stunning new private residences in Costa Rica

 

Imagine the sunsets you'll watch from your own private residence overlooking Prieta Bay at Four Seasons Costa Rica. Ranging from 3 to 5 bedrooms, each residence affords panoramic views of the beach and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The spacious villas range in size from 5626-8687 square feet with expansive glass walls to let the outside in. Each comes with a private infinity pool and hot tub and is equipped with a gourmet European kitchen. Four Seasons can provide a chef to prepare special family meals in the privacy of your own home.

US citizens are welcome back to Costa Rica on November 1st, 2020, and Four Seasons will reopen on November 12th. An ecological treasure with incredibly diverse fauna and flora, Costa Rica is one of my favorite destinations in the world. My personal highlight was hiking the rainforests on raised wooden trails with Hector (pictured below) pointing out the many marvels right in front of me that I would never have spotted on my own.

Hector, our unforgettable guide in Costa Rica (c) 2020 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

As a Four Seasons Preferred Partner guest, you'll enjoy generous value-added amenities, bringing you hundreds of dollars in savings through complimentary breakfasts and other hotel credits. We are restricted from posting publicly the precise amenity list, but just drop us an email. Any member of Team Ourisman can tell you about the special savings you'll receive at Four Seasons Costa Rica ... or any Four Seasons in the world — and, by the way, this is all at the same price you'd pay booking yourself online.

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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.

Downton Abbey without the crowds

Downton Abbey without the crowds (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

On a normal day, Highclere Castle admits 1,200 visitors. The actual site of the PBS television show Downton Abbey, the castle is about 90 minutes west of London. Contending with crowds is precisely the downside of visiting popular tourist attractions. Read, for instance, two trip reports posted on TripAdvisor.

One visitor was disappointed at the crowded conditions.

Although we booked our tickets last February, with a timed slot, I was disappointed at the amount of people trying to view the house at the same time.... The bedroom corridor was narrow and there was nobody in control to monitor the amount of people trying to look at the bedrooms or the pictures. Lots of mumbling complaints about the number of people stuck in a queue to view the rooms.

Another describes the "achingly slow" progress one makes through the house.

As soon as we were through the door, it was single file, step by achingly slow step around the house. It wasn't a pleasant experience, people behind were trying to get ahead, those in front wanted to stand and discuss. Children were becoming bored, all adding to the frustration of the visit.

But there are alternatives... 

Totally private visits outside of opening hours... The cost for such an experience is about 10,000£, but this offers a most exclusive experience for a small group, each of whom will have bragging rights for a lifetime.

Limited admission days... While Highclere Castle is closed to general admission on those select days, it will offer admission to just 60 guests at a time. You'll have a three hour private tour during your choice of a 10:30 am - 1:30 pm or a 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm. time slot. Each group of 60 is is further split into more manageable sets of 20 visitors. I recently arranged this for a client. With one "semi-private" admission ticket and round-trip private transfer from her hotel in London, her cost was around 1400£.

Tickets do sell out, even at 1400£, as this is an unforgettable experience for all lovers of Downton Abbey. It's critically important to plan well in advance. Even three months out, most of these few limited-admission dates had no availability.

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.