Forget the Hallmark card or the flowers and take Mom away for a real treat. We’ve put together some suggestions for a Mother’s Day she won’t soon forget.

Where: One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico

What: Get Mom a weekend of spa treatments in paradise.

When: Mother’s Day Weekend

Why Mom will love it: Mothers and daughters can unwind in the privacy of a double Spa villa at the ESPA spa complete with private garden, rain showers, outdoor Mexican daybeds, and whirlpool baths to relax in after a treatment. Special for the weekend are Mother-Daughter Soul-to-Soul moments ($640 for two) that include a Mother-Daughter yoga or salsa experience, an ESPA age-defying radiance facial or intensive facial, a spa lunch, and full use of the heat experience and relaxation area, or the Enduring Memory Mother’s Day Experience ($355) with a two-hour holistic body ritual, an in-villa 30-minute experience including a foot ritual, bath, and relaxation time, a spa lunch, and full use of the heat experience and relaxation areas. And all of this with her now favorite child.

Where: Inn on the Alameda, Santa Fe, New Mexico

What: Show Mom how much you care by sending her to the welcoming Inn on the Alameda for a weekend of adult-only relaxation.

When: Mothers Day Weekend

Why Mom will love it: With the Please Your Parents Package, Mom and Dad can enjoy a weekend away from the kids in Deluxe Accommodations at the Inn, including the Inn’s signature continental breakfast, afternoon wine hour, and one box of yummy bizcochitos, the official New Mexico state cookie.

Rate: Nightly rate is $220 plus tax per room per night. With a regular rate of $270 plus tax, this package has $50 nightly savings and applies to the Inn’s Deluxe Rooms only. The stay must include Mother’s Day, Sunday May 13, 2012, but there is no minimum night stay requirement. The offer is subject to hotel availability.

Where: The Peninsula Spa, New York

What: An amazing ESPA “Spa-Cation” without leaving the island

When: Perfect for the week before or after Mother’s Day

Why Mom will love it: Play hooky and take your mama out! Without hopping on planes trains, or automobiles, have a spa-cation right in the city. You and mom can indulge in a 60-minute treatment, a special lunch, and complimentary use of the pool and fitness center. It’s available Monday-Thursday for $285 per person.

Where: White Elephant and Brant Point Grill, Nantucket, Massachusetts

What: Breakfast in bed is a nice gesture, but we bet Mom will enjoy the “Best Brunch on the Island” even more!

When: Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Why Mom will love it: From the Benedict Burger to the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, a Sparkling Station for mimosas, and a brand new tapas station, this brunch is complete with all of Mom’s favorites.

Rate: Brant Point Grill’s Mother’s Day Brunch is $55 for adults, $25 for kids ages 6-12 and $5 for kids ages 3-5. Combine your brunch with a stay at White Elephant and enjoy special Hot Dates Cool Rates, starting at $195 per night.

Where: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek, Avon, Colorado

What: Located in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, this luxury chateau-style resort features many amenities, including the 30,000 square-foot Allegria Spa, with a full-service fitness center, slopeside pool and hot tubs. This world-class spa is offering the “Her Day, Her Way Mother’s Day” package, an exceptional package for moms to unwind on their special day.

When: Mothers Day, Sunday, May 13, 2012.

Why Mom will love it: Spoil Mom with an extra luxurious spa escape with the “Her Day, Her Way Mother’s Day” package that includes a 50-minute Swedish Massage; choice of one of three select treatments (25 minute Sweet Lavender Body Scrub, 30 minute Custom Facial or Express Manicure & Pedicure); champagne; take-home spa gift; and access to Aqua Sanitas, the health club, the pools and hot tubs.

