Heathrow countryside airport hotels

If you're traveling through London and need a hotel room near Heathrow Airport, you can always book one of the chain hotels right at the airport, or even the Sofitel Heathrow which is connected to Terminal 5. But you might also consider making it a special afternoon by staying at a nearby luxury hotel in the English countryside. Here are some great Heathrow countryside airport hotels (conveniently shown on this Google map).

Coworth Park is a member of Virtuoso, and we can get you the following amenities:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
• Complimentary one-way private airport transfers

Pennyhill Park (pictured above) is the recipient of 5-Red Stars, one of Britain's best hotels. Set in beautiful grounds, they have a two-Michelin star restaurant, as well as a brasserie for casual dining. Pennyhill Park is home to Europe's second largest spa. Rooms are spacious, and the bathrooms are a real feature of the hotel.

Great Fosters, dating from the 16th century, glows in historic splendor and was one of Queen Elizabeth I's hunting lodges. You can spend hours wandering the Tudor Gardens, and there are two terrific dining options. Guests booking Premier Executive rooms or higher receive complimentary airport transfers.

Cliveden is one of Britain's most famous stately homes, and the enchanting drive up to Cliveden is worth the price of admission. A scandalous affair here 50 years ago led to the fall of a Government, and since the days of Lady Astor, this has been a place to see and be seen. My clients can receive a guaranteed upgrade at booking and afternoon tea through my UK hotel guru!

The Runnymede-on-Thames offers value and location. The hotel sits right on the Thames in historic Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed. Guests can enjoy a boat trip or simply stroll along the Thames and enjoy a pub nearby. Rates start under 200£ a night.

My clients receive complimentary breakfast at all five of these Heathrow countryside airport hotels.

Heathrow countryside airport hotels (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

gorgeous new boutique hotel in Provence

I've never stayed in this hotel — in fact, it doesn't open for another six weeks — but this picture just really appeals to me. Housed in an 18th century building, Domaine de la Baume occupies the home of artist Bernard Buffet in the village of Tourtour. With just 15 bedrooms, this luxury boutique hotel sits on an estate of 99 acres. The grounds feature formal French gardens, an olive grove, a chapel, and waterfalls.

There's plenty to do on property with a tennis court, spa with four fitness rooms (and outdoor spa area by the waterfalls), fitness center, and heated pool. I'd be content wandering into the picturesque Provencal village to enjoy the cafes, visit the church of St Denis, and behold the flowered squares. Just north of the Riviera, this looks like a great base of operations.

I haven't been there (yet), so I can't provide my own first-hand impressions, but this post is based on a very positive review in Luxury Travel Advisor magazine. While no rates are yet loaded in my system,  I'll be happy to phone the hotel and get all the information for you.

Domaine de la Baume (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

book Virtuoso resort packages online *

Classic Vacations is an excellent Virtuoso tour company that specializes in luxury vacations, and most* (but not all) Classic Vacations packages include Virtuoso amenities . But there's a rather significant requirement: your booking must be made through a Virtuoso travel consultant.

But you can make the booking yourself. Classic Vacations has provided me with a personalized website through which my clients can price out and book vacations. These can be resort-only, or you can add flights or a rental car to the package. Any vacation package booked through this link will be identified as coming from Ourisman Travel, and you will be eligible to receive Virtuoso, Ritz-Carlton STARS, or Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities when applicable.

NB: I need to emphasize that not all Virtuoso hotels provide the amenities when booked through a wholesaler such as Classic, Pleasant, Island Destinations, etc. In particular, please be aware that the Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii need to be made via direct booking; Preferred Partner amenities are not extended through wholesaler bookings at Maui, Hualalai, Manele Bay, the Lodge at Koele ... or Punta Mita in Mexico. To get the FSPP amenities at these resorts, you'll need to book directly through a FS Preferred Partner travel consultant.

Want to be in charge of your own booking? Try it out! Research a vacation, price out the different options, create a courtesy hold — and then contact me. I'll help you sort out the insurance options and look into "bulk" airfares that can often be a better value. Sometimes just a few dollars more than the lowest published fare, bulk fares are flexible, refundable airfares that don't have to be paid for until 45 days before departure. I'll also want to double-check with the resort that what you want to book is eligible for Virtuoso amenities which include:

• a room upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability
• complimentary breakfast for two daily
• an additional amenity (such as a $100 F&B credit or Spa credit)

So where do you want to go next? Hawaii, Bora Bora, the Caribbean, Europe? Check out my personalized mini-site on Classic vacation...

Virtuoso travel consultant (search here on Google)

* Important: Most (but not all) Virtuoso member resorts will honor the Virtuoso amenities when booked through Classic Vacations. It's essential that you verify with your Virtuoso travel consultant before finalizing your reservation.

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

why use a travel consultant for hotel bookings?

In a recent dialog on FlyerTalk, the following question was posed: Why use a travel agent to make a hotel reservation through American Express FHR when you can just use their online booking engine? I offered a two-part answer:

1. Using a TA saves customers the hassle of dealing with American Express's unwieldy website (or their even more unwieldy telephone voice mail system).
2. I follow up every single reservation I make with a VIP email to the hotel's sales rep. In that email, I request an upgrade and convey my clients' standard requests to the hotel.

One individual took affront to what I wrote. He (I'm assuming it was a "he") questioned the usefulness of what he termed "self-important travel agents" and their "VIP letters," suggesting it may be counter-productive for travel agents to reach out to hotels. He asserted, moreover, that conversations with a few hoteliers had given him the impression that they found such communications bothersome. As the thread had gotten way off-topic, I decided not to respond in that venue.

What do I make of this?

