Four Seasons Hualalai | paradise on the Big Island

chaise lounges at Beach Tree beach (c) 2017 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Picture yourself here, but perhaps a couple of hours later! I did one of my favorite early morning photo shoots while at Four Seasons Hualalai earlier this week, and this is one of the inviting pictures from that session. Though it's early morning, before breakfast, Hualalai's staff is already busy, getting the resort ready for another day of fun and relaxation for the guests. These lounge chairs have been arranged into a tidy curve facing the ocean. They are awaiting guests to come and occupy them for the day.

Five resorts in one ... that's my take-away from this inspection trip. What's remarkable about this resort is that the 189 guest rooms and 51 suites aren't found in one large, multi-winged building. They are arranged throughout the resort in two story buildings, some bordering the 18th green and the rest bordering four crescents arrayed along the beach. Each area has its own character.

Ocean Golf — the golf-lovers resort. If you can't get enough golf, you can sit on your lanai and watch the golfers coming up the 18th fairway and taking their final putts, all with a view of the blue Pacific Ocean beyond the fairway.

Beach Tree — the social center of Hualalai with the resort's main pool, 100 feet long, lined with lounges and cabanas. Here's the ideal spot to make new friends at the pool or at the bar

Palm Grove — the adult resort of Hualalai, with its adults-only Tranquility Pool and swim up bar.

Sea Shell — the family resort, with a kids pool where kids can be kids. And don't forget the complimentary Kids for All Seasons program for kids aged 5-12.

Kings Pond — the adventure resort, with a 1.8 million gallon aquarium carved out of natural lava rock. Stocked with 4,000 fish representing 98 species, you can snorkel from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Dreaming of a trip to Hawaii? Four Seasons Hualalai offers five different vacation possibilities in one beautiful resort. You can benefit from added value every day through the exclusive Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. While I'm not permitted to publish the amenities on a public website, just email me for a full description. You can save hundreds of dollars and still enjoy the luxury of Four Seasons.

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.

four seasons of Ritz-Carlton resorts in California

There are four Ritz-Carlton resorts in California — one for each season — and I've now had the opportunity to visit all four of them. Here are some of the vacation possibilities awaiting you.

spring — Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs
 

A resort in the desert, guests are surrounded by the austere beauty of the surrounding mountains. What to do? Play golf. Take a desert tour in a 4x4. Visit Joshua Tree National Monument. Swim in the resort's pools (one for families and one just for adults). Indulge in the spa. Enjoy the great cuisine. Or watch the mountains turn gold at sunrise.


summer — Laguna Niguel


A southern California beach resort, Laguna Niguel is a wonderful destination for a summer beach holiday. Laguna Niguel is actually the very first Ritz-Carlton resort in the world. A renovation has replaced the lobby's "Buckhead" dark wood paneling and heavy curtains with light wood paneling, and the windows now look out on the beautiful ocean view. Other activities include golf, cruising Newport Beach Harbor in a Duffy Boat, or visiting Disneyland (40 minutes away without traffic).


fall — Half Moon Bay
 

We just got back from Half Moon Bay, and fall is the perfect time to visit — pumpkin season. The resort is adjacent to two 18-hole golf courses, including the challenging seaside course in the picture above. You can visit the cute town of Half Moon Bay, and the scenic Signature Drive will fill one day with a picturesque trip: seeing pumpkin farms, hiking redwood forests, visiting wineries, and driving up the California coast.


winter — Lake Tahoe
 

Located at Northstar, a family-friendly ski mountain overlooking Lake Tahoe, this Ritz-Carlton is both a summer and winter destination. In the winter, you'll enjoy staying in this true ski-in ski-out resort. Located mid-mountain, adjacent to the lifts to the top. The Ski Concierge will set out your skis and heated boots for you each morning ... and store them at night while you enjoy après ski activities (a spa treatment, perhaps?). But summer is also a fabulous time to visit — with opportunities for mountain biking, hiking to a secluded lake, or sailing on Lake Tahoe.

You can receive added-value Virtuoso or STARS amenities at all four of these resorts, including free daily breakfasts and more. Just ask!

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.

beach or mountain this winter?

one of the pools at Four Seasons Nevis

The winter months are upon us in the northern hemisphere, although temperatures aren't what we've come to expect. I spent three days this week in Palm Beach, Florida where I thoroughly enjoyed warm, sunny days with highs in the 80's (quite a bit higher than normal). Now I'm back in Berkeley, California where I woke up to temperatures in the low 30's (quite a bit lower than normal).

