A Luxury Travel Blog

Luxury is often seen as a grown-up pleasure, something we have to leave behind when we become parents. I have news. It’s not true! You can still enjoy an indulgent break, in relaxing surroundings, without leaving the kids behind.

The Rosevine near Portscatho in Cornwall is a stylish country house right by the sea that welcomes adults in need of break, who just happen to have their kids in tow. You get to sink into squishy sofas and read a book while the children are off in the den with the wide screen TV and the X-box.

When it comes to accommodation you can choose a studio or an apartment. All have kitchen facilities, giving you the flexibility to heat up baby food or a light snack, before coming down to the dining room for superb, locally sourced food and a sea view.

The relaxation doesn’t have to stop there. You get the steamer chairs on the lawn while your offspring take to the trampoline, play area or visit the indoor pool. Beyond the garden gate is the safe sandy beach at Porthcurnick, which is owned by the National Trust and is great for rock-pooling.

There’s little need to move, but if you are the exploring type then you have the pleasures of Cornwall at your finger tips. Four miles away you will find St Mawes, where you can wander around the small boutiques, visit St Mawes castle or hop on the passenger ferry to Falmouth.

The sheltered coastal village of Portscatho is just along the coastal footpath and you’re surrounded by some of the best sailing waters in the UK.

Todd Harris is Senior Vice President for Hospitality and Member Services at Exclusive Resorts, a luxury destination club offering members hundreds of vacation residences around the world. He supervises all aspects of the member experience. Previously Todd spent 14 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, serving as General Manager of some of their most acclaimed hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, Colorado and international properties in Singapore, Japan and South Korea.

What is it that you do exactly?

I oversee the overall service experience at Exclusive Resorts, to ensure that our members have a first-class vacation every time they travel with us.   This includes responsibility for the travel planning services our members receive from their dedicated Member Services Managers, as well as the in-residence experience they enjoy when they are staying with us in our homes.   I spend my day speaking to members, reviewing their feedback, and supporting hundreds of service staff (housekeeping, concierge, and property maintenance) across nearly 40 destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, Europe, Mexico and elsewhere.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love my relationships and connections with my staff.   As you can imagine, with on-site service personnel supporting nearly 400 club residences as well as our Denver-based Member Services Managers, we have quite a team.   I’ve really enjoyed building our service model, finding enthusiastic and expert service professionals to add as we expand, and working with all of them to identify new ways to not only continue enhancing our the services we offer, but also to surprise and delight our members on their vacations.

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

To me, the best travel experiences are often to celebrate important family occasions.

1.      Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica – In addition to my role with Exclusive Resorts, I’m also a member of the club.   About two years ago, my wife and I were fortunate to share a memorable wedding with a small group of close friends and family at the Exclusive Resorts “enclave” in Peninsula Papagayo.   The homes were stunning, the wildlife and landscape fascinating, and working with our onsite concierge team in Costa Rica on all the details made everything simple, so we were really able to relax and enjoy that special weekend.

2.      Hawaii’s Big Island -We took my wife’s family to Kohala Coast on the Big Island to celebrate her mom’s 60th birthday recently. None of my wife’s family had ever traveled to Hawaii before, and I was happy to be able to help organize a trip that brought everyone together for a family reunion in a destination that was new to them and has long been a favorite of mine.

3.      Sea Island, Georgia – My wife and I invited all eight members of my immediate family for a fantastic family reunion in Sea Island, Georgia. The Cloister at Sea Island is truly an exceptional resort property, with a terrific array of activities, five miles of private beach, and the amazing 65,000 square foot Cloister Spa.

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

I think the most memorable dining experience I’ve had was probably when I was living in Japan. As an expatriate hotel manager for a five star hotel brand, I was fortunate to be able to travel around Japan and experience many unique aspects of their culture. I specifically remember one dinner in Fukuoka where I couldn’t communicate with the local staff so I asked for the “set menu”. One dish included them pulling a live squid out of a tank in the middle of the restaurant and clipping off its tentacles and serving them directly onto my plate. I had the hardest time picking them up with my chop sticks as they were still squirming and jumping all over my plate.   I loved trying the local cuisine while living abroad, and this particular meal has definitely remained vivid in my memory.

