Travel Horizons: Four Seasons

Showing posts with label Four Seasons. Show all posts

5.19.2023

live from Montreal, it's Leonard Cohen

The coolest thing about my room at the Four Seasons Montreal is the view from the window. It looks straight out across Crescent Street onto the Leonard Cohen mural. Cohen was the composer of "Hallelujah," a song made all the more genuine because it finds a way to praise to God in the light of life's darkness. King David, the subject of the hymn/song, falls into human temptation, yet finds the grace to sing a Hallelujah in a minor key.

You should, by all means, watch Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen — a Journey, a Song on Apple TV+. A biographical tribute to his life, the film portrays his genius, his struggles, and his music. I found it quite moving.

We arrived this afternoon in Montreal, and we are looking forward to a walking tour of the old city tomorrow morning. The streets around our hotel are lined with all sorts of interesting restaurants — so many places to eat, so little time! The photo above should give you a sense of the character of the neighborhood. Stay tuned for more from Montreal.

5.14.2023

downtown New York sights

Downtown Manhattan is distinctly different from uptown or midtown. During my previous stays in NYC, I've (mostly) stayed at hotels in midtown — the vicinity of 59th Street (Central Park South) — and the Upper East Side. These parts of New York feature world class museums (the Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim, the American Museum of Natural History), high end shopping on Madison and Fifth Avenue, and of course Central Park, one of the world's greatest urban parks.

Downtown has a different character. It's a mixture of old buildings, new skyscrapers, and ethnic neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Little Italy, and Greenwich Village. We are staying at Four Seasons New York Downtown, a hotel so close to the Oculus that I am looking at it through my desk window as I write this article. And just a half mile to the east is the historic South Street Seaport where I walked at lunchtime, grabbed a slice of pizza, and snapped this photo of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

Where to stay downtown? We are enjoying our Oculus Suite at the Four Seasons (to which we were graciously upgraded) and are going to do a site inspection tomorrow afternoon at the new Ritz Carlton NoMad. And there are plenty of other choices including The Greenwich Hotel, an intimate downtown boutique property owned by famed actor (and new papa) Robert De Niro, another favorite of my clients.

Next trip to New York, consider staying downtown!

12.25.2021

Beverly Wilshire | beautiful new room product

"old" room product at the Beverly Wilshire

about-to-be unveiled renovated room product

I have just spent two nights enjoying the hospitality of The Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel. The hotel has always occupied one of the most prestigious locations possible, at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard in the heart of Beverly Hills's most upscale shopping areas. We walked up and down Rodeo Drive yesterday, enjoying store windows from the world's most renowned fashion brands.

Our two nights were spent in an upgraded Beverly Suite overlooking the hotel's swimming pool, a quiet location with no street noise. Our suite is spacious and comfortable with two full bathrooms, the bedroom and living room being separated by closing doors. As the living room has a queen-sized sofa bed, this accommodation would be perfect either for a couple (as you can work without disturbing your sleeping partner) or a family (your kids will have their own bed and full bath).

This new renovated room product will be introduced (probably) in January, 2022. With this dramatically improved look, the Beverly Wilshire leaps to the front of hotels to be considered if you wish to stay in the heart of Beverly Hills. Be sure to book through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner for exclusive value added amenities (even better than Virtuoso or American Express). Sorry, I'm not allowed to list them on a public website, but email us for the full details. Preferred Partner rates are identical to what you can find on the Four Seasons website.

8.02.2021

FS Jackson Hole & Grand Teton National Park

It was an intriguing opportunity — we were invited to enjoy a one-week stay at any Four Seasons at which I'd not previously stayed. Out of 125 total Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the world, we selected Jackson Hole for our one-week vacation last month. Our many compelling choices not yet visited included Four Seasons on the beautiful Caribbean island of Anguilla, in vibrant Montreal (a francophile's dream), and in the historical Renaissance city of Florence. Of all the world-class choices, we chose Four Seasons Resort and Residences at Jackson Hole.

In the winter, Jackson Hole is a skier's paradise boasting the longest vertical drop in North America, 4,139 feet. Four Seasons, right at the base of the ski slopes, offers ski concierge services and true ski-in, ski-out accessibility. Their spa is wonderful, and their pool, heated year-round, attracts guests even in the snowiest days of winter.

