Swanky RetreatsBeyond the Beach

Hello there,

Let me start by saying, phew! I was scouring the web looking for an appropriate hotel for my upcoming combo business/vacation trip. Completely excited for my first trip to Cartagena, I checked in with friends who had been to Colombia before and asked them what they thought my best options were. I had always heard of the area called Boca Grande, but had heard even more about the historic city, the walled city of old Cartagena De Indias. Since most of my business happenings were taking place outside of that part of Cartagena, I opted to keep things simple and stay in Boca Grande at the InterContinental Cartagena De Indias. This was the place that offered me a great location, access to my business meetings and then when my friends arrived, we had everything we wanted just steps away and what wasn’t was easily reached by short taxi ride.

Plaza Bolivar was an urban oasis for me after meetings as I took a stroll back to the hotel. This park is surrounded by the brightly painted facades that are typical to the city. Filled with locals taking a break from their routine, or maybe this was part of their routine, I felt I was gaining some insight into their way of life, rather than being a mere tourist. When my friends arrived, my business obligations had all been taken care of and we took evening strolls. One night I showed them “my park” and to all our delight, there were hordes of people gathered in different corners of the public green, listening to live music. This was out of a movie for us. Normally at this time of year, hanging outside in a park means being bundled up in scarves and caps and coats, so hilling in shorts and light shirts made things that much cooler.

The areas that surrounded the hotel were exactly our vibe; very hip and full of Colombian culture and history. The InterContinental suited us perfectly. It is enclosed by the palace, churches and museums, it offered us a stunning view over the bay. We hardly ever left the place. We had private beach access for when we weren’t hitting up the swimming pool or jumping into the spa for some bonding time over shared experiences of getting all the kinks worked out. There was one day that we decided to spread our wings and do the proverbial touristy thing. We took a taxi into the walled city and shopped for gold, straw hats, ate fruit on the street and had the mandatory ceviche stop when we got puckish. That was a great day. When we came back to the hotel in Boca Grande, we spent the evening on the rooftop watching the sun set and called it an early night. Flights were being taken the following morning so a late night was not in the cards.  We saw a lot here and know there is a ton more to see. We will be back.

Promise,

Anthony

Chaírete,

On a last-minute whim, I decided to head to Greece for a week as I began 2018. Knowing I would find fewer tourists and a different climate than I had on my past summer trips was part of the decision-making process. I had also decided to stay in Athens. I’d always passed through, taken a jaunt up the Acropolis, done a few things around the city, but had never actually come to visit Athens as my ultimate destination. This time things are different. I found a “historic” hotel for myself. When I say historic and place it in quotes, that’s sort of me rolling my eyes. In Greece, there is very little that one can call historic without it actually being ancient. This is the home of that well known landmark that dates to 5th-century B.C…. so, there’s that.

Let me rephrase. I selected a hotel that had been family run for three generations. Old enough. I was drawn to this hotel because of it remained true to its core values. The Margi was also welcoming, sophisticated, and charming. These were the qualities I sought out for this trip and it turned out to be a just the right fit. The history of the Hotel is strongly linked to that of the Athenian Riviera, which first emerged as a vision in the early ’60s. Doctor Yancos Stavridis, supported by his wife Katy, was the founder of The Margi Hotel and one of the men who shared the vision of creating an Athenian Riviera. A complex of 18 luxury apartments in 1964 began to be erected which now stands at 89 guestrooms. They were lovely. I wasn’t longing for the sea, having just returned from a cruise holiday, but I always like to know it is nearby. From my balcony, there was a perfect view out to the Mediterranean Sea. Although not longing to be on the water, my thirst to soak in water was and is always present. That was easily satiated by a dip in the pool; such a cozy oasis. Beyond the walls of the pool area, lay lush greenery that clung to the hillside.

The only thing I am clinging to re the memories of being still for a week. Me, the Margi, their spa, the pool, and access to all my culinary favorites, like authentic Greek cooking, were easily accessible at my five dining options. No climbing to see the Parthenon or running to find souvenirs around town, I was still and tranquil. Now, as I fly back across the pond, I am ready to embrace 2018.

Ta léme sýntoma, (see you soon)

Hannah

www.themargi.gr/welcome

Hello hello…

As the old marketing saying goes, “It’s better in the Bahamas” even when it’s raining. Ok, I added that last bit because I arrived amidst two storms, one was the flurry of a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot (pipe down, I can see you getting all excited) and the other was an actual weather occurrence. It seems needless to say, but I shall say it anyway: the gorgeous pink sand beaches being caressed by the ebb and flow of the sandy-blue waters became muted by the storm that appeared to sit just offshore for hours, but its winds thrust gallons of water on onto the island while its menacing wall of darkness played a game of Ring Around the Rosie with the shoreline. All of this may sound like a horrible start to a perfectly planned trip to stay at Coral Sands Hotel in the heart of Harbour Island, it is not.  My oceanfront cottage, Sea Breeze, gave me the perfect front row setting to watch this show. As the waves came roiling in, I could sit cozily on my verandah and sip champagne with an uninterrupted view. A slight shift of my gaze to my left and Beach Bar is playing host to the photo shoot crew because, well, what better time to meet over Bahamian cocktails like the Goombay Smash? Their Goombay Smash has an extra ingredient not found in others you may have imbibed. Not spilling that detail here, you’ll have to come visit and try one for yourself. With the three-mile long beach a little wetter than they might need for catalogue photos, they soldier on in anticipation of a break in the weather. Not many of the models are joining them as I think they must be up the hill in the newly renovated gym or poking around in the gift shop.

