help with relief efforts. He’s going back in June, leading a multi-generational family tour. Meanwhile, here’s his report from the field:

  1. Kathmandu, Nepal, is open and ready for travelers

Saxena was relieved to see that the city has not been leveled—as he’d been led to believe by initial media reports. Life is returning to some semblance of normalcy, with shops and restaurants open for business. All of the tourist hotels remain open. Saxena even felt totally safe spending a night on the fifth floor of the Yak & Yeti.

  1. It’s the rural villages that are a disaster.

Eight days after the quake, Saxena delivered 10,000 pounds of rice and chura (a ready-to-eat mixture of rice, lentils, and nuts) to a region five hours outside of Kathmandu that hadn’t yet received any food aid. In these small villages, Saxena discovered, almost all of the houses were destroyed, and those left standing were uninhabitable.

“There is no doubt that Nepal is seeing an overwhelming response from the international community,” says Saxena. “While I walked around Kathmandu and drove in the countryside, I saw the flags of nations from Sri Lanka to the U.S. on supply trucks, temporary housing, and bulldozers. But while the capital city saw a fair amount of quick response, the overall infrastructure in Nepal is completely taxed and outside of medical evacuations, the outlying village areas have seen little to no aid at all.”

Life goes on around the rubble in Nepal

Life goes on around the rubble in Nepal. Photo courtesy Sanjay Saxena.

  1. Here’s where you can and can’t go.

Travelers will not be able to see the World Heritage Sites in Bhaktapur and Patan, as many of these temples and buildings have collapsed. The Shechen Monastery’s main assembly hall suffered some very dramatic cracks, but thankfully the structure held, as hundreds were inside attending a teaching at the time of the quake.

Trekking in the Langtang Himal (a popular area due to its easy access from Kathmandu) will be closed for the near future because of landslides. Trekkers to the Annapurna and Everest regions will certainly see the effects of the earthquake, but that shouldn’t be a reason not to travel there; they’ll still enjoy views of the majestic Himalayan peaks and the company of the wonderful people of Nepal.

Parts of Tibet and India have been affected. Inhabitants of several border towns in Tibet have been evacuated, and the roads closed to all but military relief convoys. Saxena expects the Tibetan Everest Base Camp area to open for travel in the next month, however the overland crossing into Nepal will be closed for the rest of this season, if not longer, due to landslides in the Zangmu gorge. India’s Himalayan border state of Sikkim felt the quake too, but all reports are that no major damage occurred to the infrastructure there.

  1. The quake has shown the true colors of many companies.

Upon arriving in Kathmandu, Saxena received a text message from T-Mobile announcing that all phone calls and data would be free while he was in Nepal. His traveling companions who are customers of other cellular services received no such offer, and several vowed allegiance to T-Mobile as soon as they returned home. Stories abound such as the one of Dolma Dhakhwa, the owner of a small carpet export business, who visited each of his weavers and gave them bags of rice and lentils, plus two months’ advance salary. Less compassionate was the management of Kathmandu’s Hyatt Regency, who forbade locals to sleep on their 35 acres (many Nepalis pitched tents after the first earthquake, doubting the structural integrity of their homes).

Truck-loaded with supplies for Kunchuk Village about 75km NE of Kathmandu

Truck loaded with supplies for Kunchuk Village, about 75km NE of Kathmandu. Photo courtesy Sanjay Saxena.

  1. Nepal needs your help.

Saxena’s travel companion on this trip to Nepal was longtime client Dick Grace of the Grace Family Vineyards Foundation. They focused their efforts on the rural villages and continue to do so now that they’re back home. Along with mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears, Destination Himalaya has set up a fund to help rebuild three severely damaged schools in Chyangba. This village of 600 people in the Solukhumbu district is home to most of the Sherpas that Destination Himalaya employs on its Nepal treks, as well as the Sherpas who have summited Everest alongside Breashears.

Saxena and Breashears have pledged to cover all overhead costs themselves and spend 100% of any donations directly on the school rebuilding. Moreover, they intend to design the schools to better withstand earthquakes in the future.

Donations can be sent via the Grace Family Vineyards Foundation and are tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the Grace Family Vineyards Foundation (write “DH-Nepal Earthquake” in the memo line) and sent to 1210 Rockland Drive, St. Helena CA 94574, or you can donate via credit card on the foundation’s website.

Saxena says it’s important to keep Nepal on your bucket list and show support for the country by traveling there when the time is right again. “Tourism is essential to the economy in Nepal, as it’s the largest employer in the country,” says Saxena. “ I would urge you to keep Nepal on your list of must-see destinations, Having traveled to Nepal numerous times and taken scores of travelers there, the one thing that people always tell me that they remember most is not the dramatic sunrise on Everest or the exquisite details on the Bhaktapur temples, but the wonderful people of this mountain kingdom.

Sri Panwa, Phuket, Thailand hotel pool

Larger-Than-Life Hotel Pools

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Note from Wendy: When I travel with my kids, an exciting hotel pool is a godsend. The more fun it is for them, the more relaxing it is for me. Adult pools never factored into my hotel decisions…until they started to become a property’s design showpiece and social center. Nowadays hotel pools may offer stunning views from a rooftop, transform into the hottest hangout at night, or be tucked into your own private villa.

 

By Jenny Adams of Yahoo! Travel

We know you are doing it. How do we know? Because we are doing it too. It’s normal to scour the Internet in cold weather, warming up mentally by staring at pictures of warm-weather resorts from Santorini to Santiago. Just the sight of a palm tree in sunlight or the razor’s edge of an infinity pool is enough to make us whip out our credit cards in the name of an escape from late winter’s freezing clutches.

If you need to get away, these hotels around the globe offer pools that certainly made us drool.

There’s an incredible, bird’s-eye view over the treetops at the Baba Nest at Sri Panwa in Phuket, Thailand. The Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver has an indoor pool that doubles as a glowing, Art Deco piece of art. New York City was not to be outdone by more tropical locations and opened a brand new, year-round pool at the Park Hyatt. The hotel pipes in music via underwater speakers, giving a whole new meaning to the term “swimmer’s ear.”

Several on this list are budgetary bucket-list experiences (we definitely drooled over the Iniala Beach House), but we’ve also found many that are as affordable as they are beautiful. Check out the hippie enclave Hicksville in Joshua Tree, Calif.! And, don’t forget your little ones, because we didn’t. Disney has a pool that kids from 9 to 92 will want to visit in 2015.

Sri Panwa, Phuket, Thailand

This family-owned resort (pictured above) is set atop a cliff overlooking Cape Panwa, surrounded by lush foliage, thick groves of trees, and an absurd number of infinity pools. There are 85 on the property! The Baba Nest is the crowning glory, where you can literally swim with the birds and enjoy 360-degree views of the Andaman Sea. Large, fluffy beanbags are set out around 5 p.m. for those who want to enjoy the vista without getting wet, and even if you aren’t staying at Sri Panwa, you can make a reservation for a spot on this roof deck by calling the hotel.

