[TABERNASH, COLORADO] — If you’re looking for a Colorado ranch getaway, away from the slopes, but close enough, Devil’s Thumb Ranch is what you’re looking for. Outside the ski resort of Winter Park and just past the little town of Tabernash, Devil’s Thumb is setup to be its own self-contained year-round mountain resort. Focused in winter on the 100km of groomed cross-country ski trails, spa and other cold activities. There’s 100km of groomed cross-country ski trails like this at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, weaving in and around 6,000 glorious acres on a big ranch not far from the Continental Divide* in Colorado. At 8,500ft (2,600m) elevation you not only see your breath, but breathlessly feel it too, under the big bluebird sky. You can scoot and
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[TRENTINO–ITALY] — I’ve taken the hike to Rifugio Rifugio Tuckett e Sella twice now and I still think it’s one of the best hikes in the Brenta Dolomites. Hike the in the Brenta Dolomites to to Rifugio Tuckett. The best hike in the Brenta Dolomites. A great hike from Madonna di Campiglio. These are photos from those two different hikes to Rifugio Tuckett. _____________________________ “Theeesa eesa the one.” she said, in that lovely Italian way of needing to add a vowel onto every word. “Theesa onea is da besta hi-ka in the valley. And ifa you goa heer, ita eesa da besta viewa inaalla da Dolomites.” That’s Barbara, the owner of my splendid hotel in the Brenta region of the Italian Dolomites. There isn’t just one
[MARRAKESH, MOROCCO] — Here’s my hotel review of Villa des Orangers the best boutique hotel in Marrakesh. Villa des Orangers is my vote for best luxury hotel Marrakesh. ___________________________ It was midnight on a full moon in Marrakesh. A late flight from Barcelona after a many-hours transfer in Casablanca. The driver pulls over on a very busy, unremarkable street, next to a gas station, an LP gas depot and about the world’s most frenetic bus stop and taxi stand, drivers wailing and waving, engines gunning. Everyone looked to be in charge, yelling at other drivers to be doing something other than what they were doing. Buses, trucks and loud scooters screamed by, drowning out the shouts of the cab stand. The luxury van stopped in
[MARRAKESH, MOROCCO] — The sun had set. The sky dimming a deep purple. Reflections on a giant dark pool shimmered back the endless repetitive patterns of grand columns across the water — embracing my pattern-OCD like a bear hug. A handful of people relaxed on pillows strewn about a manicured lawn, sipping cocktails amidst the growing light of the dozens of lanterns lit just so. Silently, five men in long robes and headscarves sat down in low chairs at the water’s edge. And then it started. A gentle bass drum, lithe strings join in, picking up the pace as a percussion resonated against all the giant stone walls surrounding the lagoon. Not loud, on the contrary, it sounded like being in a recording studio, with a growing crescendo of
[CARMELO, URUGUAY] — I’m not a huge fan of hotel chains for international trips — I prefer more unique independent hotels that reflect the character of each locale, not the same style everywhere I go. But in a pinch for a room at the last minute in Carmelo, I booked a couple of nights and pool time at the Carmelo Resort & Spa a luxury resort in the tall pines along the Rio La Pata river, about 40 mins from the colonial town of Colonia del Sacramento. It’s one of the best luxury hotels in Uruguay and consistently ranked in the Top 10 Resorts in Central and South America by Conde Nast Traveller and Travel & Leisure. It was a Four Seasons at the time
[CARMELO, URUGUAY] — Along the cool banks of the muddy Rio de la Plata is the wine region of Carmelo, Uruguay’s top wine region. All the best Uruguayan vintners are here, including Finca Narbona. Restored to turn of the century newness, Narbona Wine Lodge is like a museum of the past, with antiques, buildings and charm that dates back over a century. With only and handful of rooms nestled right up along the vines, you feel like you’re staying in a period movie. The rooms are huge. The service minimal. The quiet is deafening. What a great place to relax, eat and take in the cool air of the wine region. It’s a Tablet Hotels and Relais & Chateaux property, so you know it’s good. And
