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!

On Assignment Somewhere in Florida

I’m in Florida on business, researching a story for my travel column on TraderDaily. Yes, just a reminder, it will be live on Monday. Since I plan to use the material from this trip, I can’t say too much on my blog. After all, I have to feed the people that pay me. But, I can give you a sense of where I am staying. First, the property is gorgeous. It’s dark outside, and I can still tell that it’s amazing. Luxury seeps out of the walls. Right now, I’m smoking a cigar on my private balcony and blogging away. No complaints … except that I can’t smoke in the air conditioned room. Florida is hot as hell, and not just by my standards. It’s almost midnight, and I’m sweating a little. But, the decent breeze offsets it.

There was a nice gift waiting for me when I arrived. I love that. For some reason, I’m treated like a king, just because I’m a travel writer. Well, I can tell you that I was treated like a king until they found out who I am. So, I’m even more impressed. Top-shelf is the standard here.

This is funny, because when I travel on my own dime, I tend to go low rent. Not only does it add character to the trip, it does help stretch things out a bit. Laura and I went to Paris about a year ago. For the business portion of my trip, I stayed at the Westin at Place Vendome. For the vacation part of the trip, I was at a small dump on Montmartre (where my wife joined me). I love excitement and adventure, but I have to admit, I could develop a taste for luxury.

It’s hard to believe that I was in Florida on assignment almost nine years ago. Back then, I was a software consultant in the hospitality industry. I was on the road at least four weeks out of every five. The pay was shitty, but the lifestyle did have its moments. On one jaunt to Florida, I was on site with a friend and colleage (who shall remain nameless– he’s a family man now). We shared the sentiment that the value of the property declined every minute we were there. Yeah, the place where I find myself now is even nicer than that one. It’s truly amazing.

I was given a gift upon check-in. Actually, it was left in my room. I absolutely love that. Being treated well is always a treat. But, what I really love about this place is that I was treated well before they found out who I am. For these guys, upscale and care are de rigeur. I did carry my own bags, though. I’m weird like that. I like to carry my own bags. I’m not crazy about being served.

Back in those hotel consulting days, I used to take a town car to the airport just about every week. I lived in a suburb of Boston at the time and used the same car service every Sunday afternoon and every Friday evening. I wound up getting the same driver a lot. Nice kid. I insisted on carrying my own bags. He begged me to stop. I replied, “Nah, I’m not like that.” His retort: “Yeah, but it’s my job.” Fair enough. I was fucking up is ability to earn a living, so I let him carry my bags. But, he’s among the few.