Fun Fact: If you want an infinity pool at your disposal 24/7, book a pool villa. As you swim, you get direct views into your master bedroom, which appears to float on a platform over the water. There are more than 75 villas featuring private pools at Sri Panwa, and prices start at $1,000 per night.

 

Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy hotel pool

Courtesy Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy.

Belmond Hotel Caruso, Ravello, Italy

Set at the highest point above the town of Ravello, this pool is an architectural masterpiece, seemingly suspended in the clouds. Swimming here provides an unparalleled view and breathtaking photo opportunities of the coastline below. Prices from $500 per night.

Fun Fact: The concierge can bring you an iPod pre-loaded with your choice of music and a fresh fruit appetizer. There’s also something called “an Evian vaporizer” for guests. Because when you’re in a pool, you definitely need to mist your face with European bottled water, right?

 Also from Yahoo! Travel: 9 Hotels with Amazing Private Plunge Pools

The Singular, Patagonia, Chile hotel pool

Courtesy The Singular, Patagonia, Chile

The Singular, Patagonia, Chile

Gazing out at the Last Hope Fjord in Puerto Bories, Chile, there’s no way one can help but feel tiny in the face of such awesome, staggering beauty. There is only wild, untouched coast and the snowcapped Patagonian mountains in front of you as you soak in this heated indoor/outdoor pool. It’s definitely an “edge of the Earth” moment.

Fun Fact: In a former life, the property was a early 20th-century cold storage plant. The owners transformed it into a luxury hotel, but they kept a few of the machines as a quirky, private museum collection inside the hotel. Rooms start at $350 per night.

 

The Park Hyatt, New York City hotel pool

Courtesy The Park Hyatt, New York City

The Park Hyatt, New York City

Debuted in August 2014, the hotel’s breathtaking, three-story aerie on the 25th floor features an indoor swimming pool, modern lines, bright blue water, and incredible poolside service. Those aren’t the only amenities you’ll find here. There are underwater speakers built in the pool walls and floor, and the exclusive soundtrack is specially curated by Carnegie Hall for the Hyatt’s pool. How classy is that?

Fun Fact: As part of the pool experience, guests can indulge in the hydrotherapy hot tub, decadent steam room, and private changing rooms. The starting price for a night’s stay at the hotel starts at $795, but this is one on the list you can enjoy even in winter.

Also from Yahoo! Travel: 10 Best Urban Pools 

The Iniala Beach House, Phuket, Thailand hotel pool

Courtesy The Iniala Beach House, Phuket, Thailand

The Iniala Beach House, Phuket, Thailand

This resort (open since fall 2013) was previously a private home. It was converted to a boutique hotel, offering only three villas and one penthouse. For the rooms and layout, owner Mark Weingard contacted his favorite designers from around the globe. No two rooms are alike. Each villa sleeps six and features a private, unique, infinity pool. Every pool on property faces a pristine stretch of the white sands of Natai Beach and the ocean beyond.

Fun Fact: It’s not cheap to carve out an escape here (villas start around $3,500 per day), but the included amenities are insane. You get daily spa treatments, free activities — like kayaking past herds of water buffalo in Phuket’s estuaries, Muay Thai kickboxing training, and guided mountain bike tours — and dinner at the property’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Aziamendi.

 

The Hicksville Trailer Palace, Joshua Tree, Calif. hotel pool

Courtesy The Hicksville Trailer Palace, Joshua Tree, Calif.

The Hicksville Trailer Palace, Joshua Tree, Calif.

Who wouldn’t want to pull off the highway for Hicksville? This trailer-park motel is a retreat for artists, from filmmakers to musicians, who come for the peace and fun peculiarity of spending a few days in a restored Airstream ($125) that’s powered by solar energy and has fast Wi-Fi for surfing. The pool is a welcoming attraction in the center of the trailers. Tiny, filled with saltwater, peanut-shaped and heated, it’s a one-of-a-kind place to collaborate on your documentary or have an impromptu jam session with total strangers.

Fun Fact: The Trailer Palace also offers a BB gun range, table tennis, a fire pit for s’mores, and archery. It’s like summer camp for adults, y’all.

 Also from Yahoo! Travel: Six Absolutely Insane Cruise Ship Pools

The Joule, Dallas hotel pool

Courtesy The Joule, Dallas

The Joule, Dallas

This pool has landed on many a list, thanks to its lofty location. The Dallas-based architecture group Architexas cantilevered it eight feet off the side of a Gothic high-rise building smack in the middle of Downtown. Swimmers can literally backstroke above busy city traffic. Room rates to stay here start at $250 per night.

Fun Fact: Valet parking is free here if you arrive in a hybrid vehicle.

 

Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada hotel pool

Courtesy Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Stretching more than 50 feet and heated to accommodate the fickle Canadian weather, this one doubles as a work of art thanks to classic Art Deco-styled lights in the pool floor. Based on the time of day or mood of the moment, the lights change color, creating a sensory experience for the swimmers. Natural light also streams in from the adjacent, outdoor restaurant, aptly named Reflections.

Fun Fact: You can stay at this Forbes five-star property for only $230 per night.

 

The Fairmont Montebello, Quebec, Canada hotel pool

Courtesy The Fairmont Montebello, Quebec, Canada

The Fairmont Montebello, Quebec, Canada

If you love the cold but still crave a great pool, check out Canada’s largest indoor option. Towering cedar timber surrounds you in this log-cabin-housed, 55-meter lap pool.

Fun Fact: Rumor has it that the architects designed this one to be a foot short of the Olympic length on purpose. This assured it would never been used by teams looking to practice and would always retain the peacefulness associated with vacationing in the mountains. Rooms start at $200 a night.

 

The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C. hotel pool

Courtesy The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C.

If you can’t afford to stay ($199 per night), it’s no problem. You can still experience one of America’s coolest pools by simply purchasing a day pass to the spa. The Grove Park’s swimming chamber is subterranean and encompasses an amazing 43,000 square feet. Built into the natural rock, there are caves, waterfalls, tunnels, rock walls, and arches to explore. It’s a sensory experience full of bouncing shadows and beautiful colored lights.

Fun Fact: The Omni Grove Park Inn has hosted many celebrated guests including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Helen Keller, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

 

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida hotel pool

Courtesy Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Disney understandably spares no expense or sense of whimsy when it comes to pools. It was tough to pick just one. Sliding out of a giant clown’s mouth won us over in the end. The pool features an actual roller-coaster water slide, culminating in the carnival-themed, massive blue pool with a carousel bar and elephant statues that spray you with cold water. Rates are from $381 per night.

Fun Fact: At this resort, you can rent surrey bikes that seat two, four, or even six people. Take a cruise down the hotel’s iconic boardwalk.

 

 

This article originally ran on Yahoo! Travel

Baha Mar

It Hasn’t Even Opened Yet, but Baha Mar Is Already Transforming the Bahamas

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Americans seeking a quick escape to a sunny tropical island will soon have a new option at their fingertips: A long-awaited $3.5 billion luxury resort development called Baha Mar is opening March 27 in Nassau, in the Bahamas. Nassau is just a three-hour flight from J.F.K.—and the resorts, on Cable Beach, are just a five-minute drive from the airport—so it will be an easy getaway for many in the Northeast. As I’m one of the only journalists who’s seen Baha Mar—I just happened to be passing through Nassau yesterday and went to take a look—I figured I’d share what I learned.