[PUEBLO GARZÓN, URUGUAY] –We were in the tiny quiet village of Pueblo Garzón, Uruguay. Once abandoned, but bought by the famous chef Francis Mallmann who added a world famous restaurant and a small five room hotel. I’d been to Garzón several times by myself, but that year I dragged some friends along this time, “You gotta see how cool this place is.” After a week on the beach in nearby Jose Ignacio — my favorite place on earth — we were in Garzón for a few days to eat and bask in the wide green expanse of the Uruguayan countryside. And most importantly, eat Francis’s amazing food and stay at his cool little gem of a hotel. It was the First Weekend of March, at
[LISBON] — Coming back through Lisbon on the flipflop back to the airport, got to spend a night at the Lapa Palace, a fancy Old School hotel in the Lapa District, the Embassy quarter high above Lisbon. Best part about the hotel is the expansive grounds and pool stepped below the rooms overlooking the city. They were very friendly, even though I had to jostle rooms so I could stay an extra night on the cool coast. But still, they upgraded me to a suite for some reason, enormous and something my parents would have raved about. Definitely elegant Old School, especially is you like mauve. Nice balcony. There’s an old wing and a new one, the rooms in the new one feel
[LOS CABOS, MEXICO] — Here’s my review of Esperanza luxury resort Los Cabos, an Auberge resort. One of the best luxury resorts in Los Cabos. Cabo is crazy with Spring Breakers, bachelorette parties and some budget accommodations, but a few coves over is the super luxurious Esperanza resort, far enough away from the maddening crowds, but close enough to benefit from the convenience of getting in/out of town. Esperanza is an Auberge resort, so you know it’s top of the line. Esperanza is part of the Auberge Resort Collection, so you know it’s gonna be top notch. You get your own personal concierge who pretty much looks after to you round the clock and arranges everything for you. The good thing about the
[WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA] — Here’s my review of the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, one of the best boutique hotels in Los Angeles. And my nomination for the best luxury hotel in Los Angeles. __________________________________ On a quick business trip to Los Angeles way back in 2013, I booked a cool hotel I’d always read about and featured often in Vanity Fair: the Sunset Tower Hotel. Famed for its rockstar clientele and celebrities in the Tower Bar restaurant and the amazing skills of Jeff Klein, a legendary hotelier, everyone always raves about the amazing star treatment everyone gets. Luckily, I booked it on my favorite go-to hotel booking site, TabletHotels.com which isn’t your typical booking site, each hotel is vetted by the company and its
[CHICAGO]– I’ve stayed now a half-dozen times at this hotel, originally designed by famous hotelier Ian Schrager and opened as the PUBLIC hotel, it’s now called The Ambassador “Chicago’s original boutique hotel”. It still ranks as one of my favorite places to stay in Chicago and certainly my favorite Ian Schrager hotel. It’s now run This is one of my favorite lobby designs I’ve seen — that great combination of classic architecture and modern design — and everything was white-on-white, with good looking people dressed in black as props. It still feels as fresh as when it opened more than a decade ago. It’s now a Hyatt boutique brand and they’ve added a little more color, but still retained a lot of the same core
[ROME, ITALY] — I’ve stayed at Hotel de Russie three times over the years, more if you count stopping in for a splendid martini. Here’s my review of the Hotel de Russie in Rome. Hotel de Russie is one of the best hotels in Rome and certainly one of the best luxury hotels in Rome. Walking by the skinny crowded sidewalks and fancy shopping around Piazza del Popolo, you’d never know this magical garden hides behind the understated entrance. A private Eden all to itself, 3,000 square metres of palm tree gardens climb up the steep hillside. (The same hill that leads up to Villa Borghese Gardens in my previous post) Rome is known for having small, cramped hotel rooms, but the Hotel de Russie doesn’t
[RAVELLO, ITALY] –– Years ago I finally realized what I really like: cliffs, overlooking a distant ocean, preferably with a pool clinging to a steep hillside. From then on, it’s been my focus on choosing where I go on vacation. (You’ll see this as a common theme throughout this site!) Palazzo Avino fits all of those criteria. Plus, small, quiet and really expensive. After a recent remodel, it is on almost every Top Ten list of all hotels in the world. They have some rock star-great rooms and terraces, with prices to match. Years ago I finally realized what I really like: cliffs, overlooking a distant ocean, preferably with a pool clinging to a steep hillside. This has all of those things. Sitting high on a hilltop in Ravello,
