the best travel blazer?

the Bluffworks Blazer (used without permission, but I'm sure they won't mind)

Could this be the best travel blazer ever made? Perhaps, and I'll be giving it a try on a trip I'm taking next week to Palm Beach (to visit my dad) and Baltimore (for an Ourisman Travel meeting).

I had the opportunity to purchase this travel coat during its Kickstarter start-up phase, so I did enjoy a bit of a discount. What attracted me to this jacket? The claim that you could literally throw it in the washing machine and then the dryer. Typically, suites or blazers have to go to the dry cleaners to get pressed after spending time folded up in a suitcase. I'll get to test the claim after my trip.

I really like the feel of the material. It has a soft feel and a dressy look, so I'll enjoy wearing it. And for travelers, the jacket has ten pockets ... some of them with security zippers making it easy to safeguard a passport, iPhone, iPad, or credit card against pickpockets.

For a quick follow-up and report on how it came out of the washer and dryer (as well as planned site reports from two Baltimore hotels, the Four Seasons Baltimore and the Sagamore Pendry), follow this blog!

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.

last minute luxury Christmas vacation

picture yourself here (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Have you waited too long to book a luxury Christmas vacation at the beach? Possibly not! All of the following hotels show current availability for a 7 night stay, Dec. 25 - Jan. 1. If you can find the air, the rooms are currently available in my system for each of the following, and as an added value-added bonus, we can provide Virtuoso or Preferred Partner amenities that include free daily breakfasts, hotel credits, and more.

Four Seasons Palm Beach (Florida)
Eau Palm Beach (Florida)
Dorado Beach Ritz Carlton (Puerto Rico)
Ritz Carlton San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Condado Vanderbilt Hotel (San Juan)
Fairmont Kea Lani (Maui)
Banyan Tree Mayakoba (Mexico
Grand Velas Riviera Maya (Mexico)
Capella Ixtapa (Mexico)

Be aware that you'll be within the cancel deadline. While our typical Festive booking fee is $350, if you book one of these nine hotels for these dates by 5 p.m. EST on Friday, we will discount that fee to $150. The value of your free daily breakfast for two is worth far more than the fee, and the additional resort credit will add even more to your savings. Just complete our Travel Request Form to get things started!

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel 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.

Palm Beach | where to stay by the beach

walking on Palm Beach in late afternoon

I spent two days in Palm Beach last weekend. One of the most upscale beach destinations in Florida, Palm Beach is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the point closest to the Gulf Stream. As a consequence, it enjoys some of the warmest weather (and ocean water) on the east coast.

Where to stay? There are three Virtuoso beach resorts in Palm Beach — Four Seasons Palm Beach, Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach, and The Breakers — three very luxurious resorts with very different styles. Which one should you choose?


Four Seasons Palm Beach shares the attributes of many Four Seasons properties. It is a smaller resort, just 210 rooms. Upon walking into the lobby, I was struck with the casual contemporary elegance of the property — cool colors, simple but classical design. The property has three dining establishments, and I had a chance to eat at each — lunch at the outside beachside restaurant, breakfast at Graze, and dinner at The Restaurant. The food and service were excellent. Families with young children will appreciate the complimentary Kids for All Seasons children's program.

I was the guest of the resort for a two night stay and very much enjoyed our upgrade into a Premier Ocean View Room. These rooms are in the main building of the hotel, facing over the resort pool with a direct view of the ocean; see the view from my room here. These are large guest rooms (546 sq. ft.) with a large sitting area featuring a sofa (that converts into a queen-size sofa bed), an easy chair, and a desk with two desk chairs. Bathrooms have step-in showers, soaking tubs, a single vanity, and a second vanity (with no sink) with a large mirror that would work for putting on makeup.

The hotel's other guest rooms (Limited View, Garden View, Partial Ocean View, and Ocean View) are somewhat smaller at 393 square feet. Found in the North and South wings of the hotel, they are angled towards the ocean in a layout reminiscent of FS Maui. There are a limited number of large one and two bedroom suites at the end of each wing which offer direct views of the beach and ocean beyond.


Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach is a larger resort, 310 rooms, with a more formal atmosphere. The lobby has the ambiance of a Palm Beach "living room" with a very traditional but updated feel. Ritz Carlton Palm Beach features the 42,000 square foot Eau Spa. Whimsical and unique, Eau Spa markets itself as "the official adult playground of Palm Beach." In addition to 19 treatment rooms and unique treatments (the Sensory Dry Float Bed looked incredible), spa guests can linger all day at the "Self-Centered Garden" where you are invited to "lose yourself and abandon the rules of adulthood." Add to that the hotel's business center, called The Golden Parachute, and you get a sense of the creative whimsy of this Ritz-Carlton.

Guest rooms are a comfortable 418 square feet, and bathrooms all have step-in showers, soaking tubs, and dual vanities. I was especially impressed with the Lanai Terrace rooms, each of which steps out onto its own cabana with ocean view. If you book one of these rooms, you have direct access to a landscaped lawn and one of the resort pools.


The Breakers has been a Palm Beach institution since 1896. The resort is quite large, set on 140 acres with 540 guest rooms, 36 holes of golf, 5 pools, 9 restaurants, 5 bars, 10 tennis courts, and 1,800 employees. The lobby is formal and elegant, perhaps the classic expression of what Palm Beach is all about! The Breakers has undergone extensive renovation over the years, but I did not get a chance to see The Breakers during this visit to Palm Beach. A previous visit left the impression that rooms in the original hotel are somewhat dated, but rooms in the new ocean-facing wing are quite impressive. The Breakers is a great choice for golfers, and the resort offers tempting golf packages during the summer months.


Is there a Palm Beach vacation in your future? Contact your Virtuoso travel consultant to receive exclusive amenities with your stay — including complimentary daily breakfast for two, room upgrades, and other valuable perks that help you make the most of your vacation dollars.


Palm Beach (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.

luxury values in Florida

There's practically nowhere on earth where luxury vacationers can't get a great bargain right now. Upscale travelers can enjoy significant savings at many of the most beautiful resorts in the world. A client recently asked if I knew of any special deals in Palm Beach, South Beach, or Key West, Florida for a visit in late February. Here's what I found for him:

Four Seasons Palm Beach has a Fourth Night Free promotion, and I can get it for you with daily Continental Breakfast for two in the restaurant or via room service.

Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach has a guaranteed upgrade from Resort View to Ocean View, a $85 F&B credit per day, per room, and daily Continental Breakfast for two.

The Breakers Palm Beach (pictured above) has a $100 per room credit per room per night for Superior and Deluxe rooms and non-Signature Suites, a $200 per room per night credit to all Signature guest rooms and suites. You also get a complimentary Continental Breakfast for two daily.

Ritz-Carlton South Beach is offering a 20% discount on Club Level rooms or Suites (beginning Feb. 27) to my clients, along with complimentary daily Continental Breakfasts.

The Setai has rates starting at $650 with Virtuoso amenities until 4/15 (normally rates start at $1000) along with a daily Buffet Breakfast for two and a $100 Spa credit once during your stay.

Sunset Key Guest Cottages (off of Key West) has Virtuoso pricing discounted 5% lower than BAR with daily Full Breakfast for two and $100 F&B credit.

You cannot book these deals yourself on the internet; they are available exclusively through select luxury travel consultants. Contact me with absolutely no obligation to inquire about any of these luxury values in Florida.


luxury travel consultant (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 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.
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