travel

Four Seasons Provence Offers Experiences for All

Filed under: Estates, Luxury Travel & Hotels

By: McLean Robbins

The Four Seasons Provence at Terre Blanche sits in a unique location – it's not on the French Riviera's famed coast, nor is it located in the chic towns of Nice, Cannes or St. Tropez. The resort instead sits between the three towns, nestled at the base of the hillside village of Fayence and near the towns of Mons, Tourettes and Grasse.

Still, the resort offers a variety of private experience for guests seeking a retreat with a variety of customized experiences. A-listers flock to this hotel during peak times like the Cannes Film Festival, and stars like Angelina Jolie have holed up at the hotel for a few weeks of privacy. This writer had the pleasure of spending a few days at the resort earlier this month.

Tags: four seasons, four seasons provence, luxury hotels, travel

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Luxe Destinations: Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

We recently reported on JetBlue's great new direct service to the island paradise of the Turks & Caicos. To help you plan your glamorous getaway, Luxist is featuring the best of the Caribbean hotspot's luxury resorts, beginning with our top pick, Parrot Cay, situated on a private island.

On 1,000 pristine acres including a mile-long powdered beach, the resort is an elegant combination of glorious nature, understated luxury and unparalleled privacy. The first private island property from COMO Hotels and Resorts, it features an award-winning holistic spa, healthy gourmet cuisine and beach houses with private pools.

Parrot Cay's rooms are designed to maximize light, facing the sea or the island's natural landscaping, and awash in ocean breezes. Balinese day-beds, four-posters and private pools encourage relaxed lounging outdoors, while interiors come in whitewash and teak, with many of the Hamptons-style houses offering direct beach access.

There are also luxe villas belonging to private owners who make their properties available to rent. The spa, COMO Shambhala Retreat at Parrot Cay, overlooks mangroves and wetlands rich with birdlife. Situated just behind the beach is one of the world's most beautiful swimming pools.

We'll see you there.

Gallery: Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos - Preview

Tags: beach, beach resort, best beach resorts, best Caribbean resorts, best island resorts, best luxury Caribbean resorts, Caribbean, COMO Hotels and Resorts, island, JetBlue, luxury travel, Parrot Cay, private island, private island resorts, resorts, spa, swimming pools, travel, Turks Caicos, Turks and Caicos, Turks and Caicos resort, villas

Luxe Travel Tip: JetBlue's New Direct Service to Turks & Caicos

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Thanks to JetBlue, it's now a whole lot easier to get to one of our favorite luxe travel destinations, the Turks & Caicos islands. The eco-friendly airline known for its style and value just introduced direct service to the Caribbean hotspot's Providenciales island from New York's JFK and Boston's Logan airports. The flights leave JFK daily.

Tags: airlines, beach, Boston, Caribbean, islands, JetBlue, jetblue+service+to+turks+and+caicos, jetblueservicetoturksandcaicos, JFK airport, Logan airport, luxury resorts, luxury travel, resorts, travel, Turks Caicos

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Luxist Giveaway: Travel + Leisure's 100 Greatest Trips Book

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

If you are planning your spring and summer travel, we've got a great book for you, the fifth edition of Travel + Leisure's 100 Greatest Trips book. This annual enterprise compiled by the editors of Travel + Leisure, is a compendium of 100 getaways to destinations around the world. The book is stuffed with more than 350 pictures from the magazine's photographers as well as mini-guides to each destination with insider tips on hotels, resorts, restaurants, shops, nightlife, and must-see spots.

The 100 featured trips cover a range of destinations and themes including culinary tours in Italy, Hong Kong, California, and New Zealand; shopping expeditions in Paris, Kyoto, New York City, and Marrakesh; beach escapes in Belize, the Bahamas, Zanzibar, and Maine and arts and culture trips in Barcelona, Beijing, Las Vegas, and Lisbon. It's like having a stack of fantastic travel magazines all in one book; it just begs for a quiet weekend afternoon, a cup of warm tea and time to curl up in a chair and dream away.

