All posts tagged: romantic getaways

boutique hotel pick – baglioni hotel – london, england

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In light of the fact the Summer Olympics are in England this year, I had contemplated spending my vacation or holiday (I like that word better) attending some of the games.  I am still on the fence about it, but it doesn’t hurt to dream, just in case I can’t make it a reality. Anyway, here is my dream hotel pick for London: Baglioni Hotel , which according to the chain’s website  is “luxury with an Italian touch”. What more can I anyone ask for?

boutique hotel pick – four seasons resort – whistler, canada

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As I draft up the outline for book no 2, I can’t help but think of a romantic ski resort getaway. The Four Seasons Resort Whistler is one destination I  booked for all my cliental while I was a university campus travel agent. Most of them were visiting scholars from around the world, who wanted to have a weekend ski vacation getaway outside of Tahoe.

dreaming of a vacation

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I woke up to the sound of tree branches knocking against my window as a result of an overnight storm. I looked outside and saw nothing but dark clouds, wind and horizontal raindrops.  While my other half was kind enough to give me a ride to work, just to avoid the muni drama in San Francisco, I couldn’t help but hint to him, how much I was in need of a tropical vacation.  He may have thought I was kidding, but as soon as I got to work (very early) I began to research the much need R&R vacation. I am considering:

boutique hotel pick – royal hotel sanremo – italy

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After a crazy cold rainy day on Wednesday, we experienced a strangely hot day on Thursday which prompted me to get into the vacation planning mode. Since I experienced the sudden urge to plan my vacation for 2012, I realized it was time to do my Friday boutique hotel pick. Royal Hotel Sanremo came to mind because I am actually looking into a vacation or a holiday where I could lounge around the pool and nap my days away while sipping on some exotic drink., in Italy of course. 🙂

boutique hotel pick – bacara resort and spa – santa barbara, california

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Fall is a perfect time, in my opinion, to escape to a resort and spa hotel. I think, even though the weather may be a bit brisk and unpredictable, the romance of such a property do more than make up for it. I know I just got back from Italy but, I can’t help think about a weekend escape right before the holidays. My favorite is the Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara, California. I not only enjoy the drive down to Santa Barbara, but once at the hotel, I seldom leave for the entire weekend.

villa in tuscany if only for a week

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I just can’t snap out of it, I know I have said this before, but it really is difficult to go to Europe, even for two week, then come back to the states and adjust to the every day norm. While I was in Tuscany, the day tour I took drove through some of the most beautiful landscapes in that part of the world and the guide pointed out numerous villas perched up on the hillside. Of course, every woman on the bus awed and oohed, while the husbands rolled their eyes or laughed at us for fantasizing  about owning one. Now, I for one, have always dreamed of moving to Paris some day but in addition to my fantasy of living in Paris, I wouldn’t mind owning a Tuscan villa just for the summer months :).  So, to make my day less gloomy, I found my villa of choice from here.  Happy Monday.

como italy by local bus

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I can never pass up a stop in Como Italy when I travel through Italy. Normally I spend two nights in Como, but  I figured this time since it is Autumn, I would stay in Milan and take a day trip to Como on RailEurope or in this case, the shuttle train from Milan  to Como S.M instead. It was about an hours ride, a bit uncomfortable and long since it made alot of stops along the way, but it was a reasonable cost. 4.50Euros each way, so I couldn’t complain much.  When I got to Como rail station, I noticed, like I did before, a bus labeled Bellagio, which was the area around the lake I wanted to visit. Since it was freezing outside, I decided this time to give the bus ride a try, I knew it was going to circle the lake and that it would take an hour, but I figured I had done the ferry thing about a dozen times before, why not try something different. Well, I must admit …

rooftop wonder from hotel raphael in roma, italy

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The best thing about walking everywhere, while on vacation, is accidentally stumbling upon a gem of a place that you just know you must discover. That’s what happened to me with Day 4 in Rome. I happen to be walking about Piazza Navona, when I noticed an insignificant  small street and decided to take it because I wanted to see what was past the main plaza. About 50 meters in, I came across what was labelled as  Hotel Raphael, a five-star luxury property, hidden behind a wall of leaves. I walked towards the main entrance and was immediately greeted by a bellman, who so kindly waved me inside, even though I am sure he knew I didn’t belong there. He escorted me to a small elevator leading to their roof garden and suggested I have  a drink while I rest my weary feet from all the walking.  Of course I wasn’t going to argue, I simply followed his instructions and rode the elevator to the fifth floor and exited towards a small set of steps …