The Ideal Time to Rent a Villa

Due to the pandemic, it’s not surprising that we’re receiving many more requests for homes, villas, and townhouse rentals this summer. These residences all have full kitchens, so you don’t have to worry about dining at restaurants every meal. Also, the companies we work with not only personally inspect all properties, but hire cleaning services to thoroughly disinfect before and after each rental.

Known for their upscale private homes around the world, we like to use Villas of Distinction in the winter months for families headed to the Turks & Caicos and Jamaica, especially their luxurious Noble House outside Montego Bay that can sleep 10. Due to the demand of private homes this summer, the company is expanding their profile. All homes have been vetted, and unlike VRBO or Airbnb, all deposits are placed into escrow, so if you cancel during the allotted time period, you don’t have to worry about fighting for your money with a private homeowner. Villas of Distinction also offers a concierge at each location to arrange all activities and dining, including a private chef if need be. New destinations this summer include Westhampton, New York (the former home of composer Marvin Hamlisch), and a 6-bedroom property on the beach in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

If interested in any villa or house rental this summer or fall, please let ActiveTravels know and we’ll discuss the options.

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Plaza Athenee Turns 100

Sleep deprived after our overseas flight into Paris, my family stepped under the signature red awning into the lobby of the Plaza Athenee and exhaustion was immediately replaced with a deep sense of comfort and relaxation. It wasn’t only the doorman who carried in your luggage.  No, it was the man behind the reception desk stating that our room was already available at this early hour, and the nearby concierge, standing at a desk twice as large as the reception area, already helping us with dinner reservations and museum passes. Then a woman escorted us upstairs to our room, a stately suite, where the antique rugs and furniture blended with the latest technology like flatscreen televisions. We opened up the French country windows to see a garden box planted with flowers. To our right was the Eiffel Tower standing in all its glory. Everything was bliss.

 
When the Plaza Athenee opened its doors on April 20, 1913, it quickly became the place to be for the Parisian personalities of the day. Maurice Chevalier, Josephine Baker and Rudolph Valentino made the crimson-trimmed palace their Parisian hot spot of choice. So did the fashion icon Christian Dior, who became so infatuated with the hotel, he opened his new boutique on the same street. Luminaries kept coming: Grace Kelly, Gary Cooper, Jackie Kennedy, the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, and more. As it celebrates its 100th birthday, the hotel just gets better with age. You can read my full review of the property at FamilyVactionCritic. 
 
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Lapa Rios Signs 900-Acre Conservation Easement

At the southernmost coast of that ecotourism hub, Costa Rica, a 1040-acre rainforest called the Lapa Rios preserve perches over the Pacific Ocean, offering the best of both worlds. You can spend the morning hiking along the Carbonera River to a pristine waterfall, accompanied by four types of monkeys, macaws, and those rainbow-colored toucans. In the afternoon, sea kayak in the ocean around Matapalo Point or surf the Golfo Dulce. The 16 open-air bungalows and main lodge of the Lapa Rios Ecolodge are no tent-in-the-woods accommodation. Hardwood floors, bamboo walls, and a vaulted thatched roof ceiling provide plenty of space and privacy. Other luxuries include soft mosquito netting over the queen-sized bed and a secluded garden shower.  
 
Former Peace Corp volunteers Karen and John Lewis built the retreat in 1990 as a way to save hundreds of acres of rainforest from farming. The owners have just signed a conservation easement that protects over 900 acres of land surrounding Lapa Rios in perpetuity. It prohibits all extractive activities, such as mining, forestry and hunting, as well as further building expansion, even putting a cap on trail construction. At the same time the easement encourages both scientific and educational activities on the reserve. All those monkeys and birds that wake you up in the morning are a tribute to their brilliant success. 
 
