Read the post by Mark Hodson here
-Thanks, Jill for sending.
travel is my muse |
The Huffington Post recently posted an article on getting the most out of a luxury hotel. The main takeaways: 1. You can score deals in the low season and away from other peak period. 2. The author defines service as one of the defining aspects of luxury. A message to those hotels out there with great amenities but lacking the pro-active and helpful concierge staff to cater to guests' reasonable requests.
Read the post by Mark Hodson here -Thanks, Jill for sending.
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The lefthand break in front of the Kapuluan Vista Resort A return from a sunset walk along the coast revealed that some of the other surfers in our party had found waves. Not at the beach in front of our lodgings at the Kapuluan Visa Resort, but the nearby Blue Lagoon. The waves had been fickle over our three day escape from Manila and we were sad to have missed the surf. But this remote coastal destination at the tip of Luzon lures more than those who seek waves. The Kapuluan Vista Resort, Diplomatique's recommended lodging of choice, may not rank in terms of rooms or service, but delivers on location, charm and the best margaritas this side of the Pacific Rim. Getting there: Travelers to Pagudpud may fly into Laoag International Airport on Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines. From Laoag Pagupdu is a 2-2.5 hour journey by land transport. The Kapuluan Vista Resort offers shuttles. Pagudpud Slideshow: Beach and Baby Animals View from the yoga pavilion. The Farm offers at least three yoga classes a day, including the option for private sessions. Snowboarding, an organized run and surfing used to be the only items I would volunteer to get up early for. Thanks to The Farm at San Benito, I can now add yoga to the list, especially if it involves a cool breeze and a view of mountains, palm trees and a pond with a meditation hut. I felt noticeably more healthy after only three nights on a recent girlfriends' getaway. I didn't do one of the multi-day wellness retreats that serve as the resort's flagship programs. I did, however, do the thrice daily yoga classes and some of the classic work out classes offered at the "Jungle Gym," the workout facility. And stuffed my face--as much as I can as the portions, while filling, are not of the American super-size variety--with the Farm's 100% organic, homegrown and mostly raw cuisine. That being said, go for a double portion of the pesto, which ranks in the "best ever" category. The chef has perfectly melded the freshness of sweet basil with asparagus, snow peas, and bulghur wheat clusters. The freshness of the ingredients had me thinking that the mint on top of my morning yogurt could be classified as a vegetable instead of a herb. The Farm veteran health and wellness team believes that the "new luxury" is fresh seasonal produce direct from an organic garden, picked and served hours later in a dish that is "for the gods." Siargao evokes 1960s travel destinations. The tiny island just north of Mindanao earns cachet by having a name one needs to be in the need to know to pronounce: "Shar-gao.”
A mainly rural island coated in mangroves and coconut groves, the runway evokes Air America with a concrete runway with grass growing between the cracks. A field of vegetables lines the runway, which brings in the small numbers of surfers and the white-collar types who have hear the word about a tucked away gem. These businessmen and their families realize that this is an island one needs to be in the need to know. but when reached, delivers with lodging and personalized service on the level of a Mandarin Oriental. I am a fan. if one stays at the Kalinaw. A girlfriend and I recently made a day of it at the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, also known as a spaceship spa that lifts you off into a timeless world of comfort and indulgence.
Four hours had passed before I looked up from my heated lounge chair to see the time. This was after a 1-hour reflexology appointment to soothe my runner's legs, an express facial that gave me a rosy glow--more on that later!--and putting away more than my share of the tiny snack plates of almonds and apricots while reading the Wall Street Journal in the recovery room. |