Category: Luxury Travel

Sheraton Waikiki, Hawaii

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When opportunity presents itself to dip in the pool of luxury travel, we tend to get a good grip and dive in. Sheraton Waikiki, located next to the upscale shopping district and nestled on the beach right behind Diamond Head, has everything a visitor can expect from a luxury resort in the capital of the state.

An extremely busy property, right at the heart of the hustle-bustle of Waikiki and attracts a lot of tourists. This is a joint property of Sheraton and Royal Hawaiian (which is owned by SPG now). We drove in and right from the parking valets, to the greeters, and the front desk staff, we were up for a nice ride.
Even though valet was ~$10 they waived it off. We even got some goodie-bags to fill in the gift shop. The front desk staff were well versed and open to allow any requests. We were upgraded to their Malia suite (which was huge with two balconies overlooking the pool and the ocean). Beautiful room with upscale amenities.
The lobby was full of tourists because of the boutique shops and the fancy restaurants. So people watching is an option from the lobby. Good enough shopping district inside the hotel too. Good for shopaholics. 🙂

The pool (and staff) were courteous enough, but the drinks (as expected in a poolside) were below par. Good amenities for families with interesting light and sound shows in the pool after dark. We enjoyed that from the balcony a couple of times.

Extremely conveniently located to the designer shops and a variety of food options. Again, I never had a bad experience in an SPG property worldwide; this was not an exception, if not they surpassed my expectations.

P.S. Highlight of this property is the 30th floor Club lounge for elite members – provides stunning views of the waikiki beach. You can watch sunrise from here, and sunset from the pool. But food (breakfast 6-10am and hors d’oeuvres 4-8pm) is good; you can also network with other guests or soak in the views.

Room Tip: 30 story building, but lower floors with pool/beach view are the best

 

Westin in US Virgin Islands

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Nestled within a cove in the southwest coast of St. John, conveniently located, this upscale resort has it all you’d need to make your relaxing Caribbean vacation worthwhile. Right from the time we checked in, we appreciated the warm welcoming reception from the staff. The appreciation for our SPG Elite got even better when we got upgraded to a beach front spacious room with an expansive view of the cove.

The huge property required golf carts to be transported to the room, and sometimes to get to some of the restaurants. This is also part of the starwood vacation ownership villas, which puts a different vibe inside the resort with the grocery store (The Market), drug store and liqueur store. Being family friendly, sometimes the pool areas become crowded with kids running around. But there are adult only areas serving tropical cocktails and upscale food.

In terms of the things to do within the property, water activities, beach access aside, you can rent watersports equipment (Scuba, snorkel equipment, paddleboard, kayaks), and go out to the water. It even has rental car counter to help with a day trip around the island and explore the marine life.

But we found the resort to be alive right after dark, with the torches lit up along the beach, tiki style food, and a chic restaurant in the property. For a couple like ourselves, it was a relaxing and rejuvenating experience just to sit back and enjoy the experience. You could potentially rent a boat and go to UKVI, but reserve early as the supply in the tiny island is limited.

NYE 2015 in Costa Rica

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They say that the morning shows the day, and if you draw parallels, the things that happen in New Years’ Eve and January 1st are the things that are going to decide your fate for the entire year. Having that semi-superstitious thought-process drive the decision making for the NYE, we struggle every year to make any solid plans for the evening. Should we spend the evening drinking and splurging in lavish night clubs, or the evening be spent in the country-side watching stars glimmer, or even invite friends over and have quite a ball while watching the ‘ball’ drop at the stroke of midnight?

Well, even in a tight yet well planned schedule in Costa Rica, we failed to come to a decision about NYE until the time finally came to drop the mic. Costa Ricans typically spend NYE with their families and therefore most restaurants and pubs stay closed for the evening. The handful of bars serving mostly foreign tourists and some upscale young folk, require reservations and a hefty fee to get on their list (which requires advanced planning which we did not have, which meant we were out of options).

Our hotel, Sheraton Escazu, were having a couple of events in the premises involving buffet dinners, traditional rituals, and some bar stuff. The party at the rooftop with an expansive view of the valley would have been a great option, but the price-point at $180 p.p. and our early morning agendas, hindered the needle to leaning that way. To be honest, the lounge setting upstairs with additional incentives for SPG Elites was alluring. But after a palatial dinner in a local Indian Restaurant (which was also a precious commodity in the country), we settled for something we had never done in a NYE.

It was T-1 hour. We grabbed a couple of wine bottles and glasses from the restaurant!

And the night got started by turning off the lights (wait this is all censored content) in the room and sitting by the 8th floor french windows looking over the central valley with the volcanic mountains in the far background. There were stars whose lights were gleaming off-focus and started getting blurry every minute. Was it the wine? Slumber?

No, we realized, it was the fireworks that got started by some rampant teenager at the upper valleys that broke the romance of stargazing. It was way before midnight and we were not even through the first bottle of the Chilean Malbec. We didn’t even have our thoughts and wishes ready for welcoming the new year yet. In the last two weeks, we went from expensive boutique hotels, five star dining, romantic spas to minimalistic eco-lodges, roadside sodas and rustic public transport. It takes a lifetime to cover this gamut. Let’s get the mind straightened coming out of the fond memories here, we told ourselves, and focus on what we want to achieve in 2016. More gym, less carb, longer focus, fewer smokes and other over-the-top wishes later, some bell tower nearby announced its first strike of the new year.

First there was just one palm exploding in the dark sky painting an effervescent palm tree. Then there were five. Then it was a hundred or more aerial fireworks bursting into spheres, colored sparks, shining trails, clusters, horsetails, all around the valley. Even the tiny villages up in the hills chimed in. We pointed each other to look at a multitude of directions lest they missed out on the best pyrotechniques on display.

Excited and overwhelmed each of us looked for a shooting-star far out in the sky above the ghostly mountains, to say the last minute wishes silently, probably wishing for a good health and prosperity in the entire year to come. The clock started moving slower as the fireworks tired, and the smoky haze rose up to fill the valley. Two hands clasped together in desperation to make the wish, and darkness slowly creeped back in. The empty wine bottle tumbled to ground. The silhouette of two figures casted a thin shadow on the floor-to-ceiling window. And they kissed! Welcome 2016.

Tabacon Hotel and Hot-springs

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In a trip to witness one of the largest stratovolcano in the region, Volcan Arenal, a thrilling dip in the hotsprings is a must. With a plethora of hotsprings, there are free public hotsprings for a rejuvenating dip, but choosing an upscale one like Tabacon is a good choice given the amenities you’d receive. Luxury travel takes a plunge with you in Tabacon with the fancy little coves, artificial waterfalls, and a chain of hot water springs.

Accommodation – We went during the holiday season, and as expected, the rooms were expensive, yet got upgraded to a honeymoon suite. We celebrate like honeymooners almost in every trip ;-). A welcome drink coupled with a warm and charming staff got us ready to enjoy the spacious room, a fancy TV, a hot-tub and a secluded patio with a great view of the Arenal volcano (shame that due to cloud cover, we did not see the summit often).

Thermal Springs – Located right outside the residential area was the famed Tabacon hot springs. Open also to non-guests, the cascading hot springs on a cloudy chilly day was a thrilling experience. We walked around the springs, and soaked ourselves in the volcanic hot water.


TIP – carry a pair of water shoes, else it will be painful to stand in the springs since the bottom is paved with rocks carried in by the springs.We had dinner and drinks in the resort, but was extremely overpriced, plus pretty low quality food. If you have a choice (i.e. a car or just visiting the resort), do not eat dinner in the restaurant (Ave del Paraiso Restaurant).There is a secluded adult only place called “Shangri La Gardens”, which is best visited after dark. Although the ambiance is created for adults to enjoy some personal time, we saw several raccoons and were afraid of encountering snakes, so could not quite enjoy the garden.

Spa Day

No trip to the hotsprings is complete without a spa day in the luxurious and secluded bungalows with nothing but dense canopy of trees for cover, while listening to the sound of birds chirping and cascading water of the hot springs. It is obvious to lose yourself in tranquility with hot volcanic stones lined up on your bare back, a gentle wind caressing the skin covered by aromatic natural oil and the masseuse’s fingertips working their magic on the sore muscles. End the experience with a detoxifying smoothie and a dip in the hot waters. Priced above $225 per person, it was an unforgettable experience regardless.
Tip – The resort can be availed by non-hotel guests too, so can get crowded. Also, the resort is about 10 minutes walk from the hotel, so plan your day accordingly if you are there for just a day.