The book is available now in hardcover for $34.95 at www.TravelandLeisure.com/books and in softcover for $19.95 but we've got one hard copy to give away here on the site to a commenter chosen at random.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before March 15, 2011 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing to receive Travel + Leisure's 100 Greatest Trips, 2011 edition with a retail price of $34.95.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, and the District of Columbia, who are 18 and older.

See complete giveaway rules here.

Tags: luxist giveaway, travel, Travel and Leisure, travel books

Rare 1920s Louis Vuitton Shoe Trunk for Sale at $68,500

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Shoes

Rare 1920s Louis Vuitton Shoe Trunk for Sale at $68,500

A rare and highly sought-after piece of vintage Louis Vuitton luggage, the renowned "Malle Chaussures" shoe trunk (above) from the 1920s, is being offered for sale by London's Pullman Gallery for $68,500. The trunk "embodies the glamour and sophistication of a more elegant era, when such items were de rigeur for wealthy travelers." Featuring the iconic LV monogram on its canvas-upholstered frame, the trunk is fully outfitted for most meticulous fashion plate. It contains compartments for 30 pairs of shoes in individual shoe boxes with ancillary drawers and trays for a shoe-cleaning kit. Each of the padded drawers features a leather pull tab and nameplate. The trunk easily rivals the examples to be found in Vuitton's own archives, and is nearly identical to one featured in the amazing Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks book we wrote about in January.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Louis Vuitton, Louis Vuitton monogram, Louis Vuitton trunk, louis+vuitton+luggage, louisvuittonluggage, luggage, luxury goods, Pullman Gallery, suitcases, travel, trunk, trunks, vintage lugagge

Hot Air Ballon Ride and Four Wine Tastings: A Perfect Australia Travel Day

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

We at Luxist are wary of writing about every travel package that comes our way, but once in awhile, we come across an experience so absolutely exquisite that we're ready to book it ourselves -- and that's when we share it with you. This package is specific to Melbourne, Australia travel, but it's a single day worth flying down under for. How could one day be so utterly alluring it could justify a 15+ hour flight from Los Angeles? Well, it starts with a morning hot air balloon ride over the marvelous city of Melbourne, Australia and the lush Yarra Valley, then continues on to visits to four wineries, at each of which you'll enjoy a tasting. If you can recall a better day than that in recent history, count yourself lucky!

Tags: australia, hot air balloon, melbourne, travel, vineyard tour, wine, wine tasting, wine tasting package, wine tasting tour, wineries, winery tour, Yarra Valley

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The $40,000 Lobster Press at the Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Gadgets, Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's never too early to start thinking about outfitting your beach house, so might I suggest that The Regent Grand Hotel in Bordeaux, France, offers an idea worth copying.

If you love to eat those delightful sea crustaceans, and who doesn't, you will want to do like the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Pressoir d'Argent, and acquire a lobster press.

There aren't very many of these devices in the world -- it's 90 pounds, made of silver, and looks like a cross between something Willy Wonka might dream up and a torture device -- but it's also shiny and adorned with lovely lobster sculptures as it's meant to be used tableside.

The idea is similar to a duck press -- after removing tail and claws, the rest of the lobster is inserted into the press, where a two-person team works the device to press out the lobster juices. (See the gallery for an action shot.) The result: lobster jus, much stronger in flavor than you'd get from the most developed lobster stock. At The Regent, the chef adds the jus to bearnaise sauce, and serves that on top of roasted lobster meat.

The lobster press is are custom made by Christofle, and take 150 hours of labor by ten master craftsmen to create -- they cost 30,000 Euro, just or around $40,700.

Or you can just book a table at the restaurant, and after such grand meal, you'll certainly require a room. It's hard to beat the view at the Royale Suite, which has a terrace jacuzzi -- but I like the Prestige Suites, which come with their own private wine bar within rolling distance of (the very comfy) bed.

Which, come to think of it, is another fine idea for your beach house.

