mktozd

For all of the great places in the world, we are having a difficult time choosing where to go for our honeymoon. We got engaged at the Four Seasons Hualalai and absolutely loved it. Our goal is to find something as special as Hualalai, and we are will to travel to Mexico, the Carribean, Hawaii or Europe and we will be going in April for about a week.

So far, I have come up with the following
1. Manadarin Oriental Riviera Maya - Great pictures and in correspondence with the hotel, I am confident they will finish on time with no residual construction. The only thing that concerns me here is a lack of track record and the potential for lots of bugs. Still, would love to have one of those outdoor bathtubs and I hear great things about the Mandarin Oriental brand.

2. Amanyara, Providenciales - Everyone says that they are a great brand and I like the concept of having a private villa. The price is a bit steep, but I could deal with it if it was really fantastic. Two concerns that I have here are the reports of ongoing construction and lots of flies.

3. Las Ventanas al Paraiso - Great tripadvisor reports and well developed. Not as excited by the pictures, but think I must be missing something.

4. George V, Paris - Very different type of trip, but I think it could be a lot of fun and is the perfect time of year to be in Paris.

5. Hualalai - We LOVED it there and would gladly return, but were hoping to try something new.

Your thoughts about our top five and or additional suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.

DavidO

Paris can be a bit cool in April... Less crowded (good), but just have the right kind of clothing. I know this because I actually stayed at the George V on my honeymoon (from April 2 for about 5 nights). Of course, prices in 1978 were a bit more reasonable

Another idea ... how about Sandy Lane in Barbados?


Both properties are Virtuoso and FHR.

mktozd

Thank you DavidO, I will keep that in mind for Paris and check out Sandy Lane. Didnt Tiger Woods get married there?

Kagehitokiri

1. FS Punta Mita
-beachfront rooms from $925
-ocean view suites with pool from $1225

it also has 4th/5th night free promos

much better value than FS Hualalai in my mind, with beachfront from $5K.
Las Ventanas al Paraiso is also expensive, from $2K for private pool.

MO Riviera Maya - beachfront casitas with pool from $1795
Rosewood Mayakoba - beachfront suite with pool from $900

considering those are both new, and FS Punta Mita is very well regarded, thats a tougher decision. also cant be sure there wont be more delays.

Amanyara is not as well regarded as many of the other Amans. The locations/views of pavilions is also not as good as the villas. (which come with huge price difference)

2. Cayo Espanto
all-inclusive, 6 villa resort on private island, with private pools from $1795

Thalassa

Take a look at Jade Mountain on Saint Lucia (www.jademountainstlucia). It is the sister resort of Anse Chastanet, which is pretty well-regarded but not top of the line.

JM is not beach front, but it is all villas (three types) and all villas have private pools. It is not cheap, but the villas (or sanctuaries as they call them) look stunning and views should be amazing. Low-season all-inclusive packages with activities are around 10k for seven nights.

I am going there with my wife this September and will be reporting on the experience.

Cheers,
T.

Kagehitokiri

i definitely agree those rooms look awesome. (IMHO design seems like one of the best for hotels outside of Asia, although private villas can be better and cheaper) and views around St Lucia also look great. i believe the service is also supposed to be pretty good compared to some of the other places nearby. and the beach. the only thing was snorkeling was better elsewhere IIRC.

OTOH i cant imagine the service compares at all to some of the properties mentioned by OP, so if they have very high service standards, it might not be a good choice.

definitely look forward to hearing how your trip goes. ^ enjoy

Thalassa

This is my impression as well -- if perfect service is the goal, Jade Mountain might not be the right place.

It is actually interesting how the perception of good service differs among different nationalities: something many American's consider the right (high) level of service feels suffocating and overbearing to many Scandinavians.

Cheers,
T.

Kagehitokiri

while some people here might like "stuffy" service, it seems to me many of the regulars prefer invisible/subtle/understated service. but when its missing, it becomes a problem. personally, im more about the room itself.

JNelson113

I have another idea for you--St. John in the USVI and rent a private villa. The Princeville on Kauai is nice too although not to the level of the FS that you have been to--but Kauai is spectacular.

Kagehitokiri

Pacific coast Mexico has great villas @ great prices (beachfront and cliff)

you can also find hotel residences/fractionals such as those at FS Punta Mita on villa rental sites for less than the hotel charges as well.

its more expensive in the caribbean, but St Barts has a lot, and St Lucia has some. i cant seem to recall where the top beachfront are (that are reasonable value)

mktozd

I have never stayed in a villa before and while I hear great things, I think it may be beyond me or the ones that I could afford not that great. Amanyara is the closest I found to a villa at a resort, but it is really expensive and I have heard mixed reviews of the property. One other hotel I am thinking about is the Four Seasons Nevis, but the reviews have not been that great and the prices are high.

Kagehitokiri

oh no there are plenty of VERY cheap villas. but for those who really care about service, unless you hire a staff, or go with something like Villazzo (1 night rates from $2K-$15.7K) its not really the best choice.

OTOH going with hotel residences at FS Punta Mita etc CAN be a great option. you can save money by renting from owner, you get the service, etc. in this case, it would be cheaper just to go with beachfront or oceanview with pool. but if you had another couple, then it would only end up being slightly more to get the 2BR residence club unit direct from owner.

speaking of prices, you realize FSGV starts at $1005, right?

mktozd

I have never rented one of the FS residences. I looked on the website and saw information on purchasing the residences but nothing on renting. Is there a centralized system or is it more like a Crain's list type of thing. Based on the pictures, I would be entirely up for that.

As for the FSGV, I saw the prices, but feel they are on par with everything else as they include tax, whereas so many have 25 or 28% added on.

Kagehitokiri

aha, didnt know that about FSGV, it does make a difference. its also obviously not overpriced, whereas IMHO a lot of properties in Hawaii / Caribbean are.

you can rent most residence club units through RC, even though they dont list the rates at every property. AFAIK if they rent the residences, theyre included in inventory, like at FS Punta Mita. for direct, VRBO.com for example has 2BR residence club units at Punta Mita from ~$1400. therefore its cheaper to just get a 1BR suite with pool, or beachfront. ESPECIALLY because you can get 4th/5th night free.

edit added >
FYI if its a resort residence/fractional, no need to rely on villa rental site for pictures, although they will probably have decent ones. there is plenty of material on the hotel's sales site, both pictures and floorplans.

general >
http://www.homeaway.com/
http://www.wimco.com/
http://www.vrbo.com/

AMEX partners >
http://www.villasofdistinction.com
http://www.lacurevillas.com/
http://www.caribbeanway.com/
http://www.homesaway.com/

also >
http://www.quintessentiallyestates.com/ - one of their cheapest is 6BR St Barts for $1500/nt

mktozd

WOW, this is extremely helpful. I have a lot of reading to do.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH Kagehitokiri!