Hidden Pond, Kennebunkport’s New Private Resort, Celebrates Fall Foliage

Hidden Pond, Kennebunkport’s new private resort, is celebrating the changing of the leaves with the Colors of Autumn package.  When booking two nights guests will receive a third evening complimentary.  The getaway highlights luxe accommodations in a private cottage, bakery baskets delivered to the cottage each morning, wine and cheese in-cottage upon arrival, and a $50 certificate towards dinner at one of three top Kennebunkport restaurants, including Pier 77, Bandaloop and Big Fish.  Rates per cottage for the three-night package are $790 mid-week (Sun. through Thurs. nights) and $990 weekends (Fri. through Sun. nights).  The package is valid from September 21 through November 1, 2008.

The first property of its kind to open in Kennebunkport, Hidden Pond opened its doors this past July and has been met with rave reviews.  Each of the 14 one- and two-bedroom designer cottages features Frette linens, fireplaces, flat screen TVs and Bose sound systems with Ipod docks, heated outdoor showers and a screened in porch with swinging daybeds, cozy blankets and spectacular views of the fall palette outside.  Additionally, each cottage is outfitted with a gourmet kitchen where private chefs will prepare in-cottage “Forest Clambakes.”

For a bit of pampering, Hidden Pond guests will delight in the resort’s tented spa featuring an array of massage and body treatments.  The property’s communal garden, though nearing the end of its growing season, will feature pumpkins, squash and other fall produce available for guests to pick, enjoy and take home.  The bicycle barn houses complimentary bikes to use for jaunts to Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport’s most scenic coastal area, located just a mile from Hidden Pond.  On cool fall evenings, guests can cozy up to the poolside fire pit, where bonfires are a nightly ritual, or snuggle by the fire inside the Clubhouse.

The guests-only resort was the creation of Tim Harrington and Juan Urtubey, residents of Kennebunkport and Miami, whose goal was to create a private retreat for those seeking high-end accommodations and personalized services in a relaxed and natural coastal setting.  Hidden Pond’s cottages were designed by 14 Maine-based interior designers. Their creations range from traditional to colorfully over-the-top from Lazy Days, featuring a bohemian-meets- nature-flair to Lucky’s retro, mod vibe to Sweet Fern’s East Indian touches.

Additional services and amenities available at Hidden Pond are a bright and airy work-out cottage featuring cardio equipment and weights, horse shoe and croquet lawns and water color classes taught by the resident artist.  The onsite concierge can arrange endless guest activities, including sailing and schooner outings, clamming excursions, dining reservations at Kennebunkport’s sought after spots and theater tickets, among others.

In May 2009, phase two of Hidden Pond will unveil an additional 27 cottages, a second swimming pool, full-service spa cottage and fine-dining restaurant.

Sheer Insanity from the Leading Hotels of the World

This is fucking nuts. Hotel chain “Leading Hotels of the World is offering a deep discount to celebrate its 80th anniversary– think 1928. For 80 minutes on October 1, guests will be able to log in and book a room with this companies properties for the low price of $19.28 per night. No bullshit. I doubt everyone will get a taste, but at least we all have a shot. I’m gunning for a trip to the Dominican Republic.

Check it out for yourself >>

New Reviews on TripAdvisor

As you know, I’ve been traveling a lot lately. So, I’ve done my duty as an online citizen and posted reviews to TripAdvisor.com. I have three new additions to the party:

• Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, FL >>
• Hotel St Paul, Montreal, Quebec, Canada >>
• Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, FL >>

Yeah, I’ve been spending a lot of time in Florida lately. I’m not thrilled about that fact. Florida’s not usually at the top of my list at any time of the year, and summer is the worst.

Costa Rica’s Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort Offers First Yoga Retreat

In staging its first yoga retreat, Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort turned to acclaimed spiritual yoga instructor, MeShall of Mystical Sojourn Retreats, who balances a career as an Environmental Specialist with teaching yoga and wellness consulting for the Ritz-Carlton, to launch her signature Mystical Sojourn Retreats at Tabacón’s magical, mineral-rich thermal springs setting. Scheduled October 19 – 23, 2008, the Mystical Sojourn Yoga Retreat pairs Tabacón’s rainforest setting at the base of the Arenal Volcano with a spirituality-based wellness program. Highlights of the five-day program include:

Temazcal rituals with Tonatiuh, the Grand Spa’s Shaman (Tabacón’s trio of traditional Mexican sweat lodges are the only ones in the world embedded in the empowering energy of an active volcano)

• Guided meditation and meditative walks with MeShall and exploration of the volcanic springs
• Immersive instruction in Angel Yoga and The Five Tibetan Rites including yoga and meditation
• Therapeutic outdoor and introspective indoor activities
• All meals, accommodations, special farewell dinner, unlimited use of the hot springs

Rates start at $1,500* per person, based on double occupancy; single rates are available. For information, www.tabacon.com, www.mysticalsojournretreats.com, 888-62-COSTA or 888-622-6782.