Gallery: The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux, France

The Lobster Press in Action at Le Pressoir d'Argent

Lounge Area at Le Pressoir d'Argent, Bordeaux

Dining at Le Pressoir d'Argent: The colors are a bit more subtle at night

Another View of the Dining Room at the Michelin Starred Le Pressoir d'Argent

Tags: bordeaux, bordeaux hotel, france, kitchen gadgets, lobster, travel

Giveaway: Surf and Yoga Retreat for Women in Costa Rica

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ready for a vacation? Our sister site, MyDaily, is offering a giveaway for one reader (and a guest) for a seven-day, six night stay at a women's surf camp and yoga retreat in Malpais on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica through Pura Vida Adventures.

Barefoot luxury accommodations at the beachfront resort are included, as is daily surf lessons, use of a surfboard and other necessary equipment, daily yoga sessions, three meals daily and one private massage. The adventure takes place May 7 to the 13 and is non-transferable. The total value of the package is $3,000, but does not include airfare.

Here's how you can enter:

Tags: coast+a+rica, coastarica, contest, Costa Rica, costa+rica+acomodations, costa+rica+yoga+surf, costaricaacomodations, costaricayogasurf, giveaway, giveaway+and+costa+rica, giveawayandcostarica, MyDaily, Pura Vida Adventures, surf+camp+and+yoga+giveaway, surfcampandyogagiveaway, surfing, travel, yoga, yoga+retreat, yogaretreat

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Louis Vuitton Launches First iPhone App

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Famed French luxury goods house Louis Vuitton has just launched Amble, designed to be the ultimate iPhone app for chic travelers. The Amble application, Vuitton's first, interacts with a dedicated Amble website, enabling travellers to prepare their luxe journey on their computer or iPad. According to the company, Amble is "an invitation to explore the world at a leisurely pace [and] make serendipitous discoveries", which you can then record on your iPhone in photo, video, audio or note format in the "My Amble" section of the application. The app draws on the treasure trove of information provided by the acclaimed Louis Vuitton City Guides.

Addresses are provided free with Amble for various cities covered by the guides, while the full Louis Vuitton City Guide content can be purchased from iTunes for selected cities. In addition, at any time users can click on the "Around Me" icon, an ergonomic interface using the GPS iPhone facilities, in order to discover places of interest near to their position. The app also offers users the opportunity to share their favourite "spots" along their journeys with their friends via email, Facebook or Twitter, as well as to submit them to Louis Vuitton, where they may be published on the website. Amble can now be downloaded free of charge from the Apple App Store.

Tags: app, Apple, apps, iPad, iPhone, Louis Vuitton, luggage, luxury goods, luxury travel, technology, travel

Wanderlust Festival Kicks Off at The Standard in Miami

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Wanderlust is one of the country's fastest growing festivals and its purpose is not only to bring yogis together with each other but also to provide premier nature and music experiences. This year the festival is expanding from just one event to several nationwide and will kick off at The Standard Spa at Miami Beach in Florida.

The festival consists of 4 days and 3 nights of yoga workshops taught by the nation's top instructors, access to The Standard's full range of therapeutic spa treatments, evenings full of musical inspiration from Bonobo and others, and of course lots of fresh air and sunshine. The season's opening festivities are scheduled for March 17th-20th and ticket packages start at $750 per person for the weekend.

Source
Source

Tags: miami, the standard, travel, wanderlust, yoga, yoga festival

Maine Magazine Launches 2011 Guide Books

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art, Books

Maine magazine, the stylish bible of "more than just lobsters and lighthouses", has debuted its 2011 guides to the best the Pine Tree State has to offer. This year in addition to the Eat Maine edition launched last year they've added Art Maine and Home Maine versions with help from sister publication Maine Home + Design. Indispensable for both visitors and natives alike, the pocket-sized booklets act as a Baedeker to the best in dining, decor and the arts around the beautiful northern and easternmost bit of New England. Of course they do list the best lobster rolls in the Eat edition but that's just the tip of the icecap. The guides are priced at $5.95 and come free to subscribers; alternatively they can be found at many Portland businesses and are also available from the magazine directly.

