Virtuoso Life — the adventure issue

 

There are many different kinds of luxury, and adventure travel is one of them. We in the 21st century have the capacity to discover the wilds of nature, all in perfect comfort. While you will experience some trade-offs — even the most well equipped tent will never duplicate the elegance perfected by world-class hotels like the George V or Ritz Paris — you can enjoy privileged encounters of a different kind. While there are too many possibilities to list here, but you might start by thinking about...

• an all-inclusive excursion cruise to Antartica or to Iceland & Greenland
• a tented camp in Tofino (BC), Chiang Rai (Thailand), or Rajasthan (India)
• a luxurious safari resort in Africa, a base for discovering the Big Five

It costs nothing to indulge the dream. Click here to browse the May/June issue of Virtuoso Life. Dubbed "the adventure issue," you'll read about possibilities like those mentioned in the bullet points above. Finally, contact your Virtuoso travel advisor to orchestrate your travel dreams and bring them to life.

copyright (c) 2021 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member.

complimentary breakfasts at luxury hotels

Breakfast prices can sometimes seem frightening when staying at luxury hotels. Pictured above is a page from the room service menu at one of my very favorite hotels, the Beverly Hills Hotel. Many guests would want to order the American breakfast — for instance, two eggs with sausage, toast and a pastry, a fruit plate, a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, and a Cappuccino. The price is $55 plus $3.75 pp for room service delivery, and 20% service. With sales tax, that's $75 per person. $150 for breakfast for two? That's too much!

Here's how to enjoy the same breakfast for free! Don't use the hotel's website, but reserve your stay through a Virtuoso travel advisor. He or she will book the Virtuoso rate (typically the same as the best available "regular" rate on the hotel's website). These are typical Virtuoso amenities at nearly 1500 luxury hotels and resorts around the world:

• daily complimentary breakfast for two
• an additional $100 hotel credit (usually for food & beverage or Spa services)
• one category room upgrade at check-in if available

Virtuoso amenities are available at nearly 1,500 luxury hotels and resorts around the world. And even better than Virtuoso amenities are the preferred partner amenities a well-connected travel advisor can score for you at luxury chains. For instance, at the Beverly Hills Hotel (whose room service menu is pictured), my Diamond Club amenities will get you a confirmed upgrade at booking (up to the Jr. Suite category), a full breakfast in any venue including gratuities, and your $100 credit can come off the room rate room rate, if you wish.

You can check out Virtuoso amenities and book many Virtuoso hotels on virtuoso.com. Your Virtuoso travel advisor will be informed of your booking and will follow up by VIP'ing your stay with their contacts.

Click here to sign up for the Ourisman Travel Newsletter.

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.

off-the-beaten path in London

street art in East London (c) 2019 by David Ourisman

An experienced traveler who's been to London before posed this question:

I've seen all the major sites, including some further afield sights (Oxford, Bletchley Park, Windsor Castle), although I do plan to drop into the Victoria & Albert because I love it so. Exploring markets is another priority. 

But aside from that, what hidden gem parks or museums or neighborhoods have you encountered that warrant my time?

Here are some opportunities that are off the beaten path...

Take a walking tour of East London. While you can certainly walk through this neighborhood all by yourself, it's infinitely more interesting and informative to go along with a well-informed guide. You can join a scheduled public tour (google walking tours London), or for a tour at your own pace that's focused on your and your interests, we can find you an expert Blue Badge guide. East London is a mix of old and new. You'll enjoy shopping in the Old Spitalfields Market, walking past historic buildings, learning about the history of the neighborhood, and viewing some quite interesting street art.

Explore London's secret Underground. The Charing Cross tube station contains the entrance to a virtually unknown secret hideaway. Located behind locked gates, you can get a tour of an empty, unused subway station and tube. You've probably seen it on movies with London underground scenes, and one of the coolest parts of the exhibit is a video presentation of some of the movies that have been shot in this secret location.

