Hyatt continues global expansion of Andaz hotels

by Melanie Nayer on

Hyatt’s boutique brand, Andaz, is climbing its way up the hotel chain and making an impact on travelers. The response to Andaz has been bountiful, so much so that Hyatt announced today the company will add three new Andaz properties in Sanya Sunny Bay, China; Delhi, India; and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

Andaz, which has only been operating for three years, is Hyatt’s new hotel concept that caters to the urban professional seeking a more trendy experience without luxury prices. The new international properties will join Andaz Liverpool Street, London, Andaz West Hollywood, Andaz Wall Street and Andaz San Diego, the soon-to-be-opened Andaz 5th Avenue New York; Andaz Austin, Texas; Andaz Amsterdam; and Andaz Papagayo, Costa Rica.

The 183-room Andaz Sanya Sunny Bay will be the first Andaz property to feature a resort community. It’s located on the southern oceanside of China’s Hainan Island, and will stand next to the 196-room Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay and branded villas. Andaz Sanya Sunny Bay will offer five restaurants, as well as a 2,500-square-foot ballroom and three meeting rooms. The hotel will share a variety of amenities with Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay, including a Spa Village featuring an outdoor swimming pool, beach club, fitness center, extensive spa facilities and treatment rooms, as well as a restaurant, tea house, and bakery.Andaz Delhi is scheduled to open its 323-rooms and 118 Andaz-branded apartments in 2013. The hotel will feature a variety of amenities including a lounge, theme bar, two restaurants, spa, and fitness center. Additionally, the property will offer a 7,000-square-foot ballroom and seven meeting rooms. This will be Andaz’s first project in India.

The last of the three new properties, the 170-room Andaz Turks and Caicos, will open in 2014 and will include approximately 76 Andaz-branded condominium residences and three villas which owners can choose to place into an Andaz-managed rental program. The hotel will feature a variety of amenities including several restaurants, an outdoor pool, spa and fitness center. Additionally, the property will offer several options for events and meetings, including five Andaz Studios, two trellised courtyards, an event gallery, and a studio display kitchen. The hotel, which will be developed by the Cloisters Group, will be located approximately 15 minutes by car from Providenciales International Airport.

Luxury gone wild: Top treehouse hotels around the world

by Melanie Nayer on

Who said luxury was limited only inside four walls? In the backyard of hotels and resorts we frequent around the world are miles of lush landscapes just waiting to be explored and slept in. Look up the next time you’re walking through the woods and imagine a space in that tall tree, complete with all the amenities you would find at home.

Treehouses are treasures that embrace our childhood and indulge our adventurous side, and they have a lot more to offer than a bird’s nest and an old carpet from your Mom’s garage. Below are some of the most unique treehouse hotels around the world worth exploring… are you game?

Parrot Nest Lodge, Belize: Spend the night under a 100-foot guanacste tree in a thatched treehouse in Parrot Nest Lodge. Surrounded on three sides by the Mopan River, you’ll watch fireflies swarm at eye level and make friends with a few parrots from your hammock on the porch of the tree. Make sure you have plenty of battery life in your camera – the Parrot Nest Lodge is one of the best places to play with the wildlife that inhabits the exotic gardens on the grounds. The best part? It’s only $40 a night for double occupancy and children under 12 stay free. www.parrot-nest.com

Tree Houses of Hana, Maui: These tree-top rooms are pretty basic, but if you’re looking for rustic romance they’re worth the climb. The rooms in these trees lack electricity (read: candles set the mood) and when the sun goes down, tiki torches and candles light the way through the wooded path to your secluded treehouse. Treetops, House of the August Moon and Pavillion all provide guests with ocean views and camp-style in-tree kitchens. This cost of this adventure will cost you $120 per night. hanalani.maui.netThe Aviary, Lenox, Massachusetts: Not your typical treehouse, The Aviary is a two-level suite with a private covered terrace located on 22 acres of parkland in the Berkshire Mountains. The “treehouse” comes complete with a living rooms, antique soaking tub, and a full entertainment system. The circular stairs lead you to the second floor sleeping room ‘in the trees’. The lap of luxury in the woods will cost you $2100 a night, but it’s sure to be the best time you’ve ever had in a treehouse. www.wheatleigh.com

