Winter, Boutique Hotels and Other Stuff

Baby it was cold outside in Boston this past week. I work from a home office and love the features and benefits, which include not having to grate the ice off my windshield for any early morning commutes. I did have to get the scraper out in last Thursday’s frigid temperatures, to venture down to the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel - one of the city’s newer properties – for a meeting. I eschewed the valet parking (at $41 USD – thank you very much), found a meter about two blocks away and hustled along, shivering in the wind. There is nothing like wind off the ocean on a frosty February morning. When I arrived in the lobby, I was chilled to the bone but feeling righteous. Hey, we’ve got an economic crisis going on here…41 bucks to pahk? Gimme a break.

The Renaissance brand is Marriott’s entry into the boutique market. Here on at the Boston Waterfront they have gone with a very cool, contemporary décor with a nod to mid-century design that we often see now. It has a nautical touch and is nice enough; however, I found it a bit stark. Buzz-less. Hotel lobbies can be magical places, bevies of activity and interesting folks up to who-knows-what. But such was not the case. They did whip up a scrumptious hot chocolate though. So there is that – and it steeled me for my walk back to the car. And oh, my meeting with some European tour operators went well.

I returned home to my To Do list and writing up a promo for St. Barth’s Le Sereno Hotel. Book 5 nights – get your 6th night free. Even the beautiful people are looking for a deal these days. I would sure love to stick my feet in the sand of its gorgeous beach – instead of into my Uggs one of these mornings. It’s been a long winter and I’m dying to get back there for some palm trees and sunshine – and ocean breezes of a different sort.

Le Sereno boasts a sleek urban chic décor by French designer Christian Liaigre and although it is an intimate beachfront hotel, it has a cosmopolitan city boutique feel. It really works. Further, I don’t believe there is a charge for parking. Ahem, ahem…Renaissance.

Speaking of boutique hotels, I just received the monthly e- newsletter from one of my favorite websites, Travel Intelligence.com. Check it out, they offer great hotels reviews, with a major focus on boutique properties, nice deals and some great travel writing. No charge.

Selling Inspired Journeys

It’s been a busy week; on Tuesday my Tour de Forks’ colleagues and I delivered a webinar on our Inspired Journeys tour series to travel agents. Ahh, the webinar -more technology to master. Showtime was high-noon, and at a quarter to, we were all having mild techie-terrors.

“Is this the right PowerPoint” “This “expletive-deleted” link isn’t working.” “We aren’t on yet …are we?”

Plus, I have the added pressure of modulating my Boston accent while delivering my presentation. In relaxed mode (read after two glasses of wine) I sound a tad like one of the extras from the movie The Departed…or if you missed that one – Gone Baby Gone. So, as I chat about the coast of Brittany, Sicily’s colorful outdoor markets, and houseboats in India, I abstain from pronouncing them “wicked”; watch my “Rs” - and otherwise try to keep them engaged in thinking about how to present these tours to their clients. This is travel in the luxury sphere and well, it's about this recession. It's a challenge

But the Inspired Journeys is a dream vacation for anyone who fancies themself to be a foodie and there are a lot of folks who fit that description. Consider the popularity of the Food Network and chefs that are household names. Discovering a destination through its cuisine - which is always intertwined with its history, its culture and of course its people – is a whole new way to travel. I'ts why I fell in love with Tour de Forks’ ... the embracing of the “farm to fork” philosophy, and the tenets of the Slow Food Movement – and of course, the fabulous itineraries. They really are wicked cool and my passion for it all grows daily.

I’ve shared one of my favorite promo pics – from a sardine can snapped at an outdoor market (Capo) in Palermo. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

Travel and Today's Economy

Monday morning and I’m multi-tasking – drinking coffee, listening to Good Morning America and checking out at the travel industry websites. The news is much of the same. President Obama looks grim, Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts are chatting with experts on how to deal with loosing your job, while Travel Weekly and Travel Pulse Daily have predictions of possible dire consequences for travel agents and tour operators. The economy – everybody is talkin’ about it.

Selling travel in this climate is indeed a challenge. Delivering Asia’s bulletin today is pitching chocolate massage packages at the Anatara Spa in the Golden Triangle. Now that’s an experience. Will people pay for it? We’ll all find out soon enough.

Items on my To Do list this week will include an outline for St. Barth Properties e-newsletter. The island remains the playground for the beautiful people and all the mega-yachts still pulled into its little harbor over the holidays. But it’s a long season and there are lots of villas to rent. Past clients are looking at their 401Ks and wondering what was behind their boss’s cryptic remarks at the staff meeting. Consumer confidence.

We’ve chosen the mantra of selling the experience –‘cause we really do believe the philosophy behind it. Travel and especially sharing special places and moments with family and friends really is priceless. And worth way more than most “stuff”.

I know I can only clearly remember a handful of presents that I’ve received over the years – and half of them where the B-A-D ones. Why is it we always remember the awful gifts? I still grimace at a bagel-slicing contraption I once received and I finally just shoved the world’s ugliest coffee table book into a desk drawer.

But I will never forget climbing the Great Wall one cool and misty October morning, laughs shared with friends at a villa in Provence, my elephant ride in Chiang Mai. the wonderful little restaurant my husband and I discovered in Paris….or sunset cocktails overlooking this picture-postcard of a harbor in St. Barth's Gustavia.

And if I can ride an elephant to the spa for that chocolate massage - they’ve sold me.

Working the To Do List

On Sundays, after the newspapers have been digested, George Stephanopoulos watched and my yoga class attended, I peruse the week’s To Do List. And cast an anxious on the items that still need doing.

This Sunday, my list admonishes me that I still haven’t finished writing the press release announcing Tour de Forks’ collaboration with Tasmania’s Tourist Board. And packages don’t promote themselves. I’ve haven’t been to Tasmania yet, but doesn’t this delicious bit of prose make you want head out to Down Under?

‘It is a land of cream and honey – thick King Island dairy cream and honey from the leatherwood trees. The crayfish are as big as cats, the mountain streams so pure that the women come to collect the water like modern-day Rebeccas at the well…

Victoria Mather, Tatler

Love it - and hope it will inspire my writing of said press release.

I forget to call my doc and order up some malaria medication needed for a trip to Africa scheduled for the end of the month. That’s a must do.

And I still haven’t bought a dress for my son’s wedding, which will be happening three weeks from yesterday. Last week I fielded a bunch of ‘phone calls from friends and family. “Have you bought your dress yet?” “You’ll have to have it fitted, and there won’t be enough time!” “Nah…nah...I’ll head out to Bloomies and find something great off the rack.” I’m in control. Plus, I refuse to do one of those mother-of-the-groom-cum-bolero-jacket numbers.

But what if the result of my procrastination results in my being forced to don an ill-fitting dress. I’ll be captured for posterity in the wedding album – looking frumpy. Will I be "that" mother-of-the-groom? That couldn’t happen. Could it? If so, would that be worse than coming down with malaria …or not?

I know, I will highlight “buy dress for B’s wedding" on my To Do list and change its code to A1 in my Franklin Planner. Malaria medicine will be an A2.Question answered.

On to the press release.




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