1. White Mountains, New Hampshire, USA
2. Kyoto, Japan
3. Berkshires, Massachusetts, USA
4. Transylvania, Romania
5. Perugia, Italy
6. Stowe, Vermont, USA
7. Bamberg, Germany
8. Ticino, Switzerland
9. Bergen, Norway
10. Beijing, China

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1. Washington D.C

Starting at 11:45 the Nations Capital offers a variety of excitement throughout the Glorious Fourth starting off with a parade on Constitution Avenue and continuing through with bands, drum corps, floats, military unity, giant balloons, VIP’s and celebrity participants with the organisers attempting to represent each of the 50 states in the constitution. You will be celebrating with hundreds of thousands of patriotic Americans. The celebrations continue into the evening with the National Symphony Orchestra and the countries largest firework display. An unforgettably light hearted and well spirited event.

2. Manhattan Island – New York

Whilst many residents of the bustling Manhattan Island tend to make their way to the beach to spend the usually hot beginning of July in the sun, but to do so you’d miss some of the most interesting events with the 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest hosted at Nathans on Coney Island followed by Macys Firework Display in the evening. There are a variety of dinner cruises available to get a great view of the fireworks from the Hudson River then you can finish the night off with the Battery 4th of July Concert and Family festival in Battery Park.

3. San Diego – California

A hot July 4th in California will insight thousands of people to spend their national holiday on one of the many San Diego County beaches. The San Diego beaches are the only ones in California where alcohol is allowed on the beach, so many like minded people flock to the shores to enjoy the beautiful weather, the day off work and the fireworks sent out over Pacific Beach visible from any one of the beaches. A great party atmosphere and is the place to be if that’s what you’re looking for.

4. New Orleans – Louisiana

If one place in the USA needs the support of a celebratory public, it’s New Orleans, but through the horrible luck they’ve had, they still see the brighter side that they have their health and do so by conducting one of the most heartfelt parades and fireworks displays in the country. Go 4th on the River is the primary celebration on the banks of the Mississippi river with plenty of food, music and fireworks.

5. Boston – Massachusetts

Hosting more than 200 events over 6 days surrounding the 4th of July starting on the first the celebrations in Boston are extremely patriotic, celebrating the city’s maritime and colonial heritage. The key place to be then is down on the waterfront, in and around the Harbour Islands and in Downtown where you can expect to see a whole host of celebrations commemorating the country’s independence in 1776. Live music, eating contests, barbeques, cruises and parades are what you can expect to participate in on these holidays.

Wherever you choose to celebrate the 4th of July you can be sure that you will have a great time in the friendly and patriotic atmosphere and a no less than spectacular event that everyone should experience once in their lifetime.

Peter Richards is a Digital Marketing Manager at Tropical Sky.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Top 5 places to celebrate Independence Day is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

1. Unique Hilltop Windmill Rental, Odemira, Portugal
2. Hawaii Volcano Genuine Treehouse, Volcano, HI
3. My Sedona Place – Unique Dome Home, Sedona, AZ
4. SUITABLE DIGS…cool green lodgings, Santa Fe, NM
5. 1926 C&O Caboose, Natural Bridge, VA
6. Chalet Tropical Crazy Cottages, Las Galeras, Dominican Republic
7. The White Elephant Floating Inn, Boston, MA
8. ModernCottage, Garden Bay, Canada
9. Anna Maria Island Private Tropical Garden Home, Holmes Beach, FL
10. 18′x86′ Houseboat for Weekend Rentals, Knoxville, TN

Which one gets your vote?

Top 10 unusual vacation rentals is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Cape Cod offers some of the finest restaurants and elegant dining g experiences you will find anywhere in the nation. If you are a green vacationer or a seasoned “Codder”, the question of “Where to Eat” is bound to ring out through your trip. Wherever you stand in the spectrum of the vacationing rainbow, a few recommendations about where to eat never hurt anyone. Upper Cape, Mid Cape, Lower Cape, Outer Cape, and The Islands all over superb cuisine opportunities, and 10 of those are listed here as a “Don’t Miss Out” recommendation.

