what's new in Las Vegas?

T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Something is always new in Las Vegas, and our limo driver from the airport to Bellagio clued us in on the new T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL Vegas Golden Knights. The arena is the cornerstone of a major new development just west of the Strip, between Monte Carlo and New York New York. You'll discover new retail space along The Park as well as the new Park Theater (connected to Monte Carlo). The impressive stainless statue (pictured above) stands at the center of this new development.

A redevelopment of Monte Carlo appears to be underway. The hotel's swimming pool and beach volleyball area is gone, and there are construction cranes in the now vacant lot just south of the Bellagio-Crystals-Aria-Monte Carlo tram. Enjoying a good location just south of City Center, Monte Carlo is a lackluster casino hotel that could truly benefit from going upscale.

Keep checking back for news from Virtuoso Travel Week, the world's premiere luxury travel show. Team Ourisman will be meeting with hotels and other travel partners from all over the world, shopping for exciting new experiences that we can share with you.

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.

want a personal travel shopper?

I'll be attending Virtuoso Travel Week at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Shopping for travel can be very confusing. While Google is where many people begin to plan their next vacation, most people quickly become overwhelmed. Google the word "travel," and you'll get 1.19 billion results!

So consider us your personal shopper for travel. We can cut through millions of possibilities and help you plan the trip of your dreams. Whether you want an African safari or a bespoke trip that lets you experience the real China, a driving trip through the south of France or a relaxing vacation in Bora Bora, we can help ... because we've been there!

We will save you time, money, and frustration. If a beach vacation at Four Seasons Hualalai or Four Seasons Maui is capturing your fancy, we'll save you hundreds of dollars — with complimentary daily breakfasts and a hotel credit good toward a lunch or dinner. We can provide similar amenities at over 1200 luxury hotels and resorts around the world. It won't cost you a penny extra to book luxury hotels through us, and you typically pay at check-out, exactly the same as if you booked online.

Along with thousands of other Virtuoso travel advisors — and three other members of Team Ourisman, I'll be at Virtuoso Travel Week next week. It's not a vacation — it's work. I'll literally be shopping for you, listening for what's new and exciting and building relationships with our travel partners who help make your vacation special.

Is travel on your mind? Just click on our website and send us your travel request. While our response may take a bit longer than usual, as we'll be in meetings and networking from 6:30 a.m. until well past [normal] bedtime), we'll get back to you as soon as possible to help you Discover More in your travels.

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.

Aman connections

(l to r): John Reed, Karime Buraye, David Ourisman, Sally Baughen, Mark Swinton

I write every year about Virtuoso Travel Week, but I wanted to give you the inside scoop of the value of this investment of money and time. I'm just spending three nights this trip, but the purpose of the visit is to spend time with managers of Virtuoso hotels and resorts.

The picture above illustrates just this. I set up a meeting with a few GM's of the most popular Aman resorts I sell. Pictured above are John Reed (GM of Amankora), Karime Buraye (Aman Sales Manager for the Americas), myself, Sally Baughen (GM of Amansara), and Mark Swinton (GM of the Amanresorts in Indonesia — Amankila, Amanda, Amanusa, Amanwana, and Amanjiwo).

Amanjunkies may recognize these names and faces as Aman GM's make themselves available to guests and are on a first-name basis. These relationships translate into clout when we make bookings on your behalf, as we are very successful in getting upgrades for our clients across the Aman family of resorts in addition to the Virtuoso amenities or package inclusions.

In a word, it all about our Aman-connections!

copyright  (c)  2016 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.

Manoir Hovey | autumn colors in Quebec

Manoir Hovey is a Virtuoso inn on Lake Massawippi just outside the picturesque Quebecois village of North Hatley. I saw their presentation at Virtuoso Travel Week and was enchanted. With just 37 rooms and suites, this Relais and Chateaux property offers gourmet cuisine, gorgeous fall colors, and a charming and romantic setting for couples. Just 116 miles by car from Burlington, VT or 87 miles from Montreal, it is also easy to reach.