“I chose to introduce my Mystical Sojourn Retreats at Tabacón because the setting is, quite simply, unlike any other place in the world,” said MeShall. “By engaging participants in a peaceful getaway where they can recharge, empower themselves and experience mindfulness and serenity without interruption, we can achieve a collective goal to attune the heart, mind and energy and begin to unwind, release and remove blockages. By drawing on ancient rituals led by Tonatiuh, Tabacón’s resident Shaman–Master, as well as on Tabacón’s fusion style of international contemporary luxuries, we create experiences designed to elevate the senses and create awareness of living in the moment.”

A certified Hatha yoga instructor and former environmental consultant, MeShall is best known for her unique style of Angel Yoga, which connects participants with the unseen presence of angels through guided visualization. “This therapeutic style of yoga produces a peaceful awareness of being divinely supported and healed,” she said. Another MeShall signature, The Five Tibetan Rites, introduces powerful breathing techniques paired with continuous flowing movement similar to Vinyasa yoga, speeding the spinning of the chakras and stimulating the endocrine system.

One of Costa Rica’s premier spa resorts, Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort is located at the foot of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna de San Carlos. Among the resort’s singular features is a three-unit Temazcal, the only one in Central and Latin America. Other highlights within Tabacón’s rainforest setting are 12 natural hot spring pools, natural waterfalls, lagoons, thermal river pools and exotic gardens. A member of Leading Hotels of the World, Tabacón has made Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” list and was ranked the “Favorite Spa in Central America” on Luxury SpaFinder’s “Reader’s Choice” list.

Awarded five-star status in 2006 as well as four-leaf Certification for Sustainable Tourism, Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort is located in northern Costa Rica at the foot of the Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna de San Carlos. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World and the Leading Spas of the World, the resort sits in a lush setting with twelve natural hot spring pools and lagoons, thermal pools, exotic gardens and trails. The resort recently completed renovation of its 114 rooms and is currently adding a business center and gym. Open-air and Ayurvedic dining are featured as well as a signature Gala Dinner in a private rainforest bungalow with private chef. Décor and accommodations showcase art and furniture designed and crafted by artisans throughout Central America and Asia.

Capitalizing on its choice hot springs location, Tabacón’s new Grand Spa has 11 outdoor treatment bungalows and an extensive menu of indigenous and therapeutic treatments and therapies including a three-unit Temazcal, the only one in Central and Latin America; volcanic mud wraps and rinses in outdoor river pools; mineral water treatments; coffee and coconut scrubs; and massage with hot volcanic stones. Individual bungalows, couples bungalows, and an “all-day” bungalow for adults or families (which includes meals and treatments), are offered. The Spa, with its new open-air Yoga Studio, is included on Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” list and was ranked the “Favorite Spa in Central America” on Luxury SpaFinder’s “Reader’s Choice” list. The Grand Spa is the only spa in Central and South America to receive the American Academy of Hospitality Science’s Five Star Diamond Award. www.tabacon.com, www.lhw.com, 011-506-519-1900, 877-277-8291 (toll-free).

New Travel Article: Ritz-Carlton, Naples, FL

Remember that trip I took to an undisclosed location in Florida a few weeks back? It was to the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, FL. Now that the article has been posted on TraderDaily.com’s travel section, I can finally talk about it! I have to admit, it was among the best hotel experiences I have had (and keep in mind that I spent several years logging 40+ weeks on the road).

I am so happy that I can finally tell you guys how much I loved that place. You’ll read all about it on TraderDaily.com, but I do want to rave about the spa there for a sec. It was nothing short of heavenly. I seriously felt like my hands and feet were going to float away. If there is ever a reason to go to Florida, this is it.

