how long to visit Italy?

Should we visit Italy for one week or two? This was the question posed in an email I received this morning. The writer explained that she could save $400 on airfare if she returned after one week instead of two. She wanted to visit Italy and see Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Siena, and Pisa. Could she do it all in a week? What did I think as a travel advisor?

Saving $400 on airfare is a false economy. Planning travel has to consider more than getting the absolute lowest price, contrary to our compulsive tendency to scour the internet for the best deals. Travel is about creating priceless memorable experiences that enrich our lives.

Do you dream of seeing the Roman Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel with your own eyes? Want to explore Tuscany with its picturesque hill towns and beautiful rows of cypress trees, or stand in front of Michelangelo's David in Florence and Leonardo's Last Supper in Milan? Travel is an investment in life-changing experiences, so give yourself all the time you can afford.

$57 per day. Look at the question a different way: would you spend $57 per day for the opportunity to spend a week in Italy? $400 is a bargain when you look at it that way!


visit Italy (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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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Kapalua Wine & Food Festival

Kapalua Wine & Food Festival

I was invited by the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua to participate in the 30th Annual 2011 Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, held annually at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua on Maui. This is a very popular event for lovers of fine wine and seafood, and we spoke with visitors from all over Hawaii as well as the mainland U.S. An entire weekend of events is offered, but these were the highlights for me:

Friday evening's “Grand Tasting” took place on June 10th, and the picture shows just a fraction of the A-List wines from around the world available for tasting. In addition to wine tasting, a variety of canapes were provided by a half dozen different Maui restaurants — as well as a tempting dessert table. No one left the Great Tasting hungry or without having sampled some premium wines. (I'm no wine expert, but I did see Far Niente wines represented at the festival, one of Napa Valley’s most exclusive labels).

Sunday evening featured the Maui Seafood Festival. Held on the lawn of the Beach House restaurant, nine different Maui restaurants offered some of their best seafood recipes, and wines and other beverages were again offered as well as a scrumptious dessert table.

The Kapalua Wine & Food Festival is an extremely popular event which sells out every year. Hosted by the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, the resort was fully booked over the weekend. Want to enjoy the event in 2012? Contact your travel consultant now. Festival packages may be available including accommodations at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.


Kapalua Wine & Food Festival (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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 Wailea, Maui | room categories

Four Seasons Wailea is the most popular Four Seasons resort in the world and has the distinction of being the first resort that Four Seasons developed. Built in 1990, it is one of four major resorts in the Wailea area of South Maui.

Maui is blessed with great beaches, but those beaches tend to be lined with larger resorts, especially on Ka'anapali Beach where the Grand Hyatt has 806 rooms in an 11 floor tower and the Westin has 759 rooms in a 9 floor tower (among other properties). Though large by Four Seasons standards, FS Wailea is smaller by design with just 377 rooms spread out over 15 oceanside acres. It is the most intimate resort in the Wailea area. Many travelers prefer to stay in Wailea because its climate is drier and warmer than West Maui.

What room category to choose at FS Maui? This was the question I had in mind during my site inspection last Friday. I am quoting some room rates as an indication of relative cost; these are the current rates for 20JUN, 2011, but rates are subject to change. Double-click on the pictures to see a larger version.

Mountainside Room

Mountainside rooms are the lead-in room category at Four Seasons Wailea and are priced at a considerable discount from the resort's other rooms. Located on the east side of the property, these rooms face the roof of the parking garage with a peek at the mountains beyond (see picture immediately above). Not the most attractive view, but if you don't plan to spend much time in your room, they offer an affordable way to experience all the luxury and service of Four Seasons.

Garden View Room

Garden View rooms are on the lower floors, facing the inner courtyard in the picture above. There is no view of the ocean, but you do have a view of the lush landscaping; you should ask your travel consultant to work with their Four Seasons rep to get you blocked in a Garden View with a better view of the courtyard. When there are Experience More promotions offering free nights or hotel credits, Garden rooms can be a better choice if you are looking for value, as promotional rates typically do not apply to Mountainside rooms.


Partial Ocean-View Room
Four Seasons defines "partial ocean view" to indicate that you can see the ocean from the room's balcony but not from inside the room itself. These rooms are on the lower floors of the hotel.

Ocean View Room

Ocean View rooms are on the outside of the "U" shaped hotel building, facing the ocean and the villa complex to the south (as in the picture here) or the Grand Wailea Resort to the north.

Ocean View Prime Room

Ocean View Prime rooms have the same view of the ocean as the Ocean View rooms, the distinction being that they are on the inside of the "U" shaped hotel building and look out at the ocean over the Four Seasons's landscaped courtyard and pool area.


No matter which room category you select, your best value is to book through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner. You will receive a complimentary Full American Breakfast for two daily (via room service or in the restaurant, including buffets - a $70 value), one complimentary lunch for two (up to $85), and a room upgrade on arrival subject to availability. Guests in suites also receive complimentary internet service when booked through a Preferred Partner.