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

Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf are members of Exclusive Resorts, and I have had the opportunity to spend some time with them at a couple of club destinations where they were conducting tennis clinics for their foundation.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wish list?

This one is easy because we’ve been planning a trip for our members here at Exclusive Resorts, as part of our unique Once in Lifetime program, that is at the top of my personal list:   a South African experience, combining a stay in Cape Town, South Africa with a luxurious safari experience in Kruger National Park. To go on a world-class safari (complete with luxury accommodations and private guides) and enjoying the local beaches and wineries of Cape Town sound like a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation.   Experiencing the many different aspects of South Africa on a trip like that is something I would love to do someday.

Thank you for taking part in our interview, Todd.  I can appreciate how a plateful of squirming tentacles must have stuck in the memory!

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

Greeted with refreshing fruit juice on our arrival at reception at the Sheraton La Caleta Resort & Spa, we made our way to the Club Level 5th floor where we had a family room for the duration of our stay.  This is a relatively new hotel having officially opened in April 2005; it has 284 rooms of which 20 are suites (2 with outdoor Jacuzzis).

Our room was wonderfully spacious, spotless as you would expect, and with a great sea view. Although we didn’t take advantage of the various perks, occupants of Club Level rooms have access to the Club Lounge with meeting rooms and internet access, as well as having access to breakfast down by the  poolside.

The hotel has three main pools – two that are heated, upper pools and a lower saltwater pool.  In fact, there’s a fourth, small pool for children at the hotel’s small kids club, too.  The kids club is admirably looked after by a lovely lady named Inma who entertains the children well whilst they are in her care.

Restaurants at the hotel are also plentiful with a buffet held every evening, as well as a Spanish restaurant (where you can enjoy private dining for up to 22 people) and a Japanese restaurant.  There’s also a good children’s menu at the hotel, refreshingly offering dishes that extend beyond the usual chicken nuggets (grilled salmon steaks, pasta carbonara, fish special of the day, roast chicken supreme, etc.)

I enjoyed a tour of the Caroli spa and health club at the hotel with the spa manager, Isaac Raymond, who explained what the 1,800m² spa had to offer. It included aromatic showers with essential oils, chromatherapy, two outside areas where the sound of water helps you to relax, Roman plunge pools (one hot, one cold), treatment rooms, steam room, a 34 °C  thalasso pool, an igloo that maintains a constant temperature of 5 °C and, of course, a gym.

Other facilities at the hotel include internet access which is available in-room for a relatively modest fee or for free, courtesy of the Sheraton Link near reception. There is also a hair and beauty salon on site and, at the time of our visit, there was an offer for a pedicure and manicure for a very reasonable €47.25 including taxes.

The hotel also has a large ballroom that can be used for conferences, corporate press releases, weddings and  parties – so big that the automobile manufacturers  Toyota, who have a presence on the island, are able to drive vehicles into and out of the room when they make press announcements and release new models.

The crew of Clash of the Titans stayed at the hotel last year and now, one year on, some of those involved were back to promote a raffle that will allow one lucky winner to stay at the hotel and explore some of the movie locations.  Judging by our visit here, they are sure to enjoy it.

My thanks go to Tenerife Tourism Corporation for their assitance with the visit.

Siam Park is Tenerife’s latest attraction.  From the same people behind the highly successful Loro Parque on the north of the island, it is a spectacular waterpark that was opened in September 2008 and that can be found on the south of the island, just outside Costa Adeje.  Siam Park has a large artifical beach with the biggest artifical waves in the world, and rides for all young and old alike, making it suitable for families and friends with any age children in tow.