Tranquil Resort, Wayanad, Kerala, India: Imagine waking up to the smells of vanilla wafting through the air and coffee beans roasting in the sun. The 500-square-foot treehouse at Tranquil Resort is set on a private 400-acre estate complete with a working coffee and vanilla plantation, meant to relax and rejuvenate. The treehouse is set 35-feet off the ground and come with king-sized beds, full baths, and a veranda. Insect screens protect you from the outside elements and if you get bored of the panoramic view of the estate, you can turn on the TV or pop in a DVD, conveniently wired in the tree. Nightly rates were unavailable on the website, but you can email the resort directly for information. www.tranquilresort.com/treehouse.html

Tree House Lodge, Limón, Costa Rica: Located on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica lies a small eco-lodge with four treehouses on pristine ocean-front property. A true mesh of nature and harmony, the treehouses are located in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge and feature solar heating, two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a shower. To add to the ambiance of these wooden digs, you access your treehome via a hanging steel bridge. Access to the bridge. Rates start at $300 a night. www.costaricatreehouse.com

Photo of the Day (4.15.10)

by Kent Wien on

Leave it to Max Waugh, a.k.a. fiznatty on Flickr to capture a shot of an animal I’ve never come across. It’s a tamandua, a species of ant eater native to Costa Rica.

Max describes the encounter:

I was very excited to have an opportunity to photograph a tamandua again. It’s one of the first animals I saw back in 2005 and that encounter was very brief. This lovely girl stayed up in the trees, but out in the open, for quite a while (long enough to even get some video). The tamandua is one of Costa Rica’s three anteater species… I’ll let you guess what the giant claw and big snout are for.

It’s worth taking a look at some of the amazing shots Max has collected over the years. He’s one of our most popular contributors to the Photo of the Day at Gadling.

Are you a Flickr user who’d like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!

Gadlinks for Thursday, 1.28.2010

by Katie Hammel on

The weekend is almost here! Are you headed anywhere fun? I’m off to sunny Puerto Rico to escape Chicago’s latest cold snap. Here are a few bonus travel stories to keep you dreaming of warmer days.

  • Winter in the northern hemisphere means summer in Buenos Aires. If you’re headed down south, here are a few places to gorge yourself silly, courtesy of Matador writer Tom Gates. [via Matador Nights]
  • Nothing says summer like the sight of tan surfers catching some waves. How does a pro surfer globe-trot? Find out with BootsnAll’s How I Travel profile of surfer Holly Beck. [via BootsnAll]

More Gadlinks HERE.

Win a free trip to Costa Rica from Nomadic Matt and Gap Adventures

by Katie Hammel on

Globetrotting blogger Nomadic Matt took his very first international trip to Costa Rica with Gap Adventures back in 2003. Ever since then, he’s been traveling the world, blogging about his adventures and teaching others how to make money from their own blogs. Now he’s paying his success forward, and awarding one of his lucky readers a free two-week trip to Costa Rica with Gap Adventures.

The winner will go on the Gap Adventures Costa Rica Explorer Tour that departs on March 28. The trip includes stops in Tortuguero, at Arenal Volcano, Monteverde and Manual Antonio National Park. Most breakfasts and a few lunches and dinners are included, but the winner will be responsible for other meals and activities not included on the tour. Airfare is covered in the prize, and the winner does not need to be from the United States.

The winner does have a few responsibilities though, other than just going on a pretty sweet (and almost totally free) trip. You will need to blog about your adventures both on the trip and afterwards, reflecting on the experiences had and the lessons learned. But don’t worry, Matt will be there to help you out with a blog set-up and tutorial. You will need a computer, digital camera or video camera though, and for that, you’re on your own.

So how do you win? You can check out the full list of instructions on Nomadic Matt’s website, but the gist is that you’ll need to write a 500-word blog post or create a 90-second video explaining why you want the trip and what you hope to get out of it. The top 50 entries will be voted on by the public, narrowed down to a field of ten, and then chosen by Matt and a panel.

You must enter by February 14th, and you need to be 18 year of age or older to win.