adventure travel

Adventure travel has been defined as any trip that includes at least two of the following three features: (1) physical activity, (2) interaction with nature, and (3) cultural learning or exchange (see the 9/27/10 issue of Travel Weekly). Within the category of adventure travel, further distinction can be made between "hard adventure" trips which involve caving, climbing, and trekking and "soft adventure." By any standard, trekking across Antarctica qualifies as hard adventure.

I just finished my review copy of Alastair Nicoll's account of his expedition to Antarctica, Riding the Ice Wind: By Kite and Sledge across Antarctica. The book — part narrative, part philosophical musings on the nature of life, and part rhapsody on the beauty of this arctic wilderness and the ordeal of his journey — raised for me a basic question: what drives a select few among us to risk their lives, live on the edge for months, and push their bodies beyond the point of what they thought they could do?

Perhaps this quote from the book articulates the appeal that hard adventure holds for some:

Much of Antarctica is about experience. The less you know about yourself the more uncomfortable you are. It was revealing for me that everything seemed to boil down to self-awareness — not just mentally but physically, too. The more you know about your own body and how it copes in various conditions the more you can try to work within yourself. How can you tell when you are just tired and when you're at breaking point? Is your Achilles tendon just painful or is it tearing irreparably? Are your extremities numb or are they getting seriously frostbitten? Who knows? I certainly didn't. (pg 113)

Nicoll tells an engaging story with a compelling subtext: will he make it home in time to be present at the birth of his first child? Although it's not the most skillfully structured narrative, I definitely got "hooked" by the book and fascinated by this account of extreme adventure travel.

order Riding the Ice Wind from amazon.com.


adventure travel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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trusted travel advisor

I was contacted a week ago by a couple making last-minute plans for a trip to Italy. They wanted my help filling in the last two days of their itinerary on Capri and getting them an affordable midday flight to Paris. I got them the affordable flight (the only inexpensive option was out of Rome), but this meant they had to give up one of their two nights on Capri (or deal with a pre-dawn departure). Their story is the perfect example of (1) why to consult a trusted travel advisor, (2) why to do so at the beginning of your trip planning process, and (3) why to start planning your trip many months in advance.

The most important tool I use to plan foreign independent travel is a simple blank calendar page (see above). I keep blank calendar pages in my files for just this purpose. After filling in the dates for the period of time my clients will be traveling, I map out their itinerary on the calendar. I'm a visual person, and it helps me to see the broad expanse of an itinerary. The critical thing: to develop an itinerary that works.

Here's why to plan early, rather than last minute. Had these clients booked their flight to Paris months in advance (rather than a couple of weeks), they could have flown from Naples to Paris very inexpensively, and they could have enjoyed their final night in Capri (instead of an airport hotel in Rome).


trusted travel advisor (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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a hotel that deserves to go out of business

If the story reported in The Blackpool Gazette bears any semblance to the truth, the Golden Beach Hotel of Blackpool, England richly deserves to go out of business. Read the article online here. Two guests were thrown out of the hotel because the hotel manager accused them of posting a negative review on TripAdvisor.

Mr Healey, 33, and his partner Sherrie Andrews, 33, claim they were asked to leave two days into their three night stay, after the manager stormed into their room, accusing them of writing an online review, and called the police.

Mr Healey, who was due to check out on September 4, was forced to drive back 280 miles the evening before. He said: "I couldn't believe it when we were asked to leave.

"We had been there a day when they said we couldn't get back in our rooms because they were recarpeting, and we didn't complain – all we asked was if we could have an extra towel.

"Then, on our second evening, he banged on the door and told us to get out, accusing us of writing a review on Trip Advisor, and said he would call the police."

Blackpool Police confirmed they had been called to the hotel to remove a man who had not committed an offence.

Mr Healey has only just returned to work as a Tesco manager after sick leave to receive chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

He added: "I was shocked when the police arrived, and we just agreed to leave. We asked for a refund but the hotel refused.

"I think it is shocking and people need to know about this."

I notice something pretty fishy about the reviews for The Golden Beach Hotel on Trip Advisor — namely, a lot of really excellent reviews alongside a lot of extremely negative reviews.

What a brilliant Place!!!!! writes clegg37.
Great hotel, writes nikki2004.

Zamerlin advises Don't stay there!!!,
Ihatemu writes owners attitude to guests disgraceful
Melpeel says simply, terrible.

Management pretty much gave itself away when it expelled guests for allegedly posting a negative review on TripAdvisor. If they are monitoring the site to the point of retaliating against negative reviews, it's not a far stretch to assume they are "planting" their own positive reviews. Owners' attitude to guests is disgraceful - really!


P.S. — I have emailed the manager of the hotel, offering him the opportunity to respond to this posting. As of yet, I have received no reply.


Golden Beach Hotel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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Christmas vacation | don't wait!

It happens every year. Every December I get calls from families wanting to plan their Christmas vacation. There are four consequences when waiting until the very last minute to make your reservations:

1. Space is very hard to get. You may have to settle for a less desirable resort.
   
2. Room options are quite limited.
   
3. Flights are more expensive, as you'll be paying full fare.
   
4. There's a lot of stress doing everything in a rush.

Even now, it's is pretty late if you want to go to the very best resorts over Christmas. The Four Seasons resorts on the Big Island and on Maui are fully booked — both have waiting lists — but good options do exist in tropical destinations (Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Mexico) and ski resorts. Please be aware that minimum stay requirements often apply during Festive Season.

So now's the time to plan your Christmas vacation. Don't wait!


Christmas vacation (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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Ritz Rewards is launched

Ritz-Carlton has published the details of its Ritz Rewards program. Essentially modeled after Marriott Rewards, members receive ten points for every dollar spent at a Ritz-Carlton hotel or any Marriott property. Points can be used toward free nights at Ritz-Carlton properties or other partners such as luxury tour company Abercrombie & Kent or the Nieman Marcus department store. Free nights cost from 30,000 - 70,000 points, depending a hotel's "tier". Here's a sampling:

• Tier One (30K points) includes Atlanta and Dallas
• Tier Two (40K points) includes Amelia Island and Dove Mountain
• Tier Three (50K points) includes Georgetown and San Francisco
• Tier Four (60K points) includes Hotel Arts Barcelona
• Tier Five (70K points) includes Ritz-Carlton Central Park

Guests can also use 5,000 points towards a room upgrade.

Elite Level guests receive worthwhile value-added perks:


It's easy to sign up for Ritz Rewards - or simply convert your Marriott Rewards account and your points to the Ritz Rewards program (which is what I did). You can do it online.

Double up on perks by booking Ritz-Carlton through a Virtuoso and STARS travel consultant; you'll receive a complimentary breakfast for two daily, a complimentary room upgrade if available, late check-out, and other amenities that can include free internet or other valuable extras at any Ritz-Carlton in the world.


Ritz Rewards (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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Ritz-Carlton Rewards | sneak preview

The official launch of Ritz-Carlton Rewards will take place tomorrow, but the hotel chain has provided a "sneak preview" this morning. Here is the information currently out there about Ritz Carlton Rewards (courtesy of Barbara De Lollis of USA Today in her Hotel Check-in blog) with more information coming soon.

• Customers can be a member of either Ritz-Carlton Rewards or Marriott Rewards; not both.
  
• Earning levels will be the same across Marriott's 3,400 hotels.
  
• Achieving silver, gold or platinum status for the Ritz-Carlton Rewards program will have the same requirements as Marriott Rewards.
  
• Under the new program, Marriott Rewards platinum members who stay at a Ritz-Carlton will receive a complimentary room upgrade.
  
• As members of Ritz-Carlton Rewards earn platinum status, they'll receive upgrades at Marriott hotels.

Watch this space for information as it becomes released.

Additional information according to CBS Marketwatch:

• Earn 10 points per dollar spent on the room rate.
  
• Earn elite status levels: 10 nights for Silver, 50 nights for Gold, 75 nights for Platinum
  
• Elite member benefits will include such perks as bonus points, room upgrades, and complimentary internet

Room upgrades are also available to you simply by booking through a Virtuoso or STARS agency, and many properties offer complimentary internet as a Virtuoso amenity.


Ritz Carlton Rewards (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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Washington, DC luxury hotels

I spent last weekend in Washington, DC to attend my nephew's wedding. I took advantage of being there to make some hotel site inspections ... and to see some sights along the way. Pictured above is one of the more famous residences in the city. However, it's not an easy place to book a room!

The most requested luxury hotels in Washington, DC are the Four Seasons Washington, the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, the Park Hyatt, and the Hay Adams (currently undergoing a complete renovation). I took the opportunity to visit some less requested Virtuoso hotels. Here are my inspection reports of those Washington DC luxury hotels.

St. Regis Washington. An intimate hotel built in 1926 by a Turkish businessman in the style of an Italian Renaissance palace, I was impressed by the intricately carved 18-foot high wooden ceiling in the hotel's lobby. The location of the St. Regis is ideal for business travelers who want to be convenient to the lobbying firms on K Street or Washington's high-powered corporate law firms - and it is the home to Adour by Alain Ducasse. Guest rooms are small and feature a traditional style. The Superior room I saw was 350 square feet with a gold and red color scheme. Built-ins installed during the 2007 renovation provide hanging space and drawers, creating a bit more floor space in the process. Bathrooms are very small with a single vanity and a shower (but not a tub).

The Willard InterContinental has an impressive history. Abraham Lincoln stayed at the Willard prior to his Inauguration, and Ulysses Grant used to smoke cigars in the lobby and "hold court" with individuals seeking favors (giving rise to the term lobbyist). Rooms have traditional styling in shades of red, green, and gold. Rooms are comfortably sized, beginning at 450 square feet, but bathrooms are small with a shower in the tub and only a single vanity.

The Mandarin Oriental Washington is located near the Department of Agriculture and is quite convenient to the various Smithsonian museums. The hotel has constructed a private footbridge to the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial, and the lobby has a round atrium reminiscent of the architecture of the memorial. Guest rooms are comfortable and well-sized, 400-700 square feet, with large bathrooms that feature step-in showers but only a single vanity. The hotel's restaurant, CityZen, is one of the best restaurants in the city, overseen by Chef Eric Ziebold (who worked with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry).

Want to enjoy free breakfasts and more at the seven hotels mentioned in this article? Just book through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant to receive complimentary daily breakfasts for two, room upgrade upon arrival if available, and additional amenities that differ by property.


Washington DC luxury hotels (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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Four Seasons London | early arrivals lounge

London is a great destination, whether you're going for a business trip or planning a summer vacation. The Four Seasons London (Park Lane) is destined to be the most popular hotel in the city. Boasting a great location in Mayfair, just steps from Hyde Park, the hotel is completing a total renovation and is scheduled to open in mid-December, 2010. Reservations are currently being accepted for arrival from February 1, 2011.

The Early Arrivals Lounge is one reason why the Four Seasons London will be a great place to stay. Located on the hotel's brand new 10th floor (added during the renovation), guests arriving in the morning after overnight flights will be welcomed into the Early Arrivals Lounge where they can take a shower, freshen up, relax, and enjoy coffee and snacks until their guestroom becomes available — an incredible benefit to jet-lagged travelers. While it seems like such an obvious idea, Four Seasons is again leading the industry with an innovation that will hopefully become commonplace among luxury hotels.

To receive the very best value at Four Seasons London, simply place your reservation through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel consultant. You pay the same price as everyone else, pay your bill at check-out just like everyone else, but receive the following complimentary amenities:

• Daily full American breakfast for two through In-Room Dining or in the hotel restaurant (including buffets)
• Spa credit of USD100 once during stay (not applicable to products)
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in (excluding signature suites and villas)
• Complimentary high-speed Internet access for all suite bookings

Preferred Partner amenities can save you hundreds of dollars over the course of your stay, making the Four Seasons in London (or in dozens of other locations around the globe) an outstanding value among the luxury hotels of the world.


Four Seasons London (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2010 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.
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luxury adventure travel to exotic islands

I'm not a big fan of cruises. I much prefer to stay and sleep on land, to wander and explore the interesting neighborhoods just outside the door of my hotel. But there's an exception to that rule: sometimes luxury adventure travel takes you to exotic destinations that are best explored by sea. Two such cruise expeditions have come across my desk in recent days.

The Azores and Canary Islands. This tour begins in Granada with a guided tour of the incredible Alhambra (a highlight of my recent trip to Spain). Boarding the ship in Malaga, subsequent stops include Gibraltar and Morocco (with an optional two-day excursion to Marrakech) before heading out into the Atlantic to explore the natural and cultural attractions of the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores. The expedition is led by expert naturalists including a marine biologist, a professional birder, and a horticulturalist.

Circum-navigation of Sicily. This tour begins in Malta with an exploration of Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boarding your ship there, the cruise traces the coast of Sicily and includes guided visits to varied historic and cultural sites including Greek temples, Roman theaters, and Arab castles. There will be abundant opportunities for wine and olive-oil tasting, visiting local outdoor markets, with free time in the evenings to dine on your own in the picturesque coastal towns of Sicily.

These unique experiences are offered by Zegrahm Expeditions, a select Virtuoso company specializing in luxury adventure travel and eco-tourism. With over three dozen exotic trips planned for 2011, some by sea but many by land, there is bound to be an adventure that will intrigue your imagination. Want to plan something totally different for next year? Get in touch with me to explore the possibilities!


luxury adventure travel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2010 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.
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