In the summer, Jackson Hole is a gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Pro Tip: get a lifetime National Parks Passport and bring it along. We spent one full day with clients who have a summer home in Jackson, and they showed off beautiful sights including Mormon Row. We spent another day with tour guide Darcy Lagana of Yellowstone Teton Tours who spotted a lot of wildlife for us to watch.

Our hike around Jenny Lake was the highlight of the week. We got up early that morning and drove away from Four Seasons at 6 a.m., reaching the Jenny Lake Visitors Center before 7. Parking was plentiful then, but by the time we returned from our hike, we saw cars circling the parking lot looking for empty spaces. So arrive early morning, not only to find parking but — more importantly — to take advantage of cooler temperatures and the soft, beautiful light of early morning.

We hiked counter-clockwise around the lake, starting north up its eastern shore. Gazing across the lake, we were rewarded with stunning views of the peaks on the other side of the lake, illuminated by the rosy glow of the morning sun. Continuing around the top of the lake, we hiked south down Jenny Lake's western shoreline. When you finally reach the boat landing, look for signs for Hidden Falls, totally worth the extra steps. Then take the boat back to the Visitors Center for $10 each, saving you 1.5 miles of hiking.

Four Seasons Jackson Hole is a beautiful resort with a totally informal vibe. You'll never need anything fancier than jeans. Our Suite was spacious and wonderful, and there are good restaurant options in-house or in the center Teton Village, less than a 5 minute away. We especially enjoyed Il Villaggio Osteria.

12.21.2020

a beautiful resort outside Santa Fe

We had planned to spend two evenings at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I'm resuming Travel Horizons after a hiatus of about three weeks. As most of my readers will know, we have just moved cross country from Berkeley, CA to Asheville, NC. As it would take a couple of weeks for our furniture to rejoin us, we took advantage of the situation with a cross-country road trip. After delightful stays at the Beverly Hills Hotel and Auberge de Sedona, we headed north through Arizona towards I-40, then drove east towards New Mexico.

We were upgraded to an Encantado Suite, the same size as the resort's 1100 square foot Sunset Suites but located at the very top of the resort with the panoramic view pictured above. Our suite boasted a King bedroom, separate living room with pull-out queen sofabed, and a large master bathroom with dual vanities, soaking tub, and step-in shower. There was also a powder room off the living area.

Santa Fe has beautiful hiking trails. Claire and I enjoyed walking the trails pictured below. Part of the Dale Ball trail system, it's right on the outskirts of Santa Fe at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The views were scenic with patches of snow on the ground, and the air was cool and crisp. I regretted not bringing along my good camera, but this iPhoto snapshot will give a sense of the winter landscape.

Our hosts at Four Seasons were looking out for us, and the GM personally informed us about the winter weather system forecasted to arrive early the next morning. We sadly left FS Rancho Encantado after only one night, getting out of the mountains before the next morning's anticipated snowstorm. This proved to be fortuitous advice, as the snow came earlier and accumulation was greater than anticipated. After spending a night in Tucumcari, NM, we headed out the next morning toward our next destination. Stay tuned!

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10.15.2020

stunning new private residences in Costa Rica

Imagine the sunsets you'll watch from your own private residence overlooking Prieta Bay at Four Seasons Costa Rica. Ranging from 3 to 5 bedrooms, each residence affords panoramic views of the beach and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The spacious villas range in size from 5626-8687 square feet with expansive glass walls to let the outside in. Each comes with a private infinity pool and hot tub and is equipped with a gourmet European kitchen. Four Seasons can provide a chef to prepare special family meals in the privacy of your own home.

US citizens are welcome back to Costa Rica on November 1st, 2020, and Four Seasons will reopen on November 12th. An ecological treasure with incredibly diverse fauna and flora, Costa Rica is one of my favorite destinations in the world. My personal highlight was hiking the rainforests on raised wooden trails with Hector (pictured below) pointing out the many marvels right in front of me that I would never have spotted on my own.

As a Four Seasons Preferred Partner guest, you'll enjoy generous value-added amenities, bringing you hundreds of dollars in savings through complimentary breakfasts and other hotel credits. We are restricted from posting publicly the precise amenity list, but just drop us an email. Any member of Team Ourisman can tell you about the special savings you'll receive at Four Seasons Costa Rica ... or any Four Seasons in the world — and, by the way, this is all at the same price you'd pay booking yourself online.

