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Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Introduces El Mayordomo

Filed under: Journeys

puebla bonita pacifica

Concierge service is rewarding, but common; let's face it, Best Western has concierges. Butler service, on the other hand -- the round-the-clock ask-and-it's-done white-glove kind, that's still something special. The Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Holistic Retreat & Spa in Los Cabos, Baja California has just added butlers to its list of amenities, and they're free... well, whenever you book an ocean view suite.

Your attendant clocks in the moment you arrive and tends to the minutiae of any resort stay like dinner reservations, spa appointment, and dry cleaning. Yet the role of steward entails more than that: he will unpack your luggage, run your bubble bath, coordinate in-suite dining, plan an entire day trip and make sure your bed is turned down and your shoes are shined when you return. If there are enough of you for a cocktail party, he can arrange that as well. And anything else in between, so we're told.

Although Pueblo Bonito says "no request is too large or too small," there is one thing you can't ask your butler to do: take care of your children -- the Los Cabos property has been designed exclusively for adults. With your own butler, though, it will give you chance to be kids. Arthur would be proud...


Trump Takes On Developers In Baja Building Gone Bust

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Last month angry investors sued Donald Trump and Los Angeles developer Irongate Wilshire over the failure of the Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico. Now Trump is fighting back with a lawsuit of his own. His lawsuit accuses Irongate Wilshire's principals of not following through on the plans for the five-star resort which bore his name.

Would-be owners of the condos are asking the courts for the return of $32 million of down payments made in 2006 and 2007. Trump's suit is for $40 million in compensatory and punitive damages and that the lawsuit will help buyers get their money back. The LA Times reports that Trump felt "unfairly targeted" by the buyers' lawsuit because he was not a developer of the project, it was just using his name but that he doesn't like to see people lose money. The owners just want their money back whether it comes from Trump or anyone else.

Trump's Baja Project In Trouble

Filed under: Real Estate Developments


For a couple of years, I've thought of Donald Trump's Trump Ocean Resort on the Baja Mexico coast as a sign that the northern part of the Baja peninsula was becoming a more upscale destination. It seems I may have spoken too soon. Now the three-tower destination resort many never even get off the ground. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the developers of the Trump Ocean Resort in Baja California have lost their financing for the project and it may be some time before a new lender can be found.

Those who bought into the project put 30 percent down on units that ranged in price from studios in the mid-$300,000s to $2.5 million for a penthouse may not be able to pull out their money. The towers were supposed to be ready for occupancy by the end of this year but those who bought in have now been told the completion date is slated for 2012. Angry buyers are considering filing a class-action lawsuit for breach of contract. The Trump Organization is a licensor of the project and not the developer but the Trump brand name was an assurance for those who invested their money in the potential development.

Tiger Woods Plans Golf Community In Mexico

Filed under: Sports, Real Estate Developments


Tiger Woods has announced his latest golf project, Punta Brava, a private golf and ocean club community on the Baja Peninsula south of Ensenada, Mexico about 40 minutes south of San Diego. Punta Brava sits on the tip of a peninsula that extends seven miles into the Pacific Ocean making for beautiful views on the planned 18-hole par 70 oceanfront course. The project also includes 40 estates lots ranging from three-quarter to three acres and priced between $3 million and $12 million, 30 Individual-own villa residences of 4,500 to 7,000 square feet, 60 Partnership villas of 4,500 to 6,500 square feet and a 20-villa private hotel for residents and their guests. There will also be a private clubhouse, an ocean club, a wellness spa and multiple dining venues. Construction is set to begin early next year with completion by 2011. it's a gorgeous spot but the prices seem a bit ambitious for what used to be an area best known for spring break on the cheap for California college students. He's hardly alone though, Trump has a project nearby which has been selling well.

Trump Baja Spa Tower

Filed under: Estates, Journeys, Spas


The second phase of Donald Trump's Baja project has been announced. The Spa Tower at Trump Ocean resort will be home to 182 condo-hotel units. The project, located about 30 minutes from San Diego, will feature rooms with an organic feel. The suites will use organic furnishings, materials and colors taken from the local environment and a muted palette that incorporates quartz, glass and pebble tiles and native plant motifs.

Spa Tower owners will have easy access to the spa where they can indulge in massages, sea salt wraps, facials, manicures, pedicures and custom treatments. The spa will have an ocean view and a floating stone bridge over water ponds, a spa boutique, a relaxation room, unique women's and men's locker rooms, women's and men's outdoor warm soaking pools, a meditation garden, steam cave, and a therapeutic outdoor Jacuzzi tub with a waterfall.

The first Baja Trump offering set a one-day real estate sales record for Mexico at $122 million in December 2006. Prices for studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom hotel-condominiums start in the mid-$300,000's.

Porto Hussong Looks To Make Ensenada Upscale

Filed under: Journeys

Way back when I was in college, Ensenada, Mexico was a small, cheap town to spend spring break in. Times have changed, Meridian Development Group has announced a new 16-acre oceanfront resort and marina on the edge of Todos Santos Bay. Porto Hussong will have 200 oceanfront condos, a five-star boutique hotels with 46 suites,  the  "Club Meridian" luxury fractional residence club, boutiques and restaurants and a marina to accommodate yachts up to 200' in length. The complex will also have a fitness center, spa and access to charter sailboats, fishing and yacht services.

Best Celeb-Spotting Spas

Filed under: Journeys, Spas

At CondeNaste Traveler, they have compiled a list of the best celebrity spotting spas - places that offer not only stunning views, but guarantee star treatment to everyone who visits. The full list has the world's top ten star spangled spots and tips on how to dodge the paparazzi who might be lurking near by. Here are a few of the highlights:

The Bathhouse at Calistoga Ranch in Northern California offers complete relaxation in a rustic, romantic setting with natural springs. Keep your eyes peeled for kissing couples like Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. Rooms start a $475 per night.

The Spa at Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Baja California is the perfect tropical getaway - at least, everyone on Hollywood's hot list from Jessica Simpson to Charlize Theron seems to think so. Rooms start at 450 per night.

The Spa at Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand provides much needed relaxation for celebs who have been on the go for years, like Mick Jagger and Harrison Ford. Pavilions (not rooms) start at $680.

The Rock Spa on Frégate Island, the Seychelles, is as far removed from civilization as you can get; it's on a private island in the Indian Ocean. It's a getaway for the likes of Pierce Brosnan and Paul McCartney. Rooms from $2,300 per night.

 

 



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