Experience the Changing of the Guard inside the Wellington Barracks. Thousands of tourists per day crowd in front of Buckingham Palace to witness the daily 11 a.m. changing of the guards, perhaps London's most popular tourist attraction. But savvy tourists can watch the spectacle from inside the Wellington Barracks (where the guard lives). You'll be up close and personal with the guard, enjoy their daily band concert with literally no one between you and the soldiers, and watch as they march down the short spur to Buckingham Palace.

View the Ceremony of the Keys. An uniquely British Experience, this ceremony take place nightly when the Tower of London closes for the evening. While the limited public tickets are usually reserved far in advance, our contacts might be able to get you space to view this little-known example of royal pageantry.

Sit in Churchill's chair. The general public can queue up to buy tickets to see the Churchill War Rooms, and they'll be part of a long line of tourists peering through the plexiglass window into the room where Churchill's war cabinet met. Sometimes, they'll see a small group of tourists inside the room, actually sitting in Churchill's chair, and wonder, "Just who are those VIP's?" We can get make you one of those VIP's!

Want a ticket to a sold-out V&A special exhibition? If you've booked a stay at nearby Egerton House Hotel through a Virtuoso travel advisor, you get an exclusive pair of member tickets to all current exhibitions with full access to the members lounge. You'll also received a fully daily English breakfast daily for two, Afternoon Tea for two, a martini making lesson, an upgrade if available, and a one-way airport transfer for Suite bookings of three or more nights. (You can even book online using this link).

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.

enjoying my stay at Ritz Carlton Georgetown

Ritz Carlton Georgetown at dawn (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I'm currently in my room at the Ritz Carlton Georgetown. A boutique hotel with only 86 rooms and suites, this property offers the intimacy you'd normally find in a Ritz Carlton Reserve. You will be ensconced on a quiet street just a short walk walk from the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, the very heart of Georgetown. The area features a myriad of small shops and a variety of different dining possibilities.

Life here revolves around the living room, much more like a living room than a typical hotel lobby. Filled with comfortable seating and a large, brick fireplace, guests gather here throughout the day — working on their portable computers or relaxing with a drink.

The neighborhood is the biggest reason to come. I enjoyed several early morning walks, one through the blocks north of M Street that are lined with well maintained antique brick homes, the hallmark of historic Georgetown neighborhood of Washington. Just a block to the south of the hotel is the waterfront, a walkway alongside the Potomac River where you can walk, run or bike while enjoying the sights — sunrises, sunsets, and a sweeping view of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

To get the best value for your stay, book through your Virtuoso travel advisor and receive complimentary daily continental breakfasts, $100 F&B credit, as well as possible upgrades if available, complimentary WiFi, and early check-in/late check-out if availability.

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.

Valentine's Day dinner reservations?

photo from a Stowe Mountain Lodge promo email

My inbox is filled with promotional emails, but many of them are quite useful! This photo may serve as a just-in-time reminder for readers who may have forgotten to make dinner reservations for Valentine's Day, February 14. Restaurants book up early, so make the call today!

Stowe Mountain Lodge sent his reminder and also included their Valentine's Day prix-fixe menu.

Valentine's Day Prix-Fixe Menu

Soup-Salad duo

Puree of Organic Kale & Cannellini Bean & Porcini Oil

Arcadian Greens & Frissee, Pomegranate, Mandarin Orange, 

Watermelon Radish, Cara Cara Vinaigrette

Shared Appetizer

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes & Tataki of Seared Ahi Tuna. Ginger Shoyu, Pimento Pepper Aioli

Entrée (Choice of)

Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops, Forbidden Black Rice, Coconut, Butter Poached Cauliflower

Grilled Prime New York Strip, Roasted fingerling Potatoes, Broccolini, Sauce Bourguignon

Seared Muscovy Duck Breast & Confit Leg, Rainbow Chard, Parsnips, Kumquat Gastric

Quattro Formaggio Vermont Raviolis, Wild Mushroom Fricassee, Sauteed Organic Spinach, Mushroom Sauce