Click here to sign up for the Ourisman Travel Newsletter.

5.17.2020

will Hawaii open for tourists on July 1st?

Hoping to travel again soon? I sure am. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have been sheltering in place for over two months. I was forced to cancel two trips, a site inspection trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and a Windstar river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel.

Many travelers are hesitating for obvious reasons. We all prioritize our health and the health of our families. Beyond that, no one wants to fly off on a vacation and be surprised with a 14-day quarantine upon arrival. Flexible reservations are an absolute must. Before making a reservation, we want the flexibility of waiting as long as possible to assess the situation before committing to a trip.

Major luxury hotel brands are responding to what travelers need. New, flexible cancellation policies have been announced by Four Seasons, Marriott International (parent company of Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, etc), and others. With only slight variations in wording, their new policy is this:

If you have an existing reservation, you can cancel it without charge up to 24 hour prior to arrival* as long as the cancellation is made by June 30, 2020.

If you make a new reservation before June 20, 2020 for any future date, 2020, you will be able to cancel that reservation without charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival*.

*This policy may not apply to Festive Season bookings, to dates with special event restrictions, or to periods of peak demand.

Please be patient. It takes time for new policies to be reflected in hotel reservations systems. Every rate for every room category at each hotel has to be modified. Please reach out to your travel advisor to iron out the details with the hotel or resort of your dreams.

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.

12.31.2019

clients choice awards — top five

Travel magazines such as Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure post annual Readers Choice rankings of the best hotels in the world. I don't know the magazines' methodology, but their results are sometimes laughable ... such as the time a "nice enough" luxury hotel just off Times Square won the designation of Best Hotel in the World.

I'll be totally transparent about my methodology. Though I'm semi-retired, I do continue to work with a select group of Ourisman Travel clients. These are their top five choices ranked in order of the volume of sales to these hotels and resorts.

#1 — Four Seasons Hualalai. My personal favorite resort in Hawaii, Hualalai is the top resort in the world of all Ourisman Travel clients. Hualalai is the antithesis of the "big concrete box by the beach" that so many beach resorts tend to be. Luxurious and newly renovated guest rooms are located in detached two-story buildings arrayed along four beachfront crescents and around the green of the 18th hole of the golf course. I love Hualalai for its casual luxury. Guests enjoy great food while dining right by the beach where flip-flops are perfectly fine for that "sand between your toes" experience even at dinner. Click here for my slide show explaining the crescents of Hualalai.

#2 — Dorado Beach, Ritz-Carlton Reserve. My personal favorite resort in the Caribbean, I actually vacationed here as a teenager back in the 1960's when Dorado Beach was a part of Rockresorts. Like Hualalai, Dorado Beach is not a "big concrete box by the beach." Guest rooms are found in detached two story buildings, each with a direct ocean view and some with private plunge pools. West Beach rooms step out right onto the beach while East Beach rooms feature the sound of the waves crashing up against the beach rocks... what a restful sound when going to sleep. The beach is great ... soft, white sand and swimmable ocean water.

#3 — Four Seasons Maui. If you catch the trend, beach resorts are tops on our list ... and Hawaii is our clients' favorite destination. Maui was Four Seasons' first resort — set on a wide, sandy, swimmable beach with snorkeling — and it continues to be a popular draw attracting a trendy, cosmopolitan set of guests. High end shopping is available nearby at The Shops at Wailea. The biggest difference: while guests dine by the beach at Hualalai wearing flip-flops, many guests at Maui arrive for dinner with the ladies fashionably dressed and sporting high heels.

#4 — Le Meurice, Paris. The trend continues — I sell what I love — and Le Meurice is my favorite hotel in my favorite city in world. Paris has the world's greatest collection of "over-the-top" luxury hotels, but Le Meurice is not about being "over the top." The smallest palace hotel in Paris, Le Meurice exudes a warm, personable, and comfortable luxury while offering the best possible location in Paris, especially for first-time visitors. Step out the front door, cross rue de Rivoli, and you're in the Jardin des Tuilleries, the beautiful formal gardens in the very heart of Paris. Walk across the gardens, and you'll be at the Musée d'Orsay in 10 minutes. Or turn to the left, and you're just 10 minutes from the Louvre. Le Meurice, ideal for first-time visitors, its guests keep coming back, y compris moi.

