Wickaninnish Inn

In celebration of The Travel Group's Health & Wellness week, we invited the Wickaninnish Inn to show us their award winning spa !!

Located on Vancouver Island's magnificently rugged west coast, the Wickaninnish Inn is minutes from the picturesque village of Tofino. Surrounded by ocean with an old growth forest as a backdrop, the Wickaninnish offers a spectacular view from every room on site.

A kid and dog friendly place, the Wickaninnish has welcome packages for the dogs on arrival, they have dog wash stations complete with towels and hose to dry your pooch off after a day on the beach.

The resort has 2 cars on site, which are available for hire, as well as 25 bikes. Rooms are complete with rain jackets and wellingtons, for those stormy days.

There is no shortage of things to do while at the Wickaninnish. Hire a surf instructor for the day, enjoy a kayak on the ocean, or hike in the forest. There is a carving shed on site, where a local carver is always up to something, have a chat he loves to talk. Every Saturday there is a hosted nature walk to learn the names of the local plants.

Pointe Restaurant: Situated on the jagged rocks overlooking the Pacific ocean, the Pointe Restaurant provides diners with a 240-degree view of the pounding surf. Enjoy  a showcase of coastal seafood and fresh farm ingredients while listening to the ocean waves.  http://travelgrestaurants.blogspot.ca/2012/04/pointe-restaurant-at-wickaninnish-inn.html

During the summer months, every other night on the beach is a Crab cookout.

Ancient Cedar Spa: Voted #1 Hotel Spa worldwide by Travel & Leisure readers, and was just voted one of the top spas in Canada by Conde Nest Gold, 2012. The Ancient Cedar Spa is the pearl within the oyster of the Wickaninnish Inn. Treatments utilizing indigenous elements to esthetics or calming yoga sessions, the emphasis is on relaxation and rejuvenation. Nestled at ocean level, the spa is sheltered by the forest fringe and looks out to the waves of the ocean. Make sure to book far in advance, it's a hot item.







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Bvlgari Hotel, London

What inspiration for a visit to London! 

Nick from the Bvlgari Hotel London was in with amazing photos and some great stories about the new Bvlgari hotel that is to open in May 2012.

Bvlgari is known worldwide for their exquisite jewelry and have opened 3 hotels around the world with their 4^th to open in London. 

Mr. Bvlgari was originally a silver smith and this can be seen throughout the hotel. With Silver, gold’s, and jewel tones throughout the hotel.  Their concept is when you walk into your room you feel like you’re walking into a piece of jewelry.  The Bvlgari will open May 28^th with 85 rooms in what will be the “greenest hotel in London” complete with a Bee hive on the roof.    The hotel is situated across from Hyde Park, which is the largest city park in the world, and their back door is mere metres from Harrods front door.

What do you think is the number 1 item purchased in a hotel restaurant? 

A burger – I know I’ve purchased my fare share!  A group of staff was sent to New York, where the best hamburgers are created for a tasting. And the result is they believe they have one of the best burgers in the world.  You be the judge of that.

Hostels that are a bit different

Heading out on a trip? Keeping things on a budget ?  Check out the locations of these Hostels.

  

Ottawa Ontario, Canada:  This one is an old Jail.

 
Stayokay Domburg, Netherlands: This one is a castle.The 13th century castle is within walking distance of the beach. In summer you can congregate on the terrace with its amazing view of the dunes. The rooms are in the main building and in the two carriage houses.  
 



Stockholm, Sweden: This on is on a Jumbo Jet!



  

Bay of Island, The Rock, New Zealand: This one is a boat ! The Rock is New Zealand’s biggest house boat, built to offer a warm, homely, stable environment for cruising the Bay of Islands. The Rock is suitable for travellers of all ages who enjoy great company, new experiences, and who don’t mind getting their feet wet. Our overnight cruise allows guests to encounter everything the Bay has to offer and reflects the adventurous Kiwi spirit. 

Xi'an-Qixian, China: This one is housed in classic Chinese row houses.

Hotels for Solos

While hotels generally don't charge a single supplements the way tour operators and cruise ships do, some hotels are taking steps to cater to solo travelers.

Dukes London has a whole floor just for women. (Duchess Rooms) are readily available for the ladies traveling alone. Rooms include things like smaller slippers, lifestyle magazines and a makeup mirror at the vanity.  Women can enjoy a corner table to themselves in the dining room so that they can eat in peace and not feel like they are on display in the middle of the room. And all services on the floor, from escort upon arrival to deliveries to housekeeping, are handled exclusively by female members of staff.