September 30, 2009 at 3:30 PM
It's pretty much a given that most brides dedicate approximately 95% of their energy to planning the wedding and the remaining 5% to planning the honeymoon. The fact is, you want your big day to be perfect, but you'll settle for a honeymoon destination that has great weather and nice accommodations. With this in mind, Rosewood Hotels devised the perfect package: brides who tie the knot at select Rosewood hotels in the U.S. are given complimentary accommodations for two nights at one of their Caribbean or Mexican properties—no honeymoon planning required! To sweeten the deal, they're even throwing in a private beach dinner for two!
The package is actually quite genius. While you're busy hammering out every big day detail, you can relax knowing you'll have the honeymoon of your dreams after the "I Dos." Here are the incredible hotels participating:
Hotels for your wedding celebration
Rosewood Crescent Hotel, Dallas, TX (crescentcourt.com)
Texas
Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas, TX (mansiononturtlecreek.com)
The Mansion on Peachtree, A Rosewood Hotel & Residence, Atlanta, GA (rwmansiononpeachtree.com)
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel, New York, New York (thecarlyle.com)
Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park, CA (rosewoodsandhill.com)
Resorts for your honeymoon getaway
Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands (
littledixbay.com)
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
September 28, 2009 at 12:00 PM
If you asked brides-to-be what their dream honeymoon locale was, chances are Moorea would come up quite a bit. It's one of those dream destinations that has it all—great weather, beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. If you happen to be one of those brides whose still searching for the honeymoon of a lifetime, we got a great deal for you.
The Legends Resort Moorea (legendsresortvillas.com) is currently offering an incredible stay 7, pay 5 deal for travel through June 2010. Yes, that's right—if you book five nights at the property, you get 2 free for a savings of $1,000!
As if the savings wasn't incentive enough, the amazing amenities at the resort are sure to win you over. All 47 villas at Legends feature panoramic ocean views, private decks with hot tubs, full kitchens and access to a private beach. Best of all, you won't have to worry about being cramped in some tiny hotel room—the resort's 2-bedroom villas are over 1200 square feet!
Visit legendsresortvillas.com now to take advantage of this incredible offer!
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
September 3, 2009 at 1:00 PM
With all the gown fittings and cake tastings and seating arrangements to be completed, it's understandable that all things honeymoon-related sometimes get relegated to the bottom of a bride's to-do list. All you have to is pick a destination and book it, right? Wrong!
After you've selected the perfect postwedding wind down location, you still need to decide what to bring on your getaway. Swimsuit? Check. Date-night outfit? Check. The perfect, all-occasion clutch? Check that one off, too, after visiting kaijany.com.
In addition to be super-chic, all the bags in the Kaija NY collection are perfectly sized for travel. They won't take up a ton of room in your suitcase, but you'll find yourself carrying it everywhere on your honeymoon. What we love most, though, is that the bags are made from organic, natural, eco-friendly materials. You can look good and do some good simultaneously.
The bags come in a range of colors, patterns and sizes, so start shopping for the one perfect for your destination at kaijany.com now!
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
July 9, 2009 at 11:00 AM
W recently added another incredible property to their already amazing collection of modern, stylish hotels: W Washington DC opened yesterday and you have to check it out! Try one of these 3 ways to work it into your wedding:
1. Destination wedding. The W completely gutted what used to be a roller rink on the roof of the Hotel Washington and converted it into a breathtaking rooftop ballroom, aptly called Altitude, that overlooks Lafayette Park. In addition to views, the food is impressive, too. Jean-George Vongerichten is opening his first DC restaurant in the hotel that will provide all the ballroom catering!
2. Girlfriends getaway. In addition to all the cultural sights you can take in with your girls in the nation's capital, you also have the option of staying put in the hotel's Bliss Spa. It's the first one in the region and features the spas signature hot milk and almond pedicure and the blissage 75, a 75-minute head-to-toe body massage.
3. Engagement party or welcome cocktails. Back on the rooftop is P.O.V. (Point of View), a swanky lounge for more informal gatherings. Guests can sip drinks on bold red couches and take in views of the White House lawn and the city's historic monuments from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Unsurprisingly, the ballroom is already booked through winter and the rooms are getting snatched up fast, so get a head start on your 2010 planning at
starwood.com where you can get more information and make your reservations.
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
February 26, 2009 at 11:00 AM
If you're anything like most people, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Tasmania is...the Tasmanian Devil. And yes, while the little creature is pretty cute, it's only one of the many amazing draws to this small, heart-shaped island south of Australia. Here are a few other reasons you should consider a honeymoon down under:
The Landscape: Whether you're a beach couple, city folk or nature lovers, Tasmania has a setting for you. The East Coast is covered in white sand beaches set on turquoise waters; Hobart, the capital city, is a charming, seaside enclave full of historic sights and great restaurants; the western side of the island houses a World Heritage Area wilderness and boasts the cleanest air in the world.
The Wildlife: Tasmanian Devil aside, the island is home to tons of other incredible animals like kangaroos and platypuses, that you can see up close in their natural environments.
The Luxurious Escapes: From the super-indulgent, soon-to-be-opened Saffire to the standing camps in the Bay of Fires, your lodging will be unlike anything you've ever experienced before.
The Wine: The boutique wineries on the island produce some of the most delicious pinot noirs and cool climate wines in the world, perfect for toasting your new life together.
For more info on Tasmania, visit discovertasmania.com.
