Summer Travelers Seeking Value Over Budget

Date May 1st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

 

Where to go for summer vacation

Two recent studies looking at what travelers want in a summer vacation this year revealed very different approaches when it comes to planning that all-too-important getaway.

An annual poll by Marriott Corporation’s Springhill Suites reveals that most Americans today are ready to go off the beaten path and explore unexpected destinations. But  vacation is no longer just about getting away. It’s about discoveries from a local, cultural and artistic perspective, the poll indicated. Some 94 percent of Americans would like to experience local art and culture while on vacation and look to local galleries, museums and theaters to provide a rich vacation experience. Read more »

Scenic Cruises: New Luxury Ship in Europe

Date May 1st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

River Cruises in Europe

New to the U.S. market, Australia’s Scenic Cruises is making heads turn on Europe’s classic riverways with a gleaming new “Space-ship” called The Jewel. The 169-passenger vessel is the seventh in the fleet and presents a new kind of luxury for the cruise crowd: a totally all-inclusive vacation.

That means that from the time they land at the airport in Europe, greeted by one of the company’s transportation staff, to the time they are dropped back at the airport to depart from their river cruise experience, all elements are taken care of: dining, excursions, transport, guiding and tipping – all of it. Read more »

The Bristol Panama for Business in Latin America

Date May 1st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

Bristol in Panama City, Panama

Considered the Crossroads of the Americas, Panama is no stranger to the pace of international business. Panama has been growing at a breakneck speed of 9 percent a year at a time when many top world economies have slowed or faltered. And international hotel companies are taking notice. Among them, the Bristol Hotel in Panama City has put its print upon this city’s gleaming skyline and is able to offer visitors all they would expect from a city that is fast anchoring a reputation as the mini-Dubai of the west. Read more »

Lodhi New Delhi for Intriguing New Day Tours

Date May 1st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

Top Hotels in New Delhi

The luxury hotel across from the emerald necklace of Imperial Delhi now brings ancient and royal India up close with a series of compact journeys into lands left alone by time.

The Lodhi made headlines in February when it rebranded from Aman New Delhi into its current spot as a boutique luxury hotel in a very desirable area of bustling New Delhi. Since that time, the nine-story property of 40 rooms and suites has been busy sweetening the stay through the creation of four easy day trips into New Delhi that take visitors behind the veil with some expressly iconic experiences. Read more »

A Peek into History at Suzhou’s Classical Gardens

Date May 1st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

Story and Photos by Susan McKee

Travel to China Classical Suzhou GardensFor those intrigued by the mysteries of gardens, the classical gardens of Suzhou in China are not to be missed. They are found some 850 miles from Beijing but only five hours away these days in the comfort of the bullet train.

Classical gardens in China are a different species than those typical of North America and Europe. Instead of symmetrical plots of flowers bordered with clipped hedges, they resemble idealized landscapes, albeit in scaled down, compressed form. Those who constructed these gardens — often scholars and/or high government officials — were trying to bring natural scenery literally into their city backyards, combining architecture, rocks, water and seasonal plantings to mimic mountains, rivers and wilderness. The idea was to create the illusion of wandering through the natural landscape far beyond the garden, and the city, walls. Read more »

Cambodia: Beyond Angkor Wat

Date May 1st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

Tours to Cambodia Cox & Kings

Cambodia’s most famous site, and arguably one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, Angkor Wat is the reason that most tourists visit the country. Siem Reap, the town built up around Angkor, is the starting point for tours to the Unesco World Heritage site but for those wanting to see more, here is the recommended list.     Read more »

Summer Travel Deals, Discounts and Packages

Date April 21st, 2013 Date Lark Gould

Summer Hotels in Cape Cod
Summer in Cape Cod at the Newly Upgraded Mansion at Ocean Edge

After a $40 million renovation, the Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club in Cape Cod, Ma, may, indeed be the most luxurious resort on the Cape: offering exclusive Concierge services and direct access to the resort’s private beach. The relaunch of the Mansion side introduces 31, two- and three- bedroom Presidential Bay Collection villas (formerly the Bay Pines Villas), on or close to the beach and 90 Mansion Guest Rooms. A personal concierge communicated with guests prior to arrival, welcomes them at check in, escorts them to the villa and attends to their needs. Kitchen areas are stocked with gourmet essentials (think Voss water, milk, orange juices, a selection of soda, Haagen Dazs ice cream, a bottle of red and white signature Ocean Edge wine, and s’mores fixings).

Rates at the Mansion-wing guest rooms start at $139 per night in the spring months and rates in a two-bedroom villa in the Presidential Bay Collection start at $600 per night during the spring season. From June 21 through the Labor Day holiday in September, summer rates start at $425 per night for a Mansion-wing guest room and $1,250 per night for a two-bedroom villa in the Presidential Bay Collection. Read more »

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