I spent last June in France, including a week in the Basque Country. I’d wanted to visit Biarritz for ages and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. The quaint fishing village transformed into a lavish seaside resort thanks to Napoleon’s wife, Empress Eugenie, who vacationed there as a child. Napoleon built her a villa in 1855 that, today, is the HĂ´tel du Palais overlooking the Grand Plage. A favored retreat of Coco Chanel, she opened her third boutique in Biarritz in […]
Posts categorized: Luxury Travel
The New York Times’ Frugal Traveler Lucas Peterson recently paid our fair, seaside city of South Beach a visit and like so many travel writers and first time visitors before him, he fell into the typical tourist traps of Ocean Drive and its surrounding streets, rattling off (for the most part) a list of bars that no self respecting local would be caught dead in. He even called Mango’s the “quintessential” South Beach club experience—uh, not quite, bro. See: LIV, Story. To […]
Sep 6
2016
2016
5 Quintessential Palm Beach Experiences
It’s all beautiful excess in Palm Beach where limestone mansions peer over manicured hedges to pristine, private beaches on South Ocean Boulevard. It’s here, on this four square-mile strip of a barrier island where drivers instinctually slow down, angling for a glimpse  at swimming pools and tennis courts and maybe a Kennedy beyond the gilded gates. One of the wealthiest enclaves in the U.S., Palm Beach is a mere hour drive from Miami and while it effuses exclusivity, its riches are there […]
140 Character Overview: Boutique design hotel in the heart of Zurich with three fab restaurants reflecting the full spectrum of Swiss cuisine. Each room unique. The Vibe: Hotel Widder’s lobby is a meticulous blend of modernism and antiquity with slick glass, chrome and steel elevator banks set against ancient stone walls, leather and high-gloss wood designer chairs in a library and one-0f-a-kind guest rooms, ranging from romantic to modern within nine medieval townhomes restored by architect Tilla Theus. The whole […]
One of the first travel stories to captivate me and make me think, “I want to do that” was by New York Times op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd. In January 2009, in place of her typical political and social commentary, which, at the time, I devoured every week, she was moonlighting for the Travel section with a story about her visit to the newly opened Canyon Ranch Miami Beach. At the time, President Obama had just taken office and the nation’s economy was in a free fall. In […]
A couple of months ago I embarked on what was easily one of my most exciting adventures yet. I joined Chapman Ducote and his crew on a three-day spearfishing exhibition from Miami to The Bahamas’ Cay Sal Bank on assignment for BOAT International. The story is in their November issue on newsstands now and you can read it here. It opens with: “In spearfishing the action happens fast.” And that pretty much sums it up. It was three action-packed days aboard a fast […]
Sep 18
2015
2015
Key West: 3 New Hotels & 1 Classic
Looking for a quick getaway to Key West? Now until mid-October is considered the off season, making it the perfect time to snag rock bottom hotel rates, get out on the water (go with my peeps at Fury!) and enjoy the island sans the crowds. There’s also a slew of brand new Key West hotels to check out, plus I’ve included one of my favorite classics below. The New The Marker Waterfront Resort A stone’s throw from the historic seaport and […]
Sep 9
2015
2015
Languorous Luxury in Anguilla 4 Ways
There’s a Spanish proverb that goes, “How wonderful to do nothing, and then rest.” It’s found printed on t-shirts at Ernie’s Bar, a humble beach shack on Anguilla’s Shoal Bay, a stretch of powder white sand and endless turquoise-teal water, once named the number one beach in the world by Travel Channel. It’s a sentiment that’s easy to settle into on this Caribbean island of 35 square-miles with a population of 15,000. A British territory and northernmost Leeward Island, Anguilla’s a […]
140 Character Overview: Sexy, sleek digs in LA’s Koreatown with an industrial-chic vibe by trendsetting Sydell Group. Views of Hollywood Hills. F & B by Roy Choi. The Vibe: Ultra modern with exposed concrete walls, California cool design flourishes and contemporary art pieces. A trendy spot with plenty of dining diversions, the rooms are nurturing abodes with high tech amenities (like electronic curtains for the floor to ceiling windows) perfect for luxuriating. The Location: Los Angeles’ Koreatown is an up-and-coming […]
Oct 25
2014
2014
#POTW Pink Flamingos on Fisher Island
Last weekend, my sister Kristy and I spent a day on Fisher Island hosted by Luxury Living Realty. It was my first time at this private enclave of Mediterranean-style homes and condos, situated on an island just south of South Beach, accessible only by ferry for residents and their guests. And let me tell you, it was everything it’s cracked up to be. You immediately feel like you’ve been transported from the hustle and bustle of the “mainland”–even if […]