Where is your next vacation taking you?

Snowbirds will travel to the mountains for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. Here are our five most popular winter ski destinations:

   Lake Tahoe, California
   Vail and Beaver Creek, Colorado
   Deer Valley, Utah
   Jackson Hole, Wyoming
   Whistler, British Colombia

Sun worshippers will travel to a warm beach destination to swim, play tennis or golf, or just relax on the beach. Our four most popular winter beach destinations are:

   Hawaii
   Mexico
   The Caribbean
   Bora Bora
   Thailand

Whether you want snow or a warm beach, we can recommend dozens of luxury resorts where you will stay in comfort, enjoy great food, and warm hospitality ... with value added amenities that provide you with free breakfast for two, room upgrades, and other amenities that are unique to each hotel. We can save you literally hundreds of dollars for your winter vacation.

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.

Amanera | coming to the Dominican Republic

Taking reservations beginning January 11, 2016, the newest Amanresort has been announced. Amanera will be the second Caribbean resort operated by Aman (the first being Amanyara on Turks & Caicos).

Amanera means peaceful water and draws its name from the Taíno word for water. With an almost unimaginable amount of space, the resort is set on 2,000 acres of virtually untouched land and stretches across nearly seven miles of seacoast. A short flight from the U.S., Amanera is your opportunity to get away from the crowds and bustle of everyday life and simply relax.

Each of the twenty-five 1BR casitas will offer unobstructed ocean vistas and its own private garden. Half of the casitas will feature a private 10-meter swimming pool. Golfers will enjoy playing the Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed golf course, Playa Grande, that is integrated into the resort.

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.

FS Punta Mita | beach paradise in Mexico

lounging under the manzanita trees at FS Punta Mita

It's all about the beach. Four Seasons Punta Mita has perhaps the nicest beach I've ever seen. Long, wide, and sandy, it's also uncrowded as the beach can only be accessed through the resort. In fact, the beach is so long at FS Punta Mita that there are actually two beaches. Pictured above is the quiet beach, the active beach being on the other side of the main pool area.

We were welcomed by a beach attendant offering piña coladas. We chose two lounges under the deep shade provided by a row of manzanita trees, and we were provided with complimentary towels and a menu. As is typical with Four Seasons resorts, an attendant came by periodically with small treats (I recall the frozen pineapple popsicle). The mid-July ocean water was warm, clear, and beautiful — just the perfect temperature to slip right in without even a momentary hesitation about "is it going to be cold."

Especially good values are available, especially if you use a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant to make your booking. You'll receive complimentary daily breakfast for two, a $100 food and beverage credit, room upgrade if available, and free basic WiFi... along with every third night free for selected dates. An all-inclusive plan is also available, and the Kids for All Seasons program is free of charge.

Guest rooms are large and comfortable. If you're a fan of Four Seasons, you'll feel very much at home at FS Punta Mita; the rooms have everything you would expect. Casitas have marble floors with an area rug in the "living room" section of your room and a Queen-size sofa bed that will easily accommodate two children. Garden view casitas are attractive, and Ocean view casitas offer a straight-on view of the ocean.

For a WOW experience, consider an Oceanfront casita or suite (with a clear, totally unimpeded view of the Pacific) or a Beachfront casita or suite from which you can step out from your patio right onto the quiet beach pictured above. In addition to Residences and Villas, guests who really want to splurge can choose the Coral Suite (one of two incredible 5 bedroom Presidential Suites).

The grounds are extensive, with just 175 rooms and suites spread over 26 acres of oceanfront resort, including two 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses and four restaurants. While this can mean a bit of walking, every time I dialed "0" and asked for a cart, a golf cart came for me within a couple of minutes. Punta Mita is easy to get to from many US destinations with easy non-stop flights to Puerto Vallarta.

copyright (c) 2014 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.

Perros-Guirec | beach resort in Brittany

the beach at Perros-Guirec, France — (c) 2014 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

Want to go to the beach this summer? Northern France may not have been on your radar … most Americans think of the Riviera, but here are three reasons to consider the Brittany coast.