After a quick tour of the resort which enabled us to get our bearings and to get some sense of scale of the place (it’s big!), we sorted outselves out with a locker and started off with the relatively tame but relaxing Mai Thai River ride where we drifted along the ‘river’ in inflatables, meandering past rapids and waterfalls before taking a tunnel beneath an aquarium and admiring the fish (most notably, sharks!) above.

Next up was ‘The Lost City’ – a huge hit with the little ones who don’t reach the height requirements for some of the park’s rides or who are simply too scared by some of them.  There is loads for them to enjoy here, be it squirting passers-by with water guns, exploring the labyrinth of bridges and nets, tipping buckets of water on people, going down the numerous slides or bracing themselves for the periodic deluge from an enormous ‘bucket’ of water from above (pictured).

One of the favourite rides for visitors to Siam Park is The Dragon where a speedy raft of a group of four shoots down a tube and is propelled high up before spinning around a cone, by a roaring dragon.  And if that doesn’t spin you enough, The Giant guarantees an anticlockwise spinning splash before racing down from the starting point, the head of the giant.  Plus there’s the Jungle Snakes, a series of twisting slides, each slightly different.

But perhaps the highlight is the Tower of Power.  People that brave it slide solo down an almost 90-degree chute with a 28-metre drop in around just 4 seconds.  Oh, and just in case that alone doesn’t sound extreme enough, you also whizz through a shark-infested pool when you get to the bottom – but don’t worry, that bit isn’t quite as dramatic as it might sound as you’re encased in a tube so they can’t get you.

I was in two minds about this one but our two boys wanted to see Daddy do it so I didn’t see chickening out as an option.  I climbed the steps to the top; as it turned out, later in the day seemed to be a good time to do the ride, as the queue had dissipated.  Only a few people stood before me, covered head to toe in tattoos and yet cowering at the prospect of going on the ride… this did not bode well!  Thankfully, I didn’t have too long to dwell on that thought and, before I knew it, it was my turn.  And what an experience it was!  I can’t claim to have seen the sharks as I ‘whooshed’ through – everything was a bit of a blur!!!

I leave you with some video footage of the Tower of Power and other rides at Siam Park so you can get more of a sense of how much this great attraction has to offer.

My thanks go to Tenerife Tourism Corporation for their assistance with the visit.

A stone’s throw from the upmarket shopping precinct of Plaza del Duque, the five star  Iberostar Grand Hotel Anthelia is well positioned on the south of the island of Tenerife – close to the beach and good quality shops, yet sufficiently far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Playa de las Americas.  This was my fifth visit to Tenerife and my third to the Adeje region, and once again it didn’t disappoint.

The Iberostar Anthelia is a large hotel, with some 390 rooms divided into 5 separate zones.  We had adjoining rooms in ‘Carmen’ which overlooks the kids’ club and pool, and out to the sea and the beachfront of Fañabé  beyond.  We arrived quite late so, after ordering from room service, had a great night’s sleep and explored the hotel the next day.

A sumptuous breakfast buffet was served in the Zeus restaurant in the morning, between the hours of 7.30am and 10.30am, so catering both for the early risers and those who enjoyed a lie-in whilst on holiday.  The first morning after our arrival I noticed that ‘football’ (soccer) was available on the activity calendar. Although I was leaving it rather too late for a call-up from Fabio Capello, I turned up to a game supervised by the ever-friendly Marcus, a young German working at the hotel.  It was hot, but thoroughly enjoyable with a mixture of English and Spanish players; I just hope Marcus has fully recovered from me accidentally standing on his ankle in a goalmouth incident!

Activities available at the hotel are wide and varied, with everything from cooking demonstrations and evening shows to tennis and tai chi.  One of the highlights for families staying is the kids’ club and the entertainment available for children aged 4-12 years old.  The club was equipped with lots of indoor and outdoor space, a small area for playing football and a small pool, and several staff on hand.  Each day, all the children could participate in the day’s games and, if successful, were presented with a medal at the kids’ disco later that evening.  Without exception, all the children loved the disco, learning the actions to a medley of English and German tunes, whilst parents relaxed with a drink or two before ‘Smiley’ the dog made an appearance at the end to draw the night to a close… a perfect recipe for a good night’s sleep for the whole family!