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
February 12, 2009 at 1:30 PM
There's a reason why Mexico is the preferred vacation destination of stars like Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston—warm weather and beautiful beaches, most notably.
Another reason to consider Mexico for your postwedding wind-down, though? It's recession-friendly. Mexico has some of the most luxurious resorts and spas in the world and they're not astronomically expensive.
Take the Royal Hideaway Playacar (royalhideaway.com) in the Riviera Maya, for example. It's the first adults-only all-inclusive resort in the world to earn the AAA 5-diamond award and it features six a la carte restaurants, relaxation pools and 200 luxury guest rooms. Best of all, if you book a 3-night stay from now until March 31, you'll get a fourth night—free! Quite a deal, huh?
For more information, visit royalhideaway.com or call 800.999.9182.
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
January 29, 2009 at 10:30 AM
One only has to look at the discarded flowers, leftover food and trucks filled to the brim with returned chair and table rentals to understand the environmental impact that a wedding can have, especially if vendors are coming in from faraway locations. But one hotel in Hawaii is offering a way to make marrying a little greener.
The Four Seasons Hualalai (fourseasons.com/hualalai) now offers a "sustainable nuptials" package for couples who want to marry at the hotel. With the help of an eco-friendly planner, the hotel has incorporated tons of new services that will help ease your wedding's impact on the environment, from using bio-degradable and sustainable plates and napkins to illuminating your reception with natural beeswax candles. They also use locally grown produce and flowers (and lots of them—they'll scatter two thousand dendrobium orchids at your wedding site!). The hotel will even issue you a carbon credit to remedy the environmental impact of your plane ride.
With all the great options Hualalai now offers, you'll definitely have a wedding that's both romantic and easy on the earth. And that's certainly a great way to start a new life together.
—Jessica Derschowitz
January 15, 2009 at 1:15 PM
When you think of luxurious honeymoon destinations, Fiji, the Maldives and Turks & Caicos probably come to mind. But what about the Bahamas? Yes, you can add that to the list, too, thanks to the Tiamo Resort (tiamoresort.com) on South Andros Island.
Nestled among coconut palms and sea grape trees, the property is comprised of 11 gorgeous beachfront bugalows that have king size beds, open-air showers, wrap-around porches, and morning coffee delivery. Unsurprisingly, water activities abound at Tiamo—the resort offers you use of their kayaks, sailboats and snorkeling equipment. Explorers can also take guided ecological trips under water or on land. The lodge, the main hub of Tiamo, serves up delicious daily meals including dinner served on white linens by candlelight.
As if that weren't enough, Tiamo is also eco-friendly! Tiamo is the first full service resort utilizing 100% alternative energy for its electrical needs, including a commercial kitchen. And, all the hot water used by the resort is created by thermal hot water heaters—no electricity or gas is used.
So maybe Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon knew something we didn't when they eloped in the Bahamas, but now, the secret is out!
—Jeanine Edwards, Associate Editor
January 1, 2009 at 3:00 PM
After you’ve spent the better part of a year planning your wedding down to the smallest detail, it’s only natural that come the honeymoon, you'll be all planned out. That’s why the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai’s (fourseasons.com/hualalai) new Love Butler program is such a genius idea.
The romance plan kicks in as soon as you pull into the hotel's porte-cochere: Guests to the resort, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, are greeted with a fragrant lei and taken to one of their luxurious rooms where two bottles of champagne, red velvet cupcakes, bubble bath and a romantic movie on DVD await. Next up is a 50-minute couple's massage at their spa, and before sunset a love basket filled with a bottle of wine and
delicious island goodies, some candles and a map pinpointing the most romantic stargazing spots on the property is delivered.
The rest, as they say, is up to you. Guests who want to up the romance can contact the love butler prior to their arrival to arrange additional romantic interludes like a dinner on the beach for two with a solo hula dancer or hundreds of orchids scattered in their room. The best part is you get to leave the planning, arranging and worrying to someone else. The package starts at $825 per night, but if you really want to splash out (and at $3,800/night, it’s a big splash), I suggest reserving Bungalow 33. It’s super-secluded, has full ocean views and sits on the edge of a natural fishpond that attracts lots of colorful, exotic birds. For more info, go to fourseasons.com/hualalai.
—Sharon Boone
December 25, 2008 at 4:30 PM
I love vacation spots where different cultures mix seamlessly and I get a sort of two-trips-for-the-price-of-one experience. One of the hottest destinations for that best of both worlds vibe is St. Barts. This lovely island combines the sophistication of the French Riviera with the low-key Caribbean vibe. That means you get gourmet food, great shopping and prime people-watching right alongside beautiful beaches, gorgeous sunsets and the joy of doing nothing but relaxing.
One of the island’s best places to stay has to be the Hotel St. Barths Isle de France (isle-de-france.com). With just 37 rooms, this tiny treasure of a resort makes for the perfect honeymoon hideaway. And they’ve recently unveiled four secluded Beach Suites that offer a retreat within a retreat. The suites are located on the Baie des Flamands, the prettiest beach on the island. Each 1,500 square-foot suite features a private infinity plunge pool, large terrace with beach loungers, 52″ plasma-screen television, fully equipped kitchen, wireless internet, stone bathtub and outdoor shower.
The property also boasts two freshwater pools and a world-class Molton Brown spa. And since the hotel is legendary as a celebrity hideaway—Elle McPherson and Hugh Jackman are said to have stayed here—you never know who you might spot poolside.
—Sharon Boone
