winners-summer-travel

Il San Pietro di Positano Wins Luxist's Editors' Choice Award for Best in Summer Travel

At the famous Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in 2006, the Queen of England traipsed through a garden of hibiscus and bougainvillea inspired by the terraces of Italy's Il San Pietro di Positano-and liked what she saw.

"The Queen appreciated the display at the flower show, but has never been at the San Pietro," says the hotel's Lorenzo Saprio. "Her sister, Princess Margaret, was a frequent visitor."

Fortunately for the rest of the world, that experience can also be enjoyed by people who aren't members of the British royal family. Perched on the cliffs above the bay of Postitano with sweeping views of the town John Steinbeck once described as "a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone," Il San Pietro di Positano is our pick for the Editors' Choice Award in Best Summer Travel.

The hotel features 61 rooms hewn into the rock, each with its own spectacular view and unparalleled privacy. A staff of 127 people buzzes about the resort, looking after guests as they stroll from orchid-filled lobby to dichondra-decked terrace, spacious swimming pool to state-of-the-art fitness center, all the way down to an umbrella-dotted sun deck set just a few feet above the rocky shore.

Gallery: Hotel Il San Pietro di Positano

Tags: amalfi, amalfi coast, awards-main, Carlo Cinque, Il San Pietro di Positano, Italy, luxist-awards, michelin guide, michelin stars, Queen of England, resorts, San Pietro di Positano, winners-summer-travel

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Sea Cloud Cruises Wins the Luxist Award for Best Summer Cruise

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

Sea Cloud's luxury cruise to Turkey and Greece

Some 2,500 years ago, the warm waters between Greece and what is now Turkey were filled with the warring fleets of Persia's King Xerxes and his Greek foes. These days, the ships sailing through the Aegean are of a much more peaceful variety-none more majestic than the vessels of Sea Cloud Cruises, the winner of the Luxist award in the best summer cruise category.

One of Sea Cloud's most popular itineraries takes guests from Athens through the Greek Isles to Turkey and back again. The eight-day trip includes stops at Delos, an entire island designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site; Rhodes, where the Palace of the Grand Master still stands; and Bodrum, the Turkish town that was once home to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the original seven wonders of the world.

Gallery: Sea Cloud Cruises

Cruising the Greek Isles and Turkey with Sea Cloud

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Triple Creek Ranch Wins The Luxist Award for Best Adventure Getaway

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Triple Creek Ranch is nominated for a Luxist Award for Best Adventure Getaway

Nestled high in the spectacular Montana Rockies, Triple Creek Ranch is the winner of the Luxist Awards Readers Choice Award in the Best Adventure Getaway category.

Located in Darby on the pine forested slope of Western Montana's highest mountain known as "Bitterroot", Triple Creek Ranch boasts all of the finest amenities one would expect from a luxury resort. The 600-acre property offers a world-class restaurant featuring international cuisine and an extensive wine cellar. Facilities include a fitness center, heated outdoor swimming pool, tennis, putting green, horsehoe pits, private or nearby hot tubs and rooms equipped with wood-burning fireplaces and wet bars fully stocked with complimentary soft drinks and spirits. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, house wines and house cocktails are included in the nightly rate. They'll even pack you a complimentary picnic lunch, should you request one.

Gallery: Triple Creek Ranch, Montana

Triple Creek Ranch in the Montana Rockies

But what sets this resort apart from so many others are the countless outdoor activities from which to choose. Love to horseback? Fly fish? Hike? Mountain bike? At Triple Creek Ranch, you can ride and fish to your heart's content, as these activities are among many that are included in the nightly rate. Fly-casting clinics, nature and birding tours, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowshoeing are also offered as part of the nightly rate.

Nearby activities that may involve an additional fee, but can be arranged by the hotel, include cattle drives, Lewis & Clark Trail Rides, scenic float trips, steelhead fishing, summer trout fly fishing and spin casting on the Salmon River, ATV rides, helicopter tours of nearby Glacier Park and Yellowstone Park, mountain biking, golf and whitewater rafting.

In 2011 Cabin rates will range from $750 per night (double occupancy) for an open floor plan cabin to $2,495 per night (double occupancy) for a spectacular 3,600 square foot three-bedroom, three-bath cabin. There's an additional charge of $350 per person for more than two people in the two and three bedroom cabins. Triple Creek Ranch is designed for adults, but does allow children ages 16 and older.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Triple Creek Ranch at (406) 821-4600 or email at info@triplecreekranch.com.

Tags: adventure activities, adventure travel, adventure-outdoors, adventure-travel, awards-main, luxist-awards, Montana, Montana Rockies, Triple Creek Ranch, winners-summer-travel

Grace Bay Club Wins the Luxist Award for Best Beach Hotel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Located on the celebrated Grace Bay, which is well-known for its award-winning beaches, the Grace Bay Club in the Turks and Caicos is the winner of a Luxist Awards Readers' Choice Award for Best Beach Hotel.

The 11-acre Grace Bay Club boasts 1,100 feet of beach frontage, the largest of any resort in this Caribbean resort destination. The calm, reef-protected turquoise waters are an excellent destination for sailing, and the area's shallow reefs offer great snorkeling. The scuba diving is some of the best in the Caribbean. The coral formation, rich marine life and year-round warm water combine to create a sought-after diving location. The local deep-sea fishing is celebrated in the Caribbean. Tuna, Atlantic blue marlin and sailfish are among some of the most popular catches. The resort also has a selection of heated swimming pools.

Gallery: The Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos

Tags: awards-main, Best Beach Hotel, grace bay, Grace Bay Club, Grace Bay Resorts, luxist-awards, Turks Caicos, winners-summer-travel

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Kona Village Resort Wins the Luxist Award for Best Luxury Family Vacation

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Children

Kona Village Resort, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is the winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Award for Best Luxury Family Vacation. The pristine resort features serene lagoons surrounded by lush, tropical landscaping as well as dramatic, surreal, black lava cliffs that plunge to meet the ocean.

Guests stay in thatched roof hales (Polynesian-inspired bungalows) on 82 oceanfront acres. No televisions, telephones, radios, air conditioners are there to distract. Coconuts supplant traditional "no disturb" signs,

Included in the guest rate are all daily meals, an award-winning, traditional Hawaiian luau and activities from snorkeling and tennis, to lei-making, stargazing and fishing the traditional way with bamboo poles.

Water-based activities include an Outrigger Canoe Program in which guests learn to paddle a canoe, Hawaiian-style. A Wiwo'ole Ribcraft Adventure is available for seasonal whale watching as well as cruises to hidden snorkeling sites with Scooters (dive propulsion vehicles). There's also standup paddleboarding, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, and SCUBA diving (scuba dive instruction and certification programs are available as Kona Village is a PADI certified resort).

Gallery: Kona Village Resort, Hawaii

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San Pietro di Positano Wins the Luxist Award for Best International Summer Destination

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The writer John Steinbeck once described Positano, Italy, as "a dream place that isn't quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone." Fortunately for well-heeled travelers, the town is quite real-and the San Pietro di Positano hotel offers lodging worthy of a Luxist Awards Readers' Choice Award in the best international summer destination category.

San Pietro was founded in 1970 by Carlo "Carlino" Cinque. Carlino had been in the hospitality business since opening a smaller hotel in the heart of Positano at the age of 23, all the way back in 1934. He chose San Pietro's location for its enviable position high in the coastal hills above Positano, all visible from a 423 square meter terrace accessible to the inhabitants of the resort's 33 rooms.

Gallery: Hotel Il San Pietro di Positano

San Pietro di Positano quickly became the premier hotspot for glamorous visitors to the Amalfi Coast. Over the decades, high-profile guests have included Barbara Streisand, Sting and Julia Roberts; Keith Richards and Mick Jagger reportedly wrote the song "Midnight Rambler" while vacationing in Positano.

Tags: amalfi coast, awards-main, best international summer destination, Luxist-Awards, San Pietro di Positano, winners-summer-travel

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The Nominees For The Best in Summer Travel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Yachts of Seabourn's Fabled Far East Cruise

Best Adventure Getaway
The first nominee offers an unforgettable trekking experience in Bhutan while the second offers an unparalleled safari in East Africa. The third nominee is located in one of the world's finest unspoiled havens, while the fourth features elephants in their natural habitat. The final nominee, located in the Montana Rockies, is known for its outdoor sports, from fishing to horseback riding.

Amankora Resort: Trekking in Bhutan
East African Safari with Abercrombie & Kent
Phinda Private Game Reserve
Savute Elephant Camp by Orient-Express
Montana's Triple Creek Ranch

Best Beachside Hotel
The first nominee is where to go when in search of a peaceful sanctuary while the second nominee is a tropical haven with a relaxed pace. The third nominee is located in a secluded natural sanctuary while the fourth offers an award-winning beach. The last nominee offers a beachside location that is idyllic and unspoiled.

Amanpuri Resort, Phuket, Thailand
Four Seasons Resort, Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo
Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos
The Oberoi, Mauritius

Best International Summer Destination
The first nominee is one of the world's most glamorous destinations while the second one was once the home of the Ottoman Sultans. The third nominee is the premier hot spot on the Amalfi Coast while the fourth offers chauffeured-driven tours of the Tuscan wine country. The final nominee offers a once-in-a-lifetime trip from Venice to Istanbul aboard one of the world's most luxurious trains.

Hotel Santa Caterina, Amalfi Coast
Kempinski's Ciragan Palace, Istanbul
San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast
Tuscany Wine Tours
Venice Simplon Orient-Express Train

Best Luxury Family Vacation
The first nominee offers a luxurious barge cruise through Burgandy while the second offers an armchair safari suitable for the whole family. The third nominee is where families go for Scottish outdoor pursuits from falconry to golf. The fourth nominee is considered to be the jewel of Maui while the final nominee is unplugged and unpretentious.

Abercrombie & Kent's River Barge Cruise in Burgundy
Ebony Lodge, Singita Game Reserves
Gleneagles, Scotland
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel, Maui
Kona Village Resort, Hawaii

Best Summer Cruise
The first nominee offers an unforgettable cruise through the fabled Far East while the second nominee is the way to experience the Greek Isles and Turkey in complete luxury. The third nominee is an expedition to see the ice bears upclose while the fourth nominee takes its passengers down the Nile in style.

Fabled Far East Cruise by The Yachts of Seabourn
Greek Isles and Turkey Cruise by Sea Cloud Cruises
Land of the Ice Bear Cruise by Lindblad Expeditions & National Geographic
Oberoi Zahra Luxury Nile Cruiser: Down the Nile in Style
Mediterreanean Luxury Cruise on Cunard's Queen Mary 2

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Amalfi Coast, Amanpuri, awards-main, Cunard, Ebony Lodge, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo, Gleneagles, Grace Bay Club, Grand Wailea, Hotel Santa Caterina, Kempinski, Kona Village, Lindblad Expeditions, luxist-awards, National Geographic, Oberoi Mauritius, Oberoi Zahra, Phinda, Queen Mary 2, San Pietro di Positano, Savute, Sea Cloud, Tuscany, Venice Simplon Orient-Express, wine tours, winners-summer-travel, Yachts of Seabourn