Seven Seaside Getaways for This Fall

A vacation to a beautiful seaside destination doesn’t have to blow your budget. Travelers who plan their visit for the right time — shoulder or off-season, perhaps, or on a weekday — can find plenty of deals in oceanside locales known for their high prices.

When it comes to Europe, for example, Simone Amorico, an owner of Access Italy, said that the prices drop by at least 25 percent in upscale spots like the Amalfi Coast after the middle of September. Besides the lower prices, there are other benefits to a post peak-season trip.

“You have a higher chance of getting room upgrades and reservations at popular restaurants,” he said. “Stores also offer discounts because they want to get rid of their merchandise from the season.” Overall, Mr. Amorico said that travelers can look forward to a trip with fewer crowds and plenty of opportunities to interact with locals in a relaxed way.

Here are seven options for your own luxury beach escape.

California dreaming

In Santa Monica, Hotel Casa del Mar, an exclusive beach club in the 1920s with panoramas of the Pacific Ocean, has an offer where guests who book three nights get a fourth night free. A daily $75 breakfast credit is included and can be used toward room service or at the property’s Coast restaurant. Bookings start from $489 a night after the discount. The promotion is valid through the end of the year.

A long weekend in Bermuda

Bermuda is less than a two-and-a-half hour flight from New York or Boston, and CheapCaribbean has an air-inclusive package to the British island territory from both cities. In addition to airfare, the package includes a three-night stay at the Fairmont Southampton, a nearly 100-acre beach resort full of coconut palm trees. Bookings are valid from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30, and start at $629 per person. The package is also available with flights from Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia with prices starting at $679 per person.

A Brazilian beach escape

Located in the small beachside village of Trancoso, in Brazil’s Bahia state, UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, a collection of 11 fishermen’s casas, offers three-, five- or seven-night Ultimate UXUA Experience packages, which include a welcome drink; a scenic boat trip to remote Espelho beach, considered to be one of the country’s most beautiful beaches); lunch at the property’s Asian-fusion restaurant, Silvinha’s; a private cooking class on Bahian cuisine; and a daily massage. Prices start at $475 a night for two people, and you can book at any time.

A private couples getaway in Bali

For those up for a far-flung seaside holiday, the Belmond Jimbaran Puri, in Bali, has a Suite Life promotion, which includes a stay in a villa with a private terrace and pool, butler service, breakfast, dinner for two at the property’s Tunjung restaurant, a couple’s massage and a one-way airport transfer. Bookings are valid indefinitely, and start from $550 a night for two people.

Fun in the Mexican sun

In Los Cabos, the Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas & Spa, which overlooks the Sea of Cortez and has three pools and a private beach, is offering the Los Cabos Getaway package. It includes accommodations in a two-bedroom villa, a private sunset sailing trip and a private tequila tasting. The promotion is valid through the end of the year, and bookings start at $169 a night.

Wellness options on the Amalfi Coast

Two properties on the Amalfi Coast are offering wellness-focused packages in October and early November.

Three builders offering one-story villas in Sumner County

Everyone loves the privacy of a single-family house, but not everyone likes everything that comes with it, including the price and a big yard to mow. And growing numbers of homeowners don't want any stairs.

Luckily for them, three home builders are offering new one-level villas in Sumner County.

"A lot of people don't want a lot of square footage but they want high-end comfort," said Jesse Hubling, sales manager for Dalamar Homes. The company is building 18 villas in the Berry Hill Villas neighborhood, located at 58 Cobbler Circle in Hendersonville. Prices start in the high $200,000s.

That's below the average home price in Sumner County, which was $305,724 in July, according to the Williamson County Association of Realtors, which tracks prices across the region.

David Weekley Homes recently introduced a new line of one-story villas in Hendersonville's Durham Farms community, 351 Azalea Circle in Hendersonville. Prices begin in the high $200,000s.

Beginning in September, Goodall Homes is launching construction of a new phase of villas at Millstone, 447 Carriage House Lane in Hendersonville. Prices have not been announced.

Goodall also offered villas at the Villas of Foxland Crossing, 2109 Sullivan St. in Gallatin, and other locations

"We are currently sold out of villas in Sumner County, and there's always a demand," said Todd Reynolds, vice president of Goodall Homes.

Villas are a popular alternative to a traditional single-family house, he said.

"Villas feel like a regular house, something people are familiar with," said Reynolds.

Goodall, Weekely Homes and Dalamar build their villas in pairs, an arrangement that allows them to have smaller lots, and lower prices, than many single family homes. Placing attached garages between them ensures privacy, said Craig Neal, lead sales consultant in Durham Farms for David Weekley Homes.

Villas are increasingly popular with home buyers. Dalamar has just seven remaining in Berry Hill. In Durham Farms, Weekley Homes began making sales as soon as its villas were introduced.

"One-story homes are in huge demand," said Neal.

Villas can be a bit smaller than many single-family homes, but they aren't cramped. In Durham Farms, David Weekley Homes offers villas ranging from 1,734 to 1,923 square feet. They have from three to five bedrooms.