Room Tip: Try to get upgraded to the honeymoon suites

Peace Lodge, Heredia, Costa Rica

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Highlight of the Costa Rica Trip

Want to get away from the cacophony of the city and seek refuge in the serene rain forests, while also dipping in luxury? The Peace Lodge in the Waterfall Gardens, a mere 30 miles from central San Jose, Costa Rica gives you exactly this feeling. Catch some trouts for lunch, bathe in a waterfall, night crawl with colorful amphibians or soak in the mist of the rainforest while hummingbirds chirp away in your private balcony.

Let’s talk about the experience –
The staff were amazing. Jonathan gave us a quick run down of the property, and Oscar took us for a tour around the area to show what we can expect.
A mesmerizing sight once you step out of the reception. You can see the cloud forest and an 180 panorama of the gardens below from where you can hear, smell and see the nature.

The rooms were luxury redefined; with your last name in the door plate, canopied bed, a waterfall shower, huge balcony with a hummingbird feeder, a hammock, and an outdoor hot tub. We received a chic red wine bottle for our anniversary as well.

The park/gardens has several attractions which common tourists can come visit too.

1. The butterfly gardens – has the beautiful butterflies including the Morphos,
2. The Aviary with parrots, macaos, and the indigenous Toucans,
3. Trout lake – you can catch your own fish for lunch
4. Others like Orchid Garden, Snake garden, Frog garden etc.

Next morning we went to the cascading waterfalls including the La Paz Waterfalls. There will be tourists coming in from San Jose to the waterfalls, so take advantage of your room within the park and get there bright and early. Then go for a quiet breakfast buffet while watching different species of birds come in and greet you.

Food – All the restaurants inside are worth checking out. Have lunch at Trout lake, dinner at the Vista Poas, and breakfast at the outside seating area.

Although quite expensive, you should definitely try to stay here for a night, which is exactly what we did. We reached here from San Jose around 10am. La Paz Peace lodge picked us up from an Airport area hotel for ~$75 in a private shuttle.

Overall, this is luxury and nature combined in one sweet little property. Should be a must in a Costa Rica trip.

Room Tip: The hotel has only 17 rooms, so book really early. Also, spend at least 2 nights to get the most out of the experience.
Read other Tripadvisor Reviews here

Westin Lagunamar Resort, Cancun, Mexico

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Top notch resort for family, couple or honeymooners

This is my favorite Starwood property in N.A. First time we went in 2014, we booked with Starwood points, and we are glad that we booked this instead of the other Westin property south of the Zona Hotelera.
Amenities wise, this resort has it all; multiple on-site restaurants, fancy water activities, infinity pool, swim up bars, fantastic views from every room, and state of the art rooms.
You can spend an entire week just hanging out in the property. This resort also has a vacation rental program, so you will see a lot of people staying here for an extended period of time. With a little grocery store and ample parking, you can easily spend a week here without getting bored.
Right across the street is the shopping mall La Isla, where you can find an abundance of restaurants, shopping options, and attractions. This property is located almost in the middle of Zona Hotelera, therefore the downtown Cancun or the El Ray ruins are easily accessible either by bus or car. R1 and R2 bus stops are right in front of the hotel entrance.

Overall, if staying in Cancun, and an SPG loyal, choose this one over the other property down south. You won’t regret.

Hotel Tips:
– Room: All rooms have ocean view, but rooms in the main property have the views of the infinity pool alongside.
– Amenities: If traveling with a family, you can also do some groceries at the market place and cook your own meal. Sometimes it is fun to cookout and enjoy some local cerveza from the expansive balconies.
– Extras: There is a professional photographer onsite who can capture some fabulous photos while you dwell in the beach or the pools. They make memories of a lifetime.
– Also, if you choose to attend a presentation (90-120 minutes) about their vacation rental program, you get some travel credits (I think around $75) that can be used to book tours (like Chichen-Itza, XCaret, etc.) from the concierge.
Read all reviews in TripAdvisor here