Family Package at Naples, FL Ritz makes luxury attainable

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I love the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. I spent a weekend down there just shy of a year ago, and it’s become my mission in life to get back there. Until that happens, though, you may ant to see it for yourself. Even if you don’t play golf (personally, I hate the game), there is plenty to enjoy.

The Family Summer Package, which starts at $239 a night, is available from the first day of May to the last of October this year, and it comes with enough perks to make that seem like pocket change. In addition to the roof over your head, you’ll get breakfast for four, a free kids’ menu meal with each adult entrée you purchase, a $50 resort credit and a $50 gift card which is good at the resort’s retail shops. A similar packages is available at the golf resort’s sister property (which is on the beach) for $299 a night.

I know … free meal offers make me skeptical, too. What do you get? At the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, you’ll have breakfast at Lemonia, which, I assure you, is outstanding. Also, make sure you get over to the spa at the beach resort. I received the best massage of my life there as part of the Elements treatment. Don’t miss it.

While you hit the links (36 holes in total), your kids can take advantage of the Nature’s Wonders program, which is on the beach resort property. It’s an environmentally-focused program that is conducted by a team of certified Master Naturalists who can give some great insights on Florida wildlife. The Ritz-Carlton does take its environmental seriously, as I found while participating in the “Giveback Getaway” program last summer.

If you need to dash off for a few days this summer, the Family Summer Package gives you an affordable option to have an upscale experience. My only hope is that I get back there before you do (I miss the place).

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Eco-Travel Toolkit

by Neil Woodburn on

Now that green is hip and cool, eco-friendly travel has appropriately transformed itself from hippy yurt farms to eco-luxury resorts that help save the planet while also coddling guests with comfort and style.

But that’s not all. Sustainable travel now encompasses the entire travel industry. This is hardly a surprise; those that express an interest in seeing the greater world, tend to also possess the desire to help protect it.

One of the better resources I’ve come across recently to help conscientious travelers seek out the greenest and healthiest travel alternatives is the Eco-Travel Toolkit published in Plenty Magazine (tagline: It’s easy being green).

The Eco-Travel Toolkit breaks green travel down into six categories; Where to Stay, Green Getaways, Up & Coming Destinations, Where NOT to Go, Getting There, and Seals of Approval. Each category is loaded with a bevy of links pointing green travelers in the right “Al Gore” direction–such as towards the very “first five-star green lodge” near Petra, Jordan (due to open in 2009).

While green travel isn’t for everyone, there will come the day that travelers may accidentally find themselves staying in a green lodge without actually knowing it. In the meantime, you may want to check out the Eco-Travel Toolkit and help edge things along.

How many New Yorkers does it take change a light bulb?

by Brett Atkinson on

Probably more than one if we’re talking about the the new energy efficient bulbs being installed on the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s estimated that the new bulbs will save a whopping 24 tons of greenhouse gases per year.

Not to be outdone, the Rockerfeller Center Christmas tree this year will be illuminated with30,000 sparkling LEDs (that’s Light Emitting Diodes if you were away from school that day…).

This is all worhy stuff, but I hope it doesn’t lead to a general decline of glamourous lights in Gotham. Forget the great works of art and literarure. I seriously reckon that a zenith of our species’ time so far on this terrestrial rock is the Manhattan skyline after dark.

Top 10 Green hotels, according to Travel + Leisure

by Martha Edwards on

Everyone seems to be making the effort to go green lately, and if you’re not, you should be. The tourism industry is no exception — hotels are trying to clean up their impact on the environment, and many are doing more than just leaving a sign in the bathroom asking you to keep your used towels.

And with this focus on everything green, a number of hotels are popping up that are environmentally friendly without compromising luxury. Travel + Leisure recently put together a list of the top 10 green hotels in the world. Here’s what made the list:

  1. Spice Island Beach Resort, Grenada
  2. Sonveva Fushi Resort & Six Senses Spa, Maldives
  3. Tiamo, Bahamas
  4. Whitepod, Switzerland
  5. Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado
  6. Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania
  7. Adrere Amellal, Egypt
  8. Campi Ya Kanzi, Kenya
  9. Hotel Mocking Bird Hill, Jamaica
  10. Tenuta Di Spannocchia, Siena, Italy

So I say, next time you’re taking a trip, do something good for the environment and stay at one of these luxury hotels. It’s money well spent, don’t you think? To find out why each made the list, check out this article.

Travel trends for ’08 from TripAdvisor

by Martha Edwards on

2007 was a good year for travel. Well, at least it was for me — I managed to take 9 weeks off to travel, went to two countries I’ve never been before, crossed the equator twice and spent a large chunk of time beach-hopping. But it’s not all about me, is it? How was 2007 in terms of travel for you? Or in general?

Oh, forget that. 2007 is nearly over and it’s time to move on to 2008. In honour of the coming of the new year, Trip Advisor has put together a list of travel trends we can expect to see in 2008. In particular, we can expect to see a push towards ‘green’ travel. And the environment won’t be the only concern for travellers — germs rank high on the list, so there will also be a push towards clean travel.

Want to find out more about what to expect to see in ’08? Click here.