Other facilities at the hotel include multiple pools, restaurants and bars. In all, the hotel has three restaurants: Poseidon (a gourmet restaurant), Portofino (an Italian restaurant) and Zeus (a buffet restaurant). There is also the Thai Zen SPAce area which offers a new concept in wellbeing, offering yoga, meditation, massage, beauty treatments, flower baths, aromatherapy Jacuzzi, etc… you name it!

I was also lucky enough to be given a tour of Iberostar Grand Hotel El Mirador, an adults-only hotel just a little further up the coast towards La Caleta, with 120 suites. The tour took in the stunning Royal Suite for which guests pay an additional supplement of 900 euros per night.  This hotel also has three restaurants, as well as a meeting room/wedding venue/cinema, and it currently shares its spa with Anthelia but will have a new spa coming soon. There is also a gym with windows with sea views that open up to a lovely sea breeze whilst you’re burning the calories.

Both hotels do what they do well.  If you’re travelling with family, or perhaps in a group, you’ll enjoy the facilities and scale of Anthelia.  If you’re looking for a romantic getaway – away from children – then the solitude of El Mirador will suit you down to the ground.

My thanks go to Tenerife Tourism Corporation for their assitance with the visit.

Sheraton Algarve Hotel overlooks miles of unspoiled beaches and offers a vast range of lifestyle experiences from an 9-hole Golf Course, health clubs, beauty centre, 7,000sqm children’s club as well as an array of 11 restaurants and bars. Stay a minimum 3 nights to take advantage of rates from 150 euros a night.

I’m just back from a fantastic trip to Tenerife where I have been reviewing two hotels.  Write-ups will follow shortly as will a review of Siam Park, an amazing waterpark built in 2008 which our children loved.  One of the highlights at the park is the ‘Tower of Power’.  It’s not for the little ones but I felt obliged to give it a try… afterall, it would be rude not to!  It’s not clear from the video but after plunging almost vertically for over 20 metres, the slide then travels through a shark pool (yes, with real sharks) – thankfully you’re fully encased, of course, so there’s no danger of you being ‘lunch’.

Coastal holidays in the Land of the Vikings are a true heaven for fun-loving families. Denmark’s many family-friendly beaches and the relaxed attitude to life makes it a great holiday destination for all the family.

Leading all-inclusive hotelier Barceló Hotels & Resorts has  debuted its first all-deluxe family rooms resort, Barceló Bavaro Family Deluxe in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Part of the four-in-one Barceló Bavaro Beach Resort complex, this truly family-friendly hotel offers 180 deluxe family rooms, all situated along the resort’s 2.5 miles of white sand and tranquil waters, which are protected by a coral reef and serve as a safe, natural swimming pool.

Each deluxe family room offers separate spaces for parents and kids, ensuring both privacy and security for families gathering together under one roof. And just steps outside the front door, families will find a wealth of all-included activities, such as tennis, kayaking, mini golf and swimming, plus an adult-supervised Barcy Kids’ Club and live nightly entertainment. Best of all, thirteen restaurants span the entire complex, each offering an exclusive menu just for kids.

Family suites are also available at the Barceló Maya Palace Deluxe in Riviera Maya, Mexico, as well as the all-new Barceló Los Cabos Palace Deluxe on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Each five-star property features the hotelier’s signature Barcy Kids Club, offering a variety of programming for kids ages 4 to 12, as well as a children-only water park, complete with pool animation, volleyball nets and water cannons. Babysitters are also available upon request.

Last October we were honoured to be the first guests ever to stay at the newly opened Elounda Solfez Villas. Situated high upon a hillside overlooking Elounda, this small group of properties raises the bar on self-catering accommodation to an entirely new level and comes with a stunning view over the whole of the Bay of Elounda.

As the name implies with self-catering accommodation, you normally cater for yourself, but that needn’t be so at these villas.   Firstly, you can choose a Cretan delights package which means that you can arrive to a well-stocked fridge and freezer, fresh fruit and vegetables, Greek wine, etc. – ample provisions for most of your stay.

You can also request all manner of services not normally associated with self-catering, whether it be a regular pool attendant who’ll ensure your villa’s private pool is free of leaves and any other debris, a daily maid service or whether you would simply like your own private chef to come and serve you breakfast or dinner.

We stayed in Villa Re which sleeps six; the entrance door took us into an open plan lounge and kitchen on the middle floor. The lounge was equipped with a large flat-screen TV, DVD player and music system, and led out to an outdoor terrace where you could dine whilst basking in the sunshine and taking in the fabulous view.

Up a floor was the en suite master bedroom with a large window at the foot of the bed, dramatically overlooking the Bay of Elounda, and a small balcony that you could sit out on.  Down a floor from the lounge there were two further bedrooms – a double and a twin – each sharing a bathroom with bath and shower, plus a washer/dryer and security box.

From this lower level, you could get direct access to your own private infinity pool, sunbeds, a small garden area and a dedicated barbecue corner with accompanying dining table and chairs.  Nothing had been overlooked here – if you so wished, you could spend the whole time in your villa, revelling in the views and relaxing in the peacefulness of the location.

There is however plenty to see and do in the area.  A hire car is recommended since the villas are situated on the outskirts of Elounda, but you do have a fabulous Six Senses spa within walking distance, courtesy of the previously reviewed Porto Elounda de Luxe Resort which can be used by guests staying at the Elounda Solfez Villas. Having such great facilities on the doorstep rather sums the place up – I don’t think I’ve ever encountered self-catering accommodation where so many fantastic services are available should guests wish to use them – services that are normally only associated with top hotels and resorts.

In October we had the pleasure of staying at the  Blue Palace Resort & Spa near Elounda on the Greek island of Crete. Since we arrived quite late in the evening, it wasn’t until morning that we could appreciate the full beauty of the resort’s position with its stunning view of the island of  Spinalonga, with its rich and varied history.

The hotel, a member of  The Luxury Collection fromStarwood Hotels & Resorts, is perfectly situated close to the small seaside village of Plaka. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this was going to be a wonderful place to relax.  We occupied two interconnecting rooms; spacious and ideal for families with young children.

Both rooms came with balconies that provided us with a good overview of the resort, as did the rather handy resort map provided.  Blue Palace has its own stretch of private beach, numerous pools, its own watersports centre, conference facilities, a small boutique, tennis courts, a helipad and even a private chapel.

There are also multiple restaurants and bars here, including the traditional Blue Door restaurant. Close to the waters edge and enjoying a gentle sea breeze, Blue Door adopts the style of a typical Greek taverna its brightly painted tables and chairs overlooking a spectacular beachfront location.  It offered a themed fish night every Friday.

We primarily dined at the Isola Italian Restaurant and Olea (where breakfast is also served), but there are plenty of options including L’Orangerie, a two-time recipient of the Golden Toque Award (given to the best restaurants in Greece).  At Olea, you can experience a Greek night (Thursdays) and savour an authentic Greek dining experience.

At the heart of Blue Palace is The Elounda Spa & Thalassotherapy offering signature treatments, massages, facials and body wraps, with a swimming pool, saunas, Jacuzzis, steam baths, a hair salon and a well-equipped fitness centre.  Its received many prestigious awards including the Spa Finder Readers’ Award 2007 for The Best Spa in Greece.

For children there is ample to enjoy. The resort has its own kids club and a playground area where the little ones can enjoy everything from swings to climbing olive trees.  There’s also table tennis and of course the beach and the swimming pools which are two boys thoroughly enjoyed.  It’s worth noting that a kids’ menu was available in all the restaurants, so they are made to feel welcome throughout the resort.

