Luxury Hotels Forum "Presidential Suite Lounge" -- All Welcome!!
Jan 18, 2015, 9:15 am
#826
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,145
Welcome to FT Luxury Forum, chelsea2. This is a great place to be, not as good as travelling to the hotels and resorts we are discussing, but definitely making the travelling part, the planning part and the thinking back part a lot better.
Jan 19, 2015, 9:33 am
#828
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: AA EXP Hyatt Dia SPG Gold Fairmont Plat
Posts: 439
I am looking for somewhat general luxury hotel booking advice. I have planned a trip to the Maldives for 8 days in Nov/Dec and the hotel I want to stay at, Cocoa Island by COMO, completely lacks points, Virtuoso and FHR.
How exactly does one book a hotel that is not part of some sort of rewards program? There must be a thread on this already, but I obviously failed forum search 101.
How exactly does one book a hotel that is not part of some sort of rewards program? There must be a thread on this already, but I obviously failed forum search 101.
Jan 19, 2015, 10:26 am
#829
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Here, there … you know how it goes.
Posts: 1,518
I am looking for somewhat general luxury hotel booking advice. I have planned a trip to the Maldives for 8 days in Nov/Dec and the hotel I want to stay at, Cocoa Island by COMO, completely lacks points, Virtuoso and FHR.
How exactly does one book a hotel that is not part of some sort of rewards program? There must be a thread on this already, but I obviously failed forum search 101.
How exactly does one book a hotel that is not part of some sort of rewards program? There must be a thread on this already, but I obviously failed forum search 101.
Jan 19, 2015, 4:57 pm
#830
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: AA EXP Hyatt Dia SPG Gold Fairmont Plat
Posts: 439
Is there a common pattern to getting the most value for a booking at a hotel that is not part of a miles/points program and not in Virtuoso/FHR? I can book the room online through the hotel website, but is there a generally better way that I don't know about?
The answer might be no, but I don't want to miss out if the answer is yes.
Jan 22, 2015, 3:32 pm
#831
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: BNA
Programs: Virtuoso, FSPP, RC STARS, Rosewood Elite, Bellini, SPG LP, Dorchester Diamond, PenClub
Posts: 357
In some cases hotels that are not in Virtuoso do offer amenities to clients of Virtuoso advisors. Also, there may be preferred partnerships for a hotel chain or a hotel marketing group that offer amenities, even when an individual hotel is not part of Virtuoso. The only way to know for sure is to ask an advisor about a specific property. Of course, as aa213bb suggested you can always try to contact hotel sales/management directly.
I can't speak to FHR.
I can't speak to FHR.
Feb 1, 2015, 5:53 pm
#832
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
robuchon and magrez open 6 room hotel in bordeaux
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/tr...-bolthole.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/tr...-bolthole.html
Feb 3, 2015, 2:35 pm
#833
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,592
robuchon and magrez open 6 room hotel in bordeaux
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/tr...-bolthole.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/tr...-bolthole.html
Feb 15, 2015, 9:27 pm
#834
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Posts: 31,797
http://privateresidences.slh.com/
interesting from small luxury hotels of the world
interesting from small luxury hotels of the world
Feb 16, 2015, 12:09 am
#835
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172
It's going to be a Ritz week for me.
Ritz Carlton Kyoto followed by the Ritz Carlton Tokyo.... should be fun!
Ritz Carlton Kyoto followed by the Ritz Carlton Tokyo.... should be fun!
Feb 16, 2015, 12:10 am
#836
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,413
Feb 16, 2015, 9:33 am
#837
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC, USA | CLT, formerly LHR & AMS (with just a bit of PSP)
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, BonVoy Titanium, (soon former) Caesars7*, (former) Wynn Black, HR "Icon"
Posts: 8,172
Feb 16, 2015, 7:33 pm
#838
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
Great introduction. Welcome! 
I am a long time reader of this forum but only recently posted a few times as I was researching my upcoming trip to Bhutan. I just noticed this presidential forum thread this week and realized I should have introduced myself to the community. I like many of you are a lover of luxury travel and get very excited whenever I have the opportunity to plan our next trip.