#5 — Peninsula Tokyo. Japan has become the hot travel destination for 2019 and 2020. The 2020 Olympic Games have shined the world's focus on Japan, and I recommend booking a customized land tour or a cruise that circumnavigates this island nation. You'll want to begin or end your trip in Tokyo, and of all the great luxury hotels in Tokyo, my clients have most often booked The Peninsula. Why? Perhaps it's due to the hotel's location next to the Imperial Gardens, or because of its thoughtfully designed guest rooms (with such features as nail polish dryers in the bathroom), or even because my PEN Club clients benefit from totally flexible check-in and check-out times.

I can offer the following amenities at all of the above hotels through Virtuoso, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, STARS, Diamond Club, and PEN Club. While the details differ slightly by property, you'll receive at least the following at each of these top five 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

In some cases, the credit is more, the room upgrade is confirmed at booking, and the early check-in is guaranteed. Get in touch for the full details!

My next column will take a look at #6-#10 on my list.

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.

12.05.2018

Santa Barbara | tropical resort by the beach

Where to stay in Santa Barbara? A beautiful destination on southern California's Pacific coast, Santa Barbara is an easy drive up the coast from LA. Worth more than one visit, Santa Barbara offers two distinct vacation experiences. You might spend the weekend at an elegant/casual resort high in the hills, with sweeping sunset views of the Pacific Ocean and easy access to the historic sites of Santa Barbara. Or you can enjoy a tropical resort right by the beach.

Four Seasons Biltmore Resort offers the beach vacation option. I made a recent site inspection visit of the Four Seasons and can offer three take-aways:

(1) The lobby is gorgeous. When previously visiting the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, I was most impressed by the tile floors and elaborately painted ceiling beams of this classic landmark. The Courthouse provided the inspiration for the recent redesign of Four Seasons' lobby. It's simply beautiful.

We enjoyed lunch on the patio at Bella Vista, just off the lobby, and enjoyed the ocean vista from our table.

(2) The grounds remind me of Hualalai. Topical greenery lines walkways throughout the resort. While I knew I was in Southern California, it felt like Hawaii. The buildings, of course, were Spanish Colonial in style, not Hawaiian. Four Seasons has its own resort pool just for guests, as well as the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club with its larger-than-Olympic size pool. One of the unadvertised perks of booking through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor: guests in all room categories enjoy access to the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club.

(3) For something special, book a Bungalow. Jungle Rooms are certainly comfortable and attractive with 450-550 square feet of living space; I recommend requesting a ground floor room in order to enjoy a large outdoor patio with direct access to the lawn. But Four Seasons' Bungalows and specialty suites are truly unique — they feel like an elegant beach home. The living room of the bungalow we saw is pictured above — and this bungalow even has its own private pool.

As Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisors, we offer exclusive amenities that will save you hundreds of dollars during your stay. Each of our clients (even those booked in Garden or Riviera rooms) has complimentary access to the Beach Club. If you're looking for perks such as — actually I'm not permitted to list those on a public webpage, but they're even better than Virtuoso or Amex Platinum amenities — you'll get those benefits through Ourisman Travel. Just email us for the full details!

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.

10.25.2018

hotel ratings | on whom do you rely?

Conde Nast, a respected travel journal to which I subscribe, publishes an annual list of "the best" hotels, resorts, cruise lines, airlines, and destinations in the world. Their methodology relies on a survey of hundreds of thousands of respondents. Their list of "the best," always interesting at best but laughable at worst, raises a significant question. On whom do you rely when choosing a hotel for your stay in a destination?

The limitation of their methodology is, of course, the subjective judgement of Conde Nast's respondents. I make the following assumptions:

1. Readers can only validly rate hotels at which they have actually stayed.
2. Travelers tend to validate their own decisions, giving good grades to hotels at which they've chosen to stay.
3. Hotel guests virtually never conduct site inspections at other hotels in the destination, so they have a limited body of impressions on which to make comparative judgments.

Here are some of the stranger results of the 2018 Readers Choice Awards.

New York City. The Chatwal is rated the #1 hotel in New York City. While The Chatwal may be a good choice if you want to stay right on Times Square, I wouldn't call it the best. Viceroy Central Park, rated the #6 hotel in New York City, might be a good choice if you're looking for "affordable 4-star comfort," but its room are quite compact. Inexplicably, these hotels are rated above some of the very best luxury choices in the world (much less NYC): the two Four Seasons hotels, Ritz-Carlton Central Park, Mandarin Oriental, and the Park Hyatt.