In conclusion, nothing was too much trouble for the staff at Blue Palace and this is what sets it apart from many other places. With their Ultimate Guest Service, you can request whatever you want, be it a bath with candles, Champagne and strawberries, or a helicopter ride to Santorini.  When staff are eager to fulfil any and every request their guests throw at them, you know you are staying somewhere special.

Last summer we enjoyed a very relaxing week at the five star  Gwel an Mor resort on the outskirts of Portreath in mid Cornwall. After a pleasant welcome, we settled into lodge number 40, also known as ‘Tehidy’.  All the lodges are named after the local area and Tehidy Country Park is a 250-acre estate not far away.

Despite there being just the four of us, our lodge could easily sleep six people and so presented us with more than ample space.  We enjoyed a sea view and comfortable accommodation that consisted of three bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs and an open plan kitchen, dining area and living room upstairs.

The lodges also have outdoor decking and balconies and some have hot tubs too.  Perched high above Portreath, the resort is well positioned for a variety of things to do whether it be spending time on the beaches, coastal walks, or visiting local attractions.  The Eden Project – home to the world’s largest greenhouse – is about an hour away.

And if you prefer not to venture too far away, facilities at the resort are good. There is the Terrace Restaurant & Bar (open to both residents and locals alike), serving far better fayre than your average pub but without being so stuffy that you would feel uncomfortable with children. Gwel an Mor is, afterall, a family friendly resort.

Also on site is a spa with views over the Atlantic, a gym and an indoor swimming pool.  All useful facilities but for us one of the big bonuses – and a unique selling point for Gwel an Mor – was the resort’s own resident wildlife expert, Gary Zammit.  We went rockpooling with him and it proved to be a great experience for the children.

Impressed, we headed straight for the site office to see what else was available. Although Gary looked to be ‘booked up’ for the remainder of the week, we made enquiries and he kindly squeezed in an additional wildlife tour for the four of us the following day.  If you stay and are faced with the same predicament, do make enquiries and they will try to accommodate you.

Gary is a very interesting person.  Not only has he taught an orphaned heron to fly but he also cares for a host of other animals.  His wildlife experience was well-pitched so that it was both interesting to adults and engaging for youngsters.  Our two boys – aged just 5 and 3 – enjoyed some wonderful opportunities: they hand-fed one of the foxes, flew Sly the Barn Owl, handled a grass snake and much more.

We really enjoyed our stay at Gwel an Mor and would recommend it for a great family holiday. Plans could be afoot to add more lodges to the resort. If this is to go ahead, hopefully it can be achieved without adversely affecting Gwel an Mor’s charm.

Europe’s first theme park devoted entirely to the understanding and discovery of plant life, will open in April 2010. After 10 years in the making, this extraordinary project has been implemented by the Maine-et-Loire Departmental Council under the guidance of Christophe Béchu.

Perfectly located near Angers in the Anjou district of the Pays de la Loire, France’s leading horticultural region, Terra Botanica, aims to be both fun and educational, offering the visitor an exciting adventure into the world of plants.

At a cost of 83 million euros, it has been designed to respect the environment, whilst inviting visitors to discover the world of plants through highly original interactive activities. Spread across 11 acres of gardens, aquatic spaces, glass houses and buildings, the park will be interspersed with 40 attractions, nature trails and entertainment for all the family.

In February 2010, the doors will open on the Spa at Château Élan, a five-star Salut Per Aqua in the heart of the Hunter Valley.  Part of the new Château Élan at The Vintage, the luxury spa complex has 18 treatment rooms dedicated to exclusive spa rituals, traditional hydrotherapies and social relaxation. It is one of very few places in the world where people can experience Terraké treatments supplemented by products from prestige group, Thalgo.

