Champagne and rub-down in Jackson Hole

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Before you skip this as “just another travel deal” – as I almost did – consider the combination of mountain air, spa treatments and the taste of champagne. The “Ultimate Chill” package from Hotel Terra Jackson Hole includes all this within a LEED-certified eco-boutique, so you don’t need to feel guilty while enjoying this touch of pleasure.

Get your weary arms, legs and back rubbed back to normal (or better) at the Chill spa, and treat your skin to an organic sugarcane and green tea scrub and a cucumber mint body masque. If you can find a better way to spend an hour and a half, I envy your creativity. Wash down the experience with a split of Veuve Cliquot, and step outside to enjoy the clear Wyoming air.

The catch? You have to go between May 22, 2009 and the last day of September. Pull the trigger, and you’re looking at two nights for $688, sleeping in an all natural Terra Bed.

You can enjoy Jackson Hole if you’re not a hiker or a climber. If you’re traveling with an “outdoor type,” you’ll have a way to spend some time on what you enjoy. Sip that Veuve while your better half is trudging along the trails.

[Photo by Cameron R Neilson]

Three travel ideas from the ITB Berlin Travel Show

by Tom Johansmeyer on

More than 11,000 exhibitors from 187 countries tried to make their mark at the 2009 ITB Berlin Travel Show. They showcased wines, highlighted unique local attractions and generally tried to show that they are the best places in the world for tourists to spend their hard-earned cash. Travel+Leisure tried to describe the industry’s hottest trends, but the article really came across as “here are a few cool things I noticed.” So, I took the coolest of the cool, below:

1. Get healthy
Plenty of destinations offer spas, yoga and fitness options – sometimes using them to theme an entire resort. But, that’s thinking small. Go all the way with medical tourism, and call those DDs your own in an overseas clinic. Before you develop visions of hacksaws and cigarettes over the operating table, some of these surgical getaways are in upscale facilities.

Hey, it’s up to you. Roll the dice.

2. Hearken back to the Cold War
Screw traditional cruise liners in favor of Soviet-era ships pushing down the Volga River. Praise Lenin, listen to a balalaika and drink Russian Standard vodka (quite good, actually). Lament how long it will take for the dictatorship of the proletariat to emerge.

There are other unusual cruise options out there as well – such as one in Laos that takes 28 passengers into a once inaccessible piece of the Mekong River from Vientiane.

3. Watch a new nation rise
Kosovo doesn’t have much to say for itself except that you should be patient, because the country’s just getting started. So, if you go there now, you’re getting in on the ground floor. Get to know the concierge. Tip him well. You’ll become a national hero.

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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Create a custom experience at the Palazzo Sasson

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It doesn’t take much to make Italy enticing. The prospect of staying at the Palazzo Sasso in Ravello, though, will effectively deprive you of your free will. This twelfth century palace has the laudable goal of treating you to the same standard as its original inhabitants.

Yeah, I can live with that.

Of course, times are tough, so everybody’s upping the ante. For the Palazzo Sasso, this means that booking a King Sea View room (or one in a higher category) will get you the bonus amenity of your choice! There are plenty:

  • One spa treatment (massage, manicure or pedicure only)
  • A 20 percent discount on all lunch charges in house
  • Parking in hotel garage for entire stay
  • Mini-bar usage for entire stay
  • A guided walking tour of Ravello (approximately two hours)
  • One transfer to Amalfi and back from the hotel
  • Internet access for entire stay
  • Laundry service for entire stay (excluding dry cleaning)
  • In-room movies for entire stay
  • Fresh flowers and fruit upon arrival

If you can’t find something on this list to enhance your stay, it’s because you hate comfort and convenience.

As always, there’s a catch. You have to stay for at least three nights from June 1, 2009 to October 15, 2009. Rates vary from €198 to €2,200, depending on how high-maintenance you are.

Beer bath isn’t what it was in college

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You know how a case of beer can make you feel great? Well, this concept takes on a new meaning in the Czech Republic.

There’s a difference between wading into a bathtub full of Natty Light and enjoying an unusual spa treatment in the Czech Republic. In Chodova Plana, a beer town close to Czech spa destinations, you can enjoy beer-based treatments at the Hotel U Sladka‘s spa. Half a dozen tubs form a human six-pack of relaxation. Don’t worry, this brew is served warm.

The beer poured into hot tubs for this unique experience is blended with herbs, mineral water, yeast and hops. The goal is to rejuvenate your skin, improve blood circulation and give you a bit of mental relief.

Beer, beer everywhere, and not a drop to drink? Not quite …

While you’re in the midst of a 20-minute soak, the spa attendant will bring you a glass of beer (cool, unlike that around you) to sip while you unwind.