planning a cross-country road trip

 

I reported the news in my last post that we are moving from Berkeley, CA to Asheville, NC. Claire and I will be driving cross-country, visiting some places both old and new to us along the way. Here's our tentative itinerary. I'd love to hear your suggestions about places to visit or site inspections to make during our journey — message me on Facebook.

Beverly Hills, California — We begin with a drive down the coast to Los Angeles where we'll spend a couple of days with my daughter who lives there — Virtuoso hotels in LA and Beverly Hills.

Sedona, Arizona — Famous for its red rocks, I think I may previously been near Sedona, but I've never spent any time there. I see this as a great opportunity for some landscape photography — Virtuoso hotels in Sedona.

Santa Fe, New Mexico — I actually spent a month here during the summer of 1991. A very interesting small town with wonderful Native American art and culture and great Mexican cuisine — Virtuoso hotels in Santa Fe.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — It will be a long slog across the Texas panhandle into Oklahoma, a state I've never before visited. I'm thinking of staying at the 21c Museum Hotel en route.

Little Rock, Arkansas — Another state I've never visited, we're interesting in seeing the Clinton Library. The Capital, the Virtuoso hotel in Little Rock, is apparently closed for renovations, so we'll stay at the DoubleTree.

Nashville, Tennessee — I've never been to Nashville, the home of the Grand Ole Opry. We may stay at one of the Virtuoso hotels in Nashville or possibly The Joseph, a Luxury Collection property.

Asheville, North Carolina — Our new home in this beautiful city surrounded by mountains, Asheville has been called the Berkeley of the East. 

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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.

which rate would you book?

This is a true story, and the booking in question was in process when I started this blog. A client wanting to book a one-night stay in Beverly Hills asked for rates. I quoted the Virtuoso rate, $429. She came back to me and said she found an online rate of $364.

Which is the better value?

$364 is an Advance Purchase rate. You have to prepay in full, and after one day the reservation becomes non-refundable. You cannot even make changes. What do you get?

• a room for the night

$429 is the Virtuoso rate. It's a flexible rate You just provide a credit card guarantee, and you can change or cancel anytime up to three days before arrival. What do you get?

• a room for the night
• daily breakfast for two
• a $100 credit towards food and beverages
• a room upgrade, if available

Which rate would you book? The better value is obviously the Virtuoso rate. Clearly the lowest price you find on the internet is not always the best value.


P.S. — they booked the Virtusoso rate!

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.

Galerie Michael | a must-see in Beverly Hills

Many visitors come to Beverly Hills for the shopping. Walking down Rodeo Drive, you’ll see a store for virtually every luxury brand — Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton — as well as small, independent boutiques. If you’re in the mood for some serious retail therapy, Beverly Hills awaits...

But if you want to shop somewhere totally unique, drop into Galerie Michael, a small, privately owned art gallery at 224 North Rodeo Drive. The owner possesses an extensive collection of 20th century art, just a small fraction of which is on display You’ll be able to view original works by Picasso, Chagall, Dali, and Miro — as well as some pre-Impressionistic paintings and even some older works by Rembrandt. If shopping ‘till you drop appeals, you’ll find price tags as high as $1 million. I wasn’t tempted, although several works by Chagall, priced below $3000, seemed reasonable.

Part of the short cobblestoned pedestrian walk at 2 Rodeo Drive, I encourage you to visit. John Welch, the gallery’s curator took pleasure in showing us around. Galerie Michael was easily the highlight of our walk around Beverly Hills.

Copyright (c) 2019 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.

into shopping?

store windows in Milan (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Everyone has different reasons for vacationing in the fashion capitals of the world (New York, London, Paris, Milan). Me? I inspect hotel rooms everywhere I go ... and I'm perfectly content just to glance at store windows and keep on walking. But many luxury travelers are into serious shopping. Is that you?

Finding exclusive boutiques is an art. When you're home, you already know exactly where to find the most on-trend selections from luxury fashion houses. But when you arrive in an exclusive fashion destination, where do you even begin to look for expertly curated, high-end selections?

An expert personal shopper — with sartorial expertise particular to your destination — is your ticket to shop-till-you-drop. While your hotel concierge might make suggestions, seasoned shoppers will fare better by turning to a personal shopper. Your luxury travel advisor has connections in every major shopping destination in the world, and we can help you plan the shopping trip of your dreams.

Of course, we'll also help you accessorize your shopping vacation with a lavish hotel room that suites your style and taste.

copyright (c) 2018 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.

boutique in Beverly Hills

double-double room at Viceroy L'Ermitage Beverly Hills

Do you prefer smaller or larger hotels? Most of the Virtuoso hotels in Beverly Hills range from 170 to 395 rooms. Larger hotels can offer such advantages as larger spas, more elaborate exercise facilities, and multiple dining outlets. Your chance of being upgraded can be better when a hotel has more rooms.

But boutique hotels offer a kind of charm that larger hotels cannot, and such properties pride themselves on the high percentage of repeat guests. After a few stays, you'll get to know the staff, and they'll get to know you and your preferences... As an example, I love the experience of going into the breakfast room at The Lowell in New York and having the same waiter.

Viceroy L'Ermitage has tried to create an Upper East Side ambience in their small (only 117 rooms) property in Beverly Hills. Understated yet comfortable, the hotel has recently completed a thorough and successful renovation. Rooms are large — 650 sq. ft. at a minimum — offering a simple elegance without being splashy. But wait until you get into your dressing room. Lots of closet space, makeup mirror with settings for both artificial and natural light, and a trifold runway mirror to help you get everything right for a dressy dinner, Beverly Hills party, or perchance the Academy Awards!