Terraké treatments are inspired by the principles of ‘four worlds’. Each world offers whole-body treatments with its own precious ingredients, scents, textures, techniques and music.

Thalgo specialises in marine cosmetology and spa therapies; its products draw richness and effectiveness from the marine universe to help drive efficient, effective results.

Examples from the exclusive Château Élan spa menu include:

• Rare Essence facial treatment (for women): exotic botanicals, fruit butters and rare flowers combine in a double mask application for a succession of delicious sensations to regenerate and nourish the skin.
• Balneotherapy: Thalgo’s Detoxifying Algae and essential oils are added to the whirlpool of a geisha tub; the algae works with the effects of underwater massage to relieve tension.
• ‘Stretching After Exercise’ body exfoliation, massage and wrap (for men): smoothing sugar softens the skin while a stretching-stroke massage eases the body and mind; next, it’s into a nourishing body wrap made with sweetly-scented fruit and cereal butters.

Château Élan is also pleased to introduce spa treatments for teenagers, The Hydrolounge (a comfortable, fire-warmed ‘wet’ area) and a social spa area complete with alcohol and catering

Borgo Egnazia, the Mediterranean’s newest luxury resort will open this Autumn, with a soft opening next month followed by an official launch in Spring 2010. Created by the owners of Masseria San Domenico, Borgo Egnazia is positioned to become one of the leading luxury family, spa and golf resorts in the Mediterranean, featuring a luxury hotel, a traditional Apulian village and 28 private villas across 20 hectares on the coast of Southern Italy.

The main hotel will feature 63 guest rooms and suites; a variety of restaurants and bars; two outdoor and one indoor swimming pool; a grand ballroom and several meeting rooms; plus a 2,000 m ² Raison d’Etre spa, designed to be one of the best in Europe, featuring a modern-day interpretation of a Roman bath house.  There will also be 28 villas which will represent the most exclusive accommodation at the Resort; each with three bedrooms, a private garden and a swimming pool, wrap-around balconies and roof terraces.

The most spectacular part of the Resort will be the Village inspired by the nearby hillside towns. A total of 72 Apulian townhouses surround the central piazza, hosting 91 beautiful one and two-bedroom suites along with private Arab gardens, balconies and roof terraces overlooking the sea. The Village will include an array of bars and restaurants as well as a swimming pool, children’s facilities and a cooking school.

In addition to the 18-hole championship San Domenico Golf course, the Resort features tennis courts, a private beach club with an additional bar/restaurant and an array of water sports. Special activities can be arranged (maximum 10 minutes drive from the resort) including sailing, wind and kite surfing, horse riding, soccer and kart-racing.

Borgo Egnazia cradles the ancient city of Egnazia, nestled between the foothills of the Appenines and the azure Adriatic. This is a landscape drenched in ancient olive groves, rosemary, bougainvillea and jasmine, where the green fairways of one of the finest golf courses in Southern Italy provide a horizon down to the traditional fishing village of Savelletri. The views from the Resort have a rich history dating back before Christ. The ancient Roman city of Egnazia is open for all to see …’Carpe Diem’ could not be more apt here, famously penned by Horace who is believed to have passed by using the still-preserved tracks of Via Traiana. Guests can follow in his footsteps as this ancient road to Rome runs through the Resort and is clearly visible at the front gates.

Being located in central Puglia, the Resort is an ideal base to explore the entire region, from Lecce’s unique baroque architecture to the UNESCO World Heritage town of Alberobello. Festivals and food markets throughout the year offer visitors a glimpse into the past, present and future of Southern Italy, where locals demonstrate their proud Medieval heritage, their distinct cuisine and unique identity in all its vibrant colour.

Young travellers and their parents can now experience the new Freedom Trail Suite at America’s longest continuously operating hotel. Along with the brand’s irresistible Omni Sensational Kids program, the Omni Parker House now provides another great ways for children and their families to travel in a unique kid-friendly style while also learning about Boston’s vital role in American history.

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.