Recent news of the upcoming Park Hyatt Bangkok prompted us to look around for more interesting images of upcoming luxury hotel projects. Please note that selection here does not indicate an Andrew Harper endorsement.
Shangri-La at The Shard, London (located within the building).
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Bangkok.
Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay, Turks & Caicos.
W Mumbai, India.
Dorado Beach, Costa Rica, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.
City of Rovinj, Croatia
The key to securing exactly what you want is planning ahead.
Each year, we see some of the same destinations filling up around the same time, and inevitably, travelers start hitting a wall of sold-out hotels. We’ve assembled a list of destinations that can be difficult to book at the last minute — all spectacular and worth the effort of planning ahead:
Amalfi Coast: As we wrote in this post, the top months of June-September sell out quickly each year. By the Ides of March, it can be quite difficult to find space along this celebrated stretch of cliffs and sea.
Bhutan: The mountain monasteries and ancient villages of this remarkable little Himalayan kingdom draw more intrepid travelers every year, but to preserve the country’s traditional character, the government issues a strictly limited number of tourist visas. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Getting to the autumn festivals in Bumthang is easier than ever with a new flight from Paro, but because it’s easier, it’s important to book as far in advance as possible.
Canal Cruises: Floating along the Canal de Bourgogne or the Canal du Midi through unspoiled French countryside is one of the world’s great vacation experiences, but there are just a handful of top-class barges. To be sure you can charter the barge you want when you want, talk to your travel advisor about holding some dates.
Croatia: The dramatically beautiful Croatian coast, punctuated by Venetian colonial cities and fragrant archipelagos, is no longer a secret. Despite the growing number of visitors, only a few small properties offer world-class accommodations and service.
Paris: It will be more difficult than usual to secure that perfect little suite in Paris this year. One of the great grande dames of the city, the Ritz Paris, will shortly close for a two-year overhaul. Rumor has it that the Hôtel de Crillon may also close for some renovations. With two of the six palace hotels potentially out of commission, space will be at a premium.
Safaris: Many of the best safari lodges have fewer than 10 accommodations, which makes booking early essential.
Winter Break: The Travel Office always receives a lot of calls about travel over the winter holidays, but unfortunately, many of these calls come in September and October. By then, it’s too late to secure accommodations at the best beach resorts. To make sure you’re not caught in the cold, start making plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas now. Family-friendly Caribbean resorts and Costa Rican wilderness hideaways fill up first, along with December weekends in New York City and the days around New Year’s Eve in Sydney, Australia.
Our Signature Tours are meticulously designed to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience to small groups of like-minded travelers. These trips feature the finest accommodations and the most knowledgeable guides, and provide an opportunity to meet eminent individuals and gain access to sites that are generally off-limits to the wider public. Join us, and experience the exhilaration of travel in incomparable style.
The upcoming Andrew Harper Family Tour to Costa Rica promises a host of memorable sights and experiences: witnessing a giant Atlantic green sea turtle lay her eggs on a Caribbean beach, cruising along tidal rivers through a chattering rain forest, ambling through a cloud forest on a high suspension bridge, soaking in volcano-fueled hot springs, windsurfing, zip lining and relaxing on pristine beaches. Another perennial appeal of this startlingly beautiful country is its vast array of colorful wildlife, from sloths to howler monkeys, caimans to coatimundis. Tour participants will also enjoy some of Costa Rica’s finest properties, including the Arenal Nayara, overlooking Mount Arenal, and the isolated splendor of Hotel Punta Islita. While all are welcome, this utterly unique itinerary has been created with families in mind.
Few places in the world exceed visitors’ expectations as reliably as the Galápagos Islands do. Isolated 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador and surrounded by the immensity of the Pacific Ocean, the archipelago offers an unprecedented opportunity to observe and photograph endlessly fascinating wildlife at very close range, against a backdrop of impressive lava-shaped landscapes, white-sand beaches, cactus colonies and active volcanoes. Remarkably tame animals and birds regard visitors with a complete lack of concern, similar to what Charles Darwin found here when he landed in 1835 and began the research that would result in his “On the Origin of Species.”
Our Andrew Harper Galápagos Family Adventure Tour begins in Quito, Ecuador’s bustling capital and a World Heritage site. From there, you’ll fly to the Galápagos to board the 210-foot expedition ship M.V. Eclipse and visit a dozen of the most intriguing locations in the islands. You’ll find an extraordinary abundance of fascinating wildlife, including sea lions, giant tortoises, iguanas, countless shorebirds and marine life, and scores of unique species found nowhere else on earth.
Sicily has been one of the most coveted prizes in the Mediterranean since it was first colonized by the Greeks. Today, the island contains spectacular archaeological sites, engaging towns with lovely medieval buildings and fountain-dotted piazzas, a hilly rural patchwork of vineyards and groves of citrus and olives, and wonderful panoramas of sea and mountains, perfect settings for our Signature Tour.
From Sicily’s Catania, in the shadow of snowcapped Mount Etna, you’ll fly by private jet to Naples. South of Naples lies the famed Amalfi Coast and its breathtaking scenery. Jagged mountains plunge into the Mediterranean; terraced lemon groves and whitewashed villages cling to precipitous slopes; and beneath forbidding cliffs, the resort towns of Amalfi and Positano cluster at the edge of the sea.
“Quite unlike any land you know about,” Rudyard Kipling wrote of Burma in 1889, and in much of this beautiful, isolated and culturally fascinating country, little has changed since. Temple bells, pagoda spires and golden Buddhas still greet travelers, while engaging people honor cherished ways and ancient customs.