I live with my husband and two cavalier king charles spaniels in New York City. I took an early retirement after a long career in Finance while my husband still works in finance. So now I have lots of time to plan and research travel and wine (my two greatest interests), but unfortunately not as much disposable income to spend on them - alas!! I was raised in a single parent home, so we did not really travel at all when I was a child. My first experiences with travel really started in college which is when the bug bit me. After graduation (in the mid 80's) I had the great opportunity to classic "backpacking through Europe trip" that was so popular at the time. Myself and two friends lived by our "Let's Go -Europe on $25" guidebook as we explored London, Amsterdam, Paris, Nice, Florence, Rome, Athens and the island of Ios. It was a glorious experience for me - I remember thinking at the time - "I can't believe I am actually here at the "fill in the blank" (Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Collesium etc.......) It was very far from luxury travel - in fact some of the places were downright gross - but boy was it a magical experience.
Over the years of traveling our patterns have changed. In my 20's travel was mostly domestic due to limited time off work and budget. In our 30's my husband and I became regular travelers to Europe with 2-3 trips per year. This is also around the time the properties we began to stay at became nicer and our expectations and bar started to raise. Around 1o years ago we started to strike out to destinations beyond Europe with trips to Africa, India and Asia. It was at this point that the luxury factor really started to ramp up with our introduction to Aman Resorts and luxury safari camps. I assume that many of you have had the same turning point - where after these types of over the top experiences - it is really hard to think of traveling any other way. For me the luxury is less about the size/style of the room (although that is part of it) and more about the way these very special properties seem to "curate" your experiences leaving you with indelible memories.
In 2015 I took a really long trip in celebration of turing 50 and it was an interesting combination of low and high end travel. For the first 2.5 weeks I traveled with 2 girlfriends in Montenegro and Croatia and stayed in budget accommodations. It was quite a different experience than my normal mode - but I loved spending time with my friends and this was the only way we could do it. We did however splurge for a private guide/driver service for the entire trip though - which made all the difference. It gave me the connection to local people and the inside knowledge that I so enjoy. After this we met up with our husbands and 14 other friends for a week at a luxury villa in Tuscany - which was really fabulous!
I rarely use travel agents (except for safaris) because I love doing my own research, but after recently reading a lot on this board it seems that I am probably missing out on a lot the "virtuoso" benefits by booking on my own. We tend not to be be big beach or water people but prefer cultural, food and wine experiences.
My Top 5 lifetime travel experiences (so far!!):
1) Amansara (Siem Reap, Cambodia) - probably my most favorite property/experience of all time (Also my first Aman). We initially visited in Nov 2005 for 3 days and were so enchanted/bewitched that we returned and stayed for 5 days in Nov 2010. The second visit was as special as the first. We loved Siem Reap, the temples, the landscape etc..., the relationship we developed with our private guide, our interactions with the village children, talks and field trips with the visiting archaeologist, the food, private dinner at the Lakefront traditional house. Pitch perfect for us - both times.
2) Little Mombo Camp (Okavongo Delta, Botswana)- I have stayed at LM 2x (2009, 2011) after staying at main Mombo Camp 2x (2006, 2008)- total four trips. My safari wildlife experiences at this reserve have all been spectacular and the best guiding of any camps (Doc Malinga is incredible!). Hands down though - the experience at Little Mombo exceeded the experience at main Mombo because of the intimacy of the camp (only 3 rooms). Allowed for some really memorable dinners where we got to spend quality time with the managers and other guests as well as had ample private/quiet time.
3) Dar Ahlam (Skouros, Morocco) - beautiful kasbah in a desert oasis town. Each meal we dined privately in a separate part of the kasbah (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - all set beautifully and very romantic. We got to know the chef very well and loved his food - spent a lot of time speaking with him and touring his kitchen. Our overnight trip to their tented camp in the Sahara sealed the deal though. It is a long grueling drive over mountains and bumpy unpaved desert roads. Upon arriving we walked up a dune covered with a Moroccan rug and we served mint tea. From here shown to our amazing tent for a wash up and rest. We then had a dune set up for cocktails and apps as we watched the sunset. Whilst we were enjoying our sundowners - the staff was busy placing lanterns along the rise and fall of the dunes so when we turned around it looked magical. We followed the path of the lanterns to our dinner - a table set between the dunes - had an amazing meal. The staff then played guitar and sang traditional songs for us under the beautiful starry sky. It was so incredibly beautiful. The following morning we chose to be awoken to have a sunrise breakfast watching the sands change color with the light - spectacular.
