Everything Luxury Travel

Explore Africa + The Middle East

The Ritz-Carlton Dubai

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” – Helen Keller A visit to Dubai is quite special, as it’s one of the world’s most intriguing and enchanting cities; and your visit is not complete without a stay at the grand and sweeping Ritz-Carlton Dubai.  Here’s a brief video featuring the Ritz-Carlton Dubai:…

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The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal

“Take only memories, leave only footprints” – Chief Seattle Some of the most memorable and special places I’ve visited have been discoveries while visiting other destinations. I had the opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi during a recent trip to the Seychelles since we flew through Dubai, and we’re blessed to have visited the majestic Ritz-Carlton…

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Safari in Luxury – Lion Sands Game Reserve

“I am an African, not because I was born in Africa, but because Africa is born in me” – Kwame An African Safari has been at the top of my travel bucket list for as long as I can remember. When I was 6 or 7, a relative presented me with a book about Elephants,…

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South African Luxury – The Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff, Johannesburg

“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela A profound vitality surges through the streets of Johannesburg, punctuated by the city’s vibrant past and its contribution of the one of the world’s most fearless…

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Cape Town Vineyard Luxury – The Steenberg Hotel & Spa

“This Cape is a most stately thing, and the fairest Cape we saw in the whole circumference of the Earth” – Sir Francis Drake I haven’t circumnavigated the globe, but I have seen much of it, and I can’t quibble with Drake’s observation. In fact, there’s not a place in the world I’ve seen that…

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A Luxury Safari – The Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

“I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy” – Ernest Hemingway Never has a quote better captured my thoughts and feelings about a place and a property, as I know of the happiness to which Hemingway refers. Resting in the heart of one of the most magical…

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Luxury in Cape Town – The Cape Grace

“I cannot imagine being happy anywhere else in the world but in Cape Town – South Africa in general, but Cape Town in particular” – Christoffel Wiese Cape Town, South Africa pushes out gracefully and adventurously from the country’s southwestern-most point; just north of the exceedingly verdant Cape Peninsula and the False Bay that soaks its…

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Egyptian Luxury – The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo

I’m quite lucky to have the opportunity to write about luxury hotels all around the world. But I’m only one person, and I – to my dismay – cannot be in more than one place at a time. I’m also fortunate that a dear friend of mine John recently traveled with his family to Cairo,…

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Asia + Pacific

Island Luxury – The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand

“To go out with the setting sun on an empty beach is to truly embrace your solitude” – Jeanne Moreau The ocean calls to us all – a timeless promise of light breezes, invigorating sunlight, wispy clouds, blue waters, foamy caps, soft sand, and new memories. The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, Thailand fulfills these…

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Traditional Thailand Luxury – The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand

“We have nothing to lose, and a world to see” – Anonymous Traveling the world grants the traveler the gift of seeing how other cultures have made their way in this world – how people live, work, dine, celebrate, rest, and most importantly – love. The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand offers the unique opportunity…

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Walking with Elephants at The Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, Thailand

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. On rare occasions, a destination reveals itself as one of the world’s impossibly precious treasures; imprinting upon you a vivid and singular experience you will hold dear the remainder of your days. The Four…

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Oceanfront Luxury – The Mandarin Oriental, Miami

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin   I recently had the chance to visit Miami, a city for which I have a great deal of affection having spent much time there in years past. Miami is a city long associated with luxurious oceanside views,…

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Resort Luxury in Tahiti – The Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

“Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen” – Benjamin Disraeli When I first started writing about luxury hotels and resorts, I created a bucketlist of the places I most wanted to visit and experience. From time to time over the years, I would glance…

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Luxury in Tahiti – The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not” – Ralph Waldo Emerson   At (or near) the top of everyone’s travel bucketlist is a visit to Bora Bora, and with good reason, as Bora Bora in French Polynesia is widely regarded as…

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Paradise Found in Tahiti – The Brando

“Only the one who walks his own way can’t be overtaken” – Marlon Brando In April 1789, Fletcher Christian, Acting Lieutenant of the HMS Bounty, led a mutiny and seized control of the ship from Captain William Bligh. Christian and his mutineers – risking death for treason – returned to the warmth and tropical comfort…

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North America

Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos At Costa Palmas

“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away” – Sarah Kay When I have the urge to visit a private and tropical beach, my wife immediately stops me in my tracks and says: “I’m not flying across the globe…

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Oceanside Luxury – The Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita

“I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach” – T.S. Eliot Few interests connect us more intensely than our collective love of the ocean, and most importantly, the memories that we have made with our friends and family throughout our days. I am no different as I grew up near the ocean,…

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Private Luxury in Sedona – Sun Cliff at Red Rock Ranch

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes” – Marcel Proust The ability to travel and experience new places is one of life’s greatest gifts. I have had the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, and I recently discovered that one…

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Oceanside Luxury – The Loews Coronado Bay Resort

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have” – Eckhart Tolle Humans are drawn to the sea. Precious few of us reside in its powerful proximity, and we are therefore taken to daydream about future visits, and reminisce about those days where the tide reached out to meet our feet, and the…

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Southern Luxury – The Mandarin Oriental Atlanta

“When we feel known, it changes who we are” – Annie Downs Bucolic byways and welcoming hosts have been Southern fixtures for centuries. Well, I’m pleased to report that Southern hospitality is alive and quite well at the Mandarin Oriental Atlanta; where guests are welcomed in the warm embrace and luxurious intimacy of a Southern…

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Luxury on The Strip – The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas

“Las Vegas looks the way you’d imagine heaven must look at night” – Chuck Palahniuk The Las Vegas Strip – a dramatic upsurge of shimmering glass and steel, bathed in an energetic luminosity – must be experienced with an enthusiastic reverence for the entrepreneurial vigor which powers its vitality. Of course, despite all of these…

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Oceanside Luxury – The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

“I followed my heart and it led me to the beach.” – Unknown The beach conjures all manner of thoughts, feelings, and memories – an almost spiritual renewal when bare feet push into the warm, soft sand. I simply need to be in close proximity to the water to experience its fiercely restorative properties. Oceanside…

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Harborside Luxury – The Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” – William G.T. Shedd My guest blogger Sara recently visited the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel, Baltimore. I’m excited that I can feature the work of my guest bloggers, but there is always a slight pang of jealousy in realizing that I will…

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Hilltop Arizona Luxury – The Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort

“When I admire the wonders of a sunset, or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.” – Mahatma Gandhi I have a tendency to scan the world for the most luxurious places to visit, but more often than not, beauty is right around the corner. In this case, I…

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Hidden Luxury in Scottsdale – The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician

“Beauty appears when something is completely and absolutely and openly itself.” – Deena Metzger One of the most rewarding parts of writing about luxury travel is that I learn about properties that I most likely would never have discovered without my blog, and then having the ability to share these properties with my readers and…

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Luxury in the Heart of the Grand Circle – Amangiri

“The desert is a natural extension of the inner silence of the body.” – Jean Baudrillard   Set in the heart of the southwest’s wondrous Grand Circle, Amangiri reveals a spellbinding confluence of light and inspired architecture – a grand amphitheater of angled concrete conferring upon the observer a luxurious composition of windswept stone and…

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Back Bay Luxury – The Mandarin Oriental, Boston

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard   I was born and raised in bucolic New Hampshire, and I recently returned home for a family event, with a quick one-night stay in Boston. There was no…

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Oceanfront Luxury – The Mandarin Oriental, Miami

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin   I recently had the chance to visit Miami, a city for which I have a great deal of affection having spent much time there in years past. Miami is a city long associated with luxurious oceanside views,…

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Uptown Luxury – The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas

“To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark   Our country is a traveler’s paradise. One could spend decades visiting our many states, cities, and regions, and I am forever amazed as to the variety of luxury destinations to be enjoyed. I recently had…

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Luxury at the Arch – The Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” – Unknown There are few things more exhilarating than getting on a plane, and traveling to a place you’ve been thinking about visiting for some time. Not long after I started to post my travels on social media, I stumbled upon…

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Luxury in NYC – The Kimberly Hotel

“I love New York, even though it isn’t mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street or a house, something, anyway, that belongs to me because I belong to it.” – Truman Capote   There is no place like New York City, especially for a lover of luxury hotels. I had…

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Old Town Luxury – The W Scottsdale

“In the middle of it, there’s joy” – Unknown I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, and while I absolutely love to travel, there’s nothing quite like coming home. And every once in a great while, I am extremely fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit and write about a hotel in my part of the…

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Luxury in the Plains – The Ambassador Hotel, Kansas City

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust   This is a most special post, and something I never thought possible. When I first started writing about luxury traveling a few years ago, I wanted simply to show other people the places I visited,…

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Classic Texas Luxury – The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa

“There’s a vastness here and I believe that the people who are born here breathe that vastness into their soul. They dream big dreams and think big thoughts, because there is nothing to hem them in.” ― Conrad Hilton   There’s no place like Texas. And Houston is one of those special American cities where…

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Mountainside Luxury in Utah – The St. Regis Deer Valley

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things” – Henry Miller   This quote resonates with me the more I travel. I think less of places on a map, and more of how I feel when I visit and eventually, when I return. This visit to Deer Valley, Utah was…

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Washington, D.C. Luxury – The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City

“I want to be with those who know secret things, or else alone” – Rainer Maria Rilke   One of the guiding concepts that has served me best in travel is to seek out places and experiences that have been overlooked by the masses; and it has served me quite well. I mention this because…

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Scottsdale Luxury Hotels – The Hotel Valley Ho

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain   One of the questions I’m asked the most is:…

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Arizona Luxury Resorts – The Phoenician

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson   I believe strongly in the power of gratitude, which includes being in awe of…

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Luxury Hotels in Washington, D.C. – The Mandarin Oriental

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher   In a city best known for sharp elbows and power plays, the Mandarin Oriental Washington, D.C. offers a luxuriously soft place to rest your body and mind. Location Overlooking the west bank of the famous Tidal…

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Capitol Luxury – The Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C.

“People don’t take trips — trips take people” – John Steinbeck   Our nation’s capital is replete with grand and stately, sometimes historic hotels, so when I recently visited, I had some difficult choices to make. But when I began to investigate further, it became quite obvious that a luxury travel blogger’s trip to Washington,…

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Luxury In Paradise Valley – Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you live, To roam the roads of land remote, To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen   There’s something special about travel that I’ve learned over the years – the traveler doesn’t need to travel far. Sometimes the most spectacular places…

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The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality” – Walt Disney   Every once and a while I get lucky, and discover a quote that simply and perfectly captures a visit; and I should have known that the great…

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Florida Luxury Resorts – The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

“Travel brings power and love back into your life” – Rumi As for many people, the memories of visiting Orlando, Florida as a child are some of the most important and meaningful memories I have – the wonder of getting on a plane in a snowy city and exiting the plane a few hours later…

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Carefree Luxury – The Boulders Resort & Spa

“Luxury is attention to detail, originality, exclusivity and above all quality” – Angelo Bonati There are precious few places lovelier than Arizona in the Springtime, and one of the many reasons I adore this part of the year is that I take the opportunity to visit a number of luxury properties located near my home…

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Luxury in Carmel Valley Wine Country – The Bernardus Lodge & Spa

“If we sip the wine, we find dreams coming upon us out of the imminent night” – D.H. Lawrence   We Westerners are spoiled beyond imagination. Unless you’re in France, Spain, or Italy, there are few places where flavorful wine is more widespread or profoundly abundant than California. And while there are innumerable resorts and…

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Luxury Dining in Scottsdale – Dominick’s Steakhouse

“Food is our common ground – a universal experience.” – James Beard   Superlative steakhouses are something quite special. The best steakhouses transport the diner to a different time and place, delivering exhilaration, luscious flavors, laughter, community, and suffused memories. We’re most fortunate to have one such steakhouse close to home – Dominick’s Steakhouse at the Scottsdale…

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Texas-Sized Luxury – The Four Seasons Hotel Houston

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ernest Hemingway   In this sense, I’m always on the lookout for the next journey – the next place. The older I get, the more I realize that to be static, is to hasten…

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Mile High Luxury – The Four Seasons Hotel Denver

“To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be onto something. Not to be onto something is to be in despair.” – Walker Percy, The Moviegoer This quote perfectly captures how I feel about travel – that “the possibility of the search” is what energizes and moves me to always seek new destinations…

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Best Resorts in the U.S. – The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

“Tell me once more about the eternal surf.” – Rob Bignell   Like many people, I’ve always been mesmerized by the sights, sounds, and scents of the ocean. There’s nothing comparable to standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the undulating ocean, except perhaps gazing out at the same cliff and sea from a…

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Enchanted Luxury in Santa Fe – The Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow” – Anita Desai I’ve had the pleasure of visiting some of the most beautiful places in the world, and I’ve learned quickly that these places truly change who I am, how I view the world, and how I make decisions about how to spend my time…

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The JW Marriott Denver, Cherry Creek – Rocky Mountain Luxury and Comfort

