all-inclusive promotion | Half Moon Montego Bay

Half Moon is a luxury beach resort outside Montego Bay, Jamaica. Within this classical Jamaican setting are nearly 400 guest accommodations — from rooms to villas — and there's so much to do! Of course, Half Moon Jamaica offers sandy crescent beaches and the warm, inviting waters of the Caribbean. But there's also tennis, squash, horseback riding, scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, and sailing.

The children's program offers trained leaders and fun activities to keep kids happily occupied while their parents enjoy some alone time to play golf on Half Moon's par 72 Robert Trent Jones course (or work on their game at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy). In the mood for some self-indulgent pampering? Check out the resort's 68,000 square foot spa!

A special all-inclusive promotion is being offered through April 15. Priced from just $609 per evening, the package includes:

• Luxurious accommodation
  
• Sumptuous daily breakfast
  
• Leisurely lunch daily
  
• Gourmet dinner each evening
  
• Premium drinks at hotel bars
  
• Welcome gift and champage in room
  
• Round-trip airport transfers
  
• One Swedish Massage for each full paying adult
  
• Use of tennis court, fitness centre, lilos, paddle-boats, single and double kayaks

Half Moon is a member of Virtuoso. Contact your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant for complete details about the added-value amenities offered at this luxury resort and over 780 other properties around the world.


Half Moon Jamaica (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

luxury values in Florida

There's practically nowhere on earth where luxury vacationers can't get a great bargain right now. Upscale travelers can enjoy significant savings at many of the most beautiful resorts in the world. A client recently asked if I knew of any special deals in Palm Beach, South Beach, or Key West, Florida for a visit in late February. Here's what I found for him:

Four Seasons Palm Beach has a Fourth Night Free promotion, and I can get it for you with daily Continental Breakfast for two in the restaurant or via room service.

Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach has a guaranteed upgrade from Resort View to Ocean View, a $85 F&B credit per day, per room, and daily Continental Breakfast for two.

The Breakers Palm Beach (pictured above) has a $100 per room credit per room per night for Superior and Deluxe rooms and non-Signature Suites, a $200 per room per night credit to all Signature guest rooms and suites. You also get a complimentary Continental Breakfast for two daily.

Ritz-Carlton South Beach is offering a 20% discount on Club Level rooms or Suites (beginning Feb. 27) to my clients, along with complimentary daily Continental Breakfasts.

The Setai has rates starting at $650 with Virtuoso amenities until 4/15 (normally rates start at $1000) along with a daily Buffet Breakfast for two and a $100 Spa credit once during your stay.

Sunset Key Guest Cottages (off of Key West) has Virtuoso pricing discounted 5% lower than BAR with daily Full Breakfast for two and $100 F&B credit.

You cannot book these deals yourself on the internet; they are available exclusively through select luxury travel consultants. Contact me with absolutely no obligation to inquire about any of these luxury values in Florida.


luxury travel consultant (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

the best luxury value in Hawaii

The Four Seasons Lodge at Koele on the island of Lanai is one of the most beautiful resorts I've ever visited. Set in the middle of the island, one thousand feet above sea level, the resort offers the relaxed and casual feeling of a century-old Hawaiian plantation. Guests enter into a large and comfortable lobby with fireplaces on both ends, and through the windows of the lobby one sees the beautifully landscaped backyard (pictured above). With a pond, lush landscaping, a croquet lawn, and a swimming pool, the natural scenic beauty of Lanai creates the ambiance for your visit to the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele.

Lanai is for quiet relaxation. If you want varied options for nightlife, you will prefer a different destination, but the Lodge at Koele is perfect if you're looking for a romantic, secluded spot to enjoy some special time together — or for families looking for lots of together time. Are you a golfer? The Lodge has its own 18-hole championship course.

Two things I really love about the resort. First, it offers a challenging and fun 18 hole putting course, complete with water hazards; the concierge will lend you putters and floating golf balls. Second, I enjoyed the combination of Hawaiian sun and moderate temperatures. Being 1,000 feet above sea level, temperatures are about 10º cooler than at sea level — 70's instead of 80's during the day. (Winters can be cooler). A free shuttle runs every 30 minutes between the two Four Seasons properties on Lanai; go down to Manele Bay to enjoy the wonderful beach, have lunch or dinner, or play golf on the island's other course!