Where: Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos

What: Max and relax with Mom for a stress-free weekend away

When: Mothers Day Weekend

Why Mom will love it: Stress is a fact of life for mothers and daughters alike, which is why Parrot Cay has designed a Stress Management Wellness Package to target and relieve sources of tension and worry. Professional consultants will take things down a few notches with deep relaxing therapies, enlightening outdoor pursuits, and smart tips to put some of the carefree “island life” of Turks & Caicos into the home routine. Let the experienced personal fitness trainers convert pent-up stress into a productive mother-daughter workout, and follow it up with mind- and body-balancing yoga and meditation.

Parrot Cay, the private island resort with over 1000 pristine acres in the Turks & Caicos, has inspired renowned beachwear designer heidi klein’s NEW resort swimwear line. The laid-back charm and relaxed elegance that define this Caribbean paradise are perfectly reflected in klein’s collection, which exudes a barefoot chic confidence. This is the first time the designer has named an entire collection after a resort. The collection features nine pieces, all of them white to echo the island’s mile-long white sand beach. From the simple two-piece triangle bikini with tie side bottoms to the chic kaftan with beaded detailing and tie front, the collection calls to mind lazy summer days sunbathing on the beach followed by sunset cocktails. The collection is now available on heidiklein.com, at Parrot Cay, and at these retailers:
Fontainebleau Resort in Miami, FL
Saks Fifth Avenue in Mexico City
Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, NV
Nancy Meyer in Seattle, WA
Ophelia in Grayton Beach, FL
Tahiti Street in Greenwich, CT
Breeze Swim and Sport in Brooklyn, NY

Eggnog, pigs in a blanket, champagne, cookies… our indulgences during the holiday season. Dressed festively and attending holiday soirees, from Thanksgiving to New Years, we tend to stop paying attention to healthy eating (and living). Instead of simply resolving to treat the body with a little more TLC next year, be proactive. Here are some post-holiday retreats sure to jump start many a resolution.

Turks & Caicos

Where: Parrot Cay

What: An Ayurvedic escape for the mind, body, and spirit

Why: With its crystal clear ocean and mile-long stretch of white sand, this private island resort is the ideal place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and treat yourself to a customized, Ayurvedic Program. Pay a visit to Parrot Cay’s own Ayurvedic doctor who will recommend a special holistic treatment plan designed to rejuvenate the mind and body. Whether it is with yoga, a specialized diet, body treatments, detox, or meditation, guests are sure to leave the resort feeling rested and revitalized. The program includes all meals.

Rates for a three-night program start at $3,140 based on single occupancy and $5,009 based on double occupancy

Bali, Indonesia

Where: COMO Shambhala Estate

What: A stress-free vacation

Why: It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the pressures of work and home, especially during the holiday season. That’s why COMO Shambhala Estate, nestled in the heart of Bali, offers a Stress-Management Program specifically designed to relieve participants from the strains and anxieties of everyday life. The program focuses on the concepts and philosophies of Yoga, Chi Kung, and Tai Chi. Consultants craft a program incorporating meditation, outdoor pursuits, soothing therapies, and wellbeing lectures to ensure guests have the tools necessary to release built-up stress and to return home feeling revived and relaxed. The program includes all meals.

Rates for a three-night program start at $1,700 based on single occupancy and $2,600 based on double occupancy

Geneva, Switzerland

Where: La Réserve Genève

What: A four day anti-aging detox

Why: The holiday season, best known as the most wonderful time of the year, can also be one of the most stressful. Once the presents have been unwrapped, the giant family meals have been gobbled down, and the in-laws have finally left, treat yourself to a much needed post-holiday detox. La Réserve Genève’s Four-Day Better-Aging Detox Program includes a complete checkup and personalized action plan to restore the body’s balance and adopt a new, long-term, healthier lifestyle – just in time for the New Year! With full access to the spa facilities, inclusive healthful meals, daily sports activities, and a range of massages, wraps, and treatments, the stress from the holidays is sure melt away.

