Mar 19, 2010 by Anja Mutic - comment
Stephanie Johnnidis delivers your weekly dose of the hottest hotel happenings. Check out her posts – for the latest updates, openings, tips, and deals – before you check in.
If you’re among the adventure seekers not willing to give up creature comforts, here’s great news: We found a place where you can indulge in a unique combination of adrenaline-packed fun during the day and five-star comfort at night. Snuggled in the scenic foothills of Pinnacle Peak, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North provides a luxurious escape at the heart of Arizona’s rugged Sonoran Desert. This stunning hideaway comes furnished with a real sense of place – from adobe-style architecture and Native American-inspired spa treatments to traditional art of the Huichol mountain people of Mexico displayed in the guest rooms.
From the Pacific Northwest to the Big Apple to the English countryside, here’s a look at all the places where you can experience the thrilling backdrops of Hollywood’s latest and greatest firsthand this spring and summer.
Avatar Though Avatar’s Pandora is a fictitious world created largely from James Cameron’s imagination, there are those in Washington state who see striking similarities between the fantasy planet and the landscape of the Olympic Peninsula. With that in mind, Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park and Kalaloch Lodge on the Pacific coast have each put together Avatar-inspired packages to help you explore the scenery like a Na’vi.
Lake Quinault’s Pandora package (starting at $109 weekdays and $129 on weekends) includes an overnight and a tour for two through the Quinault Rainforest, where you’ll see trees reminiscent of those found on Pandora, including Douglas firs, red cedars, and Sitka spruces. Stay an extra night or two for just $50 extra per night. This package is available through May 1; use code LQPANDORA to book.
Passing through the gate at Cotton Tree, a year-old boutique hotel in Grand Cayman where I recently spent a few nights, one passes into a world apart from the rest of the island. The four cottages – painted sea foam green and powder blue and named for trees found on the property – sit nestled on the edge of the sea, surrounded by manicured gardens and natural foliage. Each has two bedrooms, two bathrooms (with Elemis bath products), a sitting area, and a full kitchen well-stocked with snacks and drinks (alcohol is on hand, for a fee); all but one have sea views. Interiors forego the stereotypical “island” décor in lieu of sophisticated prints and dark wood furniture, with Caribbean artwork and black and white photos of Grand Cayman on the walls.
While rumors are whirling that Cape Town hotels are booked solid for the World Cup, we’ve received word that Cape Town’s Radisson Blu Waterfront, a chic Beach Road resort with award-winning seaside bar, has available rooms in June and July – that’s prime game time.
The World Cup, the world’s biggest sporting event after the Olympic Games takes place this June 11 through July 11 (91 days away and counting); it’s also the first time an African country will host the soccer tournament. The Radisson Blu Waterfront is situated only about a mile from Greenpoint Stadium, one of two semi-final venues. All rooms have a nautical theme and sea or Table Mountain views. There’s a small infinity-edge, ocean-side pool, and Tobago’s, the hotel’s restaurant and bar, has a great, big terrace which has made it a hotspot for locals and tourists alike.
Granted, rates during this period have gone through the roof. Nightly rates at the Radisson Blu go for, ahem, $835/night (up from the usual $350/night) but inflated prices span across South Africa. At least here you get stunning views and free Wi-Fi and Nespresso machines . . . if that helps you rationalize it. South African Airways also still has availability on its direct flights from New York and Washington D.C.
For more info, see our Cape Town travel guide.
SHERMAN’S EXCLUSIVE
The Luxury Positioned on Bermuda’s longest stretch of private, pink-sand beach, Tucker’s Point Hotel & Spa opened in April 2009 as part of the island’s most exclusive residence club and its first luxury resort in 40 years. Each of its 88 rooms is decorated in classic British seaside style, cost over $100,000 to furnish, and claims complimentary WiFi, expansive balconies with harbor views, and free-standing tubs. The world-class spa features a 10,000-square-foot garden sanctuary, plus a hydrotherapy suite that boasts “the world’s most expensive shower” – a computer-controlled Silver TAG (found at only two other resorts in the world). Guests are given exclusive access to the members-only Tucker’s Point Golf, Beach, and Tennis Club, whose facilities include four Har-Tu clay tennis courts and an 18-hole championship golf course featuring state-of-the art putting greens, 10 newly constructed tees, and sweeping vistas of the Atlantic Ocean. Read the rest of this post »
To many New Yorkers who lived in and around ground zero those nine years ago or to those who lost friends or family in the attacks (and even to those who didn’t), the concept behind the area’s newest hotel (built across from where the World Trade Center once stood) seems fairly crass. It’s all about 9/11 at the strategically named World Center Hotel, and the hotel’s marketing team has no qualms about using its memorial-side location to attract tourists; its website tastefully describes its position as “at the forefront of the World Trade Center’s revitalization and resurgence.” Yes, most coming to New York make it a point to visit ground zero to pay their respects, but do they really want to stay in a room that offers floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the 16 acres where the towers fell (now an active and noisy construction site)? Well, the folks behind the Word Center Hotel are banking that they do. It’s a morbid marketing maneuver for sure but perhaps being close to the site is what some people need to remember, to recover. There are several other area hotels, although, that offer similar “stirring” views but have not thought of their vistas as a selling point. Maybe they are late on the uptake?
