The Suite Life

Welcome to this edition of the “Three + Three” in which the Perfect Escapes Suite Life Blog brings you three great deals in three top destinations around the country. Published twice monthly, you can also get your 3 deals delivered directly to you by subscribing to our RSS feed.

This week we go to the Canadian Rockies, where three very different Fairmont hotels and resorts are ready to host your next great getaway. Enjoy a rustic lodge, lakeside luxury, or a park resort, it’s up to you. Whatever you choose there are always exclusive Perfect Escapes perks, so pick your deal and your destination and make your escape.

Rustic Elegance – The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

The charming cabins and rustic elegance of The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge make this legendary resort the embodiment of peace, tranquility and natural beauty. Book the Rustic Elegance offer, a Perfect Escapes exclusive, and receive: guaranteed late check-out, daily breakfast for two, welcome gift, and complimentary room upgrade and early check-in (on avail.).

Rocky Mountain Luxury – The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Tucked deep within Banff National Park, the Chateau invites you to a retreat of welcoming grandeur. Book the Rocky Mountain Luxury package, a Perfect Escapes exclusive offer, and receive: confirmed room upgrade, valet parking, and late check-out.

Plus book this or any other Fairmont Chateau Lake Louis offer with Perfect Escapes and receive: Daily Breakfast for two, early check-in (on avail.) and welcome gift.

Banff & Breakfast – The Fairmont Banff Springs

The Fairmont Banff Springs offers all the amenities of a world-class resort, with superbly appointed guest rooms and attentive service in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Book this Banff & Breakfast offer, a Perfect Escapes exclusive, and receive a confirmed room upgrade and complimentary parking.

Also, book this or any other Fairmont Banff Springs offer with Perfect Escapes and you’ll receive Daily breakfast for two, late check-out and early check-in (on avail.) and a welcome gift.

Remember, these special offers are exclusive to Perfect Escapes. Find more luxury hotel deals at Perfect Escapes for each of this week’s featured destination: The Canadian Rockies.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

Just as frequent spa-goers could recite the vast differences between a hot stone massage and a deep tissue, so could they explain that destination spas and resort spas are two wonderful, but very different, spa experiences. Luckily, Perfect Escapes wants to ensure every luxury traveler gets exactly what he or she is looking for, so here is a rundown of the intricacies and delights of each type of spa experience…

Destination spas are destinations designed for guests who seek total immersion in a spa experience. They offer an adult environment where the emphasis is on getting and staying healthy. These spas are intended to be the destination and not simply an added bonus to a vacation. As such, destination spas offer guests a wide range of therapeutically oriented activities to keep them occupied. These activities are intended to help guests find inspiration and become energized among a like-minded community of participants. They equally balance spa treatments with health-building activities such as education and seminars, exercise routines, and meditation to create an overall sense of growth and inner peace.

Most destination spas include lodging, meals, programs and some spa treatments in their base rates. Guests average longer visits to a destination spa with stays commonly being five days to multiple weeks. Destination spas are a great way to address particular health issues or initiate a healthier lifestyle. While much time is spent looking inward, destination spas are also a good way to enjoy the company of a close friend or partner looking to achieve the same relaxation and rejuvenation goals.

Resort spas, on the other hand, are for those guests seeking to enjoy some spa treatments as part of their overall experience. They often offer a family environment and a full range of dining and recreational experiences in addition to the on-site spa, such as golf and tennis. These spas offer a great way to pamper oneself as part of a larger getaway and are for the less formal spa-goer. So if you want to work those muscles playing sports, expand your mind site-seeing or simply relax on the beach, a resort spa often has all those activities close at hand, and you can go back to the resort for a body treatment to heal from all those adventures.

Most resort spas offer spa packages that bundle room nights and spa treatments but most guests book spa treatments separately from their lodging. Either way, be sure to book spa treatments ahead of your stay as they are generally difficult to get last minute due to limited treatment rooms and staff.

Need further help deciding whether a destination spa or a resort spa is for you?
- Go to a destination spa to rid your body of toxins. Go to a resort spa to tie on a couple of intoxications.
- Go to a resort spa to dine on lamb chops dressed in lemongrass. Go to a destination spa to nibble on lettuce dressed in grass with lemon.
- Go to a destination spa OR a resort spa for a perfect escape.