Dalamar offers one-level villas in Berry Hill with about 1,700 square feet of living space. A larger floor plan is also available, with 2,500 square feet of space and an upstairs bedroom, bath and bonus area.

Goodall's villas range from about 1,600 square feet for a one-level home to 2,100 square feet for a villa with an optional upstairs bonus area, said Reynolds.

Villas are especially popular with people looking for a lock-and-leave, maintenance-free lifestyle, including downsizers as well as grandparents who may have homes in different locations and spend just part of the year in Sumner County.

Villas are growing in popularity with younger age groups, as well, said Hubling.

"Recently, we're getting more couples and singles who don't want as many bedrooms," he said.

A Surprising Hotel Brand Luxury Travelers Need To Know

Dukes Hotel in London is arguably the most famous place to have a martini in the entire world. It’s the very spot where James Bond creator Ian Fleming drank his while ruminating on famed character 007’s penchant for the drink. It’s where white-tuxedoed staff roll a cart filled with gins and vermouths (and organic lemons imported especially from Italy) right to your chair in the stately library style bar, and shake (or stir) your custom drink to order. They have been doing this for many years, before the “mixology” and craft cocktail crazes took over. But it’s not just drinks: the boutique hotel is great, classic Britannia luxury with a fabulous location in tony Mayfair/St. James, steps from the bespoke shopping of Jermyn Street, very close to Green Park and Buckingham Palace. Dukes Hotel is a top choice for business or leisure visitors to London, and it is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. (NOTE: I was a paying guest at Dukes and did not accept any free rooms or travel or martinis from hotels when researching this article).

Last year I was doing a feature for Whisky Advocate Magazine on 10 great hotels around the world for whiskey lovers, and I found a charming spot in Dublin, the family-owned Brooks Hotel. With less than a hundred rooms and a marquee downtown location for exploring the heart of the city on foot, Brooks is a warm, intimate property, and home to the acclaimed Francesca’s restaurant, with its own elaborate private chef’s garden in County Wicklow supplying fresh ingredients. All rooms are decorated with handcrafted Irish wooden furniture, sumptuous fabrics and modern Irish artworks. Brooks’ award-winning Jasmine Bar is a whiskey fantasy, with over 70 Irish selections, including one of just 114 single cask bottles of Willie Napier 44-year old released, back in 1964. There are more than 100 other whiskies from the US, Scotland, Sweden, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Holland, South Africa and even Sri Lanka. Francesca’s is locally famous for its homemade Irish brown bread, and all overnight stays include the deliciously gourmet take on the traditional full Irish breakfast. Brooks is the kind of hidden gem I love to discover as a traveler, and it too is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

These are just two similar experiences I have had in recent years that made me start to wonder what this association is all about. I went and got the answer to that question, and it turns out that Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is a great tool for today’s upscale traveler. Recent studies have shown that travelers are increasingly curious, focused more on unique experiences, and going further off the beaten path, and this demographic meshes well with the SLH aesthetic. At the same time, information overload has hit travelers hard, and instead of making planning easier, the internet has in many cases increased the amount of time it takes to do trip planning and research and left many wanders scratching their head in confusion. This is one of the same key reasons for the renaissance of the well-informed travel agent, which I have documented extensively in these pages at Forbes (read “Why You Need a Travel Agent” here).

Here’s’ the bottom line: Google “Luxury Boutique Hotels Rome” and you will get well over 12 million hits. Try visiting even a small fraction of those and it’s a year long project. But visit SLH.com and check the Eternal City and you’ll quickly find the one super chic answer you didn’t even know you were looking for: Fendi Private Suites, an over the top 7-room temple to style in the beating heart of the city center, with suites located over the iconic fashion brand’s flagship store in Palazzo Fendi, a former aristocratic mansion residence. With a hip restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace, Fendi furniture in every suite, personal shopping and signature “everything is possible service” this is one of the most unique luxury hotels in the world, but few travelers, even regular visitors to Rome, know about it. Now you do. But that is just one example of smaller being better. Another is SLH member Petit St. Vincent, the acclaimed private island resort that is perennially ranked as one the best of the best luxury spots in the entire Caribbean.

Anguilla's CuisinArt Is Making a Comeback

Long one of the Caribbean’s havens for foodies, the luxe CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa is making a comeback in Anguilla.

The 91-suite, seven-villa resort, which shuttered in the wake of last year’s Hurricane Irma, is planning to officially reopen on Nov. 1, according to a spokesperson for the resort.

The Rendezvous Bay property will reopen “fully restored,” with “fresh design updates, transformed interiors, expanded golf and spa programming, and new dining venues,” according to a statement.

“It is with great pride that we announce the triumphant return of CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa,” Stephane Zaharia, President & Managing Director of CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa,  told Caribbean Journal. “Hurricane Irma presented a humbling experience, but one that also allowed us to reassess and make changes to ready the resort for its next chapter. Guests new and returning will enjoy a fresh coastal chic design, as well as heightened amenities across the resort, from enhanced Golf and Spa to new dining venues and sustainability efforts. We look forward to welcoming guests back to Anguilla this November as we carry the CuisinArt legacy into the next generation.” 

The interiors will reopen completely redesigned, with a new entrance, new lounging areas and new loungers and private cabanas.

The resort’s original lobby bar will be reborn as “Kazbar,” a Moroccan-style space, while the property is also adding a new 5,000-square-foot meeting space.

Changes to the rooms include a new “chic coastal aesthetic,” with wood-style flooring, handmade headboards and floor-to-ceiling windows, while the resort’s penthouses and villas are also getting a new look designed and furnished by Roche-Bobois.

All rooms will include Frette linens, Nespresso machines and other amenities.

And yes, the resort’s signature culinary offering will improve, too, with a new eatery called Mosaic, a pan-Mediterranean menu at Santorini and a Caribbean-focused offering at the becah bar.

The CuisinArt is also relaunching its 27,000-square-foot Spa by CuisinArt, with a new spa menu, new specialty treatments, an updated fitness center and a range of fitness classes from kickboxing to aqua conditioning.

CuisinArt’s modern-contemporary sister hotel in Anguilla, The Reef by CuisinArt, reopened earlier this year.

KB Home Announces the Grand Opening of Villas at Spring Shadows in Houston

KB Home (NYSE: KBH) today announced the grand opening of Villas at Spring Shadows, its latest community of new single-family homes in Houston. Villas at Spring Shadows’ commuter-friendly location in Spring Branch offers easy access to Beltway 8, US Route 290, Loop 610, and Interstate 10, making it convenient to major employment centers, including the Energy Corridor, The Galleria, Westchase, Texas Medical Center, and downtown Houston.

Villas at Spring Shadows is located close to several community parks, including Bear Creek Pioneers Park, Moritz Pech Family Park, Memorial Park, and Nob Hill Park, which together offer a mix of open green spaces, sports fields, playgrounds, biking and walking trails, wildlife viewing areas, golf, and a swimming pool. Congressman Bill Archer Dog park, just eight miles away, features two sections differentiated by dog size, agility courses, and wash stations. Residents at Villas at Spring Shadows can enjoy a plethora of nearby retail, dining, and entertainment options at CITYCENTRE®, Memorial City Mall, The Galleria, and Marq*E Entertainment Center.

KB Home is offering six home designs at Villas at Spring Shadows that range from 1,663 to 2,315 square feet, with up to five bedrooms and three baths. First floor living space, ample storage, open floor plans, and dedicated laundry rooms are characteristic of all the homes at Villas at Spring Shadows. Residents will enjoy the private access and low-maintenance living available at Villas at Spring Shadows, with pricing beginning in the low-$330,000s.

As part of KB Home’s unique homebuying experience, buyers at Villas at Spring Shadows will have the opportunity to personalize many aspects of their new home, from selecting their homesite and floor plan, to exterior elevation and interior finishes that best fit their lifestyle and budget. As with all KB homes, those offered at Villas at Spring Shadows will be built to ENERGY STAR 3.0® guidelines and include WaterSense® labeled faucets and fixtures, meaning they are designed to be more energy- and water-efficient than other typical new and resale homes, potentially saving homebuyers money on their monthly utility bills.

KB Home will host a grand opening celebration on Saturday, February 3rd, during which guests will have the opportunity to tour the elegantly appointed model home and enjoy food and refreshments from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Villas at Spring Shadows sales office, located at 2963 Laurel Mill Way, Houston, is open on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. If coming from I-10 West, exit Gessner Road and turn right. Turn left on Kemp Forest Drive to community on the left. If coming from Beltway 8, exit Clay Road heading east. Turn right on Gessner Road and right on Kemp Forest Drive to community on the left.

These villas in the Maldives have slides

A luxury resort in the Maldives is sure to appeal to the child in all of us – as the incredible villas feature slides that guests can take straight down and into a shimmering blue lagoon.

Soneva Jani, a resort that opened just over a year ago in the Maldives, is built around the 150-acre island of Medhufaru. There are 24 water villas and one island village in a 5.6km lagoon, which is one of the largest in the Maldives. Each one includes a 13-metre private pool on the outdoor deck, where lucky guests can relax as they look out over the lagoon. If getting straight in the crystal clear ocean is more appealing, then you can hop on the amazing slides that take you down into the water.

Since Soneva Jani has a focus on preserving the eco-system, the pools use seawater with UV filtration and the villas are built over the floor of the lagoon so there is no damage to the reef.  If you want to admire the complex ecosystem below, the overwater villas also have three different glass-bottomed areas so you can check out views of the water from all angles.

For anyone looking up, the master bedrooms even have retractable roofs that make stargazing easy and enjoyable. The resort also features the first overwater observatory in the Maldives, where guests can go and learn more about the skies with the help of the resident astronomer.

If you want to sneak in a bit of culture, the resort also provides the first open-air overwater cinema in the Maldives, so you can hang out on the beach and check out some new and classic cinema. To help protect nesting turtles and wildlife, guests can listen to the film with Bluetooth headphones.