The Suite Life

Leave your baggage on your next vacation. No, not your overworked, overstressed emotional baggage, your actual baggage.

Travel these days means complying with size, quantity, and weight requirements of airlines plus following expansive security regulations and long lines, all of which add up to a more stressful than stress-free vacation. Private companies are tackling the loathed luggage issue with worldwide services that send your bags to your destination (or back home) without you having to drag them through the airport. Luggage can be sent almost anywhere around the world, to and/or from your destination and within days of your departure so they are waiting for you at the hotel or arrive home right after you do. Hotel concierges are supplying the service as well, arranging for luggage transport back to a guest’s home, or receiving luggage for guests even before they arrive.

Travel Baggage free with Perfect Escapes and Luggage Forward. By signing up for the Perfect Escapes Perfect 10™ Newsletter, you are eligible to receive $50 credit towards your first domestic door-to-door luggage or sports equipment delivery. Your credit will be automatically applied at checkout.

It also makes the ever tricky balance of fitting your newly purchased souvenirs into your limited luggage space hassle-free. Your one-of-a-kind wooden giraffe figurine will be shipped with care and ease, arriving right after you and without being handled by a variety of security personal or customs officials (companies like Luggage Forward have systems to handle customs quickly without delays).

Whether you simply can’t travel without a separate shoe suitcase, don’t feel like fighting for overhead space for you not so “carry-on” sized bag, or simply want to get in and out of the airport as quickly and stress-free as possible, you can now start your vacation as soon as you close the last zipper and travel baggage free.

Find your next baggage-free escape at Perfect Escapes.

Sign up for The Perfect 10 and travel Baggage-free with Luggage Forward.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes.

A sensual retreat set in the posh La Jolla community of San Diego, California, the Estancia La Jolla lets guests relax, unwind and indulge in luxury. The beautiful grounds are matched only by the renowned golf course and beaches nearby. This week on the Suite Life Blog User Reviews segment, hear what guests had to say about their stay at the Estancia La Jolla.

Since our launch of the user reviews application, Perfect Escapes has been overwhelmed with responses from people around the world sharing their unique hotel experiences. In this special blog segment, we take the chance to share some of the particularly thoughtful reviews with you in the hope that it will aid you in deciding where to stay on your next trip, and spur you to share your memorable experiences with us as well.

Here’s what guests had to say about their stay at the Estancia La Jolla…

“Upon my arrival to the Estancia, I was greeted by name. I had never been there before and found this odd and delightful. The staff was accommodating throughout my stay. The outdoor jacuzzi and saline pool are just heavenly under the stars.” – Lori from Menlo Park, CA

And…

“I arrived late from a long day of work. The multiples scents of burning candles and peaceful lobby immediately relaxed me. I was welcomed with a flute of champagne and got checked in quickly.” – Seb from San Francisco, CA

Remember, user reviews are open to anyone who has stayed at a Perfect Escapes-listed hotel or resort, no matter where you booked your trip.

To read more user reviews on your favorite luxury hotels, visit Perfect Escapes. Search by destination or for the specific hotel of your choice and then click on the “user reviews” tab on the hotel’s page.

See all Luxury Hotels in San Diego/La Jolla at Perfect Escapes.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes.

Luxury Hotels are catering more and more to the individual needs and lifestyles of their guests. This ranges from special macro-biotic diets to fitness suites, pillow bars and more. Now many luxury hotel and cruise lines are even highlighting their Passover packages, a Jewish holiday that falls in prime spring travel season.

Passover is a fairly restrictive holiday, banning all leavened foods (anything that rises). The un-kosher (banned) foods must be stored in a separate area and the house must be cleaned of all un-kosher items for the entire 8-day holiday. Now many luxury hotels and cruises are doing exactly that.

Boasting cleaned kitchens, special separate storage areas for kosher foods, Seders (traditionally ceremony and meal for Passover), and traditional Passover foods such as Matzoh, holiday travel has truly taken on a new form, blending tradition with relaxation. Some hotels and cruises even offer Rabbi-hosted ceremonies so that Jewish guests can enjoy the traditional holiday without the fuss of cleaning and cooking for all their guests.

Most people wouldn’t think twice about traveling on Thanksgiving, or cruising over Christmas, but with multiple major holidays spread throughout the year, Jewish travelers are often restricted from great travel packages. Now just as Passover demands lounging on plush pillows, luxury Jewish travelers can celebrate the traditions in a luxurious atmosphere. After all, this night is different from all other nights…

Find Luxury Hotels around the world at Perfect Escapes

Book your Passover-friendly hotel on Perfect Escapes:

Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay

Fairmont Mayakoba

Read the full article from USA Today

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

The stress headache that often accompanies the complicated puzzle of arranging airfare to and around Europe is soon to be no more.

A new “open skies” agreement will go into effect March 30 that gives any US-based airlines the freedom to fly to two European Airports and vice versa for European-based airlines.

This will greatly open up the skies to a number of carriers who had previously been closed out from trans-Atlantic travel. Hopefully, this will both decrease the cost of flights to major European and US destinations, as well as give travelers easier access to smaller destinations, which budget airlines are eager to pick up. The main airport on the eye of major US airlines is Heathrow. Bringing non-stop service from more US cities to London’s Heathrow airport is considered long overdue and a major spot for travel throughout the rest of Europe and the world.

In the face of rising flight costs, and fewer flight options, it is refreshing to see the Open Skies agreement go through exactly when travelers need it most. While the long-term effects are hardly known, in a world that never sleeps, creating direct service to Europe’s major destinations is sure to change the lives of business and leisure travelers alike. But for now, start planning that European getaway, without having to subtract 2 days off each end for travel time. And make sure to shop around, now the sky’s the limit on competitive pricing.

Read the New York Times article on the new agreement.

Find Luxury Hotels around the world at Perfect Escapes

Find Luxury London Hotels at Perfect Escapes

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

Ritz-Carlton is adding yet another element to their luxurious atmosphere, designed to make you feel good. No it’s not plush robes and slippers, special bath amenities, or amazingly attentive service (they already have all that): It’s new “give back getaways” that help you feel good by helping others.

The Give Back Getaway is designed to hook into the new trend of “voluntourism travel”. When travelers, even luxury travelers, take a break from their busy lives, the like to reconnect and recharge, and volunteering can often spur those feelings, especially when matched by the comfort and service of a Ritz-Carlton.

For only $50-100 for a half day trip, Ritz-Carlton says guests can make a real difference in the local community in a variety of areas. All of the Ritz-Carltons will have at least one volunteer option, most being environmentally related. While critics say this is simply a ploy to make wealthy travelers feel better about themselves, the hotel chains insists there is real work being done, and coming home to luxury accommodations doesn’t make the work less valuable. In fact, imagine if this new trend spread and every guest donated half a day’s efforts and an extra $50 (about the price of tea service in many upscale hotels) to a local charity. Certainly even critics couldn’t ignore the benefits of paying it forward.

Find all Ritz-Carlton Hotels on Perfect Escapes.

Find Luxury Hotels Worldwide on Perfect Escapes.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes