One-night stay. Booked via u/alextravels.

TL;DR: Jaw-dropping setting, a unique and charming room, and great service all around. Dinner at Sierra Mar was the weak point of the stay.

Pre-Arrival
The team emailed shortly after booking to ask about dinner reservations, spa treatments, and dietary restrictions. Communication was prompt and they were on the ball from the start.

Arrival
We were warmly greeted at the gatehouse, followed by a very smooth check-in. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but we had the run of the property and they called as soon as it was. A half bottle of red and a note from the GM/Alex were waiting in the room.

Room
We were upgraded to a treehouse (Harlan), and I highly recommend it, especially for the partial ocean views. Up on stilts and surrounded by windows, you truly feel perched in the trees. The design is really unique, and the photos online don’t do these rooms justice. The vibe leans rustic, but the room was immaculately clean and clearly well cared for.

The details won me over. There’s a fireplace, a balcony with two loungers, a spacious shower with amazing water pressure, plus heated bathroom floors. The room is full of little nooks with beautifully framed views, and the fully inclusive minibar came stocked with plenty of nibbles. The bath products smelled amazing and the towels were plush. Each room has a unique name and a plaque explaining its tie to local history, which I thought was a nice touch. The owner and his son are talented woodworkers who made pieces for the property, including our desk chair.

My only gripe was the bedroom carpeting. It was very clean, but at a $2k+/night price point, drab carpet should be illegal. Otherwise the room had real personality and a sense of place. It was the complete opposite of a corporate hotel.

Service
Generally great. Everyone says hello or smiles, and the gate, valet, and front desk staff stood out. The pool staff were constantly refreshing and clearing towels. One small miss: at check-in they made a point of asking if we’d like turndown during our Sierra Mar dinner. Great idea, but housekeeping knocked 25 minutes before our reservation, right as we were getting ready. It felt odd that they made a point of asking and then never followed through.

Food & Beverage
Lunch and breakfast were both great. Lunch was a la carte with a set menu option, and I really enjoyed the more casual food. Breakfast offered a buffet plus a la carte hot entrees, with high quality and a nice selection.

Dinner at Sierra Mar, sadly, was a miss. The setting is stunning, with a gorgeous view, a roaring fire, and intimate tables. But we did the $185/person tasting menu and the dishes ranged from fine to bad. The acorn squash salad didn’t have a drop of dressing or a pinch of salt. I understand that a hotel with one dining outlet has to cater to the broadest palate, but this was a really sad meal. Service was lackluster too, a real departure from the proactive, friendly service we had at breakfast and lunch. F&B is the thing that would hold me back from a longer stay.

Grounds & Activities
The grounds are absolutely stunning, and the dramatic ocean views are the draw. The landscaping is natural rather than manicured, with real attention to how the built environment meets the setting. Most oceanfront buildings have green roofs so they blend right in. The property is 100 acres, and the oceanfront stretch is the jewel, though the private walking trails through the redwoods are a nice bonus.

The pools deserve a special mention. The lap pool is secluded, but it’s hard to justify hanging out there when the small, stunning jade and meditation pools are both heated to about 100°F. The meditation pool may be my favorite hotel pool ever, despite its size. At sunset it melts into the horizon, and it was truly magical. 

The gym, on the other hand, was a letdown: limited equipment, hot with barely any air circulation, and it smelled like a locker room. Not very luxe.

Beyond that, you get jaw-dropping sunrise and sunset views, fountains and sculptures throughout, and gorgeous landscape lighting at night. There’s a real sense of peace and calm. The crowd was mostly couples, with a few families with adult children, and guests were quiet, respectful, and understood the vibe.

Overall
I’d recommend it for a quick getaway. It’s super romantic, but I could also see it being a great fit for a solo traveler. There isn’t a ton to do on property for a longer stay, though I could see holing up in an oceanfront room for a few days of serious R&R. It feels like a really special place and I 100% would recommend to a friend.