Check out the review at TraderDaily.com >>

All is well in Fla

I had a busy day, and now I’m back on my balcony enjoying a cigar and relaxing a bit. Since I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night (thanks to JetBlue), I’ve been dragging, though I did get a boost of adrenaline for the interviews I got to conduct this afternoon. I’m looking forward to an upscale dinner in a few hours. I’m getting pretty hungry. Breakfast was fantastic, but lunch was Spartan given the day’s agenda. The experience, though, was certainly worth it.

Right now, I’m looking at the putting green and a couple of guys trying to make the “short game” work. They aren’t seeing a whole lot of success. The putz putts. Pretty funny, at least for the time and place.

I’m smoking a good cigar right now, the Taino maduro. It fits the weather. Putting back a Nicaraguan stick in this weather would kill me. The heat is the major culprit. I step outside and feel like I’m baking. It’s worth it, though, as everything else related to this trip is top-notch.

I can’t wait for dinner!

The Blue Lagoon: Pure Relaxation

I normally don’t like to relax. Seriously, it’s not my thing. Whether I’m writing, smoking, walking, reading or yelling at a civil servant, I always have to be doing something. Often, I like having a few irons in the fire, for example, yelling at a civil servant while pacing and smoking my pipe. That’s a cool mental image that I offer to you free of charge.

The Blue Lagoon, more than an hour outside Reykjavik, doesn’t provide civil servants, smoking dens or anger triggers. The sole purpose of this destination is to help you unwind. So, I wasn’t sure how I’d handle it. I’ve only been truly relaxed once in my life– October 1999. I was on a beach in Carmel, CA for a few hours while out west on business. For some reason, that particular spot on that day did it. But, my life was so packed with stress at that time, that I had the need to truly relax.

I’m in a better place now, so I didn’t expect Iceland’s Blue Lagoon to work wonders, but I figured it would be a nice break from the norm. It was. Laura and I were there for several hours, and I was not looking at my watch the whole time.

The Blue Lagoon is a tourist spot, and one look at it explains why. The geothermal pool is a deep blue, and it is surrounded by moss-dotted volcanic rock. Hell, just to look at it would have been worth the hour-long bus ride at the hands of one of the world’s worst drivers (I’m talking about Icelanders in general, now). But, why sniff when you can taste, right? I hopped in.

The water is packed with all kinds of minerals. Having studied philosophy in college, I really could give a shit about geological minutiae; I’m not into details. But, I do understand that the minerals in the lagoon are supposed to be good for your skin. It felt nice, so I agree with the experts.

The black volcanic rock sand at the bottom of the lagoon was wild– to see and touch. The water is so blue tat you can’t see the bottom. I learned about the sand only because I grabbed a fistful. I was just curious; I wanted to know what was under my feet.

Further out in the lagoon, the texture of the bottom became different, slimy. Instead of volcanic sand, it’s some kind of silica mud. This same mud is offered in buckets around the lagoon. You’re supposed to smear it on your face and wait five to 10 minutes. I guess people are more likely to smear bucket mud on their faces than bottom mud. I chose bucket mud– twice. After a while, it tingles, even burns a little.

The water is advertised to be warm. I guess this is true, but “warm” varies. Remember, it’s around 55 degrees above the water. Some spots are mild, others hot and still others are pipin’. I like my water scalding. There were a few pockets that worked, but they would shift after a while.

It’s a strange feeling to be hot until you stand. Above the water, the air was chilly. Repeated blasts of wind added intensity to the cold and made small waves in the lagoon. It rained a little, and the gusts mixed rain with water picked up from the surface to shove in my face. But, from the neck down, it was perfect. I learned to walk in something of a squat. Thus, I could move around the lagoon without getting cold … until it occurred to me to swim. To make the common sense breach worse, I used to be a competitive swimmer. I worked as a lifeguard in high school and college. So, why would it occur to me to move around in water by swimming? Duh …

As the Blue Lagoon became crowded, I saw the funniest scene in Iceland. Hundreds of people were navigating the waters with only their heads above water. Bodiless heads seemed to float around as if powered by will alone. It was absolutely hilarious.

I was one of those heads.

Leaving the water was a problem. consider the situation. You’re enjoying the warm embrace of the Blue Lagoon. You watch someone stand. Then, he climbs the stars at a run and darts straight to the door. The first time I left the water, I was one of these morons. It sucked. The second time, though, I found a better approach. Inside the door is a small thermal pool. It has a door to the outdoor water, so you can enter and exit the building through the water. It isn’t as warm as the water outside, but it allows a smoother transition.