the logo goes here

Seven Stars Grace Bay is the Ultimate Retreat

Whether you are looking for a short getaway or a long, much needed retreat, Seven Stars Resort on Grace Bay is your go-to resort. Not because it is located in the infamous luxury spot of Turks and Caicos, or because you can be waited on hand and foot like many other resorts, but because Seven Stars was just named The World’s Most Romantic Resort or Hotel in About.com’s 2011 Readers Choice Awards and the new TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Awards stated that the resort’s location of Providenciales presided over the world’s best beaches.

There are 107 guest accomodations, which range in size from junior suites to two, three and four bedroom suites. Not what you’re looking for? Maybe the 7,000 square foot penthouse, which is fully equipped with a kitchen with granite counters, GE Monogram appliances and Nespresso machines and marble bathrooms that are stocked with L’Occitaine bath products is more your style. The fitness center, aquatic and land activities, spa and gourmet dining wont make for rough living either.

For a few days or a few weeks, with family, by yourself or with a loved one, Seven Stars is the ultimate luxury. Need more convincing? Just look at their awards.

Garza Blanca is Mexico’s Newest Planned Paradise

Far from your usual stand-alone condominium project, the Garza Blanca Preserve comprises a private and exclusive planned community of penthouses and two- and three-bedroom residences on an 88-acre property that extends from jungle-covered hillsides to the famous Garza Blanca Beach, just 10 minutes south of downtown Puerto Vallarta.

The Preserve’s beach area has 46 two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and penthouse residences. Six penthouses are in the Atrium building and have a level of service and convenience that is unavailable at any other of the resort locations. Two additional beachfront buildings, each with 18 residences and two penthouses, are located on the south side of the beach. Phase I penthouses range from 3,714 square feet to 6,109 square feet. Two- and three-bedroom residences starting at 2,260 square feet also are available. All residences have large balconies.

Currently under development, the hillside area of Garza Blanca Preserve will have seven 12-story residential buildings with two units per floor. They will contain two- and three-bedroom units, as well as penthouses. Rock wall terraces with hanging gardens and four pool areas will highlight the hillside.
Amenities include a tennis club, a beach club, a European health spa, an executive fitness center, a retail village (with a deli, a market, shops, an Internet café, and a restaurant), and hiking trails leading to a common area with a waterfall. A pedestrian bridge, suitable for golf carts, connects the hillside and beachside areas, leading from the hillside directly to the main Atrium lobby, the beach, and the two beachfront infinity pools.
The beachfront phase is completed, and site work for the hillside residences is underway. Prices start at $929,000. garzablancapreserve.com.

Overwater Delight
In The Bahamas, Kamalame Cay is a private island resort just off the Andros Island coast. Its secluded beachfront cottages are ideal for relaxing and rejuvenating. The Overwater Spa at Kamalame, billed as the only one of its kind in the Bahamas, is located on a turquoise lagoon; its five treatment rooms face the surrounding sea with floor-to-ceiling windows that fully retract. Kamalame Cay recently unveiled a new villa, Cacoanut; a deep-water channel; and upgrades to The Overwater Spa’s treatment rooms. The new deep-water channel (seven feet at low tide), launched in August 2010, allows the resort to dock up to six vessels. The Cacoanut villa, on the farthest and most private end of the beach, sleeps up to 12 guests in six bedrooms and features a full kitchen and wraparound terraces with sweeping sea views. Rates for Cacoanut start at $3,140 per night. kamalame.com.

Destination Aruba: To Stay at the Marriott or Hyatt?

If you have been to Aruba you’re probably familiar with the infamous highrise hotels, in fact you probably stayed in one. The span of beach that is home to 10 hotels is where thousands flock to to regain warmth during the winter seasons and visit during the non-winter seasons because, well, its Aruba.

I have always known that the hotels located on the island including Riu, Marriott, Hyatt, Westin, Renaissance, Radisson, and others are world-wild hotels that produce some of the best services and accommodations. What exactly is the difference between all of them, I’ve never been too sure so I decided to venture out a little.

I am staying at the Marriott Ocean Club, which is part of the three-part Marriott Hotel. The adjacent buildings are the Marriott Surf Club and the Marriot Resort and Stellaris Casino. I have been here twice and can speak nothing but good things. It is a beautiful hotel and offers everything one can want for a family vacation. There are eight restaurants spread throughout the three hotels offering everything from American cuisine to Japanese and local seafood.

There are huge swimming pools with waterfalls, hot tubs, and kiddie pools. Rentable huts are located by the beach as well as an activities tent, standard features for most oceanfront resorts. Not to mention the whole hotel got a face lift when more than half of the rooms were redesigned. One thing stood out as I walked around the three hotels: there are more families than couples. However, this wasn’t something that immediately stood out to me. It wasn’t until after I visited the Hyatt that I realized that the Marriott was more of a family hotel.

The Hyatt is a hotel that does welcome families of all sizes and offers the same things as all the other hotels on the beach, but when I walked around the resort I mostly saw couples. Sometimes groups of four vacationing together, but it was mostly twos. Two people in a restaurant, two people getting their picture taken by the beach, or two people sitting at the bar. There was hardly a child in site.

The two resorts are quite similar (both have rooms that range from $300-$700 to anywhere near $1000, and the Hyatt also went under renovations) but the Hyatt is a more couple-friendly resort. The lobby is full of earth tones that calm any mood to fit the stereotypical relaxed Island beat. The pools, which includes a three-tier pool, are surrounded by tropical birds, lush vegetation, and a lagoon that holds tropical fish and wildlife. The only thing that is close to that at the Marriott is the Iguana preserve that is located throughout the Oceanclub, which is more of an entertainment feature as the reptiles try to steal food and the garnish of guests’ drinks.

The overall atmosphere at the Hyatt is one where you want to take your time, stop and take some pictures, walk slow and calm down. Yes, the Hyatt does offer everything a normal hotel or timeshare could offer, activities for children and adults but it’s a peaceful environment. At the Marriott, the bright colored patterns throughout the hotel makes even the latest sleeper want to get up early.

After spending some time in both hotels I came to the conclusion that both are good for vacationing and have been guests go-to’s since they opened. But if you want serenity and a guaranteed peace of mind visit the Hyatt. If you want to spend time with the family and be entertained at all times visit the Marriott. It’s a personal choice, but regardless of the decision you’ll still be on “One Happy Island.”

CEIBA DEL MAR ANNOUNCES MESOAMERICAN YOGA RETREAT WITH ELEMENTS YOGA

Boutique Riviera Maya Luxury Resort Partners With Lifestyle Outfit to Host “Mystical Mayan Adventure”

Puerto Morelos, Mexico – Elemental Yoga Retreats, a lifestyle division of Elements Yoga & Wellness Center, an award-winning boutique studio based in Darien, CT, has selected Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort, an intimate Riviera Maya property located on the picturesque, white-sand shores of peaceful Puerto Morelos, as the site of its “Mystical Mayan Adventure,” a culturally-inspired yoga retreat, November 7-11, 2010.

Mystical Mayan Adventure
Abundant natural beauty—an ivory-white beach bordering brilliant Mexican Caribbean seas, breezy palms, lush greenery, and exotic flowers—surround boutique Ceiba del Mar, which boasts numerous hospitality accolades but is otherwise secluded, providing unrivaled serenity for spiritually connected physical practice, meditative inquiry and indulgent self-care at the heart of the “Mystical Mayan Adventure.” In keeping with the resort’s commitment to providing guests with exceptional respite at all levels, and Elemental Yoga Retreats’ desire to infuse the “Mystical Mayan Adventure” with aspects of holism and an exploration of local culture, the Mesoamerican-influenced yoga and wellness retreat will include the following:

• 7 sessions of spiritually-based and specialty yoga at unique locales throughout the resort;
• 4 guided sessions of morning meditation amid a soothing, centering backdrop;
• A specialty Aromayoga Restorative session;
• A Temazcal Ceremony, a contemporary spa therapy based on an ancient Maya purifying ritual conducted by a local shaman;
• 15% off all other spa treatments;
• Complimentary use of land/sea sports equipment; and
• Calming sanctuary in one of the resort’s 88 sublime, sea-facing guest residences, each with a full bathroom with shower and separate bathtub; local wood accents and handcrafted furnishings; complimentary wireless Internet; 300 thread-count Premium Cotton linens and pillow menu; complimentary in-room morning coffee daily and nightly turndown service; International cable TV and DVD/CD player, and 24-hour room service.

Adventures for an additional cost include:

• Spelunking (cave diving);
• Journey to ancient Mayan ruins;
• Zip lining through the jungle;
• Scuba diving (from the dive shop at Ceiba del Mar); and
• A golf outing.

All-inclusive “Early Bird” rates for the “Mystical Mayan Adventure” are per person and start at $1593 for double occupancy and $2093 for single occupancy. Full Yoga retreat package, including four nights in luxurious, ocean-view accommodation included. Rates for non-yoga participants sharing a room with a yoga retreater start at $1263. Rates increase by $200 if booked after September 15, 2010. To book call Ceiba del Mar at 1-877-545-6221 and mention the group code: Yoga Retreat. Reservations must be secured with a credit card. Cancellations received within 120 hours (5 days) of arrival will incur a full stay charge.

Elements Yoga & Wellness Center
Voted “The Best” yoga studio in Connecticut for six consecutive years by Greenwich Magazine, Westport Magazine, and New Canaan, Darien & Rowayton Magazine, Elements Yoga & Wellness Center is a unique, spiritually-centered school that offers various styles and levels of yoga as well as expert instruction from acclaimed teachers who represent a full and diverse spectrum of disciplines. In addition to weekly classes; specialized workshops; advanced teacher training, mentoring and study programs; and healing massage and bodywork for yoga practitioners of all ages, the studio’s retreat division is actively working with boutique luxury resorts to develop intimate yoga retreats aimed at invoking total-body transformation. Culturally and spiritually influenced by their locations, retreats will uniquely combine inner work with outdoor adventure to rebalance the mind, center the soul and nourish the spirit. Enriching activities inspired by local custom and heritage in concert with deep yoga practice and spiritual meditation create a singular experience for soul-searching travelers and both avid and casual yoga practitioners.

Elements Yoga & Wellness Center is owned by and operated by the husband and wife team of Bruce Bassock, a former commodity and equity trader turned yogi whose effective Yoga for Men program garnered national attention from The New York Times and Yoga Journal; and Donna Kuebler, a Fairfield County 40 Under 40 recipient, supporter of many non-profits, a charitable event co-chair, and the Program Director of Fit Yoga Magazine. Bassock and Rita Trieger, founder and editor-in-chief of Fit Yoga Magazine; author of Yoga Heals Your Back and Tranquil Mind; a highly-sought yoga conference speaker; and a well-respected yoga and meditation instructor, will lead Elemental Yoga Retreats, including the “Mystical Mayan Adventure” at Ceiba del Mar.

“Our goal is to provide modern travelers—individuals who want to cultivate self-awareness while relaxing, staying fit and having fun—with exactly that opportunity,” says Donna Kuebler, co-founder of Elements Yoga & Wellness Center. “When practice is over we enjoy getting to know the people who attend our retreats to develop a traveling community of like-minded, fun-loving, adventurous yogis. ”

For more information about Ceiba Del Mar Beach & Spa Resort, which was included on Conde Nast Traveler’s 2009 and 2010 Gold List, earning perfect scores of “100” in “Best Rooms” and “Best Service” categories for Mexico, visit www.ceibadelmar.com, or call 1-877-545-6221.

Ceiba del Mar Beach & Spa Resort is an award-winning, oceanfront boutique resort in the Riviera Maya district of Mexico. This intimate resort is situated on half-mile of a private white-sand beach and offers 88 deluxe Ocean-View rooms and suites, seven of which are penthouses; two restaurants; a swimming pool; the wellness and aromatherapy Spa at Ceiba del Mar, and beautiful indoor/outdoor spaces for events, meetings and destination weddings.
http://ceibadelmar.com

Digital Flipbook