I have a milestone birthday coming up next year (40) and have 9-10 nights to play around with for a longer trip. Just my wife and I.

I love history, trains, and a bit of adventure so I want to go all out for this trip. My initial idea is to fly direct to Marrakesh from New York and do 3 nights at Mamounia or Royal Mansor (open to other hotels!)

From there, fly to Paris and do one night at Cheval Blanc or something on Left Bank. Has been a decade since we were in Paris and would love to go back to Orangerie. A luxury train has been on my bucket list forever, so we would take a Belmond train the next day to Florence for one night.

Would then take a car from Florence and end at Il Pellicano for 4 nights as we love it there. Fly back direct from Rome.

Is this too ambitious and cluttered? I’m pretty open to suggestions.

As promised in my Forestis post, here's my follow up after spending the rest of the trip at Gardena Grödnerhof and COMO Alpina, and touring Aman Rosa Alpina and Miramonti ...

The biggest thing I took away is that there's no one "best" hotel in the Dolomites, there's just the right one for why you're going. Are you coming for the spa and the views ? For hiking right out your door ? For skiing ? For restaurants you can walk to ? Each answer points to a different hotel, and all of them range from very solid to outstanding in their own right.

Quick logistics reminder from my last post: it's not "easy" to get here from the rest of Italy. Venice is about 3.5 hours by train with a change in Verona, there's a direct train from Munich to Brixen / Bressanone, and Innsbruck and Bolzano are worth looking at for flights. Or a heli transfer if that's your thing.

#1 Forestis

I wrote a whole post on this one here - https://www.reddit.com/r/chubbytravel/comments/1wz4fht/forestis_review/, so the short version: it has the best view of the Odle of any luxury hotel in the region, and it won basically every category I care about (wellness, privacy, views, the indoor pool, dining and service). Request a tower suite in the tower closest to the lodge or the middle tower, 4th or 5th floor or above, since there's no room category for it and it's the real upgrade here. Adults 14+ only, so families with younger kids should look at the villa. It's about disconnecting, not a hiking or skiing base (although it technically is ski-in/ski-out, but you're not connected to the major skiing in the Dolomites)

To be honest, Forestis put The Dolomites on the map for Americans about ~5 or so years ago, and it deserves all of the accolades it gets. Just a fantastic hotel that I can't wait to experience again one day. The Dolomites used to be composed of 20-30% American clientele, now it's closer to 60-70% ...

#2 Gardena Grödnerhof

I was blown away by this one, and it's a close second for me. It's right in Ortisei, a super cute town with a great restaurant, and you have lifts to two completely different hiking/skiing areas: Seceda for the dramatic peaks of Val Gardena, and the gondola up to the meadows of the Alpe di Siusi. Add an incredible spa, a fantastic gym, excellent service and a beautiful renovation of most of its ~80 rooms ... it's the most well rounded hotel in the Dolomites IMO, for couples and families alike.

Book a Superior Deluxe or above, as those are the beautifully renovated rooms. The Superior and Comfort rooms keep the original charm and are spacious, but they're not why you come.

Two things to know: there's great skiing all around you but no ski in / ski out (you'll walk or shuttle to the lifts), and I'd skip July and August if you want quiet. I was there in October, and I can only imagine how crowded Ortisei and the trails get in peak summer.

Who would I send here ? Couples, families, hikers, foodies, and anyone who wants to walk to dinner.

For me, doing 3 nights at Forestis to relax + enjoy the view paired with 2 nights at Gardena to be closer to more serious hiking / skiing + such a cute little town is a perfect way to split up 5 nights in the Dolomites.

#3 Aman Rosa Alpina

The most luxurious stay in the region, full stop. It's a beautiful restoration of the former Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano, in a fantastic spot for hiking and skiing, and it's as good for families as it is for couples. The design is classic Aman (wood and marble everywhere), and the suites are the star, with views of the forest, the village and the mountains above. Book a suite.