(1) I'm not sure what he means by a "self-important travel agent." (I suspect there was an element of projection in what he wrote). My colleagues and I are extremely hard-working individuals who do our best for our clients. We learn your tastes and preferences. We try to get you the best value for your money. We work with you to plan experiences that fulfill your travel dreams.

(2) I invest time and energy developing my relationships with hoteliers at those hotels I book the most. I reach out to travel industry sales reps of individual hotels, national directors of sales for the major hotel chains, and even the GM's of some properties. I visit their properties, host them in my own office, and attend the annual Travel Week (Virtuoso's trade show) in Las Vegas which is all about networking. The main item on my Travel Week agenda is over 300 four-minute sales meetings in the course of a week.

(3) Hoteliers also invest a lot in developing relationships with travel consultants. It's nonsense to assert that they do not want to work with us. The travel industry is about relationships, and most travel professionals (both hoteliers and agents) have the same goals: (a) booking our clients in the properties that best match their tastes and budget and (b) ensuring they have a great stay. This is how we create future business.


Do these relationships pay off for the clients of travel consultants? Obviously my perspective is biased, but from my point-of-view, the services of a luxury travel consultant represent a win-win proposition for most clients. (There are many who prefer to do this on their own, and that's fine). But if you book through a Virtuoso travel consultant, you'll receive the Virtuoso negotiated amenities (and/or the FHR amenities if you prefer). Moreover, you'll benefit from the existing relationships that leading luxury hotel families have with their preferred partner travel agencies. Finally, you'll be first in queue for possible upgrades. Even luxury clientele want the best values, and my entire business is devoted to that goal.

travel consultant (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Queen Elizabeth's Coronation Festival Package

51 Buckingham Gate has announced a special package including tickets to the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace on July 12. Tickets are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the inclusive rates start at 375£ per person + VAT. Here are the inclusions:

• Two nights in a King's Junior Suite with breakfast
• Two tickets to the Coronation Festival, 10 am - 4 pm, 12JUL
• Two tickets to the Coronation Festival Gala, 5:30-9:30 pm, 12JUL
• Three-course commemorative menu for two at Bistro 51

The Coronation Festival celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. The event will be hosted in the Gardens of Buckingham Palace.

The Coronation Gala will feature performers from across the Commonwealth with Buckingham Palace acting as the back-drop to the music and dance performances.

The special three-course menu is inspired by the menu at the 1947 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and can be enjoyed by guests at the hotel's Bistro 51 from 8JUL-14JUL.

Located literally down the block from Buckingham Palace, 51 Buckingham Gate is a London hotel ideally situated for guests who wish to participate in this historic festival. Guests who book through a Virtuoso travel consultant will receive:

• Daily English breakfast for two
• Complimentary one-way airport transfer (for 3+ night stays)
• Tickets to the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace
• Afternoon tea for two
• Complimentary internet
• Complimentary upgrade subject to availability

Coronation Festival (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

a weekend in San Francisco

the Shell Building, one of the sites on the City Walks tour of the steel-framed buildings of San Francisco

I spent an enjoyable two evenings at the Four Seasons San Francisco this past weekend. Not an exotic foreign destination for me, we parked at the North Berkeley BART station and took BART right to the Powell station in just 30 minutes. We were quickly up the escalator to Market Street and into the front door of the Four Seasons without even crossing the street. Here are some of the places and things that we enjoyed this weekend in the city:

Union Square. You can walk here in a couple of minutes and find yourself in the heart of the shopping district. Macy's, Nieman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue are right on the square, with Bloomingdales and Nordstrom just a block away. There was an art show going on in the square, and I especially apprecated the fine art photography of Mario Duse.

Chinatown. Kitchy but fun. Walk through the twin dragons guarding the entrance to Chinatown and see shops with all kinds of cheap souvenirs and electronics, as well Chinese dim sum restaurants. And while we're on the subject of eating...

Eating, eating, and more eating. San Francisco is a food capital of the world, and we enjoyed two superb dinners. Friday night, we dined at Quince — very expensive but exceptional cuisine. Saturday night, we had dinner at Café Claude, a small French bistro with authentic food featuring live jazz on weekends.

jellyfish in the aquarium at the Academy of Sciences

Academy of Sciences. Located in Golden Gate Park, we went down into the Powell BART station and took the Muni (N train) — to Judah and 19th Ave. A quick walk into the park, and we were at the Academy of Sciences. We especially enjoyed the Planetarium, Rain Forest, and the Aquarium.

City Walks. The San Francisco Public Library offers daily city walks, guided walking tours that are quite interesting and informative. We enjoyed a two-hour walk that explored the history of steel-framed skyscrapers in San Francisco, including the Shell Building pictured at the top of this article.


Contact me for more information about booking Four Seasons San Francisco, and how to receive the Four Seasons Preferred Partner amenities which bring compelling value to Four Seasons's brand of luxury. FSPP clients receive a Full American Breakfast daily, a $100 food and beverage credit, as well an upgrade if available upon checkin.


Four Seasons San Francisco (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

Ritz Paris | renovations in process

click here to see the video

Ritz Paris is one of the iconic hotels of the world, located on the Place Vendôme, just a block from the Tuileries and in the one of the most exclusive shopping areas in the world. It has been closed since last August to undertake a complete and extensive renovation. The linked video shows some of the construction, some of the famous guests who have graced The Ritz with their presence, as well as a wonderful rendition of Puttin' on the Ritz.

One of my favorite luxury hotels in Paris, the Ritz Paris will be a glittering jewel of a hotel, appealing to upscale travelers who prefer traditional luxury accommodations. Always book through your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant to receive the very best values — including complimentary daily breakfast for two, room upgrades, and other valuable amenities at nearly 1,000 five star hotels and resorts around the world.

Ritz Paris (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2013 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.