La Isla Bonita: Holbox, MX : Villas Paraiso del Mar

When I think of romance paired with adventure in a sleepy fishing town setting I think of  Isla Holbox.  A 26-mile-long spit of sand 40 miles northwest of Cancún.  There are no roads here, only sand. No cars, only golf carts. The warm miles that you will find here are those of only 1,500 residents and a few smart vacationers. 

You may have heard of Holbox as it is becoming known for swimming with the whale sharks. Further, Isla Holbox, home of the Whale Sharks, is totally isolated from any type of drug-related crime or violence.

 This morning as I looked though the images of this colorful town I longed to feel the sugar fine sand between my toes and the warmth of the sun on my back and perhaps a cool dip in the crystal blue waters.  I could not help but think of a holiday at Villas Paraiso del Mar.  Seclusion....  You will enjoy serenity in relaxation in this exclusive atmosphere, far from the tourism of masses.  

 Villas Paraiso del Mar will make a unique holiday where you will also dream to holiday.  Small but luxurious Villas Paraiso del Mar  has 36 suites distributed in bungalows with thatched roofs and private entrances.  All inclusive and EP plan are available at the resort.  When thinking of your next escape from reality think Holbox, think Villas Paraiso del Mar. 

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Allison C Patton

                                     AllisonCTravels@SkylineDestinations.com

http://www.SkylineDestinations.com

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Aruba’s Bucuti Beach Resort to launch new adults-only policy in 2011!

Aruba's Bucuti Beach Resort is launching it's new adults-only policy in 2011!  This is fantastic news for Aruba, Honeymoon, and Clients looking to plan a wedding at a luxurious all adults resort on the tranquil Eagle Beach.  Eagle beach was named in the top ten Caribbean beaches as published by “Dream Beaches of the World”.    Press release below:

 

BUCUTI BEACH RESORT TO ENHANCE ROMANCE

WITH RESORT-WIDE ADULTS-ONLY POLICY

Aruba’s top resort for couples expands current Tara Suites adults-only policy

to include Bucuti Wing

EAGLE BEACH, ARUBA – March 9, 2010 – Bucuti Beach Resort, long Aruba’s premier resort for romance, will implement a new, adults-only policy in 2011 in line with the resort’s goal of providing a tranquil getaway for couples. Starting December 23, 2010, all guests at Bucuti must be at least 18 years old.

“For years now, the majority of Bucuti’s guests have been couples looking for an upscale quiet retreat, and this policy, going into effect late this year, allows us to cater exclusively to this market.” said Bucuti’s owner Ewald Biemans. “We want to take this next nine months to educate agents and the travel consumer as to our new adults-only plan.”

An award-winning, owner-managed resort, Bucuti has been recognized by TripAdvisor as one of the top 10 most romantic resorts in the world and has a longstanding commitment to providing an unmatched vacation experience for couples. Designed with romance in mind, the 104-room resort’s peaceful atmosphere and location on the wide, white sands of Eagle Beach set it apart from Aruba’s larger resorts that attract more families. Bucuti’s sought-after beachfront Tara Suites feature large oceanfront balconies or terraces, king-sized beds and are an oasis from the crowds.

Currently, the resort policy allows for a handful of rooms to accommodate one child in the Bucuti Wing; Tara Suites have always been restricted to adults. Once the new policy goes into effect, children staying at other resorts on the island will still be allowed to dine at Bucuti’s Pirates’ Nest Restaurant and attend wedding ceremonies.

Couples can relax on Eagle Beach under their own private palapa or simply lounge around the infinity pool in a comfy chair for two. The resort’s expert concierge team can coordinate excursions that offer fun just for grown-ups, including a snorkel boat trip, hiking in Arikok National Park, island tours and meals at Aruba’s premier local restaurants. 

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Allison C Patton

AllisonCTravels@SkylineDestinations.com

http://www.SkylineDestinations.com

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Sugar Ridge: Antigua's Secluded Hillside Gem

Antigua's newest  boutique resort is nestled in a natural hillside bordered with sugar cane is the namesake location of Sugar Ridge, which is enveloped with colorful, indigenous flora and fauna in addition to the sweet cane that serves as a base of many of Antigua’s libations. This small yet luxury filled resort boasts 60 rooms with panoramic views to the south and west of palm-lined beaches and the turquoise Caribbean Sea as well as neighboring islands of Redonda, St. Kitts and Nevis.  From your terrace you will also have picturesque views of villages and Antigua's beautifully untouched coastal terrain.  