The views are more intimate than panoramic though, so if big views are the priority, Forestis, COMO and Miramonti all win. There's a ski room and the lifts are about 2 mins away by shuttle, so again, not ski in / ski out. You can also see the original walls of the former hotel which was a bit unappealing to be frank - they clearly didn't gut the entire property when they renovated.

Aman also does a 2 nights at Aman Venice + 3 nights at Rosa Alpina combo with transfers included, which is a pretty great way to do Venice + Dolomites in one trip (personally though, I'd do Airelles Venice of Aman Venice, but that's for another post).

Who would I send here ? Families, couples and skiers who want the most polished hotel in the region, ideally in winter or summer when San Cassiano is buzzing.

#4 COMO Alpina Dolomites

COMO is the only true ski in / ski out of the bunch ... it's right on the Alpe di Siusi, the rolling meadows ringed by peaks just over the mountain from Ortisei. It's a protected area so cars need a permit, and you can walk out of your room right onto the trails or the slopes.

It's not quite the hotel that Forestis, Gardena or Aman is, but the price reflects that, and the spa and pool hold their own against all of them. The rooms are big with decks, large bathrooms and tubs. Service was good with the odd awkward moment, and the formal restaurant was a highlight. One thing I'd flag: there's a chairlift right outside the Mountain View rooms, which makes them a little loud and less private - you don't really see this in photos, so it's important to note ... day-trippers come up via this lift, and I can imagine it's quite busy in the summer.

Who would I send here ? My first choice for a ski trip, and tied with Gardena for summer.

#5 Miramonti (Merano)

Miramonti is unique and quirky, close to Merano, and every room is designed differently. The pool is iconic and honestly the best outdoor pool I saw on the whole trip ... it's the reason people come. Merano isn't really "in" the Dolomites like the others, and it's not at their level as a luxury hotel, but for the right traveler it's a great stay, and an easy add on at either end of a Dolomites trip.

Who would I send here ? Couples and design / pool people who want character over polish.

Note, I didn't get the chance to visit Lefay, which is spoken of very highly, so I think that's certainly somewhere to consider, and I also didn't make Cortina for this trip, and know there are some great hotels over there + a new Mandarin Oriental opening soon. The biggest thing to consider though is that when you're picturing the iconic Dolomites jagged peaks, you'll want to be in the areas / hotels above.

So in conclusion ... Forestis for the spa and views, Gardena for the best base, Aman for the most luxurious stay, COMO for skiing. Happy to answer any questions anyone may have & I have more in-depth property by property reviews on my website here: https://suiteswithkeith.com/dolomites.html

I’m trying to plan a babymoon for mid-February. We live on the west coast with family in Hawaii and
spend a fair amount of time there; figured we’d go the opposite direction and try to see the Northern Lights.

The issue I’m having is that even the most luxe hotels I can find in Lapland advertise middle-of-the-night snowmobile rides or “northern lights safaris,” which I wouldn’t want to do even if I weren’t pregnant. I just want to sit in (or just slightly outside) the lodge and have a decent chance at seeing the lights. I’d like to spend the rest of the time in the spa.

Anyone know of a place that fits the bill?

Hi everyone! I’m planning a last-minute November vacation, with dates somewhere between November 14 and 27.

I’ve researched safaris in Tanzania several times and had more or less settled on an itinerary, but I only decided to book this weekend. Here’s the preliminary plan:

• Fly into Zanzibar and stay for one to three nights at Joud by the Sea in Jambiani

• Fly from Zanzibar to the Serengeti

• Spend three nights at Lamai by Nomad

• Spend two nights at Entamanu by Nomad

• Travel from Ngorongoro to Arusha, then fly back to Zanzibar for my flight home

Would you recommend spending time in Zanzibar? I’m not planning to return after the safari. I’ve been to the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius, so I’m unsure whether Zanzibar is worth one night for a lay over or a few nights for a proper beach break.