Baha Mar will have four swank hotels— the Baha Mar Hotel & Casino, a Grand Hyatt, a Rosewood, and a SLS LUX—as well as a 30,000-square foot ESPA, a 200,000-square-foot conference center, and more than 40 restaurants, bars, and shops. There will be 3,000 feet of white-sand beach, a Beachfront Sanctuary filled with sea creatures, and a reef you can swim to and snorkel at.

The development has already transformed Nassau—to build it, they had to move the prime minister’s office and two banks and reroute a road—but that’s nothing compared to the transformation to come. Nassau recently spent $410 million renovating its airport and building a gleaming new terminal, as it plans to grow airline service to the Bahamas by 400,000 passengers within the next year. There are even plans for flights from China.

Big developments on small islands usually make me cringe, but my tour guide—Baha Mar’s director of public relations Paul Turnquest, who was born and raised in the Bahamas and ran The Tribune newspaper there for years, says the locals are happy about Baha Mar because it’s bringing 12,000 jobs and a ton of economic opportunity to the island. “If you’re someone who makes straw bags, your bags could be chosen for one of the hotel gift shops,” says Turnquest. “Imagine the impact that this property will have on the lives of the people here. For many, this is the opportunity for them to be on a world stage.”

Will travelers come? Will they like it? We’ll find out after March 27. Meanwhile, here’s a first glimpse. (I was not allowed to photograph the areas still under construction—which is pretty much everything except the golf course and golf clubhouse.)

 

Have you been to the Bahamas? What’s your favorite resort there?

Point Vincente Lighthouse

The Biggest Hotel Group You’ve Never Heard Of

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Terranea Resort, on a sweep of California coastline that feels far more secluded than it really is (LAX lies just 20 miles away), might be the state’s best-kept secret. Situated on 15 cliff-top acres fragrant with sage scrub, it has three swimming pools, miles of seaside trails, and a few hundred guest rooms with endless ocean views. Staff are gracious, the food is good, and the rates are much more palatable than at SoCal’s better-known pleasure palaces. Yet, unattached to a big-name brand, Terranea flies well under the radar. I’ve been a guest at the resort three times in its five-year history (the most recent stay just last summer), and after each visit I’ve been asked by even my most well-traveled friends, “You were where?” That suits me just fine; I prefer an air of mystery.

As it turns out, Terranea is part of an even bigger secret: Destination Hotels, which manages the property, is the largest independent hotel operator in North America, yet most travelers have never heard of it either. I learned about the company a few months ago, when I was invited to attend a travel-advisor conference at Terranea. Here’s what I know now: Based in Englewood, Colorado, Destination Hotels manages 43 hotels in 17 U.S. states and Washington D.C. A third of those hotels are owned by Destination’s parent company, Lowe Enterprises. More important for hotel-obsessed travelers like me, many of the properties in the company’s portfolio are little and not-so-little gems: charming, original, well-priced hotels in appealing destinations. The best of the bunch are those in the Luxury Lifestyle Collection, which promises high-quality service and a distinct sense of place. Some of them are well known—Santa Fe’s venerable Inn at Loretto, for one. Others, like the Woodmark, just outside of Seattle, are less so. Here’s a rundown of all nine hotels in the collection and a few of their standout qualities. Have you stayed at any? We’d love to hear your feedback!

Inn and Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe

Inn and Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Inn and Spa at Loretto, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pretty as a picture: Modeled after the 1,000-year-old Taos Pueblo, the Inn at Loretto is said to be the most photographed building in Santa Fe. With its inspired Native American decor and focus on local artwork, the hotel wins travel magazine awards year after year, as does the spa, where, along with hot-stone massages and desert-sage scrubs, you can get your astrological chart read and your “soul path” clarified.

 

Palmer Clubhouse at La Cantera, San Antonio

Palmer Clubhouse at La Cantera, San Antonio

La Cantera, San Antonio, Texas
The soon-to-be newest addition to the collection, La Cantera was a Westin property until recently. The megaresort—it sits on 550 acres and has two golf courses, five pools, and eight restaurants—is currently closed while it undergoes a big renovation. It is scheduled to reopen in April 2015.

 

L’Auberge Del Mar

Poolside at L’Auberge Del Mar, California

L’Auberge Del Mar, California
A seaside boutique hotel in the heart of adorable Del Mar Village, San Diego’s tony neighbor to the north, L’Auberge has long been a favorite spot for romance-seeking couples, elegant wedding parties, and dog people (the hotel is famously pet-friendly as long as said pet is a “petite pooch”). It also becomes party central during the racing season—the Del Mar Racetrack is a stone’s throw away.

 

Royal Palms Resort and Spa

Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix

Royal Palms Resort and Spa, Phoenix, Arizona
Another hotel made for romance, the Mediterranean-inspired Royal Palms dates back to 1929, when a New York moneyman (and nephew of J.P. Morgan) built his winter home at the base of Camelback Mountain. A few details from the original house remain—including the orange grove—but these days, guests stay in villas, casitas, or guest rooms, all scattered around the property’s gardens.

 

Stowe Mountain Lodge

Perfect skiing conditions at Stowe Mountain Lodge

Stowe Mountain Lodge, Vermont
Arguably the most famous—and best-located—ski resort on the East Coast, Stowe Mountain Lodge has 300-plus condo-style rooms (most have kitchenettes; several have two and three bedrooms) right at the base of the slopes. Skiing aside, the lodge offers all kinds of when-in- Vermont activities year-round, from ice climbing to furniture-making, as well as a spa that’s a destination in itself.

 

Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes

Enjoying the sunshine at Terranea Resort.

Terranea Resort, Palos Verdes, California (see above)

 

Vail Cascade, Colorado

Steam rising off the water at Vail Cascade.

Vail Cascade, Colorado
At the foot of Vail Mountain and on the banks of Gore Creeks, the 245-room Vail Cascade has knockout views from nearly everywhere you look. Most rooms come with fireplaces and patios or balconies, and the Atwater restaurant draws fussy foodies year-round. But the resort’s biggest claim to fame might be its three-story Aria Athletic Club, a far cry from your standard hotel gym.

 

Wailea Beach Villas Resort

A private villa at Wailea Beach Villas Resort

Wailea Beach Villas Resort, Maui
This luxury condo complex was named the No. 1 Hawaii Resort in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2014 Readers’ Choice Awards. As Hawaiian hotels go, it’s on the small side—fewer than 100 guest quarters—but the accommodations have at least two bedrooms, and the biggest have five. Every unit comes with a kitted-out kitchen, wine fridge and all. And though there’s no spa or restaurant on the property, you can arrange for a private chef or an in-room spa treatment.

 

The Woodmark, Washington

A room at The Woodmark.

