Tag Archives: luxury travel

New Hotel With Real World Luxuries

Forget about the hotel suites that feature foyer floors made of amber-striated travertine marble. Never mind the million-dollar chandeliers, the $2 million glass balconies, and the cream-colored lacquered walls inlaid with thousands of pieces of mother-of-pearl. How would you like to stay at a hotel that does your dirty laundry for free, doesn’t charge you for eating from the minibar, and lets you make all the local phone calls you want without making you pay a dime for doing so? Now that’s what I call luxury. That’s exactly what you’ll get when you visit Hyatt’s new luxury boutique hotel. The … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Cha-Ching!

I’ve written about luxury travel destinations and high priced travel items in previous posts, but this next one just might take the cake… or, at least the fruit compote. Visitors trekking to the upscale Sri Lankan resort called The Fortress, located in the coastal city of Galle, can now dine on what is being heralded as the “world’s most expensive dessert.” For $14,500 you can dig into the fruity confection complete with a chocolate sculpture and a gigantic gemstone (that latter is the real deal and is not made for human consumption). I’m not kidding. According to hotel managers, “The … Continue reading →

Luxury Travel: Pampered Pooches and Flying In Style

PAMPERED POOCHES It’s no secret that some pets travel better than their two-legged counterparts. (There are even some furry tail waggers who are financially way better off than most people in the world.) And now an increasing number of hotels are taking notice of these well-to-do-animals’ standings in life. In a previous blog I told you about the growing number of hotels in paradise that are catering to pampered pets. Several resorts in Hawaii provide fresh-baked peanut butter flavored biscuits for doggie guests with their name inscribed on each. That’s on top of the special water bowl, pet-sized bed, and … Continue reading →

Luxury Travel: The Perks Of First Class

Must be nice to spend your vacation being lavished with seven-course gourmet meals, pampered with gifts by Ferragamo and Bulgari, and swaddled in Australian wool blankets—at 35,000 feet. Ah, the luxuries of first class flying… how I wish I knew thee. Actually, I’ve had the great pleasure of flying first class a couple times in my life, unfortunately both experiences happened in the mid 80s, long before first class flying included access to fully flat beds, silk sheets, and a three-to-one passenger-to-crew ratio. These days the first class cabins in most airlines are akin to luxury spas. To say some … Continue reading →

Luxury Travel—Where The Millionaires Stay

There is no way I could pay to stay in a luxury suite at a four-star hotel (or any hotel for that matter), but it’s nice to dream, right? In my previous blog I detailed the latest and greatest entry into the Brave New World of lodging—billionaire Ty Warner’s luxury pad at the Four Seasons New York. The Beanie Baby tycoon spent a jaw-dropping $50 million to create the 4,300-square-foot suite and is charging guests $30,000 a night to stay in it. Even if I won the lottery I’m not sure I could afford to stay in a $30,000 a … Continue reading →

Amtrak = Luxury Travel

When I think of Amtrak, the first word that pops into my mind is NOT luxury (wait, maybe I’m thinking of Greyhound). Kidding aside, Amtrak, by all accounts, may be the first name in efficient rail travel, but five-course meals and personal butler service it’s not. Or is it? According to Amtrak executives, it is… and then some. Five-course meals, personal butler service… and mahogany interiors will all be available on several Amtrak routes in just a few months. The nation’s leading passenger train service is teaming up with GrandLuxe Rail Journeys to attach seven special GrandLuxe cars to regularly … Continue reading →

Camping Options For The Anti-Camper

My name is Michele and I am an anti-camper. I’ve regaled you with my camping stories (okay story) in a previous blog, just to prove that I am not someone who voices discontent with an activity without trying it first. What can I say? I’m just not the camping type. At least that’s what I thought until I heard about “glamping.” Have you heard of “glamping?” According to tour companies, the word is shorthand for glamorous camping. Resorts in the United Kingdom and Canada have turned the spotlight on luxury camp sites in an effort to lure high rollers to … Continue reading →

Luxury Travel Accommodations

My experience with luxury travel has been limited to the gifts (stays at five-star resorts, plane tickets, etc.) from generous family members, and the occasional “tag along” with friends who frequent spas and luxury hotels. If you are able to afford pricey accommodations on your own (I’m jealous) here are a few new additions in the world of luxury travel you may consider taking advantage of: The Keating The Keating is a luxury boutique hotel located in San Diego, California. It is currently offering guests use of luxury vehicles. The hotel made an agreement with Ferrari to offer packages that … Continue reading →