Los Angeles. I have no argument with the Readers Choice here, the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, a gorgeous new hotel that has won a lot of praise. What's inexplicable is the lowly rating of the two Dorchester Collection properties in LA — Hotel Bel-Air at #20 and Beverly Hills Hotel at #28. So many lesser properties are ranked higher than these absolute jewels.

Northern California. Some good choices at the top of the charts (Auberge du Soleil at #3), but how is it possible that there are twenty-three (23) hotels ranked superior to Post Ranch Inn, a romantic, picturesque resort high above the Pacific Ocean.

Southern California. Kimpton hotels (not known as a luxury brand) get #1, #2, and #3 on the list. At the same time, Santa Barbara's absolutely idyllic Belmond El Encanto, slips to #30.

London. While the top hotels on CN's list do have their fans, it's inexplicable that the JW Marriott Grosvenor House (at #8) can outrank top hotels like The Goring (#36) and The Dorchester (#39), two of my favorite hotels in the world.

Rome. Hotel Eden is arguably the best property in Rome, but it doesn't even make it into the list of top hotels in Rome.

Florence. The WOW hotel in Florence, the Four Seasons Firenze, is ranked #9 in the city.

Budapest. There are seven (7) hotels listed in Budapest (among the Central Europe Top 15). The majestic Four Seasons Gresham Palace, whose Danube View rooms are coveted for their views of the Chain Bridge, is ranked 6th of those 7. Nonsense!

Hawaii - resorts. FS Maui (#2) and FS Hualalai (#4) make sense (although I'd personally flip those rankings). But how can FS Lana'i at Manele Bay, on a gorgeous beach with perhaps the most luxurious Four Seasons rooms in the world, be ranked #24? And even more puzzling ... how can Four Seasons at Koele be ranked at #13. While I love the Lodge, it has been undergoing renovations and isn't even open. Sheer craziness!

The value of a luxury travel advisor is clarified by all of this. Like many of my professional colleagues, I have done site inspections at hundreds of hotels and have made side-by-side comparisons of the best luxury hotels in the world, those that have been vetted by Virtuoso and accepted for membership. There is no one "best" hotel for each traveler, but the job of your travel advisor is to help you determine your best choice, given your preferences and your budget.

5.24.2018

Thursday's postcard from Four Seasons Hawaii

Four Seasons Hawaii resorts are quite guest friendly. Unlike some resorts that charge resort fees, you'll never feel nickeled-and-dimed to death at Four Seasons. I've posted this picture of a small but significant amenity at every Four Seasons in Hawaii — complimentary organic sunscreen!

Anyone who's traveled to the tropics and forgotten to pack sunscreen has learned about island price gouging. Because you can't pack enough sunscreen in your hand luggage due to TSA regulations on transporting liquids, this perk is quite valuable ... and just the beginning of the great values you can expect at the Four Seasons in Maui, Hualalai, Lanai, and Oahu (and many other destinations worldwide): complimentary sunscreen, complimentary Kids for All Seasons, and Preferred Partner amenities that offer hundreds of dollars of additional value throughout your stay.

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 our website.

5.23.2018

Wednesday's postcard from Lanai

We are in the most beautiful oceanfront suite at Four Seasons Lanai. Sitting on our second floor balcony, we enjoyed this incredible view of Manele Bay at 7 a.m. Just sharing the postcard.

Day five of our eight day trip to Hawaii...

5.21.2018

Monday's postcard from Hualalai

It happens every sunset. A native Hawaiian member of the staff at Four Seasons Hualalai runs through the resort at sunset. He lights torches throughout the resort and blows a conch shell (the Pu) — an ancient Hawaiian ceremonial practice to say goodbye and Mahalo for the day just ended.

A modern-day Pied Piper, a group of children ran with him as he lit the torches. This endearing scene unfolded right by our seaside table as we were seated for dinner at Ulu Ocean Grill.

4.28.2018

the best views in Budapest

Only guests at Four Seasons Gresham Palace enjoy a better view of the Chain Bridge and the Buda Hills beyond. This six meter statue, created by Israeli artist Eran Shakine, will grace this spot looking across Chain Bridge. This photo shows the view through the front doors of the Four Seasons, but the view from my third floor room is even more stunning. I awoke this morning to a complete panorama — unobstructed views from the Buda Castle to Matthias Church.