The Woodmark, Kirkland, Washington
Just outside Seattle, on the shores of Lake Washington, the Woodmark is part hotel, part yacht club. For those guests who don’t bring their own, the hotel has a mahogany yacht for two-hour spins around the lake. In summer, you can also rent kayaks, Jet Skis, or stand-up paddleboards. Back on shore, the hotel’s wine-centric restaurant, Bin on the Lake, pairs an impressive wine list (heavy on the local vintages) with some stellar lake and mountain views.

 

Have you stayed at any? We’d love to hear your feedback!

Auberge du Jeu de Paume, Chantilly, France

Great Paris Hotels for an Airport Layover at Charles de Gaulle

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Question:

Hi Wendy,

You have great suggestions for the best hotels for a London (Heathrow) stopover. Can you help with Paris (Charles de Gaulle)? We’ll be en route from Africa to California, landing at CDG in the mid-afternoon and departing at 10:30 a.m. the next day. We’ll be tired and would prefer to stay near the airport rather than going into Paris. (We’ve been lucky enough to have seen Paris many times.) But none of the obvious CDG hotel choices look that appealing.

Thanks,
Jane

Answer:

Jane, I presume by “obvious CDG hotel choices” you mean the Sheraton Charles de Gaulle (Terminal 2), the Hilton Charles de Gaulle (Terminal 3), and the citizenM across the road from the Hilton?  I’ve stayed at the Sheraton—because it’s conveniently located at the entrance to the train station where you can zip into the city center—and you’re right:  There’s no real reason to stay there unless you want to pop into Paris for an afternoon and evening.

Here are four alternatives, suggested by one of my Trusted Travel Experts for France, Jack Dancy of Trufflepig, who until recently lived in Paris and is now based in Burgundy. 

1.  The Auberge du Jeu de Paume is an estate in Chantilly that is a 24-minute ride from the airport. It’s a Relais & Chateaux property with a two-Michelin-star restaurant and a brand new spa. “The rooms look onto the gardens of the Château de Chantilly, which is truly splendid and which, in fact, houses one of the largest French Masters collections outside the Louvre,” says Jack. “The town of Chantilly itself is very lovely. Chantilly housed the Royal Stables, and there is still a superbly picturesque race course in the town. You can visit the Royal Stables and the ‘Living Horse Museum’ quite apart from visiting the château and gardens. And nearby is the equally pretty town of Senlis, well worth heading to for lunch and a stroll.”

2. The Château d’Ermenonville, close to the town of Senlis, is also a 24-minute ride from the airport.  (Take a taxi or have the hotel send a car to the airport to pick you up.)  Located in a forest, it works “for a grandiose quiet night in a château complete with moat,”  says Jack.

Should you feel like a little exercise between long flights, Jack can send a guide, with bikes for you, for an afternoon of biking in the Senlis area, through rolling countryside and the royal hunting forests. That way you’re sightseeing and exercising simultaneously–a nice way to spend a stopover.

3. Should you want to pop into Paris after all, stay just inside the Périphérique (the city ring road), in the 18th arrondissement (Montmartre) or the 20th, since these locations are only a 20-minute taxi ride from CDG.  “I like the Hotel Particulier Montmartre,” says Jack. “You reduce your travel time to CDG compared to a downtown hotel by anything up to 40 minutes at high-traffic times (i.e., when you’re leaving for your morning flight back to North America).  For a one-night stay, it can be fun to be up in Montmartre in particular because people often don’t want to dedicate a whole Paris stay to that neighborhood, but for a final night are happy to be a little out of town, especially with the added benefit of an easy departure.”

4. If you opt for the 20th arrondissement, “to experience a less touristy part of town,” Jack recommends staying at Mama Shelter.  “From both the Hotel Particulier Montmartre and Mama Shelter, you can get directly onto the Périphérique, avoiding all city traffic.”

For imaginative travel solutions in Paris or anywhere in France, connect with Jack Dancy via this trip-request form (so he knows you’re a WendyPerrin.com traveler).

Enjoy your stopover!

Triple Creek Ranch

6 Ways to Make a Valentine’s Day Weekend Magical

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This Saturday is Valentine’s Day—and the Monday after is Presidents’ Day. Many of us may be thinking about a last-minute long-weekend escape. As TripAdvisor’s Travel Advocate, I’ve been sharing a lot of getaway ideas and strategies over on TripAdvisor’s blog and in its Wendy’s Travel Tips newsletter. Here’s an assortment of these tips, to help you maximize a mid-winter getaway.

Consider a Cozy Winter-Wonderland Retreat
Some lodges and ranches that you think of only for summer are awesome in winter, especially when you get to do activities you’ve never tried before. Think dogsledding, snowshoeing, ice fishing, or even skijoring (which is like waterskiing, only on snow, with a horse rather than a boat pulling you). Here are six things to look for in a cozy winter retreat.

Choose a Hotel with an Incredible Indoor Pool
In wintertime, sometimes the smartest hotel feature to splurge on is a fabulous heated indoor pool with a panoramic view. Here’s how to find them.

Achieve Your Ideal Notion of Seclusion
Secluded doesn’t have to mean remote. One of my most romantic trips ever was when my husband surprised me with a night in a lighthouse on a tiny island in San Francisco Bay that barely anyone knows is there. Here’s how to pinpoint your perfect secluded getaway.

Find a Special Suite That’s Worth the Splurge
Certain jaw-dropping suites I’ve opted to splurge on—such as at Matakauri Lodge in New Zealand on my honeymoon—are sealed in my memory forever. Here’s how to know when a suite is worth the splurge.

Get Into an Impossible-to-Get-Into Restaurant
What to do when the restaurant you want for Valentine’s Day is fully booked? Here are tips for scoring a hot table on any Saturday night, wherever in the world you may be.

Make a Fairytale Place Even More Transportive
My first date with my husband (long before the aforementioned honeymoon) was in a medieval German castle. It was one of those heady travel moments that transport you to another place and time. Here’s how to create such moments.

I’d love to hear: How do you make romantic weekend getaways magical?

 

Be a smarter traveler: Use Wendy’s WOW List to plan your next trip. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter @wendyperrin, and sign up for her weekly newsletter to stay in the know.

Pool at the Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Peru

How To Book The World’s Best Hotels

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TripAdvisor recently announced its 2015 list of the best hotels in the world, and #1 is Gili Lankanfushi, the Maldives resort with the “No News No Shoes” philosophy. A tiny coral island with 45 overwater villas, it’s apparently the ultimate barefoot paradise. I’d love to go. So I reached out to Lindsey Wallace, my Trusted Travel Expert for the Maldives, who—like other Trusted Travel Experts on The WOW List—negotiates special pricing and perks. Lindsey’s rates at Gili Lankanfushi save travelers up to 38% off the best rates on the hotel’s website. Say you went to the hotel’s website and booked an 8-night stay from May 16-24. A Villa Suite would cost you $8,528. Lindsey’s rate is $6,000 and includes round-trip speedboat transfers from the airport and daily breakfast and dinner. Lindsey has blocked off villas in the best locations for his guests, of course. And you get even more VIP perks ($100 dining credit, free spa treatment, free upgrade on arrival, and early check-in/late check-out) if Lindsey knows you’re a WendyPerrin.com traveler (which he’ll know if you use my trip-request form).

The best way to book a five-star or four-star hotel depends on the type of trip you’re taking. If what you want above all is the lowest rate, book it online. You can now even book hotels on TripAdvisor, which compares prices across hundreds of sites to find you the lowest rate. But if you’re staying three nights or more and what you care most about is the best overall experience, from room selection to VIP amenities to enhancements such as private car transportation and an introduction to the location’s hidden gems via an English-speaking local insider, that’s when it makes sense to reach out to a Trusted Travel Expert. I’ll give you an example:

Say you’re headed to Budapest. The Four Seasons Gresham Palace is #4 on TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s top hotels. If all you need is a room, book it online. But say you’re planning to stay three nights. My Trusted Travel Expert for Hungary, Gwen Kozlowski of Exeter International, can get you three nights (including the hotel’s 22% tax), gourmet hotel breakfast daily, roundtrip private car transfers from/to the airport, and—if you use my trip-request form so she knows you’re a WendyPerrin.com traveler—an expert private guide for a three-hour overview walking tour of Budapest, starting at $516 per night (the price depends on your month of travel). If you were to book those components separately through separate sources, the quality would be inconsistent and probably inferior. (I say that because I have personally road-tested Gwen and her Budapest arrangements twice within the past year, and they are superlative.)

Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco, Peru

Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, Cusco, Peru. Photo courtesy Belmond Hotels.

Here’s another example: Say you’re headed to Peru. The Belmond Palacio Nazarenas in Cusco is #5 on TripAdvisor’s list of the world’s top hotels. My Trusted Travel Expert for Peru, Tom Damon of Southwind Adventures, has negotiated a 10% discount for his travelers who stay there two nights and a 15% discount for those who stay three nights. If all you want is the hotel, book it on your own. If you want the hotel combined with additional arrangements that will add up to a transformative experience of Machu Picchu, reach out to Tom. (To indicate to Tom that you’re a WendyPerrin.com traveler, contact him here.)

If you’ve got a trip in mind that uses five- or four-star hotels and you’re not sure the best way of booking them, just ask. And I’d love to ask you: What’s your favorite way to book hotels online, and why?

Wendy Perrin Paris France hotel room

A Classic Paris Hotel That’s Just as Charming as the Newbies

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I’m just back from Paris, where the big travel news is the new wave of Asian-owned ultra-luxe hotels challenging the city’s five-star old guard. The Peninsula Paris just opened in August after a billion-dollar investment and joins two other properties built since 2010, the Shangri-La Hotel and the Mandarin Oriental, with the aim of pampering a fussy new breed of mega-rich international travelers from Asia and other emerging economies. Trying to keep up, the grande dames of the Paris hotel scene have been sprucing themselves up: The Bristol just finished a six-year renovation, the Hôtel Plaza Athenée a $268 millon facelift.

Well, I did not stay in any of them. Instead I chose a classic family-owned hotel that’s just across the street from the Peninsula (and a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe): the Hôtel Raphael. It’s quintessential Paris: an old-world mansion with a stellar concierge desk, a breakfast room out of a Parisian film, and a roof garden with panoramic views of the city. It’s even got a sister hotel, with a fabulous indoor pool you can use, a two-minute walk away. The pièce de resistance was this lovely room, fit for an empress (30-second tour shot with my iPhone):

 

Asian-owned hotels that cost upwards of $1,300 a night may be getting all the publicity these days, but classics like the Raphael shouldn’t be overlooked—and here’s my Instagram album to prove it.

 

My classic old-world home in #Paris. More than 60 movies have been shot here. #HotelRaphael

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on

The #HotelRaphael’s rooftop terrace/garden/bar is closed for the winter, but I snuck up anyway. #Paris #TourEiffel

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on

Every once in a while it’s nice to have a #mosaic in one’s #bathtub. :) #HotelRaphael #Paris

A photo posted by Wendy Perrin (@wendyperrin) on

 

The Hôtel Raphael was kind enough to provide me with complimentary accommodations. In keeping with my standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on the hotel’s part, nor was anything promised on mine. I simply adored the hotel–its intimacy, its old-world charm, the hop-to-it service shown by its polished yet warm staff—and so I want to be sure you know about it, as a convenient five-star alternative to the new $1,300-a-night hotels that are getting all the press nowadays. 

What’s your favorite hotel in Paris?

The view at Villa Miguel, Cabo, Mexico

How to Find the Perfect Vacation Rental: Tips for Your First Time, or any Time

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I’m a villa rental convert.

I wanted to do something special for my most recent birthday. But with a three-year-old at home, a weekend jaunt to Paris was not in the cards: Long flights are exhausting, and hotel stays can be tough, forcing us all onto a toddler’s sleep schedule. Plus, I wanted some time with my girlfriends. How to make it work? I hatched a plan to rent a house so that we could all spend a few days together, somewhere a bit exotic but with all the comforts and conveniences of home. We ended up with wonderful memories from our trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (which took place before Hurricane Odile hit the region in September; though the damage was significant, most hotels and villas have already reopened, including the place we stayed). Moreover, I came away with several valuable tips for first-time villa renters like myself:

Villa Miguel, Cabo, Mexico

My birthday dinner sunset at Villa Miguel

Know your destination’s neighborhoods—or find someone who does.
Cabo was a natural fit for our California-based group—a sunny respite for my friends mired in San Francisco’s summer fog—but I knew nothing about the area. So when I logged onto VRBO.com—a popular vacation-rental website—to start searching for a rental property, I was flummoxed by the options: VRBO’s 1,200 Cabo-area rentals are divided among Cabo San Lucas and the Los Cabos Corridor, then grouped by headings such as Costa Brava and Sirena Del Mar—all of which meant nothing to me. (I’d later discover that most of these are the names of neighborhoods or gated communities.) If I hadn’t finally thrown up my hands in defeat and called Julie Byrd, one of Wendy’s WOW List experts for villa vacations—Julie is the Cabo vacation-rental expert whom Wendy has been recommending to travelers for years—I might have booked a house in noisy, party-central Pedregal instead of in the family-friendly Cabo del Sol gated community.

Interestingly, many travelers who contact Julie Byrd with a particular villa in mind end up booking a different one based on her advice, most often because the location of the original house doesn’t fit their needs. If you plan to book a place without help from an expert like Julie—popular websites for this include VRBO, HomeAway, Craigslist, FlipKey, and TripAdvisor—make sure to familiarize yourself with the destination’s neighborhoods first. Sure, this is good advice for any trip, but it’s particularly important when renting a villa that may have been built originally as a private home without considering convenience for travelers.

Glean intel from online reviews.
These are full of essential information, especially if you read between the lines. You can figure out not just whether a villa is shabby or well-kept, but what kinds of travelers stay there and whether that beach you see in the photos is an easy stroll from the house or requires scrambling over a rocky path. (See these tips from an expert TripAdvisor reviewer on how to extract useful information from all those user reviews.)