4) The Point (Saranac Lake, NY) - I already posted on this so won't repeat
5) Jack's Camp Botswana - 2 visits (2008 and 2011) - I won't spoil the surprise for those of you who have not been but this is another WOW!
Other luxury properties we have visited by region:
Vietnam:
- Hanoi - The Metropole
- Ha Long Bay Cruise - The Valentine
- Hoi An - the Nam Hai
Thailand:
- Bangkok - The Four Seasons, The Mandarin Oriental
- Chiang Mai - The Four Seasons
Bali:
- Amandari
Singapore:
- The Four Seasons, The Ritz Carlton
Japan:
- Tokyo - The Grand Hyatt (many times business trips)
India:
- Bangalore - The Leela Palace, The Oberoi
- Delhi - The Oberoi
- Agra - Amarvilyas
Morocco:
- Marrakech - Riad Farnatchi
South Africa:
- Sabi Sands - Singita Ebony
Botswana:
- Okovongo Delta - Mombo, King's Pool, Duba Plains, Duma Tau
- Magadgadhi Pans - Jack's Camp
Namibia:
- Skeleton Coast Camp - subsequently burned down
Zambia:
- The River Club
Turks & Caicos - Amanyara
Anguilla - Malliouhana
United States:
Jackson Hole Wyoming - Amangani
Vermont - Twin Farms
Tennessee - Blackberry Farm
Napa, CA - Carneros Inn, Calistoga Ranch, Solage
Mexcio:
Cabo - Las Ventanas ai Paraiso, Esperanza
I look forward to becoming a more active contributor to the board and am happy to provide any information that I can to community! Thanks for being such an invaluable resource to all the luxury travelers out there!
I live with my husband and two cavalier king charles spaniels in New York City. I took an early retirement after a long career in Finance while my husband still works in finance. So now I have lots of time to plan and research travel and wine (my two greatest interests), but unfortunately not as much disposable income to spend on them - alas!! I was raised in a single parent home, so we did not really travel at all when I was a child. My first experiences with travel really started in college which is when the bug bit me. After graduation (in the mid 80's) I had the great opportunity to classic "backpacking through Europe trip" that was so popular at the time. Myself and two friends lived by our "Let's Go -Europe on $25" guidebook as we explored London, Amsterdam, Paris, Nice, Florence, Rome, Athens and the island of Ios. It was a glorious experience for me - I remember thinking at the time - "I can't believe I am actually here at the "fill in the blank" (Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Eiffel Tower, Collesium etc.......) It was very far from luxury travel - in fact some of the places were downright gross - but boy was it a magical experience.
Over the years of traveling our patterns have changed. In my 20's travel was mostly domestic due to limited time off work and budget. In our 30's my husband and I became regular travelers to Europe with 2-3 trips per year. This is also around the time the properties we began to stay at became nicer and our expectations and bar started to raise. Around 1o years ago we started to strike out to destinations beyond Europe with trips to Africa, India and Asia. It was at this point that the luxury factor really started to ramp up with our introduction to Aman Resorts and luxury safari camps. I assume that many of you have had the same turning point - where after these types of over the top experiences - it is really hard to think of traveling any other way. For me the luxury is less about the size/style of the room (although that is part of it) and more about the way these very special properties seem to "curate" your experiences leaving you with indelible memories.
In 2015 I took a really long trip in celebration of turing 50 and it was an interesting combination of low and high end travel. For the first 2.5 weeks I traveled with 2 girlfriends in Montenegro and Croatia and stayed in budget accommodations. It was quite a different experience than my normal mode - but I loved spending time with my friends and this was the only way we could do it. We did however splurge for a private guide/driver service for the entire trip though - which made all the difference. It gave me the connection to local people and the inside knowledge that I so enjoy. After this we met up with our husbands and 14 other friends for a week at a luxury villa in Tuscany - which was really fabulous!
I rarely use travel agents (except for safaris) because I love doing my own research, but after recently reading a lot on this board it seems that I am probably missing out on a lot the "virtuoso" benefits by booking on my own. We tend not to be be big beach or water people but prefer cultural, food and wine experiences.