[POSITANO, ITALY] — If you’ve never been to Le Sirenuse in Positano, put it on your list. Le Sirenuse is the best hotel on the Amalfi Coast and one of the best hotels in Italy. It’s also one of World’s 50 Best Hotels. Nothing compares to sitting in the grandstands (the pool) overlooking one of the prettiest views in the world. A cascade of villas, hotels and restaurants tumbling down to the sea. One of the most pristine, elegantly designed and not-over-the-top luxury hotels. Spotless and shiny Vietri tile all over in a mint-condition building that was a private summer house until it was turned into a hotel in 1951. Now stuffed with all the Sersale family’s antiques and artwork. It’s an outside-indoors place, where the windows
[ POSITANO, ITALY] — This is my second favorite place in Positano. Hotel Miramare, one of the best boutique hotels in Positano. It’s a great hotel with super sweet family that runs it and that combination is why even all the barking dogs on TripAdvisor rank this puppy 5 out of 5 stars. You know you’re doing something right when you have a four star hotel pulling down five stars. The hotel started out as rented houses in the 1930s, before Positano was an international tourist destination. Then the family turned it into a hotel that became a favorite of military coming up from Naples for some R&R during World War II. That’s what started Positano off, as returning sailors talked all about this amazing setting,
[ROMA] — Here’s my review of Albergo del Senato boutique hotel overlooking The Pantheon in Rome. Photos of views, rooms and rooftop bar. With one of the best hotel room views in Rome. _____________________________ There are fancier places to stay in Rome, but one of my favorites is the Albergo del Senato, directly across from my favorite building in the world, The Pantheon. It is small, Old School, but delightful. You can’t beat the location, smack in the heart of everything good. And right around the corner from the best gelato in Rome, Giolitti. If you can’t get a guarantee from the hotel for a Pantheon view or don’t want to by extra, then there are other hotels I’d choose. (I once had a broom closet
[BAGNOLS, FRANCE] — I booked a Christmas trip to Paris many years ago and had a couple of extra days of exploring before flying back on my NYE flight — the best times for an upgrade BTW. I booked a quick TGV to Lyon and then rented a car to go to this cool castle hotel outside of town that I’d read all about. Chateau de Bagnols. A fortress of a castle, turned into a luxe hotel and destination-dining Michelin-rated restaurant. What a perfect place to spend a cold couple of days between holidays. At the time I was there in 2004, it was managed by the lovely Rocco Forte hotels, my favorite, which is how I got to know about the hotel. It has
[JALISCO, MEXICO] — Here’s an overview of a weekend spent at Careyes one of the coolest, most exclusive and eccentric resorts in Mexico. High above a nearly deserted Costaalegre coastline, Costa Careyes is a remarkable compound of a several dozen villas (each with their own architectural theme), a cluster of casitas and small hotel and other layers of habitation. And information on Casa Altiplano and Sol de Oriente private villas at Careyes. Careyes is Unlike Any Other Resort It was created and owned by a one-eyed Italian count and designed by a several out-there Italian and Mexican architects, this place looks like a bizarre movie set — think Planet of the Apes (in a good Italian way) a little MadMax combined in five star luxury
NOTE: THESE ARE LOUSY SCANS OF LOUSY PICTURES FROM A LONG TIME AGO, CLICK HERE TO SEE PRETTY PICTURES FROM THEIR SITE IT’S NOW ON AIRBNB — ALL THE TREES HAVE GROWN AND EVERYTHING IS EVEN BETTER. I’VE INFILLED A FEW PHOTOS FROM THEIR AIRBNB SITE. [MONTAIONE, TUSCANY] — Let the hoards of English, Germans and Americans crowd the overly popular Under The Tuscan Sun areas south of Florence and the tourist-choked villages of Montepulciano. “Chiantishire”. To me, I loved staying on the western edges of Tuscany centered around the cool and undiscovered town of Montaione — which Architectural Digest called “one of the prettiest towns in Italy you’ve never heard of“. The geography of this area is more farmland than grapes and a prime hunting