What do you think? Is it too much too soon? Or is the World Center Hotel just trying to make the best of its neighborhood and its upcoming revitalization?
I recently spent a weekend at Togwotee Mountain Lodge, located in Wyoming’s serene Bridger-Teton National Forest – tucked away in the mountains, miles from modern civilization. After checking into this no-frills lodge, I opened the door to my private, rustic one-bedroom log cabin (there’s 54 in a cluster near the main building) and received a genuine, cordial welcome: a bag filled with Buffalo jerky, as well as hand and toe warmers.
The cozy cabin contained a living room with a wood-burning fireplace (there was spilt timber on the porch), and a reasonably sized bedroom. I found the mattress to be quite comfortable (with a headboard and bed frame made out of real wood, I thought I was going to be tossing and turning all night). In the living room was a small kitchenette, which – although convenient – had virtually no countertop space, so cooking meals could have been a challenge if I wasn’t dining at the lodge’s Grizzly Steakhouse.
SHERMAN’S EXCLUSIVE
The Deal Save 30 percent on a one-bedroom suite and nab free perks.
Stay The Reserve is a mini resort of 192 suites inside the Paradisus Punta Cana resort. Guests may access all of Paradisus, including the golf course, casino, spa, and restaurants.
Details A $1,825 package includes three nights in a one-bed-room Master Suite (regularly $630/night), one massage per person, all food, drinks, and activities (like wine tasting), plus taxes and gratuities.
Book It Call before March 31 and mention Sherman’s Travel; 809/221-1111, paradisus.com.
For more tips, check out our Dominican Republic Travel Guide.
From the February/March issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.
SHERMAN’S EXCLUSIVE
The Deal Shave more than 40 percent off all-inclusive rates.
Stay St. George’s Caye, a resort on a private island, offers 11 thatched-roof cabanas, just 20 minutes by boat from Belize City. Nearby, the famous Blue Hole allows for first-rate diving.
Details After factoring in a discount of $100 per night, a five-night stay in a Lagoon Cabana costs $729 a person. This includes meals, nonalcoholic drinks, a $100 resort credit, and airport transfers.
Book It Book online or by phone before March 31 using the code Sherman’s; 800/813-8498, gooddiving.com.
Plan your trip with our Belize Travel Guide.
From the February/March issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.
One can imagine that Mexico City bid farewell to 2009 with considerable relief. The bad economy coupled with spurts of regional violence kept visitors away early on, and in April, when the city became ground zero of the H1N1 pandemic, tourism fell off a cliff.
Fast-forward to the new year. In December, Mexico City became the first city in Latin America to legalize gay marriage and same-sex couple adoption. Also, it’s among seven cities worldwide selected by FIFA to broadcast all the 2010 World Cup games live on giant, public screens. Add to that the city’s humming design scene, its affordability, and legions of innovative restaurants, and the only question left is where to bed down.
After a few delays, Las Alcobas opened January 18 in the city’s affluent Polanco district. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, whose clients include Four Seasons and St. Regis, the hotel is both modern and homey. Its 35 rooms are softened with hand-knotted rugs and contemporary Mexican art. At the top end are three penthouse suites with wraparound terraces. A small spa grants relief from the urban bustle. Near the hotel, guests can shop Avenida Presidente Masaryk, visit the modern art museum, and dine at the city’s top tables, all without hailing a cab (the traffic has yet to improve). From $415/night; lasalcobas.com
Find more exciting hotels in our Mexico City Travel Guide.
From the February/March 2010 issue of Sherman’s Travel magazine.