Experience Burma’s unique blend of British colonialism and Burmese tradition, its ancient ruins and pristine wilderness, in the comfort and style of an Andrew Harper Signature Tour. Glide past ancient capitals and bucolic villages that line the Irrawaddy River. Soar above the temples of Bagan at sunrise in a hot air balloon. Enjoy luxury accommodations, in-country travel by private charter aircraft and rewarding excursions specially arranged for this one-of-a-kind journey through “Burma: The Lost World.”
We arrived in the graceful, relaxed city of Bordeaux at the end of our French tour feeling happy but exhausted from a week of heavy-duty sightseeing. As wine lovers, we were excited to explore the world of Bordeaux, but heading out of the city to the châteaux — many of which require appointments and expect you to purchase a bottle or two — seemed daunting. Fortunately, our hotel, the exquisite Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa, turned out to be within a two-minute walk of two bars devoted to the glories of the local wine.
Wine connoisseurs should turn right out of the hotel and walk to Max Bordeaux, a sleek tasting bar with uplit tables and a shower of wine glasses raining from the ceiling. Several temperature-controlled cases contain everything from basic Graves to the greatest Premiers Grands Crus Classés.
All these wines can be sampled by the glass in portions ranging from 25 to 75 milliliters, accessed by a card loaded with euro (view the full wine gallery). If you have doubts about which wines to choose, a wall-mounted iPad offers fact sheets and wine critics’ tasting notes about every single wine, in English (the staff is also willing to assist, of course).
We inserted our card into a case, pushed a button, and voilà! We had a €30 taste of 2004 Château Latour in our Riedel glass. Following that remarkable 25 ml, we moved on to tastes of the 2004 Château Margaux, 2006 Château Cheval Blanc and 2006 Château Ausone. For €120, we were able to taste four of the greatest red wines in the world, in succession. It was an amazing opportunity — where else would we have this chance?
Many Harper members are happily familiar with NetJets and the Marquis Jet Card program. It certainly helps that they have the exclusive opportunity to purchase Marquis Jet Cards in 12.5-hour increments, as opposed to the standard 25 hours.
For leisure travelers, a private jet card can be a wonderful way to treat children and grandchildren to a Mexican or Caribbean vacation. And once you enjoy the experience of taking off 15 minutes after arriving at the airport, it is very difficult to resume the weary trudge through security at JFK.
We were curious about the most popular domestic destinations for NetJets members, and its office was kind enough to provide this list:
· Teterboro, New Jersey
· White Plains, New York
· Dulles, Virginia
· West Palm Beach, Florida
· Chicago, Illinois
· Las Vegas, Nevada
· San Jose, California
· San Francisco, California
· Houston, Texas
· Atlanta, Georgia
For more information about exclusive NetJets benefits for Andrew Harper members, please call (866) 538-1300 or visit netjets.com/harper.
From the picturesque Italian Riviera to a secluded beach escape, our well-traveled members can recommend the perfect romantic destination. Take your pick from the highly touted luxurious destinations below.
Midnight Sun, Alaska
All the large cruise ships follow similar Alaskan itineraries, calling at popular ports such as Ketchikan and Skagway. As enjoyable as these visits may be, they only scratch the surface of what Alaska can offer.
A journey with the intimate vessels of American Safari Cruises or a private charter of the Midnight Sun allows you to really experience the glories of pristine Alaskan scenery and get up close to the remarkable wildlife.
Many of the favorite moments we’ve had with these travel partners are unfortunately quite difficult for most cruise ship passengers to enjoy:
And perhaps most important (at least to one person in our party): Cruising almost exclusively within the calm waters of the Inside Passage, ensuring that seasickness was never an issue.
If you don’t have enough people to charter the three-cabin Midnight Sun, a journey with American Safari Cruises is the best bet. This seven-night itinerary shows off the best of the Inside Passage, but if you have more time, the 14-night experience would be absolutely unforgettable. After the cruise, Andrew Harper members who booked through the Travel Office receive a large-format coffee table book filled with pictures taken by the on-board photographer. And if you pay with an eligible American Express Card, get up to 20,000 American Express Membership Rewards® points.
Our travel partner Entrée Alaska can help make arrangements to explore inland treasures such as Denali National Park before or after a cruise.
This week’s featured auction is a five-night stay in a Terrace Suite at Edinburgh’s small gem The Howard (a retail value of $3,875) for a starting bid of $1,550.
“Intimate 18-room boutique hotel (no A/C) in an 1829 Georgian townhouse, a short stroll from lively George Street. Individually decorated accommodations, named after Edinburgh streets and districts, feature rich fabrics, fine oil paintings and comfortable furniture for a traditional look. A small (14 seats) but excellent restaurant, The Atholl, specializes in traditional Scottish fare; also, drinks and nightcaps served in atmospheric drawing room. Full butler service; spa treatments arranged in rooms; access to nearby gym, swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna and stream room.” Andrew Harper
View more weekly auctions here.
Images from Botswana’s Zarafa Camp, reviewed in the February 2012 Hideaway Report.
Following in the footsteps of Andrew Harper and the February 2012 Hideaway Report, a special luxury safari issue, we have compiled a packing guide suited for a similar journey.
“On safari, everyone remembers to take a camera — although many people neglect the mandatory 400mm lens — forgetting that the truly essential piece of equipment is a pair of good binoculars. Friends who own safari camps have traditionally sworn by Leitz products. However, if money is no object, I suggest you opt for Swarovski’s EL 8.5×42. Also remember to take your own bird identification books and field guides: The lodges never have enough copies.” – A.H.
Here is a suggested packing list for an African safari:
View the guidebook and product details on Andrew Harper’s Pinterest.