Rooms are individually decorated, most featuring antiques furnishings, wood-burning fireplaces, private balconies, whirlpools, and views of the lake. When I saw this picture, my only thought was: I'd love to spend a weekend here!

Virtuoso guests at Manoir Hovey receive exceptional added-value Virtuoso amenities when booked by your Virtuoso travel consultant.

• Daily buffet breakfast for two
• Complimentary 3-course luncheon including wine pairing for the main course
• Upgrade, subject to availability

Ready to plan a special weekend in Quebec? Get in touch, and I'll set it up for you. What a special place to pop the question ... or celebrate an anniversary!

Manoir Hovey (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.

top ten list from Virtuoso Travel Week

Here, in no apparent order, is my top ten list of things heard last Wednesday and Thursday at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. Details are a bit sketchy (they're based on my scribbled, almost-legible notes, so I'll have to call in some cases for full details). Please email me, or contact your own Virtuoso travel consultant, if you want the full information on these travel opportunities.

1. Four Seasons George V is providing guests the opportunity to take complimentary cooking classes and also flower workshops. You can also sign up for guided early morning runs through the streets of Paris.

2. Peninsula New York is offering a guaranteed Virtuoso upgrade at booking and a complimentary three hour Mini Cooper tour of New York (as per James Baker, Senior Travel Industry Sales Manager).

3. Need a day room at DFW? Consider Four Seasons Dallas which is offering a day room rate - and enjoy their great spa while you're there. Beats the Admirals Club (unless you really enjoy all-you-can-eat pretzels and cookies).

4. Park Hyatt Washington, DC has a Family Plan — get a second room for just $125.

5. If you book Mandarin Oriental Bangkok as a FAN Club booking (instead of a Virtuoso booking), you'll receive a $100 hotel credit (in lieu of the Virtuoso Thai Buffet lunch for two).

6. The Peninsula Shanghai has a fabulous new Virtuoso exclusive amenity. A smart phone provided guests is pre-programmed with emergency numbers, a button to contact the concierge, and maps and guides of Shanghai attractions.

7. Want to rent a Balinese villa, complete with chef? Virtuoso provider Asia World Indonesia has a variety of rental villas all over the island at price points to satisfy all budgets. 

8. Snowdance Resort is a small ski destination with rustic cabins, great food, Virtuoso amenities ... and free skiing and snowboarding.

9. Is there a Lamborghini or Bentley in your future? Maybe not in your driveway, but you can drive like a billionaire for a week or weekend through Virtuoso provider Hertz.

10. Some amazing deals at Amangiri and Amangani this winter with minimum night stays. All-inclusive meals at Amangiri, and/or your choice of all-inclusive meals or free skiing at Amangani.

Virtuoso travel consultant (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.

Virtuoso | the power of one to one

one of several ballrooms, filled with Virtuoso travel consultants and suppliers

Several years ago, Virtuoso Travel Week used the tag line "the power of one to one" as the theme of that year's meeting. It's not just rhetoric; it's actual fact. The advantage that a Virtuoso travel consultant offers is more than just getting amenities (which are quite valuable - you can save hundreds of dollars over the course of your hotel stay through the exclusive Virtuoso amenities). Even more important are the personal contacts that travel advisors make with suppliers through hundreds of four-minute appointments (pictured above) and through interactions in relaxed social settings.

Here's a true story from last night. I was seated at a banquet table when an email came in from a client who had several specific requests related to a prospective booking at Four Seasons Hong Kong. Could he get a spa menu? Could he arrange for child care? Could he make an reservation at one of the hotel's two three-star Michelin restaurants?

I was seated immediately to the left of the hotel's Director of Sales and Marketing. I handed her my iPhone, she read the request, said "Confirmed!", and I immediately let my client know. When I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning, the restaurant reservation had been made, the spa menu was attached, and information on child care was provided. I forwarded it back to my client.

The Power of One to One is not an overstatement. If anything, I'd call it the Magic of One to One. The time I invest each year at Virtuoso Travel Week translates directly into great service delivered directly to my clients from valued hotel partners such as Four Seasons Hong Kong.

