Daily Pampering: The Curtain Bluff Babymoon

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Pregnancy is already challenging enough, especially if you’re a first-timer. Moms- and dads-to-be alike need a break from the doctor’s appointments, planning and anxiety that come with bringing a new life into the world. So, when you measure the future in centimeters (you’ll get it if you’re expecting) instead of miles, it’s hard to imagine getting on a plane, regardless of how attractive the destination is.

Before pampering takes on a new meaning – and it will – book a babymoon to Curtain Bluff. The resort, located in Antigua, takes all the thinking out of your vacation, thanks to the all-inclusive pricing. Reserve your stay and your flight, and then just show up. Sleep comfortably in your junior suite (while sleeping is still an option), and have dinner on your balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Sprawl out in the sand, get on a boat or take a swim. Enjoy the last days of pre-parental life with each other.

The spa at Curtain Bluff has prenatal treatments, so be sure to book at least one trip to this den of luxury while you’re in Antigua. The massages are unbeatable, and the skilled professionals know how to navigate both male and female bodies, pregnant and otherwise.

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Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Hotel comparison site Trivago picks the top ten Valentine’s day hotels in Europe

by Scott Carmichael on

Our friends at hotel comparison site Trivago always manage to send us timely articles on European hotels. Take for example this list of the top ten romantic Valentine’s day hotels.

The lineup has some of the best kept secrets, including a small luxury hotel next door to Buckingham Palace, a renovated millhouse in the French Dordogne and a quaint hotel overlooking the Italian Umbria. Here are the top ten hotels, as picked by Trivago:

  1. Hotel 41, London
  2. Hotel Gródek, Krakow
  3. Villa Contessa, Bad Saarow
  4. Moulin d’Abbaye, Brantome (France)
  5. Amfitriti Paradosiakos Xenonas, Nafplio (Greece)
  6. Hotel The Pand, Bruges
  7. Il Cantico della Natura, Magione (Italy)
  8. Villa Carona, Carona (Switzerland)
  9. Ca’n Simó, Alcudia (Majorca)
  10. Santini Residence, Prague

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Paris preparing for Hotel Le Seven

by Melanie Nayer on

To know me is to know I love Paris. I love the vibe of the City of Light, the shopping on St-Germain-des-Pres, the nightlife in Montmartre, fresh baguettes and brie from the pâtisserie, afternoon espressos in Luxembourg Gardens and evening cocktails at the Plaza Athenee. I love strolling back to my hotel under the gas lights that guide the way through the city and watching people fall in love on the street at any moment.

One of the best things about Paris are the city’s various hotels, at various prices, in every neighborhood for every type of traveler. I’ve stayed in national chains and 10-room boutiques and every time I go back to Paris I find a new place to stay. One by the Five is one of Paris’ more outrageous hotels, and one of our top hotels for not-so-adventurous adventure travelers thanks to its floating beds and retro-design. Imagine my excitement when I learned that The Five was opening a sister hotel, Le Seven, this March.

Our friends at HotelChatter.com got wind of the hotel opening and the descriptions sound delightful. Apparently, Le Seven is taking a page from le minds of women and creating a le scene that adds a little fantasy into drab hotel rooms:

“The Black Diamond Suite: Entirely black, a blend of materials, a glimmer of diamonds and mirrors in the entire suite, feel like you were in a diamond. The dark and shimmering feel of satin and crystal activates the senses and the rest is in your hands.
The Marie Antoinette suite: What would Marie-Antoinette’s room look like today? A large bed in padded white leather with pink glass shelves and a domed ceiling painted with a sky, from which a modern crystal chandelier, a large padded bench in the lounge, with crystal in the bathroom and pink fiberoptic lights.
The Sublime Suite: Dedicated to women, all in the soft tones and all white like a large cloud with curves and lighting to accentuate those curves. A large round bed with little droplets of light coming down from the ceiling.
The 007 Suite: With a series of 007 gadgets and a masculine feel. An oversized TV with all the James Bond movies available to you. A steambath shower to relax after an intense day.”

The hotel’s Facebook page also notes an Alice in Wonderland Suite, where “pillows and chairs looking like they come from another world, maybe because they do.” (I love the foreshadowing).

Rumor around the arrondissements is that the hotel will open in April and room rates start at 197 Euros a night.

Omni to launch new luxury brand of hotels

by Melanie Nayer on

Move over Marriott and Hyatt, Omni wants to share some space. Seems the big-hotel-chain-turned-small-boutique-brand concept is taking off and Omni Hotels is jumping on the bandwagon – Omni’s new luxury hotel brand, Mokara, will open this April in San Antonio.

The Watermark Hotel & Spa is being branded as the first in Omni Hotel & Resorts’ new line of luxury hotels. Watermark is one of San Antonio’s most recognized hotels, and the folks at Omni say the rebranding and new Mokara name will only help drive more guests to San Antonio. We’ll watch and see what happens…

While limited details are available right now, we’ll keep a close eye on Omni’s new concept and how it fares next to Marriott’s Autograph Collection and Hyatt’s Andaz properties.%Gallery-73514%

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Four Seasons auctioning off front-row rooms for Olympics

by Annie Scott on

The Four Seasons Whistler has 6 exclusive rooms and suites at their lovely, Vancouver-adjacent mountain resort up for auction on charitybuzz.com to raise funds for The Birds Nest Foundation.

The Birds Nest Foundation is “a charitable corporation and visual media production company dedicated to supporting philanthropic efforts. Birds Nest provides multimedia services for fund raising and to increase awareness and understanding of non-profit organizations.”

If supporting philanthropic efforts isn’t enough of a reason for you to bid, how about a complimentary Sea-to-Sky highway permit for getting to the games? The Four Seasons Whistler also happens to be the Official Host Mountain Resort for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, so you’re certain to be surrounded by excitement and celebration — as well as athletes and officials. All alpine, Nordic and sliding events will be held at the resort. It’s going to be that awesome.

Need we mention FS Whistler’s gas-burning fireplaces, private bars, guest powder rooms, and deep-soaking tubs? There’s also a first-rate spa and the Fifty-Two 80 Bistro, which will be hosting Olympic Buffet Dinners from February 12 through 28 for guests to dine together and watch the day’s events on large flat-screen televisions.

Bidding for these once-in-a-lifetime mutli-day to week-long experiences starts at $1,000, and the packages are valued at up to $21,600. Some don’t even have an opening bid placed, so hurry to charitybuzz and bid!

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