Blog Title: Luxury Hotels and Luxury Travel - The Informed Tra

Scuba Diving the Caribbean at St. James’s Club and Villas, Antigua

Exploring the teeming underwater life around Antigua is easy with the St. James’s Club, the full-service resort tucked away on a 100-acre peninsula. Since the resort opened its Dive Center, thrilled divers have come face to face with some 70 species of fish that live on the colorful reefs of Mamora Bay, just offshore. (The read more..

Fall into the Holidays Get-Away at the Conrad Indianapolis

Embrace the holiday season and get real savings at Indianapolis’ destination hotel. Connected by skybridge to the Artsgarden, Circle Centre Mall and the Indiana Convention Center, the Conrad promises an innovative guest experience with a spa, fine dining, and tricked-out guest rooms (500 thread-count bed linens, bathrooms with separate tub and shower, designer amenities, complimentary read more..

The World’s Best New Years Eve Parties: Watch the Fireworks in Rio at the Copacabana Palace

Don’t miss one of the best parties in the world. Rio de Janeiro goes off for New Year’s Eve. (Carnaval may be the world’s biggest party, but the Brazilians bring their whimsy and flair to December 31st as well.) The place to be to witness the magnificent fireworks display is Copacabana Palace, the legendary hotel read more..

Rest and Restore, Italian-Style, at Alpen Palace Deluxe Hotel and Spa

What better place to recover and restore your sanity and health than Italy? Alpen Palace Deluxe Hotel and Spa is offering a Winter Wellness Package that’s sure to cure what ails you. Starting at EUR 1,008, you’ll get seven nights in a selected room, which includes 2/3 Wellness Pension and use of the read more..

Santa Checks In to Savings at Washington’s Hay Adams Hotel

Have a fantasy Christmas in the nation’s capital this holiday with The Hay-Adams Hotel’s five-night Christmas Package. Your family will adore the luxury suite with in-room Christmas tree, decorated exquisitely by hotel staff, or you can decorate it yourself with decorations available. Other holiday activities include decorating a Ginger Bread house with the chefs, and read more..

Design Your Own Stay at Pan Pacific Manila

Your Butler at Pan Pacific Manila awaits you. For a truly personalized experience, when you book your “Preference at Pan Pacific Manila” (until December 31, 2008) you may add an additional amenity of your choice– Is it going to be the complimentary daily breakfast for 2 at the Pacific Lounge, the complimentary 24 hour internet read more..

Chicago on Sale: Third Night Free at Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton Chicago

You gotta love Black Friday. Deals galore, and some will extend well into the new year, like serious savings on hotel rooms. Enjoy luxury for less at the Four Seasons Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Chicago (both are Four Seasons properties) with a third night free until April 1, 2009, with rooms starting at $395 per night. read more..

Recipes from Chef José Andrés of The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills

Still suffering food coma from Thanksgiving? Or did a hearty meal only whet your appetite for more culinary adventures this winter? José Andrés, the author, TV star, and celebrity chef behind the Spanish culinary revolution in the U.S., now serves at the helm of an extraordinary new restaurant in Beverly Hills at the SLS Hotel, read more..

Tour Krug Champagne in London and France

If you are a connoisseur of fine champagne, then the Dorchester Collection has the ultimate experience for you. With the “Krug Escape” enjoy a two night tour of Krug Champagne across two countries, with luxury accommodations, fine dining, and exceptional champagne. Starting in London at The Dorchester, enjoy a Krug Champagne breakfast tailored to accent read more..

In Case of Nuclear War, Check-In at West Virginia’s Greenbrier

Just in case the House and Senate have to flee Washington, it’s good to know they won’t have to bunk at a local no-tell motel. No, nothing short of the luxurious retreat to the stars The Greenbrier in WVA will do for the elder statesmen and women of this country. See, in read more..

Spa Luxury at Barcelona’s Hotel Majestic

MajesticSpa Essential Moments has an enviable location on the top floor of Barcelona’s Hotel Majestic. The just-opened, luxurious, state-of the art spa includes four treatment cabins and an innovative hydrotherapy area. Products are by the luxury cosmetics firm Natura Bisse. Among the many facial and body treatments available are the Diamond Sinfonia (Diamond Symphony), a read more..

Happy Thanksgiving from Five Star Alliance

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Five Star Alliance and The Informed Traveler. Feast well, dear reader. We’ll be back soon with some hot deals (and news) from the best luxury hotels worldwide.

The Lorien Hotel and Spa in Alexandria: Kimpton’s Crown Jewel in the D.C. Area

Too bad this baby won’t be ready in time for Inauguration (seems there’s a dearth of accommodations in the D.C. area and hotels are making bank with outrageous offers). But just a few days before Valentine’s Day 2009, the swanky Lorien Hotel will open in Alexandria, Virginia, and it’s being described as “Kimpton’s crown jewel read more..

Pet Pampering at The Peninsula Beverly Hills

The five-star treatment is not limited to human guests at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. The award-winning hotel, which recently unveiled its glamorous Roof Garden and Pool after a stunning makeover, spoils four-legged guests as much as their owners. For pet-obsessed Americans, it’s important that their hotels are pet-friendly, offering amenities just for Fido. Travel + read more..

Steals in the South of France: $100 Rooms at the Hotel Martinez, Cannes

Nope, this is not a joke. You can score a luxurious room on the French Riviera for a mere EUR 80 in February. To celebrate its 80th anniversary, the Hotel Martinez– situated on the largest private beach on the Croisette in Cannes– is offering up 80 of its 412 rooms at a special EUR 80 read more..