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” – Saint Augustine I had the occasion recently to travel to Denver, Colorado and I’m always looking for new and different places to stay. Well, there is a lovely neighborhood to the southeast of downtown Denver called Cherry Creek.  It’s…

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Best Restaurants in Dallas – Fearing’s Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas

“There is a difference between dining and eating. Dining is an art. When you eat to get the most out of your meal, to please the palate, just as well as to satiate the appetite, that, my friend, is dining.” – Yuan Mei   Dining is a very special way to experience a new place,…

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Best Luxury Resorts in Dallas – Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

“I wandered everywhere, through cities and countries wide. And everywhere I went, the world was on my side.” – Roman Payne, Rooftop Soliloquy  Most of us lead frenetic lives – phones, emails, meetings, carpools, dance recitals, soccer games, lunches, dinners, family commitments, and all of the other common responsibilities and obligations – which have slowly, at…

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Monthly Mashups – Gertrude’s at Talavera at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

“Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.” – M.F.K. Fisher The experience of dining with others is one of the most primal and quintessential human behaviors, and I’ve long considered it one of the most important components of the human experience.  We are social, communal,…

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Best Luxury Resorts in Arizona – Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa

“Listen to the voice of nature, For it holds treasure for you.” – Huron I am extremely fortunate to visit and write about luxury resorts, but my recent visit to the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa in Chandler, Arizona was incredibly special because of the relationship the property shares with the Gila River Indian Community…

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Best Restaurants in Phoenix – Wright’s At The Arizona Biltmore

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard The experience of dining is very special to me, and this quote reminded me of why this is so – food, and how we experience it, connects us all. I recently visited the Arizona Biltmore to write a staycation feature, and had the opportunity…

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Best Luxury Hotels in Arizona – The Arizona Biltmore

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta This quote perfectly captures how I inadvertently became a travel writer – the sheer astonishment of experiencing new and beautiful places, followed by the compulsion to give voice to those experiences so that others may see a part of the…

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Best Restaurants in Arizona – Sushi Roku at the W Scottsdale

“Once you decide on your occupation, you must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That’s the secret of success.” – Jiro Ono I adore sushi. I think it’s culinary poetry. The craftsmanship, the…

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Best Luxury Hotels in Hawaii – The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka’anapali

“Life is an ocean and waves are our paths.” – Diana Matoso Maui is a very special place, and this quote speaks to me as to why we are drawn to the beauty, serenity, peacefulness, and restorative energy of the ocean – that no matter where we are in our lives, the ocean shows us where…

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Best Luxury Hotels in Hawaii – The Grand Wailea Resort

“Beauty – be not caused – it is.” – Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson’s poetic verse splendidly describes Wailea on the Hawaiian Island of Maui; and it seems as if those responsible for crafting the majestic Grand Wailea Resort understood that simply being a part of unassailable beauty is a virtue on to itself. The Grand…

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Luxury Watch Report – Hamra Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona

“My Rolex is a continual pleasure, and works admirably.” – Sir Winston Churchill This quote perfectly captures how I feel about the Rolex watch brand. I’ve owned a few Rolexes over the years, and when Upscale Living Magazine asked me to write an article about luxury watches, I jumped at the chance to visit my local Rolex…

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Best Restaurants in Scottsdale – Talavera at The Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

“My favorite color… the seam of a desert horizon.” ~ Eileen Tabios It’s difficult to hide my adoration for the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. About five years ago – before I started traveling and writing – my wife and I first visited the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale. The resort is a scant…

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Best Luxury Hotels in Hawaii – The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Maui

“I need the sea because it teaches me” – Pablo Neruda, On the Blue Shore of Silence Whenever I travel to the ocean, I think to myself, Aaron, you don’t visit the ocean nearly enough. So when we planned a trip to Maui, I decided to write about the best luxury hotels in Hawaii because visiting those properties would…

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Best Luxury Hotels in Hawaii – Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

“I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five. I never spent so pleasant a month before, or bade any place goodbye so regretfully. I have not once thought of business, or care or human toil or trouble or sorrow or weariness, and the memory of it will remain with me always.” –…

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Best Luxury Hotels in Sedona – El Portal Sedona

“It’s the Call of the Canyon – Bell Rock, Cathedral, Mitten Ridge – It’s Sedona, Sedona – Where the lovin’ people live” – Excerpt from Sedona, by Donna Loren Sedona, Arizona is one of my most favorite places on the planet – magical, mysterious, and its beauty is impossible to describe. So when a business trip…