The suites draped in earth tones are calming to the soul and offer seamless indoor-outdoor living with large windows and doors. Views at every angle of the lush hillside and Caribbean Sea are laced with the upmost seclusion. All accommodations feature comfortable outdoor lounging areas with private decks.  

A 6,000 square foot Aveda spa will melt your cares away providing guests a full collection of treatments featuring the latest in holistic therapies, a hair salon and manicures and pedicures. For the athletic a fully air-conditioned gym features Cybex fitness equipment, studio for aerobics, pilates,  yoga classes and swimming pools: an 82-foot long lap pool and a 44-foot pool. For those of us who love to lounge by the pool cabanas and sun bathing areas.

No luxury boutique resort would be complete without  fufilling our epicurean desires with two restaurants and lounges. Both openair with breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea.  Matt Westwood, head Chef ensures that his menu reflects ‘what’s fresh now,’ from Antigua’s local market. Carmichael’s serves an international blend of contemporary cuisine and Sugar Club, the resort’s main restaurant, takes a modern approach to Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine. 

Activities include:kite surfing, water skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, fishing, snorkeling, catamaran sailing or wake and knee boarding.  However your adventure will not stop there Sugar Ridge can arrange dive courses and access to the island’s coastline, wrecks and reefs. Beach facilities include a marina and an 18-hole golf course are a three-minute drive away by shuttle. Sugar Ridge is also host to 8 boutique shops.  Who could ask for more?

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The Twelve Apostles

     I woke up early this morning to thoughts about one of my favorite resorts in Camps Bay just minutes away from Cape Town.  This resort stands at the edge of the world.  It reaches toward heaven as the sun sets on breeching whales, playful dolphins, and crashing Atlantic rollers. This luxury 5-star boutique hotel is sheltered by the wilderness trails of the Table Mountain National Park. All can be taken in by relaxing on the golden beaches of The Twelve Apostles. 

     The staff and service will melt your troubles away as the most difficult decision whilst staying here will be deciding whether to overlook the mountains or the sea. The resort boasts 55 deluxe guest rooms and 15 luxurious suites.  The guest rooms and suites adorn a contemporary African style, classic European comfort and effortless, up-to-the-minute technology.  As I close my eyes I appear relaxed and completely serene lounging on the terrace of the Presidential Suite.  At the highest point of the resort the room boasts  open-plan lounge / dining room and kitchenette leads into a master bedroom and a second room that we'll furnish as gym or office according to choice. You have two bathrooms, two toilets, and a stunning wrap-around balcony with a surreal views of sea, mountains, and fynbos wilderness.

 
     The  Azure Restaurant with its cape fusion cuisine was awardedprestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Blazon award, given to  professional members such as an owner, manager or executive chef of a dining or hotel establishment maintaining a superb level of cuisine, service and  hospitality, as required by the exacting standards of the  Chaîne internationally.  However the luxe dining options do not stop there with the Cafe and Leopard Room Bar (host to 72 selections of vodka and 46 ports).  Following enjoy a classic film in the private cinema just off the Azure Restaurant.

     Just before I reach the end of my morning daydream I will take a stroll to the Spa where complete wellness reigns.  Recently named Leading Spa Resort in Africa indulge in a range of treatments including many based on the indigenous fynbos flora. Or you can opt for a secluded open-air treatment in a shady gazebo.  There are no words to describe the total experience one can take in at The Twelve Apostles Spa as it is simply unworldly. 

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Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Top the Caribbean List as One of the 500 World’s Best Hotels

Every morning I wake and religiously to the sounds and smell of Blue Mountain Coffee brewing in the background boot up my computer to scan the myriad of deals available for my luxe travelers.  But this morning unlike any other I stop dead in my tracks and let the celebration began.  Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain were  top the Caribbean List of Travel + Leisure's 500 World’s Best Hotels and if you have ever been you know why!  Below is what was written about them:

Travel + Leisure named both Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain as one of the 500 World’s Best Hotels. The January 2010 issue puts both resorts on the very top of the Caribbean list, restating Jade Mountain voted as No. 1 by readers. Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet overlook St. Lucia's twin Piton peaks, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated in a 600-acre estate with two soft sand beaches bordering coral reefs, Anse Chastanet is the older of the two sister hotels. In the fall of 2006, Anse Chastanet's architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy completed construction of Jade Mountain. His architectural design featuring individual bridges leading to extravagant infinity pool sanctuaries and rugged stoned-faced columns have established Jade Mountain as one of the Caribbean's most opulent resort experiences.

For more information, call 404.933.2542!

 

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Allison Patton Skyline Destinations Travel Consultant

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AllisonCTravels@SkylineDestinations.com

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Introducing Maldives...

Though my travel and research of different destinations and resorts I come across a few that even though I have never been the sheer imagery and stories leave an imprint on my heart forever.  From that moment on I yearn to visit and experience life as the locals do.  Welcome a to slice of heaven that my mind could only imagine exist introducing the Maldives...

 

"Sun, sand and sea, a thousand ‘Robinson Crusoe’ islands, massive lagoons with different depths and infinite shades of blue and turquoise, dazzling underwater coral gardens; a perfect natural combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination. However there is more to the Maldives than just that." 

Perhaps the ultimate in long haul luxury, the Maldives is currently enjoying incredible growth again having bounced back from a series of disasters in the past few years including the coral bleaching wrought by el Niño and the horror of the 2004 tsunami. Indeed, so superior are its beaches, so cobalt blue its waters and so warm its welcome that the country has become a byword for paradise whether it be for honeymooners, sun worshipers or divers.

A geological eccentricity nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives are a series of ancient coral reefs that grew up around the sides of towering prehistoric volcanoes. These immense structures have long since sunk into the ocean, leaving behind coral islands of incredible natural beauty, now themselves being colonized by travelers seeking unbridled pampering and romance, from the modernity of Male’ to the idyllic paradise of the Southern Atolls.

This is life stripped down to simplicity – bright blue skies, all-year sunshine and fantastic diving and snorkeling in lagoons the temperature of bath water. The country embraces travelers from around the world allowing them the freedoms holiday makers require without compromising the islands’ deep Muslim faith one bit.

This is an exciting time to visit a country in developmental frenzy. Every few months brings newly opened resorts from top end boutique brands to ecologically sound back-to-nature hotels. Not cheap even at the bottom end, this is a place for a holiday of a lifetime (and that phrase suddenly takes on a new meaning here). The Maldives demands the attention of anyone looking for a uniquely indulgent break, breathtaking nature and sheer beauty that stays with you long after your tan has faded.

(The above is taken from The Maldives Tourism Promotion Board & Lonely Planet) (The images are taken from Mohamed Shareef's Photography Website, an amazing artist) 

Allison C Patton

AllisonCTravels@SkylineDestinations.com

http://www.SkylineDestinations.com

If you are interested in this luxe destinations please contact me for your personalized quote.

Sandals Emerald Bay comming 1.22.10 in GREAT EXUMA, BAHAMAS

 

 

I could not be more excited about this resort opening!  Not only because I love the Sandals Brand and personally vacation with them twice a year but because of:

• 190 all suite, all oceanfront accommodations including beachfront villas
• All accommodations will include our exclusive Butler Service
• 18-hole Greg Norman designed championship golf course
• Fully equipped tennis center with six courts including stadium seating
• Red Lane® Spa with 22 indoor treatment areas and six exotic outdoor    sanctuaries
• Six gourmet restaurants
• 13,000 square feet of meeting space
• A marina with 133 slips what can accommodate yachts of up to 300 feet in length
• Marina Club House 

Did I forget to mention that every room category comes with BUTLER Service which i love and the new one acre pool...

Make it a Valentines Day she will never forget with a 6 night stay for $4200 total per couple.   Put a Deposit down or book by the 30th and Skyline Destinations will give you a $200 Spa Credit or Air Credit.

Press Release below

SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONAL PURCHASES FOUR SEASONS IN GREAT EXUMA, BAHAMAS
Sandals Resorts' Luxury Included® Concept featuring 18-Hole Golf Course and Marina Set to Debut in New Year.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, August 20, 2009 - Sandals Resorts International (SRI), parent company of Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts, The Royal Plantation Collection and Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts, today announced the purchase of the recently shuttered Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma at Emerald Bay for an undisclosed sum. According to Sandals Resorts founder and chairman, Gordon "Butch" Stewart, the 500-acre property, which features a championship Greg Norman golf course and world-class marina, is set to become a Sandals Resort and will be called Sandals Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. Following certain enhancements customary to the Sandals Resorts brand, including an expansive new pool complex and additional dining establishments, the resort will open January 22, 2010.

"This is a remarkable moment in the history of Sandals Resorts," Stewart said. "We are acquiring one of the most spectacular pieces of real estate in the Caribbean, which was operated by one of the world's most highly regarded hotel companies. This is a reflection of all that Sandals Resorts has accomplished and a tremendous opportunity to further demonstrate our commitment to providing the very best vacation in the Caribbean. We look forward to bringing our Luxury Included® experience to this special property, which has been kept to impeccable standards."

