journey

Going to Boot Truffle Camp is New Year's Resolution You Meant to Make

There are base camps, boot camps, band camps, and low-rent gatherings in faraway locations for every sport known. But what if you want to ditch the grind and shack up somewhere idyllic and secluded so you can really focus on... truffles? What kind of options would you have? As fate – and Chef Ken Frank – would have it, there is exactly one: Truffle Camp in Napa Valley.

Chef Frank is the owner and culinary mind behind Napa's La Toque, one of but a dozen restaurants in the world to have a truffle menu. To begin your initiation into the arcane world of gourmet fungi – and distinguishing your Italian tuber magnatum pico from your French tuber uncinatum – you'll fly to Napa and settle into your room in the in the Westin Verasa. The first night you'll relax, to be ready for your first 3-hour truffle-laden cooking lesson under Chef Frank's tutelage the next morning.

Afterward, Chef will take you on a tour of Long Meadow Ranch to sample the local farm's delicacies. The next day begins with another 3-hour truffle extravaganza, followed by a tour of a private winery and barrel tastings with Chef Frank and La Toque's wine director, Scott Tracy. The evening concludes with an "All Truffle Dinner," paired with Tracy's wine selections. And you're not finished there: to properly prepare you for return to native lands, you'll be fed a truffle omelet breakfast and then plied with goodies to take home.

The camp runs from January 17-19, 2010. No, it doesn't have the awkward tenderness of a few weeks spent in a dorm with the tuba section, but you'll probably enjoy reminiscing about it a great deal more.

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Tags: california, cooking, journey, journeys, ken frank, KenFrank, la toque, LaToque, napa, napa valley, NapaValley, travel, truffle camp, TruffleCamp

Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos Adds Thermage to Your Vacation Repertoire

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

What if you could go on vacation, and get a tan so profound they would name a shade of 'golden' in your honor -- in the middle of winter, no less -- and skip the part with skin damage and wrinkles? If you're interested, Pueblo Bonito in Los Cabos, Mexico will address the vacation part, and their Thermage spa treatments will attend to your skin.

Thermage -- or radiothermoplasty for you Gray's Anatomy types -- delivers radiofrequency waves to the collagen-producing level of the skin. Collagen, remember, is the stuff that Angelina Jolie has made famous and her synthetically-inclined colleagues have made infamous. The non-invasive procedure's radio waves are meant to make the skin's natural collagen contract and tighten, as well as spur the production of new collagen and its remarkable ability to fill and plump. Voila, wrinkles are no more.

Pueblo Bonito has partnered with the Raquel Sarfati Medical Spa to offer the treatments at all four Pueblo's locations, but only be for a limited time: from December 15, 2009 to January 9, 2010, at Pueblo's award-winning Sunset Beach Spa. They'll even give you a free consultation so you can find out if thermage is the ace you want up your sleeve. Even so, thermage isn't exactly inexpensive, but you didn't expect the phrase "supple bronze goddess" to be, did you?

If nothing else, there's still that mesmerizing tan in the middle of winter for you to work on. You'll get no help with that, but we're sure you and the peninsular sun can work something out between yourselves.

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Tags: baja, baja california, BajaCalifornia, journey, pueblo bonito, pueblo bonito los cabos, pueblo bonito pacifica, PuebloBonito, PuebloBonitoLosCabos, PuebloBonitoPacifica, resort, spa, thermage

Felix Rey "Bling" Travel Jewelry Case

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Luxury Travel & Hotels

When I was a child, my Aunt Jean gave me one of the best gifts I ever received -- a travel jewelry case. It wasn't kiddie-ish, and I use it to this day to keep my jewelry clean, safe, and uncluttered when I'm away from home. Need a gift idea of your own? Felix Rey makes a travel jewelry case with a bit of glam. The "Bling" Travel Jewelry Case is a zip-around case with four compartments and a mirror. It has "bling" printed on one side and a smiley face on the other and is made of nylon with brass hardware. It's 3.5 inches deep and the compartments are approximately 1 inch deep. $90

Gallery: Felix Rey "Bling" Travel Jewelry Case

Tags: Felix Rey, FelixRey, jewelry, jewelry case, JewelryCase, journey, travel

Loews' Voga Voyage Combines a Slice of Venice and a Slice of Heaven

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

For the rates Venetian gondoliers charge you might expect a massage and a 3-course meal during your cruise of the canals. With the introduction of the Voga Voyage at Loews Coronado Bay Resort Gondola Company, you can at least check the massage off the list.

