And THIS is Why I Love the Ritz-Carlton

Yes, it’s been way too long. No, it hasn’t been because I lack inspiration – there’s tons to write about.  Now motivation to sit still and actually write? Hmmm, well let's see it’s kept me from you for EEP – over a year???!!  No way. It hasn’t really been a year. Oh my.

Ok, we can recover from this. Right now.

I’m hoping you know that yesterday the Ritz-Carlton launched a gorgeous revamped website and a brand new “Let Us Stay With You” campaign.  And if you didn’t, well now you do.

Just so we’re clear – this campaign WON the moment they went live. Everything that attracts us to travel - the romance, the memories, the adventure, the experiences, the glamour are completely captured by this campaign. Bravo to the Ladies & Gentlemen of the Ritz-Carlton. This is the most romantic piece of advertising I’ve experienced in ages.

The moment I followed their advice to “close your eyes” I remembered watching 4^th of July fireworks from the deck of the Presidential Suite in New Orleans. I remembered making fast friends with the most personable Club Level staff ever in Atlanta & them insisting on using their car service to take my cousin to a venue when we simply inquired about the location/directions. I remembered losing time while discovering my inner "pool bum" at the pool in South Beach & watching the sun rise there.  I remembered the amazing experiences & exceptional service that made me fall in love with the Ritz-Carlton. Oh yeah, they “stay” with me. Always.

The fabulous, easy to navigate redesign of the website made me immediately start looking around to see where I could visit next.  Wouldn’t you?

Now a few weeks ago I couldn’t find a package I really wanted for my upcoming my birthday trip with my Mom & Aunt. While a package is my preference,  I was quite happy with our standard room at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation.  I mean look at these pictures of the resort. Plus the trip is a gift from my Mom so I want to keep it reasonable.  We got a good rate for a resort that frequently gets included on the Condé Nast Traveler “Gold List” – happy times.

As I was playing around on the new Ritz-Carlton site last night, I decided to recheck the rates for our stay. What did I have to lose? Lo & behold my favorite package “Reconnect” has been rebranded and is now the “Discover With You” package. And it was now available during our dates of travel to the Lodge!

I think I’ve written about this before but it’s worth mentioning again – this package is one of the easiest way to make a stay at a Ritz-Carlton more affordable. Particularly if you travel in “shoulder” seasons. It includes breakfast and a daily credit that can be used for food and other various amenities like the spa, depending on the resort.

Let’s talk real math here. I know we’re going to eat breakfast at hotel. This could cost me (yes me) $20-30 per person. I know we’re going to eat lunch or dinner there. This could cost me $30 per person. I know we may go to the spa. This could cost around $150 for me (hey I’ll pay for food but I’m not paying for all the Spa treatments on MY birthday trip).

Our package includes breakfast for 2 daily PLUS a $100 credit that we can use for meals and/or the Spa. That means we save around $160/day. The increase in daily rate for upgrading to the package is $70. Yes, $70. Basically what we’d spend on breakfast for 3 anyway. PLUS we get a S'mores Kit as a welcome gift! Yeah, I knew the s'mores would make you jealous. And I told you about it anyway. Plus I'm telling you there's a campfire lit at night. Cuz you needed to know that. 

So yes, when you get down to it they’re paying me almost $100 a day. I just have to spend what I’ve earned with them.  Here lies the upside for the hotel: I spend my money there & not elsewhere providing a beautiful win-win and what I’m certain will be a wonderful birthday experience with two of my most favorite people in the world.

This package, plus many other great ones, are available at most Ritz-Carlton properties. Depending on the time of year & your flexibility these deals can be just as lucrative for you.

Disclaimer: Any subsequent Ritz-Carlton addiction which then makes you book with or without a package is completely their fault for being so fabulous. Please remember I only took  you to the fabulous stream of spring water. I didn’t make you drink its delicious nectar or fall in love with it almost exclusively. I did not.

My “TripTip”:
“Always be checking” – is my motto when it comes to travel.  ALWAYS recheck the rates for your stay.  Savvy travelers save a LOT of money this way.

Oh The Paces You'll Go... 2009 Recap & 2010 Trip Planning

Slightly shamed that this was originally titled "2009 Trip Planning".  But using the idea anyway to seed ideas for a 2010 post!

When I started considering 2009 travel here's what I was looking at:   

• Cabo San Lucas - extending a business trip by a few days - brilliant!
• Barcelona - turning three days off from work into a 5 day trip.
• Disney - Polynesian Concierge. I could hardly wait!
• New Orleans (of course) - back to the big easy once more.
• And on my Fall wish list: London/Paris

2009 Reflections

I actually got to everywhere I’d pre-planned in 2009 except NOLA. Not bad.  Cabo and Barcelona were heavenly.  The Disney trip ended up also including a few nights on the Animal Kingdom Lodge Concierge (reviews are coming).  I took 4 Fall trips to Walt Disney World (blog posts about fan events and festivals are coming)!  I spent a long weekend enjoying a town just north of Sacramento and plugging into some seriously healthy living. 