Si Kao, Thailand

Where: Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa

What: A restorative retreat in Thailand

Why: For guests looking for a guided and wide-ranging wellness retreat, the Body Detox Programme at Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa is just the ticket. Included in this package are private consultations with Naturopathic and Ayurvedic doctors in keeping with the resort’s specialized approach to wellness. A variety of spa treatments accompany these consultations, including detox massages, herbal heat treatments, and an Indian head massage. Participants are provided with a personalized diet program to take home so the wellness experience can continue long after leaving the resort.

Rates for a three-night program start at $753 based on single occupancy and $1,245 based on double occupancy. This package is also available for 1 night, 5 nights, and 7 nights.

COMO Hotels and Resorts is giving back to the community with your help! In 2010, COMO partnered with MasterCard for the Purchase with Purpose program which helps raise funds for local community projects. Last year, the project raised $35,580 and COMO has decided to bring the program back for 2011!

For every transaction made with a MasterCard card at a COMO property between 1 October and 31 December 2011, MasterCard will donate $30 to a community project with which the COMO property is closely affiliated. The money raised goes to educational and wellbeing initiatives as well as to local schools to improve nutrition and sanitation. In 2010, the funds helped stock the libraries of Tirta Kumara Kindergarten in Bali and the Maafushi and Guraidhoo schools in the Maldives. The program also helped deliver sanitary essentials to the nuns of Kela Goemba in Bhutan and improve sanitation and cooking facilities in the Wat Bangploeng School in Thailand.

With this program, guests have the opportunity to make a real difference in the communities they visit. As if you needed a better reason to go on vacation!

You’ve always dreamed of being your own boss – now you can be! For the first time, in celebration of Wellness Month at Parrot Cay & COMO Shambhala Retreat, the resort will be offering a special self-administered juice cleanse borrowed from COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali. The resort’s team of experts has designed this exclusive cleanse to help expel toxins and to rejuvenate both the body and the mind. Maybe you’ve indulged in a few too many frozen cocktails or perhaps you’ve just been staying out late on these warm summer nights. Either way, the juice cleanse will help your body recover, giving it the break it needs to recharge and refresh and avoid those post-summer blues.

The meticulously outlined cleanse lasts three days and is specifically designed to simultaneously detoxify and nourish. “Juice bosses” visiting Parrot Cay will be able to choose from a menu of cleansing beverage options including stand-outs like the ‘Kryptonite,’ a post-workout muscle builder that protects the heart, boosts energy, promotes healthy skin, and contains apple, fennel, cucumber, spinach, green bell pepper, celery, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, and spirulina powder; the ‘Liven Up Your Liver,’ which supports liver detox functions and cleanses the blood, and contains carrot, celery, beetroot, bok choy, arugula, ginger, and turmeric root; and who wouldn’t want to try the ‘Bloat Away’ juice? This refreshing concoction features cucumber, parsley, celery, fennel, pea, and mint, and relieves bloating and water retention, supports kidney function and weight loss, and lowers blood pressure.

Each day, the pollutants and chemicals in the air we breathe and in the food we eat accumulate in the body as ‘toxins’. The COMO Shambhala cleanse gives our bodies the opportunity to recover and is the perfect pick-me-up as we head into fall!

With world-class yoga retreats and so much Balinese culture to explore, what’s not to love about the COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali? Donna Karan tells us what she loves most about her amazing getaways to this far-off paradise. Read the full article here: http://on.wsj.com/rv0aiU

Fashion icon Donna Karan unveils some of her travel tips and secrets in an interview on Saks Point of View. We’re not surprised that this chicster favors COMO Hotels and Resorts properties. She loves water and nature, which she finds at her home on Parrot Cay, and her most memorable summer vacation involved a yoga retreat in Bali at COMO Shambhala Estate. There are also useful tips on what to wear and how to pack. We wish we could travel like Donna…

NOW until Thanksgiving, Parrot Cay is offering an amazing saving of $1500 per day for those renting a Private Residence.  Other benefits include:

• Full board – with the option of dining in the resort’s two restaurants for all meals or in the privacy of the villa (breakfast and lunch from room service and dinner created by  a personal chef from a selection of menus)
• Dedicated butler service
• Housekeeping
• Full team of Parrot Cay Private Residences support staff
• Full resort privileges, including preferential restaurant and spa reservations
• Children under 12 stay and dine gratis off of the children’s menu

Further, guests have the opportunity to stay in the NEWEST addition to the estates, the stunning Tamarind villa, a beautiful villa divided into two distinct houses of three bedrooms and two bedrooms that can be rented individually or rented together as five bedrooms. The main house has a deck and swimming pool along with an ocean-facing gym and butler’s quarters, and the guest house also has its own sun-drenched deck and pool.

Rates start at $4,000 per night for a three-bedroom Island Villa. (This offer can also be combined with the 7-for-5 or 4-for-3 deals for increased savings.)

Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa

Where: Chiang Rai, Thailand

What: Elephant Camp

Why: Kids eight years and older can learn how to care for the endangered Thai Asian elephants at Elephant Camp under the tutelage of skilled mahouts who will teach them how to feed, bathe, and ride these gentle giants.  Guests can contribute to helping their elephants with a donation to the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Anantara Golden Triangle’s charity.

Summer Perk: Summer is, contrary to popular belief, a lovely time to visit Northern Thailand, as the short bursts of rain cool the air and keep the flora lush and green. And there are deals to be had and far less tourists to contend with!

Rates: Anantara Golden Triangle offers a special Mahout Discovery package that includes accommodation in a room with daily breakfast and a three-day mahout training course. Rates for this special package begin at $402/night (not inclusive of taxes) for a Deluxe Room, double occupancy (children under 12 sharing a room with parents are free of charge and receive 50% off the daily breakfast).

Jakes

Where: Treasure Beach, Jamaica

What: Caribbean fun

Why: Kids have a variety of activities, such as a mosaic tile workshop led by the artist who is largely responsible for the unique mosaic design found throughout the property as well as watercolor painting classes. There are interactive cooking lessons to teach aspiring young chefs Jamaican cuisine, trips to stunning waterfalls where kids can jump from a rope swing Tarzan-style into the water, and Farm Tours where they follow the food from farm to table.

Summer Perk: Book four nights at Jakes and receive the fifth night free.

Rates: Starting at $95 per night for a garden room

Shakti

Where: Ladakh, India

What: Little ones in Little Tibet

Why: Outfitter of bespoke village walking tours, Shakti introduces children to snow-crested landscapes untouched by Western influence through a culturally-sensitive tour replete with colonial-style creature comforts. Guides lead guests on walks and activities such as monastery visits, rafting, and sightseeing between Himalayan villages, while porters supply day packs with lunches.* Families retire to Shakti’s fully staffed (and thoughtfully renovated) homes rented from villagers. Kids as young as six will love riding the region’s indigenous two-humped camels, while older ones may prefer to raft the Upper Indus, one of the great rivers of India.

Summer Perk: The weather is consistently sunny and dry on this high altitude plateau.

Rates: A seven-night walk with customizable itinerary and luxury homestead accommodations starts at $530 per night/per person, based on two to three adults, including meals, activities, guides, and ground transportation. A two-night Shayok River Rafting Journey offers ‘glamping’ in luxe-bedded tents; Western-style loos and showers is an optional add-on. Children between three and 16 will pay 50% of the adult rate.

White Elephant Hotel Residences

Where: Nantucket, MA

What: Classic New England Summer

Why: Kids can enjoy the surf at the nearby Children’s Beach and Jetties Beach – both beaches have swing sets, slides, and climbing equipment. There are also numerous activities such as whale-watching, fishing, biking, golfing, and bird-watching. The cabanas by the new members’ pool come equipped with pool toys, towels, and sun screen, and after a day at the beach, children can eat from their special menu at the delicious Brant Point Grill.

Summer Perk: Can’t beat the charm of Nantucket or the miles of beaches surrounding the island.