Dessert for Two

Dark Chocolate Fondue- Berries, Fruit, Brownies, Rice Krispy Treats, Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Great idea for a weekend trip this winter. Go for the skiing and the winter romance in front of a fireplace... and be sure to book through your Virtuoso travel advisor for value-added amenities that include full breakfast daily for two and a $100 resort credit you can use toward your Valentine's Day dinner.

copyright (c) 2017 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.

a fabulous lunch at Chateau Eza

glass of rosé at Chateau Eza (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Eze is a charming hillside village perched high above the Mediterranean Sea with a direct view of Cap Ferrat (whose Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel, has been our home these past four evenings). It is incredibly cute with shops stressing higher end jewelry and art over the usual tourist schlock. Definitely worth the drive up the winding roads, and parking is easy enough in October (though I can't imagine how the summer crowds could ever be accommodated). Top sights in Eze are the ruins of the chateau at the very top of the village (with commanding panoramic view) as well as the village's church.

But the gourmet dining opportunities set Eze apart from your usual small French village.

La Chèvre d'Or is a very famous restaurant which has been awarded two Michelin stars. One of four dining establishments at this five-star Virtuoso hotel, you can enjoy everything from pizza to the highest echelon of French cuisine. If you want to dine here, I encourage you to make your reservations online. If you want to stay in one of their 40 rooms and suites (scattered throughout the village), book through your Virtuoso travel advisor. I urge you to use your travel advisor not only for the complimentary Virtuoso amenities which include continental breakfast daily and (new for 2017 bookings) a two-hour wine discovery tour that includes tastings of six wines... but also for assistance in securing the best room for your needs and budget. Every room is unique, and we work with the hotel to get you the best combination of view, size, and room features that work with your budget.

Chateau Eza is the smaller five-star Virtuoso hotel in Eze which has also won Michelin recognition. A smaller hotel with just 14 rooms and suites, all of which are in much closer proximity to the hotel's reception and lobby. We enjoyed an incroyable lunch as guests of the hotel which started with a glass of the most fabulous rosé (pictured above). We could have had the rest of the bottle, had we wanted, but I was driving; note what I wrote earlier about the winding roads! The food was simply amazing. We did not order an appetizer, only ordered a main course ... so good and so much food we could not finish it. My sea bass was perfectly prepared — moist and full of flavor — and spectacularly presented, and Claire's magret du canard was likewise flavorful and presented with an assortment of fruits and vegetables that we will want to try to reproduce back at home (including pureed quince that was a revelation). When you book Chateau Eza through your Virtuoso travel advisor, you receive complimentary breakfasts and one complimentary menu du Chateau for two guests.

I recommend staying in Eze for two nights. This will allow you to spend one entire day in this hillside village. You'll have a chance to explore the village before the tourists come and after they leave, to pamper yourself in the spa, or relax by (or in) a pool with the most incredible view anywhere on earth.

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.

London | places to stay, things to do

standing guard at Buckingham Palace

Looking for a great place to stay in London? A Virtuoso travel advisor can save you money with perks like free daily breakfasts, hotel credits, and room upgrades — typically at the same flexible rate that you're seeing online — and there's no cost for you to use a travel advisor.

We can save you money at over 50 luxury hotels in London (there's some overlap here, so the numbers add up to more than 50). See them on my Google maps of our London hotels by clicking here and here.

24 hotels come with Virtuoso amenities
2 hotels come with Dorchester Diamond Club amenities
2 hotels come with Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities
27 hotels come with Travel Leaders Select amenities
2 hotels come with Starwood Luxury Privileges amenities
3 hotels come with Doyle Collection amenities
23 hotels come with Celebrated Perks

I'm flying to London on Thursday evening to do some hotel site inspections ... but also to write about some unique experiences that a Virtuoso travel advisor can arrange for you.

1. The Churchill War Rooms — actually going into the cabinet rooms, not seeing them from behind glass like most tourists must.

2. The Changing of the Guard — seen from the Wellington Barracks where the Guard begins and ends its parade, not from the midst of the huge crowd that gathers daily in front of Buckingham Palace.

3. Downton Abbey — I'm guessing here, because the actual activity is supposed to be a surprise; visiting Highclere Castle (setting of Downton Abbey) and meeting Jim Carter (who played the butler, Carson, in the series).