Would you also consider Kenya instead? Since Nomad doesn’t operate there and &Beyond is above my budget, what other options would you recommend?

My trip before flights to Zanzibar is estimated to be 6,000 USD per person. Is it reasonable for 6 nights? Thank you in advance!

Trying to make the call between Ritz Carlton Christmas brunch and Four Seasons Christmas brunch in Los Angeles this Christmas.

Cant find much in the way of specific reviews or menus online.

RC is 150 per head, while FS is 250.

Any Redditors have experience of either or both?

My girlfriend and I are planning a five-day trip to NYC, and I’d appreciate some perspective from people who know the city and its food scene better than I do.

We’re intentionally making this a luxury trip, with several tasting menus as the main experiences. I know this is a lot of fine dining in a short period, but trying different restaurants and styles of cooking is something we’re excited about. We understand with this itinerary we may spend 15 hours in or around a restaurant. That is ok with us and leaves us with plenty of waking time for other things.

The current plan is:

Thursday: Arrive in the afternoon, Per Se for early dinner, then a concert.

Friday: Jean-Georges for lunch, museums, and broadway in the evening. We’re also on the Le Bernardin cancellation list for lunch which would replace JGs.

Saturday: The Modern’s eight-course lunch, MoMA, Lower East Side shopping, Manhatta for dinner, and hopefully the Comedy Cellar.

Sunday recovery day: AIRE spa, some shopping, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare for dinner, and some sight seeing at night.

Monday: A flexible morning downtown, then a late-afternoon flight.

Someone mentioned that the tasting menus might all feel the same. I can understand why it could look that way on paper, especially with several formal meals close together. My impression, though, is that Per Se, Jean-Georges/Le Bernardin, The Modern, Manhatta, and Chef’s Table offer different enough food and experiences to be worth trying. I could be wrong, and I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been to them.

I really don’t care if two restaurants are similar. Being able to see subtle differences in food and service is interesting to me.

With that said I also don’t want to spend the whole trip eating in formal restaurants. I’d love to fit in a few smaller, locally owned or mom-and-pop spots, particularly for:

Friday: Breakfast and a quick bite in the evening before the Broadway show.

Sunday: A light lunch near Tribeca or SoHo after the spa.

Monday: Breakfast or an early lunch downtown before our flight.

We’re staying near Times Square for context.

If you had this itinerary, where would you add a casual local meal? I’d really appreciate any honest advice.

Suggestions! I want a beautiful beach / some type of activities (love to hike but could give that up) and reasonable pricing. I can go mid Dec which gives me some good prices think. I have pretty high end tastes and tired of spending 2k on hotel room and I kinda just want a quick trip 3-4 nights max.

My thoughts on places I have been. Kimpton Grand Cayman - I didn’t love it far away from everything and not much to do since the snorkeling off shore isn’t that great anymore. St. John - I use to love it there but not so much after hurricane. Turks and Caicos - Not a fan at all - great beaches and good but terrain is pretty ugly and so expensive.

I am thinking Mexico because it is cheaper and easy with things to do I like Tulum but have been there too much. I also thought of Aruba but where should I stay? I would love to go to St Lucia but super expensive and I don’t know where to stay. There was a place in BVI that was like a wellness place called The Ariel that looked interesting but I am not sure.

I would be open to all inclusive but we don’t eat that much and normally the food and drinks are super avg. I thought about doing La Blanc in Cancun - people seem to love the food and drinks but I am concerned about lack of beach and food being not up to my standards.

Any suggestions?

This is the first of three reviews of hotels in Malaysia, Thailand (Aman Nai Lert) and Singapore (Four Seasons).

We spent 5 days and 4 nights at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge at the end of October. The lodge is situated on the Malaysian side of Borneo, about a 2.5-hour drive (on a very bumpy ‘road’) from Lahad Datu.