Rates: Starting at $350 in June for a King room with the Hot Dates/Cool Rates promotion

Crystal Cruises

Where: Alaska

What: Family friendly programming, excursions, and eats

Why: Crystal Symphony offers children’s programs and activities on select sailings including the Fantasia playroom and the Waves arcade, complete with a Sony Playstation® 3, Nintendo Wii™ and Xbox 360™. A daily newsletter, tailored by age group, provides details on kid-friendly activities, like sushi making with Nobu-trained chefs, bridge and galley tours, ice cream parties, scavenger hunts, and Computer University@Sea® classes.

Summer Perk: The Alaska Summer Series has allied with the National Park Service where Park Rangers come aboard to teach children about natural history; kids and teens can even become Junior Rangers!

Rates: Children 11 and younger pay 50 percent of the minimum fare when accompanied by two full-fare paying adults. Throughout the year, the line occasionally sets special promotions in which children can sail free when sharing a room with two adults.

Royal Mansour Marrakech

Where: Marrakech, Morocco

What: Joujou Kid’s Club

Why: Along with the idyllic playroom, everyday there is a schedule of events including an Arabic course, arts workshop, writing games, modeling clay, swimming pool games, dress up, and reading. Parents can also arrange for outings around Marrakech, including camel rides through the Palmeraie.

Summer Perk: Take the whole fam to check out the Festival National des Arts Populaires where Berber music, folk dance, and street performers fill the streets of Marrakech and provide wonderful – and free – entertainment.

Rates: Rates for a full individual riad start from €1,650 per night.

Parrot Cay
Where: Turks & Caicos

What: Caribbean fun

Why: The resort introduced children’s offerings based on input from guests, with a range of tailor-made activities including shell painting, tie-dying T-shirts, making necklaces from fossilized shark teeth, organized scavenger hunts, and sailing trips around the island. These activities are particularly popular since they allow the kids to make friends with others on the island.

Summer Perk: Now through October 31, with the Extend that Summer Feeling offer, guests at Parrot Cay get four nights for the price of three or seven nights for the price of five, including breakfast. AND kids eat free all summer!

Rates: Starting at $450 per night for a Terrace Room

La Réserve Genève

Where: Geneva, Switzerland

What: La Petit Réserve

Why: Children can explore the world of La Petite Réserve and let their imaginations run wild. The property features a creative ensemble of tree huts and an open air playground on the beautiful lawns.

Summer Perk: La Réserve Genève’s exquisite wooden speedboat is the perfect way to get out on the lake and take in the Swiss scenery and the city views.

Rates: Rates start at $682 for a superior king room

GoldenEye Hotel & Resort

Where: Oracabessa, Jamaica

What: James Bond-style Family Vacay

Why: The watersports program at GoldenEye is supervised by trained lifeguards and will teach children about water safety, snorkeling, jet skiing, and kayaking, and expose them to the amazing undersea world of extraordinary creatures and corals. Kiddies can carve coconuts, embark on nature walks, learn bonfire building and fishing with Ramsey (who has worked on the property since the days of Fleming), or stay up to stargaze with Brian, resident astronomy buff.

Summer Perk: Families save 46% off high season winter rates.

Rates: Starting at $448 per night for a Lagoon Suite

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek

Where: Beaver Creek, Colorado

What: Teen & Tween treatments at Allegria Spa

Why: Tweens and teens can ditch the ‘rents for some much deserved pampering at the Allegria Spa. Eight-12 year olds can indulge in the ‘Diva Deluxe,’ which includes a bubbling footbath, nail and toe art, a primadonna updo, and sweetcheeks makeup application. 12-16 year olds can recreate their favorite makeover scene with the Uptown Girl package, which includes a cranberry orange scrub, Swedish massage, teen facial, and makeup application.
Summer Perk: Fridays at the Park, a free weekly event with snacks, live music and activities for kids and the whole family.

Rates: Diva Deluxe- 70 minutes for $125, and Uptown Girl- 120 minutes and $250