Tags: art, decor, dining, eat+maine+2011, eatmaine2011, guide, lobster, magazines, Maine, Maine Home + Design, Maine magazine, New England, travel

Vintage Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk for $22,500

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Vintage Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk for $22,500

A rare vintage Louis Vuitton steamer trunk from the 1900s, embodying the elegance and sophistication of a bygone era when traveling in style meant taking along every item of clothing you could possibly need, is being offered for sale via M.S. Rau Antiques in New Orleans for $22,500. Straight out of our favorite luxury book of the year, Louis Vuitton: 100 Legendary Trunks, the amazing piece of luxe luggage features the famed Vuitton monogram on its canvas-upholstered frame, one of the earliest examples of a now iconic style. Nearly 3.5 ft. wide and 2.5 ft. tall to facilitate the most meticulous packing, it features all original trim, including the marked metal latches, leather tags, beechwood slats and brass rivets. Vintage luxury hotel stickers from around the globe attest to its fascinating past and travels far and wide.

Tags: 1900s, antiques, Louis Vuitton, luggage, M.S. Rau Antiques, New Orleans, travel, trunk

BeautifulPlaces Adds Nantucket's Harborview Place to Luxury Portfolio

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

BeautifulPlaces, the international luxury villa hospitality and experiential travel company, is now exclusively representing Harborview Place, an enclave of prime real estate on Nantucket. "We are pleased to welcome Harborview Place into the BeautifulPlaces villa rental portfolio," says Patrick Smith, CEO and co-founder of BeautifulPlaces. "Nantucket was high on our guests' request list with its unique combination of historical significance, old world charm, exclusivity and modern luxury." Located on the waterfront just two blocks from Main Street and Straight Wharf and adjacent to a secluded beach, Harborview Place consists of ten private waterfront residences (above) which include five-star 'on island' amenities plus a dedicated concierge to see to guests' every need prior to their arrival and during their stay, including complimentary airport and ferry transfers, beach and boat services, spa appointments, and afternoon teas and events plus custom travel itineraries. Each of the traditionally-styled one – three bedroom residences in the compound has a distinctive personalized décor including top of the line kitchens and bathrooms, plasma TVs, wireless internet, iPod docking stations and more.

Tags: BeautifulPlaces, Harborview Place, luxury travel, Massachusetts, Nantucket, real estate, travel, villa

Luxist Giveaway: Atlas of Remote Islands Book

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

Many of the books that are offered to Luxist for giveaway are big lavish coffee table books with rich photography. We love those but there's also a lot to love about today's more modest tome too. Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky (Penguin Books) is magic in its own way, a fascinating compendium of 50 remote islands far from the mainland, from people, from airports and from the public eye. Schalansky gives each of these little treasures individual attention on a single page with an accompanying map. The result is a cross between a history lesson and a short story, full of spare poetry and fascinating historical details.

Some of the islands from Pitcairn Island (the place the Mutiny on the Bounty settlers chose to inhabit) to Easter Island are familiar, others, like Russia's Lonely Island or Mexico's Socorro Island are less known but no less worthy of exploration.

Schalansky's opening chapter is titled "Paradise Is An Island, So Is Hell" and the islands that the book covers range from tropical atolls to frozen, rocky spits of land. The author is a writer and designer who lives in Berlin and lectures on the fundamentals of typography. She not only wrote the text but designed and typeset the book, an act perhaps as solitary as a life lived on a remote island.

We are giving away one copy of this book. The book sells for $28 and we are giving away one copy to a reader chosen at random.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before January 18, 2011 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive a copy of Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky, which has a retail price of $28.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Tags: atlas of remote islands, islands, luxist giveaway, private islands, travel, travel books

Tory Burch Travel Socks - No More Barefooting Through TSA

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's disgusting, really. Despite paying outrageous prices for airfare, your luxury trip always includes padding in stockings or -- ew -- bare feet through TSA. Tory Burch, after gauging demand on Twitter, has invented a solution: Tory Burch Travel Socks. And they're pretty cute. Let's have a look and see if these are practical or just a gimmick.

It's certainly fun to open the bag. Like a care package on an international flight, the Tory Burch Travel Socks come in a neat little pouch, about 5" by 5", with a small, weighty goldtone clip, toggle and signature dangle. Would it be a pain to bring this pouch along on a flight? No. It squashes pretty flat, and if your carry-on is truly stuffed to the gills, you can just clip it to the strap.

Gallery: Tory Burch Travel Socks