Four Seasons Preferred Partner guests at the Gresham Palace enjoy exclusive value-added amenities — complimentary breakfasts, hotel credits, and more. While I'm not permitted to detail them on a public web page, just email us to learn how you can save hundreds of dollars on a typical stay at any Four Seasons hotel or resort anywhere in the world.

11.08.2017

3rd night free | can I get free breakfast with that?

If you could get free breakfast AND third night free, that would be a great value. New clients ask us all the time, "Do free night promotions also include Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Virtuoso, Diamond Club, (etc.) amenities?" The answer — for most of our luxury hotel partners — is YES!

There are a few luxury brands that are inconsistent about extending consortial amenities to free-night promotions. I regularly remind my sales reps about keeping up with the competition! But I'm happy to say that partners such as Four Seasons, Dorchester Collection, and Rosewood virtually always extend their amenity programs. You benefit from valuable perks such as free breakfasts, upgrades if available, and hotel credits. It's their customer-friendly policy.

Sometimes a promotion may appear on the consumer website ... but not show up on the preferred partner website or in Sabre. Not to worry! This means the person loading the rates accidentally left off a rate code, but can be solved with a simple phone call.

You can enjoy the best luxury hotel values possible by combining amenities with free night promotions. While I'm not allowed to post the exclusive Four Seasons amenities on a public website, just drop us an email and we'll let you know.

P.S. — You can't book these deals with amenities online. You'll need to to make the booking through a connected luxury travel advisor ... at the very same price you'd pay online.

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.

8.21.2017

how to get between Vancouver and Whistler

Be watching for our Top Ten List from Virtuoso Travel Week. In the meantime, I wanted to pass along a simple tip I learned from our rep from the Four Seasons Whistler.

The drive from the Vancouver airport to Whistler is 84 miles, just over two hours by car according to google maps. What's the best way to make the transfer?

(1) Hiring a limo is the most costly but most luxurious option (unless you want to rent a helicopter). If you're looking for a luxury experience, from the moment you board your flight and sit in your First Class seat, this may just be the ticket for you.

(2) It used to be possible to take the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Whistler, but now that leg is only available as part of one of their three day train expeditions to Lake Louise or Banff ... highly recommended trips, by the way!

(3) I wouldn't recommend the horse-drawn carriage in the picture above, as it's probably not the best way to journey 84 miles!

(4) Here's the tip: book a one way car rental in each direction. If you make your rental through the Avis office in Whistler, there's no drop-off charge. This saves you the not-insignificant daily parking fee at your resort in Whistler. The Avis office is in the lobby of Whistler Cascade Lodge, and you can telephone at (604) 932-1236.

Or the concierge at Four Seasons Whistler or Fairmont Chateau Whistler can make the rental arrangements for you. We can get you Preferred Partner or Virtuoso amenities at either of these resorts.

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.

7.23.2017

Dorothea Lange at the Oakland Museum

Dorothea Lange photographs at the Oakland Museum of California

Dorothea Lange: Politics of Seeing is a small exhibition of 130 photographs presented on the 50th anniversary of the gift of her photographic archive to the Oakland Museum of California. She is a gifted photographer, and I found the exhibit inspiring from both artistic and historical perspectives. The exhibition runs only until August 27, so you'll have to come this week.

The photograph above suggests what you can expect — a not-very-crowded exhibit (!) combining a number of framed photographs from her personal collection as well as some large, unframed blow-ups that display her work to dramatic effect. To quote the museum's promotional materials:

Through the lens of her camera, Dorothea Lange documented American life with riveting, intimate photographs that portrayed some of the most powerful moments of the 20th century. Lange was driven by the belief that seeing the effects of injustice could provoke reform and, just perhaps, change the world. From documenting the plight of Dust Bowl migrants during the Great Depression to illuminating the grim conditions of incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II, Lange’s photographs demonstrate how empathy and compassion—focused through art—can sway minds and prompt change throughout this nation’s history.

If you're staying in San Francisco, just take BART to the 12th Street Oakland Station. From there, it's a 0.6 mile walk to the museum, located at 1000 Oak Street. The weather has turned beautiful this week! My two most highly recommended hotels in San Francisco close to BART are the Four Seasons and the St. Regis.