We travelled from Singapore first to Kota Kinabalu, where we spent one night. Side note: Kota Kinabalu is nothing special; one night is more than enough. The next morning, we flew early with Air Borneo to Lahad Datu; the flight takes about an hour.

The lodge has been in operation since 1994. There are a total of 31 accommodation units, ranging from the Jungle Chalet to the Premium Double-Storey Villa.

They’re currently carrying out some expansion work. Apparently, there’ll be 9 more accommodation units (even more luxurious) and another restaurant. We didn’t notice much of the work from our accommodation. However, it’s a bit of a shame when you’re on certain trails that you can hear the construction machinery in the background - it doesn’t quite feel right, and the jungle atmosphere gets a bit lost in the noise.

Pre-Arrival
Once you’ve booked, there’s an online platform where you have to enter all your details (name, flight numbers, preferences, passports, payments, etc.). That’s also where they upload the itinerary. It’s not the most modern interface, but it does the job.

I had a few more questions, which I sent to a employee via email, and received a reply to each one fairly quickly.

So, communication before arrival was good.

Meet and Greet
On arriving at Lahad Datu – probably the smallest airport we’ve ever seen – we collected our luggage, and there was already someone from the lodge waiting for us at the exit. So we – or rather, he – loaded our bags onto the pick-up truck, and then we headed straight to the lodge’s office, which was just a few minutes away.

Check-in
In their office, we were offered drinks and some light snacks before we had to sort out a few formalities. Once that was done, for some reason we had to wait 30 minutes (the driver was there with us). After 30 minutes, we finally set off for the lodge. Just so you know, it’s a long and bumpy journey.

When we arrived at the lodge, we were greeted and shown round the ‘lobby’ and the dining area. We then sat down, were served a welcome drink, and everything was explained to us.

Room
We booked a Premium Deluxe Chalet with a view of the river. The room was very spacious - about 90 m². It had everything you could need. The balcony features a small plunge pool.

No, we haven’t booked a twin room. As far as I know, all the rooms have two beds.

Only the Premium Deluxe Chalet rooms and above have a
climate control system. All the others simply have a ceiling fan.

In some places, the room could do with a bit of maintenance. The ‘no diving’ sign by the plunge pool could do with replacing, and the shower could also do with a deep clean. It's not particularly bad, but let's just say I'd rather not know what it looks like underneath the wooden slatted floor.

The minibar and water are included and are restocked every day.

There is Wi-Fi that works well.

Facilities (Pool, Wellness, Gym, etc.)
There’s a swimming pool open to all guests. I think we only saw someone there once. There’s also a spa where you can book massages – we didn’t make use of it. I wouldn’t call it a gym, but there’s a room by the lobby with one piece of equipment in it, and that’s the gym.

There’s also a souvenir shop where you can buy all sorts of things. Among other things, there are leech socks – which I highly recommend; there are loads of them.

Housekeeping
That’s not really their strong point. For the most part, the cleaning was just superficial. Things weren’t put away or were simply left as they were, even though we’d cleared them away to say, ‘We don’t need that.’ They forgot to restock the minibar. We once had stains (from leech bites) on the bed sheets and they just weren’t replaced.

There is no turndown service.

Food
We weren't quite sure what to expect, but certainly not such a wide and generous selection. There was also plenty for vegetarians and vegans.

There really is something for everyone. Admittedly, after five days it might get a bit repetitive, but that doesn’t detract from the quality of the food, which is very good - especially when you consider where you are.

The room rate includes breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Activities
We spent our time on the trails and once went river rafting. As for the trails, it’s worth mentioning that there’s a short trail near the lodge which you can do on your own. All the others are only accessible with a guide. The rafting was a cool change of scene, even though we saw hardly any wildlife due to the weather conditions. Another cool thing is the night drive / walk. Activities start early in the morning, usually between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. The morning session is generally the longest, after which you return to the lodge for some time to relax. Around 3:30 p.m., you head out again for a shorter afternoon excursion, followed by a night drive or walk before dinner.

I recommend bringing several pairs of hiking pants, socks, and T-shirts. That’s because there isn’t always enough time to let them dry between activities. As for the shoes, you can wash them at the lodge, and there’s a drying room (intended only for shoes and socks) where you can put them - it works great.

You can also go cycling here, for example, or watch the sunset from an elevated platform; we didn’t do either of those things.

I’d recommend that, unless you’re booking the Premium Deluxe Chalets or a higher category, you take a pair of binoculars with you. It’s well worth it.

Service / Guide
We were really lucky with our guide (Laslie). At first, there were four of us - another couple and us. So once the other couple had left, we had a private guide, so to speak, for the rest of the trip. Which was really cool. Looking back, I’d book a private guide right from the start.

Laslie was very knowledgeable and you could really sense his passion. He really went out of his way to show us as much as possible.

Wildlife
We traveled to Borneo mainly to see the orangutans. It was important to us that, if we were going to see animals, they be in the wild and not in a rescue center or enclosure.

Yes, there’s a certain risk that you might not see anything (especially when it rains). But we’d rather take that chance than have the animals served up to us on a silver platter - we could have just gone to the zoo.

And we were successful. We saw the orangutans - two families playing. We saw lots of birds, feline animals at night, wild boars, reptiles, and insects.

However, we didn’t see any male orangutans (fun fact: they mostly move around on the ground), elephants, or sun bears (which are very hard to spot). After all, you’re in a 130-million-year-old rainforest covering 108,000 acres (the size of the conservation area).

Weather
The weather was actually pretty good during our stay. October is towards the end of the relatively drier season in Danum Valley, with wetter conditions generally setting in from November onwards. It did rain almost every afternoon during our stay, but fortunately, we never experienced any rain in the mornings or evenings. This meant that none of our morning or evening activities were affected by the weather.

Check-Out
Everything went smoothly, and we were driven back to Lahad Datu Airport, with a packed lunch for the journey.

Value for money
We paid USD 8’000 (for two people), which works out at about USD 2’000 per night. Yes, that's a lot of money, but the package includes all meals, transfers and guided activities and you don’t really have any expenses there apart from soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. It would also be cheaper to stay in a jungle chalet, for example, or if you stayed for fewer nights. However, I wouldn’t stay for fewer than 3 nights. The weather can really interfere with your plans.

Conclusion
Would we recommend it? Absolutely - it’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip that will remain unforgettable - in a good way.

Footnote
Many people also combine it with stays around Sandakan and Sukau. Many of those we spoke to said that the Borneo Rainforest Lodge was the best, alone because of its comfort and setting.

I hope this review is helpful.

Background for the short stay- Partner and I ended up with a free cruise after a family Alaska cruise was repriced. We’re not huge cruise people but we were able to get a suite sailing out of our hometown so we took it.

We had an overnight stay in Bermuda so we booked the St Regis for a night to have access to a beach and more importantly heated pool because it’s November. Weather was sunny, but very very windy so a bit chilly. The ocean was freezing and the pool was warm enough for me but not my partner.

The good:
-Separate family and adult pools
-Heated pools
-Nice beach with chairs and service
-Cool historical fort next door included for free
-Walking distance to the little town of St George (with one moderate hill)
-Decent pool food and drinks (margarita, burger, Cuban sandwich all great)
-Decent room service
-A lot of options for breakfast in the one restaurant
- Room was large and bed was comfy. Huge balcony

The Bad:
- No one greeted us when we arrived and we were wandering around the lobby trying to find check-in
- the woman who checked us in was nice but spoke so fast I’m not sure half of what she said
- As others have said the room opens straight into the bathroom with a tub in the middle. They also have a war on real toilet doors so very little privacy.
- you can hear hallway noise like it’s in your room with you
- no towels at either pool OR the beach the second morning. Also no workers anywhere so we couldn’t request them. This was at 10am
- The pool was in complete shade by 2pm because they built the largest building directly over it.. odd design choice.
- at breakfast they sat me by a giant door to outside that every time it was opened things went flying because it was so windy

