Mandapa, Ritz Carlton Reserve | Ubud top choice?

Mandara Pool Villa

The new top choice in Ubud? Mandara is the new Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort opening this month on the outskirts of Ubud, Bali. I attended a dinner Monday night at which Mandara was introduced to a select group of STARS travel consultants in the San Francisco Bay area.

I was truly impressed. The smallest room is a Reserve Suite with a generous 1075 square feet of living space. Each villa has a private 30 foot long swimming pool and offers 4630 of interior and exterior living space.

Rates are highly competitive with Four Seasons Sayan and Amandari. Looking at 28AUG, a lead-in Suite is $667 + tax per night and a lead-in Pool Villa is $1045 + tax per night. Although the resort is still awaiting its entry into Virtuoso, I can get you equivalent amenities today:

• daily breakfast for 2
• $100 resort credit
• upgrade if available
• complimentary internet

Mandara Suite bedroom - overlooking the resort's rice terraces

copyright (c) 2015 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.

sunset at Dorado Beach

Swim, rinse, repeat... 

A colleague had asked for advice about anything she shouldn't miss while at Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve. In reply, I sent her a picture of a sunset with these simple instructions: "Swim, rinse, repeat..."

There now in paradise, she just wrote back, "I now fully understand your Dorado Beach instructions."

copyright (c) 2015 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.

a journey across Asia | Hong Kong and Thailand

Phulay Bay | a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

This trip looks absolutely incredible. Crazy expensive, but incredible! A customized luxury travel package that includes:

2 nights at the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong in the Ritz-Carlton Suite. This is the highest hotel in the world, and the suite offers a breathtaking view of Victoria Harbour and the skyline of Hong Kong.

round-trip private jet from Hong Kong to Phulay Bay, near Krabi, Thailand

2 nights at Phulay Bay in the Royal Andaman Sea Villa

3 nights on a private yacht sailing through the Similan Islands (one of the best spots in the world to snorkel, dive, and swim). Your meals onboard will be prepared by two-star Michelin chef Pino Lavarro.

Call me if you're interested. This is the most astonishing luxury travel package I've seen in a long time!


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.