Most importantly I got amazing discounts and actually afforded all this jet setting by keeping plugged into destination fan sites and hotel/airline special offers.  And I planned a Labor Day weekend trip & my New Year’s trip (the week of) using only points and free night vouchers (I love Starwood & Southwest)!

I consider 2009 a winner – except for the part where I was so busy travelling I forgot to write about it!

For 2010 I’m already moving fast and furious.  Mardi Gras, a fan event & a 5K are already under my belt. Destination weddings, girls’ weekends, and many, many Disney trips are planned. Oh and the Mommy and I are going to Jamaica to see family.

But I’m really, really missing Europe.  I have no idea how I’m going to work it in since I’m certain I have no vacation time but I’m going to try. Oh and I really want to see Captain EO at Disneyland.

Wondering if all these plans are impossible or Kim-Possible. What do you think? Is there such a thing as too much travel?

My “TripTip”

A few of my trips last year utilized my new favorite luxury travel saver - cost sharing. Airfare for my Cabo trip and one of my Disney trips were covered by my company – I simply extended the trips for a few personal days on my own dime.  If someone else can help pay for your travel (and it's reasonable/legal/responsible) let them!

Blogging from 30k feet...

So I'm sitting here on a flight and I had a thought for my blog. Yes, the blog that I've been horrible at updating but really love. I promise I have 3 or 4 half written posts on my computers. They just get stuck there. And never, never move.

I've decided to figure out how to get back on track for the 2 of you who actually read this. (Thanks Mom! Just kidding - Mommy doesn't actually read the blog. But she would. If I ever remembered to mention it. Cuz she's the coolest retired mom on the planet... and now I'm getting back on topic.)

First step is a bit of diversity. I've started painting myself into a corner topic wise (fab and frugal tips) and couldn't get out. Remembered just now that it's my blog and I can write about anything I want to. So I will. ;)

Anyway on to my travel thought for today - how do you choose your next adventure? I've shared before that every year I start with a rough idea of where I may want to go or have to go. My destinations may be inspired by a magazine or newspaper article I've read or by my friends and family. I also typically have 2 trips already on the calendar before the year begins. And I'm finding that a significant number of the trips I've taken in the last 6 months have been inspired by fan activity/meetup events. But that's another blog post. (Hey Disney peeps!)

The book I'm reading on this flight, though, reminded me of a goal I set for myself last summer - to visit all the states in the union by the time I'm 40. I think I'd like to visit every continent on the planet except Antarctica before I'm 70, too.

And this has made me super curious about what goes into the plans of others - how do YOU choose your next adventure?

So, new take on the blog content/format and new travel goal. Super excited. The air up here is doing wonders for my state of mind.

My “TripTip”:
Inspiration for travel can come from anywhere! Open your horizons and get inspired! I wish you safe travels.

Trip Planning

I’ve decided to dedicate this post to trip planning. I honestly believe one of the biggest ways to save money and time (which equals money in my book) is with a good plan. Note: I’ll admit upfront for my “Type B” people that this blog post probably isn’t for you. Sorry. I’ll make it up to you.

I think of trips as an investment. They make us better, happier, and enriched people if we’re lucky. And luxury travel, even on the cheap, is a big investment. So a HUGE pet peeve of mine is spending thousands of dollars on a vacation and then getting to your destination and wasting the little time you have there figuring out what to do. You wouldn’t buy a washer/dryer or plasma TV without doing some level of research, would you?

I’m all for being flexible – we’ve had great experiences by being willing to get great advice and changing our plans as we go along. I also try not to be TOO structured or over plan and to give everyone in my group choices, but I REALLY need to know my options before I hit my destination.

Some trips require more planning than others. All a beach trip requires for me is deciding what swimsuit to wear and where to eat dinner. But I’ve learned that we have the best time for more involved trips when we’ve done a bit of research ahead of time. Places like Walt Disney World (especially during peak crowd seasons) require a decent of amount of planning and structure, but that time is paid back ten-fold in terms of less time spent in long, hot lines with tired cranky people we don’t know, lol. And it allows us to come back from what could be a very tiring vacation very happy and relatively rested and relaxed.

Here are three things you can easily research online that make a BIG difference on a trip:

Dining –as I have family and friends who are vegetarian, considering where and how we eat is always a biggie for me. Do we always stick to the plan – NO! We quite often change our plans. But I have a good handle on which fish are kosher and can ask about vegetarian dining in 3 languages.

