Posts from the Journeys Category at Luxist

Glamour + Camping = Glamping (Seriously)

Posted Oct 10th 2008 9:02AM by Rigel Celeste
Filed under: Journeys, Services

The camping season is still in full swing around most parts of the country, but swiftly cooling temperatures (especially at night) are beginning to weed out all but the most hardcore of tent-pitching types. The good news? You don't have to be hardcore to enjoy camping during this season, or any other, thanks to a new trend called "glamping."

Glamping (makes me laugh every time I say it) is a term derived from the phrase "glamorous camping," and the idea is to bring nature and luxury together. Amenities vary depending on where you go, but many glamping packages include things like big, plush beds in your tent, personal butlers, gourmet food, wi-fi internet access, spa services (in a tent), and top shelf wine, liquor, cigars, etc. Rates start around $695 a night for a couple and can go as high as $50,000 a week for a family.

Via psfk

Gallery: Glamping at Paws Up Luxury Resort

Win Tickets To Amsterdam With Gadling

Posted Oct 7th 2008 7:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

Our slightly older sister site, Gadling, the source for travel news, is holding a contest to celebrate their birthday this week. They are giving away a pair of round trip tickets to Amsterdam on the newest premium carrier, OpenSkies. OpenSkies is the new premium carrier which flies rom the east coast into Europe. Earlier this year they launched their first route between JFK and Paris, and as of October 15th they're starting their second route from JFK into Amsterdam. The tickets are for Prem+, OpenSkies' signature upper class service which offers wide leather seats, a comfy cabin and attentive service on your journey. To enter head on over to Gadling and tell them why you need to go to Amsterdam.

Aptera: Hovercraft-Chic

Posted Oct 7th 2008 6:02PM by Annie Scott
Filed under: Gadgets, Journeys, Wheels, Wings

Aptera motors is gearing up to bring you the hovercraft you've always wanted. It's amazing, no? The way the wheels are positioned (using the same sophisticated technology that once brought you the tricycle), it appears to just glide down the road--or rather, above the road. Fascinating!

The best thing about the hovercraft (sorry, the Aptera) is its efficiency. This vehicle, though its appearance may be somewhat smoke, mirrors, and Back to the Future, gets 230 miles per gallon. That's pretty darn good, and you don't have to run it on trash or even power from the clocktower when struck by lightning.

The hybrid Aptera will begin production in 2009 and cost about $30,000. That's just around 8,500 gallons of gas!

Globe-Trotter For J. Crew

Posted Oct 7th 2008 5:02PM by Annie Scott
Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Journeys, Men's Style

Globe-Trotter, a British company specializing in luxury luggage since 1897, has teamed up with J. Crew to bring you a beautiful line of travel cases.

Pictured at right is the Globe-Trotter Centenary, a 21" case at $1,800. The Centenary is made from the finest materials, including leather trim and straps and a Vulcan Fibre® shell.

The line also includes suitcases in other sizes and a vanity case. Don't miss the 26" suitcase in black!

Be Surrounded By Golf At The Blue Resort

Posted Oct 7th 2008 3:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

The Blue Resort in Miami is currently in the soft open phase. The 240-suite resort is located in the heart of Doral surrounded by palm-speckled greens, oaks and lakes. The Blue is surrounded by 144 holes of golf and each suite offers fairway views Suites have fully-equipped kitchens, private verandas and marble-tiled five-fixture bathrooms with rain shower and stand-alone Jacuzzi bathtub accompanied with a flat screen television. Amenities include plush terry robes, 42" flat panel high-definition LCD televisions, in-room coffee/teamakers, wireless internet access, sound systems with DVD players and iPOD docking stations. The resort will also include the 5300 Chop House restaurant, a poolside bar and grill and the Spa Azul. Now through Dec. 20, you can get a "Sneak-A-Peek" rate of $189 per night.

St. Barth's Villa Sold for Record $39 Million

Posted Oct 6th 2008 6:02PM by Jared Paul Stern
Filed under: Estates, Journeys

A luxurious villa in St. Barth's has just been sold by the local affiliate of Sotheby's Int'l Realty for $39 million, setting a new record for the swank French West Indies resort. Villa La Grande Maison des Etoiles, situated in an exclusive gated mountaintop community, sets a new standard in luxury for the famed getaway. The seven-bedroom, seven-bath estate features panoramic views of the ocean, neighboring islands and incoming megayachts, as well as multiple in- and outdoor living and dining areas, several pools and lush gardens, all bordered by magnificent stone walls handcrafted from volcanic rock. There are Louis Vuitton and Hermes-themed guest suites with views as well. If you missed out on this elegant property, don't despair; the villa will be available for rent a few weeks out of the year for pre-qualified individuals, at a cost of $193,550 per week during peak season.

