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.

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.

art walk in Deià, Mallorca

painting of Deià by Leila Ward

I have two top tips for visiting Deià, a cute stone village on the northern coast of Mallorca.

1. Stay at Belmond La Residentia, truly one of the best resorts I've ever visited. Typical of all Belmond properties, it is an historic property with local flavor and understated luxury. The simple but elegant rooms have simple white plaster walls, splashes of color being provided by original works of local artists. My suite (number 42) is just wonderful, filled with the light of the afternoon sun streaming through its abundant windows — and there's a painting by Leila Ward right over my desk (the same artist who created the picture of Deià at the top of this article).

2. Enjoy the Artist's Walk, a complimentary activity offered to guests every Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. This means you should plan to spend Monday evening at La Residentia to take advantage of this opportunity. Otherwise, make plans with the hotel in advance to book a private tour for you. You'd never be able to duplicate this walk on your own. Just finding the studios on your own would be a challenge, and the artists may not be in studio — or prepared to welcome you — unless the visits are scheduled in advance.

Van Gogh and his Apple computer by Arturo Rhodes

I enjoyed meeting some of the most creative souls I've ever encountered, including David Templeton, Leila Ward, and Arturo Rhodes whose picture of Van Gogh (shown above) demonstrates his delightful eccentricity. Van Gogh is working on an MacBook computer, his ear taking the place of the Apple logo and a live "mouse" to move the cursor.

This short summary can only hint at what awaits you. The Artist's Walk more than exceeded my expectations as we strolled the winding streets of Deià and engaged with some of the village's resident artists.

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 La Residencia | total WOW resort

welcome drink at Belmond La Residencia, (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Everything about Belmond La Residencia is a wow. First, its location in the artists village of Deià overlooking the north shore of Mallorca. An hour from Palma, the village's seclusion markedly lessens the influx of tourists. You can walk through the small town, visit studios of its artists (which we'll be doing tomorrow morning), and browse in the small shops.

The welcome was warm and featured the fresh lemonade pictured above — quite tart and a perfect way to welcome guests on a sunny and hot afternoon. But beyond the graciousness of our hosts. La Residencia is simply a beautiful place. Formerly the Mallorcan estate of Richard Branson, it was purchased by Belmond and has been developed into a world-class resort.

blooming flowers adorn a walkway (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Buildings are constructed of hand-cut white stone, typical of Mallorcan architecture. My suite is extremely spacious and splashed with light. The living room has no less than five large windows, with one set of French doors leading to a private balcony and the other with a Juliet balcony overlooking the hills. Beautifully furnished in the Spanish style, walls are whitewashed plaster, the ceiling has exposed wooden beams, floors are cool terra cotta tile, and the bathroom has a soaking tub, step-in shower, single vanity, and WC.

One of the finest resorts I've ever stayed in, our guests enjoy Virtuoso and Bellini Club 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.

looking forward to Barcelona and Mallorca

map of southeastern Spain with the location of Mallorca circled

A very popular European holiday destination, a group of Brownell travel advisors is heading to Mallorca in just a week. Our purpose is to learn about Mallorca (sometimes spelled Majorca), its resorts, and what there is to do and see. Oh — and also to have a good time, but that goes without saying! I'm blessed with some of the best colleagues in the travel industry.

My trip begins with a return to Barcelona. I previously visited in 2009 and posted a couple of blog articles. One article, does architecture shape culture?, contrasted the authoritarian church architecture found in most of Spain with the freewheeling, art deco architecture of Gaudi's Sagrada Família. The other article discussed two local restaurants in Barcelona. Mas Bacus is an enoteca (wine store), located at Carrer d'Enric Granados 68, a 15 minute walk from the Mandarin Oriental. Open from 12 noon until 10 p.m., it's closed Sunday and Monday nights, so I'll probably have Saturday dinner here. I learned from the MO concierge that Can Ravell is permanently closed; he has recommended 2254, located at 335 Carrer Consell De Cent.

While in Barcelona, I'll be spending two nights at the Mandarin Oriental, doing a site inspection of the Majestic Hotel, and making a hard hat tour of a new hotel still under construction, the Almanac Barcelona. I also plan to join the El Borne & Gothic Street Art Tour.

Then, six nights on Mallorca, split between the St. Regis Mardavall and Belmond La Residencia. Our itinerary includes excursions to:

Palma — Castle Bellver, Plaza Mayor, old Jewish Quarter, and the town's gothic cathedral
Finca Son Bordils — a winery visit including wine tastings and lunch
La Residencia — a walk on the resort's donkey trail with a picnic lunch in the olive groves
Deià — artists walk

We'll also be doing site inspections of the Park Hyatt, Castillo Son Vida, Hotel Castell Son Claret, and Hotel Gran Melia del Mar. Here is a google map of Ourisman Travel's preferred hotels in Mallorca. When you work through us, you'll receive the best amenity packages available through Virtuoso, Belmond Bellini Club, Starwood Luxury Privileges, and Travel Leaders Select.

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.

guaranteed US Dollar rates in Europe

Upscale travelers look forward to staying in five star hotels with beautifully landscaped lawns, ornate lobbies, exquisitely furnished guestrooms, and incomparable service. They also expect to pay a small fortune to enjoy such luxury, especially with the sad state of the weak US Dollar.

So this offer is quite a value. Spend five nights at two or more of five Orient-Express hotels, and enjoy a flat rate of only $480 per night with daily buffet breakfast for two included. This rate is guaranteed in US Dollars (and is equivalent to about 322€).

1. Reid's Palace, Madeira (pictured above) is high on my wish list of places to stay. The island of Madeira is in the Atlantic Ocean, some 535 miles from Lisbon. It was discovered by Portuguese sailors in the early 15th century and, with a pleasant year-round climate, is a popular tourist destination for European travelers. Reid's Palace is a beautiful and gracious resort located on 10 acres of botanical gardens on a cliff top overlooking the waters of the Atlantic.

2. The Hotel Ritz, Madrid is one of the grand old hotels of Europe. It is located right across the street from the Prado Museum, one of the must-see attractions of Madrid. Convenient to museums, galleries, and shopping, and offering an elegant Afternoon Tea service, the Ritz is a storied and elegant hotel in the heart of Madrid.

3. Hôtel de la Cité, Carcassonne. Find yourself in a fairytale... reads the headline on the hotel's brochure. Carcassonne is an ancient walled village set in the wine country of Southwest France. Part of a medieval citadel, the Hôtel de la Cité has magnificent gardens on property and offers you the opportunity to make your home for a few days in this part of French history.

4. La Residencia, Mallorca is located on an idyllic island in the Mediterranean Sea. With hot summers and mild winters, La Residencia is a luxury hotel and spa on the northwest coast of the island, set in the midst of a grove of olive and citrus trees. The hotel was created from two 16th and 17th century manor houses and offers spectacular views of the sea.

5. Lapa Palace, Lisbon is set on a hilltop with beautiful gardens in the center of Lisbon, overlooking the river and the city itself. Originally built as a private residence, Lapa Palace offers an oasis in the midst of a busy city.

I would especially recommend this package to travelers planning to visit Spain + Portugal, or Portugal + Madeira this year. Conditions apply, but this is an incomparable value at several of the world's finest five star hotels.

five star hotels (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2008 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.