1. The Riviera is hot and humid.
2. The Riviera is crowded.
3. The sand on the beach at Cannes is coarse.

And where to stay? L'AGAPA Hotel Spa is a boutique beach resort overlooking the English Channel. Pictured above is the view from my room. A small resort with just 45 rooms, re-opened in 2005 after a complete renovation of an older resort. The hotel has an imposing contemporary design of glass and granite. We enjoyed dinner in their excellent restaurant, and I was also treated to a massage in Spa Nuxe. 

How to get there? I'd recommend beginning your stay in Paris — toujours Paris! You can fly from Orly to Lannion (LAI) in just over an hour … or make it a several-day road trip, visiting Giverny, Honfleur, the Normandy battlefields, and Mont Saint Michel on the way.

Virtuoso amenities! L'AGAPA offers complimentary daily buffet breakfasts for two, a welcome cocktail, and a $100 resort credit just by booking through your Virtuoso travel consultant. While upgrades may be difficult between 14JUL and 31AUG, June, the first half of July, and September are especially good times to plan your visit.

copyright (c) 2014 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.

it's starting to get cold | winter vacation plans

sunset at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

It's starting to get cold, with colder than usual temperatures cropping up across the country. Where will your winter vacation plans take you?

The tropics offer a respite from the cold of winter. Imagine walking the beach, riding the waves, relaxing with a good book on a new iPad Mini with retina screen (I'm hoping to grab one on Black Friday), or just sitting by the pool. Depending on where you live, you might choose Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, or the Caribbean as your vacation destination.

The mountains take advantage of the cold, offering days filled with downhill skiing, followed by a treatments in the spa, and apres ski socializing. Some of North America's best ski destinations are Whistler, Vail, Jackson Hole, and Lake Tahoe.

You'll find luxury resorts both at the beach ... and on the slopes. Email your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant for ideas, recommendations, and advice, not to mention the added value of free daily breakfasts, room upgrades when available, and even food or spa credits (extra amenities are different at each resort).

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.

don't be a last-minute travel planner

It's probably too late if you want to make any BIG plans for Labor Day weekend (although I did make one last-minute booking last night for a client who will be spending the weekend at the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas). However, if you'd like to be vacationing somewhere during the Christmas and New Year season — and you don't already have reservations — now is the time to do some serious dreaming...

Are you drawn to the beach, to the mountains, to a romantic countryside inn, or to a vibrant city? Do you want to stay close to home - or fly to a far-off destination? Many resorts have minimum stay requirements over Festive Season, and many of the best properties are wait-list only at this point ... but the longer you wait, the more limited your options will be! The holidays are not friendly to last minute travel planning.

Summer is already over! What's on your bucket list for this fall and winter?


last minute travel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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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weather map got you down?

Winter has started early in North America and Europe, with blizzards and very chilly weather. Flights have been disrupted, and even people traveling by car have been stranded. The San Francisco Bay Area (where I live) has been stuck in a cool, damp, overcast weather pattern. But the most striking weather news of the week was the sight of snow pouring through the teflon roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis; the Vikings game with the NY Giants was moved to Detroit as a consequence.



My mind travels to the tropics when the harsh winter storms begin. Where to go for a tropical holiday? There are many choices...

Hawaii is my perpetual favorite, really convenient to travelers from the West Coast. Email me for ideas on where to stay. I've visited the major islands and seen all the best luxury resorts. My favorites? Four Seasons Hualalai on the Big Island, Four Seasons Maui, The Kahala Resort near Hobolulu, the St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai, and Four Seasons Manele Bay on Lanai.

For a shorter flight from the east coast, consider the Turks & Caicos, 1,300 miles [almost] due south from New York. Featuring 200 miles of white sand beaches bordering turquoise seas, Turks & Caicos is a convenient getaway for warm, sunny weather and great snorkeling. For a real treat, consider Amanyara (pictured here) - or ask about other luxury resorts for that mid-winter getaway.

tropical holiday (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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Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea was Four Seasons' first resort property, opening in 1990. The property recently underwent a complete make-over of its 380 rooms and suites. Large guest rooms are equipped with flat screen televisions and elegant marble bathrooms, and a family of four can comfortably stay in a Deluxe room (or, better yet, an Executive Suite or 1 BR Suite). I was shown an Ocean View Prime Room during my recent site inspection. Prime rooms are located on mid-to-upper floors in the quieter central courtyard with a beautiful angled view of the Pacific Ocean.

