2013’s Top Luxury Travel Trends And Destinations

by McLean Robbins on

Want to know where to go and what to do in 2013? Leading luxury travel network Virtuoso has released their 2013 Luxe Report, revealing the top travel trends and destinations for 2013, as chosen by their travel advisers.

We’re seeing a number of new destinations emerge as must-visits, including Myanmar, Bhutan and Chile, lesser-developed destinations that give a more immersive experience than a traditional luxury vacation. Cuba and Vietnam are also high on the list of emerging areas.

Cruising, both ocean and river, as well as multi-generational travel remain strong trends as well.

In terms of destinations, Italy remains a top international spot, as well as South Africa, France, Australia and Argentina.

Domestically, Napa Valley /Sonoma claim the top spot as the most sought after U.S. destination, bumping both Maui and New York from their touted positions. While Las Vegas remains on the list, the city now shares an unlikely fourth place juxtaposed with the state of Alaska. Families will visit Italy, Costa Rica, England and Mexico, the study finds, while couples will consider Italy, French Polynesia, France, Bali and Fiji.

As in past reports, the motivation behind high-end travel continues to be: seeking authentic experiences in new destinations; rest and relaxation; personal enrichment; seeking adventure; and spending time or reconnecting with loved ones – again, supporting the emerging destinations as well as emphasizing multigenerational travel as one of the biggest trends for 2013.

The 2013 Report also predicts there will be a rise in longer trips (eight days and longer) to international destinations and suggests that when necessary, travelers are willing to book lower room categories in order to stay in nicer hotels.

Travel advisors still continue to be the lead influencer in determining their clients’ travel decisions, followed closely by input from friends and family, which shows that crowd-sourcing will continue to factor into the travel planning process. Meanwhile, Business Class is still the preferred way to fly, with Economy Plus gaining popularity as more airlines introduce and expand this on-board product.

What do you think? Will you be visiting any of these destinations in 2013?

[Image Credit: eGuide Travel]

How Washington’s Hotels Are Readying For Inauguration: Our Favorite Luxury Packages

by McLean Robbins on

Election day has come and passed, but hotels in Washington are still racing the clock to ready their hotels for inauguration on January 20. We reported earlier on what hotels in the area are doing to freshen up, but now we’re telling you which properties are going to go all out with posh packages for guests.

Here are a few of our favorites, ranked in order of price.

Putting on the Ritz (Carlton)
The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC is offering an exclusive “Access Washington” package for high-rolling guests. The $100,000 price tag includes four nights in a luxury suite, round-trip first class domestic airfare for two, a private fitting for designer inaugural wear, special behind-the-scenes tours, a cupcake decorating class from cult favorite shop Georgetown Cupcake, a one-of-a-kind diamond and ruby pin from jeweler Ann Hand, gifts each night and a special dinner, the value of which will be donated to a local charity.

More Than a Fair Deal
No expense will be spared for the Fairmont’s “President and First Lady” during their visit to Fairmont Washington, DC for inauguration. This package also tops the price list at $100,000, but includes a fair-ly awesome array of amenities, including four nights in the Presidential Suite, Fairmont Gold floor access, and two “Presidential Detail Agents” to assist and consult with guests throughout their stay. Other perks include use of a 7 series BMW with driver, a $5,000 Shopping Spree at SAKS Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase with personal shopper, champagne, and lunch, a visit to “First Ladies Exhibit at The Smithsonian,” daily in-room breakfast, in-room hair styling, a private makeup consult and application, a midnight buffet for up to 20 after any inaugural balls, and matching Rolex watches for the “President” and “First Lady.” The completely pet-friendly package also includes perks for the “first dog” if you’d like to bring along Fido or Fifi.

P.O.T.U.S Worthy Pampering
The Mandarin Oriental’s “P.O.T.U.S.” (Presiding Over The Ultimate Suite) Package ($15,000 per night) features four nights in the three-bedroom Presidential Suite, the largest suite in the city. In addition to panoramic views, guests will enjoy 24/7 butler service, house car use, a keepsake amenity, and the option to host a private dinner at CityZen, the city’s only AAA five-star restaurant, for up to 80 people.Getting Glam at the Park Hyatt
Stay in style for the weekend of inauguration at the Park Hyatt Washington, DC. The $57,000, four-night package includes four nights in the hotel’s presidential suite, daily turn-down amenities, chauffeur-driven, round-trip, airport transfers and daily sedan transportation, a private Kennedy Center tour, spa treatments, a handcrafted American rocking chair and much more. To add a fashionable element to the package, guests will enjoy a custom styling session from Saks Fifth Avenue to include clothing for the entirety of their stay as well as to personalize the room itself with a variety of home goods. Guests will also enjoy a cheese tasting party for 12 from the hotel’s cheese specialist, including wine and selected accompaniments. All meals are included for the duration of the stay, including a private chef’s table in Blue Duck Tavern for up to 12 one evening and daily in-room or restaurant breakfasts. A donation will also be made on behalf of the guest to the U.S.O.