Pool at Villa Cielito, Cabo, Mexico

The pool at Villa Cielito

Consider which hotel amenities are essential to your happiness.
Daily maid service? Wi-Fi? A full hot breakfast? Don’t skimp on what makes you happiest at a hotel. If making your bed and cooking your own breakfast each day doesn’t sound like vacation, know that there are staffed villas with every level of service—and corresponding price points. A different house we visited, Villa Cielito, had an indoor-outdoor living area with blockbuster ocean views that sparked destination-wedding fantasies among my girlfriends, but the bedrooms were generic and motel-like, without the knickknacks and local art that gave our own Villa Miguel a charming, homey atmosphere.

Dining and living room area at Villa Miguel, Cabo, Mexico

The dining and living room areas at Villa Miguel

Do some menu planning in advance.
I was initially attracted to the thought of cooking my own meals—until I realized the waste of time and ingredients involved for a trip as short as ours. Instead, I carried some granola and coffee from home, bought milk at a nearby grocery store, and spent the money we saved with our quick-and-easy breakfasts on a few splurge meals. Best of all was a catered dinner at our villa on the night of my birthday; my son never would have sat through a five-course meal at a restaurant, but here he was free to wander around with his toys while we dined at a relaxed pace.

Entry at Villa Miguel, Cabo, Mexico

Villa Miguel entryway

Stay a week.
I’d hesitate before renting a villa again for less than a week. Villas have a higher start-up cost than a hotel room but greater efficiency in the long run. It would have been more cost-effective to cook for ourselves if we could have bought and used a week’s worth of groceries. And the quirks that can make a private home so appealing—perusing the owner’s book collection, say—can take a while to discover. Similarly, don’t overextend yourself with activities. Julie Byrd advises clients to pre-book activities only in the extreme high season; travelers often discover that they want to spend most of their time relaxing at their villa, not snorkeling or mountain biking. And if you have a large group, it can take longer than you expect to get out the door, so don’t count on fitting in more than one event per day.

Choose your companions wisely…
Traveling with extended family or friends can make renting a villa cheaper than an equivalent hotel—especially if people are willing to share bedrooms, as we did—but make sure you’ll all travel well together, as there’s little privacy in a shared house. (If you’re doing the math, it’s only fair to compare a villa rental to a hotel suite because a standard room doesn’t offer space that you can share only with your fellow travelers, away from the hotel’s other guests.)

Beach entry pool at Villa Miguel, Cabo, Mexico

The beach-entry pool at Villa Miguel

…And cater to kids.
If our son’s not happy, we’re not happy; there’s nothing relaxing about a grumpy kid. An expert villa-rental agent (Wendy knows the best, so if you need a recommendation, ask her) will know which properties are best for little ones. If you’re going it alone, ask the villa owner not just whether the house is kid-friendly but what ages of kids have successfully stayed there; a two-year-old has much different needs than an eight-year-old. A property like ours, Villa Miguel, which was perfect for a toddler, would have been a death trap just a year ago (think wrought-iron railings and slippery stone staircases). Julie Byrd chose it for our group in part because of the beach-entry pool—which my son loved—and the easy access to restaurants at the two hotels in the same development.

Rent a car.
Except for city apartment rentals, in most cases you’ll need a car to explore the region around your villa. It’s a lot harder to call a taxi from your villa than it is to walk down to a hotel’s concierge and hire one. Make sure you’re comfortable driving in a foreign country.

Balcony at Villa Miguel, Cabo, Mexico

Balcony at Villa Miguel

Get a thorough walk-through of the property upon arrival.
I later regretted rushing our house manager through his 45-minute introductory tour. At the time, it felt like a waste on a 72-hour trip. Instead, we shivered through our late-night hangout sessions, not knowing how to adjust the living room air conditioner, and one of my friends was heartbroken to discover on our last morning that the glass doors to her balcony slid all the way back into the walls, opening up an entire corner of the room; had she known earlier, she would have slept with them open every night. Hotel rooms are built so that a new guest every night can intuitively find the light switch; private homes are not.

START PLANNING YOUR OWN VILLA VACATION

Disclosure: CaboVillas.com was kind enough to provide the writer’s three-night villa stay free of charge. In keeping with WendyPerrin.com standard practice, there was no request for or expectation of coverage on CaboVillas’ part, nor was anything promised on ours. You can read the signed agreement between WendyPerrin.com and CaboVillas here.

Cliveden House Hotel London

London Heathrow Layover: Great Hotels for a Stopover at LHR

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Question:

Hi Wendy,

We’ve got a 20-hour layover at Heathrow in spring 2015. We’ll be landing at 7 p.m. London time, and we fly out the next day at 3 p.m. We’ll be staying overnight and would love a good rest and possibly to see Windsor Castle. Do you think there would be time for this?  If not, what would you recommend near Heathrow for an enjoyable stay?

Thanks,

Taffy

Answer:

There are several historic manor-house hotels near Heathrow. I’d recommend you dine and sleep at one of them, then the next morning head to Windsor Castle—you might even stop to see Eton College and the Magna Carta Memorial as well—en route back to Heathrow.  That’s my kind of airport layover!

The expert on London Heathrow layovers is Jonathan Epstein of Celebrated Experiences, one of my Trusted Travel Experts for the United Kingdom. Jonathan lays out these options at various price points (with all rates inclusive of breakfast and taxes):

$$$$
Cliveden House: This estate dating from the 1600s is the former home of Lady Astor. You’ll feel like you’re sleeping in Downton Abbey. It’s got 376 acres of extraordinary formal gardens and woodlands, including a maze. If you book through Jonathan, you get a guaranteed upgrade at time of booking, as well as an historic tour of the house. Rates start at about $625/night.

$$$
Pennyhill Park. This has a world-class spa and a two-Michelin-star restaurant, Latymer, that’s considered one of the best dining experiences in the U.K. Rooms are large and full of character. Rates start at about $450/night.

$$
Great Fosters. This country house dating from 1550 was one of Elizabeth I’s hunting lodges and comes with exceptional Tudor gardens. Rates start at about $300/night, but if you book one of Jonathan’s preferred rooms in the Main House for about $400/night, you get a complimentary transfer to Heathrow.

$
The Runnymede-on-Thames. This is a contemporary riverfront four-star hotel with a spa and both an outdoor and indoor pool. You can even rent an electronic riverboat and drive yourself down the Thames. Rates start at about $200/night.

If you really want to get to Windsor Castle, I might suggest opting for Great Fosters. That’s because if you choose Cliveden you’ll want to spend your morning exploring the gardens, and at Pennyhill Park you’ll want to spend it in the spa. Wherever you stay, though, Jonathan can have a driver pick you up in the morning and take you to Windsor Castle and Eton College en route back to Heathrow. Beats staying at the airport Hilton or Sofitel, eh?

If you connect with Jonathan via the black CONTACT button below his photo on his Insider’s Guide here, you’ll be marked as a WendyPerrin.com V.I.P. traveler, and you’ll get the priority status and trip-monitoring service that go with that. Enjoy your layover!

a hotel room at Fogo Island Inn Newfoundland

How to Use TripAdvisor to Choose a Hotel

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Note from Wendy: Peter Volny, a WendyPerrin.com reader based in Fountain Hills, Arizona, has traveled to 127 countries, doing extensive homework on TripAdvisor for most of those trips, and has posted nearly 400 reviews on the site himself. That combo makes him something of an expert when it comes to knowing how to use other people’s TripAdvisor reviews to plan a great trip. There’s an art to being able to quickly glean the best intel from such a massive collection of reviews, praise, complaints, and advice. So I asked Peter to share some of his most effective hotel-searching strategies.

 

I must be addicted to travel. I’ve now been to 127 countries and have already booked trips to another 12 so far for 2015. My wife and I have been very fortunate in life and stay in the best hotels and resorts, so perhaps we are more demanding than most, but I believe that the following tips apply to everyone, regardless of category of establishment. In fact, in the USA, we have stayed in motels that were spotless and wonderful, whereas some very expensive five-star hotels have left a lot to be desired. Here are my tips for using TripAdvisor to choose the best hotel for your particular needs:

Explore the different hotel filters.
Once my wife and I have decided on an area to visit (such as the six-week trip to Switzerland, Northern Italy and the Riviera from which we just returned), we go to TripAdvisor to research hotels. They break your hotel choices down by price, class, style, brand, neighborhoods, and even amenities, plus drop-down menus for each, which gives you many ways to select the one that suits you best. You can also see rates from Expedia, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Booking.com and Priceline.

Study the photographs.
Here you have two choices: the professional photographs supplied by the hotel, and those posted by guests. The ones supplied by the hotel may have been taken when everything was brand new—or staged and even retouched—whereas the most recent guest photos tend to be more currently accurate. Both are helpful, but look at as many as you can to form your own opinion. Sometimes we have reserved a sea-view room, then realized from looking at the guest photos that the hotel’s photos were taken from the rooftop with a long zoom lens. This is a personal thing, but my wife and I like stand-alone showers and hate those half-glass bathtub screens they use so much in Europe, and this usually shows up in guest photos but not in hotel photos. Cabinet and drawer space is another thing that hotels typically don’t show, but guests tend to show where there is enough space or it’s far too skimpy. In fact, guests tend to highlight deficiencies, which of course the hotel would never do.

Read the reviews—and consider who wrote them.
We look at several reviews before deciding. We also put more credence in reviews from other Americans, Canadians, or Australians, since their standards are similar to ours, as opposed to a review posted by someone from a country that may not be as developed. Similarly, we tend to discount hotel reviews from people who live in the same city as the property being reviewed, since we wonder whether those people are friends of the owner.

Consider the hotel’s own responses to reviews.
Finally, we always take into account whether and how the establishment responds to reviews, both positive and negative. A response indicates to us that the owner or manager cares what its customers are saying. Earlier this year we stayed at a place where we were very unhappy with aspects of the bathroom. The manager posted a response explaining the reasons and saying that he would look into rectifying the situation. Last month we stayed in a five-star hotel where there were several problems, one being that the waiters were astonishingly rude to the guests. The manager posted a response that denied these problems, indicating to us that they don’t care. Even if the guest is wrong, there is a polite and positive way to respond; if they insult the guest, this is a pretty good indication of the kind of service you can expect.

hotel des marronniers paris france

Wendy’s Favorite Small Hotels in Paris for 2014

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Question:

Hi Wendy,

What are your favorite small hotels in Paris right now? Left Bank preferred. Budget generous but not outrageous.

Thanks,
Lary

Answer:

Funny you should ask, Lary. I’m headed to Paris myself next month and need to book a hotel!

hotel duc de saint simon paris hotel room

The Hôtel Duc de Saint-Simon is one of my longtime Left Bank favorites. Photo courtesy Hôtel Duc de Saint-Simon.

One of my longtime Left Bank favorites—because it is well-located, charming, and a good value for your euro—is the Hôtel Duc de Saint-Simon, an 18th-century townhouse in the 7th arrondissement quite close to the Musée d’Orsay. A couple of four-star finds in the Saint-Germain-des-Près quarter are the Hotel d’Aubusson, in a 17th-century residence close to the Seine, and the Hotel de l’Abbaye Saint-Germain, an oasis near the Luxembourg Gardens. Another hotel I recommend in the 6th arrondissement—to those needing a budget-friendly three-star—is the Hotel des Marronniers, on a charming, quiet street dotted with art galleries. Rooms are small and the elevator tiny, but the garden courtyard is lovely for breakfast, and the hotel is just a two-minute walk from the Saint-Germain-des-Près Métro stop.

le pavillon de la reine paris hotel

Beyond the Left Bank, Le Pavillon de la Reine hotel is getting a lot of buzz. Photo courtesy Le Pavillon de la Reine.

Lary, next time you feel like branching out from the Left Bank, consider staying in Le Marais—a trendy neighborhood that is practically the new Saint-Germain-des-Près—at Le Pavillon de la Reine. A gem of a hotel right by the Place des Vosges, it’s getting a lot of buzz nowadays.

Readers, I’d love to hear: What’s your favorite hotel in Paris right now? And, since I always want to try new places, where should I stay when I’m in Paris in November?  Merci!

United Global First Class

Unexpected Ways to Use Your Frequent Flier Miles

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I had the good fortune to spend this past weekend learning from some of the smartest frequent-flier mileage and loyalty-program bloggers out there, at the Boarding Area Conference (aka BAcon) in Las Vegas. For those not familiar, Boarding Area is a network of sites that share information, news, and advice for frequent travelers (from families to business folk); it was created by frequent-flier legend Randy Petersen (who also founded Milepoint, FlyerTalk, and InsideFlyer). And since I was sitting in a room all weekend with people who know how to get the most out of loyalty programs, I sought out some advice for the rest of us. We all know that frequent flier miles are more than just a way to earn free flights, but we’re not always sure when else to use them and what other perks are worthwhile. So here goes: four unexpected ways to use miles to make your next trip amazing.

1. Plan special events

“Airline miles and hotel points are often best used to book travel, but sometimes there are other ways to get big value out of them. We used SPG hotel points to get luxury box seats at a Cubs game at Wrigley field for my husband’s birthday one year and that made the trip to Chicago very special!”

—Summer Hull, Mommy Points

 

2. Put premium cabins within reach

“What many people don’t realize is how lucrative award tickets can be. Casual travelers tend to think of using their miles and points for domestic economy travel, but international premium cabins are more approachable than you might think, and don’t require that many more miles. I used 135,000 American AAdvantage miles per person to book Cathay Pacific first-class tickets for my mom and me for her birthday last year. That was an incredibly special experience—and something that wouldn’t have been possible for us without airline miles.”

—Ben Schlappig, One Mile At A Time

 

3. Upgrade your hotel stay

“Airline miles aren’t nearly as good for upgrades as they used to be (US airlines tend to charge cash—as much as $600 each way—in addition to miles for international upgrades) but hotel points can be a great way to upgrade. Hyatt is especially generous in this regard, charging just 6,000 points per night to confirm a suite when you pay a standard rate for a regular room.”

—Gary Leff, View From the Wing

 

4. Give someone an amazing gift

“One of the best ways to use miles/points is to give them to others by booking flights and hotels for them. To us this is one of the most rewarding uses of miles and points because we can share first-class flights and five-star hotels with family and friends who would never otherwise be able to experience luxury travel.”

—Daraius Dubash and Emily Jablon, Million Mile Secrets

 

5. Bring a friend on a business trip

“Autumn is peak time for meetings and conventions. It’s also a smart time of year to use your miles to bring a family member or friend along when attending one. Due to a decrease in demand for air travel during the fall “shoulder season,” it’s one of the easiest times of year to redeem miles at so-called “saver” rates. So redeem 25,000 miles and bring along someone special for a long weekend before or after that meeting in New York or Chicago or San Francisco. It’s a great way to spend some time together and have at least part of the trip subsidized by your company or client. ”

—Chris McGinnis, TravelSkills

 

In what unexpected ways have you used your miles? Tell us below.

Mamilla hotel Jerusalem Israel

A New Way To Get V.I.P. Treatment in a Hotel

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As TripAdvisor’s Travel Advocate, I share advice on TripAdvisor’s blog about how to pick the right hotel or room. But there’s a difference between wanting and actually getting. TripAdvisor can help—within its hotel reviews you can click on “See more room tips” to learn whether to request a certain room number or stay away from one—but when it comes to getting into a hotel that’s sold out, or getting upgraded to the one room with the panoramic view from the bathtub, for that you need the right human being with the right connections.

I’ve collected just such human beings on my WOW List. These Trusted Travel Experts have close, preferred relationships with the hoteliers at the destinations they specialize in. They suss out the best rooms at each property and make sure their travelers get them. They negotiate exclusive rates with V.I.P. perks. And they have pledged that WendyPerrin.com travelers will be the first in line for those perks, whenever and wherever possible.

In case you’ve missed my recent TripAdvisor posts about how to pick the right hotel and room, here’s a sampling.

Why You Should Choose a Hotel with an Amazing Rooftop
A panoramic rooftop that’s in the middle of all the action—and that has a pool, a bar, a breakfast area, or all three—comes with unexpected benefits that can transform a trip from just okay to extraordinary.

How to Pick a Room in a Palace Hotel
When it comes to historic European palace hotels, the reality often doesn’t live up to the fantasy. That’s because rooms can vary drastically and choosing the right one is tricky.

When to Stay in a Fashion Designer Hotel
In honor of this month’s Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris, here’s my take on when to pick a hotel that is a couturier’s dreamy creation—and how to make your stay even dreamier.

How to Sightsee Inside Legendary Hotels
It’s often well worth incorporating a grand historic hotel into your sightseeing itinerary. Here’s how.

If you’d rather have a Trusted Travel Expert do all the work for you, choose the right person from my WOW List. The way to let that person know you’re a WendyPerrin.com V.I.P. traveler is by contacting him/her via the black CONTACT button on his/her Insider’s Guide.

And if you’ve gotten into an extraordinary hotel and room thanks to a Trusted Travel Expert, click to his/her Insider’s Guide and leave a review!

Bangkok Banyan Tree Thailand

Our Readers’ Favorite Hotel Rooftops in the World

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Last week on TripAdvisor, Wendy wrote about the benefits of choosing hotels with amazing rooftops: the crowd-free views, the beautiful breakfast setting, the convenience of late-night sightseeing when jet lag wakes you up at three in the morning. That blog post covered the reasons why she loves a hotel rooftop, but we wanted to hear from real travelers about the where. So we put the question out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: What is your favorite hotel rooftop in the world? The answers and photos below are likely to inspire you to plan a trip right now.

 

The Standard Downtown LA Hotel rooftop pool

The rooftop pool and club at the Standard Downtown LA is a place to see and be seen.

The Standard Downtown LA is a cool rooftop spot for evening drinks, according to Facebook fan Elaine Travels—and we think it’s not just because of the view. The design-focused hotel tricked out its aerie with a red AstroTurf deck, outdoor fireplace, heated pool, sleek couches and loungers, and waterbed pods.

Reader Elizabeth Vail traveled to Lhasa a few years ago and fell in love with the view from the roof of the Shambhala Palace Hotel.

Instagrammer @hopeyouloveit hashtagged her way through praise for Banyan Tree Bangkok’s Vertigo and Moon Bar—and, looking at this photo, we can see why.

Jody Bear, founder of Bear & Bear Travel, left us a comment on Facebook: “Not only is First Hotel in Rome a cool, trendy hotel in a great location, but their rooftop/lounge is the place to be—think Nikki beach in the sky!”

 

the Mamilla Jerusalem Hotel

The rooftop restaurant at the Mamilla Jerusalem Hotel overlooks the Old City.

Susan Weissberg, a travel agent who specializes in Israel, loves the rooftop restaurant at the Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem.

Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento

The Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento (a Relais & Chateaux property) has beautiful views from the pool, as well as from suites with their own private rooftop terraces.

Cookbook author Robyn Webb nominated the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. She says “Looking at the lighted mosques from there, especially at night, is magical. On a balmy Turkish summer evening you feel like a sultan sitting on top of your grand palace!” Robyn also had a great experience at the Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento (a Relais & Chateaux property). There, she stayed in a suite with its own private rooftop terrace—with Mt. Vesuvius in her direct view.

Instagrammer @laurie_gery is a fan of another Relais & Chateaux spot, La Villa des Orangers in Marrakech. The rooftop pool area there boasts gardens, solariums, and a view of the Atlas mountains.

 

rooftop view at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende

The Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende offers views of the town’s spires and bell towers.

The Rosewood San Miguel de Allende’s Luna Rooftop Tapas Baris lodged firmly in the memory of both Hope Smith (a Mexico travel specialist with Born to Travel) and George Alexandrou (of Alexandrou Travel Design). As George posted on Instagram, “Great view and ambiance. Plus the cocktails help.”

We know Becky Veith from her experience planning Caribbean vacations, but she answered our Facebook question with a spot in Italy. “A small three-star hotel in Rome called Albergo Del Senato,” she suggested. “It has fabulous views of the Pantheon and its Piazza Della Rotonda.”

 

Marriott's Grand Chateau Las Vegas

Marriott’s Grand Chateau Las Vegas has a rooftop pool escape from the busy nightlife below.

Reader Charlie Powell is a fan of Marriott’s Grand Chateau in Las Vegas, where the resort’s rooftop pool is a break from the desert heat.

The Soho House brand made our readers’ list twice: Katie Frederick, a honeymoon planner with a trip-envy-inspiring Instagram feed, is a fan of the Soho House New York’s rooftop pool. Another of our Instagram fans, Caroline Lempert, nominated Soho Beach House Miami.

 

Vibe Hotel Ruschutters rooftop pool

Travelers to Sydney can get a view of Rushcutters Bay from the rooftop pool area at Vibe Hotel Ruschutters.

The Vibe Hotel Rushcutters, in Sydney, is a favorite of Instagram fan @the_matthew_cull. The rooftop pool here overlooks Rushcutters Bay.

The two-level Sarab Rooftop Lounge at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is a favorite Dubai hangout for @iscanebru. Guests can take in a view of the Arabian Desert while sipping cocktails and smoking shisha pipes.

 

What’s your favorite hotel rooftop?