a Grand Tour of Europe with Belmond

Belmond La Residencia (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

If you're traveling to Europe in 2020, Belmond's Grand Tour is probably the best combination of luxury and value that you can find. Here are three reasons why this is the promotion to go for...


(1) A selection of the world's finest hotels ...

in Italy

Belmond Hotel Cipriani (Venice)
Belmond Villa San Michele (Florence)
Belmond Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare (Portofino)
Belmond Castello di Casole (Tuscany)
Belmond Hotel Caruso (Ravello)
Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo and Villa Sant'Andrea (Sicily)

on Mallorca

Belmond La Residencia (Mallorca)

on Madeira

Belmond Reid's Palace (Madeira)

(2) Seven nights at a flat rate

Low Season (March & April; October to January)

7 nights in a room — 4774€
7 nights in a Junior Suite — 8008€

High Season (May to September)

7 nights in a room — 6699€
7 nights in a Junior Suite — 11,704€

Extra nights are available at a pro-rated price.

(3) Full American Breakfast included daily. You'll receive the Virtuoso amenities and be blocked in the best available room on arrival.

P.S. — I've stayed at La Residencia in Mallorca, an absolutely gorgeous resort (click to read my article) ... and at the iconic Cipriani in Venice where you can wander the winding streets of Venice by day, then escape the crowds to your own private island each night.

Fine print: At least two Belmond properties must be booked, but stays can be non-consecutive within 45 days of first arrival. No deposit required; payment made at check-out. Cancellations within 14 days incur a 50% penalty, within 7 days a 100% penalty; travel insurance is highly recommended. Blackout dates ... Splendido, Caruso, La Residencia - not available July and August. Cipriani - not available June and September. Reid's Palace and Timeo - not available 28DEC-1JAN.

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.

Aman Venice | stay in a baroque palazzo

Aman Venice Grand Canal

Venice is a city like none other — no cars, no traffic lights, and no modern high-rises! The canals serve as streets, and visitors get from place to place either on foot or by boat whether it be a vaporetto (like a public bus), water taxi (private boat), or gondola (the most romantic way to get from point A to point B).

Where to stay? I did site inspections five years ago and came away with my own very distinct impressions. Ca Sagrado is an authentic palazzo near the Rialto Bridge converted into a hotel with a real sense of place. Luna Baglioni, a true five star hotel right around the corner from the Piazza San Marco, feels both Venetian yet updated. Belmond's Cipriani is a resort where the jet set can escape the paparazzi; a five minute complimentary boat ride from San Marco (available 24/7), spend the day exploring Venice, then escape in the afternoon to a secluded island resort with its large swimming pool.

But for a real WOW, there's the Aman Venice Grand Canal. It was not open when I visited in 2012, but Aman has created a city hotel that transcends the ordinary. Once the palazzo (palace) of the Papadopoli family, the hotel is a meticulously restored monument of golden stuccos and previous frescoes. Virtuoso guests receive complimentary daily breakfasts and a complimentary lunch during their stay.

A must if you're an Amanjunkie — and if you're not, perhaps a stay at Aman Venice is the best way to experience the luxury and serenity of Aman for the first time.

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.

Belmond | double hotel credits

Planning a stay in a Belmond hotel? For new, 3+ day bookings made from now until July 15, 2017 (with travel completed before August 31st), enjoy a double hotel credit. This means, you'll get the added value of...

$180 hotel credit (food, beverage, spa) for room bookings (normally $90)
$400 hotel credit (food, beverage, or spa) for Suite bookings (normally $200)

There's nothing for you to join. As Bellini Club luxury travel advisors, our clients will receive the double credit along with full set of Bellini Club amenities with every booking:

• Buffet or full breakfast for 2 daily
• VIP welcome treats with a local taste   
• Complimentary upgrade based on availability at time of check-in 
• Complimentary WI-FI access 

There's something quite special about Belmond hotels and resorts. The company does not build new hotels; they acquire iconic hotels with character — the Cipriani in Venice, La Residencia in Mallorca, Villa San Michele in Florence, and Charleston Place in Charleston, SC (among others).  Every Belmond hotel with the exception of Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg is participating in the double hotel credit program.

What about Belmond trains and cruises? Enjoy a complimentary one-way airport transfer when booking through a Bellini Club travel advisor.

Terms and Conditions
Valid for new bookings only, made between 10 May - 15 July 2017
Valid for travel completed before 31 August 2017
Valid for bookings at selected hotels, trains and cruises — direct hotel bookings made at the BC rate (= the BAR rate) and train/cruise bookings made at the official published rates.
For hotels, offer is only applicable for bookings with a minimum length of stay of 3 nights
Premium Bellini Club amenities apply (rather than consortia amenities)
Advance reservations required, offers subject to availability, blackout dates may apply
Terms and conditions are subject to change

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.

will this become the FS Venice?

San Clemente Palace has closed - will it be purchased by FS Venice?

Nestled on a private island in the Venetian Lagoon is the San Clemente Palace, a five star resort created in a former 17th century Camaldolesi Monastery. The Daily Mail reports that the hotel is closing its doors, victim of the financial difficulties facing Italy, and is awaiting a buyer. The article offers the intriguing rumor that "Canadian company Four Seasons has expressed an interest in buying the resort."

The beauty of an island resort is that you can catch a complimentary shuttle to the Piazza San Marco, spend the day exploring the attractions of Venice, wandering (and getting lost!) in the winding streets and alleys, and visiting the shops and restaurants. But when you want to get away from the crowds, you can catch the shuttle back to your resort, take a dip in the pool (really nice in the hot summer months), and enjoy the luxury, seclusion, and relaxation of your island sanctuary. If this appeals to you,  and you'd like to visit Venice this summer, definitely consider a stay this summer at Hotel Cipriani, the iconic Orient-Express property just a five-minute shuttle from St. Mark's Square.

Will San Clemente Island become the Four Seasons Venice - San Clemente? It's anybody's guess, but based on Four Seasons incredible property in Florence, the Four Seasons Firenze, this resort would be a stunning new addition to the FS worldwide collection of hotels and resorts.

Four Seasons Venice (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.