The Suite Life

Jade Mountain Resort, St. Lucia

Nothing says posh, luxury hotel like an amazing pool. First infinity pools had luxury travelers ooo-ing and ahhh-ing and now rooftop pool areas have made a big splash.

So which hotel pools stand out as the best in the business? Forbes Traveler found the top pools of 2008, and each is making waves with celebrity and luxury travelers alike. The Gansevoort Hotels (Hotel Gansevoort in NYC and Gansevoort South in Miami) made the list for their rooftop party pool scenes complete with lush garden trimmings, DJ-spun tunes and amazing views.

They may not have ocean views, but a couple of Las Vegas hotels made Forbes’ list as well. Mandalay Bay Resort boasts its own beach, wave pool, and private beach party area for those who like to swim VIP style. Neighbor Golden Nugget casino takes pool-goers for a wild ride with a 3-story water slide that sends them flying through the inner part of a giant aquarium filled with sharks. Swimmers can also get up close and personal with fishies as the aquarium is in the middle of the pool.

Other top pools feature floor-to-ceiling windows, personal infinity pools, and intricate detailing that makes taking the plunge a one-of-a-kind experience.

Find luxury hotels and resorts around the world at Perfect Escapes.

You may have seen the latest iPhone commercial in which they demonstrate how easy it is to download Lonely Planet Guides from the new Apple App Store directly to your iPhone. The commercial shows a user accessing their new guide and finding key phrases and useful information for getting around the foreign land they are exploring.

Now iPhone and iPod are going luxury, offering Frommers travel guides on the devices. For $9.99, anyone with iTunes can download the Frommers guide to top destinations around the world. Currently New York, San Francisco, London and Paris are offered, with more on the way.

The comprehensive travel books will be filled with handy tools such as interactive maps, touch screen links, local information and tips, all in a complete guidebook stored on your Apple device. And once the book has downloaded to you iPhone or iPod you don’t need an internet connection to read the material, simply click on the icon and get going with your personal guide to go.

Find luxury hotels around the world at Perfect Escapes.

Out with the old, crumpled, barcode luggage tags and in with the smart, radio frequency transmitting luggage tags of the future.

Major airports around the world are testing out technology that uses pin-sized, RFID (radio frequency identification) stickers. These small pins are inserted into paper luggage tags and emit radio signals that are picked up by various antennas and recorded in computers. The old luggage tags had barcodes that were easily crumpled, torn or unreadable, while these little pins have a host of benefits beyond just their improved durability.

Unlike the barcoded tags, RFID-tagged bags can be sorted more quickly and efficiently, and not having to hand-scan each barcode means your bag can get to the connecting plane by the time you do. It also means there’s a lot less chance of your bag getting lost in the process.

While mainstreaming this technology may still be a few years into the future, get ready to jet set faster than ever before without your bags accidentally falling behind.

Pack your bag and make your escape to the top luxury hotels and resorts at Perfect Escapes.

Read the full article on the new RFID tags.

With a hectic, paparazzi-filled life, no one knows how to vacation better than celebrities. Take Britney Spears for example, whose chaotic life always seems to become a little more zen after a 5-star luxury vacation.

In the past few months Britney has been a triple-threat when it comes to lying out on the beach, splashing in the water, and relaxing in her suites.  As the Labor Day holiday comes around the corner and signals the end of summer, why not give yourself the celebrity treatment and check-in to one of the 5-star destinations that can rejuvenate even the most frazzled celebrity, let alone luxury traveler.

Costa Rica – Britney Spears recently relaxed with friend Mel Gibson in this ideal tropical spot. Lush rain forests, beautiful beaches and a host of activities make this the ultimate exotic way to unwind.

Mexico – Nothing beats Cabo San Lucas when it comes to hot celebrities and hot parties. Lauren Conrad from the Hills recently said Cabo is one of her favorite vacation destinations and Ms. Spears enjoyed frolicking with friends in the party town over the summer. Grab your girls and have an end of summer Mexican escape of your own.

Las Vegas –Be your own A-lister by checking out of the many celebrity chef restaurants, celebrity host nightclub events, or mixing with the stars in the VIP lounge of a variety of hot clubs. Pure in Caesars Palace, along with Tao in the Venetian, Tryst at the Wynn Las Vegas, and Body English at the Hard Rock all boast frequent celebrity visitors and are open to anyone who dresses to impress. But remember, just because the paparazzi aren’t following you, doesn’t mean what happens in Vegas will stay in Vegas…

As of August 16, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is allowing laptops to pass through security checkpoints unzipped and protected in ‘checkpoint friendly’ bags. Since not all laptop bags meet the checkpoint friendly guidelines, make sure your bag is up to snuff before heading to the airport if you hope to take advantage of this zippy new security option.

The new so-called ‘checkpoint friendly’ laptop bags must meet the following criteria:

- The bag is designed with a laptop-only section that will lay flat on the x-ray belt.

- The bag does not have any metal snaps, zippers, or buckles; whether inside, underneath, or on top of the laptop-only section.

- The bag does not contain any pockets on the inside or outside of the special laptop-only section.

- The bag’s laptop-only section contains nothing other than the laptop.

- The bag must be completely unfolded so that there is nothing above or below the laptop-only section, allowing the bag to lie completely flat on the x-ray belt.

It’s important to note that TSA employs random screening protocols and reserves the right to re-screen any bag or laptop regardless of the bag’s design.

For more details on ‘checkpoint friendly’ bags and screening procedures for laptops, visit the TSA website.

Use your laptop to find luxury hotels around the world at Perfect Escapes.