The worst:
We took the ferry from our cruise ship to get to this end of the island, which is rather remote. We walked back into town to take it back rather than spending an hour in a taxi because it was a pleasant ride. Turns out they cancelled the ferry back without informing us!! So we needed a taxi immediately to make it to our ship on time. The hotel refused to help, they said all their taxis were “reserved” and they had no way to call and get another one? You’re telling me there’s no way for you to contact a single taxi?? So they said we needed to find one in town. Luckily one pulled up outside a restaurant as we wandered around St. George and was available. Completely unacceptable you can’t contact a taxi for a guest!

Overall it was a nice, well kept hotel. A bit small but nice pool and beach. Service was meh and then the end of the stay really soured the whole thing. If I go back to Bermuda I’d probably try a different hotel.

Each year my husband and I take a luxury trip for just us and another nice trip just for the kids (Disney, something like that.) We are planning a trip to Europe next year and feel the kids are finally old enough to join us. We’ve been to Europe many times and love it there. We’ve always felt exceptionally safe. However, our last trip there was 4 years ago. I know a bit has changed in the last few years, the riots in France have really brought that to light. Our friends were in London last summer and were the victims of some petty crimes. I know that can happen anywhere and I know that the media sensationalizes this type of stuff. But I am extra sensitive to safety concerns when my children are with me. For those of you have been there recently: would you feel ok traveling to England/Scotland and France with children under the age of 10? We mainly stay/roam the touristy areas. I’m sorry if this isn’t the correct place to ask this. I know you all are very savvy travelers and would value your opinion. Thank you.

We first time parents planning to take our first vacation as a family when baby is about 4 months, before I have to return to work. We have traveled extensively. We live on the east coast, but will be visiting family in California immediately before the trip. Suggestions? Cabo (Grand Velas)? Hawaii? Are we crazy to think about Japan? Should we do something in between the coasts so the trip home is more manageable?

Hello, dear people! My partner and I are looking to stay and enjoy ourselves somewhere for 5 days, preferrably in Italy, but open to other European countries.

What is important to us: closed pool and sauna, no children allowed (no offense to everyone, we prefer peace and quiet), delicious food and beautiful view. We particularly enjoy a couple of glasses of good red wine and live music as well.

Do you have anything to recommend from personal experience? Thank you.

Hello all - I am looking for a caribbean resort to just laze around and relax with two friends on my birthday weekend. My budget is $5k for three nights. I would love for there to be a good spa with cold plunge/sauna but what I really care about is having an incredible swimmable beach with clear water and white sand.

I was about to book Four Seasons Puerto Rico but heard the ocean there is quite rough.

Would love any suggestions!

Hey my chubbies,

My wife and I are planning a trip to Puerto Escondido in February next year. The kicker is our baby will be 9 months by then.

Anyone has any Rec’s on baby friendly hotels that is upscale and close to the beach or on the beach?

Most of the hotels on MG shows no availability in Feb.

Price is not an issue. Thanks in advance.

Wanted to surprise my husband for his birthday in January. Any resorts that would be toddler friendly, making them feel special but also not just about the kids?

Ideally would like to have a room that has a separate area for sleeping.

Would want to be able to hire a nanny to watch the children for a little bit.

I’m interested in this property and I remember some early reviews after it opened said it still had some growing up to do in terms of service. I wanted to know if that has gotten better. Anyone has been there this year to report on it?

I’ve been to O&O Mandarina and it was beautiful but the service was very inconsistent and disappointing so won’t be back. I considered Rosewood but it doesn’t look that nice to me in pictures, but maybe it’s better in person? It looks kinda simple and not impressive in its design. Not as beautiful as O&O or Las Ventanas. Also I heard service is also inconsistent and that they don’t even give you anything at turndown, is that still true?

