January 20th, 2012
While there is something magical about that first snow of the season, let’s face it, the rest of winter is spent dreaming about sand between your toes and a warm sea breeze. And now, thanks to the National Geographic Top 10 Beaches, we’re dreaming in overdrive. While any beach sounds amazing, we’ve got a couple that we can’t stop thinking about. In fact, we’ve already dreamed up our spring, summer, and next winters’ vacations there.
First on our list, and number two on NatGeo’s list, is the Maldives. With over 1,102 islands, forming 26 atolls, there is plenty of beach to go around. We’re dreaming of a nice long stay in an over-water bungalow at Cocoa Island. Not only does the crystal clear water make for some of the world’s greatest scuba diving and snorkeling, there’s also surfing, fishing, and other incredible water sports to keep you busy. Then again, we’d be happy just to sunbathe on the pristine beach all day.
After spring break in the Maldives, we’re heading to number six, Nantucket, for our summer vacation. This magical little island 27 miles off the coast of Massachusetts is the ultimate place to visit, whether for a weekend or the entire summer. While the island itself is less than 50 square miles, there are over 80 miles of beaches, but our desired beach is located at our favorite inn by the sea, The Wauwinet. There are actually two beaches to choose from – one at the head of the Nantucket Harbor, for shallow water and no waves, and the other on the Atlantic Ocean, with deep, soft sand and gentle waves. Don’t forget to collect some shells, you’ll find some beautiful ones to take home with you.
Next December, we want our early Christmas present to ourselves to be a luxurious cruise aboard Crystal Symphony. The “South Pacific Sojourn” will stop at several incredible ports, but the one we’re most excited about is Bora Bora, number three on NatGeo’s list. Dubbed the “Romantic Island”, this lush little slip of land is protected by a lagoon and has 18 miles of white sandy shore. The beautiful lagoon provides a wide array of activities, from windsurfing to scuba diving, and the two towering peaks of sheer black rock make an impressive backdrop to the dazzling blue waters. While some consider it the most beautiful island in the world, we can’t wait to find out for ourselves!
January 6th, 2012
While they may be far from any hockey rink, Anantara Resorts has still managed to score a “hat trick” in the Maldives! They have proudly achieved Green Globe Certification for three of its resorts – Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa, Anantara Veli Resort & Spa, and Anantara Kihavah Villas. This recognition highlights Anantara’s sincere commitment to operating in an environmentally, socially and culturally responsible manner through a broad spectrum of initiatives in the Maldives, and is proudly the first operator in the Maldives to have all of its resorts Green Globe Certified.
Anantara’s Maldives resorts incorporate all aspects of Green Globe standards in their daily operation, primarily in environmental conservation such as water, energy, and waste management efficiency. The resorts also support their local communities and environments and promote the islands’ social and cultural heritage through resort and local island experiences.
Baa Atoll, the capital of the Maldives, is also recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO for its conservation, research, and development of their rich coral reef systems. With this, UNESCO acknowledges Baa Atoll’s “great potential for demonstrating sustainable development throughout the Maldives and the region, while relying on a green economy.”
For more information on Anantara and its environmental, social and cultural sustainability policies, please click here.
October 7th, 2011
Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa has been named ‘Thailand’s Leading Resort’ at the 18th Annual World Travel Awards, voted on by travel agents worldwide. General Manager Mr. Chris Adams was on hand to accept the award, saying “I’d like to dedicate this win to all the staff members at Anantara Golden Triangle who continuously strive to give our guests a truly unique and indigenous five star experience.” A whopping 213,000 travel industry professionals voted in the awards, which celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.
The resort’s big win is only one of many recent accolades it has received, including Green Globe Certification and runner-up in the wildlife category in Condé Nast Traveler’s World Saver Awards for the second year in a row. Congratulations to the dedicated hospitality mavens and conservationists at Anantara Golden Triangle!
July 7th, 2011
Why settle for less than the best when you don’t have to? Travel + Leisure makes finding the very best in travel a whole lot easier with their annual World’s Best Awards list. This year, 13 of our favorite hotels and resorts, not to mention our best-loved cruise line and spa brand, all made the list. Some properties even walked away with awards in multiple categories! Now that is something to celebrate!
Anantara Golden Triangle
#15, Top Resorts in Asia
#4, Top Family Hotels in Asia
#5, Top Hotel Spas in Asia
Crystal Cruises
#1, Top Large-Ship Cruise Lines
The Peninsula’s ESPA Spa
#9, Top Hotel Spas in US and Canada
Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires
#1, Top City Hotels in Central and South America
#19, Top 100 Hotels Overall
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek
#41, Top Family Hotels in U.S. and Canada
Park Hyatt Chicago
#45, Top Large Cities Hotel in US/Canada (100 rooms or more)
Park Hyatt Milan
#52, Top 100 Hotels Overall
#4, Top Large City Hotels in Europe
Park Hyatt Melbourne
#2, Top City Hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Park Hyatt Mendoza
#4, Top City Hotels in Central and South America
Park Hyatt Saigon
#10, Top City Hotels in Asia
Park Hyatt Sydney
#4, Top City Hotels in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Parrot Cay
#25, Top Resorts in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas
The Wauwinet
#7, Top Inns in US/Canada (fewer than 40 rooms)
Uma Paro
#12, Top Resorts in Asia
White Elephant
#19, Top Family Hotels in U.S. and Canada
Congrats to all of the winners!
June 7th, 2011
We can’t all be Sukanya Roy, and for us mere mortals when it comes to spelling, things are about to get a little more tricky: “Sensai” is a Japanese spa that is a master of luxury goods and services, not to be confused with the ubiquitous “sensei,” the Japanese word referring to a master of a particular art form or skill.
The editors of Robb Report have awarded Sensai Select Spa at Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken, Switzerland, a coveted spot on their 23rd annual “Best of the Best” list, the culmination of an entire year’s search for the world’s most exceptional resorts, hotels, spas and more.
Opened in 2010, Sensai offers guests the unique opportunity to experience treatments based around the silk produced by Koishimaru silkworms. These silkworms were proprietary to the Japanese imperial family until the late 1990s, when permission to study their silk was granted to Sensai. The silk they produce triggers the creation of hyaluronan, a natural moisturizer with anti-aging properties. (We’ve never heard of it—but we bet Sukanya can spell it!)
May 23rd, 2011
Congratulations to Anantara Seminyak Resort & Spa, which has become the first hotel in all of Bali to achieve Green Globe Certification. They are the second Anantara property to be awarded this distinction, after Anantara Kihavah Villas in the Maldives.
Green Globe Certification recognizes those businesses in the travel and tourism industries who comply with the highest standards of sustainability practices. Anantara Seminyak goes above and beyond in the realm of water, energy and waste management efficiency. Check it out for yourself, and take a vacation Captain Planet would be proud of!
January 24th, 2011
TripAdvisor, the bible for curious travelers searching for the best vacation, has announced its 2011 Traveler’s Choice Awards winners. Two Island Outpost properties were lauded in these user-generated honors, The Caves and Geejam.
The Caves dominated the list and was ranked #1 for Service in the Caribbean and Mexico. And was also featured as
- One of the Top Ten All-Inclusives in the World
- One of The Most Luxurious Properties in the World
- One of the Top 25 Hotels in the World
Musically-inclined sister hotel, Geejam, was ranked #8 in Top 10 Hotels for Service in the Caribbean and Mexico.
Island Outpost resorts love their guests, and its plain to see that Island Outpost’s discerning world-traveler guests love them right back!
Find them on Facebook:
Facebook.com/TheCavesResort
Facebook.com/GeejamHotel
Facebook.com/IslandOutpostResorts
Follow them on Twitter:
Twitter.com/TheCavesResort
Twitter.com/GeejamHotel
Twitter.com/IOhotels
About Island Outpost
Island Outpost is Chris Blackwell’s collection of award-winning hotels and villas in Jamaica. These include Ian Fleming’s retreat, GoldenEye; Strawberry Hill; The Caves; Jakes and Geejam resorts. Each Island Outpost property has its own singular sense of style – with stunning natural settings and locally-inspired architecture and design – and provides distinct, personalized and authentic local experiences. Guests are treated to only the highest levels of service and a host of beauty and fitness amenities and experiential activities. With sustainable and responsible practices at their core, Island Outpost properties operate in support and harmony with the surrounding environment and the communities in which they are located.