Virtuoso travel consultant (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.

heard at Virtuoso Travel Week

Here, in no apparent order, are news items (and rumors) I've heard at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas:

1. Le Crillon, a palace hotel in Paris right on the Place de la Concorde, will apparently be managed by Rosewood Hotels when its current renovations are complete.

2. Four Seasons Park Lane has a third night free promotion from January - March, 2014, and Preferred Partner bookings will apparently receive a guaranteed upgrade at booking over those dates.

3. Old Edwards Inn & Spa is a boutique 68 room inn that opened in 1878. Located in the scenic North Carolina town of Highlands, it has a top-rated Conde Nast spa. The inn looks absolutely lovely. A mountain resort set 5,000 feet above sea level, it's a good choice for a romantic summer getaway.

4. I'm told that Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes offers complimentary transportation to all Orlando area theme parks, saving guests the not inconsiderable daily parking fees as well as the hassle of driving.

5. Half Moon Resort in Jamaica is offering an all-inclusive package starting at just $449+ for stays through December 12.

6. Fairmont Mayakoba has renovated its guest rooms, adding a splash of color to the décor, and also has an all-inclusive package called "Appetite for Luxury."

7. Tip for visitors to the Big Island of Hawaii: fly into Hilo to begin your visit, seeing the Volcanoes National Park before continuing on your way to your resort on the Kona side of the island. There are direct flights to Hilo from LAX, or fly to Hilo after an initial stay on one of the other islands.

8. Stay three nights at Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires and receive two complimentary tickets to the Rojo Tango show, normally a $500 value. Offer valid through September 30, 2013.

9. Four Seasons Costa Rica is announcing an unique package with two other Costa Rica resorts, El Silencio (in the cloud forest) and Punta Islita (a secluded beach resort).

Virtuoso Travel Week (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.

what is Virtuoso Travel Week | top five list

Strip View from Bellagio

Travel Week will probably be featured by at least one "morning show" next week. I'll be there but unlikely to be seen on the tube unless I "trail" Matthew Upchurch! But what is Travel Week? Here's my top five list of things to know about Virtuoso Travel Week to be held August 10-15 in Las Vegas.

1. Is Vegas hot in August? Bad news: the average high during Travel Week will be 102 degrees. Good news: we're talking Fahrenheit, not Celsius. Better news: the event is held indoors. Bad news: we meet in refrigerated ballrooms so cold that folks in the know wear heavy sweaters.

2. Bellagio hosts the event every year. Actually, there was an attempt a few years ago to move Travel Week next door to Aria, but the test "gala dinner" that Aria put on was a disaster — the only edible course was the salad, and when dessert isn't worth eating... that's bad). Bellagio does an incredible job of hosting such a large conference, and their convention staff has become like family.

3. Speed-dates. The heart of the meeting are 24 hours (or so) of 4-minute speed dates. Travel consultants sit at their tables (in the aforementioned refrigerated ballroom), and every four minutes the bell rings, and your next date comes by. Will she/he win your love? Will you sell their hotel? The best hotel reps know that it's all about building relationships. You can tell it's a first time sales rep when they think travel advisors actually remember how many square feet their spa contains. It's all about the power of one to one.

4. Cocktail parties and receptions. All of the major hotel chains hold cocktail parties and receptions, some as late as midnight. I don't go anymore. I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. to do my email and eat breakfast before speed dating begins at 8 a.m. Plus, the receptions can be so loud you can't hear anyone talk anyway. Or squeeze through the crowds to the sushi buffet.

5. How to get me to accept an invitation for drinks? Invite me to Jean Philippe. It's not a bar; it's the place with the chocolate fountain, and their chocolate gelato is to die for. I've got dates for after session on Wednesday and Thursday. Monday or Tuesday, anyone? Have your people call my people.

Virtuoso Travel Week (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.