For a real treat, book one of the suites in the hotel's residential wing, but whether you book a room or a suite, Virtuoso guests receive daily full breakfast for two, a $100 hotel credit towards F&B or spa, and complimentary WiFi.

copyright (c) 2017 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.

Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills | opens tomorrow

porte-cochère of the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

A brand new hotel, opening tomorrow, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills will prove to be a very successful hotel venture. Located right next door to its sister property, the Beverly Hilton, I had a site inspection of the hotel last week. I was extremely impressed by what I saw.

The front doors lead into an impressive lobby, perhaps three stories high. Typical of Waldorf Astoria design, the lobby had a huge hanging chandelier illuminating the room. You can catch a glimpse of the art deco touches in the interior design.


Guest rooms are very large, starting at 630 square feet, and are decorated with a soft palette of light blues and creme. The bathrooms had all the features you'd expect of a new build. Of special note are the hotel's rooftop which boasts a 360º panoramic view of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. The guests-only swimming pool is located on the roof, and the bar is destined to become a very popular place for nightlife.

Virtuoso amenities are especially generous, an upgrade at booking (room to room and suite to suite), American breakfast daily either through in-room dining or in the restaurant, complimentary WiFi, guaranteed 12 noon check-in and 4 p.m. check-out, and complimentary airport transfers (one-way for rooms, round-trip for suites).

The June Opening Offer starts at $595 per night, including Virtuoso amenities.

copyright (c) 2017 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.

FS Los Angeles | Hollywood's living room

Marilyn Monroe in front of FS Los Angeles (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Back from a quick trip to Beverly Hills, we spent the night at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills ... literally across the street from Beverly Hills. That the hotel revels in its Hollywood roots is immediately apparent when you pull up to the porte cochere. Greeting all guests is this larger-than-lifesize statue of Marilyn Monroe. To the right side of the lobby is the entrance to Windows Lounge, known as Hollywood's living room. Open daily from 4 pm, you'll never know whether the group at the table across the room might be negotiating the next Hollywood blockbuster.

The big news at the Four Seasons is its on-going room renovation project. While the room product has always been traditional and comfortable, the floor-by-floor renovation is taking guest rooms and suites to the next level. Follow this link to a short photo essay comparing the old and the new. The transformation is remarkable, and I think you'll be impressed. For something special, book a Premier Balcony Room; located on the corners of the building, natural light floods the room from two walls. 160 of the hotel's 285 rooms have been renovated, and all should be complete by year's end.

I've always been impressed by the hotel's spa, outdoor pool, and exercise facilities on the fourth floor. Most hotels have their gym in a completely enclosed, air-conditioned room ... but Four Seasons Los Angeles has created an indoor-outdoor exercise facility. When the weather is nice (which it is, most of the time in Southern California), the glass walls can open to let in the fresh air and sunshine.

Always one of the best luxury values in Beverly Hills, bookings through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner get you even more value. While I'm not permitted to list the amenities here, you'll get what you expect in terms of free breakfasts and hotel credits ... and there's a special FSPP promotion running through June 30 that just might get you a guaranteed upgrade at booking (not allowed to say on a public website ... but email for a complete list of Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities at all FS hotels worldwide).

copyright (c) 2017 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.

Virtuoso Week | 1 day free LA car rental

Here's #2 on my top ten list… of things that caught my interest at Virtuoso Travel Week.

Midway Car Rental offers VIP rental cars in Los Angeles. While Hertz, Avis, and National are fine if you just want a Ford or Chevy, Midway has a fleet of 2500 vehicles including Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Mini Cooper, Porsche, Rolls Royce, and Volvo models.

Want to cruise Beverly Hills in a convertible? Midway has everything from a Mustangs and Camaros to Ferraris and Lanborghinis.

What about a one day Premium Car rental for free? The rep with whom I had an appointment was handing out the cards above. Can't tell you for sure what qualifies as a "premium car," but "1 day complimentary" speaks loud and clear.

The catch? You need the actual business card shown above to get the deal, and I only have one of them. How to get it for yourself? The first client booking a three night stay in a full Suite at one of the following Virtuoso hotels (through me, of course) — and requesting this card — is the lucky recipient!

If you want to drive some special wheels in Beverly Hills, Midway Car Rental is the place to turn!

Qualifying hotels:

Beverly Wilshire (a Four Seasons Hotel)
Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills (Doheny Drive)
Peninsula Beverly Hills
Montage Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Hotel
Hotel Bel Air
L'Ermitage Beverly Hills

copyright (c) 2014 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Peninsula Hotels | PenClub amenities

the new Peninsula Paris (under construction)

Peninsula is one of the preeminent hotel families in the world with properties in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing, New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Bangkok, Manila, and Paris (under construction). I have visited seven of the ten Peninsula hotels in the world!

Brownell has been invited to become a member of the Peninsula PenClub — an exclusive preferred partner collection of the best luxury travel agencies in the world. And the good news is the exciting benefits that we can offer you at every Peninsula hotel in the world:

• Peninsula Time - truly flexible check-in and check-out times*
• Full daily set breakfast for up to two persons.
• Room upgrade subject to availability.
• Complimentary 30-minute extension on a 50-minute regular-priced Body or Face treatment.
• Unlimited in-room wireless Internet.

Any PenClub affiliated travel consultant can get you these amenities when you book your Peninsula stay at the Pen Club rate.

*You must advise your travel consultant of your arrival time so that this can be communicated to the hotel. If your own room is not ready, you will be provided with another accommodation until your room is ready for you. Blackout dates apply. As an example, the Peninsula Beverly Hills won't be able to provide this service during the Academy Awards when the hotel is totally sold out.


copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.