Go A-List at AKA
Also honoring the 57th inaugural with a $57,000 package is AKA Washington DC. The over-the-top package includes occupying the entire penthouse floor with a seven-night stay in two, one-bedroom suites and two, two-bedroom suites (total occupancy of 12 people), which comes with 1,100 square-feet of outdoor terrace space to enjoy memorable views. Guests also enjoy a 24/7 on-call butler and driver, a two-hour cocktail party for up to 25 with open bar and appetizers, a fully stocked fridge and welcome grocery package, 12 robes and daily breakfast served en-suite for up to 12 people.

Presidential Style at The Jefferson
This intimate 99-room hotel is just four blocks from the White house. During the week of inauguration, The Jefferson is offering a four-night minimum stay ($950-$8,500 per night) that includes daily breakfast for two, an on-call concierge assistant, access to the Neiman Marcus satellite store in the St. Regis for evening gowns and suits and gifts including a silk and cashmere scarf, sea salt caramels and a large graphite writing quill.

[Image Credit: Mandarin Oriental Washington DC Presidential Suite Dining Room]

Powerball Winner Travel Options

by Chris Owen on

The nation’s multi-state Powerball lottery is up to $425 million for Wednesday night’s drawing, the largest jackpot ever. Would-be winners have dreams of financial freedom, never working again for the rest of their lives and more. Odds are, travel may be one of the options the big winner will choose. With a cash value of $278 million, that’s a lot of travel. But just what will $278 million buy?

Aircraft-
At a cost of $206 million, the winner could buy one Boeing 787 Dreamliner and have millions leftover for a flight crew and operating expenses. Don’t want to blow so much on a jet? Choose a 737 for as little as $74.8 million.

Looking for more adventure? How about a F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet for $150 million.

Cruise of a lifetime-
At an average cost of $1000 per person, per week, if the winner is an avid cruiser, they could sail with a dozen friends on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas for over 70 years.

Bump that up to destination-immersive Azamara Club Cruises on an itinerary that takes the winner and his happy dozen friends around the world, and sail for over 20 years in ultra luxury.

Road trip of a lifetime, with friends-
Fancy a luxury road trip? At about $9 million each, the winner and about 30 friends could drive solid gold Rolls-Royce Phantom’s.

Or leave the friends behind and drive your gold Rolls-Royce to any one of 19 four to seven-story hotels you could build along the way.

Better yet, buy 14,000 of your closest friends a new Toyota Prius for $19,950 eachBuy an Island-
Tikina-I-Ra is a 10,000-acre, private island for sale in the South Pacific for just a bit over $11 million.

“One of the largest freehold estates in the Fiji Islands, this property is in pristine condition,” says Private Islands Online, adding, “With ocean frontage to the North, West, and South, the island enjoys approximately 25 kilometres of coastline.”

Talk about adventure-
Adventure travelers too would do well as winners.

Experiences of a Lifetime from TCS & Starquest Expeditions would take you by private jet to eight countries. Camping under the stars in India’s Great Thar Desert, gorilla trekking in Rwanda and elephant trekking in Thailand runs about $68,000 per person for a 23-day tour. You could bring 200 of your friends and do it for a year.

Feeling like there could be a better use for your half billion in winnings?

Feeding all the hungry people on the planet, your prize would not go far. Worldwide, 852 million people are hungry, up from 842 million a year ago.


[Photo by Flickr user live w mcs]

Holiday Gifts: Over-The-Top Items For The Luxury Traveler’s Wish List

by McLean Robbins on


For many, making a holiday wish list is a tradition they’ve practiced since childhood. But as we grow up, these “must have” items often become fewer and further between. We can afford most everything we want, from a new iPad to that plane ticket to Bora Bora, assuming we save appropriately beforehand. But, of course, there are always a few extra special items that we’d love if money were no object. Here are a few of our favorites for this holiday season.

Flexjet 25 Jet Card
This debit card allows access to private Learjets and Challenger aircraft for any location on any day of the year. For a minimum $100,000 investment, customers can reach nearly 5,000 airports with just 24 hours advance notice, plus get access to special perks through Flexjet partnerships, including tee times at 50 of the most exclusive private golf clubs in North America, membership in Abercrombie & Kent’s exclusive Marco Polo Club an upgrade (upon availiabilty) to Lake Austin Spa Resort’s Lady Bird Suite and instant elite member status in Korean Air and Qatar Airways’ membership clubs for a full year following the purchase of a single long-haul first- or business-class ticket. Sounds good to us.

Sandy Cay, A Bahamian Private Island
Sure, you could buy your loved one a car or a great trip for their holiday gift, but why not go over-the-top and get them an entire island? For just $15 million, Sandy Cay could be yours. Don’t worry, it comes with a lot of stuff already available for use. The 8+ acre is located in the Abacos and is currently being used as a private family retreat, but, as the brochure says “the potential is enormous for the use of the island as an upscale private boutique resort.” Look there, you’ve bought yourselves a potential hotel too! The island houses four residences ranging from 5,200 to 1,500-square-feet, a private harbor with room for five vessels (boats included), a commercial-grade fitness center, and two beaches. Did we mention there’s also a fully-equipped dive shop and assortment of beach equipment?

%Gallery-171696%Jason Wu’s Grand Tourista Bag for St. Regis
If you haven’t heard of Jason Wu, we’ll give you a hint — he’s the guy who designed Michelle Obama’s inauguration dress in 2008. The acclaimed young fashion designer has made his first foray into travel with the Grand Tourista bag designed exclusively for St. Regis hotels. It’s pricey, at $1,995 (available now for pre-order) but not overly extravagant compared to many designers. The oversized tote combines classic canvas and black Italian leather (products that travel well) and the bag itself is inspired by Wu’s time in Florence, a traditional spot on the European Grand Tour. We’d love to carry this understated bag on our next trip. What about you?

A Travel Trailer No Camper Should Live Without
No camping trip is complete without some sort of tailgate event or ’round the campfire huddle with adult beverages. Trick out your truck with the ultimate trailer by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey. Featuring manly leather furnishings, wood finishes made from reclaimed bourbon casks, glassware and an entertainment system to rival the finest man cave (flat screen, blu-ray, state-of-the-art sound), this truck wouldn’t be complete without a one-year supply of Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye. This limited edition baby (just two will be made) is a hefty $150,000, with 10% of the purchase price going to a foundation that supports AIDS research. It’s available exclusively through the Neiman Marcus holiday catalog.

A Four Seasons Around-The-World Trip
Many people put an around-the-world trip on their travel bucket lists. But what about a trip that goes ’round and ’round via private jet, staying exclusively at Four Seasons hotels and resorts from Boston to Bali? We’re pretty sure that’s right up there with amazing, and you can go for just $70, 950 (double occupancy — singles are an extra $8,650). From September 14 to October 5, 2013, passengers will travel from Seattle to Tokyo, Hangzhou, Shanghai, The Maldives, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Marrakech and New York on a 22-day journey, complete with private concierge, educational lectures and much more.

[Image credit: Flexjet.com’s Learjet 70 aircraft]

London Bartender Makes World’s Oldest And Most Expensive Cocktail

by Jessica Festa on




World-renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese has recently broken the Guinness World Record for making the world’s most expensive cocktail, “Salvatore’s Legacy.”

The video above shows Calabrese creating the concoction in London at Salvatore at Playboy, using the world’s most expensive and oldest spirits. The total price of the drink is $8,830. Supposedly, the “world’s leading cocktail expert” had to get creative and modify his recipe after a customer dropped and smashed a $77,480 bottle of cognac.

Curious as to exactly what’s in it? According to The Atlantic Cities, the recipe calls for “40 mL of 1788 Clos de Griffier Champagne Cognac, 20 mL of 1770 Kümmel herbal liqueur, 20 mL of 1860 Dubb orange curacao and two dashes of Angostura Bitters, a combination that involves a collective 730 years.”

Check out the video above to see the lavish libation being made by Calabrese.