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The Emergence of Schenectady’s Mohawk Harbor

I was back in my boyhood stomping grounds this weekend for a high school reunion and was pleasantly surprised at how good the city looked. Much of the change is due to an influx of investment from the new Rivers Casino & Resort. We stayed at the casino’s Landing Hotel, boasting a stylish lounge bar, outdoor tables around fire pits, and a paved walking path along the Mohawk River. I’ve never seen so much action on the river. Peering out at the water from our hotel room, we spotted fishing boats, jet skis, and countless crew teams skimming the water’s surface. I learned at the reunion that the Niskayuna crew team is one of the best in New York, with many alums being awarded D-1 scholarships at some of the finest college crew teams in the country. 
 
Rivers Casino is building up the whole waterfront in a neighborhood called Mohawk Harbor. We strolled down the path to find a spanking new apartment building and Courtyard by Marriott. Soon to make its debut in retail space at the bottom of the apartment building is the Shaker & Vine wine bar. Also opening nearby is a restaurant and microbrewery, Druthers Brewing. Before meeting friends at two bars owned by former classmates, Katie O’Byrnes and Cappocia Wine Lounge, we had to stop at my favorite Italian restaurant in town, Cornells, to dine on a dreamy eggplant parmesan. There’s a scene in the movie, Ratatouille, where the food critic is immediately transported back to his youth thanks to the perfect rendering of the dish. That’s what eggplant parmesan at Cornells does to me. One bite and I’m 11 years old surrounded by my family, my mother in her thick Bronx accent asking if I need more fresh baked bread to swipe up the heavenly red sauce. 
 
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The Stylish New Hotel Zetta in San Francisco

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Ending our Trip to Italy in Comfort at Rome’s Hotel Eden

Clients sometimes tell us that they’re not going to be in their hotel room that much, so you don’t have to find a luxury property for us. The problem with that reasoning is that you’re missing out on one of the finest travel experiences. Top-shelf properties provide the best service, comfort, food, and necessary down time you want especially after a long day of sightseeing. After walking miles around the large city of Rome, I can’t tell you how delighted we were to go back to our spacious room at the Hotel Eden, grab the bottle of prosecco, open our balcony doors, and watch green parrots fly back and forth to the monastery in front of us. 
 
Hotel Eden is located in a quiet part of the city, not far from the Villa Borghese Park. There’s so many superlatives about this property that I’m not sure where to start. The view from the 6th floor, where we had a gluttonous breakfast and dinner, had wraparound windows with glorious views of the city. I loved our waiters at breakfast, Marco and Francesco, who gave us a tour around the windows to all the sights below, before serving our perfectly poached eggs. They’ve been working together for 26 years at the hotel and love to tease each other. Our concierge, Anna, found us tickets at the nearby Borghese Gallery when they were sold out, and then reserved a table at an authentic lunch spot where there were no Americans, only Italian families that Sunday afternoon, dining on heavenly grilled artichokes and an antipasto plate overflowing with meats and creamy cheeses that I’ll be dreaming about back home. The mattress was so comfortable it was hard to wake up for that Caravaggio walking tour. Most importantly, it was a special moment to share with my wife after memorable days walking around Rome, coming back to our room, having a drink, and standing on our small balcony to watch the city below. Yes, the place you stay is a very important part of the travel experience. 
 
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Arenal’s Nayara Springs to Open this December

If you have plans to visit Costa Rica this winter and you want a luxurious retreat, consider staying in the Arenal region at the new Nayara Springs. Sister property to the Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens, Nayara Springs boasts a collection of 16 private villas. Built atop a mountain in the rainforest, the new property is surrounded by creeks, natural hot springs, and, of course, exquisite views of Arenal Volcano. The highlight will be the pools fed by mineral hot springs that are built into every villa. In addition to full butler service, all accommodations will feature a private garden with open air shower, as well as indoor and outdoor lounging areas. The villas are located steps away from a spa, yoga pavilion, oversized adult pool, and piano bar. At the poolside restaurant, Amor-Loco, guests can enjoy Latin American inspired sushi, fresh grilled fish and vegetables grown at the hotel’s organic garden. The hotel is approximately a 2 ½-hour drive from San Jose Int’l Airport and transfers are available for an additional cost. 

 

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