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Best Resorts in Hawaii – Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa

“Hawaii is not a state of mind, it is a state of grace.” – Paul Theroux We only experienced the Hawaiian Island of Kaua’i for one day, but our transcendent experience at the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort & Spa will live on in our minds for years to come. The resort has most certainly earned…

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Best Resorts in Hawaii – St. Regis Princeville

“If only I could be a prince of every world.” – Stephen J. Carroll, A Prince of Earth This is how I felt upon viewing the resplendent and unparalleled beauty of the St. Regis Princeville – that there are certain moments in life where you yearn to experience all there is to be enjoyed, without…

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Best Restaurants in Phoenix: T. Cooks at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf This is one of my favorite quotes about food, and every once and a while, a meal triggers that remote corner of my mind where that quote lingers.  My recent meal at T. Cooks was such a meal.…

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Best Staycation Resorts in Arizona – Royal Palms Resort and Spa

“Natural elegance inspires the mind.” – Kristian Goldmund Aumann, From Poet’s Hand Truly superlative resorts cast magic powers over guests, creating a peaceful, rejuvenative, and memorable experience.  The Royal Palms Resort and Spa and it’s natural elegance infused me with a luxurious and serene sense of relaxation. Why the Royal Palms? When I decided to…

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Best Staycation Resorts in Arizona – Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North

Thanks for clicking on another article in my blog series call the Best Staycation Resorts in Arizona! This article features the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North in North Scottsdale. As I’ve mentioned in other Staycation articles, Arizona resorts often feature special summer pricing, and the Four Seasons Scottsdale is offering a special “End of…

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Best Staycation Resorts in Arizona – The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain

Arizona summers are notoriously and reliably hot – downright phosphorescent.  Arizona residents do whatever they can to stay cool, and try to enjoy the outside despite the heat. One of the most popular things to do during Arizona summers, is to take a “Staycation” at a local resort. So when I thought about writing topics…

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Best Resorts in Hawaii – The Four Seasons Lanai – Part II

Where Were We? Oh yeah! I was writing about the Best Resorts in Hawaii, and I was just about to discuss my visit to The Four Seasons, Lanai at Manele Bay. If you haven’t read Part I yet, just click here. Arrival As I mentioned, The Four Seasons, Lanai at Manele Bay is undergoing a…

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Best Resorts in Hawaii – The Four Seasons Lanai – Part I

When my parents told my family that they were generously taking us to Hawaii for a week, I was so excited because after a couple of past visits to Oahu and Maui, I’ve been anxious to visit one or more of the other Hawaiian Islands. And naturally, because I’m well – you know – me,…

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Best Luxury Resorts in Hawaii – Four Seasons Lanai

Just a quick post with a great article on some of the background of the Four Seasons Lanai – Manele Bay beautification and enhancements.  I’ll have a more detailed article later this week on my tour and visit of the Four Seasons Lanai – Manele Bay!!!  And you’ll read more about many resorts in my…

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Best Places to Eat in Maui – The Plantation House at Kapalua

The word “picturesque” gets tossed about with an exceeding lack of context or care.  I’ve traveled to many places and dined at some of the best restaurants in the world, and I can tell you that memorably picturesque restaurants are rare. Well, The Plantation House at Kapalua on Maui is one of those restaurants. Why the…

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Best Places to See in Maui – Day 2

Just when I thought that we couldn’t top our Day 1 in Maui, Day 2 was an all-timer! We again found some of the Best Places to See in Maui! Brunch I really make an effort to visit new restaurants and resorts when I travel for the simple fact that there so many amazing places…

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Best Places to See in Maui – Day 1

Welcome to my series of blog articles called “Best Places to See in Maui”!  My aspiration is to post daily, but I don’t want Miss Details to divorce me, so we’ll see how that goes! We arrived in Maui yesterday and the island is even more beautiful than my memories of our visit a few…

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Best Restaurants in Scottsdale: Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill

I’ve had a few followers and readers ask me to talk about the best restaurants in Scottsdale, so I’ve decided to start a blog series called, most originally, “Best Restaurants in Scottsdale” The beauty of having your own blog is that “Best” can mean whatever you’d like for it to mean, at any given time;…

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Best Restaurants in Phoenix: Salty Sow

I have a chronic weakness for “Comfort Food,” but I have an emotional moment with my food when Comfort Food is redefined, yet prepared with traditional ingredients. I know, it’s an odd way to begin a Dining Review, but it’s the only way I know how to begin this review. I’ll return to this train of…

