a measure of luxury

Vol. 18 no. 01

Webster’s New World defines luxury as
“costly comforts or pleasures.” Really?
Does luxury have a price tag, or is it more personal, influenced by perception,
experience and expectation? When we’re spending those two treasured commodities – time and money – travel feels luxurious when value is delivered. Certainly, there are posh places and expensive ways to get there, but we posit that luxury is more complex than the bottom line. In 2006’s Travel Takes debut, we look at luxury travel from myriad perspectives (and many price points).

 

Dolphin Bay Debuts on California's Central Coast

A new sanctuary has arrived along California’s sublime Central Coast with the opening of Dolphin Bay Hotel and Residences, a luxury oceanfront resort located in Pismo Beach (about 10 minutes south of San Luis Obispo). Dolphin Bay offers 70 units (some privately owned), offering guests an extraordinary escape at the heart of the Pacific Coast. Dolphin Bay Hotel’s features and amenities redefine the Central Coast’s lodging landscape. Configured as one bedroom, two bedroom and penthouse units, Dolphin Bay guest residences are spacious, ranging in size from 985 to 2,000 square feet. Guests may dine on property at Lido Restaurant (opening late March), revive their senses at the hotel’s day spa, “La Bonne Vie” (opening May), exercise at the hotel fitness center, swim in Dolphin Bay’s enormous, infinity-edged pool and whirlpool spa, and comb the ocean beach that unfurls steps from the hotel. Local San Luis Obispo County attractions encompass wine country touring, championship golf, sailing and sea kayaking, coastal bike and hiking trails, wildlife watching, and much more. Many guests will opt to rest in pampered privacy within their rooms, where designer Italian linens, gourmet kitchens with signature appliances, plasma flat panel televisions with surround sound systems, and wide-angle Pacific Ocean views come in a variety of configurations. Led by Swiss born general manager Reto V. Torriani, guest service is another area where Dolphin Bay offers surpassing quality. Special opening season rates and packages are now available that represent significant savings from high season rates (ranging from $495 to $1500/night). For Dolphin Bay Hotel reservations and information, see www.thedolphinbay.com or call toll-free, (800) 516-0112. (*)

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Waterfalls, Champagne, A Touch of Romance

With all the demands of the “9 to 5” world, it’s no wonder we occasionally lose sight of what’s really important, things like friends, family, “significant others.” Nature has a way of restoring our perspective and reconnecting us with her healing powers. Tenaya Lodge has created a special package for couples to truly get away from it all, to enjoy the magic of Yosemite National Park by day, and to enjoy one another by night. The Quintessential Romance Package includes a posh Tenaya honeymoon room featuring 550 square feet of living space, private balcony, full wet bar with refrigerator, and an extra large bath area with a whirlpool tub separate from the shower. Package amenities include a candlelight chateaubriand dinner at the Sierra Restaurant, champagne on ice and chocolate dipped strawberries, VIP turndown service, box lunch for two to take on a nice walk through the woods, a Yosemite gift basket including aromatherapy eye pillow, Yosemite meditations book, redwood seedling, plush Tenaya bear, postcards and more. Quintessential Romance is offered from $511/night, May 1-June 17; and $607/night, June 18-September 4, 2006 (double occupancy, of course!). Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite is a classic mountain resort surrounded by noble evergreen forest and a rich range of Sierra recreation. Offering 244 rooms and suites, Tenaya Lodge perennially earns the AAA’s prestigious Four-Diamond rating. Tenaya’s Activities Desk provides expert advice and reservations for the vast array of outdoor experiences accessible in the surrounding Yosemite-Sierra region. Tenaya Lodge is owned and operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, Inc., a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North Companies, Inc., and is a leading hospitality provider with significant experience in hotel, retail, food service, recreation and transportation operations. For Tenaya Lodge reservations and information, see www.tenayalodge.com or call toll-free, 877-322-5492. (*)

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Hitting the San Luis Obispo Golf Trail

Accessibility, affordable green fees, courses to fit all skill levels, and spectacular scenery combine to make California’s San Luis Obispo County the year-round golf destination. San Luis Obispo County golf courses and golf resorts cluster within 30 miles of each other; planning a golf getaway is easy with the San Luis Obispo County Golf Trail program, developed by the San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau in partnership with 14 area golf courses. Highlights of the program include a handy full-color brochure listing participating golf courses and a special website, www.SLOCountyGolfTrail.com. Once online, visitors can book tee times, view a map of golf courses and search a list of amenities. San Luis Obispo County golf courses offer visitors a range of choices - a course that is often referred to as "every man's Pebble Beach;" a one-of-a-kind 6-hole course with three pods per hole for all levels; a course featuring a links-style layout reminiscent of St. Andrews; a Peter Jacobsen Signature course that is also certified as a Signature Sanctuary by Audubon International; and a golf course set among lush, ancient oak groves on rolling hills. In the northern area of the coastal county, the weather is warmer and the courses are set in oak groves and wine country. The southern courses including Avila Beach Golf Resort, Blacklake Golf Course and Cypress Ridge Golf Course offer lush fairways and challenging terrain in exquisite California countryside. To help plan your natural golf escape to San Luis Obispo County, call the San Luis Obispo County Visitors & Conference Bureau at (800) 634-1414 or visit www.SanLuisObispoCounty.com and order a free destination guide and Golf Trail brochure.

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