The Suite Life

Conde Nast Traveler has just released its Hot Hotel list for 2008. The list includes hotels in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Middle East, Australia and the Pacific, and of course, North America.

Here’s a sneak peak at the list’s North American Hot Hotels which included many Perfect Escapes accepted properties such as:

Aqua Cancun, Cancun
Rosewood Mayakoba, Mayakoba
Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen
La Purificadora, Puebla
Grand Del Mar, San Diego
Ivy Hotel, San Diego
Angler’s Boutique Resort, Miami Beach
Tides South Beach, Miami Beach
Hotel Sax, Chicago
Palazzo Las Vegas
Ritz Carlton Dallas

And many more…

Some of these properties have such exciting design and anticipation that they are already achieving big industry buzz before they even open. So make sure to book early as the hotter a hotel gets the harder it is to get into, and it’s going to be one steamy summer.

Find luxury hotels around the world at Perfect Escapes.

See the entire Conde Nast Traveler Hot Hotel List for 2008.

Although the weather might not show it, Summer is just around the corner, and with it comes summer vacations.

While Europe is often considered a balmy clamor of tourists in the high summer months, certain locations boast the privacy and luxury that entice Hollywood stars and luxury travelers alike. A few spots in particular are almost guaranteed to lavish you in the vacation of your dreams while you rub shoulders with some of the celebrity elite.

Classic destinations for a vacation with the stars include St. Tropez, Mykonos, and St. Barts where upscale dining meets gorgeous views, top accommodations and enough privacy for stars and jet-setters to relax carefree.

For the trend-setters, Turkey’s Turquoise Coast and Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast have quaint towns with delicious food and cultural attractions.

Of course, there’s not always time to go clear across the ocean for some 5-star relaxation, and that’s why many luxury travelers are finding the stars in Mexico’s Riviera Maya resorts or party town Miami Beach, Florida.

Spend your summer with the stars and indulge in the world’s best luxury. You may not come back with the Paparazzi on your trail, but you certainly will enjoy a bit of starpower.

By Sarah Ziering for Perfect Escapes

The User Reviews segment of the Suite Life Blog usually focuses on guest reviews of one of the luxury hotels included on the Perfect Escapes site. However, PE recently received a review of its own. This review came not from a guest, but from the Casa Natalia Hotel in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. An authentic Hacienda –style boutique hotel, Casa Natalia was a perfect addition to the Perfect Escapes site. With the finest luxury amenities and atmosphere from waterfalls to local art, Casa Natalia has been thrilled to host the discerning Perfect Escapes guests.

Here’s what Casa Natalia had to say about their experience with Perfect Escapes…

“Thank you so much for your great work and for the marvelous guests that have been in Casa Natalia during these months…We are more than glad to work with you!!”

Casa Natalia is so pleased with the caliber of guests that have stayed at their hotel and with their partnership with Perfect Escapes that they have extended the availability of their special offer for Perfect Escapes guests:

Book any Casa Natalia stay through Perfect Escapes and receive daily breakfast for two, welcome drinks, early check-in, late check-out, and room upgrade.* Plus, if you book the exclusive Los Cabos Luxury offer you’ll also receive 20% off the best rate on a 4-night or longer stay (it’s like getting your 5th night free).

As always, the Suite Life Blog welcomes user reviews from 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 Mexico on Perfect Escapes

*check-in/-out amenities and room upgrade based on availability.

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

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