Travel & Culture – Signature9

Santa Fe: 5 Days, $500

Vanessa Quirk — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:46:05 +0000

Order “Christmas” in Santa Fe, and you’ll be getting something a heck of a lot spicier than a man in a jolly red suit and presents under the tree.

Instead, you’ll receive a healthy serving of red and green chile sauce drizzled over your steaming plate of enchiladas.

Like your lunch, New Mexico’s capital city is a spicy blend of diverse cultures and histories – only this city’s also stuffed with a robust appreciation of art and peppered with a love for outdoor adventure.

The oldest capital in the US, Santa Fe’s streets are lined with richly colored adobe buildings, historic sites (like the US’s oldest church), hundreds of art galleries (Santa Fe was even home to Georgia O’Keefe), and contemporary restaurants.

Visiting now, during slow season, is the perfect way to experience Santa Fe like a local (and without the crowds!). With Ski resorts only a few miles away and Indian Pueblos celebrating their Winter Feast Days and Dances, you’ll have no shortage of activities to immerse yourself in the New Mexican experience.

Hotel Santa Fe & Spa in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico

And after a hard day on the slopes or browsing the galleries, relax with a cup of hot chocolate at Hotel Santa Fe & Spa – a downtown location (only blocks from the historic Santa Fe Plaza and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum) currently offering a 4-night package (including round-trip fares to/from Dallas) for only $441 per person.

Santa Fe is that rare town that can offer it all – intriguing cultures, rich history, contemporary cuisine, ski resorts, spas, a stunning natural landscape. 5 days may not be enough to get it all in, but it sure would make for a delightfully delicious sampling.

San Francisco: 5 Days, $500

Vanessa Quirk — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:24:37 +0000

If Los Angeles is like a leggy bleached blonde who can’t help but command a room’s attention, then you can think of San Francisco as her quirky cousin – probably sampling the hors d’oeuvres in the corner and trying to spark an intellectual conversation with the room’s resident hipsters and geeks.

You see, LA may be a city that attract hordes of tourists like moths to a glitzy, neon flame – but San Fran is a destination that has way more to offer than first meets the eye.

Yes, there are the icons you’d expect – the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the cable cars, and the stunning views of the bay – but there’s also the San Francisco you may not know: a foodie’s delight with the nation’s largest Chinatown (a fabulously priced dim sum dinner at Wing Lee Bakery is a must), it offers not just a great cultural scene but also access to California’s stunning wine country.

Stay close to Union Square at the three-star King George Hotel for only $69 a night (usually $150) or at the newly opened (and trÃ¨s chic) Crescent San Francisco, which for a limited time is only $99 a night. Then branch out – see a play (how ’bout Wicked for only 50 bucks?), check out the Zoo, go on a $56Â Wine Tour of Napa Valley, or just walk around San Fran’s hilly, artsy neighborhoods.

The off-peak season makes it easier than ever to experience this incredible American city on a budget. And, thankfully, it’s easier than ever to get there:Â Jet Blue is offering $99 tickets (each way) from NYC to San Francisco as part of its Winter Sale. Â Yup, now’s just about the perfect time to escape the deep freeze of the East and experience everything this city by the bay has to offer.

Tents with a View and a Loo: If Money’s No Object

Vanessa Quirk — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:39:01 +0000

For those who love the great outdoors – well, just enough to spendÂ your days exploring natural wonders and unusualÂ curiosities, but not enough to spend your nights communing with a not so unusual, rock-hard ground -Â we present to you the Galapagos Safari Camp.

This Luxury Safari, courtesy of Big Five Tours & Expeditions, is a 7-nightÂ adventureÂ that beginsÂ in QuitoÂ and takes you all overÂ Santa Cruz IslandÂ in the Galapagos. The “Safari” part of this vacation includes tours of fantastic craters, encounters with tortoises and blue-footed boobies, a visit to an organic coffee farm, and stays on white sandy beaches.

Now for the “Luxury:” each of the 9 tents available has its own private balcony (with views of the ocean)Â andÂ private bathroom – hot shower and toilet included. And just a short walk away are a communal fireplace, private chef, and infinity pool. At $2,750 a person, this is camping like you’ve never seen it before.

5 Days, $500: West Ireland

Vanessa Quirk — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:23:02 +0000

5 days may be all you need to truly become civilized.

Sceptre Tours is offering an amazing deal to Western Ireland: for $499, you will fly in and out ofÂ ShannonÂ Airport, receive a rental car with unlimited mileage,Â andÂ spend 6 nights in a 5-star castle.

Care for a spot of tea in the drawing room?

The Adare Manor, the historic Irish castle near Limerick where you’ll be staying, has been ratedÂ one of the top three resorts in Europe by the 2009 Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards.Â Not only does it haveÂ a sumptuous interior and great service (including aÂ delightfully traditional afternoon tea special),Â its beautiful location putsÂ you in a primeÂ spot to explore the best of the Irish countryside -Â including Galway, Killarney, Cliffs of Moher, Blarney Castle, and the Burren.

The Cliffs of Moher

Sipping tea by morning, traipsing the picturesque countryside by day, and maybe even venturing into a pub or two for a Guinness at night? Now that’s the life of Larry, as the Irish would say.

Hotel for 1, Please: If Money’s No Object

Vanessa Quirk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:00:12 +0000

â€œItâ€s not bling-bling,â€Â says Jean-Christophe Stoerkel about hisÂ hotelÂ 6 Mandel . Well, that may be, but could there beÂ a biggerÂ status symbolÂ than your own hotel? That’s right, 6 Mandel is a townhouse in Paris’ 16th Arrondissement where you are the one and only guest. A private suite decorated by Philippe David,Â cooking classesÂ (in the French or Japanese styles), maid service, a stackedÂ art gallery, and a beautiful garden with views of the Eiffel Tower are all at your disposal. According to its web site, 6 Mandel is for those who are “passionate about nature, sensitive to quality, modernity, luxury…” We think it’s perfect for those in need of a private get away or some peace and quiet. This is the kind ofÂ luxurious travel experienceÂ where you can really get away from it all – although, being in theÂ chicest partÂ of Paris, you may not want to.

Reservations and information

6mandel.com (only available in French)
6 avenue Georges Mandel
Paris, FR 75016
+33.1.42.27.27.93