• Brant Point Grill: Located within the White Elephant Inn, the Brant Point Grill (BPG) offers some of the best seafood and steak available on the Cape. From fresh caught Lobster to its famous Nantucket Crab Cakes, this location is a tastes buds dream.

• Ocean House Restaurant: A comprehensive wine list, Friday night live entertainment, and to die for plates like their Mac & Cheese make this restaurant an eating experience to remember. While there, be sure to try some of their signature cocktails like “The Corpse Reviver” and “French 75″.

• Roadhouse Cafe: This restaurant is located in the center of Hyannis and is a genuine local favorite. It’s menu is broad featuring bold Italian flavors for everyone including thin crust pizza, veal medallions, and calamari.

• Maguro Sushi Bar: If you want great sushi, there is no alternative. You need to visit the Maguro Sushi Bar. The head chef, a master sushi artisan, describes the flavors of the menu as combining classic sushi elements with those that are genuinely Cape Cod.

• Soprano’s Restaurant: Like the Sopranos? Like Italian cuisine? Are in ‘The Mafia’? Than this is an experience not to be missed. Upscale Italian food, a superior wine list, and some of the best martinis in the area make this a Cape Cod gem.

• Bleu: Known as offering the best French cuisine in Cape Cod, Bleu consistently receives highest praises from restaurant critics and Zagat raters alike. From escargot to duck confit, when you enter here and experience the cuisine, you will truly be transported to the French countryside.

• ABBA: Mediterranean flavors and Thai spices fuse together to create an unforgettable fine dining experience. The atmosphere is truly extraordinary and their prices are very reasonable. Enjoy the Cape’s best Pad Thai and a menu filled with fresh caught sea fare like bay scallops and halibut.

• Naked Oyster: If you are looking for fine dining and organic meats and seafood, this is your place. The Naked Oyster offers some of the freshest seafood in the area and showcases it in their raw bar selections like littleneck clams, oysters, and jumbo shrimp.

• Cape Cod Central Railroad: The term dining experience really means something at the Central Railroad. Here, you’re eating experience, as amazing as it is, is rivaled by a 3 hour train trip around the area. Go back in time and dress appropriately. FYI – This is an adults only trip so leave the kids at home.

• Paddock Restaurant: No “Top 10″ list would be complete without a nod to the Paddock Restaurant. The Paddock is a Cape Cod landmark and offers an amazing variety of locally fueled fare. Enjoy crab cakes, beef Carpaccio, and clams casino. A real Cape Cod tradition.

Keep in mind, this list is by no means comprehensive. Every fine dining location in the Cape offers its own unique experience. However, if you do make it to the area, do yourself a favor and make your trip a trip to remember by visiting one of the above locations for a guaranteed unforgettable evening of dining, drinks, and ambiance.

Nicolas DAlleva is the owner of Specialty Answering Service, offering worldwide answering services to travel agencies and vacation planners.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

Top 10 restaurants in Cape Cod is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Summer dreams and water fun

Villa with Swim-Up Bar: The beachfront Villa Avalon in Turks and Caicos
is not only the ideal beach villa in the Caribbean, it’s fully outfitted for
relaxing beach living. Each of the 4 bedrooms opens out onto a private
terrace and the pool deck. You can walk out onto a Turtle Cove beach and
snorkel out into Smith’s Reef. The pool curves around the deck and has a
swim-up bar with bar stools just below the surface. Enjoy alfresco dining
and cocktail swilling under the Caribbean palapa bar.

Koh Samui Villa with Waterslide: Not content to be just a pool villa, Lulu
is has an amusement park waterslide cascading from the 3rd-floor balcony
78 meters down to the pool. The Koh Samui Villa Lulu also offers comfortable
living areas, a games room for family entertaining and a staff attending to
catering, cleaning and maintenance throughout your stay.

St. Martin Villa with 3 Pools: What’s the fun of just one pool? The luxury
Villa d’Art has outdoor terraces with three pools, one for the main villa, a
private pool for the master bedroom and a pool in the outdoor bar area.
The St. Martin Villa has a tennis court and is just minutes from the sugary
Caribbean beaches.