Top Destination Spas
If you are looking for an ultimate spa getaway, then consider a trip to any of these twelve amazing spas whose focus is on personal wellness and growth.

Agua Spa at the Delano Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida
Amandari, Bali, Indonesia
Brenner’s Park Hotel & Spa, Baden-Baden, Germany
Canyon Ranch, Tucson, Arizona
Canyon Ranch, Lenox, Massachusetts
Chiva-Som International Health Resort, Hua Hin, Thailand
Lake Austin Spa Resort, Austin, Texas
Mii Amo at Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona
Miraval Resort, Tucson, Arizona
Plateau at Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong

Top Resort Spas
If you are looking to enjoy a terrific spa as part of a greater getaway, then consider staying at one of these twelve properties or go to Perfect Escapes for a list of great spas at many luxury hotel properties:

American Club, Kohler Waters Spa, Kohler, Wisconsin
Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara, California
Bathhouse at Calistoga Ranch, Napa Valley, California
Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa, Carefree, Arizona
Esperanza, An Auberge Resort, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Fairmont Banff Springs, Willow Stream Spa, Canada
Hotel Le Sirenuse, Aveda Concept Spa, Positano, Italy
One&Only Ocean Club, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Spa at the Mandarin Oriental, New York City
Spa Halekulani, Honolulu, Hawaii
Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand
Canyon Ranch SpaClub at the Palazzo Las Vegas, Nevada

By Eric Jeck, CEO for Perfect Escapes

For those of us who love to “live vicariously” through our “friends and families” by listening to their “detailed cave explorations in the Andes” and their “digital slideshows of over 1,000 beautiful landscapes,” Zagats has always been and always will be the epitome of sound-bite reviews. Trip Advisor might be more popular with longer reviews, but Zagat’s will always hold a warm place in my heart.

So, it was nice to see that the Zagat Survey today released the results of its 2007/2008 World’s Top Hotels, Resorts and Spas survey. The guide is based on the experiences of 21,783 frequent travelers and 1,626 professional travel agents who averaged 36.9 hotel nights per year. It includes rates and reviews of 1,287 of the best places to stay and play in the world as well as 48 leading hotel chains.

The following lists show the leading chains, hotels, resorts and spas:

Hotel Chains:

1. Amanresorts
2. Four Seasons
3. Mandarin Oriental
4. Raffles
5. St. Regis
6. Ritz-Carlton
7. Rosewood
8. Orient-Express
9. Oberoi
10. Shangri-La

Large Hotels (100+ rooms):

Peninsula, Los Angeles

1. Four Seasons George V, Paris
2. Peninsula, Chicago
3. Peninsula, Bangkok
4. Peninsula, Hong Kong
5. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
6. Four Seasons, Chicago
7. Four Seasons, Budapest
8. Mandarin Oriental, Miami
9. Peninsula, Los Angeles
10. Four Seasons, Las Vegas

Resorts (100+ rooms):

Four Seasons Punta Mita, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

1. Four Seasons/Hualalai, Hawaii
2. One & Only, Baja Peninsula, Mexico
3. Four Seasons Wailea, Hawaii
4. Four Seasons, Canadian Rockies
5. Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
6. Four Seasons Resort, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
7. Halekulani, Hawaii
8. Ritz-Carlton, Cayman Islands
9. Four Seasons Resort, Provence
10. Four Seasons, Punta Mita, Mexico

Small Hotels, Resorts & Inns (less than 100 rooms):

Amanjiwo, Borobudur, Indonesia

1. Singita, Kruger Area, South Africa
2. Amanjiwo, Borobudur, Indonesia
3. Four Seasons Tented, Golden Triangle, Thailand
4. Como Shambala, Bali
5. Four Seasons, Chiang Mai, Thailand
6. Oberoi Udaivilas, Rajasthan, India
7. Amankila, Bali
8. Gidleigh Park, Devon, U.K.
9. Four Seasons Sayan, Bali
10. Blanket Bay, Queenstown, New Zealand

Big happenings here at Perfect Escapes. We have just launched our complete list of international luxury hotels. Every hotel on our site has been put through the ringer and come out sparkling clean and deemed worthy to be a true 4- or 5-star hotel. With selections ranging from the far corners of the world, we have most of your bases covered. We have scoured the globe to bring you the best of the best: from the luxury resorts of the Maldives to the beautiful coast of Mexico, from luxury accommodations on the Champs Elysees in Paris to the reborn luxury retreats in Phuket Thailand, and from the variety of deluxe hotels in London to the luxury high-rises of cosmopolitan Lima. Our list of properties now covers almost 90 countries.

