North America

There’s a new hotel rewards program that has been designed specifically for luxury travelers. It’s called Stash Hotel Rewards – a first-of-its kind points program for independent hotels. That is, one rewards currency shared by many different upscale, independent properties. 65  hotel properties launched with them late last week, making it already the largest independent loyalty program in the United States.

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.

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.

If you find yourself in NYC for Memorial Day weekend, The Patio at The Wheeltapper Pub at The Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel invites you to stop by Friday from 7-9pm or from 5-7pm on Saturday or Sunday and sample a complimentary tasting plate of snacks when you order any two drinks. The magnificent, 2,200-square-foot Patio at The Wheeltapper is one of the best kept secrets in Midtown Manhattan. It is an all-weather oasis, protected from the elements by a retractable awning specially designed for the Patio by a custom sail maker from Barbados. If you won’t be visiting NYC for the holiday, you can stop by all summer long for one of The Wheeltapper’s seasonal cocktails with an Irish twist:

Solstice – Absolut Vodka, Cinnamon Syrup, Fresh Pressed Apple Juice, Cranberry Juice

South Highland – Sauza Reposado Tequila, Agavero Liqueur, Mathilde Black Currant Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice

Irish Summer Time – Cruzan Single Barrel Rum, Fresh Orange Juice, Simple Syrup

Pom Collins – Plymouth Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Pama Liqueur, Simple Syrup

Irish Spring – Jameson Irish Whiskey, Honey, Sauvignon Blanc, Fresh Apple Juice, Mango Syrup, Fresh Lemon Juice

The Wheeltapper Pub and Patio at The Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel can be found at  141 E. 44th St, New York, NY 10017.

A weekly pick of luxury travel links for your perusal…

We’ve scoured the Web to bring you some of the most unusual hotels out there. They not all that luxurious but curious nonetheless and so I think worthy of a mention on any travel blog due to their quirky nature.

Free Spirit Spheres, Canada

Seemingly floating among the treetops, you could be forgiven for thinking these spheres are UFOs if observing them from a distance.  They sway in the breeze and with people’s weight and typically accommodate two people at a time.

The Capsule Hotel, The Netherlands

Moored (yes, I said ‘moored’!) in the Hague, these orange capsules are in fact old 1970s survival pods rescued from an oil rig.  They’re tight for space but can accommodate up to three, and there’s still space left over for an emergency chemical toilet.

Sala Silvermine, Sweden

This single suite can be found 120km from Stockholm and 155 metres underground in a mine that produced more than 3 tons of silver a year at the height of its production.  You can take a tour of the mine but, come nightfall, you’ll be the only occupant.  Thankfully there’s intercom access with the outside world should you need it.

Dog Bark Park Inn, Idaho, USA

I’m not sure what the thinking is behind this bed and breakfast hotel, but who’s to say you can’t put two rooms in a giant, wooden beagle structure and then charge people to stay?

Das Park Hotel, Austria

If someone told you they were going to use segments of sewage pipes to make a hotel, you’d think they were nuts.  Due to their construction, though, they serve as quite cool rooms in the summer and, weighing in at almost 10 tonnes each, they are extremely robust.

Following a very successful property development in the UK, for their own home and with a keen eye for interior design and their love of everything old-Florida, British couple Mike and Lizzie Thrasher took all of their ideas and leanings to the USA. Here, they have turned some of the most wonderful buildings on Anna Maria Island into the most luxurious and elegant beach-chic vacation homes in Florida. Anna Maria is a hidden gem on the west coast of Florida, undiscovered, and seeped in old-Floridian history and charm. Mike, a British Designer and Lizzie, a Green Entrepreneur, fell in love with Anna Maria while visiting on holiday in 2003, and have since purchased and renovated some of the islands most spectacular properties, now available as vacation rentals.

Under the Pineapplefish name, each home; Limefish, Lemonfish, Honeyfish, Chilifish, Cherryfish, Plumfish and Berryfish has its own unique personality, indicative of the islands culture, which is gleaned from the variety of homes. On Anna Maria Island, no two homes is the same, offering many various styles, which provided Mike and Lizzie with a rich source of inspiration. And having chosen properties which already provided a good canvass to work on, some with great location character, others the ‘bones’ on which to work, they have captured a luxurious key west style that reflects the Floridian desire for outdoor living.

Mike and Lizzie’s passion and exceptional interior design skills has bought together a wonderful, eclectic mix of styles and designs, with luxurious furniture and soft furnishings gathered from local shops and flea markets and paintings and crafts bought in from the islands network of talented artists . Not only have they bought their unique, personal touch to Anna Maria, they have developed properties with integrity and the utmost respect for the heritage and laid back attitude.

The Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa – on the shores of Mirror Lake – is the perfect place for your Adirondack fall vacation. The fresh mountain air and spectacular natural beauty of the area is sure to revitalize and rejuvenate your spirit. Take a leisurely canoe ride on a pristine lake, go hiking, biking, golfing, fishing, or just enjoy the view from one of the resort’s Adirondack chairs…you’ll find it all here in one of “America’s Prettiest Towns” (Forbes Magazine, April 2010).

Formerly with Skyscanner, Aaron Ritoper is the Vice President of Business Development at Fly.com, a website which scours major airlines, international carriers and online travel sites, and helps people easily sort and refine results by criteria such as number of stops and departure times and traveller class.

What is it that you do exactly?

I’m in charge of developing the Fly.com business across Europe. This means I manage our all commercial relationships, ensure we achieve our targets, and communicate across markets to spread the word on Fly.com (sharing the latest flight deal insights). Travelzoo travel producers are very knowledgeable, so I spend time with them to review the latest bargains.

On the technology side, the flight search experience is constantly developing, and hours are spent with the team to build the flight search product of the future.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

It’s not every day that you get the chance to build a global brand with the talent and resources of a company like Travelzoo. I love the challenge and the reward that we see as people discover how much better Fly.com is at finding cheap flights compared to legacy websites.

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

Méribel – Is fantastic place for a ski vacation. The last time we went “hors-piste” with a ski guide, and when he handed out avalanche beacons and put a snow shovel in his backpack that definitely made a lasting impression.

Iceland – Seeing the Northern lights was definitely high on my list. I stayed out in the countryside outside of Reykjavik and around midnight green oscillating light filled the sky.

Hawaii – A wonderful place for a family vacation, we stayed at the Grand Hilton in Waikoloa and found it very family friendly. The dolphin pool in particular was a big hit.

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

Probably the time I ate barbequed buffalo on an Indian reservation in New Mexico. They had the whole animal roasting on a spit and there were demonstrations of traditional dances with rhythmic music – it was very festive!

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

I’m constantly on airplanes so I’ve run across quite a few celebrities along the way. Within the travel world, I enjoyed speaking with Stelios Haji-Ioannou not too long ago just before my easyJet flight from London to Nice, France. I happened to be one of the first people on the plane, so tipped off the flight attendant that an important guest would be following me.

What currently ranks highest on your travel wish list?

It’s about time for a surfing trip, so I’m hoping to spend some time in Biarritz, France soon.

Many thanks, Aaron. Having experienced the Northern Lights in Greenland myself, I can understand how that might be up there as one of your highlights.

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

Spare a thought for the helicopter pilot who this week had a collision with a vulture.  At the time of the incident, the medical helicopter was just two miles from Nogales airport in Arizona.  The pilot managed to land the helicopter and he and his passengers survived the incident without injury. Spare a thought also for the vulture, though – he wasn’t quite so fortunate.

Read the full story here.

Blantyre is a beautiful country house, recognized as one of the finest hotels in the world, where guests can stay and experience the life and service of a bygone era. Blantyre was voted #1 Small Hotel in the U.S. and #66 in the World in the Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2010. There are many activities you can enjoy without ever having to leave the property, as well as fine wine and dining, and The Potting Shed Spa.