The “common areas” of this hotel are anything but common.  The red billiard table is a solid exclamation mark amidst all the stark white walls and dark wood floors. In about ten minutes I plan on sauntering up to the main building to see if I can strike up a game with one of the guests. I haven’t played in years, but with yet another bar right behind the table, I can either swallow my pride with a great wine from the extensive list; I am leaning towards Chateauneuf-du-Pape Saint Comes, ’11  or shoot down some liquid courage before the first break with a jolt from something a little stronger and to the point. I’ll let you know how that turns out, or…Ok, ok, I went the wine route. It seemed more civilized and that’s the vibe of this hotel. Coral Sands oozes hip sophistication. I think it has no other choice than to be this juxtaposed mashup. Being over 300 years old can do that to a place. The hotel is only 60, with a total redux making it ever-so current, but Dunmore Town, where it sits, was once the capital of the Bahamas and has been described as an odd collision of New England coziness and the colorful Caribbean.The mix is intoxicating, from its colors, its people, scents and sounds. There is something very distinct about this piece of the Bahamas.

Predictable would be a word used for some other hotels, but everything about the hotel is a little better than expected and the only thing that one can predict is that planning ahead is sometimes (oftentimes) not going to work. Take for example the idea of a fresh catch of the day done daily.  We are sat directly on the shores of some of the world’s best fishing. This is great in concept but when storms arise,such as the one today, there’s very little chance—if at all— that any local fisherman will go out to catch, and we all know how “predictable” the weather can be, and that’s just a smallexample and one reason the chef keeps the menu flowing.  He works with what he can get the best and freshest ingredients. Coral Sands is prepared to wow every guest who walks through its black and white oversized-tile entrance in classic island style. That’s style is with a welcoming smile, genuine warmth, and Bahamian hospitality. Come see for yourself.

See you soon,

Peta

Hello from two destinations that seamlessly blend into one,

Nestled in the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico Cabo San Lucas has long been known to attract A-listers hailing from its close neighbor, California. Often overlooked is San Jose del Cabo, where surprisingly all the farm-to-table, small luxury and cultural magic is happening. San Jose del Cabo is a mere 20 minutes from the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and what was once considered a small, charming Mexican village is experiencing a cultural and gastronomic revival. First stop, Flora Farms, the farm-to-table eatery that got plenty of buzz when Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo celebrated their nuptials there in 2014. Flora’s, for short, offers visitors a Pinterest-like world complete with 10 acres of organic herbs and vegetables, a modern-day farm house and a small grocery store. Travel for the views and stay for Flora’s Field Kitchen’s wood fire pizzas, homemade sausages and ice cream cart. Flora’s neighbor, Huerta Los Tamarindos is an understated 17-acre orchard putting flavor before fanfare. Think sweet, plump tomatoes and the aroma of basil and lemongrass filling the air with every bite. Sink your teeth on their perfectly cooked lamb and savor their shrimp jicama taco. For a full immersion, sign up for a four-hour cooking class. Then, there’s the cool kid on the block, Acre, a 25-acre farmland turned swanky oasis. Acre offers a restaurant, cocktail bar, event space, locally-sourced design, plenty of Instagrammable spaces and now, your very own Tree House. Come for the Beso de Katrina cocktail (mezcal, hibiscus, pineapple and oregano) and stay the night at one of the 12 tree houses in the making.

Although the countryside might be stealing the show, the town of San Jose is very much alive. Local bar, Mixology Fusion Bar offers creative libations al fresco. Catch Sebas, one of the best bartenders in town, if you can. He has been spotted at the bar but is a bit of a nomad who prepares whimsical concoctions and can even read your cocktail mood. For authentic, home-style fine dining stop by Casa San Jose 23400. The colonial-style house’s kitchen is led by Chef Ulises Gouze who is known for his cuisine without boundaries. On the menu, tuna avocado tartar, duck carnitas, chorizo and scallop taco, prawn aguachile, lamb with epazote and charbroiled octopus.

The older, more sophisticated brother, Cabo San Lucas is also having a transformation of its own, one complete with luxury real estate, private butlers and one-of-a-kind lavish experiences. Once known for its party scene, the town is now attracting a different crowd and dropping big hospitality names like Montage, Rosewood, The Ritz Carlton, Nobu, Four Seasons, Le Blanc and Greg Norman. The latter will be debuting his first real estate endeavor in the luxury community of Rancho San Lucas located in Cabo’s Pacific side late 2018. Other luxury developments in the area include Quivira, Diamante and the spectacular Chileno Bay. Cabo San Lucas has experienced an increase of 884 new hotel rooms in 2017 and expects a total of 4,353 new rooms in the next two years.

Next time you think Cabo, think twice.

Until next time,

Amy