To make things even better, we’ve also launched a new interactive map for your navigation pleasures. Let us know what you think about the map, or any of our new properties. There are still some bugs and all of our hotel photos will be up soon so even though some of the hotels on the site might not have all of their information, they are still worthy of being included and have passed our intensive rating system.

Here are just a small sampling of our new favorites from around the globe:

Soneva Fushi Resort & Spa - Maldives

The first “Robinson Crusoe” style hideaway in the Maldives, is set on the privately owned, uninhibited, tropical paradise island of Kunfunadhoo.

Each villa has the luxuries found in the best hotels. However, whilst offering all these modern day facilities, the utmost care has been given to make the resort environment-friendly, and to reflect the dream of a Robinson Crusoe experience. Thus, the hairdryer is hidden in the drawer of a coconut wood desk; the minibar, safe, and quadraphonic hi-fi are concealed behind rattan; the TV and DVD are delivered in a water hyacinth basket.

Evason Hideaway at Ana Mandara - Vietnam

Visiting this 300 acre island in idyllic Ninh Van Bay, the feeling of tranquillity is not an illusion. Accessible only by boat, the site of the Evason Hideaway on dramatic Ninh Van Bay is quite unique, taking full advantage of the setting. Impressive rock formations, the coral reef, white sand beach, a playful stream and the towering mountains behind, all add to the sense of being luxuriously at one with nature.

Featuring 52 airy villas, you can choose between one nestled into the lush hillside, on the beach, or among dramatic rocky outcrops. Each with their own panoramic views of the either the sea.

El Careyes Beach Resort - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Surrounded by a lavish sub-tropical rainforest nestled in a secluded cove on the Pacific Ocean, El Careyes Beach Resort exudes a spirit of tranquility and easy elegance.

Reminiscent of a quiet Mediterranean village, the resort remains true to the architecture of the Costa Careyes, boasting a bold palette of terracotta tones that blends harmoniously with the surrounding nature’’s azures and greens. Passing through the stone archway entrance and on to the signature free form pool with commanding breathtaking views of the Pacific, one can truly experience the feeling of having arrived in a place like no other.

Le Saint Sulpice - Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The all new Le Saint-Sulpice can cater to your every need. This full service hotel has every amenity imaginable from fine dining to a luxurious fitness center. There are 108 spacious suites from 550 to 1500 square feet - many with a fireplace. There are vast terrace suites overlooking the sunny courtyard

The S Le Restaurant sets a new standard of cuisine in Old Montreal. Chef Edwin Haelewyck has assembled a delectable menu hallmarked by its variety and creativity.

Hotel Emiliano - Sao Paolo, Brazil

Ranked #1 by Trip Advisor reviewers for Sao Paolo out of 206 hotels, a member of Leading Small Hotels of the World, and on the Conde Nast Hot List, the Hotel Emiliano offers a new concept in hospitality with an exclusive and luxurious product. It offers guests a pleasant and contemporary ambience. Hotel Emiliano’s restaurant blends top class contemporary style with sofisticated cuisine and provides its guests with an unforgetable home away from home experience.

Banyan Tree Seychelles - Mahe, Seychelles

Nestled in Intendance Bay with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean, one of the world’s most beautiful talcum powder beaches, swaying palm trees and lush tropical forest, Banyan Tree Seychelles provides a rare taste of paradise. For the very best of Seychellois architecture, its 54 stunning pool villas combine contemporary, colonial and ”plantation” d�cor; from high sloping ceilings, airy verandas and louvered doors to ethnic woven textiles. The eclectic villa interiors provide a true sense of place - allowing you to experience Banyan Tree’s signature blend of romance, rejuvenation and exotic sensuality in Seychellois style.