Your vessel for the journey among the Coronado Cays will be a softly wrapped, sun-warmed massage table. In turn, that table will ride upon an authentic 33-foot gondola that launches from the resort's private marina and then embarks on an hour-long cruise of Mediterranean-like waterways. Forty minutes of that will be occupied by masseurs tending to your physical needs, which includes the laying on of sunscreen before the more serious application of massaging hands. The last ten minutes of the trip will be given to sight-seeing, if you're in any mood for that, while you and your chère company feast on the gondola's supply of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Booking the $499 Voga Voyage also gets you a free night at the resort and its amenities, spread out on a secluded, 15-acre peninsula. And having saved on airfare to the Italian province, you just might have enough left over for the 3-course meal. It's certainly not what Iago meant when he mentioned "creating the beast with two backs," but this ride has a far less drama and a much happier ending...

Gallery: Loews Coronado Voga Voyage

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Tags: california, coronado, false, gondola, hotel, journey, loews, loews coronado bay resort, loews corp, loews hotels, LoewsCoronadoBayResort, LoewsCorp, LoewsHotels, resort, san diego, SanDiego, spa, venice, venice italy, VeniceItaly, voga voyage, VogaVoyage

The St. Regis Introduces Itself to Bal Harbour

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas, Real Estate Developments

The third tower of The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort is expected to be finished next February, and the resort will open its heavy glass doors to early adopters in 2011. Sitting on 1,000 square feet of sable blanc at the north end of Miami Beach, the three 27-story towers will house 511 rooms in various sizes and flavors of sumptuousness. The move south, like a snowbird from that biggest of apples, is intended to be a relocation of the New England grandeur that Colonel John Jacob Astor IV inaugurated when he opened the first St. Regis in NYC in 1904.

Think: mirrors. Lots of them. The Yabu Pushelberg interior scheme (from the firm that has lent a helping hand to Prada, Tiffany, the Mandarin Oriental, and so on) will naturally focus on textures and materials: Movingui hardwood walls, marble and travertine flooring, and etched plaster walls will abound upon entry. Guests and residents are no less looked after, with spa-like bathrooms, enclosed walk-in showers, and overflow soaking tubs. Granite makes its necessary appearance for the kitchen countertops, and the cutlery drawers will even be pre-slotted, so you'll never mistake your butcher for your cleaver.

Residences come in one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom sizes, range from 1,777 to 6,868 square feet, and start at $1.9 million. If you need more convincing -- and proof that that this St. Regis has left behind most of its New York City roots -- the balconies alone start at 455 square feet, larger than a fair number of Manhattan apartments. Amenities will include white-glove butlers, 24-hour room service, a 12,000 square foot spa, and someone to do your grocery shopping for you. Because, you know, you'll be hungry when you finally roll in from Nikki Beach...

Gallery: St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort

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Tags: bal harbour, BalHarbour, florida, journey, journeys, miami, real estate, RealEstate, spa, st regis, st regis bal harbour resort, StRegis, StRegisBalHarbourResort

lebua Hotel Introduces The Even Suite-r Life to New Zealand and Bangkok

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Sometimes it's better to start at the bottom and work your way up. But what if, at the same time, you could start at the bottom and be at the top? lebua Hotel offers just that at its Lake Okareka Lodge, set on a private estate in New Zealand. And when we say private, we mean private -- the extent of the accommodations is three luxury suites that can house, all together, nine people. Total. Maximum. When you book, even if there is just your lonesome, you get the whole thing to yourself -- "yourself" being you, your private chef, and the attendants waiting to fulfill your wishes.

Each of the suites gets lake views, private balconies, Bvlgari amenities, and the services of the estate's private chef. Should you commandeer the executive suite, you'll step up to your own lounge, spa bath, private office and walk-in wardrobe. As for things to do, the suites are set in the countryside, next to a lake, on the North Island of what is arguably one of the most beautiful countries on the planet. Should you tire of the fishing, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, hiking, or simply being, the lodge maintains a piano room, a fantastically stocked wine cellar, and a 24-hour concierge for those urgent, 3 a.m. requests.

lebua Hotel Bangkok has quarters for more guests, but the numbers don't spoil the treatment. Each room in the all-suite hotel in the State Tower, Silom district has views of the Chao Phraya River. Naturally, all-suite does not mean all the suites have been created equal: ranging from 66 to 266 square meters, opt for the premium digs and you'll sup on multi-course meals prepared by your own chef for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, and that liquid meal known as "cocktails."

If you must go out, the bar and five restaurants under The Dome will reward you for the slipper-shod trek: Sirocco, 63 stories up, is the world's highest open air restaurant; the tables at Breeze sit on jutting balconies, where you can dine on modern Asian fare while descrying views of modern Asia; the Mezzaluna specializes in Italian and amore -- every proposal made there has been accepted; Café Mozu mashes up a DJ, a pool, and Italian, Lebanese, and Indian courses; and Distil is where you go to wash it all down... in moderation, of course.

What could be better than 5-star suites and food? Why, a party to celebrate their opening. lebua will be hosting a gala launch of the New Zealand property and the Tower Club addition to its Bangkok location in, of all places, Sydney, Australia. The soiree goes down in November, on a private yacht that will be moored in front of the Opera House, where lebua chefs will be on hand to tempt you to make the trip to those other points distant.

If one were tempted to wonder about flying to Australia to have a party for resorts in lands at least five hours away by plane, we must remember that ours is not to question why. Ours is only to ask, "Why not?" And then make reservations...

Gallery: lebua Hotel at Lake Okareka NZ and Bangkok

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Tags: australia, bangkok, hotel, journey, journeys, lebua, lebua hotel, LebuaHotel, new zealand, NewZealand, resort, spa, sydney, thailand

Townhouse Collection Luggage

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Men's Style

We're only a month and change into winter, but here on the East Coast it's been a tough one so far. I've been daydreaming about a vacation, but my luggage is not travel-ready -- it's old and drab. Looking for something with more panache, I came upon Tumi's Townhouse Collection.

My favorite piece is the Groom Train Case. Traveling with this would make me feel as if I were one of the ladies boarding a ship for a cross-Atlantic journey many years ago, when wealthy travelers seemed to pack their whole houses into trunks and then have their staff move them on and off the ship at every port of call.

The Townhouse Collection features 38 styles that range from the $6,995 Wardrobe Trunk to the $150 Constitution Tie Case. All styles are offered only in black (I would love to have seen some brighter colors), and are made from leather or fabric. The collection has two sub-sets: Travel and Business, which include trunks, wheeled cases, hand-held briefcases, satchels, a garment case, duffels, messenger/body bags, clutches and small zipped cases.

Check out the gallery for a look at a few of the styles.

Gallery: Townhouse Collection Luggage

Tags: journey, luggage, suitcase, travel, Tumi, vacation

One Key Luxury Travel Card

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

The One Key Travel Card is a like a membership card to a time share but more upscale. It includes first-class homes, personalized service, and local knowledge, without a significant outlay of upfront capital or whole ownership. Members have access to a worldwide portfolio of selected homes, as well as a dedicated member services representative. Cards are available by number of nights: 15, 25 or 45, for $34,900, $49,900, or $84,900, respectively. Use the nights in any combination. Pricing includes access to One Key Homes, daily housekeeping, and member services. Inquire about membership here. Choices of home style / themes include beach, city, mountain, leisure, and "hidden gems."

Tags: journey, membership, services, time share, TimeShare, travel, trip

L'Auberge Del Mar Opens

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Last week L'Auberge Del Mar re-opened in Del Mar, California with a new design that's more like a high end private estate than a typical luxury resort. The renovation cost about $25 million dollars, or $200,000 per room, and the result is a combination of both upgraded appearance and upgraded services and amenities. There's too much detail to talk about it all here but some of the new features that caught my attention are the Waterfall Terrace (which includes a 14-foot illuminated waterfall) and the 4500 sq ft luxury spa. The rooms all have walk-in showers, marble-topped vanities, the best in technologically advanced amenities (i.e. 42" plasma TVs and iPod docking clock radios), and many have fireplaces. Where do I sign up?

Gallery: The New L'Auberge Del Mar

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Tags: ca, california, del mar, DelMar, journey, journeys, LAuberge Del Mar, LaubergeDelMar, luxury resort, LuxuryResort, resort, resorts, travel, traveling

The Great Brazil Express, Brazil's New Luxury Train

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you can get past the cheesy promotional video and the fact that the whole thing is blatantly geared towards wealthy English-speaking tourists, The Great Brazil Express luxury train tour sounds like it might actually be a travel experience worth taking. 7 day tours are available starting next week on the 23rd and take place on board a fairly intimate (fits only 22 guests) train that travels through the gorgeous Brazilian countryside. The tour starts at Curitiba and goes as far as the famous Iguazu Falls, and the train accommodations seem nice enough (albeit small) with leather couches, decor inspired by the Brazilian landscape and wildlife, music, and food/drink. Prices start at $3500.

Via Gadling

Gallery: Around the World on Luxury Trains

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Tags: brazil, great brazil express, GreatBrazilExpress, journey, journeys, train, travel

The World of Rare Travel: Everest Remains at the Top

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

When it comes to travel the question of rare is open to interpretation and likely depends on what you dream of doing with your vacation time. For some of us, merely taking time off for real vacation is rare enough. Recent studies have shown that as a workforce we are opting to use our allotted vacation time more and more for long weekends than for the traditional one or two-week immersion escape.

Rare travel used to be easily defined by the exotic. That no longer seems to be the case. Thirty years ago, an African safari would have been considered a rare getaway. These days, people go on safaris for their honeymoon or bring the kids during winter break. Travels to remote islands such as Tahiti or the Seychelles are equally common with luxury resorts setting up shop in just about every corner of the globe. You can even tackle the whole world at once, private jet trips that take you around the world are becoming more popular and likely the recent film the Bucket List will inspire more people to see the wonders of the world. The LA Times found that doing your own Bucket List trip will cost you over $105,000.