6.25.2017

so much better than booking.com ...

booking.com quote for Le Meurice as of 2:50 p.m. PDT, June 25, 2017

Rick Steves posted a Facebook article yesterday in which he offered his alternative to making hotel bookings through online wholesalers like booking.com and expedia.com. Hotels have to pay a 20-25% commission to OTA's (online travel agencies) in return for having their rooms available online. He advises travelers to contact hotels directly and negotiate:

Those who book direct through a hotel’s website (and not through the booking agency site, thus saving the hotel about 20 percent) can be offered a free breakfast or free upgrade. Or, simply don’t book “online.” Just book by direct email or phone, in which case, hotels are free to give you whatever price they like (usually able to split the difference: charging 10 percent less and making 10 percent more).

You don't need this hassle! Over 1250 luxury hotels around the world already offer an even richer set of value-added amenities through Virtuoso, the world's leading consortium of luxury travel advisors, hotels, cruise lines, and tour companies. And we can often do even better than Virtuoso, thanks to our relationship with all the leading hotel companies in the world — Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Dorchester Collection, Rosewood, Belmond, Peninsula, etc.

Free breakfast is already negotiated, as is an upgrade upon availability (sometimes guaranteed at booking), as is an extra amenity valued at $100, as is free WiFi... and we'll even contact the hotel to VIP your stay.

We can do so much better than booking.com for luxury hotel bookings. Say you want to spend the evening of August 4 at Le Meurice, one of my very favorite hotels in the world.

Booking.com offers the "jackpot deal" seen at the top of this article: Double Room — $963 without breakfast, $1028 with breakfast

Here's what's available to me right now as a Dorchester Diamond Club agent: I can book a Classic Room at 760€ = $850. As a Diamond Club booking, my clients receive a guaranteed upgrade at booking to a Superior Room. And there's more! You get ...

a 100€ hotel credit that can come right off your bill, so you pay 660€ = $739 with breakfast.
a full breakfast, in any venue including in-room dining, literally anything on the menu except caviar and alcohol. Tax and gratuity are included.
full premium internet access for unlimited devices.

Assuming you'll want to have breakfast at the Alain Ducasse restaurant at Le Meurice, you save $289, get personal recognition as a Diamond Club guest, get free internet, and order anything off the breakfast menu, service included!

6.21.2017

I blame the bean counters at Marriott

view from the Club Lounge at Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Ritz Carlton is truly one of my favorite hotel brands. It is for this very reason that I want to push back against the new cancellation policy being instituted by Marriott, its corporate parent. A few Ritz Carlton hotels still have a one day cancel deadline (Buckhead!), but most Ritz Carlton hotels now adhere to the 2-3 day cancelation deadline that is the new Marriott standard.

I blame the bean counters. This self-inflicted corporate unfriendliness is bad news for guests and bad news for Marriott Luxury Brands. I have nothing but the highest admiration for the ladies and gentlemen of Ritz Carlton, among the warmest and most gracious hosts in the entire luxury hotel industry. This unfortunate policy makes life harder for everyone, especially their business guests who need flexibility when they travel for business. What the Marriott bean counters may not appreciate is that this also makes life harder both for their travel partners (luxury travel advisors like myself) and for our Ritz Carlton Guardian Angels. I'm thinking of all the time I'll waste requesting waivers of cancellation penalties ... and the time my Guardian Angels will waste working on exceptions for my clients.

I acknowledge that cancellation penalties can serve a valid function. Once a room has been sold, it's "off the market" and cannot be resold. Last-minute cancellations do not leave enough time to re-sell that room. It's reasonable for the guest to compensate the hotel in the form of a one-night penalty if the cancellation prevents the hotel from selling the room to someone else. But unless a hotel is nearing a sell-out, nothing is really lost.

My appeal to the bean counters... read the Mission Statement of Ritz Carlton, and realize how this policy contradicts that mission:

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission.

We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience.

The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests.

My appeal to my clients and fans of Ritz Carlton: vote with your dollars. You don't have to tolerate minimum 3-day cancel deadlines at city hotels. The only way the bean counters will get the message is for us to send our business to their worthy competitors. Just checked a random day in New York City, and the cancel deadline is just one day at Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont (The Plaza), Peninsula, Park Hyatt, and Rosewood (The Carlyle).

5.28.2017

FS Los Angeles | Hollywood's living room

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).

Links