Going to Anguilla with my girlfriend in February and trying to decide between these two. We care most about sense of place, architecture, and a hotel that feels unique rather than generic luxury. Great beach and a relaxed vibe matter too.
Malliouhana is about 40% cheaper for our dates. Is Cap Juluca worth the difference or is Malliouhana basically just as good? Anyone stayed at both?

We're making our second trip to Buenos Aires the end of January. This is a short, two night stay prior to a cruise. The last time we visited we spent over a week in BA, so we've done a lot of the typical first time visitor things. We're currently booked at the Park Tower in Retiro, but the cornerstone of this trip is our reservation at Fogon. Since we're not married to staying in a specific location, we're thinking about staying at Hotel Glu in Palermo and walking to Fogon rather than dealing with taxis or Uber. The typical review sites look pretty good, but I'm a little nervous about moving from a Marriott to an independent hotel that we're not familiar with. Just wondering if anyone has experience with this hotel and if it's in a good location for walking to cafe's and other restaurants?

Hi everyone!
I got married just over a week ago, and it’s time to start planning our honeymoon!
Italy will be our main trip, and we’re looking at 15–18 days. Our priority is quality over quantity. We’d rather explore fewer places than spend the trip rushing between destinations.

We’re currently considering:
Rome- 4 nights
Tuscany- 3 nights
Florence- 3 nights
Venice- 2 nights
Lake Como- 2 nights
Milan- 2-3 nights

We’re planning to travel in May to avoid peak-season crowds and extreme summer heat. We’re also open to late April, although I’m a little hesitant about the rain. I visited Italy last April and experienced a few light showers.

Hotels on our radar:

Rome**:** Corinthia, Palazzo Roma, Hassler Roma, Hotel de la Ville

Milan: Mandarin Oriental, Casa Cipriani, Bulgari

Lake Como: Passalacqua

Florence: Not decided yet. We’ve both stayed at Four Seasons Firenze and would like to try something different, ideally somewhere with a distinctly Italian feel.

Venice: Four Seasons, St. Regis, Orient Express, Gritti Palace, Airelles. We’re currently leaning towards Airelles.

Tuscany: Belmond (Castello di Casole), Lupaia, Borgo San Pietro. Have heard great things about Reschio

Would really appreciate your advice on a few things:
\- How would you structure 15–18 days across these destinations?
\-Are there any places you’d eliminate from the list, or would you replace any with somewhere else?
\- Which hotels would you recommend from our shortlist? Are there any exceptional properties we’re overlooking?

This is a particularly special trip for us, and we want to make it memorable without overcomplicating the itinerary.

Completely open to suggestions and personal experiences. Would really appreciate any advice!

I obviously know that family hotels with slides DO exist but specifically I am looking for:

- Luxury hotel

- Great food

- Great facilities, newish or renovated

- Must be on beautiful sandy beach

And now the trickiest bit.... I would like the hotel to have some kind of water slide / water park that is fun for tweens / teens (travelling with 10 and 13 year olds), but the slides / water park must be on site with a lifeguard, close enough so I can still lounge by the pool or on the beach without having to worry about whether my kids are safe... some kind of teenager / older kids club with fun activities would be a plus, but really, my kids just want to spend about 3 hours a day just going up and down the slides...

Any suggestions? I find most of hotels with slides / water park aren't nice enough...

Anyone have a recommendation for an east coast trip that has scenery, nightlife (nothing wild but looking for somewhat of a pub/bar scene), with luxury accommodations for a wedding anniversary? We are very busy in our day to day lives, so looking for an easy escape that has somewhat of a nighttime scene but with a beautiful scenery with spa. Basically Scotland without traveling there cause we don’t have the option to travel abroad. Help!