Unfolding like a grand estate, Sandals Emerald Bay is set along a one-mile stretch of white sand beach on Emerald Bay, Great Exuma, Bahamas. According to Stewart, the all-suite resort will offer a selection of 190 "magnificently-appointed" luxury accommodations with styles that range from beachfront villas to charming bay house settings - all oceanfront, all extremely spacious and all serviced by butlers trained by Sandals Resorts through the company's exclusive partnership with the Guild of Professional English Butlers.

Other amenities include a fully-equipped tennis center featuring six Har-tru courts lit for night play with professional stadium seating fit for competition; a full-service Red Lane® Spa with 22 indoor treatment areas and six exotic outdoor sanctuaries; plus six gourmet restaurants including four new concepts introduced by Sandals Resorts, a fine-dining seafood restaurant, an authentic Italian brick-oven pizzeria, a French-style café and a traditional British pub complete with a pool and snooker room. To complement its sublime ocean views, the property will also debut three pools including a brand new, one acre freshwater pool. Encompassing over half an acre, this spectacular pool will entice guests with a Jacuzzi, swim-up pool bar and unique fire-pit seating area in the center. Flanking the pool will be misting columns and luxurious cabanas equipped with wireless Internet access. Whether poolside or on the beach, all guests will receive a full complement of butler services. In addition, the resort will cater to business and meetings customers, offering 13,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. This includes three large ballrooms with separate event entrance that can be converted into smaller rooms, all with access to a dedicated conference facility kitchen and two meetings rooms, which are all supported by round-the-clock conference and technology services.

Unique to the Great Exuma property is a stunning 18-hole Greg Norman-designed championship golf course, reputed to be among the best in the Caribbean as well as a 17-acre, stand-alone Emerald Bay Marina by Sandals, the first-ever marina for any Sandals Resort. This fully-protected, deepwater marina offers 133 slips and is equipped to accommodate and service yachts up to 300 feet in length. Open to the public, the marina also features a welcoming clubhouse with a full-service restaurant including al fresco dining on a spectacular wraparound terrace, pool, a world-class Lane® Spa and facilities to accommodate families with children.

Continued Investment in the Caribbean
Sandals Emerald Bay is the fourteenth Sandals Resort in the Jamaican-based company's portfolio and the third investment the company has made in The Bahamas, already home to Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island in Nassau and Royal Plantation Island at Fowl Cay in the Exumas. "We have deep roots in The Bahamas. We know the people and these islands well and it is our distinct pleasure and honor to further our partnership in tourism here," Stewart said.

Stewart credits receivers, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the government of The Bahamas on their efficiency in bringing this deal to a speedy conclusion. Stewart recognizes the impact the closing had on the local economy and is anxious to get people back to work. "We take enormous pride in our Caribbean legacy and specifically, our Jamaican heritage. Through job creation, real training and community involvement, spanning healthcare initiatives to education and the environment, we have worked hard to improve the countries where we operate and in turn, have become a better company and our employees, better citizens. Our commitment to the people of The Bahamas remains strong," added Stewart.

Unwavering Confidence
"This resort has captured the imagination of trendsetters around the world, gracing the pages of influential magazines and welcoming some of the world's wealthiest to its vast amenities. We will reignite this excitement because we know the Caribbean better than anyone and we know when we've found something extraordinary. This is that resort. We are incredibly proud to add Emerald Bay and are confident that our tradition of exceeding expectations through innovation and unwavering service, which is the hallmark of the Sandals Resorts brand, will continue to serve us well. We are eager to share the magic we found here with our guests," Stewart concluded.

Sandals Resorts:
Sandals Resorts has earned a worldwide reputation for providing two people in love with the most romantic vacation experience in the Caribbean. Currently, there are 14 Luxury Included* Sandals Resorts located in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia and The Bahamas. Each offers stunning beachfront locations; a choice of à la carte restaurants, from white-glove dining to barefoot elegance; all premium brand wine and spirits, including an exclusive partnership with California's legendary Beringer Vineyards; luxurious accommodations in a range of categories; unrivaled watersports including the Caribbean's largest PADI certification program; Butler Service for truly indulgent pampering; Preston Bailey Signature WeddingMoons® and signature Red Lane® Spas, with services and treatments inspired by the region. In July 2007, the five-star, all suite Mediterranean Village debuted at Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa, offering two people in love the ultimate romantic getaway.

** http://www.SkylineDestinations.com will beat your best price and guarantee a free upgrade**

a deposit of $150 will hold your rates

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Allison C. Patton

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404.933.2542