Beach fun for family and friends

Nantucket Villa with Private Beach: This waterfront beach villa is perfect for family vacations in Nantucket, outfitted with private access to your own beach, a tennis court, gym, pool and pool house. It’s a dream house decorated with classic New England elegance that welcomes in the whole family.

Resort in a Villa in Bahamas: Hidden away on a secluded beach in Grand Bahama, the Nandana Private Resort brings a luxury resort to your own private home. Enjoy gourmet cuisine for each meal, an on-site masseuse, 120’ infinity pool, Jacuzzi, Jet Skis, ATVs, and 18-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course, beach volleyball course, full staff, courtesy private yacht Lioness for sport-fishing and snorkeling, a private airplane all just for you, your friends and family.

Villas that are luxe and then some

Castle with Heli Pad: The Trident Castle is one of the largest private vacation homes in Caribbean and is ideal for a destination wedding in Jamaica. The luxury castle built by Hotelier and Architect Earl Levy has a ballroom, banquet hall, two living rooms, romantic courtyard, full-time staff of eight, a pool, private chapel and personal helicopter pad.

Modern Villa with Private Chef and Wine Cellar: A fully-staffed Johannesburg villa which comes with a Cordon Bleu private chef, chauffeured Mercedes Benz Vito, maid and butler service, on-call physician and a masseuse. In addition to the five-star service, the Johannesburg villa includes a home gym with sauna, a grand home cinema, infinity pool and a deluxe wine cellar stocked with South African wines and cigar humidor with Havanas and Cohibas.

Verbier Chalet with Spa: The ski chalet Spa Blanche comes with its own private Spa for the perfect way to unwind after a long day of the Swiss ski slopes. The chalet Spa Blanche has a luxurysSpa with Jacuzzi, sauna, hammam and therapy treatment room as well as a Swimspa H2X with a therapy pool and poolside bar.

Ollivier Jacq is Founder of Paradizo.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.

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The properties include amazing hotels across the USA, many of which have been named T+L or Condé Nast “Best Hotels” and collectively, they have an average Trip Advisor “recommend” rating of 83%. They include iconic hotels like The Lenox in Boston, Sunset Marquis in LA and Bardessono in Napa — and other historic inns, top resorts, and boutique gems.

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The historic, and some say haunted, Omni Parker House in Boston prides itself on customer service. However, some guests may get more than they bargained for when the ghost of Harvey Parker, the hotel’s founder, materializes in certain guest rooms to inquire about their stay. In addition, elevators at the Omni Parker House have been known to travel to the third floor — where novelist Charles Dickens once lived — without a single button being pushed. Spooky!

Guests can sleep at their own risk in the Omni Shoreham Hotel’s “Ghost Suite” in Washington, D.C. Those who have dared to do so have reported televisions and lights turning on by themselves in the middle of the night, while guests in adjacent rooms have heard loud noises coming from the suite — all while it was unoccupied.

Book a night at the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, NH, and you might awake to find the widow of the hotel’s first owner, a socialite named Princess Carolyn, at the foot of the bed, lost in thought as she brushes her hair. Princess Carolyn’s spirit is believed to watch over the hotel which was built for her, knocking politely on doors, and visiting the ornate maple four-poster bed in room 314, which traveled around the world with her.

To celebrate Halloween, Omni partnered with a master mixologist to create four new signature Halloween cocktails for guests to enjoy across the brand, including:

• Red Widow – a mysterious mixture of Skyy Infusions Citrus, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and pomegranate juice, garnished with Twizzler ropes, a lemon wheel and candy corn
• Trick ‘R’ Treat – a creepy cocktail made with white rum, lime juice, simple syrup and Midori, topped with a lime dimple and featuring assorted Halloween candy
• Bond’s Eye – made for the martini lover, this drink fuses Plymouth Gin, Ketel One Vodka and Lillet finished with a Lychee “Eyeball” stuffed with a blueberry
• Red Eye – a mixture of Absolut Vanilla Vodka, Grand Marnier, orange juice and strawberry puree; also garnished with a Lychee “Eyeball” with blueberry and strawberry puree

Drink recipes and more ghoulish tales can be found at trickandtweet.com

Book a ‘room with a boo’ at Omni Hotels this Halloween is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The new Freedom Trail Suite consists of a spacious living area adjoined to a fun children’s sleeping nook with bunk beds, bean bag chairs, an activity table, barrel-style nightstands, brightly coloured furniture and children’s colonial style costumes to enjoy while in the suite. One entire wall also features a chalkboard for drawing while another hosts a large, vibrant mural displaying the route and the landmarks of Boston’s Freedom Trail which passes along the front of the Omni Parker House.