Four Seasons Wailea (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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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Maui | beach vacation paradise

I'm just back from a 5-day trip to Maui during which we visited three different resorts and explored some of the beaches and snorkeling opportunities on Maui. Some quick impressions about Maui.

1. Maui is a beautiful island which is easy to get around. The one main road along the coast of West Maui is smooth and attractive (and it's been widened to four lanes around Ka'anapali area which helps the traffic flow).

2. Maui is all about great beaches. If you want to sit by the pool or beach, body surf in the waves, and go snorkeling, Maui is a beach vacation paradise. Want to go further afield? Visit the Haleakala Crater, the world's largest dormant volcano. More than 10,000 feet above sea level, you should bring warm clothing and, for a special thrill, bike ride down the mountain. Many visitors enjoy driving the winding road to Hana (with 600 curves and 54 bridges) through the scenic rainforests along the eastern shores of Maui.

3. Maui has two of the world's best luxury resorts, the Four Seasons Wailea and the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. Tip: by booking through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner and Virtuoso agency, you'll get free daily breakfasts, room upgrades if available, and other additional perks.

4. Maui has some very large beachside resorts, but if you prefer an intimate and very nice resort right on a great beach in a protected cove, you'll enjoy the four-star Napili Kai Beach Resort (pictured above). I saw a newly refurbished Ocean Front Suite, which sleeps a family of 4 comfortably, has 2 full baths, and a full kitchen - a good value at $590 and highly recommended for a Maui beach vacation.


Maui beach vacation (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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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map your Virtuoso hotel

There are 900 Virtuoso hotels and resorts around the world (more or less), and you really should make your hotel booking through a Virtuoso travel consultant - and not directly on the internet. Why?

1. Because websites can be deceiving; a wide-angle lens can make the most cramped room look spacious. Most travel consultants make hotel site inspections when they travel, so why not ask someone who's been there and seen the rooms?

2. Because every hotel has its own personality. What are you looking for when you travel? Do you want a hotel that's warm and personable, a place where everyone knows your name? Or do you prefer a property that's businesslike and efficient? Do you go for traditional, contemporary, or even starkly modern interior design? A good travel consultant can quickly help you find what you want.

3. Because location matters. If you're not familiar with a city, you may not even know where in that city you want to stay. This is where professional expertise can be extremely useful.

4. Because a travel consultant can typically get you a better value than you'll find online. Pay the same rate as everyone else, but enjoy free breakfasts, room upgrades, and other complimentary perks through the power of Virtuoso.

5. Because there's no downside to using a Virtuoso travel consultant, many of whom do not charge booking fees. You pay at check-out and enjoy the same cancellation deadlines you'd get by booking online.


I've just updated my website, and one of the resources I'm most excited about is a page where you can map your Virtuoso hotel. I've spent a lot of time over the years putting together Google Maps of the Virtuoso hotels of selected cities, and I've made those maps available to you on this page. If you bookmark it, you can use this page to map the Virtuoso hotels in 30 of the most requested cities and countries in the world (with more to come). The dots on the map indicate not only the location of each Virtuoso hotel in a city but also the amenities you'll receive through a Virtuoso booking. (Hotels do get added and taken off these lists, and amenities can change from year to year, so these maps are a continual work-in-process.)


map your Virtuoso hotel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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 luxury bargain in London | Milestone Hotel

Do you have plans to visit London this summer? While June and July are a busy time for this great destination, August is a much quieter month. Hotels are begging for business, and this means low rates and exceptional values for you (not to mention shorter lines to visit the British Museum, Tower of London, and Houses of Parliament - and you can get into Buckingham Palace and tour the State Rooms).

Here's the deal my UK hotel guru just let me in on: you can book a Deluxe Room at the Milestone Hotel for just $485 per night, a Guaranteed U.S. Dollar rate that includes VAT and Breakfast. If you're looking for something really special, you can book a Master Suite such as the Prince Albert Suite for $1,105 (pictured above) whose two balconies overlook Kensington Gardens.

The Milestone is a boutique hotel right across the street from Kensington Palace (where rumor has it that William and Catherine will live). Housed in a 19th century building that has been described as “a luxury country mansion in the heart of London,” the Milestone is a luxurious hotel in a lovely location. While guest rooms are not large, Junior Suites and Master Suites offer extraordinary space and luxury. The Milestone excels at service and is currently the highest rated hotel in Great Britain on the Conde Nast Gold List.

Book through a Virtuoso travel consultant, to receive exclusive amenities at the Milestone throughout the year at the BAR:

• Guaranteed upgrade at time of booking
  
• Complimentary full English breakfast daily for up to two in-room guests
  
• Champagne afternoon tea for two, once during stay
  
• Bottled mineral water and seasonal fruit plate replenished daily
  
• Guaranteed late check-out (4PM)
  
• For Suite bookings of 4 nights or longer, guests also receive roundtrip chauffer-driven limousine transfers from/to Heathrow.

And the added perk from my UK hotel guru? Guaranteed U.S. Dollar rates and pre-blocked rooms.


Milestone Hotel (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2011 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.