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?

Another resort in the idyllic Maldives will be opening this summer on August 1. Anantara Maldives is a five-star boutique hotel located on the South Male Atoll and it is the newest in the small chain of luxury Anantara resorts. The resort has 68 beachfront villas, two beachfront pool villas and 38 deluxe over-water suites and two deluxe over-water pool suites around a private lagoon.  The suites all have king-sized beds with canopies. The resort has restaurants featuring Italian and  Asian cuisines and there is also a cooking school at the resort. Other amenities include island picnics, a gymnasium, tennis courts, an infinity-edge freshwater swimming pool and the Anantara Spa which offers Ayurvedic and Indian mud therapies. Seven-night packages start at $2,300.

The Sarojin, a luxury resort in Khao Lak, Thailand has only been open less than a year but they have already been named to the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List 2006, selected as a World Travel Awards nominee 2006 and included in the Association of British Travel Agents,  top 100 hotels. The reasons for this include a beautiful sheltered beach, a luxurious spa, a gourmet restaurant and a very sexy pool designed for private relaxation. To tempt visitors to Thailand during the summer months they are offering a special where, if you stay a minimum of two nights, you receive the same number of additional nights free. The resort also offers a  complimentary 30 minute spa massage; daily shuttle bus trips into Khao Lak town; wireless internet; fruit baskets and welcome drinks as well as use of mountain bikes, a catamaran sailing boat and sea kayaks. There is also a 38-foot boat, the Lady Sarojin, which is available for excursions or private charters. Guests stay in 56 private residences, some with plunge pools.