Parents can relax in their own connecting room while children enjoy the suite along with their complimentary Omni Sensational Kids backpack filled with playful treasures and are treated to milk and cookies in the guest room the first night of their stay.

Freedom Trail Suite for families at Omni Parker House is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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Fair Wind Air Charter

Fair Wind Air Charter begins Boston-based Learjet service is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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What is it that  you do exactly?

We  help travelers figure out where to stay, and then where to book.   We’re focused exclusively on hotels, and today we compare rates and availability from over 30 leading travel web sites for over 120,000 hotels.   We also make hotel recommendations based on a wide variety of hotel and social content.   So our customers can be sure they are staying on the right place, for the best possible price.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I enjoy helping to create the future.   We’re constantly interacting with our users and trying to improve their hotel booking experience.

I enjoy traveling as well – that’s why I co-founded a travel business!   In the last two weeks I’ve been to Bogota, London, Philadelphia, Charlottesville, and New Orleans!   It helps me better understand what our customers want.

What would you say are the 3 best places you’ve ever stayed?

The Colonnade – London

This hotel, from what I understand, used to be a hospital, back in the day, and it still has its original elevator, you know the one that you close shut yourself.   Each room is uniquely appointed with beautiful antique furniture and gorgeous linens, there are plush bathrobes, great bathrooms, a cozy interior staircase, this is just a comfy, charming place.   The hotel also has the best brunch I have ever had, anywhere! And that is saying something!   I mean, the eggs taste as if they just plopped out of the hen.   The cheeses, meats, the made to order food, everything is simply exquisite, and the sun-filled ground floor breakfast room is just such a wonderful place to start the day.

The Boar’s Head Inn – Charlottesville, VA

The hotel is beautifully landscaped, with gorgeous rolling hills and gardens and a lake, with the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance.   The rooms are wonderfully appointed, with lush bedspreads, large balconies, and antique furnishings.   The place has a real classic genteel character, it’s a very charming place.

Hotel Marlowe – Cambridge, MA

This is a plush, stylish boutique hotel in Cambridge.   Soft, colorful, stylish fabrics cover the hotel lobby, which is like walking into PM lounge in Manhattan.   Staff are very attentive and helpful.   Nice coffee in the morning.   Rooms stylishly appointed, very comforable.   Nice size. This is one hip hotel that’s great for business or pleasure.

What’s been your most memorable dining experience to date?

I enjoyed dining at the town hall in Stockholm for the Nobel Prize ceremonies in 1992.   It was a black tie event with 800 guests and 400 waiters!   Caribbean music in honor of Derek Walcott, Nobel Prize winner for Literature.   A classy affair.   I also had an audience with the queen of Sweden.   Very nice lady.

Have you rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, either through your work or your travels?

I hang out with the occasional movie star and professional athlete, but I don’t like to brag about it.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wishlist?

Papua New Guinea.   For the diving.   Supposedly some of the best diving in the world.

Thank you, Adam. Here’s to your continued success at VibeAgent.

Interview with Adam Healey of VibeAgent is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

A new hotel on Boston’s waterfront is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

Infamous Boston jail is now a luxury hotel is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

1. Oberoi Udaivilas  - Rajasthan, India
2. Le Sirenuse  - Positano, Italy
3. Las Ventanas Al Paraiso  - Los Cabos, Mexico
4. Amanjena Resort Marrakech  - Marrakech, Morocco
5. The Setai  - Miami, Florida
6. Chateau de Bagnols  - Bagnols, France
7. The Milestone Hotel  - London, Great Britain
8. The Wheatleigh  - Lenox, Massachusetts
9. Ladera  - St. Lucia, West Indies
10. Il Falconiere, Relais et Chateaux  - Cortona, Tuscany, Italy

Top 10 Small Luxury Hotels in the World is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog