Luxury Hotels - Honeymoon Update...

Hi all,
As an update to my first idea posting - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1283007-honeymoon-thoughts-african-safari-aman-india.html - I have chosen a honey moon plan. I am still looking for a few suggestions on the beginning and on the end. End of August first Week in September.

Day 1: Overnight Flight LAX > LHR

London/English Countryside - 3 Nights
- considering a stay in London at 45 Park Lane or outside the city at Coworth Park or Limewood Hotel. I have stayed at 45 Park and Coworth before.

Overnight Flight LHR>NBO

Singita Sabora Tented Camp - 2 Nights
Singita Sasakwa - 3 Nights
& Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas - 2 Nights
& Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - 2 Nights

Flight from NBO > DXB (Dubai)
Dubai 2 Nights - Consider One and Only the Palm or Armani Hotel. Please Advise. I am leaning towards the Beach... but this will be the first week in September.

Morning flight DXB > LHR (arrive in London the afternoon).

London - 1 Night (Coworth Park or 45 Park Lane)

Depart London for Miami (Home)

I suggest you consult with a good travel agent. There are some fine ones who post on this forum who are affiliated with Virtuoso. This is definitely a trip which should be handled by a professional.

Regarding Dubai:
September will be extremely hot. We were there beginning of October last year. We love warm weater, but Dubai is really hot hot hot, so hot, I spent most of daytime in the pool, not next to it. Also at night, it was actually too hot to sit outside without getting wet from sweat immediately. No restaurants served food outside at night, it was all airconditioned inside venues. I enjoy beach, but did not particularly like the beach at O&O as it was man made and the water really "dead" (inside the Palm). I would rather look for a place with a fantastic pool, which O&O the Palm definitely has. For beach the other O&O is better.

I rarely ever deal with TAs. I always book myself and directly with the properties and typically the GMs. The Hotels in Africa are assisting in arranging transportation. Thank you!

I am really only going to Dubai in order to accommodate a mileage ticket on Virgin and I was able to get better availability thru Dubai. I have never been to DXB and do not have much desire to go so I think this might be a good time to check it out for two days. I think after being on Safari it might be nice to relax by the pool, and be in a city environment.

you might ask how access between OO properties works
smaller properties - OO residence and SL horizon (SL horizon (http://www.shangri-la.com/dubai/shangrila/press-room/photo-library/lightbox/2728/))
dar al masyaf has 6 small pools - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1300607-getting-best-deal-jumeirah-hotels.html#post17994903

have you booked an african property where their website says "may only be booked by travel agent" ?

ive found it interesting some also require insurance, even though the insurance might not cover much in the way of real world issues. seems like something you might expect in the US from a legal perspective, but not in africa... OTOH maybe its a quasi scheme with kickbacks from insurance sales? and no im not talking about nonluxury properties.

I have visited Coworth Park before, but just for one night, and I was wondering if it was worth staying at the Limewood hotel for a few night after I fly in from Heathrow. It might be best to Stay one night at 45 Park Lane the day we arrive in London, and then head Limewood in the morning. The other option is to do a few nights at Coworth Park, and then move over to 45 Park Lane for a night or two before departing for Nairobi.

Coworth Park is closer to LHR and London so it might be better to keep the traveling to a minimum but Limewood seems great.

Thoughts?

I have visited Coworth Park before, but just for one night, and I was wondering if it was worth staying at the Limewood hotel for a few night after I fly in from Heathrow. It might be best to Stay one night at 45 Park Lane the day we arrive in London, and then head Limewood in the morning. The other option is to do a few nights at Coworth Park, and then move over to 45 Park Lane for a night or two before departing for Nairobi.

Coworth Park is closer to LHR and London so it might be better to keep the traveling to a minimum but Limewood seems great.

Thoughts?

The OP seems to be planning to switch hotels an awful lot.

Hi all,
As an update to my first idea posting - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxury-hotels/1283007-honeymoon-thoughts-african-safari-aman-india.html - I have chosen a honey moon plan. I am still looking for a few suggestions on the beginning and on the end. End of August first Week in September.

Day 1: Overnight Flight LAX > LHR

London/English Countryside - 3 Nights
- considering a stay in London at 45 Park Lane or outside the city at Coworth Park or Limewood Hotel. I have stayed at 45 Park and Coworth before.

Overnight Flight LHR>NBO

Singita Sabora Tented Camp - 2 Nights
Singita Sasakwa - 3 Nights
& Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas - 2 Nights
& Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge - 2 Nights

Flight from NBO > DXB (Dubai)
Dubai 2 Nights - Consider One and Only the Palm or Armani Hotel. Please Advise. I am leaning towards the Beach... but this will be the first week in September.

Morning flight DXB > LHR (arrive in London the afternoon).

London - 1 Night (Coworth Park or 45 Park Lane)

Depart London for Miami (Home)

In doing Safaris, it's very normal to hop around a few camps every couple of nights. But at the time of your visit, the migration herds will most likely be at Masai Mara (although it's impossible to predict this for certain). So you may want to look at spending a few nights there in exchage of under canvas Serengeti. I highly suggest Bateleur camp.

It's easy enough to book hotels and camps on one's own. Hotels will be only too glad to assist you with that since you are saving them a commission. BUT you will be losing very sound advice on all the planning that goes into a complicated trip like this. It never ceases to amaze me that people avoid TAs when it costs nothing to use them.

not sure id consider booking with GM to be 'avoiding TA' (not GM etc i wouldnt disagree)

id also assume expert negotiator [guests] "cant" get same results with TA commission

Still weighing options for my short two night stay in Dubai after the Safari. We have never been to Dubai before and after spending 9 days on the African plains we would like some beach/pool combined with a feeling of cosmopolitan luxury. I am a fan of luxury and excellent service.

1. O&O The Palm
2. O&O Residence
3. Armani Hotel?

Other thoughts?

The OP seems to be planning to switch hotels an awful lot.

I agree with this. If your honeymoon is following directly after your wedding, this would be too stressful for me, and a couple of hours getting settled at each place and a couple of hours packing at each place will get tedious quickly.

All the best to you.