clients choice awards — part two

Churchill & Big Ben (c) 2020 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Last week's blog featured the top five hotels booked by my clients in 2019. My methodology was quite simple — the hotels were ranked in order of the total dollars spent by my clients over the course of 2019. At the very top were some of my very favorite hotels and resorts in the world: #1 - Four Seasons Hualalai, #2 - Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach, #3 - Four Seasons Maui, #4 - Le Meurice, and #5 - Peninsula Tokyo.

Rounding out my clients' top ten are five likewise brilliant choices, including one unexpected surprise.

#6 — Rocco Forte Brown's Hotel. A city full of great hotels, Brown's Hotel came in at the very top of London's hotel choices in 2019. A very traditional luxury hotel located in Mayfair, the hotel was founded in 1837. Comprised of eleven Georgian townhouses, you'll enjoy 21st century comforts within the hotel's lovingly renewed 19th century British architecture. Guests looking for a hotel with an unmistakable British atmosphere should definitely consider Brown's.

#7 — Four Seasons Orlando. Are your kids begging you to take them to Disney World? Four Seasons is the obvious choice for luxury-minded guests. Located within the Disney complex, guests enjoy early park admission each morning with complimentary transfers provided to and from the theme parks (so you don't have to bother with parking). An on-resort Concierge is the perfect resource to plan your Disney adventure, guests in Park View rooms can view the nightly fireworks in their pajamas ... and the most brilliant feature of all? Leave the theme park in the afternoon when it's hot and crowded, and relax while your kids enjoy the Splash Zone pool at Four Seasons.

#8 — Marbella Club. A golf and beach resort on the Andalucian coast, think of Marbella Club as a luxurious but exotic destination for a family beach vacation in sunny Spain. A Kids Club offers activities for children, golfers will enjoy complimentary greens fees on the resort's exclusive 18-hole golf course, and guests can pamper themselves at the resort's Thalasso Spa. Don't forget the cultural opportunities — it's a five minute drive to Old Town Marbella and just 90 minutes to the not-to-be-missed Ahambra Palace in Granada.

#9 — Silversea Cruises. Yes, we book cruises, and I've done a fair amount of cruising myself over the past couple of years... but let's differentiate between true "luxury" cruise lines such as Silversea vs. lesser "premium" cruise lines. Silversea offers intimate ships (300 rooms or smaller), larger rooms with nothing but ocean views, fine dining with specialty restaurants included, no added charges for select wines and liquors, and gratuities included. Find an itinerary that intrigues you, and you'll pack and unpack just one time. Oh ... and that sale price you pay to get on a premium ship matters little; it's the price you have to pay when you get off. All-inclusive luxury means ... no unpleasant surprises!

#10 — Montage Los Cabos. One of the new resorts in Los Cabos, Montage has impressed everyone who's stayed. Here's what one very happy client wrote after his stay: "Montage Cabo absolutely blew us away.  It is by far the best resort in the area by a mile and we wouldn’t go anywhere else now...  In addition to the typical Montage highest standard of service, food, rooms, etc., the swimmable beach is gorgeous.  Never seen a beach like that anywhere in Mexico." High praise, indeed!

I can offer the following amenities at the above hotels through Virtuoso, Sir Rocco's Knights, and Four Seasons Preferred Partner — and on select Silversea cruises through Virtuoso Voyages. While the details differ slightly by property, you'll receive at least the following at these hotels:

• daily breakfast for two
• $100 hotel credit towards incidental expenses
• room upgrade if available
• early check-in and late check-out if available
• complimentary internet

Get in touch for the full details!

copyright (c) 2020 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.