Four Seasons Las Vegas | renovated rooms!

newly designed guest room at FS Las Vegas

When I first visited the Four Seasons Las Vegas several years ago, these words came to me. The experience was one of being in Las Vegas but not of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is a very hectic place, and that is part of the attraction for many. Vegas is city that never sleeps. There's always action somewhere. Casinos are open 24/7, and you can always find someplace to get a drink or something to eat. And, as everyone knows, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

If you want to escape the noise and lights at the end of the day, there's the Four Seasons Las Vegas. From the moment you enter the hotel's serene lobby, you are in a sanctuary of quiet and dignity. You will experience a quality of attention and service that a 1000-plus room luxury hotel can never hope to offer.

Four Seasons Las Vegas will have refurbished all 424 guest rooms and suites by mid-December, and judging by the photo above, they have done a wonderful job. While I won't be in Vegas to do a site inspection until next August (for Virtuoso Travel Week), I'm looking forward to actually being in the renovated space. 

Be sure to book through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner for value-added amenities including Full American Breakfast for two daily, a $100 spa credit, and an upgrade if available upon check-in.

Four Seasons Las Vegas (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 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.

Vdara | economical luxury in Las Vegas

I am staying at Vdara while attending this year's Virtuoso Travel Week. Literally right next door to Bellagio, where Travel Week is held, it's just a two-minute walk from Vdara's lobby to the convention space at Bellagio – nearly as convenient as Spa Tower rooms and much closer than rooms in Bellagio's main tower. What do I think of Vdara?

Rooms are spacious, a generous 650 square feet. Our room feels like a Junior Suite with King bed and what seems to be a King-sized sofabed. Styling is cool contemporary in shades of beige and brown with enough accents to provide visual interest. The bathroom has a deep soaking tub, step-in shower, and one large sink with large vanity on either side. On the downside, the bathroom has a glass door that lets light into the bedroom, poor water pressure in the shower, and lukewarm shower water. The room is equipped with a 42" flat screen TV and two desks. Vdara is actually a condo hotel; the entrance hall doubles as a kitchenette (two burner cook surface, microwave, sink, counter, and small refrigerator). Cookware is available upon request.

Pictured above is the view from our room, an "008" series room with a view of Bellagio's fountain and the Las Vegas Strip. Vdara also has a spa, casual dining, a rather loud lobby bar (a young vibe), and a small pool on the 3rd floor of the hotel. The pool is actually my one disappointment with Vdara. We went down to swim, heard the overly loud music, took a look at the water which was practically wall-to-wall with guests, and went back to our room. Bellagio's pool area is wonderful!

The ideal guests for Vdara? Young families who would appreciate the kitchenette, and a group of three or four young adults would appreciate the deluxe accommodations at a very reasonable price. Though priced less than Bellagio, Bellagio's Virtuoso amenities make it a better value for a couple visiting Las Vegas. Like Signature at MGM Grand, Vdara is a completely non-smoking hotel without a casino.



Vdara (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 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. .

Posted with Blogsy

Virtuoso Travel Week | Aug 11-17

This video expresses what Virtuoso Travel Mart Week is all about. The name has changed, but the basic idea remains the same — networking. Thousands of luxury travel consultants spend a week together with perhaps one thousand reps from five star hotels and resorts, cruise lines, tour companies, onsites, and specialty suppliers. Reps tell travel consultants what's new about their products, and travel consultants are basically shopping on behalf of our clients. Everyone always want to know about the most exciting new hotels and exotic travel destinations.

With literally 24 hours of 4-minute appointments over four days (we call it "speed dating"), Virtuoso Travel Week is an exhausting but worthwhile experience. Rick Baron of Tauck Tours may have overstated the case in the video… or, this may actually be the case with extraverts! In his experience, "Instead of being completely exhausted, I think we come back enthused, energetic, rejuvenated and energized."

Honestly, I do come home exhausted. My first year, I even had nightmares for several weeks — endless lines of people coming by and talking to me. Virtuoso Travel Week is an assault on the senses, but it's so valuable, I do it anyway.

Where do you want to go next? Let me know, and I go shopping for you at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas.


Virtuoso Travel Week (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2012 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. .