Go to Antigua with Curtain Bluff’s “Power of 10” package

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I know we’re still sweating the summer, and January seems like a lifetime away. But, think back seven or eight months. Remember how cold it was. It’s hard to make the connection, but it really was that cold out, and you lived it. It’s going to happen again before you know it. So, now is probably the time to book a retreat from the crushing cold. Curtain Bluff‘s new package, “The Power of 10,” is designed to make your start to 2010 memorable … as if relief from frigid temperatures with the warmth of Antigua weren’t enough.

From January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2010, you’re stay at the all-inclusive Curtain Bluff resort will be enhanced with a sunset sail on Curtain Bluff’s yacht, cooking classes with Chef Christophe Blatz and a series of “seconds”: a second spa treatment, a second tennis lesson and a second personal training session. And, this comes in addition to all the usuals: fishing, snorkeling, SCUBA diving and just relaxing by the beach.

“2009 was a tough year for many in different ways,” says Rob Sherman, managing director of Curtain Bluff. “We at Curtain Bluff want to offer something extra special and fun to start 2010 off right,” he continues; “now in addition to experiencing some of our top activities already included with their stay, guests can also splurge on spa treatments and private lessons and classes at minimal cost.”

Curtain Bluff really does redefine relaxation: the place actually got me to chill for a while. This package is definitely worth a look.

Interested in Curtain Bluff? Read the recent series on this resort >>

The Brando eco-friendly beach resort to open in 2011

by Katie Hammel on

Did you know that Marlon Brando owned (and now his estate owns) an entire French Polynesian atoll 35 miles from Tahiti? Did you also know that Brando dreamed of creating an eco-friendly resort on the atoll? Well both are true, and by 2011 Brando’s dream will be a reality, thanks to Richard Bailey, CEO of Tahiti Beachcomber.

Bailey was a longtime friend of Brando’s and had been working with him on the project before Brando’s death in 2004. Bailey owns four InterContinental resorts in Tahiti and will use some of the same sustainable technology used at those resorts to make sure The Brando has as little impact on the surrounding environment as possible. One technology will use a pipe to bring cold water up from the depths of the sea and use it to provide cool air to the rooms – a practice that will have zero environmental impact.

The resort, which will be the only one on the 13-island chain of Tetiaroa that Brando bought in 1965, will feature 47 luxury villas, each with its own plunge pool, plus a spa, fitness center, and a resort pool. Activities at the resort will include snorkeling, scuba diving, and exploring the nearby islands and Tahitian culture. No word on how much a stay at the luxury eco-resort will cost, but no one ever said saving the environment didn’t come with a price.

[via ShermansTravel]

New Luxury Hotel Coming to West Hollywood

by Jamie Rhein on

According to Virgo, my zodiac sign, (see post), the perfect vacation for me is a luxury resort. I’m not sure if I would have made that choice, but thinking I ought to look into the possibility, I sought one out. The thing is, luxury resorts make me feel like I’m playing pretend. I’m a more of a budget travel kind of gal. Whenever I’ve gone uptown, ending up in a room with those thick plush bathrobes, fancy shampoos and highly polished wood furniture with drawers that glide so smoothly that you barely hear them open and close, I feel as if I’ve won some grand prize, and in the morning will return to my regular person kind of life.

In my fantasyland, here’s one resort hotel that looks like it would be a swell place to play pretend. The London West Hollywood, formerly The Bel Age Hotel is slated to open January 2008. West Hollywood, California is where one of my best friends used to live. It was the perfect place for a stop when we either flew in or out of the United States when we lived in Asia. Many a time I worked off jet lag with a hike in nearby Runyon Canyon and picked up pastry at one of the neighborhood Russian bakeries. My friend has since moved to Butte, Montana leaving us to find other accommodations if we stay there.

So, if I had a different kind of life, staying at The London West Hollywood of Luxury Resorts would not be too shabby. Just sampling the bath items on the counter would thrill me. Just look at that soap. So oval like and smooth. The Q-tips and cotton balls so carefully placed. All that marble. So orderly. So Virgo like.