Tours – are you going to do a lot of walking? Will you need different clothing and most importantly good SHOES? How much are tours going to cost? I must be the only person in the universe who didn’t know when I went on my first cruise that excursions and SODA were extra. I thought once you got to the boat everything was pretty much free. I was disabused of that notion minutes after boarding.

Weather – have you checked the forecast preceding you trip and considered indoor and outdoor activities based on weather? Nothing’s worse than getting stuck outside in inclement weather. I learned last Fall that packing flip flops (my shoes of choice on vacation) can work against you in 50 degree weather! I now own the most amazing pair of flat shoes EVER made (God bless Clarks) that are cute enough and kept my feet covered and VERY comfortable this Spring in Barcelona.

My “TripTip":
A good plan goes a long way in saving you time and money on trips. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Google is your friend. Lonely Planet, guide books, unofficial guides, online forums and articles are abundant for most destinations – so whatever it is, wherever you go, spend time making sure your time is well spent.

Disney for VIP’s on a non VIP Budget

No secret to anyone who knows me that I am obsessed with Disney, especially the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL. Also no secret to anyone who’s visited WDW that it is one of the most expensive domestic trips you’ll ever take. I’d give you the average trip cost, but if I thought about it too much I would never go.

Last Disney Trip (2006)

Well this year we ARE going back, so I have tell you about a gem on WDW’s property – the Swan and Dolphin Resort.

Here’s what I love about the Swan/Dolphin:

First and foremost…

PRICE: OMG, I’ve never spent more than $200/night at this resort thanks to an ongoing nurse/teacher discount program, corporate discounts, holiday discounts, group discounts… you get the idea. In comparison, all of the other EPCOT hotels are classified Deluxe (read: expensive) and I’ve rarely seen Epcot’s rooms advertised for less than $315/night to the general public. Now you could stay at the Boardwalk or the Yacht/Beach Club, but the money you’d save by staying at the Swan/Dolphin instead almost covers the cost of tickets and meals over a weeklong trip. Trust me I’ve stayed at the Beach Club and while I LOVED it, I’d trade those Mickey soaps and towel animals on my bed for $$$ any day.

BFF's @ another Deluxe Resort (Grand Floridian) on our way to Afternoon Tea

Location, Location, Location: Again, the Swan/Dolphin is in the Epcot Resort Area, which means you can walk to Epcot or to MGM if you wanted to from your hotel. You can take your mid-day rest or decompress after a long day in the parks and not have to always wait on bus/boat lines with the masses. And you have great restaurants like Il Mulino & Shula’s at your hotel and loads more restaurants, entertainment, and shopping within very close walking distance.

Disney Resort Benefits: You get VIP perks like free transportation to the parks from your hotel, purchases made in the parks delivered to the front desk, and Extra Magic Hours (extra hours in the park on for Disney Resort Guests). The only thing you don’t get is Magical Express (free transport to/from airport) and charging privileges in the parks to your room. The resort also has things like character breakfasts so you don’t miss out just cuz you’re not at a “deluxe” resort.

Great Brand: These hotels are actually Westin properties – that’s right hotel fans, HEAVENLY BED here we come! Also, they’re not as aggressively themed as Disney hotels, which may appeal to some. And, you can use your Starwood points to stay here.

Last day & the BFF can't leave the HEAVENLY Bed!

This will be our 3^rd or 4^th time at the Swan/Dolphin. And while I’ve stayed at both hotels on the resort and they’re both nice, the Swan is always my 1^st choice as it’s a little smaller and more intimate than the Dolphin.

My "TripTip" -

If you have an obsession (like me) always scope books, discussion forums, websites, etc for discounts. Disney lovers have it easy with the huge number of quality publications, podcasts, blogs and user groups out there. I’ve learned so much about having fun and saving $$$ while enjoying VIP perks from sites like the DIS and MouseSavers, podcasts like WDW Today and travel guides like the Unofficial Guide to WDW.

Also, don’t forget to use points for travel! I’m using a free Starwood night for this trip.

It's Out!

Ok, I frequently check out luxury destination lists like Conde Nast's Gold List or the uber-exclusive Andrew Harper's Report to find new places to dream about visiting .

So I'm very excited that the T&L 500 (Travel and Leisure's List of the World's Best Hotels) is finally out for 2008! Maybe I'm indulging my "champagne wishes and caviar dreams" but I always like to search and see if anywhere I've stayed has made "the list". This is pretty much always a domestic search for me at this point since I'm not rich (cue music: "Someday My Prince Will Come") and the dollar continues to be dropkicked by foreign currency.