My Top 5 lifetime travel experiences (so far!!):
1) Amansara (Siem Reap, Cambodia) - probably my most favorite property/experience of all time (Also my first Aman). We initially visited in Nov 2005 for 3 days and were so enchanted/bewitched that we returned and stayed for 5 days in Nov 2010. The second visit was as special as the first. We loved Siem Reap, the temples, the landscape etc..., the relationship we developed with our private guide, our interactions with the village children, talks and field trips with the visiting archaeologist, the food, private dinner at the Lakefront traditional house. Pitch perfect for us - both times.
2) Little Mombo Camp (Okavongo Delta, Botswana)- I have stayed at LM 2x (2009, 2011) after staying at main Mombo Camp 2x (2006, 2008)- total four trips. My safari wildlife experiences at this reserve have all been spectacular and the best guiding of any camps (Doc Malinga is incredible!). Hands down though - the experience at Little Mombo exceeded the experience at main Mombo because of the intimacy of the camp (only 3 rooms). Allowed for some really memorable dinners where we got to spend quality time with the managers and other guests as well as had ample private/quiet time.
3) Dar Ahlam (Skouros, Morocco) - beautiful kasbah in a desert oasis town. Each meal we dined privately in a separate part of the kasbah (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - all set beautifully and very romantic. We got to know the chef very well and loved his food - spent a lot of time speaking with him and touring his kitchen. Our overnight trip to their tented camp in the Sahara sealed the deal though. It is a long grueling drive over mountains and bumpy unpaved desert roads. Upon arriving we walked up a dune covered with a Moroccan rug and we served mint tea. From here shown to our amazing tent for a wash up and rest. We then had a dune set up for cocktails and apps as we watched the sunset. Whilst we were enjoying our sundowners - the staff was busy placing lanterns along the rise and fall of the dunes so when we turned around it looked magical. We followed the path of the lanterns to our dinner - a table set between the dunes - had an amazing meal. The staff then played guitar and sang traditional songs for us under the beautiful starry sky. It was so incredibly beautiful. The following morning we chose to be awoken to have a sunrise breakfast watching the sands change color with the light - spectacular.
4) The Point (Saranac Lake, NY) - I already posted on this so won't repeat
5) Jack's Camp Botswana - 2 visits (2008 and 2011) - I won't spoil the surprise for those of you who have not been but this is another WOW!
Other luxury properties we have visited by region:
Vietnam:
- Hanoi - The Metropole
- Ha Long Bay Cruise - The Valentine
- Hoi An - the Nam Hai
Thailand:
- Bangkok - The Four Seasons, The Mandarin Oriental
- Chiang Mai - The Four Seasons
Bali:
- Amandari
Singapore:
- The Four Seasons, The Ritz Carlton
Japan:
- Tokyo - The Grand Hyatt (many times business trips)
India:
- Bangalore - The Leela Palace, The Oberoi
- Delhi - The Oberoi
- Agra - Amarvilyas
Morocco:
- Marrakech - Riad Farnatchi
South Africa:
- Sabi Sands - Singita Ebony
Botswana:
- Okovongo Delta - Mombo, King's Pool, Duba Plains, Duma Tau
- Magadgadhi Pans - Jack's Camp
Namibia:
- Skeleton Coast Camp - subsequently burned down
Zambia:
- The River Club
Turks & Caicos - Amanyara
Anguilla - Malliouhana
United States:
Jackson Hole Wyoming - Amangani
Vermont - Twin Farms
Tennessee - Blackberry Farm
Napa, CA - Carneros Inn, Calistoga Ranch, Solage
Mexcio:
Cabo - Las Ventanas ai Paraiso, Esperanza
I look forward to becoming a more active contributor to the board and am happy to provide any information that I can to community! Thanks for being such an invaluable resource to all the luxury travelers out there!
Feb 16, 2015, 7:35 pm
#839
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077
I am looking for somewhat general luxury hotel booking advice. I have planned a trip to the Maldives for 8 days in Nov/Dec and the hotel I want to stay at, Cocoa Island by COMO, completely lacks points, Virtuoso and FHR.
How exactly does one book a hotel that is not part of some sort of rewards program? There must be a thread on this already, but I obviously failed forum search 101.
How exactly does one book a hotel that is not part of some sort of rewards program? There must be a thread on this already, but I obviously failed forum search 101.
Feb 16, 2015, 7:37 pm
#840
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Fairfield County, CT USA
Programs: AA PLT+2MM / DL DM+1MM / A3 *G / Fairmont LT Plat / Ritz Gold / SPG Gold
Posts: 4,077