Incomparable values are available at the Lodge at Koele. Depending upon your dates, you can get your third night free, and rates start at only $345; that works out to just $230 per night. And even at these rates, you get the full Virtuoso amenities: daily full breakfast for two, one complimentary lunch for two, and an upgrade on arrival if available. Do the math; this is a compelling luxury value. Just book through your Virtuoso luxury travel consultant.

Four Seasons Lodge at Koele (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

Montage Beverly Hills | new Virtuoso hotel

A brand new eight-story hotel in Beverly Hills, the Montage Beverly Hills opened its doors in November, 2008. With just 201 guestrooms, of which 55 are suites, the Montage is a boutique hotel in the heart of one of the finest retail shopping meccas in the world. Just 30 minutes from LAX, this is an urban sanctuary with beautiful European gardens and a collection of fine art. The hotel offers 24-hour flexible check-in/check-out, and Corner Suite and higher categories also receive the use of a complimentary Mercedes during their stay. The entire hotel offers complimentary internet service.

Montage Beverly Hills just became a member of Virtuoso, meaning upscale travelers will enjoy extraordinary values just by booking through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant. You'll receive a complimentary one room category upgrade at time of booking and complimentary continental breakfast for two daily. Ask me about how to receive complimentary airport transfers (or spa credits) at Montage Beverly Hills.


Montage Beverly Hills (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

all-inclusive vacation in Europe | $3,598 for two

What if $3,598 got you an all-inclusive vacation in Europe including round-trip airfare, 10 nights accommodations, fine dining, and transportation from city to city?

What if your journeys took you to Barcelona, Marseilles, Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Malta, Santorini, and Athens?

What if you were sailing on a premium cruise line, Oceania Cruises? With a maximum 684 guests onboard any cruise, Oceania offers an intimacy and relaxed ambiance not found on 3,000 passenger megaships. Oceania's menus are crafted by chef and author Jacques Pépin, and open-seating is offered in all of their ships' restaurants.

This is just one of over 40 bargain fares for Oceania sailings. Interested in exploring the possibilities? Contact my cruise associate to book this offer - or to learn about the many luxury cruise vacations available to you.

all-inclusive vacation in Europe (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

Amanyara | 3 complimentary meals daily

As connoisseurs of luxury travel know, Aman Resorts is something special. A collection of unique romantic luxury resorts in some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, Aman knows how to pamper its guests with peaceful, intimate surroundings; aman is Sanskrit for peace. With just 20 resorts worldwide, Aman has consistently earned the highest marks from Conde Nast Traveler and the Zagat Survey.

Amanyara is set in the idyllic Caribbean destination of the Turks & Caicos Islands. With 40 very private pavilions and adjacent private villas, guests can enjoy the half-mile secluded beach, swim in the turquise waters of the Caribbean, and explore the tropical fish just offshore in the pristine coral reefs.

And now, enjoy complimentary daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner while staying at Amanyara for a four night stay or longer. This offer of an all-inclusive stay is combinable with the Virtuoso amenities, meaning you can also receive an upgrade upon arrival (subject to availability) and enjoy a complimentary massage for two once during your stay (with a five night stay) — all you need do is book through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant. This offer runs through Oct. 31, 2009 but excludes US Presidents Week and Easter; contact me to take full advantage of this offer.

Amanyara (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.

Carlisle Bay | 2 nights free + $700 resort credit

Looking for an affordable, yet luxurious winter vacation? Carlisle Bay is located on the south coast of Antigua in a secluded bay, surrounded by rainforest. A small resort with 80 beautiful contemporary luxury suites and two restaurants, Carlisle Bay, Antigua offers sun, sand, tennis, and water sports. While the normal nightly rate is $805, Carlisle Bay has offered an opportunity to enjoy two free nights with seven night stay. After taking into account the $100 per day resort credit, your rate is just $475 per night plus tax in a Garden Suite (a 40% discount). Full breakfast and daily Afternoon Tea are included in this rate. A similar offer is available for an Ocean view suite.

Easily reached by nonstop flight from New York, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Toronto, Antigua offers some of the world's most beautiful beaches, a warm climate, and gentle year-round trade winds, a perfect vacation getaway from the cold of winter. Contact me for complete details about this offer ... or other luxury values at over 780 Virtuoso hotels and resorts around the world.

Book until January 31 for stays until April 3 to take advantage of this offer.

Carlisle Bay, Antigua (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
.