Planning a family vacation in Hawaii? Four Seasons Maui has a great beach and features a large central pool. A complimentary Children's Program is offered every day of the year for children aged 5-12. Parents can indulge themselves in an elegant spa and make full use of complimentary exercise machines.

Three exceptional restaurants are located on property, including Ferraro's (Italian), Spago (California and Pacific Rim), and DUO, (steak and seafood). I dined at DUO and thoroughly enjoyed a meal that began with a superb glass of Pinot Grigio and perfectly prepared Mahi Mahi.

A Serenity Pool is currently under construction in the southwest corner of the property (see picture to left) that will provide a quiet place for adults — and especially honeymooners — to relax away from the exuberance of kids running, splashing, and playing. The ocean-front suites and six rooms facing the site will be closed until the pool's opening, and the construction should not affect anyone's enjoyment of the Four Seasons Maui.

Be sure to book through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant to benefit from exclusive amenities that include complimentary Full Buffet Breakfasts for two daily in a partial ocean-view room or higher.


Four Seasons Maui (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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Ritz-Carlton Kapalua | luxury in Maui

The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua reopened this year after a $180 million dollar renovation. 463 remodeled spacious guest rooms feature hardwood floors, marble bathrooms, and sumptuous Ritz-Carlton beds.

The list of attractions and activities is almost endless: a beautiful beach, tri-level swimming pool, 17,500 square foot spa, 24-hour fitness center, two 18-hole championship golf courses, a golf academy, even zip lines. An award-winning children's program, Ambassadors of the Environment, fosters environmental respect among children — and also teens and adults.

We had a great lunch at the Beach House Restaurant. Nestled by the beach, we sat in the shade of palm trees and thoroughly enjoyed this idyllic setting. The food was exceptional and the view was stunning. With multiple fine dining options, and a Club Lounge with five daily food presentations, the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua offers great possibilities for your family's next Hawaiian vacation. For the best in luxury values, book through a Virtuoso travel consultant for a complimentary daily breakfast buffet for two, upgrade upon availability, and more!


Ritz Carlton Kapalua (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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last minute Christmas vacation travel

So, you've procrastinated! The cold, wet, nasty winter weather is starting to spread across the country, and you'd like to go away to some warm, sunny beach in the Caribbean for the holidays.

It's the worst time of the year to plan last minute Christmas vacation travel, but it's not impossible (and it won't come cheap). Good travel consultants work through distributors who handle the Caribbean and other warm destinations, and if there's space to be found, their contacts are the ones who can find your mid-winter vacation getaway spot. It's time-consuming work, and your travel consultant will likely charge you a fee for her or his time, but this is the answer to your last-minute Christmas vacation.

So if the thought of a white Christmas isn't what's thrilling you as you deal with the cold, wet, wintry December weather, start dreaming of a white sand beach, balmy breezes, rum drinks with little umbrellas, and a carefree week in the tropics.

last minute Christmas vacation travel (search here on Google)



copyright (c) 2007 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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Tryall Club | caribbean vacation villas

Imagine a Caribbean vacation in your own villa overlooking the sea. I recently stayed at "Little Hill," a five bedroom home on the grounds of the Tryall Club near Montego Bay, Jamaica. A great place for fun and relaxation, Tryall provides a spectacular setting. There's nothing quite like sitting on your own porch reading a book and enjoying one of the most beautiful views in the world (pictured).

Surrounded by a challenging 18 hole championship golf course that has hosted professional events, each villa at Tryall has its own individual swimming pool, and all guests have exclusive access to Tryall's private beach. Villas are even equipped with golf carts to get around the extensive property. Tryall offers two restaurants (one right by the beach), a kids program, tennis courts, shopping, free wireless internet in the Great House, even a large pool with swim-up bar. It's a great place to visit, whether for a family vacation, honeymoon, or destination wedding.

Villas offer the ultimate in luxury and privacy. Your staff will cook for you, do your laundry, even provide babysitting if you want to go out in the evening. The Tryall Club is part of the Virtuoso network of hotels and resorts. Book through your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant and receive a choice of complimentary amenities (choices include round-trip airport transfers, lunch for 4, or golf).

Tryall Club (Search here on Google).



copyright (c) 2007 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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