Gallery: La Grande Maison des Etoiles

Massimo Ferragamo's Members-Only Tuscan Estate

Posted Oct 6th 2008 2:02PM by Tracy Chait
Filed under: Estates, Journeys

In the Val d'Orcia region of Italy, Massimo Ferragamo is restoring a 4,500 acre property called Castiglion del Bosco, known also as how my mind spent its summer vacation. The 800-year-old estate boasts two 14th century chapels, Gothic ruins, fields of deep red poppies, a macchia forest and vineyards where some of the best Brunello first grows. It's where parts of The English Patient were filmed. And soon enough, you can stay there, too.

Part of Ferragamo's restoration is to create an unparalleled travel experience, as he oversees the creation of 20 villas on the property and 26 additional hotel-like suites. A Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course, restaurants, infinity pool, cooking school, 12,000 square foot spa and library are either underway or in the plans, as well.

16 of the 26 suites are complete, but you can't simply book a night or two at the estate. Instead, you'll pay a fee to be part of a membership club that bestows visiting privileges. The 120 memberships have been estimated at close to $4 million each and are by invitation only. See the gallery for the breathtaking views, an original Lorenzetti fresco inside the Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo and images to induce every kind of wishful thinking.

Gallery: Castiglion del Bosco

Stay Hotel Opens In New York

Posted Oct 4th 2008 2:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

The latest New York City hotel from hotelier Vikram Chatwal is simply called Stay. Located in Times Square (157 West 47th Street), the hotel offers 210 guestrooms. As Hotel Chatter reports, the hotel was a former Quality Inn. It is now decked out with 300-plus thread count sheets and feather duvets and been given a tech makeover with interactive in-room LCD displays for ordering food from the room-service menu, Bluetooth and Skype enabled cordless telephones and Bose Wave Audio Systems with iPod cradles. There are also L'Occitane products and plush terry bathrobes as well as mini bars with premium spirits and gourmet snacks and refreshments. The centerpiece of the hotel is the Aspen Social Club, a restaurant/lounge which includes an antler-crowned fire pit and serves small plates. Rates at the hotel start at $249.

Gallery: Stay Hotel

Villa Malibu Holiday Getaway Packages

Posted Oct 4th 2008 12:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

Last time I mentioned the Villa Malibu complex it was to discuss Brody Jenner's move there in 2007. Now the complex which is located near the Pacific Coast Highway between Zuma Beach and Point Dume in Malibu, California, has started renting out units for vacation packages during November and December. Thanksgiving packages start at $10,700 and Holiday packages start at $11,300, per package for two-and-three bedroom suites. The packages include a one month lease, fully catered dinner for five to eight people, a private tour of Malibu wineries with a picnic lunch, horseback riding lessons and access to Villa Malibu's full-service amenities and onsite private staff which consists of a concierge, chauffeur and a beach porter. There is also a pool with private cabanas, an outdoor barbeque and dining garden, tennis courts, basketball court, fitness center, Pars course and a doggy park. While Malibu can be a bit cool in winter, like many beach towns, it is a lot calmer and easier to enjoy out of season.

Gallery: Villa Malibu

Lusso Collection Adds $5 Million Tuscan Villa

Posted Oct 4th 2008 9:03AM by Jared Paul Stern
Filed under: Journeys

In August we reported that the Lusso Collection portfolio of multi-million dollar residences in the world's most desirable vacation spots was launching a new membership program. Now the company, whose properties - worth an average of $4 million each - are located in luxe spots such as Cabo San Lucas, Aspen, Miami, Hawaii and the Bahamas, has acquired a $5 million villa in Tuscany, its first European estate.

Located on the outskirts of picturesque Cortona, La Ripa (above) is a 500-year-old, 4,000-sq.-ft. fully-restored stone farmhouse with five bedroom suites, stone fireplaces, terracotta floors and brick archways. The estate's 27 landscaped acres include a privately situated swimming pool, lush gardens and olive and cypress groves. With 31 luxury properties in 17 destinations currently in its portfolio, the company plans to have 39 luxury residences in 21 destinations by year's end, with London and Paris coming next.

[via Affluent Page]

Floor Ferraris and F1's at the Ascari Race Resort

Posted Oct 2nd 2008 12:02PM by Jared Paul Stern
Filed under: Journeys, Wheels

For the price of a $160,000 membership plus a $6,500 annual fee, you can get 50 days of high-speed driving in a fleet of supercars at Spain's lavish Ascari Race Resort. Situated in the dramatic southern Andalusian mountains, the Ascari consists of a luxury resort complex adjacent to a 3.4 mile racetrack designed to replicate famous Formula 1 courses. The resort features of a ten-villa luxury hotel, spa, salon, clay shooting range, pools, bars and a helicopter pad to take guests to a beautiful beach 15 minutes away. The fleet of cars ranges from several race-prepped Lotus Elises and BMWs to ex-Formula 1 machines and Ascari's own brand of supercar. However, they can procure Ferraris, Lamborghinis or "just about anything you could wish to drive on the circuit, given time and sufficient credit card headroom," BusinessWeek notes. See the gallery for more.