So here's where I've been:
Ritz Carlton, South Beach - FABULOUS (see my previous blog post). Just fabulous, despite the service.
Ritz Carlton, Palm Beach - I watched the sun rise on the beach, and then enjoyed my ocean view while I ate breakfast on my balcony. This hotel made me fall in love with the RC brand - at 23! I'm sooo spolied.
Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach - AAA 5 Diamond. Fireplace in the oceanfront suite. Starfish/sandollars nightly on my pillow at turndown. Need I say more?
Ritz Carlton, New Orleans - Spent a WEEK here last summer. Very nice lounge and staff. Great home away from home - and they serve some of the best gumbo I've had in New Orleans. I ate it EVERY day, seriously.

4/500... guess I've just got some catching up to do in 2008, hmmm.


My "TripTip" -
I search online often to find deals so I can experience fabulous places on my very limited (i.e. too poor for my rich tastes) budget. During one of my searches on my favorite site, I found a review that mentioned What A Hotel, an absolute GEM. Depending on the resort, their "perks" can include: room upgrades, breakfast, VIP check-in, transfers, and $$$ credits. Also, their packages are usually priced competitively so you don't have to worry that you're paying extra for your savings. It's one of the perks of working with travel agents - and you DON'T have to pay until you check out. Looking forward to checking them out in 2008 - I'll keep you posted.

2008 Already? Let's Get It Started!

So I’ve been reading a few blogs recently and have decided to be more diligent about my travel blogging in 2008.

It’s the beginning of the year and the perfect time to begin planning my VIP and non VIP trips, except who am I kidding – I plan trips incessantly throughout the year. Sometime because I really need to travel for work, personal, etc. But mostly just for fun.

What’s in store for 2008? Well, a trip to London in the fall (hopefully) with the BFF and our respective mummy’s and, of course, Essence 2008 in NOLA. I also MUST go back to Disney this year (I’ve already paid for a night) possibly for my BD or Mom’s 65th. And I have two free nights in a suite in downtown Chicago that I have to use before June.

I really want to get out to LA this spring to visit my cousins. I’ve had a good time for the last two summers with different groups of them and I want to finally get over to their coast. Plus I have groups of friends going to New Orleans for Jazz Fest, Oregon and Montreal for their Jazz Fest.

Where to start?

I’ve decided my 1st personal trip of the year will be to an old favorite… South Beach.

Yes, I know it’s pretentious and expensive (I swear you tip EVERYONE) but I LUV Miami. I especially love it in the winter. Mostly cuz’ anywhere I can wear sandals or flip flops in the winter rates high on my list of choice destinations. Plus, the ticket is under $200 and we got a great rate for our hotel – which is my favorite in South Beach – the Ritz of course! Seriously, I had the most amazing time there the last time I visited. The pool scene is brilliant (poolside Pellegrino, anyone?) the vibe so cool. And after all these years of visitng Miami I have all these special things I love doing – like brunch in Coconut Grove and shopping on Lincoln Road. Now, their service – let’s just say my last visit which was almost free due to their issues.

My “TripTip”-
Start planning early! Even if you can’t commit the funds just yet – lay out our year travelwise. Then, if your schedule will allow it, plan your trips to maximize deals. The Caribbean is relatively inexpensive in January. So are a lot of other spots as most people have spent a rack on gifts and travel for the holidays. Also, I love sites like Farecast for help deciding when to buy a ticket and Hotwire’s Trip Starter for deciding when to plan a trip. Trip Starter is also good international trip planning.

Arrrgh! But I'm Back Baby!

Lost my 1st blog on another site so here I am. You know what they say "use it or lose it" - so I guess I'll have to move forward and be more diligent in my posting from now on.

So here I am - admitted travel addict who loves to hit the road, with a luxurious twist. And, in a world where everyone who thinks they're an expert on anything has a blog, why shouldn't I join the party?

Where to begin? I guess with my very 1st trips. I can still remember my first airplane trips (back when you got a hot meal in coach and REAL flatware). And I know some of you have seen piece or two of TWA silverware outside of a plane.

I remember getting my first pair of “wings” on Eastern and Delta.

I remember taking the auto train to Orlando for one of our 1^st Disney trips. I remember thinking hotels were the best treat ever (even if we did live in fear of setting off the alarms with our hot plate.) Yes, we bought and prepared food. This was before the days where everyone was as accustomed to eating out as they are now.

Awww, the romance… and the agony – of chewing gum and stuffing your ears with cotton to relieve only some of the excruciating pain from that sharp descent into Jamaica once we passed Cuban airspace.

And most of all, the agony of it all being over WAY to quickly.

Years and years have gone by and I still get excited at the prospect of taking almost any trip and escaping my little pocket of reality for just a moment.

Yeah, travel and I are in it for the long haul. And I’ve decided to share some of my special moments, insights, tips, and observations with you. I hope you’ll enjoy reading as much I’ll enjoy writing and reliving each moment.