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.

use a travel agent or "wing it"?

A recent question on the Europe Forum on fodors.com was written by a traveler going to Italy for the first time. Her question: should I use a travel agent or "wing it" on my own? ... What are the pros and cons?

Virtually every response offered the advice to plan the trip herself. In fact, Fodors exists as a resource for do-it-yourself trip planners and it serves as an excellent source of information. For a lot of travelers, researching and planning an itinerary can be an incredibly enjoyable experience, but this is not the answer for everyone. Here's the answer I posted (slightly edited):


No one has addressed the other side of the question... It can be invaluable to work with a travel consultant with expertise on Italy, to have an experienced professional ask about the kind of experience you'd like to have, clarify the kind of accommodations you like (and dislike), and brainstorm the attractions you'd like to visit. Working with a travel consultant will save you many hours of research - as well as the hassle of communicating with multiple hotels. You'll get a well-planned itinerary that makes sense for you and that works, given the timing and constraints of your trip. You can also arrange some unique experiences not available to the general public.

A good travel advisor will charge you a trip planning fee — perhaps $150 for a one-week trip or $300 for a two-week trip — to compensate for the significant amount of time this professional will spend working on your trip. A planning fee paid to the right travel advisor will be the best investment you may make. In return, you will receive an attractive, well-designed, totally customized itinerary with all the essential details of your trip documented.

While you can certainly book your own hotels, a travel consultant can book the same hotels, and you won't pay a penny more. The travel agent will be commissioned by the hotel (not paid by you), and you will be free of looking after all the details yourself. And, in the case of many luxury hotels that are members of Virtuoso, a Virtuoso travel advisor will provide you with complimentary amenities such as free breakfasts, upgrades, and even lunches or dinners. You get the benefit of the buying power of the world's largest luxury network.


The bias on Fodors is to "do it yourself," and that's fine. My point is a simple one: the right travel consultant can save you time and money and add so much to your trip to Italy. There are some real Italy experts out there who are worth their weight in gold. One recommendation? Ellen Craig, my friend and colleague with Brownell Travel.


Virtuoso travel advisor (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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Hotel de Crillon, Paris | outstanding values

The best values at Hotel de Crillon, Paris, are not on the internet. Well, the best prices may be ... but what if I told you that for the same Best Available Rate (BAR) that you can find on the hotel's own website, a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant can get you free amenities.

• daily American Breakfast
• a gift of Baccarat crystal
• upgrade at time of check-in upon availability
• free WIFI internet connection
• complimentary one-way airport transfer with 3 night stay

You can't get this deal this online, but you can get these valuable extras at no additional cost just by booking your room through a Virtuoso travel advisor. This offer will save you hundreds of dollars. This is valid for new bookings for stays between September 14 and December 14, 2009. Any question? Email me.

Hotel de Crillon (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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New York luxury hotel deals

Nowhere is the effect of the economic downturn more dramatic than in New York City, ground zero of the collapse of the credit bubble. With properties struggling to fill rooms, even luxury hotels are offering free nights and room upgrades to attract business and leisure travelers.

Here are some notable New York luxury hotel deals. Note that they are subject to availability. Most of these values are good through March 31, 2009.

Four Seasons New York — third night free

Peninsula New York — third night free (pictured above)

Gramercy Park Hotel — third night free for Deluxe, Loft, and Suite categories along with all the Virtuoso amenities including a 10% discount off the best available rate. Good until March 31, 2009; book by Dec. 30th.

The St. Regis New York — second night for $4. Book one night in a 1 BR Madison, St. Regis, Fifth Avenue, or Grand Suite at Rack rate; pay just $4 for the second night (the price of a room at the St. Regis in 1904).

W New York Union Square — third night free (Thursday - Sunday travel)


These values are typically available with the Virtuoso amenities, including complimentary daily breakfasts for two. Consult with your Virtuoso travel advisor for complete details and to take advantage of these unprecedented values at New York luxury hotels.

New York luxury hotel deals (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.
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