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Dining Review: Steak 44 Phoenix – Father’s Day with Steak and Beignets

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, rating and comparing steakhouses is a Fool’s Errand.  These high end restaurants are more akin to pieces of art where the artistic beauty, craftsmanship, and experience is in the eye of the individual experiencing the restaurant.  So, it makes more sense to describe the experience than to attempt…

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Best Resorts in New York City: Intercontinental Times Square

Full disclosure, one of my preferred hotel and resort brands is the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG). I love the brand, their people, the elegance and charm of the properties, its consistency, the loyalty program, and lots of other things. I don’t know where I would be as a business traveler without my IHG loyalty program.…

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Dining Review: The John Dory Oyster Bar

On a recent trip to NY City, I wanted some great shellfish, which I thought might be a difficult find considering the likely numerous spots with high end seafood in my area. But after a few Google searches, it became quite clear that I needed to visit The John Dory Oyster Bar, and now I…

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Review: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Located in Bandon, Oregon, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort offers the tagline: “Golf as it was meant to be . . .” Full disclosure, my golf game is not so much a game, but more of a dumspter fire – though not even as remotely interesting to watch. So, it’s safe to say that my review…

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Best Places to Eat in Toronto: dbar by Cafe Boulud at the Four Seasons Toronto

We recently traveled to Toronto and we’d heard a lot of great things about dbar by Cafe Boulud at the Four Seasons Toronto. It did not disappoint. Outstanding cuisine, stellar ambiance, and exemplary service. We entered through the main entrance of the Four Seasons, which lived up to our expectations for a Four Seasons. We…

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Review: Shangri-La Hotel Toronto – Lobby Bar

We recently visited Toronto for the first time. A friend who lives in Toronto met us for drinks and he recommended that we meet in the Lobby Bar of the Shangri-La Hotel. Wow, we loved this place. Our friend has recently moved to Toronto after a promotion at work so we had lots to celebrate!…

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Best Places to Stay in Toronto: Intercontinental Hotel – Toronto Centre – Presidential Suite

I’ve had the fortune and pleasure of staying at some of the most beautiful hotel and resort properties in the world. And much like great restaurants, comparing these properties is virtually impossible. That said, I’m human and I have my favorites – and the Intercontinental Toronto Centre (ICTC) ranks among my most enjoyable hotel stays, and…

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Review: Stripsteak – Mandalay Bay – Las Vegas, Nevada

I hate to compare steaks and steakhouses. I really do. It’s inherently flawed and hopelessly impossible. There are so many variables – how you feel on a particular night, how many drinks you’ve had, the company at the table, the ambiance, the wine you paired with the steak, etc, etc. There’s also something called the…

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Best Restaurants in Scottsdale – Virtu Honest Craft

Strangely enough, it took an out-of-town guest’s recommendation for me to finally visit Virtu Honest Craft in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. I feel like I’m slipping that it took me so long to try this amazing restaurant that had been garnering rave reviews locally and nationally.  And thank the Good Lord that my California-based business…

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The Four Seasons Westlake Village – Malibu, California – December 2014

Absolutely loved our visit to The Four Seasons – Westlake Village, California over this past Christmas holiday. This Four Seasons did not disappoint.  The mountain views are lovely, the staff is exceptional, and the on-property dining and entertainment is among the best of all the resorts we’ve visited. The main pool and spa are stellar,…

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Amangani – Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Jackson Hole, Wyoming Wow, we have stayed at some of the most beautiful resorts in the world, and we were incredibly fortunate to stay at two incomparable resorts in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  This picture is of the pool deck at the Amangani resort.  As you can see, the view is breathtaking.  And the staff and…

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Four Seasons – Jackson Hole, Wyoming – March 2015

The Four Seasons is one of the world’s premium luxury resort brands for good reason – it is simply consistently exceptional. For our first visit to Jackson Hole, I scoured the Internet for the top resorts and The Four Seasons Jackson Hole emerged as one of the most enjoyed Jackson Hole properties.  After arriving to…

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Good Karma Inn Bed & Breakfast – Homer, Alaska – July 2013

If you’ve never visited Homer, Alaska, you need to – soon. Full disclaimer. My uncle owns the Good Karma Inn Bed & Breakfast in Homer, Alaska.  We visited because we continued to hear about Homer’s beauty and food scene, and we were dazzled. What a place.  It changed my life. There is something incredibly special…

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