Posts Tagged hotels
Tips for Worldwide Travel in 2013 Virtuoso Best of the Best
Posted by Cristine Lammers in In the News, Travel Tips on January 18, 2013
Want to get insider advice on the best hotels and destinations in the world? Look no further than Virtuoso’s annual directory of the best properties around the globe.
In the 2013 Virtuoso Best of the Best directory, you’ll meet an impressive array of hotels and resorts.
View the digital edition of 2013 Virtuoso Best of the Best
Virtuoso Best of the Best, winner of the 2012 Maggie award for Best Consumer Guide, is the perfect tool to help you plan extraordinary experiences in dream destinations. These properties have been thoroughly evaluated to ensure your stay will be exceptional. And Virtuoso travel advisors have provided tips throughout the guide to help you plan your travel experiences.
When you book through a Virtuoso travel advisor, you’ll enjoy exclusive amenities including breakfast for two daily and value-added extras like guaranteed room upgrades, resort credits and complimentary meals.
Highlights include:
Annual Best of the Best Award Winners
The hotels receiving special accolades from Virtuoso travel advisors for 2012
Virtuoso Preview
New hotels offering exclusive access to Virtuoso travelers
Virtuoso Villas & Private Retreats
Unique accommodations in remarkable destinations
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: Renting a villa is a special experience for sophisticated travelers. You can immerse yourself in a destination, bond with companions and live like a local while still enjoying luxurious accommodations.
Ellen Wyler
Cincinnati, Ohio
Africa & Middle East
Dine on a rooftop overlooking Jerusalem or enjoy butler service in a luxury tent in Kenya
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: If you are visiting the wine country of Franschhoek, a “must do” is a visit to Haute Cabrière Estate. Learn to open a bottle of exquisite champagne the old-fashioned way . . . by sabre! A delightful afternoon of sampling great wines and snacking on wonderful hors d’oeuvres awaits.
Debbie Fairvalley
Atlanta, Georgia
Asia & Pacific
View Hong Kong from a rose petal bath or make an overwater bungalow your home in Tahiti
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: Particularly in Asian countries, it is always best for travelers to wear slip-on shoes while touring, as it is very much the custom to remove shoes when entering shrines and buildings.
Jim Strong
Dallas, Texas
Canada & United States
Settle into a cliff-top Big Sur abode or view wildlife right outside your door in Alberta
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: For your trip to Santa Fe, your Virtuoso travel advisor can arrange a chocolate walking tour of Old Town. What could be more fun?
Trish Mercer
Columbus, Georgia
Caribbean & Bermuda
Drift into reverie on Anguilla’s white sands or swim with dolphins in Bermuda
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: Bermuda offers awe-inspiring pink sand beaches, world-famous golf courses and fabulous resorts with amenities to pamper you each day. A ferry or scooter is a great way to get around on this small, beautiful island.
Patricia Lehman
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Europe
Dine upon acclaimed cuisine in Monte Carlo or luxuriate in a beachside villa on Crete
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: April is a great time to visit Italy. It is the heart of spring, but you can still get ‘shoulder season’ rates at most hotels. In general, rates increase at the beginning of May.
Ansley Thomas
Atlanta, Georgia
Mexico, Central & South America
Learn Spanish in Cozumel, sip premium coffee in Costa Rica or find eco-luxury in Peru
Virtuoso Travel Advisor Tip: You’ll find riding horseback in Peru to be very interesting and truly delightful, even if you’ve ridden countless times in other countries. The horses just seem to have a different mentality, which is especially noticeable when they canter. It’s something that must be experienced!
Loretta Carson
New York, New York
Index of Attributes & Amenities
Useful information including number of rooms and sought-after amenities
Presenting the Newest Best of the Best
Introducing the latest hotels and resorts to join the Virtuoso network
Find out more about using a Virtuoso Travel Advisor for your next trip.
Spotlight on New Virtuoso Hotels: North American Allure
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Postcards, Return On Life™ on June 26, 2012
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to historic Quebec, from a Western ranch to sleek city sophistication, meet four of Virtuoso’s newest properties. These distinctive experiences all offer excellence in customer service, sumptuous surroundings and special amenities to clients of Virtuoso travel advisors.
The Inn at Little Washington, Washington, VA
The Inn at Little Washington is an 18-room country house hotel nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. The hotel has been awarded two Forbes Five Star Awards and two AAA Five Diamond Awards and is well known for its incredible service, exquisite décor and extraordinary cuisine. Founder and chef/proprietor Patrick O’Connell has created this oasis in the center of a historic village only 67 miles southwest of Washington, DC and just 12 miles from Shenandoah National Park. The Virtuoso amenity is a signed copy of Patrick’s cookbook, “Refined American Cuisine,” and two of the signature Dalmatian aprons worn by our chefs.
Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Auberge Saint-Antoine by Relais&Chateaux is a journey into Québec City‘s past. The hotel displays hundreds of artifacts discovered during an extensive archaeological dig on the property. Today, these finds have been restored and displayed throughout the Auberge Saint-Antoine. In its unique contemporary space, the past has been audaciously re-interpreted. Virtuoso-exclusive guest amenities are upgrade on arrival, subject to availability; complimentary a la carte breakfast daily for up to two in-room guests, served in restaurant or via in-room dining; CA$100 food & beverage credit; and a special attention delivered to the room.
Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel, CA
The newly re-imagined and fully renovated Carmel Valley Ranch is 500 acres of play. Activities offered range from traditional golf, tennis, miles of hiking, cutting-edge fitness classes for any level and spa treatments to signature experiences like beekeeping, organic gardening and cooking classes. The property is perfect for a variety of guests including families, couples, spa enthusiasts and golfers. Amenities for clients of Virtuoso members include a welcome note from their advisor, an upgrade at booking subject to availability, continental breakfast for two daily and a $100 activity credit valid for spa or golf.
W Austin, Austin, TX
Named to Condé Nast Traveler’s Hot List in 2011, W Austin headlines downtown’s vibrant Second Street District with next-door access to the famed Austin City Limits music venue. Recently Silver LEED certified, the hotel supports a sustainable future while enveloping guests in contemporary luxury. W Austin’s 251 rooms offer views of the downtown skyline while the hotel’s exterior plaza faces Lady Bird Lake and its refreshing winds. Eat at TRACE, where cuisine bursts with regional flavors; socialize in the Living Room; detox and refuel at the AWAY Spa; keep fit at SWEAT; or take the plunge at WET® pool. Virtuoso amenities are daily breakfast at TRACE and a $100 AWAY Spa credit.
For the best travel experience, be sure to book your hotel stay with a Virtuoso travel advisor.
View Our Guide to the “Best of the Best” Hotels
Posted by Cristine Lammers in Return On Life™, Virtuoso Life on February 3, 2012
Virtuoso recently unveiled the newest edition of its acclaimed hotel directory, Virtuoso Best of the Best: 2012 Guide to the World’s Best Hotel Experiences.
This comprehensive book showcases hundreds of outstanding hotels and resorts that are known for diverse settings, exceptional service, remarkable attention to detail and exclusive amenities.
Throughout the guide, you will find a list of Virtuoso-exclusive benefits, which include preferred rates and availability, breakfast for two daily, room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout and enhanced amenities that provide an additional value. These amenities are available only through a Virtuoso travel advisor. Click here to learn more about what a Virtuoso travel advisor can do for you.
In addition to the exclusive amenities, travelers can take comfort in knowing that each hotel and resort has been thoroughly evaluated for quality.
View the digital edition of 2012 Virtuoso Best of the Best
Highlights include:
Annual Best of the Best Award Winners
See the hotels that received special recognition from Virtuoso travel advisors.
Virtuoso Villas & Private Retreats
Private hideaways in the world’s most exciting locales.
Africa & Middle East
Find quiet serenity in Cape Town or at a walled oasis in Marrakech.
Asia & Pacific
Explore the lagoons of Bali, the heart of Tokyo or the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef.
Canada & United States
Stay in the Canadian Rockies, the Big Apple or the Big Sur in bespoke style.
Caribbean & Bermuda
Heaven awaits in a posh suite in Jamaica or at a 350-year-old convent in San Juan.
Europe
See the Old World anew from an idyllic hideaway in Rome or a country estate outside Bath.
Mexico, Central & South America
Take in rooftop views in San Miguel de Allende or the cloud forest in Costa Rica.
To learn more about Virtuoso, visit www.virtuoso.com.
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