For more information about Island Outpost, visit www.IslandOutpost.com or call 1(800) – OUTPOST.
January 14th, 2011
The Cottages & Lofts at the Boat Basin has been recognized on the 2011 Condé Nast Traveler “Gold List,” receiving a perfect score with a rating of “100 out of 100” in the location category. Overall, The Cottages received a score of 90.8 on the 2011 Gold List, which is determined by the magazine’s Readers’ Choice survey and published annually in the January issue. In addition, The Cottages & Lofts was named #7 in the U.S. in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2010 Reader’s Choice poll for Best Small Hotels.
The Cottages & Lofts at the Boat Basin is the only resort in the U.S. to score a 100 for location on this year’s “Gold List.” No doubt it has to do with The Cottages’ prime location on Nantucket Harbor, located on three wharves jutting into the Atlantic Ocean that are part of the Nantucket Boat Basin, the #1 Transient Marina in the U.S.. Not only do most cottages have outdoor patios or decks from which one can take in stunning views of the Nantucket waterfront, but all 29 Cottages & Lofts, which include 12 pet-friendly WOOF Cottages, have full kitchens and are conveniently located just a two-minute walk from Nantucket’s charming Main Street.
With rates starting from $175, The Cottages & Lofts at the Boat Basin opens for the 2011 season on April 7.
The Cottages & Lofts at the Boat Basin is owned and operated by Nantucket Island Resorts, a collection of premier properties on Nantucket also including The Wauwinet, White Elephant, White Elephant Hotel Residences, Jared Coffin House, and Nantucket Boat Basin. The Wauwinet also appeared on the 2011 “Gold List”; this is the sixth consecutive year for the hotel, the only Relais & Chateaux property on Nantucket.
The 2011 Condé Nast Traveler’s “Gold List” hotels are voted on by the Readers’ Choice Awards. Each score represents the percentage of respondents who rated a property “excellent” or “very good” based on specific criteria. The winners were announced in the January 2011 issue of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. For more information about the 2011 “Readers’ Choice Awards,” visit the awards webpage at http://www.concierge.com/tools/travelawards/goldlist/2011.
December 10th, 2010
When planning a vacation, it’s sometimes hard to know if you’re really getting the best deal or seeing the most authentic ‘non-tourist’ spots. It’s even more difficult when traveling to a destination for the first time! If India is on your must-see list (for the first time, or a return trip), don’t board the plane without consulting with Lucy Davison of Banyan Tours & Travels.
Not only does Lucy have clout with India’s top hotels—translating into superior availability during peak travel times—but she has personally selected the best rooms in the palace hotels and will reserve only those rooms for her clients. Her goal is to bring clients into cultural moments ordinarily off-limits to travelers—weddings, school speech days, obscure festivals with costumed cows—and loves to arrange surprises based around her clients’ personal interests: a private Sufi music performance for an aficionado, for instance.
December 9th, 2010
Park Hyatt Jeddah is currently hosting the Women in Leadership Forum which focuses on five key pillars for successful entrepreneurship: state aid, finance, knowledge and education, commercialization, and support. This is the first event of its kind in Saudi Arabia. In the future, the event plans to award female entrepreneurs a number of awards: Saudi Businesswoman of the Year, Leading Woman in the Public Sector, Leading Woman CEO, Leading Woman in a Family Business, Most Innovative Woman Entrepreneur, Most Women-Friendly Employer, and Most Philanthropic Initiative.
The hotel is the perfect setting to unwind after a busy conference schedule. Located on the coast of the Red Sea, the 34.5-acre complex houses the famous King Fahd fountain, which has a more than 1,000-foot-high spray!