Gallery: Ascari Race Resort

The Danube Express, Europe's Newest Luxury Train

Posted Oct 2nd 2008 8:02AM by Jared Paul Stern
Filed under: Journeys

The Danube Express (above), billed as the "first five-star hotel on wheels to be launched in central Europe for almost 30 years," just completed its maiden voyage from Budapest to Berlin. The Express' classic train cars were retrofitted with hand-built wood-paneled sleeping compartments with en suite baths at a cost of $200,000 apiece, the London Times reports. There's also a VIP compartment with velvet and copper accents that was formerly the private quarters of Hungary's last Communist president, which costs $5,000 for the journey. Other destinations including Prague, Vienna and Istanbul will be added soon.

The World's 10 Most Expensive Hotel Suites

Posted Oct 1st 2008 8:02AM by Jared Paul Stern
Filed under: Journeys

The Wealth Bulletin has compiled a new list of the World's Top Ten Most Expensive Hotel Rooms, and the first and second both cost over $30,000 per night. And despite glum economic prospects, demand for these costly suites is as strong as ever, with waiting lists stretching from now until the end of December. Also worth noting is the appearance of Dubai (the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite, above) and Moscow hotels on the list, which would have been unheard of just a couple years ago. Here are the Top 10:

1. Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons, New York; $34,000 per night
2. Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva; $33,000 per night
3. The Presidential Suite, Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda, Italy; $21,000 per night
4. Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai; $18,000 per night
5. Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richemond, Geneva; $17,500 per night
6. The Ritz-Carlton Suite, The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow; $16,500 per night
7. The Royal Suite, Four Seasons George V, Paris; $16,000 per night
8. The Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt-Vendôme, Paris; $15,500 per night
9. Brook Penthouse, Claridges, London; $10,000 per night
10. Penthouse Suite, Hotel Martinez, Cannes; $9,300 per night

Gallery: World's Top 10 Hotel Rooms

Will Gambling Come To Miami Beach?

Posted Sep 29th 2008 3:02PM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel is currently finishing up a $500 million renovation but could there be plans for a casino in the venerable Florida hotel? The Miami Herald reports on a recent push to have the Florida constitution amended to allow gambling at the proposed Miami Worldcenter and any hotel in Miami Beach with more than 800 rooms, a restriction that includes only the Fontainebleau. It's a natural leap considering that a Fontainebleau casino in Las Vegas is already under construction.

The new Fontainebleau in Miami Beach is set to open next month and follows the inclusive hotel paradigm of Las Vegas Strip hotels with 11 restaurants and bars, ample meeting space, 1,500 guest rooms, and a 40,000-square-foot spa. The developers have said that their plains for the Miami Beach hotel did not include casinos. The push for gambling in Miami comes from Miami developer who wants to put a casino in a commercial complex planned for the downtown area. But many feel that the Fontainebleau is the natural place for a casino in Miami Beach, it has the size and prestige to embrace gambling in a way that would add to the resort. And it could also bring a much needed infusion of cash to the South Florida resort economy.

Room Redesign at Treasure Island

Posted Sep 28th 2008 11:02AM by Deidre Woollard
Filed under: Journeys

Treasure Island isn't the most luxurious place on the Las Vegas Strip by far but it can be an excellent choice if you are saving your money for the gambling tables or the Strip's other attractions. Treasure Island has updated their rooms with pillow top beds, 26-inch LCD flat-screen televisions to MP3/iPod-compatible clock-radios. The suites range in size from 630 square feet to 930 square feet and have foyers, sitting areas and dual bathrooms featuring whirlpool tubs for her and glass-enclosed showers for him as well as his-and-her closets. Tower Suites also have dining nooks for four. Room rates start at $129 per night and suites begin at $140.

Gallery: Treasure Island's New Rooms

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Glamour + Camping = Glamping (Seriously)

Win Tickets To Amsterdam With Gadling

Aptera: Hovercraft-Chic

Globe-Trotter For J. Crew

Be Surrounded By Golf At The Blue Resort

St. Barth's Villa Sold for Record $39 Million

Massimo Ferragamo's Members-Only Tuscan Estate

Stay Hotel Opens In New York

Villa Malibu Holiday Getaway Packages

Lusso Collection Adds $5 Million Tuscan Villa

Floor Ferraris and F1's at the Ascari Race Resort

The Danube Express, Europe's Newest Luxury Train

The World's 10 Most Expensive Hotel Suites

Will Gambling Come To Miami Beach?

Room Redesign at Treasure Island

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#	Blogger	Posts	Cmts
1	Deidre Woollard	183	5
2	Jared Paul Stern	73	0
3	Tracy Chait	48	0
4	Rigel Celeste	26	0
5	Annie Scott	23	1
6	Laura Malesich	19	1
7	Lisa Palladino	8	0
8	Meg Massie	1	1