so I went on a cruise...

cruising into Stockholm (c) 2019 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

So I went on a cruise, perhaps a surprising admission from a hotel specialist who loves nothing better than stepping out the front door of a luxury hotel into the heart of a wonderful city. Claire and I are back from our 11-day, 10-night Windstar cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm with stops in places like Gdansk, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, and Helsinki. What's my take-away?

1. Pack and unpack one time is indeed the selling point of cruising. We enjoyed the hospitality of our little home at sea for 10 days as our ship took us every evening to a new and interesting port.

2. A ship's cabin will never be the equal of a top five-star luxury hotel room. Our cabin was 277 square feet. While large for a cruise ship, this is postage-stamp sized for hotels. However, the cabin made efficient use of space and was perfectly adequate. If you upsell to a larger Suite, you'll be very happy.

3. The food was pretty good, and everything we consumed (including in-between meal snacks, espresso drinks, soft drinks, and bottled water) was included in one quite reasonable fare.

4. It's about the itinerary, not the cruise itself. We took this cruise because we fell in love with the itinerary. There was no other way we could have visited seven new countries in ten short days.

5. Shore excursions can be very good if you get a great guide. Our guides in Bornholm and Klaipeda were fabulous, but our guide in Tallinn was boring and disinterested. (Each of these was an excursion sold by the cruise company itself). You can always book private guides through Virtuoso onsites, Shore Trips, or Viator; we enjoyed some excellent experiences this way.

6. Small, boutique ships are the way to go for most luxury hotel aficionados. Four Seasons fans should be happy on a ship with around 200 cabins. On the other hand, I can't imagine myself on a mega-ship, equivalent to a Vegas mega-hotel but bobbing up and down in the middle of the ocean.

We truly enjoyed our experience on Windstar's Star Pride and will sail again when we find an itinerary that's calling our name. In the meantime, there are some great values out there... including up to a $1000 shipboard credit on 2019, 2020, and 2021 voyages if you book before September 30th. 

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.

boutique in Beverly Hills

double-double room at Viceroy L'Ermitage Beverly Hills

Do you prefer smaller or larger hotels? Most of the Virtuoso hotels in Beverly Hills range from 170 to 395 rooms. Larger hotels can offer such advantages as larger spas, more elaborate exercise facilities, and multiple dining outlets. Your chance of being upgraded can be better when a hotel has more rooms.

But boutique hotels offer a kind of charm that larger hotels cannot, and such properties pride themselves on the high percentage of repeat guests. After a few stays, you'll get to know the staff, and they'll get to know you and your preferences... As an example, I love the experience of going into the breakfast room at The Lowell in New York and having the same waiter.

Viceroy L'Ermitage has tried to create an Upper East Side ambience in their small (only 117 rooms) property in Beverly Hills. Understated yet comfortable, the hotel has recently completed a thorough and successful renovation. Rooms are large — 650 sq. ft. at a minimum — offering a simple elegance without being splashy. But wait until you get into your dressing room. Lots of closet space, makeup mirror with settings for both artificial and natural light, and a trifold runway mirror to help you get everything right for a dressy dinner, Beverly Hills party, or perchance the Academy Awards!

For a real treat, book one of the suites in the hotel's residential wing, but whether you book a room or a suite, Virtuoso guests receive daily full breakfast for two, a $100 hotel credit towards F&B or spa, and complimentary WiFi.

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.

Bodrum 5 star luxury hotels

Bodrum is a seaside resort in the southwest corner of Turkey that attracts the jet-set during the summer months. It is also the home of one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.




Bodrum is a destination worth considering for a few days (or even a week) for a break from sightseeing. The very best times to visit are late spring or early fall; the weather will be perfect, many of the crowds will be gone, and you'll avoid the searing heat of the summer months. There are a number of 5 star luxury hotels in Bodrum.

Where to stay?

The Marmara Bodrum is a 96 room resort with a panoramic view overlooking the town of Bodrum. This is a contemporary boutique hotel, and the imaginative flair of its designers can be seen the moment you walk into the lobby and see the interior decoration of the public spaces. The guest rooms have a minimalist elegance that appeals to me. Consider at least a four night stay to enjoy a special Virtuoso exclusive promotion.

The Queen Ada Hotel is an intimate beach hotel with just 22 guest rooms. A bit more casual and less expensive than the other properties described in this article, this is a lovely property with a four star feel. The guest rooms are clean and comfortable, and guests are steps away from the beach. Rates are especially affordable in mid-season (April 18-June 12 and September 15-October 31, 2008), and these are in fact the best times to visit Bodrum (see what I wrote above about visiting in Spring or Fall).

Casa Dell'Arte is located right next door to Queen Ada on the same beach. This is an over-the-top beach hotel with the feel of a lavish private home. The walls of the property are decorated with the owner's art collection, and the rooms are an incredible expression of decorative imagination. By all means, you should book one of the two rooms with a direct view of the beach. There are just 12 rooms (each named for a sign of the Zodiac), and the entire property can be booked for the ultimate family vacation. If you want to stay in the trendiest property in Bodrum, and cost is not an object, Casa Dell'Arte is where you want to be.

The Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay is a larger property with 173 rooms and suites. This property has the most imaginative management I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Our site inspection was set up as a "progressive supper" with each course in a different restaurant or area of the hotel. Our appetizer was served in the Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Club, our soup course by the pool (where, thankfully, efficient gas heaters kept us warm in the cold, winter evening), the pasta course in the kitchen (where we pulled on aprons and helped prepare our own meal!), the main course in a Presidential Suite, and dessert at the bar. Management has exciting ideas about children's programs and a refreshing originality about how to do more than just run a luxury hotel. With a beautiful beach and gorgeous infinity pool, this resort would be a great spot for a family vacation on the beach in Bodrum.

Bodrum 5 star luxury hotels (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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