Another category in the rare experience category is being able to experience a side of a place that few seldom experience. Often this involves a great deal of money. Concierge recently did a great piece on the world's most extravagant vacations. Many of them offer the type of experience that only money can buy. Take for example the $300,000 week in Paris offered by travel expert Andrew Harper. For your money you get a suite at the Ritz, private tours, a chauffeur, 24-hour-a-day concierge service and dinner reservations at hot spots such as Alain Ducasse and Voltaire. The trip also includes a private tour of the Louvre, a couture fitting at Chanel and a meeting a French custom perfume designer. Other trips on their list include heli-skiing and, of course, a round-the world excursion.

What is the rarest trip? There's no real consensus on this but I would say that the trek to summit Mount Everest still remains among the rarest trips in the world. But even this has become something that is accessible to more people. In two months and for around $60,000 you can join a group and make the attempt of a lifetime.

Tags: everest, journey, paris, the rare, travel

Casa Dorada Los Cabos Set To Open

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Another gorgeous resort is opening in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Casa Dorada Los Cabos, Resort & Spa is located on the Playa Médano and has a 186 deluxe ocean-view rooms and suites including thirteen penthouse suites which face Cabo's Land's End Rock. The hotel has a 7,000-square- foot Saltwater Spa that offfers treatments including a Chinese Balls Stimulating massage that uses special metal balls that release tonal vibrations for physical and emotional equilibrium, a saltwater ritual that guests receive with each service and the Couleur de Vie, combining color therapy, aromatherapy and thalassotherapy (salt water). The hotel is also home to a restaurant and a lounge that features 50 different beers, including a custom mango-flavored brew.

The guest rooms are lavish with marble bathrooms that have whirlpool tubs and separate showers. All rooms have goosedown comforters, plasma screen satellite TV, complimentary wireless Internet, ceiling fans, multiple telephones, electronic safes, and kitchens or kitchenettes. The penthouse suites have
multiple bedrooms, kitchens and furnished terraces and balconies. Special introductory rates start at $530 and the hotel opens January 21.

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Tags: cabo san lucas, CaboSanLucas, casa dorada, journey, mexico

White Elephant Chef and Shop on Nantucket

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The island of Nantucket off the coast of Massachusetts is often seen as a summer destination but as someone who grew up on Cape Cod I can attest to the fact that the fall can be one of the best times to visit the island. Here's a reason to visit, the White Elephant is holding their third annual Chef and Shop series beginning October 26th. The series runs four weekends and each weekend, a new premier chef from New York, Boston, or New Orleans will visit the hotel to mingle with guests and give a demonstration and tasting with paired wines on Saturday afternoon on the heated Harborview Terrace overlooking the Nantucket Harbor. The four chefs are Alexandra Guarnaschelli of Butter in New York, Dan Silverman of Lever House in New York, Geoff Gardner of Sel de la Terre in Boston, and Bob Iacovone of Curvee in New Orleans. The hotel includes a library with a fireplace, morning coffee and danish, exercise room, an afternoon Port and cheese reception and in-room spa treatments. Rates start at $175 per room, per night

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Tags: hotel, inn, journey, nantucket, vacation, weekend, white elephant, WhiteElephant

Hotel Offers a Sleep Concierge for a Guaranteed Good Night's Rest

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

Is the worst part of traveling trying to get a good night's sleep? It can be tough to sleep like you do at home in even the nicest of hotels, but The Benjamin in NYC has something most places don't: a sleep concierge.

And the sleep concierge is just the beginning. They offer a menu of 12 different pillows, choices of specialized sleep enhancing snacks, and before-bed massages. In fact, The Benjamin is so sure they can give you a good night's sleep that's as good as what you get at home they'll give you a free night's stay if they fail.

Do you think it's worth it? What would you need to make the hotel feel like home?

Via A Luxury Travel Blog

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Tags: benjamin, concierge, hotel, hotels, journey, journeys, manhattan, nyc, services, sleep, sleep concierge, SleepConcierge, the benjamin, TheBenjamin, travel

Dream Getaways That Can Happen in A Weekend

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Although 2 week vacations are awesome the trouble is that it's often so hard to get away that they rarely (if ever) happen. But why delay that trip to Paris or Buenos Aires til who-knows-when? A long weekend, which is much easier to do for most people, can be more than enough to have a fabulous time in an exotic far-off location if you do things right. Vienna, Milan, and even Sydney are realistic possibilities. Why take the chance that a trip to your dream location might never happen when you can be there later this month? 1, 2, or 3 nights is better than none at all, right? I'd say so.

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Tags: australia, france, italy, journey, journeys, paris, sydney, trip, trips, vacation, vacations, vienna, weekend, weekends

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